Naitachal froze, allowing the appropriate shock and surprise to surface on his dark face. He turned t King. "Why, Your Majesty, what has happened? Have you sent the guards to look for them? Is there any hint of foul play?"
"You see!" the King exclaimed. "He doesn't know a thing! And you were wanting to risk a war -- "
He broke off abruptly, and returned his attention to single-mindedly devouring his meal. Good gods, Nai- tachal thought, gazing at Sir Jehan blankly. What I walked into here?
All assembled looked appropriately embarrassed.
Naitachal cleared his throat, and their eyes went to him again. "Your Majesty, if harm has come t Prince, then what of my secretary? He would defend young Kai, and I confess that now I am growing very anxious. And as I gather from Alaire, Kainemonen is a skilled swordsman himself. What happened to them?"
"We know very little, as yet," the King said, slurping loudly from a goblet, showing no concern whatsoever for his son. "The Swords of the Association are looking for a mage. You see, magic is involved. Signs of it were found with the body. I pray that both boys are safe, but you see, they are in a very disreputable part of town."
He turned to Naitachal again, with his face set in an inexpert mask of care. "It is a testament to my failings as a father that he would choose to seek entertainment in such a place. I know that your servant only meant well, but this has become a rather difficult situation."
"How may I help?" Naitachal offered, now free to display all of his considerable anxiety. "I am as interested as you are in securing their safety. If there was -- "
"It would be best," Sir Jehan interrupted sti "under the circumstances, that you remain distant from -- "
"Let the man finish!" the King shouted. "I'm still not convinced that Althea is behind this!"
Naitachal glanced up at Sir Jehan, who looked away nervously. "Althea?" the elf said softly. "That wou -- an unwise assumption."
"Of course, I don't think Althea is to blame,"
King blustered. The wine sloshed over the rim of his goblet. "And neither does anyone else at this table.
There are forces behind this, this, this conspiracy that are still a mystery. I'm afraid you've become involved in a rather nasty civil dispute."
Naitachal spread his hands, helplessly. "I don't mean to pry, Your Majesty, but what is the nature of this dispute? I know nothing of it, and King Reynard knows even less. We seem to have become implicated only because we are foreigners in your land. My main concern is for the safety of the two young men. If I may help in some way -- "
Sir Jehan stood suddenly, glared at Naitachal, and stormed out of the dining room. The Dark Elf tried not to stare, with little success.
"Ignore him," the King said. Sir Jehan's footsteps thumped loudly down the corridor, audible for a sur- prising distance. "We are not blaming you. He sees a traitor behind every closed door."
As perhaps you should, Naitachal thought privately.
"I didn't warn you when you first arrived,"
King began. The Prince is an immature youth, filled with ambition. I believe his ambition grows too great, and he has begun to cast envious eyes on the powers and positions he cannot have. But he fails to understand just how powerful our mages are.
I am in no danger."
But what Naitachal saw in his tone and mannerisms told a completely different story. King Archenomen's eyes shifted from side to side, his voice quavered, his drinking hand shook ever so slightly. He seldo Naitachal's eyes. Is he afraid of me?
Regarding the other dinner guests with cool detach- ment, he took in their faces, and social rank as indicated by their clothing. Of those assembled, he recognized one as the Count he met the first night. Others had been present in the waiting room when he met Sir Jehan.
One was without a doubt a mage, masquerading unsuccessfully as a noble.
All seemed to ignore the interplay betwee King and the Dark Elf. In fact, they were listening, very carefully, while at the same time trying to be as invisible as possible.