Jacques, who hesitated only for a moment, turned around and drew back a small window between the interior of the carriage and the driver’s seat. He spoke a few words and the carriage came to a stop. Asmara, making apologies, crawled out over Julietta.

  At least, the carriage was much less crowded after she left, and Julietta did not mind sitting next to Dorian. She could not help glancing at him out of the corner of an eye, her face unaccountably flushed. He did not look over, and the group made very little conversation. That night they stopped at an inn. Pierre and Jacques paid for their rooms. With the messengers sitting at their table, dinner was as subdued as the carriage ride. Asmara came to bed late, as she usually did. She was not, at least, flirting with men. She had been going through her stretches and exercises all evening in the yard in front of the inn. She came to bed quietly and did not speak to Julietta, and indeed had spoken to none of them, not even Dorian, all night. Dorian, for his part, spent most of the evening with his eyes fixed on the inn door through which Asmara had quickly disappeared after finishing her dinner.

  As she approached the carriage the next morning Julietta dearly hoped that the whole journey would not pass in grim, angry, silence. They had to pass through Mercôt before entering the province of Jolune and its capital, Allonce. It would only be a few days journey after that to get back to Manus. Her fears were not only met, but were exceeded; Dorian, after hesitating before entering the carriage decided to sit up front with the driver and Asmara.

  ‘I am surprised he is sitting with her.’ Julietta remarked in an aside to Bo when they stopped for lunch.

  ‘I think he is comforting her.’ Bo replied, all trace of good humour gone from his face. ‘She is a friend after all, even if she has lately decided she would rather be something else. That these men would try and force her to use her shadow magic is unsettling.’

  Julietta found Jacques insistence that Asmara should join the war effort more than a little surprising. Asmara was quite obviously a woman, and while men could be conscripted to join the army, the rules had always been different for women. Perhaps it is because she works as a mercenary... Whatever the reason, Julietta found it quite unnatural. She didn’t mention this though and instead said, ‘They said she could work as a simple mercenary-’

  ‘Ay, but their intentions are clear.’

  Julietta could field no response to that.

  Early in the morning, six days after they had departed Sontmor, they arrived in the large town of Mimengy in Mercôt, and Jacques decided they would spend the rest of the day there and leave early the next morning. It was a relief to be able to walk around and be out of the carriage. Julietta was used to travel, but she was not used to travelling in a carriage. The silence inside the carriage was filled with tension and coupled with the boredom and stiffness from sitting still all day it was intolerable. Mimengy was not as big as Halle, and they would not be passing through there as it was further west and not directly in the path from Anseville to Allonce. Jacques was taking them on a route that cut closer to the Belcanese Mountains. The hills they would have to cross would be higher than if they went west and closer to Halle. As the roads to Allonce were well-maintained, and it was well into summer, there was little chance of poor weather in the hills delaying them.

  That evening Julietta sat on her bed watching Asmara brush her hair in front of the small mirror above the washbasin in their room. Asmara’s mood had improved markedly from the first day, and with it Julietta’s sympathy had evaporated. She could not help but note that the improvement had come after Dorian had decided to sit with her. Watching, and seeing her own face in a corner of the mirror Julietta could not help feeling any competition with Asmara was doomed to failure. Julietta was of the opinion that her face was funny looking, with its pointed chin and slightly crooked nose. She liked her hair, which was thick and light brown and was quite easy to look after, and took no issue with her eyes and generally did not care whether she was thought pretty or not. Asmara, so dark as to almost make Bo look pale, had a symmetry of face and an easy, bright smile that immediately commanded attention.

  ‘Most shadow mages aren’t concerned with their appearance.’ Julietta said despondently, a hint of irritation in her voice as she pulled out her notebook. Despite the hardships the notebook had been through on its journey, including falling into a fast flowing river on one occasion, it looked none the worse for wear. Julietta’s spells were holding up nicely.

  ‘Which is a very good reason for me to be concerned with my appearance, Julietta.’

  ‘Do you actually care though?’

