Into The Ruins (47 page)

The invitation a week later to the Royal Ball came as a complete surprise.  The courier who delivered the invitation personally to their door must have had some pull to make his way past the Guild’s guardsmen.  The two Specialists who were responsible for them today had wandered off a short time earlier for their dinner, telling the guards to come for them if anything developed.  Rigo had noted the slackness that was starting to settle in after weeks of watching them.  So, apparently, had someone else.

“What is it?” Lorl asked, coming over to see what Rigo was reading.

“My understanding of the written language isn’t nearly so proficient as with the spoken, but this appears to be an invitation from the Queen herself.”

“No kidding,” Ash’urn said as he wandered over to have a look, smoothing his beard in anticipation of something interesting.  “An invitation to what?”

“From the dancing figures on the invitation, I would assume it is a ball of some sort,” Rigo replied.

“When is this to take place?” Ash’urn asked.  Rigo might have guessed that Ash’urn would be eager to study the habits of the nobility of Sedfair firsthand.  For himself, one noble was much like another and the vast majority of them he could do without.  There were notable exceptions, but a ball wasn’t his sort of thing.

Lorl seemed to be of a similar opinion.  “I can’t dance a step.  Why would we want to do this?”

“Because the Queen invited us,” Rigo replied.  “It would be unseemly to ignore such a request.  It’s tonight, by the way.”

“Tonight!” Ash’urn exclaimed.  “We’ve nothing suitable to wear for such a formal outing.”

As he spoke there was another knock at the door. 

“Now what?” Lorl asked, and walked over to see who was there. 

Surrounded by three of the Guild’s guards were a half dozen servants loaded down with garments and accessories, and looking very nervous.  “These are for you, ser,” one of the servants said, eager to deposit his burdens and be away from here.

“Isn’t that convenient,” Ash’urn said smiling, as he showed the servant where they could set their load.

Rigo studied the garish clothing and asked, “Who would know our sizes?  Do you think any of this will even fit?”  Much of the clothing appeared too large for any of them.

“I’m certain we will find it fits perfectly,” Ash’urn responded.

Rigo stared at the elder scholar questioningly.

“Mitty, of course.  She has been with us each and every time we purchased an item of clothing.  I’d be surprised if she didn’t figure into this selection of items prominently.”

As they spoke there was yet another knock at the door.

“It’s about time to move,” Rigo said sarcastically.  “We have become too easy to find.” 

He opened the door to see a sour-faced Kimm and an equally agitated Delril standing just outside.  “What is going on?” Kimm asked angrily.

Rigo grinned delightedly, stepped back into the room to retrieve the invitation, and formally handed it to the Caster.  Uncertainly, she opened the very richly printed parchment and read the inside.

“This is unacceptable,” Kimm said.  “We were not told of this event.  The Saltique is currently away on private business, as are other members of the Eight.  There are not enough of us available to properly escort you to such an event.  There will be literally hundreds of guests there.”

“Are you suggesting we slight the Queen by failing to appear as requested?” Rigo asked in mock shock.

Kimm obviously didn’t know how to deal with the situation.  Rigo was certain the woman had been looking forward to the end of the day when she could turn over responsibility for the three outsiders to the guards and go to whatever home she had.  Now she had a problem on her hands and an evening of duty loomed.  It would certainly be very late before an event like this ended. 

“I suggest you and Caster Delril hurry and get dressed,” Rigo advised, enjoying himself.  “The invitation says it is to start in one glass.”

Kimm took another look at the invitation, cursed, and turned away.  She paused to give the guards instructions, then she and Delril disappeared.  Rigo wondered what they would look like in formal clothes.

A quarter glass before the time indicated on the invitation, they were surprised by another knock at the door.  Expecting Kimm and Delril had returned, Rigo opened the door to find Lady Alani, and two younger women formally dressed and waiting.

“We’re your escorts this evening,” Alani said with a grin.  “I hope we haven’t upset anyone’s schedule?”

“Our schedule is generally pretty open,” Rigo said.  He was surprised to see the women, and a little disappointed that Mitty wasn’t one of them.  Of course, there might have been an unsightly situation where he and Lorl vied for the woman’s arm.   “I believe you might have upset the plans of our minders, however.”  As he spoke, the two women in question stepped out of space, having obviously returned via a
Doorway
to be certain of arriving before the three men wished to leave.

“Wonderful,” Alani said, seeing the two Casters coming across the grass toward the cottage.  “We’re all here.  Shall we go?”

It was only a short walk to the castle, and this time they joined the throng entering through the massive front gates.  The Guild’s guardsmen were invited to remain outside as usual, further causing Caster Kimm to swear. 

“They will be safe enough in the castle,” Alani promised Kimm, and led the way inside.

If Rigo had thought his clothing was abnormally colorful, he soon changed his mind after seeing the selections worn by the other guests.  Obviously whoever had chosen the clothes for them had toned down the local effect and come up with a compromise that would allow them to feel comfortable, yet wouldn’t stand out against local custom.  Rigo wasn’t entirely surprised by the number of guests.  He’d been dragged into more than one royal affair back home, but he had to admit he never felt entirely comfortable with such crowds.

Lady Alani was quite the opposite.  She nodded to many of those they passed, and acknowledged waves and greetings from a great many of those in attendance.  Clearly she was well known by the upper crust of Nals society.  As they passed into the grand ballroom of the castle, Rigo was amazed at the transformation.  An army of servants must have worked the better part of the week to hang the decorations.  Magical glow bulbs of various colors hung from the high ceiling, and polished metal sculptures were tastefully arranged around the room.  A large orchestra played softly off to one side next to a dance floor. Opposite were a number of tables with a variety of tasty snacks and a large bar where uniformed tenders would provide any drink one might wish. Lorl glanced hopefully in that direction, but Lady Alani led them along a different path. 

