The next afternoon Wildas unexpectedly appeared at Coulta's door after the midday meal. Myri had said he could go back to his usual routine as long as he didn't push himself, and Coulta had been told that he'd be going everywhere Wildas went. Coulta had just been wondering where he was supposed to meet the prince, and was relieved by the prince's arrival. Wildas was dressed in dark blue riding clothes and wore a blue-and-gold twisted cord of rope from his left shoulder to his right hip. It was the same cord Coulta had seen him wear into Arren, and which Coulta assumed to be some sort of mark of station.
"Would you like to go for a ride?" Wildas asked with a smile. "I thought I'd give you, Myri, and Anil a tour of the city and the castle."
Coulta nodded. "That would be helpful."
He followed Wildas into the hallway, where they were joined by Myri only moments later. As they wound through the passageways leading out to the castle grounds, Coulta tried to remember every turn. He knew it would take a few more walks before he knew his way around the castle.
Once outside, Wildas led them to a gate in the surrounding wall, which Coulta would have expected to lead to a steep drop into the river, from what he'd seen on their approach to the city days ago.
"Are we bringing Anil?" Myri asked.
"We're going to get her," Wildas answered as the guards bowed and opened the gate.
On the other side was a wide path that led down to a large expanse of land on which a stable and pasture were situated. A few mares grazed in the pasture with tiny foals close by. Looking straight ahead, Coulta saw a large tower on the cliff opposite the castle, across the river. There were horses in a pen, along with what was probably a barn. He was surprised to see a few people practicing archery, and was unsettled by the fact that they wore green clothes similar to Varin's soldiers.
"That's Algoma's watch tower," Wildas explained when he noticed the direction of Coulta's gaze. "The other side of the river is Algoma, and they're our ally. We have towers along the river from the coast to the end of our land, and so do they. We help each other patrol the river." He pointed off into the distance, along the river. "The country of Dyrai is a mutual... problem of ours. It's a three-week journey across the stormy Corintha Sea, but it's a straight shot from the mouth of the river to Dyrai's shores. Sometimes they try to cause trouble by sending small forces in to keep us busy. Not a real attack or declaration of war. Just a ship trying to damage some cities every few years. The emperor just likes to remind us that he's still interested in someday taking us over, I suppose. The Algoman soldiers at the tower visit Ryal from time to time. They actually buy supplies here instead of having them sent from inside Algoma. Sometimes our soldiers have friendly tournaments with them, too."
Coulta was once again reminded of how sheltered Varin had kept him. Dyrai and Algoma were new names to him. "Where's Berk?" he asked, thinking of the only other country he had heard of, thanks to his father.
Wildas turned to point along the river in the other direction. "The river begins at the Alta Mountains. Berk is on the other side. They are more of a trading ally than an ally in war, because they have no enemies there. It's mostly cold and snowy, with very short growing seasons. Not even Dyrai wants to invade them. They were our enemy at one point, long ago, when they managed to take control of Phelin for a time."
"That was before Grand King Caolan, wasn't it?" Myri questioned.
The prince nodded. "Let's fetch Anil, then I'll show you all Ardan's Rest."
Coulta had no idea what that was, but he followed Wildas and Myri to the stable below them, though still a rather long way above the river. A middle-aged man with a graying beard rushed up to them almost as soon as they stepped inside. He hurriedly bowed and asked, "What can I do for you, Your Highness?"
"I'm looking for the new hand, Anil," Wildas replied, absently patting a horse in the closest stall. "I need her for a few hours. She can be back here by the evening."
"Of course," the man replied. "She was to have the nighttime foal watch anyway." He turned and called down the massive aisle, "Anil!"
She stepped out of a stall almost at the end of the barn and walked up to them, giving Wildas a clumsy curtsy. It was the first time Coulta had seen her since arriving, and when she smiled at him he gave her a small smile in response.
"I wanted to take all of you on a tour of the city and castle," Wildas explained to her. "I feel I've been a poor host to the people who saved my life."
"You gave me work," Anil argued. "That's more than I had dared hope for."
Wildas smiled. "Well, you all deserve a tour anyway. I've been stuck in bed for days and I'd like a nice ride through the city."
