Where his food came from never crossed his mind when he was younger, just a few months ago. Servants brought it and this seemed to be everything he ever needed to know. To get food you called a servant. He almost regarded this as a very simple and straightforward rule of nature. He did not want to bother anyone now just because he wanted a snack, though, so he went in search of the kitchen. When he found it, he could tell the cooks disapproved of his invasion. He suspected borders and territories existed in the castle, which the servants understood almost instinctively but which he never imagined. Cooks ruled the kitchen. Having royalty in the room made everyone from the head cook to the apprentice dishwasher uncomfortable. It mucked up the whole hierarchy.
Donald made himself a ham sandwich, the creation of which only slightly stretched the extent of his practical culinary abilities, and he left the kitchen with the intent of going back to his room to think about what he had heard this morning.
He would be a royal delegate on a diplomatic mission to Gotrox. It still felt overwhelming. Some part of him tried to imagine it as the start of an adventure full of intrigue and mystery like those in the books in which he used to immerse himself. It did not work. The part of him that dreamed of becoming a hero in a novel still resided within, but some new part of him exerted itself, telling the other part to wait its next turn.
Adventure or not, he would need to keep an eye on this Snyde character. Kwestor was right. Something very shady hid behind this whole situation. If lucky, he might be able to uncover the plot, reveal it to his father and… No, one step at a time. His imagination, or whatever it was that all too frequently took off on these flights of fancy and dragged him along, tried to flap its wings again. Not this time. His days of spinning speculation into daydreams were over. He would not allow himself to be carried away this time. He was in control now, experienced, rational, certainly not a kid anymore. Well, not just now, in any case.
There were likely to be some rather questionable characters with very questionable motivations on this trip. Was this being paranoid? No, it made sense and the thought of being the only person there he could trust worried him. He could end up talking to himself, and he did enough of this already.
While his mind focused on other things, his feet brought him not to his own room but to that of his parents. Oh well, since he was here, maybe he could see his mother. He wanted to ask her something, anyway.
One of the queen’s handmaidens answered his knock at the door of his parents’ apartments. “Good day, Your Highness,” she said with a suppressed smile, suggesting she had recently heard something humorous. Her light brown curls bounced as she bobbed her head in recognition and submission. “Please come in. Your mother is expecting you.”
To his surprise, Donald realized he found the servant girl rather attractive. Palace livery had always seemed to make the servants, if not invisible, then at least unnoticeable to him before. Not like furniture, certainly, because he knew they were people, but while in uniform they were not being people, they were being servants. He had never questioned that this type of separation was perfectly normal and natural. Recently it seemed the servants were somehow allowing their humanity to show through. Or maybe he just noticed it more.
“Thank you.” He smiled shyly.
She expected him? How could his mother be expecting him? He did not even know he was coming here until just now.
“Donny, honey!” she called out, closing an open book and rising from a chair near one of the windows.
“Hello, Mother. I do wish you would stop calling me that.”
“What? Oh, but that’s just…”
His glower stopped her.
“I’m sorry. You’re right. You’re a big boy now and I should address you as one.”
Big boy? Well, one step at a time.
Her expression changed as though she suddenly saw something unexpected. “I mean, young man.”
He nodded recognition for the mild improvement.
“I had a feeling you’d come here to see me about the mission to Gotrox,” she continued. You want to know why it is you, don’t you?”
“No, actually I was wondering… Why is it me?”
“Well, according to your father, you were the most logical choice. Allan is busy learning to be a king, and as the heir, he really should stay in the capital at a time like this. Robert is doing important work for the military. Also, he might be too, well, I guess ‘rigid’ might be a good word, for something like this. He’s not really one for imaginative thinking. Your father believes you are. Sometimes this can be a good thing, and he thinks this might be one of those times. Robert sees facts but you see beyond facts, he said.”
“He did?” Praise from the king, even for his children, came rarely.
“Yes, he did. He also said that, more often than not, what you see isn’t really there, but you know him. He has to balance everything. Nothing is all one way or another with him.”
“Yes, I know.”
“Where was I? Oh, yes. Your sister Chastity would be a bad choice for several reasons, but we don’t need to go into those. You, well, you were available. And your father thought, in his own peculiar way, that this could be a reward for you for showing concern and determination. He often appreciates intent even more than results. Believe it or not, I think you’ve impressed him.”
More praise? There must be a flip side. “But he didn’t believe me.”
“He didn’t disbelieve you either. But one piece, even if it’s in the proper place, does not solve the puzzle. Not the best analogy, perhaps, but I think you know what I mean. He’s got to look at the big picture even if he’s not sure what it is.”
Her expression changed and she pointed to an empty chair. “Please take a seat and make yourself comfortable. You don’t need to stand at attention like that. You’re family.”
Donald had not been able to truly relax since learning he would be included in the mission to Kartok.
“That’s better,” his mother said. His attempt to appear comfortable must have worked.
“The way your father sees it, the primary duty of a king is to protect his kingdom. He will not risk failing in that duty. If there is any chance, any chance at all, of real danger, he has to take it seriously. He went to bed thinking about this last night. That’s nothing new, of course,” she added, with a wave of her hand. “He’s gone to bed thinking about it for quite some time. What I meant was, he was thinking about what you said. I think you’re the first person in a long time to suggest the magic statue thing is just plain silly. Since that’s what he thinks himself, it must have triggered something. Anyway, when he got up this morning, I could tell he’d made a decision. He gets that look, you know. That’s when he said he was sending you to Kartok.
“I didn’t approve at first. You’re still barely more than a boy, after all. But you know how it is when your father gets logical. And you wouldn’t really have to do any negotiating since Horace found that Snyde character.
“I met him for the first time this morning. He strikes me as an oily type, but I suppose that goes with the profession. He’s a lawyer, you know, as well as an experienced negotiator, or so I’ve been told.”
“So I am to go, show the crown, and not say anything,” Donald stated testily.
“Oh, don’t pout. You have to start somewhere. You certainly can’t expect to be put in charge of negotiations on your first diplomatic mission. This really is an honor. Observe and listen. It will be a good learning experience for you.”
He could see her point, but he still could not help feeling he was being ill-treated, used for his title and ignored for his capabilities. But he wanted to see her for a different reason. “What I really wanted to ask was, will I be permitted my own retainers on this mission?”
“Personal retainers? Well, I don’t see why not. Actually, I suppose it’s rather expected. How many would you like to bring?”
“I’m not really sure just yet. I’d like to talk with Kwestor about it. Of course, I’d want
him to come along. And Muce, too, I suppose.”
“That rather sad-faced ranger and the nice young notso bodyguard with the interesting sounding family? I see no problem with that at all. In fact, I think it’s a wonderful idea. I’m sure it would be no problem for you to bring your friends along. I think I might even sleep easier while you’re away, knowing you have some people like that with you. I understand that Snyde fellow is bringing several personal servants, so I don’t see why you shouldn’t be able to do so. I’ll smooth it out with your father, if necessary, but I doubt it will be an issue. Go talk with your gloomy ranger friend and work out the details.”
Donald thanked her and made a slight bow in consideration of propriety. As he turned to leave, his mother added, “Oh, and make sure you bring plenty of clean underwear just in case they don’t include a laundress in the entourage. And pack some warm clothes and bring your mittens. I think we’re headed for an early winter this year.”