Chapter 26
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
T he palace guards were expecting her and Thea was shown to the throne room.
There, King Artos sat with Princess Jasira at his side, deep in conversation.
Steeling her nerves, Thea strode in and bowed low before them both.
Here was the ruler who had turned the tides of her fate – the ruler who had earned her unwavering loyalty.
Once again, Thea found herself momentarily stunned by the magic that reached out to her, exploring the air around her as though it wanted to play. It was more distinct without the powers of the other royals alongside it, almost stronger on its own.
Something within her shifted in answer, in recognition, causing her to start. It was a curious sensation, but she couldn’t forget herself.
‘Your Majesty. Your Highness,’ she greeted them.
‘Ah! Althea Zoltaire!’ King Artos said warmly. ‘Rise, child. Rise!’
Thea did as he bid, returning his welcoming smile, pride swelling in her chest. ‘I have some correspondence from the Guild Master, Your Majesty,’ she told him.
The king waved to a servant, who offered an empty silver platter for her to place the sealed envelope on. She did so and the letter was taken to the king, who slid it into an inner pocket of his doublet.
‘The shieldbearer life seems to suit you, Althea,’ King Artos commented as he surveyed her sun-kissed skin and Thezmarrian uniform. The surrounding magic seemed to pulse with warmth, as though it reflected his good nature.
‘It does indeed, Your Majesty. All thanks to you.’
‘I merely gave my approval. The rest has been up to you,’ he said kindly.
Thea flushed with pleasure. ‘Thank you, Sire.’
‘Are you enjoying your training?’ he asked.
Thea’s stomach fluttered, utterly moved that the King of Harenth was showing such interest in her. Suddenly, she felt the overwhelming need to please him. ‘Yes, Your Majesty. I feel as though I was born for it.’
‘I’m happy to hear it,’ he replied. ‘Not long ago, I heard that you were injured. Is that true?’
‘How —’ she stopped herself immediately. It was not her place to question how King Artos had known about her wounds. ‘Only a little, Sire,’ she answered, not wanting him to think less of her. ‘I was back on my feet in no time.’
‘Well, I’m glad you have recovered, Althea. I must admit, I feel invested in your journey, having been there at its inception. Though I probably shouldn’t tell you that. After all, the kingdoms are supposed to be completely separate from the guild.’
‘I’m honoured, Your Majesty,’ she said, blushing again. For the king to take a special interest in her was incredibly flattering.
Thea looked up, realising that Princess Jasira hadn’t spoken a word since her arrival. ‘Are you well, Highness?’ she asked, hoping she hadn’t come across as impolite.
‘Quite well,’ the princess replied.
A strange silence lingered for a moment.
‘I do hope you can enjoy the city this time, Althea,’ the king said. ‘I know last time you were whisked away by Warsword Hawthorne before you could see the sights. You also left before I could give you something.’
‘You have given me all I could ever hope for, Your Majesty.’ Thea bowed low.
‘Nonsense,’ King Artos waved his hand and a servant came forward again, a palm outstretched to her. ‘You saved my life, Althea Zoltaire. I wish to bestow a small token of my gratitude.’
Curiosity burning, Thea peered into the servant’s palm. It was a small silver coin, not any currency she recognised.
‘It’s my own personal token,’ the king explained. ‘Take this coin anywhere in the midrealms and the bill will be sent to my treasury.’
Thea baulked. ‘Your Majesty, I can’t accept —’
‘You must!’ he argued. ‘Hailford is beautiful at night. I suggest you start there.’
‘That’s too generous, Your Majesty.’ Thea stammered.
‘I will hear no more of it. You saved my life. And while I cannot interfere with guild business at Thezmarr, I can treat you as an honoured guest in my kingdom and wherever I have influence across the realms. Take the coin and use it as often as you like.’
Thea couldn’t believe her ears. She took the token with trembling hands. ‘Thank you, truly, Sire. You are too kind.’
King Artos waved her off. ‘I’ll let you get on with your exploring. And please, I shall be insulted if I receive no bills.’
The magic that she had almost grown used to humming around her retreated and, bowing low once more, Thea spluttered her thanks again and left the throne room.
Outside the palace gates and atop her mare again, Thea couldn’t believe her luck. Not only did she have an entire evening to herself in Hailford, but she also had coin to spend?
Asking a passerby for directions to the Laughing Fox, Thea started the descent through the residences and into the city.
She couldn’t take in the sights fast enough - the beautiful townhouses, the stalls and shops.
While there was no longer a formal celebration in full swing, Hailford was just as prosperous, just as lively as it had been during her first visit.
After several wrong turns and a set of new directions, Thea at last spotted the wooden sign swinging from the side of a building.
