by Patty Jansen
“It is. That’s why Madame Sabine and the old Lord Verdonck stole the dragon box: so that the dragon could pull the balloons like sea cows pull a boat. Except the dragon didn’t like it.” Because one had to earn the trust of a dragon before you could get it to do anything.
“You could use something else to keep a balloon under control. You could use a boat. You could attach a long rope and let the balloon fly over the city while the boat stays at a safe distance.”
Nellie nodded. One could also use another animal, like . . . an elephant. That might work for a circus troupe for the novelty of attracting a crowd.
She sighed. “Anyway, first we need to find Bruno. If he’s gone in search of his father, then I don’t know that he’ll survive the journey. It’s a long way over the ocean to Anglia and it’s very, very cold up there.”
She still shivered when she thought about her short adventure on the dragon’s back.
Henrik shook his head. “I’m not sure he’s gone that far. In the past few days, he never stopped talking about how he was going to avenge his father and pay the church back for the time he spent locked up in the crypts. I think he’s gone to Saardam.”
“Where he’s likely to get killed. Without him, there’s not much point trying to show the citizens of Saardam what Shepherd Wilfridus is doing to them. We might as well move to Lurezia.”
“It’s not a nice place for foreigners, I hear.”
“No, and I don’t want to move there, but Bruno is the only reason we can get the citizens behind us: if we have the rightful heir to the throne, they’ll support us.”
“We’ll have to find him, before he gets himself into trouble. And don’t worry, Nellie, I’m not about to give up.”
But nobody they met on the estate had seen anything out of the ordinary. They didn’t even find Madame Sabine’s horse any more.
That was the clearest sign Nellie had seen that the dragon had left the area.
There was only one thing left to be done. That was to inform Adalbert Verdonck himself and ask if he could offer any assistance.
They walked down the tree-lined lane to the house, talking about what they would and would not say. Henrik agreed that it was best not to trust Adalbert Verdonck too much, because rich men are never your friends.
But when they arrived at the house, it was to find that another visitor was already there, judging by the horse tied to a pole for that purpose outside. This animal was not a dopey farm horse, but a sleek brown horse that looked fast.
Henrik eyed it suspiciously.
“Do you know that horse?” Nellie asked. There was always a danger that someone from the city would be here and would recognise them.
“No. But it looks like a military horse to me. It’s been a while since I was in the Army, but they used to have that type of saddlebag.”
“Do you still want to go in?”
“I’m not entirely sure. Maybe we should wait until the visitor departs.”
But as he said that, the front door open and a man came out.
Henrik pulled Nellie behind a big tree.
The visitor was not a military man; at least, his long black coat didn’t look like a uniform, although his tall black boots might once have belonged to a soldier.
He walked in quick strides, went down the steps to the gravel, untied the horse and climbed in the saddle. The horse took off at a trot.
Henrik didn’t speak until he was halfway down the lane to the main road. “I know that man. It’s Sigfrid Emmel. He used to be a lieutenant when I was in the army. Retired with an injury and started his own mercenary army.”
“Is his visit here a good thing or a bad thing?”
“Adalbert Verdonck has served in the army, too. They could be friends. Or it could be a business meeting. I’m not sure.”
“You’re not sure about many things today.”
He sighed. “I guess it’s not my day, then.”
She had noticed that he looked very tired and worried. “Apart from the fact that Bruno is gone, is anything else wrong?”
“I have sworn to protect the boy,” he said. His face was haunted. “I’ve failed.”
“You’ve sworn? Who did you promise that to?” This was the first Nellie heard of it.
“His father. He also asked me not to tell anyone, but there’s not much point keeping it secret now.”
“You were in contact with Li Fai in Anglia?”
“Not me, but someone I know well was. A number of years ago, the boy’s father asked us to keep an eye on him after his mother had been killed. He knew what had happened, and although he was travelling, he was never able to come back to find his son, because his magic wouldn’t allow him to come into the country. We were aware that the boy’s body had never been found and became aware not much later that there was a good chance that the boy was still alive. To quell the rumours, the church ordered graves for both Bruno and Celine, but everyone knew there were no bodies in those graves. We even had both graves opened to prove it. So when Li Fai contacted us, we swore to protect him.”
“Who is we?”
“Myself and a group of friends. You may meet them at some point. They’re all guards.”
“City guards or palace guards?”
“Both. And some are ex-soldiers also.”
“And did this group know that Prince Bruno was in the church crypts?”
“We suspected he might spend some time there, but we know he also spent time in other places like some of the church’s monasteries that are closed to visitors. Once it became clear that you had freed him, it was my duty to protect him from his captors.”
A light went on in Nellie’s mind. “That was why you came. I wondered why you made that bold move to jump onto the ship and shoot the Regent, but now I know.”
“Not the only reason, but an important reason, yes.”
“And here I was thinking that you came with us because of me.”
“I’m sorry to disappoint you.”
