Thinblade (33 page)

“Alexander, I don’t like this sort of thing any more than you do, but Jack’s right,” Anatoly said. “You need the resources the nobles bring to the table. Winning them over with a fancy party is far easier than fighting them.”

Alexander felt like he was living a lie and that any moment now everyone around him was going to realize that he was really just a ranch hand. And yet, he knew that he couldn’t let the nobles see his doubt or he was doomed.

Chapter 28

Renwold entered. “Your Majesty, gentlemen, the guests have assembled and I have just received word that the banquet is awaiting your arrival.”

Renwold led them to an anteroom off the main corridor leading into the banquet hall. Abigail and Isabel were waiting for them there.

Alexander entered the room still worrying about the nobles, but when he saw Isabel he was struck speechless. Everything else faded away.

She looked even more beautiful than he’d expected. Her dress was made of deep green satin that perfectly accented the vibrant green of her eyes. It was sleeveless and the neckline was cut low enough to be suggestive but not so low that it was revealing. It flowed along her natural curves down the length of her body until the waistline where it flared slightly and hung down to her ankles in elegant pleats. She wore her chestnut-brown hair tied up with a thin gold ribbon, leaving just a few strands loose to frame her face. Over her bare shoulders, she wore a rabbit-fur shawl the color of freshly fallen snow in sunlight.

Alexander blinked and had to remind himself to say something. He bowed, offering her his very best smile. “You look beautiful,” was all he managed to say.

She smiled brilliantly and her face flushed slightly. Alexander noticed his sister smiling gently at the two of them. She wore a sky blue dress trimmed in silver. Her long silvery blond hair was brushed straight and flowed down her back and over her left shoulder.

“Did you enjoy your shopping?” Alexander asked as he took in the two of them.

Abigail smiled brightly and nodded. “Looks like the tailor was able to make you look presentable,” she said with an impish little grin.

Anatoly offered her his arm. “I guess it won’t be such a chore escorting you this evening,” he said with a smile. Abigail slapped his arm gently and rolled her eyes.

“Don’t let him fool you, my lady. Master Grace will be the envy of nearly every man at the party,” Jack said to Abigail with a wink that made her giggle like a schoolgirl.

Anatoly and Abigail left to make their entrance to the banquet hall, leaving Alexander and Isabel looking at each other and smiling.

After a few moments Jack cleared his throat, “Alexander, it’s time.”

He nodded without taking his eyes off Isabel, then offered her his arm and they followed Jack out of the anteroom.

Alexander hadn’t been to the banquet hall, so he had no idea what to expect. Most of the palace was functional with just enough decoration and ornamentation to give the place a feel of authority. The banquet hall was something else altogether.

When they arrived at the entrance, Alexander saw that the room was huge, much bigger than any room he’d seen in the palace. The giant oak double doors stood open and there was a little podium on the right side of the threshold with a man standing before it dressed the same way Renwold always dressed. Alexander presumed the man had the duty of announcing the guests. When he saw Alexander and Isabel coming, preceded by Jack, he stepped away from the little podium to give Jack his place. Jack nodded courteously to the valet and stepped up to announce Alexander. He cleared his throat and a wave of silence spread through the assembled guests. Everyone turned to see Alexander enter.

He stepped up to the threshold of the room with Isabel on his arm and tried to take in the grandeur of the place. The ceiling easily soared fifty feet overhead supported by great stone arches. Half a dozen giant crystal chandeliers hung from brass chains in a row down the center of the hall, filling the place with a rich warm light. One end of the room was raised by three stairs, creating a level where the head table could sit higher than all the other tables. The head table was easily forty feet long and sat perpendicular to the length of the room with chairs lined up along the far side so those sitting there could face the room and be seen by all. It was draped with a bright white tablecloth that hung to the floor and was set with silver utensils and delicately crafted porcelain.

