PLANET 5 / CH. 2: REGENT
Extract from initial-contact report for inhabited planet orbiting star 3648 (AKA Planet 5)
The scholar's Island is called Tesk. It is part of a semi-autonomous political grouping known as the 'Confederation of the four Isles'. which represents one third of an old empire known as 'the Windward empire,' The other portions being the kingdom of Caneth and the Kingdom of Tew. The old empire collapsed in a rather messy revolt by the people against the 'doom-guard' and the emperor. The doom-guard were the priest-emperor's elite forces, and regularly took the best and brightest of citizens from their town for one of several purposes.
According to the thoughts of one informant, those were: joining the emperor's civil service, joining the elite academy on Tesk, or if they failed the entrance examinations then 'the doom', which was the emperor used them according to his will: either to be part his harem, or human sacrifice to his numerous idols. Our other informant thought that the harem was the conclave of his most trusted civil servants, his imperial wives. Our informants have given us accounts of this revolution, which differ as to whether one of the 'imperial wives' from the harem killed the emperor before the outbreak of the rebellion against the doom-guard, or whether the emperor was killed during the fighting. Caneth clearly got most of the arable land as well as a large stretch of desert and some rain forest. Tew got some very rich ore deposits, and the Isles have famous vineyards, and some marshlands which are lived in by a group of fishermen and sailors with the reputation of being only a couple of steps away from being a bunch of pirates. There is another empire on the planet, called Dahel, which our Gifted friend says seems to includes a number of subordinate kingdoms and principalities. The Dahel empire is edged by a number of mountain ranges that look like they ought to make further expansion impractical.
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ESMETHERELDA'S APARTMENTS
“What a mess!” Esme exclaimed, looking at the books and clothes that had been thrown into a pile in the middle of the room. Someone had obviously been looking for the seal.
“A worrying mess?” Hal asked.
“Not especially,” Esme replied, crossing to her maid's room, she knocked. There was no reply. She opened the door, to see a similar heap there, except here things had clearly been placed, not thrown. “Anyone know what's happened to Grizetha?”
“Put under arrest yesterday for complicity in your kidnapping, highness.”
“More likely for not finding the seal,” Esme corrected. “Silly Grizetha.”
Hal herd Esme decide that Grizetha was in the right place, on the right charge, and asked if she'd been the one who'd told Esme to get in the carriage. Esme told him to work it out himself, and he realised that Grizetha's room had the door to the garden, not Esme's.
“OK,” Esme announced, “Nothing more to see in here. You two, get this door off its hinges, please.”
“You hid it in the door?” Hal asked, amazed.
“Not quite. This used to be a window, when I was little. Grizetha's room was added on. There's a hole you can't get do with the door on its hinges where the sash-ropes went.”
“And you managed this yourself?”
“No. My father helped. The king ought to know where the regent's seal is, don't you think?”
“Certainly.”
“There it is, one signet ring,” Esme said, easily plucking it from its hiding place. “Now... did anyone hear of anyone else in the palace having headaches or over-sleeping or anything like that on the morning after the eclipse?”
“My girlfriend overslept that day. She works in the kitchen, she said everyone was out of sorts that morning, and people forgetting things too, on account of the bad air from the eclipse. I said it never affected any of us soldiers, so it couldn't be bad air.”
