But making his calculations, Oleg cheered up. It was still more than a month to the “Day of Students” when the Academy selected its new students. That was ample time not only to get to Valensia but also to earn a fair bit, too. After all, he had “in hand” two professions which were very highly sought after in this world.
Both minstrels and Hunters of the Unclean were treated with great respect in the empire and had a whole range of privileges. It was not without reason that Oleg supposed that he could shine in both professions. ‘Tomorrow I’ll buy a chainmail shirt, a bow and a handsome sword,’ Oleg decided.
Here his musings were interrupted by someone lightly brushing his shoulder. Oleg turned round. Ataletta was standing in front of him.
‘Can I have a word with you?’ Tiredness and slight tension could be heard in the princess’s voice.
‘Yes, of course. Have a seat.’ Oleg moved over, freeing the place next to him. ‘Won’t they miss you?’
‘No, they won’t.’ Smirking, the girl sat down on the chair offered to her. ‘Everyone’s already pretty drunk and no-one will notice anything.’ She fell silent. ‘You know, you’re an absolutely impossible person. I have the impression that etiquette is something you don’t care for. You really hate it and try to break it any time you have the chance! And you can’t say you don’t know how to behave… Sometimes you have splendid manners, but only once in a blue moon. At first I found it insulting, but then I realized that it was silly to be offended. It’s just your style, isn’t it?’
‘You guessed,’ Oleg didn’t bother to explain that in fact he simply didn’t know the local rules for good behaviour. Let them think he was an eccentric, there were worse things. ‘But you didn’t come to discuss my attitude to etiquette, did you?’
‘I just don’t know how to begin…’ Ataletta gave Oleg a searching look. ‘Tell me, is what you told my godfather true? Are you leaving the day after tomorrow?’
‘Yes. You’re safe, I kept my promise. Now I have other things to do. I think I’ve already told you I intend to go to Valensia and study to be a magician.’
‘I wanted to ask you to stay with me! Help me regain my throne! Now I shall gather an army. Sedition and crop failure are descending on Fenrian now, the curse of my forefather is a dreadful thing. Once I have regained my throne, I will reward you generously. You’ll be second after me…’
Oleg grinned. How quickly Ataletta had resumed her role as a powerful mistress!
‘You’ve already offered me that,’ he said quietly, interrupting the agitated girl. ‘Do you remember? There, in the cellar, when Albert invoked me. I refused then, so why do you think my position has changed now? I don’t need any of your dukedoms or baronies, I don’t need the power you can offer…’
‘But you did agree to help me!’ Ataletta exclaimed, interrupting him.
‘I felt sorry for you. I didn’t want them to kill you. And then, I still haven’t received payment for my last bill,’ Oleg said, and immediately regretted it. The princess went flat in an instant.
‘Yes, it’s true… You did the impossible and saved me. What is your wish, O my lord?’ She tried to joke but Oleg could see the fear which took hold of the girl.
He shook his head chidingly. ‘We’ve been together for quite a long time now, haven’t we? Surely you don’t think I could demand something bad of you? Calm down, you don’t owe me anything. Yes, and I’m turning you down not because of any debts but because I have to hurry. I have to begin to study human magic otherwise I’ll become a demon once and for all. They’re accepting students at the Valensian Academy in six weeks but it’ll take me at least two weeks to get there providing, of course, your map is accurate. And I doubt very much that you’ll manage to raise an army in the intervening time, attack Fenrian, defeat your uncle and crown yourself.’
‘I see. Forgive me, I thought badly of you. It’s just that I really hoped that you would join me. We could have really done with your help.’ She continued to look at Oleg with pleading eyes.
Oleg sighed deeply.
‘It seems you don’t understand. What do you think would happen if I forgot about all my plans and instead of getting a place at the Academy I started to help a beautiful but overly insistent princess to regain the throne of her forefathers?’
‘The princess would be really happy and would be very-very grateful to you! She’d regain her throne, you’d become a wealthy and important personage, after which you’d go and study at the Academy?’ Ataletta suggested, innocently fluttering her eyelashes.
