The Flames of Deception - A Horizon of Storms: Book 1 (63 page)

After almost a half - hour of waiting, the soldier
reappeared, followed by an old man and two other soldiers dressed
in liveried tabards. They approached their group
hastily.

“
This is Ambassador Elstace,” the soldier said, indicating to
the old man. “He will be accompanying you to the fortress, your
highness.”

The
ambassador was almost entirely bald, but sported a trimmed grey
beard and spectacles. His purple robe was emblazoned with the
emblem of Olindia: a sceptre topped with the ‘Falsted Crown’: a
golden, tri - point coronet. The country hadn’t had a king in years
now, but the crown remained as a symbol of their land. The man
bowed deeply until it seemed his head would hit the
earth.

“
My lady,
welcome
to Crystal Ember,” Ambassador Elstace said. “This
is a
most
unexpected
pleasure!
We had no
idea
you were visiting our city. Or, indeed, our
country!”

“
An
unannounced trip ambassador,” she replied. “I wanted no fuss to be
made.”

The man nodded. “Of course. I am certain the
regent will be pleased to see you after
so
many
years
.
Please
,” he indicated with a hand. “Follow me. I shall take
you
straight
to the palace.” He clapped his hands theatrically and the
guards opened the larger gates for them to ride through. Elstace
beckoned for them to enter and they cantered into the city on
horseback, accompanied by an escort on foot.

“
It
has been many years since we have had the pleasure of any royal
visit on our soil,” Ambassador Elstace commented as he walked by
the side of the princess.

“
One of the
few
disadvantages of our lasting peace, ambassador, is
that we keep ourselves so often to ourselves nowadays,” Josephine
replied.

The Ambassador nodded. “Indeed. I last visited
Rina nearly two years ago. Since then, only written correspondence
has been possible with your court. These have been
busy
times for
Olindia.”

“
I
trust that all is well in your realm?” Josephine asked.

“
Oh yes,
quite
well. In fact, we are on the edge of a new
golden
age, I am pleased
to say, now that we have opened up new trade links with Ordovier.
The mysterious wares of the northern lands are starting to trickle
through to us. But alas, it has meant that I have not been able to
spend as much time in the company of
your
people as I would like.”

“
All the more reason for
my
visit then,” Josephine
smiled.

“
I am curious as to why you have come so far with
so few escorts?” The ambassador asked. “I can most certainly
understand your wish to visit without ceremony, but to bring an
entourage of only
three
is
most
unusual. Where are your maids? The soldiers to protect
you?”

Josephine smiled. “Do I have need of soldiers to defend me in
Olindia?” she asked.

Elstace shook his head. “Of
course
not. At least not from any of
our
civilised
people. But there are
some
rogues who would threaten you along the less
travelled of roads between our nations.”

“
Well, I have arrived safely, without need of any
other men. As for the maids, I have found that I am
perfectly
capable of doing
without them for a while.” She smiled. “It is an
adventure
, in fact, to travel in this way.”

“
But why should you
need
to travel so light?”

“
Ambassador, I feel as if I am being
interrogated
,” Josephine retorted. “So
many
questions!”

“
Of course. I apologise for prying, but this is
such an unusual circumstance. It is not often we have no knowledge
of comings and goings within our borders. Why, for you to have
even
arrived
in Olindian territory without our knowledge is a feat in
itself.”

“
Perhaps your
spy
network needs to be reviewed?” sniffed
Thadius.

The ambassador regarded him with a taut
expression. “I fear you mistake my curiosity for something
more
underhand
,” he said to Thadius. “I can
assure
you that is not the
case.”

They
rode through the central plaza, where the marble pillar holding
Sikaris stood in the centre of rings of red and blue stone mosaic.
Josephine craned her neck to look up at the dragon. She could not
see much of him from where she was, only the two curling wings and
a little of the open jaw. Her spine tingled. Right now there were
unseen forces working on that very spot, eroding the stone prison.
For all she knew it could break at any moment. She exhaled
heavily.

“
Are
you alright?” Matthias asked her quietly as Elstace continued on
ahead.

“
That thing is
enormous!
How am I supposed to create a barrier
around
that?
I could barely form one around Thadius!”

Matthias looked up at the creature. His eyes were squinted as
if he were trying to spot something. He fiddled with his staff in
his hands absent-mindedly.

“
We’ll find a way,” he said.

“
That is all very well you
saying
, but
how?
” she hissed.

Luccius approached him from the other side before he could
answer her. His ears were twitching.

“
I can
feel
something,” he said under his breath. “I’m not
sure what, but it’s making my heart beat like mad and my ears
tingle like I’ve been rolling around in itching
powder!”

Matthias nodded. “I feel something too. It feels like...” he
began, and then stopped abruptly.

“
What?
” Luccius motioned to him to
continue.

