The Princess in the Tower

by Christopher Nuttall

  They found a small diner and stepped inside. A grim-faced woman directed them to a wooden table, pointed to the menu on the wall and hurried into the backroom. Emily had to smile as she ran her eyes down the small list, noting that nearly everything was fish. The diner probably couldn’t afford beef, lamb or pork. She ordered fish and potatoes, then sat back and watched the crowds outside. An uneasy aura of violence hung in the air. She couldn’t help thinking it was only a matter of time before a fight broke out.

  The woman returned, carrying a tray of earthen beer mugs. Emily eyed hers warily–she knew better than to drink alcohol, even though there was nothing else to drink–then cast a careful spell to make the liquid safe to drink. It tasted foul, but at least it was safer than water. Even now, even after the New Learning had made it clear that water had to be boiled to make it safe to drink, only a fool would drink local water without cleansing it first. There was no way to tell where the water had been before it was poured into her glass.

  “We’re going to have to find somewhere larger,” Jade muttered, after casting a very careful privacy ward. “That room is nowhere near big enough for us.”

  “We’re going to need more money too.” Cat glanced at Emily. “Don’t you own shares in a bank?”

  “In Beneficence,” Emily said. Markus had talked about opening a branch in Alexis, but she didn’t know if he’d done it. God knew the economic crash last year had been pretty unpleasant in Zangaria too. “Getting some money out might be tricky without giving them my name.”

  She considered the problem for a long moment. Markus would be willing to help, she was sure, but Beneficence had its own problems right now. The last thing they wanted to do was piss off King Randor. Emily didn’t think the king could actually invade the city–that would require weapons and equipment that were decades away–but Randor could certainly blockade the city, perhaps even bombard it into submission. Any help they received from Beneficence would be very covert indeed.

  “Yeah,” Cat said. “Don’t you have friends and allies in Cockatrice?”

  Emily shrugged. “Imaiqah was arrested,” she said. “I don’t think Randor would have left Bryon in charge. He’d have put his own man in the barony.”

  She felt an odd pang of guilt. She’d never liked being a baroness, she’d never liked being in charge of millions of people, but...she’d been good for them. She knew she’d been good for them. They hadn’t just prospered under her, they’d thrived. And her decision to leave had left her people at the mercy of King Randor and his minions. In hindsight, perhaps she should have been more careful. Cockatrice was the freest place in the country. Randor would have to stamp on them, sooner or later. He couldn’t have people asking why Cockatrice had been left alone.

  “I don’t know who he put into Swanhaven,” Jade offered. “But it won’t be anyone good.”

  “No,” Emily agreed. “It will be a loyalist through and through.”

  The woman returned, carrying a large tray. Emily took her food, feeling suddenly ravenous as she breathed in the smell. Boiled fish, potatoes and something that might have been vegetables...it was bland, almost to the point of being tasteless, but she was too hungry to care. Besides, people would notice if she asked for salt or expensive condiments. She’d heard of a fleeing nobleman who’d betrayed himself by walking into an inn and loudly demanding an omelette with half-a-dozen eggs.

  Her lips twitched at the thought. It hadn’t meant much to her, at the time. She could buy a dozen or more eggs at the corner store if she wished. But in the days before mass farming, six eggs for a single omelette would have been unpardonable gluttony. She’d have to be careful herself not to make any similar mistakes. She was far too used to living in Whitehall School. By local standards, the students lived in unimaginable luxury.

  “So,” Cat said. “Who is Master Abrams?”

  Jade looked pained. “Technically, he’s an Enchanter; practically, he’s more of a Charms Master. He was one of the few magicians to set up shop here, catering to the nobility and some of the richer merchants. He’s...well, I had to investigate him when he first arrived and we became friends, of a sort. Alassa and I agreed to use him as a go-between for any messages we might not want to send through the regular channels.”

  Emily lifted her eyebrows. “And do you trust him?”

  “He forwarded the message warning me that something was badly wrong,” Jade said. “If he’d taken it to the king instead...”

