Tales after Dusk 04

"May I see you to your room, your Majesty?"

Before she can answer, Luther—backed up by Professor and Zeke—cuts him off, "Thank you kindly, Prince Ryan, but as we are the guards on duty tonight that will not be necessary. I bid you good night Sir," he says politely, before stepping around Ryan to open the door for the Queen. Orane simply nods before exiting the room and leaving Ryan behind.

The men follow the Queen to her bedroom hall, where they are met by Mikhail. He immediately is pulled aside by Luther, and they question each other. Professor opens the Queen's bedroom doors, entering before her. Bidding them farewell over her shoulder, she never turns around.

Professor walks the entire length of the bedroom, inspecting every possible hiding place for a person to be lodged. Once satisfied that the room is safe, he bows to the Queen.

"Good night, my lady."

"Good night Professor. Would you see to it that Zeke gets this?" she hands him a slip of paper.

Professor glances at its unfolded contents; in her delicate handwriting, it reads: 30p, L, 13s, R, 57p, etc. He looks up to her quizzically.

"It is directions for the ram's stall," she says off handedly, but her eyes never leave his.

A soft smile reaches his lips, understanding entirely, "Of course, my Queen, I shall see that he gets there tonight."

...

When they finally reach Zeke's door, instead of bidding him good night, Professor walks directly into his room. He hands him the slip of paper before checking every nook and cranny for someone that might be hiding.

As Zeke reads the paper, his brows furrow, "I do not understand this."

Walking the length of the walls, Professor gives them a soft rap with his knuckles, looking for something, "They are directions. Orane said they were to the ram's stall." When a particularly hollow sound comes from behind one of the tapestries, he pushes it aside, revealing an ordinary looking wall covered with wood scroll work, just as the others are. He begins feeling around before he continues, "But those are the wrong directions. As with any castle and even some of the larger mansions, certain passage ways are built behind the obvious walls so that the occupants may flee to safety if necessary. These are only known to a select group of people." When his fingers land on the edge of a particular wood filigree, he smiles, "But, of course, I am the Professor, so it is hard to keep knowledge unknown to me."

He twists the wood, popping a latch that opens a door that was previously invisible to the eye. He motions Zeke over quickly, handing him a candle, "P is for paces, s is for stairs. L is left and R is right. Follow those directions closely and you will come to the door you seek. If you get lost, well, then you might end up somewhere you don't want to be. To get back, you must follow those directions in reverse. It would be good for you to memorize them and destroy that paper as soon as possible, so that no one else can follow them."

"Where do they lead?" He asks while taking the candle.

Getting only a smile from the Professor, he pushes him through the hidden door, "I will lock your bedroom door behind me so that no one knows you are not in it. Please, do try to get some sleep tonight."

And without another word, Zeke is shut into the tiny hidden room with the only light coming from the small candle in his hand.

It takes him almost half an hour before he runs out of directions to follow. In front of him in the tiny corridor is a blank wall; the only thing on it is a small latch at about shoulder height. His heart pounds and he is nervous, unsure of what could possibly be on the other side. Swallowing hard, he twists the latch. It makes the faintest of clicks before the wall releases forward, into the unknown room.

Pushing gently against it, he finds that it has some resistance as it is also covered by a tapestry just as in his room. He quietly squeezes through the tiny slit that he allowed himself, shutting the door silently while still hidden behind the tapestry. Tip toeing to the edge of the fabric, he peeks just beyond its fringe.

The room is quite grand, at least the size of the communal drawing room that him and the other men share. To his left is a large, four poster bed more decadent than anything he has ever seen. Deep within the safety of the canopy's velvet folds, four or five adults could undoubtedly sleep comfortably without touching. To his left is a lavish dressing area, partitioned off from the rest of the room by silk screens with intricate paintings and several tall wardrobes. Beyond it is a vast stone fireplace that extends high to the ceiling, the hearth itself at least seven feet tall. Before it is an overstuffed, plush sofa, upon which a red haired woman sits, writing in her book.

