The Guide

by Trudie Collins

  She was woken early the next morning by Kally knocking on the door and loudly calling. “Get up quick ladies. The King is demanding to see everyone in the throne room immediately.”

  Chapter 9

  Not knowing what she was supposed to wear when having an audience with royalty, Sam quickly slipped on the dress she had worn to dinner the previous night. Her own clothes had been cleaned and were lying, neatly folded, on a chair in the corner of the room, but she did not know if they would be suitable, so she opted for the dress. Upon leaving the bedroom, she noticed that the other three ladies were also wearing dresses, though Ria and Ellen had selected different ones.

  Kally was waiting out in the corridor for everyone to arrive, which did not take long. Some of the men were still tucking shirts in as they followed Kally through the maze of corridors toward the throne room. Patrick, as usual, looked immaculate, as though he had been given hours to prepare, not just a few minutes. Ellen unconsciously smiled slightly as soon as she set her eyes on him. Oak was still in his own clothes, having refused the previous night to wear anything that had been his size in the dressing room he shared with Patrick, Dal and Hurst. Sam did her best to hide her smirk when she saw Bellak in trousers and a long baggy shirt instead of a robe, though the snarl he made at her suggested it showed on her face. Hawk appeared as they rounded a corner, said good morning then headed to his coffin.

  They shortly arrived at a pair of doors, with guards on either side. Kally knocked and they were immediately opened from within, just enough to let Halvine exit the room.

  “Good, you are all here,” he said, looking them up and down as though he was a General inspecting his troops. “I warn you now, the King is not in a good mood this morning, so watch what you say if you do not wish to visit the dungeon.” With that, he turned around, nodded to the guards to open the doors and strode through.

  “Your Majesty, may I present Prince Tor of Remeny,” his voice boomed out loudly. Taking his cue, Tor followed Halvine into the room, with Seth a few paces behind him. If ever Sam had doubted that Tor was a Prince, she certainly changed her mind then. His bearing as he moved forward, at the perfect pace, could only be called regal.

  Tor approached the throne and bowed to the King, as did Seth. “Your Majesty, please may I present my companions?” Allias gave the slightest possible nod of the head and Sam found herself moving into the throne room along with everyone else. The room, like everything else in the palace, was enormous. There were rows of chairs along each wall, forming a wide aisle up to a raised platform holding a pair of thrones, one of which was occupied. It made her feel like she was approaching an altar in a church rather than a throne. She was so busy taking in her surroundings that the sudden bang of the doors being closed made her jump.

  Tor gave brief introductions, giving everyone their correct titles. Sam was amused to find herself referred to as a Lady, but refrained from laughing out loud. She even managed to curtsy at the correct time, earning her a quick smile from Liselle. As Tor was talking, Sam observed the King. He was not quite what she had expected. For some reason she had been picturing a Henry the Eighth lookalike, covered in gold chains.

  Allias, however, was a slim man, with no hint of a beard. The streaks of grey in his short black hair emphasised his grey eyes and were the only thing that suggested he was closer to sixty then fifty. If he decided to dye it he would look a much younger man than he really was. Though not an unhandsome man, his features were spoiled by his frown, and the creases on his face suggested that it had become a common occurrence. Once everyone had been introduced to the king, Sam found herself wondering how long they would have to remain standing.

  “You honour us by letting us attend you in your throne room, your Majesty,” Tor continued.

  Allias snorted. “This is no honour and you know it Tor. There are two reasons you are here rather than in the reception room. The first is to remind you that you are, in fact, my prisoners. Now let us drop the formalities and get on with business. You are going to tell me why you are invading my lands and then I am going to tell you what you are going to do for me.”

  “I do not have time for this Allias,” Bellak interrupted. “You know full well we are only here to look in your library. The sooner you give your permission the sooner we will be out of your hair.”

  “No.” The short and simple reply stunned Bellak.

