Chapter 14: Duchesses, Decorum & Deception

It was a huge relief when we finally reached the castle. Can you call it awkward silence when you’re surrounded by the myriad vibrant sounds of a big city? Anyway I hate awkward silence, normal silence I can handle but awkward silence no thanks. 

Hello darkness my old friend… 

Our approach to the castle had been marked by the sounds of the light thuds of our boots on the stone street and the occasional clink or clank of items moving about in our packs with every step, which only highlighted the heavy awkward silence surrounding us.

The guards, recognising our guide, just nodded as they let us pass through the tall heavy wooden gates that stood open into the castle’s entrance courtyard.

Even if they knew El, letting them bring two unknowns into the castle palace belonging to their liege, considering how this whole duchy was tearing itself apart? Sounds foolhardy, unless they were relying on tighter security inside. 

Maybe this was like more of the few skyscrapers they repaired back in Philadelphia. The guards at the door were just to keep the street rats, gutter trash and anyone obviously suspicious out, but the foyers were mostly open to the public, some even had shops, cafes or restaurants in them. 

But try to go beyond the foyer without a key or authorisation and you’d find locked doors and guards ready to drag you out and throw you on the street. I had to wonder if this was something similar.

The courtyard we’d walked into was only a little smaller than a baseball diamond, even though it was rectangular in shape. Cloisters surrounded it on all sides where yet more guards stood guarding closed doors that lead out of the courtyard at its sides. 

A part of me, the part that lived in the old fantasy books I’d read ages ago, expected to see a white tree standing in the middle of the courtyard. Instead there was close-cropped green grass and where the paved paths met at a crossroads stood a multi-tiered fountain with curtains of water that cascaded down like sheets of liquid moonlight.

Drawn towards the fountain as we passed, I idly dragged a finger through the falling water, parting the curtain like a knife through silk. Rainbows and constellations were reflected on the surface of the droplets of water, despite the red evening sky above.

“Beautiful…” Roxi exhaled beside me, drawing my attention away from the fountain to where she was stopped dead in her tracks, as she stared towards the fountain and me, her expression a look of enrapture.

“It’s beautiful? I mean what’s beautiful?” I asked, looking off to the side. There were a lot of beautiful things in this city, the soaring architecture, this fountain, had she seen one of the skyborne riders again?

“The thing!” she exclaimed pointing at me, as she almost jumped up and down, “the thing you’re doing with the water! Didn’t you see what it was doing? How are you doing that?” 

“Huh? I thought it was just the fountain, you know like a magic fountain or something.”

Making a choking noise that sounded like the aftermath of a sigh and giggle battling it out, El stopped and turned to face us, “You’re a fae, the lore was in the character creator for that racial group. Things like starlight, running water and mirrors backed with alloys of moonsilver act strange around your kind, often revealing your true nature. 

“Thanks to that, a fae using an illusion to disguise itself is much easier to uncover than a darkling infiltrator like myself,” they replied somewhat smugly, “Fae love attention, it's why they can't help but leave tells. It’s all part of their games, a chance to spot their mischief and pranks before you fall for them.”

Huh…

I kinda recall that from character creation and it did fit how they were depicted in my Mamaí’s tales.

Dragging another finger through the water, I felt a hand slip into mine and began gently pulling me forward. Looking up I saw El had already begun walking off. Blushing, I stumbled forward to walk beside Roxi as we followed El. Even though I had caught up to her, Roxi hadn’t let go of my hand. 

Was she worried I would absentmindedly wander off?

Crossing the courtyard, we passed through another guarded doorway into a heavily guarded entry hall. An attendant, dressed in what seemed like only a step below what a high ranking noble would wear, stood waiting for us to come closer. Definitely a high ranking servant going by the crisp white of his shirt and rich blues of his finely tailored blue coat and trousers with their collection of decorative gold buttons.

Like the guards before his eyes flashed with recognition upon seeing El, however that was as far as it went, his posture and expression remained rigid. Clear evidence of experience, training and discipline.

Or boredom… 

“Sir Elixatmael,” he began once we were close enough, “Welcome back! Would it be that these two are with you?”

Gving El a piercing look, I mouthed silently at them, “Sir?” 

Sir Elixatmael? Really?

Grimacing in reply to me, they turned their attention back to the attendant. “Oh… Ah, yes. I’ve brought them along as part of my report. They are umm… Ok the one with blue hair is Aisling Mistmirror, the other one with dark hair who looks like she could snap me like a twig is uh, Roxadice Umbrial,” they said with some discomfort. 

“Very well,” the steward replied with a sniff. “I presume you’ll wish to report to the Duchess directly.”

“Whatever her Grace prefers,” El diplomatically replied, “but it would be best if my report was for her ears only. You understand right?”

As he nodded his head stiffly in assent, I thought I caught a glimpse of the servant rolling his eyes. “Her Grace is currently meeting members of her court, as well as some of the more common members of the citizenry in the Petitioner’s Hall. If you would follow me I will lead you to one of her more private receiving rooms and make sure you receive refreshments and a chance to make yourselves more presentable before she arrives.”

As soon as the attendants back was to us, El began whispering to us under the sound of the servant’s heeled shoes clicking on the marble tiled floor.

Ok so apparently while they enjoy putting on a show and receiving fame, praise and attention, they hated the pressures, formality, decorum and expectations that came with navigating noble high society.

I guess it wasn’t unexpected, the sophisticated scoundrel pirate types weren’t known to be fond of rules or things that impacted their freedom.

* * *

The attendant led us through the castle’s corridors at a furious pace that was amazing considering his strides would have met the rules for Olympic speed walking. Only stopping briefly so he could pass on orders to the various maids and servants we met along the way, he had us at our destination and had left again before we had a chance to gain our bearings.

The receiving room was a relatively small but comfortable chamber, with colourful tapestries on the walls depicting life in the duchy as well as age old battles, and in the corner a fireplace with a fire gently crackling in it. At the room’s center was a small table barely knee-high, made of dark walnut and inlaid with gold and mother of pearl; surrounding the table was a number of well stuffed couches and armchairs.

Barely moments behind us, a storm of maids arrived, removing our packs and cloaks, as well as leaving behind trays of snacks, refreshments and bowls of steaming rosewater along with small hand towels with which to clean ourselves up. 

The storm of maids, having rolled over us, was gone almost as quickly as it had arrived.

While taking turns using the hot water and towels to clean the dust and sweat of the road from our hands, faces and necks, we picked at the food and drinks. This wasn’t as good as a hot shower or bath, but after three days on the road it was heavenly and helped lift up my spirits some. 

That said, I still wanted a hot bath as soon as humanly possible.

Having cleaned ourselves up a little and taken the edge off our hunger, exhaustion took over. Those couches looked awfully inviting...