Robin Many Feathers

Chapter 7

The two men of Haly stood facing each other in the quiet stable. Most of the horses were asleep with only the occasional stamp of a hoof from the few still up.

Dick couldn't believe it. All these years. After all these years and Bruce was finally back. And Dick didn't know what to say. He was no longer the five year old who had been left behind in the courtyard, wondering why his hero was leaving him behind. He had outgrown the ten year old's dreams of being found by his hero and taken home to parents miraculously alive again. He had even given up the hope of a fifteen year old for a letter, telling him that someone he cared for was still alive. Dick was at a loss so it was best to stick to business. "The war? It's over now I take it? You were successful in your defense of Haly?" Dick began to brush down one of the horses. He never could just stand idly.

Bruce Wayne looked at the young prince before him, currying a horse as if he did it every day of his life. Bruce shook his head. For the last few months, Dick had been doing this every day. The small boy he had left behind was gone. The young eyes that had been filled with stars were darker now, more closed and wary. The lithe, muscled form ready to fight or flee rather than welcome life with open arms. For all of his station, the prince had faced hardships and pain that would have broken many an older man. And there was still hope. Prince Richard still had laughter when he flew as his parents did. There was interest and desire when he looked at the young Atlantan king. Life had not broken Dick, but Bruce could wish it had not given him so many lessons and he had not learned them all quite so well. Bruce watched the man he had once held as a babe in arms and did not know what to say on these matters. For now, he would follow the prince's lead. "The war is over. Haly's northern border is secure and quite a bit further north. I have the treaties ratifying the changes with the nobles in those areas. They need the signature of Haly's king."

Dick looked at Bruce, shocked. Haly was bigger? What was he suppose to do with more country? "King's signature? Can't the Seneschal sign the treaties? I won't be confirmed as king until my eighteenth birthday. If Haly still wants me as king that is." Dick felt bitter gall and shame flow through him. He had not thought about the consequences of the Laughing King's actions upon him until now. "I… no longer possess all the requirements of being a king to Haly. It will be necessary to search the other clans for a king." Dick fixed his sight on the black horse in front of him, giving the mare long steady strokes with the curry comb. He did not want to see the look in Bruce's eyes.

Dick heard a deep breath taken. He was sure that Bruce's eyes would be filled with pity or disgust, if he didn't just walk out, knowing that before him were soiled goods. There would be no meetings with Garth, no alliances that Dick would be part of. He no longer could offer anything...

Dick felt himself turned around and a hand underneath his chin, lifting his face, forcing him to look into Bruce's eyes. He saw in those blue depths only compassion, love and understanding. He felt in his soul as well as heard the deep rumbling tones of the Lord Protector's voice. "First, the Seneschal can't sign anything. He has been removed from office and imprisoned for dereliction of duty and abuse of office. Not to mention putting the heir to the kingdom in harm's way. He awaits trial and execution. Second, Haly cannot wait until you are eighteen to be confirmed as king. The country needs you now Dick. I'm sorry, but we do not have the luxury of waiting for you to grow up anymore. And finally, yes. Haly most assuredly wants you as its king." Bruce pulled the younger man closer, knowing the embarrassment and shame that his next statement would cause for the prince. "What happened to you in the Laughing Kingdom has become common knowledge in many kingdoms." Bruce sensed Dick's hand clenching into fists, heard the handle of the brush snap. "Haly knows what happened to you, what you sacrificed and what you are willing to do to keep the kingdom safe. Before I traveled here, searching for you, looking for any sign of where you may have gone, The Council drafted, signed and sealed a proclamation granting me carte blanche to find our missing heir." Bruce felt Dick stiffen in shock from his statement. He tightened his arms around the younger man. "There will be a formal ceremony when we return to Haly, but as of now, you are the monarch of Haly Dick." Bruce let go of the man he loved like a son and went down on one knee. "Long live King Richard. I, Bruce Wayne, Lord Marshall of Haly do hereby pledge my sword, my lands and my heart to the service of Haly and It's King for all my days."

