The Princelings of the North

By Jemima Pett

The Princelings of the North is the eighth in The Princelings of the East series. Princelings Dylan and Dougall, who live in the far northwest of an island off the northwest coast of the Realms, rescue an exiled prince, and battle against the odds to restore him to his birthright.

Irrepressible Dylan and steady Dougall are inseparable denizens of the tiny castle of Haunn, so far away from the rest of civilisation that it’s almost off the map. And maps are one of the key elements of this intricate adventure. Dylan finds a treasure map inside a bottle washed up on the shore – and he reckons he knows where X is. Instead of treasure, he finds the exiled Prince Kevin of Castle Deeping, antagonist in the Talent Seekers, bit-player in Bravo Victor, and mystery prince in Willoughby the Narrator. Kevin has had time to realise what a fool he’s been, and now wants vengeance and his castle back, which is just the sort of adventurous challenge that Dylan craves.

Dylan and Dougall have both appeared in print already; they star in tales in the two BookElves Anthologies. The novella Dylan’s Yuletide Journey, which appeared first, is also available as a free ebook. These two lovable characters finally get their own full-length adventure, something they’ve always threatened, and they travel virtually the full length of the Realms to achieve it. Check the series website for maps of the Realms to download.

Prince Kevin has an equal part in this adventure; he’s been hoodwinked by his evil uncle for so many years it takes a summer of isolation for him to come to his senses, although whether his plans are entirely sensible are for the reader to judge.

Lovers of the series will devour this latest adventure, but newcomers may find it best to start with the box set of books 1-3 or book 5; book 7 links to Kevin's disappearance. This is a mystery adventure in a world not quite like ours, suitable for age 10 and upwards. The series is set to conclude with book 10.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Princelings Publications
• Release date: Jan 30, 2018
• ISBN: 9781370899159

Jemima Pett

Jemima Pett has been living in a world of her own for many years. Writing stories since she was eight, drawing maps of fantasy islands with train systems and timetables at ten. Unfortunately no-one wanted a fantasy island designer, so she tried a few careers, getting great experiences in business, environmental research and social work. She finally got back to building her own worlds, and wrote about them. Her business background enabled her to become an independent author, responsible for her own publications.Her first series, the Princelings of the East, mystery adventures for advanced readers set in a world of tunnels and castles entirely populated by guinea pigs, is now complete. The tenth and final book, Princelings Revolution, came out in October 2020. Jemima does chapter illustrations for these. She has also edited two volumes of Christmas stories for young readers, the BookElves Anthologies, and her father's memoirs White Water Landings, about the Imperial Airways flying boat service in Africa. She has compiled four collections of flash fiction tales, publishing in the first half of 2021. She is now writing the third in her science fiction series set in the Viridian System, in which the aliens include sentient trees.Jemima lived in a village in Norfolk with her guinea pigs, the first of whom, Fred, George, Victor and Hugo, provided the inspiration for her first stories, The Princelings of the East. She is now living in Hampshire, writing science fiction for grown-ups, hatching plans for a new series, and writing more short stories for anthologies.

Book preview

The Princelings of the North

Princelings of the East Book 8

By Jemima Pett

Cover illustration by Danielle English

Chapter illustrations by the author

Princelings Publications

Smashwords edition 1.1

© J M Pett 2018

Other books in the series:

The Princelings of the East

The Princelings and the Pirates

The Princelings and the Lost City

The Traveler in Black and White

The Talent Seekers

Bravo Victor

Willoughby the Narrator

The right of Jemima Pett to be identified as the author and illustrator of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favourite online retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

The names and characters in this story are fictitious, and any resemblance to real persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.

More information on the Princelings of the East, including maps, interviews and short stories, can be found on the official website https://princelings.co.uk

Dedication

To the people of North West Mull, and especially Carolyne and Somerset at Treshnish Farm (Treshnish and Haunn Cottages), for the inspiration.

Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1: X Marks the Spot

Chapter 2: A Prince without a Castle

Chapter 3: Prince Kevin of a Deserted Castle Somewhere Near Derisaig

Chapter 4: Night Manoeuvres

Chapter 5: The Silver Whistle

Chapter 6: The First Step is the Steepest

Chapter 7: Moor or Less

Chapter 8: Castle Edin

Chapter 9: Cat among the Pigeons

Chapter 10: The Voice of Reason

Chapter 11: A Question of Identity

Chapter 12: The Road to Nowhere

Chapter 13: Life in the Forest

Chapter 14: The Vexstein Riots

Chapter 15: Deeper and Deeper

Chapter 16: Prince Lupin of Buckmore

Chapter 17: In Search of a Quiet Life

Chapter 18: Changing of the Guard

Chapter 19: A New Order

Cast of Characters

Jemima Pett

More Dylan and Dougall stories

Prologue

In the far south of the Realms, Lord Colman is getting ready to leave Castle Deeping for good. He has ruled on behalf of Prince Kevin for many years, but this new energy system in use everywhere is making him ill. He has made enquiries: a castle in the east of the continent needs a ruler. He can do exactly as he pleases there; it sounds perfect. The problem, as it has often been, is what to do about Kevin.