  “Are you aware of who and, more importantly, what I am?” he asked. Allias simply nodded. “Then show me the respect I have earned and have me escorted to the library.” Anger was beginning to creep into his voice.

  “No,” the King replied, calmly.

  “Do not make me do something you will regret,” Bellak threatened.

  “Bellak,” Tor warned, but was interrupted before he could continue.

  “Stay out of this Tor. I came here to get some information and I intend to get it as soon as I can.”

  King Allias lost his patience. “Guards,” he called out and half a dozen fully armed guards immediately appeared through a concealed door behind the thrones. Bellak’s lips began to move as he started to weave a spell, though his words were too quiet for anyone to make out. He raised his hands in front of him and, pointing toward Allias, suddenly stopped talking as though releasing the spell.

  Everyone in the room unconsciously held their breath. Everyone except Bellak and Allias. Even the guards, halfway across the floor toward Bellak, momentarily froze, some of them mid-step. Nothing happened. Bellak stared at his hands incredulously, Allias grinned, the guards arrested Bellak before he could attempt to do anything more and everyone else began to breathe again.

  “Sorry,” the King said, somewhat smugly. “Did I forget to mention that the throne room is warded against the use of magic?” He turned his gaze from Bellak to Tor. “The other reason for meeting here instead of the reception room. I was warned that Bellak was with you and, though I personally have had no run-ins with him, I have heard from many who have. I like to be prepared.” Turning from Tor to the nearest guard, he ordered Bellak to be placed in a holding cell until his manners returned. Before Bellak could comment on his situation, Allias pointed out to him that the holding cells had also been built to withstand magic, as had the dungeons, where he would end up if he didn’t behave.

  Tor did not say a word. This was Allias’s palace and he was free to do as he chose with his ‘guests’. Once Bellak had been dragged, literally, from the room and his shouts of protest were silenced by the doors closing, Allias apologised.

  “Sorry about that Tor. I cannot abide magicians, thought I am forced to employ a few. They think they are above everyone else, even a King in his own palace.”

  Surprisingly, Tor smiled. “No apology necessary. He had it coming. To be perfectly honest, I wish I could have done that myself. A night in a cell may change his attitude, but I would not hold my breath if I were you.”

  Allias chuckled and the entire room visibly relaxed. Allias clapped his hands and Halvine appeared. “We will continue this meeting in the main dining room. I do not know about anyone else, but I need breakfast. Please inform Mrs Hubert.”

  The chief steward bowed and left the room, leaving the door open for Allias to exit at his leisure. Tor fell into step beside him and everyone else followed. Sam had not realised that she was hungry until breakfast was mentioned.

  By the time they reached the dining room and were seated, breakfast was ready to be served. The main dining table was so big that they only took up the front half of it. Sam found herself next to Seth and whispered to him. “This Mrs Hubert must be a miracle worker to have all of this ready so quickly.”

  “Not really,” Seth whispered back. “Allias usually meets his guests here for breakfast. She had everything prepared and placed into pots to keep warm. They could easily have been sent to different rooms if need be.”

  Breakfast consisted of bowls of steaming hot porridge, smothered in honey. Sam found it delicious. Even the sprites had some. Grimmel’s grumbling
about the absence of meat was overheard by one of the maids, who disappeared to the kitchen and soon returned with a plate full of sausages and bacon.

  As they were about to commence eating, a young woman entered the room. She was tall and slender. She would have been called slim, except for the slight bump beginning to show, despite the loose fitting dress. Even before she was introduced, Sam thought this must be Allias’s wife. Following Tor’s example, everyone at the table stood up and remained standing until she had been seated. This seemed to cause her great amusement as she laughed out loud.

  “There is no need for all of this formality,” she said in a voice that would only be described as sweet. “How are you Tor?”

  “I am well Hetta. I can see the pregnancy is going well.”

  Hetta’s long black hair was hanging loose, almost down to her waist, and her face, though pale, displayed rosy cheeks. There is a myth that women shine during pregnancy. Hetta was one of the women for whom this was not a myth. Gently rubbing her bump, she began to exchange pleasantries with Tor when they were interrupted by a young man, in his late twenties, striding in. Kissing Hetta’s hand, he bowed to Allias.

