Chapter 8

After many hours, most of the prisoners were recaptured, but Walter was still not found.

"Keep searching, he's still within the kingdom!" the soldiers circulated as they all diligently searched. It was already very dark and people couldn't see.

"What's the situation?" the Queen asked.

"Your Majesty, most prisoners have been captured," Ali answered.

"That's not what I mean. Where is Walter?" She said, raising her voice.

"Still not found, Your Majesty," he responded.

"Keep searching, search every nook and cranny of the Kingdom, nobody sleeps until he's found." She ordered.

As it became darker, the soldiers swept through the city like an unyielding tide, their footsteps were audible by all and it reflected their determination. Everyone in the city could testify to their relentless search as they combed through the streets in search of Walter.

Just then,

"Lock the gates! Lock the gates! He's getting away!" A voice cried out. The soldiers moved with precision to seal the entrance but he caught them off guard. He broke their formation and escaped the confines of the walls, he burst through and was getting away.

"After him!" The command echoed through the ranks and a multitude of soldiers chased on their horses. The thunderous galloping of horses from the heart of the city to the gates of the city kept the citizens at bay, as the ground shook on pursuing him.

Through the desert, they kept chasing. Arrows were being released , their flight slicing through the air as they flew past him. Each shot edging nearer to the target, however, his horse was faster so he outran them and the gap kept increasing, he was getting away. As the chase persisted, they neared a valley and it was then he got hit by one arrow in the right arm near his shoulder joint, piercing through to the other side. However, he kept going. Moments later, as he ventured deeper into the valley, another arrow found its mark, but this time, on his horse's leg, sending them both tumbling to the ground. He was surrounded and didn't stand up.

The leader of the chase came down from his horse, and took cautious steps towards the fatally shot Walter who lay face-down on the ground. The soldier was barely a few steps away when he began hearing faint beeping emanating from his still body. He rolled over the body curiosly to see that the hooded man they had been pursuing wasn't Walter, but was one of their deceased comrades concealed in the hoody and had a bomb strapped around his chest. The shock of his realization had high voltage, he dropped him and merely began sprinting to safety when the bomb detonated. Its impact sent the rocks that held the valley in place crashing down to the demise of the soldiers.The resonance of the detonation was felt all the way in the city as it was so massive that the buildings of the Kingdom quaked.

"They have infiltrated our Kingdom," The Queen said to Nicole on feeling the quake caused by the shockwaves of the bomb.

"Summon all the remaining soldiers to retreat and protect the Kingdom!" she commanded. Her words rangout with urgency as a soldier mounted a horse and galloped away to relay her message.

Nether became a military ground as soldiers surrounded everywhere in and around the kingdom and were all armed and ready for war. They anticipated that the enemy would strike first even though they found no sign of their soldiers.

"This is unlike them, they usually like a grand entrance" one soldier on the roof said to another by his side.

"You're wrong. Their military tactics involves speed. Due to their limited soldiers, they strike with speed rather than impact. That's why the only way to defeat them is by slowing them down with a counter attack. However, you're right, this is unlike the Jotunheim we know, they would've rushed in by now." He said, looking around with no signs of the opposing army.

The soldiers waited and waited, everyone remained in position till the next morning with unwavering readiness. After the long wait, it dawned on the Queen that she made a wrong call, they weren't under attack.

In the morning, she immediately called for a meeting in the courtroom. She summoned all the noblemen, the wise men, army generals, the wizards, and all her trusted workers. It was a huge meeting.

An air of sombreness had enveloped the courtroom even before her entrance. They were all aware of the rather humiliating situation. Everyone present wondered where it all went wrong. Nevertheless, when the Queen walked in, a deafening stillness surrounded the courtroom, no one made even the slightest sound. She was followed closely by Jamie, who now had won the Queen's trust.

"Do not even bother with the salutations, I have no need for that now." She started, as she sat down while they all remained standing.

"I am utterly disgusted at everything that's going on here. How can I have this number of workforce," she said, her index finger sweeping across them, "and still, the Prince was able to sneak out? He even killed a handful of soldiers, an inexperienced, untrained and freshly resting 18 year old, killing over 20 soldiers all in the same place."

She pressed her hands upon her face in frustration before turning to the generals

"And the decoy? What was that? How did you let him get past the gates which I so specifically asked you all to guard? How? I need an explanation." She concluded as she sunk into her chair.

"Your Highness, I apologize on behalf of everyone here. We underestimated the situation and probably overestimated our own strength. However, Your Majesty, I would like to point out that this couldn't possibly be the doing of one person, let alone an untrained fighter," Michael asserted, as he turned away from the Queen,

"This whole thing involved at least involved 10 persons of our own"

"Your Highness, I agree with Michael," Ali said as he took steps forward. "Walter couldn't possibly do this on his own. Even with the help of a spy or spies. There are signs of professionality."

"Are you suggesting this isn't the work of a spy?" The Queen asked.

"Precisely, Your Highness, this isn't the pattern of spies." He said as the courtroom became silent for a minute as they all thought about it deeply.

"Your Highness, I disagree with the wise Chief," Jamie's voice broke the silence as he made his steps forward.

"I do believe that there are spies in this Palace, in this courtroom at that. If a warrior from outside was sent to rescue the Prince, how did he know where the Prince was kept? How did he get the prisoners to slow down our search? If truly this was the work of an outsider, how did he get a horse in without anyone noticing?" The crowd murmured as he spoke those words.

He continued, "If truly, this was an outsider, how did the Prince escape without passing the main gate? Because clearly, the decoy that killed over 30 of our soldiers passed through the main gate,distracting soldiers from other entrances, which only a citizen should know. I think I know the betrayer," He added, looking towards the Queen.

"Think twice before you accusing any–" Ali warned

"Actually, I want to hear what Jamie has to say," the Queen interjected, interrupting Ali.

"I put you in charge of finding the spies, have you gotten any leads?" The Queen asked Ali, as she paused, awaiting his response. However, his silence gave her the exact response she wanted to hear.

"Good," she acknowledged, "carry on," she instructed, as she turned to Jamie, giving permission for his thoughts on the matter.