***
It felt good to Mahntra' Bhu to be back in the palace although it did seem a little strange not to be wearing his robes of office. Instead he padded along in soft sandaled feet, a loose tunic and drab breeches. He felt almost guilty, but fought back the feeling.
He meandered down the ornate halls to the Keeper's Chambers. Servants recognizing him would stop, smile and bow. He nodded and then stopped to talk for a while, thinking to catch up on the gossip of the place. All his old friends seemed pensive, as if they were afraid to speak. They would look over their shoulders as if afraid to be overheard, then seeing another servant they would bow again and excuse themselves to be on their way. It was odd.
The reminiscent feeling he started with moved to a troubled feeling, gathered from several of these terse conversations, even with the most notorious of gossips, the head chambermaid whom he'd just run into. She'd been the most nervous, only greeting him with a customary hug, then when she saw one of the palace guards coming down the hall had all but dashed off to finish her work.
Mahntra continued on his way, hoping his daughter could shed some light on what was going on. Ever since the queen had died and he'd resigned his position as Chief Keeper, he'd secluded himself at his residence in the city.
That was to give Siri a better chance to assume her new position as the Chief Keeper without him in the way, meddling every time she turned around. It was only right that Siri should take over as Chief Keeper since Mouhra' Lah was to be the new queen and Siri had been her constant companion since she was a little girl. It was as he'd always hoped.
But he hadn’t seen her for so long. It wasn’t like her. Then came the gossip heard on the streets. He’d come to the palace today to find out what was going on. He knew she must be busy. Maybe there was something he could do to help, something he might be able to do.
Mahntra knew he had to keep fighting the urge to jump back into the fray. It was Siri's place now. That was why he'd waited so long to come see her. Now he was glad he did. There was something wrong.
Turning the last corner he came to the doorway of the chambers where he'd spent the majority of his long life keeping the records and archives for the city. He loved history and anything to do with it. Most of all he loved what history taught. For a fact, he knew that what he'd helped the queen learn from the histories had helped prevent at least two wars with the neighboring cities that he knew of. He’d also helped the queen avoid making policy mistakes that had been tried in the past, and had proven ineffective.
It had been hard to let go, but it had been time. Besides, Siri' Bhu had the same love for the histories and prophecies he did. She would often sit at his knee when she was younger and beg to be told the stories, drinking everything in that he could ever tell and still plead for more. It had comforted him when her mother had died, that she'd grown to be such a wonderful and attentive daughter. It was only his love for Siri and his love for the records that had kept him going before the pain had receded. It was Siri's thirst for knowledge, even at such a young age that had given him the new spark of life he'd needed.
Pushing on the large wooden doors, he expected them to swing in like they'd always done, but they didn't move. They were locked.
That's odd. Siri must be in an audience then. He retraced his steps back down the hall to the ramp where he could make his way to the upper levels of the palace. His former position as Chief Keeper still allowed him the run of the palace.