NOVEL WEB Chapter Nine: Inbetween
Chapter Nine
Warm Tiles
Roja had expected to meet the knight in shining armour that had just arrived, and he had prepared a small introduction for himself, but then the King and Queen just rode in their carriage with him and Roja did his best not to feel like a fool.
On the upside, this did give him time to look around as mountains and fields gave way first to farmland and finally a bustling urban landscape. What was supposed to be a town named Suddenne at the southern border had turned out to be a sprawling city. After the war, Raasland had seen an explosion in population, far greater than Roja’s own kingdom, and most of the people born after that war were now entering the workforce.
The city was strange to Roja. He was used to buildings made of clay, designed for the summer heat, but here, most buildings seemed to be built out of individual stones, with slanted roofs made of thatch or wood. It gave the city a darker tone than Coalis ever had, with its white loam structures and colourful tiling. If held to the same standards, Suddenne would be quite drab, but the people of Raasland had made up for the shortcomings of their building materials in light.
Everywhere he looked there were lanterns. Some metal, some paper, all bright, with candles that burned flames in every colour of the rainbow. Even in the middle of the day, he saw lights in people’s homes, hanging across the street and sitting atop beautifully decorated wooden lantern poles.
There were little streets everywhere, and Roja was slightly frustrated at the fact that they were clearly being led down the biggest, widest and most boring paths. He was sure he saw little tables outside of eateries down those dark streets, and his skin itched at the desire to go exploring.
This wasn’t helped by the fact that he had been told to go back into the carriage. He’d quite enjoyed riding a horse, even if sitting afterwards had been more than a little uncomfortable. He liked being somewhat in control of the direction he was going.
As they got closer to the centre of the city, there were more and more people around, and many of them carried lanterns on poles and sticks, and Roja heard singing on more than one occasion. He wondered out loud if this was some sort of Raasland celebration to welcome a foreign ruler.
Eodhan shook his head. “The summer solstice is tonight,” he said. “Raasland celebrates it with a light festival.” He looked out the window. “I hear they release flying lanterns at midnight.” On the other side of the carriage, Iana stuck her head out of the window excitedly.
“I hope we get to see it,” she said, “it sounds wonderful.”
“Yeah,” Roja mumbled. “Me too.”
They were led to the centre of town, where a large wooden platform had been built around a large stone statue. It looked to be some kind of heroic figure mounted on a rearing horse, sword held high to point the way forward. All around, people were decorating the platform with colourful flags, banners and lanterns.
Next to the square was a large, imposing building. It didn’t look anything like the Palace in Coalis, which had a grandiosity to it. The Palace had been built to impress. It was a statement, a declaration of power. This building, by comparison, felt brutally pragmatic. It had several giant gates every thirty feet, not as a show of force but because there was this much traffic. It had giant, vertical windows not to show the craftsmanship of the glassmakers but because the spaces behind them needed light. The stone and wood carvings of various rulers and kings on the building’s facade felt almost like an afterthought.
They all piled out, and Galladio immediately corralled Roja and the others before they could run away and explore. Prince Fennian, who had been riding up front with the King and Queen, had been giving a tour, most of which Roja had been unable to overhear. Not that he was that interested — he knew that if he’d been forced to listen, he would have likely wandered off — but the fact that he hadn’t been able to frustrated him. He had wanted to choose to opt out.
“—the Cloth Hall,” he heard Fennian say. “Once, these were the halls of the royal palace, but as trade increased, the palace was expanded and the royal family moved further into the newer parts of the building.” He pointed up to a tower on the corner of the building. “Those used to be the royal bedchambers!”
“And now?” Queen Vera asked, curiously cocking her head.
“I don’t know,” Prince Fennian laughed. “Storage, I’d think. If I’m entirely honest with you, my father will tell you I do not spend enough time in court as I should!” He put a hand on his hip and laughed. “I enjoy the freedom of road and field too much, though Father says I’ll outgrow that, too.” He turned to the Cloth Hall, and then looked at everyone else. “Time will tell,” he said with a grin.
The largest of the gates, the middle one, had been closed. The gates on either side, four in total, had seen constant traffic, trade goods coming in and out. Only when the Prince approached, the cape with his family’s crest trailing behind him, was the middle one opened.
The Cloth Hall was an impressive structure. It was at least five stories tall, built around a huge open, central courtyard. Everywhere, tradesmen were displaying their goods, shouting names and prices. That much was the same everywhere, at least. What wasn’t was the giant ramp that went up the side of the building, horse- and ox-drawn carts being led up and down to bring goods up higher than almost any other building Roja had ever seen.
“The one in Arreboor is even bigger,” he heard to his right, and saw that the Prince was walking next to him. Roja shut his mouth quickly, realising he’d been gawping. “The capital. My hometown,” Prince Fennian said. “But I agree that it’s one damn beautiful sight, the first time you see it. Come on!”
The Prince led the way up a giant staircase, to a floor that seemed to have a lot fewer merchants and a lot more guards. Through beautiful oaken doors, down various halls, it was quickly clear they were leaving the din of the Cloth Hall behind them. When the beautiful tapestries came into view, Roja realised they were now in the Palace proper. The Prince briefly spoke with a man in fancy clothes who walked up to him. Roja was shocked when his usually-quiet friend spoke up.
