Knightfall - Book 1 of The Chronicle of Benjamin Knight, page 10
“What about…” Ben whispered to Matthew as they approached the large wooden doors that marked the entrance to the Regent’s palace.
“She went to the Regent this afternoon,” Matthew whispered back. “It was quite easy to sneak her out, surrounded by the crowd.”
Ben looked over his shoulder at the penultimate trailer, realising that Joe and Mike were nowhere to be seen. “I should have realised really,” Ben chuckled, “what with Pinky and Perky not hanging around anymore.”
“Who?” Matthew asked, but before Ben had time to answer, they were being greeted by three guards standing at the door.
The inside of the palace was as beautiful as Ben imagined. Paintings and tapestries depicting scenes from the city’s history, as well as images of the previous Regents, decorated every wall, subtly lit by carefully placed candles and the occasional free-standing torch. The marble floor echoed with every step they took.
The guards escorted the small group to a large reception area, where they were announced by one of the Regent’s servants, even though there were only servers waiting to hear him.
The reception area was as exquisitely decorated as the hallway, with heavy oak wooden doors and a wall crammed full of every type of book imaginable. Ben had learned that original books, books that had been discovered alongside technology and not manufactured by the people of Island City or the Southern Baronies, were highly sought after. On closer inspection, Ben found some great works of literature, including a complete works of Shakespeare. Ben asked Matthew what he thought of the Bard’s work, but Matthew had never read any of them, and neither had the Regent by all accounts. Most books were in such a poor state when discovered that they were often sealed away and never read. To have them out on display was almost unheard of.
The drink in the reception area was free flowing, and the group took full advantage of it. There was even a selection of fruit juices laid on for the children, which Ben stuck to after the previous night’s activities. He stuck closely to Matthew and Arian, not wanting to do anything wrong or offend any local customs in the presence of the Regent.
“What’s the deal with me this evening, Mat?” Ben asked, in between sips from his glass of juice.
“What do you mean?” Matthew replied.
“I mean,” Ben continued, “why did the Regent insist on me coming to dinner? I know you said that he wanted to see the electric light bulb I got to work, but we could have done that at any time. As it is, he’s still going to have to walk down to your trailer to see it.”
“Like I told you,” Matthew said, “after I told the Regent all about you, he just insisted on meeting you at dinner. I just did as I was told. As you can probably guess, he’s not the sort of man you want to offend.” Matthew’s glass was empty, so he accosted a passing servant and requested another.
“I thought you went back a long way?” Ben asked after the servant had moved out of earshot.
“We do,” Matthew replied, “but he’s still the Regent and I’m a trader, and that’s all there is to it. Like I said, I do as I’m told.”
Their conversation was interrupted by a loud fanfare outside the smaller of the two doors leading into the reception area, the door through which Ben and his friends had entered. This was followed by the announcer stepping just inside the doorway.
“Ladies and gentlemen, may I present,” the announcer said, pausing for dramatic effect, “General Boshtok, commander of the Regent’s armies, and his wife, Lady Daria.” Ben wasn’t sure whether to applaud or not, but nobody else in the room did, so he wasn’t about to start a trend.
The general was dressed in what looked to be full military uniform, dark blue, almost black in colour with a strip of highly polished medals pinned to his chest. Lady Daria was lacking the delicate curves of the younger women in the room, but still she wore a similarly tightly fitting dress, decorated with sequins of every colour, reflecting the candlelight. Ben watched her wobble and jiggle in all the wrong places as she barged her way into the room.
The general and his wife were pleasant enough, shaking hands and making polite small talk while they waited for the rest of the guests to arrive. Before long, Ben was introduced to three of the Regent’s chief ministers and their families, including a young girl who spoke more than Daniel did, asking him why his accent was so funny and where his odd-looking shoes had come from. Ben embellished the truth, telling her that he was from far away to the east, much to her wonder and amazement. Apparently, that was where the Bethusala came from, a ferocious beast of legend, so why hadn’t Ben ever seen it? Ben smiled and told her that he wasn’t from quite that far east, and made a sharp retreat back to Matthew's side.
With another fanfare, Alexander, the Regent’s chief aide, was admitted to the reception room, though he spoke to no one but General Boshtok and shied off every offer of a drink with an annoyed stare.
After an hour or so of polite conversation, Ben started to wonder if the Regent would ever make his entrance. From what he could see, most people in the room were just as anxious, staring at each other blankly as they searched their minds for the faintest scrap of gossip or banter to pass the time. They all expressed a sigh of relief as the last and loudest fanfare sounded.
This time, both of the smaller doors were opened as two armed guards entered the room, standing either side of the doorway with their rifles held across their chests. Again, the announcer stepped just within the doorway. Ben followed everyone else as they lined up along both sides of the room before he spoke.
“My Lords, ladies and gentlemen, if I may have you attention please,” the announcer said. Everyone fell silent as they waited for the Regent to enter.
“It is with the greatest pleasure,” he continued, “that I present his most gracious Majesty, Regent Cotran II, prime ruler of Island City, and his bride to be, Lady Safran, daughter of Stephen III, forty-eighth Baron of Draxis.”
