“Neither do I, but we have no choice, Captain. The storm is just too strong out there in the forest. We have to think of the children.”
Adele heard the men beside her shift and organize the carriages to join them, but she paid them no attention as she walked away up the road alone. Her eyes drank in the sight of the Grey Palace that was familiar and strange all at the same time. The stonework reminded her so much of the baroque architecture of Earth, but with a distinctly alien aspect that was beautiful. She knew this place so well because she had travelled here a hundred times in her dreams when she had still lived on Earth. It had been her ‘happy place’ during all the lonely nights and bad days of her life as a woman stuck in a loveless marriage with three small children to care for. This palace had been her paradise in all its strange and melancholy glory. And this time Rainere would be inside waiting for her.
Adele fought the urge to clap her hands and giggle like a girl. She quickened the pace and almost raced along the wide path. The carriages rattled up to join her at the foot of the front steps of the palace, their wheels sending out sprays of snow that lined the drive. Tilburn, cautiously stepped out of his carriage and down onto the gravel. His wig and clothing immaculate despite the bumpy ride.
“I understand that we are here on your orders, Your Majesty,” he said, nervously looking up at the great black doors of the Grey Palace. “But I must beg you to reconsider your decision. No St. Lucidis monarch has stepped foot into the Grey Palace since, well… ever.”
He moved to stand in front of her and bring the full force of his disapproval to bear on her, his expression knotting his thin eyebrows and pursing his lips. “Forgive my candor, Your Majesty, but you have no idea what it means politically should you ask for shelter from the Marchant Prince. And quite frankly I think we will be safer out in that unnatural storm than we will be by his fireside. And by ‘we’ I mean ‘you’ of course, Your Majesty, you and the children…”
“We had to stop somewhere, Tilburn,” said Adele reasonably and stepped aside to guide the children up the steps. “I had the good luck to meet the Prince at my coronation a few weeks ago and he seemed very…polite. I’m sure he will give us somewhere to wait out the storm out if we ask him nicely enough. Now, if we could all just keep our opinions of Marchants to ourselves while we are here.”
Adele turned back to point at her Majordomo. “That means you, Tilburn.” Tilburn looked momentarily affronted before dropping the act and nodding in grudging agreement.
Adele looked over at General Ohrig to check his mood but his expression was stony and he only gave her a brusque nod. She almost sighed in exasperation. Honestly, they didn’t even know Rainere, how could they all fear him so much?
“Look Mummy, stone dragons!” said Natalie slipping her cold hand into Adele’s and grinning with pleasure. “They are so beautiful!”
Adele gave her daughter’s hand a squeeze. At least her daughter wasn’t frightened of the Grey Palace.
Nor was Aaron who was trying to stare up at the roof, cricking his neck backwards and squinting. “There is a snow man up there, isn’t there?” he giggled. “A man with lots of snow!” He pointed, and following his gaze Adele accidentally stepped back onto the step below her and into Captain Lucky’s arms. There was an awkward moment as the Captain tried to hold her steady and Adele tried to pull away from him, resulting in the two of them falling into a rough hug and a bark of embarrassed laughter from Adele. She didn’t try to look up again.
When the Royal party had all assembled behind her, Adele put her hand on the huge dragon-head door knocker and tapped three times. The sound could be heard booming through the house and Adele fidgeted in anticipation of seeing Rainere again.
They waited for a long minute and then another. The guards started shuffling and muttering in their line behind the women and children. Aaron and Natalie blew puffs of steam at each other as their breath came out in white clouds. Adele stamped her cold feet and stifled a grin. He should be here any minute now.
They waited some more.
“Maybe no one’s home?” suggested QG Pepper in a hopeful voice. “Maybe His Highness is out and just left the lights on for… security purposes?”
“Shut it QG,” growled General Ohrig cuffing Pepper lightly on the head. “The Grey Palace doesn’t need security lights. It’s protected by the darkest spells Magic ever created.”
The General caught Adele’s eye when she turned. “We should be alert,” he said.
