The Hunting of the Princes

  ‘I think so,’ Taggie said. She turned to Lord Colgath. ‘How about you, my lord?’

  The Karrak Lord bowed to her. ‘I am in your debt forever, my Queen of Dreams.’

  ‘See, trust isn’t so hard, after all,’ she told him.

  ‘So it would seem,’ he acknowledged. ‘And the lesson is one I am unlikely to forget quickly.’

  Together they looked upward. Taggie could just make out the empty window on the top floor. Katrabeth was nowhere to be seen. But she refused to worry about that right now. I’ve finally mastered shapeshifting! A Karrak Lord had joined their quest. And best of all, her friends had come through their ordeal without harm.

  Somewhere in the distance she could hear sirens approaching. ‘We’d better go,’ she told everyone.

  The remaining lion climbed back on his plinth and settled down.

  ‘Oh, can’t we take it with us?’ Jemima asked plaintively.

  ‘Not really,’ Lantic said. He looked sheepishly round the ruins of Canada Square and the tower. ‘It belongs here. And I think we’ve caused enough mayhem for one night.’

  ‘I’m glad I don’t have to explain all this,’ Sophie muttered.

  Taggie pulled her mobile out, and called Prince Harry. ‘Fortunately,’ she said, ‘I know someone who can.’

  TAKING STOCK

  The big black eagle flew down out of London’s night sky and perched on the corner of a large pale stone building on the junction of Southampton Row and Theobald’s Road. Pigeons who’d been sheltering on the roof hurriedly took flight to escape the strange bird. It ignored them, casting a wardveil before settling down to watch the junction below.

  After twenty minutes it cocked its head to one side in interest as four large executive cars with blacked-out windows eased their way out of London’s busy traffic to pull up outside the disused Kingsway tram tunnel that occupied the middle of the junction. The cars braked next to the railings which blocked off the end of the ramp. Front doors opened smoothly and several Knights of the Black Garter stepped out, looking round alertly. Their suits were darker than a midnight sky, and their slim ornate caps were woven with a silver filigree that seemed to capture the orange streetlight that fell on them.

  The eagle watched with unblinking eyes as one of the Knights went over to the gate in the railings and opened it with a tiny flash of purple magic. The rear doors of the executive cars slid back.

  Taggie stepped out, followed by her friends. The Knights clustered round Lord Colgath in a formation which shielded him from anyone at ground level. The eagle craned its neck forward when Captain Feandez and several Blue Feather officers climbed out of the last of the big cars.

  ‘Thank you,’ the eagle heard Taggie say to the senior Knight of their escort as she reached the top of the ramp.

  ‘Ma’am.’ He saluted, and waited until Taggie reached the first of the brick alcoves set in the wall at the side of the ramp. At her quiet command, the bricks at the back of the alcove hinged back, revealing a set of iron spiral stairs leading down. One by one the odd group followed her in. The bricks hinged forward again, sealing the alcove. The little convoy of MI1 vehicles slipped back out into London’s eternal traffic.

  After a while, the eagle spread its wings and flew away.

  Taggie thought it was probably the strangest scene the huge banqueting hall in the First Realm’s palace had ever seen. Lord Colgath sat on one side of the huge ash table. Ten fully armoured Holvans from the palace guard stood behind him, holding not-so ceremonial swords, shields and fireangs lightly, ready for any sign of trouble or treachery. Dad had insisted on that, and Taggie didn’t have the heart to object. When she and Jem stepped out of the Great Gateway Taslaf into the treehouse in the palace gardens he’d been so relieved to see them, he hadn’t stopped hugging and holding them for the first hour. Then there’d been the equally lengthy scolding to endure as Taggie sheepishly told him what they’d done.

  ‘Wait till your mother hears about this,’ he’d told her in dismay at the end.

  But even he had agreed they deserved a decent meal and a bit of a party before sending word to the Second Realm where Mum was still taking part in the Gathering. Taggie had ordered the curtains to be drawn across the hall’s big circular windows, reducing the light so Colgath would be more comfortable. Lightstones in the candelabras hanging from the vaulted ceiling glowed with a rich gold hue, which brought its own warmth to the table.

