Casimir's Journey (14 page)

The company on his journey was as expected. Roysten kept up a steady stream of complaint. However, in his favor and probably his saving grace, he was funny as he totted up his list of grievances, so Hadden felt he could tolerate him enough to let him live.

For now.

They made good time and were in Ethion in time to find space at a tavern for the night. He knew they didn’t look like anything other than what they were—so he let it be known they were two former soldiers, cashed out and looking for another place. Although he said it in a way that indicated they were in no hurry.

Roysten, enjoying his second tankard of ale, raised it up and nodded. For once, he kept silent. “No one seems to be plotting in corners,” Roysten said when the tavern maid had moved away.

“No, they don’t, but we’re strangers. They’re not going to welcome us and show us all their plans and discussions, now are they?” He looked at Roysten. “How much of that ale have you had? Your wits have truly addled.”

Roysten laughed. “I don’t think that there’s anything to worry about. Not that I’m complaining, mind you!” He protested at Hadden’s snort. “I’m not! It’s fine to get away from camp, have some time to take your ease and the like.”

“We’re not here to take our ease. Put that thought aside immediately. As well as any thoughts about the local girls.”

“You’re awfully serious since you came back from your injury,” Roysten groused. “Nothing wrong with a bit of fun with a young lady who’s willing!” He winked at one of the girls clearing tables. She looked startled.

Hadden had to laugh. He’d be startled too if Roysten was winking at him. Startled and frightened.

“I know that, but we need to be able to give an accurate report to Lord Maddox. He’s more worried than he lets on.”

Roysten dropped all teasing. “Is he, now? What’s he know that we don’t?”

“He hears from court more than we do, my friend,” Hadden clapped Roysten on the back. “We’re not privy to such. He nearly took my head off before we left.”

Roysten didn’t respond, but studied his ale. “It’s odd, ain’t it?”

“What?” Hadden wasn’t used to seeing Roysten thoughtful.

“All this over what some girls are doing to their shoes at night.”

He didn’t know why, but the thought gave him a pang. “Well, they’re princesses. Their doings are important until their father gets them all married off.”

Roysten shrugged. “I don’t know, Commander. It seems odd. Are they so indifferent? Two or three men are dead since this fuss began. Something’s not right.”

Hadden gave his own shrug. “It’s not our concern. Unless—” His words were cut off by a local standing up, banging his fist on the table, and calling for silence.

“All you lot, raise your glass! To Casimir, the finest prince since ‘is father!”

The patrons of the tavern all did as instructed with a great roar. Hadden and Roysten followed suit.

Roysten glanced at Hadden. “Little dicey feeling, ain’t it?”

“I hear he was a decent prince. It’s a loss even with other heirs.”

Roysten didn’t reply, just took another drink of his ale. “We’d best just sit and listen.”

They sat until much later that evening, but whether there was really no talk to be heard or the locals were concerned about strangers in their midst, they didn’t hear anything of interest. Finally, they both headed up to their room.

When they woke the next morning, Hadden found he was rather at a loss. Were he back in camp, he could work on something, anything. There was always something needing to be tended to. Here, there wasn’t much they could do without drawing unwanted attention to themselves.

He looked over to where Roysten was still snoring. He figured that nothing would come amiss from letting the man sleep. He got dressed and went down to see what there was to eat.

Thankfully, the smells from the kitchen indicated this establishment made their own bread. He took a seat and ordered bread, cheese and ale. The tavern was quiet this time of morning. He was glad to have the time to sit and think.

Thus far, there was nothing to the fears that Maddox had expressed. He’d give it another day and evening, and then he and Roysten would make their way back to camp. He couldn’t explain it, but being here made him very jumpy. He expected something—he couldn’t say what—to jump from every corner. It wasn’t a good feeling.

Roysten joined him after he’d finished the last of the bread.

“What did you leave me? Did you eat it all?”

“We can order you some more. Calm yourself. You look a mess.” He peered at Roysten.

“Ah, the ale has a bit of a bite to it, wouldn’t you say?”

“Mayhap I didn’t drink enough to offer a learned opinion,” he said, keeping a straight face.

Roysten glared and hunched over, looking around for the serving girl. “Where is she? I might die.”

Hadden laughed. He couldn’t help it, even with his distinct unease. Roysten had definite value at times. “Don’t even think about it. I’m not hauling your old bones back.”

“I’ll be here long after you, laddie boy.”

“I’ve no doubt, grandfather.”

The look Roysten shot at him was worth it. He laughed again. Just at that moment, the serving girl came by, and Roysten ordered breakfast for himself, rather ungraciously, Hadden noted.