The main floor of the banquet hall was lined with rows of tables nearly as long as the head table but placed in alignment with the long axis of the giant room. On the wall at the other end of the long hall was a bar stocked with every possible type of wine, ale, and distilled spirits Alexander could imagine. Directly before the bar was an open dance floor with a small stage off to the side for the minstrels.

The walls were covered with a wide assortment of fine paintings and tapestries. Each looked like a masterwork and each offered a different piece of breathtaking scenery from the Glen Morillian valley. All along the walls rested oak benches carved with intricate patterns of trees, mountains, and animals.

The room was full. Not a seat was empty and it was clear that everyone was waiting for Alexander. He scanned the room and was able to pick out a few of the nobles from the council meeting. Hanlon, Emily, Erik, Lucky, Mason, Anatoly, and Abigail sat at the head table along with a few others that Alexander didn’t know, including an attractive woman sitting next to Erik.

Jack surveyed the room calmly, allowing a sense of anticipation to build before speaking. “My lords and ladies, craftsmen and commoners, tradesmen and Rangers, Warden and Lady Alaric, it is my honor and privilege to present to you this night, his most excellent Majesty, Lord Alexander, bearer of the sacred Mark of Cedric, champion of the Old Law and rightful King of Ruatha, accompanied by the beautiful and brave Lady Isabel Alaric.”

Alexander couldn’t help feeling self-conscious. He thought Jack had gone way over the top and the assembled guests were sure to see through to the truth. He was quite surprised when every single person in the hall stood up, cheering and clapping in welcome.

He glanced at Isabel. She was pleased by the reception and smiled brightly. Alexander nodded his thanks to the guests and made for the head table and the only two vacant seats in the room. Everyone remained standing until he reached his chair. Instead of taking his seat, he picked up the wine glass from his place setting and raised it high. The room fell silent almost immediately.

“Tonight I raise my glass in gratitude to the people of Glen Morillian for your faithful allegiance to the Old Law and your unwavering loyalty to the duty Mage Cedric charged you with so many years ago.” He held his glass high in toast and the room burst into applause and cheers once again.

The moment Alexander took his seat, servants began to stream out of the various service entrances with all manner of trays, platters, boards, dishes, pots, pitchers, and bowls, each filled to overflowing with a dizzying variety of foods.

There were platters of sliced vegetables with bowls of sauce, large boards with ham, roasted duck, pheasant, quail, beef, venison, and elk. Others held assortments of cheeses of every variety imaginable and several that Alexander had never seen before. There were large bowls of fresh green salad; casseroles of potatoes sliced thin and baked with cheese; baskets lined with finely woven and very colorful towels filled to overflowing with hot loaves of bread; fine silver tureens filled with steaming hot soups and thick rich stews; boats with gravies and sauces; huge serving bowls heaping with pasta; platters filled with little bowls of butter, sauces, dips, mustards, jams, jellies, salsas, relishes, and dressings.

Alexander was astonished at the variety and quantity of the foods proudly presented to him by the serving staff. They took pleasure in offering each new dish and seemed to enjoy Alexander’s pleasure as he sampled their offerings. Isabel didn’t eat much of any one thing but she took great delight in trying a little of everything. When she found something she liked, she insisted that Alexander try it as well. He discovered that he rather enjoyed her attentions and her tastes were excellent. She didn’t offer him anything that he didn’t find delicious. He chuckled to himself at the dread he’d felt about this evening when he realized he was genuinely enjoying himself.

The food was excellent and soon Alexander was full. He looked out over the assembled guests. Everyone took advantage of the opportunity to sample as many of the fine dishes as they could. He was beginning to understand why these people were so eager to attend the palace banquets. As he scanned the crowd, he could pick out the nobles from their finery and entourages but the majority of the guests were simple farmers, craftsmen, ranchers, traders, miners, and shopkeepers. Such an event offered them the opportunity to enjoy a meal of rich variety and an evening of music, dancing, and fine wine.

