Homecoming

by Tull Harrison

  Approaching him, Delmer spoke a formal greeting. "Duke Kennith, it is good to see you. How is your son, Richmon?"

  "It is good to see you too, Your Majesty. Richmon is excellent, and in fact is here at court today. Perhaps you would care to see him again? He is out dancing but will return soon." Duke Kennith's voice has high and grating.

  "I would love to see my heir again. How is the rest of your family?"

  "As you know, my wife sadly died in childbirth. My three youngest, all girls, are still in Tropia. They are too young to come to court." the Duke hardly blinked as he spoke of his wife’s death, seeming to give it little weight.

  His oldest girl is fourteen, which is hardly too young to come to court. In fact, some girls are married at that age. I wonder why he did not bring them.

  "Look, Majesty, here comes my son," Duke Kennith told Delmer.

  ___

  None of Rebenna's partners had been good dancers like Delmer, but many had been decent. She could not expect them to compare to her, because she had been formally dancing since she was a tiny girl of four.

  Music had always been her passion in life. Whether dancing or playing the harp and lute, she had always excelled. In Noenna, she had played for her brothers, and before that, for her father. They had always enjoyed the music she made.

  Rebenna made her partners look good, even if they were the clumsiest dancers in the court. She left men enamored with her the whole night. Her current partner was not particularly bad. In truth, he nearly rivaled Delmer's skill, but she did not connect with him like she had with the king.

  His name was Lord Richmon. She knew he was the heir to the throne, should Delmer die without children. He was a good three years younger than her, though he appeared to be older.

  He would make a decent king — but his father was manipulative, she had heard.

  His father was Duke Kennith, Delmer's cousin on his mother's side. Not even of the true royal bloodline, but the closest relative to the throne there was. She had heard rumors, even in Noenna, of his wicked cunning and his ambition. Somehow, he had not managed to corrupt his son, but she did not doubt Duke Kennith had influence over him.

  The dance ended and Richmon said, "You are an excellent dancer, Ambassador. Thank you for the pleasure."

  She smiled. "No, thank you. You are quite skilled yourself."

  "Thank you, lady." Richmon’s smile changed to a groan. "I am sorry, I must go now. My father calls."

  Following his gaze, she spotted Duke Kennith talking to Delmer.

  Suddenly she felt inspired, "Lord Richmon, may I ask a favor?"

  "I will fulfill it if it is within my power, Ambassador."

  "Would you introduce me to your father? It is good for ambassadors to know the important local nobles."

  "Gladly, lady, though I doubt you will like him."

  "Would you grant me another favor?"

  He looked puzzled. "Yes, gladly."

  "Stop calling me 'lady' and 'Ambassador.’ My name is Rebenna."

  He gave a charming smile. "I would gladly grant that, Rebenna. Would you then call me Richmon?"

  "Yes, I will."

  He offered her his arm, and she took it. Together they walked towards the men. She could tell he was tense, and she tried to calm him without speaking.

  It was then Rebenna realized that Richmon was an amazing young man. He has good morals and seems to make good decisions. The problem is that he is trying to please everyone around him. Kings must accept that they cannot please everyone. Delmer is just learning this, but the amount of people who would dislike him as king would destroy Richmon. Delmer must marry and have a child.

  They reached Delmer and the duke quickly, but when they arrived, Delmer's eyes were on her, not on his heir apparent. Richmon was the first to speak, breaking the brief silence. "Hello, Father. It is excellent to see you again, Your Majesty."

  Taking his eyes off Rebenna, Delmer turned to Richmon. "It is wonderful to see you again, Lord Richmon. Last time I saw you, you were still a mischievous boy. It has been long since you came to court."

  "Far too long. It has been nearly two years."

  Delmer laughed. "The court has missed you, as have I."

  Richmon laughed too, and the two embraced. They treat each other like long-lost brothers, Rebenna noted happily.

  "Who was your dance partner, son?" Duke Kennith asked with displeasure.

  "Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce her. Father, this is Ambassador Rebenna. Majesty, you already know her, do you not?"

