Chapter 27: Prince

IN THE MORNING, Steven and Prince Val continued to the City and Castle of Rich Reach. The Prince carried on a lively conversation as they walked—sometimes with Steven. As they traveled, the Prince continued to pull down boundary markers and to collect their flags. Sometimes, the talk was of the banished Terror, and at others about the tasks of governing such a large principality. At times, it seemed the prince was giving instructions to unseen minions for preparing a welcome and banquet for Steven. Steven constantly caught himself looking for whoever it was the Prince was talking to, but there was never anyone present.

“Now, about the Terror,” said the Prince as they walked. “You say it was really just the thief called Ibin Ariaga who was terrorizing people with stories and secretly going out and moving the boundary markers?”

“Yes,” said Steven. “The villagers of Alinata are holding him awaiting your pleasure.”

“That will never do,” said the prince.

“Do you want me to go back and fetch him?” Steven asked.

“Great heavens, no!” exclaimed the prince. “I’ll send guards to arrest him properly. The story of the thief terrorizing the entire kingdom is what will not do. We must have a Terror that you have conquered. Let me see. A monster that you have slain, perhaps? No, no, he would have to bring back the head or ears or some proof if he had slain a monster.” Steven once again realized that he was now subject of a conversation that did not include him, so remained silent while the prince continued.

“A being of the spirit world, then? Or a witch that dissolved in a puddle of water? Dust! That is it! A corpse that turned to dust when the dragonslayer slew it! Again. There are so many possible terrors. What do you think?” asked the Prince.

Steven waited for the Prince to continue until he realized that the Prince had actually turned to him for an opinion. Clearing his throat, Steven meekly asked, “Why not the truth?”

“Storyteller,” the Prince began, “I do not want my entire kingdom humiliated by believing that the Terror was no more than a prankster. You would be no hero and the people would think they were idiots. People who do not believe in themselves cannot be productive and profitable. The entire economy would collapse. Now if we were to collect enough dust for it to be plausible that it was a corpse, we could dole it out gradually to the souvenir vendors who could sell it at a handsome price. Whenever people begin to doubt themselves, we could put a little more Terror Dust on the market and there would be a revival. We must make people believe there was a real, monstrous Terror; they were right to be afraid; and we have a true hero in our midst who has saved us from said Terror. Then the people will return to their homes in confidence to rebuild. They will find no encroaching boundary markers. They will know that the kingdom is safe as far as the eye can see, and they will be happy.”