Fletcher Page 5

  That bit of wisdom got him nodded at, by the Magician. The others simply seemed wary, for some reason.

  “Truly. They were worthy adversaries, the Modroc. Is this the space I’m to be stored in?” The words were accented and a bit strange. Prince Robarts smiled though, nodding.

  “If they meet your needs? We can have another space set up for you, or have furnishings brought in or taken away. Simply get with… Anders, on that, if it’s needed?”

  The words got a nod.

  “I’m sure that all is better than fine here.”

  The rooms inside the doors were very fine indeed. Splendid, to be truthful. There was a large rug in the middle of the front room, with soft looking long chairs, a low sitting bench and several glistening tables. In the room to the right was a giant bed, and off to the far left a bathing chamber. The trunks were already in place, though settled in the front space. They’d have been better off in the bed chamber, since there was a screened changing area off in that direction.

  After a moment, Aisla clapped a few times, smiling.

  “We should let you get ready for the evening meal, Great-Grandfather. I’ll be back to collect you in… Call it an hour and a half? Now, we should see to putting Anders into his bed.” She crossed her arms, as if getting ready to scold him for being up in the first place.

  Prince Robarts bowed toward her.

  “I’ll see to that portion? I wish to speak to my nephew, anyway.” Those words got Prince Alpert to stiffen, seeming ready to hit his brother, for some reason.

  Probably due to the fact that the oldest Prince was going to threaten him, possibly insisting that he leave the castle, to prevent the facts of his birth from being known. At least Anders figured that might be the case. That sort of thing had been hinted at before. Not by anyone all that important. That didn't mean they were wrong.

  As they moved to leave, he tried to bow, only to have Magician Depak slap him gently on the shoulder.

  “I’ll see you in the morning? If you’re up. Don’t lose sleep on my account. I tend to rise with the sun, as an indication of when I’ll be available.”

  He managed that bow then, getting one in return.

  “I’ll be here then, to freshen your room, Magician Depak. Until then.” After that, the elder Prince spoke for a bit, while he stood out in the hallway. It wasn’t a long wait. When the man came out, he patted Anders on the shoulder. Gently.

  The others were behind them, so he didn’t start to speak until he was out of their earshot.

  Then instead of threats, the man took a very deep breath.

  “Well done. Incredibly so, in fact.”

  The words were almost shocking, not being a dressing down or an attack at all. The man kept walking, speaking quietly at the same time.

  “I know that finding out about my brother, that he’s your Father… I hope that doesn’t distress you? You’d be in your rights to challenge him to a duel over the way it came out. Poor Aisla… She truly can’t understand how insulting that might be to you. To her mind… Well, I imagine she was merely announcing you as family to smooth over the tardiness of the rest of us in getting there in the first place. I know that she can’t see as to why your parentage was in part hidden. She and Lyse are even friendly. Her people… Their ways are simply different than ours. You aren’t too upset, are you?”

  There was a slightly plaintive tone to the words, which wasn’t exactly what Anders would have figured on coming from the man. Honestly, he was sort of waiting for abuse, at least in the shape of harsh words, to be spattered across him.

  Shaking his head, he spoke softly. Mainly to cover for his fairly heavy breathing. That was due to walking while ill, not fear or rage.

  “I didn’t take offense at it. The only surprise I have is that no one wanted to work with Magician Depak. He’s a splendid fellow, don’t you think?” There were others in the hallway, watching them as they passed. A woman whispered to another from behind a fan. They were faces he’d seen, if only at a distance. Duchess Rainly and her coven of witches. That was what he’d heard them called. They did small magics together, mainly focused on controlling the weather, which meant no one had a large problem with them.

  Which meant that announcing good things about the newcomer might find a place with them.

  Prince Robarts smiled hugely then, nearly yelling, as he caught the idea of the hour.

  “Indeed. Great sense of humor. I want to thank you for agreeing to tend his room. I know that’s beneath your station. It heartens me to find you willing to take on what is needed for the good of our kingdom. If only everyone would be that brave.”

  A large hand was on his back again. No one looked at them sideways, though it was clear from their body posture and lack of speech they were listening to him.

  “It isn’t bravery to be kind to a good person, in particular. Magician doesn’t mean fiend, after all.” He tried to project the words, exhaustion taking him. That and a feeling of illness.

  To that part of things, Princess Aisla had been correct. He probably should have still been in bed. It wasn’t until they got to his bedchamber door that a thought hit him.

  “I… Does Magician Depak know our dining rules here? I only learned them today, myself. It wouldn’t be fair to ambush him that way. I don’t even know how to address the King properly. He asked me to make sure he didn't walk into any traps that way.”

  His eyes were nearly ready to close, causing him to shake his head, trying not to go down. It was only just reaching twilight as it was. The lamps weren’t even lit in the hallways yet.

  Prince Robarts narrowed his eyes, then looked around. They were near, but not truly in, the servant section. His Mother was of the court there, if one of the lowest members. That meant people walked by, saw who was standing there and looked away, pretending they didn’t notice the Prince was talking to the troublesome errand boy that no one wanted around. Most likely they assumed the Prince was arranging for him to do something for him. Either plotting or bed service.

