“Excuse me,” Tanner asked Herod. “What are those big towers for?”
“The one on the right is the Magery” Herod explained. “It is more recently built than the other two and almost everything in there in made out of stone to cut back on fires. Next to that is where we will be staying, the Sun Palace. Off to the right is the Tower of Lords, most of the kings advisers are there. Is this your first time to Ketol?”
“Yeah and I’m as wide eyed as a kid about to get some honey,” Tanner said as he imagined how big the city was inside.
“I’ll admit it is grander than Tavere, the Tavorian capital,” Herod said with a smile.
As Tanner got closer to the city the gates opened and Tanner could hear an uproar. People were chanting, “Bless our King, Bless our King!” and some type of instrument was playing. Tanner entered the gates and could see people lined all around the streets cheering and throwing flowers. The king pulled his window down from the carriage and stuck his head out and waved, the crowd went crazy. Tanner’s ears hurt so much he didn’t pay any attention to the sights. After what seemed like ages to Tanner he could see up ahead the palace. Its gates were wide open. The convoy went inside as the gates were shut and servants immediately went about grabbing the horses and offloading gear.
“Hey you,” Tanner could hear Grodd say as he pointed to a man running by. “This kid is the new servant for Princess Caroline, make sure his stuff is brought up.”
“For the princess?” the man replied.
“Yes for the princess unless you want the job,” Grodd replied.
“I’ll see to it right away,” the man said. “Please follow me young man,” the servant said directing his attention at Tanner.
Tanner got off Winny and could now be amazed since his ears were no longer hurting. The Sun Palace was by far the nicest building he had ever seen. Everything was polished marble, just to look at the sun reflecting off of it hurt his eyes. The grass was well cut, how they kept it at that length Tanner did not know as he walked into a side entrance. The side entrance was cramped somewhat, at least compared to the massive doors that were opened in the front for the king.
“Follow me and be quick about it,” the man ahead of Tanner said. “The princess will want to bathe since she has returned so that will give you some time. Her ladies in waiting are already drawing her bath, you need to get cleaned up yourself and then put on the proper uniform. You look like one of the country people the way you are dressed now.”
Tanner kept his mouth shut at such a quip, normally he would have told this bootlicker exactly where he could go and how fast he could go there. But that did bring up a good problem, was anyone supposed to know where he was from? Tanner stayed silent as the man led him into a big room with steaming water in it. How they got the water steaming without any fire is something Tanner wanted to know. Tanner normally bathed in the stream or the pond, sometimes it was freezing, sometimes the water was just cool.
“Alright shed your clothes and I’ll see to it that they are cleaned and placed in your room. Now hurry and take your bath, there should be soap around here somewhere” The man said as Tanner watched him practically run away.
All this running at someone else’s command is going to get real old real quick Tanner thought, but at least he wouldn’t be sleeping outside. Tanner stripped down and was a little nervous about getting into the steaming water, as he stuck a foot inside it felt heavenly. Tanner submerged his whole body and could feel all the bruises he had gained from practicing with Grodd slowly try to melt away. Tanner could have fell asleep in this bath if it wasn’t for the same man coming back holding the same type of clothing he was in.
“Hurry up and dry off so I can show you where the kitchen is and where you can find the princess,” the man said as he dropped the uniform and pointed towards a drying cloth. Tanner got out of the water and dried himself off as the man impatiently waited for him. Tanner was going to have to set this guy straight once he knew what he could and couldn’t say. Tanner got dressed and was then led into the biggest kitchen he had ever seen.
It had ten cooking boxes, a lot of areas for the cutting up of animals and vegetables and so many knives for the job it made Tanner jealous. If he had such an area back in Kol, dressing out his kills would have been easy.
“He is a boy,” Tanner turned to see a girl about his age say. She was pretty in a plain sort of way Tanner thought. Her hair was kept in a single brown braid which she kept over one shoulder. She was built like most of the women Tanner had seen in the palace, plumper than the women of Kol, probably thanks to not having to do hard labor combined with eating rich foods. She was shorter than he was, not petite per se just not very tall.
“You don’t start getting any fancy ideas about you and the princess,” Tanner heard an older woman say. “You’ll be a dead Ketian if that ever happens.”
“I don’t understand why they didn’t pick one of us for the job,” Tanner heard a boy say and saw it was the same one who was taking the horses from earlier.
“Are you insane boy?” The man who had been leading Tanner around said. “You saw what happened to the last three. Do you really want to be number 4?”
Tanner noticed the kitchen went quiet at his words as the older woman handed him a covered plate. “I’m Maude and you remember what I told you.”
Tanner took the plate and followed the first man out of the kitchen and up some stairs. As soon as they stopped climbing and actually went on a floor they could hear shouting and angry voices. Tanner listened nervously as he caught the gist of what was going on. Apparently someone had snuck in the Princess’s bed and placed a note that they believe was from whoever the assassin was. Tanner followed his way down the hall where the King himself was fuming.
“Everyone leave this floor!” the King commanded.
