The door of the manor closed behind the messenger as he hurried inside. His eyes wandered over the marble columns, the fountains, and the paintings.
A smiling young man stopped him. His hair was drawn back, and he wore robes of exquisite red and gold.
"A message for Lord Ilandro. The moment the hawk arrived, I came straight here."
The young man smiled. He could not have been more than sixteen.
"I'll deliver it myself. You've done excellent work."
He placed fifty gold coins in the messenger's hand, and the man's eyes gleamed. He bowed deeply and left.
"A message for you, Lord Ilandro," Tomas said.
"Read it to me. You must begin learning."
Tomas examined the letter. It was sealed with wax bearing the symbol of a mermaid.
"Mermaid... from Queen Siriafil of Ayaton," he said formally.
"You're forgetting something."
Tomas frowned.
"Mermaid, Ayaton. Burning ship, Saraport. Pearl..."
Ilandro raised a hand to stop him.
"You miss the details, Tomas. Everything lies in the details."
"I don't understand."
"How many seals?"
"One."
"And?"
"There are usually two!" Tomas said in surprise.
"Why?"
"Because the Trident is an empire. One for the city-state and one for the empire. The Trident seal is missing."
"Why?"
"A mistake? Haste? Perhaps kings aren't concerned with formalities?"
"I've trained you poorly if you still believe kings write their own letters. And you're bordering on foolishness if you think the people who write such letters are careless or prone to mistakes."
Tomas felt his ears grow hot.
"Then what does it mean?"
"The second seal was omitted deliberately. This message comes from the queen directly to us, beyond the eyes of the Trident."
He smiled faintly.
"Confidential, you might say."
"Confidential?"
"She doesn't want many people to know about it. She expects us to handle the matter discreetly, and that is precisely what we shall do."
Ilandro looked at him.
"We have a talent for discretion, don't we?"
"We do."
"Read it."
Tomas opened the small scroll.
Dear Ilandro,
Queen Siriafil would be grateful if, once the mission is complete, you ensured that the criminal Darmakaya, the Stone Kraken, faced justice in Lothen. His crimes cannot be erased, regardless of the outcome of the present mission.
Along with the gift currently sailing toward you, you will find payment for the knight you mentioned was accompanying him—the noble Kalden Orans. I rely upon him to carry out the criminal's punishment.
If Kalden should fail or disobey, however, then I rely upon you, and you alone, to see the matter completed.
You have the eternal gratitude of Ayaton.
"That woman..." Ilandro muttered. "As much poison as beauty."
"Is she truly that beautiful, Master?"
"You can't imagine. She is careful as well. She dislikes risks."
"She wants the Gargoyle dead? Why?"
"It doesn't matter, Tomas. If that is what she wants, then it will be done. You cannot refuse a queen's request."
"Of course you can. She isn't our queen."
Ilandro shook his head.
"Again, you make mistakes. The kingdom is irrelevant, Tomas. The office is what matters."
He folded the letter.
"She will have what she wants. Prepare the mushrooms in the mortar. Four should be enough, I think."
Tomas obeyed.
He crossed the room and cut four large purple mushrooms from an enormous plant growing along the western wall. He placed them in the mortar, crushed them, and prepared the mixture.
"Leave me alone for a while, Tomas."
Tomas finished the mixture and hurried out. Before leaving, he saw Ilandro draw the heavy curtain and felt the room sink into darkness.
Ilandro consumed the mixture and settled comfortably into his armchair.
Everything began to darken.
Colors appeared before him.
He felt himself slipping free of his body, drifting through a dense black veil. Ahead, he saw distant lights like stars scattered across the universe.
He began to swim among them, searching for the light belonging to the knight Kalden.
It was easy to find. It burned with vital energy and radiated all the emotions he expected.
Yet something about it was distorted, as though the knight had been wounded.
When Ilandro reached him, he saw Kalden standing like an astral figure at an angle, as though his back rested against some unseen wall.
He whispered to him.
"Kalden, this is Ilandro. I bring news from the Queen of Ayaton... and from Lothen."
Kalden seemed trapped in a trance.
"You are to arrest Darmakaya once your mission is complete. Take him to the nearest city, where you will receive further instructions."
"If he resists, kill him."
"Be cautious. He is a capable killer."
"Your honor may compel you to offer him a fair fight, but Lothen requires you to be effective."
"Do not neglect this duty."
"Ilandro."
The mage opened his eyes.
He was drenched in sweat.
He removed his uncomfortable clothes and ordered fresh ones to be brought.
"That settles that," he said.
He poured himself a cup of wine, then filled the glass beside it as well.
"Tomas! Come and drink with me."
The young man heard him from the next room.
Unfortunately, there was no avoiding the invitation.
He clenched his teeth and entered the darkened hall.