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Anders had to scramble a bit to ready himself in time for his small magical spectacle. It was just a showing of the journey to the south, as well as a showing of the people from that far off land, in a friendly and light fashion. He did leave in a version of the large show that had been held for the common people in Lo’usa Tet, to show what was meant by doing a show for the people.
It wasn’t a complete story, truly, so he tried to make it more impressive, adding the music that he’d heard at several points, and showing dancing women in scanty costumes, which seemed to fill the room they were in and who moved around the individuals there.
That portion, who had come to see his little show, had shocked Anders at first. He’d expected to be performing for Prince Robarts alone, to be totally honest. Simply to illustrate what he was planning. Instead, the show room, a place that he’d never been invited to before in his entire time living in the castle, even if he knew it well, from having hidden behind its heavy curtains, many times, was filled with bodies. That meant at least a hundred people, all nobles and dignitaries were there to stare at his little travel tale.
Which meant he dressed things up, adding in blasts of warm air in time with the beat of the dragon’s wings, and, for the very first time ever in a show, added in scents at various points. He only had words to produced six such things, and needed only three of them. The scent of the ocean, tidied to not insult the noses of fine people, the scent of wood smoke burning and a particularly aromatic flower from the south. That one was put forward, made to seem like it grew over the whole room, between the people, just so he could share what it smelled like.
In short, for half a candle mark, Anders danced, waving his hands, muttering softly and working in a trance, visualizing images as carefully as possible. Especially when he showed the Sula and his wives, since giving insult there could give way to a war. That meant the man was a bit taller and slightly more attractive, without it being too much. Each of his wives was shown as realistically as possible, so that no one would accuse him of maligning them. Given Sulana Meegan was there, in her own person, watching the event, he understood that the whole thing would be reported, when she returned back to her homeland.
In the end, panting, standing to the side, he caused the room to go dark, then let the lamp light return to the room. Sweat dripped from him, so he covertly used a bit of magic to take that away from his skin, leaving him dry and more comfortable. The trick was using a small clay pot, about twenty feet away, to collect that up. Hopefully it wasn’t a thing anyone would need, in short order.
The size and shape of the space they were in altered, the back wall returning, showing the heavy red curtains with their golden ropes of silk and narrow stage, which went only about twenty feet back, to a heavy stone wall.
When Anders had done something similar in the palace of Sula Darian there had been a silence when he’d finished. This time was different. The nobles in the room, nearly as one, stood up, and started to pound their hands and feet, while calling out.
“Huzah!” A good dozen people were saying it, which he supposed was nice to hear. Better than the eerie silence of that other event.
Then, even if it had never really happened to him before, he was suddenly attacked by people from the audience, who, instead of giving him a well-deserved beating, simply hugged him, or pounded him on the shoulders. One of those, the first man there, was Baron Kilroy, in fact.
“Anders! That was... I’m left without words! Simply amazing! I feel as if I was the one on that journey, now!” The fellow smiled, and was pushed, a bit less than gently, out of the way. By Princess Peri, who smiled as she did it, leaning in to hold Anders.
“That... I agree Baron. A marvelous production.” She was supplanted, more gently, by a dozen others, all pressing in, rather uncomfortably.
Finally, after five minutes of this or so, he was confronted by Duma Sett, and her apprentice, Eltha Tenet. The older woman, who was far from old at all, smirked at him.
“So, High Master of Illusion, what do you have planned next?” The words were mirth filled, and not actually sour, even if they could have been taken that way.
He just grinned back and snorted a bit.
“High Master now? I fear I can’t meet that mark, even as a jest. I’m not even an apprentice in such things. Still, you think it was a worthy effort for a novice?” That portion of things was always hard for him. He got that he was making things happen and that they seemed to be functional enough, but he honestly couldn’t tell if he were doing things in a way that pleased others. Not really.
Eltha laughed then and shook her head, no one else moving in, finally.
“Truly, that was a very good presentation. The quality of the illusion could be improved, of course, but you also added other effects, which I can’t do, myself. Even at that, at times I felt as if I was watching the scene unfold for real, even looking for all your flaws and areas that need to be improved.” She shook her head then, giving him a sly look, from the side of her eye.
As if he were going to whine about her critique of his efforts.
Instead, he simply nodded.
“We can speak of that? Where I need to improve? Then I can, at least possibly, learn to do better, in the future.”
