The Cold King

CHAPTER SIX


ALTHOUGH IT HAD FELT LIKE winter for several weeks already, when Calia woke up the next morning she could feel it was about to truly descend. The sky was milky white and sharp but still. She rushed to the window, disappointed to still just see the crumbling fall leaves mixed with a thin layer of frost.

She dressed in her new favorite gown, a soft violet one with a silky undershirt and slipped on her blessedly comfortable boots. She would have to find a way to thank Marchello.

The kitchen was a flurry of activity and she stood in the entrance for several minutes, shocked.

All of the servants were there, something she hadn’t seen before and Cato was flinging out plates of hot eggs and toast to all. Marchello and Abelina had cornered Jos at a small table and were reviewing a long list. He looked miserable and was somehow already covered in dust and dirt. Klaribel and Iago were at the counter, arguing over what could and could not go in her horse barn.

“No, the barn is for animals, not for things,” she was saying.

Iago brushed back a lock of hair that had fallen loose from her tight braid and Calia’s eyes nearly bugged out. “It’s only for a time, my dear, until we go through some of the wares. Come now, we do this every year and the horses are always fine.”

Cato caught her gawking and barked out, “Come get your breakfast and then the kings, we have a lot of work to do today.”

Stunned, she grabbed her plate of food and shoveled it in while the cook fixed the kings tray.

“What’s going on?” she asked around a steaming mouthful of egg. Abelina frowned at her and she quickly closed her mouth.

“Our last shipment before winter comes today, the biggest of the year. Here’s the tray, hurry now!”

Calia picked up the tray and then hesitated. “But what do I do, how do I help?”

Marchello cleared his throat. “You do whatever the king tells you to.”

Calia gulped and nodded.

She wanted to rush into his rooms and ask the king what was happening but some of her training was finally beginning to set in and so she made herself calmly knock, enter and place his tray as gracefully as she could. For once he wasn’t scribbling at his desk but seemed to be waiting for her.

Uneasy, she set everything out and served him then took her place on the other side of the table.

“Can I get you anything else, Your Majesty?”

He was quiet for a moment and she fought the urge to look at him. Finally he asked, “Do you know what is happening today?”

She nodded then caught herself. “Yes, Your Majesty. Um, today a large shipment arrives?”

He sighed at her indecision. “Yes, a very large shipment, one meant to hold us over for the entirety of winter, arrives today.” He was silent then added, “You may ask any questions you have.”

Her mind raced but she wisely assumed he welcomed only questions relating to the shipment. “What would you have me do, Your Majesty?”

He smiled, pleased with her. “There are many things coming today, food, fabric, spices and even some livestock. But in all of that there is a box, a very special box, and I want you and you alone to retrieve it and bring it straight to me.”

Calia was a little disappointed with the meager task but did not let it show. “Yes, Your Majesty. What does the box look like?”

“It’s this big,” he said, holding his hands about a foot apart. “It will be polished mahogany and will bear this design on the lid.” He held up a letter and tapped at the intricate swirling at its head.

Calia squinted and memorized it. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Then see to it,” he said, and dismissed her with the wave of his hand.

The kitchen was empty when she came back downstairs so she followed the sounds of chaos out into the court yard.

“Hold!” a man was yelling and several animals neighed and snorted in response.

The sight was overwhelming. Calia counted ten heavily laden wagons drawn by huge horses and led by giant men. She had never seen horses, or men, so big and she watched in wonder as Klaribel reached up to one of the animals and petted its velvety nose. The animal leaned its head into her and nearly knocked her to the ground.

The stable master just laughed. “One day, Hos, you are going to be delivering some of these animals to me.”

The huge man holding the reins gave a grin, revealing some missing teeth. “Not in your dreams, missy, these animals are our bread and butter.”

“Watch it,” Jos hissed, roughly brushing past Calia.

She jumped and apologized but he had already rushed off with an armload.

Uncertain of who to ask, she finally approached the man Klaribel had called Hos and touched his arm.

He turned and she backed away, fully realizing how much bigger than her he was. His long unruly hair twined with his long, unruly beard and the furs he wore only emphasized his mass.

“Excuse me, sir,” she squeaked out and he roared with laughter.

The other men laughed with him and she shrunk back. His riotous laughing slowed and he wiped a tear from his eye. “Sir? That’s the best I’ve heard all year. What can I do for you, little missy?”

Calia gave a tentative smile, warmed by his kindness. “I am looking for a box for my master.”

He smiled and nodded. “I know just the one.” Hos reached under his seat on the wagon and pulled out a small bundle out. He carefully peeled the felt wrappings away and gravely placed the highly polished box in her hands. “There you have it, now straight to your king with it.” He frowned like he wanted to say something more but then just waved her away.

