KRIKKIT’S SHOES : D’ARRAGON PROPHECY
Chapter 15

Hennesy D’Arquillle was furious. His men had been close enough to the D’Arragon heirs to capture them. They had failed. His son Tarcey and his men stood in front of him.

“I can’t believe such numbskulls as you! Right in your hands and you let them escape! And the same with Jara and Keeper, too! We could have had them as well.” He angrily shook his clenched fist under Tarcey’s nose.

“There’s something strange going on,” his son whined. “It’s not our fault.”

“Yes,” his right hand man quickly backed him up. “They got away by flying up in the sky and then disappeared right in front of us!”

“Do not hand me your pack of lies,” he yelled at Tarcey. “All of these plans and you messed it up! I would stop it all now except for one thing. You now have brought the Red Velvet Regiment and the King of D’Arragon down on our heads for sure!”

Tarcey flushed brilliantly with his effort to convince his father that what he was saying was true. “I’m telling you that because we could not fly, they got away.”

“No more of your wild tales, my son. You had better get the army prepared. I am sure they will replace us before too much longer and all our work will have been for nothing!” retorted his father.

After his son and his soldiers left, Hennesy walked along the road at the back of Sareltin castle. He was fuming. He had worked so diligently to give Tarcey whatever he wanted.

When his only son had demanded to be king, Hennesy planned with him to make it happen. The strategy involved the capture of the princes and, only when King Roger agreed to give up his throne, would they be set free. Being the king’s father, Hennesy would become powerful as well.

The prophecy about an attempt to seize the royal throne from the D’Arragon family was recently discovered by Hennesy. He firmly believed the prophecy would be fulfilled through the D’Arquilles. His chest swelled with pride every time he thought of it. Hennesy D’Arquille was about to become a very important man! That prophecy also made it clear that any sorcerer attached to D’Arragon would be unable to interfere. Therefore, he no longer feared Jara. Soon enough, when the time was right, she would be captured as well. Everything was going according to plan except that Tarcey allowed the princes to escape and failed to capture Jara.

After forming an army of strong men, Hennesy took over the old castle at Sareltin. He had built it into a strong fortress, absolutely certain no one could scale its massive stone walls.

Head bent, kicking at the stones on the road, he reasoned long and hard. New plans were needed. King Roger was in hiding and the princes were still free. Lost in thought, Hennesy almost tripped over a large object in the middle of his path.

He stared at the strange looking object. What on earth was it? He had never seen anything like it before. Kneeling, he examined it closely. It was a large orb that seemed to be made from purple crystal. Hennesy picked it up carefully. Almost falling over in surprise, when he saw a purple glow light up the orb and the area around it, Hennesy exclaimed, “What strangeness is this?”

A picture formed inside the object. When the orb became clear, two boys were visible within, seated and facing one another. Hennesy caught his breath in sheer amazement. “Is this magic?” he whispered. Suddenly, he realized who the boys were. “How could the heirs to the D’Arragon throne be held in this crystal?” he wondered aloud. “Does this mean that I actually have them both right here in my hands?” Yelling that moment in triumph, the elder D’Arquille gloated, “I have them! I have captured the princes!”

“Get us out of here!” Quinn yelled, hearing someone outside the orb.

Hennesy heard the tiny voice which seemed to be coming from the globe. Looking down at the twins again, he saw the boys peering anxiously through the crystal, trying to see who was outside.

“Our father will have your head for this, whoever you are!” Quinn yelled again.

Hennesy realized the princes could not see him. It would never do for them to be unaware of who had captured them, thought Hennesy.

“Well, well, my dear cousins. Got you at long last!” said Hennesy.

“It’s Hennesy!” cried out Ivan and Quinn, alarmed when they recognized their much older cousin’s voice. “This orb does not belong to you. It belongs to…..”

Hennesy interrupted him. “I don’t care who it belonged to. It’s mine now.” Strange as it was, Hennesy was quite enjoying the feeling of power this experience was giving him. With the princes falling literally right into his hands, he was not about to let them go.

“Sorry boys. I am afraid you are in there until your father sees fit to hand over the throne to Tarcey. Don’t worry. You are in good hands.”

Hennesy laughed nastily, cradling the orb in his hands. As suddenly as it appeared, the purple glow vanished and he could no longer see the twins.

“How lucky for me,” thought Hennesy D’Arquille, laughing to himself.

He must take great care of this precious object he had stumbled upon. Handling it carefully, he carried it back to the castle. Slipping into his chambers unseen, the leader of the D’Arquille treachery placed it into a wooden cabinet and locked it.

“No one will replace you, my young cousins. You now belong to me.”

With a wicked snort, Hennesy went off to replace Tarcey and tell him their problems were over. Elated at his good fortune, Hennesy skipped along, already making plans of what he could accomplish for himself when the D’Arragon throne was Tarcey’s.