“Right, thank you. Five out of ten for dismissing the analysis, but not realising she'd been drugged.” She sat down at her desk, and wrote: Let it hereby be understood that his majesty the king's illness began at the same time that diverse members of the of the royal family and palace staff who ate from the royal kitchens suffered from tiredness, memory loss, bad headaches and diverse other complaints, such as those associated with various preparations of herbs, mushrooms, etc. that make a kidnapping easier. Let it also be understood that princess Esmetherelda was kidnapped that night by unconfirmed assailants. Let it further be known that combinations of these drugs and the medicines used to treat heart problems such as the king has, can be poisonous. These things are all known and understood by the undersigned princess Esmetherelda, regent of the king by his express desire and command. Therefore, let it be known that Doctor Tobias is not presently considered responsible for the King's present state of ill-health, let him be immediately restored to his position and set the onerous task of providing such medicines as will restore his majesty to his customary good health. Long live the king! On another piece of paper she wrote: By order of princess Esmetherelda, regent of the king by his express desire and command, the retired grand-vizier shall return to his post immediately in accordance to his oath in this time of his nation's need. Let him restore the proper orderly functioning of government, seek out and punish those responsible for the poisoning of the king and (probably through the same substance) the drugging and subsequent kidnapping of princess Esmetherelda. Let all who think to oppose or delay his return to office be warned they shall be charged with promoting chaos in government and thus treason against the state. Long live the king! “What's going on here? What are all you soldiers doing in Esme's room? Who did this? Esme? Esme! You're back!”
“Hello Winessa, hold this wax please. Thank you. There, two documents sealed and... signed. Would you like to be my witness?”
“Urm, OK Esme. What happened?”
“I got drugged, I guess everyone got drugged. I got kidnapped, I escaped half way and got rescued all the way by prince Hal here. Do you like the cloth? Hal gave it to me.”
“It's beautiful, it looks fit for one of those engagement saris mum talks about.”
“It's exactly fit for one of those. Sorry, let me do the introductions, Prince Hal, this is my younger sister, Winessa. Winessa, prince Hal of the Three Isles, you know ambassador Raleph, I assume, and these nice men are the regent's bodyguard.”
“But...”
“I have the regent's seal, Winessa, you remember. Daddy gave it to me.”
“I know, but mother...”
“Mother has been doing as she felt best. Now I'm here, I've got the seal, I'm regent, and I'm doing what I see as best. You've just witnessed documents that will get Daddy's doctor back so he can actually get better, and the other one tells anyone who tries to stop Tumbril from coming back to work that they're a traitor.” Turning to the squad, she said “Now, who's going to run with these? Pick up a squad and go get the doctor, give the other to another squad to get grand-vizier Tumbril.”
“Yes, princess regent!” the runner saluted.
“Oh, wait a moment. What's your name?” she wrote it on another sheet, with her seal and signature. “Here, show this to anyone who doubts you're obeying my direct orders.”
“Thank you, highness!”
“Winessa, have you seen your father recently?” Hal asked.
“He was sort of feverish, but sleeping. The day before yesterday.”
“Who's the new doctor?”
“I don't know his name. Henk brought him.”
“And what's he doing about daddy's medicine?” Esme asked.
“I don't know.”
“Well, let's go and find out. That's important.”
“I know. Mummy'll be so glad you're back.” Winessa said.
“I hope so. Someone won't be.”
“Why didn't Henk become regent?” Winessa asked.
Hal heard Esme think how not to upset her sister too much. “I guess Daddy wanted someone who'd be on this side of the ocean, Win. You know, all his trips.”
“Oh! Yes. He's so brave!”
“Prince Hal here saw Henk last trip, Win. It wasn't a pirate ship he was running from, it was a customs clipper.”
“Customs?” Winessa asked.
“We wanted to know why he'd left port late and over-nighted in a cove known for smugglers. And warn him that his ship was looking a lot lower in the water than it had when he left port, so maybe he had a leak. Somehow, it seems he got so confused about why we wanted him to stop that he tried to sail across some rocks.”
“You think some of his men might have been smuggling something?”
“The cargo that we got out of his wreck had an awful lot of wine casks without duty-paid stamps on them. That's why we asked for paperwork saying where they'd come from. Sometimes the producer pays, and sometimes the ship's captain pays, but sometimes wine-traders like to 'forget' they need to pay their taxes on exports, and need a reminder, you know? And then there's real smuggling. Since the wine trade is so much of our state income, smuggling is a very serious problem.”
“How much wine did you confiscate?” Esme asked.
