by Eric Vall
And time to leave mine again.
Chapter 6
We walked out of the Lunar Palace and stood in the courtyard for a few minutes while Alyona prepared her spell. I glanced over to see Nike with his hands clasped together, while his body was completely rigid.
“You alright?” I asked under my breath.
“Of course, brother,” he replied after a moment, but his eyes flickered around the courtyard and wouldn’t meet mine. “It is, ah, difficult to deal with my family at times. I don’t believe this time will be any different.”
“I get that,” I murmured. “Families can be messy, but we have a job to do, and hopefully, they’ll be willing to help with that.”
“Hopefully,” the noble muttered and nudged a rock with his boot.
Aine is worried as well, Miraya advised. I can sense it.
Is Nike’s family all a bunch of pricks or what? I asked her. They’re both so stressed out about going there.
I can’t speak for the Sword of Light family, she replied carefully. I only know what I can feel from my sister.
Then I guess we’d better be on our toes. I pursed my lips as I considered the spirit’s observations and Nike’s behavior.
My fellow noble wasn’t easily rattled, so it was odd to see him so worked up over something that felt so normal when he never even thought twice about fighting beasts or mages while we were on our journey. If he was stressed about this, I had no idea what to expect.
We thought this would be the easy spirit to find and bond my power with, but something told me we had our hopes way too high.
“Where is the palace?” Alyona asked the noble of Leyte. “Should I place the portal in the center of the city?”
“Ah, I doubt they’ll like us showing up inside the city walls,” Nike answered with a grimace. “They don’t like unexpected guests.”
“You aren’t a guest,” Aaliyah pointed out. “You’re a lord of the city.”
“Yes, but I haven’t announced my pending arrival,” Nike replied. “Which means nothing is prepared, and my grandfather is extremely unhappy when he looks unprepared. Plus, there’s a reason they have several walls up around the city.”
“To keep out unexpected guests?” Laika raised a gray eyebrow.
“Basically,” Nike sighed. “Leyte doesn’t get attacked very often, but my grandfather is more worried about random visitors than he is enemies.”
“Lord Calvin always did seem occupied with appearances,” Ruslan murmured, and my mother elbowed him in the ribs.
“It’s alright, Lady Julia,” Nike remarked with a tight smile. “He’s right. My grandfather is overly concerned with how things appear, even his castle never has a single tapestry or banner out of place.”
“I’m sure we can convince him there’s no reason for us to judge his city,” Alyona assured him. “We only need to find the bloodline descendant.”
“I hope so,” he murmured, but he didn’t seem convinced.
“Okay, so we need to portal to the gate, then,” I suggested. “That way he has at least a heads up from his outer guards that we’ve arrived.”
“That is likely our best option,” Nike agreed.
“I can do that,” Alyona said with a smile.
She turned and began to open the magical portal in front of us. After a few seconds of crackling, white magic, the doorway appeared, and I gestured for Nike to lead the way. If his people were really that uptight about people showing up, maybe they’d relax a little bit when they saw a familiar face first.
My fellow noble exhaled and stepped through the portal onto the grass in front of a large stone wall.
“Good luck!” Ruslan called out as I waved goodbye to him and Julia.
The rest of us carefully followed Nike’s lead, and Alyona snapped the portal shut behind us.
Then Nike heaved one more sigh, and I looked up to see the guards at the top of the gate had dropped to their knees at the sight of the noble.
“Hail Lord Nikolaus!” they called out in unison.
“Well, it looks like they know you’re here,” I chuckled.
“Yeah,” Nike muttered. “They aren’t the ones I was concerned about.”
I don’t remember Aine saying anything negative about Lord Calvin, Miraya said as she paced along the beach of my spiritual sea. But she could be nervous because Lord Nikolaus is nervous.
I’m sure that’s it, I agreed. You feed off my emotions sometimes, right?
Indeed, the spirit confirmed. And she spends much more time in Lord Nikolaus’ spiritual sea. I’m sure the emotional connection is strong.