The words, honestly meant, got a laugh from the Duma.
“See, Eltha? This is what we must strive for, in our own work. You seek to tease him in his greatness, and he turns that into a way to become even more than he is. I agree though, let us scour this performance like fiends and curry favor by offering small corrections that most here wouldn’t notice anyway. We can meet for that, soon?”
He nodded, thinking about what his schedule might be like, in the coming days.
“That would... Perhaps tomorrow, when I come to clean the rooms in the morning? I’ll have Daren Willet in as well, so that he can clean your rooms with magic, while I stand back and call out suggestions he doesn’t need from me?”
Both women smiled, but looked puzzled.
“Daren will use magic?”
Anders waved that away. It was odd, after all.
“Yes. He’s also learning illusion, now. He started today, so we’ll want to push him for a bit. He’s planning to go to the front soon, to act as a healer and war mage there. I’m going with him, so we can’t rest too much in improving our skills. You can demand tests of us, to push us to greater things, perhaps?”
There was a clapping, from behind the women, who both turned to see a very well-dressed Depak, standing near Hoatha, who was in fine silks, but not in a robe, being dressed in very Istlan fashion, instead.
The Great One of Barquea smiled, a big enough thing that his mustache moved.
“That would be a very good idea. Especially in the area of illusion. You should both also seek to learn skills in magic from Anders? He’s the best teacher of such things I have ever encountered. Daren, the room servant?” He spoke as if he’d missed what the conversation had been about, before walking up, which was likely.
Duma Sett nodded then.
“He’s learned much of such things, I hear? We shall test him, then. If he’s learned much, we should seek to take him home, after the ending of his trials here?” There was a smile with the words, but Hoatha bowed in her direction, using the Barquean style for such things.
“If you can draw him there, that would be to the benefit of your land. As would taking lessons, as recommended. Even I have been sitting in on those. I have to agree, I have never seen a better teacher than Anders here, for such things. He has several students, each a power in their own right, after mere months of learning.”
That had a gentle nod, coming from Eltha, who smiled at the young-looking man. After all, Ganges was attractive enough and held a look which wasn’t too different from the people of her own homeland. Then, in the fashion of that place she cleared her throat and spoke in a way that could have easily started a fight, if she were speaking to a man of Istlan.
“Who are you then? Some expert in the mystical arts, I suppose?” There was a playful derision to the words, which, Anders finally understood, was actually her flirting, not being mean to the fellow. Allowing him a chance to prove himself, or at least explain, while coming to her attention.
He chuckled a bit, and bowed, slightly. It was a very informal thing.
Depak hid a grin, covering it with his left hand.
“Ah! Yes. This is my father, Hoatha Eta. Once a Sula of Barquea and the man who created the magic that we use there now, in the first place.”
Anders nodded at the words.
“He’s also working with Daren? I know, Eltha, you should work with Hoatha and make certain we’re all ready to go off to war. We need to find something to keep him busy, that isn’t really work... You two can meet, say mid-day tomorrow?”
Duma Sett went still for a moment, then snorted.
“You seek to heal the rift between Modroc and Barquea through a marriage of great persons? I don’t know if Eltha will count for that, truly. She’s mighty in illusion, so prized for that, but youthful still. Also, she’s of no particular level of birth, in our land.”
Anders waved that away.
“You know, I don’t think that really matters. We can make up titles for her, to repair such things. I’ll ask King Mathias about that idea, if we meet. The common man and woman care only that the wars won’t come again, too soon. At least to their own homes. If we tell them that some woman they’ve never heard of is being sacrificed to ensure that, they will prize her well enough, I think.”
He was trying to do his own teasing, but wasn’t certain it was coming across well at all. Instead of letting Hoatha speak, his son, looking at least two and a half decades his elder, smiled richly.
“Very good, Anders. We should investigate that. Later though. Make a note of it, so it isn’t forgotten? Now, I believe I was to be sent off to the high table of the King? That’s perhaps a bit off, being that I am only here as a private individual. Still, it’s good to know that I am being considered a friend. We should speak later, Clarise?”
Duma Sett nodded then, smiling.
“Yes! I have missed our... Talks. I feared we might never meet again. Yet here you are, back to see me, after only mere months? The war is over, even. I received a missive to that effect, only weeks ago, in fact. Something about a river coming into being in an inconvenient place? I’d love to hear how that happened.” She looked at Depak, as if she already knew what had taken place there.
