A Fool's Tale

Chapter 32 - Every King Needs a Queen

Over the next few days I resumed working at the stables, although I didn't recommence my apprenticeship with Master Isidor. He said my mind needed more time to heal, and he forbade me from practicing any magic.

It was a joy to return to the horses, and I daresay they missed me, for they snorted loudly and tossed their heads about upon my return. It may even be that they sensed my happiness. Ever since the encounter with my uncle, I brimmed with good cheer. My outlook on life had taken a positive turn and I worked with a smile no matter how grueling the task. Even Alan's complaints no longer irritated me. Instead, I began joking with him about his constant negativity, and before long he was smiling at my gentle ribbing. I think my good natured attitude was rubbing off on him.

Samantha was a whole other challenge. The morning I returned she mocked me for falling during the jester climb and she continued to turn her nose up at me whenever she walked past. It became a running joke with Alan and me to the point that we burst out laughing whenever she cast a sour look at either one of us.

My new clothes arrived at the entertainer's residence on my day off, and I confess to being excited when the packages were brought to my room. I eagerly tried on every article, and spent an embarrassing amount of time admiring my reflection in the mirror. I wouldn't be mistaken for a prince, but I was far from the ragged boy that had first arrived in the castle. A part of me was tempted to burn my old clothes, but despite their poor condition, it felt wasteful, so I folded them and placed them in the bottom drawer of my dresser.

A soft knocking against the back wall interrupted me.

"It's okay Talia, you can come in."

The panel slid aside and she slipped into my room.

"Ooh, the forest green. I knew that color would look great on you," she complimented.

The color was nice, but the feel of the material was what I liked best. My old clothes were rough and chafed my skin, but the new fabric was soft and comfortable.

"They just arrived today. They're amazing. Thanks again, Talia."

"No problem." She flopped on my bed. "So, are you up for an adventure?"

"Sure. I've got the whole day to myself."

"I overheard Serpen mentioning he has a meeting with Malacor this afternoon to go over some trade agreements. If we're lucky it'll be in a room I know of that's connected to the secret passage. I was thinking we should listen in."

I pointed excitedly at the open panel in the wall. "So, we'll be going through there."

"Of course."

"Absolutely, I'd love that. Let's go." I could barely contain my excitement.

Talia led the way. The opening was only as high as my waist, and I had to stoop to enter. Once we were inside, she reached back and pulled the panel into place. We were in a narrow passage, barely wide enough for us to walk single file. It would have been pitch dark if not for a lit candle that had been placed on a thin wooden shelf beside Talia. Behind me, the passage came to an end. Ahead of me, the thin corridor stretched out into the darkness.

Talia pointed to a white chalk square drawn into the wood at my side. "If you look to the right of that white mark, you should see a lever."

I squinted and peered closely until I made out the shape of a thin wooden lever that was camouflaged to be the same color as the rest of the wall.

"If you pull it, the entrance to your room will slide open. From the other side you need to push the panel in and pull up."

"That's really hard to see. How'd you find it?"