"The King will see you now. You will be required to use proper courtesy in the presence of His Majesty." King Edward’s page told us, not mentioning anything about the two hour wait we had. I turned my head to face Eleanor. "Are you ready?" I asked her. She met my gaze with a worried frown. "I don't know. It's not every day you stand in the presence of the King. Why would he call us here? Did we do something wrong." I smiled reassuringly. "No, I'm sure if we had done something wrong, we would be in the dungeons by now." Her eyes widened, and I immediately regretted my teasing. "Sorry, not a good time. I get it."
"The King does not like to wait, maidens." Ugh, there's that page again. I took a deep breath, grabbed my sister's hand, and stood up. He led us through a set of humongous wooden doors, down a long passageway, through another set of doors, and we were in the throne room.
“Your Majesty, the maidens Addelina and Eleanor,” The page introduced us, and we curtsied. “You may rise.” The King’s loud, booming voice echoed through the large room. Eleanor squeezed my hand. The King snapped his fingers and a servant set two chairs down a few feet away from the throne. He gestured towards the seats. "By all means, have a seat." We crossed the room and sat down.
"I mean no disrespect, my Lord, but why have you summoned us today? We are simple women of the kingdom." I asked timidly. He sighed and rested his temple on his hand. "A fair question. I understand you are both huntresses? Not a very ladylike position." Eleanor sat up a little straighter, quick to defend her skill. "We provide for ourselves, and do not rely on anybody for help." Realizing her boldness, she quickly added, "With all due respect, your Majesty."
He let out a small chuckle. "Forgive me, I mean no rudeness. In fact, I think your skill is just what I need. Neither of you are married yet, I assume?" We nodded. In our eyes, men caused extra problems. Not the men themselves, exactly. We had a brother we loved dearly. Unfortunately, Aaron passed when he was just a mere boy of seven years and we were ten. It had been nine years since the accident in the river, but the women who had lived there long enough knew not to let children roam the woods alone.
King Edward clapped his hands and a maid came running. He turned in his throne to face her. “Idelia, prepare some tea. I’m sure these maidens are parched from their walk here.” The girl nodded curtly and left the room by a door at the far end, probably a servants hallway to the kitchen. He turned in his seat once more with a brooding look upon his face. Me and Eleanor exchanged a worried look, neither of us knowing what he was thinking or why he would need us for anything.
Idelia returned just a few minutes. “The tea is ready to be served, Your Majesty.” He rose from his seat on the throne. “Thank you, Idelia.” She nodded and turned to face Eleanor and me. “Miladies, if you will please come this way, the King will have tea with you in the royal library.” I smiled at her and followed her lead through the castle.
After a journey through the long, winding halls of Castle Astiria, we finally arrived at the library. The two guards standing at the entrance bowed to the King, then rose and pushed open the tall oak doors. I heard Eleanor gasp as we entered.
The library was magnificent. The ceiling must have been twenty feet high, and on it, a breathtaking painting of the night sky. Bookshelves filled with wonderful stories covered every wall. And in the center of the room, a great fireplace and a sitting area of couches and pillows. It looked like something out of a fairytale.
Idelia sat us down on a couch and poured the tea into little teacups. When she had finished, she curtsied and left the room. The King smiled at us. “I take it you enjoy my library?” We nodded our heads emphatically. “Yes, my Lord, it’s magnificent!” I complimented. The King sighed, and his wearisome frown came back to his face. “This is my favorite room in the entire castle. When I was just a young boy I used to play hide and seek in here with my sister. Some days I wish I could still do that.” The last words he said quieter, almost as if he was in a trance.
I saw that Eleanor was confused. “Why ever would a King wish to hide?” She asked. I quickly understood what she was asking, and added my own question. “Is that why you’ve called us here, your Majesty?” The King nodded his head slowly. “I’ve been hearing reports of some type of monster terrorizing villages in the northern parts of the kingdom.” I leaned forward, my interest sparked. “What type of.. monster do you mean?” His shoulders gave a little shrug. “No one’s really sure. Some say a dragon, others say it’s a flying serpent, and some have labeled it to be a gargoyle of sorts. Unfortunately, our hunters haven’t been able to kill it, and none of the soldiers I’ve sent have returned. I hesitate to send more then a small group for fear of sending people into a panic.”
I realized what he was saying, and heard Eleanor take a sharp breath, also understanding. “You want us to go after it.” Her quiet voice barely reached the king’s ears. He sighed. “That’s correct. I think you two are my last hope before I send a whole army. I hate to ask one lady, much less two, but you are more skilled than several of my best hunters put together! Please know you have a choice, to go or to stay. I wouldn’t force two innocent maidens after a monster that has killed groups of soldiers alone. There will be no consequences if you turn the quest down, but I promise you great rewards for completing it.”
I turned to Eleanor, and we somehow conversed through our stares. She gave a little nod, and I took a deep breath. We turned back to the King, and said together, “Your Majesty, we’ll do. You have our solemn oath.” A grateful smiled blossomed on the King’s face. “Wonderful! You leave at dawn.”