The King's Man

by Christopher G. Nuttall

  Caroline caught my eye as we followed Sir Griffons into the city. “Welcome home, Adam,” she said. “Has it changed?”

  I frowned. The city didn’t look to have changed - much - but ... I felt different. I studied the crowd, my eyes noting a handful of half-naked youngsters who were almost certainly pickpockets. They’d take their pickings back to their master, if they didn’t get caught. If they did ... I felt sick, remembering my father's lectures. There was never any shortage of poor kids willing to steal for a living. Their masters wouldn’t care if a handful were caught. I spotted a young boy - no, a young girl; her hair cut short in a distinctly masculine manner. It was safer to pretend to be a young boy on the streets. I wondered, sourly, what she’d do when puberty finally hit.

  I looked away, feeling a pang of guilt as I turned my attention to the wealthier strollers. A trio of young women, hunting for wedding gowns. I couldn’t tell which of them was getting married - perhaps they were all getting married. A pair of young men eying them with predatory interest, perhaps hoping to get lucky before the girls married. Older men, strolling around as if they didn’t have a care in the world; an older woman, clearly trying to provide some semblance of chaperonage. And a pair of kids - they couldn’t be more than twelve - from the Great Houses, wearing their family colours as they moved from stall to stall. The pickpockets gave them a wide berth. I didn’t blame them. The Great Houses would tear the entire city apart to find someone who stole from their kids.

  My horse neighed as we moved onwards, cantering over the bridge into North Shallot. I looked around, noting how the houses and mansions steadily grew older and more expensive ... if they were up for sale at all. Most of the mansions would be entailed, if I recalled correctly. They couldn’t be sold, as long as a single family member remained alive. I wondered, as we cantered past a low wall bristling with deadly charms, where Akin or Alana lived. I’d never bothered to look it up. They’d certainly never invited me to their mansions. Why would they? It wasn’t as if I had anything to offer.

  I do now, I thought. But I still don’t want to offer myself to them.

  The thought calmed me as we cantered past Magus Court itself. The building shimmered with magic. It looked as if magic was the only thing holding it together. The structure was elegant, I supposed, but it should have collapsed long ago. Sir Griffons tossed a salute towards a statue of the king, then led us onwards until we reached a mid-sized building a few short metres from Magus Court. I winced as we cantered into the courtyard, powerful spells crackling around us. Sir Griffons chuckled, humourlessly, and pulled his horse to a stop. My horse stopped so sharply that I nearly went flying over its head. I had to grab the reins tightly to save myself.

  “Welcome,” Sir Griffons said, gravely. “This will be your home for the next few months.”

  I clambered off the horse, aches and pains in muscles I hadn’t known I had. I was dirty and sweaty and probably stank of horse. Caroline seemed utterly unaffected, somehow. I didn’t understand it. Sir Griffons glanced at us both, then waved a hand at the building. It felt empty, even as the wards withdrew to allow us entry. I had the feeling we were completely alone.

  “There are stables ‘round the back,” Sir Griffons informed us, as he led his horse around the building. It looked more like an inn than a secret service base. “You’ll be responsible for taking care of the horses until they’re needed elsewhere.”

  I groaned, inwardly. I’d never liked mucking out the school's barn. I supposed I was one of the lucky ones. Alana and Francis had had their own horses at school and they’d had to do all the mucking out themselves. I’d never heard them complain. Having a horse of their own made up for one hell of a lot. Besides, the horses were only supposed to bond with their riders. My horse shifted behind me, as if it was considering the virtue of kicking me in the back. I had a feeling it certainly wasn’t going to bond with me.

  Sir Griffons showed us where to find the tools, then watched as we stabled the three horses and left them to eat their food. My stomach was rumbling angrily, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten for ... hours? I wasn’t sure. I’d been good at keeping track of time, before I’d started intensive training. Now ... how long had it been since breakfast? Sir Griffons nodded to us, then led the way into the building itself. The wards buzzed around us, before parting at his touch. Someone had gone to a lot of trouble to make sure the building was secure. I didn’t recognise half the protective wards woven into the wood. They seemed designed to keep everyone out.

