I wandered the silent construction site for quite awhile. It was coming along beautifully and I’d been told that it would be ready for furniture and occupation in a month. I’d had it built with many, many rooms. There would be plenty of space for any new magical recruits that we happened to adopt. My room, if I could call it that, was even larger than the room in Valeview and the closets didn’t lead to other apartments. Bathing tubs were in the plan and I was working on putting in a windmill to pump water. The smith had written me off as insane when I’d asked for pipes and other items that I’d need, but he supplied what I needed. I hadn’t completely figured out how to drill a well but, being in a river valley, I wouldn’t have to go very deep. Maybe I’d work with Alice on an idea. I was excited to be moving. There were things about Valeview that I’d miss but having a place that I could truly consider home would be better.
I popped shield, and fly, and went to the balcony. I knocked on my door and was let in by Melodie. She looked beautiful! All the girls were stunning in clothes that most of them had only dreamed about. Ruffles and lace were everywhere and I certainly felt out of place! I found my way to my closet, located some of the new ‘appropriate clothes’ and quickly changed while I had a moment’s privacy. I then fixed my hair and checked my shave. I walked out of the closet a changed man. There was sudden silence as I entered the room. It had been months since anyone had seen me not dressed in my wizard uniform. Most of the girls had never seen me out of it and had come to associate me and the clothes as a unit. I chuckled and asked if I was so scary looking that they were at a loss for words. The princesses ran to me and began hugging and kissing me, telling me that it was just the opposite! They had forgotten how handsome I could be when I wasn’t worrying about being the ‘Master Wizard’! That got a very good blush from me and started the room talking again. I told them that they should make their way down to the Great Hall as soon as they were ready. I then left them to go there myself.
Guests were starting to arrive and were milling around in the courtyard. I watched the crowd grow and the sun set until my internal clock said that it was time to seat everyone and bring in the girls. I waved at a couple guards that were moonlighting as ushers and got the parade started moving to the great hall. I went back upstairs and said that the girls should wait until the crowd died down and then we could go to our table at the front. They agreed and I said that I’d call when we were ready. I went back down to greet and watch everyone take their seats. As the influx slowed to a trickle I went back upstairs and complained a bit about stairs. The girls giggled nervously and I suggested that I escort Alba and the girls could follow two by two. My idea was accepted and we started down the stairs with Alba on my arm. I did well on the trip down until Alba stood on her toes and said quietly, ‘you do remember what Isa said could happen tonight. Don’t think that I’ve forgotten!’ I almost missed a step and she giggled. ‘It’s ok, David I’ll be gentle.’
We arrived at the doors of the great hall without further incident and everyone stood while we entered. We made the length of the hall nodding and smiling at everyone there. We finally took our seats and someone signaled the wait staff. Tray after tray of food was brought in, goblets and mugs for ale and wine, and finally a gigantic cake was wheeled to the front. I stood and raised my mug, ‘To Alba! A wonderful and possibly the most ornery wizard of all time! Happy Birthday!’
Amid laughter there were calls of ‘happy birthday’ and ‘to Alba’! Everyone began eating and talking. It seemed that everyone was having a wonderful time, especially Alba. The only incident was alcohol related, when someone had a bit too much to drink, pointed at Alice and asked what that worthless commoner was doing up there with the wizards. He was quickly removed before the construction crew members or the girls could get to him. He may not know how lucky he was.
After everyone had eaten what they could and drunk probably more than they should I stood up and waited for quiet. I called for the cake to be cut and served. When that was finished I said that I had a gift that I’d like to give Alba. She stood and I presented her with the sapphire necklace. I whispered that the jeweler said that he’d buy it for ten if she wanted to sell it and her eyes went wide. I then said that I had something for the three princesses and that got looks of surprise from all three of them. I told them that I was promoting them to Expert Wizard and then presented them with the daggers and patches. I whispered during the clapping that the tailor said she would sew the patches on for them if they would bring them and the uniforms. I then had Alice, Emma, and Elizabeth stand. The poor girls were terrified but did what I asked. I announced that I was promoting them to Apprentice Wizards. I had them remain standing while I had Elaine, Melodie, and Calla stand and promoted them to Adept Wizards. Everyone applauded as I handed the girls their patches. Alba, who can always be relied upon to get a laugh yelled, ‘Now we have to go hunting for novices!’ I had everyone adjourn to the Ball Room and watched as a line formed with people leaving gifts on the empty table beside us. Alba was nodding and thanking people quite graciously.
The room emptied and we joined everyone in the Ball Room. Just as I’d been afraid of Alba and I were called upon for the first dance. Luckily, when the band struck up the song, it was the one that the girls had been humming while teaching me some dance steps. I thought it was luck until I saw Chloe standing beside the band. We made eye contact; she smiled and mouthed ‘you’re welcome’. I am very glad that I’m so well taken care of, even when I don’t know about it. We danced and everyone joined in. There were a lot more men than women so my poor wizard girls were constantly on the floor. I could tell that they didn’t mind in the slightest. As night rolled into morning the girls and I took our leave. I left it to the guard and overworked wait staff to either clear the place or find room for folks to sleep. Alba asked Alice to help her get the gifts upstairs and Alice just lifted the pile as if she’d wrapped them in a net. She then deposited them on a couch in my room and went to bed.
