by M. J. Sewall
“What if we can't find them? What if your connection doesn't come through?” asked Darion.
Brenddel replied, “Then our trip will be short. I will at least find the councilor's connection and beat some answers out of him.”
Darion asked, “Is that how you get all your answers?”
“Just the important ones.”
Brenddel spotted a clearing to land outside the kingdom walls. The ropes descended and the crew went down them to secure the ship for landing. As they touched down, Brenddel gave instructions to his men. “Three of you come with me, the rest stay with the ship. When we've paid the ridiculous fees at the kingdom gates, you three will escort the coin chest back to the ship, and then get the ship back up in the air. If there are any surprises, I want you to see them coming. If we are not back before nightfall, send five men down on ropes to look for us.”
Smiling widely towards the gates of Artoth, Darion said, “Let's go see the sights.”
Chapter 43: Sweet Gestures
“Are you sure you wouldn't like more to eat, my king? You barely touched anything,” said the queen as they were having their meal. The guards were standing closer to the king than usual, as King Asa, the queen, Trunculin and the queen's grandmother ate. Trunculin and the grandmother were quietly talking about history across the table.
Asa responded, “No thank you… my queen. My stomach hurts a little today. But thank you anyway.”
“Oh, I'm sorry,” said the queen. “Would you like to go to one of my healers? Or I could have one come to your chamber…”
“Oh, I'm sure the king will be fine,” Trunculin said, smiling at Asa. “Are you quite well, my king?”
Asa just looked down at his plate and said, “Yes, firstcouncilor. I'm fine.”
The queen said, “I see you have more guards here today. I hope you're not expecting someone to stab you at my table?”
Asa looked at Trunculin and said to the queen, “No, of course not. It's just that… The firstcouncilor pointed out that I have fewer guards around me than other kings. He just thought I should… do it the proper way.”
Trunculin added, “I thought it important to go back to our regular routine. For when we go back to our kingdom, the king will better understand how life will be for him at home.”
The queen said, “Speaking of that. We will have to find some time to talk about the prisoners. If our men do actually find a plot, I assume you'll want Gordon's uncle returned to you?”
The queen had been speaking to Asa, but Trunculin answered, “Yes, assuming it goes well, our kingdom has plenty of ways to punish wrongdoers.”
“I was speaking to the king, firstcouncilor,” she said, turning back to Asa. “What do you say, King Asa?”
“Well… my queen, the firstcouncilor speaks… with my voice. I'm sure what he says is best,” Asa said as he looked down at his plate again.
“Public trials are usually best,” said the grandmother. “That way the mobs feel like they're involved somehow. My father used to have public executions almost weekly. Good for the spirits of the kingdom.”
“Do you think the courts will want to kill Loren?” asked Asa. The queen wasn't sure if he was asking the question to anyone in particular. The young king's mind seemed far away.
“Being a traitor to our kingdom is punishable by death. Of course, I have no way to know what the courts will actually do, but the law is clear,” said Trunculin.
The grandmother said, “I should hope that they would put him to death. He took your king. Or at the very least, he helped the boy run away like a coward…”
“I have something for you, my queen,” said Asa abruptly, and slowly rose from his chair. He took a piece of paper out of his pocket. He was about to hand it to the queen, but the firstcouncilor was too fast. Trunculin snatched the piece of paper out of the king's hand before he could give it to the queen.
Trunculin said, “My king. You know that I must edit every communication we have between kingdoms. I wouldn't be doing my job if I let you give something to her that was…” Trunculin stopped as he finished reading the piece of paper, “…what is this?”
“It's a poem that I wrote for the queen. She has been so kind to us since we got here, that I thought… may I read it, firstcouncilor?” Asa said looking at Trunculin and extending his hand. The queen thought the boy was shaking.
Asa asked Trunculin, “Please?”
Trunculin smiled his famous public smile and handed the piece of paper back to Asa, “Of course, my king, I think it's a lovely gesture. The queen is quite beautiful, isn't she?”
The queen smiled, and Asa blushed as he read,
“For a queen most fair,
A smile light as air,
I beg your love,
To fly like a dove,
Read my heart, and
Please make a start,
That two birds
May soon fly together.”
Asa sat down and slowly folded the paper again. The queen, her grandmother, and even Trunculin clapped along with a few tables that were close by.
The queen said, “Well, I don't know what to say. That was lovely, my king.”
The grandmother remarked, “It's a good thing that you were chosen king. I'm not sure that you would ever make a poet,” the grandmother said, smiling. “What exactly are your intentions towards my granddaughter, young man?” Asa wondered if that was the first time he had seen the grandmother smile. It made him nervous.
Asa said, “Nothing. I… I know it's silly. You can keep the poem if you want. I know it's…. maybe someday, someday soon, two hearts might be saved?” Asa looked into the queen's eyes and handed her the poem.
The queen smiled back, “My king, I'm flattered, truly. But with my husband so recently gone, and me being old enough to be your… well, young aunt, I think we should discuss this a few years down the road.”
