The Dragon King

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by Patty Jansen


  Nellie almost wished that she were young and careless and just married, and had a house to furnish. There was so much for sale.

  Slowly, they made their way through the main street towards the market square.

  When they came to an address on the list, Henrik and Adrian would talk to the person named by Master Thiele. Sometimes Henrik would go alone and sometimes Nellie would come. They would ask to speak with the person on Master Thiele’s list, and when this person came to the door they would ask a few questions to establish their loyalty.

  Half the time, this was enough to know that it was probably not a good idea to continue. They ended up getting confirmations from only fourteen people. Enough to continue with Master Thiele’s plan, if the other groups found an equal number of people, but too few for Nellie to believe they would succeed.

  The main street through the artisan quarter joined the square at the north side of the church. The block behind the church consisted of buildings related to the church: the shepherd’s residence, the old, no-longer-used seminary where monks visiting from out of town would stay, and the chapel of the Holy Mother that was a relic from the Belaman church but used for private services, mainly baptisms and funerals. There was also a school where young boys would learn the Verses if they were interested in joining the ranks of the monks or becoming a shepherd.

  As Nellie, Henrik and Adrian walked past the complex, a tall man in a flapping robe crossed the courtyard. Nellie had assumed that Shepherd Wilfridus was in hiding, based on what Master Thiele had told her last night, but the figure she spotted walking across the courtyard looked very much like him. Because of his height, he always walked bent over. He held his robes at the front with one hand to shield himself from the cold. He held his head bowed and walked with deliberate strides in the direction of the chapel.

  Nellie stopped walking and turned to Henrik. “Do you see that? I wonder where he is going in such a hurry.”

  “Only one way to find out,” Henrik said.

  The area behind the church was open to the public so citizens could pray in the chapel when no services were held.

  The three of them walked across the courtyard and up the steps of the chapel.

  It was a simple but elegant building with a domed roof. Pillars lined the front, where two marble steps led up to the entrance. The door stood open, but it was dark and cold inside.

  From the steps, you could see across the entire courtyard.

  “There,” Adrian said.

  Shepherd Wilfridus had met a monk at the entrance to the seminary. The monk spread his hands as if in apology, and the shepherd pointed his finger at the man’s chest. His voice carried across the courtyard, but the men were too far to hear what was being said.

  Henrik pulled something out of the pocket of his coat and gave it to Adrian. “Your ears are better than mine.”

  Adrian unfolded the thing into a funnel-shaped contraption made from whalebone and fabric, not unlike a corset. There was a thin tube on one end which he put to his ear, and directed the wide mouth of the funnel at the seminary.

  They stood in silence.

  The shepherd yelled and the poor monk barely got a word in.

  Adrian listened. Nellie didn’t dare say anything because he might miss important information.

  Eventually, the shepherd went down the steps, strode across the courtyard to his residence, went in and slammed the door behind him.

  The monk wiped his face and went into the seminary.

  “What was all that about?” Henrik asked.

  Adrian packed the funnel away and gave it back to Henrik. “Come. We need to tell the others.”

  He didn’t speak again until they were in the street.

  “Something has happened in the palace,” he said in a low voice. “I didn’t get all of it, but the shepherd blamed the monks for allowing it to happen. He said that Casper is now out of their control and it was all the monks’ fault and that his only option is to kill them all. The monk felt it was against the spirit of the church and the Shepherd asked if he would like to be ruled by evil magic instead.”

  Nellie felt cold. What was the bet that it had something to do with the dragon?

  Maybe Bruno had shown Casper his dragon and maybe Casper, being desperate, had invited Bruno to do whatever necessary to get rid of the palace guards outside the door.

  They walked back to Master Thiele’s house.

  The other groups returned shortly after.

  The group whose area had included the harbour district had picked up rumours in the taverns. One rumour that repeated a few times was that the youngsters had a ceremony where they placed a boy on the throne that had been untouched for ten years.

  Several people gasped at this news. Not even Regent Bernard had dared sit on the throne, even if he had declared his intention to become king. According to several people, Casper was an insolent lout who needed a strong father.

  None of Master Thiele’s people had seen Casper’s letters to Adalbert Verdonck. To them, he was just a lout.

  “He has gone and declared his own successor to the throne,” Henrik said in a low voice to Nellie while outraged protests rang through the room. “Would Casper hand the leadership to a rival?”

  Nellie said, “Is Casper really Bruno’s rival? They’re both young men badly let down by those around them. They realise they need to be smart, because otherwise neither of them will survive. They’re stronger when they work together. If Casper is smart, and I think he has become smart in a hurry, he knows he will never be king. The next best thing is to be a king’s friend.”

  While she spoke, the people in the room had fallen quiet, and all listened to her.

  Master Thiele said, “If that is true, we have a dragon king.”

  “And Shepherd Wilfridus is going to kill them both.”

  Everyone in the room was silent.

  Into this silence, Nellie said, “We need to get into the palace and we need to show the people what is really happening.”