The man himself merely chuckled a bit.
“Oh? Well, for that story, you should perhaps ask Daren Willet. I wasn’t there to see what happened, only hearing of it later.” Then, being enigmatic, possibly on purpose, the man walked off, smiling just enough to seem pleasant about it.
As they’d spoken the room had emptied, since it was time to sit for the late meal. He figured that he could sneak into the low hall, and eat there, easily enough. He’d been gone for a time, but the folk there were used to seeing him. It wasn’t until he got out into the gray stone hallway that Prince Erold grabbed him. That was into a hug, with much slapping on the back.
“There you are! That show was... Hmm... I don’t know... you can do better than that, don’t you think?” There was a smile being fought from his lips, as Sweyn moved in, the tall, dark skinned girl holding him closely enough that it was probably improper. He did it back though.
After all, if he was going to be thrashed by Erold for it, he might as well at least try to enjoy it. More to the point, it was clear that the Princess was feeling a bit lonely, even on meeting her for mere seconds.
“Don’t worry, Anders. When we go to visit my home, we’ll take you with us and there you will be appreciated. Those with magic are, as they deserve.” She looked at her husband, a bit grumpily, though he grinned at her and patted her on the arm.
“That’s probably just the truth, isn’t it? That was... I have no words. I cried. I won’t even hide that, Anders. That you managed a thing of such beauty... Truly incredible.” Those words just got a nod in return.
“Truly. Still, there are things to improve, if I ever have the time. Oh, you can clear your schedules for a time? We’re putting you in magical lessons, and increased fighting practice, Erold. Sweyn... I have a project that I’d like to beg your aid in, as well. It will mean working with Princess Salina, which... Well...” He ducked his head then, and looked around. “She’s doing well enough lately, but can be a bit bratty and entitled. Not that you heard it from me. The other Princesses are all better than that, but Salina is the one who agreed to help work up plans for a palace for Duke Lister. I understand if you want to work with the other ladies, instead, but please give Salina a chance? She honestly is doing better.”
He waited, not truly thinking that he was cleverly tricking the short haired girl at all. He was hit, on the arm, for trying.
“You want me to work with a recent enemy?”
Sighing a bit, he nodded.
“That too, of course. Working together to support Duke Lister will be a powerful sign that old grudges can be placed behind us. Doing that soon is better than waiting. Clearly though, work with Princess Salina, but become friends with her other sisters. Princess Jasmin is to marry the Duke, and is a kind woman, for a princess. Her younger sisters are just as kind. At least the ones we brought with us. So, befriend them, if possible? If nothing else, it will give you a way to gain information about a former enemy. The other way around, of course, so be careful there?” She was a Princess of Istlan as well, after all. That meant he had to take her side in things, regardless of anything else.
There was another hug, which was quicker this time.
“I think I understand. How do I meet these ladies?”
She looked up, as someone closed with Anders, from behind. He turned, ready to fight, his right hand prepared to make whoever was there explode, his left readying a shield. It was just Prince Robarts though, who smiled.
“We have that ready, in the small hall? A meeting for you two, Princess Mathia, and the Princesses of Barquea. Anders will guide you through that. We... I didn’t know who they might want there, so prepared a separate meal for their people. Is that welcome, do you think? We can alter things, if we hurry.”
Anders snorted a bit, but grinned, half expecting to be glared at for the rude noise. Robarts just looked hopeful.
“That’s nearly perfect. I was just telling Prince Erold that we were putting him in magical lessons in the morning, so his schedule will need to be cleared. Can that be arranged? We need Princess Mathia if she has the magical skill. You as well, of course, Princess Sweyn? Eltha Tenet... I think the plan is to marry her off to Hoatha Eta, Depak Sona’s father. At least I was teasing her about that, earlier and we should try to carry that forward enough for it to age.”
Princess Sweyn tittered, hiding her smile by turning away.
“That’s a kindness. Still, perhaps someone closer to her own age? The father of Ambassador Depak must be, what, at least seventy?”
The men there looked at him, as if interested in the idea, for real.
So, he nodded.
“Older than that. A High Magician and skilled in all other kinds of magic, however. All of them. If she can capture his heart and take him home with her, she will have increased the power of her land greatly. He had to fight against your people in this war, so that might cause strain, but if she can look past that, it would be a great thing.”