Dick straightened, but his eyes were troubled. "I'm sorry Bruce, but I cannot accept your pledge. Only Haly and Her people can confer that title upon me." Dick turned from the Dark Knight with a heavy heart. "Haly may not want 'damaged goods' upon her throne. That is for her to decide, not you, not me. And that cannot be decided until we return to Haly." Dick turned back to Bruce, his eyes full of sadness. "As a prince of Haly, it is within my power to begin alliance talks with Atlantan and to protect Haly from the likes of the Laughing King. But only a king may bind those alliances or declare war on another kingdom, and there is no king here." Blue eyes looked deeply into the sorrow and pain that each had felt and both felt that burden lessened.

The heart of Lord Wayne swelled with affection for the young man before him. Many would have grasped at the power before them, thinking it was theirs for the taking, with no obligations, on one man's say-so and a bit of paper. Dick had once again exceeded Bruce's expectations. "Then, if you will not take my oath as king, will you take my oath as a personal knight to you, the prince of Haly?"

Dick smiled at the man who was still kneeling on the ground in front of him. Grasping his hands, Dick hauled Lord Wayne to his face. "I will take your oath, if you will take my pledge of friendship."

"Done." The two would need more time to talk and share their grief over the losses they had both suffered and the needs of their kingdom, but now was not that time. The present and the future were pressing in upon them with the threat of the Laughing King.

Bruce turned and looked up at the bright lights gleaming from the windows where the night's revelry was taking place. "Dick. We need to head for the castle. The Laughing King could try anything and Garth will need all the help he can get."

Dick nodded and stepped up next to the Lord Marshall. "You're right. It wouldn't be fair to make Garth face that madman alone." Dick's eyes narrowed in thought. "You head for the ballroom and I'll come in through the servant's entrance. I'll see what I can find out below stairs while you check on Garth and what the Laughing King is up to." Dick started out the door of the stable when he felt Lord Wayne's hand on his shoulder. Dick looked back to see what the problem was.

Bruce shook his head in amusement; it would take Dick awhile to start thinking like a king. "Your Highness. For all that you have been for the last several months; you can no longer move about as a servant. We will both enter through the main gates and the Prince of Haly will be announced. It is time for you to take up your mantle."

Dick was stunned. And a bit nauseous. Go into that crowd? Maybe they could rethink this… "Are you sure about this Bruce? I mean, I could go over the ramparts just as easily. Scouting the area could give us valuable knowledge…"

"The main entrance Dick. As Prince Richard."

"The caverns would be a good bet also. Who knows how deep the Laughing King has infiltrated the castle."

"Main. Entrance."

Dick felt backed into a corner. He had only one excuse left. He hated to use it, but he had no choice. He lifted his chin and looked Bruce right in the eye. "I can't. I don't have anything to wear." Dick braced himself for the explosion. It came.

Laughter flooded out of the Lord Marshall. Deep, booming belly laughs that filled the stable to the rafters. Dick looked on in disgust.

"That's right. Laugh it up. You're not the one having to go into a crowded room filled with people, dressed as a servant with chicken feathers for a cloak announcing that you're a prince of Haly." Dick shook his head. "I'm gonna get laughed out on my ass."

Lord Wayne got a hold of himself and calmed his laughter down to the occasional snicker. Of all the things that the young man in front of him could be worrying about - danger, death, pain, injury, - what he was wearing should have been the least of them. Obviously not. Well, this problem at least was easily rectified. "You have on the Tunic of Undermountain. Go put on the trews that go with it and bring the Mask of Twilight."

Dick looked down at himself, surprised to find that he was still wearing the tunic. If he had gone out like this, he surely would have been discovered. Dick went up to the loft, cleaned up and changed. He brought down with him not only the Mask of Twilight but also the Crystal Rope and the Mask of the Forest. "This is still not appropriate attire Bruce. I look like I've just come from the competition fields." Dick was still hoping that he could get Bruce to agree to him skulking around the castle. So much better than facing that glittering throng of nobility. One or two at a time was fine. But so many at once? Dick shuddered at the thought.

Two large hands settled on Dick's shoulders as Bruce grinned. "It'll be alright Dick. Now, think of the deep caves underground. Hidden in dark shadows, the air is like black velvet, impossible to see through, so heavy it feels like a weight upon your skin. Imagine it. Feel it."