  “There are offices and a pair of prison cells on the ground floor,” Sir Griffons informed us, as we moved through the building. “You’ll each have an office - or a prison cell, if you misbehave.” He chuckled, as if he’d cracked a joke. “The first floor has a kitchen, a pantry, a training circle and a lounge; the second floor has bedrooms, a large bathroom and a handful of other things we’ll discuss later. The two of you will be sharing a bedroom. I trust you won’t do anything stupid before you attain your knighthoods.”

  I scowled. “Yes, sir.”

  Sir Griffons shot me a warning look, then led us up the stairs. “I suggest you both get a bath and change into your tunics,” he said. “I’ll prepare something for us to eat.”

  “Yes, sir,” Caroline said. She sounded astonished. “You don’t want us to make the food?”

  “There are no staffers here,” Sir Griffons said. “We’ll take turns to make the food.”

  And you probably want us washed and dried before we stink the place up, I guessed. I wasn’t fool enough to say that out loud. You probably stink too.

  Caroline led the way upstairs. I followed, noting that there was plenty of room for the three of us. The bathroom was huge, large enough to pass for a public bathhouse. We could have shared the tub, if it hadn’t been a terrible idea. I waved for her to go first, then dumped my saddlebags in the bedroom and searched through them for a change of clothes. I didn’t have much. Sir Griffons had promised we’d be able to get more in Shallot.

  I wandered over to the window and peered over the city. My family wasn’t that far away. I could walk to Water Shallot in less than an hour, if I pushed it. I felt an odd sense of wistfulness, combined with the grim awareness that Sir Griffons wouldn’t be pleased if I left without telling him. I promised myself I’d ask permission to go before too long. I hadn’t had time to write a single letter, not over the past few months. My father had to be wondering if I’d dropped off the face of the world.

  He knew I wouldn’t be able to write much, I thought, as I heard the sound of splashing behind me. But I did manage to write at least once.

  I put the thought aside as I stripped down, then waited for Caroline to emerge from the bathroom. I didn’t blame her for taking so long, even though I wanted a bath myself. It had been so long since I’d visited the public bathhouses, let alone had a proper shower at school. I’d been spoilt at Jude’s. Father hadn’t been able to afford anything more than a very basic shower.

  “The water’s lovely,” Caroline said, as she emerged with a towel wrapped around her. “But my entire body was covered in layer upon layer of dirt.”

  “I didn’t want to know that,” I said. I hurried into the bathroom, then stuck my head through the door and grinned at her. “What do you think we’re going to be doing?”

  “Eating something.” Caroline’s stomach growled. “I’m hungry.”

  I laughed, closed the door and scrambled into the bath. The hot water felt fantastic, even though I could feel dirt drift off my body. I scrubbed myself, muttering a pair of spells to cleanse the water, then leaned back and allowed the warmth to soak into my muscles. I could have closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep. Only the grim awareness that Sir Griffons would have been annoyed kept me awake.

  Caroline banged the door. “Food’s ready!”

  I muttered a curse as I pulled myself out of the tub, dried myself with a spell and stumbled back into the bedroom. Caroline was already heading downstairs. I pulled on my tunic and fol
lowed, despite the aches and pains pervading my body. I really didn’t like horses, but ... I had the feeling I’d be doing a lot more riding in the future. The Kingsmen were expected to get from place to place as quickly as possible. I didn’t think we’d be reopening the teleport gates any time soon.

  Sir Griffons looked up as I entered the kitchen. “Take a plate,” he said, as he ladled out scrambled eggs and sausages. “Eat as much as you can.”

  “Thank you, sir,” I managed. It felt odd to have a full-fledged knight cooking my lunch, but neither Caroline nor myself were in any shape to do it. “What are we doing this afternoon?”

  “Training exercises,” Sir Griffons said. He smiled at our downcast expressions. “And then the City Guard will be taking you out on patrol.”

  I blinked. That didn’t sound very exciting. “Just that?”

