(If you haven't read the first part, it is in an earlier post.)
The next day, the king summoned the prince to come to him in the Great Hall. Standing outside the door waiting to be called in, Prince Anori was almost certain his father would not allow him to go on this quest. “He always said my name meant ‘Safe’, and as long as I was in his hands, I would not come to harm. He doesn’t want me to leave, for he knows I will no longer be under his protection. He does not want me to die, even for my people.” Just then one of the servants came and motioned for him to come. “Now we shall hear his answer,” Anori thought. The massive oak doors swung open, and the Prince, walking erect with confidence, entered the Hall.
The prince stopped in front of the King’s throne, and bowed low. “What be your decision, Oh my father?” Prince Anori asked.
The king’s steady gaze met with that of his son. “I have inquired of all of my knights, and none would go on this quest for my people. I have sent messengers out to the nearby castles, and still I could not find one who would go. As you have said, if this beast is not destroyed, the people will be destroyed. You must go on this quest.”
The Prince nodded. “Am I to go alone?”
“No, I have selected twelve knights that are willing to go on this adventure under your leadership. They await you in the courtyard. They shall go with you, and help you as much as they can, but it is up to you to slay the Lantor.” The Prince bowed once more, and turned towards the door. As he left, his father called, “May the stars watch over you, my son.”
Prince Anori looked back, and smiled. “I thank you, father, and may they watch over you as well.”
With this, father and son parted, neither knowing if they would see the other ever again.
* * * *
As the knights rode through the countryside, it did not seem as though anything was terribly wrong. Or at least, at first. As time went on, signs of the Lantor became more evident. The faces of the villagers became more careworn, and fear shone in their eyes.
As they rode through one village, the people eyed them with curiosity, but one of them, suspicious, called to them, “Who are you? What do you wish of us? Have you come to take what is ours?”
The others hushed him, and whispered, “What if they have come to rescue us? Do not offend them! The one leading them seems to be royalty.” Hearing this, the prince reigned in his horse, and turned in his saddle to face the villagers.
“You speak rightly. We have come to destroy the Lantor and to free you from his terror. I am prince Anori, and I am leader of this company.” The people gaped at him in astonishment. They had not realized that their guess had been right: here was the prince himself, here to save them! The villagers now welcomed them gladly, and urged them to stay the night there.
The next day, the prince inquired as to where they might find the Lantor. One of the men there spoke up and said, “The village that was destroyed when we sent the messenger is but a few miles from here. But there is no one there now; the Lantor killed many of them, and the rest have fled. However, a little ways beyond is another small town, and there you will find those that can tell you more of the Lantor.” Anori thanked all the villagers for their kindness, and promised to return once the Lantor was slain.
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