Anil gave him another curtsy. "Of course. Will I be back here for my evening foal watch?"
"I'll be sure that you are." Wildas motioned for her to join them, and they left the barn again. "I've meant to ask you, Myri," he went on as they started up the sloping road, "if you'd like to work with the royal healers for now. If you decide to return to Windwick when we have news, that would be all right, or you could stay on."
Myri actually stopped walking to stare at him. "You mean that?"
"Of course I do. I wouldn't offer if I didn't."
She stared at him a moment longer before finally nodding. "I would like that."
The prince smiled. "I'll introduce you to the other healers when we tour the castle."
"Can I ask what that place is?" Anil asked suddenly, pointing up to a ledge above them.
"Ardan's Rest," Wildas answered. "That's where we're going first."
"Master Hatlim said there's a legend about it."
Wildas nodded. "It's about how the current way of doing things began."
They reached level ground and Wildas led them along a much narrower path to the small outcropping that was just large enough for them all – and a marble statue of a man – to sit a comfortable distance from the edge. The statue was carved to look like a man standing in the wind, hair and long robe billowing. One arm was at his side while the other was raised almost as if he were casting out some sort of spell. He looked out over the river, the smooth face and plain stone eyes somehow carved into a masterpiece of determination. It looked like the statue had just been placed there hours before, it was so clean, crisp, and unweathered.
"That's Ardan," Wildas said, motioning to the statue. "Phelin used to have the same ruling structure as other countries, with only one king and queen, until it was overtaken by Berk. The walls of Ryal were breached for the first time in the over three hundred years since the first king, Tryrayl, built it. King Caol's heir was born as the city was being taken, and the queen died from the stress of it all. Ardan was the court sorcerer, and according to the legend, he was Caol's secret lover. He escaped the city as it fell, with the newborn prince and a nurse – at Caol's request. Somehow, they eventually made it to a small village at the very foot of the Altas. They named the prince Caolan, and when he was old enough, they told him who he was.
"Ardan had used his magic to help him spread rumors as they fled Ryal. He made certain people believed that an heir had survived and would reclaim Phelin. When the time came, he helped build Caolan's army, finding all his highest military commanders, including those who would become Second King Kian, Queen Dyna, and Queen Nydia. Another high official was a man named Nelek, who is Lord Varin's ancestor."
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
It suddenly made sense to Coulta why Arren was so different from the rest of Phelin. "Nelek wasn't happy afterward, was he?"
Wildas shook his head. "He felt that being given his own land to govern how he saw fit wasn't a good enough reward. That's why we have had problems with Arren's earls almost since that very day Nelek took power there."
"Why did the others end up married to Caolan?" Anil asked.
"The legend says that Caolan was in love with Kian. He told Ardan that, if he was going to reclaim Phelin, he might as well change tradition. No one knows if Ardan ever told Caolan about his relationship with Caol, but he did convince Caolan that it would be best if he had a wife to give him an heir. Somehow, in thinking of how to make things work, they decided that four was a better number than three. Some even claim it was because Caolan wanted to choose Nydia, but she was in love with Dyna, so he took both of them. Only they ever knew the reasons, but love always makes a good story.
"After the war, which lasted almost two years, the ruler of Berk surrendered. The original borders were restored and treaties were signed, and at the same time Phelin had a very large wedding and coronation ceremony. Very few people cared about the choice to have four leaders. In fact, everyone was so happy to be free of Berk control that they embraced the change. It's common now to find people who decide to follow the tradition themselves. It also led to more acceptance for those who previously had to keep their relationships secret, because loving someone of your own sex used to be frowned upon. In some more remote places in Phelin it still is. 'Just because the royal family does it, doesn't mean everyone should,' is their belief. And of course there's Arren, where no relationships except by blood have ever been allowed.
"Ardan helped to rebuild the city and to enhance the castle, and stayed to see Caolan and his spouses through the first five years of their reign. On he fifth anniversary of the coronation, he left." Wildas shook his head as he gazed out across the river. "When Berk overtook Phelin, all members of the court and anyone with even the slightest royal blood were executed. Here. Every person of rank was beheaded here and thrown into the river. But they left Caol's body here for whatever twisted reason they had. Ardan learned that a few years after Caolan came to power, when he found an account of the executions in a journal. The legend says he found this place, and found Caol's bones. With a prayer, he threw the bones into the river, then, having fulfilled Caol's last request by making sure Caolan was safe and secure on the throne, he stepped from the ledge to join his lover.
