The Book of the Broken

Ralph came out of the tent and followed me.

“Ash!”

“Forgive me,” I said. “I didn’t mean to leave you.”

“Nevermind me,” Ralph said. He took my hand. “Let us go.”

We were halfway up the hill when a rider on a black horse bearing the red banner of Rheged came down.

“Are you Prince Ash?”

“And this is my companion, Ralph.”

The man nodded.

“Word has been sent. Rooms are prepared for you in the palace.”

I nodded, then said, “Is that horse for us?”

I sensed the man was about to say it was for me, but he looked at Ralph and said, “Yes.”

I was a poor rider. Ralph assisted me, and together we rode up the hill to a castle that was larger than a city, many walled and stretching all the way down the great hill, impressive even in the gloom. Watch fires burned from under its highest towers and it seemed the main keep was like a great berg as they have in the northern seas and there were at least three terraces of high walls. It was too marvelous, and I was too sad and tired to take it all in under the grey sky.

The man who led us was a chamberlain I later learned had the name Raleigh, and we passed through many baileys into the heart of a keep so high it had lifts that took us to our rooms.

“Undress,” Ralph commanded me. “Do not worry about bathing. When it is time I will bathe you.”

I undressed in the room lit by only one lamp, though, by its dimness, I perceived the place to be large and rich. When I was done, Ralph brought me a nightgown and some food that had been set outside the door.

“I only want the soup. You have the rest.”

Ralph did not argue me, but he ate only his portion knowing me too well. When I was done with the soup I ate the rest and then said, “I could sleep an age. But not just yet. I wish to sit up a bit and look around.”

There were books all along the wall, and I fanced that as soon as I got out of this chair I would go and look at them. But instead, when I woke, several hours had passed and the light had gone out. The moon came out for the first time in days, and by its light I saw this large room and the great bed and Ralph, stretched out naked, asleep like a child. He had not crawled under the covers, and now I did the laborious work of pulling them from under him, over him, and then I crawled into the bed beside him.

Late the next morning there was a knock at the door and I rose to answer. Ralph was still asleep in the bed, and I thought he deserved it. I saw briefly the blue sky from the window and the sparkle of the blue water. I saw the balcony beyond the curtain and promised to return and look out upon the ocean. But now I opened the door.

“Uncle.”

Prince Amr returned my bow.

“Nephew, we thought to let you sleep. I can have breakfast sent up to you. My royal father would like to take luncheon with you.”

I was surprised by this, but then I said, “What if I were to take my late breakfast with him? Is he over busy?”

“I think,” Amr said looking at me with what I thought was approval. “He would be glad of it.”

“Give me a moment to dress.”

“I can have other clothes sent for you.”

“Doubtless those are better clothes, but these are my clothes, and it will take much longer if I am waiting for new ones. I wish to meet my lord and grandsire as soon as possible.”

Amr said, “I will send Raleigh back here in…. is less than half an hour a good time?”

“It is, Uncle.”

“Yes, and he will lead you to the small hall where father spends his late mornings.”

I was already ravenous as soon as Amr had left the room. I saw beyond this chamber a white stone bath with a deep tub where I would certainly enjoy myself in time. But for now it was the wash basin and towel and I tried to move about quietly, not opening up the curtains to let in the sun so that Ralph might sleep on.

In the promised twenty minutes, Raleigh, a large boned bear of a Royan with wooly black hair and a broad caramel face came for me. He was talkative, but I was not. I had learned that smiling and laughing made up for this, and he led me through many hallways and so I learned, as he talked, that as long and confusing as my journey seemed, I was in the main keep and that the whole royal family lived here, all the extended lords and ladies of the various realms, and in time I was led up a stairway to the small hall which made me wonder, as I saw the long windows looking out to the sea and the vaulted ceiling with its cross beams, how large the main hall was.

There was a little throne backed by a black banner with a rampant golden lion upon it, but it was at a long table with two plates incongruously close, one waiting for me, and one before an old man I assumed was King Math.

“Grandfather,” I bowed.

He looked up at me, surprised but happy.

“You are my grandson. Senaye’s boy, the one raised on the Holy Isle.”

“Yes.”

“Sit,” he gestured to the chair. “Sit. Sit.”

I did.

“How is your mother?”

“She is well.”

