The White Queen - J. M. Pohlsander (simple ebook reader TXT) 📗

there is nothing further to discuss. General would you like to join us for dinner. The cook Miriam is making roast duck I believe.”

“It would be an honor as usual your majesty.” With that, Ignatius bowed again and walked in the direction of his quarters. Damon called to one of his men and asked him to escort the King wherever the King wished to go and asked his king.

“Will you excuse me your majesty? It is time for me to give my orders for the evening and I have some other things I must do before dinner.”

“Of course Captain. You will be coming to dinner as well I trust.”

“Absolutely your majesty wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Damon gave a large grin and bowed. The King returned the grin and Damon left to the barracks to issue his final orders for the day.
Chapter 2

Alexandra was dressing for dinner. Her handmaiden Emily after helping the princess put on her dress, which was the color of lavender, put her long flowing hair into a braid that she let drape over her left shoulder. A gold locket placed around her bare neck gleamed in the candlelight with a pair of gold earrings that dangled from her ears. Alexandra turned and looked at Emily with a serious face.

“Dear Emily do you think you are being treated fairly?” The question stunned her handmaiden.

“Well your highness, being as I am a servant I’m treated pretty much the same. You certainly have treated me fairly.”

“I’m glad to hear it. How does everyone else treat you?”

“These are really odd questions your highness. I only serve you your highness. We servants treat each other equally. And I haven’t served anyone else, not since you were the age of three.”

“I see. Thank you Emily that will be all could you turn-down my bed for me?”

“Of course your highness but you don’t have to ask me it is part of my duties.” Emily left Alexandra’s bedchamber after turning down the bed. Alexandra after looking in the mirror for a time stood up and walked gracefully out of her chambers and into the hall. She walked a short distance in deep thought. Were the servants treated as if they were lower than scum? She couldn’t stand and let that happen. Servants were people, without looking she accidentally bumped into none other than Captain Damon who was standing with his back turned from the corridor that she had come from.

Damon turned around at the sudden lurch forward. He had almost fallen over and with a bewildered look stared straight into the embarrassed expression of Alexandra. The Captain wore something that Alexandra had never seen him wear before. It was a blue doublet with black trimming and silver threading and blue hose to match. His shoes were of black leather. His hair pulled back into a tidy ponytail made him look less than his usual self. In addition, he was clean-shaven, which made him look years younger.

“Forgive me your highness for being in your way.” He bowed deeply; Alexandra’s expression softened and she gave out a stifled giggle from behind her hand.

“It is I cousin who should be asking forgiveness I was deep in thought and did not see you there. I must say you do seem a bit changed. I’m sure I would have not recognized you if it wasn’t for your voice.” Damon’s eyes went a little wide and asked innocently.

“Have I changed that much your highness?” Alexandra laughed again.

“You’re usually dressed like, well, like a commoner for one thing, and I’ve never seen you clean-shaven before. I am not saying it is a bad thing cousin; in fact, I like you this way. Now will you quit calling me your highness? I don’t call you captain now do I?”

“For one thing your highness it isn’t proper and it’s against my better judgment. Now why do you call me cousin? We are not at all related.” Before Alexandra could answer the doors to the private dining room opened revealing her father standing by the fireplace speaking to General Thorn. Her mother sat in a corner speaking with Songstress Celine as the latter played her lute. Alexandra took Damon’s out stretched arm and they entered together. Her father looked up and smiled a devious smile and all focus in the room went on the two who recently entered. The doors closed after they had fully entered the room. King Animus signaled for the first course and all the party guests sat at the great oak table. Damon gentlemanlike held Alexandra’s chair for her as she sat. He himself sat down next to her and they began their first course, a thick cream based soup with diced potatoes, melted cheese and bits of bacon garnished on top with parsley.

“How is your father Captain? I hope he is in good spirits;” Inquired Queen Emogene between small dainty bites.

“He is well thank you. I think, though he is retired he misses being a general. He uses the chessboard like a battlefield and creates strategic battles using the pieces. Being an avid collector of chessboards, he has created a massive army of pawns, knights, and rooks. He even had new chess pieces made like minstrels and archers he even made a captain of the guard and a general piece.” Damon couldn’t help but smile when he spoke.

