[The Princes V] [Sionnach’s Eighty] Si devoured his pizza as quickly as the rest of his cousins; every night’s meal was turning into a treat and only improved Si’s popularity with the other boys. The children’s dining hall was a bustling hub of activity that had not existed before Lord Tolnor's arrival and the constant roar of happy children filled the old palace. Si’s orphans now filled the dining hall to over-flowing and tables were becoming a battle ground as various groups staked out their claims. Once Si’s tummy was filled with the cheesey topped treasure, his mind turned to other thoughts. So many thoughts that threatened to sweep him away; what should he do next? Si needed help. He could ask his cousins - no, not yet. Maybe Lord Tolnor, he was friendly towards the children, but, no, Si would save him for later when it was a bit more dire. Si got up and wandered around the dining hall looking at each of the older boys trying to decide if any of them might be able to help. Who to trust? What direction would the threat come from? Was there anyone here not really on Si’s side? Si wondered if this was what his father went through trying to figure out whom to confide in and trust with important issues. Si left the dining hall to avoid getting caught up in the after-dinner war games and roamed the halls looking for inspiration. He could go to his room and play with his samurai figures, that always calmed his mind, but the thought that the privacy of his room had been violated by the Ravens made the idea less than appealing. Si passed the old Ballroom where the orphans stayed and decided to walk through there. Eighty cots was lined up in neat rows with blankets piled on top of them, and more than a few spilling over on the floor. The room was beginning to have a lived in feel with clothing scattered about and toys shoved under the cots. Discarded boxes stacked haphazardly along the wall with a few clothing items not yet claimed draped over the boxes gave tale to the chaos that must have ensued as the servants rushed to find garments for the new residents of the old Palace; many of the boxes were turned upside down and now served as play forts. Si picked up a few pieces of the clothes and looked at them; pants, shirts, cloaks, and a few socks laying at the bottom of the boxes were all that remained. “Thank you for the clothes, my Lord,” said a voice. Si turned around, a thin boy was attempting a very poor bow in Si’s general direction, but Si didn’t really care about that. The boy’s clothes hung limply on him, but they were new and clean and he seemed happy with it. “Everyone is still in the dining hall, my Lord,” said the boy, “but it was too loud for me and I couldn’t hear myself think.” Si tried to guess how old the boy was, but with the too large clothes hanging on his too thin body made it difficult - Si thought maybe around his cousin Tannen or Carnen’s age. “What is your name?” asked Si. “I’m Marshal,” said the boy. “That’s a Fundamentalist's name,” said Si. “Yes, my Lord, my father and I were going to be on the next colony ship to Corvus, or… umm… I guess that was a couple years ago, I’ve been asleep for a long time in that slave pod,” said Marshal. “What happened to your father?” asked Si. “I don’t really know,” replied Marshal. “I was in the colony barracks at the star port, then a guy comes in and says there was an accident and my father died. They didn’t even let me pack, I was thrown out the gate into the street and then I woke up and you were there.” “You didn’t think I did it to you, did you?” asked Si. “At first we all did, but not any more,” explained Marshal. “You haven’t chained any of us, or made us work, and then you gave us the Vid Viewers to watch and we saw the truth by watching the News Vids.” Si didn’t order any Vid Viewers, but it was a good idea and wondered who had thought to do it, maybe one of the servants with children of their own understood these orphan's would need to see the outside world, or simply be entertained with cartoon Vids. “You might wish I didn’t save you?” said Si. “Why, my Lord?” asked Marshal. “The Palace is probably going to be attacked and me and all my cousins will be killed,” explained Si. “We’ll fight,” Marshal declared, his face instantly becoming angry. “We won’t let anyone hurt you.” “We only have a few swords and nobody will give us any compressed-air missle-rifles, or even just laser rifles, they see us as only kids,” said Si. “I’ll fight to the death for you,” swore Marshal passionately and then dropped to his knees. “I will serve you for so long as I live.” Si stared at the boys face for a very long time, thinking, the face was so honest, so pure. If Si would have had more contact with the Temple of Enlightenment he would have understood. The most fanatical branch of the Kitsune religion of Enlightenment never did anything without complete blind fanaticism, And though Marshal was young, he had been raised in a Fundamentalist's family and had learned to throw his entire heart into everything he did. What Si did next defied all reason. Si drew his sword and laid it on Marshal’s shoulder. “I, Prince Sionnach Tarin Aguienth, Imperial Heir, Light of a thousand Stars, Ruler of the Moons of Kitsune, descendent