After an hour’s ride, they passed through a little village. Berlina pointed out a store. “The owner there will be providing you with food and supplies. The house where you’ll be staying is not far from here, and it’s stocked and ready. Once I give the word, they’ll deliver food and supplies every week, so you don’t have to come out where you can be seen.”
“Is that really necessary?”
“Unfortunately, yes. I can’t maintain a glamour on you at this distance from the palace. If Darvid decides you’re the one he wants and orders an all-out search, someone might recognize you. They won’t be able to trail me when I come out to visit you. I can use a different glamour every time.
“When will you come to visit?”
“As often as I can.” She paused and pointed. “There’s the house now. Let’s go in and check the house out…especially the bedroom.”
“Good idea, Bee. Always want to be sure the bedroom is satisfactory.”
They dismounted, tethered the horses, and went inside.
An hour or so later, Berlina came out and went over to her horse. Lathan came to the door and said, “Don’t forget to put your glamour back on. I think you kind of lost it while we were otherwise engaged.”
“Oh, right.” She muttered the spell, and her face changed to go with the barmaid’s outfit. “That’s better. I’m leaving the horse with you, in case you need it…for an emergency or something. Okay, I’ll see you as soon as I can.” After a quick kiss, she mounted and rode off.
She returned her horse to the stable where she had gotten it, then went to the Pink Wyvern. She changed back to her own clothes, but then glamoured herself to look like the old serving maid. She went to the palace door she had exited from, opened it with a wave of her wand, and entered. When she got close to her rooms, she could hear an argument going on between Felistia and someone she assumed was one of the snoops.
Making sure there was nobody in sight, she dropped the glamour and reappeared as herself. As she walked into her quarters she asked, “What’s all the commotion? I could hear you two all the way down the corridor.”
“Oh, hello, Your Highness,” said Felistia. “This clown was looking for you, and wouldn’t believe I had no idea where you were. Stupid idiot.”
The snoop spun around, then bowed and said, “Your Highness, I have been seeking you on behalf of His Majesty. He wishes to talk to you. Your companion here was being most uncooperative. She claimed she did not know where to find you.”
“Of course not,” said Berlina. “She is my servant, my lady’s maid. She’s not my guard, not my gaoler. If I choose not to tell her my whereabouts, that’s my business. Now, you say my brother wishes to talk to me? Let’s not keep him waiting.” She turned and went out the door, with the snoop scurrying after her, trying to keep up.
Felistia sat on the bed, hands over her mouth, trying to suppress her laughter.
When Berlina got to Darvid’s study, with the snoop huffing and puffing behind, she entered without bothering to knock and plopped down in a seat in front of the king’s desk.
He looked up at her and said. “Berlina? Where have you been? I’ve had my special messengers looking all over for you.”
“You mean your snoops? I doubt if those clowns could find their mouths with their forks at dinner. Anyway, it was a nice day, so I went for a walk. Just got back.”
“You went for a walk? By yourself, without the special messengers I assigned to accompany you and keep you safe? Do you know how dangerous that could be?”
“Oh, I’m not worried. I was wearing my sword.”
“That’s another thing…that sword. It’s simply not appropriate, not fitting for you to wear a sword.”
“Why not? You wear a sword. You did even back when you were the Crown Prince. I figure if the prince can wear a sword, why not the princess?”
“I’m a man, you’re a woman. It’s just not proper for a woman to wear a sword. Remember how upset Mother got when we returned from my rescue, and you told her you’d killed Zatarra with your sword?”
“Oh, I remember. Mother was always a bit out of date. No, I like wearing a sword, and I’m not about to give it up. I happen to know there is no law against it, and I doubt you could drum up enough support to get such a law passed. Nope.”
“I could just have your sword confiscated by Royal Decree.”
Berlina stood up, pulled out her sword, swished it around in the air, decapitated a potted plant sitting next to the desk, resheathed the sword, and sat back down. “You have someone sufficiently suicidal to try that, Brother? Someone with a real death wish?” she asked.
Darvid paled a bit. “I wasn’t actually planning to do that, Berlina. It was just a passing thought. I do wish you wouldn’t flaunt the sword. It just doesn’t seem, well, dignified.”
