Chapter 24-An audience of one.

Sir Reginald and his wife joined the audience line, allowing Shibu to go ahead of them. The Knight with he eye patch touched Shibu gently on the shoulder. When Shibu turned a bit, Reginald put his finger to his lips. Shibu nodded understanding. The one who spoke first in the throne room was the King himself.

Just then, there was a short fanfare and the huge doors at one end of the room opened smoothly, to reveal a stocky, thickset man of short stature. He had a soft white beard and might be mistaken for someone's grandfather. But then, Shibu saw his bright blue eyes, and all thoughts about him being an elderly man fled Shibu's thoughts.

"His most Royal and Serene Majesty, King Louis the forth, King of Bonta and surrounding lands, and Supreme sovereign of All Lands Bonta." One of the footman called out in a deep voice as The King entered, trailing a long, red velvet coat trimmed with soft white fur marked with black spots.

But the monarch's reaction to his grandiose introduction was somewhat different from Shibu's expectations. It took someone with a Ranger's trained ears to hear King Louis whisper something under his breath before His Majesty was seated. Shibu heard Louis whisper

"windbag" and found himself having to surpress a sudden smile that came to his face!

The King was seated on one of two adjoining thrones, and then spoke to the room in a clear and cultured voice.

"The General audience shall commence." Louis commanded. "If you have business with Bonta. Draw near, give your attention, and your petition shall be heard."

Shibu looked up, out and over to one side. He was almost the last in line within the grand throne room.

It was going to be a while before his turn came.

Most of the Bontarians in line used the time to try to quiet their nerves, as many of them had never stood before the King with a request.

Petitions were used for things the Courts of Law did not normally judge. Requests for marriage blessings, the boundaries of estates, lands and farms, pleas for tax relief from the poor, and other matters that were not strictly matters of law.

So the audience began, and one or two people at a time found themselves facing the King, as the Monarch listened to their problems. When each was done speaking, a heavy silence fell upon the room once again. Then, the King spoke, rendering his judgment after considering the problem.

Louis showed himself to be a fair, kindly and generous Sovereign. No matter what decision he pronounced, he sent everyone who appeared before him on their way again with a Gold Sovereign. They were a unique coin of the realm worth one-hundred Kamas!

Shibu gasped lightly as he realized that Sir Reginald had given him two of these already! Their face value was good for a bountiful meal and one nights lodging, anywhere in the White City, with enough left over to afford one person basic transportation to most anywhere between Bonta and Brakmar. For the poorest of his subjects, the golden coin was nothing short of a small fortune! Most average Bontarians kept them as prized souvenirs of a Royal encounter.

As the waiting line grew shorter, Shibu began to think hard about what he would say when his turn came.

He heard Felice and Cici telling him over and over that he was smart and had a good head as well as a fine heart. So Shibu wasn't anywhere as nervous as some of the others in line before the Throne.

Just after King Louis heard a case of a poor widows taxes now that her husband was gone, the King inhaled sharply, and then unexpectedly began to cough. It was a long, loud hacking that echoed terribly in the marble halls, making what was bad sound ten times worse than it was.

Something popped inside Shibu. He had heard one of the old Enutrof miners, who had spent a lifetime breathing rock dust, cursed with such a cough.

The remedy for it always came from Felice, who sent small bottles of healing potion along with every miner who went deep underground.

It took Shibu only a moment for Shibu to react. He stepped out of line in front of Sir Reginald and walked a quick, wide arc from his spot in line to the side of the throne itself, where there was a short flight of steps meant for the King to come and go.

Shibu had moved so quickly that only the last pair of Guards between Shibu and the King were quick enough to block him, just at the bottom of the short steps, barely out of reach of the King. The guards crossed their large halberds in front of Shibu, blocking his way before he could offer the potion to the King.

The entire room seemed to freeze, as the regal coughing fit grew worse, to the point where it seemed the King could not breathe anymore. Shibu saw the older man's face begin to change color, starting with his cheeks. By the time the elderly man could draw a breath, the King was almost as red as a ripe tomato!

Both Shibu and the Royal Guards shared a worried look for a moment, before Shibu sprang into action.