It was indeed a laughing fox, its bushy tail curled around its body with a flourish.
There was no sign of Cal and Kipp’s horses outside, but she dismounted anyway, and led her mare to the trough, roping her reins to the post there.
She had never been inside a tavern before, so she didn’t know what to expect when she entered.
Raucous chatter and music greeted her, and she spotted a pair of fiddlers atop a small stage on the far end.
The bar was in the centre of the vast room and there were booths and tables all over, not a single one vacant.
Suddenly unsure of herself, Thea did a lap, taking in the merry banter, the delicious smell of roast meat wafting in from the kitchens, and the handful of couples dancing to the festive notes of the fiddles.
She was just about to start a second lap when the doors burst open with a bang and Kipp strode in, Cal in tow.
‘You!’ A burly man behind the bar shouted, pointing.
Cal flinched and Thea’s blood went cold as Kipp froze in the doorway.
The whole tavern fell silent, even the fiddlers.
The half-door creaked loudly as the huge bartender came through it, tossing a cloth over his shoulder. With a slow, lumbering gait, he approached the lanky shieldbearer, surveying him critically.
Suddenly, he threw his arms out and enveloped Kipp in a bear-like embrace. ‘The son of the fox returns!’ he shouted, laughing joyously and ruffling Kipp’s auburn hair. ‘Clear Kipp’s booth!’
Thea’s legs buckled in relief.
Across the crowd, Cal’s mouth fell open in disbelief.
‘Make way, make way!’ The barman called, shooing patrons from his and Kipp’s path.
Thea made her own way towards them, meeting Cal at the foot of Kipp’s freshly vacated booth. They stared at him, gobsmacked.
Kipp grinned. ‘Didn’t I tell you?’ he laughed. ‘I was born here.’
Thea nearly choked as she slid into the booth beside him. ‘What?’
‘Yep, right over there in the kitchen.’ Kipp pointed to the door near the bar.
Cal slammed his hand down on the table, with more force than he intended by the looks of things. ‘In all your ridiculous stories, you never once mentioned that.’
‘Didn’t seem important.’
‘Didn’t seem important?!’ Cal echoed. ‘All this time, I thought you were making this place up.’
‘Why would I do that?’
‘For a laugh? To annoy me? To prove you knew Harenth better than the rest of us?’ Cal reeled off the list of possible reasons, Kipp looking more and more baffled with each one.
‘Sorry to disappoint you, nothing like that.’
‘Well, I know that now! ’
Thea was sinking further into the cushioned booth, her shoulders shaking as she laughed silently.
‘Are your parents still here?’ Cal asked, scanning the busy tavern as though he might stumble upon Kipp’s mother or father.
‘No, long gone. Ma worked in the kitchens for a time, then I was born. I don’t know anything about my father. But the chef here, she knows me, looks after me when I visit and all that.’
The hulking barman cleared his throat. ‘First round’s on me, Kipp, but born here or not, son, after that you’ll still need your own coin.’
Kipp grimaced. ‘Ahh, about that Albert, any chance you could —’
The man groaned. ‘Don’t tell me you came here with an empty purse again? You’ve still got an unpaid tab from last time!’
‘Uh… I may be able to help with that,’ Thea said, sliding the king’s coin across the table.
The man stared at the small disc of silver. ‘Holy shit… The coin of the king. I’ve never seen one in the flesh.’ Blinking slowly, Albert picked it up and turned it over between his thick fingers before letting out a low whistle. ‘You’re her then? The lass from Thezmarr who saved his life?’
Thea blushed furiously. ‘Yes.’
Beside her, Kipp beamed and clapped her heartily on the back. ‘Of course she is! Albert, this is the incomparable Althea Zoltaire! Thezmarrian shieldbearer and hero to the king!’
Thea elbowed him to stop, her face still burning.
‘And that’s Cal,’ she pointed to their other friend.
But Kipp was swept up in the occasion. ‘Albert, we’ll have the boar! And three growlers of your sour mead. And roast potatoes. And some of Malva’s sticky toffee pudding and —’
‘Kipp…’ Thea warned. ‘Be sensible.’
‘That is sensible, my friend! Or do you think we should get two boars?’ He got to his feet and chased after Albert. ‘Albert, make it two boars!’
Thea shook her head in disbelief and Cal laughed.
‘You shouldn’t have shown him that,’ he said, nodding to the coin Albert had handed back to her.
Before long, the trio sat with the largest tankards Thea had ever seen and filled to the brim with fresh, foaming mead, awaiting what was surely enough food to feed an army.
Kipp raised his drink. ‘To Althea Zoltaire, the shieldbearer who saved the most powerful empath in history and shared her good fortune with her friends.’