Michael Mathias - The Wizard and the Warlord

“King Aldar’s daughter, Princess Gretta, wants to spend some time getting to know you,” Phen said. Those were the first words he’d spoken to her after telling her how beautiful she looked in her formal gown. The time between his words had been spent gawking at her stupidly.

“Telgra,” Hyden said with a comforting smile, “Gretta is only ten or eleven years old. She is very bashful, and is as big as a grown woman. She is a child. You have nothing to worry about.”

This visibly eased Telgra’s tension, but she still clung to Spike as tightly as she could without pricking herself.

The lift arrived and Cade beckoned them onto it. The sound of a door banging closed brought all of their attention to Oarly. Ten ‘O’ — shaped mouths stared at him as he scurried his little legs toward the lift. Even Cade was shocked by the dwarf's transformation.

Oarly’s hair was brushed to each side of a center part. Fine black leather britches peeked out from under his multicolored silk tunic. He had on new Valleyan boots and a bejeweled leather belt sporting at least a dozen thumb-sized rubies. His normally unkempt, food-ridden beard had been brushed, shaped, and trimmed up to his chest. In his stubby-fingered hands he carried a black velvet bag and a small, finely worked silver box. When he saw the faces of his companions he sneered. Then his eyes landed on Princess Telgra and he let out a slow wolf whistle. Stepping onto the lift, he eased up next to Phen. His tone was conspiratorial, but he made sure his voice was clear to all when he spoke. “By Doon, lad, we could have painted you up so you didn’t look so pale.”

This got a few chuckles from the group.

Phen moved away from Oarly and stood beside Telgra.

Hyden, still taken aback by Oarly’s appearance, asked, “What’s in the box, stranger? I’d never in a million years expected you to clean up so well.”

“That was the first hot bath and change of clothes he’s had since King Mikahl’s wedding,” Phen said from behind them.

“That’s not true, lad,” Oarly said. “I took a bath at Kander Keep when we came out of the swamp.”

“He did,” Telgra agreed.

“Still, that was over a month ago,” Phen said with a laugh at Telgra’s wrinkle-nosed expression.

“Not all of us can clean ourselves with a feather duster, Marble Boy,” Oarly shot back. “And at least I have the courtesy to bring gifts to the king who took us in out of the cold.”

Hyden and Phen shared a look. Even Lieutenant Welch and Princess Telgra had come to know Oarly well enough to know that he was up to something with all of this grooming and gifting. Never before had he concerned himself with what others thought of him.

Just before the lift came to a halt, Dostin asked Corva, loud enough for everyone to hear him, “Do you think Phen really cleans himself with a feather duster?”

Cade boomed out a laugh that he cut short suddenly when he saw King Aldar and Princess Gretta flanked by Urp and Oof waiting on the feast hall floor for them. The look King Aldar was giving Cade was imposing, and suddenly everyone bowed. Talon broke the tense moment when he flapped himself over to Princess Gretta, landed on her wrist and cooed. Her delighted giggles seemed to please her father. He extended a hand toward Hyden, then opened his arms in a welcoming gesture.

“Rise,” he commanded. “Welcome to Afdeon.”

King Aldar hadn’t changed much since Hyden last saw him, but he was dressed less crudely. The previous meeting had taken place where Loudin of the Reyhall was buried. The ancient, silver-maned giant had been wearing thick furs and traveling clothes. Now he wore a sky-blue floor-length robe the hue of his own sparkling eyes.

Princess Gretta however, did not look the same. Where Hyden expected to see a child stood a beautiful, budding young woman. The definition of features on her wide, pretty face had sharpened. Framed by dark, curly ringlets, her look held the promise of long-lasting beauty. The daisy and lace layered dress she wore went well with her turquoise eyes and was of a cut similar to Telgra’s. The garment enhanced the slightly curvaceous turn her growth had taken. When she saw Spike clutched in Telgra’s hands, eyeing the wolves suspiciously, she came over for a closer look. As mature as she looked, the excitement that spread across her face betrayed her youth.

To Hyden’s surprise, the King of Giants stepped forth, then bent down and gave him a powerful hug. Hyden felt like a little boy being clutched by his father. When the king straightened back up, he spoke to the group in a conspiratorial whisper.

“Once we get to the dining hall, and the queen has been announced, we can dispense with all the formalities. What’s this?” he asked, suddenly looking down at Oarly. A sort of uneasy surprise registered on his face as the dwarf thrust up the leather pouch he had brought.

“This is for your highness, King Aldar.” Oarly spoke most properly, drawing looks from Hyden and Phen. “It’s a gift from the people of Doon. It’s not much, but it’s precious.”

As soon as the king accepted the pouch, Oarly handed the silverwork box to Princess Gretta. “And this is for you and your mother, my lady.”

Without opening the pouch, King Aldar beckoned the group to follow him down a series of oversized halls, all of them decorated in eye-bulging opulence. Immaculate paintings hung on the walls, and pedestals displayed carvings of dragons, elk, wolves, and various trees all fashioned from wood, ivory, and different types of stone. The walls were done in paneled burlwood and the halls were illuminated by gold-and-crystal chandeliers that hung at intervals from the ceiling.

Princess Gretta, with Talon perched on her wrist near the silver box she was clutching, and with Spike cradled lovingly in her other arm, urged Princess Telgra to open the silver box for her. Hyden watched, noting that Telgra seemed relieved after meeting the giantess. Both young ladies gasped at what lay inside the box. On a tiny pillow of black velvet lay seven pairs of sparkling ear danglers, each made of a different precious metal or gem. There were diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires, as well as silver, gold and a set made of some delicate stone that was deep gray traced with tiny veins of scarlet.

Both Corva and Lieutenant Welch caught a glimpse in the box. Corva wondered why a woman wanted to decorate herself with pieces of the earth, while Lieutenant Welch wondered how many hundreds of years he would have to work at his present salary to buy even one piece of such precious jewelry.

Princess Gretta saw Corva looking at the contents of the box and spoke to him shyly. “You look like Vaegon, somewhat,” she said. Clearly, the observation took Corva’s breath away. Vaegon was the closest thing to a hero the race of elves had known for his entire lifetime. Vaegon’s fame came from his friendship with Hyden and Mikahl, two humans whom most of the Elder elves didn’t regard highly. Princess Telgra, though, before she lost her memory, had idolized the brave archer from the Willowbrow Clan. Corva replied with a shaky, “Thank you, my lady.” Then he swelled with visible pride.

Princess Gretta covered her mouth and then whispered something to Princess Telgra. Both girls giggled, and Corva flushed a light shade of blue.

“She likes you, Corva,” Dostin observed loudly.

They entered a set of double doors with panels carved into something resembling a wildly split face that was hidden in the features of a mountain landscape. The room was cozy and just big enough for all of them to feel comfortable in, without feeling swallowed up. A table of glossy black marble was set for them. Chairs with higher seats, fitted so the humans could be above the surface, were set around the length of the slab. Three golden candelabras were spread down its length. The reflection of the tiny flames flickered and danced on the golden goblets and dinnerware.