  Not that any of the Princes did things like that with men. It would be a huge scandal if that was the case. Which in the moment meant that anyone seeing it starting to happen needed to get far away from them, since seeing that kind of thing could end in death.

  There was a grunt from the larger man, who stood nearly three heads higher than Anders did.

  “That is… A very good thought. There’s still nearly two hours before the meal. I’d see to it myself, if it wouldn’t be taken as an insult. It’s possible that’s what Aisla has in mind for him… Or not. What do you think you should do about that? You’re responsible for him. At least in the way of being our representative.”

  The answer there was both unpleasant and clear.

  “Master Belford. He has the needed skills, I think. Not that I have any way to pay him for his time.” If it were just how to manage a plate, he had that memorized. There was also a presentation to the King. Anders had barely ever even seen the man in the distance.

  Normally he would have gotten Erold to help him out. Not that it had ever come up before, exactly. That wouldn’t work in the moment, since they needed someone low born enough that they might, possibly, go to aid a foreign dignitary based on what Anders Brolly told them to do. Not that he could order anyone around at all.

  Walking quickly, feeling ready to fall down, he headed four doors down, on the same side of the hallway and knocked. If the tutor was away already, it would be impossible to find him in time. In which case, he was going to have to learn enough to pass to the man in time. From Prince Robarts, simply due to him being there at the moment and knowing what to do. Then he’d have to run off and try to teach someone who might not be well pleased to be taught by a child.

  Anders had knocked, firmly, four times before he realized that he’d done it. The door opened, with the mean tutor standing there, his face decently pleasant seeming, for him.

  “Hello? Anders! This is new. Do you have a message for me?”

&nb
sp; That was almost a sensible thing to say. After all, he did that kind of thing on occasion, around the castle. Normally when he wasn’t hiding well enough.

  “In a manner of speaking.” He paused, trying to collect his thoughts and use the best language he could for what was needed. Nothing in any of his experience really fit the situation that well. “Magician Depak is in. I’ve been assigned to aid him while he’s here and gave my word to do so to him directly. He’s off to a high meal with the King in less than two hours and it occurred to me that going over how to best present himself there and to the King would be useful to him. Not that he’s lacking in any way. Simply that being from a far off land, some of the rules might be different. I can go over with him what we did earlier today but…” Anders spread his hands, then waited.

  The man would pick up what he meant. If he was going to aid him and the strange magic user or not, that remained to be seen.

  The thin fellow, his prominent nose twitching as if it itched suddenly, nodded.

  “That’s a delicate situation… Let me grab my basket and see to it. I don’t know where he’s being housed.” There was a bit of trepidation, which turned to shock a moment later when the man dashed out into the hallway, closing the door behind him without looking up, then stopping suddenly only to find Prince Robarts standing there, smiling at him. Back far enough not to be part of their group. Close enough that it was obvious the man was staring.

  Without speaking to Master Belford, he nodded toward Anders.

  “Very good. Thank you for seeing to this.” Then he left, walking the other way, allowing them to go without it being specifically at his behest.

  Anders hurried, which caused him to be out of breath and covered with sweat by the time they got to the right door. He knocked gently, only to hear an accented voice call out.

  “Enter, at your will!”

  So he did, hurrying still. When they got inside of the front room, the scene had changed a bit. Mainly in that one of the large trunks had been set on one end and opened to show a small book case, in three parts. That was along one of the walls. Magician Depak smiled at him, bowing back with both hands out, dressed in a light blue robe that was as fine as the one from earlier, but different at the same time. Only it wasn’t. The thing was the same garment, only having been changed in color.

  It buzzed a bit to his mind when he focused on it.

  A thing noticed by the Magician.

  “Anders? I’d thought you to your sick bed. Is something amiss?” From his expression, which was bland and cool at the same time, he seemed to be ready to take it out on Master Belford if it was.

  “I was all the way to my door, when it came to me that we should cover what’s expected at the meal and the presentation with the King later. To our bargain? That I’d help keep you out of trouble?”

  Instead of acting angry or beating them, the man simply smiled, his mustache moving as it happened.

  “That would be wonderous! Thank you for thinking of me. Who is your friend?”

  Anders got that it was a polite way of indicating the mean tutor.

  “This is Master Belford. He’s most knowledgeable about things like this. Perhaps one of the best in the kingdom.”

  That got more bowing, then they got to work, setting up for the meal first, since it would be the harder portion of things. Master Belford smiled as he worked.

  “A presentation to the King is simple, after all. Bow, smile and pass over what papers you might have from your own people. Since you’re from a far-off land, you should call him King Matheus each time, even when everyone else is using your highness or your majesty. Other than that, be pleasant. Now, the meal will be a bit more complex. Let’s start at the beginning?”

  Chapter four

  There was just a small crack of light from the window near his bed when Anders opened his eyes. The night before hadn’t been a late one for him at all. Most days he stayed up for several hours past the coming of night. Sitting and listening to people talking about their day in the servant’s hall, or with his Mother, if she wasn’t at a high court function.

