Howl's Twisted Castle

18: Royal Decree

Markel and I weaved ourselves through the throngs of people that were now assembling at the end of the street close to his shop. We managed to maneuver around the mass until we had a clear view of the scene ahead.

There, on a raised platform, dressed in royal colours of gold and red, stood two drummers, a trumpeter and an announcer holding a scroll in his hands. It was a rare sight to have the royal quartet in downtown Kingsbury; the King wasn't big on royal decrees. In fact, I'd only ever seen the royal colours once when I was much younger, and it was just to announce the birth of a new royal. Whatever the occasion was, it had to be significant if it was garnering this much attention. 

Several ladies next to me giggled amongst themselves, gossiping about the announcement. I heard one of them mention a name that sounded vaguely familiar. Solana Sulliman. Where had I heard that name before?

The usually busy market had halted as hundreds upon hundreds of people gathered around the announcers, tightly packed, shoulder to shoulder. All eyes were on the men, every man, woman, and child, waiting on in silence for them to address the assembly.

Red banners fixed with gold tassels that had the mark of the king emblazoned on the front fluttered in the wind as we held our breaths in anticipation. They hung from every window and light post, covering the market in a sea of red. 

A trumpet glimmered in the noontide sun, direct our eyes to the trumpeter, who pressed the mouthpiece to his lips and let forth a tune that commanded our attention. With a flourish, he tucked the instrument under his arm and saluted the announcer smartly.

The older man in charge of the scroll unfurled the message with a flick of his wrist. He pulled a tiny pair of glasses out of the breast pocket of his tunic and affixed them on the bridge of his nose. Finally, he cleared his throat and read the contents aloud.

"On this day, April the twenty-first, at eleven in the morning, our King, Edwin Marcus Flambert, has decreed that there shall be a ball held at the palace. As you may well know, this coincides with the centennial anniversary of the battle of the Western Ocean. On this day, we celebrate the mighty victory the First Enchantress claimed on behalf of the people of Ingary."

"Is that what they're calling it," Markel mumbled under his breath from beside me. His mouth fixed into a hard line and I could see his fists clenching. Before I could ask him about his displeasure, the announcer continued with his directive.

"The King has declared that all citizens of Ingary are welcome to attend, provided they follow formal etiquette while in the palace. Should any individual wish for more information, they need only to ask at the castle gates. The palace will open doors at six in the evening on May fifteenth. That is all." The announcer rolled the scroll up quickly and tucked it into his long coat. 

Without delay, the drummers played a steady tune and led the group away from the center stage, parting the crowds on their way back to the palace.

"What perfect timing!" I smiled at Markel.

He gave me a look that told me he didn't catch my meaning. 

"Perfect timing for what?" he asked.

I pushed his shoulder playfully. "The ball of course! You couldn't ask for a better opportunity than this! I'm sure Lettie would love to go with you, and you wouldn't have to deal with her stepmother. It's a win-win situation, the way I see it!" I grinned.

Markel chewed on the inside of his cheek, debating it. Finally, he sighed. 

"I can't do it."

"Why on earth not?" I asked, flustered by his sudden refusal.