The Marenon Chronicles Collection

Chapter Eight





The revelation that the bartender was Wilkes came as a surprise to both Julian and Robin. He led them out of Homestead and into the woods telling them that the key belonged to a prison cell. When Julian asked what was in the prison cell, Wilkes looked at him strangely. “A prisoner.”

“Are you really the king, or are you two just a couple of numbskulls who came across this key, and now you’re looking for trouble?” Wilkes asked them.

Julian first thought it might be better to tell Wilkes that he was just a numbskull, but he decided on the truth.

“Can’t say I cared much for your brother,” Wilkes said. “Hope you do better than he did.”

“Me too,” Julian said.

Once Wilkes was assured that Julian was actually the king, his demeanor lightened a little, though his harsh tone remained unchanged. The prison was a mile or two outside of Homestead, and it held some of Marenon’s most vile criminals. It had been kept a secret for the most part. No doubt, some may have heard of it before, but most had never bothered to confirm the rumors, so its existence remained hidden. Julian had expected the proof of the council’s betrayal to be in some sort of locked vault; he hadn’t expected this key to lead him to yet another person he would have to question. He growled under his breath at the memory of his last meeting with Spencer. He hated Spencer for everything the man represented, and he hated the meeting he had with the man. It left Julian feeling like he was the bad guy, but he knew he wasn’t.

The thick woods were dark despite the cloudless summer sky. Julian didn’t like the idea of walking with a man who would so readily kill another for not saying the right words, such as “I’d like a water with lemon.” Robin walked directly in front of the king and for the first time on this journey, Julian was truly happy to have the man with him. Julian had too often found himself in dangerous situations where he could have used a fighter like Robin. He was beginning to see the benefits of having a personal guard.

They eventually made it to the prison. It was old and almost looked abandoned. The decrepit, crumbling walls barely stood around it, and just a few guards could be seen walking the perimeter. Seeing the place in such disrepair, and knowing that it held the most dangerous criminals in Marenon was a little unsettling. Wilkes apparently noticed the expressions of his new travel companions.

“It don’t look like much, but it’s secure,” he assured them.

Most of the cells were on the inside of the small fortress, but there were several lined up outside, exposed to the elements. Each cell was tiny. It was tall enough for a man to stand, yet so narrow that it only allowed enough space for the prisoner to sleep in the fetal position. Inhabited only by the broken and battered, the stench from the small prison was horrific, and Julian had to cover is nose and mouth to keep himself from gagging.

“You get used to it,” Wilkes said, glancing at Julian. “Every prisoner is provided with a meal and a bucket each day. That’s it. That’s more than they deserve too.”

“What about the one I’m looking for?” Julian asked, not wanting to see anymore of the prisoners.

Wilkes stood silently for a moment, studying the king, probably wondering why in the world a person such as Julian would be out in the dumps of Marenon at all. Julian didn’t expect Wilkes to believe him, and he probably didn’t. But Julian carried the golden key that he had taken off of Holden’s body. The key was all the proof Wilkes needed. With the key, he got no questions. Without the key, he was a dead man.

Wilkes spat on the ground and sniffed. “Yours is a special case. His name is Daniel and he’s been in that prison cell for two years.”

“What did he do?” Julian asked.

“That’s just it,” Wilkes said. “Some old guy comes in with Daniel and tells us to lock him up. No questions asked. He has his own guys put a lock on it that can only be opened by that key.”

Holden, Julian thought.

“Daniel kept screaming that he never did anything,” Wilkes continued. “Over and over, that’s all he would say. I talked to him about it one night, and I believe him. The man’s got a wife and was a farmer. I don’t think he did anything.”

“Then why is he in prison?” Julian asked.

Wilkes nodded. “Daniel’s got a scar on his chest, like a surgical thing. I’ve been told that kind of scar is from the implantation of a memory orb.”

Julian shook his head confused.

“I’ve heard of some people having memory orbs implanted in themselves when they have memories that need to be recorded, but also need to be hidden. Looks like Daniel is the victim of someone’s personal diary,” Wilkes continued, appraising Julian with a condemning look.

“I assure you it’s not mine,” Julian said quickly. “If what you say is true then that man carries everything that I need.”

“Yeah well, where it’s inserted it looks like it might be fused with his heart.”

Julian wasn’t sure what this meant or how it even worked, but Wilkes seemed sure.

