“Umm, Nell,” Simon looked at his companion with a smile, “why is it that you don’t speak, are you under a vow of silence?” he asked as the sun passed beyond the horizon. “The other novices in the monastery used to talk to me, though...”

Nell kept silent and simply nodded.

“Do you mind if I see your face instead?” he asked and was given another nod.

“Yes, you do mind, or yes, you can show me?” he asked again, grinning.

Nell kept still, as if thinking, then raised his hand to pull aside the thin gray veil connected to his hooded cloak.

Simon saw the unblemished face of a young lad in his early teens. His hair was cropped close to his scalp and his brows were so blond against his fair skin that they seemed non-existent.

He kept his gaze low, his long blond lashes covering his gray eyes that refused to meet the gaze of the royal prince before him.

“It’s such a pity that you need to cover such a fair face,” Simon said, “but then again, didn’t his Reverence say that as a novice priest, you would need to live as an ordinary citizens for a year? Are you not supposed to wear casual clothes to fit in with the rest of the people?”

Nell gave a slight jolt, then slowly nodded.

“That’s good then! I shall buy you new clothes as soon as we get to our Kingdom!” Simon said happily, his blue eyes shining. “Good thing too, since it’s a bit warmer in the Twin Kingdoms compared to the weather here in the woods, and your cloak looks so thick and rough and hot, it would surely be uncomfortable when we get there! A simple shirt or tunic would be best for you to wear! We can go to the market and explore the rest of the town, then!”

Nell kept silent as the excited Simon told him all about his kingdom. Soon, the prince was nodding off and the carriage finally goes quiet as he fell into a comfortable sleep.

“How utterly disappointing,” Prince Juno mumbled as he looked back at the carriage his youngest brother was sharing with his healer. “How could a royal prince stay in the same space as a lowly healer who has not yet even been ordained as a priest?”

“He seems to be quite good, though. Have you noticed that Simon is looking much better than when we first arrived in the inn?” Largos said. “Also, healers are very rare and are highly valued for their talents, particularly in the capital.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that he’s nothing but a lowly peasant,” sneered Prince Juno.

“Well, you were the one who gave him a carriage, as well as permission to let that healer accompany him.”

“That’s because we needed to win his trust. Besides, those peasants who crowded around him were already fussing about the long journey being too uncomfortable for their ‘hero’. It wouldn’t do good to treat that worm as we normally do.”

“Hmph. I could do with that Sun Bear pelt right now...” mumbled Largos, rubbing his rump.

“Enough of that. Have you told the men about the little ‘accidents’ we plan to set along the way?” Juno gave Largos a conspiratorial look.

“Of course, in fact, they are planning one as we speak.”

“Good.” Juno gave an evil grin. “Just make sure it looks like an accident, and that it actually works this time.”

Thus, the three princes’ retinue suffered several ‘accidents’ on their way back to the Twin Kingdom.

“Look out!”

Prince Simon snapped out of his slumber from several shouts and crashes from outside.

“What’s going on?” he asked, but there was no one with him in the carriage.

He drew the drapes covering the carriage’s window aside and took a peep outside, where he saw Nell standing by the door.

“Is there a problem?” he asked the healer.

Nell pointed up front, where a large trunk lay across the road.

“Prince Simon, a tree just fell inches away from our carriage,” the coachman informed him. “It was a good thing the horses got spooked and came to a sudden halt.”

“A tree that big just suddenly fell?” asked Simon.

“We are suspecting a group of bandits uprooted it to ambush us,” said a bearded knight passing by. “Please stay inside your carriage since you are still injured from your fight with the behemoth.”

Simon quickly pulled the drapes shut and settled back into his comfortable seat.

‘Bandits? How scary!’ he pulled the sun bear’s luscious pelt around himself. ‘It sure was nice of my brothers’ knights to look after me,’ he thought to himself. ‘They used to make fun of me back in the palace, or ignore me all together. I guess now, they think of me a bit more highly than before, since I killed the behemoth.’

“Is everything clear?” he heard one of the knights outside call out.

“All clear!” replied another.

The carriage door opened then, and Nell came back to seat in his spot in front of Prince Simon.

“Is everything alright outside?” Simon asked the healer.

Nell gave him a nod.

“Was anyone hurt this time?”

Nell shook his head.

“That’s good, news. It’s the second fallen tree we’ve encountered during our travel,” he mumbled, scratching his head. “Do you think, perhaps, someone’s doing it on purpose?”

Nell shrugged.

“Yesterday, it was a sounder of boars, and the day before that, a pack of wild dogs... perhaps, the gods don’t want us to get to the Twin Kingdoms?” Simon asked, looking anxious.

Nell shook his head.

“I guess, you’re right, I’m traveling with one of god’s people, after all,” said Simon with a nervous laugh.

“The trap was foiled again?” Juno sneered at Largos in a loud whisper. “Are you sure the people you hired are real assassins?! Or are you just making me waste my money on incompetent scoundrels and swindlers?!”

“You know I only hire the best from the assassins’ guild!” Largos retorted, sounding offended.

“Then why isn’t a single attack from your ‘assassins’ working?!”

“They said some kind of barrier was surrounding Simon’s carriage,” Largos explained. “They tried arrows and blow darts, but they all seem to bounce off. That’s why they decided to use rampaging animals and falling logs instead.”

“And still, our dear brother stays snug and comfortable inside his carriage,” Juno grumbled.

“Brother...” Largos sounded nervous. “What if... what if the gods are keeping Simon safe?” he asked. “Remember the stories about Emperor Jonas? How the gods favored him and kept him away from all harm by blessing him with unbelievable luck that kept all misfortune away?”

“Don’t be absurd!” Juno sneered at him. “How could you even compare that worm with the Emperor?! He was the Golden Light, the undefeated hero who put an end to the demon king in the War of Liberation twenty years ago. Our urchin of a brother could never hold a candle to him!”

“But all these coincidences... what if Simon really turns out to be the new hero?” Largos asked again, his fingers twitching.

“That’s impossible,” Juno scoffed in reply. “There can only be one Hero in existence at a time in the empire,” he told his brother. “Everyone knows that, as well as there could only be one Saintess. So it’s impossible for that worm to be a hero since the Emperor is still alive and well!”

“You have a point there...” Largos gave a sigh of relief. “But all those thwarted attacks...”

“Just hire better assassins next time!” Juno snapped at him.

“O-okay, brother... I shall look for more competent assassins as soon as we get back to our kingdom.”

Yet all their plans were foiled as if by some divine intervention. Soon, they finally reached the boundaries of the Twin kingdoms. The two crown princes approached Simon, and told him to lead the procession on horseback.

“The people of the Twin Kingdoms would want to see the face of the hero who killed the behemoth and saved them from certain disaster!” Prince Juno declared.

“It would be good for your reputation to show your face to the crowd, since hardly anyone knows who you are,” Prince Largos agreed.

“It would also be good for our soldiers’ moral, since you have done nothing but hide in your carriage through out our journey back home,” Juno continued. “Are you not feeling better yet?” he asked in a sarcastic tone.

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CHOICES:

Should Prince Simon listen to his older brothers?

[He should enter the town on a charger] Go to Part 15

[He should stay in the carriage] Go to Part 16

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