The tavern was built at the bend of the stream where the valley was narrow. Most anyone coming into or out of the valley would have to pass the bar. It was a fairly small structure, about thirty feet long and fifteen feet wide of old, dark planks that looked like they had been there for a hundred years. The rear of the tavern over shot the bank by about five feet and was propped up with poles. It did not look safe. Yet, smoke came from the chimney and from inside, singing could be heard.
“The bar has been propped up like that since I was a girl,” said Sergeant Serria. “It hasn’t fallen down yet. Not even in the floods we had a few years ago.”
“I’m willing to risk it if you are, Sergeant,” I told her.
I asked two men to stay by the back door in case Mister Hull did not care for soldiers and decided to leave before I could talk to him. The rest of us went inside. It was very dark and I found myself wishing for Brin’s crystal. My eyes soon adjusted and could see that there were about ten men in the tavern, most of them white haired grandfathers and a potbellied barkeep. Every person in the bar stopped what they were doing as soon as we entered and stared at us.
“Isn’t that little Shel? Sand Serria’s daughter?” one of the white haired men asked another.
“Who?”
“Little Shel! From the hollow!”
“Where?”
“Right there! In the guard’s uniform.”
“Hello Mister Clay! Hello Mister Wrenn!” the sergeant fairly shouted.
“You’re from the hollow?” asked the barkeep. “You come in for a drink?”
“No. I am from the hollow, but I haven’t been in here for years. I’m up at the castle now as you might have been able to tell. This is King Dexter, he’s...”
“King Dexter, is it? Wait, not the real king, I mean the king?”
“How many kings do you know? Yes, this is the new king.”
“In my establishment! What can I get for you, Sire? No doubt, you have heard about our excellent cider have come to try it for yourself?”
Sergeant Serria caught my eye and shook her head very slightly, but firmly ‘no.’
“No. Thank you, Mister...”
“Will Green, Sire.”
“Mister Green. I will have water and get my guards anything they want. And I would like to buy a drink for the house.”
“Yes sir. Here you go, Sire. Have a seat here. Listen up lads, this here is King Dexter, come from the castle. Be nice ya nobs.”
The barkeep got the drinks for me and my men—all of whom also drank water, and the drinks for the house. I paid the bartender quite generously with a half crown.
“Tell me, Mister Green. Are you acquainted with an Andyn Hull?” I asked.
Everyone in the bar was listening though they were pretending not to. Everyone in the bar turned and looked at a small-boned man who was seated at the far end of the bar. He looked at every staring set of eyes and shrugged.
“I’m Andyn Hull. What does the king of Pozzelby want with me?”
“Mister Hull, join me please,” I said. Slowly, he rose, bringing his original drink plus the one that I had bought. He came and sat down in the chair that I indicated. Mister Hull, first, I want to say that I am sorry about the unfortunate death of Mister Tern. I understand that he was your friend.”
Andyn Hull looked wary. He knew that his friend had been doing something potentially dangerous that had backfired. He wasn’t sure who had killed Skerrit Tern and I knew that he suspected that it was possibly me who had done it.
“I want to assure you that I had nothing to do with your friend’s death. He had information that I wanted; I would not have wanted to kill him,” I said. “I was hoping that perhaps he had said something to you about the nature of the...extra work, that he had been doing.”
He looked nervous and took a sip from his mug. No one was watching us, yet they were certainly hanging on our every word.
“I just need to know who his contact was in the castle,” I said. A gold crown had appeared in my hand and I rolled it back and forth between my fingers. Andyn Hull stared at it greedily. “Just a small thing. A little information, a name. No one will ever know where I got it.” I set the gold crown down on the table.
“Umm, Skerrit told me once that the messages would always be picked up by the same person. He would take them out of the crates and hold them until his shift was over. Then he would be met on the road on the far side of Mount Crowl,” Hull said.
“Who would meet him?”
