“No, not too bad, Roe. We all just wore the army’s robes, and they aren’t hard to get in and out of,” Mellody said as she let the servants strip her to the skin. “The worst part was bathing in those army tubs. All they really are is large barrels that have been cut in half.” She sighed as she sank into the steaming hot water. “Ah, this is what I’ve missed the most. There was never enough hot water out there.”
“So, tell the tale. What’s he like?” Queen Rochelle asked with a wide smile and glittering eyes, and Mellody grinned in return.
“He is polite, restrained, unimaginably powerful, and infuriatingly dense,” Mellody said with a frown. “I’ve tried everything short of just coming out and inviting him to hop into bed with me.”
Queen Rochelle burst out laughing, holding her sides as she rocked back and forth. “Oh, poor Melly. Are you losing your touch?”
“Not with anyone else,” Mellody answered with a frown. “It’s as if he just doesn’t understand.”
The queen stood to pace the floor. “You know, he might not,” she said, tapping her lips with one finger. “He’s from the Darendian Empire, and I’ve heard they have some strange customs up there. Maybe he’s been put off by you being so forward.”
“Oh, you don’t think..?” Mellody began, but Rochelle began laughing again.
“No, Melly, I don’t. I’ve seen how men react to you. If we weren’t so close, I’d be jealous,” the queen answered. “It would take a lot for you to drive a man that far away. He may just be taking his time getting to know you. After all, up in his empire they take personal relationships very seriously. He may even think he has to marry you first.”
Mellody looked at her friend as if she were a madwoman. “Marry me first? Before we know how we are together? That sounds strange.”
“No stranger than betrothing a girl to a man she’s never even met,” the queen pointed out with a sour grimace. “We do that all the time.”
Mellody nodded. “Well, if I’d been betrothed to Drake, I don’t think I would’ve minded. He’s handsome, Roe. And well mannered.”
Rochelle grinned and winked. “That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”
The two friends continued to talk as Mellody got dressed. Rochelle asked for more details about Drake, and Mellody filled her in on everything she had learned. Lieutenant Curtis may have been General Preston’s spy on Drake, but Lieutenant Ryerson was Mellody’s.
* * *
Drake was dressed in fine golden cloth, as was his preference, having been coached by a wide-eyed Kenton as to the fashions that were appropriate for the court. He met Mellody in an antechamber of the courtroom and smiled broadly at the change in her. Where Adept Mellody in the army camp had been a sweet young woman, Lady Mellody in the court was obviously a sophisticated courtier who could mix with the highest of the aristocracy.
Drake bowed deeply as she arrived. “Lady Mellody, you are stunning.”
Mellody smiled and blushed a little. “You look wonderful, Drake. Where did you get those clothes?”
“Made ‘em,” Drake replied with a grin. “Kenton directed the style, I picked the colors.”
Mellody’s eyes widened, but so did her grin. “I can’t wait until some of these stuffy old lords and ladies get a look at you. Rochelle told me that they’re expecting some provincial bumpkin in homespun.”
Drake laughed at that. If they only knew. “Well, I shall be quite happy to surprise them. Even by the standards of the empire, I’m not considered to be a bumpkin.”
A herald cut their banter short. The white-haired old man stepped through the door and bowed formally to Mellody. “Lady Mellody, the queen summons you.”
Mellody followed him into the room, and Drake could hear her being announced. Kenton stepped forward to examine Drake once again, and quizzed him on what he was expected to do. That, he had explained, was another of his functions: Ensuring that Drake was thoroughly conversant with court etiquette, so he would make a good showing in front of the peerage. After a short time, Drake was summoned.
The courtroom was impressive, even to someone as widely traveled as Drake. Fully fifty paces long, and twenty wide, the room had high buttressed ceilings with intricately carved beams, and ornate frescoes decorated the open spaces. There was a gallery on each side, and a balcony as well, where the assembled nobles of the court could gaze down upon any who entered.
