Chapter 10: Saving the Prince

I sat outside the inn sipping cold coffee and eating a late breakfast after a long night. The six men I had brought in had been more than worth the wait and the trouble of hunting them. I glanced at the busy marketplace as the voices grew louder. A trio of the king’s guards pushed through the crowd headed towards me.

I watched them as I finished and turned to call into the open door, “MARIA!”

The woman that appeared was tall and slim. She smiled as she took the plate, “are you coming back tonight?”

I grinned and ignored the guards as they stopped at the table, “that depends on if you are going to come home with me after.”

She laughed and swished her skirt as she turned to walk back into the inn. One of the guards cleared his throat and I turned to look at them, “yes?”

“Are you the thief taker?”

I sighed, “yes.”

He gestured, “the king and queen want you.”

I frowned and stood before fishing a silver out and turning, “Maria?”

She appeared from just inside the door and I gave her the money, “duty calls my lovely.”

She smiled as I turned to walk around the table and let the guards lead me away. I glanced at one as we walked, “any idea why they want me?”

One snorted, “the young prince went missing.”

I looked at him and then glanced around and thought as we walked. I touched one on the arm, “wait.”

I moved to a ragged looking beggar and fished out a silver coin. I dropped it into his lap, “I need everyone looking for the prince. I will give a free pass on anyone if they provide information.”

He glanced around, “a reward?”

I nodded, “there will be a reward but if anyone helps them I will do more than bring them in.”

He nodded and stood, “I will spread the word.”

I turned and headed back to the guards and we started walking quickly towards the palace. Walking through the throne room I saw it crowded with nobles. One of the guards tapped on the study door and opened it, “the thief taker.”

I walked through the door and crossed to kneel, “How may I help your majesty?”

The king turned from holding his wife, “find my son.”

I nodded and stood, “I need information. Where was he last seen? Was anyone with him? Was there anyone that made threats?”

The queen touched his arm, “we received a warning to lessen the merchant tax but that was it.”

The king nodded, “it was left and no one saw anything.”

I nodded, “when was he taken and was there anyone with him?”

The queen nodded, “he was in my private garden with his nanny.”

I frowned, “the nanny?”

The king growled, “dead. Someone strangled her.”

I turned towards the door, “I need to see the garden.”

The guard by the door turned to lead me out and through the palace. The garden was small and isolated, filled with lattices of flowering climbing vines and rose bushes. I saw the blood stain by a carved wooden bench and walked to it as I motioned the guard back. The nanny would not let a stranger approach and would have screamed if they had a drawn weapon.

I slowly turned and looked around before walking towards a lattices with a broken flower stem, “has the gardener been in here since it happened?”

I looked at the guard and he shook his head as the large form of the king’s captain stopped beside him. He was silent as I stepped between the lattices and looked at the gap between them and the wall. I moved to the right towards the palace wall and stopped when I reached a thick ivy covered section.

They had been disturbed and I parted them to see a door. I moved back and looked at the two men, “did you know there was a door here?”

They shook their heads but something about the way the captain had first reacted rang alarms in my mind. I moved back to the door and pulled and ripped the vines away before lifting the latch and pushing. It opened silently and I stopped to look at the well oiled hinges. I was in the much larger king’s garden but behind a trough that held a tall hedge.

The captain and guard followed me out and I looked around to see several nobles and a few merchants. To the left was a wide door in the wall for the gardeners. That was where I went and walked out behind the stables. I looked at the captain, “you have a list of those that used a carriage?”

He hesitated as his eyes shifted, “they were checked.”

The guard looked at him as I smiled slightly, “That was not what I asked.”

He moved suddenly, lunging with a dagger. I slid aside and caught his wrist before I twisted and snapped a kick across into his knee. I pulled the dagger from his hand as he screamed and looked at the wide eyed guard, “go get the sergeant of the guard.”

I quickly tied the captain as he cursed and squatted in front of him, “who took the prince and killed the nanny?”

He spit and I smiled as I pulled out my small knife, “normally I do not use a knife but for the young prince I will risk it.”

A squad of guards trotted around the corner of the stables with a sergeant leading them. I gestured, “first I am going to castrate you and then remove your fingers. When I finish I will ask you again who killed the nanny and took the prince.”

The sergeant cleared his throat behind me but I did not look back, “interfere and you will not live to reach the gallows.”

I moved towards the captain as he began to struggle. I cut his belt and then his pants before yanking them down. He finally screamed, “WAIT! MERCHANT PETERS AND DANIELS!”

I stopped and looked at him before looking at the sergeant, “lock him hand and foot. I will come back to take him to the city guards. Tell the King I have names and am going for them now.”

He nodded and gestured to a couple of men who growled as they yanked the captain up roughly. I turned and started walking as I thought. Peters was local and dealt mostly with locals inland. Daniels had ships and imported his merchandise. I headed towards the docks and started trotting.

I slowed before I reached Daniels warehouse just off the docks and walked towards a small grog shop. I walked in and stopped beside an old man at the bar, “I need information.”

He glanced at me and then grinned, “another missing ship?”

I looked around the shop, “Has Daniels put anything on one of his ships or seemed to be guarding one?”

He thought before nodding, “The Red Gull.”

I slid a silver piece across the bar and turned, “thank you.”

I left and pulled my sticks as I began to walk. Daniels had the whole end of one dock for his ships. Four large men were leaning on crates as I approached. They stood and moved out in front of me grinning evilly. I did not speak or warn them, one stick jabbed into a man’s gut and the other slammed into his head.