“Pray, don’t mind my friend. He’s not at his best this morning.” He stifled another laugh as Roysten glared. The maid looked between them, and scurried away.

“How nice. You’ve established we’re both mad.”

“It’s of no consequence. We’ve got to find a way to occupy ourselves today.”

“What’s wrong with sitting here?” Roysten looked alarmed.

“You’ll be face down before your next meal,” Hadden said, reproof in his tone. “I know you, remember?”

Roysten grunted. “Then what do you suggest, Commander?”

“I think we need to ride out, maybe visit any other nearby villages. We’ll come back here tonight. If there is nothing else, I want to head back tomorrow. I don’t like being here.” He glanced around hurriedly. “Gives me a bad feeling.”

“I agree. Be good to get out.”

“What? I thought you were enjoying the life of a lord!” Hadden clapped Roysten on the shoulder. “Taking your ease in the middle of the day and the like!”

“Shut it,” Roysten muttered. He took his ale that the girl brought over and hunched over it.

“Eat up, my lord,” Hadden said teasingly, rising from the table. “I’ll go and make sure our horses are ready.”

A grunt was the only reply he got. Laughing to himself, he headed for the stables. This was a nice inn, nicer than he’d thought the surrounding area could manage. He wasn’t worried about the care of the horses. He did want to be out of doors, enjoying the day, however.

He spoke with the hostler, and together they saddled the two horses.

“Are you leaving, sir?” The boy looked up at him.

“No, we’ll be back before sundown. We want to take a look hereabouts. Is there anything we should see while in the country?”

“No…I don’t think so, sir.” The boy looked confused.

Hadden felt shame. Where had that come from? He sounded like some spoiled lordling, whose only purpose was to waste his family wealth. He chose not to speak again. The boy handed him the reins, and left him to wait for Roysten.

The man finally emerged from the tavern, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. “Oh, you’ve saddled my mount. Thank you, boy.”

Hadden laughed again, his shame gone. Roysten wouldn’t allow him to be uppity. Not one bit.

“Of course, your lordship. I do as I’m told.” He bowed low to Roysten, who coolly waved a hand at him as he mounted the horse.

“Where are we off to?” Roysten was all business once in the saddle.

“I asked the stable hostler what there was to see here, and he looked at me as though he had no idea of what I spoke of. So, my thought was to just ride and see what we come upon. This is the road that leads to one of the king’s main residences, if I remember correctly. There’s traffic on it regularly. So we ought to find more inns, or taverns, or something.”

Roysten nodded. In silence, they rode from the yard.

After several hours, Hadden was questioning the wisdom of his plan. It hadn’t been well thought out, and he and Roysten were paying the price. Not an inn, or tavern, or cottager’s hut in site. Certainly nowhere to stop and get some food or even a tankard of ale.

“What’s in your bag?” He gestured with his chin to Roysten.

“Not a thing. We probably ought to turn around, eh?”

“We’re a fine pair, aren’t we?”

“Well, at least we know that any hotbed of anger or uprising will be right where we were.” Roysten shrugged.

Hadden felt annoyed with his cavalier attitude and with himself. He had chosen the direction to travel and nothing had come of it. All that he learned was that he and Roysten would be home later than planned with nothing to show and dying of thirst. He rarely failed, so this was even made their lack of success even worse.

Just as he was about to tell Roysten they were to turn back, a simple house came into view. Well, perhaps calling it a house was a stretch, but it was a dwelling, and a plume of smoke drifted lazily from the peaked roof.

“Perhaps we might find something to eat there,” he said.

Roysten grunted, showing that he wasn’t of the same mind. Nevertheless, he followed Hadden as he rode into the little clearing in front of the house.

“Hello, the house!” Hadden called. He wanted no surprises.

There was no noise, no indication that anyone was inside, much less heard them.

“Hello! Is anyone at home?!” Roysten bellowed loudly enough for the dead to hear.

Again they waited, and just when Hadden had decided that no one was about, the small door swung open.

A little gray head poked out. “Yes, good sirrahs?”

“Good afternoon, madam. I am Corbet and this is Renold.” Hadden told the person who answered, giving the names of families known to be prominent in the south of Ethion, “We are travelers, and find that we are further afield than we’d expected. Is it possible to get dinner from you?”

The head considered them for a moment. Hadden hoped that he’d gotten it aright when he referred to the person as a woman. He couldn’t really tell, but it sounded like a woman.

Then the head nodded. “You may, Corbet and Renold. Leave your horses by the road and come in.” The head disappeared.

“Thank the heavens,” said Roysten. “Even moldering bread will be tasty right now!”

“Enough,” said Hadden. “Be grateful.”

