Chapter 3

The Summoning

It was warm like never before and Quirina had been summoned, or as the sentries would say to soften that - ‘requested in court’.

Lambert was standing alone in the court’s throne door. It was a kind of back stage where administrators and ladies rehearsed vile news that they oft brought with them before announcing them beside the high seat of the administrator of Landbreaker isles.

The short old man was going through informative papers, scratching his recently shaved face. As a sign of grief Lambert had shave his beard when Quirina’s father left for the Stone. He was a man well past his forties and most of his hair had abandoned him which contrasted with the fact that his eyes seemed to climb his forehead and his nose was slashed. Lambert had done most of Quirina’s work while her father was at the Stone. So, whatever work required of her must have been one of a diplomatic purpose. She had cut her hair short but still her head seemed to heat up like a hearth“What is it Lambert?”

“Quirina” very few dare call Quirina by her name but she did not mind when Lambert, who was as important in her royal life as her father, did so. He gave her a gentle kiss on the hand. “A messenger is here a rather important one”

“A messenger” when he said that her heart started thumping. Her father was off for the Stone in the black slate of the night without the  Royal Guard. But she dare not show her anxiousness. People and messengers seldom rode half their way into the lakes and onto the isles just to inform of bad news when the message was grief.

Quirina’s hawk zoomed into the room and perched atop her stop rib. Castle or not, Quirina was eternally in an armor “Must be a good bearer” she opened the heavy throne door “I’ll deal with him”

“No…” But she had already burst into the room. The messenger too was in armor. The silver grey was a kind of offense to the all the displays. But the armor was way too splendid for his prescribed stature and left no sign of skin or leather, making the wearer look like a man of metal. There was the eclipsed Sun of Attarock painted on the overcloth over his armor. And almost as an act of blasphemy the man had chosen to wear his helmet.

“Greetings, administratorQuirina Hall. I am here from Attarock.”

“Then you have come a long way. Tell me, without delay what is the purpose of your visit.” Quirina was too excited and aghast at the same time. She took a seat on her father’s seat “Has administrator of Attarock, what was his name…?” A few maids sighed as if her words had insulted them. They were not from Attarock, they were Landbreakers. She gave a frown of disappointment, such trivial facts should not have troubled the descendents of one of the most tough, cut throat people in The Realm.

“No, administrator Cyneburg is yet to return from the Stone, same as the administrator of the Landbreakers”the messenger said.

“Then, my good man, why are you here. I don’t think you are a messenger. Remove your helm.” her hawk screeched in agreement “Even if you are the Overlord, which you can’t be because they die as soon as they come into power”Half the court laughed. Lambert slipped or rather fell and picked himself up and regained his posture “Why is everyone so dull today? So”  she fixed her eyes upon the eye slit “come here, and remove that helmet, Knight of the Eclipse and what not.” she smiled and left the seat for the Prince’s royal bottom

“Oh, so you do recognize me.” Stryder climbed up the stairs of the stage. He warmly hugged her and he removed his helmet.

“Of course. A man with such false titles is sporadically forgotten. Not to mention your pale skin. Very few live men can claim that shade for their skin and that pale shade of purple for those ridiculous eyes.” Again the court gasped but Quirina knew that a man such as Stryder was rarely hurt by words Sword and sticks can sometimes be useless in front of words. But not for the people of Attarock.

“As can no one forget your hedgehog excuse for  hair.”

“Why do you bless us with us your royal presence, oh royal this of royal that.” A few people again gasped and that amused Stryder very much. He laughed as he set back into the chair. Quirina chose a chair right next to him.

“For some really serious reasons I must say. Now” he donned a the ruler’s tone but still smiled “to address serious matters. We have to...”

“Afterwards, prince. First let us amaze the court of how did the Prince get such a stunning dress.” Some court holders fainted as if she had declared war on Attarock and Landbreakers was going to be plundered “shut up people!” she shouted in a most not accustomed to court tone and then gently turned to Stryder “yes, so, I  hope you are not hurt. Can you now tell where did you get that dress.”

“Oh, I was confronted by nine people and they asked me to slay a creature and was promised gifts” Quirina smirked, almost sure that Stryder was joking. But he had a straight face and that reduced her smirk to an uncertain smile “nine gifts, not just two or three”

“Was that a full moon night, by any chance?” Quirina asked.

“Oh, so you people do know that. So, I was put in the front of the beast.” everyone was confused, not sure whether they were being mocked or tested if they could keep a straight face “Except it wasn’t a beast! It was one of those mountain lions that are so hard to catch, I did think that no one would believe me I had slain one or seen one unless they had seen me with it. So, I ask…”

“‘Why shall I slay the beast?’, that is enough of your mocking, oh Knight of the Eclipse. Everyone knows the story of the ‘Kindness of the administrator’, and let me guess, they gave it to you without any combat”

“No.Just listen. So, I ended its life after hours of battle. Its skin was as hard as the armor I wore and when I killed him I was given the prizes. And the lion.”

“I think you haven’t had sleep, young prince, you just said you killed him”

“I sure did. He was returned to life. I was told that the man who kills him, controls him. Here I’ll call him.”

Stryder did not say a single word but Quirina knew that there had been an invitation to the feline and mist fell into the castle as men hushed to herald the arrival of the cat.

It was a grand thing. Although seeming to blend to most of the dark court, the cat seemed to attract enough attention.

The feline silently crept up to the high seat followed by the Attarock Sentinels “People say that I have kicked off the Age of Conquest by disagreeing to the new terms of the taxes and removing administrators from the city states. But I have just given us a reason to test the sharpness of our blades.” Said the king, half sitting, half dangling from the seat.