  Sir Griffons shrugged. “Something will happen,” he said. “It always does.”

  He pointed a finger at me. “And when it does, young man, you’ll regret complaining about patrolling with the Guard.”

  “Yes, sir,” I said. “I just ... I want to do something.”

  “You will.” Sir Griffons shrugged, again. “Believe me, something will happen. And then we’ll be investigating ... a murder, a theft, an elaborate con designed to steal money from a fool with more gold than sense. It could be anything.”

  “It sounds like fun,” Caroline said. She chewed her food slowly. “Do we have time to explore the city?”

  “You might have time to go out tonight,” Sir Griffons said. He finished his plate and put it in the sink. “But right now, you need to work out those muscle kinks and practice your skills now you know you’re not going to wash out. There are levels you have to master before you attain your knighthoods.”

  If we ever do, I thought, morbidly.

  “We have to work fast,” Sir Griffons said. He poured himself a mug of water and took a long swig. “Something will happen.”

  Caroline cocked her eyebrow. “How do you know?”

  “I told you,” Sir Griffons said. He met her eyes, evenly. “Something always happens.”

  I nodded. Shallot wasn’t the safest place in the world, particularly if you weren’t an aristo with magic to burn. I’d heard there were ten murders every day in Water Shallot, if not more; I’d been told the genteel politeness of High Society was a cover for malicious manoeuvring that left countless daggers planted in victim’s backs. And ... I recalled the pick-pocketing kids and shuddered, helplessly. Sir Griffons was right. Something was going to happen. It was just a matter of time.

  And I’m completely out of touch, I thought. I had the impression Sir Griffons hadn’t been in Shallot for a few years, if not longer. I wasn’t sure about Caroline. I suppose that’s why we’re going to be working with the Guard. We have to get a feel for the city before the shit hits the fan.

  Sir Griffons stood. “You two can do the washing up,” he said, brushing down his tunic. “I’ll be in the training circle. When you’re done, come find me.”

  I shared a glance with Caroline. “Yes, sir.”

  Chapter Twelve

  The training circle was oddly disappointing, compared to the circle we’d used back at Haddon Hall. It was a large room, one wall covered with training blades and devices I didn’t recognise; a handful of protective runes had been drawn on the wooden floor, hopefully ensuring the combatants took their lumps without being seriously injured. I felt my heart start to race as I followed Caroline into the room, spotting Sir Griffons on the far side of the chamber. He was holding a pair of training blades in his hands. I could sense the magic around them from a distance.

  “The two of you have worked closely together, over the past three months,” Sir Griffons said, without looking around. “You’ve saved each other’s lives time and time again. Are you ready to move to the next stage?”

  I exchanged puzzled looks with Caroline. “Yes, sir.”

  “Good.” Sir Griffons turned, balancing the blades in both hands. “Take your blades from the wall and stand ready.”

  “Yes, sir,” I said, carefully. “Why ...?”

  “Do as you’re told,” Sir Griffons said. His voice was very flat. “All will be revealed.”

  I frowned as I tested a handful of blades before choosing the one that felt right in my hand. The training blades were heavily charmed. They weighed the same as real blades, from what I’d been told, but they wouldn’t do more than give someone a nasty bruise. The blades simulated injury rather than inflicting it. I wasn’t sure what would happen if someone struck me in the neck. Would I collapse until the training bout was over? Or would I be able to keep fighting even though I was technically dead?

  Caroline hefted her blade. “Is there any prospect of us getting proper blades?”

  “Bonded swords? Objects of Power?” Sir Griffons shrugged, his eyes moving from me to her and back again. “You never know. And even if you have to settle for a Device of Power, they’re far from useless.”

  He stood, raising his blades. “Stand on guard,” he ordered. “I’m coming.”

  Sir Griffons lunged forward, lashing out with his blades. I barely had a moment to get my blade up to block. Sparks flashed as the two blades collided, the force of the impact driving me back. Sir Griffons kept moving, putting himself between us. I couldn’t believe he could fend us both off, but he did. He struck my blade again, then darted forward and slapped his blade against my side before turning to do the same to Caroline. The charmed blade sent me to the floor, grunting in agony. Caroline dropped her blade and reached for her magic, too late. Sir Griffons smacked her on the head, sending her to the floor too.