Colman could just leave him to take up his birthright, although having prevented him from doing so for the last four years, since he came of age, Colman feels justified in putting a stop to him for good. He could just kill him; after all, he managed to get rid of his neighbouring kings without raising much suspicion. But still, Kevin is his nephew, and mostly harmless.

No, he has other plans for Kevin.

We’re going on holiday, my lad. Just pack a shoulder bag with a few essentials; we’ll get anything else when we arrive.

That sounds fun, Uncle. Where are we going? Kevin is as mild and friendly as ever.

He’s an idiot, thinks Colman. Up north for the spring and maybe the summer, too. You’ve never been up north, have you?

No, uncle. Well, no further than Castle Forest. Castle Forest is less than ten miles north of Deeping.

A friend of mine is going to fly us there. You remember the guy who used to bring the drinks to us?

The Moonlight?

Yes, that’s the one. Shame we couldn’t continue. You did a good job with the label for that.

Thank you, Uncle.

Are you ready to leave, then?

Oh, you mean right now? Kevin scurries around, putting some things in his bag. Colman watches with irritation as he throws in a small drawing pad and coloured pencils, a whistle, a scarf, and a couple of other items. All done!

Good. Let’s go then.

He leads Kevin out to a small flying machine. The pilot starts his motor as they approach and gives Colman a thumbs-up.

You’d better sit in the warm cabin below, Colman says, helping Kevin climb into the passenger compartment.

It’s big enough for two, look. Kevin moves over to give him room.

No, I’ll sit behind the pilot. I’ll be able to chat to him on the way.

Okay!

It’s a long journey. Kevin soon falls asleep in the warm cabin. In the passenger seat behind the driver, Colman tugs the blanket closer around his body and wishes he had a leather flying helmet like the pilot’s. He hunkers down and keeps out of the wind.

After four hours, the flying machine banks to circle a small castle on a rock at the mouth of a river. Craggy high hills and forest close in on either side. The pilot taps Colman on the shoulder, and Colman looks up. The pilot points and gives a thumbs-up, and Colman looks at the castle and smiles. Yes, that will do nicely.

The pilot lands on some rough ground between a river and a rough track. He helps Colman out, then gets Kevin out of the cabin. Stretching and stamping his feet to restore circulation, Colman points down the track.

Come on, Kevin, let’s see what the castle’s like.

Is that where we’re staying, Uncle? I should have brought my spyglass to watch the birds.

Mmm. Never mind. You can see whether there’s one at the castle.

It takes only a few minutes to walk across to a muddy causeway and slip over a seaweed-strewn drawbridge into the castle. Ah, good, says Colman.

What’s good, Uncle?

The locals have left some food, drinks, and water as I asked. They’ll bring it once a week while you’re here. You go off and explore now. I’ll see you later.

Where are you going, Uncle?

I’m going to check the outside of the castle. I’ll see you later.

As Kevin blithely runs up the stairs to explore the castle, his uncle locks and bars the main gates behind him. He unlatches the turning window mechanism in the wall. He has arranged for the locals to leave regular provisions for Kevin; whether they do depends on how honest they are and how much they have to spare. His conscience clear, he jogs up the path and climbs back into the flying machine, which the pilot has turned, ready for their flight south.

As they fly off, Colman watches Kevin’s castle disappear behind the crags. They fly over several wide bays and high hills, and Colman idly notes another small castle further along the coast. He wonders how long it will take Kevin to realise what a fool he is.

Chapter 1: X Marks the Spot

In which Dylan finds a map and Dougall finds his courage

Dylan scampered up the hillside out of Glen Aros. The wind coming over the ridge nearly blew him back down. He crept along the hillside in the shelter of the rock outcrop, slipped through a little col, and ran as fast as he could down the other side. Only a few more miles, and a few more ridges, and I’ll be home, safe and warm.

At the next ridge, driving rain joined the November wind. Maybe I should take the long way round in the shelter of the cliffs, and ford the Ensay Burn where it joins the sea.

