by Cox, Craig
“I am not as young as the rest of you and those stairs earlier took a lot out of me, so if you would excuse me I shall retire for the evening.” With a small bow, he walked across the room until he reached another smaller door near the fire and disappeared into the bedroom.
Chapter XXIII
Ashe
The room was dark, the sun hadn't risen, but Ashe was wide awake. She stretched out in the bed. The sheets felt glorious on her body, she couldn’t remember the last time she had slept in a bed as good as this. Not only was the bed comfortable and the sheets clean she was safe enough that she could actually sleep without clothes. She had spent the last two years always half dressed, ready to leap out of the window at any moment. Ashe had previously looked for the room furthest from the stairs with a window over a back alley. Her requests would always cause the inn owner to raise an eyebrow. As she buried her head into the pillow inhaling the scent of lavender, she thought back over the years since she had lost her father. Had this been the first time she had felt safe since then? She was lying naked, in the middle of the capital, in the Citadel. Only a few hundred metres from the King himself. How could she feel safe? When she broke it down like that, her nerves began to return. She looked over to the pile of clothes she had left on the floor. Perhaps it was best that she put some back on just in case she had to leave quickly. Then, the previous day went through her mind. When she had decided to tag along with Braden and Alex to enter the city, she never expected to end up here. She was hoping for a few nights in a good inn, maybe make some money gambling out in the slums before disappearing back into the forest never to see Alex or Braden again. Braden, there was something about him, something that just kept him in her thoughts. From the moment she first saw him, glowing in front of her and when he had leapt to her rescue in the streets. Thinking about it, she had never thanked him for it. Listening to everything take place in the next room hours earlier, she couldn’t imagine what was going through his head right now, it was a lot for someone to take in. Swinging her legs off the edge of the bed, she decided to see if he was awake, if her head was spinning his must be. Pulling on her clothes she crept closer to the door, the rooms were quiet and she could hear nothing but her footsteps on the marble floor. The door opened easily,not making a sound, peaking out into the main room she spotted all three of the boys asleep with Magnus at the foot of Braden's sofa, she was about to shut the door and go back to bed when she saw a light coming from the balcony. She panicked, was the city on fire? She moved quickly across the room pulling back the curtains allowing the cold air to hit her square in the face, she took a deep breath in from the cold shock before having to take another at the sight before her. There on the balcony stood the nine figures of light, this time each of them wore clothing of the highest quality. It seemed to be woven from light and colour, itself. Each wore a different colour, this time their features seemed more individual, no longer copies of each other.
The eight women were looking at a single man standing in the middle. They seemed to be arguing but Ashe couldn’t make out the words. She felt happy that they were talking, finally one of the women waved her hand out towards the city gesturing to everything, a distressed look on her face. At that point, the man dropped his head in what looked like defeat, before he turned and looked at Ashe again. His eyes bore into her, she had experienced no feeling like it before. He shook his head. Ashe bolted upright in the bed, she was still naked, her clothes heaped on the floor near the door which was still firmly shut. The sun was rising, inching itself around the curtains at the window. She laid back again trying to think of the dream, of the nine people, of the light in the dream and then slowly it drifted to Braden and the light she saw in him.
Chapter XXIV
Braden
The cold air brushed against his hair, a few strands fell onto his face and he brushed it back, only for more to fall back down. It had become untamed since they left Farnshire, much like his half-grown beard. He rubbed his fingers across the coarse hair on his face, he had no idea what he looked like he hadn’t seen his reflection in weeks. How Page had seen through it all and apparently recognised him as his father’s son he couldn’t figure. His father, a High Lord of Arda. Braden let out a short chuckle to himself. There was some small irony that he had turned up to the capital looking worse than a beggar, dirty and unshaven dressed head to toe in clothes which had seen their best long ago. He had discarded the battered shirt when he went to sleep and now stood on the balcony overlooking Alton bare chested, his legs covered by dirty brown trousers. The wind felt good against his skin, the brisk air raised the hairs on his arms, the sensation relaxed his tense body. His mind had raced back long into the night. When he had finally gone to sleep, his mother’s face and voice kept waking him up. The third time he had given up on getting more sleep and had made his way out onto the balcony, he watched the sky brighten, as the sun rose to the right and Alton slowly came to life beneath him. He could hear the sounds of the merchants, echo through the early morning as the sun finally rose over the edge of the basin filling the city with light. Looking closely to the right he could make out the small wall cordoning off Rupert's Square from the rest of the city. The neat rows of barracks and store rooms running horizontal to the outer wall. As Braden continued to stare out across the city, he rolled his father’s ring between his thumb and forefinger as it dangled from his neck. After Page had departed the night before, Troy had asked him directly what he was going to do. Alex and Ashe luckily for him had diverted the boy’s attention and they mostly talked about the stories that he and Alex had remembered earlier. He was thankful to his friends, for taking his mind off the matter, but now he really had to think about his future. As if on queue, Braden heard shuffling steps behind him. Page stepped up to the rail next to him and looked straight out into the clear blue sky, taking a deep breath and holding it for a few seconds before finally releasing.