He didn't try to duck under the crossed blades. Rather he took a half step back, and then hopped up and over them instead!

Before anyone could move, Shibu was patting the King gently on the back, and helping him to sit up straight so he could breathe easier. Shibu had seen Felice do this with the older miners time and again, and doing it now seemed more like reflex than any sort of plan.

As soon as the hacking stopped, and Shibu could spare a hand, he took a small glass bottle from his pocket, broke the wax seal on the bottle, and while supporting the King's head with a gentle touch from the other hand, quickly poured the warm, ruby red extract down the King's throat in small quick sips, that would still allow the King to breathe.

"There, Your Majesty, gently now." Shibu whispered to him softly.

Slowly, and with some effort, King Louis pulled his first breath in more than a minute from the air. As the King drew a breath, the entire room around both He and Shibu fell absolutely silent.

Shibu watched as hearty color returned to the King's cheeks, and Louis' eyes cleared from a frosty blue haze to a blue like the night sky in summertime. Clean, clear and bright.

Shibu smiled at the King, who began to smile in return, just before the heavy mailed glove of one of the Royal Guards landed hard on Shibu's shoulder and yanked him up, back and away from his patient.

"You young wretch!" Proclaimed the Guardsman as he held Shibu up by one arm, like a lamb being auctioned off in the marketplace. "You would poison his majesty, would you?" The guard snarled. "We have ways of dealing with your kind, boy!"

"Release the boy, or suffer my sword, Ruffian!" A voice called from the back of the room.

The remaining people in line scattered to both sides of the room, leaving only empty space between Sir Reginald, His Lady wife, their daughter, and the Throne.

The Knight with one eye broke into a short fast run that came to a sudden stop after a few steps. Then he shifted his weight back, and simply glided across the mirror polished marble floor toward the Throne as if he were riding an invisible wave of water.

In just a moment, the point of Reginald's rapier was exactly one inch from the Royal Guards nose!

"Release him, Brigand, or the King shall hear your name.' Reginald commanded sharply.

The Guard set Shibu back on his feet as if the boy wearing the unique hat was made of blown glass!

"Hold There!" a gravel voice rose from between them. "The King is Here, and what manner of farce is this?" King Louis demanded, sounding angry.

Sir Reginald went down on one knee at once before the King.

Shibu, standing to one side of the Throne did the same, only because it put him out of reach of the Royal guard long enough to speak to King Louis.

"Is your Majesty well, I hope?" Shibu asked simply.

It was the first moment the King had to realize that he was breathing again, and his cursed cough was gone!

"Yes, Boy, Yes, I am, Thanks be to you. Do we know your name?"

"I am Shibu, of Amakina Village, Potion maker, Your Majesty, and no one of any account. I wished only to help your Majesty in a moment of trouble." Shibu explained in as few words as he could.

The King turned his head a bit and his eyes sparkled as the monarch saw an old friend.

"Sir Reginald! How glad we are to see you again!" The King said, sounding warm and friendly rather than angry. "So you stand for this boy, do you?"

"Yes, Your High Majesty. He has shown kindness and sympathy to your subjects in distress, and he presents a fine and noble spirit."

"Indeed!" the King answered. "He moved to help me before any of my guards, it would seem."

Shibu could not help but smile a bit as all four of the royal guards shrank back, and as far as they could get from the King while still standing in the throne room!

"We shall hear him, then." The King decided, and looked down slightly at Shibu, his blue eyes now casting a much gentler light.

"So tell me, Lad with the eyes of pure Blue, why have you come before us?" the King asked.

"Your Majesty, My Mother and I made these potions for the Guard Royal, under a warrant promised by Count Maxim." Shibu explained calmly. "I have brought samples for you to judge if our work is worthy of your trust."

"Count Maxim?" The King repeated, sounding somewhat scornful. "His account will be settled soon enough, young Shibu." The King gestured with two fingers, ever so slightly, and all four of the embarrassed guards had a chance to depart, leaving via a wide door just to one side of the Throne itself. This done, King Louis looked back at Shibu, the anger gone from the Ruler's eyes.

"Your potions have proved themselves valuable to us, and that is all that matters." The King told Shibu slowly.