The herald stopped at the edge of a carpet that ran the length of the room. His staff banged on a wooden block that had been placed for the purpose, and he announced Drake in a surprisingly soft voice that carried to the farthest corner of the room.
“My Lady Queen, I am privileged to announce Adept Mage Drake Standralson of the Darendian Empire.”
The queen raised her hand minimally and Drake was escorted the length of the room. A white velvet pillow had been placed on the floor, and he went to his left knee, bowing his head.
“Your Majesty has summoned me?” he asked, following the formal greeting as Kenton had instructed him.
The queen stood to address Drake, a move that sent a ripple of outrage through the court. “We have, Adept Drake. It has been brought to our attention that you have been of great service to us, and we thank you.”
“It has been my pleasure and honor, Your Majesty,” Drake replied.
The queen smiled, both at Drake’s easy handling of the formal greeting, and at what she had planned next. “Adept Drake, it is our understanding that you are a stranger to our fair land, and we wish to extend to you our personal greeting. You will be our guest tonight, and join us at the high table for supper.”
Gasps of outrage whistled through the courtroom as offended nobles reacted to the queen inviting an outland barbarian to dine with her. Drake’s reply of, “I would be most honored,” was almost drowned out.
The queen looked up and addressed the court, her voice rising above the outraged comments of her nobles. “My Lords and Ladies, you have all heard the stories of Adept Drake’s routing of the Bresardian army. The least we can offer one who has been of such great service to us is our courtesy.” Her voice and eyes had a hint of steel in them as she surveyed her court. All up and down the room men and women recovered themselves as the queen’s words penetrated their outrage. Being accused of discourtesy by the queen was an offense that none of them would risk. In the past, it had resulted in nobles being banished from court.
When the nobles had quieted, she continued. “A suitable reward must be considered as well. It is not often that anyone is of such outstanding service to us. Think well of what you would wish of us, and we shall consider it most carefully.”
“I am grateful, Your Majesty,” Drake replied, not looking up at the queen as he spoke. He was considering another time, in another place, when he hadn’t thought out a wish. A mistake I still regret at times.
The queen returned to her throne and surveyed the court. “My Lords and Ladies, I expect to see you all tonight.” Her smile was broad and a little smug as she dared any of the nobility to defy her.
The herald stepped forward and banged his staff on a wooden block again. “Court is dismissed, and Her Majesty thanks you all for attending.”
The queen left the room and Mellody came down from her seat to take Drake by the arm. “You handled that quite well, Drake. Have you ever been a guest of royalty before?”
“Yes, in Zamaria. I spent most of a year doing research in their archives, and King Zelin hosted me several times,” he answered, smiling down at her. “I must say, though, your queen is much prettier than he is.”
Mellody burst into giggles, covering her mouth as she gazed at him with brimming eyes. She recovered herself after a moment, and led him out of the court. Kenton was waiting for him, but she held Drake’s arm possessively.
“I will keep Drake out of trouble, Master Kenton.” Kenton bowed deeply, then, when Drake wasn’t looking, grinned and winked. Mellody led Drake back to her chambers, and he found himself thoroughly impressed.
�
�Mellody, just how high in the peerage are you? Caral said your mother was a servant to Queen Leda.” He watched her closely, but she didn’t balk.
“Mother was the queen’s matron, Drake, but she was born a lady. All the servants to the royal family are younger sons and daughters of the nobility. Father was the youngest of five children and was here as an assistant to the Lord of the Exchequer until the plague came. He lost his brothers and sisters and became Lord Carstairs, but he died shortly after that, before I was born. Mother and Queen Leda were close friends, so when father died she kept mother close to her, and Roe and I were both born in the royal nursery. King Bevan was father to both of us, and I’ve always been here. I inherited this suite so I could be close to the queen. Her bed chamber is on the other side of that wall, and there’s a door that only she and I have keys to.” She nodded to a tapestry on the wall behind her bed.
Drake looked at her closely. “You’re telling me this for a reason.”