“This is a farewell party the Queen has chosen to throw,” Lady Alani explained.  “There will be an official ceremony in a couple of weeks held by the Guild when they crown the new Queen and officially retire Queen Rosul.  That will be a more stilted affair, and she wanted a chance to thank those who have supported her efforts over the years.  She also wanted a chance to show you three off.  Many of the city’s more prominent members have been anxious to meet you.”

“Are affairs like this common?” Ash’urn asked, as his eyes roamed around the highly decorated room, noting the women and their consorts.  He had noted the signs of role reversal here, with the women taking the lead and the men following along a step behind. 

“Usually there is one major affair each year after the summer harvest to celebrate the year’s bounty.  With the transition to a new regime, it is likely that there will be several this year.”

The outsiders and their escorts, followed dutifully by Casters Kimm and Delril headed directly toward the raised platform where the Queen and her consort were greeting guests.  Queen Rosul smiled widely when she saw them approaching.  She pointed to empty seats near her, and once she had greeted each of them, she had a uniformed man with a long golden horn blow a series of long notes.  The room suddenly became quieter, and slowly the throng formed into a line headed toward the platform.

Rosul and Kall stood, and she motioned Rigo and his friends to join her.  They stood together, and for the next glass were introduced to an unending line of guests, with names they couldn’t hope to recall.  Most were curious, and several asked pointed questions that Rigo didn’t know how to answer.  Ash’urn seemed completely at home, and even managed to exchange a few jests with several of the women, despite his somewhat limited facility with the language.  Lorl was at a loss, smiling when he thought it appropriate, but he understood almost nothing of what was being said, and several times glanced longingly toward the table where tankards of ale as well as sparkling glasses of wine were available.  Casters Kimm and Delril were pushed into the background.  They had a position well behind the throng, and while they could see their charges, they could only watch the backs of the passing guests.

While the many guests soon became a blur, two incidents stood out in Rigo’s mind.  A certain Lord had stared at Rigo intently as he made his way through the line and approached the Queen.  When he was introduced to the three outsiders, he paid special attention to Rigo, and listened intently to the answer to a meaningless question he had posed as they exchanged greetings.  Something about the man’s intense scrutiny locked his name into Rigo’s memory.  The second incident was the arrival of Mitty and her escort.  She looked wonderful, and Rigo couldn’t help but wish she were with him instead of the younger man who was escorting her.  She smiled at Rigo and Ash’urn, greeting them casually.  She bowed to Lorl, who awkwardly returned the bow, not certain what he should do. 

“This is Kev,” she said, introducing the young man to Rigo.

Rigo suddenly felt as if the whole room had gone quiet.  The sounds of the other guests, the soft music in the background, and the conversations taking place all around him, suddenly faded away.  He looked squarely at the young man in front of him
.  He had the gift!
  Rigo hadn’t sensed one with the gift since arriving in Sedfair, and had wondered if it simply didn’t exist here or whether the bands he wore had blocked his ability to sense one like himself.  There was absolutely no doubt.  This young man had the ability to trigger inherent magic.  Rigo could sense the man’s ability to be very weak, probably because his talent hadn’t been released.  He was much like Rigo had been before Daim had opened up his skills.  Like Rigo had been then, he wouldn’t be able to sense another.  It wasn’t until his full power was released that he’d been able to detect another with the gift.

Rigo was about to say something when he realized that Mitty was watching him carefully. 
She knew!
  She was watching to see how he would react in the presence of the young man.  This was no chance encounter.  Suddenly, he realized that Mitty was also more than she seemed.  She saw him notice her scrutiny, and minutely moved her head to warn him to silence.  Then she and the young man were gone, disappearing into the ballroom with the other guests who had paid their respects.

Another quarter glass was required before all of those who wished to greet the Queen or have a chance to see the outsiders had their opportunity.  When the last of the long line were gone, the Queen signaled, and another series of horn blasts heralded the beginning of the feast.  Rigo and his companions were seated adjacent to the Royal table.  Even their Caster minders were provided a seat.  A long succession of dishes were provided.  By the time the meal was finished, all had eaten far more than made good sense.  Slowly the tables emptied as the guests returned to mingling, a great many headed toward the dance floor.

Rigo and his friends watched the proceedings, and were in turn watched by Kimm and Delril.  Several times they were approached, usually to be asked a question, but several times to be asked to join the dancers.  Rigo knew better than to embarrass himself by attempting a dance he had never seen.  He was awkward on the dance floor under the best of conditions.  He thought Ash’urn was going to accept one invitation, but Kimm shook her head indicating he wasn’t to do so, so he politely declined.  Caster Kimm earned herself a sharp look of annoyance from the departing woman for her interference.

There were too many people and too much was happening for Kimm and Delril to effectively watch over the three outsiders.  They really should have had one more Guild Caster so that each could stay with one of the strangers.  They were supposed to prevent private conversations between them and any locals.  Carif wanted to know anything that was revealed, or which might be passed between the outsiders and anyone else.  After a time Rigo and his two friends slowly became separated.  Kall appeared and drew Ash’urn aside for a quiet discussion.  Kimm drifted with them.  One of the guests appeared and drew Lorl away toward a group of local women.  Uncertainly, not wanting to give offense, he followed quietly.  Delril followed along to see what transpired, not convinced Lorl was as incapable with the language as he appeared.  She looked uncertainly back at Rigo.  She decided she could hurry back if anyone approached him.  That left Rigo momentarily alone, standing not too far from the table with the sparkling crystal glasses of wine.  Idly, he picked one up and took a sip.  Their wine was indeed very good.

“What did you think of Kev?” a quiet voice said behind him.  He turned slightly to see Mitty standing alone, hidden by her position from the two Casters now several tables away.