“Only way you’re getting that orb is if you cut it out.”

“Cut it out?” Julian asked.

“Of his heart,” Wilkes nodded. “That might not go over real well when you ask him for it.”

Julian placed a hand on his forehead. Holden. He was a genius, taking an innocent man and fusing his life with proof of the council’s treachery. He had no doubt done this to cover his own back. Julian had heard of memory orbs before. With an orb one could simply take hold of it and it would record every memory the person ever had. The only hitch was that it wouldn’t accept specific memories alone. It would record everything a person had ever known without exception. Using such a magical item was considered dangerous, especially for those who took part in governmental affairs or had any sort of secretive life. A memory orb could always be used against another in the courts, but it could also prove one’s innocence.

“Daniel was never convicted in any court, but that’s not our concern. We get paid by you to keep the criminals we’re sent.”

Holden must have posed as a servant of the king, and for all Julian knew, his stupid brother Morgan might have unwittingly given Holden the credentials to have this operation done. If Morgan didn’t do it then Spencer did. Either way, Daniel had suffered for their little game, and Julian had no way of getting to the proof. Holden had been smart to do it this way. He knew Julian wouldn’t kill an innocent man just to get to the truth. To do such a thing would make him less than Human. He looked at Robin then to Wilkes.

“Show me to the prisoner.”

Wilkes led them down a path and to a prison cell that was set apart from the others. He wasn’t sure what he should do after this. He didn’t know why he wanted to speak with him. Daniel would live, go back to his family and that was that. What could he do now? He supposed he could question each of the council members one by one, but that would produce nothing. None of them regarded Julian as superior, even with his new status as king. He had been a scrub on the council, the least of any of them. And of course he couldn’t try to torture the information out of them because he only had the word of a traitor and a dead man. The only proof of any sort of betrayal by the Dunarian Council he held was fused to the heart of an innocent man that Julian would never touch. The thought only made him angrier with Holden and Spencer. They knew this chase would only leave him in the dark and drive Julian to madness.

Standing in front of the cell, Julian could only feel pity for the man. He was balled up like a cat, sleeping his day away, for there was nothing else to do. In Daniel’s case, sleeping would be a better life than remaining awake in his misery. Julian yanked the key from his neck and handed it to Wilkes. “Set him free.”

Wilkes moved forward without question and slid the key into the lock and opened the cell door. Daniel didn’t even move. The movements going on outside his tiny cell had long been mushed into background noise. The opening of the door didn’t even register until Wilkes called his name a third time. He looked up from the floor with a slightly confused look on his untrimmed face. The clothes he wore hung loosely around his skinny frame. He said nothing but waited for an explanation.

“You’re free,” Wilkes said. “Time to go with the king here.”

Daniel looked toward Julian and Robin. “Are you here to take me away and kill me? Can I please see my wife before you do?”

“You don’t let him see his wife?” Julian asked Wilkes.

“I don’t exactly run the place,” Wilkes said defensively. “The wife is allowed in once a month to talk for a few minutes.”

“What do you do exactly?” Robin asked Wilkes.

“I’m a bartender,” he said. “Can’t really tell you what Wilkes does though,” he winked slyly.

Julian looked back down to Daniel. The man was as good as dead. It would not come as a surprise to anyone waiting for him on the outside that he had died, exposed to the weather. Perhaps his wife would think that the heat got to him. No. Daniel had done nothing to deserve this fate, and too much of his life in Marenon had already been taken away from him. It was time for Daniel to go home.

“You’re free to go to your wife,” Julian said. “You can go there and stay.”

Daniel’s eyes widened and he pulled himself up to his feet. “Are you the one responsible for my imprisonment?”

“No,” Julian said. “I only learned of it today. I am the Human King of Marenon, Julian Hobbes.” He motioned to Robin. “This is the captain of the Royal Guard. We’ve come to release you.” Julian took a deep breath, disappointed. He thought he had finally found the proof of the council’s deception, but he had nothing.

“All I ask is that you answer some questions about who brought you here,” Julian said.

Daniel scratched at his long beard, no doubt filled with fleas. “Do you think I can get a bath?”

