Berlina's Quest Read Online Free

“Let me out of here, you scum. I am a prince!” but that got no more results than rattling the bars. Finally, he gave up, went over, and sat down on his bunk.
    â€œDamn,” he muttered to himself, “there must be some way to get out of here.”
    â€œNo, there isn’t,” said a figure in sorcerer’s robes who suddenly appeared in the corridor outside the cell. “The man whom I serve has charged me with keeping you here, and keep you here I will.”
    â€œWho are you, and who is the man you serve? Why am I being kept here?”
    â€œI am Flamencius,” said the sorcerer, “but the name of the master I serve must remain secret. Suffice it to say that you will remain here until your birthday has come and gone. In the absence of a crown prince to take the throne of Jylyria, another will be chosen as king.”
    â€œYou’ll never get away with this.”
    â€œAh, but I think we will. Your mother has troops out searching for you, but she will never look this far away from the High Palace. In addition, her court sorcerer Zatarra is working to mislead her, to send her men on wild goose chases. Now, it is time for your supper. Eat hearty, fair Prince.”
    Flamencius turned and left as three guards approached the cell. Darvid jumped up and walked to the door of the cell, but two of the guards poked spears between the bars and forced him back. The third man unlocked and opened the door. He placed a tray with a bowl and a cup on the floor, then closed and relocked the door. The other guards withdrew their spears, allowing Darvid to approach the food.
    He picked up the spoon next to the bowl and tasted its contents. “Porridge again? I am a prince. Can you not feed me food that fits my station?”
    The three guards laughed and walked away.
    When they were out of sight, Darvid began to eat. In between bites he muttered, “One bowl of porridge a day. If I weren’t so hungry, I’d throw it in their faces. And I’ll bet the wine is sour, as always.”
    When he finished what was in the bowl, he drank the cup of wine, grimacing at the taste. Finally, he went over to his bunk and dropped down onto it. After an hour of tossing and turning, he eventually managed to fall sleep.
    When Darvid awoke, he had no idea how long he had slept, nor any way of telling what time it was in the underground cell with no sunlight. Someone removed the dishes from his meager supper.
    For a few minutes, his brain was befogged from sleep. Then, he remembered the dream he had been having—a dream of his sister Berlina coming to his rescue while waving a wand. He shook his head in disbelief. “Ridiculous. If they kidnapped me, they probably kidnapped her, too. Even if they didn’t, Mother certainly wouldn’t let her go off like that. She’d lock Berlina up somewhere safe.”
    He paced back and forth in the cell, the image from his dream swimming in his head. The wand that dream-Berlina held bothered him, although he was at a loss to say why it was so upsetting. Finally, he tired of pacing, and he went over and rattled the bars.
    â€œLet me out, you misbegotten polecats!” he yelled at the top of his voice.
    There was no response until, much later, his supper arrived. Once again, porridge and sour wine. He choked down the bowl of mush then drank the wine. It was as bad as ever, but tasted stronger and made him drowsy. He lay down on his bunk and fell asleep almost instantly.
    Darvid was not happy when he awoke—having again dreamed the dream of his sister with the wand—the next day…and the day after that…and the day after that.

Chapter Three
Happy Birthday, Sweet Thirteen
    Five years before the kidnapping of the Crown Prince, it had been Princess Berlina’s thirteenth birthday, and the palace was open for the celebration. The nobles and the wealthy brought gifts for the attractive blonde birthday girl. Those who could not afford