  Master Thiele nodded. “That’s why we’re here. But it’s easier said than done. We are not terribly many, and the entire citizenship of the city is controlled by the shepherd.”

  “So we do what Lord Verdonck has done all these years: we eat food that contains remedies against magic. We hand it out to the people. Then we go to the palace.”

  “We’d need an army that we don’t have. We’re not poor but we can’t afford to hire an army.”

  “No, we don’t need an army. We need a circus, and we’re going to have the biggest party to end all parties.”

  Chapter 18

  * * *

  ALL THE SECTIONS of the most daring plan she had ever come up with had come together in Nellie’s mind. She explained her thoughts.

  “If Bruno is with Casper in the palace, and the guards are intent on keeping the boys there, those guards are controlled by the shepherd, and he is stepping out of the shadows to take control. I doubt he planned to do that just yet. He might have wanted to wait until Casper did something that made him so disliked that the people would support the shepherd in removing him from the palace. But Bruno is a snag in his plan, because the shepherd doesn’t know what Bruno will do. Bruno can tell the people a story about his imprisonment, and it is all true. One thing the shepherd hasn’t been able to erase from the citizens of Saardam is the love for the king and queen. Bruno will not play nicely and he will never do what the shepherd says. And Bruno is a magician—not a very good one, but he has magic. So things are likely to get nasty. As I said, we will have to get into the palace.”

  “Have you seen how many guards are at the gate?” a man said.

  “We’re not going to use an army or weapons, because we don’t have an army and we can’t pay for one, and if we could find someone who said he would, we couldn’t trust him. Ever since I’ve been old enough to remember, powerful men have fought over the throne in the palace. No one rich enough who’s prepared to buy us an army is going to give up a victory for a
fourteen-year-old boy; he’s going to grab the throne for himself.”

  Master Thiele said, “That describes Adalbert Verdonck.”

  “I doubt he’s the only one,” Henrik said.

  “It’s not about the person with the most weapons or power,” Nellie continued. “Weapons are no use against magic. It’s about who controls the citizens. Shepherd Wilfridus does that. He gives out magic food from the stores. He has been giving out magic food to the guests who come to the palace and to the Regent and now his sons. We can’t be successful unless we break the magic and we can’t do that with weapons.”

  “You’re suggesting we need a magician?” Master Thiele said.

  “No; besides, we don’t have one. We need to give the people a remedy that stops magic. The type of magic that’s used on the food is not very strong and a concoction of common herbs will do it. Lord Verdonck used it.”

  “I don’t know if you noticed that Ronald Verdonck is dead. Didn’t work so well on him.”

  “Yes, but the magic only poisoned him when it was strong. For years, when he ate at the Regent’s table, he was not affected by the magic that made everyone agree with the Regent and think he was wonderful.”

  “I never ate much at the palace either,” Henrik said. “My family preferred that I came home as much as possible.”

  “And I never ate much at the palace because of my stomach,” Adrian said. “I noticed how some of the other guards would raise questions about the Regent, only to say those questions weren’t important later.”

  Master Thiele said, “So what are these remedies and how would we get them to people? Forgive me, but I’m a man of arms.”

  “There are herbs we can use, many of which are commonly grown in this area.”

  “But it’s winter and nothing grows.”

  “We can get dried versions. A number of shops in the city sell the things we need.”

  “And how are you going to get them to the people?”

  “By giving them something they like. Do you remember Yolande’s sweet shop?”

  “The one that used to be in the artisan quarter?”

  “Yes, that one. Yolande was one of the people we rescued from the harbour. She has not been well, but is recovering. However, our group also has a number of women who are good at cooking and I’m sure Yolande would be happy to tell us how to make sweets if we can get enough sugar.”

  “I can get sugar,” someone said in the back of the room.

  “And how would you get the sweets to everyone?”

  “We will drop them from a balloon.”

  He frowned. “A—what?”

  “Madame Sabine is also with us. She used to be with the balloon division of the Lurezian army. She has a balloon in Lord Verdonck’s shed.” At least Nellie hoped it was still there.

  “You’re just going to drift randomly over the city to drop sweets from a balloon?”

  “No, we’re going to come into the city with a parade. A circus parade with exotic animals. And the balloon will be tied to the elephant. All the people will come out to watch, and we’ll give the sweets to them. Then, when we get to the palace, we ask for an audience with the Regent and promise a private show. Madame Sabine says her son is very fond of sweets. We’ll all be dressed up. Who is going to refuse entry to a circus troupe? Especially with the promise of a feast and a private parade of animals?”

  Master Thiele gave her a wide-eyed look.

  “They won’t let you in the palace with weapons,” Adrian said.

  “We won’t have weapons. The enemy is magic. Weapons are useless.”

  “There will be weapons,” Henrik said. “Maybe not in the main party, but as long as I live, no expedition like this will take place without armed support. Anyone who is capable and can carry a weapon will accompany the troupe in the shadows. I don’t know how it will work, but we will be there.”

