"Your grace, we received word that one of our prisoners paid you a visit in the palace," the spokesman for the House of Donne said.

They were in the king's court where the king listened to the matters concerning the royalty. There was a different court for the rest of the kingdom, emphasizing the difference between royalty and the commoner.

Sheer stood by the side of the king's throne, staring into the crowd of the royal households that had gathered for the weekly meet at the king's Court. They sat on pews, facing the king, all of them older than the young, weak king. Pathetic houses, Sheer thought. None of them worthy enough to take over from the late king's son. He was the only one that could do what needed to be done, and they knew it. That was why they were wary of him.

"Your prisoner?" Harodin asked.

"Permit me to answer him, your grace," Sheer asked the king, and without waiting for a response, turned to the man. "Your king is merciful and just. That is why he allowed you to have a prisoner in the first place. That is why all the houses of the kingdom of Kora have their prisoners. Some of them have their own prisons."

A murmur went through the crowd of royals. They were certainly not in agreement with the advisor's speech.

"We are at a time in our lives when conflicts are coming from every corner. There are the peasants planning an uprising. There are the other kingdoms outside waiting for us to get weak fighting peasants, then they will strike."

"How can we fight our own?" one of the royals said, standing up.

"You speak out of turn, my lord," Sheer said. The man he was talking to was the head of the House of Eli. He had white hair flowing all over his face. His beard was white and long. His eyes were Grey. He looked like some kind of God walking among mortal men, yet he let his anger settle down and let himself back down into his seat.

"Whatever the king is doing now, know he is doing it out of love, out of duty. You will have your prisoner back only after the king is done with him."

"Does the king know you took our prisoner?" another Donne person said.

"The king knows everything that goes on in his kingdom. Are you trying to suggest that he does not know?"

"No, my lord," the man said, scratching his beard.

Sheer smiled mischievously. He knew exactly what he had done.

"That would be all, the crown would love to retire," Sheer said.

He turned to the king who was glad to be let off the hook. Harodin walked away from the gathering of the royals towards the side of the hall, where a little door was waiting for him. He walked through it with Sheer coming behind him, and guards before and after him. As they walked along the hallway, Harodin's resolve hardened. He had to know.

"What prisoner was taken from the dungeon?" the king asked.

"Your grace, this is not a matter to be…"

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"We shall discuss it now! And you must tell me everything you have on this…this thief that is causing so much trouble!"

They both halted. Harodin looked spirited, almost like his father, Sheer observed. But even the late king had fallen to the advisor's charms and plans. The man was dead and had no more say in the affairs of the kingdom. If the boy continued this way, the advisor would kill him off. In fact, he wished he could strangle him right about now, but he could not.

It would put a big dent in his plan, and he would be looked upon as a suspect. The other royal houses that were snooping around, trying to find their way up to the crown, would swoop down immediately. That was why he needed the crystal sword. It contained magic far more potent than royal blood.

"It is a thief, your grace, one that will look for the crystal sword," Sheer replied.

"Why did I not see this thief before he was sent out?"

"Your grace, you pressed for results, and I was in a hurry to get something to show you. I wanted him to get the crystal sword quickly."

"Sometimes, I doubt your intent, Sheer. You do things behind me for which I take the blame and you do not tell me."

"I apologize, your grace. My intention was not to bring disrepute to the crown, but rather to…"

"Hold whatever your silly intentions are, Sheer. My father trusted you because he knew where you came from. He trusted you because you made him trust you. You seem to have gotten lax over the years. You think I cannot send you away from this palace. For you fail me at every turn."

"These are grave words, your grace."

"Yet they ring true. Find me the crystal sword."

"Actually, your grace, there is a little matter that I would like to discuss with you."

The king started walking again, and the guards followed. The advisor ran after him.

"What?" the king was upset and rightly so. Sheer knew he had overplayed his hand. He had had no idea that the Donne had spies as well, spies that informed them about the freeing of the prisoner that made their house look like a field where anyone could walk in to play. It was an oversight on his part, a mistake that he would never make again.

"Your grace, your visitors. I was told they are to go after the crystal sword."

The king swirled around so fast that the advisor barely saw him coming. A punch to the face and the king had the advisor up against the wall, pinned there with his hands on the old man's throat.

"Keep your stupid spies away from my business," the king warned.

He was a youth, full of life and vigor. Sheer, pinned against the wall and nursing pain on his face, realized that he had mistaken the king's quietness for meekness. Harodin was no meek king. He has his father's spirit. He was growing into this thing, discovering quickly things that he could do and get away with.

With his hands raised, Sheer uttered no words, but his eyes went to the captain of the city guard, a man who was sworn to him. Some muscles twitched in the man's face, and he wanted to shout at the man to not draw his sword. It was too early to start fighting the king. The royals and their forces would join hands and send him out of the kingdom. That is if they do not kill him. All he had was the city guards.

The king let him go and continued walking down the hallway. He adjusted his kimono, swallowed his humiliation, and followed the king without speaking.

"Yes, my visitors are going to help in this quest," the king said. "I don't remember telling you about it, Sheer. You overreach."

"Pardon me, your grace," Sheer mumbled. "It is my desire to serve you and the kingdom that gets the best of me sometimes. My devotion and zeal."

"Put your zeal in check, advisor."

They walked farther down till they got to the king's chambers.

"Your grace," Sheer ventured again.

The king shot him a warning look. He swallowed.

"Maybe I should rather not say, your grace," Sheer mumbled.

His shoulders were more bent than Harodin remembered them. He looked pitiful.

"You know you cannot start that with me, Sheer."

Sheer swallowed. The king's eyes were still on him. Sheer went through his mind, realizing how quickly the prince had changed from 'the boy' to 'the king' in his mind. He had severely underestimated him.

"I eh… the peasants are gathering and the crystal sword is the only thing that can keep this kingdom from talking apart."

"What are you saying?"

"That the groups after the crystal sword should be sent out immediately, your grace. There is no more time to waste."