Jemryn was so shocked by the voice that he forgot to be scared and stared at the largest of the older boys

‘I’m running errands for the Preceptor. You make me late and you’ll be answering to him. In fact, here he is now.’ Jemryn pointed towards the main gate. The bullies whipped round to look and Jemryn was off like a hare into the kitchen.

‘Oh well played’ the thought rang in his head.

‘Who are you?’ panted Jemryn as he shot through the doorway and down the corridor to the kitchen.

‘Don’t say it, think it! You are alone, and people will think you are mad, talking to yourself.’

‘Alright’, thought Jemryn, furiously. ‘Who are you?’

‘Oh my, what a fierce little rabbit. I’m a friend and I will help you. I think it best if you don’t discuss our conversations for now’

Jemryn stopped just outside the kitchens. ‘What do you want in return?’ he thought.

‘Typical Farrenreed. Always thinking about cost and gain. I want information and I will share knowledge and offer advice. Mostly I will use your eyes and ears but say nothing. Do we have a deal boy? Walk through the kitchen while you compose your reply. Standing still and staring is nearly as bad as talking to yourself.’

‘Can I stop you from being in my mind?’ thought Jemryn as he started walking through the kitchen.

‘With practice perhaps, but if you wish a break, you just have to say, and I will withdraw for a while.’

‘Who are you?’ wondered Jemryn. He was through the kitchen now and descending the steps into the cellars and the undercroft.

‘My name would mean nothing to you. All will become clear in time.’

Jemryn’s mind felt empty. ‘Are you still there?’ he thought back but there was no reply.

As he moved further through the cellars, he could hear voices and moments later saw the steward and the master brewer dipping a row of barrels to measure the contents. The master brewer saw him before the steward and grabbed his arm faster than Jemryn could dodge. ‘Thought you would sneak down here and help yourself to more, did you boy?’

‘No sir. I have a letter for the steward from the Preceptor and was told he was here in the undercroft.’ He held out the parchment to the steward, astonished at his own boldness. ‘If you’re looking for people pilfering beer, you might smell the breath of the boys in the inner courtyard. They seemed quite drunk and belligerent’

Jemryn felt the alien mind return, now shaking with mirth ‘Oh rabbit. Remind me not to cross you!’

He looked at the master brewer. ‘If you could let me go sir. I must deliver this last letter to the king.’

The steward looked up from the letter. ‘Yes yes, let him go. Boy, tell the Preceptor I will deliver what he asks as soon as maybe but it may take a few days.’

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The other man looked at Jemryn and shrugged then let his arm go. ‘My apologies boy for any unfairness. I’ll look for culprits as you suggest.’ As Jemryn turned and trotted away, the master brewer called after him ‘Get yourself a tabard. Folks would know when you’re on official business then.’

When Jemryn got back through the kitchen, he saw Vann standing in the doorway to the courtyard and holding the quarterstaff he had been practicing with.

‘You alright Jem? I had a sudden feeling you were in trouble’

‘I was trapped by a couple of the older boys, your highness, but I managed to run away. I have to get a letter to the king and the boys are still out there and I’m not sure the guards will let me in.’

‘Outside court, call me Vann.’ He held out his hand. ‘Give me the letter and I’ll take it to my father.’

‘I can’t’ wailed Jemryn. ‘The Preceptor told me to give it to the king myself and he’s in the solar.’ Vann grinned. ‘Fair enough. Come on, let’s go and find him.’ As they crossed the courtyard, the bullies decided that the crown prince was a little more than they wanted to tangle with and fled through the gate into the city. The guards just saluted Vann as they approached the door.

‘Where is the guard captain?’ asked Vann.

The older guard, who had stopped Jemryn before, shuffled his feet. ‘Inspecting a new batch of horses in the outer city, your highness.’

Vann frowned. ‘Very well. Jemryn here has royal permission to come and go as needed. Both this gate and the outer gate. That order will be made in writing to the captain shortly.’

The guard saluted. ‘Yes Sir.’

As they disappeared up the spiral staircase to the solar, Vann grinned at Jemryn. ‘No point in being crown prince if you can’t throw your weight about occasionally.’

They got to the top of the stairs only to see more guards which made Jemryn’s heart sink.

‘Announce us please, Sergeant’ ordered Vann.

The guard with the three stripes on his arm saluted. ‘Of course, your highness.’ He knocked on the door then opened it. ‘Crown Prince Vann and companion, your Majesty.’ The sergeant stood to one side and let them through, shutting the door behind them.

‘Ah Vann. What brings you here? I wasn’t expecting to see you for a few days at least.’ The king looked at Jemryn. ‘And young Farrenreed. Got a letter for me, lad?’ Jemryn nodded and held it out, completely awestruck at meeting the king.

‘It was a strange feeling, father.’ Vann was looking puzzled now. ‘We were in the Southern Hall training and Sir Lars had said to take a break and suddenly I found myself thinking that Jem was in trouble and there I was sprinting down to the inner courtyard.’

‘Were you in trouble?’ the king looked at Jemryn.

‘Well sort of, Your Majesty. A couple of boys had cornered me, but I managed to duck past them. I can run quite quickly but getting past the guards to deliver letters is quite hard’

The king frowned. ‘You need a uniform.’

Jemryn nodded ‘The brewmaster suggested that too, Your Majesty and I think my father is having one made but it will take time.’

Vann cleared his throat. ‘I told the guards that he should be allowed to come and go, as he needs and that there would be a written order to the guard captain.’ He looked meaningfully at the parchment, quills and ink on his father’s desk.

The king snorted. ‘What am I, your secretary?’

‘No father’ said Vann hastily ‘I will write it if I could make use of your desk for a moment.’ He sat down in the seat opposite his father and quickly scrawled a few lines on a blank piece of parchment.

‘Is it a writ of passage or did you make it an offence to hinder him in the course of his duties?’ queried the king.

‘Just a writ of passage. I can’t pass laws’ replied Vann.

‘Hmph. The sergeant on duty is quite reliable.’ said the king. ‘Give the writ to him and he will make sure it gets to the captain. I will see to the other. Page to the Dragon Knight’s is the first new office in the court for many years possibly hundreds of years and we have no laws to cover it.’

‘Thank you, father,’ Vann stood up and bowed. ‘With your leave sire.’

‘One of these days, I will get around to organising and enforcing a proper court protocol’ grumbled the king. Jemryn bowed too, then turned and fled out of the solar. Vann grinned and followed him, handing the writ to the sergeant as he left.

The king watched them go before opening the Preceptor’s letter. As he read, his brow furrowed and when he had finished he let his hand drop, still holding it, and sat staring out across the city.