Chapter Thirteen #3
Alossa’s royal castle was walled, with a tall tower at each corner.
There were guards at the entrance, but the huge double doors were currently open, and no one was being subjected to too much scrutiny.
People were allowed in to make deliveries, speak to the guards, or request an audience with the High King.
Inside the wall, the barracks and training grounds were to the left. The stable was to the right. Straight ahead was the heavily guarded entrance to the castle itself.
“Staff door on the left side,” Tor pointed out. “The entrance to the garden is also over there. Guarded, of course.”
But he was leading Pel to the right, skirting around the stables.
In this direction, there was only a tall wall separating this area of the courtyard from the garden at the back of the castle, with the stables stretching down to fill in most of the space between the outer wall and the inner wall of the castle.
Pel eyed the wall that led to the gardens dubiously. “I don’t think my climbing skills are that great.”
“Definitely would not recommend,” Tor agreed. “The guards in the tower would shoot you. They might not be quite as talented with a bow and arrow as you are, but they’re good enough.”
“So what are we doing?” Pel inquired.
“Using the secret entrance, of course.”
Pel thought he was joking, but it turned out there was an actual secret entrance.
Tor showed him the two different stones you had to push, and where you needed to stand for it to work, and then an entire section of stone swung inward.
Looking around to make sure no one was looking, Pel slipped inside after Tor.
Tor pushed the door carefully closed between them, and a moment later, white light sprang up, and Pel saw that Tor had created a ball of light in his hand.
Pel shot him an unimpressed look.
“Sorry,” Tor grimaced. “Instinct. It’s what we always do to sneak through the secret passage.”
The light was small, bright, and white, and Pel decided he’d better pick his battles. It wasn’t like he could reasonably expect that Tor would never use magic again, even if there was part of him that was clamoring that that would be the safest solution to ensure nothing happened to Tor ever again.
The passageway sloped down, and then it narrowed until it was just wide enough for two people, and just high enough that there wasn’t more than a foot and a half of clearance above Pel’s head.
“Does the castle have lots of secret passages?” Pel asked curiously.
“Sadly, no,” Tor said with a frown. “Or at least not that Var and I ever found. And believe me, we searched.”
Pel tried not to smile too much at Tor’s slipping and calling his brother by his short name. It gave him hope for the confrontation that he knew was coming. All the affection was clearly there. They just needed to get past the resentment and sour feelings.
Tor pointed out the door that led into the castle itself on their right-hand side, but he continued on until they reached an area directly opposite where they’d come in, the corridor sloping back up to another door.
“This leads out to the courtyard, which is our private garden, set apart from the formal gardens out back. It was Mother’s favorite location.”
On the inside of the secret passage, there was a straightforward lever that opened the door. Tor demonstrated how lifting the lever opened the door and then nudged Pel out.
“The lever falls closed once you’re no longer holding it, and that closes the door.”
Pel watched in fascination as the door soon blended in seamlessly with the surrounding wall. He couldn’t tell where it was at all from just looking at the long stretch of stone.
Grinning, Tor pointed out where to stand and the stones to press on this side, making Pel do it this time. Pel couldn’t help the smile that grew on his face as the door opened soundlessly once again.
“That’s way more fabulous than anything we have at our castle,” he admitted.
Tor’s smile grew bigger. “There’s another one on the outer wall that leads out of the castle completely.
On the other side of the stable, directly opposite this one.
Same pattern to open it, just with two stones on the left.
” He held out his left hand splayed wide at about shoulder height, as if to demonstrate.
“Mother made us promise not to use it or she’d have it bricked up. ”
Pel eyed him. “How often did you use it?”
With exaggerated innocence, Tor said, “Never. Obviously.”
Pel snorted.
The courtyard was filled with trees and a variety of plants. (In fact, a large tree and some bushes were planted—strategically, Pel assumed—in front of the secret entrance, but far enough from the wall that they could slip out unobstructed while not being seen by anyone else.)
Tor pointed across the courtyard to the right and about three stories up.
“We’re going there.”
“And where is ‘there’?” Pel asked without much hope.