I hoped that’s all we were dealing with.
We followed Nike through the first gate as the guards raised the large stone door up enough for us to walk under. As soon as we were through, the gate dropped back to the ground with a vibrating thud, and we stood between the first wall and the next wall. This one was made of some kind of metal that reminded me of a chain-link fence, and the guards pulled it to the side so we could get to the last layer of defense for the city of Leyte. The moment we passed the guards, they knelt for Nike, and he motioned for them to stand as we continued on.
The only problem was the large moat that encircled the innermost layer. I could see the water move with what I could only assume were fish or crocodiles swimming underneath the surface. This was some real medieval shit right here.
“Uhh, what’s the plan for this layer?” I wondered.
“We wait,” Nike said with his eyes set dead ahead.
The wall behind the moat was mostly made of large stones except for a huge square of wooden beams directly ahead of us. We paused just inside the metal gate and a few feet away from the water, and then the wooden beams began to shift.
A drawbridge creaked down toward the ground in front of us, and I glanced up to the top of the wall to see two guards cranking the winch that lowered the ramp. As soon as the bridge hit the ground, Nike stepped onto the wood and led us into the city.
The guards just inside the gate fell to their knees as we passed through the gate, and Nike offered them a nod while we continued ahead.
The city of Leyte was impressive, and I wondered how much the architects Azra and Raisa had put their skills to work here like they’d done for us in Hatra. The buildings soared several stories high, and intricate designs were carved into the stone exteriors. Flowers, animals, battles, and a number of other designs had been deliberately etched into the stones, and the result was impressive. My gaze traveled over everything with a sense of awe. Gold and blue flags hung from poles and buildings throughout the city, and even the people were well-dressed and bowed properly as we passed by.
In the early hours of evening, many people looked to be headed home with their food for dinner, and the marketplace was crammed full of Leyte citizens holding their various meals. Two of the guards from the front gate pushed their way ahead of us and began to clear a path, and as the people realized who had arrived, they began to clap and cheer for Nike, along with the standard bows and curtsies. I saw many different types of Demi-Humans, as well as a few dwarves and some other races I didn’t recognize.
“Thank you,” the noble murmured as he continued behind the guards. “It’s fantastic to be home. Thank you.”
I knew that wasn’t true, but he had appearances to keep.
We nodded and waved while we glided along behind him, and it felt like an hour before we finally cleared the market and wound our way to the center of the city where a huge castle loomed over us. It was even larger than the Lunar Palace, which said something since I’d made enough rooms for each of my lovers and then some.
The castle featured the same stone facade as the other buildings, but its blue and gold flags were large enough to hang from the second story and nearly draped to the ground. Another gold and blue banner hung across the front of the castle and attached to spires that reached well over the top of the defensive walls of the city. Stained-glass windows glittered in the waning sunlight along
the face of the castle, and they were filled with images of other silver-eyed soldiers fighting gruesome battles against a variety of beasts.
An ornately decorated, gold-plated front door was thrown open, and a bald man who appeared to be in his late sixties rushed outside. He wore a gold robe with blue floral designs threaded down the sleeves, and his gray beard reached the center of his chest. His silvery eyes, however, told me exactly who we were looking at.
“My grandson has returned!” Lord Calvin boomed as he held his arms open wide, though his smile seemed forced as he looked over the rest of us. “And you brought… friends. Did I miss an announcement?”
“No, Grandfather,” Nike replied as he climbed the three stairs and embraced him. “I didn’t send one. It was sort of a last-minute trip.”
“I’m quite certain a messenger would have been able to beat you here,” Calvin shot back with a teasing voice that didn’t exactly match his flustered expression.
“Ah, we arrived by portal,” I filled in. “It only took a few seconds to get to Leyte. I apologize for our rush, but we have a very important mission to complete.”
“And you must be the great dragon, Lord Evan?” The old man turned to look me over with wary eyes. “I’ve heard much about you.”
