“We’ll need to make a proper road down from the wreck if we do that, either that, or I’ll need to learn to fly.” He hesitated, then added thoughtfully, “I could do that, I suppose. Derithon had some flying spells that didn’t look too difficult.”
“I think that would be fun, flying down from the mountains.”
“Oh, I almost forgot, though; we’d still have to do some hiking at first, each time. Wizardry doesn’t work right around the castle.” “Is there anything you can do about that?”
“I don’t really know. I don’t know anything about it. It seems as if there ought to be some use for such a place, though.” He thought for a moment, then suggested, “Maybe we could set up a village there for people who have been cursed. The curses wouldn’t work. Of course, they’d have to stay up there indefinitely, and we could charge a good price for showing them where it is. Then we’d have a village right there and wouldn’t need to come all the way back to Dwomor for everything.”
Karanissa shook her head. “It won’t work,” she said. “At least, I don’t think it’s a good idea. Sooner or later someone would go exploring in the flying castle and mess up the hidden room, and we wouldn’t be able to get out that way.”
“You’re right,” Tobas agreed immediately. “It needs more thought. I can’t even put any protective spells in place, because they, won’t work there.” He sighed. “Oh, well, it was an idea. Maybe eventually I’ll manage to make another tapestry showing somewhere more convenient, and then we can set up our colony for the victims of curses.”
“You’ll make another tapestry,” Karanissa said confidently. “It can’t be that hard. If Derry could do it, you can do it.”
“It may take years,” Tobas reminded her.
“Well, I’ve got forever, and they say a witch’s love can keep a man young. You’ve got a recipe for an eternal youth spell in that book of Derry’s; you can work your way up to that, and then we’ll both have forever.” She leaned over and kissed him.
Someone knocked at the door.
Startled that anyone would be about so late, Tobas called, “What is it?”
“Your companion has returned, my lord wizard,” announced the voice of one of the few servants who spoke Ethsharitic.
“Well, it’s about time!” Karanissa said, rolling quickly out of the bed onto her feet. Tobas followed suit, and both grabbed for the nearest decent clothing.
A moment later the witch and the wizard descended the staircase together and marched out to the torchlit courtyard, where a curious crowd, much of it still in night-clothes, was staring at the various fragments of the dragon that now occupied a long line of wagons.
“My lord Tobas,” someone said behind him. Tobas turned and found the Lord Chamberlain, his ceremonial robes wrinkled, obviously himself just roused from sleep. “My apologies, sir, for doubting you. You are indeed entitled to the reward; and despite the hour, his Majesty the King is waiting in the audience chamber at this moment, eager to have the matter settled. We do not wish there to be any further delay and hope you will come now and make your choice. If you would be so kind as to follow me?”
Grinning broadly, with Karanissa on his arm, Tobas followed.
Peren was waiting at the door of the audience chamber. “I’m sorry I took so long,” he said, speaking quickly. “But it was hard keeping that bunch together, and it took a long time to chop the thing up. They insisted on bringing it all back. They wanted practically every scale and drop of blood. And then on the way back they kept stopping to rest, too! Half of them wanted to stop and make camp at sundown this evening, but we were so close, I insisted we should press on, and here we are. I’m sorry it’s so late.”
“That’s all right,” Tobas said. “We thought that the delays were probably something like that. We weren’t really worried, after all, we knew we’d killed the dragon. Besides, we could always go through the tapestry if we had to escape quickly.”
Peren nodded, not really listening. “Did you know that the crown is claiming the dragon’s remains?” he said, clearly agitated. “They say that since we were working for them, they own the dragon; we don’t get to keep any for ourselves.”
“Well, with all that gold, we shouldn’t need-” Tobas began.
“Hush!” the chamberlain said, as the door of the audience chamber swung open.
The three adventurers obeyed and were appropriately quiet and obeisant as they were brought before his Majesty Derneth the Second, King of Dwomor and Rightful Lord of the Holy Kingdom of Old Ethshar. Tobas wondered idly whether this last title was a new acquisition or merely one they hadn’t come across previously.
They noticed immediately that, in addition to a small assortment of rather befuddled advisors, the king was surrounded by his unmarried daughters. All five princesses stood to the left of the throne, arrayed in fine white gowns, though Tobas noted a few untied bows and unfastened buttons, clear proof of the hurry with which they had dressed. Zerrea was grinning behind her hand, and Alorria was visibly excited, but the older three merely seemed sleepy.
Servants were still lighting candles along the sides of the hall; about two-thirds of the racks were aglow when the king motioned for the three foreigners to rise from their formal bows.
“Hello,” he said politely when everyone was upright once more. “We understand you three actually managed to kill that dragon.”
“Yes, your Majesty,” Tobas replied. “We did.”
“Congratulations, my boy!” He smiled broadly, if a trifle insincerely. “In that case, we assume that you have come here for your reward.”
“Yes, your Majesty, I-”
“Which one do you want?” He gestured at the five princesses, wasting no time on preliminaries. Tinira, somewhat more awake than her older sisters, blushed, and Zerrea giggled; Alorria licked her lips nervously. “Pick one, and then we can all get back to bed.”
Somewhat distressed at the king’s cavalier treatment of his own daughters, as well as dismayed at the assumption that he would marry one, Tobas began, “Ah... your Majesty, I-”
Peren interrupted. “If it pleases your Majesty, I would ask for the hand of the Princess Tinira. My comrade, Lord Tobas, has voiced no objection to my choice in previous discussion.”
“Good enough, then.” The king’s smile seemed suddenly more sincere. “Tinira, step forth to meet your betrothed!”
The princess stepped forward, eyes downcast, and made her way to Peren’s side. He took her hand gravely.
“Had you left the choice to me,” the king remarked casually, “I would have offered Falissa and I do wish that you hadn’t lost the other two members of your original group, but this will have to be good enough. My blessings upon you, Peren, it is Peren, isn’t it? Peren, and Tinira. And now, Wizard, what of your choice?”
“Your Majesty, I’m already married,” Tobas answered boldly. “The witch Karanissa of the Mountains is my wife as well as my comrade.”
The king stared at him for a moment, every trace of his smile gone, then demanded, “What of it?”
Tobas stammered for a moment, then said, “I mean only that I cannot take one of your beautiful daughters’ as my wife. I will be pleased and honored to accept the other promised rewards, but-”
“You don’t understand,” Derneth said, cutting him off. “You obviously don’t understand the situation at all. Someone has misled you badly. You do want the reward money, don’t you?”