The Honor of a King (A Tale of Mercy): Of a King, #3

By Candace Christine Little

Diplomats. Deceit. Disappearances. An exploration. An escape. A wicked king. A wicked queen. A wicked prince. A warning. A war. A wound. A welcome. A slave. A son. An invitation. The Honor of a King (A Tale of Mercy) by Candace Christine Little recounts the adventures of Artemerio and Barto as they investigate the many mysteries surrounding the kingdom of Morlestoph and discover the many mysteries of mercy.

 

The Honor of a King (A Tale of Mercy) is the third book in a set of four. The first three books tell the stories of two brothers, and the fourth book tells the story, set many years later, of two important characters from the third book. Each story is complete, however—no cliffhanger endings.

 

Though the books are appropriate for children, they are entertaining enough for adults to enjoy. All the stories involve battles between good and evil, but they are told with a light, family-friendly touch. Looking for a feel-good adventure? Want to escape for a while to an imaginary land? Experience the adventure and the hope in The Honor of a King (A Tale of Mercy).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Candace Christine Little
• Release date: Jan 18, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224865277

Candace Christine Little

Candace Christine Little has a B.A. from Dallas Christian College and a J.D. from Regent University School of Law. She has written six novels. Four are part of one series: The Pursuit of a King (A Tale of Wisdom), The Heart of a King (A Tale of Faith), The Honor of a King (A Tale of Mercy), and The Son of a King (A Tale of Love). Two are part of another: Where Dragons Dwell and Whom Dragons Rule. Candace believes in the power of stories to nourish, to teach, and to inspire, and she is wholeheartedly committed to endings that are happy.

Book preview

The Honor of a King

(A Tale of Mercy)

by

Candace Christine Little

Copyright 2012 Candace Christine Little. All rights reserved.

Dedication

For the many precious millions whose names were never spoken aloud and whose right to life was denied by wicked laws.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1:  Diplomats of Morlestoph

Chapter 2:  Negotiations

Chapter 3:  Princess Celisse

Chapter 4:  A Feast

Chapter 5:  The Legend of Sel

Chapter 6:  Footsteps

Chapter 7:  The Compass

Chapter 8:  To Vemorute

Chapter 9:  The Rock

Chapter 10:  Very Near the Road

Chapter 11:  An Imperfect History

Chapter 12:  Rain

Chapter 13:  Idols

Chapter 14:  The Cove

Chapter 15:  Utterly Lost

Chapter 16:  Not a Game

Chapter 17:  Whispering

Chapter 18:  Details

Chapter 19:  The Danger

Chapter 20:  King Eemedred

Chapter 21:  Mercy

Chapter 22:  A Tall, Tall Tower

Chapter 23:  Questions

Chapter 24:  An Invitation

Chapter 1:  Diplomats of Morlestoph

Be still, Your Majesty, whispered Prince Vestero, chief of the Royal Guards. The bells on his jester hat jingled softly as, nimbly and quickly, he slipped from his seat near King Artemerio’s throne and raised the wooden stool above his head. King Artemerio’s attention, like mine, shifted from the twirling, leaping dancers in front of us to Prince Vestero.

In one swift movement, Vestero slammed the flat top of his former perch against the ground only a footstep away from King Artemerio. All twirling and leaping came to a stop. The music ended with dangling sounds and uneven rhythms. A ripple of whispers spread through the room.

Prince Vestero tilted the stool and glanced at whatever was under it. He frowned and bashed the mysterious something again. But his next glance under the wooden top satisfied him. He looked up from his strange task and, laughing, took an exaggerated bow.

Thank you! Thank you! Vestero bowed again.

I heard my name whispered loudly—Prince Barto! Prince Barto!—and turned toward the whisperer. King Artemerio had leaned toward me. What is he doing?

I had no answer, but before I could say as much, Prince Vestero stepped backward toward the king and whispered something in Artemerio’s ear. King Artemerio reached for Queen Folasade’s hand and gripped it tightly. But he laughed.

Prince Vestero then took the hand of the queen’s maidservant and leaned over it as if to kiss it. But as he did so, he whispered something to her. She rose and stood near the queen, offering the jester a half smile and gentle laugh for his efforts.

Ladies and gentlemen of Morlestoph, said King Artemerio, standing, I apologize that your performance has been interrupted. My jester’s best jokes often come at the most inopportune times. I doubt that a return to the intensity of mood necessary to truly appreciate your work is likely. Therefore, let us all adjourn for the evening. Diplomats of Morlestoph, the queen and I bid you good night.

Two teams of Royal Guards flanked either side of the throne platform. King Artemerio looked toward me questioningly, as if he wondered if I would be accompanying them. I saw alarm in his eyes. But then the Guards surrounded the king and queen and ushered them out. The queen’s maidservant, with a quick glance in my direction, followed.

