22.

News of an assassination attempt reaches Denrich and Xael.

22.

 

The sound of vigorous knocking brought Denrich awake and he sat up disorientated for a moment.    Glancing down onto the bed, he was surprised to find Xael lying there, just waking up.

“What is it?”  She asked groggily.

“I don’t know,” He replied, rushing over to the door.   It was a bit past sunrise, which made it unlikely this would be an assassination attempt.

“Who’s there?”  He challenged through the portal.

“Sheriff Denrich?    Forgive our intrusion, sir, but His Majesty requests your presence immediately in the throne room.”

“Let us get dressed first,”  He replied, only then realizing that they would take that to mean something other than what he meant (which was to change out of night clothes).

“Pardon us, sir, but His Majesty gave specific instructions for only you to come.    Lady Xael was not invited.”

“I see.   What is this meeting in regards to?”

“We were told only that it concerns an attempt last night on the life of Mother Julia at the St. Catherine’s Merchant guild house in town.”

“What?   Was she killed?”

“I don’t think so, sir, but we were not given the details.   Please sir; the King expects you shortly.”

“Alright; I’ll be there right away.”

“We’ll inform His Majesty.”

Denrich hurried over to the closet, his mind racing.    Xael joined him with a questioning look on her face.

“What is it?   Is Mother Julia dead?”

“They said that they think she’s alive,”  He glanced at her, as always smitten at her incredible beauty.   Even early in the morning, moments after awaking from sleep, she was radiant.    Then he remembered what she had done the night before and bitterness filled him.   His face soured, though Xael didn’t seem to notice.

“You need to be careful, Love, it could be a set-up of some sort.”

“Trust no-one,”  He mumbled in response and she sensed his animosity toward her.

“Are you still upset about last night?   I came back, didn’t I?”

“Right now all I can think about is Mother Julia’s well-being.   Someone tried to kill her last night… and you were gone too.”

“I’m alright; I wasn’t in any danger,”  She replied, assuming that he was expressing worry about her.

“I was wondering what you knew about this assassination attempt?”

“What?”

“Was it coincidence?    You slip away from me and sometime that same night someone tries to kill Mother Julia.”

Xael looked at him in disbelief, her face etched in hurt, “You can’t be insinuating that I had something to do with that!”

“I hope not, Xael, but your mysterious ways would make most people suspicious.”

“How dare you think such things about me!”

“It deeply saddens me to entertain such suspicions, Xael, but you’re sneakiness is troubling.”

“You really think that I would have a desire to try to kill Mother Julia?”

“No, I can’t see any reason you’d want to, but I’ve been led down so many different paths the past few days that I don’t know what to believe.”

“Well if you are so damned ignorant that you would think that I would try to kill her, then you are a fool.”

“Maybe I am, but clearly the King has some reason for wanting to talk to me.   Perhaps he thinks I tried to kill her for revealing to him who I was.”

“Well, did you?   You were alone all night, you know,”  Xael snapped sarcastically. 

“If Reddric wants to use that as an excuse for executing me, your sarcasm might be prophetic.”

“Oh for God’s sake, Love!   He’s not that stupid!    He knows you love Julia and now that you know that she’s your grandmother that would even give you less reason!”

“Yes, but Reddric isn’t logical and he has little sense of family bonds.    Perhaps he thinks I’m as ruthless deep down inside as he is.   The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, they say.”

“That’s ridiculous!”

“Well, then why is he summoning me so urgently?    I don’t think he is seeking my opinion on the matter.   Clearly there is some sort of plan or scheme afoot.    This whole damned palace is overflowing with plans and secret schemes.”

Xael knew that he aimed that last statement at her and she glared at him with her hands on her hips.   Even angry, she was wonderfully lovely, he thought as she replied to his barb.

“You don’t have any idea what my ‘schemes’ or ‘secret plans’ are!   You think that you know, but you don’t!   Everything that I do - or seem to do- have a well thought out reason, Sheriff Denrich!”