Sure enough, Tor just kept smiling as he guided Pel through the beautiful garden and then through an entrance into the castle itself.
Tor’s steps were assured as he led the way through hallways that were decorated with tapestries, paintings, and other costly decorations. Tor was seemingly paying no attention to any of it, but Pel was trying to pick out landmarks and track their progress.
There was a tiny possibility he was going to end up living here, in which case getting to know the castle was a good idea.
Regardless, he’d prefer not to be completely lost. Besides, if he concentrated on the decor, he didn’t have to think about the fact that the next conversation he had—with the High King—was likely to determine his future happiness.
It was normal to feel sick to your stomach in a moment like this, right?
Pel didn’t know what he’d been thinking this morning, but he’d dressed in his regular dark tunic and hose.
Tor was dressed plainly as well. Wearing their cleanest clothes had certainly made the most sense at the inn this morning, but surrounded by the wealth and comparative opulence of the castle, Pel realized the error of his thinking.
This was not what he should be wearing to meet the High King…
but suggesting that they turn round and go right back to the inn was probably a transparent delaying tactic.
The only reason he didn’t suggest it was because he was afraid Tor would accept the excuse. Pel didn’t think he could take the ongoing tension.
A door with two guards posted outside appeared to be where they were heading, and Pel’s stomach lurched. Maybe they really could come back later. Maybe—
Tor flashed the guards a grin, tapped on the door, and headed inside.
Steeling himself, Pel followed, and found… a nursery? There was a pale-skinned, dark-haired young woman with a baby who looked up as they entered.
“Your Ma—” She cut herself off, head tilted slightly to one side. Her eyebrows rose. “Your Highness. I… didn’t expect you.”
“That’s because I sneaked in,” Tor told her.
She snorted, and then tried to look like she hadn’t just made such a sound.
“I want my baby time before my brother starts his scold.” He held out his hands. “Gimme, gimme.”
Looking amused, she obediently rose to her feet and brought over the baby.
Tor pulled Princess Cala into his arms and beamed down at her with a besotted smile that Pel had never seen before.
“Hello, sweetheart,” he murmured. “And how is the most beautiful baby in the entire United Realms?”
Pel had assumed this was a rhetorical question, but the little princess looked up at Tor, then gave the most beaming smile Pel had ever seen and began to chatter incomprehensibly at him. He watched as Tor practically melted before his very eyes.
“Yes, you really are the most beautiful baby ever, yes, you are. You’ve gotten so big while I was gone! I can barely believe it. Has your life been very boring? Did you throw up on your mother like I asked you to? I won’t tell anyone, I promise.”
Pel watched, transfixed, as Tor cooed over his niece.
It was one of the cutest things Pel had ever seen.
It was clear they adored one another. Tor tried to eat her fingers and then gasped in shocked amazement when they appeared unharmed after all.
The baby shrieked with laughter, and Tor laughed back.
If Pel hadn’t been in love already, this would definitely have done it for him. He’d never thought of Tor as a possible father before, but he would clearly be amazing.
Then Tor looked over at him and said, “Sorry, this is a terrible surprise, isn’t it?
I brought you here and then got distracted.
Pel, I’d like you to meet Princess Cala.
Cala, sweetheart, this is Prince Pel from Tond.
Geographically, they’re the furthest away, but as you will soon learn, they produce the most awesome people. Pel, come say hello.”
Pel couldn’t do anything but come over and have the baby placed in his arms. He tried not to panic, and Tor slipped an arm around him and assured him that he was doing just fine.
“You’re doing a great job. And see, she likes you.”
She was staring up at him solemnly, and then she grabbed onto his tunic with chubby fingers and yanked as hard as she could.
Pel hunched over even as he winced, trying to keep a firm grip on her.
Tor leaned closer, cheerfully disentangling her fierce little fists as he said, “She wants to get you naked. How very discerning of her. Sorry, sweetheart, but this one is mine.”
Pel felt his ears heat as the attendant laughed softly.