Tanner turned to walk away when he was grabbed from behind and heard a whisper “Not you boy.” Tanner recognized the voice as being Herod’s and waited for everyone else to leave, including who Tanner thought were the ladies in waiting.
“Caroline this is your new protector, Tanner this is my daughter,” the King said as Tanner bowed. “Whoever this assassin is knows how to get to us, but we need a surprise for his ass. Herod and Grodd will be her main protectors, the muscle everyone can see. You are my back up plan, maybe the three of you can catch this person.”
“Your Majesty,” Tanner began. “I don’t sound like the fancy folk from around here, wouldn’t that be the least bit suspicious to anyone poking his nose around?”
“It might,” the king replied. “The official story is that you stopped a runaway horse that almost trampled the princess. When I asked you to name your price you wanted out of the war and a safe place to sleep. That is how you got the job. Her ladies in waiting will do most of the work, they are normally beside the princess anyway. Your job is to fetch food, riding gear, etc. Grodd I want you to make sure Tanner has the equipment on him we talked about.”
Tanner watched as the king got up after giving his daughter a kiss on the head. Herod and Grodd were both looking nervous as the princess looked on the verge of tears.
“What am I going to do Grodd?” Princess Caroline asked.
“Your Highness,” Tanner began. “So what some bloody tosser is trying to get to you. You have two burly oxes guarding you and you are a mage. If whoever that backstabber is try something like that again, I am going to put my foot so far up his arse his breath will smell like my hometown for a week.”
Grodd looked angry at Tanner as they heard the princess start laughing slightly.
“That’s the spirit, my uncle always told me don’t ever waste your time throwing a wobbler over things you can’t change when you could be plotting on your payback,” Tanner stated plainly. “I hear this so called assassin likes to kill off your help, well I say let him try. I ain’t scared of no man, especially some jinx flinger.”
“Hearing you talk is delightful but I cannot make out even half of what you are sayi
ng,” the princess replied with a smile Tanner could see reached her eyes. “What is a jinx flinger?”
“The boy means a mage Your Highness,” Herod replied. “It is a derogatory word used by Ketians in the country to describe magic users.”
“No offense Your Highness,” Tanner quickly stated.
“Half of the words he said are those not to be used in the presence of a lady or dignified people,” Grodd said as he fixed Tanner with a stare.
“Well I thought it was delightful,” the princess replied. “It is helping to keep my mind off of things. Now Tanner bring me that plate you are holding, I am famished.”
“While you are eating Your Highness I have to run an errand for your father,” Grodd said as he took a bow. “When I return I will need the boy.”
Tanner watched Grodd leave and let the situation sink in as he left. He didn’t know how to control his power but it had to be something that was natural. Tanner had never seen magic performed up close and now he knew why, the mages couldn’t while he was around. Before long Grodd returned and led Tanner into a small adjoining room to the princess’s quarters. There were two doors inside the room, one led to the princess’s private quarters which could be locked from her side. The other led out into the hall. The room had a small bed and wardrobe along with a lot of brushes and combs.
“Here is where you will be staying boy” Grodd said as he motioned around the room.
“Why do I gotta still be called boy old man?” Tanner said as he got up in Grodd’s face. “You wanna pick up the practice swords again so I can beat more sense into you?”
Grodd pushed Tanner on the bed and couldn’t stifle a small smile that appeared on his face.
“That’s better now isn’t it?” Tanner said as he had a smile of his own. “I was starting to think you were backed up, that your butthole was so tight you couldn’t relax if you wanted to.”
“Alright boy,” Grodd said as he pointed to the wardrobe. “In there you will find light leather armor that needs to be worn at all times under your clothes, it won’t stop much but it should stop a slice from a blade or two. Also in there is another uniform like the one you have on except all kinds of knives and such has been hid all around it. When you put it on I am sure you can tell what is what. You will be expected to still train early in the morning, the Queen said she is going to train you along with the King. Do you have any questions?”
“Only one, why do you hate me so much?” Tanner asked. “It really doesn’t matter too much to me, you can go get stuffed for all I care but things should be out in the open, not all sneaky like.”
“I don’t hate you boy,” Grodd said with a sigh. “I am not big on bringing in outsiders because we couldn’t handle the situation.”
“Who is an outsider?” Tanner asked. “I’m a Ket and you are too. That is the Ketian princess through that door right there, not the Tavorian one. It don’t matter where your mum spit you out at, look around and tell me where you are at now?”
“Perhaps you are right,” Grodd admitted. “John who was showing you your way around earlier is going to come back up and give you a rundown of your other duties, you will start properly tonight. And Tanner if I see you making any intentions toward the princess,” Grodd let the statement hang in the air.
“As if,” Tanner said with a smile. “I got me a proper country girl waiting on me I think. She has breasts out to here and knows what hard work looks like. She’s tall and can cook, what swinging cock wouldn’t want something like that?”