“All good things, I hope, Your Grace,” I chuckled as I stepped forward and offered my hand.
Lord Calvin looked at my hand with obvious discomfort for a moment before he lightly wrapped his fingers around my forearm and released almost immediately.
“Of course,” he murmured and stepped several feet back. “There are, ah, quite a few of you to have arrived on such short notice.”
“I apologize, Your Grace,” I said as I started to introduce everyone. “This is my wife, Princess Alyona--”
“Oh!” he gasped and covered his mouth. “King Rodion’s only daughter? In my city? Oh, gods, I have nothing ready for you. This is a disaster!”
“We do not require anything extravagant, Grandfather,” Nike intervened before I could respond. “As Lord Evan said, we are on a mission that must be completed with expediency. Do you know where my father is?”
“Oh, I’m sure Baron Niall is around here somewhere.” Calvin waved his hand in the direction of the city. “He is a grown man, Nikolaus. I do not keep him barricaded in the castle.”
“Maybe you should,” Nike muttered.
“Rafferty!” the lord suddenly yelled.
“Yes, Your Grace?” A small man scurried out of the castle and stood next to Calvin with heaving breaths.
He looked to be barely over five feet tall, and he was dressed in a silky blue tunic with white trousers. His hair was sandy-brown, and his skin had a pinkish hue. I had the distinct feeling he wasn’t entirely human, though I wasn’t sure what exactly he was.
“Have the kitchen prepare a feast to celebrate Lord Nikolaus’ return,” Calvin ordered.
“At once,” Rafferty agreed before he sprinted back into the castle.
“Come now, we have someone else inside who would be thrilled to see you,” Nike’s grandfather tutted as he motioned for us to follow him.
I felt Nike’s body stiffen before he slowly trudged after Calvin. I looked around my lovers, and they all seemed confused about Nike’s reaction as well.
Who could be waiting inside for him?
We walked inside the palace, and it was even fancier than the outside. Pale blue-marble walls with flecks of gold towered on either side as we entered the building and continued into a huge great room. A fireplace burned in the center of the room, and a marble chimney disappeared into the ceiling above us. Gold sconces were lined along the walls, and several French-style sofas with plush royal-blue cushions were centered around a small table with a gold statue of a man.
I wasn’t sure how you’d be able to have a real conversation with the gold guy in the middle, and when I got closer, I realized it was in the likeness of Lord Calvin. Of course.
“Your castle is lovely,” Alyona said as she admired a series of paintings on the far wall. “The art is amazing.”
“Thank you, Your Highness,” Calvin replied with a slight bow that made his bald head shimmer in the light of the fireplace. “I have taken great care to acquire the most exquisite pieces I can find.”
“I can tell.” My wife smiled with the disarming skill she didn’t even know she had, but I could see Calvin’s stress practically evaporate from his body.
“Please, have a seat,” he offered as he motioned to the couches. “I’ll have Rafferty get us some tea.”
“Thank you, Your Grace,” she answered before she led the rest of my lovers to the seats.
They plopped down on the soft cushions while Nike and I stood off to the side.
“He seems… nice,” I offered under my breath.
“My grandfather isn’t that bad,” Nike replied and looked down at his boots. “I’m worried what my father is like if he isn’t here under watch.”
“Why would he need to be watched?” I asked with genuine curiosity.
Nike hesitated for a moment, but before he could respond, Calvin breezed back into the room with a woman on his elbow.
“May I present the lovely and beautiful Margaret!” he declared before he guided her forward to the center of the room.
Margaret was more homely than beautiful, but she was dressed in an obviously expensive gown that squeezed her thin frame so tightly it looked difficult to breathe in. It was a bright shade of pink that made her pale skin look washed out, and her black hair didn’t improve the look. It fell in tight ringlets around her face that reminded me of Shirley Temple, but her plain expression was nothing like the vibrant, dimpled kid I remembered from the movies.
“Margaret, it is wonderful to see you,” Nike said in an odd voice as he stepped toward her and stiffly kissed her hand.