“He said that the man was always cloaked, but Skerrit recognized him. He said that the messages were always delivered to Colonel Kran Tholla. He was certain of it.”
“Colonel Tholla is one of General Till’s top officers,” Sergeant Serria told me.
I pushed the crown across the table and it disappeared.
“Thank you,” I told Hull. I rose. “Barkeep, another round for the house.” I placed another half crown on the bar. The old-timers cheered.
I had a lot to consider. One of Tabor Till’s top men was taking covert messages from Bleakmoor. I was not surprised. But I had to tread carefully. I still did not know the contents of the messages. An image came to mind though—Tabor Till seated at his desk reading something that he felt inclined to burn immediately thereafter.
It was my move.
****
The afternoon was getting late when I arrived back at Pozzelby Castle. The air still had not shifted and it promised to be a hot, muggy night. I’d had a good deal to think about on the short ride back—none of it good. Tabor Till was the top general of my armies; the thought that he might be involved in the murder of the king was difficult to wrap my mind around. What would cause a man to betray his country after years of service? But if he was a traitor, I was in a very difficult position. He had at his immediate disposal a brigade of over three thousand soldiers, quartered in barracks that were inside of the castle walls. If General Till’s forces turned, then all that was left to stand against them were five hundred castle guardsmen. Porknoy had gone to bring soldiers from Earmund. But at the earliest, I could expect him in two days, and probably not with more than five hundred men.
I was suddenly very uneasy.
The guard at the gate stopped me as I was passing through.
“Sire, everyone has been frantic looking for you,” he said. “The castellan and Tayu both have been searching. We let them know that you had left the grounds but no one knew where you had gone.”
“Do you know what they needed me for?” I asked.
“Yes, Sire. All three of the noble retinues have arrived. I think they were expecting you to receive them.”
Wonderful. On top of everything else going on, it seemed as if I would be expected to entertain.
The castle grounds were remarkably quiet. Normally, they were filled with people running here and there on any variety of business. Just then, very few people were in evidence. Probably because of the heat, I thought hopefully.
I intended to go straight to Layred Vu’s offices. However, Tayu intercepted me almost as soon as I got inside of the castle.
“King Dexter! Thank goodness that you’ve returned. No one knew that you had left and then the nobles arrived from Scrytch, Albemarle, and Mirall. Of course, they all wanted to meet with you—to offer their condolences, I’m sure.”
“What happened?”
“We made excuses, but promised that they would meet you at tonight’s reception.”
“What reception?”
“It’s in an hour. We have to get you dressed. Come on.”
I followed her, momentarily forgetting the other problems. I think it was her tone—I imagine that it was rather like the tone a mother might use with her child. By the time we got back to my suite, I had remembered myself.
“I laid out an outfit for you,” Tayu told me. “I am going to go to the kitchens and...”
“No, Tayu. I nee
d to speak with you. Come in please.”
“But, Sire. There is a lot...”
“It can wait.”
She nodded and followed me into my suite. She seemed agitated. Was it merely the stress of preparing an impromptu dinner for one hundred, or was there something more to her nervousness?
“Tayu, yesterday I went to see Elissa Tern.”
“Elissa Tern? Oh, the flower woman. You didn’t have to go see her; if you had wanted flowers I could have gotten them for you. I go there once a week.”
“I didn’t buy any flowers. Her husband was killed down by the docks yesterday morning and I needed to talk to her.”
“I heard about the man. I didn’t know that he was Elissa’s husband though, poor woman. You know her youngest child is sick?”
“I know. I am going to try and help her child and gave her enough money so that she shouldn’t have to worry about necessities,” I said. “When I was there I noticed that Mrs. Tern had night irises growing. She said that you buy them on a regular basis. For what use?”
“Well, most of the flowers I buy are for castle decoration. But the night irises, well I don’t think a black bloom sets a very festive mood. I wouldn’t buy them at all if they didn’t have other uses.”
“Such as?”
