Solomon was angry at himself. He had been so focused on getting ready for the attack he had in mind that he had failed to eat, or even sleep, for some time. When he at last nodded off, he fell so deeply into sleep that when the royal carriage clattered forth from the castle he only awoke as the damn thing passed by without him having an instant to react. He had a fleeting glimpse of Prince Edward and some terrified looking girl and then they were gone.

He had roundly cursed himself out and then proceeded to quickly lay the last part of his plan, a fuse sewn into a waterproof leather sheath that he carefully ran up the stairs and onto the roof. He had tasted the fuse and knew that the entire length would burn in roughly thirty to thirty five seconds. More than enough time. 

As if in an answer to his prayers, the rain had stopped and he could see the glimmer of sunlight as it tried to push through the cloud cover. It was a sign from God.

Now two roofs over from the house he had mined, he sat with his back to a tall chimney and kept a careful watch down the long roadway that the carriage must return through. His gaze was drawn to several heavily cloaked figures slowly beginning to infiltrate the crowds that were walking slowly along the cobblestones, stunned faces turned skyward as a beam of sunlight shot across the granite grey city to splash a blast of golden light across pale skinned faces. 

He noted a half dozen men who did not seem at all interested and deduced from their size, for they were clearly well fed, and mannerisms, that they must be a group of his vampire hunting brethren. Ordinarily this would not bother him but they had chosen an intersection fifty yards before his own ambush point. This meant they would intercept Prince Edward before he could. For an instant he thought about abandoning his position but a glance toward the castle told him moving was unwise. The guard was changing and nearly a hundred soldiers were milling about as their officers exchanged salutes.

As if on cue, he heard the thunder of the Princes approaching carriage. The sun was stronger, pushing through more and more, the warm light washing over the stunned guardsmen who paused in the middle of their ceremony to enjoy the brief moment. 

Abruptly a horrible scream cut through the air as the other Vampire Hunters sprung their trap, a crossbow bolt flashing out to bury itself in the carriage drivers neck. Amazingly the man didn't die, instead grimly clinging to his reins as he drove the horses onward. Solomon had to admire the mans determination. The guards around the main gate exploded into motion like a swarm of ants disturbed at their nest and began to run toward the carriage even as the Princes personal guard closed in around it. Some went down in crumpled heaps as more crossbow bolts flashed out.

One of the horses gave a tremendous scream as it's foreleg broke on the uneven cobblestone and it tumbled down in a heap, just shy of the entrance to the house Solomon had so carefully prepared. The other five horses were dragged to a stop by its weight and the heavy carriage slewed sideways as the Vampire Hunters, nine of them, swarmed toward it, butchering the Princes guardsmen who had clearly not had to fight any living enemies in a long time. 

The hundred or so men coming from the Castle were another thing however and their own crossbows fired, throwing back several of the Princes attackers. One of the Hunters sprang to the door of the carriage and wrenched it open, wooden stake in hand, but a bolt slammed into his side and he spun away with a shriek that was almost lost beneath the roar of the approaching guardsmen.

That was when Solomon blew the mine. The black powder so carefully concealed in the house and mortared in place to help direct the blow, caught fire and unleashed its tremendous power. As predicated, much of it was wasted upward but enough had been planted to ensure the complete destruction of the house. 

For a moment it was as if the fuse had not worked as planned, but then a low rumble filled the street. The houses walls bulged, buckled, and then exploded outward in a tremendous billow of stone, splinters, ash and flame. The blast scattered the charging soldiers and Vampire Hunters like leaves before the wind, sweeping them clear from the street in an instant. The heavy carriage was hurled onto its side and the remainder of the horses slaughtered by the blast. 

A strange silence seemed to fill the street as it reverberated with the roar of the blast. Then the screams could be heard. The calls for help. The sounds of men whose lives had been destroyed in an instant. Only two Vampire Hunters remained and they stumbled through the dust and smoke toward the Princes overturned carriage, weapons in hand. Men of determination and opportunity. Solomon admired that.

Of the guardsmen there was no sign. The majority of them had taken the brunt of the explosion and died instantly. The remainder were either wounded or to dazed to resist. Several did manage to stand but blood leaked from their ears and eyes, the concussion of the blast had shattered something in their head. 

Solomon carefully lifted his crossbow and fitted a bolt, tipped with wood and dipped in holy water, into the groove. He balanced it on the edge of the chimney and took aim at the carriage. He had no doubt that the young Prince had survived, but how well, he did not know. 

The last two ambushers began to scramble onto the carriage, intent on finishing the Prince. If they failed, Solomon would kill him. If they succeeded, he would kill them instead.