Grodd let out a chuckle and left the room and Tanner started getting undressed. The leather armor was quite form fitting Tanner thought, but no way was this thing going to stop a direct stab. The other uniform was a bit different. Tanner saw the sleeve held small throwing knives while there was a dagger cleverly hidden along his thigh. The uniform was made for a bigger person but with all the extra material Tanner was able to look unarmed while concealing an entire armory. Tanner saw how everything was hidden and decided he probably could hide that arrow Golden had made him. The arrow did him well against the first mage he fought, it probably would do well against the next one too. Tanner grabbed one of the combs and slicked his hair back and looked in the mirror and laughed. He looked like a regular dandy, there was no way he ever would let Golden or anyone else see him like this. Herod had told him the mage academy was here, Golden would have to be sent here for training. Perhaps Tanner could go by and visit he thought as a knock on the door snapped him out of his thoughts. Tanner opened the door and saw his guide; John was his name Herod had told him.
“I am to show you around and have you meet everyone and let you know your duties. Your things should be in your room when you return” John said as Tanner followed him down the servants stairs. John went down to the second floor and led Tanner into a big room where it seemed all the servants took their breaks.
“So this is the new servant?” A man stated as he looked Tanner over. The man was about Tanner’s height but had enjoyed far too much food in his life; his waist was twice what Tanner’s was despite being only a couple of years older. He had brown hair which was kept in a long pony tail and fat fingers as he stuck his hand out for Tanner to shake. “I’m Poully,” the man said with a smile.
“I’m Tanner, well met Poully,” Tanner said as he returned the shake.
“I know all about you, we all do Tanner,” Poully said laughing. “Rumors spread quick among us, we heard you saved the princess from some horse.”
“It was nothing really,” Tanner said hoping his lie would be believed.
“Well that’s not how the guards tell it,” Tanner heard John say. “They say you jumped in front of the way and made them look bad. Those damn Tavorians need knocking down a peg or two. Is that how you got all those bruises on your body?”
“Yes it is,” Tanner lied. Grodd had given him those training.
“Well I think that was quick thinking,” Maude said as she handed Tanner a plate of food. “Most men would have asked for gold as a repayment, you wanted off the front lines.”
“I’m no soldier and I know how it is,” Tanner said smiling. “Get the dumb country boy a pike and set him on the front lines while all the civilized folks are in the back. Well another poor tosser can take my place, I already have gold.”
“You do?” Maude asked.
“I hunt for a living,” Tanner said proudly. “And I treat and sell all the hides.”
“Well you won’t make much here,” Maude replied. “You get ten coppers a week plus room and board. It is a lot nicer in here though, all the food you could want and access to the nicest clothing around. We get noble hand me downs here and those ten coppers goes a long way when you don’t have to buy anything.”
Tanner thought about this, is this the damn small stipend the king talked about? Nah it couldn’t be, he also said a small cottage in the city. “Well I only plan on sticking around until all this war business is over but everyone around here makes me feel like a marked man.”
“You are a marked man,” the girl from the kitchen earlier said. “My friends have all died serving the princess and I was worried I was next. Those fancy bitches parading around as her ladies in waiting need to get off their spoiled asses and do something about it.”
“Fancy?” Tanner asked confused.
“They are the daughters of the Tavorians who settled here after the war,” the girl explained. What’s in between their legs is no better than what’s in between mine yet they act like they are too good to even speak to us unless they want something. They treated poor Silvia like dirt until she was killed.”
“Well if anyone tries anything on me I’ll give him a beating he won’t ever forget,” Tanner said matter of factly. “No offense to your mate but I’m not a female all waiting to be killed, I come from the country and I know my way around a dust up.”
“Look at him so brave Martha!” said another girl to Tanner’s right. Martha must be the name of the girl he had been talking to. This new
girl was fat, she had on an apron stained with food droppings and Tanner figured her to be a cook or something.
“So now that we know I’m not dying anytime soon,” Tanner said with a smile. “How is this murderer getting in and walking about all calm like and killing people?”
“I think I know,” John replied. “I saw a glance at him; he was dressed in a uniform like us. I think he parades around like one of us and then strikes. I think he has help, he appears and disappears too quick. I think it’s foolish they are going to go on with this ball with war looming an all. I heard Tavor were mustering their troops and will invade any day now.”
Tanner spoke to the servants for about an hour until John showed him all around the palace. The palace was big but smartly laid out, he saw where the king and queen slept along with rooms for special guests. There was a dungeon, John had told him only one servant was allowed down there and he never spoke of what he saw. Before long Tanner had gotten the full tour and knew his duties which wasn’t that hard. The princess’s ladies in waiting did a lot of the little stuff, he was just the muscle going to get food, seeing if dresses were ready, going into town and things like that. Tanner walked back up to his room and with Herod’s permission collapsed on the bed.
CHAPTER 4
The next morning Tanner woke up and got dressed. He wanted to swing his sword around and would ask either Herod or Grodd where he could go. Both of the brothers had different schedules and they used to belong to the king. Since the note was found they now worked alongside Caroline’s own guards, but they were not all in the know. Only the King’s personal guards were there in Daum and only they were privy to what Tanner was. Everyone else thought he was a dumb country boy who fancied himself a soldier. As Tanner was about to open the door Herod was on his way in.
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