“We’re supposed to be fitted with new outfits to go to the court?” Grace asked incredulously, when Grange found her and interrupted her studies of a text in the library.
“Brieed said that we should go to the tailor to have outfits prepared,” Grange asserted. “Then you can come with me to another band performance,” he said the latter without much enthusiasm.
Grace didn’t answer, but she stood up and placed her text back on a shelf, then turned to him.
“Do you know the way to the tailor shops?” she asked.
“Then follow me,” she told him as he shook his head.
“Let me get my flute and my sword,” he made her pause.
“Hurry up – and get a shower too – a quick one. You really ought to do that every day you practice at the armory, you know,” she said bluntly with a wrinkled nose.
Grange struggled to find an appropriate retort, but none came to mind, so he turned on his heel and ran to the showers, took a quick rinse while admitting that Grace was right about his need to bathe, then he picked up his instruments and ran back to where she was waiting at the head of the staircase.
She wordlessly led him across the palace grounds, through buildings we had never entered before, and they came to the tailor shop, a large building with several rooms, where the staff was preparing to close up for the night.
The two of you are going to court tomorrow?” one of the ladies asked as she stood with a large pile of cloth in her arms.
“In the morning, to meet the prince. We’re from the wizard’s quarters,” Grace explained.
“It’ll take some time to prepare,” the lady said. She put her work pile down and beckoned for another seamstress to join her. “But we can have something delivered to you in the morning. You come with me,” she beckoned to Grange. “And you stay here with her,” she pointed to the new arrival as she spoke to Grace.
“We’ll take your measurements and let you two pretty young things go,” the woman said.
“What color should we dress them in?” she asked her companion.
“Not white – he’d fade into nothingness,” the other seamstress pointed towards Grange. “Maybe green?”
“We do have that bolt of new blue that just arrived on the trade ship from Kilau,” she suggested.
“We’ll think about it; let’s get your measurements,” she said.
“Come over here with me,” she beckoned for Grange to follow her to the far corner of the room, where she used a knotted string to measure his arms and legs, waist, shoulders, and torso length.
“We’ll have it delivered to the wizard’s place in the morning. I’m sure he’s paying for it too, isn’t he?” the woman asked while she walked Grange back to front door, as Grace was also arriving there.
“Yes, he said he was to pay,” Grange agreed, as the two apprentices left the seamstresses.
“Do you want to come hear the band play again?” Grange asked Grace as soon as they were out of the workshop.
“Where are you playing tonight?” Grace asked.
“Guy said it was out on a peninsula in the harbor,” Grange answered.
“Is it out on Royalwater Road?” Grace asked.
“That’s the name Guy told me; he said just follow the road out along the harbor breakwater,” Grange agreed.
“It’s a beautiful setting, especially at sunset, when the sky glows red over the sea. I’d love to go,” she spoke in a gracious tone of voice.
“We better start then,” Grange suggested surprised by the new softness of the girl’s voice.
They walked out of the palace grounds in a direction Grange had never passed before, then Grace took the lead and wound knowingly through the city to the harbor front. They arrived at the end of the road atop the narrow breakwater, walking through a steady stream of traffic as others approached the dance.
“There’s the band,” Grange pointed to the obvious, where Guy and other members of the band were on a stage with a band shell built over it. A refreshing breeze of salty air blew across the flat plaza where the band and the vendors and the dancers and other visitors were gathered to enjoy the evening of music.
“Grange! The hero of the evening!” Guy greeted him as the two arrivals stepped up to the performance stage. “And the musical woman of magic,” he added with a bow of his head to Grace.
“We heard such stories about the two of you! Grange, you didn’t tell me your friend was a powerful wizard from the palace,” Guy scolded Grange. “And her voice – people said the two of you put on a wonderful duet after the wild times subsided. The rest of us just ran for our lives!”
“Would you like to sing a few songs with us tonight?” he spoke directly to Grace.
Her eyes were sparkling with delight. “I’d be happy to,” she answered promptly. “You just let me know when you want me to sing.”
“We’ll do the first set of instrumentals, and then, after the break, why don’t you come up for the second set and sing with us?” Guy suggested. “Then maybe you can sing a few songs later in the evening, if you stick around.”
Grace nodded her agreement, then left the stage as the band members began to harmonize before opening.
Grange took his spot on the side of the stage, then looked out at the size of the crowd that was gathered. It was the largest number of fans he had seen, and more were still coming across the causeway, adding to the numbers.
When the first notes of music sounded, the crowd gave a cheer, and couples began dancing around the floor. The song played on, and Guy added a repetition of the final stanza to stretch the opening song out longer, giving the customers a promise that they’d get their money’s worth that night.
The band played a slow song, then a pair of quicksteps, and another slow number. The last song ended as the disk of the sun disappeared below the horizon, and lamplighters went about among the crowd under the bright red sky in the west.
The band members put their instruments down as they left the stage for drinks. Grange was the last to step down; he stayed high as he tried to look across the crowd in search of Grace, then spotted her finishing a dance with a man. She laughed at something he said, then left him to walk towards the front of the dance floor. She looked up at Grange with a smile.