“I come out here every morning. The view is just amazing, It was one of my requests when I took on the job with the King.” Braden stood silent. Learning his elbows on the rail he continued to roll the ring between his fingers.
“Braden, I am sorry for what I had to tell you yesterday. I understand it must have been a lot to take in.” They both stood in silence for a long time, looking out at nothing.
“Yes, it was.” Braden watched the old man stiffen at the tone in his voice, before relaxing and smiling down at him.
“Have you thought about what I said?”
“Did you expect me to think about anything else?”
The old man chuckled.
“I guess not, I would not have been surprised to find you missing this morning.”
“I did think about it, but then I realised that if I got caught in High Alton I would have been thrown in prison. I doubt the city guard would believe me, if I had told him I was the late Lord Drake’s long lost son.”
“You do remind me a lot of your father, he had your dry sense of humour.”
“Who said I was joking?” The old man looked surprised and Braden held the stern look, finally breaking into a smile before he turned back towards the horizon.
“What would I need to do? If I wanted this that is.”
“It isn’t that difficult, well, your part is not difficult. We would need to present you to the King and the rest of the council, present our evidence and then wait on the Kings decree. Once he does it is a simple matter of having him officially declare you Arthon Drake's son, then the hard work begins.”
"Hard work?"
"Well, as much as the King's word is law, only those who directly hear him can confirm it. So we will need to get everything written down. The removal of your bastardry, entry into the nobility, official ownership of titles, deeds and lands. We will then need to quickly form a household around you. And that is just the start."
“What if they don’t accept me?”
“The council may not, some will lose a lot with a Drake back in the council. But as much as they pr
ance and preach about their power they have no real power in the decision. It is the King’s word which will decide the outcome. What do you know of the current affairs in the Kingdom, Braden?”
He could only shrug his shoulders, the politics of the nobility have never really interested or bothered him before, all he knew was that the Cranes ruled Farnshire and the King ruled the Cranes. He never needed to know anything else.
“The Kingdom is poised to spiral into chaos. The King has lost a lot of his legitimacy and power over the past few years, he was never blessed with a large stock of children to carry on his blood line. His first three children were still born, only a daughter and son made it to adult hood, Princess Ranier was married to a King in the north to protect our borders, she died in childbirth only seven months ago the child passing with her. And as I said yesterday Prince Renal died just over two years ago in battle with southern raiders, leaving his son the King’s grandson the only living heir.”
“I do remember all the soldiers wearing black a few years ago.”
“Yes the nation was in mourning, the Prince was well liked. Anyway that left us with a seventy year old King with a toddler for an heir. The King’s power resided on two things, the lineage of his forefather’s and the last known Arcane in Arda, which unfortunately for King Rupert passed away just over a year ago. The King’s position is now very weak, the nobility are splitting into two factions around the idea of a regency. The King is unlikely not to see his grandson come of age before he dies. If this happens, whoever becomes Regent will hold the power of the King which is a frightening thought when you see who is fighting for that prize.”
“Wouldn't the King pick the regent before he dies?"
"Yes, but the King is reluctant to appoint anyone for fear that they will be tempted to kill him."
"But..."
"Yes, it’s treason, but if the person who kills him becomes the Regent, as long as he covers his tracks, well, who is going to deny him? A three year old boy King? Anyway this is a discussion for another time, not now."
Braden took a deep breath, the air was slowly warming as the sun began to rise higher into the sky. He could hear the others moving in the main room, he looked back as shadows began to move. One appeared out of the darkness, quickly darting around the corner, Braden smiled as Magnus caused Page to jump as he bolted into sight. Braden lent down and stroked him under the chin before rubbing him all over his face, the lion cub pushed his hands away with his paws but Braden continued to scratch him as he rolled over onto his back. They continued for a couple of minutes before Magnus jumped back onto his feet and began cleaning himself. Braden hadn’t realised he had been laughing with the cub. He knelt there for a long time looking at the black lion cub before Magnus gave him a curious look in return, Braden had forgotten the old man was there, lost in the moment. Before he could get up, Page knelt down beside him and offered his hand out towards Magnus. He watched the cub sniff the old man’s hands a few times looking back and forth between him and Page before finally pushing his head up against the old man’s hand.
“I still cannot put into words how, I mean, a Golden Forest Lion to even see one, is a rare privilege.”
"You know what he is?"
"Yes a Golden Forest Lion, I’ve read a few books about them, they are fascinating creatures. They are born black as night and as they age first they turn pure white then finally when they reach adulthood they turn into pure gold. The fur is as hard as iron, they grow to be as large as a war horse and are said to be the most loyal of creatures to their family. They are spotted only once or twice every ten years, no one knows how many of them are in the world. Why don’t I lend you the book, it’s by Librarian Seymour Korr, who spent half his life studying them?"
“Umm, thank you, he is the one really good thing that has come out of this trip.”