“I think you are right. Is he as jolly as ever?” asked King Animus as the main course the roasted duck came out of the side door.

“I don’t think I’d describe him as jolly but he is content.”

As dessert arrived, a chocolate truffle cake, the more common subjects like the weather, archery, and dancing were mentioned only briefly and soon it came around for the princess to speak about what was on her mind, which she hardly ever did at the dinner table.

“Do you think that the servants are being mistreated?” the question just popped out without thought.

“What do you mean my dear?” asked her mother with a quizzical expression.

“I mean shouldn’t all nobles treat their servants with great respect? It is a respectable profession is it not?”

“Servants are there to do our bidding your highness it’s not our business to know of their feelings. If a noble chooses to abuse their hired help it’s their business not ours.” Replied the General to Alexandra’s astonishment; she retorted.

“But they are people, General Thorn, human beings. Surely, you must agree. I believe that all people must be treated with respect and dignity. You are somewhat like a servant yourself General if I may be so blunt. How would you feel being treated like scum?”

“I serve King, Country and myself. You must remember Princess that I am from an aristocratic family, I have never been treated like a servant and I am sure I never will. So you can rest assured on my account that I am being treated well. Another thing your highness, servants are used to being treated like scum it has always been that way. What’s the point of changing something that has been since the beginning of time?” replied the General after swallowing a bite of cake.

“I believe that it is the natural order of things to change. For instance in nature the seasons change all of the time. Why can’t people change what is around them for the better of human kind?”

Ignatius turned to King Animus and said, “Your Majesty, I believe your daughter is wise beyond her years”; then to Alexandra, “I’d have to say that you’ve won the battle your Highness, and I must surrender for this debate may take several weeks.”

Alexandra thanked the General and went back to her cake without another word. Although her original question was not at all answered, the thought of beating the General was a lot better. She did not in fact win at all because the General quit before she could get down to the point to find her answer, and subsequently her original inquiry, a bird in flight, was shot down with a bolt from the General’s crossbow. After she realized this, she was quite aggravated at being so flighty and superiorly beaten by such a master manipulator as General Ignatius Thorn was.

After dinner, the party moved into King Animus’ study. Like most studies, this one had bookcases along the two adjacent walls filled to the brim with books. A map of Nether Veil the continent that the three kingdoms Cedaria, Graecia, and Regalia occupied hung above the great white marble fireplace. Two large comfortable armed chairs with tall backs were positioned in front of the hearth, and an oblong oak desk carved with a hunting scene on its four front panels stood close to the middle of the room. A writing desk of the same style but reasonably smaller stood in front of a grand window that looked over the inner courtyard. Lamped sconces burned brightly on their respective walls adding to the joyful light and cozy warmth emitted by the crackling fire. The women sat by the fire with tea and the men gathered around the desk with glasses of apple brandy.

After a while of quiet talking, Alexandra asked, “Celine could you play the Moon’s Lullaby? It sounded so great earlier and it seems to be a great night for such ancient music.”

Celine gave a strange look to Alexandra’s mother and with some apprehension she agreed and taking up her lute began to play. Instead of what Alexandra expected, the tune sounded melancholy, the atmosphere of the room changed as though like magic, the fire seemed to stop moving and turned blue, the lamps stopped emitting light and the room washed in a blue glow from the fireplace seemed to close in around them. Alexandra frightened looked around Damon, The General and Alexandra’s father vanished. Only she, Celine and her Mother remained in the room. Celine continued to play abstractedly as though in a trance and she was emitting a white nimbus. A different light caught Alexandra’s eye and she turned to see the full moon shining brightly almost like the sun through the grand window. Celine finished the last chords and the room went back to normal. The fire cackled happily in its place the same red that it was before and the lamps began to work again. Alexandra’s father and the others stood as before unaffected by what had taken place. They were probably not even aware of what had just occurred. Alexandra her eyes wide, was speechless her jaw hung open as though about to fall off its hinges.

“It’s alright dear, the song is over and everything is back to normal.” Said her mother in her soothing motherly voice that she used when