Homecoming

by Tull Harrison

  "No need to thank me, Majesty. I am honored. I believe I will take you up on your offer if you do not mind and will attend the meeting. May I also say I think you are doing a splendid job.” With that, he left.

  Although he did not want to talk to Rebenna, Delmer thought she needed to know of the meeting. As he walked towards her chamber, he recalled his father's words and a sudden anger flared up.

  This whole mess is Rebenna's fault!

  From outside he could hear the gentle sound of a harp playing. He knocked on the door. Delmer's shoulders tensed with anger as Tymon nudged his cheek with a worried beak and Morag rubbed against his legs.

  When the door opened, Delmer noticed Rebenna had changed out of her formal uniform and wore a free-flowing summer dress. Though Noenna's clothes were not as gaudy as Malzepher's, they possessed a certain daring to them, and generally showed a good deal of skin.

  That was the case with this dress. It had thin straps and a low enough neckline to suggest things without revealing them. It was sea green with an intricate blue pattern on it, and Rebenna practically glowed inside it. But Delmer recalled his anger and hardened his face.

  "Yes, King Delmer?" she said in a forced light tone.

  "Ambassador Rebenna Trueblood, would you grace me with your presence at dinner tonight?" Delmer spoke stiffly.

  He looked angry, and his eyes had a light in them that had never been there earlier.

  "Yes, of course King Delmer." Rebenna smiled and Delmer half smiled back before he could stop himself.

  In a more hushed tone, Delmer added, "We need to talk about urgent matters. Shall we take a walk?" Rebenna nodded and followed Delmer.

  The king seemed far more serious now than he had when he first opened Rebenna's door. Even Morag and Tymon were somber. She glanced over at him. He had a white shirt with short sleeves, although it was not sleeveless. He had tighter pants on, but they were still not as tight as Noennaans liked to wear. He also wore the tiara-like crown and a navy-blue tunic.

  When they reached the spectacular garden, Delmer seemed ready to talk. "Rebenna, lately, as I mentioned earlier, we have had some problems with piracy. I have just been in a conference with a man who explained where these pirates are from and what they are after."

  "Tell me.”

  "Ambassador, I am not sure I can. It seems to me there is some ulterior reason for your coming here. Perhaps it is that you are to seduce me. Get me wrapped around your finger and then declare war while I am not expecting it? Now what is the saying about that? Oh yes, caught with your pants down."

  She was hurt and alarmed. "No, why would you think that, Majesty?"

  How can he blame this entire mess on me? Much of it was his suggestion! How did he know my entire plan too? It seems that Delmer is far wiser than either King Marus or I have anticipated.

  "I am sure your king knows about what the pirates are after, since Malzepher was once part of your kingdom. I suspect your king was the one who planned the assassination of my father. The assassin was from Noenna, but of course you already know that." Delmer now sounded more like the young man he was than the king with endless patience.

  "The assassin was from Noenna?" Again, she was alarmed and deeply disturbed.

  "There is no doubt," came his sharp reply.

  "I am sorry. I truly did not know. I will tell you the truth, since you have told me at least part of the truth. I really was here to seduce you, as you so kindly put it. I was meant to pull out and King Marus would declare war on you. I knew that my king was after something, but since I did not know what, I decided to go along with his plans. King Marus did not anticipate you being wise beyond your years and underestimated you. He probably even set up the assassination like you suggested. I don't want to abandon my own country, but if there is anything I can do for you, Delmer, tell me." Rebenna put her negotiation skills to use now, and he seemed interested — but not completely trusting.

  There was an awkward pause, and Delmer's face twisted and contorted. He seemed indecisive. He obviously wanted to be a good king but was troubled that people would think he was too young. He probably also believed he was too young and naïve.

  Rebenna felt odd. She had gotten in over her head, and too quickly. The night of the Coronation Ball had nearly been a disaster, and things had been awkward with Delmer ever since. She felt far too old for her age.