“And you, my lord,” she replied in a rather nasally voice. “Your travels have been successful?”
“Indeed,” he confirmed as he stepped back and held his hands at his sides with an awkward look at me. “And your time in Leyte?”
“Lovely as always,” Margaret answered with a straight face. “The dinner to celebrate your return will be ready forthwith.”
Forthwith?
I could barely hold back my amusement, but I looked at Nike, whose face had turned a distinct shade of scarlet, and I tamped it down. Whoever this was, he wasn’t exactly thrilled to have her here.
“Well, aren’t you going to introduce your friends to your betrothed?” Calvin asked in a scolding tone.
Ahhh, it all made sense now.
“Of course, Grandfather,” Nike answered before he turned to us and pointed everyone out to her before he landed on me. “And this is Lord Evan, a fellow Noble of the Sword, and the lord of Hatra.”
“What an honor to meet the princess and the great dragon lord on the same day,” Margaret said in a flat voice. “We are thrilled to have you here.”
Yeahhh, I could tell she could barely contain her excitement.
I couldn’t figure out why in the world the Bloodline Council had picked this woman to marry Nike. He was an honorable guy with impressive skills on the battlefield and not bad looks, as far as I could tell. Margaret was… plain. She’d shown no emotion since she’d walked in the door, nor was she much of a talker. As soon as the formal introductions were finished, she seemed to curl back into her shell and avoid the continuing conversation.
I had to find out more about this council. The last thing I wanted for my best friend was to be tied to a boring chick for the rest of his life. I looked across the room at my wide array of women, and I couldn’t imagine if any of them were as dull as Margaret. They were all so vivacious and brought something interesting to our family. I knew Nike said he could have a harem after his wife had their first child or something, but that could take years. The thought of spending years with someone who never had anything interesting to say was sort of depressing.
That sounds dreadful, Miraya declared.
>
I agree, I murmured back. But I’m not sure how to change the rules of an entire city that I have nothing to do with.
I’m sure you’ll figure something out, she replied with a smile. You always do.
I sure hoped I could.
“Dinner!” Rafferty called out from the doorway behind the fireplace.
“Please, follow me,” Calvin said as he rose from the sofa and led us through the doorway into the dining hall.
It was almost as ornate as the great room, and multiple banners and flags hung from every inch of the walls, so I could no longer see the marble underneath. A large table spanned nearly the entire room and was covered by a stark white tablecloth. Several baskets of rolls and fruit already sat on the table, and Calvin headed straight for the head of the table to take his seat.
My gaze traveled across the table to where Nike sat with his future wife at his side. She quickly drank the contents of her wine goblet, and she motioned for one of the staff to refill it within a minute. So far, it was the most exciting thing about the future Lady Margaret.
The rest of us made our way to one side of the table and sat down, but my attention was caught by the four women who followed us in without a word. A lion Demi-Human, a bird Demi-Human, a human, and a female of the pink-skinned race glided into the dining hall and sat in the chairs on Calvin’s left. Each of them was young, beautiful, and dressed for an important occasion, and they also stared at Lord Calvin with obvious desire and adoration.
I arched an eyebrow at Alyona, and she gently lifted her shoulders with a giggle.
“Perhaps he has his own extended family?” she suggested under her breath.
“Must be,” I chuckled as I picked up a roll and tore off a bite.
Our musings were interrupted by the appearance of the kitchen staff with tray after tray of food, and the enormous table was quickly filled with meats, casseroles, roasted vegetables, and more bread. I couldn’t believe how much food they had cooked for us, but I wasn’t complaining.
As soon as Calvin had filled his plate, the rest of us began to dig in. It wasn’t as good as Forsythe’s meals, but I knew I could fill my appetite. As I chewed through a bite of roasted beef, I looked up to see Calvin holding hands with the bird Demi-Human. It seemed Alyona was right about who the women were, but I wondered how Calvin’s harem would affect our mission.
