Gone We Go 19

Chapter Nineteen

After a few hours to sleep, Zalair woke up mid-morning. He dressed himself into a similar outfit that he wore the day before, and hurried down to the dining hall.

"Mother!" he shouted as he came in. "I need a carriage."

"My goodness!" Queen Rose gasped, "Whatever in the world for?"

"I gotta go see Keigo."

"Going to accept the proposal and marry him?" King Yoh asked, taking a sip of wine.

Zalair glared at his father, "I need to talk to him about something a bit more important than that."

King Yoh choked on his drink. "Wh-what's more important than the safety of our kingdom?"

"You tell me," Zalair grumbled. "So, Mom? Carriage, yes?"

"Oh…. Fine." Queen Rose waved her hand. "Just don't do anything stupid, would you?"

"Yeah, I know." Zalair waved to her and hurried out the room. "Thanks."

The queen sitting next to Queen Rose, with her long blond hair, leaned over to her. "When did Zalair become so active?"

Queen Rose shrugged, "Perhaps he's got a motive? He always is motivated when it comes to Lettale."

Zalair hurried outside to the guards at the front gate, "Get me a carriage and driver right away, please."

The guard on the left nodded, "Right away, sire! How soon do you-"

"Immediately."

A few moments later a carriage was in front of Zalair, ready to go. He got in and directed the driver to take him to Dragon's Bane. He sat in silence throughout the whole ride.

Once they were at the palace, Zalair jumped out of the carriage and quickly ran into the palace. He tried his best to ignore the cold licking at his bare feet.

"Where's Prince Keigo?" he asked a guard inside at the front.

"He should be over by the west gardens." The guard said after a second to think.

Zalair nodded to him and then ran down the halls. Once the west gardens were in sight, he quickly grabbed a spear off the wall, and then ran in to the practicing Keigo.

"Whoa!" Keigo jumped back with a start. He blocked the spear with his sword's blade, "What're you doing here?"

"You should know!" Zalair shouted, shoving the opposite end of the spear up, hitting the middle of Keigo's forehead.

Keigo stumbled backwards, trying to swing his sword to balance himself.

"You took it!"

Keigo blocked the stab. He wasn't able to block as Zalair swung the spear around, hit the tang of the sword with the blade of the spear, knocking it out of Keigo's hand. Then with the bladeless end of the spear, Zalair thrust it quickly into Keigo's gut.

Keigo coughed out the air from his lungs, tripping backwards into the snow. He froze as he opened his eyes, seeing the blade of the spear at his nose.

"Ca-calm down a moment." Keigo gasped.

Zalair glared down at him. "Give me one good reason why."

"Cause I have absolutely no freakin' idea what you're talking about!" Keigo shouted.

Zalair eased the spear back a bit. "My ruby. You broke nine of them, and then last night we were attacked by the North, and then some whack-job shows up claiming he works for you and said something about my ruby. And now it's gone!"

Keigo raised a brow, "…Who showed up?"

"Some guy in black smoke." Zalair answered.

"Did he call himself Afrat?"

"Yeah." Zalair nodded.

Keigo shoved the spear from his face as he stood up quickly. "And you think he took your ruby?"

"He'd have to if you didn't." Zalair shrugged, "Who is he?"

"My most trusted advisor and teacher… Or least he was." Keigo snatched up the spear.

"Don't think this'll let you off the hook."

"Same to you." Keigo said, pulling the spear fully into his hand.

The two didn't say anything as they ran down the halls, stopping at a small door. Keigo didn't knock, just pushed it open and let himself in.

"Afrat!" Keigo shouted, holding the spear.

Afrat sat at his desk, his small little office filled with books. "Oh, Prince Keigo, are you here to study your spearman techniques?"

Zalair walked in, standing next to Keigo, "Not exactly, old man. Where's my ruby?"

Afrat leaned back into his chair, "And what makes you think I have it?"

"Last night you were the one who warned me about it, and," Zalair put a hand on his hip, "You don't look surprised to see me."

Afrat nodded, "Good reasoning… Thing is, Prince, I'm a fortune teller. I'm not surprised to see anyone."

"So then, you must know where my ruby is," Zalair smirked. "Unless you're saying your talents aren't that good?"

Keigo nodded, "Yeah. If you have the ruby or know where it is, you should be able to tell us."

Afrat shook his head, "What I did, my Prince, was take away the last of that man's weapons against you! I will not stand for my Prince dying at the hands of something I can prevent!"

"So you did take it!" Zalair shouted.

Afrat shouted back, "To protect my Prince! You don't deserve those knights' protection anyway- even if you were born under the sign of Orion!"

Keigo shook his head, "That's not up to you, Afrat. Now, give him the ruby."

Afrat groaned, pulled out a drawer in his desk. He threw the wrapped up stone to Zalair. Zalair caught it and unwrapped it carefully, examining it.

"See, there's your ruby."

Zalair inspected it for a moment in silence. He could tell his rubies from any real ones. "Yeah, it's mine." He nodded.

Keigo straightened up, "Afrat. I hereby forbid you to ever act again in any way that would anger or harm Zalair."

"I understand," Afrat bowed.

Zalair shook his head, walking out. Keigo nodded to the man, then followed after Zalair.

"So, you came all the way here for a stinkin' ruby, but not to see me?"

"Well I did see you, didn't I?" Zalair asked, putting the ruby into his pocket. "And you had a chance to kill me."

"I wasn't ready!"

"I never was when you attacked me," Zalair replied, still walking.

Keigo shoved the spear in front of them to block Zalair's path. "Hold up."

Zalair glared to him, "What?"

"Since you're here, I've got something to show you."

"Hm?"

"This way," Keigo said with a wave of his arm.

Curious, Zalair followed Keigo down the halls to his bed chambers. Inside, Keigo fished out the old carved box.

"Remember this?" He asked.

Zalair nodded, "Yeah."

Keigo opened it. "After your rubies broke, I'd pick up the shards and put them in here. When I looked at them this morning, they were whole again."

"Really?" Zalair's eyes widened, looking into the box.

Sitting in their original places, the nine rubies shimmered as the light exposed their flawless beauty.

"Awsome job, Keigo," Zalair reached to pick them up.

Keigo snapped the box shut, pulling it back to his body. "I never said you could have them back."

"They're mine to begin with." Zalair glared.

"Beat me one more time and you can have them." Keigo put the box gently onto his table.

Zalair rolled his eyes, "You are so-" He was cut off as Keigo swung the spear at him.