"Good afternoon, gentlemen," he said with a nod and a tip of his hat. "Nice weather."
The first of the guards snorted and replied, "A good day to die if you are planning anything against the queen."
Simon slowly drew his rapier making sure to extend it with the handle end extended to the guards. He passed it hilt first to the man who took it warily. "I am on business from the Taltan continent, Rhearden, if you would know it by name?"
The guard shook his head all the while keeping his eyes glued to the rider before him who seemed too comfortable amongst five armed guardsmen. Such casualness meant either the man was just as he seemed or was a fighter of such high caliber that he truly did not fear such odds. The man finally shook his head again and even replied, "No, I can't say I do. What business have you here?"
Simon shrugged. "Shipping, trade, and perhaps an alliance now that Marshalla governs the whole of the southern peninsula. I have the seal of the king of Rhearden himself should my words not be believed. I prefer showing such a valuable mark only to one of nobility, but should you require I might be persuaded to show you first. Do you know what the seal looks like to confirm such authenticity?"
The guard again shook his head in now complete perplexity.
Simon sighed and shook his head as if in regret about dealing with incompetents. "Fine, I suppose that only leaves the queen to verify my story. If you would be so kind as to lead me to her, I will gladly throw myself at her mercy." He clucked to his mount and the horse started forward slowly once more.
The guard, left stupefied by matters that he had never been trained for, turned in stunned silence to do just as Simon had asked. The others fell in around him as their leader had done. They could decipher even less of the conversation than he after all. The men in the crowd were left equally speechless which Simon counted as a blessing since a protest could have easily reminded the guards that he could still be a threat to the woman they protected.
With the added strength of the guardsmen and their steeds to move the crowd aside, Simon quickly spied the queen and the remainder of her soldiers. He was almost as stunned as the guardsmen when he spied Alyanna seated astride her steed amidst her lovely maids, one more lovelier than the next it seemed. They were as Simon had been told by Cardy and others that he had spoken to on the way, nearly naked in the midst of their public and worrying nothing over their indecency. Such an attitude nearly made him forget that such was wrong in the everyday society he knew of to date.
As they approached, the queen and her ladies quickly turned to see what the fuss was all about. They had heard the cries, of course, but such cries were often issued out of the stupidity of ne'er-do-wells for the most part. They had gotten used to that kind of negative attention long ago and knew that the guards would handle such situations with alacrity. To see the men returning with a prisoner, or whatever one could call a man who seemed to be leading the guardsmen instead of their leading him; that was a bit unusual.
Simon took in the woman he believed to be the queen. A crown of jewels that amounted to an incredible amount of wealth sat atop the shapely blonde’s head. Her hair and make-up were immaculate even after the several mile trip to the lake, breasts as perfectly formed as he had ever witnessed (though such a magnificent view was almost unheard of, of course), a trim waist leading to the colorful, half-transparent scarves that all the women wore to partially secure their secrets and finally his eyes rested upon the legs of a goddess. He quickly returned his eyes to her face despite the obvious lure of the exposed attributes the woman chose to reveal.
The guards stopped as Simon halted less than two paces from the woman. Another guard, whose bearing easily showed that he held rank amongst these men even if the gilded sword hilt and the rings on a hand held in a sling were not enough to separate him from the others, interposed himself between Simon and the queen. His eyes spoke much of the danger of facing this man, even with his only having one good hand.
Before Simon could say a word to this newcomer, the captain of the guard spoke to the lead guard beside him. "Aban? Why have you brought this man to the queen?"
Looking quite embarrassed, the guard known as Aban seemed unable to find the words. Simon spoke instead, "I'm afraid that he could not answer the questions I posed to him. I asked to speak to the queen because I am afraid only one of nobility could do justice to my needs. I have a seal from the king of Rhearden that only a noble could verify the truth of its authenticity. If I could show the queen...?"
The captain of the guards held out his hand. "I will verify your seal."
