A Tale of Two Castles

“For me?” IT dropped three skewers into the fire. Smoke rose from ITs nostrils in a green spiral.

I used the poker to rescue the skewers. “You said you like the taste.” IT liked cypress and hated oak. Oh no. Had I gotten that backward?

IT touched the wood with a talon. “For me?”

“For you to eat, if you like, Masteress.”

“For me?”

I nodded. “If you don’t like, perhaps we can put it in the fire or use—”

“Burn cypress, Lodie?” IT picked up the wood and hugged it. “That would be an outrage.” ITs inner eyelids closed while IT nibbled a corner. “Excellent quality. I have not received a gift in . . . forty-two years, and that was a trifle.” IT stroked the wood.

I smiled at ITs pleasure.

“You bought this with your cap money.”

I nodded, although IT hadn’t asked.

“Of course you have no other source of funds. You thought of me.” Trailing smoke spirals, IT waddled to the cupboard, opened it, and laid the wood on the top shelf. “I will savor it slowly, or perhaps I will simply save it.”

King Grenville never thanked me for saving his life. Maybe because I’d revealed his daughter as his poisoner, he felt no gratitude. Or maybe his gratitude was aroused only by a well-cooked dish.

His criers were believed about Count Jonty Um. The tide of popular opinion had turned. By now everyone knew of Princess Renn’s attempts on the lives of her father and her betrothed, and the count was pitied and no longer feared.

But the town’s goodwill might have come too late. Other than his visit to us, His Lordship stayed away for the next week. The princess and her father removed to their own castle, where she was again imprisoned.

Soon after their departure, more news broke on the town: Master Thiel was to become Prince Thiel and to marry the princess. He had persuaded the king that he would keep Her Highness from poisoning anyone ever again. The couple would be given a burgher’s house to live in, and Pardine would be Prince Cat of the kingdom.

I supposed His Majesty no longer wanted his daughter under his roof, and I doubted they would dine together often. On King Grenville’s death, King Thiel would rule.

Sentiment in Two Castles was divided. The victims of Master Thiel’s thievery were outraged, the rest pleased.

My masteress told me ITs opinion over a mutton stew I had cooked. “When Thiel is king, he will not send Lepai to war. Until then, if King Grenville expects his son-in-law to lead anyone to battle, he will be disappointed. Thiel loves himself too much to risk even an eyebrow hair.”

I thought Princess Renn wouldn’t poison anyone again for a while at least. I believed she truly loved Thiel—tall, handsome, and now rich Prince Thiel, whose table manners were excellent. But if he angered her, he had better not eat his meals at home.

A monkey and a dog appeared in our entrance. Nesspa, trailing his chain, trotted to the fireplace where the stew pot hung.

The monkey loped in, chittered, stroked my hair, and smiled his toothy smile at me. I jumped off my high stool and curtsied. The monkey took my masteress’s front claw and stroked it.

“Welcome, Your Lordship.” From ITs pink smoke I knew IT was enduring the petting.

The monkey ran to the middle of the room and began to vibrate.

When the shift was complete, I asked, “May I give you stew, Your Lordship?” I hoped we had enough.

“Thank you.” He piled pillows on the floor and sat on them with his legs under our table. I ladled stew into ITs largest bowl and held a morsel of cheese out to Nesspa. Then I poured tumblers of apple cider for us all.

While we ate and drank, my masteress spoke at length about the making of books.

Finally His Lordship put down his spoon. “I have something to say.” His chest rose in a huge breath. “The townspeople have forgiven me for being an ogre. Seven smiled at me today.”

“That’s wonderful, Your Lordship,” I said.

“Yes.” He smiled, not the huge, sweet smile that transformed his face but a small smile that mixed pleasure and sadness.

We waited.

“Now I would like to travel.”

“Where will you go?” I asked, feeling a lump form in my throat. I was losing Goodwife Celeste, and now I would lose His Lordship.

“To Tair. Several of us live there. Humans are not so clannish in Tair.”

Nesspa curled up against the wall next to the cupboard.

“When do you depart?” IT asked.

“Soon. I want you both to come.” He blushed. “If you will. An ogre can use someone to induce and deduce and someone to mansion.”

I had no fondness for Two Castles, and one way to reach Tair involved crossing Lahnt. I might see my parents and Albin. How heavenly that would be.

Father and Mother would overcome their fear of a dragon and an ogre. They wouldn’t be like the people here.

My masteress said nothing.

His Lordship’s blush deepened. “I will pay you to come.”

IT tilted ITs head. “We will consider your proposition. You will pay handsomely?”

“Yes.”

“Lodie?” IT asked.

I nodded.

The next day, while I proclaimed, my masteress and His Lordship conferred in the lair about the coming journey. Two weeks later I had been ITs assistant for a month, and IT paid me my first wages, slowly and solemnly counting the twenty tins into my hand. I slid them into my purse, which jingled delightfully. How astonished Mother and Father would be at this wealth.

But I owed three tins to Master Dess, and I had been tardy in repaying him. I found him in the stables of the Two Castles Inn, tending a lame horse.

“I forgot, honey!” he said when I produced the coins—

carefully, although Two Castles was a more honest place now that Master Thiel was with the princess.

“Master Dess, I’m going to Tair.”