“Oh, I am, Commander. Trust me.” But Roysten went silent as they reached the door of the hut.

Just as Hadden was about to knock, the door swung open, and a small woman beckoned them in. It was a woman, he saw. A fairly old woman.

“Thank you, mother. We are most appreciative,” he said, offering her a bow.

She smiled up at him, and he saw that her face and eyes were lively. “’Tis glad I am for the company, my lords. It’s not a fine meal, but I wager it’ll do.”

“We thank you,” interjected Roysten, moving rapidly around Hadden to a crude table with stools around it. He hesitated, and the old woman laughed.

“Don’t let me stop you, good sir!”

Roysten had the grace to look slightly abashed, but not for long. He sat at the table, and the woman, while gesturing at Hadden, joined him.

“What is the news, madam?” Hadden asked after happily eating a hunk of bread. He hoped he didn’t look as ravenous as he felt.

“Well, we’ve lost our prince, as you might have heard,” she said, giving him a stern look.

“We have indeed, and I am sorry for the king.”

“For all of us,” she said, still looking stern. “Prince Casimir was a good man.”

“Why’d he go seeking trouble, then?” Asked Roysten, mouth full.

“Love, of course! What other reason makes us all act like such fools?”

Hadden looked at her sharply. For a moment, she sounded far above the station of a peasant woman. The moment passed as she met his gaze and handed the platter of meat to him.

“May we ask your name, madam? To know the name of the lady who has saved us?” He added with a laugh.

She rolled her eyes, showing him that she understood his teasing. “My name is Grizelle, and don’t be pert with me!”

Her glare reminded him of—he couldn’t remember exactly who, but the vision of an older woman giving him the same glare with her arms akimbo flashed through his mind.

“Madam Grizelle, we are most grateful.”

Roysten nodded enthusiastically. “’She’s a good cook, too!” His voice was muffled because he was still stuffing.

“How grateful are you?” She asked.

“Enough to pay you fairly.” Hadden said sharply, wary of the turn in the previously light-hearted conversation.

“I shall take payment, but not of your coin.” She looked at Roysten, and he froze in the act of biting into a piece of bread.

“Who are you?” Hadden was on his feet, hand on his sword. What witchery was this?

“My name is Grizelle, as I told you, and I need your help, good sir. Hadden, is it not?”

He drew back further and drew his sword. “How do you know this? We did not share our names with you.”

“I know, as I know many things. And I have been waiting for you, Hadden. I am glad you chose this path today. Will you sit? I will not harm you, nor will I alarm you further with anything more than information.”

Hadden studied her. She looked sincere, and she was old, but such a woman with the power to stop men—mayhap she was not as she seemed.

“Do I have your word you will not harm myself or my man?” He gestured at the still-frozen Roysten.

“Indeed you do. Please sit. I cannot keep this up forever, and I have much to impart.” Incredulously, she sounded impatient and cross.

That decided him. “Very well.” He sat, but left his sword at the ready. “What information would you like to share?”

“You are aware of the curse of the princesses of Gallivas?”

“Is not everyone?”

She rolled her eyes. “You’d be amazed at how many are not. Simpletons. Regardless, I want you to go to the castle. The curse must be broken, and make no mistake, Hadden, those girls are cursed.” She looked down, heaving a sigh. “A great many curses making people miserable these days.”

“I know nothing of that, Grizelle. I do know of the princesses, as I…have recently been in Gallivas. It was there we heard of your prince’s death.”

“So foolish,” she said quietly. She still gazed at the table. Then she looked up, and Hadden felt pinned by the intensity in her eyes. “I abhor foolishness, Hadden. Even more so, I detest seeing innocents suffer. Many innocents are suffering. I am asking you to please end it.”

“I? How am I to end anything?” His wariness was gone in the face of his astonishment. “I am a simple soldier, madam, and know nothing of kings and courts, much less cursed princesses.”

“You know more than you think, Hadden. I wager you will go and fit right in, as though you grew up there.”

“Madam Grizelle, I thank you for your hospitality. However, my comrade and I must go.” He made to stand.

She reached across and yanked him back onto the stool. He was so surprised he didn’t fight against her. He hadn’t thought an old woman would be so strong.

“Unhand me,” he said, moving his sword forward.

She didn’t respond but waved her other hand at him. He froze, just as Roysten had. Whereas Roysten didn’t seem aware, Hadden could see and hear her. He just couldn’t move.

“Stupid boys,” she muttered. “All I want you to do is listen. Will you please hear me out, Hadden?”

