An Affinity For Fire

13. Clover

The Throne Room was a wide, windowless hall lit by a dozen chandeliers and six dozen torches. The centre of the room was empty and at the edges, servants were hurrying about, decorating the tables and lining the walls with banners and flower arrangements. At the far end of the room was a square dais, where the thrones sat. The main throne was positioned in the centre, a large, intricately carved chair of oak. There were six other thrones, three to each side of the largest one, decreasing in grandeur the further they were from the centre.

Four of the seven thrones were occupied - three by young men and the largest by a woman who must have been the Queen, though she looked more like a woman of twenty years than of forty. She had the soft, rounded face of an Ortusian, but the fair complexion and sharp, piercing eyes of an Ocassan. Eyes that seemed to look into people rather than at them. Her hair, too, was Ocassan, a burning coppery tone, but straight like a Dormisian's rather than curly. With her back pressed against one arm of the throne and her bare legs hooked over the other, the woman watched Clover, Tarry and Leo approaching with a hungry yet cautious look, like a wolf sizing up a herd of deer.

"Your Majesty," the armoured woman began, "Prince Monfort, Lord Versenna and Lady Cadarn."

Clover noticed Tarry and Leo were bowing, so she did the same.

"Your Royal Highness," Tarry said, "There is something we wish to request from you."

"Yes, I already know that," the Queen said. "Tanari informed me, that's what we're all doing here. Do you suppose we just sit about on these hunks of wood in our spare time? We're about to have a party and the servants need the Throne Room empty so they can set up. Try to be quick."

Clover cleared her throat and tried to remember the courtesies she'd been practicing in her head. "Your, urm, your Highness, Queen Romira-" she began. She paused when she noticed the woman visibly tensing. A wave of silent worry passed through the throne room, with a few servants shuffling, one or two even swallowing back laughter, and all eyes falling expectantly upon the Queen.

"I- I'm terribly sorry," Clover stammered, "did I say something to offend your Grace?"

"I don't know, darling, you tell me," the woman said, swinging her legs off the arm and leaning forward. "Would you be offended if someone confused you for your forty-year-old mother?"

Clover almost choked in embarrassment.

"Princess Calio, of course!" Leo spluttered, trying to disguise his panic. Clover doubted anyone was deceived. "Please forgive my friend, none of us have had the pleasure of meeting you before. However, I can assure you we have heard wonderful rumours of your extreme beauty your intelligence. The former of these rumours is clearly true, so I have no doubt that the latter is equally accurate."

The Queen smirked. She eyed Clover and Tarry. "He's good. Let him do the talking next time."

Clover felt her insides turning to jelly.

"My mother has spent the last few months with my father at the front line of the War of the Black River," Calio continued. "Since I'm acting as Regent in her absence, your request will be handled by me. Tanari tells me you are here to talk to Fitteia. Is this the case?"

"It is," Leo confirmed. "We have a signed request from my father, Prince Bollorec Monfort of Dormis. I believe Tanari has showed it to you?"

"Indeed she has. Although, the request only mentions Prince Heleonne Monfort. I can only assume that's you. So, what are your companions here for?"

"I prefer to travel with company," Leo answered. A lie. Clover knew perfectly well that he would have preferred to take the journey alone. But he couldn't exactly tell her the truth, which was that they were there to help him rip a tooth out of one of her pets.