With the king and queen gone, the curious gazes of all in the room turned to me. I stood, prepared to make my own excuses and follow after the king.

One moment, please, Your Highness, said Prince Vestero loudly. Then, with a flourish, he handed me a pillow from Queen Folasade’s throne and whispered, Stay.

I took the pillow from him and started to sit down, but he shook his head and moved a few steps away from the thrones. He pointed down at his feet, looked at me, and smiled the mischievous smile of a jester.

As I took my place on the spot he had indicated, he whispered, Watch our guests. Then, with comical overacting, he began straightening the king’s chair—first feigning weakness in lifting a cushion, then acting out a sneezing fit over imaginary dust he released when he struck the cushion. He did the same with the queen’s throne. Then he began pretending to try to move the thrones—first pushing from one side, then from the other, and then pausing to kneel and look under the seats—all the while displaying the varied, theatrical expressions a jester with any skill always wears when entertaining a crowd.

Despite Prince Vestero’s strange behavior and the sudden and unexpected exit of the king and queen, none of the remaining Windsalian soldiers or Guards showed any reaction at all to what had taken place, and their general sense of calm, along with Prince Vestero’s comical performance, put an early end to the hushed conversations that had sprung up. The small, murmuring groups disbanded. The diplomats and their entourages wandered out, and the dancers and musicians began collecting their various props and instruments.

I glanced back and forth between Prince Vestero and the dwindling crowd. The Morlestophians who had yet to drift out of the room seemed amused by Vestero’s antics. But I knew what he was really doing: Prince Vestero was carefully examining the thrones and the area around them. My concern and curiosity grew as I observed his careful inspection, and I wished the stragglers still watching his performance did not find him quite so entertaining.

After the last Morlestophian performer had carried out the last Morlestophian prop, Prince Vestero nodded toward the soldier standing at the door. The soldier nodded back and then stepped out of the room.

What— I began.

An assassination attempt. Lift the stool, said Prince Vestero. He jumped down from the platform and moved from place to place on the floor, retracing the movements of the dancers.

I tossed the queen’s pillow back onto her throne and lifted the stool. What is it?

Take a closer look. But do not touch it. Prince Vestero knelt and crept forward, as the dancer nearest to the stage had done just before the Morlestophian performance was cut short.

I leaned down. It looks like some sort of enormous, black, flattened insect—or spider.

It is a scorpion—like the one the Morlestophian diplomats brought with them as a gift for the king. Very rare. Always deadly.

I took one last look and then covered the scorpion’s remains with the stool. I thought the Morlestophians were here to negotiate some sort of treaty. I am hardly an expert in diplomacy, but I would think assassinating a king would be an odd method of encouraging peace.

It would certainly call into question the motives of the diplomats and the nature of their visit, which even before this has been very odd. You will understand what I mean once you have spent some time around our strange guests. Prince Vestero stood and counted off paces from where he was to the edge of the platform. Then he scowled and shook his head.

Even so...scorpions are rather notorious for being stowaways, are they not? Could this not have been an accident? I do not doubt that there is something strange about the Morlestophians, but...assassination? They must know such an act would lead to war.

Think how many other targets our flattened friend might have contented himself with in this room. It is possible his own random wanderings brought him to the feet of our king, but therein lies the brilliance in this method of attack: it is nearly impossible to prove guilt. War might be avoided despite the success of the evil act. Still... He knelt down and raised one arm toward the throne platform, as if to measure the distance. I will concede there is a possibility, however slight, that the Morlestophians are innocent—although I have now concluded that any one of the nearest dancers would have been close enough to the platform to let loose the scorpion and be fairly certain he would find his way to the king...or to any one of us near him. Tell me, did you observe anything suspicious as you watched our guests? He returned to inspecting the area immediately around the thrones.

The two surly, self-important fellows nearest to us—in the long, black robes—looked as if they wanted to take a look at what you had crushed under the stool. And they watched both of us carefully and were among the last to leave.

A Royal Guard member opened the door of the throne room and strode quickly toward Prince Vestero. I have a message for you, sir, from the princess.

Yes? said Prince Vestero, standing.

The gift is missing. The lid was open, and the container was on its side, said the Guard.

Vestero nodded, his sudden grave frown contrasting sharply with his cheerful disguise. He dismissed the Guard, who bowed and left.

I had the scorpion kept in a locked, guarded room with the other gifts from the Morlestophians. This was no accident, Prince Barto. Nor, it seems, was it meant to appear to be one. Who would leave evidence so carelessly unless they meant for it to be discovered? And—a far more important question—how could any of the Morlestophians have slipped past those guarding the room? Unless— We should go to the king and queen. Nimbly and quickly, Prince Vestero started toward the throne room doors.

