Two men were inside and the little girl, awoken by the commotion, was now sitting up in the bed, screaming. Onto the back of an intruder leaped Tempus, driving the man to the floor, his teeth sinking into the trespasser's neck. A violent wringing of his head was all it took to snap the bone, and he turned on the final invader.
The last man standing held a short blade. He stabbed at Tempus’ face, but years of fighting had honed the great dog’s reflexes, and he dodged it, turning his head to clamp down on the villain's forearm. Once again, the great jaws clenched, and the man let out a horrifying scream of agony.
Sounds erupted from all over the house, and Tempus turned to finish off the others. By the time the servants arrived, there were four dead bodies with buckets of blood covering the floor and walls. Horrified by the carnage, the servants swept the girl from the room, using brooms to chase off her protector. Back to the hallway, Tempus moved, pleased with his success. No longer would his mistress be in danger, he could now die easy, having fulfilled his obligation. Servants came and went, with buckets and mops, attempting to clearing away the remains of the awful carnage.
By next evening, the Hall was almost restored to its former state. Tempus sat, watching the door, lest more enemies appear. The little girl had been returned to her room, and he moved closer, so as not to be surprised again. It was now dark, the sun having disappeared, and he sat, listening to the sounds of the house. He knew the servants would soon be abed, and that was when there was the greatest danger. He must be vigilant.
Behind the door, the little girl was crying in her sleep, and he felt helpless, trapped as he was in the hallway. He barked once, to ward off any evil invaders, and then settled in for the long night. The crying stopped, and soon he heard the door creaking open. He stared into the darkness, watching for black-clad bandits, only to see the little yellow-haired girl in her nightgown, peering into the night.
She looked right at Tempus and waved him forward. He trotted quietly down the hall and entered the room, while the little girl closed the door behind him, and then climbed into bed.
Tempus lay on the floor at the foot of the bed, guarding the door. Soon, he heard his mistress’s breathing slow down, and knew she was asleep. He sat and listened. Strange, he thought, to hear the sound after so many years. He heard her tossing and turning, and then unexpectedly there was the sound of her tears. He stood up, and walked over to the side of the bed, his massive head higher than the mattress.
The little girl was huddled in her blankets, shivering and Tempus felt such compassion for his helpless young mistress. He climbed onto the bed, his weight sinking the mattress on one side, and placed his paw on her arm. Her tossing subsided, and she fell into restful slumber.
-Interlude XIII-
Bodden
Summer 960 MC
Anna hugged her faithful dog, “I’m so glad you were there, Tempus. I’ll never let anything like that happen to you again.”
“How old is he?” asked Hayley. “He’s showing grey around his muzzle.”
“He's quite old,” responded Albreda, “though his healing at the hands of Andronicus has helped him immensely.”
Fitz was startled, “The Royal Life Mage healed him? He wouldn’t even heal Gerald.”
“I suspect,” offered Beverly, “that the request never even got to him.”
“Valmar!” spat out her father.
“Precisely!” concurred Beverly.
“I don’t understand why Valmar seems to hate you so much,” commented Hayley.
“I do,” said Gerald. “It’s jealousy. Valmar is the marshal-general, but he’ll never have the ability of the baron. He's the best commander in the kingdom and Valmar resents that.”
“I’m afraid,” offered Beverly, “that I didn’t add to the family reputation during my time in the capital. The marshal-general and I didn’t exactly see eye-to-eye.”
“Well,” offered Fitz, “I suppose he can rise to the level of his incompetency then.”
They all laughed. It was good to be in such friendly company, where they could all talk freely.
“How long will Tempus live?” asked Anna, looking to Albreda for reassurance.
“I suspect for some time yet. He's here for a purpose; he has some task which must be completed before he passes to the Afterlife.”
“Animals go to the Afterlife?” asked a surprised Anna.
Albreda looked at her with a smile, “Of course they do. The Gods made all the creatures, why wouldn’t they see fit to reward them? It’s pretty arrogant to think that only Humans could go to the Afterlife.”
“So I’ll see him there, one day,” Anna said, comforted with the knowledge.
“He’s not going to the Afterlife for some time,” Albreda informed her. “He’s still got you to protect, and you provide him with what he’s always been searching for.”
“What’s that?”
“Love.”
“Well,” said Baron Fitzwilliam, rising to his feet, “it’s getting quite late, and we have work to do tomorrow.” He looked to Princess Anna, “You,” he continued, “have to leave for Kingsford in the morning and the rest of us have to be up before you, to make sure everything’s ready to go. I do wish you’d let me accompany you, Your Highness.”
“Nonsense, Baron,” replied Anna with a smile, “you’re needed here, and besides, in a sense, part of you will be with me anyway.”
The confused look on the baron's face made Anna chuckle, “Gerald and Beverly are both going with me, and you trained them.”
The door opened, and Anna's maid Sophie entered, curtsying. “Your bed is all made up, Highness,” she offered.
“I’ll be up in a few moments, we’ve just been telling stories of the past,” Anna informed her.
“What stories, Highness?” asked the young maid.
“The story of how Tempus came to Uxley,” offered Gerald. “Though I suspect you’d be too young to remember that. When did you arrive at the Hall, Sophie?”
