by Logan Jacobs
Immediately before us in the center of the roundabout was an enormous fountain of pure white stone where carved hippocampi and naiads spewed streams of glittering water from their mouths. Beyond the fountain stretched a brilliantly green lawn for about a hundred yards that ended in a forest of slender, pale-barked trees. Decorative urns large enough that Maruk could have hidden inside of one stood at intervals along the path, and brightly-colored flowers spilled out of them.
The air smelled sweet and fresh, which was a nice change from the crowded city streets we’d left behind, and the only thing to be heard out here besides the soft snuffling of the horses was birdsong. The place was like a little paradise tucked away from the rest of civilization, and I wondered where exactly we were.
Before I could ask, however, Yvaine ushered us forward eagerly.
“I’ll show you my gallery first,” she said cheerfully, “and then we can take a tour of the grounds while lunch is prepared. After we eat, we can discuss the job I have in mind for you.”
“That sounds great--” I started, but my voice fell away when I turned and got my first look at Yvaine’s estate.
Three stories of pale stone towered above us and dozens of windows surrounded by gilded moldings looked out over the lawn. Narrow trees stood between each window, perfectly manicured so as not to obstruct the view, though they reached almost as high as the third story. At each corner of the building was a rounded tower with a roof of domed glass, decorated with gold accents like the windows. Double staircases curved upward to a landing and the estate’s wide, emerald green double doors, at either side of which sat an ever-attentive statue of a dog.
“Woah,” Aerin said behind me, and the awe was evident in her tone. “So you’re like, rich rich.”
Maruk threw her a chastising glance, but Yvaine turned back with a proud little smile. “Yes, I dare say that I am,” she answered. “Come along, now, all of you.”
“It’s like a castle,” Emeline whispered as Yvaine led us forward, and though I could tell she was trying to hide it, even Lavinia looked impressed.
It was hard not to gawk as we filed inside, and I suddenly felt acutely aware of my dusty and travel-worn clothes and worried that we were all going to be tracking dirt across Yvaine’s perfectly polished floors. If the noblewoman had any such concerns, however, she didn’t voice them as she strode confidently forward and began to give us a tour.
The inside of the estate was no less magnificent than the outside. Several halls branched away from the entrance hall to the dozens of other rooms, and I held Merlin tight so that he couldn’t escape and lead a tour of his own. The ground floor was marble set in a checkerboard pattern of ivory and a pale purple that had a somewhat iridescent quality when it caught the light just right. Gilded sconces lined the walls, and sparkling chandeliers hung from the high ceiling, though there was enough natural light now coming through all the windows that they were hardly necessary. Still, a part of me wished I could see this place at night, with everything lit up.
There were pillars inside as well, carved with the forms of singing women and stars, and as I followed them upward with my eyes, I realized that the ceiling of the entrance hall had been painted to resemble the night sky. Against a field of deep blue, the painted constellations above almost seemed to twinkle with a light of their own.
“If you were to keep going straight down this hall, it would take you to the ballroom and the dining hall, but of course, we’ll have a tour of my art gallery first,” Yvaine told us. I tried to listen as she told us about the subjects of the portraits that dominated the next hall and explained the history of the estate, but I was so struck by the beauty of the place that it was difficult to concentrate on any one thing.
“Now, this gallery I’ve curated entirely on my own,” Yvaine said proudly. “I have magnificent taste, as I’m sure you can tell. First are the sculptures, all originals, of course.”
She led us through another set of doors to a long room lined with marble statues, people and animals so expertly carved that they might have been the victims of a basilisk. As Yvaine took us by each of them, she told us about the artists, and how much she’d paid for each piece, and from whom she’d purchased it. I hadn’t been here long enough to be able to recognize the names of any of the masters that she mentioned, but Maruk’s series of gasps and murmurs were enough to convince me of their fame.
After the sculptures were paintings, many of which featured knights in battle with dragons or manticores or other beasts, which Emeline was particularly interested in. Yvaine seemed more than happy to answer the panthera woman’s questions, and she promised to loan her a book with copies of each of the works.
