The Duke left through one door, and Tal departed through the other, finding Amafi waiting outside. He gestured for his new valet to fall in, and they left the palace together, this time exiting through the main gate.
When they were safely outside the palace, Amafi asked, “Magnificence, what transpired?”
“We are now in the service of Duke Kaspar of Olasko, Amafi.”
The former assassin grinned, for a moment looking positively lupine. Then he said, “So, now our rise to greatness begins!”
“Yes,” said Tal, though inside he felt as it was a descent into darkness that lay before them.
The ship beat against the rolling combers as a stiff breeze hurried it toward the most magnificent city Tal had ever seen. No, he thought, more magnificent than he could have imagined.
Rillanon stood outlined against the hills, a stunning creation of colored stone and graceful arches. The late-afternoon sun etched its form with brilliant highlights set against deep shadows. Tal had been told of its history, that the Mad King, Rodric IV, had ordered the city rebuilt, with every drab fa?ade replaced by cut stone of brilliant hue. Kings Lyam, Patrick, and now Ryan had continued with the project, and now nearly every building in the capital of the Kingdom of the Isles was a study in splendor. A thing of marble and granite, Rillanon glimmered white and purple, yellow and amber, with hints of pink, green, red, and blue scattered across the scene. As they approached, details resolved, and both Tal and Amafi stood in mute astonishment in the bow of Duke Kaspar’s ship, The Dolphin.
A voice from behind them said, “Is this your first visit, Squire?”
Tal turned to see the Duke and bowed before he answered. “Yes, Your Grace.”
Amafi stepped away discreetly, giving his master and the Duke the opportunity to speak in private.
“I am second to no man in my pride in my homeland, Squire,” said the Duke. “Opardum is a magnificent city in its own way, but I’ll concede that upon first viewing, no city matches Rillanon in beauty.”
“I must agree, Your Grace. I have read histories…” Tal forced himself to remember his place. “When I was a student, my father insisted I master the history of the Kingdom.” He turned, and waved his hand. “But this…it’s beyond description.”
“Yes, isn’t it?” Duke Kaspar chuckled. “If one were to wage war upon the Kingdom of the Isles, it would be a tragedy to have to sack such a wonder. It would be far better to force them to surrender before having to storm those towers, don’t you agree?”
Tal nodded. “Though I would think not going to war with the Isles the wiser choice.”
“There are other means of winning a struggle besides armed conflict,” said the Duke. He spoke as much to himself as to Tal. “There are those who will avow that war is the result of failed diplomacy, while others will tell you that war is but another tool of diplomacy; I’m not enough of a scholar to decide if there’s really any difference between those two positions.” He turned and smiled at Tal. “Now, get to your cabin and change into your finery. We shall be dining in the King’s palace tonight.” He glanced at the sails. “I judge us to be less than an hour out of the harbor, and we shall have clear sailing to the royal docks.”
Tal went below and did as instructed, and by the time he was ready for presentation in court, he heard a knock upon his door. Amafi opened it to find a cabin boy standing before the portal.
“Yes?”
“Duke’s compliments, Squire. You’re to join him on deck.”
“I’ll be along straightaway,” said Tal.
Tal quickly adjusted his new tunic and grabbed his hat, an outfit tailored for him in Roldem prior to leaving. He had spent the week lying low as Kaspar had suggested, avoiding public places for the most part. It hardly mattered anyway, for the invitations from Roldem’s elite had stopped immediately after his humiliation of Prince Matthew. Tal assumed Kaspar had sent out word that Tal was now under his protection, for there had been no attempt at reprisal, at least none that Tal and Amafi could see.
Tal hurried up on deck as the ship approached the breakwater outside the harbor. If Roldem had been breathtaking the first time Tal had seen it from a ship, Rillanon was astonishing. The closer they got, the more stunning the vista became. For not only was the city constructed of polished marble and granite, it was trimmed in all manner of ways: there were flower trellises, hillside gardens, colorful pennants and banners, and windows of quartz and glass. The late-afternoon sun set the stones ablaze with reflected gold, amber, rose, and white highlights.
“Amazing,” said Amafi.