‘Queen of Dreams,’ Queen Danise said solemnly with a bow.
‘Welcome to the First Realm, Queen Danise,’ Taggie replied. ‘Did the War Emperor send you?’ she asked hopefully.
‘No, I am here purely as a mother.’
Lantic turned a deeper shade of red.
‘Then please, let’s keep this informal,’ Taggie said.
The others all found themselves seats. Taggie was pleased to see Earl Maril’bo sitting next to Lord Colgath. ‘Can I ask you, how does the War Emperor respond to the items and news I sent with Captain Feandez?’
Queen Danise gave her a puzzled look. ‘Captain Feandez has not yet returned to Shatha’hal. We know he left London with you. Everyone assumed you had imprisoned him here. The War Emperor was outraged.’
‘No, he left for Shatha’hal two days ago . . .’ Taggie gave Dad a desperate look.
‘On our way here, we saw some wreckage floating on the sea just outside the fjord that leads to Harrolas,’ Mr Anatole said. ‘The pieces looked to be from a First Realm schooner.’
Taggie let out a cry of dismay. ‘Oh no! Feandez had to reach the War Emperor, he simply had to. That was the only bullet we had as proof.’ She bunched her hands into fists, and pressed them against her forehead. ‘Why did I send him? I should have gone myself.’
‘You know why you didn’t go,’ Lantic said softly. ‘The Gathering would have found a way to prevent you from going after Mirlyn’s Gate. My father wants revenge for my brother’s murder. I don’t think he cares about the price.’ He glanced at his mother. ‘His grief is . . . powerful.’
Taggie drew herself up. ‘I’ll go and confront the Gathering. They’ll have to believe me when I tell them about the bullets. I am still a Queen, their equal.’
‘But that might be exactly what your opponents want,’ Lantic said, looking pensive. ‘Katrabeth and Queen Judith are playing some strange game of their own, I’m sure of it.’
‘Prince Lantic is right, darling,’ Dad said. ‘Everything your aunt does helps to bring the invasion a step closer.’
‘What are you saying?’ Queen Danise demanded. ‘Why was the captain so important to you?’
‘I’ll explain,’ Prince Lantic said. ‘In fact, you’d better know everything.’
When he finished telling his story, Queen Danise reached over and took his hand. ‘You have visited the Fourth Realm?’ she asked. ‘How delighted Rogreth would be at such an exploit. Out of all of us, he never doubted you would ultimately fulfil into your role as prince.’
‘And you, Mother?’ Prince Lantic asked in a nervous voice. ‘What do you think of me?’
‘I am as proud now as I have always been,’ she said with a sweet smile. Then her expression hardened. ‘But I am also appalled that all of you would be so foolhardy. The Fourth Realm, indeed!’
‘Hear, hear,’ Dad muttered.
‘Well, I’m going to the Realm of Air next, Mother,’ Lantic said defiantly. ‘I’m going to play my part in stopping the war. What father is doing . . . Rogreth would never have wanted it.’
‘I know,’ she said, and kissed him lightly. ‘Did you really animate a bronze statue?’
‘He animated two,’ Lord Colgath rumbled. ‘It was impressive.’
Queen Danise couldn’t quite bring herself to look at the Dark Lord. Instead she turned to Taggie. ‘So you have no proof left, you say?’
‘Nothing physical we can show to the Gathering,’ Taggie agreed. ‘Just my word.’
‘And my son’s word,’ Queen Danise said. ‘Which is much more important than any physical evidence.’
‘Not to the Gathering,’ Taggie replied forlornly. ‘And certainly not to my aunt.’
‘I have been uncomfortable with Queen Judith for some time,’ Queen Danise confided. ‘My husband relies too much on her council.’
‘Something must be done to convince the War Emperor,’ Dad said. ‘Perhaps it’s best if I go to Shatha’hal and confront him.’
‘No,’ Queen Danise said firmly. ‘I will return to the Second Realm with this news. Queen Judith might hold my husband’s attention in the Gathering, but at home he listens to me.’
‘Thank you,’ Taggie said.
‘Not everyone is in favour of war,’ Queen Danise told her. ‘You have more supporters than you might think, Queen of Dreams, in places you would not expect. The recklessness of the Kings must be held to account. There are too few voices in the Gathering that dare question what is happening.’
