Kingdoms - Book 6 - The Frencolian Chronicles (complete)

Chapter Seven

 The next day introduced many changes.

Maia was sent in a closed carriage to Baltic Castle. She was to become a prisoner, with Cynara and Kedar.

Boey and Ellice sat either side of her on the journey. Numerous mounted soldiers accompanied the small black vehicle.

Maia believed she was going home and looked forward eagerly to the end of the journey, impatient for a reunion with her mother and father.

Elliad ordered Brian to send soldiers to Doctor Sleven's home and to the abodes of the doctor's sons. The soldiers' reports came in one by one, each the same. Doctor Sleven's sons, who were constables in the Chezkovian cavalry, had fled the country taking their wives and children with them.

Elliad was furious to learn of these desertions and he realized how serious the divisions in the ranks of the cavalry had grown. Reports all gave Proburg as the traitors' destination. The pretender-czar decided to draft another letter to Prince Gustovas.

'To His Supreme Majesty Prince Gustovas of Proburg, My Friend and Counselor;

It is with grave concern I write this letter. My Son, Kenrik has turned against the throne of Chezkovia. He has misled many of my trusted and loyal cavalry. I must insist you do not provide shelter for Kenrik or those who support him, but send them back to Chezkovia so our family can be united and work out our problems and differences in the privacy of my palace.

'How would you feel, my Trusted Friend, if one of your sons turned against you and tried to wrestle your throne from you, naming you after some dead impostor? Then act for me as I have for you in the past.

'I want our countries to remain allies, so work with me to solve this serious rift.

Signed—Your Life-long Confidante and Friend, Kievik.'

Elliad had been careful to consult counselors; he had studied copies of other communications with Prince Gustovas to make the letter authentic. Often, when Kievik had written to Gustovas, he had used the pronoun 'I' rather than the royal 'We'. Elliad copied the style and mood of these letters and he used Kievik's ring to imprint the sealing wax.

The document was dispatched, and Elliad calculated its arrival at Landmari Castle to be soon after nightfall.

The charlatan met with the four men who had kidnapped Maia —Cormick, Edsel, Lester and Welby.

He commended them for their courage, expertise and speed. "It was a good exercise, a successful practice run. I now command that you organize and action the real thing. You know what Princess Jobyna looks like and I've seen to it that you won't be able to make the same mistake; Princess Maia is not in Frencolia and her other siblings cannot be mistaken for her.

"I have here, one thousand gold pieces for you to share, to cover the costs for capturing Princess Maia and to help you organize a return trip to Frencolia. You're to set up headquarters in Frencberg and send weekly reports to me of all you see and hear. I'm canceling the offer of two thousand gold pieces to all others for Princess Jobyna, and have recalled those who've been working on the project. The two thousand gold pieces will be yours if you can capture and bring Princess Jobyna, unharmed, to me. If, however, you succeed in capturing King Luke Chatelain, I'll give you two thousand more gold pieces because I'm sure the sister will exchange places with her brother."

Elliad spoke in detail about the extra Frencolian people they would need to hire and the tremendous care that would have to be exercised for them not to be detected or caught. They would need disguises, name changes, new identities, personnel who could forge documents —the list went on and on.