by Patty Jansen
Servants drew the tables across the room.
Nellie was sure that one or two of them recognised some of the people in the party. No disguise was foolproof. But they said nothing and did as was ordered. Most importantly, people in the party offered them sweets.
Food was brought up, and the women shared the sausages and cakes they had made. For a while everyone was happy, and the talk was about animals and where they had come from.
Mustafa walked the leopard and the zebra horse around the hall so that everyone could look at it. The youngsters could pat the leopard, but the zebra horse was a cranky creature, likely to kick or bite. Casper needed to demonstrate that, to the great hilarity of his friends. Just to prove that he hadn’t quite grown as serious as events suggested.
The youngsters were not as reckless as Nellie had expected, but they’d arrived at this situation because they were stuck for ideas of how to get out.
So they partied.
It was all they could do. While the city was hungry, they partied. When they didn’t know what to do, they partied. Banquets and plenty of wine solved everything. In this case, it really would.
Nellie took one of the sausages, cut small slices and made sure that everyone had a piece and that she spoke with everyone. She asked the noble girls their names and who their families were, and she made compliments about their dresses and their hair.
In between the levity, she heard that most of the girls were in the palace because they’d had disagreements with their parents, who thought Casper was a menace to the city, and the girls considered Casper a friend.
One girl confided in Nellie that she couldn’t see how Casper’s behaviour was any worse than that of his father, and that none of the older generation objected to the Regent’s banquets. “Just because they’re not invited, that’s why.”
Nellie badly wanted to ask why the girl thought the doors were shut and they couldn’t go to their homes, but that would give away that these “travellers” were more knowledgeable about the city than they should be, although the whole plan was probably about to fall apart anyway.
Another girl added, “It’s just horrible what they did to Prince Bruno. Our parents are ashamed, and that’s why they don’t like us here, because we hear his stories of how the church locked him up for years, and they know we will blame our parents for allowing it to happen. I was only five when the king and queen died, but my parents were adults, and they should have asked about Prince Bruno, but they didn’t. They were cowards and they believed the church.”
The first girl said, “Shhh, Amalia, why do you think these visitors want to know about this? You’re going to get us all into trouble.”
Nellie bowed and backed away. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to cause trouble for you.” She resumed her course around the hall.
When people asked, she would tell stories about her travels, mostly exaggerated from the time she travelled with Mistress Johanna. If you had a long life, you could find quite a few things to use as embellishments.
She made up how she was a servant at the court of the Red Baron, and told them about the forbidding castle, and she could do a reasonably good job because she had actually been inside the castle. She told them about the magical forest and, for a while, everyone was happy.
Nellie went to serve Prince Bruno as well. She asked him quietly if he was all right, to which he said that he was. She didn’t dare ask anything else, like whether the dragon was in the box, and whether he had indeed fought the shepherd and lost.
From close up, he looked even more fragile than he had when they first came in. He knew his position was dangerous. He knew he wasn’t ready to fight.
She gently touched his hand when he took a piece of the sausage she offered. It was all she could do to reassure him. She remembered him as four-year-old boy, but the adolescent Bruno was still too disturbed to confide in her. Yet she must help him, even as he rejected or ignored her. He was not ready to face this.
She couldn’t ask him what he was doing here, and whether this meant that he was Casper’s friend or was trying to use Casper, or whether Casper had wanted to take the throne for himself. In the end, it was not relevant, because they were all prisoners in this magnificent palace.
And then came a commotion at the door.
Someone shouted, and the two guards posted there were trying to keep a person from coming in.
A man called out, “Let me through, you imbeciles.”
It was Shepherd Wilfridus.
Show time.
Chapter 23
SHEPHERD WILFRIDUS strode through the hall, his robes flying, sidestepping the guards who tried to stand in his way. The guards themselves were young boys, no match for the shepherd.
He walked straight through the gathered circus troupe party.
He did not stop in front of the dais, but climbed the steps in a single jump, belying his age, and grabbed Casper by the arm.
“What do you think you’re doing, boy?” His voice was like a snarl.
“Take your hands off me.” Casper pulled his arm out of the shepherd’s grip.
The shepherd clearly hadn’t expected that, and gave Casper an angry look. “What’s wrong with you? Can’t you ever listen to what a superior tells you?”
“I am not your servant,” Casper said. “I am the legal successor to the Regentship.” His face was pale, but he sat straight.
“You wish.”
“I have more claim on the position than anyone else. You don’t have the right to bully me about.”
The shepherd took in a sharp breath.
No, he had definitely not expected that.
“You will do as I say. I am through with this ridiculous behaviour of yours. I have left you free rein since your father died because I took pity on you. It’s finished now, and it’s time you start listening to me.”
“I don’t need to listen to you. My father was appointed Regent, and I have assumed that position.”
“I did not appoint you to that position. You’re a brat.”
“I’m sixteen. I’m an adult.”
“I did not appoint you.”
“Well, in that case, I may just have to ask the king’s advice.”
