As Klaytal prattles on, the doll again becomes the boy.
The queen and her flock flutter around the corner, only to find yet another person blocking their way.
When Samen steps into the hallway behind Klaytal, the entourage collectively gasps at the corpse-stiff boy in his arms.
Jack discovered it inside your room, in some pages strewn across your bed.
The queen's grey eyes seem lit with intelligence as she listens to Klaytal's words. They are as luminous as the eyes of a monkey-eating eagle.
Strewn, you say? Like some creature's warren. Strewn. My papers. Strewn. She pauses. No papers were strewn. Not by a Queen. Not by her chamberlain, not by her stweard, not by her ladies-in-waiting.
She steeples her thin fingers, places them to her lips, and turns her head down to look at her feet. To Lumi and the Queen's retinue, who are stand behind, it seems as if the Queen is in deep contemplation. From the front, however… a devious smile evolves from the corners of her pale lips.
Her eyes dart up to Samen. Her gentle and empathetic autumn voice doesn't seem to reach her face.
Bring this boy here. Lay him at my feet. She produces a vial from the folds of her dress. The antidote to my trap, you see. Bezoar, Mithridate, Theriac, pickled merrow innards, a pinch of nightshade, and an infusion of cold iron and silver to dispel any fey magics or lycanthropy.
The queen turns. Lumi, is everything alright? Come, administer this draught. Pour it carefully down this boy's throat, every drop, so that he may be released. Your time of duty has come!
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”Thank you, your majesty. You are too kind. I’m no master alchemist, but are you sure cold iron and silver dispel fey magics and lycanthropy? Regardless, perhaps I should give the boy his medicine, as I’ve been longing to for some time now.”
The queen’s champagne-flute laugh rings out and she responds without turning her head. Silly man. The potion works just as I say it does; it’s my trap after all. So noble to offer to help, but let Lumi do her duty; she must learn a lesson.
Lumi says I… won't… I mean… I can't. She walks a few steps backwards and turns away. The Queen, still smiling at Samen, exhales a melancholy sigh that is heard by her entourge behind her.
As her fingers his leave cheek, they trail under his jaw. Her nails tickle his jugular.
She gestures at Gate to administer the potion. If he struggles, make sure he drinks it all — medicine is bitter, but its fruits are sweet.
"As you command, your majesty." Samen lays the boy before her, as commanded.
The boy listens, frozen, to the queen’s icy innuendos.
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Gate holds the vial up to the light before bringing it under his nose for a good sniff. For a moment it looks as though he may down the potion himself, like a shot of whisky.
He grins wolfishly at Jack as he pries the boy’s mouth open.
”You heard the queen, no struggling. This is for your own good.”
Gate tips the vial and pours it down the boy’s throat.
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A Boy feels the cold potion slide down his throat. The smell of decaying animal overwhelms his nose; it tastes like rotting cod, limestone, and curdled milk. A taste that will linger on the palette for days to come.
Before he even understands the potion is working his body reacts violently. Luckily, Gate is there and works with enthusiasm to ensure all the medicine goes down. Lumi rushes forward and peers over Gate's shoulder, a her worry becoming a grin as she sees the magic take effect.
The queen places her hands behind her back and smiles benevolently down at him, like a sated bird of prey. All better now?
She takes in your group as a whole. I am truly sorry you set off my trap. I take precautions to protect my privacy. Such is my duty, a Queen's duty, who is entrusted with our country's secrets. That trap is meant to snare spies, and allows me to deal with them at leisure — be it hours or days. I did not think your security detail would include reading my private documents. Be warned: such actions may disrupt local harmony, goodwill, and peaceful relations between our cities. Continue your wild hunt, my gallants, but do not snoop! Prowl like the wolf, don't slink like the snake!
She grins wolfishly at every one of you in turn. At any rate, after this incident I'm sure we mutually understand each other, yes?
She claps her hands and turns to the entourage with a carefree laugh. Happily, the scrolls in qirstion are nothing but dinner menus for the party!
Their laughter of her loyal retinue echoes and echoes down the stone halls.
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There is no mistaking the naked terror on the boy's face as motion returns to his face. Looking up into the queen's visage, he momentarily shrinks away. His mouth opens, a croaking note sounding before he shuts it tight. Rosy embarrassment and then composure returns. "Forgive me, Mum. The traps we've found seemed so subtle, I thought the page may've been writ with poison pen, in wait for Your Grace. From hence a pup am I, no garter snake."
How long was it? For how many days? Years? The box opened. The box closed. And still inside he lay, frozen. Until that day when the rabbit reached in for him...
He looks at Lumi. Smiles with a slight glance over to the queen as he bows modestly.
Worry not about me. Guard yourself with her, my friend.
Her eyes narrow at the Boy before she turns to the laughing courtiers. Hush now! No need to be cruel.
Gate eyes the boy, a little surprised he so easily endured that potion of cold iron and silver.
”Feeling better now? Cured then are you? Can we get back to work, or do you need more time to collect yourself?”
