Royal Institute of Magic: Elizabeth's Legacy (14 page)

“Natalie will be back
shortly,” Wren said. “I will meet you here tomorrow after
breakfast.”

Her flowery red dress swirled as
she turned and left.

Ben lay back down, resting his
hands behind his head. He allowed himself the luxury of closing his
eyes.

“Aren’t you going to
tell me what happened?” Charlie asked.

“We should wait for
Natalie. There are a few questions I need to ask her to try to
understand everything myself.” Ben opened one eye and focused
it on Charlie. “How about yourself? You looked like you were
enjoying yourself with Natalie.”

Charlie’s face suddenly
resembled a tomato and Ben knew he had hit the mark.

“We were having some
interesting discussions about the history of the Unseen Kingdoms. She
is really quite smart, you know, unlike some of the pretty girls you
hang out with at school.”

"That's not fair. What about
Amy?"

"Are you serious? Have you
heard some of the answers she gives Mr. Barlow in maths? It makes me
cringe and I don't even like her."

"Fine, Amy wasn't the
greatest example. What about Hannah?"

“You're missing the point.
I was able to talk to Natalie like I talk to you." Charlie waved
a hand and puffed his cheeks in frustration. "Oh, forget it. I
can't explain it."

Ben gave him an even look,
cutting through Charlie's embarrassment. "You feel comfortable
around her."

"Is that strange?"
Charlie asked.

"Not at all," Ben
assured him. "She is very easy to talk to."

Though Ben didn't show it, he was
concerned. They had only met Natalie hours ago and she had already
penetrated Charlie's considerable female shield. Was that the
Institute's plan – to get someone close to them? Was that
Wren's plan? Or was he just being cynical?

Before Ben could debate the
matter further, Natalie re-entered the room with a cheerful smile.

“Everything’s
arranged. You’re lucky, you normally have to book well in
advance to get into the Jigona – why are you both looking at me
like that?”

Ben smiled casually at Natalie,
his mind working quickly. “It’s a bit embarrassing, but
since you asked – we were wondering what we were going to do
about spare clothes. I could really use some different underwear for
tomorrow.”

It was Natalie’s turn to
blush, while Charlie suddenly felt compelled to examine the desk at
the back of the room. But Ben’s lie seemed to do the job,
deflecting Natalie from their private conversation.

“We can go shopping
tomorrow,” Natalie said, recovering far quicker than Charlie.
“Wren has instructed me to watch over you and be your guide, so
I’m afraid you’ll have to put up with me for a while
longer. I am also staying at the hotel. You’ll like it there,
it’s really unique.”

Charlie's pleasure was obvious,
but Ben’s smile masked his misgivings. Did the Institute really
need to watch over him so closely to warrant Natalie staying with
them at the hotel? But as much as he hated to admit it, he liked her
company and he needed her knowledge.

Ben struggled to his feet. The
vegetable juice had helped to wake him up, but his legs still felt
like they had weights attached. He was eager to get to the hotel
while he was awake enough to question Natalie.

Natalie disappeared into the
little side room and came back with a small suitcase.

Noting the slight grimace Natalie
made as she carried the suitcase down the stairs, Ben motioned to
Charlie, who looked back at him with blank confusion. With a sigh,
Ben took the suitcase off a surprised Natalie and, despite his
weakness, carried it down the staircase.

“The place looks empty
now,” Ben said.

“It’s past 7pm now,
remember?" Natalie said. She tapped her wrist and Ben saw a
sparkly watch masquerading as a bracelet. "The Institute is only
open from 8am to 6pm so most have gone home.”

“Do people commute here
every day on that dragon train thing?”

“The Dragonway, yes, unless
you are wealthy or important enough to warrant an animal you can fly
home.”

Ben was dreaming about how he
could get his hands on such an animal when they reached the lobby.
There were a couple of boys sweeping the wooden floors and chatting
happily amongst themselves.