“This is a marvelous evening, isn’t it?” she asked, before she walked around to the steps and trod up to join Grange on the stage.
“It’s a big crowd,” she exclaimed. “It didn’t look so big from down there.
“Will they be able to hear me back there?” she pointed to the back of the crowd.
“I doubt it,” Grange admitted truthfully.
Grace turned her back to the crowd, then pulled her wand out of her blouse, and touched it to her throat. “Os gwelwch yn dda wneud fy llais uchel yn ddigon iddyn nhw i gyd yn cyrraedd,” she said, as Grange recognized for the first time that she was using the language of the energy.
There was a momentary glow at the tip of her wand, which disappeared after a flash. She gave a smug smile and tucked the wand away. “That’ll do,” she said, then turned again to face the crowd.
“Thank you for bringing me here,” she said graciously to Grange. They stood next to one another, just observing the crowd.
“You’ll have to thank Brieed. He’s encouraged me to bring you; he knows you like music,” Grange deflected the credit.
The other band members came up onto the stage, and Guy came over to speak to Grace, listing the songs they planned to play.
“I know them all,” Grace said brightly. “Whenever you’re ready.”
The musicians took their places, and the band began the opening notes to the dancing song Guy had announced to Grace, “Hibscus Flower Jig”.
The girl immediately started to chant the words of the popular song, creating a higher level of frenzied energy among the dancers, and all the way to the far reaches of the audience. Grange saw Guy and his second-in-command exchange glances at the surprising depth of penetration that Grace’s voice a
chieved, but they played on flawlessly, not missing a beat. When the song ended, the audience cheered with delight.
Guy switched the tempo of the music, and started on a love ballad, slowly clearing the dance floor of all but the most devoted dancing couples as Grace sang the lyrics in a deeper, richer, more mature-sounding voice than Grange had heard her use before. The audience was quiet and contemplative for a few seconds afterwards, entranced by Grace’s performance, but Guy didn’t give them time to dwell as he immediately began another dancing tune.
Grace sang well throughout her set of songs, and when Guy introduced and thanked her at the end of the last song, she received a warm round of applause. She sang again later in the evening during another set of tunes, and danced and socialized without stopping when she wasn't on stage.
During the break, Grange questioned Guy about the reports of the children run over by Maurin's horse, and heard confirmation from the band leader and the dulcimer player as well. “And thank you bringing your friend – she has added something special tonight.” Grange decided to be mature and pass along Guy’s compliment to the girl during their stroll together that night.
First though, Grange had to wait for her to shake loose from her admirers after the music ended and the evening's festivities were closed, and the two of them walked back to the palace together.
"It's so nice to be appreciated for something besides being a wizard," she said after hearing his comments, while humming a tune quietly as they walked. "And I think my voice is better than it was before I joined Master Brieed."
Grange listened politely and they walked without trouble back to the palace hallway of the wizard.
"Thank you," Grace told Grange as she opened the door to enter her room. "I hope you'll take me along again sometime when you go to play music."
"I'm sure we'll arrange that," Grange agreed. Grace was more pleasant than at any time in his experience, and he hoped he could maintain the relationship on those terms.
They carried out their chores the next morning and ate breakfast. Jom delivered a pair of packages at the end of the meal, and Brieed came to stand between their tables.
"Put those fancy new clothes on so that we can make our appointment at court," he instructed, and they each walked quickly to their rooms to change.
Grange found that he had received a black shirt and black trousers, along with a white cloth belt and white cape. The clothes fit comfortably, made of soft and pliable material that was more luxurious than anything he had ever worn before it in his life.
He pulled on the black boots that had been sent with the extraordinary clothing, then went out into the hallway and waited with Eli and Brieed, while Grace remained in her room.
"Very impressive," Brieed opined. "Don't you agree, Eli?"
"Nicer than anything I have," the senior apprentice said sourly.
"When your turn comes to be introduced at court, we'll be sure you have appropriate clothing," Brieed said complacently.
Grace's door opened, and the girl stepped out. She stood in place examining Grange, as he looked at her. Their clothing was nearly identical. Grace wore a white cape over a black blouse and black long skirt, with a white cloth sash around her waist.
"Is this someone's idea of a joke?" she asked as she strode up to the others. "We're not twins!"
"Maybe you could hold hands and skip up to the throne together," Eli said brightly.
"You each look imposing, and together you'll look like a force to be reckoned with," Brieed said dismissive. "Now, let's be on our way to court."
Grange and Grace looked at each other and shrugged. Grange didn’t understand what was so noteworthy about the clothes matching, and he didn’t worry. He simply had to suffer through the ceremony and then hopefully get on with his life - the lessons and practice and whatever else the jewels and Brieed had in mind for him.