Dick closed his eyes and remembered his trip through the mountains separating the Laughing Kingdom from Atlantan. He remembered those dark nights where the caverns themselves seemed to breathe and surrounded him in their dark and comforting embrace. He felt the soft moss underneath his fingers, the slick stone where a trickle of water had worn its way deep down into the heart of the cavern to create a pool with no reflection. Dick felt the material of his clothes shift and change. Opening his eyes, he looked down and saw that the material that had once been strong serviceable cotton had gained an even deeper hue of darkness and sheen of velvet that swallowed the light as much as it shone with it. Dick looked up at Bruce with astonishment in his eyes. "How did you know to do that?"

Bruce looked at the young man before him in satisfaction. Dick was now truly dressed as royalty. "The items you chose, whether intentionally or not, are all from the traditions and history of Haly. How the Laughing King had them created I don't know, but they are imbued with the abilities of legend. Changing the fabric of the Garb of Undermoutain is one of its minor abilities. You have used several of the items unconsciously and confidently, as only a member of House Grayson could. Now, the final item and we head for the castle and the main entrance." Bruce took the Mask of Twilight in his hands and placed it on Dick's face. But rather than tying it on the back of Dick's neck, Bruce smoothed the laces behind Dick's head and over his hair. "Think of Twilight and stars Your Highness."

Dick closed his eyes and thought back to the nights he had spent in the forests of Atlantan. Of the deep colors that painted the sky as the sun settled behind the mountains and allowed the stars to shine down in all their diamond bright glory.

As Dick's mind roamed, the mask changed into a circlet of deep, deep blue. As the circle darkened in color, three small diamonds shone forth like starlight. The circlet sat lightly on the young prince's brow, holding the ebon hair back and lending elegance to his already graceful countenance. Dick opened his eyes and looked at the Lord Marshall.

Lord Wayne, Protector of Haly was more than satisfied. Here was the true heir of Haly. "Now, your highness. We must go to the castle." Dick nodded and the two men set out.

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The ballroom was much as Dick had surmised, crowded, hot and stifling. Looks of speculation and interest had been following Dick and Bruce since their entrance to the castle. Dick was grateful for Lord Wayne's presence, it kept the more forward and self-serving members of the nobility at bay. The Lord Marshall of Haly had a reputation for ruthlessness and did not deal kindly with the self-serving interests of others. But the identity of the Lord Marshall's companion was exciting the curiosity of even the most reserved members of the nobility. The sharks were beginning to circle and there was still no sign of Garth. Dick knew he had should have gone skulking. He felt like he had a target painted on his back or a noose around his neck. That noose was slowly tightening as Lord Wayne made his way to the court herald, his intentions quite clear.

The herald flashed Dick a look of astonishment after he had conferred with Lord Wayne for several minutes. Dick had stepped back from Bruce, dreading the conversation he was engaged in and what it was about to release. Dick was watching the herald step up to the main dais when he felt a presence at his shoulder. Stiffening, Dick turned around, wondering who had the temerity to be the first to approach him. He came face to face with Roy, the Master of the Hunt with Donna at his side. Roy's grin would have fit better upon the face of a Cheshire cat. He briefly bowed to Dick. "Your highness. It's a pleasure to finally meet you as yourself."

Dick looked at the man warily. "Oh? I've only just arrived this evening…"

If anything, Roy's grin broadened. "Arrived at the castle? Yes, I suppose so. But you've been 'arrived' at the stables and grounds of the castle for several months now, haven't you 'Robin'?" Roy cocked his head to one side. "Or do you prefer Nightwing?"

Dick flushed and stammered. His deception had been found out. "Ah, I prefer, that is…"

Roy took pity on the younger man. He knew what Prince Richard had faced and could not, in good conscience, continue to tease the boy. "No one else has figured it out, Your Highness." Roy gently squeezed the waist of the young woman standing next to him. "Donna is the only other person who knows and she has promised to keep your secret as well."