  “Sorry I am late, father, but Selene is vomiting again.” Upon hearing this, Hetta signalled to one of the servants and instructed her to take some plain, unsweetened, biscuits to Selene’s room. As soon as she was gone, and the young man was seated, Allias introduced him.

  “For those of you who do not know him, this is Rupert, my eldest son and heir.” Rupert slightly nodded his head, a smile just touching the corners of his mouth. Though not what would traditionally be called handsome, he had a pleasant enough face. His long black hair was tied back by a piece of cord at the nape of the neck and his grey eyes, the perfect match to his father’s, showed beyond doubt that he was truly his father’s son.

  Conversation soon turned to the reason Tor had been ‘summoned’ to the palace; the word arrested was never spoken, though it was in the back of everyone’s minds. Allias already knew about the quest and agreed to allow Bellak access to the library on two conditions. Firstly, he was to be escorted there by the court wizard, who would constantly keep him warded against trying to use magic. Secondly, Tor and his team had to go into Kinfen, kidnap Prince Tallon and bring him back to Vada to stand trial.

  Tor choked on his fruit juice and Seth’s mouth hung open, but Patrick just glanced at Modo, who nodded, then quietly said, “No problem,” making Tor choke once again.

  “We cannot just go into another country and kidnap the heir to the throne,” Tor almost shouted, once he was able to speak.

  Allias merely shrugged his shoulders. “Those are my terms, take them or leave them, but I should add that if you do not agree, you and your entire party will immediately be escorted out of my country and will not be welcome back.”

  “There is always the library at St Cuthberts,” Seth whispered to Tor, but before he could reply, Rupert started to speak in a low voice, without taking his eyes off his glass, which he never raised to his lips.

  “Just over a year ago, my stupid sister decided it would be great fun to sneak out of the palace at night, with only her hand maiden as escort, and cross the border into Kinfen. There has never been harmony between our two countries so it was one of the few places she had never visited. Someone, and we have yet to find out who, had filled her empty head with tales of how glorious the sights were just the other side of the border and of all the fantastic things that could be bought in Hunna’s central market.”

  He paused, looking up, directly into Tor’s eyes. “The little idiot believed that she could be there and back before anyone knew she had even gone. She had not even made it to the city outskirts when she and her maid were kidnapped, taken to Bedden and sold in the slave market.”

  His voice was no longer quiet; anger was now breaking through. “They were sold as sex slaves. They were both repeatedly raped. Again and again and again, until they managed to escape and make their way home a couple of months ago. They were there, being constantly tortured, for almost a year.”

  As he went quiet, Allias took over the story. “I was about to declare war when Selene unexpectedly showed up. She seemed fine, as though she had just gone on the adventure she wanted to, but Mia, her maid, was a different story. She still screams if she sees a strange man. She lived in one of the guest suites for a while. What else could we do after all she had been through? Only female servants could go near her rooms. Even I was not allowed in. I don’t think she will ever fully recover.”

  “You said Selene seemed fine?” Tor asked. “That seems a bit strange.”

  Allias nodded his head. “I thought the same thing so I brought in the best doctors money can buy, hoping to be told that only Mia had been attacked.” He stopped and looked around the room. “That sounds awful does it not? Well, you all know what I mean.”

  “So what did the doctors say?”

  “Shock,” came the reply. “They think the experience was so traumatic her mind is burying the memories and inventing different ones. She told us that she was bought by Prince Tallon and he treated her with courtesy and respect. He never hurt her. Never attacked her. She even claims he rescued Mia from her owner.”

  Sam was still a little confused. “I don’t mean to accuse you of being biased, though I’m sure you won’t deny that you are, but how do you know her story isn’t true? How do you know she was raped?”

  Rupert looked at her, his cold eyes staring straight into hers. “Because she is ten weeks pregnant.”