  "Yes, I do. I was the first in this court to welcome her to Kingdom Cove, and her first dance partner tonight." Delmer paused and addressed Rebenna directly, "Did you enjoy dancing with Lord Richmon?"

  "Indeed, I did. He is an excellent dancer, as are you, King Delmer."

  "Thank you," Richmon muttered.

  "Ambassador Rebenna, you flatter me," Delmer replied formally.

  "Is that not what your inferiors are supposed to do?" she asked wryly.

  Richmon and Duke Kennith raised their eyebrows, but it was the duke who spoke. "What insolence, Majesty. You must not allow a foreign girl to speak to you so. You must punish her."

  All Delmer did was chuckle. First he spoke softly to her, so no one could hear. He made sure his face looked stern, but his voice was light. "You are right Rebenna, that is what people are expected to do."

  He then turned to his relatives. "Duke Kennith, it was only a jest, and she meant no harm by it. If I punished her, I would seem like a tyrant to Noennaans, and relations there are already fragile enough."

  Knowing she should not speak, but still not regretting it, Rebenna said, "I am sorry, Duke Kennith, if I have offended you." He mumbled something, which Rebenna took as an acceptance of her apology.

  Delmer turned to her after noting the time. "Ambassador Rebenna, would you share the last dance with me?"

  Rebenna curtsied low. "I am honored that you remembered your word."

  They walked towards the dance floor together, leaving the two shocked men behind. As they walked away, she could hear Richmon say, "I rather like that girl."

  But soon she forgot all about the two polar-opposite men and was absorbed in the dance. She had not imagined she would have the last dance with Delmer, but she was happy, nonetheless. She was also tired; the ball had lasted into the early hours of the morning.

  The last dance was an elegant waltz, Rebenna's favorite. Delmer took her hand and they glided across the dance floor. After so many clumsy partners, she had forgotten how graceful Delmer was.

  They did not speak but were once again swept up in the music and their synchronized movements. Rebenna knew that they were the object of attention.

  People whispered in the crowd.

  "Why is he dancing the last dance with her?" she heard a noble woman whine.

  "He is so much like his grandmother, not caring for the rank of his lover," an old guild master murmured.

  Growing weary of comments, so like the ones in Noenna, Rebenna blocked them out and focused on Delmer. His hands were light on her body, and he floated effortlessly through the complicated movements. When the dance ended, Rebenna was sad, yet happy.

  "Thank you so much for the waltz, King Delmer." She spoke loudly enough for the others to hear.

  "Thank you for asking me to dance, Ambassador Rebenna. Had you not, this whole night would have been full of clumsy partners." He whispered in her ear. "I must go and dismiss everyone to their homes and quarters. Perhaps we will meet again tonight."

  Rebenna smiled, knowing that she would wait for him in the corridor outside the Great Hall. "Perhaps," was all she said.

  As Delmer made his way up to the dais to give his farewell speech, Rebenna slipped out the servant's entrance. In the hallway, she melted into the shadows thrown from dim lanterns.

  She backed towards the wall until she felt something furry brush against her leg. Her heart rate sped up, until she realized Morag stood next to her.

  "How did
you get out?" she asked laughing and dropping her hand to the puppy's head.

  The young dog gave a soft woof.

  "Well, it's not like you can tell me, is it?"

  They waited in silence, until Delmer arrived half a mark later. He was not surprised to find her there.

  "Come with me," he whispered, taking her by the hand. She flushed and was thankful it was dark.

  Through a complicated series of passages, Delmer led her to his chambers. Rebenna was mesmerized by the whole thing and went with him silently.

  He must trust me if he is showing me escape passages in this castle. Regardless, I have had too much wine to remember the way through these tunnels later.

  When they arrived in his chambers Morag disappeared. Rebenna didn't know where she went, but she was almost glad the young fleet hound was gone.

  "Delmer, what of your servants?" she asked quietly.

  "They all sleep in different quarters and by now are all asleep. Will you follow me again?" Delmer asked.

  "Of course I will, Delmer."