“Impounded, not confiscated. It's his as soon as he can tell us where he bought it from, or produce a bill of sale. He had about five hundred barrels of top quality wine on board. His ship's insurers might want to ask why he was over-laden, too.”
“Five hundred barrels?” Winessa asked.
“Yes. Some were probably lost in the wreck, of cause.”
“Daddy's room's there.” Winessa said, pointing down the corridor. Esme raised her hand to stop the squad.
“And the guards with halberds are there to make sure no one tries to assassinate Daddy?”
“Yes.”
“And they know you, and know you're not capable of hurting anyone.”
“I'm not allowed in either, not without Henk.”
“That's not right! Squad, square formation around us, archers at the rear, bows ready. Thank you. What if Daddy wakes up and wants some water, Win? One of us ought to be there all the time. It's our daughterly duty.” Fifteen steps away from the door, she called out, “Let me pass, soldiers. I have to speak to my father.”
“No one sees the king.” One of the guards said. He wasn't in any livery at all.
“I am princess-regent Esmetherelda, this is my body-guard, this is the regent's seal, given into my care by my father until such time as he gave it to another or I needed to use it. It is my duty under law to talk to my father. Stand aside willingly or be arrested on the charge of insubordination. If you fail to drop your weapons you will die as traitors here and now.”
“Our orders come from prince Henk directly,” said the other, who was in livery, but it wasn't recognisable to Esme.
“My big brother is not and has never been regent, he is only heir apparent if I and my eldest sister are dead. You have seen the regent's ring on my finger. You are under arrest for insubordination.”
“You have no authority over us even if you are regent, since we're mercenaries, and I'm not a citizen so it can't be treason, can it, missy? Now run away and cry to your mummy. She can't go in either.”
“Win, don't watch.” Esme said, crouching down and pulling Winessa down too. The swordsmen followed suit, as did Hal and a startled Raleph. “By his words, both are condemned.” Esme finished quietly. “Lose.”
The mercenaries, little more than hired thugs pushed into ill-fitting armour, had faced down other challenges. They certainly hadn't expected a princess to order her archers to shoot. Their armour was no match for the arrows at this range.
“It may be that he lied, and that my brother has not brought mercenaries into the palace.” Esme said and Hal herd the lack of conviction in her thoughts, and the dead feeling she felt having had to order the deaths, and what needed to follow. He wanted to hug her, and comfort her, but tuned to one another's thoughts as they were, he knew she needed him not to. She carried on. “I hope that is the case, but sadly we cannot assume it. It is the law that only the king can employ foreign mercenaries, and only then during a time of desperate need in an active war, or as specialists training the regular army. They were no specialists. Any other person employing mercenaries commits treason. Thus, if my brother prince Henk approaches, he must be arrested if that is possible without too much risk. Other family members may approach my father's bedside unarmed. Winessa, you are a royal witness to what I've said as regent.”
“I am,” Winessa said, quivering in her sister's embrace.
“Would you be willing to leave this place of bloodshed with one of the soldiers, and confirm what I've said to Captain Dalken who is a trustworthy and loyal man, and request he bring reinforcements here?”
“I thought Henk was a good man too. How do I know I'm not deceived about Captain Dalken?”
“Because I've spoken to him recently, and God has chosen to awaken in me the gift of mother's people. Thus I am not surprised to meet mercenaries, for he thought of them but did not wish to worry me with his fears, and I also know what to suggest to father should he wish to reward him with more that just a promotion for his loyalty. But come, before you go, give father a kiss, for he was wakened by the sounds of death, and worries. But keep your eyes shut until we're inside.”
“Is there a lot of blood?” Winessa asked, not moving.
“Some, but not nearly as much as from a sword battle.” Hal said, going to the door. It opened without difficulty.
“Oh Father!” Esme cried, “Put down your sword and get back in bed, you look like you're going to pass out.”
“Esme?”
“Yes, father, it's me. I've just ordered the two dead mercenaries at your door shot, and assuming it can be done easily, Henk's arrest on suspicion of employing mercenaries.”