“So when you shot those arrows, you meant to kill the shepherd more desperately than the Regent?”
“That’s true. But my main aim was to create enough chaos for us to be able to get away. I aimed for the Regent because he is a despicable man who allowed all this to take place, but I really wanted to kill the shepherd. Because I knew how much he would want to come after you and how much his death would solve. I swore to protect the prince, and did everything to ensure that people believed I only protected the regent.”
So much of Henrik’s behaviour now made sense.
When he was at the palace, he had been unable to agree with her because he was playing the role of the faithful guard.
“So what are we going to do now?”
“Knowing what we know about how the shepherd controls people with magic, we cannot allow Adalbert Verdonck to hire mercenaries to take the town by force. It would be a bloodbath. So I’m going to talk to him.”
“I don’t really trust Adalbert Verdonck. Are we going to tell him the truth?”
“I can’t see another option. We’ll tell him as much as he needs to know.”
Chapter 12
NELLIE FOLLOWED HENRIK across the forecourt up the steps to the front door. When he knocked, the sound reverberated in the hollow space beyond.
A moment later Lord Verdonck’s housekeeper opened the door.
Henrik said, “We would like to speak with your master, please.”
“May I ask what this is about?”
“It’s a confidential matter of extreme importance.”
Henrik clearly had experience in sounding very authoritative and convincing.
The housekeeper showed them to a small room and told them to wait while he went to inform the master.
The sound of male voices drifted across the hall from the library. Having been inside the room before, Nellie could imagine Adalbert sitting by the fire.
Not much later the housekeeper came back. “The master will see you now.” He led Henrik and Ne
llie into the library.
Adalbert Verdonck sat behind the big desk, and when Nellie and Henrik came into the room, he pushed away the paper that he had been writing on.
An agreement he didn’t want them to see? A budget for sending out an army? A letter to someone else to join him?
“This is an unusual visit,” he said.
“It’s an unusual situation,” Henrik said. “I spotted Master Emmel outside.”
“Dear man, do you wish to criticise who I receive as guests?”
“I know him well and I know what he does, so I cannot help but question his presence here.”
“What would you say to ‘That’s none of your business?’ ”
“I accept that, yet it is my business. Knowing the things I know, I would strongly advise you against sending mercenaries into Saardam.”
Adalbert Verdonck snorted and lifted his eyebrows. “What makes you think I’m going to do that?”
“Master Emmel’s presence, for one. And the things you’ve said while in the palace.”
Another snort. “The place is in chaos, and someone needs to bring order. Apparently, the Regent’s son has truly taken his father’s position, and the church supports him.”
Nellie couldn’t stop herself exclaiming, “Casper?”
“Yes. That utter ill-mannered brat. He’s taken to ordering the guards about on ridiculous tasks. He’s sent me another letter asking for my assistance, financial assistance, of course.”
Nellie thought of the previous letter he had shown her. “What did you respond to the first letter?”
He spread his hands. “And now you want to know my business as well? Yes, I responded. I told the young brat that if he really wanted to be a ruler, he’d start by taking a mentor and marrying a princess.” He laughed.
Nellie pushed down annoyance.
“Ruling a country is a serious business, not to be placed in the hands of a sixteen-year-old boy. Someone has to teach him a lesson.”
“I agree, but sending in troops is not how to do it,” Henrik said.
Adalbert Verdonck raised his eyebrows. “He’s a boy. What can go wrong?”
“As long as the church supports him, everything.”
Adalbert wrinkled his nose. “Priests. I will hear no more of them.”
“Dangerous magical priests. You think a boy of sixteen can control them? You think mercenaries are the answer to a strong magician?”
Adalbert Verdonck hesitated. A small frown crossed his face. He might have dismissed their stories about magic during their last visit, but he was not stupid. He’d learn what there was to learn about a situation, and then he would use as much as he could.
He gestured at the couch.
Henrik took the hint and sat down. Nellie sat down next to him.
Lord Verdonck took a piece of parchment from the top of the stack of books next to his desk. He handed it to Henrik, presuming Nellie couldn’t read.
But Nellie looked over his shoulder.
“I received this from a friend,” Lord Verdonck said. “I know you believe otherwise, but it was one of the reasons Master Emmel was here: to deliver that letter. He and I go back a long way. We used to live on the same street.”
“So did we,” Nellie said. “Henrik went into the guards, and I ended up working in the palace for the queen. I also went with her to Florisheim.”
Nellie was quite sick of this young noble acting like he thought less of her.
“Is that so?”
He looked at her with renewed curiosity as if he couldn’t believe that a maid could have any use.
Meanwhile, Henrik was reading. The letter was written in a very neat handwriting, and Nellie recognised a seal at the top as being from one of the council families. She even thought she knew which family. The father was a grumpy old man who refused to come to any of the Regent’s banquets. Normally she would question what he knew, but in this case it was a good sign.
