Chapter Twenty-Five

Although it was late, and his wife lay sleeping peacefully beside him, Fiyero couldn't sleep.

Fae's strange behaviour of late was troubling him. He had been stunned beyond words when she had entered the throne room unsummoned like that, and then to simply invite him and Avaric to dinner! She knew the laws, and the penalty for breaking them, but something had driven her to risk her life. And then at dinner, she had acted casual but Fiyero knew there was something troubling her.

And although she had smiled, and made an effort to act as normal, there was a light missing from her eyes, and Fiyero was worried.

Giving up on the idea of sleep, Fiyero slipped out of bed and left the room, being careful not to wake Fae. He headed to his study and sat at his desk, planning to at least try and be productive and do some work. But amongst a pile of papers on his desk, Fiyero found the court records for the past six months.

Dillamond had brought it to him when he returned from Ugabu, so that he could catch up on everything he had missed while he had been away at war, but Fiyero had been completely unmotivated to read them.

With a heavy sigh, he picked up the large tome and opened it to a random page. The date placed it a month before he left for Ugabu, and he decided that was as good a place to start reading as possible.

It was dry, tedious reading, but Fiyero found it brought him closer to sleep than anything else had, so at least he stood a chance of getting some sleep tonight, if only at his desk.

And then he read something that made his heavy eyes jolt open.

"Shell Thropp uncovered plot by Tibbett and Crope to assassinate the King. Tibbett and Crope apprehended and executed. Shell's service to the King recorded, the King is in his debt."

Fiyero stared at the words in horror. He remembered the incident, of course he did, and he remembered Shell. What he didn't remember was making any sign of public recognition of Shell's service. He hastily scanned over the next few pages, looking for any mention of it, but once it listed Fiyero and the army leaving for Ugabu, he gave up.

He felt horrible. Shell had shown him tremendous loyalty, and he had done nothing to publicly recognise or thank the man! Privately, he had thanked him yes, but saving the King's life deserved something more than a mere "Thank you!"

As soon as it was a somewhat respectable hour, Fiyero called an eunuch to him and sent for Avaric to be brought to him immediately. Needless to say, Avaric was confused and faintly alarmed that the King should need his services to early in the morning.

"How can I help you, Your Majesty? You look troubled."

Fiyero nodded distractedly. "I am, Avaric. I wish for your advice on a very serious matter."

"Of course, sire."

"How do you suggest is the best way to honour a man who has done great service to the King and the crown, and shown great loyalty?"

Avaric was surprised, and then suddenly, in his mind, it all made sense. The banquet with the Queen, the second one tonight and this sudden meeting of the King needing his "advice" on something. He was going to be publicly rewarded for his services to the crown!

Deciding to play along with however the King wanted to go about this, Avaric nodded solemnly, as though in great thought. Then, he preceded to describe everything he could think of that he would want when he was honoured by the King.

"Well, if the man you are choosing to honour truly has done a great service to Your Majesty, and proven himself to have favour in your sight and be a loyal subject….. I suggest you take a royal robe, one you have worn to a public affair so that all will recognise it as yours. Then the man should be lifted atop Your Majesty's horse and led through the streets of the City by a high court official, proclaiming that 'This is a man who has found favour with the King!'"

Fiyero nodded thoughtfully. "That seems fitting. Very well, Avaric, this is what I want you to do. Make the arrangements for the robe and the horse. Then go down to the front gate and get the guard named Shell Thropp. He is the man I am honouring today, and I'd like you as my Royal Vizier, to be the high court official to lead him through the city streets."

Avaric was flabbergasted, at what the King was asking him to do. The King was honouring Shell? The same Shell who had shown him such disrespect? The Munchkin?

"Shell Thropp?" he repeated, hoping he'd misheard or that this was some kind of joke.

"Yes. And I wish for this to be done today. That will be all, Avaric. Thank you."

Avaric knew he had been dismissed, but it still took him a moment before he could move. He felt sick. He would be forced to lead the vermin through the streets, proclaiming him as a loyal servant of the King? The image made him shudder, but he couldn't refuse a direct order from the King.

Reluctantly, Avaric fetched the royal robe and called for the stable boy to saddle the King's horse, before sending an eunuch to fetch Shell and bring him up to the castle.

"Excuse me, Shell Thropp?"

Shell, standing at his post and wondering if Elphaba had approached Fiyero yet, was startled to hear someone speak his name.

"Yes?"

The eunuch bowed his head. "Sir, you have been summoned to the castle immediately."

Shell's heart leapt. "The Queen sent for me?" he asked hopefully.

The eunuch shook his head. "No, sir. The Royal Vizier."

Shell's heart sank back down past his stomach, and his face whitened. If Avaric had sent for him, it could be nothing good. He was certain he was being led to his execution.

To find Avaric waiting there for him, with a royal robe for him to wear and to be informed he was to be led through the city streets on the King's horse for his loyalty was more than Shell could fathom.

He was in a state of disbelief as he saddled the horse and Avaric took the horse's reins, leading him out of the stable and towards the gate.

Slowly, the citizens began to catch wind of what was happening, and began to flock to the streets to watch as Avaric led the horse, with Shell seated comfortably on the animal's back, calling out "Make way for Shell Thropp! This is a man who has found favour with the King!" in a loud, clear voice.

The people weren't exactly sure what Shell had done to deserve such an honour, but they knew it must be great, so they began to cheer and applaud, which spread through the streets quickly.

Avaric was loathing every moment of it. His voice was hoarse, his feet ached, and he felt such a surge of hatred for the man on the horse behind him, he could hardly stand it.

When the procession finally came to a stop, it was late afternoon. Avaric was hoping to have a chance to shower, shave and dress in his nicest clothes for his banquet with the King and Queen, but Kos, the eunuch who met them to escort Avaric to Kiamo Ko shook his head.

"I'm sorry, sir. We have no time. Her Majesty insists on starting precisely at sunset, and she won't stand for tardiness. If you are not there on time, I will be forced to decline the invitation on your behalf."

Of course, Elphaba had no such protocol, but Boq was enjoying his rare moment to be able to make Avaric suffer. Sure enough, Avaric's face reddened and he spluttered.

"But… I am filthy! Surely I cannot come before Her Majesty in this state?"

"Sir, I must insist," Boq replied gravely, Avaric reluctantly agreed and so headed up to Kiamo Ko, sweaty, smelly and exhausted.

But that was soon to be the least of his worries.