Robin Many Feathers

Chapter 1

Once Upon A Time, in a Distant Country, Underneath An Unknown sky that you and I can only dream of, lived a King and Queen who ruled the Realm of Haly. King John and Queen Mary loved their land and took care of their realm and people and were loved in return. The only wish that the Graysons had, that was unfulfilled, was to have a child, so that the legacy of the Flying Graysons could continue. Soon, after this, the King and Queen's wish was granted and a son was born to them and their joy was complete.

The prince became not only the joy of his parents but of the people as well. When he was four, he joined his parents and flew. The legend of the kingdom was that as long as a Grayson flew, the prosperousness of the kingdom would know no bounds.

On his fifth birthday, the young prince surprised his parents and the kingdom with his acrobatics, surpassing even those of his father the king. On that day, Prince Richard John Grayson, was confirmed as heir to the Kingdom of Haly. Another Grayson would fly upon the throne.

For six years, the Kingdom of Haly was known far and wide for the contentment of her people and the abundance of her lands.

Then tragedy waved its banner over the House of Grayson. The King and Queen became ill and died. The entire land turned to mourning.

Whispers and gossip chased across the countryside of Haly, for the Lord Marshall, who was to be guardian to the young prince, was away at war defending Haly from reavers in the north.

This left the grief stricken prince in the hands of the greedy Seneschal, who had wanted the Haly Realm for his own. He sent Richard away to be fostered with a neighboring kingdom. Ostensibly, it was to keep the peace between the two kingdoms. In the Seneschal's mind, with young Richard gone, the people would forget him and the sovereignty of the lands would fall to him.

So for ten years young Richard dwelt in the lands and castle of the Laughing King. The Laughing Kingdom had once been truly full of laughter, until the King had fallen under a strange malady. Now, fearful smiles remained in place on the people's faces and laughter was seldom heard. Except in the castle.

Richard, or Dick as he preferred to be called, was a happy, energetic child. The Laughing King would not harm him as he was afraid of the Grayson's Lord Marshall. Instead, the Laughing King tried to warp Dick's values and make him as twisted and dark as he himself was. His machinations were in vain and something else happened instead. Dick's sunny and pleasant disposition softened the rule in the Laughing Kingdom and good fortune began to show itself on the edges of the kingdom and in the humblest of dwellings. The people of the land were grateful for the young boy who lived in the castle and counted each year he spent in the Laughing Kingdom as a blessing.

As the years passed, young Richard became a handsome young man, strong, intelligent and compassionate. The Laughing King saw these changes in Richard and soon wanted and lusted after the young prince.

On Richard's sixteenth birthday, he was to return to his own kingdom and the protection of the Lord Marshall. Richard was looking forward to this very much. He wanted to see his friend and guardian, Lord Wayne. The Laughing King, however, had other ideas.

Two weeks before Richard's sixteenth birthday, the Laughing King held a banquet in Dick's honor. The Laughing King offered up a toast.

"To My royal counsin, young Prince Richard Grayson! A fine and wondrous lad, soon to be the ruler of Our neighbor to the east, joining us in our brotherhood of monarchs. He has helped bring joy and wealth to Our lands and will now do so for his own." The Laughing King took a moment and stared at the blushing prince. "But We hate to lose any advantages We might have and I know the people of this land would despair to see him go. So We propose this toast to our upcoming nuptials! Young Dick will become Our consort and the Laughing Kingdom and Haly will be joined!" The Laughing King leered down at the young man, who had gone pale white. "Does that not sound like a fine thing, my young love?"

The hall buzzed with the news after the toast had been completed. For the people, this was good news indeed. Richard had been a softening influence upon their King and their lives had become easier. That he would stay and continue to gentle their king was a wondrous thing indeed. But no one would look poor Richard in the eye.

Dick was sick with fear and revulsion. He wanted to go home. Home had become a fuzzy memory of love and acceptance, but it was still home. There were people there who wanted him to be there. He wanted to visit his parent's grave and mourn as he was not allowed to as a child. But, more desperately, he wanted the protection and shield of Bruce Wayne, the Lord Marshall. He needed to tell him of the Laughing King's darkness and depravity. He did not want to become the consort of the Laughing King. Dick looked up into the stark white face of the Laughing King.

"The Kingdom of Haly is no easy prize to be taken on a whim. To gain Us as your consort and an alliance with Our Realm, you must gain for me five gifting items of Our choice. You have surprised me with you announcements of love and nuptials. You must give Us the night to think of suitable gifting items to prove your love for me and your honorable intentions toward Haly. The young man's face was as white as marble, his black hair as deep as shadows. He trembled as he stood defiantly in front of the Laughing King, stunned by the turn of events in a way he could have never foreseen. The Laughing King's lust grew deeper when he saw the fear sparking deep in Richard's blue eyes.

"Of course my beloved. Tell Us of your choices in the morning and We will give them to you and we will be wed!" The laughter of the king sent shudders down Dick's spine.

