Apples of Gold (complete)

Part 19 - To Save the King

Part 19 – To Save the King ©2018 CarolynAnnAish

Joseph submerged himself and pushed deep into the moat to swim underwater to the other side, having calculated the distance. However, he hadn't counted on the current dragging so strongly here, and when he surfaced, he was some yards short. Drawing another deep breath, he plunged under the water again, aggressively pulling himself downwards, realizing again that the moat was deep and the current strong. Levelling out and using breast-stroke under the water, he pulled himself over and up, emerging this time at the steep side of the canal, beneath the overhanging grasses and reeds.

Looking back, checking he was hidden from castle view, Joseph swam over-arm, alarmed that it was harder than he had projected and took him what seemed ages.

Dragging himself from the canal, he was pleased to see Bandit. Within seconds, he found his clothes and pulled on his under breeches, then his tailor-made velvet trousers.

Lifting the saddle from the long grass, he staggered with its weight. It's almost as heavy as I am, he thought, breathing heavily, dropping it. Mustering his strength, he dragged the saddle to a thicket and rolled it over into concealment. His boots and their long laces followed the saddle.

Flicking his damp tunic over the horse's middle-section, he pulled it back to double it at about where he would sit, then clipped the reins back to the mouth bit.

Mounting, he urged, "Run like a cheetah's chasing you, Bandit. We must be back before our king goes to the throne room for the Judgment Assembly Time. We must save our king!"

Joseph didn't spare Bandit. Without the weight of the saddle, the refreshment of water, the feed and time to recover, the horse fared better than he had on the ride out.

Not pausing at the stables, where waiting castle guards stepped over to stand with the groom who stood by the mounting post to assist him, Joseph, bare feet, and bare chest, his hair flying loose, swerved the horse around them and rode on, around to the front terrace of the castle.

I'm late, I know it's late; Dear God, don't let me be too late... is the king ever late? Please let him be late...

His muscled chest rippling with the shine of perspiration, Joseph abandoned the horse and bounded up the front steps. He ran past captains, guards, and attendants, ignoring calls to stop.

"Joseph!" Captain Karl called, running after him with Philip following. "What? Where are your clothes?"

Joseph drew the captain with him, gasping to catch his breath, asking, "Who is Faidor; what does he do?"

"Faidor, the new Steward of the Throne Room? Why?"

"Does he have anything to do with the king's throne? Has he, has he worked on it lately?"

"Yes, he had it apart late yesterday, and last night he worked on polishing it, all the gold, inside and out... I heard he finished it off just this morning, assembling it; but what...you can't..."

"Support me, Karl; it's... the king's life... or death..."

Looking in Joseph's eyes, Karl saw only earnestness and the strongest of resolves that he had seen when Philip had been abducted and Joseph's determination to rescue him.

They turned the corner in the corridor just as the king, having walked from the other direction, was announced to enter his throne room.

The court was assembled, with lawyers and city officials, having waited over an hour, now giving obeisance as the king strode along the plush purple carpet toward his throne.