Donna looked at the young man standing before her in such finery. To think she had competed against royalty! "Your highness, thank you again for saving my life. I don't know how I'll ever repay you for your help that day…"

Dick held up his hands as if to surrender, the red flush of embarrassment displaying itself on his cheeks and the tips of his ears. "My lady, please. It was my pleasure to help a fellow competitor. I couldn't have allowed anyone, much less a beautiful lady, fall to such an unyielding field below." Dick's eyes sparkled with a bit of mischief. In the relaxed company of fellow warriors, Dick started to regain his own confidence that had been slowly trickling away under the onslaught of the nobility. "The only thanks that I would have would be for you too keep a close eye on this red-headed Lothario here. If you were to make an honest man of him and keep him from breaking any more hearts, I believe both Haly and Atlantan would be grateful to you."

Dick watched with glee as Donna threw a gimlet look at Roy. "Have no worries, your highness, I will be quite happy to fulfill that request."

Roy saw the look on Donna's face with dismay before turning to Dick with a mixture of resignation, happiness and accusation upon his face. "That, your highness, was just rude."

Prince Richard smirked at the red-headed archer and was about to utter a rejoinder when a staff was pounded upon the dais three times to gain the attention of the room. It was the herald that Batman had been talking to. Richard braced himself as Lord Wayne came over to stand with him. Lord Wayne leaned over to Dick and whispered in his ear. "Easy son, it will all be over in a minute. It won't hurt. Much." Dick glared at the Lord Marshall. He was enjoying this just a bit too much.

Just as the herald was about to start his proclamation, a ruckus started at the back of the room. The Laughing King's men had started to push and shove the guests out of their way, making a clear aisle from the main doors to the dais on which Garth's throne sat. Lord Wayne and Roy pulled Richard and Donna further back into the crowd then stood in front of the young prince to hide his presence. The crowd was packed in even closer around Richard who had gone white at the thought of seeing the Laughing King and the proximity of all the people. Donna saw the changes in the young heir of Haly and moved closer, taking his hand in hers. She had not expected the crushing, desperate grip that encircled her hand and let out a small gasp. Instantly the pressure was lessened, but her hand was still held with an intensity she had not expected. Donna looked into eyes that were a little too wide, but still shone with gratefulness for her gesture. Donna leaned in to ask the prince what was wrong, when all attention in the room was almost forcibly drawn to the main doors of the Ballroom. The Laughing King had made his entrance.

Never had a man seemed more vile. His every step seemed to ooze a sick sheen of despair, his every gesture covered in an oil of hopelessness and cruelty. As he paraded his way up the makeshift aisle, the crowd drew back even further from his presence, as if even close proximity could infect a person with his depraved insanity. It was almost with a sigh of relief as the nobles watched the Laughing King step on to the dais. The relief turned to outrage when he sat down upon Garth's throne.

"My lord, my ladies, do forgive me for being so late to these wondrous festivities." The maniac settled sideways into Garth's throne, his legs thrown over one arm while he began to pry and pick at the precious stones set into the chair. "I understand you were all depressed and pining for my presence. I know. My own people are the same way. I'm sure right now that they are shrieking and sobbing over my absence." The Laughing King stopped his pilfering for a moment as he thought. "Especially those in the torture chamber." Having pocketed the gems he had taken from the throne, he stood up and began to walk around the dais, looking over the room and its inhabitants as if they were valuable cattle. "But that is neither here nor there. I have great news! An announcement of momentous proportions!" An acquisitive gleam sparkled in the madman's eyes. "King Garth, ruler of Atlantan, has asked me to be his Consort and Co-Ruler. And I have agreed!" The Laughing King beamed at the throng as if expecting to hear a clamor of cheers and approval. A silence descended on the hall sounding disbelief and dismay of the crowd.

The silence was broken by Wally, who stepped up to the dais, anger and suspicion written in his every gesture and movement. "Your… highness. Where is King Garth? We would have news of such a… joyous proclamation from his own lips."