"We shall endorse them for our Guards, and for ourselves." The King told him. As Shibu smiled, the King made a more general announcement to his Court.

"Shibu and his family shall receive a Royal Warrant from mine own hand, that Bonta may have and use such medicine in her times of need."

Thank you, Your Majesty." Shibu said with simple kindness. "I am glad you are better."

"Ah yes, My lad. Years ago there was a terrible war and the whole city was under siege. The attackers burned tar and oil, making huge clouds of poisonous black smoke. Those of us defending Bonta were stricken by it, and even after all these years of peace, we still carry a terrible cough to remind us of those terrible days, You See?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." I will help you and all of Bonta in any way I can. My Mother is Felice of Amakina Village, and she can make any sort of potion that can be made. I am her son, and apprentice."

Shibu's more detailed introduction seemed to stop the King where he sat for a moment.

"Felice?" he wondered, aloud but gently under his breath as his now clear blue eyes took on a distant gleam of memory. "Please, we would know more about you, my lad." The King asked in a subdued voice,

"Shibu has a noble spirit, and helps everyone he can. We saw that today when Shibu helped us find our lost daughter. I wish many others in Court had a heart like Squire Shibu's, Great King Louis."

When Sir Reginald was finished speaking, there came to King Louis's eyes a bright blue shimmer of inspiration.

"Your wish is my command, old friend." The King replied with what passed for a trace of a smile. The monarch of Bonta gathered himself slowly, to sit up more correctly and formally upon the throne.

"Lend me your sword, will you, old friend?" King Louis asked.

Instantly, Sir Reginald flipped the sword he was holding in his grasp, offering the hilt of the sword over his forearm, to the King.

Louis, who was still seated upon the Throne, swished the blade through the air in a well practiced figure eight motion which was still natural and fluid, in spite of the King's advancing years.

"Shibu?" The King called out firmly.

Shibu stood up at once, and stepped quickly to the front of the throne, the proper five paces distant from the King.

King Louis smiled gently at the boy as he directed him with the point of the rapier.

"Kneel before us, Shibu of Amakina." The King recited.

Shibu dropped smoothly to one knee before the throne.

King Louis wielded the sword, making the same figure eight motion slowly with the blade before he tapped Shibu gently upon each shoulder with the flat of the blade.

"We create you a Noble of Bonta, to be henceforth known as Squire Shibu of Amakina Village, and potion maker to the Guard Royal." King Louis announced solemnly to his court. "And holder of the Royal Warrant for potions used by the throne." Arise, Squire Shibu, and be recognized by the nobles and ladies of Bonta, for your gallant conduct to our subjects, and your unselfish assistance to the throne."

King Louis offered Sir Reginald his sword back, and the man in the eye patch took it with a deep and reverent bow to the King. But even as he bowed, Shibu saw Sir Reginald Smile broadly in his direction.

"With your Majesty's kind permission, I shall withdraw for now, to await your pleasure, along with my Lady wife and my daughter. I trust that Your newest Squire shall keep matters well in hand for Your Majesty."

"Granted with all our heart, my most loyal of Knights." The King replied. "We shall hope to see you all tonight, at the Grand Banquet."

"With the greatest of pleasure and anticipation, Sire."

Sir Reginald put out his hand, and he and his wife, carrying their cherubic daughter walked in a slow and courtly manner toward a side door, opened for them by one of the footmen.

As the couple walked away, their daughter caught sight of Shibu again, and the little girl blew him a gentle kiss!

Shibu's cheeks were slightly rosy as he turned his attention back to the Throne.

The long line of people waiting to see the King, had long since reassembled once the momentary excitement was gone, and they waited respectfully once again to see the King. All of them, along with the ladies and the gentleman of the court gathered in the audience chamber broke into a rousing round of more than polite applause.

Shibu did what came naturally to him. He stood up, and stood next to the right side of the throne, bowing from the waist, the way Cici had taught him when addressing someone from court.

The members of the court knew the gesture, and their gratitude and applause grew louder. It continued for a minute or two, before another guard, posted outside the throne room slipped easily and quietly into the room. He approached the throne from the left side, and whispered into the ear of the King.

After a moment, King Louis held up his hand, and the throne room fell absolutely silent.