"He had left Caolan a note before he left, and when Caolan came to this spot he found a ring resting on the bare stone, one of the many gifts that he had given Ardan in thanks for everything he had done. Caolan commissioned the statue, and Dyna placed a spell on it so that it would never weather. This has been a place that many people in the court and royal family visit for solitude. I know Shelton meditates here quite often. I think it's important that Ardan is not forgotten, after all he did in life."
Coulta was surprised by how taken he was by the story, and by how strange he felt sitting on a stone where so many had died, despite his own past. He glanced at Wildas, who was leaning against the stone behind him with an unreadable expression. How must he feel, knowing that his own ancestors had died where they sat? Looking at Anil and Myri he saw that both of them looked sad, and Anil wiped a hand over her eyes.
"How long ago was this?" Coulta finally asked. He knew it was before he was born, but other than that, he was clueless.
"Two hundred and fifty years, about. When the time comes, I'll be the ninth Grand King," Wildas answered. "Hopefully that won't be for several more years."
There was such a strange look of sadness and fear on the prince's face that Coulta found himself wanting to hold the man, which was strange given that he had never wanted to hug anyone but Teeya in his life. Did the vow to protect apply to emotions? Why else would he want to do something so strange? But he found that he could hold back the urge, that he wasn't forced to reach out and touch Wildas.
He was distracted from his confusion by Wildas getting to his feet.
"Would you like to go for a ride now?" he asked them. "This place makes me a little sad."
"I haven't ridden since we got here," Myri replied as she stood. "I hope Lore remembers me."
"I'm sure he will," Anil told her.
"Did you get along well with Quiver?" Wildas asked when Coulta drew close to him on the walk to the castle wall.
"He was a good horse," Coulta said honestly, remembering how the stallion had easily followed his commands when they fled Windwick.
"Would you like him to be yours?"
Coulta actually liked the thought of having a horse of his own, despite knowing next to nothing, still, about the animals. "For how much?"
Wildas laughed. "No, I mean, he's yours. We give all of our soldiers their horses, and if you're going to be my protector, you'll need one when I leave the castle grounds. He'd have to be given to someone else to use anyway."
Coulta wasn't used to someone giving him so much. He'd been paid more than Varin would have paid him in two years just for escorting the prince to Ryal, and Wildas had made sure he had a room and was being paid regularly just to follow him around. Now Wildas wanted to give him a horse that likely cost at least as much as he'd been paid already.
"Thank you," he finally managed.
Wildas smiled at him. "You're welcome."
----------------------------------------
Myri wasn't exactly happy with the prince's decision to take a long ride so soon. Especially one in the city, where there would be a lot of people to see him when he fainted from exhaustion. She would just need to watch him carefully, she decided. They might not have known each other very long, but she already knew there was no reasoning with the man.
They rode out into the city, and Wildas paused almost immediately to motion around them. "This is what we call the 'upper market.' It's mostly businesses that work almost solely for the royal family and court."
He turned his horse down the road to the right and Myri noticed how the people in the street bowed as they passed. Wildas acknowledged them in groups, nodding to clusters of people on the left and right at various intervals. Myri saw Anil looking around in something like wonder, while Coulta appeared more curious. He also had a hand discretely on the hilt of his sword. Clearly, he was taking his new position as the prince's protector very seriously. At least today he wasn't wearing all black; his shirt was ash-gray with green trim, though his pants were as black as his boots.
It didn't help that his horse was black, too. The poor man would never be more than a shadow around Wildas, though she supposed he might prefer that.
"You can find just about anything here," Wildas explained. "There are tailors, jewelers, booksellers, even pets."
"What's that, at the end?" Anil asked.
Myri looked straight ahead to a massive stone building that could very well be another – albeit much smaller – castle. It spread across the entire street and looked to be a part of the stone walls themselves, the way it merged seamlessly with them on either side.
