Chapter 12
The Princes' Pact
Lake Pfalsdorf, Bergeny
While the Prince of Milon's primary residence was the castle at the heart of the city, he had several retreats scattered about in the countryside, one of them being the Lake Palace near Lake Pfalsdorf. The Prince himself did not have much leisure to make use of these retreats in recent years, which made the Lake Palace an ideal location for this meeting.
Prince Wilfried's entourage was met outside the palace by a small group of servants. The elder among them saluted the Prince and said, "In the name of my master, His Highness the young Prince, greetings and welcome to the Palace of the Lake. We have been expecting you, Master Wilbrandt. Come. My master awaits."
'Wilbrandt' was the name Prince Wilfried assumed to conceal his identity. None but the young Milon and a few others in his closest confidence were privy to the Prince's true identity. Their secret correspondence had gone on for almost a year as Prince Wilfried was laying his plans to strike at the Witch Queen. Between the fall of Skadia and the reappearance of Lys with her mad scheme, those plans had to be accelerated.
After yielding their weapons at the gatehouse, the Prince's entourage split between the attendants who left to mind to the horses and the remainder who was led through the forecourt and into the great hall. There the young Prince of Milon, Rickardt, awaited them with his own entourage.
"Welcome to Palace of the Lake, Master Wilbrandt," the young Prince said, echoing the servant's greeting from before. "It is my great delight to meet you in the flesh at long last. We have much to talk about. Please, allow me to extend the hospitality of my father's hall."
"I am honored to receive the famed hospitality of House Milon," Prince Wilfried replied with a bow. "I am grateful for this day, to at long last see your beautiful country with my own eyes."
Prince Rickardt bowed in turn and said, "My heart is glad to hear that this country is pleasing to you. Now, come. Your journey has been long and you and your companions ought to rest afore we sup. Let us retire to my solar until the meal is prepared."
"I am grateful, Highness," Prince Wilfried said, "and I humbly accept your kind offer."
"I must beg your leave, Highness," Sir Hengist said, "but I am ill-suited for steep stairs and narrow corridors. I pray you take no offense."
"None at all, my doughty friend," Prince Rickardt said genially. "I feel it is I who must apologize for the builders of this palace not imagining we would ever host guests of your kind."
"We are a people of the open fields, Highness," Sir Hengist replied. "We would never imagine that men of two feet would account for us when building their houses of wood and stone."
"Perhaps the stables would be more to your liking, Master Horseman," one of the men in Prince Rickardt's entourage said.
Anger flashed in the Prince's eyes and he struck the man across the cheek.
"How dare you insult a guest under my roof, Arnolf," Prince Rickardt growled. "To insult my guest is to insult me and I will have you answer for it."
Holding his cheek, Arnolf spat back, "You insult your lord father by permitting this beast under the roof of his palace."
Prince Rickardt raised his hand to strike Arnolf again, but Prince Wilfried stood between the two men, saying, "Peace, Highness, peace. Let your blow be vengeance enough for your honor and mine, and that of my man."
Prince Rickardt was clearly reluctant, but deferring to Prince Wilfried, he lowered his hand. To Arnolf, he said, "You should be thankful my guest's blood does not burn half so hot as mine, Arnolf. I would demand an apology, but I know your pride would have you refuse to the point of death. Begone from my sight and do not let me see your face again until I send for you."
Arnolf may have been proud and foolish, but he was not so foolish that he would kindle his master's wrath further. Bowing, he said, "As Your Highness bids, I take my leave."
Prince Wilfried could not fail to notice the surly look in Arnolf's eye that would have gotten his eye put out by many a lord. Perhaps if his father's court were not in tatters with only the most faithful remaining at his side, the Prince would not be compelled to hold such a viper to his breast. He did not envy the position Prince Rickardt found himself in.
With Arnolf gone, Prince Rickardt put on the facade of the genial host once more, gesturing to the exit of the hall and saying, "Shall we, gentlemen, lady?"
Prince Wilfried motioned for the attendants to remain behind with Sir Hengist while just himself, Sir Eckhardt, Bishop Friedman, Kolman, and Gudrun followed Prince Rickardt to the solar.
"Please, be seated," the Prince told his guests as they entered the room. To the servants about, he said, "Leave us. I will call you when I need you."
The servants bowed and withdrew, leaving just the Prince's bodyguard and the other four courtiers in his entourage.
"You are dismissed as well," he told the courtiers. "Go and make ready for supper."
One courtier who appeared a few years older than the others said, "Your Highness, it is not meet to leave you alone with such... guests. Whatever your business, you would profit from good counsel from those who have your best interests at heart. Yours, your lord father's, the realm's..."
"I believe I said you are dismissed, Reinholdt," Prince Rickardt said.
"I will have to report this to your father," Reinholdt said.
"When it comes time for my history to be written, the scribes will be most grateful for the impeccable records you have kept," Prince Rickardt replied. "Now, must I repeat myself again?"
Reinholdt bowed his head and said, "All I do is in service to Milon, Your Highness."
He withdrew and the other three courtiers followed after him. Once they were gone, Prince Rickardt sighed as he slumped into his chair.
"I swear, if I thought my father trusted me so little as these yapping dogs make it seem, I would surely hate him."
"I trust then that His Highness esteems you more highly than that," Prince Wilfried replied.
Prince Rickardt managed a smile and said, "At least a little. Do you find your father's shadow darkening your every step, Master Wilbrandt?"
"It is impossible not to when you have a father worthy of admiration, and oftentimes even when you do not."
"I take it you regard your father well."
"I would be a poor son if I did not."
