Mantle: The Return of the Sha (8 page)

While the mayorgovern tended to the king’s business, Zander made his way through the crowd, greeting each of his subjects one by one. Each time the king was offered a hand, he shook it, and each time he was offered the name of a small child, he knelt down with a smile and offered his own. This went on for several hours, with Lizabet and Dorian following close behind the king, which pleased him greatly.

Balki, on the other hand, was not pleased. He made it a point of avoiding the king so long as Lizabet was present. It was slowly becoming clear to him that the medallion that hung from his neck would not allow him to get any closer, and this would obviously present problems. The inflock understood this as well, and it needed to move to another home if this agony continued. It could possess a person’s body, but that body would deteriorate quickly, being kept alive only through the black magic of the inflock itself. It would wait for a better opportunity.

So Balki made his way to the mayorgovern to ask if he might retire to his quarters early, explaining that he was feeling out of sorts, due to his travels. The mayorgovern, knowing that Balki had only just joined the king recently, became concerned that he might be ill, and gladly showed him to the inn so that he could rest.

When the king had finished greeting the people of Terra, he left for private meetings with the mayorgovern and his staff. For a few hours at least, the village would clear out in preparation for the evening’s events. All but the workers who had been tasked with setting up for the party went to their homes to ready themselves.

Lizabet and Dorian walked to their homes, also to prepare for dinner with the king. Along the way, Dorian nudged Lizabet and smiled, saying, “I told you that you had magic. And it’s the best kind of magic.”

“Why is that the
best
kind? I only smiled at him—don’t be silly.”

“No, you didn’t just smile. Just
being there
was enough to give the king his smile back. You don’t even have to do anything special, except to smile. That’s the best kind of magic.”

Lizabet laughed at this, and turned to Dorian, “I’m not sure it is magic, but I’m glad that the king is feeling better.”

****

When Lizabet arrived home, Jonattan and Bella were scrambling to prepare themselves for dinner. Once Lizabet had tended to the animals, she made her way to Bella’s room, and sat on the bed, watching her prepare for the evening’s events. Every hair on Bella’s head was being moved this way and that, until every strand and every curl was perfectly in its place.

“Why do you enjoy watching me?” Bella finally asked.

“I don’t know, you’re just so beautiful. And I think that the king thinks you’re beautiful too,” Lizabet said with a giggle.

“Oh hush, Lizabet. Whatever would make you think that?”

“I could see the way he smiled at you,” Lizabet said.

“He just got his smile back after so many years. He’s bound to smile at everyone, I should think.”

“Maybe,” Lizabet said, “but it seemed like his smile was a little brighter when he looked at you. Do you think you’ll court the king?”

Bella began to laugh, and said, “Lizabet, the king doesn’t court, he marries!”

“Well then, do you think you’ll
marry
the king?”

Bella began to blush at the thought of this. She had never thought of the possibility before, and now she felt somewhat arrogant for thinking about it now. “Lizabet, the king will marry, but he will have his choice of any available lady in the kingdom. Surely, he would not ask me. Now go get dressed so we won’t be late.”

****

Dinner with the king was rarely a private affair. On this occasion, there were more than twenty people at the king’s table to celebrate the end of his royal tour. Among them sat Dorian, his parents, and of course, Lizabet, Bella, and Jonattan. Lizabet had made sure that Carlotta was given a special place on the floor beside her. After all, there might not have been such a joyous occasion to celebrate had it not been for her, and continuing to be overtaken by Lizabet and Carlotta’s unusual friendship, Zander was happy to welcome Carlotta to his table.

Throughout the meal, King Zander told stories of his trip, highlighting some of the more interesting visits to the villages. Bella sat listening intently, wishing that she too could travel. She imagined each of the villages that the king spoke of, and each of them seemed, in her mind, to be far out of reach. To her, they seemed like tales of folklore handed down from generation to generation. But they weren’t fables or myths; they were true stories of places not far from Terra, and Bella wanted to be part of it all.

When the king spoke of the Spiers, Bella was struck by curiosity. She had heard of the Spiers, but had never heard anyone talk of them as friends of the Fories. She was realizing that there was a whole world of wonder that was just out of her reach.

And when the king spoke so affectionately about the fairies, Bella was on the edge of her seat. Zander, sensing her interest in the subject, brought in the staff that the fairies had gifted to him, and Bella lit up at the sight of it.

She realized, quite clearly, that the king was indeed focusing his attention on her more than any other guest. Now, she wondered if Lizabet could be right to think that the king had taken a liking to her. She tried to dismiss the thought as a girlish fantasy, but it seemed to be true nonetheless.
Why shouldn’t I be flattered?
she thought.
After all, he is incredibly handsome, he’s kind, and I shouldn’t forget that he is also king.
Bella felt she was becoming flush at the thought of sparks between herself and the king, so she took a sip of wine and lowered her head in order to prevent herself from inadvertently blushing while her gaze was set in the direction of Zander. She didn’t want to make herself appear so obvious in her own attraction.

What Bella hadn’t realized was that Zander had been watching her even more than she thought. He had devised a way to study her face by directing the conversations of the table to those who sat either directly to the side or behind her. Each time he would turn his attention to those around her, he could discreetly look at Bella without making a spectacle. By the end of the first course, he had memorized every line and curve of her face.

