The Coral Kingdom - Douglas Niles [57]
"She's here!" shouted the prince of the north, raising his fist triumphantly.
"Who's here?" inquired Keane, peevish from the long ride.
Brandon took them all in with his smile, the wide grin of a man who has just sworn his love for life or has beheld his newborn son for the first time.
And then Alicia knew. She remembered the partially completed hull she had seen in Gnarhelm that spring, the sleek vessel that Brandon had told her would be his own. Even among the builders' stays she had been a grand vessel, and the princess had no doubt that the same ship now awaited them in the harbor of Corwell.
"This is a ship I would take to the edge of the world and sail her along the brink!" declared the northman, his voice thick with pride. "The work was finished in record time, and I left word in Gnarhelm, weeks ago, to bring her here as soon as she was ready to sail."
Now Alicia saw that he eyed her seriously, his expression unusually tentative.
"We shall sail to Evermeet on the grandest vessel of Gnarhelm," Brandon said, his voice thick with pride. "And that vessel required a name befitting her grandness. I hope you can forgive my presumption."
Alicia started at the uncharacteristic humility in his tone. Then her blood thrilled and her throat choked as she understood what he meant.
"She is called the Princess of Moonshae," Brandon finished quietly. Deeply touched, Alicia could only nod her thanks, but even through her tear-streaked eyes she could see the warmth and affection shining from the northman's face.
* * * * *
For a long time, Deirdre tried to avoid her mirror, even going to the extent of covering it with the leather wrap and stacking books and scrolls on top of it. In truth, she was terribly tired. She had spent the night in Synnoria relearning her teleportation spell and then, before dawn, she used it to return to Corwell.
Then she had fallen into a slumber that had lasted for two full days-and even now, on the third day, her mind was reluctant to focus. Instead, she found her thoughts drifting to the mirror.
Finally she gave up her resistance, slowly lifting the top books from the stack. She quickly pushed the other volumes out of the way and tore away the cover. Palpable relief swept over her when she saw the comforting reflection in the glass.
Then the picture shimmered, and she settled down to observe her sister and her companions making their plans.
* * * * *
The companions' return to Caer Corwell was marked by an enthusiastic crowd of Ffolk who poured out of the town to line the roadway as soon as the party was sighted. The appearance of the elf among them was greeted by wild cheers.
Immediately upon reaching the courtyard, Robyn ordered a grand feast for those lords and Ffolk still in Corwell. The occasion was a farewell banquet for those who would embark to Evermeet-and also, a memorial and tribute to the queen's lifelong friend, Lord Pawldo of Lowhill.
Tavish sang songs about love and triumphant heroes while the guests mingled about the great hall, beginning the carousing that would go on far into the night. Dozens of kegs were tapped, and ales from palest amber to darkest mahogany overfilled deep and oft-inverted mugs, while the smells of succulent roasts drifted through the hall. Nevertheless, this was not nearly such a grand gathering as the festival of ten days earlier.
The entire affair was held within the keep of the palace.
Keane sensed the preparations for the feast as a vague background confusion against his concentration on the mission before them. The voyage to Evermeet, he guessed, offered the companions a less than fifty percent chance of survival. He had tried to dissuade the queen and the princesses together, and each separately, from participating in the quest. He hadn't expected to succeed with even one of the accursedly stubborn females, but in the case of Deirdre, he found an ally in the queen.
Robyn would not allow the entire family to embark on the quest, and she had decreed that it would be Deirdre who remained behind.