“A year or two before you did, Gerald,” she answered. “Why do you ask?”
“It sounds like Tempus’ arrival caused quite a stir. I wondered if you knew of it?”
“I do,” said Sophie, “though I was only a young girl at the time. Hanson told me all about it.”
“I would think” offered Beverly, “that the whole episode must have been awfully traumatic for such a young child.”
“It was, miss. Hanson said if it hadn’t been for Lady Felicia, the princess wouldn’t have made it.”
“Who’s Lady Felicia?” asked Gerald.
“I assume,” said the baron, “that she refers to the Queen’s sister, Lady Felicia Warren. She died a number of years ago.”
“I’d forgotten about her,” added Anna. “I was so young, and I believe she only visited the once.”
“It’s true,” said Sophie. “She arrived the summer after Tempus did.”
“You must tell us more,” begged Anna. “I’d love to know the full tale; I don’t remember much."
“Yes, come along Sophie,” remarked Gerald, rising to his feet. “Come and have a seat and tell us the story. Hayley, get her a drink, would you?”
Sophie sat down, looking woefully out of place. “It’s not really my story, I was told it by Hanson,” she protested.
“Never mind that,” said Gerald, handing her some wine. “None of us here are expert storytellers.”
“You are, Gerald,” offered Anna. “You tell me stories all the time!”
Gerald blushed at the compliment, and the others smiled at his obvious affection for the princess. “Please continue,” he prompted.
“Very well. It was the summertime, and it all started with a fancy carriage pulling up to Uxley Hall…”
A Visitor Comes to Uxley
Uxley Hall
Summer 951 MC
The carriage rolled up the path, bumping along on the uneven ground, its passenger peering out from behind the drawn curtains. Lady Felicia Warren looked out upon
a disused estate that had fallen upon hard times. “A shame,” she muttered out loud to herself, “that such a magnificent estate should be so ill-treated.”
Stopping before the grand entrance, she waited patiently while her footman opened the door, placing a small step to help her down. She emerged into the sunlight, blinking at the unexpected brightness of the day. She watched as servants hastened to assemble by the door, and she pretended to straighten her dress to give them time to prepare. Looking up, she recognized Alistair Hanson standing at their head and smiled; it was good to see a familiar face. As she stepped forward, Hanson bowed.
“Nice to see you, Alistair,” she said. “I trust Uxley has been good to you?”
“It has indeed, my lady,” he returned.
“You can dismiss the servants,” she commanded. “I’m sure they have more interesting things to do than greet an old lady. You and I, however, have things to discuss.”
“Of course, my lady.” He turned, dismissing the others with a wave of his hand, and then smiled back at Lady Felicia. “Shall I show you in?”
“By all means, Alistair. You can arrange for my things after we’ve spoken.” The two began making their way into the Hall.
“I was surprised to hear news of your visit, my lady,” the steward began. “It was not something I was expecting.”
“There has been an attempt on the life of my niece,” she retorted, perhaps a little more vehemently than she expected. “What else was I to do?”
“But surely the king-”
“The king has seen fit to do nothing, and my sister is just as bad. You would think that a mother would show up at the very least! Sorry Alistair, I know it’s not your fault. I’m pleased that you have kept me informed.”
“You insisted on it when you had me assigned here, my lady. Serving you and Lord Warren was an absolute pleasure.”
“Thank you, Alistair; you always did have a flair for words. I knew when my husband died that you needed a change of scenery; this seemed just the place for you. I suspect you’ve been most diligent in your duties?”
“Of course, madam. Though I daresay this latest… tragedy is far out of my experience.”
“And how is my young niece?”
“I’m afraid she is not doing well, my lady. She is very withdrawn and seldom comes out of her room. She also stays quite close to that beast the king sent down here.”
“The dog? That’s hardly surprising, considering what you wrote me.”
“Shall I take you to meet her, madam?”
“No, I shall settle in and make my own introduction once I’ve done some investigating.”
“Investigating? I didn’t realize we were under suspicion,” Hanson commented.
“And you aren’t, my dear old friend. I merely want to get the staff’s opinion of the situation before I move forward.”
“And do you think there is hope for her? Perhaps the King's Life Mage can help?”
“The King's Life Mage likely doesn’t even know she exists. His Majesty's command has seen to that. Honesty, I don’t know why the king can’t just acknowledge her!”
“I’ve afraid that is out of my control, my lady.”
“Of course it is, Alistair. Now pour me a drink and have the servants unload my belongings. I shall have to think on this alone for a while.”
“May I ask how long you will be staying?”
“As long as needed. I suspect, at the very least, I’ll be here till the end of summer. I shouldn’t like to be here when my sister arrives in the autumn; we still don’t see eye-to-eye on certain matters.”
“Very well, madam,” said Hanson. “I will leave you in peace and have your luggage seen to.”
* * *
It was early in the evening when Anna was brought before her aunt. She was led into the study by a middle-aged woman who was, ostensibly, her nanny. Lady Felicia was unimpressed by the dour look on the woman's face. Her young niece was pale, with big circles under her eyes. She was constantly wringing her hands and glancing about as if the very room was filled with monsters.