  Taggie sat opposite Lord Colgath, staring at the twin images of herself reflected in his silver eyes. Lantic was sitting on her left, with Captain Feandez next to him. His leg had been wrapped in clean bandages after Jemima had healed the worst of the Ethanu wound. The remaining Blue Feather officers sat, somewhat ill-at-ease, along the table. Dad sat on her right, with Felix, Jemima and Sophie occupying the seats next to him.

  Taggie took a long time to tell Captain Feandez everything that had happened since Katrabeth’s first failed attack, missing nothing out. When she finished, the captain looked deeply troubled.

  ‘Is this true?’ Captain Feandez asked Lantic.

  ‘Yes,’ Lantic said solemnly. ‘All of it. I have been to the Fourth Realm.’

  Captain Feandez stared at the Karrak Lord on the other side of the table. ‘And your brother has been hunting the princes of our Realms to deliberately provoke a war?’

  ‘A war to overthrow all the Realms has been his goal since the day of Rothgarnal,’ Lord Colgath replied.

  Taggie put the one remaining bullet on the table and slid it towards Captain Feandez. ‘Whether you believe all of my story or not, this evidence must be shown to the War Emperor. It is our belief that the Grand Lord has somehow gathered a regiment of soldier gols, who are armed with machine guns. You saw the power of such weapons yourself in the Outer Realm.’

  The captain gave a tight-lipped nod as he picked up the brass tube, taking care not to touch its glowing lead tip. ‘Yes, Majesty. The War Emperor must be told. There can be no invasion of the Fourth Realm.’

  Taggie resisted the impulse to shout ‘Yes!’ at the top of her voice. She had to show the captain that she was the Queen of Dreams, and fully in control. ‘The knowledge and the bullet must be taken to the Gathering.’

  ‘Majesty,’ Captain Feandez said. ‘It would be my honour and privilege to be the one who presents this to the War Emperor. I was charged with escorting you back to the Gathering, but I see now my true duty as an officer of the Blue Feather regiment.’

  ‘Thank you, Captain Feandez. I know how difficult this must be for you.’

  Captain Feandez stood and bowed to the Queen of Dreams. ‘The right path is never difficult to take.’

  ‘There is a ship waiting for you, it will take you directly to Shatha’hal.’

  ‘Then we will go at once.’

  ‘May the Heavens smile upon you, Captain,’ Taggie said as the Blue Feather officers departed.

  While her friends finished the excellent food and gave the musicians requests for favourite tunes, Taggie and Lord Colgath sat together at the other end of the table.

  ‘The bullet and your story will buy you time,’ Lord Colgath said. ‘But the War Emperor will still want his vengeance for Prince Rogreth just as the King in Exile wants to reclaim his Realm.’

  ‘It’s time we can use to our advantage,’ Taggie said. ‘A solution has to be found. One that will end this conflict permanently. That’s what we have to do now.’ She looked down the table to where Jemima was giggling wildly with Felix, and Sophie was teasing Lantic about something – the poor prince was blushing scarlet. How she ached to join them.

  ‘So now we have to find Mirlyn’s Gate,’ Lord Colgath said. ‘No small task – it has eluded everybody for centuries. I fear it may prove impossible.’

  ‘We have to try. But I also have to know the effort is worthwhile.’ Taggie looked unflinchingly at the Dark Lord. ‘My Lord, if it were to be found and unbound, would your brethren go back through it?’

  ‘Such a question has not been
asked since the days of Rothgarnal. But I believe that if you offered them the opportunity, many would. Yes. Contrary to your belief, we do not exist simply to oppose you. We are victims of circumstance, as are all the folk from this universe who travelled the other way when the cursed gate was first opened.’

  Taggie had never thought about it, but she supposed there might be humans and other folk trapped on the other side, suffering as the Karrak Lords suffered here. ‘I told Lady Dirikal I would find Mirlyn’s Gate because it was the only way I know to end this conflict,’ she said. ‘I will keep that promise. I will search for the gate no matter how long it takes. Will you join me, Lord Colgath?’

  The Karrak Lord slowly stood up. The light reflected by his eyes seemed to grow brighter. ‘I owe you my life, Queen of Dreams. And I know you would never ask that debt to be paid, for you have true honour. Nonetheless, I will join you. We will search for the impossible answer.’

  Taggie stood, and held her hand out to the Karrak Lord. It was something she never thought she would find herself doing. At the other end of the table her friends had fallen silent to watch intently.