It really would, of course. Perhaps not being the best thing for Barquea, in the long run. Modroc was weak in personal magic, and relied heavily on spirits and powerful beings that possessed people, instead. Part of that seemed to be that they lacked the basic magical skill in the same levels as most other peoples, for some reason. They had some though, and if they were clever, getting Ganges the Great and Terrible to train them could lead them to being most powerful, eventually.
Robarts nodded then.
“I don’t know about that, but he’s a comely man, looking no more aged than my brother, Alpert. You should investigate that, in the coming days? I should walk you all to the meal we have ready, if we don’t need to scramble and have it changed to something else. This way?” There was a pat on Anders’ shoulder, to move him along in the right direction.
Which made little enough sense. After all, he was simply himself. Used to simpler dining, and all that. Not that it was truly lacking. Barons and even people more highly placed ate in the low hall, after all. Some boy from the castle doing that was the odd thing there.
He was dressed well enough for the meal, he thought, in brown silk, in a loose and flowing fashion. Still, being lazy wasn’t a good thing, so he muttered as they walked.
“Gliner sekt ere fen.” It sounded simple, but the first word was a complete outfit, meant to fit his own, or another’s, body perfectly. The second informed his mind of what colors to choose. In this case it was an array that held golds, deep and shining red colors and black boots.
The style was that of Istlan, but only of moderate level for such things. Meaning he looked fine, for a meal, but as if he were wearing his best clothing, to meet with the nobles, and not quite reaching upward to the level of things the others had on.
The others kept moving, but Princess Sweyn sighed.
“I can’t do magic. It would be so convenient, learning to do that to my own clothing. You can show Eltha how to do that, you think?”
He did, so nodded.
“If she wishes to try. Erold doesn’t get a choice, since we’re heading out to the front, shortly. We need to rout the Yansians by mid-summer, since it’s likely that we’re facing fresh attacks from the north. Dora. I have some news there. After the meal, Prince Robarts?” It wasn’t that secret, but it wasn’t for the hallway, either.
At least he didn’t think so.
There was a nod then.
“You and Erold will ride out and thrash the Yansians for us?” He seemed a bit dry on the idea.
Anders just nodded.
“Not alone, but that’s the current plan. Daren Willet is going as well. We should have Depak and Hoatha Eta, along with us. We might want to hold them back, if we can. There are some reasons for that. Either of them could change the course of this war in moments, of course, and they are here in their own persons, not as officials, so they’re planning for battle. We need to be seen to stand on our own, however.”
Erold grinned, as if he were joking and Prince Robarts went suddenly serious.
“After the meal, then. Thank you, Anders. I’ll have the needed people at that meeting. Here’s the very door we need. I’ll leave you all here? I can’t be late to the high meal. After all, we have a queen from another land in attendance. Sending his own wife to us shows great trust. I can’t be seen to be lacking diligence there.” He scurried off, with that explanation.
Interestingly, Princess Sweyn nodded.
“Yes. That really is a grand thing. I was surprised to hear about it, in fact. That there is a Sulana in attendance with the younger women? Sending that many here also shows incredibly close ties. I wonder why? I mean, it doesn’t make sense, does it?” Her faint accent, much lighter than it had been half a year before, seemed curious, not accusing.
Still, she stopped speaking, as they stepped into the small dining room. It was a grandly decorated place, but no larger than the bedroom that Anders had lived in there, his entire life. No more than seven full paces in any direction, he thought. In the center was a nicely set table, and seated there, next to each other, were several people.
Javina, Salina and Lissa, of course, as well as Princess Peri and at the head of the table, was Queen Maura, herself. He smiled at the woman, and bowed, going deep, in second courtly.
“Queen Maura! How nice to see you!”
“Master Brolly. I hope I’m not intruding on the meal? Robarts mentioned that you were plotting something and wanted to have an ear in the room. Using his own mother that way... Tisk. Still, it gives me a chance to welcome our guests.” There was an expansive smile at the ladies there, and a bob of the head.
Salina did it back.
“This is an honor, Queen Maura. Thank you for seeing to our comfort, like this.”
Lissa and Javina both smiled and murmured something similar, if softly, making them seem almost shy.
Anders nodded at the Queen then.
“That’s fine. You can help me in my clever plans? Or at least shut down the ones that I imagine to be clever, but that aren’t?”