Asa avoided looking at the firstcouncilor, and then glanced at the queen before looking down at the table again. Asa smiled a little sadly. “Well, you can't blame a king for trying.”
The queen and her grandmother laughed as did several people at the tables around them. Even the firstcouncilor laughed as he stared at the boy king.
Later, alone in her chamber, the queen was writing a stack of letters. She had the poem unfolded and propped up against her desk so she could see it. Something about the poem intrigued her. It was so surprising, and so flattering. After being married for many years, to have someone suddenly fall in love with her, even just a boyhood crush made her feel good.
As she wrote her letters, she kept looking back at the poem. Something about it seemed odd. She assumed it was just a poem written by a boy who was not used to writing poetry. But it was the way the beginning rhymed, and the end did not, that she kept coming back to. Read my heart. Two birds fly together… Two birds. And then he said that strange thing to her about two hearts being saved.
She decided to consult her grandmother. When the queen explained what she was thinking, the grandmother said, “That's ridiculous.”
“I know it seems ridiculous, but what if that's what he was trying to say?' said the queen.
The grandmother responded, “You honestly think the boy was saying he wants you to release the prisoners? That makes no sense, my dear. Why would he want them released, and against the firstcouncilor's advice?”
The queen said, “I don't know. It's just a strange feeling I have. Why was he behaving so strangely? The extra guards, the firstcouncilor being especially overbearing. And then this poem that sounds like a code. What if the firstcouncilor is controlling him?”
The grandmother replied, “I say, good. The boy has no idea what he's doing. Honestly, choosing some boy out of the filthy mob to be your king. It's a disgusting idea. If Trunculin is controlling the boy, I say … good! He's doing his job. At least someone with brains and cunning is getting things done in that kingdom.”
“I'm going to go see the king. I have to know.”
The grandmother said, “Well, I hope the boy doesn't try to kiss you. He's embarrassed himself enough for one day.”
The queen left the room.
As she approached Asa's door, she noticed more guards were here as well. She thought she heard raised voices, someone yelling, but she wasn't sure as the guard knocked on the door. The guard entered and returned a moment later to escort the queen inside. As she came in, Asa was sitting on a chair in the middle of the room, with the firstcouncilor standing over him.
“How may we serve you, my queen?” asked Trunculin smoothly.
“I would like to speak to the king… alone.”
King Asa looked quickly to Trunculin, who smiled thinly. Asa said, “The firstcouncilor is teaching me…um, so much right now. Are you sure he couldn't stay?”
The queen replied, “There are some things that must be discussed between only a king and a queen. I'm sure the firstcouncilor will understand the delicacy.”
“My apologies, my queen, but that is up to the king, and he has asked me to stay,” said Trunculin.
The queen replied, “While I appreciate the loyalty to your king, I would hate to have to remind you that you are still a guest in my palace. I will speak to the king alone. Now. Is that clear?”
“Of course, my queen,” Trunculin said as he left the room. “But, of course, the guards will have to stay in the room. It is only for my king's protection.”
The queen looked around to the guards. They looked defiant, insolent. When Trunculin was gone and the door firmly closed, she leaned down to whisper into Asa's ear. “Was this poem for love or for something else? Don't answer. Blink your eyes once from love, twice for something else.”
Asa blinked twice.
She leaned in again. “Was this about the 'birds' I have captured? One blink yes, two blinks no.”
Asa blinked once.
She looked at the guards again, and at the door Trunculin was surely behind, trying to listen. “You want me to release these birds? One blink yes, or keep them where they are, two blinks.”
One blink.
“Now you're going to have to talk to me, but quietly. You can whisper in my ear very softly. Why do you want the birds free?” The queen started to put her ear to Asa's mouth, but he shook his head no.
He looked in her eyes and made her follow his gaze. He winced as he raised his shirt. The queen put her hand on her mouth but didn't speak. Asa's chest and stomach were covered in dark bruises.
Asa winced again as he dropped his shirt slowly so the guards wouldn't see. The queen looked back at the door that Trunculin had gone through and looked slowly around at the guards.
She gently put her hands on either side of Asa's face and wiped away his tears. The queen gently kissed him on the mouth. Then she sternly looked him in the eyes again, nodded slightly, wiping her own tears. She left quietly.
There was something important she had to do.
Chapter 44: Friend in Artoth
“The gate. Is that it?” asked Gordon.
“No, nice try,” said Aline, as she punched his arm.
Mantuan had put a coin between them and told them the first one to see the gate could keep it. They were both fiercely watching for the gate when Mantuan came up to them. “You have good eyes Gordon, yes, that is the gate.”
Gordon snatched up the coin and smiled. Aline punched him in the arm again.
He rubbed his arm and glanced sideways at Aline. He asked, “If the gates are controlled by two different kings, what happens when they get mad at each other?”
“Chaos,” said Aline, getting up, smiling and punching Gordon on the other arm.
Mantuan said, “I remember a year when the kings were at war with each other. They only let a few ships through each day. Their prices to pass the gates were unbelievable, and there was a line of ships as far as you could see waiting to get through. There was so much traffic that they woke up the beast of the canal. They lost three ships each week for nearly a year.”