Of course, Julian thought. He had been so thoughtless. How could he just start asking a man who had been wrongfully imprisoned for two years to sit under the questioning of a king he had never heard of? The man had not even flinched at the declaration of the king standing in front of him. He didn’t care. The man just wanted a bath and a shave before he met his wife in his newfound freedom.

“Wilkes, make sure the man gets a new set of clothes, a bath and a clean shave,” Julian said.

Wilkes nodded and took Daniel away while Julian and Robin waited just outside of the prison complex. There was a set of chairs normally used by a few guards, but they were obliged to allow the king and Robin to rest undisturbed. Julian looked at Robin, knowing something was on the man’s mind, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to hear it. But Julian knew he needed to listen to people around him more. He was too self-reliant.

Begrudgingly he asked Robin what was on his mind.

Robin didn’t answer for along moment, obviously trying to choose his words carefully.

“I just wonder,” he said, “what is your plan? I doubt Daniel has much more to say. You aren’t going to try to get the memory orb are you?”

Julian couldn’t believe his ears. “What do you take me for, Robin? Do you think I’m a savage?”

“Of course not, Sire! I just don’t know what is to be done. It’s such a delicate matter.”

“Robin, you have known me for along time. Please do not take me for a cold-blooded killer. You know that I could not do it.”

“What if he was a true criminal? A murderer perhaps?”

Julian looked at the man, surprised by his bold questions.

“I hope I have not overstepped my boundaries,” Robin added humbly.

“You have,” Julian answered. “But to answer your question, I really don’t know. That sort of information may very well be worth the life of a criminal, but I can’t justify it being worth the life of an innocent man.” Julian stared at no spot in particular. “Even if it could save the lives of thousands.”

The two sat silently for nearly an hour. Daniel was no doubt taking his time getting clean and trimmed for his wife. When he came out from his bath, he was dressed in fresh clothes and he looked like a completely different person. His sunken eyes and emaciated frame still showed that he had been a victim of a terribly long and uncomfortable imprisonment, however. Julian and Robin stood to greet him, and probably for the first time in two years, Daniel was smiling with true joy. He walked to Julian and fell down to his knees, muttering over and over his thanks and appreciation for what Julian had done for him. Julian glanced at Robin feeling awkward. Robin grinned.

“Please, stand,” he told Daniel. “You don’t need to thank me.”

Daniel stood reluctantly and wiped a few tears away from his now bare cheeks. His clear blue eyes were bright with anticipation. “You must meet my wife. She must know the man…the king that saved my life.”

Julian started to protest, but Daniel wouldn’t hear it.

“Please. You must be a great king. My wife is a wonderful cook. She will make you the best, heartiest meal in all of Marenon.”

“I imagine you two will be wanting alone time,” Julian said.

“We’ve the rest of our lives for that, thanks to you.”

Julian glanced at Robin, hoping the man would help him with an excuse to leave, but he just shrugged. Thanks for the support, Julian thought.

They left the prison and Daniel wouldn’t stop speaking. It was probably the most interaction he had in two years with someone who wasn’t a guard. As they walked out of the prison, Wilkes gave a kind nod and whispered an apology for threatening his life earlier behind the pub. Julian accepted it and they were on their way, back to Homestead.

Julian and Robin nearly had to jog to keep up with Daniel. His excitement of finally being able to hold his wife without a set of bars between them had taken him over. The man couldn’t stop talking about his plans, how much he loved Martha, who Julian gathered was Daniel’s wife, and how good it was to finally get out of that disgusting prison. There was no way in the world Julian would be able to kill Daniel for the information. The man was as innocent and pure as any soul Julian had seen. To even consider the possibility of killing him for the memory orb was terrible.

On the outskirts of the town, Julian and Robin stood by silently as the homecoming played out. Daniel and Martha hugged, kissed, cried and thanked Julian over and over without stopping. When they had finally calmed from their surprise and elation, the couple invited Julian and Robin inside for hot drinks while Martha began preparing a warm meal at once. Julian protested several times, but neither Martha nor Daniel would hear it. Daniel had been freed and that was all that mattered. After the excitement and disbelief began to dissipate, Daniel’s face became hardened and he turned to Julian.

“Do you know why I was imprisoned?”

Julian shook his head, not fully knowing why Daniel had been chosen for such a fate. “I wish I did,” he answered. “Did you ever do anything deserving of imprisonment?”