“Queen Elizabeth,”
Natalie said, pointing at the statue standing in the centre of the
room that was surrounded by the great galleries above. Ben had never
given the statue a proper look before, but he did so now. A lady in
armour held a sword and shield, surrounded in a protective circle by
four men and a woman. Everyone was white marble except the lady in
the centre; she was made of a silver that shone so brightly Ben
suspected magic at work. On her breastplate was the familiar coat of
arms. The armoured lady’s regal expression and posture left Ben
in no doubt to her sovereignty.

“That is Queen Elizabeth’s
royal coat of arms,” Natalie said, pointing at the breastplate.
“You will see it a lot around here.”

“Who are the men and woman
surrounding Elizabeth?” Ben asked.

“They were the founding
directors. You may have seen some of them as we passed through their
respective floors. Within the Institute they are almost as famous as
Queen Elizabeth. They were instrumental in helping Elizabeth grow the
Institute in its formative years.”

Ben knew it could just be the
artist glamorising them, but they looked a nobler bunch, barring Wren
and possibly Alex, than those today. Each stood tall and proud, trim
and fit, with a cloak and sword.

“Michael James,”
Natalie continued, pointing to one of the figures, who happened to be
the only one smiling, “was the first Director of Spellswords.
He is credited with helping thwart King Suktar’s first and only
invasion of Taecia.”

“Suktar?” Ben said,
giving Natalie an odd look. “The same dark elf who wants my
parents?”

Natalie nodded. “Elves live
a long time, especially one as powerful as Suktar. It is said he
faced off with Michael James and Queen Elizabeth herself in the heat
of battle. There are hundreds of different stories of how the fight
unfolded, but it is generally accepted that Suktar was sorely injured
– I doubt he experienced such pain before – and it swung
the battle against his army.”

Ben never had much interest in
history at school, but he was captivated by Natalie’s story. He
was staring so intently at the statue he didn’t notice Natalie
and Charlie head for the exit until they called him.

It seemed as though they had
entered the Institute days ago so much had happened, but less than
six hours had passed since they had first entered the grand building.
The sky was turning pink though there was still some daylight left.
Ben felt the mild air on his face and sighed with pleasure.

As they passed the noticeboard
Ben couldn’t resist one more look at his parents’ photo.
The words “High Treason” plastered above their faces set
his blood curdling and he was tempted to rip the whole thing down.

“Your diamond is gone,”
Charlie said.

Ben’s attention was drawn
away from the noticeboard to Natalie’s shoulder; sure enough,
the single colourless diamond had vanished.

“We can make it come and go
at will,” Natalie said. “Generally we only display it
inside the Institute or while on official duty.”

They passed the manicured garden
with its water fountain and through the gated exit between the mighty
walls. Soon they were heading back down the hill along the cobbled
path that was lined either side by trees and torch lamps.

“Don’t worry, it’s
not far,” Natalie said, glancing at the suitcase Ben pulled.

They turned off the main road and
started walking across the hill rather than down it. The
timber-framed buildings were larger than usual, uncluttered and
detached. Some had stables, others had hitching posts and a few even
had car parks. Ben watched with amusement whenever a strange car
zoomed by, making a great racket. They reminded him of the old
two-seater sports cars and seemed to be favoured by the dwarves,
wearing helmets and goggles. Ben recognised several makes by their
badges, including several Jaguars and a few Caterhams.

When he was not looking at cars
or people, he was staring at the pubs, shops, restaurants and houses.
It was Saturday evening and it was fascinating to see what the
Unseens were doing. Many of the elves were dressed fashionably and
tended towards the restaurants or coffee shops. The pubs seemed full
of dwarves, wearing smocks or jeans, most of them smoking. Then there
were the goblins, all elbows and knees, who had congregated in small
groups around certain unsavoury take-out joints. Of course, there
were always exceptions, such as the elderly goblins dressed in
pinstripe suits heading to a fancy restaurant or the homeless elf
strewn across the cobbled road.

With all the looking, Ben forgot
his weariness and the suitcase he was pulling, but his neck started
to ache with the constant twisting and turning.

“Aha – here we are!”
Natalie said. “Hotel Jigona. You’re going to love this
place. Queen Elizabeth used to stay here when she visited Taecia. I
guarantee you’ll never want to leave.”

