“I told you before, Morzha, that’s the safest place in the world.”
16.
Guard duty became routine for Ackerley. There wasn’t any skill required to stand in a room for hours on end. It was boring, though everything in that castle was boring. After two weeks he began to feel like he might have a knack for it. He found himself thinking that when the war was over he could go to Indigo and be Cerise’s permanent guard. The thought led to fantasies of him rising through the ranks of that tiny kingdom and one day being the commander of all of Indigo’s army. It couldn’t be too hard; they were an awfully small country after all.
The changes in the castle usually took a while to notice. Soup having to be watered down wasn’t all that bad. That changed one Saturday night during a fancy dinner. When everyone was settled into their places Yinnib came in looking rather grim.
“I am sorry.” He began; a tear in his eye. “Our dinner tonight will not be as extravagant as those in the past. I do hope you enjoy, nonetheless.”
Murmurs broke out up and down the table. Yinnib was out of sight before anyone could ask him about it.
The food arrived and he was right, it definitely wasn’t extravagant. Workers went down the table giving everyone a couple slices of bread and some extremely watered down stew. For the kids used to a wealthy upbringing it was downright unacceptable. Several stood up and protested, and a couple left without eating a thing. Ackerley reminded himself of how he had to live before and ate his share without complaint. Jarn didn’t complain either, though he looked rather put out by this new development. Ackerley cautiously looked down the table at Murdo, who he fully expected to be having a fit. Instead Murdo ate quietly and kept his eyes downcast. It was at that moment that Ackerley realized that Murdo had been awfully quiet for a while. Usually he had been too tired to notice.
After dinner Ackerley started for his position near Cerise’s chair. Loeua came in and told everyone to go back to their rooms. She looked really worried about something, but claimed that the whining about dinner was the reason for the dance being cancelled. Ackerley didn’t much care, and went to Cerise’s residence to tell her.
The door was locked. He knocked a few times and waited. No response. It had only been a little while since third task when he had to guard her. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary then. He figured he’d see her in the morning and went up to his room. No one was there. The halls were busy with kids complaining so he went to the second floor to find a window sill to sit on. He looked out over the front lawn and the guards pacing back and forth.
After a while Jarn came by.
“Ah, I was looking for you.”
Ackerley grunted his recognition.
“Things must be getting bad out there.” Jarn said, looking out the window.
“I wish we could get some news as to what was going on.”
“I heard someone say they saw a messenger come by today. It must be really bad if Yinnib didn’t even want to announce anything.”
Jarn sat down beside Ackerley and looked him over. “Was that like what you used to eat?” He asked timidly.
“Usually I ate whatever the neighbors had. They liked to bring me food. Most nights I reheated the soup they’d make on Sundays.”
Jarn folded his arms and sighed. “There’s more talk of people leaving. There’s always talk from the big kids. They like pretending to leave.” He snickered. “I think they just like worrying the nobles here. Their parents would kill them if they really left.”
“Hmm.” Was all Ackerley felt like saying.
He had a sinking feeling that something really bad happened. Surely Yinnib and the others would say something if it meant they were in danger. Of course no one ever thought they’d be in danger, not directly anyway. Though if there was a food shortage they’d certainly be in direct danger.
“I doubt lessens will change any.” Jarn mused. “We don’t really do anything anyway.”
Ackerley continued to stare out the window, not really listening.
“If I was a little older I’d leave.” Jarn said sometime later. “The food was the only thing keeping me here anyway.”
“That’s odd.” Ackerley said suddenly.
“Well it was good food.”
“No, not that. Look outside.”
Jarn glanced out the window and stood up. “I wonder what that’s all about.”
The gates were open. Ackerley hadn’t seen the gates opened since that large crate arrived.
A couple nobles went to the gates and led three people onto the castle grounds. They hurriedly bustled down the sweeping lawn toward the front doors. Two were adults. One of them carried a little girl. All three wore rags. Not even Ackerley had been reduced to wearing clothes that shabby in his little town.
