“That wouldn’t be good,” I agreed. “Can we be sure the emissaries you met with aren’t from Holger?”
Torvald chewed on the question while fiddling with his cufflinks. “I could give their descriptions to my spy master and have him ask questions around the city, but it’s doubtful. Halvar has been careful to make his ruse seem legitimate. I don’t go into the city too often but the counselors do. The general wouldn’t risk one of them running into his imposters.”
“Thank you,” I said, causing him to straighten up in surprise. “I dropped this problem in your lap rather unceremoniously and you’ve been so quick to attempt to validate my claim.”
The king’s face softened. “I don’t know much about you, Lady Isa… I mean, Asta. Sorry.”
I smiled. “It’s fine. You can call me whatever you want.”
“To keep up with appearances I think I’ll call you Isa,” he decided before he continued. “You’re my bodyguard; I’m to trust you with my life, so I must trust you in everything else. I admit I’m struggling with the knowledge you’ve given me. I wish you hadn’t told me, but I understand why you did…” He grimaced. “Until we find substantial proof, we must keep this between us.” He gave himself a shake and smiled. “Shall we take a walk before the meeting?”
I nodded and we ventured outside. The ward was dotted with servants dashing to and fro. Children, both royal and not, hurried to school. A group of well-dressed men and women took a stroll around the spring with a handful of servants holding their parasols. It was a beautiful fall morning.
The king directed me to the large stone steps leading to the lower ward. “I’d like to check in on Haskell. If our talk at the dinner table last night doesn’t improve his behavior, I’ll have to think of a suitable punishment.”
“Has he no other father figure that he respects?” I asked. “Perhaps the fact that you’re his brother taints your authority in his eyes.”
The king shook his head. “Helka won’t marry. She claims my father was the only man she ever loved. Bodil married Polk three years ago, but to the day I don’t like the man. I’m worried he’s only interested in the crown’s money. But she loves him dearly, so I’ve refrained from ordering an investigation. He hardly parents Raoul. I’m truly the only fatherly figure my siblings have.”
We walked down the steps, across the chapel, and to the school building. The king acknowledged every child who bowed or wished him a good morning. A couple of nervous bows and curtsies were aimed my way. I nodded and smiled to quell their nerves. Torvald stopped at one of the classroom doors and peeked in through the small window. The woman teaching spotted him, excused herself, and exited the room. The king smiled and stepped back to allow the teacher to enter the hallway. She looked to be our age, with blond hair twisted into a bun at the back of her head, and green eyes. She wore a dark purple dress with a white apron over it. She curtsied before the king.
“Good morning to you, my lord,” she said.
“Good morning, Kalea,” Torvald said. “I’m sorry to disrupt your class.”
Kalea rolled her eyes, a smile tugging at her lips. “You know full well you’re welcome to disrupt my class any day. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“I came because of my brother.”
“He told you about the incident, did he?” Kalea asked, raising her eyebrows.
“From our conversation last night, I assumed he had been spying on and throwing various objects at his classmates from the bell tower again. Is there another incident I should know about?”
The young teacher glanced over her shoulder and through the window in the door, as if looking for Haskell among her students. “He was doing that yesterday, yes, but he was aiming the objects at one particular individual.”
The king frowned. “Who?”
“Mabel, daughter of Counselor Odalis.”
Torvald relaxed. “Ah, yes. According to Evie, Haskell has had his eye on Mabel for some time. I’ll apologize to her and her parents later this evening. Thank you for telling me.”
Kalea nodded. “Of course, sire.” As if finally noticing me, she smiled. “Who is this that accompanies you, my lord?”
The king turned to me, a bit sheepish. “My apologies. This is Lady Isa, my new bodyguard. Isa, this is Kalea, the daughter of Counselor Rakim, my most trusted advisor.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, miss,” I said.
“The pleasure is mine. I never thought a woman would be chosen by Dotharr in my lifetime.” Kalea took my hand and shook it vigorously. “I’m truly honored!”
“And how long have you known the king?” I asked because their manner toward each other was so informal.
“We grew up together here on the royal grounds. We terrorized our teacher in this very classroom when we were children.” Torvald shot Kalea a sly look. “Dare I call you my friend after the island’s anniversary celebration two years ago?”
Kalea laughed. “I forgave you a long time ago for that particular disaster, sire. It’s safe to call me your friend.”
The king smirked. “Then why must I beg you, once again, to call me Torvald?”
“Because my mother still scolds me whenever she catches me being so… familiar with Holger’s ruler.”
“How is your mother?”
“Much better now, thank you. The medicine Dr. Ichiro prescribed performed miracles.”
“Glad to hear it. Well, I won’t keep you from your students any longer. If Haskell misbehaves again, do tell me.”
“I will. It was nice to chat with you for a while. You should disrupt my class more often.” Kalea smiled at me. “I’m glad to have met you. I hope to become better acquainted with you in the future, my lady.” After a curtsey for me and a wink for Torvald, Kalea returned to her class.
The king snapped his fingers. “That’s right! Today is her birthday. I must send her flowers.” He ventured out of the school building with me at his heels. “I’ll have to ask Darnell what I sent her last year.”
“Darnell?”
“My errand man,” Torvald said. “I think it was daffodils and tulips but I can’t be sure…”
The foundation and skeletal structure of the meeting hall were built of stone, but the walls were entirely made of glass. Even from a distance, one could see exactly what was happening in each room except for the few that were curtained off with thick drapes. The king held the door open for me and I walked in.
The lobby’s front desk was a stone counter set a step or two higher than necessary. The woman who sat behind the desk and smiled at us had to look down to meet our eyes even from a distance. Two pillars of stone stood at either end of the room and continued on all the way up to the roof. The floors were made of marble and had lush rugs thrown over them. Comfortable chairs and small tables were stationed on both sides of the room where those waiting for a meeting with the king or the counselors could mingle. There were servants offering refreshments. I was surprised to see people from both the noble and the poor societies waiting to be seen. Children dressed in their best clothes huddled close to their mothers.
“Do you meet with everyone?” I asked.
“The counselors handle most of the visitations during the week,” was the king’s reply. “I only handle the serious cases, but all are welcome to bring their petitions before me once a week in the throne room.”
At the sight of their king, all stood to bow. The guards who had been lingering by the door came to stand before us, warily eyeing the people. But Torvald wasn’t concerned. He smiled and waved graciously as we walked across the lobby. Whispers broke out when the people noticed me.