This time there was applause and many confused stares as the couple entered, arm in arm, shaking the hands of the people they passed, smiling as the guests commented on how wonderful they looked together and asking how they had managed to keep their impending pairing a secret.
The Regent was dressed in his usual finery, the best fabrics made into the most stylish and elegant clothes, but Ben hardly noticed. His attention was captivated by the graceful movements of Safran as she moved along the line of guests with the Regent, Ben’s heart skipping a beat as she returned false smiles to the guests whose hands she shook.
By the time the couple had reached him, Ben had lost the ability to engage in conversation, and could only offer his hand as everyone else in the room had done. Ben’s gaze continued to linger on her long after they had passed him by.
“You know,” Matthew whispered, “there used to be a time when you could be executed for something like that.”
“What?” Ben replied
“Mentally undressing royalty as they pass you by,” Matthew said with a grin.
“But, I, she’s . . .” Ben stammered, face blushing. Matthew ignored his explanation.
“Come on,” Matthew said. “It looks like we’re supposed to be following them through there for dinner.”
The first course at dinner was a variety of fish from the waters north of Island City, very rare and an obvious delicacy. Ben found it difficult to enjoy, served as it was, almost raw with its head still attached. He said nothing and ate as much as he could stomach.
The younger children had been led to another room, where they would eat together under the supervision of the palace nursemaid, leaving the adults and older children alone to engage in polite conversation. If it wasn’t for the distraction at the head of the table, Ben knew where he would have rather been. He tried to involve himself with the conversation around him, but on more than one occasion, he found himself asking people to repeat themselves as he cast more than the occasional glance towards Safran. It took the Regent himself to draw Ben from his trance.
“Mr. Knight,” the Regent said as the rest of the table quieted, “how are you finding the food? My friend Matthew here tells me you’re a stranger to our lands?” The Regent scrutinised Ben, looking him up and down as he spoke.
Every eye at the table turned towards him, staring, waiting for a response. “Please, Regent, call me Ben,” Ben told him. “And the food, well, it’s delicious. It's just, it’s a bit richer than what I’m used to.”
The comment brought a glare from Matthew, but the Regent only smiled back towards Ben. “I’m glad to see we’re exposing you to some of our greater wonders,” he said. “It must be better than what you’ve been eating recently with the Road Trains, yes? And I do hope we don't end the evening with a brawl like last night?”
The Regent laughed out loud and Lady Daria tittered in a girlish way, though the rest of the table found that they could only manage a smile. For all of their fine clothes that evening, Catrina and Arian were far removed from the usual upper class ladies. When push came to shove, they could be counted upon to work at least as hard as the men, if not harder.
With a moment’s reprieve from the interrogation, Ben took the opportunity to finish his drink and was immediately offered another. He gladly accepted it, drinking down half the glass before returning it to the table.
The Regent still viewed Ben with distrust, even following Matthew’s reference. Though he would announce his marriage the following day and cement the alliance between the north and south, he was still wary of a stranger at his table.
“Now then, Ben,” the Regent continued, “where exactly are you from? You really have us all intrigued, you know.”
The Regent’s voice was obviously sarcastic as he spoke, but Ben decided to play along so as not to offend him more than he had already done so. His voice was as equally passive and dismissive as he spoke.
“I’m from England originally,” Ben said, looking the Regent directly in the eye as he spoke. Their conversation was quickly escalating into a contest.
Finishing his last mouthful of food and gesturing with his fork as he spoke, the Regent continued. “England?” he said. “Not sure I’ve heard of that one. How about you, General?”
“No, sir, can’t say that I have,” General Boshtok added, almost snapping his body to attention as he spoke.
“Well, I’d gladly show you,” Ben continued, “but I doubt you’d find it on any map around here.”
“That’s a very odd thing to say, don’t you think?” the Regent suggested.
“Well I have to confess that a very ‘odd’ thing has happened to me,” Ben said, imitating the Regent as he spoke.
Matthew looked frantically between the two of them, begging them to stop.
“Oh, do tell us, Ben, I’m sure we’re all dying to know,” the Regent insisted.
“Yes, that’s certainly a story I’d like to hear,” Alexander said mockingly, the only words he had spoken all dinner.
Ben gave them the ultra-compacted version. “Well,” he began, taking another sip of his drink. “I went to the laboratory as usual in the morning, and there was an incident, and I woke up near Garstang. There’s not much more to it.”
Alexander twitched slightly at the mention of the word laboratory, but fortunately for him, everyone else's attention was firmly fixed on Ben and the Regent. Ben's gaze never left the Regent as he spoke.
“Hmm, a strange predicament, I’ll grant you,” the Regent suggested. “I've only heard its like before in children's stories. Maybe we should allow the children back in; they might be able to shed more light on the matter!” The corners of the Regent’s mouth curled upwards as he finished the sentence, begging the rest of the table to laugh at his quip, but they only watched each of them in turn, waiting for one of them to falter.
