"Come on, Wilfy..." said Tristan. "Let's go upstairs".

Wilfred nodded. Once they were in the corridor outside the servants' hall, the timid, mute servant-boy bowed to the Crown Prince. Darius ignored him.

"Darius!" Tristan hissed.

"Huh? Oh! Hi Wilfred...Man I wonder what's for dinner..."

"DARIUS!"

The prince turned to see Wilfred's head bowed.

"Oh!...Oh, oh, oh..." said Darius. He grinned sheepishly. "Riiight", he said.

He patted Wilfred gently on the back.

"You're welcome, Wilfred".

Wilfred kissed the prince's ring and then straightened up again. He smiled. Darius grinned back.

"Hey Javelin, why don't you show me that new thing you were making..."

"The chair? It's in the forge...come on fatty..."

Tristan watched them go. He smiled at Wilfred. "Let's go back upstairs", he said.

Wilfred nodded and followed his master back up to the upper levels of the palace.

"See, Wilfred?" Tristan said, "You don't have to be scared. I know Darius is big and fat and scary, but he's not mean!...Not usually, at least!"

Wilfred nodded vigorously.

"So you don't need to worry".

The two boys waddled along a passageway towards their bedrooms. Wilfred, as a personal servant-boy to a member of the royal family, naturally enjoyed his own bedroom in his master's private apartment. The two boys passed opened and closed doors, and their silent thoughts were interrupted by loud voices!

"...Well! It seems to be quite definite, then..."
"Yes, your Majesty".
"I can't really say that I'm upset about it".
"Sir! He was one of Your Majesty's oldest and wealthiest subjects!"
"He was a horrible old man!"
"He was a hermit, your Majesty, that's true, but..."
"Harris! Do not atempt to sugar-coat the truth! You are my advisor, not my baker!"
"Yes your Majesty".
"Hmmm...Well...The Duke of Souton is dead, then".
"Yes indeed".
"Well he was almost seventy, what's to be expected, eh?"
"What indeed, your Majesty".
"So why on earth should all this concern me? I don't run the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages".
"No, your Majesty. but you see, the Duke has no known heirs. He died childless and without a wife".
"Surely he wasn't the only one in his family?"
"No, sir. There were others. I have spoken to Billy. He's working with Baxter to try and find out who they are, but it's proving difficult".
"I bet it is".
"You see, if within a year of the Duke's death, no heir is found and no-one comes forward with a claim, the land, the money and the house revert back to the Crown, your Majesty".
"I see".

"Hi papa!"

Chandler looked up from a packet of papers that he held in his hands and which were resting on his belly as he leaned back in his chair in his office, trying to make sense of the mess.

"Yes Harris...oh! It's you, Tristan".

"What're you doin'?"

"Sorting through all these papers. An old nobleman died and did the world a favour..."

"SIR!" Harris said, "One must not speak ill of the dead..."

"I shall speak of it however I please. He taxed the peasantry on his lands almost to death! How he managed not to have his lands taken from him is outside my understanding. I expect that father knew absolutely nothing about this, otherwise he would've stopped it long before now".

"What's the matter, papa?" Tristan asked.

"Well, if no heir to the estate is found, then everything is returned to the Crown", the King explained. "So I'm trying to find out who the heir is...If there is one".

Tristan nodded. "Okay", he said.

The king's office doors opened and Baxter the palace librarian came in carrying a bundle of scrolls in his hands!

"Sire!" he called out, "I think I've found it!"

"Really?" Chandler asked. "Let's see, then".

Tristan grabbed one of the scrolls and pulled! It tumbled out of the librarian's arms and rolled across the floor!

"Tristan!" Chandler sighed.

"Sorry papa..."

"It's quite alright!" said Baxter, dumping the other scrolls into Wilfred's arms, "See here".

The librarian picked up the scroll. It was a family tree. He laid it on the king's desk.

"The duke had an older brother. He was disowned by the duke's father several decades back. The brother died but left a son, who married. Without a family fortune or any sort of pension, they fell on very hard times. The son died and left a widow and another son. The widow passed away and the son ended up in an orphanage".

"How old is this son?" Chandler asked.

"He would be..." Baxter scribbled out some figures on a blank sheet of paper, "...about ten now".

"What orphanage?" Chandler asked.

"It's in the City. I sent them a letter but they say the boy was released from the orphanage".

"He was adopted?"

"No, your Majesty. He is an indentured servant".

"Indeed. Where?"

"Um...Here, your Majesty".

"What!?"

"The boy's name is Jimmy Everett, your Majesty. Or rather, that would make him James Everett, 4th Duke of Souton".

"If he's a servant in the palace, then why haven't I seen him?" Chandler asked.

"Um, that would be because he isn't IN the palace, your Majesty", said Baxter.

"He's dead too, is he?"

"No sir! No, no, no! He IS a servant! Just not IN the palace. He is OUTSIDE the palace".

"Outside!? What is he? A gardener? Crofter? Woodcutter?"

"Um..."

Baxter blushed and cleared his throat. "N-no, sir..."

"Who then? Coachman's son? Groom? Attendant of the Lamps?"

"Closer..."

"Stable-boy? Farrier?"

"...He is the stable-mucker, your Majesty".

"He's the...WHAT!?"

Everyone jumped when Chandler suddenly burst out laughing! He slammed a huge fist onto his desk! His lamp jumped off the table and Baxter dived to catch it!

"He's...he's...He's the WHAT!?"

"The stable-mucker, your Majesty!"

"You are not serious!"

"I-i-i am afraid so, your Majesty!"

"Oh my...oh my, oh my, oh my...Hehehehe...Oh lordy, lordy, lordy...Has anyone TOLD him yet?"

"Told...Oh! No, sir!"

"Oh dear..." Chandler grinned and chuckled. "Oh my goodness...ahem...yes...well! Um. Hmmm. Let us be um...ahem, serious now. Harris. Tomorrow, at an appropriate time, I wish for you to apprehend this stout young lad and see to it that he is brought to me".

"V-very good, your Majesty. Um, given that...um...Given his occupation, your Majesty, perhaps a bath, first?"

"Ah, yes. Very good. A bath first, then".

"After luncheon, your Majesty, in the throne-room?"

"...Yes. Yes that will do very nicely. Don't forget!"

"Oh no, your Majesty!"

"Very good! Oh goodness. What will the Queen say...What will my father say when he finds out! The things you find out when you run a kingdom..."