of the Eternal Emperors, do raise you to the station of Lord and Commander of the Battle Unit known as Sionnach’s Eighty, rise Lord Marshal, and never again kneel to any man.” Si held his hand out and helped Marshal stand up. Marshal’s jaw hung open in shock as Si turned Marshal’s wrist over and pressed his own wrist against it and transferred the promotion command to Marshal’s wrist implant. Marshal would forever be identified now as a Lord of the Empire. Si saw them out of the corner of his eye and turned to look at the door of the ballroom. The orphans had been wandering back from the dining hall and seeing Si and Marshal talking had stopped and politely waited, not wanting to interrupt the Prince. They had then seen Si make Marshal a Lord. Si was on a roll and decided to just keep going. He walked over to the throng of orphans crowding in the entrance way and raised his hands. “If there are any here that does not wish to be a warrior in Sionnach’s Eighty, I will give you money and find you another place to live, speak now,” ordered Si. The entire mass of orphans dropped on their knees at once, none chose to leave. “Then I, Prince Sionnach, accept each of you that steps forward and swears loyalty to your Commander.” Si motioned Marshal to come stand next to him. The orphans came forward one by one and swore loyalty to Lord Marshal as warriors while Si updated each of their wrist implants to show their new station in life. Si was finishing the last one when Akio marched the entire procession of his cousins through the door. “We know our House is in trouble, Si,” said Akio. “Did you plan on raising an army without your cousins?” Si grinned from ear to ear. He thought his cousins would have made fun of this sudden idea to make an army. “What do I do now, cousin?” Si asked Akio relieved that someone he trusted would help him. “These warriors know nothing of war or fighting,” said Akio. “You must organize a command structure for your army.” “I don’t know how?” said Si. “Of course you do,” replied Akio. “Think about those samurai toy figures in your room, you have spent endless hours putting them together in battle formations.” Si understood, of course, it was easy, he knew exactly what to do now. “Cousins, you will each take four orphans and lead them as Lord Lieutenants, just like the samurai battle formations. Akio, Volnus, Caprithus, and Carnen, you will be the Captains of the Army with Marshal. You can teach him how to be a commander.” “That leaves one cousin left over, Si,” said Akio. Si grinned and looked at Seph. Seph ran over to stand next to Si. “This is my Lieutenant,” said Si. The cousins split up and moved among the orphans, choosing which ones they wanted to form their teams. The selection took nearly an hour and much shouting took place as each orphan apparently had a favorite Prince they wanted to be with. “Should I have made you the Commander?” Si asked Akio. “No, Si, you did the right thing,” said Akio. “You have shown them that you respect the horror they have suffered and that you understand the differences between you and them by promoting one of their own to a position of leadership. Marshal is one of them and they will be more likely to remain loyal and follow one of their own, this is the best way.” Akio faced the new leader of Sionnach’s Eighty. “Greetings Marshal, I am Prince Harkins Akio and I will teach you to be a General, you stay on my heals, listen and watch everything I do,” said Akio. “You have much to learn before you are ready to lead.” Akio stepped up on a chair and called for everyone’s attention. The cousin Princes were all gathered into their new battle groups and getting to know their warriors. “We now have twenty battle teams of one Lord and four warriors each. You will sleep, eat, and brush your teeth with your Battle Lord,” ordered Akio. “You will never be separated, you will spend hours on the practice sand next to your Lord until your arms feel as if they will break.” Akio paused for effect, he had an excellent sense of timing. Si hoped he could be as good a leader as his cousin was someday. “You will also march with us, and stand the endless hours in the court until you feel that your legs will certainly collapse beneath you,” said Akio. “I also want the Princes to move the teams to their rooms, this ballroom will be cleared and used for practice at night when we can not be on the sand. Now get your teams to their new quarters, move it men!” Sionnach’s Eighty scrambled to collect their belongings and follow their new Battle Lords out of the ballroom to their new quarters. Si was certain he saw a sense of purpose and happiness in the orphans that hadn’t been their before. They belonged to something now. Si tried to figure out how this had just happened, he didn’t really do anything. All he had done was tap Marshal on the shoulder with a sword and everything ran forward from there on its own. Did things always work like this? You just had to push over the right domino and watch as events played out? Was that the secret? Si stored this new information in the back of his brain to study later. Si watched the Battle teams leave and smiled as Prince Canesus and Auriga left with their teams. Canesus and Auriga