Surprised by the man's audacity, Simon began to pull the scroll with the attached seal from his travel bags. The spy was beginning to be especially glad that he had thought to have Gerid get the document for him before they had left for each other's journeys. Still not believing the captain's abilities, Simon tried again, "But if your guardsmen couldn't verify such a document, wouldn't the queen be the logical choice to do so, captain?"
The man gave him a closer look before taking the scroll from Simon. "You seem bent upon bestowing this into the queen's hands, sir. Might I inquire as to why?"
"I apologize, captain, if you can verify its worth then I defer to your abilities. I did not know that her guardsmen had such talents."
The captain raised the scroll closer to his eyes and used the sun's light to bring out the subtleties of the seal. He nodded and handed the scroll to the queen behind him. "You fail to realize the validity of your own statements. A noble would, as you say, know a true seal and most would know of its origin if it came from a royal house. I am Alyanna's cousin aside from being her captain of the royal guards." The man turned to look at the queen who had opened the scroll, "So, cousin?"
"A writ asking for passage and giving limited authority to his servant, one Simon Aramathea."
The captain looked to the sky in thought. "Aramathea? Don't I know that name from somewhere? Why have I heard that name?"
A moment later and Alyanna chuckled, a lilting, little laugh that surprised Simon anew with its music. Her memory then surprised him immediately after as the woman stated, "You should know the name, Baitrum. They were known for the best dairy products on the entire continent, but I could have sworn that their line was slain years ago in a fire."
Simon couldn't control his face before his pain was evident there. Quickly calming his features, he spoke with only the slightest quaver in his voice, "You are nearly correct, your highness, but both I and my brother did survive the massacre of our holdings."
"Massacre?" the queen demanded with a suspicious arch to her brow. "That is a strong word, Mr. Aramathea."
"But too true, I am afraid."
Alyanna held up her hand to silence anymore of his words. She turned around in the saddle and seemed to be looking for someone. With consternation written across her face she asked her captain, "Baitrum, where is Serra? I wanted her to pass out the alms while I talk with the emissary from Rhearden. She was here only moments ago."
The captain looked around quickly (more worried than the queen, if Simon had to guess) and confessed through clenched teeth, "I don't know, my queen. It's not like her to disappear." He gestured to Aban and Laith. One man turned towards either side and began to search the crowd.
Alyanna turned to one of her maids and passed her a pair of large pouches. They appeared heavy by the way the women struggled to pass them across the short distance from horse to horse. "Julia, Phoena, be a pair of dears and give these alms to the people." Turning to the crowd she spoke loud enough to be heard over the fairly quiet murmurings, "My people, I know times have been harder of late. If you would follow my maidens nearer the shore, they will spread what wealth I have to give to you to help ease the burdens of the High King’s taxes. I will visit with you as time permits shortly."
The crowd obeyed unquestioningly and followed the pair of women flanked by two guardsmen. Suddenly Simon found himself astride his mount and nearly alone with the queen. Guardsmen sat in relaxed caut
ion, eyes trying not to stare at any one man, even Simon, as they watched out for their queen. Baitrum seemed less relaxed as he fully ignored the man before him and looked for this Serra that Simon had no knowledge of as yet. He assumed that she was one of the maidens and wondered if someone had chosen to kidnap her for ransom or, knowing the beauty of the other women, worse.
The lieutenant must have thought that he saw her as he spurred his stallion into a quick trot towards the shore of the lake. A pair of the guardsmen drew closer with his parting and one looked from Simon to the queen and back again. Alyanna ignored the guard as she focused her attention on the man before her. After a moment's thought, the queen gestured towards a nearby oak that marked the fringe of a small grove. "Let us speak in the shade, Master Aramathea. The sun is too near its crest now for my skin to appreciate."
With a little nudge in the horse's flanks, the beautiful woman proceeded to the shade that she had mentioned not bothering to see if Simon would follow. He followed promptly behind the queen and couldn't help considering that the view of the woman from behind was equally entertaining.