“I always said you'd make a good general.”
“That was just battle command, father. I'm not good at strategy. Winessa's here to kiss you and then she's going to go to the good Captain Dalken to confirm what I've said about Henk. And maybe give him a kiss too, if you approve.”
“Dalken, eh? You're sure about him?” he asked Esme.
“I'm sure he assigned himself to gate duty because there was nothing else he could do except pray I escaped my captors or start a civil war. He wasn't quite ready for the war. Mother was wrong about the gift of Tesk, among other things. Now rest, father.”
“Henk has all the generals on his side?”
“I presume so, if the leader of the troops loyal to you is a captain.”
“General Hagard has been arrested, your majesty, and General Wirt hasn't returned from the coastal patrol,” the lieutenant in charge of the squad reported.
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“Of course he hasn't. So, you've got Hagard and probably Wirt when he gets home.”
“I've ordered Tumbril back to duty, father. I hope that was the right decision. And your doctor ought to be here soon.”
“See, you can think of strategy. Get the key players back in place. Well done, Esme. Well done. Interesting sort of dress you've got on.”
“Very.” Esme said with a wry smile. “I wasn't expecting to be ordering mercenaries killed before I could speak to you.”
“Come on, out with it. Why are you not quite wearing an engagement sari, why is Raleph here, and who's the young man who looks a like a younger version of king Val of the Isles?”
“The young man is Prince Hal of the Isles, who got me out of the barn I'd been locked up in. It seems that as well as bringing you some letters from Hagberry and king Val, he came here hoping to win my good opinion. Since no one knew you weren't on your throne, he didn't think my nightdress was appropriate to come to court in, and gave me the sari. Since until lunchtime I was still in the cell, I firmly expect to be a quivering wreck later on, at which point he's going to be useful again. Sorry father, rest.”
“I need to know what's in those letters, but as well as my medicine they've taken my glasses.”
“Then lie down, and I'll read them to you if you like.”
“Let's hear what Hagberry says.”
“Hal wonders if Winessa should go, and if the ambassador's letter might be as embarrassing as his father's.”
“See, he's useful now. Go give Dalken his kiss, Winessa.”
“Yes, father,” Winessa said, blushing furiously. Esme heard her think that it was going to shock Dalken, since they'd only talked until now, and had one hand-in-hand moment when they'd agreed to wait until he had his promotion or at least she reached twenty-one, next spring.
“And shut the door.”
“Yes father.”
When she'd left, the king stopped pretending to be stronger than he was and collapsed back onto the bed.
“Father, the letters can wait.” Esme said, “Don't overtire yourself. You've got to get your strength back,”
“Nine days without my medicine, Esme. I'm never going to get my strength back. But it's so good to have you back, you can be strong for me. Be merciful to your mother, as much as you can.”
“Rest a while, father,” Esme pleaded.
“No, I'm still king. You'll be queen soon enough, Esmetherelda. Read to me.”
“The letter from Hagberry is as follows. And Hal was right, it's embarrassing to learn what you've been up to father. 'Sire, this war is making things very complicated. What's it about? I'm frequently asked and at a loss to explain it to the people here. Prince Hal seems quite comfortable with the idea of seeking to woo Esmetherelda, and I don't think he has an inkling about your idea of maybe saddling her with the throne. He seems genuinely interested in her, in as much as he actually asked me if she was still single when he returned from his last naval tour. As well as being hopeful that if Esme is willing to consider the marriage then it might bring about better relations between the two countries, he's looking for his own kindred spirit, and hopes she's as I've described her. But he wonders what chance he has during this state of war, and is like everyone, entirely confused about the cause. Several times he's suggested that he delay seeking an introduction to Esme until peace has been restored, assuming he'd get a better reception if there's peace. You will learn the truth of how the smuggler's ship 'Adventure' ran aground from Hal himself, as he was captain of the pursuing customs vessel and out-manoeuvred her beautifully. If you have any questions, do get in touch as I was also on-board on one of those tours of inspection they like to give when the signal came. The identity of the captain of the ship is not known to me, as he made his get-away in the ship's long-boat, leaving his men to drown or be rescued by us. Again, Prince Hal earned my respect, firstly by carefully navigating the currents of the shoals to pick up all the men from the wreck, and then diving into the water numerous times to help those who were injured. I also add that he ran up warning flags indicating the risk of shoals ahead, had the smuggler chosen to pay attention to them. In case some report is made about cannon fire, I add that once the ship had run aground, and the men were abandoning ship, one cannon was fired on the prince's orders, without shot, to summon aid from the shore. I hope this short account helps sort out truth from fiction. Your humble servant, Hagberry. Long live your majesty.' And you'd better live long, Daddy, because I don't know if I'm cross with you about plotting my wedding without even hinting about it, or happy about you finding me such a good man to marry.”
