Free Redemption by Richard S. Tuttle

stretched her right hand upwards and the general grasped it. He pulled Naveena to her feet and caught her as she began to topple over. He picked her up and carried her to her bed. As he placed her down on the bed, he noticed the strange twist in her leg. He knew the woman would never walk again.
    "Incur the wrath of the Crown?" the general mused as he made the wisper comfortable. "Are you saying that King Garrick did this to you?"
    "Not Garrick," sobbed Naveena. "It was Zinan. I must leave the palace before he returns. He thinks I am dead."
    "You are in no condition to go anywhere," sighed the general. "Why did you call Zinan the Crown? Does this have anything to do with King Garrick's trip to Laborg?"
    Naveena refused to answer. General Ortega felt as if she would have magically attacked him if she had any magic left in her, but she merely glared at him.
    "Naveena," urged the general, "I must know what is going on. General Wikner's troops are gathered on the Odessian border, and I do not know why. Borunda could soon be embroiled in a war, and I don't know whom our enemies will be. We have been basing our defenses on an attack from Arin, not Vineland."
    "I do not know the prince's plans for sure," Naveena finally said, "but I expect that General Wikner will be attacking Vineland to avenge the death of King Garrick. Now that I have helped you, you must help me. Get me on a horse."
    "Not a horse," the general shook his head. "I will summon a wisper for you. You are too weak to heal yourself, but I need to know more about this threat to the king's life."
    "I have no more to offer you," Naveena shook her head. "Call it a hunch or a premonition. I just think that Prince Zinan will be returning to Tarent as the king. I must leave the city before he returns."
    * * *
    The king and queen of Vineland sat on one side of the table, and King Garrick and Princess Belinda sat on the other side. Over a dozen personal guards stood at the two sides of the room. Six Vinelander guards stood behind the king and queen, and six Borundan guards were behind King Garrick. It was an unusually high number of personal bodyguards for such a small, intimate dinner, but the royals were effective in ignoring their presence.
    "You promised that you would give a hint about your mysterious instructions when we met," stated King Gregory. "Why were we asked to bar entry to Prince Zinan?"
    "Did he show up here and try to gain entrance to the palace?" asked King Garrick.
    "Indeed he did," nodded King Gregory, "and he was refused entry as you requested, but I do not like to be rude to my neighbors. Can you explain what is going on?"
    The Borundan king sat quietly for a long moment before answering. "My cousin does not agree that I am old enough to marry," he stated. "It has nothing to do with Princess Belinda in particular, he just thinks that I should wait a few years before marrying. As you know, he can be rather persuasive. I did not want him to get here ahead of me and attempt to dissuade you from this marriage."
    "Ah," King Gregory nodded, not quite convinced that he was hearing the truth. "So the ban of entry for Prince Zinan should be lifted now that you are here?"
    "No," King Garrick responded too quickly. "Leave the ban in place until after the wedding."
    "But why?" frowned King Gregory. "I do not understand. Surely, the prince will be attending the ceremony?"
    "Excuse me," King Garrick said as he rose suddenly. "I do not want to be a poor visitor, but I have developed a throbbing headache. Perhaps we can continue this conversation tomorrow?"
    "Of course," sighed King Gregory.
    King Garrick strode out of the room, and his six bodyguards quickly formed a cordon around him.
    "Something is not right here," frowned King Gregory. "We have never had a visitor who needs six guards around him constantly."
    "Don't forget the fifty men in the barracks outside the palace," interjected the queen. "The Borundan king is traveling very much like a man afraid for his