Tor grinned. “Oh, sorry, there go my manners again. I’m very scattered today. Pel, that’s Pamuna, Cala’s nurse. Pamuna, this is Prince Pel. From Tond.”
“Where they produce the most awesome people. So you said.” Pamuna still sounded amused. “Have you let your brother know that you’re here?”
“Definitely not,” Tor told her without hesitation.
“But I assume one of the guards at the door will figure out that I’m me and not Varex, and they’ll no doubt inform him, and then I will be swept off to be lectured—and I probably won’t be able to escape and come back here until at least tomorrow.
But I can’t miss seeing this precious baby girl, so I’m seizing my moment. ”
Pamuna laughed. “All right. I’ll be sitting over here. Yell if she spits up on you.”
Tor stroked a finger down Cala’s cheek. “No, she wouldn’t do that. She’s saving all the spit-up for her mommy, isn’t she? Yes, that’s a good girl.”
Pel had to wonder how frequently Tor expressed sentiments like that, which could hardly endear him to the Queen—and yet watching him coo them at a baby was still the most adorable thing Pel had ever seen.
He held Cala out. “Here. Clearly, you need more time with her.”
Tor happily snatched her up, bouncing her in his arms, and she shrieked with glee.
“Come look out the window.”
Tor leaned up against one edge and looked out, and Pel joined him on the other side.
The windows were open to catch the morning breeze.
Pel could see across the courtyard to the tree that he was pretty sure was hiding the secret entrance.
This was definitely the window that Tor had been pointing out earlier.
Cala yanked on Tor’s ear, making him wince, but he disentangled himself with a smile. She shoved one of his fingers into her mouth and seemed to be slobbering all over it, but Tor was still smiling contentedly.
“This was our nursery when we were boys,” he said, still looking into the courtyard. “We used to escape out the window when the nurse fell asleep.”
Pel peered out. It looked like a sheer drop down three stories. He eyed Tor incredulously.
“We hung a rope,” Tor explained. “And then once we were older and showing off, we used our magic. You can swing from here to the window on the second level right there.”
He pointed. Pel tried to imagine being suspended by pure magic, swinging over that drop. Apparently, his horror was clear on his face, because Tor laughed.
“It was a challenge,” he said, shrugging. “We liked challenges, and we liked to see what our magic could do. Mother preferred that we come up with ideas that were non-destructive.” He flashed Pel a smile. “And our magic is pretty strong.”
And really, Pel supposed that the weight of two teenaged boys was nothing compared to the boulders that Tor’s magic had shielded everyone from up the mountain.
“Out of curiosity,” Pel said, still eyeing the distance, “when was the last time you climbed up here that way?”
“Ages ago.”
Pamuna snorted very loudly.
“Months and months?” Tor tried.
Pel couldn’t help but laugh. “You are so ridiculous.”
“That’s why you love me,” Tor said, sounding supremely satisfied.
“Yeah, it is,” Pel agreed softly.
He loved everything about the man, goddess help him.
There was another knock at the door, and Tor turned away from the window with a sigh.
“And there goes the pleasant aspect of today.”
Sure enough, it was a guard who’d come specifically for Tor.
“Prince Torex, the High King would like to see you. Immediately.”
Tor looked as though he wanted to object, but he didn’t actually try.
Instead, Tor handed Cala back to Pamuna after giving her a big kiss on the nose that made her shriek with laughter and reach for him.
Pel wanted to be the one to insist that they have just a few more minutes together, but he knew that no number of minutes would be enough—plus Pel didn’t have the standing to argue with the High King.
Tor straightened and turned away from his niece.
His expression had altered completely to the one that Pel remembered from just before they’d gone up the mountain, when he’d been facing the guards who’d stayed behind.
This was the High Prince once again, assured and a bit arrogant.
Pel was delighted that the man had so rarely felt the need to assume this persona with Pel, but it meant that it was a little bit like looking at a stranger now, remembering that awful moment before the mountain and those early, terrible days when Tor had first arrived in Tond.
Only then Tor caught his eye and winked, and Pel swallowed and nodded. He realized that his shoulders had hunched and made a conscious effort to relax them.
Here went nothing.