  ‘About my appearance? Maybe. I am concerned with my health. I do like nice clothes.’ and she turned from brushing her black hair to rub the fabric of her jacket between her fingers. It was, as were all her clothes, dark in colour and patterned in dark thread. This one had a stylized floral pattern detailed in a dark grey thread over dark blue background. ‘It’s nice to be able to wear my good clothes for a change, do you want to feel? The lining is silk!’

  ‘That’s very indulgent of you! Dark. Shadow mages like dark colours.’ Julietta made her notes. ‘Perhaps you would tell me why?’

  ‘So I don’t worry whenever I look in the mirror and see a different shade of darkness. I worry enough as it is without that.’

  ‘Mm, yes, I see the patterns and different shades would be helpful.’

  ‘You don’t seem your usual self today, Etta, is anything the matter?’

  ‘No, of course not!’ she replied hotly, sitting up. ‘Though it is hard to see you treating Dorian in such a cavalier manner, since he is my colleague too!’

  ‘Colleague? I’m sure at this point you could call him a friend, but if you prefer!’ and she smiled. ‘Adore too, if you like.’

  ‘He doesn’t like that name! If you really cared you would not call him that!’

  Asmara looked genuinely curious. ‘Do you think so?’

  ‘Yes, of course!’

  ‘But he’s so amusing when I call him Adore. Well, if you are so sure, Julietta, I will refrain. Perhaps you would call him Adore for me then.’

  With a smile Asmara left their room, leaving Julietta stuttering and struggling for words. When she finally did go down and join the rest of the group it was to see Asmara declare her intention to never use the name ‘Adore’ again as proof of her devotion to Dorian.

  ‘Asmara!’ Julietta cried, ‘you’re just saying that because I told you!’

  ‘You opened my eyes to how inconsiderate I have been, thank you.’ and she flashed her a bright smile.

  Dorian, for his part, looked quite affected by the whole affair, much to the horror of Julietta.

  The next day when they boarded the carriage they noticed Pierre was not with them.

  ‘He has some business to take care of.’ Jacques answered with a smile and said no more.

  Bo decided to sit up front that day, leaving Dorian in the carriage with Julietta and Jacques. At least the carriage was not as crowded anymore.

  Four days later, they arrived in Allonce.

  CHAPTER 12

  12 Fevror, 1353

  As the carriage entered Allonce by the southern gate, Julietta leant out the window to get a better look, unable to help an excited grin. The air was filled with music and the scent of flowers. Vivid murals, still bright despite their age due to regular maintenance, adorned the sides of buildings, towers and monuments. The streets were wide and the buildings big and airy, with large arches and light fabric in place of doors. It was in many ways similar to Manus, however the people seemed more relaxed and the city less cramped. As the carriage rolled over a bridge Julietta looked down at the Moselle River, which wound through the city. It was blue and sparkling, not the dull brown of the Risel River in Manus. She saw small boats being rowed up and down the river and people dipping their feet in the water. It looked inviting.

  ‘Have you been to Allonce before, Julietta?’ Bo asked when she sat back down inside the carriage. Dorian was up front with Asmara again, and Julietta was jealous that he got to enjoy the view.

  ‘No, have you?’

  Bo nodded. ‘I am not a man for big cities myself, but Allonce always has a nice feel to it.’

  ‘A bit like a party, ay?’ Jacques smiled. ‘You know what they say about Allonce!’

  ‘Certainly,’ and Julietta took on a lecturing tone, ‘since the treaty between Mance and Jolune, following Mance’s conquest of all the provinces save Clare and Jolune over four hundred years ago, they say the people of Jolune have been very happy and not bothered to do anything but celebrate. Though it should be said Clare was not a proper province at that time as it was let go to ruin after the retreat of the Walmese Empire. The conditions of the treaty between Mance and Jolune are widely seen as being overly generous to Jolune, however they are purely symbolic - the ruler of Jolune, though called the Prince of Jolune instead of Duke has no more power than any other duke and Jolune no more influence than any other province, despite the attachment of its name to the Kingdom of Mance, and while the King of Mance-Jolune is called the King of Mance, he rules over the entire Kingdom.’ This was all ancient history, and nobody much cared that the long-ago kingdom of Jolune had managed to affix its name to the expanding post-Walmese Mancian empire. Still, Jolune, and Allonce in particular, had a reputation of being relaxed and happy, with little concern for politics. It was, in fact, a rather odd place from which to organize the war effort, particularly as Manus, the capital, was closer to Lakasha and Walmon than Allonce.

