The next few days were spent drilling with the quarter staffs and wooden halberds. The first of the poleaxes was delivered and even though she couldn’t find a single difference in balance, Nia couldn’t recreate the precision that she had shown outside the bar. Rosa laughed when Nia complained. “Those weapons are a bit special and maybe have more than a touch of magic about them. Learn the basics with the toys and then start to practice with the real thing. Learn in here when you have free time. You don’t have to tell anyone that you’re doing extra practice.’
About a week after the abortive trip down to the Minstrel’s square, the Preceptor pushed back his chair at breakfast and stood up. ‘Training and any lessons are cancelled today and tomorrow.’ He looked at Heiki and Tepani. ‘Most lessons. You will still need to work on your reading and writing. They had discovered that Heikki couldn’t read at all, and Tapani could but not very well. ‘The king has announced that there will be a formal reception for the new ambassador from Arateen. You will need to find formal garments and my apologies for the short notice. Vann, Davorin and Hrafn. I would ask that if you have anything suitable for Atli, Heikke and Tapani, even if they need a little alteration, that you will help out.’
A few minutes later the recruits found themselves on their own clearing the refectory. Heikki and the other guards were voicing their worries about the reception, but Bria was having no arguments. ‘You need to be comfortable in court, you’re going to be important people and sometimes the Dragon’s Guard has to mediate in disputes between nobles.’
The next evening, they found themselves lining up at the eastern doors into the throne room along with dozens of other minor nobles and members of the court. Tapani kept pulling at his collar as though it was trying to strangle him and both the other ex-guards were looking very uncomfortable.
The guards saluted as they went through the outer gate which the nobles acknowledged but Heikki, Atli and Tapani found mortifying. Their discomfort when the guards inside the doors announced them to the court. Vann just smiled and waved as he led the way in but Tapani, the quietest and most reserved of all the recruits wished that the ground would open up and swallow him when the guard called out ‘Tapani of Lulnun. Acolyte to the Dragon Guard.’
He looked over towards the south wall where one of the pillars created a quieter dead space but Bria saw his glance.
‘No, you don’t get to sneak off. Adeline, take Hrafn and Tapani over to meet your father, and then go and then Hrafn can introduce you both to his father. Nia, you take Atli and Vann to meet Duke Skarran. Davorin, Heikki. We’re going to see if Valeea Blackrock has any news of Camryn. Heikki, don’t look at me like that. Of course the duchess has a first name and she’s my aunt.’
The girls martialled the boys over towards their targets and gradually the guards began to get over a little of their awe and terror at being guests at court.
Valeea Blackrock let out a shriek of delight as soon as she saw Bria and wrapped her in a huge hug before seeing the other two and grabbing their hands and shaking them. ‘Bria, forgive my rudeness when Camryn was ill. I was in shock and not thinking clearly’
Bria laughed. ‘Aunt Valeea! You are completely forgiven. We were all shocked and I know exactly where Camryn gets it from. Is there any news of her?’
The duchess smiled ‘They are travelling very slowly but Camryn has made it safely to Gades. They’ll sail to Svartzbeer tomorrow. She is on the mend but it will take a while.’
Heikki thought for a moment ‘They? Your grace’ he queried. ‘The duke is over there talking to Duke Benduil.’
Bria looked horrified and the duchess winced. ‘I meant Camryn and her attendants. Please pay no attention to my ramblings. Have you been to Svartzbeer? It’s beautiful in the summer!’
Heikki nodded ‘Yes your grace, I was born there. My father is a mine master at Harvinger. I miss the summers at home but not the winters so much.’
The duchess grinned at him ‘Cold and wet and windy. Bria, take him to try his wits on someone with a better guarded tongue than me.’
Heikki blushed and started to stammer out an apology but she patted his shoulder. ‘you forget my slip and I’ll forgive your indiscretion.’
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Bria grabbed his arm and dragged him away before hissing at him ‘what were you thinking? Don’t question the words of a noble. Luckily she didn’t take offence.’
Davorin shrugged. ‘Not the most diplomatic perhaps but someone is with Camryn and there’s a secret there somewhere. I wouldn’t have noticed the slip.’ He nodded approvingly to Heikki
Bria scowled ‘and you’d have had the wit not to draw attention to it. We can discuss it back in the hall. Davorin, your turn. Take us to your father.’
Davorin took them over to meet his father, Duke Iskander who teased his son about courting the princess and thanked Heikki for chaperoning the pair which had all three of them covered in confusion.