‘If only!’ Oleg grinned. It seemed the princess kept strictly to the principle: “never give up”. A praiseworthy position in some regards, just not very appropriate in this case. In order for it to sink into this pretty little head that there was no point in trying to talk him into staying, Oleg decided to give her a detailed explanation of his reasons.
‘Now listen to me. If I stay with you, then in the process of winning your throne for you I will undoubtedly have to take part in battles. Since as I haven’t mastered human magic, and I’d be an abysmal warrior in my human body – don’t argue, the fight with Morron doesn’t count, I used a partial transformation – then like it or not, in the battles I’d have to use my demonic capabilities. And that would lead to an increase in my demon side until it completely stifled my human side. After which I, so good and kind, would all but disappear and instead of me there would be an evil, capricious and power-hungry demon. What’s more, I’d be virtually invincible in the territory of Fenrian. Are you sure you want to receive such a present? Oh, and did I mention that that demon would also be very strong, both magically and physically?’
‘I see.’ It seemed that Ataletta had really been counting on persuading Oleg to go to war for her, and that this new situation was not at all in keeping with her plans. Having thought for a while, she brushed his arm again.
‘And what if I wait? It’ll take three or four years to prepare the warriors. And the course in the Academy is five years. Then you can join us. Your help would be very useful!’
Oleg looked at the princess. ‘Seems I play some key role in her plans,’ he thought. ‘And anyway, is it in my interest to meddle in the internal politics of Fenrian? No, I don’t need that.’
While Oleg thought, Ataletta was nervously awaiting his reply.
‘You know,’ Oleg said, having made up his mind, ‘A lot can happen in five years. Your uncle might die, and then you won’t need to fight anyone. You might meet a mighty magician and no longer need my help. Or some kind of duty might call me which won’t allow me to come and help you. I don’t think it would be wise for you to wait for me.’
The princess threw back her head and her eyes moistened suspiciously.
‘I understand. Who am I to you? We met, you play a while, get my hopes up and then say farewell…’
Nevertheless, despite all her readiness to spurt tears, Oleg was able to sense her insincerity and this only served to convince him all the more that he played some important role in some mysterious plan of hers.
‘Ataletta, it’s not worth it. Let me give you a bit of good advice. First of all, never build all your plans around one single figure, especially if you aren’t in complete control of that figure. People really don’t like it when you try to use them. Secondly, if you’ve already made such a mistake, and the figure refuses to play by your rules, never let the person you wanted to use sense that. Your insistency clearly shows what an important place you had reserved for me in your plans. You must never show that! And thirdly, you made a big mistake when you started to use not rational but emotional arguments after my first refusal. When I wasn’t interested in your offers of power etc, you should have offered me something else, or at a pinch tried to threaten me with something, though that is pretty dangerous. But in any case you shouldn’t have started crying. Tears are no argument in these matters. In fact, it can really irritate a lot of people. A man will willingly help a girl in trouble but few things can more surely kill any
desire to help than the demand to give assistance. Remember that. I’m giving you this advice from the heart, and this knowledge will really be useful to you. But it would be better to drop it all. Politics are a dirty game, not for pretty young girls. You may get so dirty there that even millennia will not make your name white again. I don’t want to get mixed up in that mess myself, and I would advise you not to, either.’
Ataletta listened attentively to Oleg’s monologue and then nodded. ‘Of course, you’re right. But I have no other choice. You’re the only one who can use magic immune to the amulets of Orchis. What should I do now? Live off my godfather until the well-respected Lord Chancellor decides to die of natural causes? What should I do? Tell me, since you are so wise!’ Her voice had burst into a shrill cry by the time she reached that last phrase.
The more excited Ataletta became, the calmer Oleg became, outwardly. He looked at the girl in amazement, perplexed by such behaviour. He thought he had studied her personality quite well but such insistence was not at all like the Ataletta which he had imagined her to be. The demon inside Oleg was rising up in rage. He really didn’t enjoy being coerced.