“Don’t let Ashe hear you say that.” Braden looked up as Alex stepped out onto the balcony. He had thrown away his old shirt and the years of smith work showed on his body, his own torn and tattered trousers were in slightly better condition than Braden’s but you would still find better on a beggar.
“It seems you both need new clothes, I can’t have a Drake appear in rags. I will get some clothes sent up to my chambers, they may not fit you perfectly Alex, you are not a small man but they will have to do. I will have someone sent up this evening to get you both measured for something a bit better.”
“Page, thank you. What do you need from me now?” The old man smiled at him, it seemed as if a light had ignited behind his eyes.
“For you to turn up at the council chambers in three days, but for now not much. As I said, I will do the rest. But perhaps go out and see the city, there are some interesting places and people to see here in Alton. I would advise to keep Magnus here in the Citadel. I will leave you the documents proving that you work for me, along with a couple of names of people who might interest you. But for now I must get going, I have a lot of work to do.” Page walked back into the room. Passing Ashe he adverted his eyes as she pulled on her top and was out of the door before Braden could thank him. Alex stepped up beside him.
“Someone has a spring in their step.”
“That’s an understatement.” Braden replied.
“So I am guessing you have made your choice then.”
“No, I have given myself three more days to think about it.”
Chapter XXV
Alexander
The steam filled the room, obscuring anything more than a few feet away from Alex. He took a deep breath, he could feel the warm air sink into his body. The warmth helped him to relax and he could feel the tension pour out of his body, as a young man rubbed his shoulders. His hands were like iron as they pushed on another knot in his right shoulder, he grimaced and pushed his clenched fist into the stone bench as the knot was slowly worked away. When finally the pain subsided, Alex looked up to see Braden in a similar amount of pain, as another man worked on his back. Looking around he could see six more men sitting in the steam, half of them getting their own bodies worked on. The baths in the Citadel were a definite blessing to him and Braden, after their long journey. He felt a little sorry for Troy, who wasn’t allowed in because of his age. Ashe had gone to a separate smaller section reserved for the women. The thought flashed through his mind, of all those women, dressed only in towels like him, his body warmed and reacted to those thoughts and he had to rearrange the towel to make sure no one noticed. The young man stepped away from Alex and stood waiting while Alex rolled his loosened shoulders and exhaled in bliss. The young man knelt down on one knee lifting Alex's foot onto his knee and placed his two thumbs under the middle of his toes and pushed hard. The resulting crack sent stabs of pain up his leg and spine. He let out a yelp, which drew a few chuckles from nearby men. The young man continued cracking his foot. When he was done, he placed it down on the floor Alex winced but was amazed at how good his foot felt. He hadn't realised how bad his feet were, the young man took his other foot and did the same, before standing up and making his way to the next man who had entered the room. He turned to see Braden with displeasure written across his face, as the young man behind him dug his elbow into his back forcing the knots out.
"Your back is terrible, I have never seen anything this bad outside of the tourney." The young man said as he switched elbows digging it once again into Braden's back.
"I would advise you to either stop whatever it is you’re doing or hire someone to get rid of these knots daily. That’s all I can do today without bruising your back."
The young man stepped away, offering another treatment the next morning, if Braden was feeling less sore. After a quick roll of the shoulders and stretch of his back Braden stood up and began walking to the next room. As Alex stepped through the threshold, into the next room he was met by the dramatic drop in temperature, it felt like a slap across his face. The circular room was dominated by four crescent baths surrounding a metal tree Alex gave Braden a weird look, there was no-one e
lse in the room, no attendants and no other patrons. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Braden hang his own towel on the metal tree before stepping off the edge into one of the baths. Alex didn’t look any further or catch his friend’s eye, which he would later wish he had. Hanging his own towel up, he felt the chill run up his body before he also stepped off the edge into pool.
It was like a sucker punch to his stomach, to his face, to every part of his body as it hit the freezing water. The air seemed to be forced straight out of his lungs as he shot out of the water. He took a deep breath, the warmer air felt like fire inside him. He spun his head around looking for Braden, as he pulled himself out of the cold water his own face contorted at the cold. Alexander quickly swam for the edge of the pool. Dragging himself up he snatched the towel from the tree and frantically began rubbing himself all over trying to get some warmth back into his body. Alex looked up at his friend, who was doing the same.
"Why on earth would anyone want to do that to themselves?"
"It apparently helps with your muscles and also wakes you up after the lounging in the steam room."
Alex huffed at his friend, before he wrapped the now soaking towel around his waist and made for the exit. As the two dressed in the warmer changing room, Alex continued to grumble about the pool, he honestly believed he had lost a testicle for a number of minutes after he had jumped in.
"Stop complaining Alex it was only a little cold water."
"I know, but by the gods Braden, that was ridiculous. Anyway how did you know to just jump in?"
"When Bronn took me up to the Roost a few times we use visited the baths."
"Lucky for some. The best bath I use to get was the in the river, dad hated using the coal for anything but heating iron. How do you think they are getting on?"