“I like this one,” Lavinia remarked as she stood with her arms crossed in front of a massive painting that dominated the wall on which it was hung. Unlike many of the others, which featured brilliant jewel tones and vibrant hues, this one had a dark, harsh palette of reds and blacks. It showed a towering orc soaked in blood as he stood over the mangled body of a knight. He had the knight’s head in one hand and a wicked-looking blade in the other.
“Oh, this one I’m particularly proud of,” Yvaine said as she swept over to stand next to Lavinia. “It’s one of the few surviving works of the orcish painter, Korg. It’s a highly-coveted piece, there are so few orcs who take up the craft.”
“Tell me about it,” Maruk muttered.
Yvaine turned to him with a look of interest. “Do you paint, Maruk?”
“Me?” The orc’s eyes widened. “No! I mean, I do, but I’ve never had any formal training, and we’re always on the road with the guild, so I don’t have much time to practice.”
“Well, if you ever change your mind,” Yvaine replied. “I would just love to purchase some of your work.”
Maruk blushed so deeply his face was almost purple, and Aerin tugged on his arm.
“Did you hear that?” she said, not quietly enough. “Think about how much money we could make if we started a bidding war for your doodles.”
“They’re not doodles, Aerin,” Maruk hissed. He drew his arm back, but he looked proud of himself as he followed Yvaine back into the entrance hall.
She led us past a massive dining room with enough seating space for at least sixty people and through the back doors to the garden. I don’t know what I expected, exactly. Some topiaries, rose bushes, maybe another fountain, the sort of thing a fabulously wealthy person would have in a garden. I quickly realized, however, that what Yvaine referred to as a garden was actually more along the lines of a private park.
There were topiaries and rose bushes and at least three more fountains, but that wasn’t even close to the half of it. The lawn stretched on down to a stream-fed pond overlooked by drooping willow trees where a pair of swans drifted along the glasslike surface of the water. On the other side of the pond, a gazebo larger than our guild’s old apartment was strung with delicate lights that twinkled like fireflies even though it was close to noon.
Beyond the gazebo was a low, immaculately-trimmed series of hedges that bordered an area with yet more fountains and topiaries, and I wondered why it was so important to keep them separated. Then, I supposed, Yvaine was obviously rich enough that she didn’t need to consider questions like that. Behind the hedges, the lawn was clear of decor and set up with croquet wickets, and even further back was another forest, though the trees on this side of the estate grew denser and looked older than the pale-barked trees I’d seen from the driveway.
“This is all yours?” I asked. It was hard to imagine that someone could claim all of this.
“Do you like it?” Yvaine asked as she linked her arm in mine and took my hand. “You’re welcome to visit anytime, you know, Gabriel.” Her full lips curved into a smile as she spoke, and she brushed her thumb along the back of my hand. “I never get tired of seeing you, and I’d like to see more.”
I met her flirtatious smile with one of my own. “Thank you,” I replied. “I appreciate that.” In truth, I wo
uldn’t have minded staying for a vacation right then, but we had that bounty to attend to, and Yvaine had her own mission for us. Still, I wouldn’t forget the offer.
At that moment, a short man ducked out of the back door and called out that lunch was ready, and we filed back inside after him. I was surprised when he led us not to the dining room we’d passed earlier, but down an adjacent hall. I must have looked confused because Yvaine squeezed my arm in a comforting gesture.
“I hope you don’t mind,” she said as she leaned in toward me, “I usually take lunch in the solarium, and it’s such a beautiful day out.”
“I don’t mind at all,” I replied. Yvaine had already extended a great courtesy in inviting us here, I certainly had no complaints.
The solarium was unmistakable. There were no actual walls, just floor-to-ceiling windows set side-by-side and separated by narrow pillars. The ceiling, too, was constructed of panels of glass to let in the light, and I noticed that some of the panes had been etched with the images of birds in flight or stars.