Over the rest of the evening, all three guards were introduced to most of the archipelago’s noble families, as well as several court functionaries and ambassadors from other realms.
After a while, Heikki whispered to Vann ‘Why are they so welcoming. We’re commoners.’
Vann whispered back ‘Ordinarily they would ignore commoners or get their guards to remove them, but you’re not a commoner anymore. You may not have much power yet, but when you’re judging court cases, they want you on their side. Don’t be fooled. The Preceptor is second to the King and you have his ear as well as a chance to succeed him. Individually, the knights have nearly as much power as a minor noble and the Preceptor outranks the dukes. Together they could make or break any noble, even the king’
Heikki thought about this for a moment ‘Do you think Duchess Blackrock is angry with me? Am I going to be in trouble, or is my family?’
Vann laughed ‘I heard about that. Bria is crosser than the duchess. It wouldn’t hurt to send her flowers and a note of apology tomorrow though. Ask Jemryn to deliver them for you.’
Heikki looked shocked. ‘I can’t ask a noble to run errands for me and where will I get flowers from?’
Vann looked back at him ‘You are going to have to learn to be a little more ruthless. Jemryn won’t mind and I’m sure you can buy some or pick some flowers from the garden outside the refectory.’ He looked around the room where trays of sweetmeats and drinks were now circulating. ‘Let’s get everyone rounded up and back into the Southern Hall. Not all the nobles are fond of the guard and some would try to embarrass the Preceptor by getting one or two of us drunk and rowdy. You go warn Bria. I’ll rescue Tapani and Davorin from Duke Pohjola. His family have loathed the guard since forever and when he hanged the current duke’s grandfather for slaving, things got worse. He doesn’t often come to court.’
‘The Preceptor hanged a duke?’ Heikki was aghast.
‘Didn’t you know? Some say the old duke was in league with the Pirate Isles as well. The family certainly haven’t been as wealthy since the Gathos navy burnt Riettenborg to the ground and destroyed the bulk of their fleet in the battle of Oskari but that might be down to bad luck or lack of skill. Now go get Bria. She’ll probably shout at you a bit but I’m sure your charm will rescue you.’
Heikki’s face fell. ‘My “charm” got me into this mess in the first place.’
Vann laughed and nudged him in Bria’s direction before turning and weaving through the throng toward duke Pohjola.
Heikki watched him go and then looked around for Bria. His heart sank when he saw her talking to the Areetan ambassador. He squared his shoulders and walked over towards them. He opened his mouth to speak but Bria jumped in first. ‘Ambassador, may I introduce Heikki, one of my fellow recruits. He is new to court so please don’t take offence if he says something out of turn.’
Heikki felt crushed but the ambassador grabbed his hand and shook it. ‘I’m pleased to meet you. I was just discussing an exchange with the princess. I share a little of the empire’s knowledge of dragons in return for a visit to the gardens. What say you?’
Heikki opened his mouth and then closed it again and thought for a moment. ‘Wouldn’t you be better talking to Duchess Farrenreed? She is the one refurbishing the gardens.’
The ambassador’s grey eyes sparkled and she smiled faintly. ‘Ah, not those gardens, although they were reputed to be fabulous and surely will be again. I meant the little garden in your cloisters.’
Bria intervened. ‘It’s a kind offer, ambassador, and thank-you but I don’t think that lowly recruits should be inviting foreign dignitaries into the Southern Hall. With your leave, I will pass it to the Preceptor and let him extend a formal invitation.’
The ambassador bowed slightly ‘Protocol, that most daunting of mistresses. It shall be as you suggest, princess.’ She turned back to Heikki. ‘I’m sure a young man such as yourself didn’t come to make small talk with me. Courting the princess perhaps?’
Heikki blushed scarlet and avoided Bria’s eye. ‘Um, Vann says that we need to get the recruits out of here before someone tries to embarrass the Preceptor by getting one of us drunk.’ He looked around and saw that Vann had snagged Adeline and Hrafn as well as Tapani and Davorin and they were heading towards the southern doors. ‘We just need to find Nia and Atli.’
Bria scanned the hall and spotted the pair talking to the herald they had met that morning. She sighed. ‘My apologies your excellency but the prince Vann is right.’ She shook the ambassador’s hand and then dragged Heikki over to the other two. By the time they got to the doors, Nia was clutching her stomach with laughter and Heikki’s ears were burning because Bria spent the entire time quietly explaining to him, in great detail, exactly where he had failed with her aunt and how, under no circumstances, would she ever consider allowing him to court her..