Chapter 11 Chapter 11 He's a murderer

And I just thought that he was delaying my search for Molly, but I didn't say that, and I didn't tell him my dream, but said: "Unless Regal goes crazy, he won't chase us anymore, because That way everyone will know he's a murderer." "Not crazy, Fitz, but ruthless. Regal is like that, and don't expect him to play by the rules like we do, or to think rationally like us. If Regal gets the chance to get rid of us, he will." He did it without hesitation, and since no one had proof, he didn't mind suspicion. Verity is our crown prince, not king, at least not yet. As long as King Shrewd is alive and reigning, Regal will He will try his best to avoid his father's eyes and ears. It is very difficult for you to punish him, even if he commits murder, he can get away with it."

Burrichle turned off the tracked road and moved toward the unmarked snow-covered slopes, making a path to Buckkeep.Hand looked at me like he was sick, but we had to keep up anyway.We didn't spend the night in an inn, but huddled together in a tent to keep warm, and that's when I thought of Regal.Every hard step up the hill made our horse go forward more courageously, and every cautious step downhill made me think of the youngest prince.I thought about every hour I spent with Molly, and the only thing that lifted my spirits was daydreaming about maiming Regal.I cannot swear vengeance, for vengeance is an honor peculiar to kings, but Regal will not be satisfied if I do not.I will go back to Buckkeep and stand erect before him, and I will not flinch when he looks at me with black eyes.I also swore that Regal would not see me trembling or standing against a wall, let alone reach out when I see stars.He never imagined that he came so close to winning.

Instead of taking the windy coastal road, we rode back across the wooded slopes behind the fort, and thus returned to Buckkeep.The snow fell less and less, and then stopped.The night wind blew the clouds away, and the bright moon made the stone walls of Buckkeep black and bright, like black spots of light shining on the sea.Yellow light shines on the turret and the side door next to it. "We're home," Burrich said quietly.We rode down the last hill, got back on the road at last, and headed for the great gates of Buckkeep. A young soldier stands on night watch.He blocked us with his gun pointing down and asked us to call our names.Burrich pushed the hood back from his face, but the kid didn't budge. "I'm Burrich the Stablemaster!" Burrich looked at him in disbelief. "I've been a stablemaster longer than you've lived before I'm asking what you're doing here at my gates!"

Before the nervous boy could answer, a large group of soldiers swarmed up from the guard room. "It's Burrich!" the guard sergeant called happily.Burrich was at once the center of attention of the group, who shouted and greeted and chatted desperately while Hands and I set the exhausted horse aside in the midst of the commotion.The guard sergeant, Brad, finally called everyone to silence so he could speak. "We thought we'd wait until spring to find you," the burly veteran declared. "But we were told at the time that you're probably unrecognizable... but you look fine, really. Kind of grim, dressed like an out-of-towner, with a scar or two, that's all. We heard you were pretty badly hurt Seriously, and the illegitimate child seems to have died of poisoning or plague, these are all rumors!"

Burrich smiled and stretched out his arms. It seemed that everyone should appreciate his mountain-style attire.For a while I saw Burrich as someone else saw him, in his purple and yellow padded trousers, smock, and high boots.I no longer wonder why I encountered difficulties at the city gate, but I am still puzzled by the rumors. "Who said the illegitimate child died?" I asked curiously. "Who are you?" Brad asked back.He looked at my clothes, looked into my eyes, and obviously didn't recognize me.But when I straightened up on the horse, he recognized it.To this day, I believe he recognized me because of the soot.I saw that he was still surprised. "Fitz? I don't even recognize you! You look like you've got blood plague." People who know me must think I look awful. "Who said I was poisoned or infected with the plague?" I repeated calmly.

Brad flinched a little, and withdrew his surprised eyes. "Oh, no! Well, it shouldn't be someone who said something, you know. Because you didn't come back with other people, well, some people began to doubt this and that, and then these speculations seemed to become facts. Rumors Flying all over the sky, the guardhouse is never peaceful, and the soldiers gossip about these things. We just wonder why you didn't come back, that's all. No one believes the rumors, but they are spread again and again, and even gossip becomes Can't be trusted. We just wonder why you, Burrich, and Hand didn't come back."

Finally he realized that he was just repeating what he had said before, so he fell silent under my gaze.I let the silence stretch, made it clear that I didn't want to answer the question, and then shrugged. "It's all right, Brad. But you can tell everyone that the bastard is alive and well. You should know that Burrich will heal me, whether it's plague or poison. I'm fine, but I look like a walking dead." "Oh, Fitz, boy, I didn't mean that, it was just..." "I've already said, it's okay, don't worry about it." "Yes, my lord," he replied.

I nodded, but Burrich looked at me strangely.Ah Shou and I looked at each other in blank dismay, he also looked surprised, but I couldn't guess the reason. "Good night, then, Sergeant, and don't point your gun at your subordinates. He's just doing his duty to prevent strangers from breaking into the gates of Buckkeep." "Yes, my lord. Good night, my lord." Brad saluted me stiffly, and then the majestic wooden city gate opened before our eyes, welcoming us into Buckkeep.Soot lifted his head, more refreshed too, and behind me Hand's horse neighed and Burrich's snorted.I have never felt so long from the city walls to the stables as I do now.After Hand dismounted, Burrich grabbed me by the sleeve and pulled me back, while Hand called to the weary stable boy who was helping us light the lamp.

"We've been in the Mountain Kingdom for a while, Fitz," Burrich reminded me in a low voice. "No one cared about your origins there, but we're home now. Here, the son of the horse is not Prince, but an illegitimate child." "I know." I was taken aback by his directness. "I will never forget it in my life, and I will always think about it!" "Indeed." He agreed, but a strange look crept onto his face, and he smiled half-skeptically, half-proudly. "Then why do you want Brad to report to you? Why do you give orders as neatly as a horse? I can hardly believe my eyes. The way you talk and the way they follow each other really startled me, you I didn't even notice how they answered you, let alone that you took the order for me as a matter of course."

I blushed.The people of the Mountain Kingdom do treat me like a real prince, not a bastard.Did I get used to being superior so quickly?