“But not alarmed,” countered Adele, and raised her hand to knock a second time just as the doors began to swing ever so slowly inwards. Adele’s breath caught in her throat, fighting for space with her heart.
The doors had completely opened before Adele could finally make out a single tall figure walking towards them from the dim interior of the entrance hall. He stopped just inside the doorway.
It was Grotto.
Adele’s heart sank back down into her chest and she felt the smile on her face turn wooden. Rainere’s manservant, Grottonski, was the only other person who knew about her relationship with the Prince, and he hated her.
“Good evening…” began Adele before Tilburn almost pushed her out of the way, stepping to the front and pulling himself up as tall as his diminutive height would allow.
“Sir, Her Majesty the Queen of Unisia requests the hospitality of the Royal Prince Rainere of Marchant. We have been caught up in a dangerous storm and need to shelter for the time it takes to blow over. We have with us the Queen and her Royal children in our party and insist that succor be given in their time of need. Of course it is a great honor to the Prince and Her Majesty expects the best of care despite the late hour…”
During the entire speech, Grotto remained stock still, his face frozen as if carved from the same grey stone that framed the doors. Adele smiled warmly to try and take the chill out of Tilburn’s pompous attitude but Rainere’s manservant never spared her a glance. Finally, Tilburn fell silent and looked expectantly at the servant before him.
“This way if it please you,” was all Grotto said in his deep, hoarse voice as he abruptly turned on his heel and stalked off into the cavernous entry hall. Tilburn huffed and pulled his vest down with a sharp tug. Giving Adele a quick I told you so glance the Majordomo lead them all inside to follow Grotto.
“Wow!” said Aaron, her son echoing Adele’s thoughts exactly as they made their way through the entry hall. “This house was made for giants, wasn’t it Mummy?”
“I really think it might have been, sweetheart,” Adele answered as her eyes travelled up to the incredibly high ceilings. Leering gargoyles and fierce griffin-like creatures perched on top of every column and corner, looking as if they might pounce down on them at any minute.
The entry hall led to an even bigger foyer. The floor of the foyer was made up entirely of black and grey marble tiles in a checkerboard pattern. Suits of armor complete with helmets and swords, lined the walls, some polished to a high sheen, while others were rusty and beaten up looking.
Grotto was standing at the foot of one of the two enormous staircases before them. The Royal party assembled before him silently, in awe of the somber grandeur of the Grey Palace. The children, sensing the mood of the occasion, clung to Adele’s legs.
“This staircase leads to the upper level of the West Wing, and the chambers where you may stay for the time being. The other staircase leads to the upper levels of the East Wing. No one is permitted to go there.” Grotto glared heavily at their little gathering, daring them to say anything in response to this edict. Then he turned and climbed the stairs too rapidly for such an old man as he appeared to be.
Adele tripped several times on the steps as she couldn’t help staring about herself at the intricately carved stone of the balustrade, and the tapestries that lined the staircase. She had never come inside the Palace in her dreams before so everything was as fascinating as it was unfamiliar.
As Grotto led them down a great hallway, Adele couldn’t hel
p but notice the air of neglect that hung over the place. The carpet beneath her feet was faded and worn through in patches. The gloomy lighting of the lamps lining the walls only served to highlight the dusty paintings and peeling wallpaper.
“Mummy, this place is so spooky!” whispered Natalie to Adele as they passed yet another full size portrait of a glaring, Marchant monarch. “Do ghosts live here?”
Adele hushed her daughter and squeezed her hand. An instinct told her Grotto probably had ears like a bat. Besides Adele needed all her concentration to remain calm as they moved further into the Grey Palace, her nerves growing more fragile as she expected to see Prince Rainere at every turn.
Grotto eventually stopped in front of a set of wide doors. To Adele’s surprise they were covered in delicate engravings and glowed a very soft green. Marchant Magic protected these doors.
“The Royal Suite for Her Majesty and the infant Royals,” announced Grotto as he pushed the doors open. “Maids sleep in the chamber adjoining the suite. There are closets down the hall for your men at arms.”