  “It could be a trap,” Cat warned. He took a bite of his fish and chewed it, slowly. “Jade, Randor wants your head on a platter.”

  “I know the dangers,” Jade said, tartly. “Do either of you have a better idea?”

  Emily shook her head. They were flying blind. Everything they said or did might attract attention if it was noticed by the wrong people. Their mere presence in the inn had probably been noted already. The locals had a sharp eye for people who might be intruders from outside the city. They might already have been taken for the king’s spies.

  “We need more information,” she said. “Where is he now?”

  “He’s gone underground,” Jade said. “I...I sent him a message through a mutual contact. If he’s still in the city, he’ll know I’m here.”

  “And he might betray you to the king anyway,” Cat said, sharply.

  “We will be very careful,” Jade said. He glowered at Cat. “Like I said, do either of you have a better idea?”

  “We find an information broker and get some answers out of him,” Cat said. “Or we kidnap a nobleman and interrogate him too.”

  “The former is doable, if Master Abrams can’t help,” Jade said. “The latter would be risky.”

  “Particularly as we might get someone who didn’t know anything useful,” Emily added. The king would move heaven and earth to find a nobleman who went missing in his city. It would be too dangerous, unless they were very careful. Perhaps they could find someone who’d gone slumming and pour truth potions down his throat. “The king isn’t in the habit of telling his secrets to random noblemen.”

  Cat frowned down at his empty plate, then took a long swig of beer. “Who would know?”

  “Nightingale,” Jade said, darkly. “He has an...establishment in the city.”

  Emily shuddered. Nightingale was a creep, fawning over everyone above him while kicking everyone below. She didn’t know anyone who actually liked the man, not even his wife and family. Alassa had once told her that she’d have Nightingale beheaded as soon as she became Queen. There was bad blood between them, dating all the way back to Alassa’s childhood. She’d never told Emily the full story.

  “His establishment will also be heavily guarded,” she pointed out, after a moment. Alassa wasn’t the only one who loathed the older man. “Getting in and out might be tricky.”

  “We can do it,” Cat said. He grinned at her. “But...who else?”

  “Sir Roger,” Jade said. “And Sir William, if he’s still in the city.”

  Emily wasn’t so sure. She’d met Sir Roger, true, but he’d always struck her as someone who was loyal to the throne. She didn’t think he could be induced to betray Randor and she didn’t want to use the methods she’d need to break him. Sir Roger was a good man. She’d thought well of him, when they’d met. And yet...

  We might gain an advantage if Sir Roger is taken off the board, she thought. He’s a very competent man.

  A thought struck her. “What about Alicia?”

  “She’s worth considering,” Jade said. “But I doubt Randor will trust her with anything important.”

  The bill arrived. Jade paid it, then led them out of the diner and back onto the streets. They weren’t any quieter now, even though it was late. Hundreds of men still thronged around, chattering loudly as they exchanged the latest stories. Emily tried to listen, but nothing she heard seemed particularly important. The dockyard workers didn’t really care who sat on the throne.

  “Careful,” Cat muttered, very quietly. “Do you have your
dagger?”

  Emily looked up. A set of young men were swaggering towards them, the kind of young toughs she would have instinctively crossed the road to avoid back on Earth. They carried swords at their belts, although they didn’t move as though they knew how to use them. Emily tensed, feeling her heart starting to beat rapidly. Jade and Cat flanked her, their hands resting on their blades. If they drew...

  The soldiers aren’t far away, she thought. But they might not want to intervene...

  The tension rose, sharply. Emily moved her sleeve, ready to draw the dagger. The toughs were challenging the newcomers, daring them to flinch. Sweat trickled down her back...she could stop them all in their tracks, if she used magic, but that wouldn’t go unnoticed. Even if they escaped detection, the stories would spread...

  She nearly sagged in relief as the toughs stepped aside, clearly unwilling to pick on two men who were armed and ready to defend themselves. Jade hurried them back to the inn as soon as the toughs had turned the corner, Cat keeping a wary eye out behind them. That had been too close.