He was ignored, probably meaning that he was being rude or uncouth, so he kept his words to himself for a while, and was pulled down next to Sweyn, with Lissa on his other side. Prince Erold was on the far side of his wife, near his mother, with the other girls on the other side of the table.
They were served in high fashion, which everyone there managed perfectly. He’d called on them to practice on the ship, eating each meal that way, every night. It had forced him to serve them himself, attempting to ape the serving techniques of the people doing the real work there. Daren was better at that than he was, so they were all used to seeing it done correctly.
The conversation was in Istlan, spoken, in the main with an accent, but nothing too strong to prevent understanding.
At the halfway point, no one having spoken of more than gardens and the weather, Queen Maura looked down the table at him and gave him a rather dry, fairly rueful, smile.
“Now, Master Brolly, you have clever plotting?”
He nodded, swallowing the bite in his mouth before answering. It was a bit of venison, stewed in wine, with a sugar base.
“I do, Queen Maura! A few things, in fact. Princess Mathia and Prince Erold are going into magic lessons, in the morning. You’re willing to do that as well, of course? Indeed, if you wish, I’d like to have Lissa work with you on that, personally? You have the talent for it and should at the very least learn what can be done, now. She’s learning to be a teacher of such things. Just, clearly, Princess Lissa, don’t use that stick you were given by Master Belford, too much? As for the rest, I’m roping Princess Salina and Princess Sweyn into designing a castle or palace for Duke Lister. The lands he was given aren’t well built up, yet. I also have a treasure for him, to aid him on his way. Daren Willet and Fenris Demo Gull aided me in pulling riches from the sea, for that.”
The woman blinked at him, then, seeming sour, nodded.
“Lessons, at my age? Well, I suppose. I have visions, but that doesn’t aid me much in the world. When will you be available to watch me flounder and fail, Princess Lissa?”
The girl smiled then and shook her head a bit.
“Whenever you have time, of course. You won’t fail, however. The new methods for learning are simply incredible! Anders Sona taught me magic. I was thought too slow to learn such things, having failed for three years using the regular practices for that, no matter how hard I tried. In one morning he had me moving large stones, with my mind! In a week I learned more than most learn in many, many years of practice. It isn’t easy, true, but no one has failed. You won’t, either.” She nodded then, seeming confident of that fact.
Which got the Queen to smile.
“Very well, if it’s that good, I can’t pass it up, can I? Now, those plans sound advanced. Well thought out. You can afford to have a palace built?” She looked at him directly then, as if she suspected he was over reaching.
Salina nodded.
“He can. More to the point, I think the goal is for him to build this for us, to our design, with the rest of us doing little bits of work, so that it’s a group effort? He raised several military cities for us, in Barquea. I heard that some of the nicer buildings were very nearly to the level of decoration we’ll need, with carvings in the walls and well-formed shapes. Small though. A duke needs something more expansive.” She looked around covertly, as if judging the building they were in, which truly did look nice, but was small to her way of thinking.
Sweyn laughed a bit, then.
“I thought the same, when I first moved here. It’s small, for a powerful man like King Mathias. It isn’t lack of wealth, either. It’s the cold that comes mid-winter. Even in small rooms it is hard to stay warm. That’s in a tight and well-built structure, as well. We’ll need to keep that in mind, in our planning. Perhaps a dual building? A smaller, tight, winter section and a larger summer palace, that can be opened in the nicer times?”
She was teasing, but Salina simply nodded.
“That could work. I had heard it was cold here at times. Is it worse than this?” She shivered a bit, even if she could have used magic to warm herself, or the room, if it was needed. There was no gooseflesh on her arms, so she was fine.
Anders nodded.
“Much so. This is mid-spring, here. We’re further to the south as well, than the Lister lands. So warmth in winter is more important than raw size. We need to look into a way to manage that. Two palaces might be the way to do that. I’ll investigate that, if I get a chance? You two can do that, as well, of course.”
It was a throw away line, but Salina nodded at him and smirked.
“Sure, make us do all the work. Luckily, we can push part of that off on Great One Hoatha. He’s going to work with us on this, Princess Sweyn. If you’re all right with that, of course?”
The Modroc Princess nodded.
“That would be good? I think the current plan is to marry him off to Eltha Tenet? I should meet him and ensure that that is a good match.”
The conversation turned to that topic, instead of his other, hopefully better, plans. That was fine though. Anders just sat, ate, and enjoyed being home again. Finally. Not that such comforts would last long.