‘It’s like this,’ Oleg announced in a cold voice, with difficulty restraining an urge to transform himself. ‘I’ll answer in order. Calm down and stop making me angry. That is the main thing. Remember this: I don’t owe you anything! What should you do? Change your tactics. Think up another plan. Find a way around. Or, if you are really so fixed on me, try to wait until I’ve finished my studies and hire me, offering a worthy salary. But be aware that my tastes are unlikely to change much over the next five years so you should offer me something to really make it worth my while. And another thing. I said that I will release you from fulfilling my wish and that I won’t demand anything of you. Although my opinion about you has changed significantly, I won’t go back on my word. But know this: when you next hire me – if, of course, you can – I will demand a full payment, and in advance, too. As I see it, free help spoils people rotten, they start demanding more and more. I won’t make that mistake again. You should reckon with that, if you’re going to be making plans about me!’
With a curt nod he quickly strode out from behind the partition and, apologizing to the baron, headed for the bedroom he’d been allocated, pleading tiredness from the journey.
But sleep did not come. Oleg tossed and turned from side to side but couldn’t fall asleep. An attempt at counting sheep didn’t help. After ram number 68 gave him the famous American one-finger salute, and then wandered off in the direction of a blondish ewe with made-up eyes and carefully painted hooves, Oleg gave up.
The muffled sounds of the feast floated up from downstairs. It sounded as though the party had reached the singing phase.
‘Yelling their heads off, bloody “minstrels”. Stopping a man from sleeping,’ Oleg brooded. But he was lying to himself. It wasn’t the drunken songs of the vassals of Maidell which kept him from slumber, not at all. He couldn’t get that last conversation with Ataletta out of his head. He was oddly, irrationally, offended, as though he had somehow been tricked or betrayed.
‘Why have I let her get to me like this? Tomorrow I’ll do my shopping, the day after tomorrow I’ll say “So long” and – that’s it! We won’t see each other again. Just relax and stop messing around. So she turned out different from how you’d imagined her. You should keep your imagination in check.’ He even wagged his finger, mentally. It’s not the girl’s fault after all that she was born in the royal family and has been brought up thinking that her problems are the most important and that everyone is duty-bound to solve them and not their own. Maybe I should have been gentler somehow? But how? She wouldn’t have understood anything gentler…Enough, I need to sleep. Enough about that princess. Sleep. Sleep!’
The noise of the drunkards subsided. Evidently, alcohol had finally claimed victory over the mighty bodies of Maidell’s knights, sending them into a deep sleep.
But Oleg continued his battle with insomnia. The rams jumped over the gate…over and over…Just when he’d begun to doze off…
There was a knock at the door.
‘Come in.’ Oleg drew back the latch. Ataletta was standing in the doorway. She was dressed n the same white tunic-dress that she had been when they first met.
‘Can I come in?’
‘Please do, Your Highness,’ Oleg bowed with affected politeness. ‘To what do I owe this visit?’
‘Please, don’t be like that…’ The girl sighed sadly. ‘I came to apologize.’
‘Apologize?’
‘Yes. I was wrong. You’ve done so much for me. It’s just that I forgot for an instant that you’re not my vassal; I’d started taking your help for granted. I can imagine what you must think. Please, forgive me!’
‘Well, if you’re saying “please”,’ Oleg drawled as though thinking it over. ‘Then I forgive you!’ He went on quickly and cheerily. ‘It’s good that you stopped by. I really was very offended. I couldn’t even get to sleep. I think it’ll be easier now…’ But Oleg couldn’t finish what he was saying. Ataletta interrupted him.
‘You know… about falling asleep…’ she lowered her eyes, and to his amazement Oleg realized the princess was embarrassed. But then, as though having conquered something inside herself, she raised her head and met his gaze. ‘I was thinking, I wasn’t only wrong in demanding you help me. After all, I did give my word to satisfy any wish. So what if you haven’t demanded anything! Promises should be kept… So…’ Ataletta didn’t finish but, blushing even more, lightly brushed the silver clasp on her shoulder. The tunic slipped to her feet with a soft rustle. ‘Did I guess?’ asked the naked girl, red with embarrassment.