“Prince Fennian,” Selico said. “Why is the floor warm?” The Prince spun around with a gleeful smile.
“The Palace has an indoor plumbing system,” he said, “allowing us to pump hot water up to even the top floors. These pipes run under the floorboards, which means even in winter we do not need to suffer the cold.” He looked proud. “Not many who notice so quickly, young man. What’s your name?”
“Selico,” he responded. “Is it magic?”
The Prince shook his head and his smile faded a little. “No,” he said. “We do not have very strong magical or alchemical traditions.” He turned to the others. “King Clarus, Queen Vera, I must say you’ve arrived a slight earlier than we had anticipated, and my Father Leonald is currently out hunting. He will return before nightfall to sound in the Light Festival. Might I bring you to your chambers while we wait?”
Queen Vera looked genuinely conflicted, but after a glance between her and King Clarus, she nodded. The King bowed deeply. “That will of course be amenable. We look forward to sampling your hospitality, Prince Fennian.”
“Excellent,” the Prince said. “I’ll bring you to your chambers so you might make yourselves comfortable, and I will have food and refreshments brought. I am happy, of course, to keep you comfortable while we wait for my unfortunately-tardy father.”
Of course, the King and Queen were not shown to the same chambers as the others, and before long, Roja and the others were all in a small wing of the Suddenne Palace. Their rooms were all adjacent, with doors connecting them, though they also locked from both sides. What the girls were immediately impressed with was the large baths that were present in their wing, and the fact that there was running hot water, even this high up.
“You know,” he said, leaning against the doorframe while Iana, Aisha and Maria guffawed around the giant porcelain tub that looked like it could seat seven people, “if I’d grown up in a desert, and had never seen hot water in my life, this would probably impress me. But I didn’t! So it doesn’t!”
“Nobody is making you stay here,” Maria said with a glare.
“Actually, someone is,” Galladio said from behind him. “Until King Leonald returns from his hunt, you will remain in your chambers. Official attire that will best represent King Clarus has been left on your beds. You would do well to get some rest, as the festival is due to begin tonight and you’ll be seated near the King’s table during the celebratory banquet.”
“Looks like the festival already started,” Roja said, looking at the nearest window. The sound of jubilant, cheering voices could already be heard. “Do we really have to stay here?”
“You’ll stay in your rooms if you know what’s good for you. I will be at the end of the hall if you need anything,” Galladio said, pointing. “If you wish for food or… I don’t know, pencils and paper, just let me know and I will pass it on. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some paperwork to sort through.”
He turned on his heel and marched over to his room, leaving his door open. If any of them walked past, the manservant would spot them. Roja and Maria looked at each other, their moment of animosity already forgotten.
“We have to, right?” Maria said. Roja nodded and then, as if nothing was going on, turned around and stretched loudly.
“I think I’m going to get some rest before tonight!” he said while yawning loudly and maybe a little too conspicuously. Not that it really mattered, Galladio was probably only half listening. Behind him, he heard Iana whisper to Maria.
“Have to what?” she asked. The other wards of Queen Vera’s all shuffled closer as Maria explained and Roja quietly closed the door behind him, then made sure the doors to the rooms adjacent to his were unlocked. Selico was on one side, and Maximilio on the other. He opened the door to his friend’s room first.
“Five minutes,” he said. Selico was sitting on the bed with his legs crossed, reading a book. He looked up and nodded. “Oh, and bring something to write. I don’t want to get lost,” Roja said. Another nod. Okay, good. Selico understood. He understood better than anyone, and he would probably go traipsing into the afterlife if Roja looked excited enough. In return, Roja never went anywhere without at least inviting Selico.
He checked the other door, and found it locked from the other side. He knocked, and after a second, Maximilio opened the door with a raised eyebrow. He was clearly in the middle of changing. He wore a robe of some kind, with a shirt that covered only the upper half of his torso and looked uncomfortably tight. Well, to each their own, Roja figured. “Yes?” Maximilio asked sceptically.
“Feel like going for a walk?” Roja said. Maximilio frowned.
“I thought we couldn’t go anywhere?”
“No,” Roja said, “that’s not true at all. We’ve been told we can’t leave. That’s not the same as not being able to leave. That just means it’s harder.”
Maximilio blinked a few times, took a deep breath, then nodded. “Grand,” he said. “What do we do?”
“They’ll tell you,” Roja said with a grin as the door on the other side of Maximilio’s room opened, and Maria, Iana, Aisha and Eodhan walked in, with several dozen feet of cloth tied into a rope held behind them. Maximilio looked at him with a surprised smile.
“I see,” he said. “You’re a menace.”
Roja walked over to the window, and opened it. The roof of the Cloth Hall was a floor below them. He jumped up onto the balcony and looked out over the city. As the sun set it illuminated the buildings and the lights rising between them. He smiled as the wind played with his hair. “Yes,” he said. “I am.”