  Delmer finally composed himself. "Rebenna, I do appreciate the offer, but this is something I must handle by myself. About the issue of piracy, it is my hope you will attend a meeting I am holding about them. Though Noenna has little to do with piracy, their ambassador deserves to know about what the pirates are after. It is in the meeting all information regarding that issue will be discussed. This conference will be held in seven days, allowing time for Malzepher's ambassadors to the various countries to return."

  "I will attend. Thank you for the invitation."

  He was still upset, but his moods seemed to change as often as the weather on the coast of Malzepher. They had stopped and now were sitting on a stone bench. Morag sat at Delmer's feet and Rebenna pet her.

  As they watched the sunset, Morag nudged Delmer and hopped up on the far side of the bench. She felt Delmer's arm against her sleeveless shoulder and stole a glance over at him. His dark features were brightened by the sunlight. His chocolate brown hair now had a touch of gold and his ice-blue eyes shone like an oasis in Tresed Desert. He looked every inch the handsome young monarch he was.

  She felt her cheeks grow warm, and Delmer met her gaze. They quickly looked away, both remembering the ball. He stood and she followed his example.

  While they walked to the dining hall, Rebenna fantasized over Delmer. She could not deny the fact that he was attractive and her own age. He wasn't like the immature brats in Ironton. When they had first been reacquainted, Rebenna was too nervous to even let herself think about Delmer's physical attributes, but now she had to admit she was attracted to him. But who was she kidding? Delmer was a king, and his people would not want him to marry an ambassador from Noenna. She stilled her longing when they reached the dining hall.

  The dinner was fantastic. There was roast pork, fruits that she had never even seen before, and wonderful wine, though Rebenna missed the aguav that was served in Noenna, which was a mixture of crushed fruit juices. Delmer also introduced her to Rogan, the man who had informed him about the pirates.

  Yet something was wrong, and she sensed it had to do with Rogan. She made an occasional comment throughout the dinner but was fairly quiet. Delmer noticed and spoke to her afterwards.

  She heard a hint of concern in his voice as he asked, "Rebenna, are you all right?”

  "Oh, no, I'm fine. Just tired. Goodnight, King Delmer." Her reply came quickly and seemed to startle Delmer.

  But Delmer recovered and gave her a weary smile, "Goodnight, Ambassador."

  Rebenna sat on her bed reflecting that it had been a long and eventful day. King Marus had said to send any news she had by pigeon, but she didn't know what information to give him. Surely she couldn't say that she suspected that he had hired an assassin, and that the only reason he wanted to attack Malzepher was to get whatever it was Delmer had mentioned. She also couldn't tell him Delmer knew everything — could she?

  She finally settled on sending King Marus a partial report of her doings. Editing out the information she did not want to send would not be difficult. The difficult part was twisting what had happened to fit her objectives. Quickly penning the letter, Rebenna phrased it carefully. When she was finished, she was fairly satisfied with the results.

  King Marus,

  Events have proceeded as expected. The funeral and coronation took place a few days after I arrived. The people listened to what their new king said and responded positively. I believe this can be changed if the peasants are given the right type of coaxing.

  My attempt to befriend the king is also going smoothly. He is more cautious than we originally surmised, but still is no match for your s
trategy. Do not worry, things will continue as planned.

  He has called an assembly to talk of the piracy that is a major threat to his country. I will be in attendance. This will be an excellent opportunity to learn more about how Malzepher functions, and its relations with other countries.

  In the meantime, live long, O King.

  Chapter 6

  The next seven days were even more eventful than Delmer's first few as king. He prepared for the council itself. He also secretly sent word to the navy to prepare for a possible battle. Not even Tully, who had become his most trusted advisor, knew about this. The navy was informed to keep its activation secret.

  The only time Delmer experienced peace was sleeping, and the briefs periods he spent hunting with Morag, Tymon, and Lancelet. They did not always hunt, and often just enjoyed each other's company. On a few occasions Rebenna and her mare, which he had learned was called Borrowed Trouble, would join them. Afternoon summer storms were becoming common, and Delmer had never liked the rain.