“She should have been the Lady. She is a great woman. I imagine you are great in magic as well.”

“I have a little of the gift.”

“I am sorry you could not have known your uncle,” the old King said. Then he said, “I did not want him to go out. The Daynes with their dreadnoughts, they come twice a year to raid. They don’t get much, not like in the old days when they surprised us or when they surprised the Hales. But we must fight.”

“Surely there is a way,” I said, without thinking—for I had planned merely to humor an old man—“to stop them.”

“We would have to go north to their home,” the king said. “We would have to conquer them. In fact, we would have to aid that Prince Edmund in taking the central part of Sussainy away from the Dayne King.”

“Do you make allegiances with the Hales?”

“Never,” King Math said. “The Council frowns upon it.”

“The Council?”

“The Derwydd of the Hidden Tower, they who lead us in all things as the White and the Grey Monks lead the Ayl.”

I nodded. I had a great deal to learn.

I did not say that the derwydd had magic at their command, nor did I say there was no good reason the Royan should suffer anything from Daynish hands. As I looked about the most splendid hall I had ever seen, with lights that did not depend on torches and towers raised high as small mountains, as I looked out onto the great harbor far, far below I thought, “I do not understand this land. I must learn what it is about before I make any suggestions.”

“Are your rooms to your liking?”

“Yes, Grandfather.”

“We can change them if you like. We did not know you were coming.”

The old man frowned.

“Neither did we know the Dayne were on their way.”

“My rooms are very fine.”

“Good,” Grandfather said, sounding very tired.

I realized I had not touched my food, and set to the sausage and to the coffee.

“You have a hunger about you. Like your father, Jasper. Good for you.”

Then Math’s mahogany face was still, like a mask, and his eyes were staring off somewhere. For a brief moment he looked like my great grandfather, Mahonry, and my heart ached wondering where he was. I had expected to see him here. Somehow, I had expected Rheged and the palace to be smaller, everything and all I looked for to be in one place.

“If you wish to go into the great hall,” Math said, quietly, “your uncle lies there. How Senaye loved him. We will send him off tonight. Tonight after dark.”

I nodded.

“I will send Raleigh to bring you and your friend to supper. After the supper we will see Geranhir father off. If you could not be here while he lived, I am glad you are here now in his place. Welcome, Grandson.”

When I returned to my rooms, Ralph was awake in bed.

“I wondered where you were?”

“You didn’t wonder too much,” I said, laughing. “You’re still in bed.”

“Well, yes,” Ralph chuckled and turned over, punching the pillow.

I wanted to climb back into bed with him, but I felt there was so much to do and he said, “Well, I guess I knew what I was doing when I met you. Of all the strays to a Travelers caravan I could have taken up with…”

“Be quiet,” I said.

There was a polite but apparently merely symbolic knock on the door followed by Raleigh’s entrance with baskets of clothing and three other male servants.

“They are here to clean the royal apartments.”

“Leave the bed alone!” Ralph cried from under the covers.

“Lord, isn’t he your servant?” Raleigh asked.

Ralph’s head shot up from the covers, frowning.

“He is nothing like my servant,” I said, “but he is mine. Feel free to make the bed tomorrow, but everything else attend to.”

They opened the curtains to let in the sun to Ralph’s displeasure—until I closed the bed curtains, and they revealed that my quarters were in an octagonal tower divided betweem three great rooms, the book filled anteroom with its desk and a great globe, which they had come through, the bedroom they were in now, and the large bathroom beyond. They laid clothing out for me and Raleigh explained, trousers are for knights and soldiers, while robes were for students of schools and for mages, for all who practice the arts.

I saw there was a white robe and black mantle chased in silver with a great hood.

“You fancy me a mage?”

“Are you not?”

I shrugged. “I imagine so,” I said.

“Will you be taking your bath now?”

“I will,” I said, glad of it, “and this disreputable thing grumbling in my bed will do so later.”

“Jamis, have the tub filled,” Raleigh commanded, “and bath salts and towels put to the side. I will send someone in to wash you.”

“That’s quite alright,” I said with such a firmness Raleigh blinked at me.

“Of course,” Raleigh said, clapping his hands.

The big man on his little feet bowed and turned to go, and when the others had done their duty of filling the bath and putting out towels they were gone as well.