006 – Stray Part II
Valentin’s new acquaintances cause some disturbance in the Empress’ quarters.
Valentin had almost made it out the gate. He was wearing a natty new tunic: brown, with blue and gold trim, and over one shoulder was thrown a matching cloak. The pleasant, manly scent of citrus and spice wafted up from these garments, and his boots gleamed so perfectly he could fix his hair in their shine. Cassius strode beside him, looking scruffy as usual. Valentin anticipated a very pleasant afternoon, which would hopefully melt into an extremely enjoyable evening.
When he heard footsteps behind him, and the first breathless, “Lord Valentin, wait,” he hurried his own pace. Once he was out the gate he could lose himself in the traffic to and from the palace. He only had to get a little further…
Cesare put his hand on Valentin’s shoulder. Scrunching up his eyes, Valentin turned, examining the steward’s hand until he removed it.
“Lord Valentin, you are needed in the Empress’ private apartments. It is hoped you can shed light on a disturbance that lately occurred there.”
Valentin inclined his head. “Of course I will give any assistance I may.”
He glanced at Cassius, who barely even looked surprised, and lifted one shoulder in an insouciant shrug. “Does the Empress need me too?”
“Not this time, Lord Cassius,” said Cesare blandly. Valentin stared at him very hard.
Cassius waved them on. “I might go back to the practice yard, then. Valentin, you’ll let me know if you can make it to the Sapphire tonight, or if you have been banished to the new continent, won’t you?”
“Of course.” Valentin essayed a half-bow, and followed Cesare back to the palace.
The Empress’ private apartments occupied the entire upper floor of the north wing of the palace. They comprised a series of connected rooms, starting with a guard room and progressing to a reception room, sitting room, office and bedchamber. Each room had a pathway of mosaic marble along one wall, while the rest of the floor was covered by luxurious carpet.
Cesare and Valentin passed directly through the guard room, which seemed unusually crowded, and the reception room to the sitting room, which was decorated in white and jewel-like tones of blue. The room was focused around a cosy arrangement of chaises and ottomans, with stools lining the walls and a card table set up in one corner. The Empress, draped in a white gown, was sitting on a chaise longue, her back straight and her hands folded in her lap.
Several aura sat or stood around the margins of the room, and a handful of guards and officials clustered on the marble path.
“Lord Valentin,” she said, as Valentin made bold to step onto the carpet and kneel before her. Cesare remained on the marble, as he could not step into the room proper without the Empress’ permission.
“How may I be of service, Empress?” said Valentin, taking her hand.
Adrienne raised her eyebrows at him. Rubies and diamonds glittered in her hair as she shook her head. “The guards just caught two—three—intruders in my rooms,” she said.
“Oh?”
“Mm. They claim they are under your protection.”
Forcing his face to remain blank, Valentin said, “I see. May I ask, Empress, whether these intruders are a maid, a scullion, and a small white dog?”
“They are.”
“Right. And did they explain what they were doing here?”
Adrienne removed her hand from Valentin’s grasp and stood. “Come along. They can tell you their story themselves.”
The entire party decamped to the reception room, and Adrienne stalked over to the canopied throne against one wall. The criminals were ushered in from the guard room. Luca held Argo to his chest, and Philomena hung her head when she saw Valentin. He contented himself with a sardonic eyebrow quirk.
“Well?” said Adrienne.
The children cast identical daunted looks first at Adrienne, then at Valentin, who sighed again and stepped forward. “Philomena,” he said. “Tell me what happened.”
“I—” she whispered, then swallowed. “Luca was minding Argo, and—”
“The puppy got away from him?” said Valentin.
Philomena nodded. Luca clutched Argo more tightly.
“And ran into the Empress’ guard room.”
“He’s so small, they didn’t even see him as he went past,” said Luca. “But I couldn’t do that, so I climbed in the window instead.”
Adrienne made a pained noise. Valentin breathed carefully in and out. “Did it occur to you that it would be ill-regarded if you were caught trying to climb in the Empress’ window?”
“Well I didn’t expect to be caught,” said Luca. Philomena elbowed him sharply.
“How did you get mixed up in this?” Valentin tilted his head towards Philomena.
“I heard the commotion,” she said. “I came to see what was happening. I could hear Luca squealing, so I came to help.”
“Help,” echoed Valentin, turning back towards Adrienne.
He felt Philomena tug on his hand. “Will they punish us?” she said when he leaned down.
Valentin winced. “I’ll see what I can do,” he said. He refrained from explaining the usual punishment dealt to people who attempted to invade the Empress’ domain.
“There’s more,” said Adrienne, her voice like an icy wind. “That cur disgraced himself on the carpet in my office, and pulled a vase from the desk. A vase which was a gift from the King of Skya to my father.”
“Ah,” said Valentin.
“So, are this children as they claim under your protection, Lord Valentin?” said Adrienne. Her tone boded ill.
