Chronosphere Page 8
“His majesty requests a short performance this evening at 6:00,” Gregor said with a bow. “Feel free to arrive early once again.”
Anton nodded. They were going to need something new to dazzle their audience, but luckily, he had most of the day to figure it out. For now, he thought it better to arm himself with more knowledge of the castle. He finished eating and set out for the hallways he hadn’t explored yet. He passed by the kitchen and peeked inside at the servants cleaning and preparing for lunch. He passed more servant’s quarters. He rounded a corner onto a hallway lined with windows and locked doors. Likely rooms left vacant by the released staff, nothing to pique his interest. Until he peeked around one last corner.
The door to the library was wide open, and he marveled at the enormous selection of books. Many were thick, leather bound tomes, others skinny hand-written pamphlets. He thumbed through several of them. Libraries still existed in his present, but nobody bothered to visit them. The Draconians had done a thorough purge of all literature they deemed unworthy of consumption, and that didn’t leave much worth reading.
“A scholarly magician, are you?”
Anton jumped.
In his fascination, he hadn’t realized that the room had an occupant. A series of tables and chairs were set up in the center with the bookshelves surrounding them. At one, Princess Petra sat smirking, a thick book opened before her and a pile of others stacked haphazardly beside it. She looked different without her formal clothes and regal makeup. She wore a simple pink gown, and her curly hair was pulled back in a messy braid. Though less extravagant, she looked just as beautiful. If anything, her beauty was more natural.
“Magic is just one of my many interests.” He grinned back. “We don’t have libraries like this back home. I probably have some catching up to do.”
“Where is home, exactly?”
He hesitated, feigning interest in a book.
“East,” he said, feeling stupid. “Far east. A little town near Palacia. But I haven’t been there for some time. We’ve been traveling for years now.”
He hoped that Petra wasn’t adept at geography. There was no city called Palacia, as far as he knew. He walked over and took the seat across from her. She responded with a slight nod.
“Are all princesses so studious?” He asked, eyeing the stack.
“I’d hardly call this studying,” she said. “Escapism, really.”
Anton examined the books’ titles more closely. King Galivant. The Barbarians of Barcosia. War of the Dragons.
“Adventure stories?” he asked.
“My mother calls them trashy. A waste of time.” She shrugged. “I keep these nearby just in case she comes to check in.”
She nodded to another short stack of books pushed to one corner of the table. Geometry. Ancient Histories.
“Yours look more fun,” Anton said.
She smiled.
“Oh, they are. My father agrees with me, too, but that’s a secret between him and me.”
Anton reached out and grabbed The Barbarians of Barcosia. He leafed through it idly, admiring the crude drawings of battles and warriors. He wondered how many books like this had been lost to Draconians purges. Perhaps he could save them. The thought warmed him.
“Ever since I was young, I’ve made up stories like this in my head. Especially when I can’t sleep at night. Wizards and dragons, good and evil.”
“Have you ever written your own?”
She looked away for a moment, gazing at nothing.
“Writing fanciful stories is no occupation for a princess,” she said.
The sentiment was clearly not her own.
“You can borrow one if you like,” the princess said. Her expression quickly regained its vigor as she let the thought pass. She was enjoying his interest, and his heart melted. She’d looked beautiful before, but this was the first time she’d shown genuine pleasure.
“Thank you,” he said, “but that’s alright. I can always come back here if I want to read it. And perhaps that would give me another chance to run into you.”
She blushed, and he relished the enchanting rosiness on her pale cheeks. They were silent for a moment. Petra changed the subject.
“You say magic is one of your many interests,” she said. “What else interests you?”
He pondered a few responses. What would a medieval magician enjoy? Sorcery? Fortune-telling? She eagerly awaited his response, genuine interest in her gaze. Suddenly, he couldn’t bear the thought of deceiving her further, and answered her truthfully.
“Codes,” he said simply.
“Codes?”
“The transformation of language and information,” he said. “I know it might seem boring, but the idea of taking recognizable communication and transforming it into something else while maintaining the meaning has always compelled me.”
He, of course, didn’t mention how this interest had translated into computer coding and robotics. But an incomplete truth was still a truth. Right?
She furrowed her brow, confused.
“Let me show you an example.”
Anton recalled a simple code, one that his mother taught him as a lonely kid. It consisted of alternating dashes and dots that represented letters. He and his mom used to write notes to each other using it before she was purged as an “enemy of the state.” The memories were bittersweet. He’d only been twelve when she was taken away. Despite a decade and a half passing since then, he remembered the simple code easily.
Petra's face lit up with fascination.
“It’s like a whole new language!”
He found her endearing, refreshing.
“I’ll leave a little guide for you,” he said, taking her quill and paper. She watched in awe as he filled it out. “Just be sure to burn it when you’re done learning. We wouldn’t want our secret code to be compromised.”
He winked playfully, and she nodded in mock-seriousness.