  Those outings had made him uncomfortable. Since the awkward moment in the garden, he had avoided Rebenna. It wasn't that he disliked her; in fact, it was just the opposite. He was attracted to the wiry brunette, and he feared that if they had too much close contact the consequences would be disastrous. He would have to find a high-ranking noblewoman from Malzepher to be his queen.

  When the day finally came for the meeting, everyone was on edge. As it turned out, the Ambassador of Borse had had pressing business in his own country, but he was the only dignitary not in attendance. The ambassador from Rugerr had remained in Malzepher since Delmer's coronation, and she looked edgy. Her colors clashed and her clothes were nothing less than gaudy, but they were as formal as Rugerrese fashion allowed. Delmer's own ambassadors had returned to Kingdom Cove and were also at the meeting.

  They sat in a perfectly circular room. Tully was to the king’s right; next to him sat Lynen and Lindy. In accordance to their council positions, General Portam followed Lindy, then Guild Mistress Nin, Judge Cork, and Lord Richmon.

  After the Council members came the ambassadors. Malzepher's ambassadors, Chiron, Carlyle, and El, sat beside them. Ambassador Sheba from Rugerr was to their right, then Rogan, and finally Rebenna. He was painfully aware that he and Rebenna were the youngest in the room and that compared to Lynen, they were infants.

  Delmer began, eager to get on with the meeting. "Ambassadors, Advisors, and Captain, I am glad you could make it here today. You already know the reason why I have called you here, and I will quickly move to the issue you are anxious to hear about.

  "Recently I was given disturbing information regarding our piracy issue. These pirates who have been a great trouble to us originate in all three of our coastal countries." Delmer was forced to stop because of gasps from nearly everyone, except Tully, Rebenna, and Rogan, who already knew some or the entire tale. Delmer glanced over at Rogan to see if he would like to continue, but he waved Delmer on.

  The king continued, "They have come into the knowledge of something potentially dangerous and destructive. In my kingdom five magical items are rumored to exist. The items are a mirror that will allow the user to see the truth and read a person's mind, a ring that gives the bearer unnatural strength, a mask that will disguise the wearer, a compass that will allow the user to find whoever or wherever they want, and the last and most dangerous, a sword that can control all aspects of nature. They are also rumored to only work for someone who has proven his courage or worth in the item's eyes, or a person in grave peril."

  Yet again there were gasps, this time accompanied by Ambassador Sheba's protest: "You've known about these items, but have failed to inform us. Why tell us now? You could just take care of the pirates yourself. Your navy is stronger than both of ours combined."

  "Ambassador, please do not make accusations. It may be hard to believe, but I had never even heard of these items before seven days ago. It was Rogan who informed me of their existence, and as soon as I heard I summoned all of you. I did not wish to tell you in my message, for fear of it being intercepted."

  "Do I have your word as king that what you just told us is true?" Ambassador Sheba still sounded unconvinced.

  "Ambassador, I am Captain Rogan and I was the one who told King Delmer about this issue seven days ago. You have my word as a captain that he had never heard any of this information before."

  After that, Ambassador Sheba looked concerned.

  Delmer continued, "When I called you here today I did not only want to inform you, I also wanted your advice about what to do."

  Lynen spoke: "Your Majesty, as Ambassador Sheba pointed, our navy is stronger than both Rugerr's and Borse's combined, so we could eliminate the pirates if we turned our full attention to them. The issue of the five items must be more cautiously dealt with. Captain Rogan, have you heard anything about where these items are hidden?"

  Rogan stroked his graying beard and said slowly and deliberately, "I have heard three different rumors about where the items are supposed to be. Two of the places are less likely than the third, though. One is in your castle, King Delmer, but that hardly seems likely, since you had never heard of the items. The next is on the Malzepher side of the Impenetrable Mountains. Again, this seems unlikely. The items were once Noenna's, and since ownership of the mountains by Malzepher are the subject of debate, Noenna could attempt to reclaim their items without a fight. Ambassador Rebenna, do you disagree with this logic?"