They stayed indoors, not venturing out. Downstairs, Brieed led them through corridors and hallways that were a labyrinth of turns completely baffling to Grange, but the wizard seemed confident of his way, and they soon arrived in an area of baroque elaborateness where guards in colorful uniforms were stationed prominently and frequently, and crowds of other attendees wore clothes that were made from bright colors and extraordinary designs.
"We go in here," Brieed motioned towards a small, guarded door.
"We are to present to the court," the wizard told the guards. "It's the apprentice wizards," he helpfully offered.
"Yes sir, straight down the hall to see the Master of Protocol," the guard replied as she held the door open.
The quartet of wizards slipped down the hall until they reached a man sitting at a high desk.
"These elegant young things are your protégés, Brieed?" the man asked as he looked down at the wizard.
"Indeed, Belte, they’re the next generation of protectors and servants of the realm," Brieed replied with a twinkle in his eye.
"They'll be the first wizards to protect and serve the realm then," the man jousted with a smile. "As it happens, we've given them the third introduction, so the king and prince should be on their thrones by then, and still paying attention."
"Very kind, Belte," Brieed thanked him.
"Go stand by the green rope. When I call you, walk to the silver star in the floor, and bow. Then answer any questions - but don't expect any. Accept your accolades and back away, then return here, or go debauch yourselves in the palace, if Brieed will allow,” Belte advised Grace and Grange directly.
"No, that won't be necessary," Brieed asserted. "They have lessons yet this morning," he said.
"Still the wet blanket at the bonfire, I see," Belte said. "Well, off with you now, others are coming," he looked down the hall as more participants arrived to be introduced at court.
"Will I be introduced at court, master?" Eli asked Brieed as the group entered the audience hall. The crowd was sizable, perhaps as large as the number of dancers Grange had seen the night before, but the hall was so large it appeared half empty.
"I'm sure your day will come Eli," Brieed assured him. "Either you'll do something heroic like these young things, or you'll demonstrate your mastery of your arts with such service to the crown that you'll be entered into some order."
They arrived at the green rope and edged along it to nearly the center aisle of the room. From that spot they were only twenty paces from the three high, but empty thrones that sat atop a dais.
"So now we wait," Brieed said. "The royals are notoriously late-arrivals."
"Will we need to say anything?" Grange asked.
"Typically not," Brieed replied, "but you did save the prince from some unpleasantness, so you may have a chance to tell what an honor it was."
"Grange gave me energy that night without any incantations or wand or amulet; is he a sorcerer?" Grace suddenly asked.
Eli made a strangling sound at the revelation. At that moment an official struck a large gong, whose noise reverberated around the hall as all came to attention.
"Today's session of the royal court of Palmland is called to order with a prayer to the benevolent god Huem. Let his chief priest offer the benediction," A court official announced.
A man in a light blue robe stepped to a prominent spot not far from where the quartet of wizards stood.
"We ask that all the actions and words this court witnesses this day will reflect your wisdom, and will be pleasing in your eyes, great and rational Huem," the man intoned.
Grange waited for the pause to end, but the silence stretched out, and after several seconds he opened his eyes to see that the priest had finished and was walking away, while the Master of Protocol was returning to the center of the room. It was the shortest prayer he had ever heard delivered.
"The proceedings of the royal court may now commence," the man pronounced. "The Count and Countess of the Granite Mountain are recognized," his voice boomed out across the hall. "Let them approach," he covertly looked over his shoulder, where the chairs remained vacant, "
the throne."
A pair of portly, middle-aged people emerged from the front of the crowd and crossed through the opening in the green rope, to stand simpering before the official.
"For your long and prosperous thirty years serving your king as the count, you are recognized," There was a rustling sound of cloth as a set of curtains was pushed aside, and three people walked out onto the dais.
The newcomers headed to the thrones and settled into the seats with practiced familiarity. Grange recognized Prince Grael from the fracas at the festival, but could only guess that the older man in the center throne was the king, and the woman in the third seat was unknown to him.
"You are recognized," the speaker continued without missing a beat, "by their royal Majesties, who are here to personally acknowledge your leadership." He turned and waved his arm to draw attention to the royal family, who all dutifully waved acknowledgment of the minor nobles.
The pair bowed deeply, then returned to the crowd.
The Master of Protocol stepped forward again. "We call forth Ambassador Bartar, who returns from his successful negotiations with the Kingdom of Kilau. Step forth and be recognized, Ambassador."
A tall, dark man, one who appeared to be the model of what a leader should look like, stepped forward. He wore clothes that Grange had never seen before, a white toga over his shoulder with a sleeveless blue garment beneath.
The royals seemed to sit up slightly at the appearance of the man.
"Ambassador Bartar has returned recently from Kilau with an agreement that the closed land will agree to trade negotiations with Palmland. For his remarkable success where so many others have failed, we salute the Ambassador," the speaker pronounced.
The princess or queen or whoever the enthroned woman was, appeared delighted with the report, as she smiled and clapped momentarily. Prince Grael held a plainly neutral face by contrast, and the king in his throne gently pounded his open palm on the arm of his seat to signal approval.
The Elemental Jewels (Book 1) Page 31