The long way was just as wet. The waves driving into the Ensay Burn were crashing on the black rocks between him and the castle. He paused, measuring the time for the waves to recede and give him time to cross. As a big wave withdrew he ran, trying not to look at the water that swirled and boiled just inches from his feet. A small green bottle high up in a rock pool caught his eye. He jumped over the slimy rocks, fished the bottle out with a piece of driftwood, and shoved it in his shoulder bag. He carried on up the shore, jumping from rock to rock, dodging the sodden mounds of thrift and prickly sea holly, and squelchy patches of bog.

He skidded to a halt underneath the arched entrance to Castle Haunn and banged on the door. No one came, so he climbed up the door, using cracks in the wall beside it as handholds, and clambered over. There was a considerable drop on the other side, but Dylan was as agile as a cat. He shook the water off his heavy coat and scampered up to the room he shared with his brother. I bet Dougall’s never seen anything as interesting as what’s in this bottle.

It’s a map, look! A treasure map!

Dougall looked at the scrap of paper Dylan had smoothed out on their bed.

How do you know it’s a map?

Dylan sighed, and pointed out the lines. There’s the outline of the island, and the rocky inlet where the boats go in, and the wiggly lines are where the creek goes into the marshes. And there’s an X for where the treasure is buried! he finished, leaping off the bed. Oh, why can’t we go now? It might rain tomorrow!

But where did you get it? Dougall was not one to act without all the facts.

It got washed into the tide pool down near the Ensay Burn. I fished it out. It was in a bottle. I saw it glinting green and bobbing about. I thought it had a stick inside it, but it broke when I dropped it on the way back and I found the paper!

But why do you think it’s a treasure map? Dougall had not yet caught his brother’s enthusiasm.

It’s got an X on it, look!

It could mean anything, X.

Like what?

Dougall thought for a bit. He wasn’t familiar with maps, except of the night sky, since he was one of the star-watching team at the castle. He didn’t go out of the castle much, except onto the crags above to check the solar cells or the turbine flow. It was Dylan who went all over the island, running messages. He’d been most places.

Have you been to this place? Dougall asked, wondering whether Dylan really did know what he was talking about after all.

Umm, not exactly. It’s pretty much on the way to Tober Hold, but I usually go a bit further up the glen, and keep to the high ground. This bit’s all wet. He pointed to the network of lines he’d described as the creek.

And there’s nothing there that could be marked as a cross?

Dylan thought for a bit. He looked at the map again and then at his feet. There’s a ruin on a rock. By the crossroads, he mumbled.

Dougall looked closer at the map. Well, nobody’s marked roads going into and out of the cross. You might still be right. Is it the right place for the crossroads?

It was Dylan’s turn to study the map closely. Yes, he concluded. He stared at it for a moment. Why would anyone…

Mark a cross on a map and not the roads leading up to it? finished Dougall, his eyes sparkling. How long will it take us to get there?

Dylan was all for starting out that day, but it was already getting dark, and Dougall was not used to travelling around on the hillside at night. He did his star-gazing from the safety of the high tower.

Wait till tomorrow, said Dougall. We could even save some of our supper and breakfast, and take it with us in case we miss lunch.

Yes, I suppose so. But we can eat all sorts of nuts and berries that are still in the hedges.

What if Uncle Heath sees us?

He won’t mind us getting out of his way. He won’t mind me getting out of his way, at any rate. He hates me. And if we get away for the day, he can’t give me his nasty jobs to do.

But he’s the laird now, you have to do the jobs he says, even if they’re nasty.

Dylan didn’t reply. A few years back the castle had had a disaster and sent messages for help. Dylan’s job was the messenger; he had run all the way across the island and caught the ferry to the mainland to get the messages into the post system. Dougall’s extra message had brought help in the shape of Prince Engineer George, the famous inventor of the fuel cell that ran on strawberry juice. On his return journey, Dylan had found out that Uncle Heath was doing something dangerous and illegal in the hills above the castle, and Heath made sure that Dylan did not tell anybody about it.

Dylan sometimes wondered why Heath picked on him. Heath gave him all the boring or dirty jobs, ‘to teach him to mind his manners’ or some such excuse, and none of the other uncles doubted Heath’s judgment for a moment. He thought he might tell Donal or Hamish next time they were laird again. The system at Castle Haunn was to vote for the laird every few years, and they tended to take it in turns. Dylan kept hoping Lady Carolyn would be laird next time. She would be the most likely to believe him.

Dylan and Dougall went to supper as usual and hoped nobody saw them stashing some biscuits away for their adventure. In truth, they so often stashed something away for a midnight