  “We’ll kip for the night,” Jade said, once they were back in their room. “And, if we are lucky, we’ll meet Master Abrams tomorrow.”

  Cat snorted. “And if we’re not lucky?”

  “You get to think of something else,” Jade told him. “Get some rest. I’ll take the first watch.”

  Chapter Twelve

  THE STREETS DIDN’T SMELL ANY BETTER in the morning, Emily decided as they found a small diner to have breakfast, but they were a great deal quieter. The fishermen had sailed with the morning tide, unless things had changed more than she realized, while the factory and dockyard workers had gone to work. There were even fewer soldiers on the streets. It made her wonder just how much of their presence was a bluff. Randor couldn’t hope to keep thousands of men on the streets indefinitely unless he’d conscripted half the kingdom.

  And he’ll have real problems supporting an army that size, Emily thought. Most medieval armies were largely demobbed almost as soon as a war was over, just to stop them turning into a drain on the king’s purse. Even supporting a few thousand unproductive men is a logistical nightmare.

  “I need to go check if I got a reply,” Jade said, once he’d finished his breakfast. “Stay here and wait.”

  “Don’t be too long.” Cat’s voice was light, but Emily could hear the concern behind the jibe. “We’ll be worried about you.”

  Jade nodded and hurried off. Emily turned her attention back to her breakfast, trying to pretend his departure was perfectly normal. And yet...she knew enough about rebellions and underground conspiracies to understand the dangers. If Master Abrams had been convinced to support the king, or simply rounded up after Alassa had been arrested, Jade could be walking into a trap. She’d seen Randor’s men interrogate suspects. Jade was strong and brave, but everyone broke eventually. They might have no time to rescue him before it was too late.

  “He’ll be fine.” Cat sounded as though he was trying to reassure her, instead of actually believing it himself. “We just have to wait for him.”

  Emily scowled as she nibbled her bread and cheese. Yes, they had to wait for him...but how long? How long was too long? An hour? Two hours? She understood, now, all the stories about the French Resistance and the uncertainties that the fighters had faced as they waged their secret war. King Randor should have no idea that they were even in his city, but the slightest mistake could change that...

  “I know,” she said. “But how long do we wait?”

  She considered possible options, but none of them were very good. The handful of contacts she’d made six years ago, during the failed coup against the king, were probably useless by now. Paren’s allies had been ennobled; now, she suspected they would have been arrested or executed. Imaiqah’s family was probably also gone, either thrown straight into the dungeons or forced to flee the city. Everyone else...there wasn’t anyone else. Certainly no one who’d put their lives on the line for her.

  Alicia owes me a favor, she thought. Alassa would have killed the older girl if Emily hadn’t intervened. But would she put her life on the line for Alassa?

  It wasn’t a pleasant thought. Alicia had been raised to repay her debts, rewarding her friends and punishing her enemies, but she would be torn in two. She owed Emily, yet...Alassa was a shadow hanging over her life. The child Alicia had borne was a direct threat to Alassa’s throne, even though his parentage had never been acknowledged. Alicia wouldn’t want to help someone who might cut her son’s throat, even if it meant refusing to repay a debt. It wasn’t as if Emily could sue her.

  And she wouldn’t want to leave her barony either, Emily thought. She couldn’t imagine either Alassa or Alicia tamely surrendering their birthrights. They’d fought too hard to keep them. She’d sooner die.

  Cat nudged her. “Here he comes,” he said, nodding down the street. “Finished?”

  “Yes,” Emily said. She’d eaten more than she normally ate for breakfast, but she wasn’t sure when she’d be able to eat again. “Let’s go.”

  “I got a message back,” Jade said, as they joined him outside the diner. “We’re to be at a certain place at a certain time.”

  “How very specific.” Cat sneered. “Did they actually bother to give details?”

  Jade passed him the note. “Very elliptical details,” he said. “Anyone who reads it without knowing what I was doing last year wouldn’t have a clue where to start.”