One of the guardsmen dismounted ahead of them and pulled down a soft-looking blanket to lay out flat beneath the spreading branches of the oak and its nearest companions. Alyanna and her remaining hand maid, a blond with dark green eyes whose features were only the slightest bit below that of her mistress, were dismounted and nearly stepping upon the blanket before the poor man could finish pulling the corners straight. Not knowing what else to do, Simon once again followed.
Confidence beginning to fail in front of such grace and the woman's dismissive nature, Simon was forced to consider what it was that he hoped to accomplish with this woman. If she knew of the rebels, how would he get past her icy exterior to discover the fact? As Simon approached the edge of the blanket, the man halted not knowing if he was to advance or remain standing. She was a queen after all and there had to be some form of protocol for such a confrontation.
The two women reclined comfortably onto fluffy pillows brought from a small wagon that Simon had missed coming into the clearing beside the lake. The two of them spoke quietly for a few moments and Simon had almost wondered if the queen had forgotten about him, when Baitrum returned with a second rider trailing him. The other rider rode behind him with a blanket drawn tightly about her shoulders, blond hair cascading over her shoulders atop the concealing cloth. He knew it for concealment as if the woman were guilty or marked with the guilt. Whether she was someone that knew of the missing maiden or was the actual girl the royals were looking for only minutes ago, Simon did not know and was trying to ignore her when the queen leaped to her feet.
"You had me... us, worried, Serra," Alyanna scolded in a tone that denoted concern for a friend rather than a queen making demands of a servant. "Where were you? You should have warned me or the guardsmen that you needed to leave. Most of the people like what we are doing, but many would consider you a prize if only for your pretty head not to mention the politics of your position. What were you thinking?"
Alyanna paused as she noted the quiet stare being leveled at Simon from the girl atop the horse. Simon noted the pause and looked first to the queen and then to the young woman. His face lit with surprise upon noting the girl's features with more concentration than before. His mouth dried up. Simon knew that he wouldn't have dared speak for fear that this apparition would disappear from what must assuredly be a dream.
The girl spoke and sent ripples through him as he realized that only the living could put sound in one's ears. She spoke quietly, even as her eyes remained
apprehensively on him, "I am sorry, my queen, but I couldn't help myself. My shock at seeing this man forced me into hiding, I'm afraid."
Alyanna turned contemplatively towards Simon. "He can do you no harm, Serra. Why would you need to escape the ambassador? Surely he is very nearly harmless, at least within my guards' protective circle."
"I didn't mean fear of him harming me, my queen. In fact, I very much doubt that this man would ever intentionally harm me. I was afraid that I would disappoint him instead. An older brother's standards are hard to achieve and I fear that he will not approve of who I have become."
Tears filled the girl's eyes, though Simon could hardly see them through those that trailed down his cheeks as he stepped quickly forward. He helped Serra down from her steed just long enough to lift her once again off the ground in a strong hug. "Just seeing you again prevents down any kind of judgment. I thought that you were dead so long ago. How could seeing you bring any disappointments?"
They stood like that for several long minutes. The noise of the lake, the stares of those nearest them, the world itself, all faded from the siblings minds as they reunited in an unbreakable embrace. Finally, they released each other and Simon was able to take a step back and look at her once again. He couldn't release her hands, however; as the need to know that she was still alive was much too strong to do so.
Simon frowned slightly then and used his best, big, brother voice as he declared, "You should put some clothes on, young lady. As your elder brother, I think that most societies would think as much." He turned to face Alyanna and continued, "A queen should know as much as well, I think."
Alyanna's face had tears still streaming down her cheeks at the tenderness of their reunion, but his comments brought a fire back into her eyes swiftly. "How dare you criticize me? I don't care if you are her brother, I am the queen and I did not choose this lifestyle because of vanity."