Mellody pursed her lips as she studied him. “You have been around royalty before. Yes, I am telling you this for a reason. It’s about the queen. Not my friend Roe, but Queen Rochelle Feldman of Vernardia. As you might have noticed, she’s really quite young to be the monarch of a kingdom this large. She’s lacking in support from the upper nobility, and it’s been a battle for her to rule effectively. Too many of the peers think she should’ve gone ahead and married King Malcom and joined the kingdoms together.”
Drake nodded. “I noticed. It was one of the things I questioned Lieutenant Curtis about. You allowed Caral to lead the Magi even though you were the Chief Adept of the Army. Lieutenant Curtis told me that you only acted as the Chief Adept when the queen was there, or when you were here in the capital.”
Mellody nodded and studied the floor in front of her. “It was important that General Preston have a Mage he felt comfortable with. I’m too young...”
“...And a girl,” the queen’s voice said from behind the tapestry. She stepped into the room and Drake immediately went to one knee. “Rise, Adept Drake. I’m pleased to see that you’ve already recognized our problem.”
“I have, Your Majesty,” Drake replied with a bow. “If I may ask, how old are you two? I didn’t think to ask before.”
Mellody and Rochelle exchange a glance, then the queen answered. “We are nineteen, Adept Drake. Melly is ten days older than I.”
“Their biggest problem isn’t their ages,” a woman said as she entered the room through the hidden door. “It’s that they are women.”
Kenton followed close behind her. “Adept Drake, I would like to present my wife, Hanna. She is the queen’s matron.”
Mellody introduced the young woman who followed Kenton. “This is Lady Rosalie Andrus, Mistress Hanna’s apprentice.”
The queen had walked over to a low table while the introductions were being made, and called Drake to her side. “Adept Drake, please join us.” She indicated a chair at her left hand. Mellody went to her right hand, and the others moved to seats as well. “Adept Drake, you see before you the true ruling council of Vernardia.”
Drake bowed deeply. “I am honored. But why am I being included?”
“Because we want you to stay, Drake,” Mellody said softly. “I want you to stay.”
The queen sat and indicated that the rest should seat themselves as well. “Adept Drake, you are here because Mellody has come to trust you. I will ask you this one question before we begin: Do you have any reservations or social customs that would make it difficult for you to be ruled by a woman?”
Drake thought for a moment, then grinned at the queen. “No more than I have with being ruled by anyone, Your Majesty. I told Mellody, and I am sure she told you, that I am very much a free spirit. As for social customs, I was born and raised in a small city in the north of the Darendian Empire. Our form of government is patriarchal, but it is an accepted fact that women rule their men more often than not.”
“Up there, too?” Kenton asked, grinning at Drake. He received an elbow in the ribs from his wife for his comment, but laughed it off.
“Very well,” the queen said, grinning at her oldest friends. “Adept Drake, I am being pressured by the Council of Lords to find and marry a suitable man to place a king on the throne. I have resisted so far, mainly due to the crisis with Bresardia, but I don’t know how long some of them will be willing to wait now that the war is over.”
“Forgive me, Your Majesty, but it’s not over,” Drake started to say, but the queen held up her hand to silence him.
“It is as far as they are concerned. King Malcom will not invade us again so long as you are here. The feeling is that I should marry before you can leave again, ending any possibility that King Malcom might still become my husband.” The queen looked at Drake with a slightly sly expression. “You wouldn’t happen to be of noble blood, would you, Adept Drake?”
“Roe!” Mellody snapped while the others in the room sat shocked silent.
“You can’t blame me for asking?” Rochelle said as she laughed at the shock on Mellody’s face.
Drake grinned, but shook his head. “No, Your Majesty, I’m not. Father was a weaver, and mother was his master’s daughter.”
“It was worth a try,” the queen said lightly. “So you see the position I’m in. I must find and marry a man who will be acceptable to the council. Or I must find an ally who is powerful enough that the council will not dare to anger him.”
