CHAPTER EIGHT

The king was in his office and was busy stamping some documents while sipping his tea when a male official ran into the palace, disturbing the quiet atmosphere. Kneeling down as he entered.

"Pardon me my king for disturbing you and breaking the quiet atmosphere," the male official said as he kneeled down.

"Silus, what is it that might have cause you to rush into my palace? This isn't your normal behavior," the king asked.

"A report just came in that your first cousin left his house," the man named Silus said.

"Well," the king paused. "Doesn't he have the right to roam the street anymore as he used to do?" the king asked wondering what could be strange about his cousin leaving his house today, as far as he knows; his cousin always roam the street every day.

"What makes today different from the other days?" The king asked.

"The tracking guards lost sight of him," Silus said.

"That is not new, or is it? As far as I've known, the trackers always lost sight of him." The king said about to brush him off for the unnecessary alert.

"But sire, have you forgotten what today is?" Silus asked.

"What is happening today?" The king asked.

"The lady will be back from the mission and your cousin is missing," Silus said. Wondering how the king hasn't caught the meaning behind his word.

"Silus, just go straight to the point. I have lots of work to do and I can't think about anything for now," the king said getting impatient.

"What I am driving at, is that, today is the day that the lady will return to the kingdom and with what I can see, he must have thrown them off his track so that he can cross her path before she get to the palace, if I might say my king…." the king cuts in.

"Oh, I see, she won't be so soft to be trample upon by him, they both hold the same position, she won't be fooled by him," the king said.

"But, what if your cousin has something up his sleeve? I think he wants to get the package from her," Silus dropped the bomb shell.

"What!" The king stood up finally getting the hint. "Why didn't you tell me this from the beginning? Why waste time before saying the words?" The king asked raising his voice, the palace wall shook and then quiet down. "Go now, and select 20 men from the troop of the imperial solders to escort the lady to the palace, if he wants to say anything against my order, show him my seal," the king said handing over his royal seal to Silus.

"But before that, only go for the kill if the lady is on the losing end," the king told Silus. "Go now with Godspeed and don't disappoint me," the king said as he sent the official away.

"I won't disappoint you, sire," Silus said as he left the presence of the king, going to get the imperial guards from their reserved place, he set out with them as fast as he could.

The queen came over to the palace, standing behind the king and holding a letter.

"There is a letter," she said.

"Who is it from?" The king asked turning around to face her.

"It is from Jeff," the queen replied.

"Isn't it a little bit early for Jeff to send in update?" The king asked, collecting the letter from the queen and pocketing it. "I will read it when I am less busy," the king said. "Come, walk with me for a while, I need to clear my head," the king said as he walk up to the queen, taking her hand.

"You never go for a walk unless you have something on your mind," the queen said, strolling beside the king.

"Yes, I know but how do I say this, how will you feel if your cousin goes against your order?" the king said.

"My cousin?" The queen questioned not sure if she heard well.

"I was just using her as an example," the king soothed her worry. "It seems like my cousin has grew wings now and he is finally making his moves," the king said.

"What has he done this time around?" The queen asked as she stopped walking.

"He went to cross the lady," the king answered.

"My cousin is not a soft meat; she won't give in easily, the queen said boldly. "Is that why you are so worried?" the queen said smiling.

"Shouldn't you be looking forward to the package, rather than worrying yourself to death," the queen asked. "Come on, cheer up," the queen said trying to cheer the king up.

"But, I just can't stop the feeling, it is nagging at me," the king said.

"If you can't stop it, then go over to the gate, it is not like you are restricted," the queen said.

"That is a good idea, I need to go there, are you coming with me or not?" the king asked.

"I'm not, I have to accomplish my old aunt today, maybe she will be able to predict something today," the queen said. "I will be taking my leave now," the queen said as she left.

The king called one of the servants that happened to be near him, and ordered him to go and prepare a carriage that was unadorned and wouldn't gather attention. The servant went to carry out the king biddings. Arriving later to inform him that it was all done, the king left the palace in the unadorned carriage pulled by an ordinary looking steed.

