As soon as they left, a parade of young men carrying buckets of steaming water entered, making straight for the bathing room. Tal waited until they had finished their work and gone, then went to inspect what they had done.
The bathing room turned out to be a private bath, a stone tub lined with tiles. Tal stuck his hand in and said, “It’ll cool to the perfect temperature by the time I get undressed. Amafi, lay out my best clothes for tonight, the russet-and-black tunic, with the grey leggings and my black ankle boots with the golden buckles. I’ll wear the silver-handled rapier and the black felt hat with the hawk’s feather.”
“Yes, Magnificence,” Amafi said, and set to unpacking the luggage and putting away the clothing, while Tal stripped off his travel clothing.
As Tal settled into the tub he noticed an odd mechanism hanging over it. It consisted of a brass pipe with a flared head dotted with small holes. Next to it hung a chain with a handle. He sat up and pulled on the handle. Instantly he was showered with cold water. He yelped in surprise and pulled the handle again, causing the water to stop.
Hearing the cry, Amafi was in the room almost instantly, a dagger in his hand. Seeing nothing except Tal sputtering and his hair drenched, he said, “Magnificence, what is the matter?”
Laughing, Tal said, “Nothing. I was just not prepared for a dousing. It is to rinse you off. But the water is rather cold.” Tal found a large bar of scented soap on the side of the bath and began to wash. “When I’ve finished, feel free to use the tub, Amafi. The water will still be fairly clean.”
“You are generous,” said the Quegan.
“And bring me some wine, please,” he asked, and moments later, the servant returned with a chilled cup of wine.
Tal finished his bathing and settled back with the wine for a moment to relax. Thinking of how much more lavish the King’s apartments must be, he smiled and muttered, “It must be good to be king.”
If Tal had been impressed by the royal court at Roldem, he was rendered nearly senseless by the throne room of the King of the Isles.
As one of Kaspar’s retinue, he was permitted entrance after the Duke, but no formal presentation was made. He stood to one side of the hall while the King welcomed Kaspar and his sister.
King Ryan was a young man, no more than twenty-three years of age. His father, King Patrick, had died unexpectedly a few years before, ending what had been a troubled reign. Patrick had been a man of temper and questionable judgment, who had followed two kings, Lyam and Borric, who had been quite the opposite. Patrick had ruled in Krondor during the troubled rebuilding of the Western Realm after the horror that was called the Serpentwar. Myth and history collided, and depending on which sources one was inclined to believe, Pantathian Serpent Priests, creatures of dark legend, had engineered a monstrous invasion of the Kingdom at Krondor, sailing a fleet of a thousand or more ships around the world. Whatever the truth of the story, the fact of the aftermath was simple: Krondor had been reduced almost to rubble. Patrick had to contest with Kesh on two occasions during his rule in Krondor. When his father, King Borric, had died, Patrick had already been a tired and worn-out man. His rule had not been a happy one.
Ryan was considered an unknown quantity, and Kaspar’s visit was intended in part to assess the young monarch’s abilities. One of Kaspar’s captains, Janos Prohaska, stood next to Tal. He whispered, “The King must be concerned with our master.”
As the formal introduction droned on, Tal whispered back, “Captain, why do you say that?”
“Do you not know your own nation’s nobility?” he asked softly.
“Not by sight,” admitted Tal.
Half a dozen men stood on either side of the King, who, being unmarried, sat alone on a single throne on the dais. Kaspar was thanking the King for his welcome while those six men studied him.
Prohaska said, “Next to the King stands Lord Vallen, Duke of Rillanon, but next to him stands Lord James, Duke of Krondor. The King has his two most powerful dukes at his side. They rule the Eastern and Western Realms on his behalf. With no prince in Krondor, James is also Regent of the West.”