“Well, they use them in the dye house to make black dye, and Doctor Ahem keeps a store of them.”
“Doctor Ahem? Why?”
“He told me that night irises have valuable medicinal properties,” Tayu said, shrugging.
“Thank you, Tayu. I’ll get dressed now and will be ready on time,” I said. She looked grateful.
I dressed quickly and then went and stood by my bedroom window and looked out over the flat, glass lake, at the town, and beyond. The picture was very peaceful. Most of the people in the country had no idea about the struggle being played out here in this castle. They had their own concerns, their own problems.
This was my problem. From where I sat, it seemed rather big, bigger than me. I had no experience at such life and death intrigues. We were nearing endgame, but this was the most complicated game that I had ever played. For much of it, my enemy’s attack had been hidden and now that I thought I had it discovered, I was nearly in check.
I would go to the dinner and meet the nobles. I would pretend that everything was fine. I would have a conference with Myrick, Francis, and Layred Vu immediately after the dinner. I hoped that they would have some suggestions. After detaining Grimwulf and his men, I had felt as if I had things pretty well under control. But if Tabor Till was involved everything was changed. And what about Doctor Ahem? Was it possible that he was involved? It did not seem likely.
“Dexter?” said Brin from the front room.
“I’m in here. Come in.”
Brin was wearing a simple black dress; it was the most normal thing that I had ever seen her in.
“You didn’t come in through the wardrobe,” I said.
“Last night, when I found you, I had to tell Myrick about it. He had it locked like the other passages. I had to come in through the door.” She did not sound happy about it.
“The guards didn’t try to stop you?”
“They know better. Besides, they all know what happened last night, it seems I’m pretty popular with the castle guard right now.”
“I’m glad you’re here. Being alone with my own thoughts wasn’t helping me at all. You’ve heard that your father is here?”
“Yes. I saw him come in. He’s mostly bald now. He spent most of the day annoying the castellan, trying to see you.”
“Did you talk to him?”
“No. I doubt that he asked about me. I was watching Grimwulf today.”
“Was he doing anything?”
“Not really. He seems really bored. He paced, ate lunch, napped, woke up, and paced some more. I got tired of watching him and watched Callis instead. He scares me.”
“Callis?” I remembered his black eyes staring at me last night. “What was he doing?”
“Well, he was just sitting in a chair. His eyes were closed but he was moving his mouth like he was talking to himself without sound. Then Doctor Ahem came and saw him. The doctor didn’t look at him; they just talked. But Callis was doing most of the talking and he seemed really angry. Doctor Ahem looked like he was scared too.”
“Could you hear what they were saying?”
“No, they were whispering most of the time, even when it looked like Callis was yelling. Then Doctor Ahem said, ‘That should do it. A few more treatments and you should be completely recovered.’ He said that part out loud.”
“I see. Brin listen, I think Doctor Ahem might be involved with King Ardwulf’s murder—Tabor Till too. I haven’t been able to tell Myrick or the castellan yet. I’m going to tell them after the dinner. In the meantime, be very careful.”
“I will. Doctor Ahem? He was always nice to me. General Till is a meanie though.”
“I agree. Are you coming to the dinner?”
“No. My father will be there,” she said. “I think I’ll go exploring, maybe I’ll spy on Callis some more.”
“Just be careful.”
“Captain Talon still has men in the passages behind Grimwulf’s and Callis’ rooms. It’s safe. I’m going to use the entrance behind the sofa.”
“Okay, I’ll talk to you later.”
Brin opened the hidden panel behind the sofa—it opened easily from my end—and disappeared inside. I waited a minute to make sure that she wasn’t coming back. When I was convinced that she was gone, I stood and readied myself for dinner.
****
Tayu hurried me through the halls with a full squad escort. As we walked, she briefed me on our guests.
“Earl Ardbeg is from Mirall County in Earmund.”
“I know Ardbeg. Mirall County isn’t far from Castle Earmund. He visited us frequently and my father always thought highly of him.”
