He shrugged. “We can’t help it if we’re superior to everyone else.”
She shut her eyes and shook her head slightly. Why do I even try? She loved him and had no doubts that he was a good person, in his own way. But some of his ideas were very hard to deal with. “Well since we are guests here I take it that means you aren’t going to try to steal anything. Right?”
“Well not unless I am sure I can get away with it.”
“What happened to not doing any harm to your host? Or does robbing him not count?”
“The laws of hospitality and guest rights only apply if the head of one of the Seven Great Houses extends an open invitation to a member of one of the other Houses. If the invitation is secret, extended by anyone other than the head of the family, or is sent to anyone who is not a member of one of the Houses those rules do not apply. Since I am in a foreigner’s home I am under no obligation to him.”
“So you only play nice with the people you know?”
“I would never describe it as, ‘nice’ but, essentially, yes.”
“You know I would have thought that what happened to us would have at least shown you why it’s wrong to steal. We lost all our money because of some damn thief. Can you see the lesson in that?”
“Certainly, from now on I should hold our coins, or maybe Gronk should.”
“Belle,” the disguised ogre said.
“Only when other people can hear us.”
“That’s the wrong lesson darling,” Alice tried to sound patient. “Stealing is wrong. You shouldn’t take what isn’t yours. Being the victim now can’t you see that?”
“It’s only wrong when you are the victim. It’s just fine so long as you are the one doing the robbing.”
Belle nodded. “I like the way Master thinks.”
“You be quiet,” she stabbed a finger at Belle and then at Waldo. “And you, forget about stealing anything. You don’t want to do that. Griffinhearts are bad people. They’re arrogant and vindictive and think they can have anything they want. Even if you think we can get away with it, just don’t. Trust me, we don’t want to make an enemy out of this family.”
“Really? How do you know so much about them?”
“Ah, well they’re very famous. They’re rich and they’re related to the ruling house.” She began wringing her hands again.
“How rich?”
“Don’t, we have enough problems as it is.”
XXX
The Duke at last arrived to formally welcome his guests.
He was dressed in shining plate mail, though the chest piece looked to be in danger of snapping off. The Duke was a big, broad shouldered man with thick arms and legs. Undoubtedly in his younger days he had been an impressive figure. He still was, but had a large belly and double chin. Behind him trailed several servants and two more guards.
Waldo saw his eyes flash first to him and then Belle. It was Alice that held his gaze.
The duke came over to him and gave a slight nod of his head. Waldo returned the gesture.
“Welcome to Norwich Master Rabbit. I, Duke Theos Griffinheart, offer you the comfort and security of my home for the length of your stay.”
Though the man was addressing him his eyes kept wandering over to Alice.
“I thank you for your kind invitation and wish you Unity, Justice, and Peace and all that.”
“I’ve had a few White Mages visit over the years, but they always travelled alone. Won’t you introduce me to your companions?”
Before Waldo could reply Belle leaned forward with a huge smile. “I am Belle of Tarsus, you cute pudgy man you.”
“Er, yes, a pleasure I am sure.” Griffinheart turned and stepped in front of Alice. His eyes were sliding up and down her body as his fingers impatiently danced.
She gave a smooth curtsy, then spoke, almost sang. “My Lord, I am Mrs. Alice Rabbit.”
“You’re his wife? Truly?” There as a regretful sigh. “Ah, what a terrible shame, I suppose Lancel wasn’t quick enough.”
“What?! I mean... I don’t know what you are referring to my Lord.”
“You are Alice, the barmaid from that whorehouse in Stratford aren’t you?”
Her eyes bulged out and her mouth opened and closed soundlessly.
“How do you know about that?” Waldo asked.
“My son was smitten by her. He described her to me in great detail. Her fire colored hair, the eyes of amethyst, her huge… heart.”
Alice crossed her arms over her bosom. “Yes, men are always noticing my heart.”
“Ah, that’s right, Elsa mentioned to me there was someone else who wanted to buy you.” Waldo said.
“Luckily Elsa was always greedy, otherwise I would have been sold off before we ever met.”
“I am sure you would have been happy to have belonged to my son.”
Alice took a hold of Waldo’s arm. “I am happier being married to my husband.”
“No doubt, no doubt,” he looked at Waldo. “You truly are a lucky man.”
“I know.”
“If you are still here when my son returns I am sure he will tell you the same.”
Waldo felt her grip tighten and a surge of fear through their bond.
“La… Lancel is coming here?”
Duke Griffinheart grinned. “No need to look so frightened. I am sure my son will be disappointed, but he is not going to try and steal you away.”
“No, of course he wouldn’t.”