Grotto barely glanced at Adele as he snapped a bow in her general direction and then turned and marched off into the gloom of the long hallway.
Adele tried not to feel completely crushed that Rainere hadn’t shown himself. Maybe he was asleep in bed? It was very late in the evening after all. Adele turned to Tilburn to ask him the time, but wisely decided against it when she saw his face.
Tilburn’s cheeks had puffed out dramatically and a vein throbbed at his temple. Her Majordomo was apoplectic with rage at the casual treatment of the Royal Family at the hands of a Marchant servant and he was about to express his feelings loudly. Adele quickly pushed Tilburn into the apartment and closed the doors before his anger could explode down the hall.
General Ohrig and the Queen’s Guard soon returned from giving the apartments a quick once over. “All clear, General?” asked Adele.
“All clear from a safety perspective, Your Majesty, but I can’t say your Majordomo is going to be any happier when he sees the state of these rooms.”
Adele gave the General a quick grimace as Tilburn surveyed the sitting room, spitting with fury and only managing to speak in garbled half sentences.
“Why, of all the…! How dare they? Abominable treatment of the Royal… never have I! Ever!”
Seraphina had found a tray of refreshments on the dining table and quickly poured Tilburn a goblet of wine. He downed the cup in one draught and carefully put it down on a side table before pulling his waistcoat straight with a sharp tug. His expression showed he had regained some of his self-control.
“Your Majesty, I can only offer apologies for your awful, awful treatment at the hands of the Marchant Family. It is unforgivable that our Royal Family should be treated like common houseguests and not with the honor that your visit should entail. Of course, you will now see why I was so reluctant to put ourselves in this position, asking for hospitality.”
“Tilburn, honestly, it’s all right,” said Adele, not without a little exasperation. “We have caught the Prince by surprise that’s all.”
They all looked at the trays of food and wine laid out on the dining table. Their preparation didn’t entirely support her argument, but Adele decided to look past the point.
“We didn’t really have any choice Tilburn, with that storm out there and look - the children are happy at least.” Adele gestured to her three little ones as they careened from one room to the next, screeching happily. The dusty floorboards were perfect for sliding about on their knees. “Let’s just get settled and everyone can get to bed. It’s been such a long day.”
Given instructions, Tilburn finally had an outlet for his anger. He set to unpacking the few trunks that the drivers had brought up behind them, ruthlessly employing every one not of royal blood to dusting mantles and tables, and lighting fires in the enormous grates.
Adele followed behind her children and explored the ancient suite they had been given. The sitting room was the first room they had entered but either side of that were two large reception rooms. One was filled with furniture as if it had been set up for a concert. Rows of spindly wooden chairs sat facing a narrow podium where tapestries hung from the ceiling, suspended from horizontal rods, creating a stage area. The pictures on the tapestries depicted scenes of worship and what looked like ritual baptism, but instead of water the white robed figures were walking through a great fire, embroidered in red and gold thread. The acolytes on the other side of the fire held their hands aloft, their clothes burnt away and a green halo about their bodies. Their little thread faces showed expressions of terrible rapture.
Something about the images felt unwholesome; from the little naked people dancing about in such wicked glee, to the strange writing that ringed the image, its letters sharp and unreadable. Adele didn’t feel comfortable studying the tapestry with her children by her side so she quickly shooed them away to the next room, which was a large bedroom. A huge canopied bed rested in the center of the room and several couches of various sizes had been pushed haphazardly against the walls. A large wardrobe sat in the corner. An image of an ugly, goblin face had been engraved in the doors and it scared the little girls so Adele decided that her Queen’s Guard could have this room.
The second reception room was all the way on the other side of the sitting room, and was almost completely bare of furniture. Tattered, grey silk curtains hung at the floor to ceiling windows, and a huge stone dragon glared menacingly from above the fireplace, perched as if it had just climbed down from the ceiling. A single leather armchair sat in the center of the room, facing the windows. A stain lay spread at the foot of the chair, marring the floorboards darkly, and Adele didn’t want to look too closely to see what had caused it.
