“Your name?”
Trevor smiled. “I’ll write my name down.”
Mara stared at him, but the guard laughed as he passed pen and card across the counter to him.
Trevor spoke the name and nodded to Mara, who looked a little surprised.
“Go into the next room.”
They stepped into the next room. Trevor expected to see Brother Yvan and Win sitting in the room, but they had moved on.
“Hold your cards,” a female soldier said with a bored tone from behind a counter. “Read your names.”
Mara held the card in her hand. “Mara Pierce,” she said. Her hand immediately went to her mouth.
“Miss Pierce?” the woman asked with a sly grin.
Mara nodded in shock.
The guard continued. “As you know, we are a kingdom of magic. The card was enchanted to make you speak your true name. It is an expensive process, but for the past ten years, we have been doing this, and it has stopped a lot of mischief.” She took another card and wrote Mara’s real name and handed it back to her with a smug grin on her face.
“I can imagine,” Mara said, giving Trevor a worried look.
“Now, let’s see what your real name is,” the female guard said. “Read the card.”
Trevor carried out the request.
“Those are the same,” the guard said, looking a little disappointed
Trevor nodded, but Mara stared at him again.
“Out the door, Miss Pierce, you can take your lover into Viksar.”
“I’m not her lover,” Trevor said.
The guard laughed. “You are. Don’t fool with me, or I’ll spell you to tell the truth.”
“Go ahead,” Mara said, drily.
“Hmpf,” the guard said and pointed to the way out.
They walked through the door where another guard took their cards and wrote their names in a ledger.
Win and Brother Yvan were waiting outside.
Win grinned. “Do you know what Brother Yvan’s last name is?”
“Grinderworm,” Trevor said without hesitation.
Win’s face fell. “I didn’t know you knew. Grinderworm. What a name for a cleric!”
Yvan just shrugged. “You can continue to call me Brother Yvan.”
Trevor laughed. “Did you know that Mara was related to Boxster? I’d like to introduce you to Mara Pierce.”
“How close?” Brother Yvan asked.
“Not very, but close enough that I’ve had a close eye on me every day since I was born, even though I’m not in line for the Brachian throne. I never met him until we ran into Trevor and him in Red Forest town.”
“Ah, Prince Arcwin is now exposed,” Win said. “What phony name did you use?”
“I’m not exposed,” Trevor said. “Remember, when we tested my magic?”
“Dead as a lamppost,” Win said.
“Not quite. I am immune to magic. I wrote a name on a card, and it was the same one that came out of my mouth. I’m going to use it until further notice.”
“And what is that name?” Brother Yvan asked.
Trevor smiled. “Mara knows. From this day forth, I shall be known as Desolation Boxster,” Trevor took a deep, shuddering sigh, “but you can call me Des.”
The End
Prince on the Run Characters
Trevor Arcwin - Third son of Henry Arcwin, 19 years old
Henry Arcwin - Seventh king of Presidon
Hyra Arcwin - Queen and wife of Henry Arcwin, princess of Dorwick
Bering Arcwin - Oldest son of Henry Arcwin and crown prince, 28 years old
Owen Arcwin - Second son of Henry Arcwin, 26 years old
Lilith Arcwin - Oldest daughter of Hyra by a Dorwickian noble, 30 years old
Wynn Arcwin - Second daughter of Henry and Hyra, 21 years old
Renald (Renny) Arcwin - Fourth son of Henry Arcwin and youngest child, 16 years old
Castle Staff and Courtiers
Brother Yvan - Royal cleric of Dryden, from the country of Ginster
Marin Denton - Head cook of Tarviston Castle
Windon Denton - Stable boy (Marin’s son)
Virtue Underton - Minister of war
Patience Sorryn - General of the Presidon army
In the Army plus Mercenaries
Desolation Boxster - Master sergeant in the Presidon army and Trevor’s trainer
General Greenwood - Commander of Red Forest Garrison
Liftson - Master soldier
Washkin - Master soldier
Angry Sender - A sergeant in the royal army
Commander Periwinkle - Leader of West Moretons in Presidon
Captain Harpy - West Moreton officer
Captain Handleton - Mercenary officer
Karn Kissel - Boxster’s mercenary camp name
Bill Denton - Trevor’s mercenary camp name
Breda Jackwin - Female mercenary
Corey Crackle - Mercenary squad leader
The Brachians
Mara - Brachian troubadour, 20 years old
Hanna - Brachian troubadour, 32 years old
Tork - Brachian troubadour, 42 years old
Duke Worto - Usurper and ruler of Brachia
A Bit About Guy
~
With a lifelong passion for speculative fiction, Guy Antibes found that he rather enjoyed writing fantasy, as well as reading it. So, a career was born, and Guy anxiously engaged in adding his own flavor of writing to the world. Guy lives in the western part of the United States and is happily married with enough children and grandchildren to meet or exceed the human replacement rate.
You can contact Guy at his website: www.guyantibes.com.
†
Wizard’s Helper
Book One: The Serpent’s Orb
Book Two: The Warded Box
Book Three: Grishel’s Feather
Book Four: The Battlebone
Book Five: The Polished Penny
Book Six: The Hidden Mask
Book Seven: The Buckle’s Curse
Book Eight: The Purloined Soul
~
Magic Missing
Book One: A Boy Without Magic
Book Two: An Apprentice Without Magic
Book Three: A Voyager Without Magic
Book Four: A Scholar Without Magic
Book Five: A Snoop Without Magic
~
Song of Sorcery
Book One: A Sorcerer Rises
Book Two: A Sorcerer Imprisoned
Book Three: A Sorcerer’s Diplomacy
Book Four: A Sorcerer’s Rings
Book Five: A Sorcerer’s Fist
~
The Disinherited Prince
Book One: The Disinherited Prince
Book Two: The Monk’s Habit
Book Three: A Sip of Magic
Book Four: The Sleeping God
Demeron: A Horse’s Tale - A Disinherited Prince Novella
Book Five: The Emperor’s Pet
Book Six: The Misplaced Prince
Book Seven: The Fractured Empire
~
Power of Poses
Book One: Magician in Training
Book Two: Magician in Exile
Book Four: Magician in Battle
~
The Warstone Quartet
Book One: Moonstone | Magic That Binds
Book Two: Sunstone | Dishonor’s Bane
Book Three: Bloodstone | Power of Youth
Book Four: Darkstone | An Evil Reborn
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The World of the Sword of Spells
Warrior Mage
Sword of Spells
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The Sara Featherwood Adventures
Knife & Flame
Sword & Flame
Guns & Flame
~
Other Novels
Quest of the Wizardess
T
he Power Bearer
Panix: Magician Spy
Hand of Grethia
~
The Guy Antibes Anthologies
The Alien Hand
Science Fiction
The Purple Flames
Steampunk & Paranormal Fantasy with a tinge of Horror
Angel in Bronze
Fantasy
~