CHAPTER XVI
OAK SLABS AND WATER SHOWS
I walked out of Keane’s room the next morning with Stormfall sleeping on my shoulder and Golem at my side.
I felt half naked walking down the dark hall without my blades, but I quickly pushed the feeling away knowing there was nothing I could do about it.
Keane had to exact a punishment as Leading Lord of the Court of Warriors.
His ruling was law and I had to accept that without fight.
I would get my blades back the moment we stepped outside the gates of Gaumond and not a moment sooner.
The hall of Castle Gaumond that hosted Keane’s room had a dark ambiance that was dimly lit by a few torches lining the walls.
There were only four other doors in this hall, one, that Keane told me belonged to Desmond’s quarters, and another, that acted as a larger room for the two of them and other leading warriors to host private meetings.
The other two rooms were guest residences for any of his family members that chose to make the travel to his Court, something I suspected rarely happened.
Before I left this morning he told me that he had to stay behind in the meeting room to get updates on Fumagalli and the other cities in Warrior and that he’d meet me at the gates.
It worked out well as I needed to visit Gail and wanted to spend some time with Millie before we departed.
So, after a passionate kiss that ended with his hands thoroughly memorizing every inch of my body, I continued through the dark hall alone and down a steep flight of stairs with my travel packs slung over my other shoulder and Golem following quietly at my side.
“Stairs, second hall, sharp right into another hall and down another set of stairs,” I mumble Keane’s directions in my walk.
At some point I’ll get used to all the twists and turns here, but until then, I found myself yearning for the simplicity of Castle Bardot’s east and west wings with only four levels in height.
Eventually we find ourselves in the receiving hall that leads to the outside double doors and the room used for court.
I notice a number of people giving me passing glances when I walk by but ignore them with my head held high.
I begin retracing the semi-familiar halls that lead to Gail’s workshop just as the strong scent of the kitchen’s cooking tells me I’m close.
“Just a moment!” Gail’s girlish voice yells from behind the door when I knock.
She flings it open with a huge grin plastered across her face, that smile going even wider when she sees me.
“Lady Alexis!” she welcomes me inside.
I spot a young Discerni girl sitting at the table in the far corner when I walk in, her head bent and hands working diligently on a black dress in front of her.
My eyes widen at all the different fabrics that are strewn left and right in the room.
It’s been a busy morning for Gail already, and I can’t help but love the chaotic mess.
“New orders,” Gail grins foolishly, “I’ll be busy until fall.”
“Which is well deserved, Gail,” I grin, pulling the thigh-high boots and dress pieces out of my travel packs. I give her a little apology glance at the wrinkled ensemble, but she just laughs and takes them away with a flourish of her hand.
“Nothing a wash and a few steams can’t fix.”
“So, has it been mostly women here this morning?”
“All women,” she nods, “they aren’t deviating from the black, but they do want the two-piece style and boots. And for the skirt to be a bit shorter…”
“Of course,” I laugh.
Gail walks over to me, her smile dropping and replaced with a concerned frown.
“Are you okay, Lady Alexis? The whole castle is talking about what happened last night.”
I sigh and give the girl a genuine smile, “I’m okay, Gail. I was never going to let him get too far in his pursuits. But thank you for asking.”
“A lot of us are happy you stood up to Lord Tadeo, Lady,” she continues quietly, “he has always been a bit too forward.”
While I have no doubt about her words, the fact that someone as young as Gail would take notice to that irks me. I glance to the other Discerni girl in the room and watch her eyes quickly avert from mine. She bows her head and continues stoically with her work.
Ancients. If anything good came away from my altercation with Lord Tadeo, then it is this, knowing that he will never grace the halls of Gaumond or be around these girls again.
“There will always be men like him in this Old World, Gail,” I catch her hand in mine, speaking loudly for the two of them, “do not let them take advantage of you.”
Gail’s eyes harden as she nods in understanding.
“I don’t know when I’ll next be in Gaumond,” I continue, “but when I am, I’ll be sure to find you.”
“And I’ll be sure to handle your request first, Lady,” she beams, and then shrugs, “who knows, maybe another inspiration will hit me while you’re gone. I just may have another piece waiting for you when you arrive.”