All around the edges of the room were large pots which housed palms with wide green fronds or clusters of tropical flowers, and in the center was a table on which our lunch was already laid out. I supposed the setup was modest by Yvaine’s standards, but the table could have seated a dozen people easily, and one look at its delicately-carved legs and intricately painted surface told me that it had probably cost as much as our guild hall. It occurred to me that despite resembling a greenhouse, it wasn’t overly humid in the solarium, and I wondered if more enchantments were to credit for that fact, or simply some clever engineering.
A few more servants came around with chilled wine as we seated ourselves around the table, and the first course was a creamy cucumber soup with lemon juice, tarragon, and shallots. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I started eating, and in just a few minutes I had finished my bowl and begun to wonder if it would be rude to ask for another.
As it was, the next course was served shortly thereafter, which consisted of thick sections of salmon crusted with delicate coconut shavings and macadamia nuts that had been chopped down almost to a powder. The fish was rich and oily, and it almost seemed to melt in my mouth.
I was almost sorry to finish it, but those feelings were quickly alleviated when dessert was brought out.
“This is one of my favorites,” Yvaine told me.
It was a light lemon mousse in narrow glasses topped with sweet berries and a drizzle of honey, and it was divine. While I scraped the last bits of mousse out of my glass, Yvaine explained why she’d invited us here and the mission that she hoped we would take on.
“As happy as I am to have you here,” the noblewoman began, and she placed her hand over mine on the table, “I do have a small favor to ask. I’m in need of a group of skilled adventurers to retrieve something for me. I would prefer not to hire the regular mercenary types, you see, when they can be so easily bought out by rivals. I need someone that I can trust to do this, and you’ve already proven your mettle.” She smiled at me, and I swallowed.
“What is it that you need us to recover, exactly?” I asked.
“An old family heirloom,” Yvaine replied. “It’s a ring, to be precise, with a silver setting and a very rare sapphire stone. Currently, it is in the possession of my dear cousin, Edward. I would like for you to get it from him and bring it back here. You see, Edward is - how do I put this delicately? - an insurmountable idiot. I simply cannot trust him to protect something so valuable. His estate is near the southern coast, not far from Kepa.”
“That’s on the way to the ogre’s keep,” Lavinia put in. She leaned back in her chair and appeared to be about to prop her feet up on the table, but Maruk intercepted her and shoved her feet back to the floor. “Hey!” she protested.
“We’d love to help, of course,” Aerin said quickly, “but there is the issue of travel expenses.”
“Oh, I’d pay you for your trouble, of course,” Yvaine replied. “I’ll even loan you a carriage for the trip, and Edward will be able to house you while you’re at his estate.”
“That’s very generous, Yvaine, thank you,” I said, and she smiled warmly at me.
“Think nothing of it, dear. Does this mean you accept the assignment?”
If it were just us, I wouldn’t have hesitated, but we had already agreed to escort Emeline.
“We have another bounty we have to handle first,” I explained, but before I could go on, the panthera woman practically jumped up from the table and knocked over her wine glass in the process.
“Agh, sorry!” she hissed with a wince as she dabbed at the mess with her napkin. “It’s just, well, we don’t have to go to the ogre’s keep first.” She cast a glance to Lavinia. “You said the estate was on the way, right? I could go with you. Maybe I could even help. There’s no sense in making more trips, and I could get more guild experience.”
“Are you sure your brother would approve?” I asked with a frown. Picking up a ring from Yvaine’s cousin wasn’t likely to be anywhere near as dangerous as battling an ogre, so it should be a rather harmless detour, but I knew Etienne was already worried about the itinerary, and I doubted he would appreciate the change in our plans.
Emeline’s ears tilted back, and she sat down again. “He doesn’t have to know,” she replied. “Besides, we were going to walk, if we have the carriage, we won’t spend as much time traveling. It’s not like we’ll be getting back any later than he’s already expecting us.”