"Our humblest apologies, your majesty" Samen says with a bow. "It shall not happen again."
"Of course! Her Majesty was so very kind! I feel right as a rainbow!"
The boy won’t stop moving. Many small motions, as if to prove he is not and never will be frozen again.
Klaytal initially shocked at the revelation of the contents of the potion catches himself as he realizes something more is at play here. He gazes with relief as the boy begins to move with vim and vigor again.
"My queen, if we are to ensure a peaceful and enjoyable evening, we must use all of our skills and abilities to track down each non-royal trap and find the interloper that is setting them throughout the castle. However, I do appreciate the need to keep privacy at top of mind, especially where critical diplomatic missives are concerned. Thank you for you help, and particularly your patience."
"Well lads, what do you say, how about we go over the room again with a fine-toothed comb, but this time avoid locking ourselves out of the forthcoming gala?"
Klaytal will head back into the room to continue the search.
Once they get in, and the queens laugh has died down, he turns to Gate, "Some good moves, you had back there. And Jack... glad you've got your moves back too!"
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The boy smiles convincingly and does a cartwheel. "Life's a carousel that keeps on..."
The brothers Einbetten roll their eyes at each other as their grandfather finishes the same old saw. ...turning."
The Queen and Lumi go into the monarch's chambers to peruse the banquet menus. Lumi looks less enthusiastic about party planning, but might be thrilled to discover the menu's scratch-and-sniff magic that lets users preview the complex aromas of each course. After all, smell is such an important component of taste.
With the Her Majesty's room occupied, the next room to inspect is Lumi's. Neither lavishly decorated nor overly feminine, it has an air of someone who enjoys both the beautiful and the practical. Every item is an exemplar of its type, yet nothing is superfluous. There is a double bed covered with eiderdowns and topped with a thick fur; a dressing table and chair; a wardrobe; a bath and changing screen; a full-sized harp; and a sewing box next to a spinning wheel. The sewing box has a utilitarian hunting outfit resting on it, folded neatly. Next to the box is a chair made of cherry wood; on its back hangs a tiny cape of precious velvet and rimmed with mink.
Everyone enters the room, with Klaytal leading the way, followed by Gate, followed by Samen, and finally A Boy.
Almost all of you find a much thinner trip wire attached to the lintel on the top of the door frame, leading inwards and upwards. However, this is a ruse and the wire isn’t linked to anything.
Wire snipped, Klaytal moves further into the room.
He stops in his tracks after just one more step. He is aware of something, gentle as a single strand of silk, brushing against his ankles. Another trip wire, and this one made with far more guile!
This devious wire runs along the wall, and then up above the door. There on the wall is a sculptural frieze of of a trumpet archon playing a horn. On closer inspection it's apparent that the instrument is hollowed out; it is pointing right into Klaytal's face.
Luckily, he was able to pause before putting any tension on the wire!
”Hold up here lads, unless you want the cartwheel to be accompanied by a symphony. I’m not much for singing, unless it’s after a few pints. Anyone able to take a look at this trumpet?”
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The boy puts his hand on Samen's elbow. He starts singing a little nursery rhyme.
"Fell the dark night
And no starlight to light the room
And no, no, no, no, no, no
No, no half moon
Fell an old tune
Under trumpets by 'A Blue Lagoon'
And no, no, no, no, no, no
No, no half moon
No, no, no, no, no, no
No, no half moon
No, no, no, no, no, no."
In spite of his over-tight cravat, Samen feels a surge of confidence in his ability to disarm... Traps.
"Ah, Klaytal, why don't you hold on right there for just a moment and I'll see if I can't put a mute on that trumpet."
Samen disables the device. There is a bluish-black dust in the horn that would have burst out in a cloud.
You carefully look around the room. Gate and A Boy are quite sure everything else here is safe.
You move on to the last room. It is the bridal suite.
This room contains the future marriage bed, and is scented with warmed rose oils. A magical breeze blows softly through the room, keeping the scented air moving. A small statue of an air elemental is on a display table; it generates the breeze via a variation of a whispering wind spell.
You stop and listen to the zephyr's whisper:
May the union of Prince Ruhtin Tolkovar and Mistress Lumi Valtatytar be eternally blessed by the gods that watch over them.
The bed sheets are made with the finest of silks and are covered in soft rose petals, while the headboard is a bawdy scene of fey creatures engaged in amorous activity—satyrs and pixies feature prominently.
On each side of the bed is a low table with a single drawer. There are two wardrobes and a chest of drawers; a dressing table with a mirror and chair; an opulant full-length mirror with a frame that allows it to change angle, a large candelabra hanging from the ceiling, and a trolley with about two dozen bottles and decanters on it.
At a glance, all seems fine…
Song having returned a semblance of good spirits, the boy examines the dust.
…however, you have become wary as a result of the other rooms on this floor, and you search very carefully!
After looking for several rounds, Gate finds that one of the drawers in the bedside table contains a small vial of dark brown fumes. The stopper set to be pulled out when the drawer is opened.