“Oh, I don’t flaunt it. In fact, this sword is often hard for the casual observer to see. The last ball you forced me to go to, I doubt if anyone noticed it.”
Darvid looked horror-stricken. “You wore a sword to a ball?”
“Why not? That Count Liverlips you saddled me with was wearing one.”
“Count Liparius is a man and a noble. He’s expected to wear a sword as part of his dress uniform.”
“You see, the problem is that I just don’t much care what is expected. I wasn’t expected to go out and rescue you from Drailsen and Zatarra, but I did it. I’m beginning to wonder if that was a good idea. I expected you to be a good king, but you’re turning into a copy of Mother. A Momma’s boy. Now, is that all you wanted?”
“Well…er…ah, Berlina, I just want to say, I would appreciate it if you would attend the balls and social functions, and at least be polite to your escorts. If there is any truth to the rumor about you and some unidentified commoner, if you could keep it as quiet as possible…”
“Wouldn’t it be better, if that rumor were true, for me to just marry that unidentified commoner?”
Darvid sprang to his feet and yelled, “No!” He sat down, breathing heavily, and continued, “No, that would be a disgrace to the family name. I’ll put up with the other but not that.”
“Okay, fine. Have it your way.” Berlina got up and walked out of the room. Darvid didn’t even bother to send his special messengers after her.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Happy Birthday, Twenty-One
The affairs of the kingdom seemed to go downhill after that. While Berlina continued to serve as a member of the advisory council, it met less and less frequently over the next couple of years. Finally, it stopped meeting altogether. Few laws passed. Little was done but to preserve the status quo. The social life of the palace suffered, too. Balls and dinners seldom happened anymore.
People seldom saw the king, who only came out on a balcony on holidays and other rare occasions to say a few words. Everyone who got close enough to get a good look commented on how worn out he looked. Many wondered if he had the same health problems his mother had died of.
During this time, Berlina rode out to see Lathan at least once a week, more often whenever she could manage it, but she was unable to carry good news to him. “I talked to Darvid again. He doesn’t know who you are or where. He suspects some of the men in the palace. Every time I suggest to him that the simple solution would be for me and ‘my boyfriend’ to marry, he flies into a rage. He says it would be a disgrace for a member of the royal family to marry a commoner. He has said that so many times, I’ve lost count.”
“Bee, honey. I hate this as much as you do, but from what you say, things keep getting worse. Maybe things will get so bad, he’ll change his mind. Maybe something else will happen…maybe the horse will sing. We just need to wait and seize the opportunity when it pops up. Eventually, we’ll find a way to get married. Now, come here and kiss me.”
Finally, something was about to occur that could not be ignored—Berlina’s twenty-first birthday. This was to be a major celebration, held in the courtyard as Darvid’s had been. A platform was set up with
two thrones on it, a large one for King Darvid and another, only slightly smaller, for Princess Berlina. A much smaller seat was off to one side for Felistia, who Berlina insisted on having upon the platform. The celebration went on all day, with music and entertainment, dancing, and food. Birthday presents for the princess were piled high on one side of the courtyard, and many said the pile was higher than that on Darvid’s twenty-first birthday.
They made announcements regularly that a special event would take place at dusk. Berlina asked her brother, “What are you planning for the evening?”
“You’ll just have to wait and see, like everyone else,” he replied.
Finally, it started to get dark, and Darvid climbed up on the platform and stood in front of his throne. He had Berlina climb up and stand in front of hers. He raised his hands, and the crowd went silent. “My people,” he said, “it was two and a half years ago…more or less…when I stood up here and was crowned King of Jylyria. In the time that has passed since then, I have discovered one truly important thing. I don’t like being king.”
There was a murmur from the crowd until Darvid raised his hands again for silence. “I don’t like being king, and what is worse, I seem to be doing a rotten job of it. Therefore, there is only one thing I can see my way clear to do. I am abdicating the throne, and crowning Princess Berlina, who has now reached the age of twenty-one and has become eligible, the new queen of Jylyria.” He removed the crown from his head and placed it on Berlina’s head. He handed her the scepter and nudged her over in front of the larger throne. He sat down in the smaller one, and as he did so, the fireworks went off, just as they had at his coronation. The cheering from the crowd lasted almost twenty minutes. Berlina stood there, waving to the crowd until things calmed down a little. Then, she took her seat in the larger throne.