  Which doesn’t prove that Master Abrams hasn’t been bribed or threatened by the king, Emily thought. A skilled enchanter could find work anywhere, but someone who’d put roots down might not want to move in a hurry. He wouldn’t want to tip Jade off before he walked into the trap.

  “We’ll be careful,” Jade assured them. “Very careful.”

  “Quite,” Cat agreed. “So...where do we go?”

  Jade led them through a maze of streets until they reached the Grassmarket. Emily looked around with interest, remembering when Imaiqah had brought her to see the largest market in the country. The Grassmarket looked busier than ever, although a number of stalls were missing. She felt her heart clench, even as she took in the stalls piled high with meat, fruit and vegetables. No one was selling broadsheets, books or weapons. There wasn’t even a broadsheet crier within eyeshot.

  Randor must have shut them all down, she thought, numbly. And they’re just...gone.

  “Ah,” Jade said. He nodded towards a young girl leaning against a stall. “She’s our contact.”

  Emily studied the girl as Jade spoke to her, exchanging signs and countersigns. The girl was short and slight, her face pinched in a manner that suggested she was terrified. Emily had no idea how old she actually was, but she was fairly sure the girl was quite young. She couldn’t help being reminded of Frieda when they’d first met at Mountaintop. The girl couldn’t be any older than sixteen.

  “This way,” Jade said.

  The girl led them down a pair of side-streets, then knocked on an unmarked door. Emily tensed, touching her dagger as she readied a spell. If there was a trap, it would be sprung now. The door opened, revealing a middle-aged man wearing a magician’s robe. His face was curiously bland, half-hidden behind a glamour. Emily sensed a handful of wards guarding his quarters, but nothing that appeared dangerous. The magician wasn’t that powerful, then. He preferred to rely on misdirection rather than brute force.

  “Master Abrams,” Jade said, relieved. He wouldn’t have had any trouble seeing through the glamour. “I’m glad you’re safe.”

  “I’m glad you’re back too,” Master Abrams said. He nodded to the girl. “I believe Mouse has something for you.”

  The girl reached into her pocket and produced a piece of cloth. “Here,” she said, as she unwrapped the cloth. “Your wife wanted me to give you this.”

  A ring fell into her hand. Emily sucked in her breath as Jade took the ring, balancing it on his palm. A ring...Alassa’s ring. The signet was unmistakable. Emily could pract
ically taste her friend’s magic shimmering around the ring. Jade looked down at it for a long moment, then placed it in his pocket. Emily knew they’d be in real trouble if he was caught with the ring, but she knew better than to try to stop him carrying it. The magic alone was proof that Alassa remained alive.

  “Thank you,” Jade said, heavily.

  Mouse curtseyed. “My Lord.”

  “Perhaps we should all come into the parlor,” Master Abrams said. “Mouse, fetch us all some Kava...why don’t you?”

  His gaze rested on Emily for a long moment. “And you are...?”

  “A friend,” Jade said, quickly. “She’s here to help.”

  “One would hope so,” Master Abrams said. His tone was artfully bland. Emily was sure he knew who she was. “Come, please.”

  He led them through a door into a comfortable sitting room. “Please, take a seat,” he said, as he sat himself down on an armchair. “You can use magic here, I believe. The king’s sorcerers are only watching for the bigger magics.”

  Jade sat on a smaller chair, leaving the sofa for Emily and Cat. “You had to move?”

  “It seemed a good idea,” Master Abrams said. “Mouse and her message and the ring...I knew the king would do everything in his power to recover the ring. I moved house as soon as I sent you that message, taking only my spellbooks and money. Everything else has had to be abandoned.”

  “You will be compensated,” Jade said, quietly.

  Master Abrams snorted. “We shall see, young man,” he said. “We shall see.”

  Mouse entered the room, carrying a tray of mugs. Emily took hers gratefully, then motioned for Mouse to sit down too. The younger girl looked horrified at the mere thought of sitting next to her social superior, but she couldn’t refuse. She sat down so gingerly that Emily couldn’t help feeling amused. It looked as if she expected the sofa to turn into a spike at any moment.