“You approve, then?” he asked weakly.
“He helped me escape without knowing who I was, Daddy. Yes, I approve. Now you're going to rest.”
“I'm probably going to die, Esme,” the king countered.
“Not yet, you've got some very important things to do.”
“You can do them, Esme.”
“I cannot walk myself up the aisle, Father. It doesn't make sense, and Henk won't be doing it, will he? So, rest until the doctor says you're fit for more state duties.”
“What about the letter from king Val?”
“I'll read it to myself now, and to you tomorrow. Open the door please, Hal, it sounds like the doctor's coming.”
Shaking his head in wonder, Hal opened the door.
“Doctor Tobias, come in please, quickly.” Esme said, “Father's not been allowed his medicine for nine days — since the night of the eclipse.”
“Outlasted them, doctor!” the king said, “Now tell Crown Princess Esme there's no hope for me and I'll go quietly.”
“First, rest, your majesty, while I talk to Esmetherelda.”
Picking up his thoughts, Esme started talking, describing her symptoms when she was kidnapped, what she'd heard from others, and then relayed her father's symptoms too.
“You've answered every question I had, highness!” The doctor said.
“I know, doctor. God has decided I should gain the ability my mother did not bring with her from Tesk. Since it only came upon me this afternoon, I don't know yet if it is gift or curse. I've read it described as both.”
“To suddenly restart your father's medication is dangerous, highness. To not restart it is more dangerous. To start it too slowly is dangerous, as it may not be sufficient.”
“I understand, Doctor. You must make a life or death choice in accordance with your best judgement. A little will help only a little, but how resistant is his body to the medicine still?”
“It will still be resistant, but not as resistant. I must calculate, highness, I'm sorry.”
“I leave you with your patient, doctor. I must talk to my mother.”
“I, err, saw the bodies outside.”
“They claimed to be mercenaries in my brother's employ. If you need any supplies, Doctor, do not trust anything in the palace or your own surgery unless it is exactly where you left it and covered in the same amount of dust it used to have. Who knows what might have been poisoned.”
“Highness, I have an idea of what to do, I could try to stabilise your father with another medicine. It is not as effective, long term, and the taste is reportedly foul, but he will not have any resistance to it. Further, it has no interactions I know of. It is rare, and, um, expensive though.”
“Never mind the costs, doctor. I understand what you say and what you don't say. If father will live by it, they are worth paying. Will the supplier give the first doses on credit, do you think?”
“I am sure he will, yes.”
Hal looked at Esme questioningly. He didn't catch everything she heard, only what she then thought about, but he caught the sense of danger. Then as she thought about it, he understood. The doctor was talking about an addictive plant extract, and stopping it suddenly would surely kill. It would need constant management. But without it her father could die. Once more he longed to give her some kind of mental and emotional support, but he didn't know what he could do that would lighten the load of these life-and-death decisions she was having to make. He thanked God that he'd allowed them to meet, thanked God for the wisdom and insight he'd given her, and silently prayed for her.