After all the girls had been accounted for and turned in I went to my bed. It had been an extremely long day but I’d survived. The party had turned out better than I’d expected, but I never wanted a job as a party planner! I undressed and crawled between the sheets while Isa and Chloe got the lights. They then undressed, to tired to bother with nightgowns, and crawled in too.
We heard a door close quietly and Alba came around the corner from her closet entrance, buck naked! In a very formal tone she said, “My dear sister, I would formally request that I be allowed to join you in bed as your husbands consort.”
Equally as formal but with the sound of fighting back a giggle Isa replied, “Of course, my sister! Join us with my blessing!”
Alba dove across her sister and landed on top of me. She wiggled under the sheets and said, “I told you that I’d be gentle, but I might have lied!”
I said softly, “Perhaps you’d like for me to show you something before you decide to abuse me or to be gentle with me.” I rolled her off of me and I then slid under the covers. In just a matter of moments I had her voicing her decision to do exactly whatever I asked her to do. The last Princess of Eredwynn joined me as a consort.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
By the time I got around the next morning, the clean-up was well under way. I wandered around for a time trying to stay out of the way. I could feel the deep bass of the booms the twins were causing to blast workable rock from the canyon walls. I thought of Alice and her wonderful skill, slicing the rock down to size and then gently floating it to the constructions crews. Those girls had the construction running ahead of schedule and the crewmen loved them for it. Alice. What ass had yelled at her last night and called her a ‘commoner’, suggesting that she didn’t belong with us? I had to know so I stepped outside and flew to where she was working.
“Alice, might I have a word with you when you put that down?” I asked pointing to a five ton boulder floating across the riverbed.
She nodded, “I had a feeling that I’d be
seeing you today. This is about the man at the party, isn’t it?”
“It is, would you like to tell me what that was all about?”
She shook her head, “Honestly David I don’t think that I’d feel comfortable talking to you about it. I’d be willing to talk to one of the princesses perhaps, but not a man. I hope you understand.”
Of course I didn’t understand but nodded my head dutifully. We men have to pretend to understand women even when we know it will never be possible. I said that I’d have one of them talk to her and if she gave permission they could pass on what I needed to know. I wanted to know something just to put my mind at ease. She smiled and nodded, and then with a wave of her hand sliced the boulder in half.
I flew to the balcony and went to my room. All three princesses were there and I called them to me. I said, “Alice is willing to tell the story of the outspoken man at the party. She just doesn’t want to tell a man. Since I’m sure that none of you are men, I’m asking you to find out for me.”
Chloe said that she would because being a good listener was her claim to fame. Isa and Alba agreed that she would be the ‘man’ for the job but they wanted to know who he was also. Chloe agreed to pass the information on to the other girls and I, then went to the construction site.
Twenty minutes later Chloe returned in a red-face huff. She was adjusting her wand for easy access and said that she would be leaving the castle for awhile. We were all in instant shock! Our healer never lost her calm demeanor and seeing murder in her eyes was scary! She told of a young girl walking down a road. She was on her way to visit friends and the trip wasn’t very long. Before she made it to her destination an armored man showed up claiming to be a knight. He asked the girl if her parents were peasants and when she answered that they were he dismounted. He said that he had been on the road awhile and needed the services of a woman. Since she was a peasant girl and he was a knight she was ordered to submit. When she refused he threw her down, ripped off her clothes and raped her. When he was done he tossed her two silver coins and said that they were for the dress. He replaced his armor, mounted up and rode away. She hadn’t seen him since, until last night.
“David” Chloe cried, “She was only 12 and a virgin. He used her and threw her away!”
I stood up and said that, on horseback, he could have gone no more than a hundred miles. I would follow the road to the east and they could check roads to the north and west. I said to stay above attack range of Orc Captains and if they spotted him recall him back to the castle. I warned them against letting anger control them and the importance of returning him in one piece. I said to approach him shielded and if they really had to, they could get his attention. Regardless, I wanted them home by dark.
I told the other girls in the room that they could go down to the construction site to work on spells and help with any lifting they may need. I knew that the men there weren’t crazy enough to get out of line with them! We walked out of the bedroom and I asked the guard on duty if he knew what had become of the troublemaker from the party. He told me that the man had been given his horse and had ridden out late last night. Unfortunately that gave him a huge head start. He couldn’t fly at over two hundred miles an hour so I was sure that we could catch him.
We left from the balcony. Isa and Alba heading north, Chloe west and I went east. I flew quickly and saw no one for the first thirty miles. I then saw a rider traveling west who seemed to be in no big hurry. I landed twenty yards in front of him, startling his horse. His only comment was, ‘I thought I was getting close to the wizard castle.’ I asked him if he’s seen a lone rider going east and he told me that the only people he had seen were fifty miles behind him. They were burying the dead from an Orc attack. There had been a dozen men, women, and children murdered for the sake of killing. I thanked the man and asked him where he was going and if I could assist in speeding him on his journey. He said he was going to Rosenwood and didn’t know if I would be able to help. He hoped to be there in a week. I asked if it would be acceptable for me get him there now.