“I look forward to it,” I reach out for a hug, “thank you again for everything, Gail. Until next time.”
“Until next time,” she nods against my shoulder.
Golem and I walk out the door and head back down the hall, back towards the entry of the castle.
Cal and Alanna are at the stables when we arrive, both of them readying their horses with a surprised look on their faces when they spot me.
Cal immediately releases his saddle and walks over with his hands outstretched, wrapping them tightly around my waist as his rough beard and shaggy hair tickles the side of my face.
“I should have been with you.”
“No,” I shake my head, inhaling his smokey scent with a deep breath, “there was nothing for you to do. He acted on his own.”
I step back and hold his gaze, “but because of you, Cal, because of you and the trainings that you have given me over the past two years, I was able to defend myself. Because of you.”
I spot Alanna give a cool smile behind my big friend and then nod to me in quiet agreement. Cal brings his hand up to his beard with a look of concern that still fills his eyes.
“You’re alright then? We always knew the risk of handling green agate and took it in the hopes of never having to use it, but after hearing the Lord demand repercussions last night,” he shakes his head, “that was the first time I have ever doubted the decision.”
“Don’t,” I look at him sternly, “don’t ever doubt it, Cal. I don’t want to think of where I would have been last night had I not threatened his life.”
Cal nods silently, still stroking his beard.
“We’re heading down to the Tavern before we meet the group at the entry gate. I need to speak with my sister and Cal is going to stock up on her shisha,” Alanna rolls her eyes with a smile, “join us, human?”
“I would enjoy that,” I nod, “let me ready Millie.”
Golem and I make our way down the stalls as Cal and Alanna both finish with their own horses.
“Will you walk with us, Golem?” I ask, throwing my packs over Millie’s back.
He nods.
“Good.”
I smile and continue situating my brown mare for the ride back to Bardot. It took us nearly four days from the morning we left the castle to reach Gaumond in the late evening, and I find myself wondering if we’ll take the same casual speed as before.
I hop on Millie and secure my travel bag across my shoulder and hip, then nod to Golem as the two of us walk out of the stables with Storm still sleeping quietly on my shoulder.
My eyes roam to the little niche at the top of the stairs that Tadeo pulled me into last night.
It’s nestled perfectly between the double entry doors and the top stair, illuminated now in the morning light.
I scowl at the sight, seeing how that area can be used as a quick trounce once darkness hits, and remind myself to ask Keane to place a very large torch above the wall there.
The four of us take the ride out of the upper rise of the castle and into the town below, the early sun bouncing off the black granite shops and the homes surrounding us.
The now familiar smell of burning wood and pepper greets me with the cool morning air, and it’s late enough that the town has started its day with the usual hustle and bustle.
The sight of the many Discerni and humans walking around together brings a grin to my lips.
I’ll miss Gaumond and the fire that lives in every piece of this city’s heart.
We leave our horses in the small stables under Marybeth’s townhome and walk down the short alley and back to the front of her tavern.
Marybeth greets Alanna with a smile when she pushes through the door, her grin widening when she sees Cal, Golem and I following closely behind.
She’s already getting her tavern ready, moving a chair from atop one of the tables back to the floor.
Her long black hair is swaying gently behind her in Discerni tradition, her hand coming behind her ears to brush it away as Cal and I offer our help.
“Thank you,” she smiles, reminding me so much of a softer version of her sister.
Alanna passes by Marybeth with a grin, walking straight to the barrels behind her counter.
“It’s not even late morning yet, Alanna,” her sister laughs.
Alanna shrugs and gets to pouring two toddies and two ales. “When has that ever stopped me.”
“Too true,” Marybeth chuckles.
Alanna continues her pouring as the three of us work on the tables, then turns from behind the counter to look at Marybeth with a serious gaze.
“Mary…”
“Hmm?”
“We ride for Woodlands after we visit Castle Bardot,” she says without any preamble.
Marybeth’s hands still on the chair in front of her. I take a look at Cal, the two of us remaining quiet as a deep grimace washes over Marybeth’s face. She slowly brings the chair towards her chest and then places it under the table, turning to her sister with a hard stare.
“Why?”
“You know why…”
Alanna’s cool grey eyes dart to me and Cal, then land back on her sister, “they need to see. I need to see.”