Mist Rising by Eve Langlais
Chapter Forty
Agathe crossedthe bridge and paused before the arch. The stone wall rose from the moat itself, no crevices or juts of stone for climbing. No windows; just slits for light and arrows. The archway spanned high enough that even a stool wouldn’t have let her stretch to touch it. From a crevice built into the thick stone gleamed the pointed spikes of the gate.
Did she really want to enter this fortress?
What other choice did she have? As she stepped inside the Citadel, a chill took her.
Hiix and Venna flanked her. The latter murmured, “Steady.”
“I’m fine.”
The cobblestones had been recently rinsed. The entire place was tidy except for the stacks of barrels below the walls. Probably for loading into the trebuchet planted to the side.
The courtyard held the stables to the left, several closed doors to the right, and straight ahead a set of steps leading to a massive portal, which remained closed. To the side, a smallish door opened and out spilled a woman dressed in a gown of gray that shimmered to silver when she moved. Her hair, a light yellow color, was pulled into a bun at her nape. Wrinkles crinkled the corners of her eyes as she smiled warmly.
“Welcome to the King’s Citadel, Soraers of the Shield.”
Good to see they were expected. Hiix, as Maeder, spoke for them. “We thank the King for his generosity.”
“As if he would do any less. In these trying times, he is doing his best to serve the entire Kingdom. Especially those affected by the incursions,” the woman said with a shake of her head.
“You mean the monsters?” Agathe couldn’t help the sharp query. Incursions made it sound like bugs in the pantry. The creatures boiling out of the Abyss should garner more respect than that.
The woman’s expression turned frosty. Her brown eyes were unblinking. Given only the Blessed ever entered the Citadel, Agathe would wager they had once been purple.
Hiix swept her hand. “I am Maeder Hiix. These are Soraers Agathe and Venna. You are?”
“Jannae.” No rank or title. “Allow me to show you to your quarters.” She turned and entered, leaving them no choice but to follow, which was when Agathe realized they’d lost Xaav. He’d disappeared.
Entering the Citadel proper meant more stone and little natural light. But the lamps lit all over the place meant she had no problem seeing. Agathe absorbed all the details she could, such as the fact that all the servants in the Citadel were muddy-brown-eyed and mostly women. Older women. Not a single child in sight.
As far as Agathe knew, the King didn’t have heirs. The King was simply the King. One man since the beginning. Or did he pass on the role like a Maeder did when she could no longer serve the Goddess?
“How many people work in the Citadel?” Agathe asked.
Jannae didn’t reply but kept pointing out rooms in their path. “Dining hall. Reception. That way to the kitchens.”
“Where are you taking us?” Because it appeared to be up a flight of stairs, two to be exact. Pity, she’d have liked to have gone lower to look for catacombs and secret rooms.
“The guest wing.” Then, as if she couldn’t actually contain herself, Jannae blurted out, “We’ve never had to use them before.”
Not surprising. Who was there to visit? The general knight had claimed that the other Kingdoms were lost. And the King didn’t usually invite outsiders.
“Have you worked here long?” Venna asked.
“Yes, and no.” A strange way of putting it that didn’t come with an explanation. “Your rooms.”
Like at the inn, they each received one. Private, with only a door and no outer window to speak of. A hint that they were prisoners or under protection because of what’d happened the night before with the flying creatures? Could have been a bit of both.
The rooms were much larger than what they had at the Abbae. Comfortable, too. Even Hiix appeared impressed.
“If you need anything, ring the bell and someone will do their best to help you.” Jannae pointed to a hanging rope.
Venna had the foresight to ask, “Where is the library?”
“An escort will arrive shortly to take you.”
Escortbeing a polite term for soldier, Agathe would wager. Before the servant could leave, she asked, “When will we see the King?”
The question earned her an incredulous look. “You won’t.”
“Surely, he’ll want to meet his guests,” Agathe insisted.
“No.” And that was the last word.
Jannae left.
Excellent because Agathe had a Citadel to explore.
