Kingdom's Edge (4 page)

“Cedric,” I heard him say, “Leinad has done well in keeping My sword for this appointed day. Do not worry. Your friend is safe.”

I believed Him and found relief in His words. But why He would entrust such a treasure as this sword to a crazy old man was still a mystery. The golden handle was inlaid with precious stones. Its double-edged blade shined like polished silver and was as sharp as a razor's edge. What a splendid sword it was.

I looked into His face again as He continued to speak. “Will you discover hope and follow Me to become a Knight of the Prince, Cedric?”

Me?
Surely He was mistaken. “My Lord,” I said, “I am but a poor peasant. I am not worthy. Surely You look for someone better than I?”

“No, Cedric, I have chosen you. I do not care about what you were or what you are, but about what you can become.”

In my heart I knew I must answer one question:
Do I really believe this man is the Son of the King?
In an instant I knew the answer, and there was but one thing for me to do.

I knelt before the Prince. “I will follow You, my Lord.”

“And you, William. Will you follow Me and discover your dreams?” He asked my friend.

“My life is Yours, my Prince,” William said as he knelt beside me.

“Rise up, My friends, and come with Me.” His firm hand was upon our shoulders.

We rose and followed Him through the crowd. The Prince stopped before certain men and bid them to follow Him. Most joined us, but some did not. The men He chose were anything but warriors. But who was I to talk? I knew nothing of the skill of sword fighting or knighthood. I had held a sword only once in my life, and it was the very sword that the Prince now carried. Leinad had let me hold it once when I was boy. His tale of the Sword of the King had captivated me, and holding it had made the story seem real. I believed him then, but had lost that childhood faith in my mature years. Now it all seemed to be happening just as Leinad had said. Maybe he wasn't as crazy as I had thought.

As we emerged from the crowd, twenty-five men, scruffy men, followed the Prince. The Noble Knights roared in laughter.

“So this is Your grand army to defeat the Dark Knight, aye, stranger?” Kifus sneered. “I'm sure Your King would be proud of such an awesome selection of knights to defend His kingdom.”

The Prince showed no embarrassment at us as one might expect, but instead turned toward the knights one last time and spoke with authority. “On the appointed day, you will be judged for your treason, and I shall be that judge. My Father has given Me all authority over this kingdom. Be warned!”

That was the beginning of my life as an unlikely knight. It was a day that changed my life forever.

A DEADLY PLOT

Life was hard. Life was good. Most folks think this a contradiction, but I have learned that the hardest, most difficult times of my life caused the most growth in my character. At the very least, those hard times prepared me for a better future.

The Prince …

Were the Noble Knights to spend one honest day with Him, they would have realized how truly noble He is and that He is indeed the King's Son. He is better with the sword than any man, past or present, who has laid his hand upon a hilt. And yet He is not arrogant. His authority as a military commander is unquestioned, and yet He is not harsh. He does not hesitate to destroy evil at its root, and yet He is more compassionate than any man I've seen. He is the King's Son, and yet I have seen Him carry a poor old woman to her home when she was too weak to walk by herself. This is what the Noble Knights hate most about
Him—He is kind. He is the epitome of what they are not.

We learned the art of the sword from the Master Himself, a little each day. He was patient. We studied and worked and sweat. We all wanted to become like the Prince. There is a quality about Him that draws the good in heart. As we became more proficient, the Prince recruited more men to His army. They too were inept swordsmen at first, but the Master made warriors of them all. We were the Knights of the Prince.

The Noble Knights must have realized that this stranger was not going away. I was told that when they saw His influence over the people, their ridicule became concern. Soon their concern became a plot.

“William, how was your training today?” I asked as we walked up the narrow streets of Chessington toward the bread stand.

“Well, I've been working on some techniques the Prince showed me, but no matter how many times I practice, my skills pale in comparison to His.”

“I understand. My best work seems a weak imitation of the Prince's.”

We now wore the emblem of the Prince on our tunics. The swords and scabbards He gave us also bore His mark. We turned the corner and walked up a dimly lit street. The clink of our swords kept rhythm with our walk.

“Good sirs!” came a whisper from the dark.

Dark shadows usually hide dark deeds. We instinctively reached for our swords.

“Who goes there?” I said.