“
The
calm before a storm,” he finished, glowering at the
pillar.

The
portcullis of the barbican was already raised as they crossed the
drawbridge over the moat. They dismounted from their horses and
left them at one of the stable yards, where they would be tended to
by a young boy named Jyrri, who stood transfixed by Luccius’s ears
while they handed them over to him. They walked through grand
double doors of the interior fortress and into the heart of Crystal
Ember’s fortifications. The steel heels of the soldiers’ heavy
boots clicked on the wide, white and black - flecked marble floor
of the entrance room. They approached another man: a short, almost
comical looking man, dressed to the neck in red and purple velvet,
his sleeves and his breeches puffed up and crimson tights stretched
over his spindly legs.

“
This is Nicholas. He will be taking you to see Protector
Balzan,” Ambassador Elstace instructed.

“
Balzan?” Matthias exclaimed. “I thought we were going
directly to the regent?”

The
ambassador shrugged his broad shoulders. “I was asked to bring you
to the protector first of all. He is very interested to meet with
you, princess.”

“
Is it the
princess
he is interested in, or
me?
” Matthias asked.

Elstace smiled. “I believe he would like to speak
with you
all
prior to your meeting with the regent. It is a
common
practice,
especially during these busy times. I hope you understand
princess?”

Josephine’s lips thinned. “If it is necessary, then we shall
meet with the protector,” she said with disdain.

The
ambassador bowed. “Very good your highness. If you will excuse me,
I left an important meeting to escort you this far, and I am afraid
I must return to it. Nicholas will accompany you to the protector.
Good day to you.” The ambassador bowed himself away and the two
soldiers moved away with him.

“
I
don’t like this,” Luccius whispered, as the man called Nicholas
jerked into motion in front of them, his nose struck in the air,
feathered hat bobbing about precariously as if it might fall off at
any minute. It was far too large for the man, but he seemed too
proud of his regalia to notice. He strutted several paces in front
of them at speed, as if oblivious to their very
existence.

Matthias shook his head. “It’s not good. At
all
,” he whispered back to them. “There’s only
one
reason we are going
to see him, and that is because
I’m
here.”

“
Why would the man care so much about
you?
” Thadius asked. “I know they don’t exactly
like
wizards in Olindia,
but it seems a little egotistical to think you’re
that
important to them
Matthias.”

“
The protector isn’t just the second in command of
Olindia. He’s an exiled
wizard
,” he hissed as quietly as he
could.

Josephine nodded. “Of
course!
” she exclaimed. “It didn’t even enter my
mind on our journey here about that. He has been in Olindia for
decades. Much longer than
I’ve
been alive.” She squinted. “I think I remember him
though, when I visited here a long time ago. I was about seven
years of age. He was
very
tall as I recall.”

“
Isn’t
everyone
when you are that young?” Luccius commented as
they continued following their guide.

Josephine smiled back at him and then she shook her head. “I
can’t recall what he was like as a person. I do not think I spent
much time in his company.”

“
I had hoped we wouldn’t
this
time either,” Matthias whispered. “It was
my plan for us to meet directly with the regent before he even knew
I was here. Then we could have explained things to him without
interference.”

“
You
said he was exiled,” Thadius continued. “For what?”

“
It’s a
long
story,” Matthias replied. “But I
doubt
he’ll be happy to
see me.”

“
Surely you of
all
of your kind have more in common with a man exiled
for disobeying his people’s wishes?” The knight continued to
question.

“
This isn’t someone who simply disagrees with the
way Mahalia operates,” Matthias said, trying hard to keep quiet
despite the obvious emotion in his voice. “This is someone who hurt
people in an effort to advance his own ambitions. All the stories
I’ve heard of him…” he shook his head. “He
isn’t
a nice person. He is an
enemy
of
Mahalia”

“
I
like him already,” Thadius retorted.

“
This isn’t a laughing matter, Thadius. He doesn’t
care
who
you are: if you are a princess or a stable boy. He only
cares if you’re of use to him. If he finds out
what
Josephine is, he will abuse her
power. I am certain of it.”

Thadius sighed. “
Brilliant
. Yet another plan of yours falls apart at
the seams. Tell me, who put you in charge again?”

Matthias stared at the knight distastefully. “I
think I preferred you when I first met you back in Rina. You’ve
grown
increasingly
dour, Thadius.”

“
It must be the
company
I’m keeping,” he said, then gave a start.
“That is not a reflection on
you
princess,” he added quickly.

“
I do wish you would both stop bickering for
just
one
day! Matthias is
correct
about you, Thadius. I have never
known
you so
dejected.
Please
try to stay positive. After all, it isn’t
you
who needs to stop
the dragon!”

Thadius blushed. “I’m sorry, your highness,” he stuttered and
fell silent.

After a few more minutes of walking, Nicholas stopped outside
a large, wooden door.