Bab 25: Kill the King (1)
"Who are you?" the farmer asked.
Grim remained silent.
"Are you a thief?" the farmer continued.
"No," Grim replied.
"Then what are you doing here?" the farmer
"I am waiting for someone," Grim replied.
"Where are you going?" the farmer asked.
"I am taking a message to the king," Grim replied.
"How did you get here?" the farmer asked.
"I came by boat," Grim answered.
"By boat? From where?" the farmer asked.
"From the town," Grim replied.
The farmer seemed confused. "But the gates are closed. No one leaves or enters the city today."
"I know," Grim said.
"But..." the farmer started.
Grim interrupted him. "The king knows I am here. He sent me to bring him news."
The farmer frowned. "Is that true?"
"Yes," Grim replied.
"What is your name?" the farmer asked.
"Grim."
"Grim, eh? And who is the king?"
"King Olaf Trygg."
The farmer's face lit up. "Olaf Trygg? That is the king's name? What is he like?"
"He is a good king," Grim replied.
The farmer nodded. "Well, it is a pleasure to meet you, Grim. You have done me a great service. I will make sure the king hears about it."
The farmer went back inside the house and returned with a small leather pouch. He emptied the contents of the bag into his hand. It contained several coins and a few jewels.
"Here, take these. You deserve it," the farmer said.
Grim accepted the purse.
"Come back tomorrow morning. I will give you more. Now, I must leave. I have work to do."
Grim nodded.
The farmer went back inside and shut the door.
Grim waited until he was sure the farmer was gone, then climbed down from the loft. He walked over to the barn door, which was slightly ajar. He peered outside.
The farmer was standing in the yard, speaking to his wife. The couple were talking about something.
Grim ducked down and slipped out the door.
Grim ran to the road, following the path taken by the warrior. After a while, he came to a place where the man had turned off the main road.
Grim looked around. There was nobody in sight.
The warrior had said he would return for the king.
Grim hoped he would find the body.
He had to know for sure.
Grim searched the area for a while, but there was no sign of the king. Finally, he decided to follow the route the man had taken.
He kept going, following the trail. After a while, he came to a crossroads. On the left, the road led to the city. The right was a smaller track that headed south.
Grim followed the path on the right.
As he rounded a bend, he saw the warrior coming towards him.
"I thought you were supposed to be returning for the king?" Grim asked.
"I was," the man replied. "But I decided to check on you instead."
"Why?" Grim asked.
"Because I wanted to see how you were faring," the man replied.
Grim smiled.
"I am fine," he said.
The man nodded. "And the king?"
"Dead," Grim replied.
The man's face fell. "I knew it! I told the king that I would kill him if he tried to send you away. I told him you were the one who killed his son."
"His son?" Grim asked.
"Yes, his son. He is dead too."
Grim shook his head. "But the king said he was shot by an arrow from the bow of a black-haired woman."
"So he did!" the warrior replied. "But it was a lie. The king is a liar. He lied to everyone. To his men, to his family, to his friends. He has been lying since the day he was born."
Grim shook his head.
"No, he is not a bad king," the man said. "He is a very good king. But he is sick. He suffers from the disease of power. He does not know when to stop."
Grim nodded.
"He thinks he can get away with anything. Even murder. He is the worst kind of king."
"Do you know why he killed the boy?" Grim asked.
"No, I do not know," the man replied. "It is possible that he killed him because he was the heir to the throne. Or perhaps he did it to cover up the real killer. I do not know."
"What do you mean?" Grim asked.
"The king is not the only one who can kill," the man replied. "There are other people who are just as ruthless."
"Like who?" Grim asked.
"The man who gave me this sword," the man replied.
"The blacksmith?" Grim asked.
"Yes, the blacksmith. He is the one who makes the arrows."
"Why did he do it?" Grim asked.
"The king ordered it," the man replied. "To prevent anyone from suspecting him."
"But he didn't use poison," Grim said.
"No, he did not," the man replied. "He used the same arrow that killed the prince. It was poisoned, of course. The blacksmith added a sleeping potion to the shaft. The king's guards found the body of the prince. When they cut open the chest, the arrow was still stuck in his heart. The poison was already working. The king's men were not fast enough. They got the wrong man."
"Did you see the blacksmith?" Grim asked.
"No, I did not," the man replied. "I was busy killing the king's soldiers."
"What about the blacksmith?" Grim asked.
"I did not see him," the man replied. "But I know he was there."
"How?" Grim asked.
"I know the blacksmith. We fought together once. A long time ago. He helped me escape from the palace."
"So, he is a friend of yours?" Grim asked.
"Yes, he is my friend," the man replied.pll
"And you trust him?" Grim asked.
"Yes, I do," the man replied. "He is a good man."
"Good," Grim said.
"You are lucky, Grim. If you had not come along, I would have been killed by the king's men. The blacksmith would have killed me."
"Do you think the blacksmith will help us?" Grim asked.
"Of course he will. He is a good man. He is the only one who can help you."
"Why?" Grim asked.
"Because he knows the truth," the man replied.
"What do you mean?" Grim asked.
"He knows the real reason why the king killed the prince. He knows the truth."
"What is the truth?" Grim asked.
"The king killed the prince because he wanted to marry his daughter."
Grim was stunned.
"But he did not have the courage to tell her the truth," the man continued. "He was afraid she would hate him. So, he made up a story and sent you away. The king is a coward."
Grim was silent.
"But you are a brave man, Grim. I know you will succeed. You will free the princess and the kingdom from the evil of the king."
"How?" Grim asked.
"That is what I am here for," the man replied. "I am here to help you."
Grim looked at the man. "Thank you."
The man smiled. "Now, we should go back. The king's men will soon be searching for us."
They continued walking down the road. Grim was lost in thought.
He remembered the words of the blacksmith.
The king killed the prince because he wanted to marry his daughter.
The blacksmith had said the king was a coward.
The blacksmith knew the truth.
Grim was certain of it.
The blacksmith was the only person who could save the princess.
He was the only one who could help them.
Grim stopped. "Wait!"
The man turned to look at him. "What is it?"
"I need your help," Grim said.
The man raised his eyebrows. "What do you need?"
"I want you to get me close to the king."
"Why?" the man asked.
"I need to speak to him."
"Why?" the man asked again.
"I have to know the truth."
The man sighed. "The king will not listen to you. He will not believe you."
"I know," Grim replied.
The man looked at him. "Then why do you want to talk to him?"
"Because I am going to kill him," Grim replied.
The man looked at him in disbelief.
"You will not be able to kill the king. Not without help."
"Who says I cannot kill the king?" Grim replied.
"Everyone," the man replied. "If the king finds out you are here, he will kill you. And then, he will kill the princess."
"No, he won't," Grim replied.
The man shook his head. "You are a fool, Grim. He will kill you. And then, he will kill the princess. She is the only one who can stop the madness of the king."
man left the house.
"I hope you know what you are doing," the man said.
"I do," Grim replied.
The man nodded. "All right. Good luck."
"Thanks," Grim replied.
The man turned around and walked away.
Grim and the man continued travelling north.
After a while, they came to a large farm. There were many horses grazing in the fields. A man was standing in front of a house, cutting hay.
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