Read Online The Witch & the Cathedral - Wizard of Yurt - 4 by C. Dale Brittain - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: C. Dale Brittain
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reins- Then, reluctantly, the prince slid back to the ground. "You've just been riding him rapidly, and I don't want to push him, even though I can tell he's ready to go again. Thank you!" It was going to be hard after all for the young chaplain to incorporate Paul into his "conspiracy."
"I thank you too," said the queen to Vincent, her emerald eyes dancing with delight although she managed to keep her manner sober. "You have done my son a signal honor.
Now, would you enter my castle?"
I watched jealously to make sure they weren't holding hands, but they walked side-by-side in perfect dignity across the drawbridge and through the castle gates. Stable boys came to take the horses, although Paul took charge of the stallion himself, and the constable directed our new guests to their quarters. I lingered outside the castle for a moment, looking across the green hills of Yurt, wondering if the queen had secretly loved Vincent for years as I was sure he must always have loved her, or if her feelings were only a product of a few short weeks of courtship while I was not there to stop it.
When I looked into the great hall a few minutes later, to see Vincent and the queen finishing arranging vases of roses, she motioned me over, smiling with a tenderness I knew was not meant for me. "Vincent, I'm sure you remember our Royal Wizard."
"Of course, though it's been several years," he said. "You performed some really spectacular illusions after dinner." Flattery was not about to win me, but I nodded my head. For the queen's sake I had to be polite. At least if he thought all wizards were plotting to take over the western kingdoms, he was too well bred to say so.
"You've been in the City, I understand?" he went on. "You missed what I gather has been the talk of Yurt, our whirlwind courtship!"
"Don't make it sound too rapid," said the queen with a laugh. "We had after all known each other for years, and it was scarcely my fault when I invited you to stay for a week that you stayed for eight!"
"And even so, when I left three weeks ago you still wouldn't say you'd marry me."
The queen laughed again. "I waited a week before I telephoned him to say Yes, and I still told him he couldn't come back right away. Do you think me very heartless, Wizard?"
"Entirely heartless," I agreed. I was sure the fact of their eight-week courtship was accurate; they wouldn't tell me something anyone might contradict. But I wondered why they should go out of their way to tell me, when it was none of my business, that the queen had initially hesitated to accept Vincent's proposal, and why they should do so in a manner so ostentatiously cheerful, affectionate, and in perfect dignity.
Were they trying to distract me from why Vincent had left and why he had come back now? Was it accidental that the queen had invited Vincent to visit shortly after I had left for the City? Had something happened during those eight weeks he was here, something they hoped was hidden from everyone else and they didn't want me to look for? Then I had to smile at myself. Now I was developing an "impure mind."
"We want you to know," the queen continued, "that you'll continue to be a valuable part of Yurt even after Paul becomes king and Vincent and I are married. We wouldn't dream of getting rid of our Royal Wizard."
This came as a serious shock. I had certainly never dreamed of this. That she would even bring it up meant that they had indeed considered it.
Though my first reaction was horror at realizing how close I had come to having to leave Yurt and join the Romneys, my second thought was to wonder why Vincent—he must be responsible—wanted to get rid of me. Was their cheerful unanimity a mask for severe disagreements, of which the question of whether to tire the wizard was only one? If so, the queen had apparently won this round, but might she lose the next?
"I thank you, my lady, my lord," I managed to say and retreated before they could spring any more devastating
"I thank you too," said the queen to Vincent, her emerald eyes dancing with delight although she managed to keep her manner sober. "You have done my son a signal honor.
Now, would you enter my castle?"
I watched jealously to make sure they weren't holding hands, but they walked side-by-side in perfect dignity across the drawbridge and through the castle gates. Stable boys came to take the horses, although Paul took charge of the stallion himself, and the constable directed our new guests to their quarters. I lingered outside the castle for a moment, looking across the green hills of Yurt, wondering if the queen had secretly loved Vincent for years as I was sure he must always have loved her, or if her feelings were only a product of a few short weeks of courtship while I was not there to stop it.
When I looked into the great hall a few minutes later, to see Vincent and the queen finishing arranging vases of roses, she motioned me over, smiling with a tenderness I knew was not meant for me. "Vincent, I'm sure you remember our Royal Wizard."
"Of course, though it's been several years," he said. "You performed some really spectacular illusions after dinner." Flattery was not about to win me, but I nodded my head. For the queen's sake I had to be polite. At least if he thought all wizards were plotting to take over the western kingdoms, he was too well bred to say so.
"You've been in the City, I understand?" he went on. "You missed what I gather has been the talk of Yurt, our whirlwind courtship!"
"Don't make it sound too rapid," said the queen with a laugh. "We had after all known each other for years, and it was scarcely my fault when I invited you to stay for a week that you stayed for eight!"
"And even so, when I left three weeks ago you still wouldn't say you'd marry me."
The queen laughed again. "I waited a week before I telephoned him to say Yes, and I still told him he couldn't come back right away. Do you think me very heartless, Wizard?"
"Entirely heartless," I agreed. I was sure the fact of their eight-week courtship was accurate; they wouldn't tell me something anyone might contradict. But I wondered why they should go out of their way to tell me, when it was none of my business, that the queen had initially hesitated to accept Vincent's proposal, and why they should do so in a manner so ostentatiously cheerful, affectionate, and in perfect dignity.
Were they trying to distract me from why Vincent had left and why he had come back now? Was it accidental that the queen had invited Vincent to visit shortly after I had left for the City? Had something happened during those eight weeks he was here, something they hoped was hidden from everyone else and they didn't want me to look for? Then I had to smile at myself. Now I was developing an "impure mind."
"We want you to know," the queen continued, "that you'll continue to be a valuable part of Yurt even after Paul becomes king and Vincent and I are married. We wouldn't dream of getting rid of our Royal Wizard."
This came as a serious shock. I had certainly never dreamed of this. That she would even bring it up meant that they had indeed considered it.
Though my first reaction was horror at realizing how close I had come to having to leave Yurt and join the Romneys, my second thought was to wonder why Vincent—he must be responsible—wanted to get rid of me. Was their cheerful unanimity a mask for severe disagreements, of which the question of whether to tire the wizard was only one? If so, the queen had apparently won this round, but might she lose the next?
"I thank you, my lady, my lord," I managed to say and retreated before they could spring any more devastating
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