Wherever I Am

Chapter 12 - Part 1

We slowed to a crawl as we caught sight of the enormous granite dome called Baemardis, first partially hidden because of the scrubby trees, then glowing pink in the afternoon sunlight.

As we circumnavigated partway around the granite behemoth, it looked the same as the Enchanted Rock granite dome Ellie and I had climbed many times over the years on various camping trips. We camped all over, so this wasn't presented as anything special, but I was looking for ulterior motives for everything in my life now, and this was literally a big one.

It took two more hours before we arrived at the edge of town. The keep rose behind it, its walls and buildings from the same pink granite, and I saw few sharp edges anywhere. Instead, everything was rounded, domed in places, blending slightly into the enormous behemoth behind it. The small town that sprawled in front of the keep made me wonder where they got their water for the keep and town. The area was rather arid, and we weren't near any rivers. My mind was wandering from the task at hand, of course. We were to meet the Regent, who ruled Baemardis in the absence of the members of the Realm.

Lord Emil was to escort me and my retinue to the Regent, and Ellie was to follow behind. That was his plan, and I nixed it. Maids Elexus and Oana of the Realm would both be with me, to my right, he to my left, with our respective duckling retinues trailing behind. Then behind them came the rest of the entourage of the hundred or so lords, ladies, sycophants, and their trains. There was a pecking order for all of them, but at this point, I didn't care. Slipping in incognito had seemed better every hour for the last four days, but it was way too late now.

As we came closer, the two wings of the keep became more prominent, with a taller domed building joining the two. The domed center building was the great hall where the Golden Scroll stood. The left two-story wing was for the Regent and his administration. The three-story right wing was for the Realm, vacant for two decades or so. However, I was assured it had been kept clean all that time in expectation of our, or somebody from the Realm's eventual arrival. We'd been told this enough times that I was beginning to want white gloves so I could check above door frames. All I really wanted was a bath and a semi-comfortable bed. Air conditioning would be a nice touch, but that wasn't going to happen, though maybe all that granite would keep the inside cooler like adobe buildings did.

As we came inside the castle walls, for this really looked like a castle even without the crenelations, Enchanted Rock/Baemardis Dome loomed above the main keep. I wondered what kept an enemy from putting trebuchets or other siege engines up top, except for the effort needed, plus whatever contingents might stand on top to repel any such efforts.

Then we were there, reining to a halt and dismounting. Both dressed in finery, a man and woman waited at the keep's entrance as we approached. They stepped to ground level, bowed and curtseyed to us as the rest of the populace did the same.

I gave a slight bow in return, with Ellie doing the same with a curtsey. I saw Oana do likewise from the corner of my eye, which got a smile from the Regent's wife. Both she and the Regent looked to be in their mid-thirties.

"Lord Kevin and Maids Elexus and Oana of the Realm," the Regent began. "Welcome home. Please come in and take your rightful places." With that, they turned and walked inside, and we followed.

The thrones were at the far end of this large gathering chamber, but more importantly, the Golden Scroll stood in the middle. It was a statue with a granite pedestal and what appeared to be an immense gold scroll sitting upright and partially unrolled on top of it. Ellie and I would stop there and place our hands on the scroll. Assuming it didn't kill us in some way...visions of Raiders of the Lost Ark melting faces played in my head...we would proceed to the thrones. A third child-sized throne sat next to the other two. They were playing the pomp and ceremony properly here, it seemed.