Zeke steps out quietly, but somehow Orane hears him. She turns her head to the spot where she expects him to be and once her eyes land on him, a gentle smile appears on her face. She holds a finger to her lips, pointing to her door, as if to remind him that there are men just outside of it. Rising, she floats towards him. Her ample red hair, absent of a crown, has been pulled to the side and braided loosely, her body clothed only in a semi sheer sleeping gown. It barely takes him a few steps to meet her. Though his heart pounds and he expects himself to hesitate, he doesn't; instead, he gathers her up into his arms and holds her tight, not wanting to let go.

"What a tedious night this was," she says softly, "I couldn't wait for it to be over."

"I didn't want it to be over," he replies. When she pulls away quizzically, he responds, "I didn't think I would get to see you after it was."

"I'm afraid it isn't very proper of me to call you to my chambers in secret. I hate having to sneak around. Should anyone find you here, my virtue would be called into question," she isn't sure how to continue.

Zeke nods softly, "I understand. I don't like sneaking around either but if it is a choice between that and not seeing you at all, then the decision is an easy one."

Orane sighs softly. She grabs his hand, leading him over to her bed. While she climbs in, Zeke kicks off his boots and slips out of his dinner jacket, not wanting to seem too one minded about spending time with her. Sitting opposite of her, the bed feels like an entirely different room.

"I know this is rough for you, it is rough for me too but for the moment I must keep up appearances. I promise, if you can just bear with it until after we rid the world of this witch—things will change for us."

He smiles softly, taking her hand into his, "Promise me one thing, when the witch is gone?"

Looking deep into his eyes, Orane seems saddened at what he might ask of her, yet she nods anyways.

"Once this is over, let's you and I return to the camp. Just us, for a little holiday," he smiles softly. He doesn't care, anymore, about her title or his lack of one. He doesn't even care if they are able to get married, as long as she remains his, and he hers.

Orane leans forward, "I promise you that," she says softly, lips meeting his.

...

The ice cold water manages to revive Zeke a little bit. He pats his face dry, taking the time to brush his hair thoroughly before pulling it back. Finding a clean shirt and silk cravat, he takes care to get dressed properly so that he may look his best for his guard duty. Stifling a yawn, he pulls on an over coat before finding his boots.

He and Orane talked for a few hours before sleep tempted them both. Curled up in his arms, she drifted away first. Zeke watched her sleep as long as he could before he too succumbed to slumber. A gentle knock on her door woke them both up; it was her handmaiden, alerting her that it was time to rise. Zeke secretly slipped into the passage before Orane unlocked her bedroom door. No one was the wiser.

Zeke opens his bedroom door at the exact moment that Luther, just outside of it, has his hand raised to knock.

"Oh, I was just going to wake you. Rollo will be leaving in a few minutes, to catch a quick breakfast in the kitchen with the servants before joining the Queen and Prince Ryan," Luther gives Zeke an odd look, as if he knows something is up.

He nods slowly, "That sounds like a good idea. Will we be riding or walking into town?"

"Walking. The Prince requested the horses be readied; however Queen Orane negated that request. It appears the Prince isn't terribly fond of physical exertion, so I suspect if they walk he will cut his plans short."

Zeke smiles slightly and nods, before watching Luther as he disappears towards the drawing room. He turns the opposite way, heading down to the entrance of their wing to meet up with Rollo, who is leaning casually against a wall.

After looking around to see if anyone else is within earshot, Rollo speaks, "What is your best defense against your enemy?"

"Observation," Zeke replies seamlessly, eliciting a smile from Rollo. "What is your least favorite part about fighting?"

His face pales as if he gets sick just thinking about it, "Blood. Now come on, let's get some breakfast."

They eat a quick breakfast in the servant's section of the kitchen before heading towards the smaller dining room that usually just serves Orane. This morning, however, she sits across from Ryan, face blank while she eats her soft boiled egg. Zeke and Rollo relieve two castle guards and stand just outside of the open doors, able to hear their conversation.

"I have a surprise for you, on our ride into town," Ryan says enthusiastically.

"Oh? I'm not one for surprises," she replies blandly, "And I figured we would walk. I'm rather fond of it, you see."

"Oh?" Though he tries to sound interested, his voice carries a tone of disgust in it, as if he is above physical exertion.

Zeke can't help the smirk that forms on his face. Though he never got to go for walks when he was confined to the tower, the past few days that he has spent with Orane they have walked enough miles to cover a lifetime and he has enjoyed every step of it.