There wasn’t much chance for any real conversation during the meal because the serving staff was constantly bringing new dishes and trays, and what talk there was focused mostly on the food. Alexander offered his compliments and genuine gratitude to Emily for going to such great lengths in his honor. He didn’t think she was going to stop smiling at his kind words.

Lucky was simply delighted. He tried each and every item that came to the table. He was unabashed in his pleasure and effusive in his praise for Emily and her staff. Even Anatoly seemed to be enjoying himself, although he was also keeping a wary eye on the guests. Alexander suspected that a room with this many people in it represented an inherent threat to the big man-at-arms.

As the meal wound down and the main courses began to be removed to make room for the desserts and pastries, conversation in the room began to build. Mostly, each table discussed among themselves the changes that were likely now that Alexander had come. It struck him as odd that this secluded little mountain valley had been waiting for him and preparing for his arrival for the past two thousand years. He still couldn’t quite fathom the scope of Mage Cedric’s preparations. The Rebel Mage must have been truly guilt stricken by his failure to permanently end the tyranny of the Reishi and the fact that Phane, perhaps the most dangerous of the Reishi line, had escaped into the future, far out of Mage Cedric’s reach. These people were his legacy. He set this entire valley apart from the rest of the Seven Isles, protected from the inevitable political upheaval of the world, to await the time when the tyranny of the Reishi would awaken again to consume the lives and liberty of the innocent.

The burden of Alexander’s duty settled once again on his shoulders when he saw Jack take a position at the left end of the head table. Jack did seem to have a masterful grasp of timing. The assembled guests were just starting to settle after the feast; most were picking at half-eaten plates of food while sipping glasses of wine, flagons of ale, or goblets of spirits. There was a natural lull in the flow of conversation and Jack stepped in to fill the void.

He caught Alexander’s eye with a subtle motion and gave him a look as if asking permission to proceed. Alexander nodded. As much as he was enjoying the evening, he reminded himself that he had a purpose here. He had to win the support of the nobles and the best way to do that was to win over the people in this room. If the craftsmen, shopkeepers, and farmers gave him their allegiance, the nobles would have no choice but to lend their support as well. They couldn’t afford to be seen hoarding their wealth when those who had far less gave their support so freely.

Jack took up a fine crystal chalice and a small silver spoon. He checked his position and cleared his throat. Alexander watched the young bard take a deep breath before raising his head and his glass. The clear chime of the crystal chalice brought the gathering to silent attention.

“My lords and ladies, craftsmen and shopkeepers, landholders and commoners, Warden and Lady Alaric, I stand before you this night to recount the journey of Lord Alexander which brought him here to your fine hall and your generous hospitality.”

Jack set the glass and spoon on the edge of the table and clasped his hands easily behind his back. His voice carried to every corner of the hall with practiced ease but without sounding strained or overtaxed in the least.

“A fortnight ago, Alexander Valentine was hunting wolves in the north pasture of his family property with his brother and sister, when they were attacked by surprise. An agent of the Reishi Protectorate shot Darius Valentine through the chest with a poisoned arrow.” Jack paused as the crowd gasped collectively. Alexander held his breath and his composure even as Isabel took his hand under the table. He glanced at Abigail and saw the tears brimming in her eyes.

“Lord Alexander was quick to respond with an arrow of his own, bringing the enemy’s horse down with a single snap shot. He and his sister Abigail rode hard with their mortally wounded brother to seek the help and healing of their family alchemist, but the poison was too potent. Darius Valentine was the first life taken by the Reishi in two thousand years.” Jack paused and looked down in deference for a moment. The room fell deathly silent.

“The night Darius Valentine died, Phane Reishi revealed himself to the world. You all heard him arrive. You all felt the magic of the warning spell cast so long ago by Mage Cedric. In that moment, as that wave of magic passed through the whole of the Seven Isles, the sacred Mark of Cedric was burned into the side of Alexander Valentine’s neck.”