And everybody turned around to Bruno, who looked very small and skinny.
In the tense silence, he rose from his seat, walked across the dais, up the two steps and sat down in the empty throne where nobody had sat for over ten years.
The shepherd’s eyes widened. His mouth opened and closed as if he were a dying fish. He glanced at the guests and the food on the tables, much of which had not been produced in the kitchens.
Perhaps he realised what the group had done and that he no longer controlled the people in the hall.
He stammered, “You can’t . . .” And then he found his voice. “A king has no right to rule without the crown and sceptre.”
Everyone in the hall knew that was right, and also that the location of the crown and sceptre was unknown. People whispered that the church had them, and certainly Nellie had seen the cabinet that held the crown in the crypt . . . but without the crown on the dusty velvet.
A tense silence followed, in which Nellie expected the shepherd to drag Bruno out of the chair, or conjure the fire dog and attack the young nobles on the dais.
But none of that happened, and she didn’t notice that Henrik had left the safety of the group until he was halfway up the dais.
He carried the heavy wooden box that Master Thiele had given them. Nellie held her breath. She suddenly thought she knew what was in the box.
In the tense silence, Henrik set it on the table, then dug in his pocket for the key. He opened the lid with a creak.
From inside the box, he lifted an ornate staff with a golden lion at its end. He gave it to Bruno. Then he lifted out the king’s crown, gold and so heavy that he needed to hold it in both hands.
The shepherd looked on with wide eyes.
Henrik gave the crown to Bruno, but Bruno kept it on his
lap, on top of the dragon box. Nellie didn’t know if was aware that the king couldn’t wear the crown until properly ordained, or whether Casper had told him.
“This is the man who locked me up in the crypt,” Bruno said, pointing at the shepherd. His voice sounded thin and nervous. “This is the man whose monks would make me work until I was so tired that I couldn’t keep my eyes open, who would then beat me for not paying attention, never quite badly enough to cause permanent harm. They kept me like an animal, telling me stories about how all hope was dead, and how the only thing I could do that made any sense was to cooperate with their wishes. This is the man who wanted to take the throne for himself. He wanted to declare himself the undisputed leader of the city, the undisputed leader of the church, and he wanted to banish all other churches and all other people from the country. He wanted to rule your world. He wanted to rule your minds.”
Shepherd Wilfridus’ face was white. “You filthy liar. Why do you disgrace our throne like that? You can’t even prove that you’re the queen’s son. You’re nothing but an impostor, a poor whore woman’s child who thinks he’s a prince.”
“I have seen plenty of evidence that he speaks the truth,” said a noble boy who Nellie recognised as the son of one of the Regent’s former advisors.
The shepherd turned to him, the look on his face disturbed. “And who do you think you are?”
“My name is Ruben Demeer,” the boy said, in a voice so young it hadn’t yet broken. “I have seen plenty of evidence that Bruno is indeed the prince who was supposed to have died, according to some of your sermons.”
“Yes,” a girl said. “And you knew back then that he was alive. You must have, because he told us everything.”
“He is a liar,”
“I don’t think so,” Ruben said. “The things he says, he couldn’t make up. He knows the names of all your monks that mistreated him. How else would he know all these things?”
“You’re just a bunch of impertinent kids,” the Shepherd said. His face was red.
“No, they are not,” said a female voice.
Madame Sabine strode up to the dais, lifting the veil from her face. Casper’s eyes widened.
She walked around the table until she stood behind her son, placing both her hands on his shoulders and facing the shepherd.
“My sons are no angels,” she said. “I am no holy mother. My husband spoilt them rotten and they picked up many bad habits. However, it seems that life is a great selector of good people. I thought I’d lost hope for my sons, but they have behaved themselves honourably here today.”
“We are the future of the city,” young Frederick said. He looked terrified but his back was straight. He rose from his seat and, in his hideous red suit, went to stand next to Bruno.
Casper also got up and went to stand next to Bruno. Madame Sabine positioned herself behind all three.
Nellie wiped her sweaty hands on her dress. Her anti-magic concoction was working. Maybe it was working just a little bit too well. Who was to stop the shepherd from harming all these kids who had disagreed with him?
“Shepherd, kindly remove yourself from this room,” Casper said. “I know you were my father’s closest advisor, and my father always did what you said. However, I am not my father, I don’t really like what you’re doing to all my friends, and I don’t like your having banished so many people from the city. I shall sign a document that the Church of the Triune is no longer the sole state church of Saarland, that the Belaman church is allowed to come back, and that we will have a new book of laws that are written by people from all groups in the city, not just the church. I am thankful that you helped my father, but I think it’s time to move on. Kindly leave. This is a private function, and I am entertaining my friends.”
The shepherd pressed his lips together, whirled around and strode in the direction of the door.
He didn’t take any notice of the people in the circus troupe who were still standing there. For moment, Nellie wondered if he was actually going to do as they’d asked. Would it really be so easy to get rid of him?