The
hotel exterior wasn’t as impressive as the Institute, but it
was just as fascinating. It was a skyscraper version of an old Tudor
inn. The architecture was similar to neighbouring buildings with the
addition of a thatched roof. A sign protruded from the wall
proclaiming itself “Hotel Jigona: Official Taecian Residence of
Queen Elizabeth I”.

Attached via a walkway was a huge
car park and stable. The bottom levels were filled with antique cars
and the upper levels populated by animals Ben had seen at the top of
the Institute. There was an open shaft in the centre enabling the
animals to fly in and out.

“Shall we check in?”
Natalie asked with a smile.

A set of large oak doors, similar
to the Institute’s, was open, allowing a view into a welcoming
reception area. The Royal Institute of Magic, though magnificent,
could never be described as cosy or welcoming, but the hotel was
both. A series of grand candle-lit chandeliers hung from the high,
beamed ceiling. A crackling fire set within an ornate brick hearth
was surrounded by several people in armchairs enjoying the warmth; a
few young kids had sticks with marshmallows thrust into the flames.
The smell made Ben’s mouth water.

Natalie was talking to a man in a
black tuxedo standing behind the reception desk.

“Master Greenwood and
Master Hornberger,” the man said, dipping his head as they
approached. His accent reminded Ben of the royal family as he rolled
his “R”s with ridiculous enunciation. His hair was jet
black and shone from liberal amounts of gel.

“Welcome to Hotel Jigona.
My name is Travis. I am the deputy manager and your point of call if
anything is not completely to your satisfaction during your stay.”

He spoke with perfect civility
but with a confidence that implied nothing ever went wrong.

“Thank you,” Ben
said.

“I know you have only one
suitcase, but allow me to take it straight to Miss. Natalie Dyer’s
room.”

Before Ben could intervene and
assure the well-spoken Travis that carrying a small suitcase was no
trouble, the sound of thundering footsteps cut him short.

From the end of the room came a
hulking, seven-foot troll. He had a huge nose, big flapping ears and,
quite bizarrely, wore a black tuxedo. Ben didn’t know if it was
the suit or the genteel brown eyes, but the troll somehow looked
harmless. He ambled over, crossing the lengthy reception room in just
a few strides. He bowed to each of them with an air of elegance Ben
wouldn’t have believed possible.

“Thomas!” Natalie
said and threw her arms round his waist. It looked like someone
trying to hug a giant Redwood.

“Hello Natalie,”
Thomas replied in a voice two octaves lower than Ben had ever heard
before. “How have you been? I missed your witty banter at the
craft night last week.”

“I know, I’m sorry.
It’s been mad at the Institute recently. I’m here with
friends today – this is Ben and Charlie.”

“Pleased to meet you,”
Thomas said. Ben was surprised how gentle his handshake was. “Forgive
me if I’m wrong, but are you new to Taecia?”

“We are.”

The troll nodded. “I hope
you are enjoying your first visit. It can be quite an eye-opener.”

“You said it,” Ben
said, giving him a smile.

“Well I hope your time at
Hotel Jigona is as pleasant as the weather we’ve been having.
Now, may I take the young lady’s bag please?”

Despite the troll’s soft
nature, Ben wasn’t ready to defy him so he handed over the
luggage.

The troll gave one final bow and
started backing away.

“I owe you a crochet
lesson,” Thomas said, pointing his big finger at Natalie. “I
am determined to teach you – it’s such a marvellous
craft.”

“Next week, perhaps,”
Natalie said, with a fond smile.

The troll turned and headed
towards a set of stairs Ben hadn’t noticed by the entrance.

“If you’ll follow me,
I’ll show you to your rooms,” Travis said. He rounded his
desk and they followed him through reception.

“Right before that
conversation with Thomas, I thought I was starting to get used to
this place,” Charlie said.

At the end of the reception were
two doors. On one was a sign that said “Lift entrance”,
the other said “Lift exit – DO NOT ENTER”. Travis
turned the handle of the entrance door and pulled it open.

“What on earth is that?”
Ben asked.

He was pointing at the jets of
pink gas coming from the top of the doorway, spraying anyone who
walked through. The spray was concentrated enough to conceal the lift
beyond.