Simon's mouth twisted into a satisfied half smile as he replied, "Did I say that it had anything to do with vanity, your highness? It’s odd that you should use those words. Perhaps you protest too much against what may be true after all?"
Snarling, Alyanna retorted, "Oh, you think yourself so smart, Aramathea? Do you forget that I am a queen and can have you thrown in chains for such insolence?"
Standing calmly with an even stronger smile etched into his face, Simon shook his head, "You are not my queen, Alyanna, and I don't believe that you wanted to be queen in this way either or you wouldn't have taken to debasing yourself in public like this. I know why they say you do it and I know that it may be part of such an action, but if I had a wife I would never accept such an action lightly. What will Merrick," he nearly spat the name in disgust, "do when he finds out that you have been acting this way? These girls beside you will find themselves in chains and perhaps you along with them from what I hear of his highness's temper." Again he was forced to sneer at such a title for the tyrant of Marshalla. "What will you have gained then, Alyanna?"
The queen appeared ready to bite his head off with some retort several times but again and again she closed her mouth with nothing said. Finally, Serra came to her friend's aid, "That is unfair, Simon! You take it back! I may have missed you all these years and I too thought that you were dead, but never would I insult someone like Alyanna like that. She is a great woman and fights what battles she can against the king to help the people. You apologize or I'll never forgive you!"
Simon turned ruefully towards the queen. He could not hurt his sister by hurting someone she held in such high regard. With the apology coming easily to his lips, the queen held up a hand to his mouth to silence him. "No, Serra, he may be right to a certain point. Perhaps I have been choosing the wrong fights out of spite alone. I need to consider the people more, not my own personal vendettas." She stood in thought a moment and no one chose to interrupt the beautiful queen. With half a nod, Alyanna gestured towards the trees behind them. "Would you walk with me, Master Aramathea? I have something to discuss with you. You are the king's ambassador, aren't you?"
Simon fell in beside the queen wordlessly as she led him towards the darker shade of the grove ahead of them. The guards started to follow, but at Alyanna's waved hand, they simply spread out making sure no one else could come near her without their notice.
The two of them navigated the encroaching oaks and pine as well as a light population of shrubbery. As they
continued to walk silently forward, Simon noticed the delicate purple petals of the night rose. The flowers resembled a true rose in shape and even smelled similar, but whereas the one drew strength from the sun, the night rose thrived off the lesser light given by the trees' shadows. Picking one of the larger blooms, Simon presented it to Alyanna with his most cavalier bow.
"I do apologize, your highness. I misspoke myself in saying such things to you. If my sister believes in you, and the people believe in your intentions, then why should I question you? Perhaps this rose may begin to make up for my harsh words."
Alyanna took the flower from his hands acceptingly, but she still did not smile. "You apologize for your actions, but I fear that you would never take back your words. Why do you judge me when you do not know me, Master Aramathea?" She held up her hand again as he began to protest her judgment, though Simon knew that she was correct. The man had always known that he was too opinionated and, as he watched and listened to this woman, Simon wondered if he might have been wrong this time.
"Sometimes I wonder the same things, sir, but I still know that I do what I can for my people." She turned her eyes intently upon him, their purple coloring turning darker in the shadows to that of deep pools of water. "I have discussed my actions with those I felt that I could trust before, but for some reason your words hurt me more than most. Perhaps it is because you are a stranger or perhaps it is your being Serra's brother that reminds me of my own brother, Relnar. I often wonder if he and mother would find shame in what I do." Pausing momentarily, Simon thought that he saw tears forming in her eyes again. "I am not a strong woman, Master Aramathea. I cannot fight Merrick directly and expect to win. He has proven that by humiliating me every time he has been home. My only way of fighting him has been by doing some damage to his ego. Merrick hates finding someone or something that he cannot conquer and control.
"I choose my battle fields carefully. Having his full fury turned against me would help no one. Being a dead queen does no one any good, you see."
The High King: A Tale of Alus Page 42