  “So,” Sir Griffons said. “Learn anything useful from the bout?”

  I staggered to my feet. “I thought we weren’t supposed to wield two blades.”

  “It’s astonishing what you can do, if you try.” Sir Griffons shrugged. “What did you learn from the bout?”

  “That we should have been working together,” Caroline offered. “You caught us by surprise and we had no time to work together.”

  “True enough,” Sir Griffons said. “The two of you are going to learn to work together without speaking. I want you focused on each other as we go through the dance again. You have to be aware of each other ...”

  I picked up my training blade and nodded to Caroline, reaching out with my magic to touch her. It felt as though I was overshadowing her. She pushed back a moment later, as if she didn’t like my touch. I didn’t like hers either. She was trying to control me ... no, we were trying to find balance. It wasn’t easy. I honestly wasn’t sure where I was or where she was. It made my head hurt ...

  “Go,” Sir Griffons said, quietly.

  He lunged forward again, blades raised. I tried to move to meet him, but my head was spinning so badly I nearly fell over without his help. Magic boiled around us, confusing us to the point we practically defeated ourselves. Sir Griffons had no trouble at all knocking our blades to the ground. This time, he didn’t bother to hit us. He didn’t have to.

  “I wasn’t expecting you to get it on the first try,” he said. He didn’t sound unhappy, but I had the feeling he was disappointed. “You’ll be trying it again and again until you get it right.”

  Caroline snorted. “Should we be holding hands?”

  “It won’t work unless you learn to combine your magics,” Sir Griffons said. “You need to be very intimate.”

  I frowned. How intimate? I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. A partnership, rather than a romantic relationship? Or ... I wondered, suddenly, how many knights were sleeping together. It wasn’t as if there were many outsiders who’d understand the life of a knight. But it would have to wait. We’d been told we couldn’t sleep together until we were knighted.

  “You can keep working at it for the rest of the day,” Sir Griffons said. He sat, motioning for us to sit too. “For the moment” - he held up his ring - “what do you think this can do?”

  I looked down
at the ring on my finger. It was easy to forget it existed. I wasn’t sure what to make of that. The charms woven into the metal seemed to be affecting me too. Somehow, I didn’t think that was a good sign.

  “The rings are part of a communications network,” Sir Griffons informed us. “You can use them to talk at a distance.”

  Caroline blinked. “But they’re so small!”

  “We still don’t know how the Thousand Year Empire did it,” Sir Griffons said. “They used Objects of Power, of course. We had to come up with Devices of Power that could do the same.”

  He tapped his ring. “Adam.”

  I felt my ring grow warm. “Sir?”

  “If you can talk, just press your finger against the ring,” Sir Griffons said. The warmth faded away. “It’s charmed to make it difficult for anyone to hear what the caller is saying, but anyone in the area will be able to hear what you’re saying. They might or they might not find it interesting, depending on where you are. A number of criminals have come to realise that the charms exist, despite our precautions. They may take drastic steps if they think you’re in touch with higher authority.”

  I swallowed. “Yes, sir.”

  “You simply speak the name of the person you want to call,” Sir Griffons said. “You’ll have a chance to practice later. Right now, you two can only call each other - and me. You’ll be permitted access to the rest of the network when you’re knighted.”

  Caroline cocked her head. “What if we need to contact someone else?”

  “Then you’re in some trouble,” Sir Griffons said. He stood. “I need to talk to the Guard Commander. You two can continue practicing your magic. I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”

  He turned and walked out. I watched him go, feeling confused. It had been a long day, and it wasn’t over yet. The clock swore it was only three o’clock in the afternoon, but I didn’t believe it. It felt like midnight. Caroline laughed - I wasn’t sure what the joke was - and rested her hand on my shoulder. I wanted to relax, but I didn’t dare. I was fairly sure we weren’t unobserved. The training circle was crawling with monitoring spells.