Chapter twenty-one

Castle Uberwald

 

Lily and Victoria were given a lavish apartment, intended for one of the many Formish princes who regularly had to hole up in the castle. It was huge, with six large rooms, each with a gigantic roaring fire, and it even had a roof garden. It was also far better furnished and laid out than anything in Amansk. It made Lily feel utterly provincial, even though she found the baroque style a bit too dark and gloomy

The two captives were left alone after that; no-one came near except for servants bringing them food and doing their washing. The only other person who seemed to be allowed access was Erik, who pottered in and out but hardly interacted with them at all. At first Victoria had been scandalised, but then she realised that he was only coming into tend the roof garden. He seemed to have little interest in Lily, except when she and Victoria happened to be in the garden.  There didn’t seem to Victoria to be much to do at this time of year, but Erik still  pootled around for an hour or so every day, moving around pots, prodding in flower beds and fiddling with the arrangements of the stones in the rock garden. The garden was a thing of beauty, even in a cold November and they spent as much time out there as the icy mountain winds would permit.

Victoria liked the garden very much, not just because it was laid out so elegantly, but also because it overlooked the massive courtyard. From a vantage point on a garden chair by the edge of the projecting roof, she could look down over the mustering of the Crimson Flame army. They seem to form up there into their squads and brigades, of up to hundred or so each, before filing out, she assumed, to some larger barracks area. Each group that entered the courtyard was inspected by the Baron, who addressed them, very loudly, concerning their duty, and, of considerably more interest to the governess, their orders. It was clear that they planned to sweep through Amansk and take it, by force, if necessary. The troops that she had seen were well armed, disciplined and organised – she knew very well that the Praefectus’s small, if eager, guards would stand no chance.

 

***

 

Erik wandered in on the third day that they were there, and began wrapping up some evergreen shrubs in their big pots. Victoria and Lily were sitting playing cards; they had already settled into a dull existence, at all times slightly worried but also feeling strangely distant from events.

Erik smiled at them as he walked past. Victoria knew that proper High Ethian manners insisted that she should send Lily inside while Erik was there, but she thought it all seemed a bit unnecessary now. After all, she could act as a chaperone. 

‘What’re you doing, Erik?’ asked Lily, looking up from her cards.

Erik seemed surprised to be addressed. Then he turned round and gave her a delighted grin.

‘Oh, I’m wrapping up the west Eth azaleas’ he explained.

Lily narrowed her eyes

‘What are they, then?’

‘Plants’ said Erik, ‘they have bright pink flowers in early May, but they normally grow at much lower altitudes, by the sea’

Victoria laughed.

‘They’re grown in gardens all over Eth. They’re very pretty’

Erik nodded and smiled again.

‘Western Eth has some very interesting plants. I’d really like to visit there one day…’

He looked up at the mountains as if trying to peer over the top of them.

‘…and  Effaron, and Semprelysia and the wide forests of Paror…’

‘Well, why don’t you?’ asked Lily, ‘your dad is king isn’t he? Surely he can arrange it?’

Erik looked a little troubled and a little confused. He went quiet for a while as he wrapped the hessian cloth round and round the neat little shrub.

‘No, I don’t think that he can... I think he has other things that he’s interested in’

‘So, your highness’ asked Victoria, her interest suddenly provoked, ‘how many brothers do you have?’

‘Three’ Erik replied, with little enthusiasm.

Victoria thought of her own sister, hoping that she was keeping safe, whatever high-powered thing it was that she was doing now.  Then her mind turned to Toby. He was a lovely boy, but she fervently hoped that he wasn’t planning to do anything foolishly brave. She was all for courage, but it had to be well timed and properly directed.

‘And you’re the youngest? She asked Erik.

He nodded, sticking the ends of the hessian shrouds together with grey sticky glue.

 Lily looked a bit worried.

‘Leave him alone, miss! He just wants to wrap his zaleos’

Erik looked up, his smile momentarily fading.

‘Azaleas, Princess Lily, that’s how you say it’

‘Whatever… azaleas….’ Lily said, returning to her cards.

Erik muttered under his breath. Lily wondered for a second if he was swearing at her. Her princess’s hackles rose, even here.

‘What was that?’ she demanded, shrilly.

Erik winced. He smiled the apologetic smile of someone who was well used to being deferential.

‘I just said that names are really important’ he said, softly, ‘sometimes if we get a name wrong then we can get everything wrong’

Lily laughed.

‘That’s so silly!’ she said

Victoria looked at her sternly; this was unacceptable behaviour. She would have to explain again about being kind to the less fortunate, even if his cousin had kidnapped you. Actually, she thought, especially if his cousin had kidnapped you.

Erik seemed either unconcerned by this rudeness, or, perhaps, he didn’t understand what was going on. A few minutes later he wandered off. Victoria thought he seemed a rather sad boy.

 

From the second that Victoria had been captured she had been thinking about ways of getting Lily to safety. She had originally hoped to get her back to Amansk, but for the time being that seemed too dangerous. She thought it best now to try to get to Eth, where they would definitely be safe. But how could they escape from this impregnable fortress? At the moment she didn’t have much idea, although she did have an unhappy prince to work on.

Down below the last brigade was being prepared for action, trumpets blaring as they marched out of the courtyard. The Grand master’s plan was clearly to march on Amansk in the morning. It would take them three days, at the most four, to get to the lakeside city, supposing that there were no early snows, and then her employer would be overthrown. She felt helpless, but she also knew there was nothing that she could do about the invasion – she just needed to concentrate on protecting Lily. Who knew what would happen to her after Amansk fell?

She thought again about her older sister. She’d always lived in her shadow, but now she could do with her help. If only she could get a message to her. What was that clever mail paper stuff that she had once shown her? If only she had a sheet of that with her now.

She was about to turn back to her card game and her very bored princess, when she heard a further commotion below. In rode another host of knights, and for a second she nearly looked away, thinking that this was just, depressingly, more of the same. Then she noticed that they were dressed differently from all the Crimson flame knights. They wore black tabards, rather than white ones, and instead of a Crimson flame motif they had a white flame, much thinner but much more boldly draw. Who were these people? Despite herself she took some steps forward and leaned over the railings, so she could take a better look.

The leader of the new company rode into the centre of the square where the grand master was waiting. The rider dismounted and took off his helmet. He had long blond hair, streaked with white. For a moment he scanned the horizon, taking in the beauty of the snow-peaked mountains. Victoria realised, with a start, that this would almost certainly mean that he would see her and she tried to duck away. However, it was too late. The knight held her eye for a second and then nodded, with a look of sudden recognition in his eyes. Victoria nodded back, and then the knight looked down at von Eisen and greeted him, all in one movement.

‘That was so odd…’ thought Victoria, suddenly finding herself slightly out of breath, ‘…but no, no, it can’t have been him…’

Lily stood up to see what was going on. Victoria gestured frantically for her to sit down.   

‘What’s happening, miss?’ Lily asked

Victoria flushed slightly.

‘Nothing at all, Lily, really – nothing at all’