Ambassador to the Freaks

(4) Bredan Visits Joten

The kitchen of Castle Joten was lower than all the nearby rooms, with wide stairs leading down into it. It almost resembled a gladiatorial pit, especially before a large meal when the smell of flesh and blood and the light of fires filled the room. It was empty and quiet now. In fact the quiet was eerie, making every sound echo off of the bricks.

If there was a skill that Lewin did not possess, it was cooking. That is not a skill required of the Ob-Enon. Which is good. The second fish was burning in the pan before him; the first lay discarded in the fire. He examined his work. Well… it probably wouldn’t kill Monsta. Still, best to try again. He transferred the blackened husk to a dish. It landed with a thud and left a black impression.

“You know the scullions hate you, right?” Lewin turned to see Terra, the princess’s handmaiden, with her hands on her hips and a smirk on her face. “You leave scales and burnt meat all over the pans you use, and you use so many. Do you know how long it takes to scour and clean?”

“Is the princess feeling better?”

Terra’s smile fell a little. “I don’t know. Her brother went in to talk with her, so I came here to find a scrap to eat.”

“Prince Bredan is back?” The princess had two older brothers. Bredan was the eldest, and was next in line to the throne. He was more than ten years older than Elocyne. Next was Prince Derrian, who had left the castle recently to govern a principality with his new wife. He and Terra had been childhood friends. Bredan had no kingdom of his own yet, so he traveled among the human kingdoms that were friendly to his father. He was learning and preparing for the day when he would be king.

Prince Bredan wasn’t scheduled to arrive at Joten for a few weeks. Lewin must have missed his arrival; the gardens were built as far as they could be from the noise of the parade grounds.

“Yes, he just arrived. I don’t even think he’s met with the king yet.”

Lewin nodded. “I’m sure he’ll be able to help Elocyne feel better.”

Both of them stared at each other for a few moments. They were both wondering the same thing: what could have brought the prince back home so early?

A voice from the top of the stairs interrupted their thinking. “Why does it smell like burned fish in here?”

The two looked up to see Princess Elocyne at the top of the dirty kitchen steps. She was dressed in one of her finer dresses. They had both seen her in it before, but it had always been reserved for important events. It did not belong in the kitchens.

Terra smiled at the princess and shrugged. “It’s a kitchen, Highness. Sometimes they smell like fish.”

“No, not this bad. This smells like there is a fish torturer in here somewhere. Is there a fish torturer in my kitchens?”

“As a matter of fact, Highness, there is a fish torturer in your kitchens. I just caught him burning a fish to death. Quite painfully.”

Lewin accepted their teasing good-humoredly. After all, being teased by a princess is an honor. Kind of.

Elocyne started to descend the steps, though she kept the edges of her skirt held up to avoid touching the grime that covered the floor. “Terra, please finish the job he was failing.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” The handmaiden took the tools from Lewin and shoved him out of the way with her hip. He left her to it. Terra was from a noble family, but hadn’t neglected learning how to cook. She also knew how to use the sword, the bow, and had a fair knowledge of woodcraft. Some people mocked her, saying she seemed more like a mercenary than a noble. Terra didn’t care; when you have the honor of serving the princess, you don’t care what spoiled nobles’ children think.

Lewin met Elocyne on the steps. It was obvious even in the dim light that she had been crying; her face was red and her eyes were puffy. She looked like she was teetering on the edge even now, and might easily break down into tears again. Smiling, Lewin asked, “So, Secundus seemed nice. Think he might be right for you?”

The princess burst into laughter. She had to drop her skirts to hold her shaking sides. It echoed all throughout the room. When she finally calmed down she said, “No, Ambassador. I don’t think he is.”

Lewin waited for her to wipe the tears from her eyes. “Sorry if Monsta and I got you into trouble.”

“I get myself into trouble just fine. I don’t need help from you and your mermaid.”

“We’re the ones who made that rope for you, though. If His Majesty found out…”

She waved his argument away. “I own an entire duchy, ten acres of land south of the mountains, and a small fortune in jewelry. I don’t need you two to make me ropes; I can buy all the ropes I want. Besides, I don’t think father could like her any less than he already does.”

“Yes, Highness.”

Elocyne straightened her posture and smoothed out her dress, which seemed to be wrinkling just by being in this dirty place. “Sir, I have no plans for the evening. (My previous engagement was cancelled.) However, it is proper for the gentleman to request a lady’s presence, not the other way around.”

Lewin knew all the proper etiquette of the court. But he never used it with her. “Want to join us for supper, Elle?”

The princess gave a sigh. “You will never attract a woman of noble birth with those manners.”

Three meetings took place that evening at Castle Joten. The first was in the gardens. At that secret place, Lewin arrived by moonlight with the still-warm fish and a book (that he might not have told the librarian he was borrowing). He sat on the bench and reclined there for a few moments. A very quiet splashing sound let him know that his first guest had arrived. The sound of Monsta’s body dragging across the grass grew nearer and nearer until the moonlight sparkled on her bald head, revealing her presence. Her voice was very quiet. “I smell fish.”