“Things have really started to go bad,” Henrik said.
Adalbert Verdonck nodded, as if he expected Henrik to agree with his proposition to send an army.
“Did he really do that?”
“Yes, Master Emmel was talking to me about it because he had to confirm what they said was true. The young upstart got the other young boys who taunted him in his youth to come to the palace, take off their pants, and run laps around the forecourt.”
“It might just be a little teasing,” Henrik said.
“I wouldn’t think so. There is that trollop Baroness Hestia egging him on. And the church should know better and should stop it. Already some of the noble families are angry, but apparently some of their young sons have given the lout money.”
“They should be livid.”
“Take it from me, I’m sure they are, and I’m sure that some action won’t be far away, especially if we show up at the palace gates with an army.”
“What would you do if it were your son?” Nellie asked. She didn’t know if he had a son; she guessed probably not, because of what Gisele had told her.
“If I had a son, I would be there demanding my loans back immediately, except I have already done that and I am not exactly known for my patience. Most of these lazy people have a lot more patience than I do.”
“But this is such a dangerous situation, with a young boy playing these games at the expense of the country.”
He gave her a suspicious look, as if wondering where she was going with this.
“My point is, I don’t think anyone who is sensible, like you, would put up with this any longer than it takes for your son to walk home without his pants and be laughed at by all the citizens.”
He pressed his lips together.
“Now I guess a lot of these men are your friends. Would you suggest that they wouldn’t do exactly the same if a member of their family was insulted? In fact, I observed Casper ridiculing the mayor’s daughter and making crude comments about her. The mayor was very angry indeed, so it is not as if it is the first time that Casper has been insulting people. Shouldn’t they be much angrier than they are?”
She could see in his eyes that he finally saw that she might be right. “Why are they not acting in a way that suggests that they’re angry?”
He gave a small shrug. “Because it takes time to get protest organised. Oh, it’s easy enough to storm into the palace and make your displeasure known, but it’s another thing altogether to do it in such a way that it has an effect.”
“Your friends in Saardam have been doing this?”
“Not as fast as I would have liked. But I can’t see into their affairs. There may have been issues that necessitated a delay in their actions. It’s difficult to judge from here.”
Nellie asked, “All the while doing this, have there been any more dinners?”
“I suspect they are more lavish than ever,” Henrik said.
Adalbert Verdonck scoffed. “The letter says that despicable priest even takes part in most of them. He fills the young gentlemen’s heads with rubbish, from what I hear, and they behave like animals without their parents around.”
“Just to be clear, you haven’t offered him any support?”
He gave her a What do you take me for? look. “I thought my father’s support of the Regent was already too much, even if I accepted his arguments for it. I think this young lout well crosses the boundaries of acceptability.”
“But that same letter he sent you, he would have written to others, and some have obviously given him their support.”
He snorted. “It seems so, although I have no idea why.”
“Magic in the food,” Nellie said. “I told you this last time we were here.”
And obviously, he had discounted her words.
She continued, her voice low. “I have noticed it myself, after leaving the palace. My thoughts have become much clearer, and I’ve felt more able to ask questions.”
His frown deepened. It was now a few days ago that he had last visited the palace. The effect of a
nything he’d eaten there would have worn off.
He spoke slowly. “You mean they support him because there is some sort of magic poison in the food that is served at the banquets?”
“I don’t think it comes from the kitchen,” Nellie said. “I worked in the kitchens, and I can tell you that nothing suspicious happened there. The food arrives at the palace already infused with magic. I have seen how they do it with gin. I told you this last time, too. I think at the time you had just come back from the palace and you didn’t believe me.”
“I don’t even remember that you said it.” Adalbert Verdonck was looking decidedly disturbed now. His face was haunted and his expression dark. After a long silence, he said, “I feel a like an idiot, and believe me, I do not like admitting that. My father talked about this magic a lot. But he was always taking all those pills for his health, and he was fine whenever he visited the palace. Even when he got sick in the palace I thought it was just his way of complaining that he didn’t want to go to the banquet. He was always everywhere, but he got sick of people very quickly and he always left early.”
That was true.
“I laughed about his pill taking, but I never really questioned what was in all these things. He was very particular about what he ate and told me not to trust any food served by anyone whom you didn’t consider a friend, but said nothing more about the food that was served at the palace. I didn’t go to the banquets. I brought my own food, because I disliked the company. He may have been trying to protect me.”
“Do you have any of those pills he was taking?” Nellie asked.
“Maybe. I will have to search for them. Why?”
“I have heard of some herbal remedies that work against magic. I suspect they only work against low forms of magic and that a direct attack by magic will still require a magician to be defeated. But if people in the city—important people at least—could be convinced to take these pills, then you would get a lot more support if you came to drive Casper out of the palace.”
Now he was looking at her with renewed interest. “So, if I found these pills, could you tell what’s in them?”
“I can’t, but some of the women would probably know.”