Standing guard outside was the Royal Guard who had brought to us the news of the missing scorpion.

See that the mess is properly cleaned, but preserve the evidence, said Prince Vestero to the Guard. And no one is to enter this room who does not know the code word, not even the king himself. Should he forget the word again, send him straight to me.

Yes, sir, replied the Guard.

As we walked away, I said softly to Prince Vestero, One thing puzzles me. Why did King Artemerio laugh when you whispered to him?

Only one thing puzzles you? I am quite beside myself with puzzlement at the moment. But the laughter I can explain. He laughed because I told him to.

***

Princess Celisse, Prince Vestero’s sister and a valuable member of the Royal Guard, had been disguised as the queen’s maidservant. Following Prince Vestero’s whispered orders, she had whisked the king and queen off to the secret room beyond the library to wait for Vestero and me.

When Vestero and I arrived, the five of us settled ourselves around the secret room’s large table in expectation of an extended conversation regarding how best to protect the king. But that subject was quickly covered, and the conversation then turned to the Morlestophian visit.

I have to say, I am tired of our guests—and not just because of the never-ending performances of their dreadful, depressing music and disturbing dances, said King Artemerio. Be glad your journey kept you away for so long, Prince Barto. I almost wish someone had attempted this sooner—so I would have had an excuse to cancel all the performances. Something about their visit has seemed very wrong from the start. Can we not send them home now? If they are guilty, they can hardly expect us to do otherwise, and if they are not...well, if they are not, surely they will understand.

I would like nothing better than to send them on their way, Your Majesty, said Prince Vestero, but if one of our own people was involved in this attempted assassination, that will not guarantee your safety. And it could be that this was meant to make the Morlestophians appear guilty—perhaps to discourage the negotiation of the treaty.

What do we know about Morlestoph? I asked. I have never heard of it.

We know nothing about it, said Prince Vestero. It is as if it appeared out of nowhere. Despite my best efforts and despite consulting my most reliable sources, I have been unable to discover anything about Morlestoph or its people. No one has heard of it, it seems.

It must be far away, said Princess Celisse.

But why would the Morlestophian king want to negotiate a treaty with Windsal if it is far away? asked King Artemerio.

Then you think it is near? said Princess Celisse thoughtfully.

I suppose not. If it is near, one of our explorers would have discovered it—or one of Prince Vestero’s sources would at least have heard of it, said King Artemerio, looking as thoughtful as Princess Celisse had sounded.

And the gifts they brought—the animals, the food, the scorpion—their gifts are not found in this part of the world, said Prince Vestero.

A contemplative silence fell.

But then Princess Celisse said, Perhaps it is far away with a colony near.

Prince Vestero tilted his head to one side and drummed his fingers on the table. A definite possibility. He stopped drumming. But still, we should have heard of it. Colonies far from their home countries are especially dependent on the good graces of their neighbors.

Unless their neighbors do not know they are there. Perhaps the Morlestophians do not want to be heard of and have taken extreme measures to isolate themselves and hide their presence, said Princess Celisse.

If that is the case, we must also wonder why a colony or kingdom that preferred secrecy and isolation would suddenly want to come out of hiding, said Queen Folasade.

Quite right, Your Majesty, said Prince Vestero. And in this well-traveled part of the world, the measures a colony would have to take to remain as complete a secret as Morlestoph has been would be extreme, indeed. I have a feeling there will be no comforting answers to the many questions we have about Morlestoph.

But surely you have asked the Morlestophians themselves about their kingdom. What have they said? I asked.

They will give only vague answers, said King Artemerio.

What about the treaty’s terms? Have you gleaned no information from the details in the document? I said.

They have not yet presented it to us, said Queen Folasade.

Well, then, what have you discussed with the Morlestophians? They have been here many days, have they not? What has been going on during all that time? I asked.

Much dreary music and dancing. Much gift-giving. Many pretty speeches, said King Artemerio.

But all of it is to a ridiculous degree, said Princess Celisse. The gifts are beyond extravagant—the speeches beyond obsequious. If you ask me, the Morlestophians have crossed the line between a diplomatic gesture and—

An exotic ploy to corrupt good sense and bribe the hearts of an unsuspecting people, said Prince Vestero.

Exactly, said Princess Celisse.

King Artemerio sighed heavily. "Well...since I cannot send the Morlestophians home— Are you sure? There must be some way to— Very well. Since I cannot send them home, tomorrow I will hold a private dinner for the two head diplomats and press them for more information about the treaty. Perhaps we can discover what they are really after. And Prince Vestero, we must assume we are dealing with enemies, not friends. Keep that in mind as you make arrangements for the meal—and take such precautions as you would if we were preparing for war with the Morlestophians, for