fandomania | The Adventure continues...

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After the meeting broke up, Orlando came over to me and said, “You have a lot on your plate right now, Patra. I appreciate that. And you, obviously, are still recovering from last night’s attack. I don’t want to pressure you into doing something you are not ready to do. Let me know when you would like to start working on your magic studies. I know that we failed the last time, but perhaps with the crown in your possession, you might not fail again. In the meantime, get Piatrus to lock it up someplace very secure. I am going back to Rawn-Devu and find any and all books that mention the crown or anything like it. When you are ready, I will return with these books and start your lessons once again. But in the mean time, don’t play with it. Don’t experiment with it. You don’t know how to control it and you might find yourself under its control instead. Please be careful with it! Promise me you will?”

I looked him directly in his eyes and promised him that I would.
“Good girl!” Orlando took my right hand into his. He kissed it and gave me a deep bow. I was very startled by this. “Your Highness, you are heiress to two thrones, one of which I pledged my fealty to over 800 years ago. I still honor that pledge. I am always at your service.” He then winked at me and took his leave.

I got up and slowly walked to the door. I was stiff and sore, but nothing more. Donal saw me and started to fuss over me. Pahpey also came over.

“Pahpey, do we have a safe or a strong room for valuables? Orlando is correct. This shouldn’t be left lying around. It is too valuable, too important to be casual about it.” I wrapped the crown back up in the towel. It seemed almost sacrilege to do so, but I had nothing better to protect it, not only from injury, but also from prying eyes.

“Yes, dear, we do. Several in fact. But the one least accessible to others in the one in my bedroom. We can keep it there until your wing has been remodeled. I will include a safe to the plans for your new rooms. When they are done, we can transfer it back into your possession.” Pahpey indicated for us to follow him. I was very slow moving, and so Donal picked me up once more and carried me as we kept up with Pahpey.

I had never been inside Pahpey’s bedroom suite. It was far different than I imagined it to be. We entered a very large room, done in varying shades of blue. Dark blue velvet draperies surrounding floor to ceiling windows. Light blue walls with many paintings and gold sconces. Hard wood floors covered with many intricately hand woven rugs in various shades of blue and gold. One on side of the room was a vanity with several chairs in a very feminine style. On the other side was a large dark mahogany desk with several mahogany and leather chairs. In the center of the south wall was a large fireplace. Over the mantel was a portrait of a very lovely young woman. I figured that she must have been his late wife. Off to the right of the fireplace was an open door, through which I could glimpse the sleeping chamber, done similarly in blues.

Pahpey must have noticed me looking around. He looked sad and said, “These rooms were decorated by my wife. I have never wanted to change them. Whenever things needed replacing, I have always had duplicates made, so as not to make any changes from what she had done. It gives me comfort to keep things as she left them.”

Pahpey went to the left of the fireplace and pushed a hidden button on the side of it. A door in the paneling opened. Behind the door was a safe with several locks. Pahpey used a key from a set of keys he had on his belt. He then removed a key that was hidden behind one of the draperies. Together, he turned the keys and was able to open the safe. There were drawers of various sizes that lined the back of the safe. He opened the biggest one, which was empty. It was inside that drawer that I placed the crown. He then closed the drawer and the safe and closed the hidden door. He carefully showed me where the button was hidden and where the second key was hidden. He also clued me in as to how to tell which key on his set was the one to use. “Brian and my manservant, Orson, were the only two people who knew about this safe and where the secret places are. You two now know it also.”

“Thank you.” I responded. After a few minutes, I told Pahpey. “Your wife was very lovely. I can see how much Donal resembles her.”

“That isn’t my wife, Anya. Her portrait is hung in my bedroom. This is a portrait of my daughter, Helene, done just before she wed Donal’s father. Of her four sons, Donal is the only one who takes after her. Eryssa reminds me so much of her. She looks very much like Helene did at that age.”

There was a clatter heard outside the house. One of the guards came running into the house. He stopped at the door to Pahpey’s suite.

“I am sorry to interrupt you, sir, but there is a royal messenger come from his Majesty, King Torval, with a message for Lady Patra.”

“Now what?” Pahpey exclaimed in annoyance.

“I don’t know, sir. He wouldn’t tell me anything. Shall I let him in?”

“I suppose you must. But take your time. Give us at least fifteen minutes before you do. And have Captain Quinton personally escort him to the great hall. Tell Quinton that this is my personal order.”

“Yes, sir.” The guard turned and left.

“I am sorry, my dear, but you are going to have to see this messenger. It won’t do to insult the king.”

“I understand, Pahpey.”

Pahpey sent a servant to find Haral and we all went to the great hall. Once there, he had his most ornate chair placed at the far end of the hall. I was instructed to sit there, looking as ill as I could. Donal was to stand on my right side, with Pahpey and Haral on the left. Pahpey was to do all the talking, with Haral as a backup. Donal and I were to just be there and let them take care of whatever the problem was.

We were all in our places when Captain Quinton slowly escorted the royal messenger in. The messenger didn’t look pleased at the snail’s pace the captain was taking, but he also didn’t dare to rush around him. The captain was looking particularly fierce.

When the messenger was finally in front of us, he gave a huge bow, with a very dramatic sweep of his hat. When he straightened, he announced, “I have been sent here by his Royal Majesty, King Torval vanWulfen, King of Alfaria unto her Ladyship Patra vanDraco, heiress to the royal throne of Freedonia. His Majesty has ordered me to present her Ladyship with his message into her hands only.” He knelt in front of me and whipped out a sealed envelope from his pouch and offered it to me.

I had been expecting a verbal message. Since Pahpey had said to act ill, I put out my hand to take it, and let is shake a bit. The messenger placed it in my hand but I allowed it to drop onto my lap. Donal quickly reached down, picked it up and handed it to Pahpey. When he started to open the envelope, the messenger protested, but Pahpey ignored him. He quickly perused it, with Haral looking at the message next. He then handed it to me. It was a letter of condolence about Lynnaria and an order to attend his Majesty at his palace that day. I let out a gasp and pretended to faint. Donal caught me, taking the letter from my hand and used it to fan me.

“As you can see, her Ladyship is very unwell.” Uncle Haral, in his most authoritative voice. “The shock of this news, on top of the dreadful assault she suffered last night, has made her take leave of her senses. I am sure that it will be days before she will be able go anywhere.”

“But his Majesty has specifically ordered me not to come back without her!” protested the messenger.

“His Majesty often doesn’t think his orders all the way through. To send such a shocking message and then expect someone to attend him immediately?” Haral shook his head. “I will accompany you back to his Majesty and get you off the hook for this.”

The messenger looked confused.

“You don’t recognize me, young man? I am Haral, Archprelate of Alfaria and religious advisor to his Majesty. I am sure that he won’t mind speaking to me instead.”

The messenger blanched and then prostrated himself in front of Haral. “Rise, my son. Let us go now and find out what is on his Majesty’s mind.” He hustled the man out of the great hall. A few minutes later, we could hear the sound of horses riding off.

“Haral will find out what Torval wants.” Pahpey said to us. “That was very good acting, Patra. I almost believed it.”