****

After the feast had concluded, the dinner party made its way to the village square, where the festivities were now in full swing. Upon hearing of the king’s good fortune, Fories from outlying villages had also joined in the celebration, and more from farther distances were expected to join as well. Terra had now been recognized as the place to be in Forris. The king couldn’t be happier with the influx of revelers, and now that he had regained his expression, he couldn’t seem to stop smiling.

Although Terra did not possess the most lavish treasures of Forris, it did know how to throw a party. Fireworks were displayed throughout the night, as was the custom in most parts of Forris during times of celebration. And the skies lit up with the buzz and lights projected by fairies who had quickly made their way to Terra after hearing the wonderful news. They danced in the night sky at a great height, orchestrating the unique choreography that the fairies were known for.

The dance of the fairies could not be outdone, although some Terrans, utilizing the magic of chicken feathers, joined in the dance with them. The dancing of the Fories was at a much lower elevation, but still added to the overall effect.

Tables had been scattered throughout the village square, and on each of the tables had been placed fountains of chocolate, surrounded by fresh fruits and pastries. The Terrans were known for their produce and fruits in varieties that could not be found anywhere else in Forris, and the pastries that were produced by magic-infused flour and berries could not be matched.

Zander took his seat to watch the revelers, but his eyes had been fixed on Bella for the better part of the evening. Bella and Lizabet had begun to dance with each other, giggling and carrying on with such energy and excitement that Zander could hardly contain his happiness. He noticed that, every now and then, Bella would crouch down so that Lizabet could whisper something in her ear. She would then lean in to covertly whisper something back to Lizabet, and each one of these transactions was followed by hand-over-mouth giggling. This went on throughout their dancing, and as Zander sat fixated on them, he could clearly envision a future of happiness and contentment if he could only become a part of this world that Lizabet and Bella had created.

When the music subsided for a moment, Bella decided to rest while Lizabet took her dancing to a group of Spiers who had just arrived for the celebrations. The Spiers desperately attempted to mimic the dance moves of Lizabet. The sight was comical, given their size and their feeble attempts to imitate her.

Although the Spiers were known to be very short and thin, they were also known to live for many years—in some cases more than two hundred.

It was said that the Spiers lived such long lives because they had no measurement of time as it pertains to their own age. They do not mark the day of birth—or celebrate it. It was commonly thought that, because of this, they lived their lives without regret and without anticipation of death, which naturally allowed them to live longer.

So, although their bodies may appear young, one only needed to look into the eyes and face of a Spier to see their age and wisdom. But looking closely into the face of a
very
old Spier could sometimes be a bit haunting and, in fact, had been known to drive men slightly away from sanity if they gazed too long.

As Zander sat watching the festivities, Balki approached and, with a slight bow, said, “My apologies, Majesty, for missing dinner. The invitation was much appreciated.”

“Are you feeling better, young Balki?” Zander asked.

“A bit, Majesty, but I’m afraid that I may have caught an ailment. My apologies for becoming a burden.”

“Nonsense, Balki! You have not become a burden on me in any way. It is only unfortunate that you are unable to join in the celebrations.”

“Yes, Majesty, it is most unfortunate. May I ask how long you plan to remain in Terra?”

“My plans may be changing, Balki. I cannot tell you at this moment if it will be three days or a month.”

“Then I shall retire to my quarters to rest, so that I might feel better if you should decide to leave soon,” Balki replied, as he turned and retreated toward the inn.

“Yes, please go rest and may good health find you,” Zander said, not noticing that Balki had already walked away. He had already turned back toward the crowd to resume his glances at Bella. Alas, though, she was gone. Zander immediately became panicked at the thought of Bella leaving. A moment later, though, he realized that his reaction was unfounded.
Why am I concerned if she leaves or stays?

****

While Balki had begun to walk the distance to the inn, his mind was running at full speed, trying to make sense of the obstacles that had been laid before him in only a few days. He understood that the king was likely to surround himself with the young girl and her menacing chicken. He couldn’t avoid the king too often without jeopardizing his potential position in the king’s court, so he would attempt to present himself to the king whenever the opportunity came around. Being fully aware now of the inflock’s presence, he knew that it would become more and more difficult to speak with the king freely, without interference from the child and her vulgar magic. She was a counterforce to the inflock, and now Balki as well. She must be dealt with, but he would wait for the inflock to take the lead on the matter if possible.

The inflock was calculating its next move as well. It needed the company of Balki Touro if it was to return to its proper home in the now long-forgotten Kingdom of Skite. Centuries ago, the allies of Mantle had risen up in arms against the Skites. The three kingdoms had walked away bathed in the illusion of victory, but little did they know that their victory was only a setback for the Skites. They only required the physical return of Menagraff, and it was the inflock’s duty to return him to power—and to the Skite throne.

The current
modern
residents of Mantle had only stories of legend to try to understand the Skites. Some told stories of how they came to be, talking of the very first Skites being descended from a dark wizard and his dragon. Others spoke of a curse that had been handed to the Skites by a vengeful witch who caused them to develop their distinctive single horn protruding from the back of their monstrous heads, never allowing them to rest easy on their backs. In that particular legend, the curse of the witch was said to punish them for a failed attempt to steal her power for their own use.

But ultimately, no one knew for sure how they came about and, in the modern age, no one quite cared. They didn’t think about the Skites. It was a part of history, and not a part of history that would be repeated. So why should they care?

The inflock was set to change that, but first he would need to return to the Skite lands, and Balki was the key, at least for now, to making that happen.

****