  Shocked gasps sounded around the table, but Sam continued, ignoring them. “Pregnancy doesn’t prove rape.”

  Rupert lunged at her, grabbing the front of her dress and pulling her so his face was less than an inch from hers. “Are you suggesting that my sister is some kind of shameless whore who would willingly lay with Kinfen filth?” he spat at her, his voice filled with venom.

  The men around the table leapt up, Modo springing from his chair and landing on Rupert’s back, sliding his arm around his neck. “I suggest you let the lady go you shit eating little bastard,” he hissed into Rupert’s ear. “All I have to do is squeeze and your neck will break.”

  “Everyone calm down,” Tor shouted, motioning with his arms that they should all regain their seats. “Modo, it is not polite to threaten the life of a Prince in his own palace and you promised to watch your language around ladies.”

  “Sorry Tor, but the little prick annoyed me. Nobody treats a lady like that in my presence.”

  “Then you had better not go into Kinfen,” Rupert commented as Modo slowly released his arm from around his neck. “You will need to kill almost the entire population.” He let go of Sam, his arms dropping to his sides as Sam sank gratefully back into her chair.

  “Please forgive my son,” Allias said, trying to ease the tense situation. “He has been rather highly strung ever since Selene went missing. They have always been very close. Also, he is probably not aware that Sam is not from here, so is not knowledgeable in our rules and customs.” He turned to Sam before explaining that a Princess must be a virgin on her wedding night. No female of the royal line had ever taken a man to her bed before marriage and his daughter would not break that tradition.

  “Alright. If we agree to do this, and it is a big IF, does anyone have any suggestions as to how? We are talking about breaking into a palace which probably has as much security as this place and then taking a Prince out of his own country without anyone noticing.” Tor looked around the room and, to his surprise, some of the faces looked thoughtful. They were actually considering this madness.

  Planning went on well into the night, with many suggestions discussed and ultimately rejected. Not only was the task next to impossible, but it had to be done without anyone knowing that Allias was involved. The first argument came from Ria. It had been decided that all of the women would stay behind. Ria spent ages explaining all of the benefits her skills as an acrobat and a thief would give the mission, but Rupert simpl
y would not listen, saying women would be a liability in Kinfen. The men would be too busy on their task to worry about looking after them.

  This had caused a real explosion, with Ria having to be physically dragged away from him before she had chance to prove her skills at unarmed combat. Only the promise of her being allowed to fight one of the palace guards the next morning calmed her down enough for the discussions to continue. If she beat him, she could go to Kinfen. If she lost, then she would stay at the palace without any fuss. As the current Amenian champion was stationed at the palace, Rupert thought it was a foregone conclusion. Tor, however, was not so sure.

  Torrick would remain behind as well. It was not going to be a military campaign and everyone agreed he would be of more use helping Sabastian train the soldiers for the seemingly inevitable upcoming war. As Allias pointed out, even if Tor did manage to kidnap Prince Tallon without anyone knowing he had been taken to Amenia, King Yeland would immediately blame Allias and would attack first, ask questions later.

  Hawk posed a bit of a problem. When he arose he joined in the discussion. His abilities would be invaluable and they would be travelling at night, but what to do with him during the day caused a dilemma. It was Sam who suggested a solution. If they took a wagon to Kinfen, loaded with goods from a farm near to the border, they could hide Hawk’s coffin. As there was a ban on trade between Emvale and Kinfen, it would also give them a believable story as to why they were sneaking around and only travelling at night. Everyone knew that the farmers close to the border were secretly trading and that the soldiers patrolling that area were easily bribed. Modo pointed out that the coffin would also be a good hiding place for Tallon on the return journey. They just needed somewhere to hide him during the day.

  It was nearly dawn before people started to head to their beds, having decided who would go and how they would travel. Allias had the chief librarian woken up and set him looking for any information he could find on Bedden, especially the palace, and they agreed to meet again before the midday meal.