The Lord Son's Travels (21 page)

Chapter 21

The next morning was their last long
ride for some period of time.
 
Brendan's shoulders dropped happily in relief at the thought of a real
bed for the night.
 
Elenna shrunk
at the thought of passing herself as a functional member of their unfamiliar
society.
 
Adrien only nodded
absently, too lost in his private thoughts to care about details.

They broke camp, dressed in their best
clothing remaining in their packs, and trotted down the final stretch of road
to the main gate of the city of Thrush Valley.
 
The guards saluted the party as their horses passed through
the wide city gates.
 
Elenna peeped
out eagerly from under the hem of her hood to watch the bustle of the largest
city in the eastern sector of Angor.
 
The scene reminded her of all the spaghetti westerns she had enjoyed
watching with her father on lazy Saturday afternoons.
 
The dusty roads were wide enough for several horsemen or a
wagon to pass, with foot traffic regulated to a few feet of space on either
side of the road.
 
The buildings
were wooden and usually two storied.
 
Each had a sign out front, done in plain colors with pictures of the
services or products available inside.
 
The entryways of the businesses had flat roofs above them to protect
customers from the weather. From the looks of it, the merchants and their
families lived in the apartments upstairs.
 
From out the windows hung all sorts of domestic items,
drying or simply stuck out on top of the porch roofs in the only remaining
storage space.
 
Elenna watched in
amazement as a set of young boys jumped back and forth from porch roof to porch
roof, dodging the old washtubs and chairs blocking their impromptu race
tracks.
 
It was early rush hour on
the roads; the roads were filled with wagons loaded for market, their drivers
yelling angrily at each other to hurry up and stop blocking traffic.
 
None of them were dressed as noble so
they didn't receive any leeway from the other travelers; they rode single-file
for a time to weave through the slow moving wagons and escape the riotous confusion.
 
As in the other places they had visited,
the people were plainly dressed in the neutral colors.
 
Only on one wagon passing illegally in
the pedestrian lane did she see a bit of a orange color decorating the horses’
bridles and the side of the coach.

Elenna kept her fading hair firmly
hidden under her cloak.
 
She turned
to Brendan, who rode closely by her right side, and grinned with the excitement
of the morning.

“Do you have any ribbons or so with
you that have color?” Adrien asked from behind her.
 

She thought for a moment.
 
“I have a dark blue hair band buried
somewhere in my bag.
 
Is that
okay?”

“That’s acceptable,” Brendan agreed,
turning to his friend for confirmation.
 
“Wear it once we reach the Lord’s House.”

“Why?
 
Am I a Lady again?” she asked dourly.
 

Adrien nodded.
 
“We would not be able to travel openly
with a commoner woman.
 
You can be
the Lady of Bethlehem, from the eastern mountains.
 
That is fine for our purposes.”
  
They had reached the very midst of the city.
 
Within the dusty commercial center, a
lovely green yard stretched for a radius of a half mile, surrounding the seat
of the Lord and Mayor of the city.
 
In the middle of the greenery a large house nestled, surrounded by some
smaller cottages and barns.
 
The
house itself was stone and sprawling, appearing to have grown several times in
tune with the growth of the city.
 
They reached the guards at the main entrance to the grounds, who bowed
low and bid them welcome.
 
Brendan
spoke to the guards, only identifying himself as a noble of
Allè-dôn
with a common
acquaintance of Lord Vance.
 
Word
was sent to the Lord of their arrival, soon answered with an invitation to
continue on to the main house.
 
The
party of three continued down the attentively landscaped lane, enjoying the
peace of the gardens after the hectic energy of the city.
 
Elenna was reminded of a family
vacation to Georgia when she was young.
 
The grounds were reminiscent of a southern plantation; only the house
itself was much more castle-like in appearance.
 
They rode silently, Elenna overwhelmed by the grandeur surrounding
her, while Adrien and Brendan kept their minds on the politics of their
situation.
 
When they reached the
steps of the main house, a pair of ceremonial guards stood at attention.

When at Adrien’s signal they reigned
in their horses, the front door opened, and a servant exited the door to greet
them.
 
"Welcome to the home of
Lord Vance of Thrush Valley.
 
May I
bring your names to the attention of my Lord?”

Brendan stepped forward. "Please
tell Lord Vance that High Lord Brendan
ä
Wellect and his traveling companion seek conference with him."
 
He assumed that word had traveled far
enough by now of Adrien and his escapades that the mention of his companion
would automatically bring the name of the Lord Son to mind.
 
He was correct.
 
They waited only minutes before a
well-dressed middle aged man strolled out to greet them.
 
He wore a blouse and britches of a soft
beige color, with a velvety mauve colored ribbon tied around his throat.
 
His hair was long and grayed with
age.
 
He kept it tied back neatly
at the nape of his neck, with a ribbon of the same purplish color.
 
His smile was friendly and welcoming
through his neatly combed beard and mustache.
 
“The Lord of Thrush Valley,” Brendan whispered to the
stranger at his side.

Elenna was amazed.
 
“He came outside to greet us?”

Brendan confirmed, “He came out to
greet the Lord Son as a recognition of his higher rank.
 
This visit would be quite an honor to
the House of Thrush Valley if we were not currently renegades.”

“How does he compare to us?” Elenna
asked, a little shaken by the scene.
 
It was one thing to know your friend was royal; it was different to see
a distinguished Lord bowing down to him.
 
Adrien replied politely, but with an air of displeasure at playing his
formal role.

Brendan answered quickly as he
dismounted.
 
“He is my equal, and
it appears as if we will assume he is also yours.
 
Follow my lead.” A pair of footmen appeared to hand down the
two nobles.
 
