“We can’t go back to O-Town,” informed Howie, sadly. “Lou will kill us when he finds out we failed.”
“We’ll take Nick to the nearest village for help,” ordered Brian. “We’ll then leave these lands and have a new start elsewhere.”
*~*~*
“Have you found him yet?” asked King Chasez as Lou Pearlman entered the throne room.
“He should be here soon,” reassured Lou.
“Found who?” questioned Edgar walking into the throne room. He had come to speak to his father about Joshua who he had not seen since he had disappeared a few weeks ago and no one was offering him information on what had happened.
“Your brother,” informed Lou. “Did you not hear that he was discovered to be a traitor and is now working with those awful rebels?”
“Josh wouldn’t do that!” protested Edgar. “Father how can you believe that Josh would do something like that?”
“He and a mercenary connected to the rebels attacked Lou’s assistants without being provoked the day Joshua went missing,” replied King Chasez.
“But, it’s Josh!” protested Edgar. “Your son!”
“That’s enough Edgar!” ordered King Chasez. “I will speak to you later! For now, leave so that Lou and I can discuss matters.”
“Yes, Father,” grumbled Edgar as he stalked from the throne room. However instead of completely leaving Edgar hurried to the room next to the throne room where he knew a secret passage lead back to the throne room. Making his way through the secret passageway, Edgar stopped when he got to the hidden door and slid it open slightly so that he could hear what they were staying and able to spy on their actions.
“I’m afraid things have gotten worst,” informed Lou as the king paced in front of him. “A battle took place earlier today between our troops and the rebels and word is currently seeping in that we took a heavy lost.”
“What about my son? Was he there?”
“Unsure at the moment,” replied Lou. “I’m still waiting to hear back from my men but it doesn’t really matter since things are changing anyways.”
“What are you talking about?” asked King Chasez confused.
“Your time as king is over,” shrugged Lou, pulling out a small dagger. “With Prince Joshua as wanted criminal and you dead, that makes Edgar king. Edgar trusts me and would agree to allow me to handle affairs until he is older. By that time he will be the perfect puppet.”
King Chasez stared at Lou in shock for a moment before he started to call for his guards. “Guards!” he called but none arrived.
“I control the guards,” smiled Lou evilly as he advanced on the king. “I have for a while now. No one is going to come to your rescue.”
“Traitor,” hissed King Chasez. “You’re worst than Joshua!”
“Joshua was never a traitor,” laughed Lou. “All he wanted was a little freedom so he snuck out of the castle. He would have had come back if my men hadn’t attacked him, but I underestimated the prince and he soon found himself involved with the rebels.”
“So he was a traitor, except you forced it upon him!”
“The rebels are trying to help the people of the land you fool,” laughed Lou. “Or do you not know that the citizens are unhappy and dying? A feisty little female, known as Raine, formed the rebels, wanting to bring peace and stability to the land. Don’t worry though; I made sure she was taken care of. However you should know that Raine was really Princess Taylor. She, somehow, learned of my plan to seize control and escaped before I could kill her here myself. But don’t worry you’ll see her soon enough.”
“You’ll never get away with this!”
“I already have,” replied Lou as he stabbed the dagger into King Chasez’s chest.
Edgar muffled his gasp with his hands as he watched Lou murder his father. Quickly he made his way back through the secret passage knowing that he would be killed next if he was caught. But he vowed that Lou’s plans would not be completed.
*~*~*
“Prince Joshua is serious about this isn’t he?” asked Chris as he rode next to Joey and Justin on their horses. Up ahead was Joshua and Lance riding next to each other as they lead the rebel troops towards O-Town.
“Yep, then he’ll be king,” replied Joey.
“What’s going to happen to Lance then?” asked Justin causing Joey to look at him at in surprise.
“How do you know about that?” he asked, curiously.
“Come on Joey,” laughed Justin. “They’ve been inseparable since we joined up with them in La. I know there’s something going on between them.”
“JC doesn’t have a choice,” sighed Joey. “He’s determined to stop Lou and in the process he’ll be stopping his father.”
*~*~*
“Are you sure of this?” asked Lance quietly to Joshua as they rode towards O-Town and the castle contained there. “Many lives will be lost.”
“I know.”
“I with you, you know. . . all the way. We do this together.”
“Yeah,” sighed Joshua grimly as they rode on.
*~*~*
Soon however they came to a clearing where O-Town could visually be seen sitting in front of the moat that surrounded the grand castle that housed the royal family.
“This is it,” sighed Joshua while ordering the troops to stop. “Leave the villagers alone unless you are forced to defend yourself and even then try and be gentle with them. Head straight for the castle, but I want no harm done to my brother, he is innocent in the whole ordeal. Also leave my father and Lou to me.”