Rise of a Merchant Prince (27 page)

Roo smiled. “I wonder how Gwen is doing?”

Erik' s brow furrowed. “You're a married man, Roo.”

Reaching under the buckboard, Roo pulled out a bag of provisions and dug out some bread. Yanking off a piece, he stuffed it in his mouth and washed it down with another gulp of water. “I'm not that married,” said Roo.

Erik's expression turned dark. Roo held up one hand. “I mean I'm not so married I can't be civil to old friends just because they're women.”

Erik studied his friend's face a moment, then said, “If that's what you mean.”

Duncan returned from looking over the horses and reported, “Everything's fine.”

Roo climbed back up on the buckboard and said, “Well, let's get moving again. The Duke of Salador is expecting this cargo and we're getting a bonus for speed.”

Duncan sighed; the buckboard was about as comfortable as a moving block of stone. “I hope it's a
very good bonus,” he said with poorly concealed ill-humor.

The journey went smoothly. Twice the presence of Erik's guards had speeded up accounting with the local constabulary, saving Roo precious hours. The visit in Ravensburg had been a hasty one, with them rolling into Milo's Inn of the Pintail after sundown, and leaving before sunrise, without seeing Rosalyn and her family. Erik promised his mother he would linger on the way back.

In Darkmoor, if the local guards recognized Erik or Roo they said nothing. Still, Roo found he felt considerably better once that city had fallen behind them.

As a child, Roo had accompanied his father on the journey to Salador only twice, and now he saw the Eastern Realm with the eyes of an adult. The lands through which they passed had been cultivated for centuries. Farms were tidy to the point of appearing like miniatures painted by artists when seen from the distant road. Compared to this, the Western Realm was still rough-hewn, and the lands across the sea primitive and wild.

They reached the city gates at noon and Erik hardly slowed as he passed the City Watch, shouting, “Cargo from the Prince for the Duke!”

One of his soldiers had carried a pennant, which was now unfurled; it bore the crest of the Prince of Krondor. That morning the soldiers had donned the tabards they had carried in their saddlebags, and Roo saw that his escort was comprised of not just city troops but Prince Patrick's own household guard. Roo wondered again what his cargo was, but knew
that he might never find out.

They rode through the city and Roo was astonished at the number of people. Krondor might be the capital of the Western Realm, but it was dwarfed in size by several of the eastern cities. Salador was the second largest city in the Kingdom after Rillanon, and it took more than an hour for Roo's wagon to roll through the press of the crowds and reach the ducal palace.

The Prince's palace in Krondor sat atop a suddenly rising prominence hard against the harbor. Salador's ruler's home also sat atop a hill, but over a mile from the harbor. A long, sloping hillside led down into the heart of the city, and far beyond that, Roo could see the harbor.

“I always forget how damn big it is,” said Duncan.

“I never realized,” was all Roo said.

They reached the palace and Erik announced them to the palace guard. The guard waved the wagon through while another ran to the main hall to inform the Duke. A third guard directed Roo's wagon to a large double-door entrance set off to one side of a sharply rising broad flight of stairs.

Duncan said, “Must be important people who get to walk up those steps.” He leaped down from the wagon and with a nod of his head toward the door said, “For the common folks.”

Roo said, “Did you expect anything else?”

Duncan sighed, rubbing his backside in exaggerated relief. “All I know is that tonight I want a hot tub to soak in and a hot woman to keep me warm the rest of the night”

Roo smiled. “I'm sure that can be arranged.”

The doors to the palace opened, and down the steps came a well-dressed young man with a court retinue following behind. Then Roo noticed that the retinue was arranged in a loose circle around an elderly woman. Easily in her eighties, she still moved with a sure step and carried herself erect She held an ornate walking stick with a golden hilt, but it was as much for effect as for support. Her grey hair was swept up in a fashion new to Roo, and set with jeweled pins of gold.

The young man moved to where Erik waited, and Erik bowed. “My lord.”

“Grandmother,” said the young man to the elderly woman, “it's here.” The two large doors next to the steps opened, and servants in the livery of the ducal household ran forth. The young man waved his hand toward the wagon and they began to untie the tarpaulin covering the cargo. The six large boxes were carefully handed down.