“You really thought this through,” Lavinia remarked with a sly grin. “You used to sneak around a lot back home?”
Emeline couldn’t seem to help but return the ladona woman’s smile. “I had to, with my brother and the rest of the mages always breathing down the back of my neck.”
“Good for you,” Lavinia replied.
“Well, I guess there’s no real harm in picking up the ring while we’re in the area,” I said. Emeline had made a good point about the time we’d save taking the carriage, and it just made logical sense to deal with both missions at once. My only concern had been for our guild’s reputation if Etienne found out we’d taken a detour, but if Emeline could keep it a secret, there was really no reason not to do it.
“Wonderful!” Yvaine exclaimed. “You’re welcome to stay the night here if you’d like, and I shall have everything set up for you to start out tomorrow morning.”
“That would be great, Yvaine, thanks,” I told her.
After lunch, the marchioness insisted on a game of croquet, and then a tour of the rest of the grounds to be taken on horseback. This was followed by a luxurious dinner in the dining hall proper, and then Maruk and Yvaine took turns reading from some of the selections in her expansive library until late into the evening.
Yvaine had supplied individual rooms for each of us, and they were just as grand as the rest of her property, but even as I sank into the plush mattress, I knew I wasn’t going to be falling asleep anytime soon. After about an hour of tossing and turning, I gave up and slipped back out into the hall. I didn’t know what, exactly, that I planned to do or where I was going, but I figured that a walk around the now-quiet estate was at least a decent way to pass the time.
It had to be close to midnight, and I expected the hall to be empty, so I was surprised to hear the familiar tinkle of bells a little ways down.
I turned just as Lena pulled the door to her own room closed, and she looked just as startled to see me out and about.
“Oh! Gabriel,” she whispered. “I hope I didn’t wake you.”
I shook my head. “No, I just couldn’t sleep. I was just going to walk around for a bit… if you want to join me.”
“I would like that very much.” The alchemist blushed slightly and tucked a lock of her honey-blond hair behind her pointed ear.
I offered Lena my arm, and she linked her hand through my elbow as we started down the hall.
“This place is very nice,” she said quietly. “And your friend Yvaine is
quite generous. Of course, that’s typical for those of her zodiac sign. Unicorns are known for sharing their wealth.”
“How did you know--?” I started.
“Oh, no, should I not have said that?” Lena frowned. “I saw her birthday beneath one of the portraits, I wasn’t trying to snoop.”
“I’m sure it’s fine,” I told her with a slight smile. “Can I ask what yours is?”
Lena raised her chin proudly.
“I’m a Salamander,” she said. “Imaginative and independent-minded.”
“That does sound like you,” I replied, and Lena smiled.
“I wonder what zodiac sign I would be if I’d been born here.”
“That’s easy,” Lena said, and she leaned into me slightly. “You have all the key traits of a Simurgh. You’re brave and caring, a natural leader, and obviously--” she broke off and blushed again.
“Obviously what?” I pressed as I nudged her lightly. “Is it something bad?”
“No,” Lena answered. “It’s, um, Simurghs are known to be good-looking.”
“You didn’t want to tell me I’m good-looking?” I teased.
“I was afraid of being too forward,” Lena admitted. She dropped her eyes. “I know you’re close with Aerin and Lavinia, and I didn’t want to put you in an awkward position because I--” She cut off with a short sigh, then squared her shoulders. “Because I really like you, Gabriel.”
I reached out and turned her face toward mine.
“I like you, too, Lena,” I said softly. “You’re sweet, creative, and the best damn alchemist I’ve ever met. If you wanted to be more than friends, you could have just said so.”
The elf’s violet eyes shone, and she let out a nervous little laugh. “I guess I should have.”
We’d made a complete circuit of our section of the hall and arrived outside Lena’s door. I brushed my thumb over her cheek.
“It’s not too late to start now, you know,” I told her.
Lena smiled as she reached behind her back to open the door.
“I’m glad to hear that,” she whispered, and she nodded toward her bed.