It was a little creepy, with her whispering and the light shining on her sharp teeth. Lewin still smiled, happy to see her. “Here you go.” He removed a portion of the animal with a skewer and held it out to her.

Monsta was a little confused. He was not usually so careful with their meals; she would normally just bite off her share. Also, this fish was not burnt. That was unusual. Still she took the offering and smelled it. “Fire makes fish taste good.”

“I also brought a story to read.”

The mermaid perked up. She tried to hide it, but her finned ears were flared. She was interested. “What story?”

“Sir Hurin and the Ophidians.”

She smiled her sharp-toothed grin. “But, how will you read? Sky is dark.”

Her question was answered by the arrival of Lewin’s other guests. The light of a lantern and the sound of feet tromping through the foliage were approaching them. Monsta quickly grabbed the bench and pulled herself around to hide behind Lewin. Then she saw who it was: Princess Elocyne emerged from the trees, her fine dress a little less fine from all the stains on the hem. Behind her was Terra, carrying the lantern and a silken sack. The princess curtsied to them. “Good evening, sir.”

“Sit down already.”

She rolled her eyes and approached the bench. Two green eyes were visible behind Lewin. “Good evening, Monsta.”

“Hello, Princess.” She looked up at the fish a little defensively. “P-princess want some of fish?”

Elocyne straightened her dress as she sat down next to Lewin. “I would, thank you.” She speared off a bite and ate, her movements all very exact and proper. “Tasty.” It wasn’t that tasty. After all, the princess had tasted rainbow pike, giant salmon, and white sevenfin. She was being polite. She was also hungry. Crying uses up a lot of energy, and she had missed lunch.

Monsta watched as the princess enjoyed the fish that she had caught. After chewing for a few moments, her highness motioned to Terra. The handmaiden hung the lantern on a low branch before reaching into the sack. She produced a small round object and walked over to Monsta. The mermaid recoiled a bit. She wasn’t that afraid of Terra; this human had always been civil to her. But she carried a sword. There was a small chunk missing from Monsta’s caudal fin from a previous encounter with a sword.

Terra smiled to reassure the nereid. She tossed the thing she was holding and Monsta caught it. It was soft. It was also covered in some white powder that stuck to her wet hands. She looked at the humans, each of which was holding one of the powdery white things. The princess took a small bite out of hers. Lewin popped the whole thing in his mouth. Monsta gathered her courage and bit into her own.

Sweet! Sweet! Monsta’s body shuddered from the sweet taste before she gobbled up the entire thing. Whatever it was, it was sweet and fruity. Her ear fins flared again as her body was tickled from the sweetness.

Seeing the mermaid respond to the candy was one reason the princess had brought it. Something about nereid biology made them react strangely to sweet things. It also distracted Monsta so that the princess could steal another bite of her fish. She was so hungry…

After eating they settled in for a story. Lewin joined Monsta on her stone. The mermaid’s body did not bend like a human’s, or even like a snake. She had to lay sideways if she was not holding her body upright with her arms. As she lay against the stones, Lewin reclined with his head on her fin. She insisted that it did not hurt or bother her, and the muscular fin actually made a descent pillow, as long as she did not move.

Elocyne sat on the bench next to her handmaiden, who read from the book Lewin had stolen. “Sunlight shines on brave Sir Hurin, bravest of the men of Kal, as he rides across the blackened soil of Let-Lestet…”

Terra did all the voices when she would read to Elocyne in private, but she was too embarrassed to do them in front of others.

That was the first meeting. This is the second.

Past a large double door are the king’s personal chambers. Only his most trusted staff, who wear his livery of purple and gold, can so much as set foot there. Not even Elocyne may enter without permission. In the study, Mellius III sat across a desk from his eldest son, Bredan. The boy was starting to look the part of a king, though he still had some of the evidence of youth to his face. “Elocyne is feeling better, father. A kind word from you would soothe things.”

“What is it you had to tell me?”

Bredan placed a leather map case on the desk. “This is the report my men recovered.”

“Which men?”

“Goni and Halls. They did not break the seal; felians have no idea we have it.”

The king nodded. “Let’s see it, then.”

The prince took out the contents and rolled it out on the desk. It was a map of The Islands. Two great landmasses, each large enough that they have been divided into individual nations, make up the land of Irid. Known as The Islands, they are home to many different peoples, but this map was mostly concerned with human, felian, and cyclopean.

The home of the cyclopes seemed small on the map, but it was high mountain terrain that was large enough even for those giants. Felian borders were much more expansive, and covered much more of the western island than they used to.

“Father, the cat men are not moving to attack the giants. They intend to ally with them.”

“They would never.”

“We defeated them too many times. Whom would you turn to if you needed muscle?”

“Never to those monsters.”

“Well, the felians have. It’s time to make use of the Ob-Enon.”

They continued their discussion late into the night. After they were both asleep, the third meeting took place.