The woman pointed to the first box. “Open it.”

The servants complied; the woman poked into a loose assortment of clothing and moved it around with her walking stick. “This isn't much to show for a lifetime, is it?”

Roo and Duncan exchanged glances, and the young man said to Erik, “Tell cousin Patrick we are all grateful for this. Grand-mother?”

The old woman smiled, and Roo saw a hint of youthful beauty that must have been something to behold. “Yes, we are thankful.”

She motioned for her servants to pick up the boxes and said, “Arutha . . . he was always special to me. After my husband, I miss him most of all.” She seemed lost in thought, then said, “Duncan.”

Duncan stepped forward, confusion on his face, as the young man said, “Grandmother?”

“Ma'am?” asked Duncan.

The old woman glanced at the two men and smiled. “I was speaking to my grandson, sir,” she said to Duncan Avery. “I take it your name is also Duncan?”

Duncan removed his hat and swept into his most courtly bow. “Duncan Avery at your service, ma'am.”

To her grandson the woman said, “Tell your father I shall join his court shortly, Duncan.”

The young man nodded, glanced at the other Duncan, then hurried up the stairs. Coming to stand before Duncan Avery, she peered into his face. “I know you,” she said quietly.

Duncan smiled his most charming smile. “Madam, I hardly count that possible. I am certain had we met I would have no doubt about it”

The woman laughed, and Roo found it a surprisingly youthful sound from one so old. She tapped his chest with her finger. “I was right. I do know you. I married you.” She turned away and, as she returned to the waiting retinue, said, “Or someone very much like you, once, a long time ago.” Without looking back she added, “And if I ever see you within speaking distance of any of my granddaughters, I'll have you horsewhipped from the city.”

Duncan looked at Roo with fleeting alarm crossing his face. Then the old woman looked at him as she mounted the first step, and Roo saw the mischief in her smile as she said, “Or brought to my quarters. Have a pleasant trip, gentlemen.” To Erik she said, “Sergeant, tell my grandnephew I am grateful for
these keepsakes of my brother.”

Erik saluted. “M'lady,” he said.

Roo went over to Erik. “Who was that?” he asked.

Erik said, “The Lady Carline, Dowager Duchess of Salador. The King's aunt.”

Duncan laughed. “She must have been something once.”

Roo elbowed his cousin in the ribs and said, “Seems she still is.”

They returned to the wagons and Duncan said, “So that was the precious cargo? Some old clothes and whatever?”

Roo mounted the wagon and said, “So it seems. But she certainly seemed to set great store by it.”

Duncan mounted the wagon and Roo called out, “Where to now, Erik?”

Erik said, “Inn of the Nimble Coachman. We passed it on the way here. They have the royal account.”

Roo knew that meant he and Duncan would stay the night at the Prince's expense, and he smiled. Every coin he saved now would be put back into the business, to compensate for the riches lost when Helmut was murdered. At the thought of his former partner's murder, Roo's thoughts turned dark again, and he found his merriment fleeing.

The inn was modest but clean, and Roo enjoyed a hot bath after the long journey. Duncan found his willing barmaid and Roo found himself left alone with Erik and the squad of soldiers. Roo motioned for Erik to sit with him, and when he was sure he was out of earshot of the soldiers, he asked in a low
voice, “Do you know what's going on?”

Erik said, “About what?”

“This ‘rush' shipment of old clothing.”

Erik shrugged. “I think it's just some things belonging to the old Prince that Prince Patrick thought his great-aunt would want to have.”

“That part I understand,” said Roo. “I understand why they want me to bring things into the palace.” He left unsaid what they both knew about that contract “But this cargo could have gone to anyone, and why the rush?”

“Maybe the old woman is ill?” said Erik.

Roo shook his head. “Hardly. She looked like she might yank Duncan's trousers down.”

Erik laughed. “She was kind of outspoken, wasn't she?”

Roo said, “Is de Loungville doing me a favor?”