Esme felt Hal's love and concern for her upwelling through his prayers, and basked in it for a while. Then gently she thought her thanks to him, “Doctor, I expect there will be enough troubles in this next week that it will be a source of joy if all of us survive them. Let us worry of later troubles later, nothing you have thought of is insurmountable. Half the soldiers will guard this room, I must take the other half with me, I'm afraid.”
“If you do not stay safe, daughter, I'll be very cross with you,” the king said.
“Rest, father.”
“You won't read me that letter?” he asked plaintively.
“If you're good, I'll read it tomorrow. But it's mostly old news anyway isn't it? What's the point of a trade war if soon there will be a united kingdom?”
“Every point. To convince independently minded people how bad the alternative is and let them welcome the solution.”
“OK, you wily old fox, you've outsmarted me again. Now get some sleep. I'm going to be merciful to mummy, if I can.”
They left the room, Esme gave orders to the guards, and they set off. As they walked, despite being surrounded by soldiers, Hal felt it very natural to take Esme's arm in his, and she was surprised to find she didn't find herself objecting one bit. It felt right, in fact, and comforting. She almost pulled it back when he said, seemingly out of nowhere, “I imagine Esme, that there might be some haggling over the terms of unification.”
“Can't we keep next year's trouble for then?”
“I was just thinking we could always elope.”
“Hmm. Are you always this practical?”
“Is it practical?”
“It stops me worrying about what to say to mother.”
“Say? Not much. You open your arms formally as a royal daughter of Tesk, and ask her to open to you.”
Esme looked at him in shock that he should take that old ritual so much for granted. And then realisation struck. “Your mother is of Tesk?”
“No, father found love closer to home. She was born and bred right in Captita. But grandma was, and made short work of punishing the guilty, and correcting those of us whose guilt lay mostly in injured pride. I am familiar with the ritual.”
“I've realised I don't know anything about your family, except that you're the heir-apparent.”
“That can change, of course, but yes, so far. I have two younger sisters, one with blond hair after father, one with dark hair after mother. One younger brother, who is determined to become a better sailor than me.”
“Does he have much hope?”
“Certainly, if he sticks at it. I realise from that letter that Hagberry was impressed, but personally I felt that I was making all manner of mistakes, and was very glad the tide was almost at full height. The adage goes that a real captain can start through the shoals with barnacles all over his keel and sail out with none. The rejoinder goes 'yes, and without his captaincy too.'”
“Thank you, Hal. We're here.”
“Will you allow me?”
“To announce me?”
“Yes, and myself.”
“You don't know my mother.”
“But I listened to my grandmother, before she went on to glory.”
“Oh, go ahead! Hopefully I can smooth it over eventually.”
Hal knocked on the door in a complicated rhythm that stirred up an old memory in Esme. He was using the most formal of the talking rhythms of Tesk. She'd never learned it, to her mother's disgust, and here was Hal, surprising her again. Fortunately Esme could hear what he was saying from his thoughts:
Ta-ta-tap, ta-ta-tap, the shortest of the codes, repeated twice, making it a question: is there danger? Then more complex codes, King-daughter, ring-holder, gifted-thought-hearer, and rescuer, king-son suitor. Then tap, tap, tap, tap, tap-tap: we wait patiently, respectfully, but time passes. The door opened quietly by a scared looking woman a little older than Esme. Three of Esme's four elder sisters were married, this was Isthana, who was not. “Princess Isthana,” Hal bowed, “I am Hal, and bring you your missing sister.”
“Danger-danger?” Isthana, timid at the best of times, stuttered.
“Repeat for a question,” Esme whispered, embracing her. “Mother didn't say?”
“No.”
“When did you learn the speaking rhythms so well, Esmetherelda?” her mother asked.
“Not I mother,” Esme said, “Prince Hal has surprised me quite frequently since I met him this morning.”
“He made some big claims about you.”
“Will you open to me mother? They are truth. Father asks I be merciful to you, but I would like to know the truth.”
“How did you talk to your father?”
