Authors Note: I've dealt with the confusing city and kingdom names in my first draft by rewriting the story using the kingdom of Lyon and the capital city being Denbar. Kudos to stormy.hopes for pointing out the confusion!
Chapter 3
One day, as we walked, Daisy told me a tale of the royalty of Denbar.
"When I was a lass, Lyon was a smaller kingdom than it is now. But the king and his army were powerful and hungry for land. They conquered many small monarchies and added the lands and wealth to the great Kingdom of Lyon. There were treaties made with the conquered kings, usually not very fair to them, but at least they weren't beheaded!
"A rumor of a secret related to a treaty circulated among the citizens. In fact, it had to do with that Queen Addeliene I told you about the day we met. Something about a hidden tree, or perhaps it was a pea. I can't recall clearly anymore. It didn't make much sense to me, but then, I'm just a poor woman. I thought, if those royals are making pacts using vegetation, that's their business, not mine."
I laughed with her at the absurd details of her supposed secret treaty.
"For years now, the Queen of Lyon has had to pass a test of her royalty by sleeping on a pea, or is it a tree? I suppose a pea would be easier to ignore than a tree, but if I understand the ritual right, she's not supposed to be able to sleep well, so it must be a tree, yes?"
"Of course, a tree is perfect for identifying a royal maiden." I responded with a smile.
As the weather began to warm and the days grew a bit longer, we were able to find some early wild shoots that were actually quite tasty. We gathered roots and bulbs and seeds as we wandered along. I was so grateful to be in the company of these quiet, gentle people. They had taught me much about surviving in the wild, with just nature and my own skills to serve my needs. I trembled to think what might have become of me if I hadn't accepted their offer, if I had traveled alone. However, my days with the gypsies were swiftly coming to a conclusion. They were turning south for the spring and summer, and my course continued due east to Denbar.
When I parted company with Daisy, my dusty face was streaked with tears. Her eyes became moist as she told me I had been like a daughter to her, lifting her spirits and providing companionship and solace to a lonely old woman. I had felt as though she had been the one to help me on our journey. With her quiet humor and gentle warmth, she had eased my sorrow over my lost family. My aching heart had been soothed and I had begun to feel alive again. I was surprised and pleased that I had been of any comfort to her. I stood alone on the road watching the caravan until I could no longer see it, then turned my weary feet east and plodded on.
After another eight days of travel, I reached the outer wall of the great city of Denbar. Never in my nineteen years had I seen anything so magnificent. It was a brilliant white. It looked as though sparkling jewels had been imbedded into the wall to catch the rays of the setting sun. I actually walked right up and felt the surface. It was rough and I realized it was made of a sand-clay mixture. The glass in the sand was what made it shimmer so dazzlingly. I was enchanted. When I passed through the main gates, my amazement grew. There were beautiful green things growing everywhere. Down the middle of the avenue there was a stately row of tall trees, their branches arching over the street and shops beneath. Every shop front had window boxes full of sturdy bulbs: daffodils, hyacinth, tulips. They were lovely and refreshing in their energetic colors!
Because of my newly learned scavenging skills, I had not spent much of the money I had retrieved from my home. As I walked past a bakery, the smell of hot bread and sweet pastries overpowered me. I turned around and marched right in. I beckoned to the baker.
"Excuse me good sir, may I purchase one of those buns?"
"I don't know miss, can you? Eh, what I mean is, have you any money?" He looked me up and down, and although he looked kindly, I could tell he thought something was wrong with me. I was confused, until I looked down at myself and imagined what a stranger might think upon seeing me. I was dirty and ragged. I looked worn out; I looked like a gypsy. I hadn't felt uncomfortable while traveling with people who I quickly saw as my equals, although in poor circumstances. Now, I remembered how I had judged them by their worn clothing and pinched looks. After traveling the countryside for a month, I looked like a homeless, penniless waif.
"I have money enough for one of your fine rolls, sir," I said stiffly. It was not pleasant to be thought ill of by a perfect stranger.
The baker took my coin and handed me a roll. It was blessedly hot and my mouth began to water in anticipation of the tender morsel. Before I took a bite, I asked the baker if he knew how to get to the court of Justices. He directed me to follow the tree-lined avenue straight to the center of the city to a large yellow hall. I thanked him and made sure I was out of sight of the shop before devouring my roll infour huge bites. It was delicious, and I realized just how long it had been since I'd had fresh bread.