Taggie managed a weak grin. ‘Yes, how is my mother?’
‘She refused my offer to accompany me here,’ Queen Danise said.
‘The Queen Mother thought it best to remain with the Gathering of Kings, and Queens, as the First Realm’s official representative,’ Mr Anatole said.
‘She makes them most uncomfortable,’ Queen Danise said demurely.
Taggie smiled. Good old Mum.
‘However, the Queen Mother did require me to pass a message to you, Majesty,’ Mr Anatole said. ‘She said you are always to do as your heart tells you to. And under no circumstances are you to worry about her.’ He slid a finger round his collar as if he’d suddenly become too warm. ‘She was most insistent about that. And your mother . . .’
‘Can make her feelings known,’ Taggie concluded. ‘Yes, thank you.’
‘With your permission, Majesty,’ Mr Anatole said. ‘I will return with Queen Danise to your mother, and tell her what has happened here.’
‘Of course,’ Taggie said. ‘But please, be careful. I’ll assign some of the palace guards to escort you.’
‘Don’t worry,’ Queen Danise said. ‘I am not Queen of the Second Realm just because of my looks.’ Her lips twitched. ‘And I did look quite something in my youth.’
Prince Lantic cleared his throat. ‘Mother,’ he moaned.
‘If anybody tries to attack my ship they will be unpleasantly surprised,’ Queen Danise said, ignoring him.
DAWN DEPARTURE
The moonclouds were still casting a deep nightshadow over the palace when Taggie rose and dressed in jeans and a dark purple sweater. She liked to think that slipping away under cover of darkness was a tiny connection to her ancestor, Prince Salaro. This was how he had departed Rothgarnal on his quest to help hide Mirlyn’s Gate. Now here she was over a thousand years later, sneaking off on a quest to find that very same devilsome Gate.
She shouldered a small backpack as she gave the huge ornate bedroom a last wistful glance, then walked out into the broad corridor. Jemima’s bedroom was three doors down. She waited outside until her sister emerged. Jemima was pulling a long blue dress over her athrodene armour, which had taken on the gloomy colouration of the corridor. ‘It’s practically the middle of the night,’ she complained as she yawned.
‘We’re on a quest, Jem,’ Taggie told her, and knelt down to tie Jemima’s bootlaces properly. ‘Getting up early is the least of it.’
‘Huh. We won’t be camping, will we?’ Jemima said, frowning at her own backpack. ‘I hate sleeping in tents.’
‘I’ve no idea.’
‘I brought some money,’ Jemima said helpfully, holding up a bulging leather purse that clinked loudly. ‘I told the master of the treasury that I was going on an official state trip, and he gave me tons of gold coins – look. We can easily afford to stay in some nice taverns and hotels on the way. So we don’t need to take tents, see?’
‘Jem!’ Taggie began in exasperation. Her hands went to her hips, and she took a deep breath.
‘I didn’t tell him where we were going.’ Jemima looked up at her older sister with the full lost-puppy expression. ‘I’m not stupid, you know.’
Taggie gave up. ‘I know. Did you at least remember to bring your rune stones?
‘Yes!’ She patted the backpack. ‘And Prince Salaro’s letter.’
‘Come on, then.’
Sophie emerged from the guest suite, her blue-grey eyes wide with excitement. Her repeat-fire crossbow (a contraption she’d bought
in the Second Realm) was slung down her left side, and a long enchanted dagger was hanging from the belt of her green and grey tunic. She carried a small pack, which seemed to be mostly full of spare crossbow bolts, whose violet tips teemed with bad magic. Sophie caught Taggie eyeing the pack, and shrugged. ‘You can never have too many bolts,’ she said.
Lantic was waiting at the top of the great stairs.
‘Wow, Lantic,’ Sophie said, mostly in surprise, but with some appreciation, too.
He wore the flamboyant red and black tunic of the Second Realm’s Blue Feather regiment. It was a little baggy on him, and the legs and sleeves had been rolled up. Despite that, he did look quite dashing. ‘Captain Feandez gave it to me before he left,’ he said self-consciously, and flicked some of the hair out of his eyes. ‘It’s enchanted, so it becomes armour if I have to go into battle. He said . . . he said he had promised Father he’d protect me, and this was the best way he could do it while he was away.’