“Okay, good enough. The Duchess of Albemarle is Belle de Venie. Her husband died about five years ago in a boating accident on Lake Alba. There were no male heirs, but they had three daughters, now fifteen, thirteen, and nine. The two oldest, Bonnie and Dahlia made the trip with their mother,” said Tayu.
“Alright. And Earl Horace?”
“Yes, the Earl of Scrytch, our very own Brin’s father. He never visited her when Ardwulf was king; I don’t think Ardwulf liked him.”
“Neither does his daughter.”
“He is also without a male heir. Brin is his only child. I don’t know for sure, but I would not be surprised if both he and the Duchess wanted to test the marriage waters with you.”
“Me? Marry?” The thought had not occurred to me.
“Yes, you. As a young, unmarried king you are going to have to be prepared for a number of offers of marriage. Any noble with an unmarried daughter is going to be trying to get inside of the royal house. Normally, a royal funeral would attract dozens of nobles from all over the country. Obviously, they are staying away because of the circumstances. The three who came—let’s just say that I would not be surprised if there were ulterior motives.”
We entered the dining hall and I nearly had my eardrums blown out as trumpets played a salute. Everyone stood. There were about one hundred and fifty people in attendance, mostly the courtiers in the visiting noble’s retinues and personages of importance from Pozzelby Castle. I took my seat; Myrick and Layred Vu were on either side of me. Francis was at a nearby table seated with my other advisors. Apparently, royal alchemist did not rank high enough for a seat at the top table at such a function. I considered changing the protocol but went along for the time being. Tabor Till was also at my table. I felt a little better having him in sight.
Before we could do anything else, the nobles had to formally greet me and I had to receive them. The Duchess of Albemarle was the highest ranked noble there and went first. She rose and offered a slow, for
mal curtsey, which in the voluminous green dress that she wore was no small feat. Albemarle bordered Earmund, but I had never met the duchess, our homes were fairly distant from one another.
“Your Highness, I offer you my deepest condolences and want you to know that I am ready to offer you my loyalty and support in what must be a difficult time for you,” she said. “I would also like to present to you my two oldest daughters. The oldest is the Lady Bonnie and this is Lady Dahlia.”
Bonnie was a dark haired, fair skinned beauty in blue. Her curtsey was as practiced and formal as her mother’s. Dahlia, who was my age, was reed-thin and dressed in green like her mother. She appeared bored and her bow was perfunctory. The duchess’s formal mask broke for a second and she looked annoyed with her younger daughter, though I had found it amusing. Smiling and nearly laughing at the unspoken content between mother and daughter I covered my amusement by turning my smile into one of greeting.
“Thank you for your kind words, Duchess. Both of your daughters are charming. I appreciate your attendance and your support,” I said.
Ardbeg was next. Tayu had neglected to mention that he had also brought his wife, Gwendolyn, and his eldest son, Erwin. I had met all three in the past, though Erwin was several years older than me and we’d had little personal interaction. Ardbeg’s condolences seemed sincere and he appeared to be deeply upset by the untimely deaths of my father and brothers, and the king too, of course.
Earl Horace was last. He was mostly bald, like Brin had said. When he smiled, I was reminded of nothing else more than a turkey vulture. His greeting and expression of sympathy felt unctuous. I was unimpressed, but he didn’t seem to notice.
Dinner was served. Tayu and the cooks were to be commended. Brin’s father was in a talkative mood.
“Have you ever been to the mountains, King Dexter?” he asked.
“No further than the mountains here.”
“It is beautiful, wild country west of here. High mountains, expansive forests. I would love to have you as my guest in Scrytch, once you have settled into the job, of course.”
“Of course.”
“Scrytch is a rugged county, but I feel it has a great deal to offer the kingdom, and the potential to do so much more for Pozzelby than it currently does.”
He paused as if expecting me to comment. I said nothing, so he continued.