The next week went by so quickly, between lessons on Fencing, riding, hawking and other nearly medieval practices, I was tutored on Royal protocol, the Realms, provinces, ministers, ambassadors and noble families. I didn’t have a chance to get bored. I wasn’t left alone with Roelle anymore, either Murph, Liam or another footman was always underfoot. I even had a pair of guardsmen named Dunn and Denn with me when Murph was occupied elsewhere. He did spend a lot of time flying around the countryside on the King’s request. Some sort of mission but his lips were sealed stone even to me, and I was sort of glad to be out from under his eternal stare.
Surprisingly, we had a visit from Julian. He rode up on that enormous demon creature and I swear its eyes gleamed redder when it spotted me. Steam poured from its nostrils and I felt my eyes burn in response as if flames would shoot from them. My fingers and palms itched and tiny sparks squeezed between my clenched digits.
We were standing in the Great Hall, the dude who ran the castle’s daily workings and the guards after just finishing an archery lesson in the bailey when he was announced. Before I had time to think about it, I’d found myself confronting him in the yard.
He looked down at me, dusty, sweaty and dressed in clothing appropriate for a schoolyard, not a Castle. “I see you survived, boy,” he drawled, resting his huge gauntleted hands on the high pommel of a war saddle.
“Yes. Thank you for that,” I said dryly. “As for you turning me over to Flora---.”
“I merely mentioned I had you as a guest, a supposed commoner claiming kinship with brother Corwin,” he said mildly as he looked at the growing crowd of armed men. “May I dismount and seek comfort for my men and animals?”
“What is your purpose here, Julian?” Corwin asked, hand on his blade as he appeared out of the darkness behind me. His body gently pushed me behind Liam and my bodyguards.
Julian’s face scowled as he compared the family likeness between my grandfather and me. “I have no quarrels with anyone here, Corwin,” Julian returned. “Least of all, King Random’s nephew and King Merlin’s son. My Lord. I come to offer my apologies and my allegiance.”
“Merlin’s not here,” Corwin said. “And your apologies are dust.”
“He can still make one,” I interrupted and my voice echoed in the small courtyard. Echoed with a power and a threat that resonated in the air with heavy thunder. Eyes widened as they all felt the shift in pressure. Julian rocked back in the saddle.
“You’ve walked the Pattern!” he exclaimed in horror.
“Part of it,” I replied from behind my grandfather. The crowd parted as King Random strode forward, dressed in jeans and Metallica T-shirt.
“Cool shirt, dude,” I murmured and he threw me an annoyed glance.
“Julian,” he said flatly. “You’ve left the Forest of Arden in capable hands, I trust. Or is there some fleet off shore I need to know about?”
“Your borders are secure, Majesty.”
“What do you mean, ‘part of the way’?” Random asked, indicating he had been there long enough to have heard me.
“I rode most of the way on the...Unicorn. Only walked the Final Veil on my own,” I answered. Julian, Corwin and Random faced me.
“How is that possible?” they asked and I shrugged.
“I don’t know. You’d have to ask her.”
“Her? It’s female?” Random demanded.
“You didn’t look for exterior plumbing? How could you not know, she’s too beautiful to be anything but feminine!” I protested.
“I’ve never seen the Unicorn. Only Corwin had,” Random returned almost ashamedly.
“For centuries no one believed it was real,” Corwin added.
“She’s real,” I smiled with secret knowledge. “Real, powerful and my protector. I accept your apologies, Sir Julian. After all, you did take Murphy and me in, sent your doctor to me and save me from dying outright. I am grateful. Thank you. As for Flora, she’s no longer a threat to me.”
”What do you mean?” All three rounded on me. “Is she dead?”
“No. But she’s taken herself as far away from Amber as she can where no Trump can contact her,” I explained. “Besides, she wasn’t attempting a coup, she was only satisfying her curiosity and trying to curry favor with someone in the Courts.”
“The Courts of Chaos?” Corwin asked. “Dara? Is she behind this?”
“My grandmother.”
“She’s plotting against Merlin?”
“Merlin was the plot. She created him just for the purpose of a puppet king of the Courts, Grandfather,” I said carefully. “Only he had too much Amber blood and influence to fall victim to her wiles. He broke free of her yoke and besides, he has Ghostwheel. She wants it more than almost anything. She thought to use me to get it or Dad under her thumb. Or get me to kill all of you and then put me on the Throne as her straw soldier.”
“Why didn’t it work?” Random questioned.
“Because Ghost sensed I was bound, Vialle sent Roelle to break the spell and the Unicorn gave me the power of the Pattern filtered so that I could adapt it to my hybrid blood. I’m just as much Chaos bred as Amber.”
Julian turned to Random. “Do you trust him here among the Castle, the Pattern and the Realm, Random? Corwin?”
Random’s answer was prompt as was my grandfather’s. Both a resounding ‘YES’. They escorted him into the castle with a discrete guard detail, to his rooms and set up an impromptu dinner welcoming another brother to the Realm.
Being under adult age, I was relegated to the lesser banquet hall which I preferred anyway. That’s where all the other youngsters of the castle ate. I’d met all of them and had found a few that quickly became cohorts. Roelle, of course, her brother Liam, my valet, two of the guards younger kin and the cook’s son, Marcus. He was particularly enjoyable, he brought treats for a growing, ever hungry batch of teenagers and knew every inch of the castle. No one knew the secret passages like Corey and he’d shown me a few, one originating in the off room of my study. One led to the library, the other to the spiral stair that reached the Pattern via the dungeons.
I hadn’t seen or heard from Merlin since he’d left and Murphy was busy, it seemed on endless missions for Random. I hadn’t heard from Ghostwheel, either.