She nodded and walked back to the castle, wary of the box and its mysterious contents, as if they might explode in her face.

Jos sneered as she passed him. “One box? That’s all she has to carry? I have to unload all this and find a place for it!” He angrily waved to indicate all the laden wagons.

Iago frowned at him as he rushed by but Klaribel was the one to say something. “Shut your trap, maid. We help with all of it, just like we’ve done every year.”

Jos pouted. “Well, you do not have to clean out the storage areas.”

“Right, because you are the maid. Be glad you do not have to muck out horse shit. That’s my job because I am the stable master but you do not hear me complaining. Now stop whining and get to work.”

Calia turned away quickly, embarrassed to witness the young man’s rebuking. He took off with a very red face and she left in the opposite direction, feeling bad for him.

She climbed the stairs timidly, curious and afraid of the special box. She balanced it carefully on one hand to knock and enter the king’s rooms. He sat behind his desk, and what she could see of his face was very stern. Fear wiggled in her belly. Was he displeased with her?

The Cold King indicated for her to set the box in front of him. They both held their breath as he lifted the lid a few inches. She could not see into the box from her place opposite of him but whatever he saw pleased him greatly.

He smiled and shut the lid, then steepeled his fingers under his chin. “Every day you show me you are trustworthy and of sound judgment.”

She blinked at the unexpected compliment. Never had anyone said something so nice about her and she certainly hadn’t expected him to be the first.

“My lord?” she asked.

His smile widened. “The man who sent me this knows I trust his secrecy above all else. He always fashions these boxes in a way so that I can tell if they have been opened at any time between when he closes it for the last time and I open it for the first.”

She stifled a relieved sigh, glad that for once she hadn’t let curiosity overcome her. Then another thought came. “But what if the men delivering it had opened it? Would you have thought it was me?”

“I would have known it was you. The penalty for opening one of my boxes is death. The deliverers are well aware of that.”

Calia felt as if she had been doused with ice water. Though he could be kind at times, he truly was a Cold King.

“Can I get you anything else?” she asked in a small voice.

“No, you are excused for the day.”

“The whole day?”

His mouth pinched in annoyance. “Yes, that is what I meant.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty!” she said and rushed out the door.

She knew exactly what she would do with her free time.

Calia hurried to change into the ugly charcoal dress she had first worn at the castle and rushed down stairs, looking for Jos. He was carrying in a wobbling arm load of potatoes, his face set in resentment.

“Here,” she said, taking the top two bags that threatened to fall. “Let me help you with that.”

He looked at her distrustfully but did not say anything as she followed him down to the stores and put the food away. Calia followed him back out to the coaches and asked what she should get next.

Jos turned to her with his hands on his hips. “Why are you helping me?”

Calia shrugged and let her eyes linger over the mounds of good. “Because it looks like you need it.”

He pursed his lips but pointed at the mountains of bagged carrots. “These go in next.”

It was a very long morning. Calia was in and out of the castle, up and down the stairs to the stores more times than she could count. They unloaded vegetables, pounds of salt, enormous jars of spices and heavy skids of butter. The other servants toiled right along with them and Calia began to wonder just how long winter would last in the mountain.

Finally the wagons were empty and the men hitched their giant horses back to them and took back off up the mountain road they had come in on.

Suddenly devoid of physical labor, Calia shivered in the courtyard. Abelina put an arm around her shoulder. “Come, Cato has a warm lunch for us.”

They all gathered around the large table in the back of the kitchen near the warm fires and ate and laughed and bemoaned their already sore muscles. Iago and Klaribel sat close together, Cato filled their bowls continually and even gruff Marchello grinned.

They talked about previous years of unloading the wagons and laughed about old times, like the time Klaribel had dropped a cage full of hens and they had spent an hour chasing them all over the courtyard. Calia had very little to add to the conversation but sat in wonder with a small smile on her face.

She had never had friends, never been included in fun or companionship or conversations. But they all sat around her, welcoming her into their warm circle of friendship. She was content for the first time ever. She had always done everything that had been asked of her but had never been rewarded with the one thing she had always needed—warmth and friendship.

Finally the revelry died down and the servants began to drift off. Sad to see it end so soon, Calia turned to Jos. “Now what do I do?”

He gave her a smile, one of the first she had seen on his face. “Now you go soak in your tub so you do not wake up too sore to walk in the morning.” He turned away then turned back with his eyes on the floor. “Thank you for your help.”

Calia bit a grin back. “You are welcome.”