From Darkness Won - Jill Williamson [166]
She curtsied and spoke in a low voice. “How do you fare, Your Majesty?”
“I am well, my lady, and pleased to know you.”
She chuckled. “You are too polite, Your Majesty. I hope my husband has not made himself a nuisance.”
Achan smiled. “Only a little, my lady.”
She shot Sir Caleb a knowing look.
Sir Caleb looked surprised. “The king must have manners, my dear.”
“Are you hungry?” Esper asked Achan.
“Very much. It has been days of eating dried food. I long for something different.”
“Then you shall have it.”
“It’s being in the middle of the night, Your Highness,” Bodwin said. “But I’m having wakened enough servants to be seeing that you’re being fed.”
“Oh. I thank you, but I can make do until breakfast.”
“Be thinking nothing of it, Your Highness. My servants were being here long before I. They have been waiting many years to be serving their king again. It’s being an honor they have been waiting years for.”
“I see. I hope I will meet their expectations, then.”
Bodwin bowed. “I’m being sure you shall.”
“Has Sir Eagan arrived?” Achan asked. “I was told he was on his way here with his own party.”
“We’ve not been hearing a word from him. No one was telling us he was coming, either.”
Achan would have to bloodvoice him the moment he sat down. “He’s expected any moment, I am sure. I hope he’ll have no trouble at the gate.”
“I’ll be letting my men know to be watching for him.”
Bodwin led Achan and the others up the narrow staircase. They exited onto an outdoor path that passed several structures built into the wall of the mountain. The exterior walls were rock and masonry. Stone pathways branched off here and there, leading up to other dwellings.
Achan followed Bodwin up another stairway, this one chiseled out of the rock. At the top they turned left, wove around another rocky corridor, then walked up another short flight of stairs to a red door in a wall of masonry that curved outward in a half circle.
“This is being your chambers, Your Highness. And a very lucky place to be laying your head. For on a clear day, one can be seeing Mount Bamah.”
“I am sure once Darkness is vanquished, the view will be immaculate.”
Bodwin shifted his feet. “Yes, well… I’ll be having some food brought up right away.”
“Thank you, Bodwin.”
Inside, the circular room was made from masonry on one side and carved rock on the other. A large bed sat in the center of the room, covered in white furs. It had no headboard or canopy. There seemed no way to know which side was the head.
Matthias was already present and had hung several of Achan’s shirts up on a rack.
“I see you’ve wasted no time, Matthias.”
“Your clothing got wrinkled in the saddlebags, sir. The trunks kept everything nicer.”
“Why bring all the clothing, then? One or two outfits would be plenty.”
“Oh, Sir Caleb insisted I not leave any behind, sir.”
“That’s not surprising. Come help me out of this armor.”
Matthias came running. Shung still needed to assist with the points, but Matthias was becoming quite adept at his job. When all the armor was removed, Achan felt light and free.
Matthias went to lay out the chain hauberk, so Achan pulled off the gambeson, tossed it aside, and fell back onto the bed with his feet still flat on the floor. The furs felt soft against his bare skin. Matthias returned and tugged off Achan’s boots. Achan sent a knock to Sir Eagan.
Sir Eagan replied right away. Yes, Your Highness? How do you fare?
We have arrived in Noiz. Sir Gavin told me you were coming here. Are you close?
We are but a day away.
Excellent. I look forward to seeing you all.
Thank you, Your Highness.
Achan closed his eyes, starting to drift off almost instantly. He distinctly remembered someone grabbing his legs and twisting the rest of his body up onto the bed. But he didn’t wake. He willingly let sleep take him captive.
32
“I need to stop.” Gren stumbled in front of Averella and lowered her pack to the ground. “I can’t carry this anymore.”
“We mustn’t stop,” Peripaso said. “That’ll give the wolves a chance to surround us.”
As if in answer, a wolf howled