Trusting Dust

Chapter 10

As soon as Connor walked through the door to his father's office, he was filled with an overall sense of uneasiness. The walls were painted dark, along with his desk, chairs, bookcase, and everything else in the room. Connor decided that his father had gotten a little too comfortable with hiding in the shadows.

"Well, come in. Don't just stand there. We have quite the catching up to do." Connor looked back at the guard standing watch.

"Don't worry. They don't know understand us. They don't speak any English, only Arabic. And yes, they still believe you to be the prince. But if you would rather us have some privacy." He yelled some words in arabic at the guard, and the bandit left and closed the door behind him.

"Is that better?"

"I would have preferred if the guard would have stayed." Connor's father mocked pain.

"You don't trust your own father?"

"My father died years ago." Connor's father sighed.

"Still holding a grudge I see. Most sons would be enthrilled to see their father again."

"Most fathers don't kidnap their children."

"Now, that wasn't me. That was the work of my men's uneducated brains."

"Why did you kidnap the princess?"

"Right down to business, I see. Let's see. You remember all of the stories I told you, yes? Well here's another. There were two mockingjays. One could soar over all the land, while the other was chained to the ground. The mockingjay wanted so bad to fly and soar over all of the land, but he could not for the mockingjay in the sky had banished him from the sky. There was only one way that the mockingjay could return to his rightful place, and that was to bring the other bird down. That's what I am going to do Connor."

"But who are you going to bring down?"

"Connor, you are smarter than that, think." Connor shuddered as he realized his father's plan.

"You're going to kill the king."

"I knew you would figure it out." Connor's father said smiling.

"You can't! I... I won't let you!"

"Really, tell me, how are you going to do that?"

"I...I don't know." Connor's father laughed.

"That's what I thought. You see Connor, life isn't easy. You have to fight to get what you want. That's what I am doing. I am fighting for what I want, the throne. Oh Connor, it was just in my grasp. I had it in my hand, but then Grayson stepped in. He had me thrown out. No house, no money, no nothing. I spent so long planning this. He took everything away from me. Now, I am going to take everything away from him."

"This is wrong!"

"This is perfect! Everything is falling in place. The king has already contacted me. It's amazing what he will do to save his daughter. Then, I threatened your life and the queen practically fell apart. Can you believe what she will do to save some street rat like you. You are dirt compared to them."

"Dust. I prefer the term dust." Connor's father laughed again.

"It doesn't matter what you think. It doesn't change anything. Why don't you go back to your tent. You are going to want to get some rest. Tomorrow is a big day."

"I will stop you." Connor's father snarled.

"There is nothing you can do to stop me." He lifted his pistol and pointed it at Connor.

"Nothing can stop a bullet until it hits its target." He paused and then lowered the pistol and laid it on the table.

"I trust you won't try anything stupid on your way to your tent. You know the consequences." He walked over to Connor and put his face mere inches away from Connor's.

"You of all people should know the consequences." He said, an intense glare radiating in his eyes.

"Don't worry. I will make sure to think before I act." And then Connor spit in his father's face. His father cried out in rage and grabbed Connor by his shirt.

"Try something like that again, and mark my words you will have your execution." Then he pushed Connor out of the room and sent him on his way back to his tent.