Retiring to his rooms, Dick paced and thought the night away, trying to come up with items so elaborate and difficult that the Laughing King would give up and Dick could go home with his honor intact.

When morning came, Dick went and stood before the Laughing King in his great hall. The look in the King's eyes made Dick nauseous and afraid. He straightened and flashed his beautiful smile.

"If my lord King still wishes me as his consort," Richard looked at the Laughing King, hoping sanity may have reached the other man and abandoned his insane plan. But sick desire was all he saw in the other man's eyes. "These are the five items of my choosing: A mask of green made from the shadows of the deep pines upon the tallest mountains. A blue mask made from the twilight of the heavens, when the blue is so deep as to be black - but is neither day nor night. A tunic and hose made from the darkness and silence of the Undermountains. A rope forged from the weaving of a thousand crystal spiders. And a cloak comprised of feathers. One taken gently from every bird in the kingdom." Dick looked at the Laughing King, whose stunned expression brought hope to his heart. "Gift me these things and I will consider your suit."

Richard returned to his rooms and began packing his things. He had confidence that the items he had chosen would be impossible to make or procure. He would be going home.

The days moved slowly as Richard counted each one, waiting for its passage so that he might return to his own kingdom. Every night, he would take a deep breath after the court dinner, relieved that the items he had requested had not been brought forth. Each day lightened Dick's apprehension, putting him more at ease that he had chosen correctly and that he and the Kingdom of Haly would not be bound by his misspoken words. Soon, he would be home and shielded by the Lord Marshall himself.

Each day, Dick practiced flying. In the Laughing Court, the only building with high enough ceilings were the stables. At first, the grooms and stablehands were suspicious and resentful of Dick's presence. When Dick was nothing more than polite and occasionally assisted from time to time, his presence soon came to be accepted if not looked for.

Dick made sure that he practiced each day, unwilling to give up this connection with his parents. His parents had taught him acrobatics and the skills of aerialists. They had never forgotten their humble beginnings and Dick had improved upon his skills every day of his life. He made sure to make time, even when it was obvious that the Laughing King was trying to stop him. There were days when Dick got no more than a warm up swing or two in, but he still did it. It let him remember his parents and allowed him to believe that Haly was safe.

Richard was practicing in the stables when a royal page walked in looking as if the ground beneath his feet was an undesirable substance that would befoul his shoes.  "His Imminence, The Laughing King, summons your presence Prince Grayson, to the Great Hall. With a sniff, the page left as rapidly as possible.

A cold chill went down Richard's spine with the summons to the hall. He tried to tell himself it was the King just wanting to talk, or allowing him to leave sooner than expected. Dick took a little time cleaning up and dressing appropriately. He bolstered his courage with a thousand reasons as to why he had been summoned to the Great Hall. He was afraid it was just one.

Dick quietly moved through the castle and headed for the side door that he normally used to enter the Great Hall. He always felt uncomfortable with the overly flowery nature of the Laughing Court. Entering through the side door allowed him to side step much of the etiquette of the Court. Dick stopped in his tracks when he saw a guard posted at the door. Dick moved silently away before he was noticed. Dick found the other side door guarded as well. So. Through the main doors.

Dick walked up to the ten foot tall, five foot wide main doors to the Great Hall. The heavy, black doors seemed to tower menacingly over anyone who approached them. Standing just to the side of the doors, was the court herald. Dick hoped desperately that the Laughing King was entertaining foreign dignitaries as he gave his name to the herald. That would explain the extra guards, the obsequious herald and dissolve the misgivings fluttering in Dick's stomach like crazed butterflies. Dick entered the hall and his heart turned to ice.

Prince Richard was announced with all the fanfare and pomp any self-indulgent dignitary could ask for. Richard slowly walked up the long center aisle to where the Laughing King was waiting, seated upon his throne. Richard looked to either side of the court and realized that the entire court appeared to have been summoned for this meeting.

Dick finally reached the front of the hall. Giving a short bow of acknowledgement, Dick looked the Laughing King straight in the eye, chin up and fear desperately hidden deep in his heart. "You sent for me your majesty?"

A malicious grin seemed to spread like a disease across the Laughing King's face. He had watched Richard's steady stride up the center of the aisle and became determined to break this handsome young prince. If he could break the prince to his will, the country would follow easily. "Yes! Yes, my adored one. I called for you as soon as it came. I was giddy with delight that I could supply you with your heart's desire. So that you will know that my suite for you and your country is in deadly earnest." With a wave of his pale hand, the Laughing King indicated a pedestal off to his side. "The first of your requests my beloved."

Dick felt the blood leave his face. There, on a small velvet cushion of red, lay a deep green mask. It seemed to have shadows and whispers of the forest shimmering from its green depths. It beckoned to him to come and lay down in the deep shade of ancient trees and lose himself on the high peaks that only lone pines and breezes know.