“I don't think it really exists. I think those boats just sank, then they blamed it on a beast,” said Aline.
Mantuan said, “Oh no. The canal beast exists. I saw it take a ship down once. There are lots of strange creatures deep under the waters. They dug the canal through the land so deep because they wanted to get larger ships through. One of these things ended up in the canal between the two gates. Some say it comes and goes, some say it stays there, waiting. And some like Aline, say it doesn't exist…”
“Doesn't exist, Manny,” said Aline.
“Does. And it's been the source of a lot of bad blood between the two kings. The orange king's faith believes it's a sacred animal. It is said to have taken down the ship of the blue king long ago. So, one side wants to kill it for ancient revenge, and one side believes that it proves their gods are stronger, because it killed the king from the other side. It is a very complicated kingdom.”
“Is Artoth like the old books say it is?” asked Gordon.
“Very curious, I like that,” Mantuan smiled. “This kingdom is truly the oldest kingdom. Thure is called the old kingdom, but Artoth was there before anyone even thought of Thure. Many great kings have ruled there, going back so far that no one remembers.”
Aline said, “And the waterfalls and terraces are beautiful.”
“They are,” Mantuan agreed. “It's called the kingdom of the gods because the two kings who rule it believe in completely different gods. Half of the kingdom believes in the pact with man and the other half believe in so many dark gods I can't keep track.”
“Don't forget the third faith,” said Aline.
“I haven't. Because it's not a faith. It's just a bunch of young idiots who don't believe in anything,” said Mantuan.
Aline offered, “They are very friendly…”
“…yes, and very stupid,” said Mantuan, then walked away.
“The orange half of the kingdom believes in dark gods that do really bad things. Their god of healers is also the god that takes away the dead…”
“But that doesn't sound so bad…” said Gordon.
“… And eats them,” finished Aline.
“Ugg. Seriously?” asked Gordon.
“And all their soldiers and guards…well, I will let you see that for yourself,” said Aline.
Gordon turned around to look from the front of the ship. As they got close to the gate, Gordon saw how huge it was. He could tell that it had been there a long time because of the rust, but it didn't take away from its beauty.
There were several ships going ahead of them. One of them was stopped outside the gate. He couldn't see what was going on, but then the gates slowly started to open with a strange, deep, rusty sound. The gate split open in two halves and swung open toward the ship.
Mantuan explained that they opened out, so that a large ship couldn't just push through the gates. The ship that was moving through the gate had a very tall mast, but it was still not as tall as the gate. The gates slowly swung shut after the ship had passed through it.
Once again, the great metal doors came together to reveal what looked like a metal sun either breaking or setting over the gate. Gordon wasn't sure which.
They all watched a few other ships pass through. As they got closer, Gordon saw that the men near the gate were all very large, with huge muscular arms and legs. Gordon thought it was interesting that large powerful men were not fighting, but used as guards instead. Councilor-like men were among them, writing things down.
They had arrived at the gate. “What business do you have in the great kingdom of Artoth?” asked the guard.
“God's business. We come to see the first kingdom of men and gods,” said Mantuan to the guard. Gordon noticed that he had removed his patch.
“How many on your ship? Do you bring any goods?”
“Just good people, eight of them,” replied Mantuan.
Councilors were scribbling in their books and the guard said, “Normal fee applies. You may pass. The second gate is controlled b
y a different king. They may not let you pass. Fair warning. May the Gods be with you.”
Mantuan made a slight bow and the gates opened. As they passed through, Gordon got a closer look and wondered, “How old are the gates?”
“Some say over a thousand years. Although I don't think that is true. This may be the oldest kingdom, but it's a dangerous place run on ancient grievances, deceptions and lies,” replied Mantuan seriously, “but I know at least one honest man in the kingdom who may be able to help us.”
Gordon's attention drifted as they made their way down the canal. He looked up at the steep, sheer mountains that rose as high as he could see. The ship suddenly rocked back and forth in the calm waters. Gordon struggled to remain standing. “What was that?”
“Something swam underneath us. Let's hope the beast of the canal is not hungry today,” replied Mantuan, who said it much too calmly for Gordon's taste.
Aline was already at the railing, trying to see below the dark waters. Gordon decided he was going to stay where he was. If it had been the beast, it gave them no more trouble as they neared the second gate. Aline was still looking over the railing when Gordon gasped, startled when he saw the men guarding the second gate. Aline smiled at his shock.
They were just as large and muscled as the men of the first gate, but there was something very different about them. They were all bald and had marks on their faces. But the biggest difference was when the main guard spoke. “What is your business in the kingdom?” Gordon couldn't stop looking at his teeth, which were all sharp and pointed like an animal's fangs.
“That is our business, guard. Do you want the fee or not?” said Mantuan.
The guard looked at Mantuan for a long moment. A small councilor came up to him. He said something to the guard, but the guard continued to look at Mantuan, who stood there, staring back with his arms crossed.
The guard bowed slightly and nodded, “You may pass. Normal fee applies. May the Gods protect you.”