“I guess you have codes that get much more complicated than this?”
“That’s a lesson for another time,” he said. “Besides, it looks like you have some serious reading to do. That stack will take you all day.”
She sighed.
“If only I had all day,” she said. “To be perfectly honest, I’m hiding more than reading.”
“Hiding from who?” he asked, already feeling that he probably knew.
“Anyone,” she said.
“Oh, my apologies.”
“No, no, no, that came out wrong,” she put a hand on his arm. “It’s just… you’d think a princess would no longer have to deal with the advances of other men when she becomes engaged, but some men are not easily deterred… And even my husband-to-be is…”
Creepy? Malevolent? A shape-shifting alien bent on enslaving humanity? He wanted to put the words into her mouth, but he held his tongue. It was a good thing, too, because he suddenly felt a presence behind him.
“Princess.” The voice gave Anton chills. “And you must be the magician…”
He turned to see Matteo eyeing him fiendishly.
“Oh, hello Matteo,” Petra said quietly.
“Pleasure to meet you,” Anton said. He forced a smile and held out his hand to shake. Matteo didn’t take it. Somehow, the Draconian was already suspicious of him.
“Are you ready to go, Princess?” he asked, still watching Anton.
“Yes, Matteo, let me just put these books away.”
She hauled the books around the room, putting them back in their slots. Matteo never took his eyes off him. Anton saw Petra tuck the code guide down into the neckline of her bodice.
“Goodbye, Anton,” the Princess said, joining Matteo at the door. He thought he saw reluctance in her gaze.
The library fell into silence as she left, her soft pink robe trailing after her.
You’ve got to be more careful, man. This is no time or place to indulge in a crush.
He sighed. If he was overstepping, he would find it difficult to stop. The Princess was t
oo captivating.
***
He switched Ana on when he returned to his room.
“The king wants another performance at 6:00 tonight,” he said. “We’ll need something new.”
“We still have the parts we salvaged from the chronosphere,” she said. “It should not be difficult to rearrange them into a new display. The king was easily impressed last time.”
He nodded, staring out the window.
“Anton, is something else on your mind?”
He looked at her, surprised. She was mostly expressionless, but he detected a hint of curiosity. To his recollection, she had never responded to facial or vocal cues, and now she did so with confidence. Being around other people in the flesh was causing her to learn rapidly. He told her about his encounter with Petra.
“Be careful, Anton,” she said, repeating the thoughts of his own conscience. “Consorting with Princess Petra could be detrimental to our mission, especially if the Draconians perceive you as a rival for her affections.”
“I don’t get the feeling this marriage has anything to do with affections,” he said, pacing around the room. “She’s repulsed by him. I can tell. Not that it matters.”
Ana watched him pace for a few seconds.
“You are attracted to her.”
It wasn’t a question, but an observation. He stopped pacing.
“Can you blame me? You’ve seen her, right?”
“She has excellent facial symmetry,” Ana said. “As well as a body shape that suggests a high rate of fertility. It seems probable that you and she would have good genetic compatibility. I do not blame you for this.”
There was the Ana he knew.
“Oh stop,” he said. “You’ll make me blush. When did you become such a romantic?”
Ana cocked her head. Sarcasm eluded her.
“It isn’t just her looks, you know,” he said, sitting on the bed. “She has an adventurous spirit. You never see that in our time. Everyone is so beaten down by the system. By the Draconians. But she’s oppressed by royal conventions and expectations. And now the Draconians, too. She still hasn’t let it ruin her.”
“I would restate my earlier assessment, but I do not think it would help.”
He sighed.
“You’re right,” he said. “Let’s just get this magic act together.”
***
The performance once again took place in the dining hall, but this time only the King and Queen were in attendance. Gregor once again stood at the entrance, silent and still. Anton couldn’t help but wonder what Petra and Matteo were up to, but he tried not to let it distract him. His distraction seemed to go unnoticed. They once again dimmed the oil lamps and set up the lights from the chronosphere like a starfield. Anton used these as a backdrop for a series of simple acts: turning water into ice, hidden magnets to make Ana levitate, even inviting the king to bind Anton tightly with rope only for him to escape with a small laser incision. Once they were through and the room went black, the royal couple gave a standing ovation. The king and queen beckoned them closer.
“The acts you perform, they’re just…” The king was nearly speechless. “They’re just marvelous. Inspiring. As you know, our daughter’s wedding is nearing, and it is to be one of the most important days of my… of Petra’s life. I want it to be special. I want you two to be there, not just as attendants but as performers! Don’t overshadow the couple, of course, but please dazzle us at the reception. And maybe you could set up a few of your props for good measure? I want everything to be positively magical.”
The couple looked at them eagerly, as if there was any possibility that they could deny the request.
“Of course, your majesty,” Anton said. “It would be our honor.”