  As soon as Master Belford had instructed the Magician Depak well enough to give the strange and pleasant man a chance at not being embarrassed at the meal or with the King, Anders had gone back to his bed. Struggling to get into his night clothes as he nearly fell onto the lumpy sack of hay that was provided for him to rest on. That part, the discomfort of the bed, was a fortunate thing, he decided, on waking.

  Even his youthful back was uncomfortable enough that he needed to rise as soon as possible. It meant he had his chamber pot emptied into the sump well out back of the castle and a full bucket of wash water before the sun cracked over the edge of the horizon. Scrubbing himself in his room, using the small washing stand in the corner, as well as taking care of his teeth and breath so as to not offend, as was the custom of his new home, didn’t take that long. It was familiar in a way, not being too different for Farad than what he’d lived with his entire life.

  Both lives, as it turned out. The only difference was that Anders Brolly had been, as with most things, a bit lazy that way. Not to the point of being unpleasant for a normal person as far as odor went, perhaps. The standards were a bit lax, to the old man that had merged with him, meaning that working on that first thing was needed.

  The shuttered window was opened, the curtain made of heavy layers of dense and coarse fabric drawn back to allow good clean air into the sick chamber. It was tempting to go and get more water, so that the room might be scrubbed completely. That would have to wait, he knew. There were real demands on his time now.

  First, before the rest of his day was to start, he needed to go and see to Magician Depak. Ambassador Depak, as it turned out, though the man had been fine with him using the occupational title for him, so far. That was a relief, since as far as Anders could tell, no one else truly knew the correct way to address the man in private. Publicly it was simple enough, since Master Belford had let that drop the evening before. Anyone in court would call him by the greater title. It was considered a bit official, for daily use.

  The trick there was that the man, being of a different land, could and probably did, have his own expectations in that way. Which didn’t get the chamber pot emptied.

  He knocked softly on the door of the nice room, having wound his way through the hallways of the castle. It was a bit of a good walk and while he did it directly and with enough vigor that it didn’t take him hours to achieve, it left him panting slightly. Aching in his legs and back as well. The same was true of his head, though it was also clear he was mending well enough.

  The pain was less and he didn’t feel like he was going to become ill all the time now. Anders wasn’t hungry, which was a sign that the body of the boy was still doing poorly. Instead of eating, using energy for that task, he simply moved and had made a point of getting water into his body. When hunger came, it would be time for eating. Before then it was a wasted endeavor.

  “Enter, please!” The Magician Depak called out, his voice light and sounding very awake. It was clear that the man was in his front chamber already, even before the heavy oak door was opened. The iron hinges protested a bit, needing oil or grease on them. A thing that Anders didn’t know how to do.

  Farad, naturally, did.

  On entering, he bowed. His master, or at least project to guard and care for, was in a different style of costume that day. The colors were bright, being in rather garish red and copper. The red was metallic in hue, as was the other color. The cut of the things being worn was quite different than the day before. Loose and flowing trousers, over sandals that seemed to be made of leather straps and a matching tunic top. That one was, Anders understood, a copy of what he’d had on the day before. Only in an incredibly complex pattern in the fabric that meant it could only be worn by the richest of men.

  “Good day, Magician Depak. I’ve come to take care of your chamber pot, bring in fresh wash and drinking water and clean your chambers, if y
ou’ve need for that? I believe that the morning meal will begin at nine, in the high hall. At least I think that’s where you can get food. If not… Well, then I’ll go and pester the kitchen for you. One way or the other, you’ll be fed.” His words were a bit too familiar for a servant. Almost commanding in their tone, even as he offered to see to the man’s room for him.

  Instead of taking offense, there was a happy grin.

  “I could use something to eat. I spent time already working with some small magics. That creates hunger, at the best of times. It is rare to find a fat Magician. That can wait for the proper time. I don’t need my chamber pot to be emptied. I took care of that.” He waved his hand toward the rather fine painted pot box, which was in the main room at the moment, not the bed chamber. That was strange, though the man explained the concept to him. “I moved the waste, needing a window to send it out of. I dissipated the contents over the field out there, which I hope isn’t the wrong thing to do?”

  There was pointing, which showed a sliver of green to be seen on the hill behind the castle wall. Thinking about it got Anders to nod.

  “That should work. I think sheep and goats are grazed out that way. They won’t mind.” He didn’t wait to get to work, even with the mention of magic. The Anders part of him wanted to be afraid, as if there was a large difference between simply walking the chamber pot to the sump well and using a different technique to get rid of the contents. “Would it be all right for me to come and go freely for a bit? I’ll need to make several trips with the bucket to do this correctly.” The first part of that would be taking the used wash water out.

  Depak nodded to him, sitting at the low reading table.

  “Thank you. Yes, that would serve well. I have meetings to attend, later in the day. I was thinking that I’d try to meet with my great-granddaughter early this morning, less she think that I do not care properly for family. We aren’t truly close, since I have lived at the mountain retreat for the last sixty years or so. We’ve met and family is both a gift and a duty. I’m not certain I know how to arrange such a thing.”