  The Queen of Dreams and the brother of the Grand Lord shook hands in agreement. ‘Together,’ they said.

  THE END . . .

  . . . of The Hunting of the Princes. The final part of Taggie’s quest to stop the war will be told in A Voyage Through Air.

  SECRETS NEW AND OLD

  Lorothain, the capital city of the First Realm, was on the edge of an approaching nightshadow. As the vast border of shade drew closer, tiny sparks of bluish lightstone illumination began to prickle the windows of the exuberant domes and elevated towers of the grander mansions, while the neat streets of terraced houses glowed a rich sapphire from the wakening streetlights.

  In the private wing of the capital’s royal palace, Jemima Paganuzzi, the Blossom Princess of the First Realm, was getting ready for bed. ‘I’m so tired,’ she said to Taggie, her older sister, and the First Realm’s Queen of Dreams. ‘Do you think Dad will mind if I don’t do my teeth?’

  ‘I’m sure he won’t mind you missing one night,’ Taggie replied. ‘Hang on, I’ll shut the curtains.’

  As the Blossom Princess, Jemima was entitled to her own suite of rooms in the palace. They were rather sumptuous for a twelve-year-old, with ornate furniture, marbled floors and gilt-edged paintings.

  ‘I’ll do them twice tomorrow,’ Jemima promised unconvincingly as she climbed into her huge bed and pulled up the duvet.

  Taggie grinned as she walked over to the tall window. ‘There’s probably a spell for teeth cleaning,’ she said as she pulled shut the long velvet curtains.

  She smiled to herself. It had been an incredible day for the two of them, ending in a thrilling and at times utterly terrifying showdown with the Grand Lord’s forces in London’s Docklands. Their ordeal had proved worthwhile, for they’d found Lord Colgath, the one Karrak Lord who might be able to help them prevent the coming war between the Grand Lord and the War Emperor.

  Outside, the moonclouds were expanding across the entire First Realm. Taggie nodded in satisfaction. As Queen, her magic controlled the First Realm’s nature, of which the moonclouds were an important part. Normally only half of the First Realm was in darkness at any one time, but these weren’t normal times.

  ‘If that’s a real spell, Mum will know it,’ Jemima said drowsily. Their mother was a Third Realm sorceress, who seemed to know just about every sort of magic.

  ‘When she gets back, we’ll ask her,’ Taggie said.

  ‘Do you think she’ll be back soon?’

  ‘With any luck she’ll be able to leave the Gathering as soon as Captain Feandez hands over the bullet to the War Emperor.’

  ‘I hope so. I really miss her, Taggie.’

  ‘Night, Jem,’ Taggie said, and leaned over the bed to kiss her sister.

  Jemima’s eyes were already closed. ‘Are you going to dream tonight?’

  ‘Of course I am,’ Taggie said. ‘I’m the Queen of Dreams; it’s what I do. And tonight I’m going to reassure everyone about the war.’ Whenever she slept in the First Realm, Taggie would drift into the dreams of everyone else, soothing away their troubles and offering all the comfort only a truly kind heart could.

  ‘Oh, good.’

  Jemima dreamed, as did everybody in the First Realm that strange all-encompassing night. In her dream she walked through the halls and corridors of the palace she’d grown familiar with in the year since she and Taggie had overthrown the Karrak Lords and Ladies who had tried to usurp the First Realm.

  But in this dream, on this unusual night, other people were walking through the palace with Jemima: Holvans with their four arms, giants with their green hair, ordinary men and women and children, the folk who were almost spherical, a few centaurs, some hearty trolls. Much to Jemima’s delight there were even elves sharing her dream, tall and ebony-skinned with long plumes of hair reaching all the way down their backs.

  Thousands upon thousands of people streamed into the throne room, which in her dream was much bigger than it was in real life. Yet Jemima, along with everyone else, was standing close to the dais which held the shell throne. Taggie sat on the purple and scarlet silk cushions of the throne, watching serenely as every dreamer appeared before her. When Jemima waved excitedly, she didn’t notice.

