The Archmage unbound

Chapter 16

I made sure to get to bed early that night. I had finished Harold’s armor early and he and Dorian had left me to make sure all the fittings were adjusted perfectly. Consequently I made it to dinner on time and spent a quiet evening with Penelope. In short, my day had been almost as good as the morning was.

Penny and I rose early the next day. The preparations had already been made but we wanted to get a good breakfast in before we had to part ways. Today was the day I would be traveling to Albamarl. Rose and Dorian arrived almost as soon as we did, and even more suspiciously, they arrived together. I gave my friend a hard stare as he escorted her to the table and he rewarded me by blushing bright red.

Penny elbowed me and I lost my fierce glare, lapsing into a smile instead. “Don’t tease him Mort!” she hissed in my ear. “He’s terribly embarrassed and it’s taken her months to get him to this point.”

I looked at Penny in astonishment. They’ve been plotting this for months! I thought to myself. I wondered idly whether Dorian had just escorted Rose from her room or if he had been inside… I shook my head. No, that simply wasn’t possible. It couldn’t be. “So does that mean…?” I asked curiously.

She gave me a hopeless look. “No! And wipe that stupid smirk off your face!” she told me. I finally complied and we both tried to put on normal expressions before Rose and Dorian sat down with us. I could tell Penny wasn’t really angry though, she had been struggling to keep her composure too.

Dorian held Rose’s chair for her with an expression of absolute concentration. He had the look of a man who knew if he lost his focus for even a second something terrible would happen. I did my best not to stare at him but apparently no one had given my mother the message. She was sitting across from them and she watched him with approval.

“About time you starting courting her properly Dorian,” Miriam observed. Dorian turned red and I had to stare at my plate to avoid laughing at his discomfort.

My friend stepped back from her chair and backed into one of the kitchen servers. The poor girl lost her tray and stumbled forward trying to catch it as fresh baked bread went flying in all directions. In spite of his social awkwardness Dorian had never been clumsy and with surprising dexterity he reached out to keep her from falling forward.

Naturally his hand landed firmly on her bosom and the lass in question jerked backward reflexively. I had given up cataloguing the many shades of pink and red Dorian was displaying but he wasn’t done yet. As the girl fell backward he lunged and turned, swept her up and caught her deftly, while his face shifted to a lovely shade of beet red. All the noise in the dining hall stopped expectantly while Dorian stood behind the high table holding the maid in his arms.

Every head in the room focused firmly on him and it was then that something in Dorian’s head finally snapped. He had been pushed beyond some limit of absolute embarrassment and his sanity shattered like a glass dropped on a stone floor. He stared at the room for a long second before breaking into a country jig. After a few steps he twirled and set the girl on her feet but kept one of her hands in his as he spun her out and away as if she was his dance partner.

At the end he released her hand and made an elaborate bow to her. The girl was quick on her feet and returned the gesture with a remarkably well done curtsey. The room exploded with applause and cheers. Penny and Rose were standing now as they clapped and I had nearly fallen from my chair. There were tears in my eyes and I felt sure I would die from laughing too hard.

Dorian picked up one of the fallen loaves and sat down triumphantly. “This really is good bread you know,” he announced calmly. “Would you like a piece Rose?” he said offering it to her.

She had already lost her composure with all the laughter, but her wits were second to none. “I think I’d like some privacy first,” she said with a wink.

Dorian’s mind must have returned to normal already, for the remark cost him his ability to speak. He stared at her with his mouth open.

And then Rose did something quite remarkable. She reached up calmly and closed Dorian’s mouth gently before leaning in to kiss him softly on the lips. It was brief but left little doubt about her feelings.

My friend’s eyes refocused as she pulled back. “Would you like to go riding tomorrow?” he asked without blinking.

“That won’t be possible,” she replied with a smile. “I am leaving for the capital in an hour, remember?”

Dorian’s courage was still holding. “Then when we both return?” The hall had gone dead silent again as every ear strained to hear their conversation.

Rose’s playful side was in full control however. “Perhaps…,” she answered coyly.

That was more than Penny could take though. “Rose!” she snapped.

“It was a joke!” protested Rose. “Of course I will Dorian,” she assured him before turning her attention back to Penny. “I’m pretty sure he would have realized I was teasing.”

“Don’t be so sure,” Penny advised her. “I’ve known him most of my life and he can be terribly thick sometimes.”

Dorian looked to me for help while they talked as if he wasn’t there. I shrugged and stuffed a piece of bread in my mouth. Who am I to give advice regarding women? I finished chewing and pointed at the food. “You should eat while they’re ignoring you. Otherwise you’ll be hungry later,” I told him pragmatically.