The servants moved in to collect the plates from the first course and deliver the second. While Ben and the Regent sipped at their drinks, staring intermittently at each other, Matthew took the opportunity to attempt to manoeuvre the conversation.
“My Liege,” he said quickly, “I must say that the food really is exquisite, wouldn't you agree General? A new chef?”
“Yes, now you come to mention it,” the Regent replied, taking great delight in recounting how his agents had poached the finest chef from the court in Phalathlan. There were perfectly timed laughs and groans from the guests as the tale was told and soon the conversation had moved onto other matters of gossip.
For the remainder of the meal, Ben was almost silent, only nodding and agreeing with the comments from those around him. Matthew engaged the Regent in any conversation that came to mind, intent on not letting Ben and the Regent continue from where they left off. For the most part, his plan worked, but there was still the occasional look exchanged between the two men.
Midway through the second course, Safran excused herself from the table, explaining that she was exhausted from the journey and needed to rest. There were murmurings of disappointment, but the guests rose as she stood, Ben watching after her longingly as she left.
An hour before midnight, the evening wound to an end; the conversation and the wine beginning to run dry. The Regent offered to open another bottle, but following the stressful day at the market, Matthew declined for all of them and suggested that it might be a good time to get some sleep.
“A good point, Matthew,” the Regent said. “I have a most important day ahead of me too. Please, do stay in the rooms that have been prepared for you and your company. After so many weeks on the road, a soft bed must be something you long for?”
Matthew bowed and thanked the Regent for his hospitality, accepting the honour on behalf of his companions. Ben made to step towards the door, but a gentle tug from Matthew held him back. It was customary for the Regent to retire first, allowing his guests to bid him a good night, and Ben had caused enough trouble already that evening.
No one had noticed that Alexander had already made a hasty retreat from the room.
After the Regent had left, two of his personal guards entered the room to escort the guests out. Matthew and his company wished the remainder of the guests a good night, before they were escorted to rooms on the far side of the palace, where they would spend the night. Catrina was reunited with Daniel and Adam along the way, Daniel hugging his mother tightly before telling her how wonderful his evening was and what amazing food he had been given to eat. Catrina listened intently to every word, ruffling his hair as he talked.
Matthew pulled Ben back from the rest of the small group. “What did you think you were doing in there, Ben?” he asked. “Do I need to remind you who it was that you were arguing with back there?”
“Matthew, I’m sorry,” Ben replied. “We just got started and I couldn’t stop. I didn’t mean to offend him, really, he just...well.”
“And staring all night at his wife-to-be?” Matthew added.
“I couldn't help it,” Ben insisted. “I mean, I didn't mean to, I mean, she's half his age!”
“He's royalty,” Matthew reminded him, “and so is she. Age doesn't really come into it. It was only on her father’s insistence that she be sixteen summers before the marriage takes place, or we could have had the wedding tomorrow. You've brought me a lot of trouble, Ben, a lot of trouble.”
Ben dropped his gaze to the marble floor. “I get the impression he doesn’t like me too much,” Ben said.
“Well, Ben, he's the Regent. He doesn't have to like you,” Matthew reminded him.
Before Ben had time to apologise or explain himself any further, Matthew walked off to rejoin Arian, pulling her tightly to his side as he reached her. Ben followed behind at the rear of the group, his head held low.
VIII
A little after midnight, with the Regent soundly asleep in bed, Alexander called his two most trusted servants to him, officers from the Regent’s own personal guard. It was no coincidence that they were the officers who had earlier escorted Matthew and his friends to their rooms. They met in a small corner of the larger wine cellar, hidden by crates and the scents of centuries-old alcohol.
“You understand what must be done this night?” he asked them in hushed tones.
“Yes, my Lord,” they answered together, their voices confident and never wavering.
“Come tomorrow we will mourn our loss, but tonight we must act for the good of the people,” Alexander said.
“For the good of the people,” they replied together.
“And remember,” Alexander finished, “the death stroke must be mine.”
The two men nodded and drew their daggers. Alexander removed an ornately carved ceremonial dagger from his belt, a dagger another of his most trusted allies had purchased from the Road Trains market that very morning.
IX
The door to Ben’s room was forced open a little before sunrise, shattering the lock and casting it across the room. He moved groggily from the bed, as four of the Regent’s personal guards entered, weapons drawn.
“Hey, what’s going…” Ben started to ask as the butt of a rifle struck him squarely in the face, bloodying his nose. Ben moved his hands to his face, trying in vain to slow the flow of blood.
“Go on, give me an excuse you…” the guard who had just struck Ben said, turning his weapon around to point the barrel directly at Ben’s skull.
“Leave it,” his colleague said. “They told us to keep this one alive.”
The guard reluctantly raised his weapon before returning it to his shoulder. While two of the guards kept their weapons trained on Ben, the other guards gripped him painfully under the shoulders and dragged him along the carpet to the hall, throwing him forcibly to the ground. Catrina was already there, sobbing as she clung tightly to Edward, pressing hard on a bloodstained area of his shirt. Through Ben’s tear filled eyes, he couldn’t tell if Edward was only unconscious or already dead.