Daniel shook his head vigorously, but Martha was the one to answer. “Of course he didn’t. Some men came during dinner and placed him under arrest,” she said as she stirred the pot in front of her. “Next time I saw him, he was in the prison and we were never told why.”

“They took me to a cave in the forest,” Daniel said. “I don’t know where exactly. They drugged me, so I was out of it. I suppose I was there for about three days or so, but I can’t really say. Next thing I know, I wake up in a jail cell and I have this scar on my chest.”

“Do you know what that is?” Julian asked.

“No idea. I woke up and it hurt like something awful. I’ve had chest pains ever since then, though.”

Julian glanced at Robin. He wasn’t sure if he should let the man know what had happened to him or leave him in the dark. Would there be a point in telling him that there was a memory orb attached to his heart? That it contained valuable information that could help in the war against the Stühocs, but the only way to get it would be to kill him? Julian shook the thought from his head. Of course it would do no good to tell him. There was nothing to be done. Telling him would only burden the man with information he didn’t need. He needed to enjoy the freedom that had been stolen from him. The search for proof was finished. Now his only option left would be to question the Dunarian Council individually, but he knew it would produce no results. Maybe it was time to finally cut off all ties with the Dunarians and focus on a campaign with Canor and Farlaweer against the Stühocs. The Dunarians would have been a valuable asset, but with the possibility of betrayal, he couldn’t afford to trust them. Not now since the proof was unreachable.

They ate their meal, letting Martha and Daniel do most of the talking. Martha mostly filled Daniel in on what was happening around Homestead, and Julian was content to sit back and listen. He had not been able to sit and enjoy a meal for a long time. He noticed that Robin seemed happy to be there as well, but in their fleeting moments of contentment, Julian knew it had to end.

He stood and Robin did the same. “I’m afraid we won’t be able to stay any longer,” Julian said. He held up a hand before any more protest could be made. “I appreciate all you’ve done, I really do, but we must be on our way. We have very important things to look after in Farlaweer.”

Daniel nodded solemnly. “I’ll walk you out.”

When they walked out of the house, Julian turned to Daniel to say his farewell, but shouts and a bell in the distance interrupted them.

“That’s the warning bell!” Martha cried out. “Something’s wrong.”

Indeed something was wrong. A crowd had gathered in the town square surrounding two individuals. Robin gave a warning look to Julian as if to say it wasn’t their problem and that they needed to go, but Robin didn’t have the authority to tell the king such a thing.

“Let’s go see what’s happening,” Julian said, giving a slight wink to Robin.

The four of them raced to the city square, and when they got there, they could see a woman slumped to the ground and a man holding on to her shoulders, both of them out of breath.

“How long before they get here?” a shout came from the crowd.

The man shook his head. “Could be days, could be hours. All I know is that you need to get your people out of here and move them up north toward Farlaweer.”

Daniel tapped the shoulder of a man in front of him and asked what had been announced.

“Stühocs on a warpath,” the man said. “Headed this way apparently.”

Daniel gave a worried look to Martha, then to Julian.

“My name is Dink, and this is my wife Emma,” the man in the center said. “We are from a smaller village just south of here and they nearly wiped us out. They took some as prisoners, but they killed the rest.”

“What do they want with prisoners?” a shout came from the crowd.

“I don’t know,” Dink said. “But you don’t have time to figure anything out, you have to leave here!”

“Wait!” The shout came from Daniel. “We don’t need to flee!”

Julian’s face drained of blood as he realized what Daniel was about to say. He tried to stop him, but was only able to say his name before he announced, “We have the king with us. He can send for soldiers. We can defend Homestead.” He pointed a finger at Julian and all eyes fell on him.

“You’re Julian Hobbes?” a voice said.

Reluctantly, Julian nodded. “I am.”

“Can you get us soldiers?”

Julian looked at Robin, knowing what had to come next. Politically, Julian could not leave these people to fend for themselves. They would hate him for it. He had to fight.

“I’ve got the Royal Guard waiting for me, not one mile away. Rally all who can fight and begin fortifying Homestead,” Julian said. He looked at Robin, knowing they had put themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. Robin stared back, showing only caution in his eyes. Julian had known about small raids being made by the Stühocs on a few villages, but he had no idea they were this serious. It was time to deal with the Stühocs on his own terms.

“Today we show the Stühocs that the people of Marenon will not be enslaved. Today we fight!”