‘It looks good on you,’ Taggie said approvingly.
He slung his worn satchel over his shoulder, which slightly spoilt the tunic’s glamorous appearance.
Felix bounded along the corridor, his impressively fluffy snow-white tail held out horizontal as he ran. This morning he was quite large, standing higher than Jemima’s knees. His shining black eyes glanced round the companions. ‘Together again,’ he said. ‘Let us ask the Heavens that we are as successful as we were on our last endeavour.’
They all smiled at that, and started off down the stairs. Sophie was so excited to be going to the Realm of Air that her wings were flapping about uncontrollably.
Three figures waited for them in the poorly lit hall at the bottom: Dad, Lord Colgath and Earl Maril’bo. The elf stood at the head of the trio, nodding in approval as Taggie walked towards him. ‘Little Queen. Are you sure this is what you want to do?’
‘Absolutely.’
‘Cool. Then let’s go find us that Gate.’ He raised his arm in salute. ‘No matter where we are, no matter what we face, we will not leave you.’
‘No matter where,’ everyone echoed. ‘No matter what.’
Taggie felt a lump in her throat. Even Lord Colgath had pledged himself along with the others. She turned to say goodbye to Dad, which was when she realized he was wearing his old olive-green greatcoat over a sweater and frayed jeans, and he had his waxed hiking boots on his feet. A full backpack rested on the floor beside him.
‘Dad?’ she blurted in alarm. ‘Where are you going?’
‘With you, of course,’ he said, with a knowing smile.
‘But . . . !’ Taggie hadn’t reckoned on that at all.
Dad looked a little smug. ‘What? You thought I’d let you and Jemima to go gallivanting into the unknown by yourselves? I might not have the kind of Third Realm magic you and your mother possess –’ he patted the hilt of the short sword hanging from his belt – ‘but I’ll have you know I used to be a mean swordsman.’
‘You did?’
‘I practised every week with the palace guard till the day I left on my own quest.’
‘Dad, that was well over fifty years ago,’ she chided.
‘It’s just like riding a bike – you never forget how. Besides,’ he finished, ‘you’re only thirteen, so you don’t get to go without me: that’s final.’
Taggie narrowed her eyes. ‘Why didn’t you say you were coming before, when we were arranging this trip?’
‘So you could sneak out of the palace without me? Do I look stupid?’ He lifted his backpack and settled it on his shoulders.
Taggie couldn’t help grinning. ‘No, Dad. None of our family does.’
Jemima cast a wardveil around them, and with the rest of the palace asleep, the eight travellers crossed the gardens to the treehouse which was the Great Gateway Taslaf. This Gateway opened into the top of the old Kingsway tram tunnel in the heart of London, in the Outer Realm.
The Realms never seemed to share the same days and nights. It was dusk, which had begun to reach out for the city when they emerged. Prince Harry had arranged for three big Range Rovers to pick them up, driven by Knights of the Black Garter. The cars took them to Buckingham Palace where an RAF helicopter was waiting in the garden.
‘Really?’ Lantic asked, his eyes shining. ‘We’re going to fly in a machine?’
‘Yes,’ Taggie told him with a grin. He was always so endearing when he was happy like this. ‘We’re going to fly in a machine.’
‘That’s if you call this flying,’ Sophie muttered sourly as she clambered up into the helicopter’s fuselage.
‘It would take hours to drive to Toramus, the Great Gateway to the Realm of Air,’ Taggie explained. ‘I didn’t want to risk us being seen. We are travelling with an elf and a Karrak Lord, after all.’
‘Good thinking,’ Lantic said.
‘How long is this going to take?’ Jemima asked as she sat on a bucket seat in the cabin. One of the crew handed her a set of bulky headphones and checked her seatbelt.
‘About an hour, miss,’ the co-pilot said over the headset. ‘The wind is in our favour this evening.’
Dad sat beside her. ‘Are you OK?’ he asked Jemima.
‘Fine. Yes.’
‘You look nervous.’
‘No, I’m not,’ Jemima said hotly. ‘I’ve flown loads of times before.’
Taggie grinned at Jem’s indignation, even though she could tell her sister was scared.
‘Seatbelt,’ Dad told Taggie.