“I don’t doubt that for a moment, Xael, but when you don’t share these reasons or confide in anyone about your plans, then people are left to guess for themselves.”

“And they usually guess wrong!”

Denich smiled slightly, “I hope so, Xael; I honestly do.    I’ve got to go chat with ‘His Majesty’.    Take care of yourself, okay.    This is a very dangerous place to play games, Xael and you are far too charming and lovely of a lady to waste yourself with court intrigue and meaningless relationships.”

He didn’t wait for her answer, and she seemed taken back by what he said.     He finished changing and patted her shoulder gently as he walked past her.    Her expression revealed some sort of internal conflict, as if she was struggling with telling him something.   But he didn’t have time to wait.

“I’ll let you know what he says,”   He assured her, “See you later.”

She didn’t respond, though her lips quivered as if she was on the very edge of speaking.    He just smiled weakly at her and slipped out into the hallway, prepared for the worst.

 

***

 

The throne room was mostly empty except King Reddric, Queen Jaelabeth, Archbishop Hobst, four Barons, two Earls and Duke Mersexx.   They all looked at him as he entered, but he could not detect what their moods were by their neutral expressions.

Denrich approached respectfully, bowed to Reddric and Jaelabeth, then to Hobst, who actually nodded in return.

“Your Majesty, I am reporting as summoned,” he said to his father.   The thought disturbed him, especially after hearing the news about the attack upon Mother Julia.

Reddric smiled slightly, “Denrich, there was an attempt on the life of Mother Julia last night at St. Catherine’s merchant guild house here in Caelyin.”

“Your messengers told me this, sire; is Mother Julia alive?”

“Her guards protected her, though it cost one of them his life, and they whisked her back to the convent.   It seems that they feared that I was behind the assassination attempt after our little family drama yesterday.”

He paused, as if expecting Denrich to ask him if he was indeed involved.   Denrich didn’t say a word.

“You probably think I was behind it, don’t you?”   Reddric finally asked.

“No, actually I don’t think so, sire.”

This surprised the king, “Really?   Why?  What makes you think that?   You know that I have a stormy relationship with my mother.”

“Yes, but it seems to me, sire, that you both understand each other and that there is a degree of grudging respect for each other as long as both of you don’t try to cross the other.”

His insight pleased Reddric and he nodded, “You are wiser than I imagined.    No, I did not try to kill Mother Julia.   She has a stabilizing influence not only at St. Catherine’s, but among some of her kin.   I wish to keep my kingdom loyal to me, and her death would only cause me trouble - especially if I murdered her.”

“Do you have any idea who was behind this attempt, Your Majesty?”  Denrich asked, holding his breath.   If the King accused him of the attempt - no matter how outlandish that was- that might give him enough excuse to have him executed and put behind him the embarrassment of a half-elven b*****d.

“I would guess someone wanting to point the blame at me, or else someone disturbed at the news of a royal b*****d with elven blood.    The attempt could have been to try to stir up dissension and force me to imprison or even execute you.”

“That would be a logical way of doing it,”  Denrich admitted with a slight smile, “It would be a good way to get rid of your problem.”

Reddric laughed, “You are not as big of a ‘problem’ to me as you might think, Denrich!   I don’t find you to be a threat.   No one is going to follow a backwoods Sheriff with elven blood, so clearly you are not going to try a coup against me.”

“Absolutely not, sire!”  Denrich responded, “You are quite right in your description of me - I am a simple man who is most happy living and working amongst simple monks and farmers.    Since I have arrived here I have been bewildered and ill at ease.   I am not fit for a court such as yours and I certainly would not desire a life like this.   I would be overjoyed if you sent me back home to St. Wemricshire.”

Reddric leaned back in his throne and shot a glance at Archbishop Hobst, who was smiling as if to say ‘I told you so’.  

“Denrich, I am going to send you back to St. Wemricshire - but only for a short time.   Your visit will be only long enough to gather up your belongings, make arrangements for a successor as Sheriff and say farewell to your friends there.    You are indeed backwards and unskilled at courtly matters, but I intend to change that by having you live here in my court.”