But when he approached the door to the foyer, the shepherd turned around again. “You insolent boy. Feel the full force of my power.”
He stretched out his hands. A ball of flames burst from them. While it rolled over the carpet, limbs unfolded, a head formed. The parrots started screeching, a few people screamed. A number of the noble youngsters jumped from their seats and retreated to the back of the hall.
Someone opened the door to the garden room, sending in a waft of cold air.
Bruno remained in his seat, straight-backed and with a face that showed no emotion. On his lap he held the crown and the dragon box.
The fire dog landed on all four paws in front of the dais. Head held close to the ground, it stood poised to spring.
It was not more than a few steps away from where Nellie stood. She could feel the heat radiating from its body.
From close up, the creature was even more terrifying than from a distance. It looked more like a wolf than a dog, with a big head, powerful jaws and huge paws. Its body looked solid. Fire trailed off its pelt.
The shepherd still stood on the other side of the hall, his eyes closed as he poured magic into his creation.
People screamed, scrambling away from the area, but the dog only showed interest in Prince Bruno.
Slowly, the prince leaned the sceptre against the side of the throne. Then he lifted the crown so that he could take the dragon box from underneath. He opened the lid.
The dragon erupted in a shower of sparks, taking only a few heartbeats to fully form into a solid creature. He had grown so much.
He jumped into the air and landed in front of the throne, facing the dog with his head bowed low and trails of smoke curling from his nostrils.
The dog sprang, and at the same time, the dragon jumped from the dais. The two met at the bottom of the steps in a ball of flames and claws and fire.
It was almost impossible to see what was going on, both the dog and dragon moved so fast. Several times the two creatures fell apart, scrabbled up and went back into the fight.
Even though the dog was much smaller, it never gave up. It ripped at the dragon’s neck, paws and wings. The dragon howled and screeched. He was not fast enough to catch the dreadful creature.
He was losing the fight. And if the dog defeated the dragon, that would be the end.
“Call him back,” Nellie called to Bruno. “Before it’s too late.”
Bruno held the box open on outstretched arms, but the dragon kept fighting and snarling after the dog. He blew fire, setting the carpet alight. Acrid smoke spread across the hall. It was hard to see what was happening.
Bruno called out, “He’s not listening to me!”
Nellie ran up the dais snatched the dragon box from Bruno lap. She opened it.
“Come here,” she yelled. “Come here.”
The dragon turned his head. He looked terrible. His sides were marked with gashes and trails of sparks were oozing out.
He noticed her and made a run for her. Nellie expected him to go back into the box, but instead he grabbed her dress.
“What are you doing?” she yelled.
But the dragon ignored her. He ran through the hall dragging her by her dress. Nellie managed to grab hold of the dragon’s neck and hung on.
He jumped and flew a couple of paces and then ran again. He was making for the door of the hall, but that was closed.
“Stop, stop!” Nellie called.
But the dragon burst through the door, scattering wood everywhere.
She expected him to take off through the foyer and fly out the front door, but the foyer was full of people and animals. The elephant had come into the hall by ripping the door off its hinges and pushing aide part of the wood panelling that surrounded the door. Dogs barked and horses neighed and people shouted.
The way to safety was barred.
Chapter 24
THE DRAGON SKIDDED to a halt. T
oo many people and animals were in the hall for him to jump over them. The pillars were too close together for him to fly.
Nellie managed to get her feet under her.
The noise in the hall was deafening. Dogs barked, horses neighed, a rooster crowed, the parrots screeched.
The dragon cared about animals, and all these animals from outside on the forecourt had come in here because of him. A number of guards had driven Esme the elephant into a corner of the foyer, where she stood, flapping her ears and swaying her long nose from side to side. She was unhappy and Nellie had no doubt that those guards couldn’t stop her for a second if she really wanted to get out of that corner.
People shouted, “Down with the magician,” and “All hail the Dragonspeaker.”
Nellie wanted to shout, “Do you know the magician is in the hall behind you?” One who was very much not defeated yet and who would soon come out here.
But the people cheered.
They wanted to come into the hall, and heavens, there were even a good number of armed men securing the doors against an attack from outside. She thought she spotted Master Emmel with them. They were Lord Verdonck’s men, helping her, as he had promised.
Except the threat was inside the hall.
Nellie looked desperately over the heads of the crowd in the hall, which included horses, cows, goats and sheep, wherever they had come from. It included citizens from all different groups of the city. She recognised the mayor, shopkeepers, people from the markets and people from the street. She even saw poor Bert, who looked worse than ever. He gave her a gap-toothed grin.
She looked for something, anything, that could defeat the shepherd, or, failing that, anything that would give her a chance of defeating him.
A flock of birds swooped over the heads of the people. They included crows, pigeons, sparrows and seagulls. A couple of ducks perched on the banisters of the stairwell.
Clouds of smoke billowed from the hall behind her. The fire dog would come out very soon, and it would defeat the dragon for a second time. Bruno, who controlled the dragon poorly anyway, was nowhere to be seen.