She rolled her eyes, and fastened the metal buckle. If he’s going to babysit us like this the whole time, we really will have to sneak off without him, she thought.
They lifted off, and flew high across the city. It wasn’t long before London’s massive grid of bright orange streetlights fell away, and they were over the dark countryside. The crewman handed out bacon sandwiches wrapped in foil. Taggie chewed happily on hers as she watched Lantic, who had his face pressed up against the window.
‘We need to decide what we’re going to tell people that we meet,’ Dad said after they’d passed over the M25 motorway.
‘What do you mean?’ Lantic asked.
‘Who we are, and why we’re travelling. A group like this – even in the Realms, folk are going to ask what we’re about.’
‘We just tell them we’re travellers,’ Sophie said. ‘It’s none of their business what we’re doing.’
‘It might not be,’ Felix said. ‘But tell them that to their face and they’ll become even more curious. We cannot risk attracting attention.’
‘A good point,’ Earl Maril’bo said. ‘We are an odd group, and these are anxious times. I can avoid the sight of most people, but we’ll need to take a ship to Banmula. That will put us in close proximity to the crew for many days.’
‘So we want new identities, like we’re secret agents,’ Jemima exclaimed joyfully.
‘Not that sort of cover!’ Dad said wearily. ‘Just a plausible reason why we’re travelling.’
‘All right then, we’re a family,’ Jemima said. ‘On a holiday visiting relatives.’
‘Odd family,’ Sophie snarked. ‘You and I might be friends, but we can hardly be related. And who’s Lord Colgath? Your long-lost uncle?’
‘I think we all appreciate I will be wardveiled and spending a lot of the time in my cabin during the trip,’ Lord Colgath said. ‘But we do need to concoct a reason for travelling, else we will never gain a cabin for me to lock myself away in.’
‘I know,’ Taggie said, suddenly enthusiastic. ‘The three of us could be a girl group,’ she pointed at Sophie and Jemima. ‘We sing at taverns and halls all across the realms, which is why we’re travelling. Dad, you’re our manager; and everyone else is our road crew.’
‘Hmm, you know I have been told I’ve got a good voice,’ Sophie said thoughtfully. ‘What are we going to sing?’
‘Why do I have to be your road crew?’ Lantic asked peevishly. ‘Why can’t I be in the group as well?’
Felix groaned
and lowered his head into his forepaws. ‘This isn’t happening.’
‘Ooh! Ooh!’ Jemima was bouncing around in her bucket seat. ‘What are we going to call ourselves? How about The Sugar Angels?’
‘Nah,’ Taggie said, unconvinced. ‘The Taggerettes has a good ring to it, don’t you think? We could do soul numbers.’
‘What?’ Sophie exclaimed. ‘OK, first, I would never join any group called The Taggerettes. And second, I’ve heard your Outer Realm soul music. It’s boring.’
‘Tell me you didn’t just say that! Soul music is fabulous.’
‘Enough!’ Dad said loudly. ‘Everyone is to be told I am a scholar from Lorothain University, and all of you are my assistants and apprentices. We are visiting libraries and academies, searching out and copying scrolls of historical importance. And that’s an end to it.’
After an hour in the air, the helicopter was flying low over St Ives in Cornwall. The little town was spread across a peninsula with a grassy hill rising out of the northern tip. Tiny streets of ancient granite cottages formed a chaotic maze that covered the steepish slopes.
‘The tide’s out far enough for us to land right on Porthmeor beach,’ the co-pilot announced. ‘Down in one minute.’
Sophie grimaced and started to pull on a baggy plastic raincoat so no one would see her wings. Opposite her, Lord Colgath swirled an ordinary velvet-lined black cloak around his phosphorescent smoke cloak, and put on a hat similar to those worn by the Ethanu. With his white skeletal face and mirror eyes, Taggie thought he looked like a particularly odd Phantom of the Opera.
Lantic muttered an enchantment. The black embroidery on his extravagant Blue Feather tunic swelled out, spreading across the scarlet fabric, toning down his appearance. Earl Maril’bo watched them all preparing, and shook his head in bemusement.
Taggie peered out of her window again, to see the helicopter descending on a long, curving beach with pale sand that was glowing silver in the moonlight. They touched down with a rocking bump. The crewman shoved the door open, and gave them a thumbs-up.