The Laughing King sat upon his throne and watched Richard's face with glee. "As you can see, my fine young prince, it is as you requested, the Mask of the Forest." He smirked at the shock in the deep blue eyes. "The others should be here soon, one after another after another." The Laughing King leaned forward a deep, malicious gleam in his eyes. "Please, take the first of the gifts. It is a sign of our pledge and of the ties that we will bind, between you and I and our kingdoms."

Numbly, Richard came forward and picked up the mask. The material was cool, and whispered of dark shadows and green lands, far from the close confines of the Laughing King's castle. "Thank you, my lord." The words barely made it out of Dick's mouth. He bowed and left the hall, returning to his rooms.

Dick almost panicked. The green mask! He had thought it impossible to make. It had been a legend of his family. An item of fantasy. Yet, it rested in his hands, calling of mountain tops and vistas. Dick comforted himself that the four remaining items would be even harder to make or get. Impossible in fact. There would be no way for the Laughing King to secure them all, not in the short amount of time he had left.

That night, Richard found it difficult to settle down after turning in for the night. His quarters were large and handsomely laid out as befit a prince. But they felt confining almost claustrophobic. Richard settled in bed hoping the book he was reading would settle his mind and allow him to sleep. He had had too many restless nights and was beginning to feel the fatigue settle into his body, causing him to make mistakes. With a court as dangerous as the Laughing King's, mistakes could be damaging if not deadly.

Richard looked up as he heard a knock upon his door. Thinking it was a late night servant, Richard did not respond. He had no wish to see anyone or deal with any late night requests. His shock was complete when his door opened and the Laughing King entered. Richard scrambled out of his bed, not wanting to be at such a disadvantage with the king. The young prince gave a short bow, conscious of how vulnerable he felt in his own rooms. "Your majesty. I had not expected a late night visit. Was there something you needed.

The Laughing King smiled.

"You did not think I would give you such a trinket and not expect payment did you?" Richard backed away from the King, disturbed by the gleam in the madman's eye and feeling vulnerable clad only in his night clothes. The King stepped into Richard's quarters, locked the door and turned back to the young man. "I would have a gift from you as well, young Dick. A payment for the pretty. A taste of what will be mine… forever. The king began to advance upon the young prince, his intentions made clear with every move and the lust gleaming in his eyes.

Dick tried to defend himself; he had grown strong and agile in his exile in the Laughing Kingdom. But his adversary was fueled with lust and madness and knew more dirty tricks than the prince could even conceive of.

Richard's screams could be heard throughout the castle. The guards shuddered, and the servants praised the powers that it was not them.

Richard did not leave his rooms the next day until he was summoned forth to the Great Hall. His step was limping and he used a wall to hold himself upright. No marks were upon his face, but no man or woman in the castle would meet his eye. They had sacrificed this young man to their insane king, to make their own existence easier.

Richard looked with dull eyes upon the white cushion that sat before the Laughing King. Upon it was another mask. This one of a blue so deep as to be black. If a person looked hard enough, you could almost see the twinkle of stars in its deep depths, with the hint of twilight and dusk playing at its edges.

The Laughing King looked at his broken prince. He looked forward to payment again that night. "The second of your gifts is here. Just as the others will come. You have picked fine items, my dear young love. And just think, in four days, we will be together, for always."

Richard stumbled forward and picked up the mask. He looked into the eyes of the Laughing King and only saw madness and cruelty. Richard said nothing, but bowed his head and left the hall.

His screams rang through the hall that night.

Each day brought each item. The tunic and hose, the rope.

Each night brought pain, screams and heartache.

On the day before his sixteenth birthday, Richard was summoned to the hall once more. His movements were erratic. He hurt in so many places. His new lover, his first lover, was not gentle. He was not sure he could survive a wedding night. His steps faltered as he reached the doors to the hall. He did not want to go in. He did not want to see the cloak of feathers. He opened the door. Laid across a chair, was a beautiful cloak, entirely made of feathers. Peacock, hawk, owl, swallow and robin. There were all there. The mantle seemed to shimmer and move of its own accord. Wind and flight seemed to breathe from its folds. One had only to don it and flight to the clouds would be as easy as thought. Richard looked upon it with numb dread.

The Laughing King was quite pleased with himself. It had been done. Each request, each item had been made and presented. Now, he would have both his kingdom and the land of Haly. He could do away with the Lord Marshall at his leisure. He could change both countries into what he saw in his own, twisted imagination. He eyes burned upon the young figure standing before him. And he would have the pleasure and body of the young man who stood before him for as long as he wanted.

"The final gift, young Richard. I have given them all to you." The Laughing King came down from his throne and circled the young prince acquisitively. "Our nuptials will be tomorrow, the day of your birth. We will celebrate two such joyous occasions together!" The Laughing King laid a hand upon Richard's cheek. "Our wedding night will be the stuff of legend. Our cries will ring out through the kingdom." He kissed the young prince in front of his court. The gesture neither gentle nor romantic. Brutal and hard, he ended the kiss with Richard's lip bleeding. "Until tomorrow my love." The Laughing King walked from the Great Hall, leaving Richard standing, the cloak across his arms, his heart heavy with despair.

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