Erik shook his head. “Not him. He has nothing to say in this; fact is, no one in the military does, either our command or the palace. Your selection was handled by the office of the Chancellor.”

“Which means Duke James.”

“I guess,” answered Erik, suddenly yawning. “I'm tired. Why don't you worry about this tomorrow. Besides, who cares if it's a pointless job, as long as it pays well?”

He stood and motioned for his men to retire for the night Roo sat alone for a long minute, and a barmaid came over to see if he wanted anything. She smiled at him. He inspected her with a young man's eyes, then shook his head.

To the chair Erik had just vacated, Roo at last said, “I care.”

Back in Ravensburg, the homecoming was far more festive than before. Knowing that Roo was returning, the locals planned a small party.

Erik and his guards had left Salador the morning after the delivery, while Roo and Duncan had set out to track down some of the mysterious accounts on the ledger Jason had found. A few of them had been known to Karli, and by using deduction during the conversation with those people, Roo identified all those in the Salador area in quick order. With each of those accounts he discovered a different reason for the discretion exhibited by Helmut Grindel. All but one had agreed to continue doing business with Roo's new company, and that one had paid off his account in full. Roo was satisfied with the overall outcome.

Erik had ridden ahead so he could spend a few days in Ravensburg. Roo felt no pressing need to linger in the town of his boyhood and was content to spend but one night there before moving on back to his new home in Krondor.

At least sixty people were crowded into the common room of the Inn of the Pintail, and Erik was grinning at the attention. Roo watched his friend from across the crowded room, feeling envy. Always something of a rogue in Ravensburg, Roo knew everyone but had few friends. Erik, on the other hand, had always been everyone's friend, including Roo's.

Roo smiled despite his somewhat subdued mood. Erik's mother Freida, long the resident rain cloud in Roo's life, came into the room through the kitchen door looking like a sunburst. She smiled at the sight of her son and husband talking together. Marriage
certainly had agreed with Freida, Roo was forced to concede. He wondered if he would ever find such pleasure in wife and family. Thinking of Karli, he felt some concern, yet women had been having babies since the dawn of time and what could he accomplish by being near her? Making his fortune, providing for her and the child, that was the most important thing Roo could do.

“You're lost, aren't you?” asked a feminine voice.

Roo glanced up to see a familiar face. He smiled. “Gwen, hello.”

The girl sat down. An old friend, she reached across the table and patted Roo's hand. “Thought I might run into you and that cousin of yours,” she said. Then with a twist of her head, she indicated Duncan at the other side of the room, deep in conversation with a young girl unknown to Roo. “Seems Ellien found Duncan first.”

“Ellien? Bertram's little sister?” Roo looked again at the girl and saw that she was a little younger than he had thought her to be when Duncan first began flirting with her. The last time he had seen the girl, she had been shapeless. Now, given the plunging neckline of her blouse, he could see some shape had definitely manifested itself over the last three years.

Gwen twirled a strand of her hair absently as she said, “What about you?”

Roo said, “I'm doing fine. I'm owner of a freight company now.”

Gwen's smiled broadened. “Owner? How'd you manage that?”

Roo mentioned the death of his partner, and in the telling of his story, he overstated his own skills only
a little. Freida came by and filled Roo's wineglass, smiling at him while she did.

Roo said, “She's changed.”

“She's found a good man,” said Gwen.

“What about you?” asked Roo, taking a deep drink.

Gwen sighed dramatically. Like most of the town girls his own age, Roo knew, she had spent her evenings down by the fountain in the center of town flirting with the local boys, and unlike most girls, she was still unwed. “The good ones are taken.”

She feigned a pout Drawing a fingernail across the back of Roo's hand, she said, “Things haven't been the same since you and Erik left Ravensburg.”

Roo grinned. “Getting dull?”

“You could say that.” Gwen glanced over at Duncan, who now was whispering something into Ellen's ear. The girl's eyes widened and she blushed, then burst out laughing, covering her mouth with her hand. Softly Gwen said, “Well, that's one little flower that's going to get plucked tonight.” Her sour tone wasn't lost on Roo. It was now obvious that Gwen had heard Duncan was here and had come looking for him.