Waldo could tell her fear was growing. He wasn’t sure why. He had bought her after all, and the people of this land seemed to respect private property.
“Duke Griffinheart,” Waldo said. “The reason I’ve come here is that I am looking for a monster.”
“You’ve come to the right place then. Go into the marshes and you’ll find thousands of them, like rats in a sewer. No matter how many we catch or kill the damn things just keep breeding.”
Waldo felt anger flare in both of his familiars.
“I am not interested in common goblins. I’ve heard there was a Great Monster here in Norwich.”
“Inside my city?” The duke shook his head, making his chins wobble. “Whoever told you that was a damn liar. I don’t tolerate such disgusting things here. The people in Middleton and other places may put up with such repulsive filth, but I assure you that I don’t.”
“Not all monsters are disgusting,” Alice snapped. “They don’t all deserved to be killed either, not just for being what they are.”
Griffinheart gave her the sort of smile you might offer to a small child babbling nonsense. “Dear girl, I am sure the goblins in Stratford are very tame. Perhaps some of them do tricks. Here, we understand what they truly are. They aren’t pets or oxen, they are monsters in every sense of the word. If it weren’t for the money from the traders we would kill every last one we could. Believe me, they don’t deserve any sort of pity. I am sure your husband feels exactly the same way.”
“Being a White Mage that goes without saying. So there are really no monsters anywhere in Norwich?”
“None.”
“What about in the area?”
“As I said, thousands.”
“I mean Great Monsters; vampires, giants, dragons. Are there any creatures like that close by?”
The duke hesitated for just a moment. “No, there are only goblins.”
“You’re sure?”
“Quite sure, Master Rabbit. Now I am certain you are weary from your travels. Let us have a meal together. Please enjoy my hospitality for as long as you care to.”
Chapter 15
A Dagger Pointed At Your Own Heart
They shared a very pleasant meal with their host.
Belle ate enough for five. Waldo asked questions about local geography and recent monster activity. Alice tried to remain quiet. She was forced to answer a number of questions from the duke, who paid her far more attention than he did to Waldo. Following this some servants brought them to the quarters they would be staying a
t. The Duke was generous enough to give Belle separate accommodations, so that Waldo and his wife could enjoy some privacy.
Almost as soon as they were alone Alice began to pace. Short, quick strides took her from one end of the room to the other.
“We should leave here as soon as we can,” Alice said, never slowing her pace. “Tonight, or in the morning at the very latest. Lord Griffinheart doesn’t know when his son will be back, we should get as far away from here as we can.”
“We can’t leave until we find my third familiar,” Waldo said. “Why are you so afraid?”
“Because Lancel will kill me.”
“Just because you are mine now? That seems rather petty.”
“You don’t understand. He’s not the sort of man who takes no for an answer. Every time he came to the Inn he got a little more forceful, a little more impatient. He doesn’t like to lose. I think he would rather have me killed than see me with another man. That’s assuming he hasn’t found out the truth about me. Lancel would definitely kill me then. He likes monsters about as much as his father does.”
“I still don’t see why you’re so worried. He’s only human.”
That brought her to a sudden halt to gawk at him. “So was that crowd that threw you in the river.”
“Hmmm,” Waldo replied. “Good point.”
“Then we can go?”
“No, we can’t leave until I’m sure there’s no Great Monster here.”
“So you’d rather put my life in danger?” Her hands began waving about. “Darling, Lancel might decide to kill you too, out of jealousy or because he suspects the truth.”
“It doesn’t make a difference Alice. We are already in danger. My grandfather knows we’re in Norwich. I am sure Melissa is searching for us as well.”
“Then why don’t we just go?”
“Getting a third Great Monster is worth the risk. They are very hard to acquire. Once we leave there is no guarantee I will ever be able to get another. The conditions of my quest are close to impossible, I need every conceivable advantage.”
“What happens if Lancel shows up here tomorrow?”
“His father has no idea when he’ll return. The odds of it being tomorrow seem slim.”
“What if he appears anyway?”
“Then I’d say our best chance for survival is for you to Charm him the moment you see him.”
She planted her hands on her hips. “And if that doesn’t work?”
“Then we’ll just have to fight our way out of the city.”
“If it comes to that we’ll be slaughtered!”
“Then let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”
Alice shut her eyes and took a couple deep breaths. Through the bond Waldo could feel her fear diminishing slightly, while her frustration mounted.
“How can you be so calm about this?”
“Because it doesn’t really change our situation. I understand we are in danger, but we would be true regardless. What do you suppose will happen if my grandfather arrives at the gate? Or Melissa? Things would be as bad or worse.”