  Taggie stood up and looked round the dream throne room with its weirdly insubstantial walls. ‘I cast this night across the First Realm because I have something to tell everybody who lives here.’ Her voice carried clearly across the room. ‘A War Emperor has been anointed once more. He has summoned together all the armies of the Realms so that he may lead them into battle against the Grand Lord. Well I will not be ordering any soldier of the First Realm to fight in this war. We have fought the Karraks in a conflict that has lasted for generations. This has to end. Too many have died already. There has to be another way. I intend to devote myself to finding a peaceful answer to the conflict between our kinds once and for all.’ She inclined her head at the massive audience. ‘Thank you for attending. May the Heavens guide us all safely.’

  Jemima saw many smiles of gratitude and relief among the crowd. As she started to walk out of the throne room she caught sight of a dark, motionless figure. It was an old woman in a black dress made of some stiff fabric. A veil covered her face, which instantly made Jemima curious to know what she looked like.

  Everyone else was flittering away from the dream like ghostly moths, but the old woman remained still and solid.

  ‘Hello,’ Jemima said.

  ‘Dear Blossom Princess,’ the old woman replied in a thin voice. ‘How nice to finally meet you.’

  ‘Who are you?’

  ‘A messenger. Your mother asked me to seek you out.’

  Jemima looked around frantically for Taggie, but her sister was nowhere to be seen. ‘You know Mum?’

  A chuckle emerged from behind the veil. ‘A very long time ago I was her nurse. Now I’m just a simple seer, helping out where I can in these troubled times.’

  ‘Gosh, really?’

  ‘Your mother wants to know if you are all right.’

  ‘Yes, tell her we’re fine. Tell her we’re going to stop the war.’

  ‘I will. She’ll be so proud of you. And she asked me to say she thinks she may have found a cure for Felix’s curse.’

  ‘What?’ Jemima squeaked. ‘I thought only the Karraks could lift that curse.’

  ‘The sorceresses of the Third Realm have studied Karrak wizardry ever since the dark lords and ladies first emerged through Mirlyn’s Gate. It is not easy, but some sorceress mistresses now believe they can cure their evil curses. It is one of these academy mistresses that your mother has sent for.’

  ‘Really? Mum can do that?’

  ‘You are very fond of Felix, are you not?’ the old woman said in a sympathetic voice. ‘I heard that he single-handedly saved you from the gols in Shatha’hal’s docks.’

  ‘Well, yes, he did. What di
d Mum say? It would be so fantastic if we could cure him. I can’t imagine what it must be like to live like that every day. I so want to help him,’ Jemima said eagerly.

  ‘The sorceress mistress is on her way to your mother and should arrive quite soon. Will you be here? These sendings are difficult for me, especially if you’re moving round.’

  ‘Er, Taggie said we might be travelling again soon.’

  ‘Oh, perhaps you could let me know where you are,’ the woman said smoothly.

  ‘Well, it’s kind of a secret.’

  ‘I understand. I’m sure Felix can wait until you get back.’

  ‘No, wait!’ Jemima said, desperate for the chance to help Felix. It was just that she didn’t want to do anything that might cause a problem for Taggie’s quest. She tried to think of a way round it. ‘I can cast a wardveil that will let you sight me,’ she said slowly. ‘But you must promise not to tell anyone where we are.’

  ‘Your mother will want to know. She’s desperate for news.’

  ‘Well of course you can tell Mum,’ Jemima said, slightly indignant.

  ‘All right then.’

  ‘And you’ll give us the cure as soon as you get it?’

  ‘Absolutely,’ the stooped old woman bobbed about anxiously. ‘It is not my place to tell royalty what to do, but if I can give you one word of advice, Blossom Princess—’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Don’t tell Felix that your mother is trying to find the cure. If it doesn’t work – and by all the stars in the Heavens let us hope it does – he will be so bitterly disappointed.’

  Jemima could well imagine that. Poor Felix. She couldn’t stand to raise his hopes only for them to be broken. ‘I understand,’ she said earnestly. ‘This’ll be just between you and me.’

  The woman bowed slightly, her black dress rustling. ‘You are so honourable, Blossom Princess. I consider myself fortunate to have met you. Goodbye, my dear.’

  ‘Goodbye.’

  Peter F. Hamilton was born in Rutland in 1960 and still lives in that county. He began writing adult science fiction and fantasy in 1987 and since then has sold over two million books in the UK alone and is the UK’s bestselling science-fiction author. He has two young children who inspired him to write for a younger audience. The Hunting of the Princes is the second book in the fantastic The Queen of Dreams children’s fantasy trilogy.