Mellody spoke next, glancing at the queen as she did. “Roe pledged that she would marry only one man, Drake. She did that at the mature age of eleven.” Mellody gave the queen a sour look, which made Rochelle laugh. “You met him while we were waiting for the Bresardians to leave. Lieutenant Saunder Stillwell.”
Drake raised an eyebrow at that. Saunder Stillwell was one of the few officers that Drake had liked at first sight. He was not only a gentleman, but he was also a gentle man, with a well-known soft spot for children. He had been the liaison officer between the army and the camp followers.
Mistress Hanna was frowning at the queen as she continued the explanation. “There is an old law that says before a man may become king, he must first be a warrior. That has been interpreted as meaning that before someone may order others to risk their lives, he must have been ordered to do so himself. A term of five years with the army or navy is mandatory. Saunder still has over a year left before he will be eligible to take the throne.” Mistress Hanna gave the queen an exasperated look. “So she needs an ally who can hold off the nobles until Saunder comes home.”
“If Your Majesty will forgive my impatience, but how does this involve me?” Drake asked, sliding his chair around so that he faced the queen squarely.
Mellody answered, drawing his attention once again. “For the queen to have such an ally, he would have to be a member of the peerage, of the Council of Lords. When she offered you suitable reward, we were hoping that you might ask for a title sufficiently high that you would have to be included.”
Drake nodded. “I assume that such a title and position is available.”
“It is,” the queen said softly. “There is an old family that doesn’t have any male heirs, and the only female heir is unmarried, in spite of the numerous attempts to coerce her into a betrothal. The lands are far out on the northern borders, and encompass fully one-sixteenth of the kingdom. Including the lands you were fighting in, and the Bresardian Border.”
“I see, Your Majesty. Is there likely to be any trouble with cadet branches of the family taking offense and disputing the claim should I be awarded these lands?” Drake asked, and saw her flush slightly as he spoke.
“No, Adept Drake. There is only one living heir. She has taken her place in the Council of Ladies, but she needs a strong husband in the Council of Lords.” The queen looked over at Mellody and smiled softly. “She is a ward of the Crown, and the Crown would never go against her wishes in this matter.”
Drake was beginning to get suspicious. “Your Majesty, what are you proposing?�
�
“Proposing. Yes, that would be the word, wouldn’t it?” The queen’s smile widened a little. “We are proposing a marriage, Adept Drake. An arranged marriage. A marriage of state. A marriage of alliance. There are many names for it. But what it comes down to is a marriage of power.” The queen looked at Mellody and nodded.
Mellody took a deep breath. “Drake, in the weeks we’ve been together I have come to like you a great deal. What we…what I am proposing, is just that. Will you consider marrying me? You needn’t be…I mean I won’t hold you to the vows you would make if you didn’t wish to be bound to them.” She looked away, as if afraid of what she might see in Drake’s eyes.
Kenton spoke next, drawing Drake’s attention away from Mellody. “Adept Drake, I’ve visited your Empire in the past. Surely you are aware that there are marriages that are nothing more than business transactions.”
Drake looked at Mellody, then at each of the members of the queen’s inner circle, ending with his eyes back on Mellody. Standing, he walked behind the chairs until he was at her side, then knelt. He reached up to stroke her cheek with one finger, and smiled at the spark of hope that appeared in her eyes.
“Yes, Mellody, I will marry you. But I will not accept a loveless marriage. I would very much like to wake up with you every morning for the next ninety-nine years.” He smiled and took her hand, then looked at the queen. Her impish grin was enough to make him chuckle. “What must I do, Your Majesty?”
The queen simply smiled wider. “After supper, I will call you forward. All you need to do is ask for her hand in marriage. As her guardian, I shall grant it.” She grinned at Mellody. “Then we plan the wedding.”
Chapter 6
SUPPER WITH THE QUEEN WAS CONSIDERED an affair of state in and of itself. Kenton led Drake back to the suite that he had been assigned to prepare. “Adept Drake, now that we are alone I’d like to add my own thanks to those of the queen. Mellody deserves better than a marriage of convenience.”
The Chronicles of Amberdrake Page 6