King Joel Learns of the Capture

Sitting atop the South Tower of Regstar Castle, King Joel could see some of his kingdom but not all. He and his wife enjoyed coming to the top of the tower so much that they had built a small garden in one corner of the tower next to the inner wall. They had planted roses in the garden and included a variety of colors. They had christened their little paradise Rainbow Garden. His wife had enjoyed coming up here so much when she was pregnant that he had included a small fireplace so she could be warm. Now she was gone. She had died in childbirth and he now missed her more than ever.

Now he was alone, and he felt alone. Joel had become king at a very young age. His father was at war, fighting in the north, when an arrow ended his life and made young Joel king of Regstar. Joel had surprised everyone by not seeking revenge for his father's death. Instead he had made peace, but it had been an uneasy peace, and Joel feared war could come to Regstar at any time.

That night Joel was in the large eating room. He did not like eating alone in such a large room, but this was expected. The room had very few decorations but had several heads of animals that had been killed on hunts by Joel's father. He had promised himself that he would remove them when he became king, but they had belonged to his father, long forgotten trophies of past hunts. There were two doors that opened into the room and one large window at the end of it. The window was open but could be closed if the castle was ever attacked. There was a large fireplace at the other end of the room, but the room was always cold. This day it was extremely cold. Joel walked to the window and looked across the land that made up his kingdom. On the horizon he could see the smoky haze that rose above the mountains that bordered the northern lands.

He was worried. His daughter was not late. In fact, she was not due to arrive until next day. Something was bothering him. Should he be concerned, or was this normal for a trip of this nature? He reviewed his decision to let her go. She so much wanted to see her aunt, and the trip would be so refreshing. She had left the kingdom very few times in her fourteen years. The coolness and humidity gave the air a hint of snow, but Joel did not feel this was a peril to his daughter's safety. So why this anxiety? What of this uneasy feeling? Was it just a father's concern for the safety of his only child? He turned back inside the room and walked to the large fireplace, held out his hands to try to warm his body. Then he walked back to the window.

The next day came and left, still and Donella did not arrive. Joel did not become too concerned, but the next day she did not arrive. That night he did not eat. While he was standing in front of the large window, in the distance he noticed a rider. His horse's gait was slow. Surely, if there was any trouble, if the rider had information about his daughter, the pace would be quick. There appeared to be no urgency with this rider. As the rider approached the castle he stopped. He dismounted his horse and stood next to his mount. He stood there motionless and stared at the castle. The king studied the rider and could see that he was tall, extremely tall. He could see that he wore a beard. This man a was knight, but not of his army. Joel alerted the night watch to keep an eye on the stranger but not to approach him.

That night as the king ate, his thoughts returned to his daughter. The castle was cold and the large fire in the eating room did little to warm the air. The warm food and liquid did warm his body, but did not warm his heart. He still had the feeling that something was wrong. He went to the window and saw the knight was still standing next to his horse. He had built a fire, and the embers' glow made this stranger look even taller. Did this man have information about his daughter? He ordered his horse to be made ready. He also sent for two knights to accompany him.

When Joel approached the rider he saw that he was not a young man. He was old. He stopped his horse several feet away from the man but did not dismount.

"I am Joel, the king of this land. State the purpose of your visit."

The old knight didn't move and said just loudly enough for Joel to hear, "We have taken her back."

Suddenly a pain shot through Joel's heart and pierced his entire body.

He knew this man. That sudden realization and what he had said increased his pain. He dismounted his horse and quickly walked to the knight.

"I thought we would never see each other again. I hoped that we would never see each other again. Come to my castle and tell me your story. Is she safe?"

The old man's face did not change. "I cannot come to your castle. The time is short. I came only to give you this information. She is gone, and she will not return."

When these words were spoken the old knight went to his horse.

"Enjoy your memories of her. There will be no more. She was yours, but we have taken her back. There is nothing you can do." He mounted his horse, and as he did, Joel pulled his sword. The two knights with him did likewise.

The old knight turned his horse to face Joel. "What good will killing me do? She is gone, and as I told you there is nothing you can do. I can give her a message if you wish."

Joel dropped his head. "Tell her I love her."

With that, the old knight turned his horse north and rode away. He felt bad that no message to Donella was going to be delivered.

Joel's mind was spinning. Should he ride after him? What could he do? Both escorts wanted to pursue the old knight, but Joel said no. His words had been true. There was nothing he could do, and he knew his daughter was in no danger.

When King Joel returned to his castle he didn't know what to do. He had worried that this might happen, but not to Donella, his daughter. When he married Phylass fifteen years ago, he had worried that this might happen to her, but not to Donella.

Joel Calls for Asher

Asher was a young man who had grown up in the castle and had been a good friend to Joel's daughter. His father was Pike, a knight and trusted friend to Joel. His mother was Calie, the royal librarian. She had given birth to Asher one month before the birth of Donella. When Phylass had died in childbirth, Calie had become the wet nurse to Donella. When Pike and Calie had been killed, Asher was three years old and Joel became like a father to him. He grew up in the castle and was like a member of the family.

While they were young, Donella was much taller than Asher. He would often call her the little giant because she was much taller than most of the children her age in the castle.

Asher and Donella were close and played together almost every day. Then came the day that Asher turned twelve years old. He had caught up to Donella in height. He and Donella had crossed the fixed bridge and were standing on the barbican when he looked up to see King Joel standing on the bridge. He motioned for Asher to join him, and both he and Donella walked to the king.

"Leave us, Donella. I need to talk to Asher alone."

Donella could see that her father was serious. He was always smiling while in their presence, because he was so proud of them.

When Donella was gone, he turned to Asher. "It is time you started your training to become a knight. You will need to say good bye to Donella because you are leaving the castle to be the page of Sir John. He is a...