It was closer to two hours before we actually got underway, but eventually we were all gathered near the circle that would take us to Lancaster. Since I was the only one that could activate the teleportation circles I would have to take Penny and her escort to Lancaster first before returning to take myself, and those coming with me, to Albamarl.

We still had told no one of Penny and Miriam’s unexpected visit to Lancaster. According to our plan I would tell Joe McDaniel and some of the household staff right before I took my final jump to Albamarl. If anyone had plans for Penny or my mother that should effectively disrupt them.

During the war with Gododdin I had constructed an outbuilding in the castle courtyard to house the circles leading to Lancaster and Arundel, as well as one or two other places. Since then I had had the barn like structure replaced with a heavy stone building with double doors to allow for wagons. The larger circles were individually housed within the building, in stone partitioned rooms. Each room was also closed with a heavy wooden door and kept locked.

I had learned the hard way what could happen when an enemy capable of using a circle gained access to my home through one of the matching circles. It had left enough of an impression on me that I still kept a guard on watch inside the building at all times, in case doors and locks weren’t enough.

I stood in the circle for Lancaster now, with Penny and Miriam beside me. Dorian stood before us, resplendent in his new plate armor, and behind us were four more men he had chosen to accompany them. I focused my will and spoke a word and then we were in Lancaster. At my urging James had had it locked up as well, but I was able to unlock the door from within, letting us out into the yard.

The guard there wasn’t expecting us, so he seemed a bit startled when we emerged. Ordinarily if someone unexpected showed up it was just me, or me and one or two other people. Today we came through the doors with five armed men, and one of them looked ready to take on an army.

“It’s me, Willem! No need for the horn!” I said quickly. The poor fellow had his instrument almost to his lips before I got his attention.

He paused, horn in hand, while his eyes finally came unstuck from Dorian and focused on me. Once he recognized me he relaxed. “Oh it’s you Lord Cameron!” he said promptly. “Why do you have an army with you? You scared me half to death.”

Dorian laughed inside his armor, with the visor down Willem hadn’t recognized him at all. He lifted it to grin at the guard. “What? No greeting for an old friend?”

“Dorian!” shouted the man, recognizing him at last. “Where did you get that armor?”

I was a bit proud that my handiwork would elicit such an excited response but I had other things to do. While they caught up with one another I gave my mother a hug before turning to Penelope. “I’ll miss you,” I said.

“It’s just a week or so,” she answered. “It will be nice catching up with Genevieve and Ariadne. I haven’t seen either of them in almost two months. I’m more worried about you. Try not to start a civil war while you’re in Albamarl.”

She was smiling as she said it, but there was a definite undertone of seriousness. My mother leaned forward to interject, “Think about Lady Rose. If you start a war she’ll never be able to marry Dorian.” I could only guess that she was referring to the fact that Rose’s father served the king rather closely. I doubted that her father’s disapproval would stop Rose from marrying anyone she chose, but I did have to admit it could make things awkward.

“I’ll try to wait till after they’re married before I start a war then. Will that be alright?” I asked jokingly.

Dorian naturally picked that moment to tune back into our conversation. He turned around and asked, “Who’s getting married?”

“No one currently my friend,” I replied. “Would you mind giving the duke and duchess my regards? I’m afraid I need to get on my way,” I said hoping to distract him.

“Certainly,” he said.

I leaned forward and gave Penny a quick kiss before stepping back into the room housing the circle. With a wave I was gone before Dorian could ask any more questions. The ladies could tell him whatever they liked; I wanted no part of it.

Back in Castle Cameron I gathered up Harold, Rose, and my own set of four guards. The circle that led to my house in Albamarl was smaller, so I would be able to take no more than two people with me at a time. I turned to Joe McDaniel before making the first trip. “I’ll be gone for at least a week. Try not to tell anyone that Penny and Miriam have gone to Lancaster until this evening. If someone is planning something I’d like to give them as little time to recover as possible.”

“Don’t worry your lordship! Dorian will take good care of them and I’ll be sure to keep my lips sealed till dinnertime at the very least,” he said in return.

With that I began taking my companions to Albamarl. I transported Harold and the guards in two trips before making the final one with just Rose. “Are you ready my lady?” I asked her while offering my arm.

She raised an eyebrow. “This is far different than the manners you displayed the last time I went through a portal with you.”

I had forgotten that incident and it embarrassed me when I remembered. I had been in a rush and had brought her back to Cameron by force. Worse I had slapped her rear to get her moving, much like a drover might slap a mule. At least that had been how I explained it to Penny. I blushed, “I’m sorry Rose. I should have apologized sooner.”

She took my arm and we stepped into the circle. “No need to apologize. You were under a lot of pressure at the time. I just wanted to make sure you knew that I had not forgotten.”

I started to ask her what that meant but then I decided I probably didn’t want to know. With a word I took us to Albamarl.