  Rebenna followed him out onto the balcony. They stood near the railing and she gasped. The stars overhead peeked out of the night sky, like the fading lanterns in Delmer's chambers. She could see the cove curve away from the castle and then the city, and for a while, she followed the rocky coastline. Below, she could see and hear the breakers crashing against the castle wall.

  "Delmer, it's beautiful." She whispered, daring to lean her head against his shoulder. "Thank you."

  "I had to show you. This is the most beautiful view from the castle."

  They stood together in happy silence for a while, but Rebenna eventually broke it. "Delmer, I had such an enjoyable time tonight."

  "I did too, Rebenna. I have never had such an excellent time at a ball before."

  She could feel his strong arms encircle her, and she turned her face towards his. His lips met hers, and although she was surprised, Rebenna returned the kiss passionately. Delmer's hand moved down her back, and she found she didn't mind.

  He drew her towards the bed, removing his dress tunic and shirt. He began to untie the bodice of her gown, and right when he finished loosening it, he threw his crown on the dresser near the bed.

  Rebenna eyed the crown and snapped back to reality. "Delmer, Delmer, stop! We cannot do this. You are the king, and I only an ambassador. Please, you know that we cannot do this."

  Desperately he looked into her eyes, and then his expression returned to the sadness she had seen there when they first met. "You are right, Rebenna. I am sorry. I was not in my right mind. Morag will show you to your chambers through the secret passages."

  Tears wet her eyes at the hurt of the interrupted desire.

  "I'm sorry, Rebenna, I'm sorry," he said again, “I forgot myself for a moment. Forgot the roles that bind us.”

  Bitterly, he bent and kissed her lips for the last time. She saw that Morag had reappeared and followed the dog into the darkness of the passage, not questioning how the dog knew the way.

  Chapter 5

  For several moons, Delmer tried to forget what had happened. He saw Rebenna rarely, and spoke to her even less. The hurt of his father's death had been reawakened, and this time Rebenna wasn't there to mask his grief with light words. He knew that they couldn't have done what he had wanted, but the memory of that night still made him ache and sharpened his grief over his father.

  The only time he saw Rebenna was during council. As Delmer had promised his subjects, his council was more than King Rutherford's three advisors.

  Of these, the eldest was Lynen, who was elderly indeed. He had advised King Rutherford's mother. Despite a senile appearance, Lynen's wits were still as sharp as any sword. The next of the original advisors was Lindy. She was middle-aged and ever practical. Though she had come from the noble class, she openly shunned her background. More than once she had made her former peers' pride plummet with a sharp remark.

  The youngest of the originals was the seneschal, Tully, still a good ten years older than Delmer. It was fortunate that none of his other advisors envied Tullister his position, most likely because they were all far too wise to envy a difficult job. Tully did not seem to mind, though, and took to it like a horse takes to running. Of all the advisors, Delmer trusted Tully the most.

  The new permanent advisors at the council had previously held honorary positions. The guild mistress was an energetic woman who had inherited her position from her father. She was simply called Nin, though her full name was Niniette. General Laredo Portam was the commander of Malzepher's other three generals. He had previously been on Delmer's father’s council. Judge Cork did not often attend the council, for he was busier than any other member. Finally, Lord Richmon was on the council for educational purposes, as he had never been present at a council meeting before.

  Malzepher's own ambassadors and any ambassadors to Malzepher were also invited to attend the open council meeting, but not the closed ones.

  Currently there were only three ambassadors in Kingdom Cove. All of Malzepher's ambassadors were in their respective countries barring El, the ambassador to Noenna. Ambassador Sheba from Rugerr had chosen to remain in Malzepher after the coronation — and then there was Rebenna.

  The council generally discussed the issue of piracy. No one could come up with a solution to end this scourge, since the pirates would not stand and fight.

  Aside from the council, there were still daily meetings to hold with the peasants. Occasionally, the court system would require the king’s presence. Then there was formal court, which all nobles would attend. This took place every seven days; to Delmer, there was nothing more boring.