The two boys stared unwaveringly out the window at the event going on below them. Warm light flooded the lawn as the main doors opened and the people disappeared inside. And then it was as dark and quiet as it always was.
Ackerley looked to Jarn. “See anything like that before?”
“Never.” He said with an expression of utter amazement. “They looked like commoners. I mean—like really common commoners.”
“I doubt they’re related to anybody important.”
Jarn shrugged. “Who knows, maybe.”
They sat and talked about what they saw for a few minutes more, though mostly going in circles as the answers weren’t going to be discovered that night by the window. After a while they decided to get some sleep and look into it in the morning.
“I do like a good mystery.” Jarn said excitedly on their way back to the room. “And this one you can’t keep me out of like all those others you go on.”
“It’s not that exciting to stand in a room and stare at the walls all day.” Ackerley defended.
“I mean about the fourth floor.”
They turned the corner to their hall and saw the second strange sight of the night. Murdo was walking quickly toward them, looking back to make sure nobody was watching. He saw them and stopped dead. He carried a large bag over one shoulder.
“What do you want, knitface?” He grimaced irately.
“You’re not seriously trying to leave, are you?” Ackerley asked while Jarn screwed up his face angrily.
“What of it?” Murdo grunted.
“It’s gonna be rough.” Ackerley stressed, trying to sound supportive. “You don’t know where the army is.”
Murdo noticed and exhaled deeply. “I’ll start at the manor region. Someone there will surely know.”
“Those Welgos are mean. Are you sure you want to tangle with all that?”
“You saw that fancy dinner tonight. It means something’s very wrong. We’re losing, Aches.” He hiked the bag a little further on his shoulder. “I can’t sit here knowing that anymore. It’s torture to someone like me.”
Ackerley nodded and stepped out of the way. “Good luck.”
Murdo smiled at him for the first time. “If I meet your brother I’ll tell him you’re doing fine.” He gave them both a nod and hurried down the hall.
Jarn snorted. “I’m putting my stuff on his part of the room.”
The next morning an emergency meeting was called during breakfast. Everyone had to report to the ballroom and be counted. Word got out quick that Murdo left, but he wasn’t the only one.
After everyone was counted Craith paced in front of them. “Eight of your buddies skipped out last night.” He said sorrowfully. “I will have you all know that behavior such as that will not be tolerated.”
Loeua glared at them from the corner while Yinnib sniffled sadly beside her.
“If anyone is caught trying to join them,” Craith’s voice grew threatening, “they will be severely punished.”
Once again Ackerley wondered what sort of punishment they could dole out. As far as he knew Mr. Jett was st
ill the only one.
All the nobles sauntered around somberly for the rest of the day. Every time Ackerley got near one he could tell they changed the subject of whatever they were talking about to say loudly how upset they were that those poor children ran away. He figured they were upset over whatever news arrived the day before. He tried multiple times to sneak up on any one of the many pairs talking in hushed tones around the castle, but they all seemed to sense him coming and wail about the runaways when he got anywhere near them.
Being Sunday morning he went to stand guard over Cerise, but her door was once again locked. He knocked and waited for almost an hour for Thrindle to open the door, but she never did. Getting worried, he looked around for Yinnib, but for once he was nowhere to be found. Ackerley was wary of asking any other noble, but relented and asked Louea. He found her sitting alone in the big dining room. She seemed surprised to see him. He nervously asked if she’d seen Cerise. She looked as though she wanted to tell him something important, but then just frowned and walked away.
Things were beginning to look dire. First the terrible dinner, and then the big kids leaving, and now Cerise being locked away again. Ackerley feared the worst, and thought about going to the fourth floor to ask Chellion. He had a feeling Chellion wouldn’t tell him anything either.
He made up his mind to try anyway, and started for the stairs up. That’s when he thought of one other place that she might be.
He went out the back door with the gardens and followed the outer wall until he came to the place where Cerise had