Breakfast continues more or less in silence. Orane exits the room first, not acknowledging either of her friends, followed by Ryan at her side. She keeps a quick pace on the way out of the castle and it is obvious in Ryan's breathless attempt at chatting that he will not last long.

"I should like to see the main business district of your town," he huffs, "I'm curious as to what kinds of shops there are."

"Any shop you could possibly think of, we have," she replies easily.

"Do you have a pharmacy? I mean, a real one?"

Orane frowns slightly, "No, we do not. We used to have one, quite a nice one in fact, but the proprietor and his wife both passed away suddenly. Their daughter closed up the shop—I sent a man to try to persuade her to reopen, but I fear that she, along with the town of Waterford, were both lost in that flood."

As they pass the first building in town, Orane is forced to slow her pace slightly to accommodate the bowing townsfolk with a quaint smile so that she doesn't seem rude. Ryan pants a sigh of relief, ignoring the people as he tries to regain her attention by asking her about each of the shops. After about a block or so, they come across the jeweler's; Ryan walks inside without a word to Orane. She gives a brief, irritated glance to Rollo and Zeke before all three of them enter; the two guards wait by the door.

"Prince Ryan, good to see you again," the store owner bows deeply to him before turning to Orane, "And Queen Orane, it is such a pleasure to finally meet you."

"Well...thank you; and you are?" Orane queries.

"Mathis Elder," he says with a beaming smile. Pausing for a moment to take in her beauty, he almost forgets that Ryan is there. "Oh, Prince, I have it ready for you."

Mathis scurries behind the counter, unlocking a cabinet to pull out a delicate wooden box; he hands it to Ryan who takes it. After peaking inside, he nods his approval, "Yes, that is much better, thank you Mathis." Ryan discreetly hands the jeweler a small pouch of coins before turning to Orane.

"My dear Queen, here is your surprise," he says as he opens the box to reveal delicate golden necklace adorned with large, tear drop emeralds. "It has been in my family for generations and I am afraid that since my mother passed it has been doing nothing but collecting dust. Only someone as beautiful as you could do it justice."

Orane's voice is curiously quiet, "That is very kind of you, Prince Ryan, but I am afraid I could never accept such a beautiful gift as this; surely it has sentimental value to you, perhaps you would care to share it with another?"

He clicks his tongue on his teeth, putting on his most charming face while he looks at her, "It is of little use to me. Besides, it matches your eyes." He takes the necklace out of the box, unclasping the latch, "Please, I insist."

Not wishing to offend him, Orane gives him the briefest of nods before turning her back towards him. As he reaches around her front to put the necklace on her, Orane flashes Zeke a look of apprehension and apology, as if she has no choice but to accept the gift.

Zeke puts his hands in his pockets so that no one can see him clenching his fists. The necklace is beyond beautiful and though he doesn't want to admit it, Ryan is right—it matches her eyes perfectly.

Ryan gently lifts her fiery hair aside and clasps the latch. Orane's fingers reach up, touching the cold green stones that lie against her skin. She turns back to Ryan with a soft smile as he holds a hand mirror before her, "You are stunning. It belongs on your neck, not locked away in some box."

"Thank you, Ryan," she says, somewhat genuinely.

Slowly they make their way out of the shop, wandering further through town. As if out of appreciation, Orane's pace has reduced to a casual stroll. Her affect seems to have changed too; now instead of just ignoring Ryan, she makes small comments, carries on a bit of conversation, even laughs at his jokes. Zeke's heart sinks lower in his chest, angry that Ryan dare give her a gift as extravagant as that one, yet he is more upset that he will never be able to do the same.

Though he had thought they would be back well before lunch, they arrive at the castle just as the meal is being set out in the small dining room. Ryan pulls out the chair at the head of the table for Orane, but instead of sitting across the length of it from her, he moves his chair so that he is next to her. The gentle smile she offers him makes Zeke almost sick to his stomach. He and Rollo walk a few feet down the hall to meet up with Luke and Luther, who have come to relieve them.

"What is my middle name?" Rollo asks Luther.

"To hell if I know," he replies; they both laugh before Luther asks his question, "How old am I?"

"Old enough that you should be in a box by now," he says, turning to Luke, "And what are you thankful for?"

"That the light of the gods shine upon thee so that I don't have to kick the shit out of you," Luke replies seamlessly, querying back, "What did you steal that landed you in prison?"