"That's where most of the sorcerers in the city live," Wildas explained. "They aren't required to live there, but many choose to. They work on developing new defenses and building methods for use all over Phelin, but most are there waiting for opportunities to directly work for a member of the royal family or for a lord needing help with infrastructure or defense. Those jobs become available fairly often, but it's the chance to be the sorcerer of the Grand King's court that they all want."
"How often does that happen?" Myri asked.
Wildas shrugged. "Not often. Once the current sorcerer reaches an age where he wants to retire, he will choose a new sorcerer, who the Grand King must approve of. It's usually a long process. The current court sorcerer is Second King Shelton, and I doubt he'll be willing to pass on the position until he's too old to walk," the prince said with a chuckle.
"I've heard rumors about him," Anil commented. "Is he really the most powerful sorcerer in all the world?"
"According to what little knowledge I have of magic, yes. The color of magic denotes the level of power that can be mastered. I've been told violet is the most rare and highest level of magic, and only one person with violet powers exists at any time."
"What's the most common color for magic?" Anil questioned.
"Brown," Myri answered easily. "The most I can do as a healer is place weak spells on herbs to enhance their natural abilities, and sense other magic."
"What about black?" Coulta asked, glancing at them.
"I didn't even know black existed until I met you," Wildas admitted. "Maybe you should talk to Shelton about it."
"Would he speak to me?"
"He told me that he's waiting for someone he knows to return to the city to ask her about curses," Wildas answered. "Apparently she knows a great deal about how they function, more than Shelton does. It's not because he's concerned about you, so you know. I think he's just curious and truly wants to help you if he can."
Coulta nodded. "Thank you. And him."
The more time Myri spent with the mysterious Coulta, the more she understood that the horrible magical taint on him actually hid a kindhearted soul too terrified to express any real emotion. Myri caught a fleeting glimpse of gratitude on the sharp face before he looked away, and she realized that he was using his curse to keep himself distant from everyone he met. He had agreed to be the prince's protector, but she wondered if Wildas would ever be able to get him to come out from behind that wall he hid behind.
If anyone was going to, the prince would be the only one who could.
They paused outside a small shop that must have been a bakery from the smell of it. An aging woman stepped from the door and gave Wildas a smile while she wiped her hands on her white apron.
"I thought my guests would like to sample your sweet rolls," the prince said to her, smiling.
"Oh, of course!" the woman replied. She looked them all over and frowned. "Where did you toss your brother off this time?"
Wildas grinned. "He stayed behind. My friend here does just as well."
Myri saw a flash of something unidentifiable cross Coulta's face at the word "friend," but it was gone before the woman looked at him. He gave her a nod and a faint smile.
"Ah, these must be your friends who brought you home," the woman said with a knowing look at Wildas. "Word travels fast, and gossip even faster."
Wildas sighed. "Thank you for the warning."
She nodded, but smiled again. "I'll get you all something to eat."
"What did she mean?" Anil asked when the baker was inside again. "About gossip?"
Wildas just shook his head. "It's nothing," he replied, but the relaxation was gone from his face.
The woman returned and handed them each a lightly wrapped roll. It fit in the palm of Myri's hand and didn't look very special. There was no icing or obvious filling, only a plain yellow roll. It smelled delicious anyway, and when she tried it she was impressed by the flavor. No ingredient was dominant, but they all merged together to create something indescribable.
Wildas thanked the woman, then turned his horse around so they could ride back the way they had come, all eating. Coulta looked a little ridiculous trying to eat and watch for whatever potential danger he thought they would encounter, but she was glad he was eating. She didn't know what he'd been fed in Arren, but he was uncomfortably skinny in Myri's mind. If he didn't have muscles from using a sword, she'd have been worried about him.
"Do you not need to pay for things?" Anil asked, sounding curious and looking at Wildas.
Wildas crumpled the wrapper his roll had been in and tucked it into a pouch on his saddle. "I pay for everything I get for myself," he explained. "Lita is my aunt, though. The Grand King's youngest sister. She'll never be in need of money, though she prefers to earn it herself. If we'd have gotten more from her than we did, I would have made her take some money."
"I didn't know royalty was supposed to be so kind," Myri said, letting a small amount of sarcasm into her voice.
Wildas gave her a smile. "Keeps the people happy."