The Laughing King's eyes narrowed at the man who had the gall to stand up to him. He had expected a better response to his proclamation as well. Silence. Really. He should have gotten a few screams at least. "King Garth was over taken by paroxysm of joy at the thought of our up coming nuptials. He has retired for the evening to recover himself. He has, however, left me in charge of this wonderful gathering to do as I see fit." The acquisitive gleam brightened in the mad man's eyes. "I do believe that my first order of business would be to have you all grant me a gift of fealty, as your future ruler. So please, out of the love in your hearts for me, just a small gift symbolizing your loyalty. Your jewelry will do just fine." The Laughing King turned back to Wally. "You can be the first."

Wally's hands clenched into fists, as if to restrain himself from more violent gestures. "Such… liberties King Garth would not allow. I am one of his closest advisors. I would see him so that King Garth himself can tell me that this is not a farce." Wally gave a pointed look at the Laughing King and his thugs. "Or an invasion."

The Laughing King clapped his hands together as if he were a small child at Wally's pronouncement. "Oh good! I was hoping to find you! Thank you so much!" The madman turned to his henchmen. "Kill him. I would have no more of his lies poisoning my beloved's thoughts."

With this pronouncement, the room erupted into a mass of fighting bodies and shrieking pandemonium. Wally leapt back from the advancing thugs, desperately seeking a weapon with which to defend himself. A cry of his name caused Wally to look up. Roy was near a wall with a rapier in hand. Upon catching Wally's glance, Roy threw him the weapon, which Wally caught with ease. He now faced his attackers with confidence in his stance. The Laughing King's thugs looked to one another for courage, not so sure of their target now. Unarmed was so much easier to kill.

When the first cries of battle sounded, Bruce, Dick, Roy and Donna had gone back to back and begun fighting and defending themselves. Following Roy's lead, the quartet moved towards the closest wall of the ballroom, covered in festive draperies, garland and banners. Roy threw up the banner revealing what looked to be a column, but was in actuality a cache of weapons. Pulling them out, Roy armed his comrades then leapt up on to one of the pedestals in the area. Seeing Wally's predicament, he got his attention and threw him a rapier, know that Wally was excellent with the weapon. Soon, Wally had worked his way over to where the quartet had entrenched themselves.

"We've got to find Garth!" Wally had to yell to make himself heard. The noise in the room had grown in volume with Garth's loyalist defending themselves and attacking with the hidden weapons that had been placed in the ballroom. Four affirmative nods greeted Wally's statement and the quintet of warriors worked their way to the back of the room and out a side door. The silence was deafening.

Lord Wayne looked at his companions. All young warriors. He could trust no better at his side. "The Laughing King probably has his army moving on Atlantan as we speak. He would not make such a pronouncement unless he had force to back it up." The looks between the others agreed with the Lord Marshall's pronouncement. "Roy, Donna, I would have you come with me to rally the Atlantan army and troops. We need to get every able bodied man possible who can defend Atlantan from the coming onslaught." Roy and Donna agreed with Lord Wayne, the light of battle in their eyes. Lord Wayne turned to the Heir of Grayson.

"Dick, I need you to…"

"… find Garth. I know. If we can find him and prove the Laughing King's proclamation false, we may be able to quell this revolt before it has time to gain momentum. Wally should have several ideas as to where Garth might be held prisoner. Right Wally?"

Wally was taken by surprise by this assertive young man. He wasn't sure who he was, but he made sense. Garth had to be found and the kingdom defended. "Yes. I think I may know where Garth is."

Dick turned back to the Dark Knight. "So, Wally and I will go and secure Garth's release while you rally and defend the kingdom from the attacking army. Time is of the essence. God Speed." With that, Dick grabbed Wally's arm and started them down the long hallway that stretched back into the servant's area.

The Lord Marshall, Protector of Haly, was speechless. He had been about to order Dick to hide and escape the country as soon as he could. Haly could not afford to lose its heir, no matter what that heir might think of himself. He had forgotten how forceful the Grayson House could be when they got the bit between their teeth. Dick would make a strong monarch for Haly.

Roy clapped a hand on the shoulder of the Lord Marshall. "C'mon. The quicker we get the troops together the faster we can get back here and keep those two hot heads from getting killed!" Roy's statement galvanized the Dark Knight and soon the trio was headed out to stop the incipient invasion.

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