With a grin, Rollo replies, dropping his voice, "The Queen's notebook." He chuckles, patting Zeke on the shoulder before wandering off down the hall.

Luke turns to Zeke, "Why should you read the bible every night before bed?"

"So that you fall asleep quickly," he says as their agreed upon answer, "What is my new favorite food?"

"Maple syrup," he replies giving him a small nod before walking to the dining room doors for his post, leaving Luther and Zeke alone.

Zeke's tired face begins to show his worry, "Why did she save me from the tower?" he says softly. Though it isn't their agreed upon question, he wants to know the answer.

Luther's head tilts slightly, taken aback, "Because she saw something rare in you—honesty, sincerity, loyalty. Do you deserve her?"

"No," he says instantaneously.

"...but?" Luther presses.

"But she deserves me," he says. "Prince Ryan gave her his mother's necklace. It is...expensive."

"Really? Is she actually wearing it?" he asks.

"Yes. He insisted on putting it on her."

"Huh, that's odd. She doesn't normally like to wear jewelry."

Zeke shrugs, somewhat dejectedly, "I think I will go check on the ram."

Luther nods slowly, "Make sure you eat before long. Try to rest before dinner, because you and the Professor will be on duty until midnight."

Zeke takes Luther's advice, sort of. He grabs some lunch and takes it down with him to the ram's pen, where he locked himself inside. The ram is appreciative for the company and the treats and Zeke is glad that he didn't have to spend the afternoon alone. Falling asleep against the rough wool of the sheep, he manages to get a few hours of dreamless rest in before one of the guards taps on the gate.

"Sir?"

Stretching, Zeke peers across the pen at him, "Yes?"

"I just wanted to make sure that you were still...I suspect dinner will be ready in an hour or so, if you wanted to have time to clean up," he adds hesitantly.

Saying goodbye to his friend, he walks across the pen and lets himself out, making sure to lock it before he turns to the guard, "That is a great idea. Thank you for waking me."

He doesn't have enough time to heat up water for his bath, so he is forced to take a cold one. Zeke gets dressed for dinner and just as he steps into the hallway, he runs into Professor.

Professor nods slightly, "What is my middle name?"

"Trouble," Zeke replies, "What is my middle name?"

He frowns, "You don't have one. We really should fix that, you know. In fact, do you have a sir name?"

"No. Well, perhaps I do, but I do not know it," he replies, mirroring Professor's frown.

The pair walk down the hall towards the dining room, "That settles it, tomorrow I shall go to the records office. Perhaps I can discover something about you."

They arrive early, before Orane or Prince Ryan is there. Just as they find their seats, the pair arrives with Mikhail and John in tow. Those that were seated, rise and bow to their Queen.

As Zeke sits back down, he thinks there is something curious about Orane. Though she still looks the same as she did earlier, she appears to be friendlier to Ryan. The whole situation puts him on edge. He was having a hard enough time coming to terms with having no prospects or skills to make him appealing to a Queen, but now that her sentiments have softened towards a man who has more wealth and personality than he can hope to achieve, Zeke has begun to feel worse about himself. Dinner proceeds as it did the night before. Once everyone is finished and ready to head to the drawing room, Orane gently bids her guests goodnight, "I am afraid, dear friends, that I am rather tired tonight. Please, see yourselves to the drawing room and enjoy your time, but I think I shall take a short walk and turn in."

The Professor eyes Zeke as they follow her to the hallway, along with John and Mikhail. Ryan never leaves her side. It is a quick walk to the enclosed garden within the castle walls; once there, John and Mikhail make a quick turn about to check the area before giving the all clear to the couple. Orane and Ryan slowly stroll in the darkness, voices soft and hushed.

Zeke stands near the garden entrance, keeping a wary eye on Orane.

Mikhail nods to the Professor, "What is the sum of experiences?"

"We are the sum of our experiences. What is the best way to remove someone's arm?" Professor replies back.

"By taking that person to you," he says, eyeing the Professor before turning towards Zeke, "Why buy the cow?"

"So you can get the milk for free."

Everyone laughs, but Zeke just shakes his head, "I still don't get it."

"I'll explain it to you later," Professor says, smiling.

"How do you sweep a woman off of her feet?" Zeke asks Mikhail.