“Two fools claimed I had no authority over them as regent because they were foreign mercenaries, and thus condemned themselves to death, and brought the accusation of treason against the one they named as their employer. Will you not open to me?”
“They named me?”
“No, before they died they taunted that you could not enter either. Even now, the whirlings of your thoughts are not hidden from me, mother. Will you not open to the regent? Your daughter, who has made too many life-and-death decisions today? Did you have anything to do with drugging half the palace so I could be kidnapped and incidentally poisoning father? What about the ransacking of my apartment in a failed attempt to steal the regent's ring? Why are there mercenaries in the palace? What has happened?”
“Your majesty,” Hal said, “Esmetherelda may not agree with everything you say, but she loves you. That is why she asks. Please do not think she looks for an excuse to lock you up. She has plenty of those already, from the failure to recall the grand-vizier to the way she was told you are taking most of the decisions in the palace. Help her to know your side of the story. She asks only for truth.”
“How do you know that?”
“From the first king of the Isles on, most of my ancestors are of Tesk. By the grace of God, and to my great surprise, we are attuned. I feel Esme's pain at the unworthy thoughts you direct at her.”
“I know of only one way you could have attuned so rapidly, hideous prince and descendent of those who've robbed Tesk of its future. Do not flaunt what you have done.”
“Then you are as ignorant of your people's traditions as you have left your daughters ignorant of the speaking rhythms and the rituals of the people you claim to descend from. There are seven attunements, so my grandmother taught me. The attunement of shared risk, the attunement of compassion, the attunement of faith, the attunement of danger, the attunement of surprise, the attunement of passion and the attunement of joy. I came to Caneth hoping to meet stern and unflinching Esmetherelda in the hope I could persuade her to soften towards me. I noticed from my room that a barn had guards posted all day and all night, and there was another guard inside. I became curious, I was surprised to hear a chair being smashed over the head of a man, I was doubly surprised when I heard the man collapse, because normally it results only in rage, from my observations. I was terribly surprised to hear a pleasant voice chatting to my God about how grateful she was that it had worked and where were the keys please? Since I knew the jailer did not have the keys, for I'd seen him being locked in, I had compassion on the unfortunate woman, who impressed me even more when she ran up the wall to where I could help her. She was surprised about a number of things about me in reply, but said I could call her Esme if we escaped the danger, and I told her I was called Hal. We discussed who had held her and she realised I was genuinely from the Isles while her captors were not. And I realised that she had captivated me, and then she recognised who I was, and told me I should not be rescuing princesses when we're supposed to be at war, and joyfully I vowed to her that I'd never met a woman like her, so I was entirely planning to bug her until she decided to burn me to cinders or agree to marry me. Is that not a type of passion? To find one's ideal person? Do you assert that the other attunements are so insignificant your mother never taught them to you? Have you never read for yourself the Teskania? I believe we have this afternoon experienced together all six of the attunements you forget, at least to some degree, but by my faith in the saviour I intend my first intimate experience with a woman to be with my lawfully wedded wife.”
“In case you're wondering, Mummy, Hal is now expecting you to apologise for insulting my virtue, among other things, or to come out and admit you hate me so much that you don't care who gets hurt or what happens to the country.”
“You are more of old Tesk than I am, prince Hal. The attunements are a lost mystery to most of new Tesk. I learned to hate your people but otherwise I was a poor student and the daughter of a poor student. And I'm a poor mother to doubt Esme so. I have cherished a traitor and pushed away one you probably consider a saint. Well, she can be as stubborn a woman as I am, as you'll no doubt find out. I find I do not believe in the gift you claim to have, Esme. How is it possible?”
“I trust that God has his purposes, mother. All I know is that I found that as I was beginning to hear Hal's thoughts and emotions, I found I could hear other's also. I don't even know if it only works because Hal is near me. It only started as we approached the palace. Will you open to me, please?”
“I know the words, but not how to,” her mother replied.