As the two princes were speaking, Gudrun subtly pointed to the wall near the hearth. Sir Eckhardt looked to Bishop Friedman and said, "Your Grace, if I may."
The Bishop pulled out a hammer head concealed on his person and fixed it to the staff he was carrying to fashion a makeshift warhammer. He then handed the weapon to Sir Eckhardt. Prince Wilfried motioned for Prince Rickardt to continue their conversation, and while they were talking, Sir Eckhardt went to where Gudrun had pointed. He looked to Kolman, who was breaking the seal on a charm from his bag. Once Kolman nodded to let Sir Eckhardt know that he was ready, the knight drew back the warhammer and delivered a solid hit that managed to dislodge one of the stones in the wall. A couple more hits opened up the hole enough that he could force the head of the hammer inside and tear loose larger chunks of the wall. Something moved behind the wall and Sir Eckhardt reached inside to catch it before it could escape. He yanked hard, pulling what he had caught through the hole, taking more of the wall with it. That something Sir Eckhardt caught was none other than Arnolf.
"Check for anyone else in there," Prince Wilfried said.
"It is just the one," Gudrun said.
"Not that I do not trust you," Prince Wilfried said, "but we must be certain."
Sir Eckhardt tossed the hammer back to Bishop Friedman, who then took the knight's place keeping watch over Arnolf while Sir Eckhardt entered the hidden passage behind the wall.
A frightened Arnolf tried to mask his fear by spewing more of his venom.
"Vandals! Savages! You think this will be allowed!? You—!"
Kolman slapped the charm to Arnolf's forehead, silencing him. The courtier's eyes rolled back and his jaw hung slack as his body started to twitch sporadically.
"Tell him what you want him to hear and it will be what he remembers," Kolman said.
Prince Rickardt got up from his chair and crouched down near Arnolf, telling him, "I was suggesting to Master Wilbrandt that he take Lady Sigislinde to wife to forge better relations between our two lands. Even if Lothria should endure the coming spring campaign, it cannot hold out forever. Fools will fight the inevitable to the last and vultures will hang behind to divide the spoils when the fighting is done, but the wise lay the foundation of tomorrow's success today. Milon will have her share of the latest addition to the Witch Queen's empire."
The Prince then rose and nodded to Kolman.
"You are going to go back the way you came," Kolman told Arnolf, "and you will remember nothing but what Prince Rickardt told you. You will acknowledge and obey."
"I acknowledge and obey," Arnolf replied dreamily.
Kolman then took a string to tie the charm to Arnolf's head. He then licked the tip of his thumb and flicked it against his finger, causing sparks to fly up. Next he brushed his thumb across the bottom of the charm and the edges began to burn slowly.
"By the time the charm is consumed, it will have done its work and he will be none the wiser," Kolman explained.
Arnolf stood up and stepped toward the hole in the wall, but Kolman caught him by the shoulder.
"Wait for our companion to return," he said. "It would not end well if your paths were to cross in that passageway."
It did not take long for Sir Eckhardt to emerge, saying, "If there was anyone else in there, they were slippier than a greased eel."
He paused to look at Arnolf with slow-burning charm tied to his face, then to Kolman. He shook his head as he walked past them. He never did have any particular fondness for the practice of magic.
Kolman released Arnolf and once he was gone, the sorcerer drew out his rod from the sleeve of his robe and began touching the broken pieces of the wall, infusing them with power that they might return to their previous state. While he was busy fixing the wall, the two princes started up their conversation anew.
"It is safe then to speak freely?" Prince Rickardt asked.
Prince Wilfried glanced to Gudrun, who nodded, then said, "We are perhaps as free as we can hope to be until our work is done."
"Then there is no need for me to call you Wilbrandt, yes?"
"It may serve you well to remain in the habit lest you stumble at a later time," Prince Wilfried suggested.
"You are a prudent one, Master Wilbrandt," Prince Rickardt replied, stroking his close-cut goatee, but I suppose you would have to be for our business."
"Might I ask who Lady Sigislinde is?"
"The daughter of Lord Sigismond, Burgrave of Hirschee, second only to my father and I here in Milon. She was a companion of my youth and her father would have me marry her so that he might rule through a grandson on the throne. The girl herself is not so disagreeable a match, but I am sure she will find me more disagreeable when I put her father's head on a pike and seize his lands."
"It would seem there is not much love lost for the man who would be your father-in-law."
"My father bent the knee to spare our people. He laid down his honor so that I might pick it up again, but Lord Sigismond is wholly the Witch Queen's creature. I will not forget it, nor will I forgive it, but first we must deal with the Witch Queen herself."
On that note, Prince Wilfried went to the heart of the matter, saying, "Obviously you could not say what your plan was in your missives to me, but now that we are here, what is your plan?"
"You and your companions will conceal yourselves in my entourage as we travel to Gottestag to pay tribute to the Witch Queen during their celebration of the solstice. With me, you will enjoy safe passage to your destination. I am only permitted a small bodyguard, so I cannot be of much help in a fight, but I will do what I can."
Prince Wilfried nodded and said, "Safe passage to Gottestag spares us much of the trouble of our journey."
"All I ask is that you remember me when I claim my father's throne."
"Prove yourself faithful in this and you will have all of Gotland behind you on the dawn of our victory."
"That is enough to make this venture worth risking," Prince Rickardt said. He offered Prince Wilfried his hand. "It would seem our fates are entwined, Master Wilbrandt."
Prince Wilfried accepted young Milon's hand and pledged, "May that fate be one where the Eight Kingdoms are free of the Witch Queen's yoke."
"God willing," Prince Rickardt replied.
And to this, Bishop Friedman said, "Amen."