“Fine, well if we’re staying no matter what then I think you should know the duke was lying when you asked him about monsters in the area.”
“Are you certain?”
“Pretty much, I have a lot of experience with men telling lies. One of the benefits of being a barmaid.”
“That’s interesting.” Waldo gave her his full attention and narrowed his eyes.
“What?”
“You were holding this back until I made it clear we weren’t leaving. If I had decided to go you wouldn’t have told me at all, would you?”
Her eyes darted towards the floor and she began tugging at her hair.
“I was going to tell you,” she mumbled.
“You also didn’t mention Lancel until the duke brought him up. You must have known who the ruler was as soon as we arrived. It explains why you were so adamant we leave. It also makes clear why you used your Charm.”
“I didn’t actually lie about that, I just didn’t bring it up.”
“A lie of omission then. It could have been important.”
“You think I like talking about all this? Of reminding you how I used to be nothing? I didn’t even have a last name. I was property. They didn’t call me a slave, but I could still be bought and sold like a pig or cow. I… I was ashamed.”
“Alice I know all this. I paid a hundred gold coins to buy you. Why is it an issue?”
She tugged on her hair a little more fiercely. “I care what you think about me. I know you know what I am, but I want you to see me as someone special to you.”
“Alice,” he reached out and took hold of both her hands, pulling them free of her hair. “I am going to tell you something very important and I want you to pay attention to me. All right?”
She nodded silently.
“Growing up I was taught many sayings that summed up important lessons in just a few words. One of the first and most important was this; ‘Trust is a dagger pointed at your own heart.’ I was brought up to not trust others. I was taught to always expect betrayal.”
“That’s terrible.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Life is cruel, and I learned a great many hard lessons growing up, every child of every Great House does. Members of my family were dangerous, it was not unusual for them to arrange accidents for one another. Trusting too much, or the wrong person, would get you killed very quickly.”
“I can’t believe people in the same family could do that to each other.”
“Another of our sayings is; ‘Corpses are easy to step over.’”
Alice grimaced in obvious distaste.
“Before setting out on my quest I trusted only two people; my mother and my sister Gwendolyn. In my life they were the only ones I felt I could put my faith in. Everyone else, every brother, sister, servant, or teacher I expected to betray me. Except for my mother and Gwen there was no one else I would share a secret with or allow to stand at my back. Do you understand what I am saying? About how precious trust is to me?”
“Yes, I think so.”
He leaned forward and placed a slow, soft kiss on her lips.
“I trust you.” He whispered.
Her eyes widened. Through the bond he felt her shock, followed by a well spring of clear happiness.
“So don’t lie or keep secrets from me anymore.”
She hugged and pressed herself against him. “Yes, darling.”
XXX
Lancel was lying in a warm bed. Uma asleep next to him, her light snoring reminded him of a sickly weasel. She was one of the women he liked to keep on his various estates. Brothels were fun to visit now and again, but he preferred having exclusive lovers. Being discreet with his pleasures was important. After all, one day he would be the Duke of Norwich, one of the most powerful men in all Lothas and an advisor to the King. For a man like him reputation was everything.
Thoughts about his reputation brought Stratford and Alice back to mind. To think he had almost lain with a monster! To have actually committed bestiality would have ruined him. The king would never allow a man who’d committed such a depravity to be a lord of the realm. So, in an odd way, Elsa’s greed had saved him. Not that Lancel felt any sort of gratitude towards the fat sow. Her lies had nearly ruined him in the first place. The mere possibility of rumors about him being attracted to a monster made Lancel sick.
Had Stratford been a small village he and his men would have slaughtered everyone and burned it to the ground. The lives of a few commoners and whores meant nothing compared to his own future. As it was, he could not make an entire city disappear. He’d had to settle for a small lesson and putting some fear into them. If any of those fools talked he would go back and turn them into dog meat.
Rationally Lancel was sure everything would be fine. Even if the story spread, who would believe it? Peasants loved to talk about their betters, but their opinions didn’t matter. If other lords and ladies heard they would just
assume it was idle slander. Every truly great man had enemies, and those enemies were always inventing lies. Go to any tavern late at night, when tongues were loose, and you would hear how the local lord had fondled a stable boy or slept with a cousin or raped some farmer’s pretty daughter. Those sorts of stories were the same wherever you went, they were expected.
So what if the king or his father heard some vague rumor about him and some barmaid who was secretly a monster? What person of importance would take that sort of thing seriously? Alice was gone and he would never see or hear from her again. The important thing was that this would have no effect on his future. He would follow in his father’s footsteps and be Duke of Norwich.
After The Rabbit (Waldo Rabbit Series) Page 13