“Oh wonderful! Wonderful!” The king stood up and clapped his hands. “It will be the wedding of the century. As a thank you, I’d like to invite you on our hunting trip tomorrow. It’s a grand tradition.” Turning to Ana, he added, “Just the men of the castle, my apologies, miss.” She shook her head politely. “Will you join us, Anton?”
Of course he could not say no, but Anton tried to think quickly through the risks it would pose. No doubt, Matteo and Matthias would be in attendance. Possibly others, too. This could be an opportunity to learn more about their specific intentions. It could also be an opportunity for the Draconians to ambush him in the woods. He knew that was just his paranoia talking. Regardless, he would be sure to bring his laser pistol.
“Certainly,” Anton said.
“Oh wonderful! Wonderful!” The king said again, his wife rolling her eyes.
King Gareth stood up and headed for the door, not announcing his destination to anyone. Queen Orpha remained behind. Anton bowed to her, and Ana followed. They were about to leave when she stopped them.
“Wait just a moment, you two, I have one more request of you.”
Anton turned back and saw embarrassment on the queen’s face. This surprised him. She’d clearly proven herself to be the stoic one in the family.
“My daughter, as I’m sure you can imagine, has many suitors,” the queen began. “Not only is she royalty, but she is a great beauty as well.”
Oh really, Anton thought. I hadn’t noticed.
“Obviously, Matteo is her betrothed, but not everyone sees that as definite.”
Anton thought back to what Petra had said in the library. Some men are not easily deterred.
“There is one other.” The queen put her hand on her chin. “Hectus. He and Petra were courting for some time. This was before our family’s… difficulties. They were a decent match, though Petra despised him. His family is a high-ranking house. We didn’t see any better options for her at the time. Obviously, now we do. Hectus, however, doesn’t see things this way.” She bit her lip as she pondered how to word what she wanted to say.
“Pardon me, your majesty,” Anton said softly, “But I can’t help wonder why you are telling us this.”
“Well, unfortunately, he has a justifiable claim to her hand. We can overturn this by force, of course, but it will not look good for our houses’ alliance. But if he were to see things in a different light, so to speak, and decide to stop pursuing Petra of his own accord, that would be ideal. As for why I’m telling you specifically, well, let’s just say that Hectus and his family are very... superstitious.”
She looked back and forth to Anton and Ana, clearly hoping she wouldn’t need to elaborate. Ana kept her expression blank. Though she was getting better at interpreting emotions and hidden meanings, this was a little beyond her. Anton couldn’t help but laugh.
“Understood, your majesty,” he said. “We’ll take care of it.”
Chapter Nine
Back in their quarters, Anton knelt over the satchel containing the pieces of the chronosphere and picked through them, trying to decide how to proceed. Ana looked over his shoulder.
“Anton, I do not understand the conversation you had with the queen. Why did she tell you about that man?”
“She needs to get him out of the picture,” Anton said, holding up a circuit board. “And she needs to keep her hands clean. She also said the guy and his family are superstitious.”
Ana kept staring, trying to process the subtlety. He was a little surprised she was having trouble with it, but abstract concepts were admittedly still new to her. He turned to look at her.
“She thinks we’re magicians, Ana.”
“Does she want us to distract him with a magic show?”
He laughed.
“In a way, yes,” he said. “She wants us to scare him off.”
Her eyes lit up, and he enjoyed watching the concept come together in her mind.
“I see,” she said. “This is what is called ironic, right? We have deceived her into thinking we can perform real magic. Now she wants us to use real magic to deceive someone else. But we will be performing the very same deception on this other man that we performed on her.”
Anton’s enjoyment faded.
He paused, realizing that very worry had been in the back of his mind since the king’s invitation.
“That could be helpful,” she said. “I see it now. But how will we frighten this man?”
“I’ll figure something out,” he said, glancing at the map of the city the queen had given him. “Let’s head for his estate. Looks like it’s by the west wall of the city.”
He led her through the castle and out into the night. Though less crowded than in daytime, many citizens still wandered the streets. The scent of smoked meats clung to the cool air, and the various taverns they passed buzzed with laughing patrons eager to drink away the day’s stress.
The winding pathways became sparser as they approached the estate where Hectus lived. The queen said they’d know it when they saw it, and she wasn’t wrong. It looked unlike the other buildings of the city. Though modest in size compared to the castle, the large estate looked imposing in its gothic architecture. The stones were dark grey and twisted into spires at all four corners. A few stained-glass windows adorned turrets beneath them. A huge metal gate spread outward into walls that encompassed the property.
Anton and Ana approached the gates and looked through them at the courtyard. As his hand wrapped around the cold metal, he thought he heard footsteps behind him. He jolted and looked for the source of the noise, but he saw nothing. Even so, he patted the spot on his vest where his laser pistol was concealed.
Statues lined the courtyard - horses, kings, gargoyles, yet no people were present. Though it was getting late, Anton thought it strange that the gate should be locked and the house so still. The silence put a shiver through him.