  ‘Perhaps you will enjoy a tour of Allonce while you are here.’ Jacques said, a smile on his triangular face that suggested he knew something no one else did, ‘since you seem to enjoy your history.’

  ‘Oh, yes, I will certainly explore.’ It was a disadvantage of her accelerated movement through the Collegium that she had managed to miss out on most holidays and excursions. It was certainly none of her doing, and she would have gladly gone on a trip to Allonce if she hadn’t always been moved into a different class or dormitory just as a trip was being organized. ‘Perhaps you would show me around as well, Bo?’ she asked, ‘I’m sure I will gain quite a different understanding of Allonce from your tour than from the official tour that Jacques will organize for me.’

  Bo raised an eyebrow. ‘A tour? How formal! I will show you around but I’m not sure it will meet your definition of a tour!’

  ‘Tomorrow then.’ Jacques said. ‘It is already late today, so I’m sure you are too tired to do much exploring. Tomorrow you will have a chance to explore Allonce while I inform the King’s men you are here.’

  Looking out the window again, Julietta saw they were going up a hill through a wealthy part of the city. Ahead, behind another wall, she saw the Palace of the Prince of Jolune. ‘Where are we staying?’ she suddenly asked.

  ‘In the palace, I hope you don’t mind.’ and he smiled.

  Julietta could see one big downside to that, but she was too excited to care. Besides, she was no shadow mage, and so while she felt for Asmara, she did not feel she would be personally inconvenienced. The carriage rolled under a gate and continued up a hill. Finally, it came to a stop.

  Julietta, despite her eagerness, stepped out with dignity. They stood in a courtyard before the palace. Behind them was a pool many meters long, with bronze statues at the corners. Water, propelled into the air by hidden jets, danced and sparkled above the pool, while rainbow stones at the bottom of the pool lent it colour. Julietta stood admiring it, noting also that there were no water spirits inhabiting it. Again, she wondered idly why the number of spirits was so low in the areas of Mance-Jolune outside Sontmor.

  Lush green lawns spread to either side of the courtyard and down the hill. In the distance was the wall, which separated the grounds of the palace from the rest of the city. The grounds were expansive, and Julietta saw what looked like a small forest in one corner. They would, she thought, be very pleasant to explore, if she had the chance and was allowed. She turned then to admire the palace. The setting sun lit the marble facade with brilliant orange. The light sparkled off large windows, and she saw many of them were open. The stone was beautifully carved and decorated, and Julietta’s eyes glanced from one carving to another, appreciating the skill and time that must have gone into creating them.

  She was so busy admiring the building she did not notice the tall man, dressed in the livery of the Prince of Jolune, waiting for them. Jacques spoke with him while she took in her surroundings. Once he’d finished, he came over and said, ‘may I escort you to your rooms? You will have time to bathe and dress before dinner. You are invited to eat in the dining hall, but if you are tired you will not cause offence if you dine in your own rooms tonight. If you would follow me,’ and he turned and walked up the steps and entered the main hall of the palace.

  The painted ceiling of the cavernous room was supported by slender columns carved in the shapes of handsome men and women. The floor was tiled and rang when their guides’ immaculate boot heels clipped across it. They were led through ornate, gorgeous rooms to the second floor of the west wing of the palace. They each had their own room, all next to each other. The rooms had all the features Julietta expected, but were of a size of elegance she had not seen before. More than that though, she was very much enjoying the architecture and the craftsmanship of the paintings and sculptures they passed, all exquisite examples of a variety of artistic periods.