Meanwhile at another place, an old beggar man can be seen sitting by the street side, and playing a game of chess all by himself.

'1st cousin has taken his move with his niece,' he thought to himself. 'Wondered what the king will do now that his cousin is going against his order, Silus should have reminded him by now about his cousin disappearing act as well, I can only take action once the situation is dare.'

As he stood up, the imperial horses and the guards which were led by the official 'Silus' pass the street galloping at a fast speed.

'The king has finally made his move, but this is not enough.' Sitting down as he moves another piece on the chess board, a young boy came over to where he is.

"Beggar man, won't you order something today," the young boy enquired.

"Will you help me get it as usual?" the beggar man asked.

"I will but that will be after I return from the errand, mama is a little bit angry with me for coming home late yesterday, but I really want to know how to play the game of chess, I have promised myself that I will beat you one day," the young boy said puffing out his cheek.

"Run along now, you don't want your mama to punish you more than this," the beggar man said as he makes another move on the chess board. The young boy looked longingly at the chess board and was reluctant to part from it, he drag his feet away. "Go, your mama must be waiting for you, remember a child responsibility is firstly to their parents," the beggar man said as he makes another move. The boy finally left.

An unadorned carriage pace the street at a slow pace, the beggar man looked up when he felt the tremor on the ground and saw the unadorned carriage. He stood up and crossed it path, holding the horse rein and calming it down before the horse throws a tantrum. The carriage driver came down from his place.

"Beggar man can't you not do this your mad antics today? Please don't cause a problem for me and my lord," the carriage driver said angrily.

"But, nobody is injured," the beggar man replied stylishly as he look around.

"Who is that," a voice asked from the carriage. When the beggar man heard the voice, he smiled, moving to open the door of the carriage, the driver stopped him.

"Don't you have respect for yourself and for others? You are old and you are still behaving like this," the driver said as he reprimands the beggar man.

"The heart sees beyond the physically, the eye are only for decoration," the beggar man said.

"What rubbish are you sprouting from your mouth?" The carriage driver asked ridiculing him. Inside the carriage, the man was shocked hearing the words of the man, he knew who it was.

"Stop that behavior and let him in," the man commanded from inside the carriage.

"But milord, he is just a beggar," the driver said.

"Are you going against my order?" the man asked.

"No, milord, I will let him in now," the driver said as he opens the carriage door for the beggar man to get in.

"Continue driving to the place I told you to go," the man said.

"Yes, milord," the driver went back and hit the horse as they started moving again.

Inside the carriage, the beggar man can be seen sitting down opposite the man and casting a sound blocking spell. The man spoke after he saw that the beggar man was done with his sound blocking spell. "How did you know it was me?" the man asked the beggar man.

"Is that still the question you should be asking me by now? You already know the answer," the beggar man said.

"What give me away this time?" The man asked given in.

"The horse, you may change the driver and the carriage to be unadorned but a discerning eye will know that the horse being used is of no ordinary origin, even if it looks ordinary," the beggar man said. "I could feel the ground vibrating with every step that it takes. Where are you headed?" The beggar man asked.

"To the kingdom gate," the man replied.

"I was just heading in that direction, seems like there is a show to watch," the beggar man said feeling rather happy.

"You don't change even when trouble is brewing," the man said feeling exasperated at his happy attitude.

"What is there to worry about? Sometimes, you just have to sit back and relax, you don't need to worry yourself," the beggar man said.

"Where did you get such a hyper driver?" The beggar man asked changing the topic.

"Don't know, he was just there, so I just pick him from the stable," the man said.

"Just there, I see, so everybody is just there," the beggar man said.

"What are you hinting at?" The man asked as he adjusted himself.

"Nothing, just that you should know those that are around you," the beggar man said as he brought out his chess board. "Come, let's play, it will keep us occupy before we get to the kingdom gate," the beggar man said arranging the chess piece on the chess board.