“I will demonstrate, majesty.” Hal said, thinking [to you too, Esme]. “Tilt your head back and place your head in Esme's hands,” [No, not a headlock, Esme, you can always shift fingers if you need to, like this, fingertips to my face, my forehead and my jaw.] “And do not struggle or fight or speak or try to form your own thoughts, just think to her once: 'I open to you'”
[I can't do this!] Esme thought.
[You can. Direct my memory, it will be almost like yours. Decide you want to know about my grandmother, Esme, I think she left a message for you.]
[I want to know about your grandmother.] Esme thought. And she did, the old lady on the bed, Hal's last memory of her. [Will you open to me Hal? It's going to be a bit different, There aren't many left with my gift. People don't like knowing one another this well, they call it a curse, even. Some bits come naturally, but there are some bits that need teaching, like how to send a message like the one I want to give you, so if you meet someone who's new to this, or doesn't know everything, you can pass it on. Don't worry, I'm giving it to your sisters too, little Sal is too young.] And Esme listened to the thoughts that had been left, how to explore memories, how to protect herself as she did; a lifetime of hints and tips, and also how utterly stupid the people of Tesk had been to cut themselves off from the royal line. Hal, like his fathers before him was a catalyst. He didn't know it, shouldn't know it, probably, until he realised it himself. But it wasn't that the kings had taken the gift of Tesk, they brought it. The presence of the royal son somehow helped the ability to develop in the daughters of Tesk. Not, like some had thought, in a sexual way, as if it were a mating habit. Was this thought being listened to by one Hal was in love with? She needn't worry. It was something about the mental attitude of the kings, their trustworthiness, faith, maybe even scent had a part to play. But they exuded something that allowed a girl to feel safe enough to hear thoughts. Had she sisters? They should also spend time with Hal, invite him to family meals, get them to play chess with him, sing silly songs, hold prayer meetings. Any son or daughter of Tesk had the ability to attune to their spouse, and sharing the other attunements brought communication too, but the greater gift of Tesk came only from spending time with one of the kingly line... how long? A day? A week? She didn't know, it depended on so many other factors, like danger and trust and shared faith. Old histories said the king's visit was looked forwards to by the girls of Tesk and people drew evil conclusions. History said the king married someone with the gift, and people thought that he'd stolen a precious gem. They didn't talk about how there were no gifted girls until the royal visit. Nor that once word got around, the poor man couldn't spend any quality time with his beloved or get any work done if he didn't run away from the crowd of hopeful girls. But Hal ought to try to visit Tesk. She'd never managed to persuade her husband or her son to, but for Tesk to be restored, they needed the visit of the royal catalyst. Marital status didn't matter, but age did, Beyond about thirty five it was too late normally. But God sometimes made exceptions, if the woman was coming to faith. Time to rest now, dear. You might not want to, but you need to. You didn't know how to protect yourself, when you wake up you'll understand why you need to; even a message like this can have trap like I showed you. Esme woke up from deep sleep to hear Hal's worried thoughts, and feel the warmth of his embrace. He was saying “I don't know what just happened, majesty. She just thought 'I need a rest to assimilate that, catch me.” He didn't add that it had sounded like his grandma's voice, that had been too weird, “She's waking up.”
“Hal's grandmother left a message for me, mother: education, a warning, and a rebuttal.”
“A rebuttal?”
“Basically everything you've told me about Tesk except its geography is upside down and inside out, but it seems there may be hope even for you, assuming you repent of refusing God. But we can talk of that later. Now I have had some training in what I wish to do, rather than just groping in the dark. Will you open to me mother? May I search out what you knew and what was an unpleasant surprise for you?”
“You're tired. I could just tell you.”
“But we have a history of distrust, and sadly I trust this ability more than your words.”
“I agreed earlier, daughter, under duress. You may invade your mother's privacy if you really wish.”
“I wish I did not have to. I wish I had not heard your joyful thoughts that maybe I would not dare to look at you since looking at Hal's mind had tired me out so. But ignorance prevents mercy, and father asked that I have mercy on you.”
“I will open to you.”