  For the first time, Rebenna actually seemed surprised. Delmer glanced at her and realized that she was frozen in fear. Though he wanted the meeting to be formal, Delmer knew he would have to intervene, lest she look like a fool. "Captain Rogan, there is much logic behind your reasoning, and it makes sense that Noenna knows about the items that were once theirs. Pray continue." Delmer had kept his tone light but firm, letting everyone known that they should not go off in tangents.

  Several people looked at Delmer, wondering why he had come to the young ambassador's rescue. He knew that he could not do anything further for Rebenna. There had already been whispering about how she had deserved the privilege of sitting next to him.

  Rebenna shot a thankful glance at Delmer but was careful to quickly conceal it. Something in Captain Rogan's tone had made her utterly terrified. Unfortunately, she could not tell what that something was. She had never frozen in front of a crowd before, and she flushed in embarrassment.

  Rogan continued, and Rebenna listened intently, "The third and most likely place where the items might be ensconced is in the Razorback Hills — Mount Slate to be specific. The only people who live there are goat herders."

  "Excuse me, but why are the pirates attacking merchant ships?" Tully had finally asked a question on everyone's mind. Even Delmer looked interested.

  Rogan paused for a moment before replying, "Ah, that is an excellent question — and the answer is that they do not realize till now that King Delmer, and possibly his father King Rutherford, did not know about the items. No doubt the scoundrels figured they might be transporting the items by sea. In case you can't tell, pirates aren't the brightest things in the ocean."

  At this, the assembly began to argue again, even more loudly than before. Ambassador Sheba was at the center of things, as always.

  Rebenna shivered. She still wasn't sure what it was, but something about Rogan put her mind on edge.

  After a brief pause to see if there were any more questions, Rogan concluded his speech. "Now, does anyone have a proposition about what to do?"

  Then Carlyle, Malzepher's Ambassador to Borse, said, "We should form three parties — well really only two, since the third would just stay here in the castle — and look for the items."

  "How would we cover all that area?" Ambassador Sheba asked, sounding skeptical.

  "We could isolate areas that are most likely to harbor the items, or in this case least likely,” Lindy suggested.

  General Portam calmly took control of the conversation. "From a military per
spective, that is precisely what we should do. Perhaps if the groups are small enough, the missions can remain covert. I would not be opposed to a foreigner being part of these groups. Now, what areas are likely?"

  "Yes, what about Mount Slate?” This time it was Chiron, the Ambassador to Rugerr who spoke. He referred to the only mountain in all Malzepher apart from the Impenetrable Range.

  "No one has ever climbed that and survived. It is not possible that they would be hidden there," Lynen objected.

  "But what if someone climbed it, hid the items and then died on the descent?" the ambassador to Noenna, El, remarked rather sarcastically.

  From that point the conversation turned into squabble and then into a full-blown argument. Rebenna cringed at some of the things said, Tully sat trying to hide his nervousness under a calm mask, Rogan stayed quiet, and Delmer looked exasperated.

  Eventually Nin, who had been unusually silent, said, “We have not yet discussed the impact of this situation on Low-Born citizens."

  Judge Cork added to the others, "As you know, Nin and I deal most directly with peasants. I truly desire that there should be no panic or even rumors. If there is unrest, it will fall squarely upon the shoulders of the guild master and head of the courts to fix it. As the general suggests, covert missions would be helpful."

  Nin nodded decisively at the judge.

  "I believe that is a wise idea. Nevertheless, I must add that no rumors can reach nobles outside this council." Lindy's statement was met with outright contempt. Of the entire assembly, only Nin was Low-born.

  Once again, the Council erupted into complete chaos, though this time Nin and Judge Cork served as peacemakers. Eventually, events escalated enough for tears to rise in fragile Ambassador El’s eyes.

  Delmer finally had enough and nearly shouted for silence. "Enough, ladies and gentlemen. I expect this to be handled civilly! Now, only two members of this council have not spoken yet. Considering I already know my seneschal's opinion, it only leaves one opinion for me to hear. Lord Richmon, would you please share with us what you think."