The Quest for Nobility

by Debra L Martin

  “It’s certainty nice to meet you, Eclair.”

  Dyla edged forward, watching their exchange, and shook her head.

  “You seem too young to be an expert,” she said.

  Cat was shocked at how caustic the young woman was towards her. She released Eclair’s hand and found herself stepping back from Dyla’s intense stare. She crossed her arms across her chest and stared back at the young woman.

  Enough is enough, she thought.

  “I assure you that I’m one of the leading experts on Stonehenge and the Druid culture. I’m often mistaken for a student due to my age, but I’m a tenured professor at my university. I don’t know what you’re looking for, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m willing to help you. At least, I’ll give it my best shot.”

  “Your best shot?” Eclair asked perplexed. “You’re going to shoot someone?”

  Cat laughed, in spite of her irritation with Dyla. It was obvious Eclair did not understand the nuances of the English language. She made a mental note to minimize her use of slang around them.

  “No, Eclair. Sorry, that means that I’ll do my best to help you.”

  Darius felt the tension of the situation begin to melt away and took another step closer to the table.

  “Cat, thank you for your most generous offer of help. We gratefully accept. May I sit down?”

  “Yes, of course. Please, all of you have a seat.”

  “No thank you,” Dyla said, grabbing Eclair’s jacket. “Eclair and I will go back to conduct more research. We saw something interesting we should study further.”

  “We did?” Eclair blurted out.

  Cat watched Dyla pull Eclair away from the table and steer him towards the bookshelves. She suddenly understood why Dyla had seemed hostile to her when Eclair had turned on his charm. She turned her attention back to Darius.

  “Young love can be so hard sometimes. Have they been together for long?” she asked.

  Darius chuckled. “No, not long at all.”

  “That explains everything. So then, where should we begin? What, exactly, are you looking for?”

  “I’ll begin by telling you what we’re not looking for.”

  Oh great, an intellectual, Cat thought. Let me tell you by not telling you. This should be good.”

  “OK, go ahead, I’m listening.”

  “We’re not looking for the usual historical objects. It’s not the remnants of ancient architecture or the remains of ancient figures we seek. We’re looking for objects out of the ordinary, things that don’t quite fit or are unexplainable.”

  Cat’s curiosity piqued, despite her original reservations.

  “What do you consider ordinary? I’ve uncovered objects in this area that date back to well over 1500 years ago, around the time of the legends I mentioned. These objects are quite rare, quite valuable, and quite far from ordinary.”

  Darius caught a hint of excitement in her voice. “What are these legends you refer to?”

  “There are so many, but the most prominent are the legends of King Arthur and his knights of the round table. This area is rich in stories passed down through time, but they are also clouded in imaginative fabrications. I often find myself defending the possibility of their very existence. Some of the myths and legends do seem fantastic and magical, but I assure you that the world of King Arthur and his knights was real and not some fanciful musing passed down through time.”

  “Maybe, it’s in the legends and myths that you speak of that we’ll discover what we seek. Could you tell me them?”

  Cat sat back.

  “Can I tell you about them? Darius, the legends and myths of Arthurian times have been my life-long passion. I could talk for days on the subject.”

  Darius sat back in his chair.

  “Excellent, I would love to hear them.”

  “Where should I begin?”

  “Anywhere you’d like. You have my undivided attention.”

  ***

  Eclair stumbled along as Dyla dragged him behind a row of bookcases and slammed him into the wall. She stiff-armed him, and planted her hand on his chest, pinning him securely in place.

  “What’s wrong with you?” he sputtered.

  “Wrong with me? There’s nothing wrong with me. Let’s talk about you and your behavior since we got here.”

  “My behavior?” Eclair exclaimed, eyes nearly popping out at the vehemence in her voice.

  Dyla stood back and placed her hands firmly on her hips. “Yes, your behavior.”

  Eclair slumped a bit, not knowing, or quite understanding, what she meant.

  “Dyla, please, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Don’t play dumb with me. I know you very well, and ever since we arrived here you’ve turned on the charm to every woman we’ve met. Where did Mr. Charming come from all of a sudden?”

  Eclair stood up straighter. “You think I’m charming? Really?”

  Though Eclair was dumbfounded at Dyla’s anger, he was overjoyed at her remark. If she hadn’t been standing in front of him, snarling like a wet cat, he would have been able to enjoy the comment more. As it was, he felt like he was caught by a hungry tigress, and one wrong word could be his undoing.

  “Dyla, I wasn’t trying to be charming, but these Earth girls are nice. I was only trying to be friendly and not stick out like someone from a foreign planet. It was easy to talk to them.”

  Eclair cringed. Dyla was becoming angrier by the minute. Her stance was rigid, her eyes blazed and her mouth was set in a hard line. His explanation wasn’t coming out the way he hoped. As usual, whenever he tried to talk to her, he stumbled over his words.

  “You see, I wasn’t … I mean, I didn’t want to … I just …”

  Dyla held up her hand to stop him from talking further.

  “Fine, you want to talk to Earth girls, you go right ahead. I’ll stay out of your way,” Dyla retorted and turned away from him.