“You poor girl,” Felicia said, reaching out to take the youngster's hand.
Her niece shrank back at the attempt. As her offer was withdrawn, Felicia couldn’t help but notice the trembling in the young girl's hands.
“Where's the hound?” she asked.
“The filthy beast won’t let us near him, my lady,” replied the nanny. “The servants had to chase him off with brooms just to get the girl out of the room.”
“Show me,” she demanded, rising to her feet.
She was led upstairs to a long hallway. Midway down was the child's room, and upon arriving at the door, Felicia looked down to see a dark stain on the wooden floor. “Is this the room where the attack occurred?” she asked.
“Yes, my lady,” replied the maid.
“Well for Saxnor’s sake! This won’t do. Have her moved immediately. It’s no wonder the child is petrified with fear. Where’s the dog?”
“Inside, miss.”
Felicia opened the door slowly, peering inside to see a large mastiff pacing the room. It was by the window, and when it turned to face her direction, she saw that there was dried blood all over the creature's muzzle and chest.
“Has no one seen fit to wash down the poor thing?”
“No one can get near him, madam. The beast is a killer.”
“Nonsense! He’s just protective towards the young girl. Go and get me a wash bowl and cloth,” she commanded. With the door open the rest of the way, she noticed the room was quite large, and there were stains on the sheets, likely dried blood from the hound.
“This will never do,” she uttered.
She strode into the room advancing directly towards the dog. It stopped its movement, eyeing her suspiciously. She reached out with her hand, allowing it to sniff her, and then began to pet its head.
“You poor creature,” she said. “All you were doing was protecting the child, and this is how they treat you.”
A maid appeared with a bowl and cloth. Felicia sat in front of the hound and rolled up her sleeves. Dipping the cloth in the water, she began gently wiping the dried blood off the animal's muzzle. It was thick and crusty, and it took some effort, but the beast did not object, and before long she saw a clean, scarred face staring back at her.
“There,” she exclaimed, “much better!”
She turned to speak to the maid and saw other servants lurking behind, “My niece will be moved to the room at the end of the hallway, across from the library. Bring her back here, and I shall walk her and her pet down to their new room myself.”
There were mutterings of obedience while the servants started removing clothes from the room, giving the dog a wide berth. Anna arrived shortly after that, the small pale child holding onto Hanson’s hand.
“Here she is, madam.”
“Come, child,” she said in a soothing voice. “Let us take you and your faithful companion to your new room.” She held out her hand for her niece and was rewarded by a timid advance. Lady Felicia remained kneeling beside the dog as this occurred. “Have you a name for your dog?” she asked.
The little girl shook her head. Felicia looked at Hanson who replied, “There’s a plaque on his collar, madam.”
She gazed at the brass plate where ‘Tempus’ was emblazoned. Looking back at Anna, she said, “His name’s Tempus. Can you say that?”
The little girl nodded, squeaking out a reply, “Tempus.”
“Yes, my dear, that’s right.” Felicia smiled, rising slowly to her feet. “Now, let’s get you out of this place, with its unpleasant memories.” She held out her hand and waited, patiently, while Anna took it. “Come along, Tempus,” she said, casting her gaze in the direction of the dog. The creature must have known his name, for he advanced slowly, following their footsteps.
Down the hall, she led them, an army of servants preceding them. Anna walked slowly, Felicia letting her set the pace. By the time they arrived at her n
ew room, the servants were exiting, the newly laid bed ready for her arrival.
“This is going to be your new room, Anna,” Felicia said. “You and Tempus will sleep here. You’re right across from the library. Now, let’s get you ready for bed, it’s getting late.”
She called in the nanny to change her niece into her night clothes and left them to it.
* * *
Later that evening, Lady Felicia peered into her niece's room. The child was asleep, tossing and turning, the dog, Tempus, lying beside her. The poor thing was reliving the attack, she thought, something must be done to occupy her mind. She resolved to talk it over with Hanson in the morning, to see if he had any ideas. Making her way back down the hall to where her own room lay, she took no more than a few dozen steps when a thought crossed her mind, and so she wheeled about, heading in the direction of the library.
The library at Uxley Hall was well stocked, which surprised her. The current king was not known as a great reader, and she imagined that his ancestors must have been better educated. She had spent time in the company of King Andred IV, and had been less than impressed with his intelligence; whatever her sister saw in him was a complete mystery. She had warned Elenor that the king would lose interest in her, but her sister wouldn’t listen. Of course, after giving birth to three children, the king took a mistress and then the biggest shock of all; the queen became pregnant. The poor child was banished to this estate, to spend her whole life in isolation.
Felicia knew her sister was ashamed of the product of her affair. Elenor had always been the prim and proper one, but seldom took responsibilities for her actions. In a way, it had been inevitable. Once she lost the love of the king, she was bound to find it elsewhere, for Elenor was a woman that constantly needed attention and comfort. Felicia herself had never been blessed with children and was furious that her sister would treat this child so callously. She was now taking it upon herself to see that Anna was provided for; given the life which she deserved.
Mercerian Tales Page 18