A chunk of bread hit me in the chest and I looked up from roast beef, a sort of Yorkshire pudding, sweet peas, turnips and cake to follow the trajectory of the missile back to Marcus as he aimed another chunk, this one covered in gravy. “What?” I growled and he stopped.
“What did Sir Julian want?” He was taller than I, red haired with dimples, twinkling green eyes and had a major crush on Roelle but was afraid of her seven brothers. I swallowed a spoonful of turnips. With brown sugar, butter and whipped, they were delicious.
“Came to apologize,” I mumbled, my mouth full.
“Mumphbly?” he mocked.
I swallowed. “I can turn you into a toad, Marcus,” I waved my spoon at him and he sputtered. Roelle nearly choked on her potatoes.
“He cannot!” she laughed. “He doesn’t do offensive magic. You’re safe, Marcus. At least from him. What are we doing tomorrow?”
“Dunno.” I eyed my plate. It was empty. One of the servers came around and I refilled it with desserts, pie, tarts and a trifle I was sure came straight from heaven. A cross between pound cake and strawberry shortcakes, clotted cream and nuts. Pudding and sugared berries.
“How about we go check out the town?” I asked after polishing off half in three bites. “I hear a new tavern opened up near the Market. A trade delegation is coming in from Tissarette.”
Roelle’s eyes widened in delight. That Shadow was close to Amber and known for its beautiful fabrics and stunning jewelry. She had long wanted to open trade with Amber but had been vehemently opposed to Eric and his policies. The rape of the former Ambassador's daughter by one of Eric’s generals hadn’t helped either.
I had heard, too, that a traveling caravan from Pleiades was en-route, they were known for their marvelous arms and weaponry, a clan of miners that were a formidable Guild. Random was upgrading the Castle’s stock and wanted me to outfit myself with a new blade, knives or whatever. I’d asked why I couldn’t have a Sig or a Glock and was told that gunpowder would not explode in Amber or anywhere close to its shadows.
Those lessons attended with Roelle were coming along. I might never be the swordsman like my grandfather but I was good enough to save my life until help came. At archery, I was the equal of any in the ranks, with a compound or crossbow. I didn’t care for the English longbow, I preferred the short version that could be used on horseback.
Riding lessons were fun. I’d had chances to ride while running with Murphy, especially those years we lived in Ireland and England. I loved the feel of a good mount between my legs and felt half centaur.
Random and Corey both took me out on gallops and let me choose a horse from the extensive and impressive stables. I admired Star, Corey’s favorite. He told me many stories of his adventures and Hell Rides on the still handsome, though aged gelding.
I picked out a 16.2hh dark bay mare with TB lines yet built more like Morgan. She had a star striped into a feather on her forehead, a snip on her nose and three white heel markings. A trifle hot, she could go all day and yet was smart enough to stand and rest where it was needed. Her name was Turbot and I left it that way. She was the last thing I saw every night before I climbed into bed. Roelle said she refused to be jealous of a horse.
I was carefully kept from being alone in her presence, both of us remained frustrated and she tormented my dreams. I woke up every morning with a hard-on and more embarrassing, had many nocturnal emissions. I’d taken to stripping my own bed and carting the linens to the laundry where the entire household staff nudged each other when I appeared at the washrooms. They didn’t tease me, though. They seemed almost...proud of me. What the hell, I wasn’t getting much sleep anyhow.
We waited for each other to finish eating. As usual, Marcus was done first and Roelle last. She ate so slow, chewed each bite deliberately and ate in an order that made me want to shove it down her throat in one go. We were always waiting up for her. Finally, she licked the last spoonful and set her fork down, signaling she was done. I was up in one bound, thanked the servers, the cooks and on the way to the Hall in a hurry. Liam caught hold of my t-shirt and stopped me. “Prince Raven.”
No matter how much I protested, no one would drop the title and just call me by my first name. It was Prince this and Prince that. I was sick of it.
“What?” I removed his hand, it was an Ozzy Osborne shirt and I didn’t want it ripped.
“The King requested you bathe, get an early rest and meet him at 5 a.m. tomorrow morning for the Trade Delegation.”
“5 a.m.!” I protested. “Why me?”
“I don’t question the King’s commands, my Lord Prince. I merely obey. I will be up in 15 minutes to attend you and at 4 a.m. tomorrow to dress you.” I shuddered. Getting up at 4 a.m. sounded like medieval torture. I told him so. Still, I knew better than to disobey the King’s order or face Liam’s wrath. He could and would do things like have my underwear too starched or my boots a half size too small.
“Okay,” I grunted, resigned to a day of boring, diplomatic crap. Wouldn’t be the first time and I’m sure not the last. We traipsed up to my bedroom, most of the group splitting off to their own rooms leaving me, Liam and the two bodyguards in my group. They entered first to inspect the room and then allowed us entry. Shortly after that, a copper hip tub was carted in, filled with steaming hot water. I was ordered to disrobe, climb in and scrub.
Maids came in and I covered everything with soapsuds. They scrubbed my back and my hair, did my nails, trimmed my neckline and checked for stray hairs on my chin. As yet, I hadn’t started spouting any whiskers.
Just about when the girls were becoming bolder, Liam shooed them out and told me to get up, dried me off and dressed me in my nightwear. I’d given up on trying to do it myself, it pissed him off; he kept telling me it was his job so get used to it. It’d be a lot worse, he told me, when I was the King’s Heir.
I drew the line at him tucking me in; he closed my door, extinguished the lamps and puttered about for an hour getting clothes ready for the morning before his lights went out. I lay there awake until I felt a subtle spell drift in that made my eyelids heavy. I slipped into a quiet slumber and didn’t fight it.