  Eclair panicked when she turned on her heel. His heart was pounding so hard he thought it would burst. This was the woman he cared about the most, the woman he loved. She was about to leave and walk away from him, just when they were beginning to know each other better. His dreams and desires felt like sand slipping away through his fingers.

  No, not again, he thought, becoming angry; not ever again.

  He would not let her go like this. He would not let her walk away without telling her how he felt, without showing her. He reached out and grabbed her.

  “Wait.”

  He caught her arm and pulled her back behind the bookcase. She stared at his hand on her, but before she could jerk away, he pulled her into his arms, crushing her to his chest and kissed her soundly.

  Dyla struggled against his embrace, then slowly, very slowly, stopped squirming and returned his kiss. It was long moments before they broke apart. She leaned against his shoulder and whispered huskily in his ear. “It’s about time.”

  “What’s about time?” Darius asked, rounding the corner of the bookcase.

  The two looked at Darius and he stopped short. Their embrace said it all.

  “Oh, I see. Never mind.”

  Eclair coughed, embarrassed to be caught by Darius, but Dyla simply smiled at her brother.

  “If the two of you can keep your hands off each other for a moment, I want you to listen to what Cat has told me about the legends of this place.”

  “You’ve found something interesting?” Dyla asked.

  “Possibly. I think Cat might be able to help find what we need.”

  Dyla looked lovingly at Eclair. “I have already found what I need.”

  “OK, OK, let’s go before I have to douse you two with water.”

  “Let’s get to it then,” Eclair said, breaking away from Dyla and brushing against Darius in his haste to leave.

  Darius and Dyla both chuckled as they walked back to Cat’s table. They found Eclair already seated, red-faced and waiting for them.

  Darius and Dyla to
ok their seats at the table.

  “Cat, will you please tell my sister and Eclair what you told me so far? I think we’ll all find it interesting,”

  “Sure, I’d be happy to,” Cat replied. Excitement tinged her voice. “As I mentioned to Darius, the predominant legend of this area surrounds King Arthur and his knights of the round table. Most of the legends are stories passed down through time, and involve a fabled land called Camelot. There were some truly unexplainable events and strange happenings during that time in history, and I have dedicated my research to discovering the truth behind them.”

  For the next few hours, Cat told the trio the colorful history of Stonehenge, and the legend of King Arthur. The trio listened with rapt attention, interrupting her occasionally to ask a question or to clarify a confusing point in her narrative. They carefully steered her away from the factual history of Stonehenge and the surrounding area, to the more fanciful stories of Arthur and his knights, by their questions and interest. At the end of her telling, they were fully engrossed with every detail of the legends and stories.

  “Have you found anything to prove that these stories were more than just legend?” Dyla asked.

  “Yes, I found a goblet with strange markings engraved on it. It’s very beautiful, but it seems too ornate in its details to have existed in that time. It dated back to the period, and it appears to be authentic. The strange thing is that it doesn’t quite match anything else I’ve found, but my partner found a similar one.”

  “Can we see it? Either yours or your partner’s?” Darius asked.

  Cat leaned back in her chair to ponder how best to answer his questions. “Normally, I’d say yes, but unfortunately ...”

  Excerpt from The Chronicles of Otharia during the reign of the First Vacancy:

  Division I – The Rule of Otharia

  Subsection III – Duchy Rule

  Ruling dukes and duchesses are surrounded by a circle of trusted councilors. From one generation to the next, the councilors follow the crown, not the man or woman. A duke is wise in taking extreme care with the selection of his councilors. Most of the councilors came from within the extended family, but there have been cases when an extended family did not exist. It was because of this that dukes and duchesses were obligated to marry and have a number of heirs to continue the line. It was a sad day when a duke died without an heir.

  Chapter 25 – Tyrian

  Ty was incensed that he was having this discussion again.

  “Because that is my decision,” Duke Tyrian Persing said, glaring at the old man arguing with him.

  “But, Sire, the consequences of moving forward in this manner ...”

  “Counselor Newcastel, I’m well aware of your concerns and I have considered them.”

  “Sire, I feel compelled to ...”

  Ty stood, slamming his hands on the table. “Enough!”

  Preternatural silence fell over the hall at the young duke’s outburst. The First Counselor of Persing had been trying to convince Ty to suspend the fledging programs of enlightenment that his father had begun to implement. The same rash ideas started in the Telkur Duchy were showing serious flaws and devastating consequences.

  Randel Newcastel was shocked with the young duke’s outburst. Never, in his long career with the boy’s father, had he ever been treated in this manner. It only served to reaffirm his belief that Tyrian was too hot-headed and inexperienced to rule.

  How dare he not heed my advice? I know more of governing than he’ll ever know. Perhaps with a few more years under my tutelage, he’ll have the experience he needs.

  Ty glared at his First Counselor. Lord Newcastel had the duchy’s best interest in mind, but it was far past time that he learned who was in charge. Ty stared down the old man until he relented and bowed to his duke before silently taking his seat. After a moment of silence, Ty addressed the rest of the Persing Council.

  “Thank you, Councilors, that will be all for today.”