were the youngest cousins at five-years old and their new warriors walked in a perimeter around their new young Lords. The boys with the two youngest cousins looked to be maybe eleven or twelve years old and they glared fiercely in every direction as if expecting something to charge out of the corners at their little Lords. Si was fairly certain those boys would throw themselves into the very fires of Hell itself before they would let harm come to his youngest cousins. If the time came that they had to defend the old palace, or even flee, his cousins would have a chance now. Si, followed by Seph, trailed behind the last of them to leave the old ballroom and nearly ran over Lord Tolnor. “I do believe you have forgotten something,” said Lord Tolnor. Si looked up at the kind man’s face. Forgotten something? He wasn’t even sure what he had just done, let alone forgotten something. “I am very aware we are on the verge of a civil war,” said Lord Tolnor. “You will not be the first Prince to flee into exile with his army to wait for the time to reclaim his Princedom, but what exactly did you plan to eat along the way, tree bark?” “I… umm… I don’t know,” said Si. “House Tolnor is with you, my Prince,” said Lord Tolnor. “You will need to feed your army, and you will need clothing, equipment, weapons, ammunition, ships, vehicles, and other supplies, and money.” “I don’t know how to get all that stuff,” said Si. “House Tolnor are Chef’s, dealing with large quantities of supplies is a simple daily task for us,” said Lord Tolnor. “If you will have me, I will help you with the less glorious part of war and stand by you, the true Imperial Heir.” “What about my father?” asked Si. “You can only worry about those whose lives depend on you saving your Princedom,” said Lord Tolnor. “I’m sorry, son, but your father is beyond our help. He has his own people, perhaps if he has been wise enough, as his most loved son is being, he has put the right people in place to save him.” Si reached the limit of emotional stress a six-year old, even one with Si’s advantages, could handle. Si wrapped his arms around Lord Tolnor and cried true tears. “I can’t help him, can I?” cried Si. “You can help him by saving yourself,” said Lord Tolnor holding the boy. Si pulled the small ceremonial curved blade he carried next to his sword and handed it up to Lord Tolnor. “I don’t know who to trust,” cried Si. “If you’re going to betray me, do it now, please. Don’t make me suffer.” “It happens this way, the water is calm one moment and the next the pot is boiling over,” Lord Tolnor said caressing the boy's face and wiping his eyes. “House Tolnor has fought for centuries to rise this far and we intend to let history know that our House never turned away from our Prince, no matter how difficult.” “What do I do next?” asked Si. “If the Palace falls the conquerors will seize the Imperial treasury, and your personal funds,” said Lord Tolnor. “You must find a place to hide at least your funds, but best if you can hide the entire treasury.” Si’s warning instincts came on full force. “I can give my money to you,” suggested Si keeping his expression helpless looking and waiting for the answer that would tell him Lord Tolnor’s intent. “No child, I don’t want your money,” replied Lord Tolnor. “They will seize my House’s treasury as well, I am taking steps to hide my money as you should. You must find someone you trust, and don’t tell me who, they will torture me to find your money if I am captured.” Si stared up at the man in shock, he hadn’t tried to take advantage of Si’s moment of weakness to steal the treasury. This man was honest. Si wrapped himself around Lord Tolnor again and squeezed as hard as he could. “What’s this?” asked Lord Tolnor before realizing. “Oh, I see, did I pass your test, you clever little Prince?” “I’m sorry, I had to,” said Si. “Okay,” said Lord Tolnor sounding almost angry. “That’s enough of the weight of twenty-seven worlds on the small shoulders of a six-year old, time to just be six for a short while.” Lord Tolnor did something Si never expected. Lord Tolnor lifted him up into his arms and carried Si to his room with Seph, feeling a little left out, following behind. Lord Tolnor laid Si in the bed and pulled off the Prince’s shoes and helped him get ready for bed. Seph, feeling very put out now, undressed and climbed in next to his cousin. Lord Tolnor pulled the covers up and tucked them under Si’s chin. Seph was nearing tears, this was so unfair. Lord Tolnor surprised Seph and walked around the boy’s bed and pulled the covers up and under Seph’s chin. Seph beamed with happiness. Lord Tolnor looked under the bed, walked around the room and opened each closet door and peaked in, then declared the room free of monsters and turned the lights out and closed the door behind him. “So that’s what it feels like,” whispered Si. “Yea, that was so awesome, I never understood what the soldier’s sons meant when they said their fathers tucked them in,” whispered Seph. “I’m going to ask him to do it again tomorrow,” whispered Si. “Ask him to do it every night,” whispered Seph. The ruling Prince of the Moons of Kitsune and his companion drifted off to sleep, careful not to move and mess up the tuck.