She was very beautiful. Her blonde locks which seemed to glow lent her face an unearthly touch. Her white skin and her perfectly proportioned body was illuminated by the light of the moon shining through the window. And only the dark maroon nipples smoothly rising in time to the girl’s jerky breath prevented him from imagining that she was a classic Greek statue.
For a few long seconds Oleg fought a pitiful battle with himself, relishing the splendid sight before him.
‘You guessed,’ he whispered finally, wrapping her in his blanket. ‘But I can’t accept such a payment. It would be mean and unfair to you. There’s no need to do anything like that, if you don’t want to do it yourself…’ He didn’t finish. With a ringing laugh Ataletta wriggled out from his arms.
‘You don’t mean you didn’t realize?’ she said, throwing off the blanket. ‘They told me men were sometimes a bit slow on the uptake, but I never thought it could be so bad!’ She ran her hand smoothly over Oleg’s body, pausing on his stomach for a moment, and then slipping lower.
‘I want you!’ the girl whispered, leading him to the bed. ‘Satisfied now?’
She really was a virgin, that young and passionate white princess. But Oleg’s skill was enough to take away her pain and here magic was almost irrelevant… Later, towards morning when their strength finally faded and they were lying quietly side by side, Oleg remembered something and laughed.
‘What’s up?’
‘Remember when we’d just made the agreement that I would help you and you put the condition that you would fulfil any wish of mine so long as it didn’t go against courtly honour or the interests of the country?’
‘Yes, something gleamed in your eyes for a second then. You know, something sly, just like now,’ she looked at Oleg’s hands, again sliding over her body, and then arched to meet his caresses.
‘A thought flashed into my mind then. I thought it was a good joke and was even about to tell you, but then I looked at you and changed my mind. You were really worried then. But it turns out it wasn’t a joke, but the genuine truth.’
‘And what was that joke-truth?’ Ataletta purred, pulling back a little to get her breath.
‘That I didn’t give a damn about your courtly honour, or your maidenly honour!’
‘But you kidnapped me! Disgr
aced the girl… Mmm that’s so nice. Do it again…’ Talk held very little interest for Ataletta after that.
In the morning, swaying, Oleg could barely dress. Ataletta stayed to sleep in his bed, announcing that she would be just fine without breakfast.
Having had a bite to eat, Oleg leapt on his horse and headed off to the fair held in a small town at the foot of the castle. The weaponry fashioned by the masters of the Free Baronies was praised throughout all the Oikumenas. And the mysterious gnomes living under the Iron Mountains occasionally brought their handiwork here to sell, too.
But Oleg wasn’t in luck that day. There hadn’t been a supply from the Iron Mountains for a long time and he had to content himself with human handiwork. A good strong chainmail to be worn under outer garments cost less than he’d thought. Having checked his finances, Oleg realized he could treat himself to expensive and good quality weaponry. The next item on his list was a sword. After a long search Oleg managed to hunt out something more or less suitable. It was another espadon which looked a bit similar to the one he already had only this one was forged from steel of a much higher quality. Moreover, the blade was silver-plated which gave it an advantage in a battle with the Unclean. Strolling among the stalls selling bows and counting the rest of his money, Oleg regretfully put off buying one till later. Instead, he purchased a few throwing knives and with that, considered his equipment complete.
Coming back to the castle in time for lunch, the first thing Oleg did was to take a look at Ataletta, sitting at the head of the table and tucking in to the main course with great gusto.
The girl, or to be more precise, the young woman now, had become indescribably more beautiful. The fine wrinkles which had begun to appear on her forehead had vanished without a trace, washed away by the recent intimacies. Her eyes were filled with a cheerful, healthy light. The middle-aged baron and his wife sitting next to her were feasting their eyes on their charge.
The Road to Magic (Book 1 of the Way of the Demon Series) Page 22