Through this empty room, Adele found the bedroom where she was to sleep with the children and their nannies. As she ran her fingers over the heavy black furniture, it felt cold to the touch. Everything was made of iron, and the sharp metallic smell of it filled the room. Adele looked up as Seraphina’s lantern threw shadows into the dark corners and studied the walls searching for any hint of secret doors or passageways. Rainere had shown her that the Golden Palace had been full of such secret tunnels when he had stayed there and she guessed that his own home would be the same.
Caitlin bustled into the room with the children running ahead of her and their night things in her arms. Adele helped to bathe the children in the cavernous bathroom attached to the bedroom. The soporific effect of a hot bath working well to calm their frazzled nerves after a stressful day of travelling, and as they had already filled up on the snacks laid out, the children were ready to sleep quickly.
Adele kissed each of her little ones goodnight as they snuggled down under the surprisingly fresh sheets of the great bed. The three puppies had piled into their basket under the bed, already snoring. Adele leant down and gave Hero Dog a little pat. The dog stirred and wuffed in his sleep.
It had been so odd today when Aaron had claimed that Hero Boy had told him about the snow. It wasn’t like Aaron to make up stories like that. Was it possible that she wasn’t the only one to have Magic wake up inside now that they lived in this new world? Anxious, Adele chewed her bottom lip as she headed for the door.
“Are you going to see the Prince, Mummy?” asked a little voice behind her.
“I don’t know, Aaron, maybe,” whispered Adele, turning back to the bed to see her son sitting up between his sleeping sisters. “You should rest now, sweetheart. I’ll be back later though, and I’m going to sleep right next to you, I promise.”
“Tell him I like his snow, don’t I, Mummy?” said Aaron and thankfully fell back on his pillows ready to sleep.
“I think it’s beautiful, too, Aaron,” whispered Adele, as she breathed a sigh of relief at the innocence of the comment. She couldn’t take any more puzzles tonight. Perhaps, he had heard the QGs talking about Ripenzo’s storm earlier, she thought. Maybe one of them suggested that it meant snow was c
oming.
Adele made her way back into the central sitting room.
“Everything alright, Your Majesty?” asked Seraphina, as the young nanny put down her fork to stand for Adele.
“When you’ve finished your dinner, could you please stay close to the children?” asked Adele. “The girls are already asleep, but Aaron is still a bit unsettled.”
Seraphina bobbed and sat again, ready to bolt down her food and do as she was asked.
“Can’t say I blame the little tyke,” said General Ohrig as he made his way across the sitting room from the opposite doorway. No doubt he had been looking at the strange set up next door. “I will station guards at your bedroom door and at the front here throughout the night, Your Majesty.”
“Do you really think that’s necessary, General?” protested Adele. “I’m sure the men are all exhausted from the hard ride today and everyone could do with a good night’s sleep.”
She also couldn’t think of how she was to sneak away to find Rainere if there were guards all over the apartment. “I’m sure there is no reason to be ‘overly alarmed’,” she joked, making a play for humor.
General Ohrig gave her a skeptical look. “Your Majesty, there is something you should know while we are here in the Grey Palace…” he began, but was interrupted by a loud knock at the door.
Tilburn scurried to answer it and stepped back in surprise as Grotto strode past him into the room, searching the group until his eyes alighted on Adele. She almost flinched from the venom in his glance.
“His Highness, Prince Rainere, extends a cordial invitation to Her Majesty the Queen, to dine with him in the High State Dining Room this evening,” he said stiffly, almost choking on the word cordial.
Tilburn was incensed and jumped in front of the Prince’s manservant. “Surely the Prince would not expect Her Majesty to join him for dinner at this late hour, with such little notice?” he asked in a scandalized tone. “It would be most forward and outside all manner of protocols to even suggest such a thing!”
The Queen Revealed Page 4