  Ty watched the councilors gather up their papers without another word, and stream out of the council chamber. His rash act and behavior would have repercussions, but his father had taught him long ago that to be a leader was to stand firm when hard decisions were made. Unfortunately, he felt he was alienating the First Counselor. He tried to work with the man, but Newcastel was set in his ways, constantly reminding him “that’s not the way your father did things.”

  Ty cherished the memories of his father, and missed him dearly, but he was his own man and would live in no one’s shadow. He left the council chamber, and made his way through the labyrinth of corridors in the Persing castle to his personal study. He entered the room and shut the door, letting out an exhausted sigh. So much had happened in the past few months that days had blended into weeks and everything was a blur to him. Crowned the Duke of Persing upon his father’s untimely death, he was forced to assume the mantle of authority far earlier than he had expected.

  He had not wavered in the face of his responsibilities, and knew his father would be proud of him for it. However, the latest missive threatened to shake his stalwart resolve. How much could one man endure?

  He walked to his desk and picked up the notice. The official missive stated the Telkur twins were wanted for questioning regarding the murders of the Dalcon team during the Grand Competition.

  It had been three days since Trinity had contacted him to tell him that his cousins, along with Eclair, had fled before the warrant had been issued. The twins were now fugitives, because they had run prior to any official questioning. It was curious that the royal missive had not mentioned Eclair by name, but Ty believed that Duke Lucas was using his influence to keep his son’s involvement a secret. It was an untenable situation, because the longer the twins stayed away, the harder it would be for them to mount a viable defense. Ty believed they had not opened that death portal, but he had no proof of it yet. If only he could talk to either Darius or Dyla, they might be able to provide some clues for him to pursue and help with their defense.

  Ty let the notice flutter down to his desk.

  “Darius, please contact me soon.”

  Ty finished the remaining paperwork for the day and decided he needed some much-deserved rest and relaxation. He opened a portal to the Persing main portal station.

  The telekinetic on duty looked up when the personal portal opened, and was surprised to see the duke standing before him.

  “My Lord, may I help you?”

  “Please open a portal to the Telkur Duchy.”

  “Yes, my lord.”

  ***

  Avikar walked inside the portal station, paying little attention to the people he passed or his surroundings. He had a meeting to attend, and he didn’t want to be late. Avikar was expecting good news from this meeting; hopefully some very good news. He should be happy, but the sight of his young sister at the controls of the portal station reminded him of how cruel fate could be. Avikar’s own minimal PSI power rankled him, and he railed against anyone that manifested more than he did, especially his younger sister Trinity. It was unfair that she should be invested with such a depth of power, while he barely had enough to keep his mental barriers in place against probing telepaths. He glowered at her as he entered and barked his commands.

  “Trinity, open a portal to the Jortac Duchy. I shall be gone for the remainder of the day. If anyone inquires, don’t tell them where I’ve gone. Do you understand?”

  “Of course, brother; I understand.”

  Avikar pointed his finger at Trinity. “It’s Baron or Regent to you. Be sure you don’t forget that again.”

  He didn’t wait for her reply, but immediately stepped through the stabilized portal. For a fraction of a second, he wondered if his sister was sending him off a cliff edge.

  Trinity watched her arrogant brother disappear through the portal. He had been going to the Jortac estates more often since becoming Regent. Nothing good ever came from her brother’s scheming.

  “Regent my ass,” she muttered.
<
br />   Trinity turned her attention back to the control desk. An incoming portal was opening.

  “Such a frown.”

  Trinity jumped out of her chair. She looked up with a flush of embarrassment to see who had spoken to her.

  “Oh, Ty, thank God it was you coming through,” she said, relief flooding through her. “Avikar has been so demanding these days. Worse than ever, actually.”

  Ty laughed. He was overjoyed to see Trinity. He missed those carefree days when he could spend hours with her, and her beauty never ceased to stir his heartstrings.

  He walked over to the control desk. “What’s he done today?”

  “Ever since he was named Regent, he’s been adamant about everyone addressing him formally, either as Baron or Regent. I’m so tired of his pompous attitude.”

  “Is he treating you badly?”

  “No, actually, he’s a little better because he’s so busy playing Regent. That, and the fact that he keeps running back and forth to the Jortac Duchy.”

  Ty raised an eyebrow. “Really? How often does he go to Jortac?”

  “Since becoming Regent, at least once a week. I assume he’s meeting with Duke Lucas for guidance. Why, what’s the big deal?”

  “I find it odd that Avikar is suddenly friendly with Duke Lucas, especially since Lucas barely gave your brother the time of day when Levon was alive. Now, suddenly, they’re having weekly conferences. There’s something more going on then meets the eye.”

  “Well, he did command me not to tell anyone where he was going.”

  “You see? That reinforces my belief that something is going on between those two. This bears looking into. Avikar and Lucas don’t belong together.”

  “Darius told me to keep clear of Avikar before he left.”

  “Then you must; but you can do one thing that will help me.”

  “Of course. What do you need?”

  “Keep a log of your brother’s travels, but keep it secret. I don’t want anyone to know we’re tracking his movements.”