“I am but a servant boy. Please do not harm me,” the small voice replied.

We could not see the boy, but fear was clearly in his voice.

“What do you want, lad?” William said.

“I serve in Lord Kifus's house, but I have seen how your leader cares for the people. I come to warn your leader. I overheard some of the knights talking of a plot to kill Him. Please warn Him. I must go.”

We strained to see but only heard the quickened pace of bare feet on cobblestone diminishing to our left side.

“Do you think there is any merit to this warning?” William said. “Are the Noble Knights really that worried about the Prince that they would plot to kill Him?”

“That boy was scared. I believe the threat to be real, but plot or no plot, we must tell the Prince immediately.”

We found the Prince resting beneath a sprawling tree on a knoll east of the city. This was a place of solitude He'd come to love.

“Good Prince!” I exclaimed. “I am sorry to disturb You, but we have news You must hear at once.”

“Yes, Cedric,” the Prince said. “Please tell Me your urgent news.”

I caught my breath from the climb up the hill. “A young servant boy who serves in Kifus's house overheard talk of a plot to kill You! We were not able to validate the source but thought it wise to at least warn You.”

The Prince did not seem uninterested, but He was not alarmed by our message.

“Do not worry, My friends. I am not through preparing you or My army. The King's work must be completed. I will not allow Kifus or any of the Noble Knights to interfere.”

“But my Lord,” William said, “shouldn't we prepare somehow in the event that there is truth in this warning?”

“Cedric. William. There is coming a day when I must return to My Father's distant kingdom.”

“My Lord, may we come with You to serve You there?” I asked.

“No, Cedric. You and the Knights of the Prince must continue what I have started here. Upon you I place My trust. There is one coming who is far more destructive than Kifus or his knights. Leinad warned the people, but their apathy has left them weak.”

William and I locked eyes in astonishment.
Leinad?
I thought.
My crazy old companion wasn't really crazy? That means that all of those bizarre stories were—

“Yes, Leinad was highly favored by the King,” the Prince said in response to our obvious amazement. “He was a mighty and faithful knight, but the kingdom slowly began to ignore him and My Father's warning until Leinad was all but forgotten. Now the Dark Knight is strong and anxious to conquer Arrethtrae. The kingdom is in peril. That is why you must continue to recruit and train men to fight the Dark Knight. He is evil and powerful. When you have established our army of truth, justice, and honor, the Dark Knight will come to destroy you.”

He paused for us to digest what He'd just said. It was hard to hear this plan. What strategy was this? Why would He leave us when we needed Him most?

“But do not fear,” the Prince continued. “I will come back for you and bring you into My Father's kingdom to complete your training. Then we will return to Arrethtrae
to utterly destroy the Dark Knight and his Shadow Warriors once and for all. I will lead you to certain victory! I will be King here, and you will help Me rule.”

He seemed so sure of Himself and of the future. It was clear He knew His enemies well, but I had yet to see even the best-laid plan executed without a few major flaws. Yet there was something about this man.

“You must remain true to the Code. It will carry and preserve you when you think you cannot go on. Do not just memorize the Code … live the Code. Will you trust Me, gentlemen?”

I glanced toward William. His face was solemn, but his eyes were set on the Prince. We had seen the strength of the Prince when all odds were against Him. Why should we doubt Him now?

“We trust You though it cost our very lives, my Lord,” William said.

We knelt before the Prince to confirm our vow.

“Rise and eat with Me, good knights,” the prince said, and He offered bread and fruit.

While we ate, the Prince spoke. “Listen closely. Besides the Knights of the Prince, I have established a secret force in the land composed of true and valiant knights from My Father's distant kingdom. These men are skilled in the art of the sword and in the art of stealth and disguise. My Silent Warriors will help you in your most desperate times when I am not with you. When you call, ‘The King reigns—and His Son,' should any be near, they will come to your aid.”

“Are there many of the Silent Warriors in the kingdom, my Prince?” I asked.

“More than your eyes will see, Cedric. They are mighty men. I once led them in battle against the Dark Knight and his Shadow Warriors many years ago in My Father's kingdom. The battle was fierce. We defeated them but did not conquer. The Dark Knight and most of his Shadow Warriors escaped. That is why they are preparing to attack this kingdom. They want
revenge!
”