“But-“ Denrich started to protest, yet the king held his hand up and explained.

“I have learned that it is much wiser to keep your enemies close to you.”

“I am not your enemy, sire!”

“No, you are something far more dangerous:  you are my son.”

“Surely my presence here would be an embarrassment to you, sire!   Everyone knows that I had an elven mother.    Why would you want me here?”

“To watch you, Denrich - I have already inquired about you from some of your ‘friends’ in St. Wemricshire and to your credit, they all give you glowing reviews.    You are quite popular there, Denrich, and what would happen if I sent you back to live there and then you begin to think about who your father is?   Perhaps those who like you so much would encourage you to siege the throne from me.    I don’t want your popularity to give you any delusions of grandeur.”

Denrich shook his head in frustration, “Nothing could be farther from my mind, Your Majesty!”

“I want it to stay that way, Denrich.   I think some culture here at court would greatly benefit you.”

“How long will I have in St. Wemrichsire?”  Denrich asked, feeling totally defeated.

“I have no set time for your return, but I suspect a month would suffice.   You will have new quarters here when you arrive.”

“What about Lady Xael?”  He asked.

“What about her?   She has just shown some kindness to you, but she is certainly not interested in you from what I’ve heard about her activities last night!”   He turned and gave Duke Mersexx a sly grin.   The Duke had a smug expression on his face and seemed more than a bit amused at Denrich’s confused expression.

“Oh, she didn’t tell you?”  Reddric said with some cruel faked sympathy, “How heartless of her!   I’m afraid she might have misled you, Denrich.   It would appear that she slipped out while you slept last night to rendezvous with her lover.    She should not have kept that from you.    But that is the nature of nymphs.”

Duke Mersexx nodded as if he’d had decades of experience with them, all the time retaining the smug expression on his face.

“Forget about her, Denrich!”  The King said, “There are more fish in the stream.   In fact, you might find your travelling companion a worthy distraction - she is very similar in beauty to Lady Xael.”

Denrich just shook his head, “Who are you talking about, sire?”

“I have named Princess Avalynn as the Duchess of Baylcothrom, as I have dissolved her father’s kingdom.   She has accepted this and will journey with you by train.    She has business to attend to as we change the structure of their government and there are troops already waiting at the border for her arrival to ensure her safety and ease the transfer of power.      Archbishop Hobst has decided to visit the churches and monastery of St. Wemricshire, so he will travel with both of you and I am sure you will get to know him quite well.”

“I look forward to becoming more acquainted with you, Denrich,” Hobst spoke up and Denrich bowed respectfully, though he was not thrilled with the thought of a two day arcane train ride in the company of the Archbishop.

At that moment through the doors came the new Duchess arrayed in a spectacular red dress that highlighted her great beauty.   Having seen both women, he was amazed at how similar Xael and Avalynn were in appearance.    The former princess entered regally with her dainty nose held high.   Down the main aisle she strolled, curtsying to the King and Archbishop, and then smiling warmly at Denrich.

“We were just speaking of you, Duchess,” The King said to her, “It seems that you will not only be travelling with the Archbishop, but with Denrich as well.”

“I will enjoy it as much as our first trip together,” She replied with a slightly flirty look at him.

It did not affect him at all for he found his thoughts -surprisingly- on Xael.    How could he feel so betrayed and hurt when there wasn’t really any reason for it?

“You will be expected on the train this afternoon - it will leave in three hours,” Reddric told him.

“I will be there,” Denrich answered.

“Indeed you shall - but I will not have my son dressed so plainly.”

The King clapped his hands and a servant appeared in a moment’s time.

“Take Prince Denrich to the royal tailors and have him measured for clothing befitting his status.”

The servant bowed and glanced over at Denrich, “If you will follow me, Your Highness,” He said.

Denrich frowned slightly at the sudden acquisition of a royal title, but went passively, feeling more of a prisoner than a prince.