Suddenly, there was a rumbling in the ground, and the middle of the courtyard started to bulge upward. Many people ran screaming away from the bulging area.
Berlina stood and called out, “People, this is harmless. I have seen it before. It is a friend come to visit. Get clear of the center of the courtyard, but otherwise, don’t worry.”
The bulge grew higher and higher and broke open. The head of the giant wyrm popped into view, then bent over to bring the platform on its head into a level position. A woman on the platform raised her staff and called out, “Hail, Queen Berlina.”
Berlina raised her scepter and replied, “Hail, Queen Sandia. Welcome to Jylyria.”
Sandia said, “I know you were unable to find out in advance what Darvid was going to do. Our Seers, however, were able to get a vision of the future showing this event.”
As she spoke, members of her crew were setting out the gangplank. This time, however, they did not position it to allow descent to the ground. Rather, it was set level, so that crossing it would bring one to the platform with the two thrones.
Sandia continued, “We knew when this event, your coronation, occurred, there was one person above all others you would want present. So we have brought him to you.”
Lathan rose from one of the seats and walked across the gangplank. When he reached the other end, he went over to Berlina, put his arms around her, and kissed her. The crowd cheered. Only Darvid looked unhappy, very unhappy.
Queen Sandia followed Lathan across the gangplank. She threw her arms around the happy couple, turning it into a group hug. Then, she leaned over, her mouth close to Berlina’s ear, and said in a low voice, barely audible over the cheering from the crowd, “I know that you are a witch, and Lathan knows it, but I don’t think your subjects out there know it. Are you going to tell your people that their queen is a witch?”
Berlina answered in the same low voice, “I imagine it will be necessary someday, but not now. Not today. No need to borrow trouble.”
Queen Berlina turned back to the audience and signaled for silence. When the crowd noise died down, she said, “My people, this is Lathan, my true love. My brother did not approve of Lathan, because he is a commoner. Well, we are going to take care of that. Kneel, Lathan.”
Lathan went down on his knees. Berlina drew her sword and tapped him three times, once on each shoulder and once on the side of the head. “We dub thee Prince Lathan. Arise, Prince.” Lathan stood, and Berlina continued, “A prince must have something to be prince of. Well, it seems we have a spare castle, the one formerly held by the traitor Drailsen, and we award that castle and all its surrounding land to Prince Lathan. What say you, Prince?”
“I thank you, Your Majesty. I will do my best to live up to my new station, and to do honor to my new properties.”
“What colors do you choose for your new domain, Prince Lathan? We must replace that horrible maroon and orange.”
He said, “Your Majesty, if you remember, we talked of this as we rode past that castle on our way home. I stand by the decision I made then. I choose red and silver.”
“A very good choice. Your new castle shall fly banners of red and silver, and those in your service will wear your new colors. Unfortunately, I fear you will not be living in that castle very much, nor will you personally be wearing your red and silver. You will be living here in the High Palace most of the time, and you will be wearing the royal purple and gold as befits the Prince Consort of the kingdom.” She turned to a group of officials off to the side and said, “Send up the High Priest. We have a wedding to perform.” She signaled to Felistia to join her and said, “Come here. I need a bridesmaid.”
This time the cheering lasted almost an hour before things calmed down enough for the High Priest to start the wedding ceremony.
About the Author:
James Hartley is a former computer programmer.
Originally from northern New Jersey, he now lives in sunny central Florida.
He has published six fantasy novels, The Ghost of Grover’s Ridge, Magic Is Faster Than Light, Teen Angel, Cop with a Wand, Magic to the Rescue, and This Wand for Hire, and has two more, Fortunatus and Berlina’s Quest, due out soon. He has had short stories published as e-books, in the collection Worlds Away and Worlds Aweird, in anthologies, and in various e-zines and print magazines.
He is currently working on a new novel, Beverly Bronte, Space Chick.
He is a member of IWOFA and the Dark Fiction Guild.
His website is http://teenangel.netfirms.com.
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