  “I can provide some men as well,” Master Thiele said. “It’s the most ridiculous scheme I’ve heard, but it might just work. All I know is that a straight attack will not only be treason against the state but is likely to get us all killed. Just enlighten me on what is going to happen once we’re inside the palace.”

  “We’ll have a feast. We bring the food and the wine and the palace kitchen staff will not have to do a single thing. We invite all the nobles because Casper will want to impress them. The food will contain the magic antidote. Shepherd Wilfridus will not be invited. If he invites himself, there will be lots of questions for him, because the people are no longer under his control.”

  “He’s still a magician.”

  “Yes, but we have a dragon.”

  Somehow, there would be a confrontation when Shepherd Wilfridus turned up, and she wasn’t sure that the dragon could win it, or that Bruno had enough control over him to make sure that he didn’t flee like he had done previously. She supposed she could talk to the dragon sternly, but would it be enough? The shepherd wasn’t going to give up, not until he was dead.

  And would it be sufficient to put a fourteen-year-old boy on the throne to settle a ten-year-old succession dispute, especially since the boy wasn’t ready for the task?

  Henrik continued, “We, the armed men, will be outside waiting for signs of trouble and informing the citizens of what they need to know if there are curious masses, and I’m sure there will be plenty, once the sweets start doing their work.”

  “Especially if we leave the elephant in the forecourt,” Nellie said. “And the promise of more sweets.”

  Master Thiele looked from one to the other. “How long have you two been planning this?”

  Nellie said, “I don’t plan, I make use of the things I have.”

  Henrik said, “I do as she says.”

  The men all laughed.

  Because the secret guard guild was small and had no power, Master Thiele had few resources. Many of the members had worked for the guards but were not guards anymore, although some still had contacts with their former colleagues. Master Thiele assured Henrik that there would be a small but experienced and well-informed group of armed men available.

  But first many other things needed to be done. To start, the required herbs against magic had to be obtained. Nellie agreed that she would take care of that.

  And then, if the women and whoever wanted to come were to enter the city disguised as a circus troupe, they needed to have suitably flamboyant clothing. They needed things to make sure people didn’t recognise them: hats, scarves, face paint, masks, things like that. Nellie agreed that she would also take care of that. Others would be in charge of finding another cart and horses, and bringing weapons.

  Nellie went to the artisan quarter, but the shops that normally sold local herbs of the sort she would need were no longer there. Yolande’s shop of sweets and knickknacks had been boarded over. Another shop with little trinkets and magical items was completely empty, the windows broken, the door smashed in.

  In despair, she went to Mistress Julianna’s shop, only to find it burned out.

  That made her feel cold. What had happened to its occupant? Nellie didn’t like Mistress Julianna, but she didn’t wish any ill on her either.

  A new shop sat on the corner at the start of the street, opposite the church. It was open, and a steady stream of people went in and out the door.

  Nellie stopped to have a look.

  She was sure the shop hadn’t been here in the short time when she lived in the artisan quarter. It sold fresh bread, hams and sausages, spices, sugars and jars of pickles, salted fish and many things. A wonderful smell came from within, and because Nellie wanted to look like she was shopping, she went inside. At least twenty people were inside the shop, all of them waiting at the counter to be served.

  Then she recognised a woman behind the counter. It was one of the wayfarers in Zelda’s group.

  By the Triune.

  Nellie couldn’t leave quickly enough. Spies were everywhere.

  Where could she find the herbs?

  Las
t time when she had looked for juniper berries, Els had suggested she go to Mistress Julianna. Maybe the two sisters would know where everyone was getting their remedies now that Mistress Julianna was gone. So she went to the unfinished warehouse to ask Els

  Els seemed genuinely pleased to see her. She was very keen to hear that Gisele was safe, and that they would be coming back to the city. She said, “To be honest, I was afraid that I would have to run the gin business by myself, and Gisele is so much better at it than I am. But I can’t go back to the palace, not with what I know now. I’ve often said that I don’t want to end up like my mother, and I truly don’t. I want to have a proper business that I don’t have to hide.”

  “So do we all. We’re working hard at making this a fair place again.”

  “I want to help.”

  “Well, I need a number of things. I know how to find most of them, but I do need to buy some herbs, and it seems that all of the herb sellers have disappeared. Not even Mistress Julianna’s shop still exists. I thought she was in with Zelda and would be protected by the palace guards but apparently that’s not so.”

  “Mistress Julianna was always a strange one. She doesn’t really want to work with anyone, and that was her biggest problem. She just isn’t a very nice person.”

  “Where can I buy the herbs I need?”

  “People buy them from Zelda.”

  “You mean Zelda’s shop on the corner? I can’t go in there. Zelda has already betrayed us once. She would betray us to the guards again if she thought she could make money out of it. I don’t think the shop sells what I need anyway. It seems to be for fancy cakes and bread.”

  “They have the herbs, but you need to ask for them.”

  “And then someone records what you buy and passes the information to the guards?”

 

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