“No, you didn’t startle me. I just didn’t expect to find anyone here. Please forgive my ignorance for I don’t recognize your lordship and I have no idea if I may have given offence in my familiarity,” she said meekly, lowering her gaze, but not before I had caught a glimpse of deep brown. Her eyes had shown little of the humility that her voice conveyed.
Having finally regained some of my balance I swiftly surveyed my surroundings with my mage-sight. The immediate area was still clear of any other people so I turned my attention to a more thorough examination of the woman before me. Her simple yet expensive dress could easily have let her pass as nobility but her attitude and musculature hinted at servitude. More surprising still she possessed several weapons cleverly hidden on her person. For a moment her armament reminded me of Lady Rose. “Fear not, you have done nothing to offend me,” I answered, making clear in my tone that my social standing was such that she was right to be worried. “If you will excuse me I should be getting back to my room,” I added with a touch of brusqueness.
She stepped back lithely to let me pass and I was struck by her nimbleness. Unlike Rose Hightower this woman had more than a casual athleticism, as she moved I could sense the taut muscles under her dress, like steel whipcords, tightly controlling her every movement. I didn’t let my observation slow me down, I needed to be away from her quickly but before I got more than a few steps away she addressed me again, “Begging your pardon your lordship, if I might know your name?”
I paused without turning, by now I was fairly certain she was no maid-in-waiting, more likely she was a bodyguard, hired to watch some wealthy noblewoman. Summoning every ounce of imperiousness I had I spoke coldly, “Tell me yours first and I may forgive your impertinence.” Benchley would have been proud of me if he could have heard me then.
She answered promptly, “Ruth my lord, one of King Edward’s servants.” The lack of any honorific confirmed her common status, but her position as one of the king’s servitors was a surprise, especially given her weaponry. I revised my opinion swiftly. Whatever she did for the king involved staying in peak physical condition, and women were not highly regarded as bodyguards, so she must be something special indeed.
“Shibal,” I said as I turned to catch her. My spell rendered her unconscious before she had a chance to question me further. Gently I eased her to the ground and pulled her back toward the wall where I had emerged moments before. A nearby bush helped to conceal her presence from any casual passersby that might chance along. Since I had been forced to put her to sleep I took the opportunity to examine the heavy blade she had strapped to her thigh. The weapon itself was over a foot in length and wickedly sharp, while the metal had been tempered with a bluish black finish. It was highly unusual in terms of hidden weapons.
I carefully slipped it back into its sheath and then I spoke again, disguising myself as the woman sleeping on the ground before me. Then I touched her throat and used a second spell to imitate her voice. “Thank you for telling me your name, it would have been very inconvenient if someone had asked,” I told her. My ears confirmed that my vocal mimicry seemed to be functioning properly and I rose to continue onward.
I smiled quietly to myself as I walked, careful not to move too quickly. I was supposed to be a woman after all. This should make things much simpler, I thought. Moments later I was passing into one of the archways that led into the guest quarters of the royal palace.
Chapter 8
I walked confidently down the corridors, heading directly toward the king’s chambers. My senses were on high-alert and I made every attempt to avoid encountering other people in the hallways. The one or two times it was unavoidable I simply nodded at them in passing and moved purposefully onward. Whoever Ruth might be I had a feeling she was moderately important and it was probably normal for her to be moving as if she had someplace to be. I only hoped I wouldn’t encounter anyone that knew her well.
As I got closer to the king’s personal rooms I noticed a much larger number of guards. Men had been tucked into every available corner and at every doorway along the hall. It hadn’t been like this the last time I had come here. Of course on that occasion I had been slightly intoxicated, answering a summons from the king and walking with James Lancaster. It was entirely possible I had missed noticing them, but I doubted it. Cyhan must have delivered my message, I thought with a smirk.
As I went I also noticed the guards stood straighter when they saw me coming and whatever small talk they had been engaged in ceased entirely. That gave me all the information I needed regarding Ruth’s possible role here. I put a bit more confidence in my stride and boldly met the eyes of any guard who dared to look at me. In every case they met my gaze calmly and without question. I had no more doubts, Ruth was their superior, or at the very least much higher up the food chain.
I stopped before the door leading into the private audience chamber, the same one that King Edward had met me in over a half a year past. Two men guarded it and they seemed worried when I stopped. Protocol for a guest would have been to have them call for the king’s chamberlain and request an audience, or at the very least announce my presence. Ruth was not a guest however and I got the distinct feeling they had expected me to enter without pausing for permission or waiting for the chamberlain.
“You!” I snapped at the man standing to the right, “Has anyone entered or left in the past hour?” I was hoping to cover my hesitation with questions.
“No milady!” he answered loudly.
I brought my hand up to rest a finger against my lips and the man visibly flinched. He thought I might strike him! Whoever Ruth was she clearly led an interesting life. “Very well,” I told him, “Open the door for me.” I wanted him to do it in case there might be a secret signal; one never knew when it came to guarding royalty. If I attempted to open it myself without following whatever the proper protocol was it would be a dead giveaway.
He leaned over and opened the door. If there had been a secret knock or other signal I saw no sign of it, and I wound up feeling a bit foolish. I didn’t bother looking at him as I entered. I already knew there was only one person inside, the chamberlain unless I was mistaken. Let me correct that, there was only one person ‘within’ the room. Two hidden side doors had several guards waiting behind them, watching the area.
The chamberlain started as I entered and rose quickly from the chair he had been resting on. “I hadn’t expected…,” he began.
“Don’t bother,” I told him. “Is he in his rooms? I need to talk to the king right away.” I was already walking toward the doorway that led toward what I presumed was his Majesty’s private living area. That was my first mistake. Apparently Ruth didn’t outrank the chamberlain… I should have known.
“Ruth! Stop! What do you think you are doing?” he exclaimed indignantly. I could sense the men behind the hidden doors tensing.
The time for subterfuge was over. I had sincerely hoped I could reach King Edward without kicking up a fuss, but it seemed my wish was not to be. “Shibal!” I said loudly, putting a good deal of force into it. The chamberlain went down immediately, as did three of the men behind the hidden doors. The fourth was either a stoic or had something shielding his mind, for he never even faltered, the door he stood behind slid aside and an arrow was already in flight toward my head before I had finished putting his comrades to sleep.
I hadn’t been in any sort of serious conflict since the end of the war with Gododdin two months past, yet it that time had left its mark upon me somehow… for I found myself enjoying the adrenaline. I smiled as the arrow shattered against my shield, savoring the look on the bowman’s face as he realized he was in more trouble than he was ready for. Since the man was immune to mind affecting spells I spoke again, sealing the door he had just passed through with another shield and as an afterthought I repeated the process to seal the doorway I had entered through as well.