“Erm.” Valentin was saved from answering by the arrival of the dogmaster. He was escorted in, and immediately set about condemning the entire situation, explaining Argo’s dubious parentage, and expressing his own fervent wish that the dog be drowned (and the children along with it). He finished with a summary of Valentin’s intervention and the subsequent disappearance of the pup from the kennel.
Adrienne listened to this tirade with the same cool expression fixed in place, then thanked him and indicated that he be ushered out.
“All right, Lord Valentin, you may begin,” she said with a wry gesture.
“Well, Empress,” Valentin began, “although I do not condone their actions today, these are two motherless Alysian children newly arrived in Monsilys. Their transgression was committed in innocence. And er—these children are indeed under my protection.” Philomena cleared her throat, and Valentin quickly added, “As is the pup.” He stopped.
“And how did this situation come to be?” Valentin took heart from the fact that the set lines of Adrienne’s face had relaxed slightly. He thought he might even have seen her lip twitch. Fortunately, the daughter had inherited a sense of humour not present in either of her parents.
“You see… that is…” Valentin forced his shoulders to relax and his hands to hang still by his side. “It is quite a delicate situation.”
“Go on.”
Valentin glanced around at their audience, attempting to generate a sense of high drama. He ducked his head and said quickly, “They are the products of a union I had before I was married.”
“They are your by-blows?” said Adrienne, as an intrigued gasp circled the room. She narrowed her eyes. “From your numerous visits to Alysia, I assume.”
“I have visited on occasion,” said Valentin with dignity.
The Empress made an unimpressed noise. She glanced around the room, visibly measuring up the pros and cons of accepting Valentin’s story. Eventually, she rubbed a hand over her face and said, “I assume, then, that you will pay for the damage to my study.”
“Of course,” said Valentin with a half-bow.
“Captain Gennaro, take these children away and give them each twenty strokes with the strap.”
Valentin turned just in time to see Luca lift his chin and square his shoulders. With the gravity of a condemned man, he held out Argo to Valentin, who reluctantly accepted the wiggling dog. Then he turned and marched out of the room with Philomena and two guards trailing behind.
Holding the pup gingerly away from his person, Valentin watched them leave then faced Adrienne. Resting her chin on one hand, she said, “You know, I should have been harsher on them.”
“I do,” said Valentin, trying not to imagine the welts on Philomena’s hands when the punishment had been administered.
“I expect you to exercise more control over your household in future.”
His household? Valentin caught on just in time to avoid embarrassing himself. “Yes, of course. I have them in service to teach them humility and industriousness.”
“As to that,” Adrienne sat up straight, “it doesn’t seem right that cousins of mine—even those born on the wrong side of the sheet—should scrub pots and make beds. They should be put in school. Perhaps you could send them down to your estate at Whitefields. That way they could receive a proper education.”
Rats, he had been outmanoeuvred. “Very wise, Empress,” Valentin said in a tone of dawning enlightenment.
“The dog too,” Adrienne added.
“They could hardly bear to be parted from the creature, I think.” Valentin straightened his cuffs. “It shall be as you say.”
He won a wry smile from Adrienne.
“When you get there, give Lady Luvina this note,” said Valentin, handing a wrapped scroll to Philomena, who took it clumsily with her bandage-wrapped hands and tucked it in her basket. She and Luca were seated in a sturdy, respectable carriage. The coachman waited by the horses’ heads. “It explains to her who you are and what she should do with you.” He patted Philomena’s knee.
“Lord Valentin,” said Philomena, “you aren’t my father.”
“Of course not,” said Valentin.
“But you told the Empress you were!” The girl blinked her wide blue eyes at him.
“You lied to the Empress!” chimed in Luca, giving Valentin a look that made it clear his integrity was now irrevocably compromised.
Valentin stifled a smile and patted Philomena’s arm. “It’s a game we play,” he said, then added to himself, “although I’m not sure who won this time.”
“Oh, well, thank you,” said Philomena.
“Don’t thank me yet,” said Valentin. “You may not like it at Whitefields.”
“I think I would rather anything to living in the maid’s quarters and emptying chamber pots. Will you come and visit?”
“My business rarely takes me there.” Valentin shifted uncomfortably. He leaned over and said to Luca, who had Argo once again on his knees, “Try and train some manners into that dog.”
Luca nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Stepping back, Valentin nodded to the coachman who swung up onto the box and snapped the reins. Philomena peered out the window as the coach rattled towards the gate. Then Valentin heard a now-familiar squeal, and a small fuzzy white ball came hurtling towards him.
Luca howled, “Stop the carriage!” just as Valentin stepped into Argo’s path and halted his flight. He picked the pup up by the scruff of its neck and carried it to where the coach now stood.
Dropping the creature in the window and back onto Luca’s lap, he said, “Don’t you dare leave this behind.”
Philomena twinkled at him. “Then you would have to come and visit us, Lord Valentin,” she said.
Blessed few. “In the face of such a threat, I promise I will try and visit Whitefields sometime in the future.”
Leaning across her brother and Argo—who both objected loudly—Philomena pecked him on the cheek. As Valentin watched the carriage rattle away, he couldn’t help thinking the day hadn’t been a complete waste, after all.