He glared. She sighed. “Very well, you may listen from your present position. I know that the princesses are under a curse. I know this because…well, it matters not. What you need to know is that they are. There is no chance of this curse being broken without some…” she pursed her lips, “Some help from outside the situation. You are going to be that help. Now,” she said, getting up, and going over to a cupboard that leaned crookedly along the wall, “I have something that will help you.”

He made a strangled sound.

“Why am I doing this?” She asked without turning around. “Shall we say…” here she turned to face him. “I know the origin of the curse, and if this doesn’t end, it won’t be just the princesses who suffer.”

He made another noise. “Oh, very well. You may speak.” She waved her hand as she came back to the table with a package wrapped in cloth.

“Madam, release me this instant.” His voice was icy.

“You haven’t heard a word, have you, you foolish boy? It’s no wonder…” Her voice trailed off again. “So caught up in pride. Listen, boy! I’m giving you a chance to ensure the war your commander is worried about will never happen—a chance to end the curse that is plaguing Gallivas and her neighbors! There’s more at stake here than you know!”

“Tell me.”

“No.” Her tone matched his. “I cannot. There are things I cannot do. I would oblige you, but I cannot. What I can do is ensure that you solve the riddle.”

His anger waned a little. He’d heard of this riddle. “How is that, madam, when you cannot even be honest with me?” Curiosity would not make him forget that he was trussed like a goose for dinner.

“Have you heard what the princes have said when asked where the princesses go?”

“I have not. Not in any detail, as they both came to the same end.”

“They remember nothing, I’m told. What I have here is something to help you avoid that.” She unwrapped the fabric and shook out a cloak.

“You are mad.” he said. His anger was gone. She was nothing more than a madwoman with some training in magical trickery.

“No, I’m not. Keep a civil tongue, boy.” There was the speech that didn’t fit her again. “This is a cloak that renders the wearer invisible to those around him.”

He gasped. “That is unnatural, madam!”

“No, it’s not.” She was impatient. “It’s practical. Throw it around you, and you will be able to see where it is the princesses go, for I assure you, they go somewhere each night.”

“If you know this, why do you not go and end the curse for these poor girls?”

“I cannot. I wasn’t even sure I’d get this chance, but now that I have, I must make the most of it. Take the cloak and present yourself to the castle. Once you retire for the night, lie abed as though you’ve gone to sleep. Do not move or indicate otherwise. Have the cloak at the ready. When you hear movement outside your chamber, use the cloak and follow them. You will discover all.”

“If it were that simple, why have not greater men than I discovered this?”

She laughed. “That is an excellent question. That brings me to the other piece that I can arm you with. Take nothing you are offered to eat or drink after the evening meal in the hall. Nothing, do you hear? If you are offered a cup of wine before bed, do not drink it. Pretend to drink, but do not let it pass your lips. All will be lost if you do.”

“Poison?” He couldn’t fathom what she was telling him. “Are you implying the princesses are poisoning their suitors? You are dangerously close to treason, Grizelle.”

“Have you ever found yourself in a situation where your behavior was pre-determined, regardless of your wishes? I believe the princesses find themselves so.” She looked away, and Hadden could see that she was thinking of something that upset her.

Mad though she might be, that expression stirred something within him. “If I were to undertake this for you, can you assure me that I will live? And that I will keep Gallivas safe?” He didn’t see the sense of pretense in regards to their mission any longer. “For those are my priorities, ungallant though it may sound in relation to the princesses.”

“I understand, Hadden. It’s not unchivalrous to be concerned about whether one will live or not. If I free you, will you give me your word to act as a gentleman?”

He tried to grin, and found that he couldn’t. “I am no gentleman, madam. I am, as I told you, a simple soldier.”

“One who has risen quickly for one so young,” she said slyly.

He flushed. “I carry out my orders well, and I am generally successful at whatever I am tasked with.” His long-standing relationship with Lord Maddox didn’t hurt, either.

“Exactly!” He felt he’d been maneuvered. “Exactly why I want you for this task. You are a successful soldier. I believe you have the aptitude to solve this.”

“It’s nothing to do with aptitude. You said yourself it will not be broken without help.”

“It won’t.” She waved her hand at him again, and he fell off the stool. His sword clanged to the ground. He immediately jumped up, sweeping his hand out to grasp his sword. He pointed it at her.

“I have listened to you, madam. I have heard you out. I respectfully decline the honor of your undertaking, and I must,” he glared, “Insist that you free my comrade so that we may be on our way.”

She didn’t respond immediately. Then she sighed. “Very well. You have indeed heard me, and it is within your right to decline. You may go. May I ask that you finish your meal? I would rather not bring your man,” she indicated Roysten, “Into this.”

Hadden watched her for any sign of deceit. He saw none. Merely an old woman who looked more tired now than when she’d invited them in.