  Her room looked out onto the gardens, as she suspected all the others did. It was painted in white and gold, and the pillows and upholstery of the couches were in that same theme. Her sleeping chamber was decorated in more muted, restful colours while her bathing chamber was a dizzying panoply of hues and fretwork. Her pack, which had been brought up by a servant, looked drab and out of place in all the luxury. She frowned as she saw it and immediately decided she would be dining in her room this evening. She had not packed anything suitable for a dinner at the palace of the Prince of Jolune, and had no intention of embarrassing herself, news of which would surely make its way back to her mother. She wondered how long they would be staying; she did not feel particularly like purchasing all the articles necessary to dine with dukes with her hard-earned coin, especially if they would not be staying long. She did not in fact have any great desire to sit at the table of the prince anyway; her family had a minor title and having attended the premier women’s collegium in Mance-Jolune, she had been in the company of more titled personages than she cared to count.

  Unpacking her things and preparing to bathe, Julietta wondered about arranging a tour of the palace or grounds for herself this evening, or whether she would be allowed to explore and appreciate the history of the palace on her own. She spared little thought for her companions, and did not see them until the next morning when Dorian summoned her to breakfast in Bo’s sitting room.

  ‘Have you explored the palace yet?’ she asked of the group as she sat nibbling on a jam-covered scroll, noting Asmara’s absence immediately.

  Dorian shook his head. ‘I think you should be careful if you do. Asmara thinks they have charmers here. She’ll meet us later in the city by the way, she left early.’

  ‘Did she wake you up this morning, Dore?’ Bo asked.

  ‘She left a note.’ he replied, a note of irritation in his voice, almost as if he would have preferred to be woken, ‘she was making noise last night about staying in the city instead of the palace, so don’t get too used to it here.’

  ‘Charmers?’ Julietta said. ‘How would she know? Is that why she wants to leave?’ To Julietta, that seemed a perfectly logical reason to leave. Charmers were an odd branch of magic much like the candles and shadow mages, with but one skill. Unlike the shadow mages however, they did not have any identifying physical characteristics. There was anecdotal evidence that they liked to have their appearance changed to become more attractive, that was not something as identifiable as the shadows that clung to the shadow mages. It was also not in the least bit easy to tell if a charmer was using their power on you. It was, at least, a simpler and more limited skill than that possessed by the shadow mages.

  ‘She wouldn’t say, just suspects. She wants to leave because there are other shadow mages in the palace.’

  ‘She can tell?’ Julietta asked, forgetting the rest of her breakfast and reaching for her notebook.

  ‘Julietta, interrogate her not me!’ Dorian replied in irritation. ‘If there really are charmers here I’d prefer to leave too.’

  ‘Well, if the King’s officials managed to get some working for them,’ Julietta replied, ‘and since it would not be politic to hide our movements from them, it hardly matters where we go. There would be nothing stopping the King’s men from sending some charmers into the city, indeed, that’s where they’d usually be anyway.’ Until someone suspected them and they got beaten to death by an angry mob, Julietta thought with a frown. ‘Due to the nature of their power they’re difficult to control, it seems unlikely they would be employed by the Prince of Jolune or the King.’

  ‘There might be one here,’ Bo replied, ‘but perhaps not under control. Anyway,’ and his tone lightened, ‘Asmara is waiting in the city, since we’re here we may as well enjoy ourselves.’

  They met Asmara in a square far from the palace. It was a small, poky little square, filled with a fountain that shot water higher than the rooves of the little buildings surrounding it. It was a remarkable little fountain, but no spirits had chosen to make it home. The smells coming from the buildings were enticing, and Julietta had a strong urge to have a second breakfast. The people strolling through the square and idling at the tables of nearby inns and dining houses were not wealthy, but they were clean and happy and certainly not poor. A man sat on the edge of the fountain playing a lute.

  ‘I was worried you’d gotten lost!’ Asmara laughed as she greeted them, apparently in a much better mood than when they’d arrived in Allonce.