Back to Halkeginia

Chapter10: At night in the palace

It wasn't often that Saito couldn't sleep. He could almost sleep on broken glass next to his beloved Louise. But that evening it was different.The excitement over Bannon's report and suggestions echoed in his mind. Then there was the unfamiliar environment, the soft bed, the fact that the baby wasn't with them. Mariko was quite a noisy sleeper- she smacked her lips and sighed in her sleep, and every now and then she woke up and insisted on being drained.
Saito propped himself up on one elbow and looked over at Louise. As far as it was visible in the uncertain moonlight, she had tramped herself free -apparently it had become too warm for her under the thick duvet. A loving smile appeared on Saito's face as he looked at his wife's slender legs. Even after all these years of marriage, he was attracted by Louise's petite yet well-proportioned body. And her indomitable spirit.
Carefully so as not to wake Louise, Saito swung his legs out of bed and then stood up. Perhaps some exercise could bring him the sleep he had hoped for. Wander around a bit...
Saito just pulled on his pants and tucked the shirt he had been wearing that evening into the waistband. Still the stockings and the soft low shoes ... and he was "ready to go".
The door of her guest room didn't even creak when Saito opened it. He peered down the hall. Of course there was no one to be seen at such a late hour, but it wasn't completely quiet. The royal palace ofTristania was a busy structure even at night. The murmur of voices came from somewhere, and the crunch of pebbles that could be heard from the window at the end of the corridor suggested that the palace guards were making their rounds of the building.
Maybe a glass of wine, it would calm his nervous nerves.
Saito tried to remember where the palace kitchen wing was.   He had never been there, but it was probably on the first floor. There he could count on his wish for a glass of wine to be fulfilled.
Always follow his nose, in the truest sense of the word! Saito descended the stairs and orientated himself by the scent that rose to his nose. Bread was baked somewhere!
So Saito reached the palace kitchen. And there was really still business there, albeit only to a limited extent thanks to the nightly hour. Pots were scrubbed, plates rattled from the scullery. A large pot of softly boiling water stood on the fire.
Saito was just opening his mouth to express his wish for a glass of wine when noises could be heard from the kitchen door that opened onto the path behind. It sounded like a horse and cart being brought to a stop in front of the kitchen door. Footsteps could be heard and then a young man appeared in the doorway. He wore highboots and otherwise hunting clothes - jacket and knee breeches in green. A hat with a pheasant feather on it sat boldly at an angle on his head.
"Hey, you, I brought something!" he called into the kitchen. "Help me unload already!"
A man appeared in one of the side doors - a cook according to his tall white cap, maybeeven the head chef. "Oh, it's you, Lord! What is it this time?"
"A nice eight-man. Lend a hand, then we'll take him to the slaughterhouse right away. You too, helped out!" The latter was spoken to Saito.
The addressee smiled and bowed slightly. Together with the cook, the successful hunter, one of the girls from the scullery and Saito himself, it wasn't particularly difficult to get the deer to the required place and hang it on one of the butcher's hooks. So, with dangling legs, the previously proud stag only looked pitiful. Saito saw that the bullet that had stolen his life had made a good hit - the animal hadn't suffered long.

After that was done, they returned to the kitchen. The hunter stepped in the door and said to someone who remained invisible: "Bring the wagon to the coach house and dismantle. Also take care of the horses - they need water and something in their crib - they haven't got anything yet."

"Will be done!" it came from outside. "I wish you a good night, Sire. That was another good shot." The clatter of hooves came from outside and the rolling of wheels.
The hunter turned and his eyes fell on Saito. He smiled slightly and said: "You there, come with me. I still need you."
Saito smiled and bowed slightly. He had already guessed who he was looking at, although he had never seen the man. He had only been mentioned the night before. He followed the hunter up the stairs. Several corridors led to familiar realms - the royal apartments.
The hunter led Saito into one of the side cabinets and sat down in one of the armchairs. He stretched his legs and turned his gaze to Saito. "And now help me get my boots off my feet. My calves are so swollen that I can barely feel them."
"Vain shafts, much too tight," Saito said and obediently knelt in front of the hunter. "Please stretch your feet as best you can."
It took some effort to get the boots off the hunter's feet. When it was finally done, the young man smiled. "Although you have alternated my knee joints out and back in, but that doesn't matter. You can now walk again. Or do you make a wish?"
Saito's heart flew to the young man. He really seemed like a nice person. Saito smiled oddly and replied, "A glass of wine wouldn't be bad, Sire."
The young man rose from his chair and went to the sideboard. "Here should be ... ah, there is the carafe. It's just a simple country wine, but not bad."He loosened the stopper from the carafe and sniffed. "It's still good. I'll have a glass too."
Saito received a full glass,and after the young man had poured himself, he raised the glass and looked at Saito. "A toast?"
"On your hunting success, Sire", Saito replied and informed his counterpart.
"A nice drop," said the young man after taking a sip of his wine.
"Yes!" Saito agreed. "It should be the harvest from three years ago. South-east slope, a little above Les Ornielles."
"But you know your way around!" said the young man. It even sounded a little admiring. "Which makes me wonder why a Commenor knows so well about wine."
Saito had to laugh. "I'm not a wine connoisseur, but I know this wine. It grew on my own land."
The young man's head jerked around."You have land? Then you are not a simple Commenor! Who are you?"
"Viscount de Hiraga, Knight of Tristain and former Vice-Commander of the Order of Ondine, currently adviser to the Queen - if it so happens."
The young man winced, his legs literally giving way so that he sank back into his chair. "You ... you are...!"
Saito bowed slightly. "We have never met, Sire, but I can already guess who you are. You are Prince Karl, our Queen's Prince Consort."
It took the young man a few seconds to process what he had heard, but then he smiled. "It must be a one-off case that a viscount serves the prince consort as a bootservant. I apologize for treating you like an ordinary commenor. Of course I know about you. Henrietta has spoken of you often enough. You must be great made an impression on her. "
"Well, I've been able to use my humble abilities to benefit Tristain several times," Saito nodded. "Of course you always hope to make a good impression. But mostly I just muddled through and did what seemed appropriate to me. If the Queen has spoken well of me, it is perhaps more due to her amiable character than to my own Skills. I am anything but a hero, even if I have been attributed otherwise. "
"So you are also modest," said Prince Karl and raised his wineglass. "To your health, Viscount!"