Elenna accepted the
proffered help gratefully, then joined the Lord of Wellect in standing next to
the Lord Son.
 
The Lord of Thrush
Valley bowed to each in turn, as Adrien made the introductions.

“My Lady,” the older man smiled deeply
as he bent his waist.
 
“My most
humble greetings to our valley.”

“Thank you,” Elenna replied
huskily.
 
Her eyes darted towards
Adrien, unsure of the protocol.
 
He
stepped in smoothly to recapture the Lord’s attention.

“I come on matters of great
importance, Lord Vance,” he declared.
 
The formal greeting over, the guests fell in step with their host
through the massive front doors of the mansion into the elegant entryway.
 
Elenna tried and failed to contain her
amazement at the extravagant furnishings of the lavish hallway; she had never
visited such a magnificent home before.
 
The royalborn and his childhood companion couldn't understand her
awe-filled reaction at what to them was a nice but typical noble's home.

“Your presence here surprises me,”
Lord Vance admitted.
 
The servants
had disappeared at his command to bring refreshments for the guests and so
would not overhear what they shouldn't know.
 
“Your father has sent several messages of your…
disappearance.
 
He will be glad you
are well and safe.”

“If I may ask, I wish that my father
receive no messages regarding my presence here,” Adrien replied.
 
The Lord motioned to the right of the
entry hall to the formal sitting chamber.
 
The guests filed in, each taking a seat at one of the clusters of
satin-upholstered chairs scattered about the elaborately decorated room.
 
Elenna examined her surroundings,
keeping one ear open towards the men's conversation.
 
The room had touches of a pale mauve, which she guessed was
the color of Thrush Valley’s Mayor, with pale cream silk coverings on the walls
and furniture.
 
The tall narrow
windows were heavily draped with beige cloth, creating the need for several
beveled glass lamps in the corners of the room.
 
The tremendous stone fireplace was prepared for a match to
light the waiting logs.
 
Across
from their seats hung a huge glass mirror, reflecting back a view of weary,
dusty travelers.
  
A bit
gingerly she perched on the edge of her seat, wishing her gown was a bit more
compatible with the opulence around her.
 

“You wish will certainly be granted,”
the Lord of the House replied, as soon as they were safely ensconced in the
parlor away from any prying ears.
 
“I will send no message to Allè-dôn.
 
But I am most curious for the reasons for the secrecy of
your travel.”
 
He leaned slightly
forward in his eagerness to hear his chief guest.

Adrien stiffened, then replied, “Our
quest requires us to travel anonymously.
 
My name would only be a burden on my work, so I must ask you for a
second favor - if I may addressed without my title in the presence of others.”

Lord Vance’s puzzlement grew.
 
He frowned deeply, glancing again at
the royalborn’s companions.
 
Under
the wear of their rough travel, they gave the appearance of nobleborn.
 
The Lady bore herself with the
confidence of a good birth; she met his glance with a firm eye.
 
The other Lord was doing his best to hide
his weariness with a straight back and rapt attention on the conversation.

“I will certainly grant that favor if
you wish, Lord Son,’ he assured Adrien.
 
“But I must suggest that your birth name is well known by the nobility
of all lands.
 
I doubt not that
your true title will come quickly to mind once your name is spoken.”

“I will be known then by another name,
if we must meet with society here,” Adrien replied smoothly, but his companions
could hear the frustration in his tone.
 
“I can be known as Lord Rian while I remain.”

“As you wish, my Lord,” Vance replied
quickly. He rose to his feet.
 
“Forgive me, my Lords and Lady, you have ridden far this morning, and I
am sure you would like to visit your rooms and freshen yourself.
 
I will have my servants show you your
chambers.
 
Our noon meal will be
served in two hours, so you shall have time to make yourselves more comfortable
before the meal.
 
Once you are
refreshed, we can speak again on the help I may give you for your quest.
 
My Lady,” he offered his arm to
Elenna.
 
She accepted, and allowed
herself to be swooped out of the sitting chamber back to the entry hall.
 
There a servant dressed in black waited
silently.
 
The Lord bowed again
deeply, as the servant motioned for Elenna to follow.
 

As soon as Elenna had disappeared, a
new servant arrived to lead Adrien and Brendan to their rooms.
 
Their chambers were on the north side
of the upper floor of the house, with a view of the distant gray mountains from
their windows.
 
Like the rest of
the house they had seen so far, the rooms were a bit ostentatious, with huge
carved mahogany beds and cabinets, and heavily embroidered sheets and wall
hangings.
 
The house color had been
utilized liberally in the decorating scheme, reminding residents at every turn
that they were staying in a seat of nobility.
 
Brendan turned up his nose at the sight of his mauve carpet
and tapestries, but smiled happily at the sight of the pillows piled high on
his four poster bed.
 
When the
servant had left with Adrien to show him to his chamber, Brendan stretched out
happily on the firm goose down mattress and sighed contentedly.
 

Adrien never glanced at the pastel
motif of his chamber but instead settled into the overstuffed chair in the
chamber corner to ponder his next step.
 
He ignored the servant’s soft voice until he finally went away and left
him in peace with his thoughts.
 
This was the day he had been dreading since the decision to ask a noble
for help.
 
He had never had much
experience of a political nature; that was his father’s and his brother’s
position.
 
Now he almost regretted
all of his escapes from meetings with the nobility of Allè-dôn.
 
That practice would have been helpful
now, he thought glumly.
 
For the
first time in his life, he wished his brother was handy for leadership advice.
 
He leaned forward in his chair, resting
his head in his hands, and stared at the floral patterned carpet, forcing his
mind to formulate a plan for the noon meal.