  Why would anyone wish to spend their entire day gossiping? The question ran through his mind, not for the first time.

  Now, Delmer sat in the falconry with Tymon on his shoulder and Morag resting her head on his lap. It was the first free moment he'd had in the three moons since he'd become king.

  Though it would look odd to anyone who didn't know Delmer to see a king sitting on the dirty floor of the falconry, it was oddly comfortable to him, and provided a great deal of privacy.

  All I wish is to be a normal eighteen-year-old. Rebelling against my parents and worrying about what girls think of me, instead of whether kingdoms will attack or not. What I wouldn't give to be like almost everyone else my age. And now I've been reacquainted with Rebenna, I realize that normal romance is impossible. It is true that I want to be normal, but first and foremost, I have a responsibility to my people.

  As he came to this realization, Tymon gave an odd chirp. Morag raised her head, glancing towards the door. Delmer rose, knowing that someone was about to enter and he didn't want to be caught sitting on a dirty floor. Tullister came in looking exasperated. He was always running on a schedule.

  "There you are, Your Majesty!" Tullister sounded quite annoyed.

  "Yes. What is wrong, Tully?"

  Tully looked astonished to see Delmer just standing in the falconry. "There has been another attack on our ships by pirates, Majesty."

  "Again? This must be stopped!" Delmer's voice rose in nervousness. He did not want to go to war this early into his reign.

  "I completely agree, and this time they attacked a whole shipping operation, not just one ship."

  "What? We must find where these pirates come from. Then we will talk to someone who has contact with them." Morag growled at his master's distress and Delmer put a reassuring hand on her back.

  "Also, a man from Borse has come and is requesting an audience with you. He says it's about the pirates."

  Delmer frowned slightly at Tully mentioning the more urgent matter as if it were less important, but replied, "Thank you for informing me, Tully. I will not forget your loyalty."

  "Yes, Your Majesty."

  "Come, Morag. Let us go to see this man." As he turned to put Tymon back on his perch, the falcon dug his talons into Delmer's arm, making him wince. "Well, Morag, it looks like Tymon is coming with us." For
the first time since his father's death, Delmer chuckled and Tymon chirped contentedly.

  When Delmer entered the reception hall, a middle-aged sailor waited for him. He looked like a Malzepherian, but dressed less eccentrically. He also dressed less casually than the Rugerrese and lacked their green eyes. He had graying brown hair and was a little taller than Delmer.

  When he spoke, his voice was strong and carried. "Your Majesty, my name is Rogan, and I’m Captain of the Intercessor. I come to you from Borse to discuss a problem that plagues all three of the coastal nations. This issue is piracy. I myself have survived one of their raids, and in the meantime have come into the knowledge of where these pirates come from and what they are after."

  "I thank you for your introduction, Captain Rogan. The issue of piracy has become quite problematic to Malzepher. If you desire to share your knowledge, please do so."

  During this whole exchange, Morag sat attentively at Delmer’s feet and Tymon perched on his padded shoulder. Even after changing to receive visitors, Delmer had kept his leather guard so Tymon's talons wouldn't dig into his flesh.

  As Captain Rogan launched into his lengthy story, Delmer became more and more astonished. Rogan told of five magical artifacts of power, long lost, that the pirates believed had been found and were the target of their raids.

  Delmer’s head spun. How could I have not heard this before? Did my father know of it? If so, had he meant to tell me, but missed the moment because of his untimely demise? Delmer momentarily threw off his shock and managed to say, "Captain I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am still young and lack wisdom, so may I ask what you think I should do now?"

  Captain Rogan looked surprised, but offered his opinion anyway, "Your Majesty, what I would suggest is to call a meeting of all the ambassadors in the surrounding countries and include your trusted advisors. I would include Noenna's ambassador as well. Although piracy only affects them indirectly through our trade with them, they deserve to know about the five items."

  "Again, thank you for this information and this welcome advice. I will do as you suggest. I would like you to attend, but do not want to offend your ambassador, so please make sure he is sent the notice as well. You may go if you so wish, although you are welcome in my castle."