Someone Else's Kingdom, BOOK I - Chapter 36
Nursemaid Elgiva opened the gate, and after struggling with a latch that was just about held on by a few rusty nails, walked down the path. Chickens bobbed around her ankles, and a small lively, but harmless dog sniffed at her boots. It all barely registered on her mind though, more distressed as she was by the wider drama. The general view in Patina was that Liofia had run away, and this fitted with Elgiva's instinctive feeling, Yet, she also partly worried that perhaps she'd been carted off to Keneeshka, in preparation for her marriage; and that the story of her running off was just a good distraction, to cover a barbarous kidnapping.
Having been interrogated briefly about the disappearance herself by the guards at Castle Tori, who quickly came to the conclusion that she knew as little as they did, Elgiva put it about that she would head out to try to find the princess herself. Which essentially was what she was now doing. What she didn't mention was that she likewise was in two minds about whether to up and leave as well. So, even were she to find Liofia, she was unsure as to whether she would encourage her to return, or simply join her in hiding. At present, with so little time to think, she just wanted to find her though, and as she had so little clue as to where to begin she had come to the one place that had sprung to mind in the panic.
"I had a feeling you might come here," said the crinkly-looking old man, who was busy searching for something, looking through drawers and cupboards in his hovel-like kitchen, "What's the problem? Let me guess, a missing princess?"
The way he spoke to her, as if she was a child in need of adult guidance, instantly irked Elgiva. Even amidst her desperation. She'd always disliked being spoken down to like this - though she did it often enough to Liofia. Even as a child this tendency on the part of Kytalyk elders annoyed her, and this particular one had been a family friend since before she was even born. The benefit though was that it pricked her to regain the composure that was missing as she'd came through the gate. She readopted her own, slightly haughty tone - the tone she'd usually use with Liofia - and replied.
"Yes ..she's trickled off somewhere. Either that, or she's been shuttled off - to the Southern Kingdom, without anyone knowing."
"I would guess, by the fervour with which the city wardens are now searching for her, that she's truly missing," observed the Kytalyk, "Given how often she sneaks out beyond the castle walls I would guess they're quite out of their depths in finding her too. If she really intended to leave, she'll be far gone by now. The question would then be, in what direction? - Are you looking to bring her back? Or are you just looking?"
The Kytalyk elder finally stopped looking for whatever it was he was rummaging around in the draws for and offered Elgiva the prospect of a cup of tea, which she gladly accepted.
Having been interrogated briefly about the disappearance herself by the guards at Castle Tori, who quickly came to the conclusion that she knew as little as they did, Elgiva put it about that she would head out to try to find the princess herself. Which essentially was what she was now doing. What she didn't mention was that she likewise was in two minds about whether to up and leave as well. So, even were she to find Liofia, she was unsure as to whether she would encourage her to return, or simply join her in hiding. At present, with so little time to think, she just wanted to find her though, and as she had so little clue as to where to begin she had come to the one place that had sprung to mind in the panic.
"I had a feeling you might come here," said the crinkly-looking old man, who was busy searching for something, looking through drawers and cupboards in his hovel-like kitchen, "What's the problem? Let me guess, a missing princess?"
The way he spoke to her, as if she was a child in need of adult guidance, instantly irked Elgiva. Even amidst her desperation. She'd always disliked being spoken down to like this - though she did it often enough to Liofia. Even as a child this tendency on the part of Kytalyk elders annoyed her, and this particular one had been a family friend since before she was even born. The benefit though was that it pricked her to regain the composure that was missing as she'd came through the gate. She readopted her own, slightly haughty tone - the tone she'd usually use with Liofia - and replied.
"Yes ..she's trickled off somewhere. Either that, or she's been shuttled off - to the Southern Kingdom, without anyone knowing."
"I would guess, by the fervour with which the city wardens are now searching for her, that she's truly missing," observed the Kytalyk, "Given how often she sneaks out beyond the castle walls I would guess they're quite out of their depths in finding her too. If she really intended to leave, she'll be far gone by now. The question would then be, in what direction? - Are you looking to bring her back? Or are you just looking?"
The Kytalyk elder finally stopped looking for whatever it was he was rummaging around in the draws for and offered Elgiva the prospect of a cup of tea, which she gladly accepted.
"I'm not sure, I just need to find her."
"Did she take things suggestive of a long journey?"
"I think she must have been planning it. A small fortune was gone ..all her own stuff of course, nothing that wasn't hers. Though her father might disagree with that."
"Hmm.. ..if she's planned to go then she'll have planned where she's going."
"She did sometimes state that she'd like to escape and go live with the half-tails, but I don't think she really meant it. It was always more of a sarcastic threat."
"Did she take things suggestive of a long journey?"
"I think she must have been planning it. A small fortune was gone ..all her own stuff of course, nothing that wasn't hers. Though her father might disagree with that."
"Hmm.. ..if she's planned to go then she'll have planned where she's going."
"She did sometimes state that she'd like to escape and go live with the half-tails, but I don't think she really meant it. It was always more of a sarcastic threat."
Elgiva took a sip of the hot tea that was placed on the table, then tried to think a little harder.
"Would she have headed towards the Pox?" queried the Kytalyk, thinking further himself, "Most are heading in the opposite direction at the moment, unless they're heading to the front. Only enlisted sailors and swordsmen are heading inwards, so a princess with a bag full of jewels heading that way would be a little bit hard to miss. Though if she headed through the woods, and then round the Bite she could avoid a lot of that. That's a long journey on foot though. East to Maiden's Tower would be more realistic, but again, hard to go unnoticed."
"I don't think she'd be too bothered about the Pox," remarked Elgiva. "She thinks it's all nonsense anyhow. Though she's hoping Prince Aralak gets it, if it really is in the aether."
The Kytalyk paused and thought for a few moments before speaking. The little dog, which had been scratching at the door ever since Elgiva had entered, he now let in. It bounded over towards her and began jumping up playfully at her knee.
"Would she have headed towards the Pox?" queried the Kytalyk, thinking further himself, "Most are heading in the opposite direction at the moment, unless they're heading to the front. Only enlisted sailors and swordsmen are heading inwards, so a princess with a bag full of jewels heading that way would be a little bit hard to miss. Though if she headed through the woods, and then round the Bite she could avoid a lot of that. That's a long journey on foot though. East to Maiden's Tower would be more realistic, but again, hard to go unnoticed."
"I don't think she'd be too bothered about the Pox," remarked Elgiva. "She thinks it's all nonsense anyhow. Though she's hoping Prince Aralak gets it, if it really is in the aether."
The Kytalyk paused and thought for a few moments before speaking. The little dog, which had been scratching at the door ever since Elgiva had entered, he now let in. It bounded over towards her and began jumping up playfully at her knee.
"For the time being there isn't really much you can do. It's probably best you simply wait to see if she comes back. In the meanwhile, I'll put my feelers out for any information."
Elgiva stopped pushing the little dog down and began to stroke its head. The thought of just sitting around doing nothing made her feel quite anxious, but she tried to not let it show.
Elgiva stopped pushing the little dog down and began to stroke its head. The thought of just sitting around doing nothing made her feel quite anxious, but she tried to not let it show.
"You can come 'round whenever you have any worries," consoled the Kytalyk, noticing her unease, with a soft, but slightly condescending smile, "I know it's hard, but running around like a headless chicken - just like the king's men and city wardens are doing - isn't much use. It's best to act on information. If you keep your ear out at the court, and I keep my ear to the vine here, we can compare our notes... until then it's just a question of patience."
Comments
Post a Comment