A trap on the chest of drawers. One of the drawer handles of the newly crafted chest of drawers—the one on the left of the first large drawer down—is smeared with a thin film of contact poison. In the low, flickering candle light, it is difficult to spot this.
Klaytal investigates the magnificent mirror, and reveals a trigger that will break another vial; the vial is disguised as gem that has been placed here for tyhe occasion, and it is filled with a white mist.
A Boy is fascinated by the marital bed. In the bawdy carvings he finds two concealed, miniature wooden bolts that come from carvings of pixies firing tiny arrows. One targets each pillow. The trigger seems to be operated by a sensor pad underneath the Prince’s pillow.
"You have quite the singing voice, young man. Please, continue. It helps me to concentrate, and I'm going to need all the concentration I can muster, here." Samen sets about to disabling the trap that he found, first.
His hand slips, however, brushing against the smear before he can safely remove it!
The boy does continue to sing.
”We’ve got another one over here, Samen.” Gate points to the drawer in the bedside table.
Samen makes his save! The trap is now clear by virtue of being set off.
As Samen moves on to the next trap, the boy continues singing. He dances an inexpert little jig, steadily gaining a bit more pep as he does so.
Something about that dancing...why does it seem so familiar?
"Another, wonderful." Try not to screw this one up, Samen.
"Hm, tricky things."
"There we go. Any others?"
-----
"Wyvern's sting would kill us dead."
"So glad we didn't trigger this othur trap..."
"Don't touch this unless you fancy death by lotus black."
"Wyvern's sting would kill us dead."
"Methinks our foe has skill with alchemy. No common skill at that. And means to roam these halls as free as satyrs in a forest glen."
"Wow, this is quite concerning. I can only hope we've cleared through everything. I never was so sad to have a castle so clean. Not even any tracks to point us in the right direction. Well, I think we're good here; time to set off?"
Klaytal will begin to head for the door.
You make your way back down to the first floor without incident. As you head into the courtyard you see that craftspeople and functionaries are still busting about. Nevertheless, there seems to be a sense of order being brought to the chaos: the tables are arranged in better order; the royal couple's platform is complete; a mage trying to perfectly focus a scattering of silent image stars that will twinkle from behind the cascade of pink rose garlands that have been hung from the balcony.
The Queen stands poised at the bridal table; she seems like an elegant marble sculpture draped in carmine and snow. She is watching a cleric from her entourage cast gentle repose over a cluster of Irises. Their blade-shaped petals will remain pure white and royal purple for the banquet.
She glances at your group before turning and spreading her hands in a gesture of welcome; the folds of her voluminous sleeves fall open like dark wings.
She calls out to you, her clear voice dancing above the noise like magic. Our gallant huntsmen return — victorious, I am sure! The clatter and the clamor and the chatter die out, as if smothered under a blanket. The Viscount slips out of his temporary office to listen.
She beckons you closer, the ruby ring on her pale finger glinting in the fading light, and waits for you to genuflect below the platform. She gestures down to you and turns to the crowd.
These four brave huntsmen have weathered deadly trials and dastardly tribulations in service to their country, their queen, their prince, and to bride-to-be Lumi! They have our gratitude, these loyal and honest adventurers. I, Attendant Queen Haijyin, declare now, before you all, that these four are to be rewarded as such: they are to be honored as Lumi's special protectors for the banquet!
There are two seconds of silence before an old man in the corner tosses his hat in the air and whoops — everyone in the courtyard cheers for the heroes and a job well done!
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Basking in the adoration, Klaytal ribs Samen, "Good thing you saved me from getting covered in all that embarrassing dust in the horn, huh?"
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The boy bows and sings in a sweet contralto, after the fashion of a famous pastoral,
"Your majesty, these three are heroes born.
But I am but a huntsboy, truth be told.
Too young to fell the wolf or smite the witch,
yet sworn to guard the lady whom the prince,
Your noble, thrice-blessed godson, loves and weds"
The workers pause for long seconds to consider the Boy's words, and cheer.
The queen claps delightedly: Well sung! Hidden talents sleep in this one — he seems like a little boy, but sings like a bard! She strokes her chin. What other hidden talents might we extract from that tiny body, I wonder?
She knows you are not what you seem. She is telling you she knows.
"My Queen, my father always said I have a gift. You do him honor when you say his words were true. But I am but a boy. No more."
She smiles at the boy. Indeed! I'm sure there's many a tune you sing.
Gate grins adoringly at the cheering courtyard, his open shirt blowing in the gentle breeze.
”I could get used to this.”
The viscount motions you into his cramped little office. Yes yes yes, it seems you have done quite well! Quite well, yes. Impressed her majesty you have. Impressive, quite, quite well done, yes. Did you have and difficulties securing the prestigious reaches, the upper floors? His fingers tap-dance on the desk.
"Milord, twould seem we have an alchemist at large with expertise in setting traps and poisons of a super deadly sort," says the boy called 'Jack' by some stingy, secretive sorts. "What souls might come to mind? Perhaps we ought to ask about...?"