As I strolled down the avenue, I spied a fountain and, since it was a warm spring day, I decided to take an impromptu bath. I rolled up my dress sleeves as far as I could and tucked my skirts up to wash my legs. The water was surprisingly warm as I washed my arms and face and hair as well. There was nothing to be done about the dirt and fraying edges on my clothing, but at least I felt cleaner on my skin.
When I arrived at the "large yellow hall", my breath caught in my throat. It was immense! Bigger than anything around it by twice or three times. I felt nervous entering, not just because of its imposing structure or my ragged dress, but because this was the culmination of my month of travel. Here I would find the answers to the riddle of my box. Maybe they would have the key to open it and reveal my inheritance. I had fluttering in my stomach as I pulled open the heavy door.
Inside it was cool and somewhat dark. Lamps were lit, but there were shadowy spaces between them. I walked to a desk where an older gentleman sat, watching my approach.
"Name?" he asked in a scratchy voice.
"Pardon me good sir, my name is Addeliene Jashlin Laurentia, and I seek information in association with a certain box in my possession. Are you someone who might be able to offer assistance?" I was as polite as could be.
"Well, missy, I don't rightly know until you show me what it looks like exactly, now do I?" He had sparse white hair and pale blue eyes that looked slightly rheumy. Perhaps the saying that justice is blind was partly literal. I showed him the box, but he couldn't even see the faded etching in the side of it. He shook his head slowly as he turned it over in his hands.
"A box without a key. What about a key . . . a key . . . a key." He was thinking aloud to himself. It was fascinating to watch him puzzle it out.
"I can't say that I can help you with this box at all, missy. But, that name of yours is mighty peculiar. If you're interested, I think I've got a bit of a book that mentions a queen with the name of Addeliene, and a key as a matter of fact. Would you care to have a look at it? I could show you the way, I'm not busy today." He raised his bushy white eyebrows at me and smiled. He was doing his job the best he could, trying to find tangential connections that might help me solve my mystery.
"Yes, thank you, I am actually very interested in information regarding Queen Addeliene." Although it might not help me with my box, I was excited to find out more about my namesake. He directed me to follow him behind the desk and down long hallways formed by towering shelves that crisscrossed the enormous hall. There were sheaves of papers, books, scrolls, and artifacts of all kinds stacked on the shelves. I suppose it was a sort of repository for important legal documentation of all kinds. Finally he found a slender leather-bound volume and led me to a small table with a lamp.
"Here, take your time looking through this, but don't shuffle things around, please! I've got this law library just the way I like it!" He nodded emphatically and wandered off along another long aisle.
On the front of the book Queen Addeliene was beautifully written in golden ink. I opened the leather cover to find a single sheet of paper within. And written in flowing script was not the answer I sought, but another riddle.
Key to the title shall be guarded by the Chief Royal Guard and secreted by him in a place of utmost security. A person entitled to retrieve the key shall have the innate keenness of mind to discover the location of the key and claim the title, which is sealed in the receptacle.
I sat back in my chair and heaved a great sigh. I could have screamed in frustration, but didn't dare in the quiet building. I ran my fingers through my hair and curled them around my head. Leaning my elbows on the table I read the scanty note again and again. Slowly I began to come to conclusions:
Key – I was sure it referred to my key. The coincidence of name was, perhaps, not a coincidence at all.
Title – Perhaps my box contained some sort of legal document entitling me to land.
Chief Royal Guard – That sounded like someone the king would keep close to him, so I'd have to find the royal palace to find the guard.
Place of utmost security – Well, I guessed the palace was probably the best guarded location in the city.
Innate keenness of mind – I supposed that meant, if I could figure out the riddle, I had a right to the title, whatever it was.
Receptacle – If I was on the right track with all of this, my box was some kind of protective holder that was meant to seal the "title" until the key was found by someone with a right to open it.
I read the note so many times I had it memorized. I decided I didn't need to spend any more time in the court of Justices, so I left the book on the table and made my way back to the old man at the desk.
"Did that book interest you?" He asked, blinking his watery eyes and looking hopeful.
"Yes, it turned out to be most helpful. I've left it on the table so as not to disrupt your excellent organization system."
"Good girl, I'll put it back later. I thought it might have something useful in it. I'm very good about this sort of thing, that's why I work here!" He chuckled as he waved me out the door.
Right, so my first order of business was to find the palace and ask to see the Chief Royal Guard. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done.