Chapter 2: The Queen’s Request
Buckingham Palace, Westminster
“Her majesty awaits you in the Yellow Drawing Room.” The Queen’s guardsman held the palace door open for the stranger dressed in a long brown frock coat. The man eyed the guardsman from underneath his bowler hat and nodded in return. He entered the open door with an elegant stride and heard the door close behind him.
Once inside the man removed his bowler hat and straightened his brown hair by running his hand through it. A footman stood patiently before him as the guest continued to prepare for meeting the Queen. He removed his frock coat and handed it to the footman, along with his hat, the Queen’s servant took them both without any word.
“Has the Queen been waiting long?” The guest asked absently.
“I am sure the definition of a long wait would be different for Her Majesty, just know you did take some time to appear in response to her summons. She asked that I bring you to her the moment you arrived.” The footman said blankly.
“Well Paris is not exactly a hop, skip and jump away is it? Well lead on then, I should not keep her majesty waiting any longer.” The guest said with a sarcastic grin.
The pair moved through the low-lit palace and its staff did not even stop their late night duties to acknowledge the figures as they moved to their destination.
The footman moved at a brisk pace and the Queen’s guest had to keep his stride quick to keep up. The pair soon arrived at their endpoint and the footman turned to the man behind him. “I will announce you to Her Majesty please wait here.”
The man nodded in return and nonchalantly leaned against the wall in the hallway. He seemed not concerned that he was reclining in the opulent bowels of Buckingham palace. A passing maid snorted and shot her nose up in disdain at his apparent lack of respect. The man raised his eyebrows in mirth and heard the door to the room creak open. The footman stepped out into the hallway and gazed solemnly at the Queen’s guest.
“Her Majesty will see you know.” The footman eyed the Queen’s guest with a haughty glance.
“I am sure she will since I will be standing before her, unless her eyesight has degraded since our last encounter.” The man could not resist the quip since he found these royal mannerisms rather boring.
The footman’s only response was a wave of his hand indicating that the man should enter. The lavish yellow themed room spread before the man’s eyes. Only two figures were in the candle lit room. One was a nervous young chambermaid and the other Queen Victoria herself. Her Majesty was dressed in a rather plain dress considering her status and she paced in front of the low burning fireplace seemingly lost in her own thoughts.
The chamber maid purposely cleared her throat to alert the distracted Queen that her guest had entered.
“Are you sick child?” The Queen said suddenly.
“No Your Majesty,” the maid said with a bow.
“Then don’t clear your throat like that on my behalf, I can see he has arrived. Now leave us.”
The chambermaid bowed once more and left eyeballing the man suspiciously.
“It would seem your staff is not pleased to see me your majesty.” The man said with a smile.
“Spare me your observations of my staff Dr. Daedalus; you know full well they are not pleased with you over that poltergeist incident.”
“I assure you, that monk needed to be dealt with and I am sure your staff did a fine job repairing that room after my encounter with him.”
“Yes they did and I cannot thank you enough for deposing of that horrid spirit. But I have not called you here to chat about past dealings.”
“I assumed that much.”
The Queen indicated a nearby sofa and proceeded to sit upon it at one end. Daedalus bowed and sat on the opposite side. The pair sat in silence for a moment, Daedalus could tell the Queen was gathering her thoughts as they passed in twitches of worry across her face.
“What troubles Her Majesty this night?”
“Have you heard of the Ripper?”
“Who in London has not, it has even hit the tongues in Paris as well.”
“Then perhaps you have also heard of theorized suspects?”
“If the list is limited to that mentioned in the daily times then I have.”
“It is not.” The Queen stated in a short tone.
“Then Your Majesty has information that I am not privy to, knowledge I am most likely about to acquire.”
Moments of silence once more passed between the pair and Daedalus kindly allowed his host to impart her knowledge in a time and manner as she saw fit.
The Queen’s face edged with sorrow and Daedalus saw her stern countenance quiver with inner thoughts. “My own grandson has been placed under scrutiny.”
“Prince Albert is an interesting fellow but no murderer.” Daedalus pointed out.
“You do not know the depravity my grandson is capable of, and how much of the royal coffers have emptied to keep his indiscreet behavior from the public eye. Dr. Daedalus, I know he is somehow connected to this appalling tragedy and I do not need public exposure of his involvement no matter how small it may be.”
“I understand your majesty.”
“Have you heard of a man named Montague Druitt?”
“Are you implying the Prince is slumming with a Werewolf?”
“Then you know of this foul creature and yes the Prince has been spotted entertaining this man at places some men frequent who hold most unnatural desires.”
“The Prince’s odd sexual frolics even with a Werewolf do not put him as suspect for the murder of prostitutes.”
“At first glance, you are correct. Yet I personally have had to deal with several extortion attempts by ladies of the night, claiming their bastards were the result of union with my grandson. I dread the thought that these young women of late have died in a most horrific manner to cover the sexual abuses of my grandson in anyway.”
Daedalus gazed at a nearby painting of the Queen’s family painted many years before and stopped his eyes to rest upon the face of a young boy. The very boy whom they discussed in low voices, now grown into a man and gallivanting about London with a Werewolf in some kind of hedonistic spree. “I now see your concern. This Druitt fellow does require further examination and I would also assume you want me to clear your grandson of these matters as well.”
“You have assumed correct. I called you because you are the only man I know who can deal with these creatures of nightmare.”
“Nightmares some may be but most live a life of simple existence.”
“Daedalus, I appreciate your observation, but you would not be in such high demand if myth were not real.” The Queen said with a slight smirk.
“I too could be also classified as myth and I am quite real and always have been.”
The Queen gazed upon her guest, a stern demeanor once more chiseled upon her face.
“Please do not dander about Daedalus and help the Throne put this delicate matter to rest. You shall find all the appropriate staff at the Yard will not hinder you during this investigation. Also my personal staff and transports are available for your use, during your investigation. If nothing else at least they might help you be on time in the future.”
Daedalus smirked, stood and with a bow took his exit from the Queen’s counsel. “Good day, Your Majesty.”
Daedalus walked over to the door opened it and then slightly turned back to his host. “Once I knew a young Princess who believed in magic and happy endings.”
“Happiness seems to be child’s play which has come to an end, now that I know how dangerous magic really can be.” The Queen said sadly.
“I will find out the truth, Victoria. If there is one thing your old professor knows how to seek, it is the truth.”
Crimson Scarver : The Grace Flynn Chronicles Page 2