He laughed and said ‘if you think that you can wizard!’ I put an arm around his horse’s neck and grabbed his wrist.
‘Crack’ and we were at the gates of Rosenwood, a bit farther away than Alba had brought us, faded into existence. The man let out a whoop and said ’you really are a wizard! Sorry for doubting you, kind sir!’ I nodded and recalled back to Valeview.
The girls were still out on the mission that I hoped remained a search and not a search and destroy mission! I informed the Captain of the Guard that the Orcs were restless and had attacked eighty miles from here on this very road. The guard was doubled and more watchmen were put on the towers. I’d had a line run from the gate through my bedroom window and attached to a bell. The guard was to use that to inform us that ‘the wizards’, as they referred to our group as a whole, were needed. I flew down to the construction site and told the girls about the attack and that I was going to plan a counter attack. When the princesses got back we’d get together and figure out the details. I asked them to keep an eye out for my signal.
Back inside the castle I looked up Pariset. Our relationship had become quite strained since his inept attempt at teaching magic. When I found him in his office I let him know about the Orc attack down the road and that I had added guards, just in case. He agreed that it was a good idea with the annoying ‘my lord’ stuff that we’d slipped back into. I also informed him that one of our party guests may have been a rapist. He wanted to know if the rape had happened on the night of the party and if one of the wizard girls had been involved. I told him that it had been three years ago and a wizard girl was involved. He reminded me that the king had given me the power to make laws and punishments. I said that I was considering giving the man, if he were caught, to his victim for punishment. He asked that I tell him which girl was involved and when I said ‘Alice’ he went white! He asked if I had any idea what that girl could do to a man and I had to laugh. Of course I knew what she could do! I was her Master after all and taught her magic. He hoped that if I did give him to the girl that I wouldn’t do it in front of the castle residents. He was sure that whatever she would do would traumatize everyone. I comforted him by assuring him that I was a compassionate person and wouldn’t punish the people of the castle like that.
I went back to the courtyard just as Chloe followed by a man and his horse came in. She was holding her wand on the man as if it was a gun and the man was terrified. I knew he wouldn’t run so I signaled her to lower her wand. He relaxed slightly as soon as she did, but tensed again as I walked toward him. I asked Chloe if she had asked him any questions and she shook her head. I turned to the man and asked him where he had known the ‘common girl’ that was sitting with the wizards last night. He sighed and said that he had met her a few years back when she was walking. I asked if anything untoward had happened between them and his answer infuriated me. He said that nothing had happened that wasn’t his right as a knight of the crown toward a commoner. I told the man that he could now explain that to the ‘common girl’.
I saw Isa and Alba flying in over the keep and signaled them to call everyone up. They fired energy bolts over the valley and then flew down to join us. The five of us waited until the other six girls came over the top of the keep and landed, surrounding us.
I called Alice over and asked, “Is this the man that raped you?”
Alice looked at him and the man protested, “Rape? What do you mean by that? I was within my rights and I paid for damaged property!”
Alice looked grim, “But did you pay for the damage you caused me? The theft of my virtue without a thought and the pain and indignity of the act was not paid for. It can never be paid for.”
“But it was my…” the man began before Alice lifted her hand and he found himself floating thirty feet above us.
“David, what should I do? I’ve lived with this for a long time now and shouldn’t do what I feel right now.” Said Alice.
&nb
sp; “What do you feel like doing? What would make you feel that justice had been done?” I asked.
With a sad little smile Alice said, “What I feel like doing would make everyone loose their lunch and make a mess of the courtyard. Do I have to make a decision now or can I mull it over for awhile?”
“The castle has a dungeon and we can hold him as long as you’d like. You were the victim and should be the one to decide his fate. I think that you’ll need to let him down though. We can not do anything with him up there.” I said.
Only Alice could be using telekinesis and forget. She looked up as though the floating man had just appeared, grinned and brought him gently to earth. She asked, “David, will you please just hold him for a little while. I need to think.”
The captured knight protested, “You see! This commoner speaks to you with a very familiar tone! She needed to be taught to respect her betters!”
I cringed and Alice smiled slightly, “My betters? I am a Wizard Apprentice and as such answer to my Master and the king. You, toad, should be honored to stand on the same grass as any one of us!”
The man gasped and I realized that Alice had been choking him silent through her rant. I signaled for a couple guards and they came on the run. I told them to lock him up and to keep him fed and healthy until Alice passed judgment. He was led away protesting his rights until we couldn’t hear him anymore.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
It was closing on noon so I suggested we all go upstairs for lunch. Once there I told everyone about the Orc attack down the road and that we needed to launch a counterattack if we were ever to tame this place. I explained that I’d only seen Orcs early in the morning or just at sunset which made me think they were nocturnal. If they didn’t move around much during the day then that was when we should hit them. I had decided that this afternoon would be the perfect time and we would go right after lunch. I told Alice and the twins to go to construction site after they ate and inform them that they would actually have to do some of the work themselves.
Vol. 1 - Another Typical Day (The Wizards of Eredwynn) Page 19
