Escapades In The Night

The mystery is beginning to unravel, and I am discovering more incriminating evidence of treachery.

It is in the late hours of the night, but this is too urgent to postpone; therefore I write with the light of the pale moon shining through the window and a glow of a lone candle to guide my pen.

LunaMara is silent with sleep, and a lonely atmosphere radiates from the halls and corridors of the palace; the only sound that reaches my ears is the soft scratching of the quill against the parchment as I write.

The stillness does not bother me, on the contrary I enjoy it. I feel like I can think and meditate easier on problems and situations that are not so clear, at night, without the fear of being disturbed.

The circumstances involving Lord Zakar Priseri, one of my counselors, and the unknown contents of the caravan at his estate is becoming clearer to me and is not so mysterious.

I have had my closest informants inquire discreetly around Estrillo, the capital of Krespania, when the caravan appeared and if the locals knew from whence it came.

The determining answer was that it arrived at the beginning of last month, and they know not who the donor is, but that it came from the north-east by way of sea. The cargo ship that carried it was unmarked and disappeared quickly afterward.

This information was not much but it was a small clue that added into the mix with the others I had gathered, yet it also raised even more questions. Who sent it, and what was inside?

It seemed a little too mysterious to deem it as ordinary and leave it be just as if it was a trivial matter. Nothing was as it seems with Zakar, I have recently discovered.

Now it brings us to this very night.

I decided that it was important that I know what the contents were of the caravan. I could easily send a few palace guards with a warrant to search it but then I would have to surrender the secrecy that I have kept of my knowledge of this, and I do not think I am ready to do that at this moment.

That meant the only alternative was to send an unauthorized investigation.

And the less that knew of this the better it would be, so I chose to go by myself, under the cover of darkness.

Needless to say, Meredith, my lady-in-waiting, did not like the idea at all, especially when I said I was going alone and she was to stay at LunaMara.

She tried to persuade me not to go, but I had my mind set on it and would not acquiesce to her demands, so than she insisted that I have protection.

When Joktan and Jokthan, my two personal bodyguards, heard of it, they too impressed on me to take both of them as protection, since it was their duty.

I yielded and agreed that it would be wise to have protection, but only one of them. The other would stay outside my chamber so as not to arouse suspicion like they would if someone saw they were not at their post.

No one was to know I had left.

I then slipped a dark cloak over me, and Joktan and I mounted on horses already saddled, and stole out through the gates of the palace.

A cloud hid the moon overhead, covering the land with a thick darkness, and we soon left the warm glow of the torches around the palace and rode into the inky blackness of the night.

The cool air whipped and bit at me as we went through the forest for a few miles and then onto the stretch of grassy meadow that stretched to the entrance of Lord Zakar's estate.

We dismounted a distance from the villa and continued on foot to avoid attention from the sentry Joktan had noticed, that was guarding the caravan.

We waited until he walked to the uppermost end of the immobile caravan and then we crept to the nearest wagon and peered inside.

In the darkness I could make out several chests decorated with engravings. The style appeared expensive and from someone of great wealth by the designs.

“I need to see what is inside, Joktan.” I whispered, and then with his help climbed into the cart.

The chests were not locked and sliding the bolt back, I lifted the lid.

I do not know what my expectations exactly were but the sight that met me was a surprise.

Inside, heaped to the rim were jewels of all kinds; pearl necklaces, bracelets with precious gems, golden and silver anklets, armbands and rings. The array of jewelry was endless, and the value, priceless.

The sight was breathtaking.

“It is filled with jewels.” I said.

“The sentry is starting to approach, Your Majesty. I suggest you hurry.” Joktan's low voice reached my ears.

I closed the chest and went to the second.

This chest was filled with gems, from the Ischitim mountains, would be my guess, by how precise the cut of the stones were. Very valuable. Who acquired these from the dwarves?

“He is coming to the second wagon.” Joktan said.

I could not linger long, so I continued to the last chest. “Now what is in here.” I said, opening the lid.

Gold and silver coins brimmed the chest.

If only I could see the engraving on the coin, then I could tell where it's origin was.

I lifted one out of the chest and held it up into the light, straining to see the distinguishing marks, but the light was too little.

“Your Majesty, he will be approaching us soon.” Warned Joktan.

“I cannot leave without finding some evidence or clue of where this cargo came from.” I whispered, desperately shifting the coin in all angles, trying to reflect light off it's surface.

“He is at the fourth cart.”

Just a little more light is all I need!

“At the fifth cart.”

The loud beating of my heart seemed to fill the silence of the night

Then in those last moments a miracle occurred. The cloud shifted out of the way of the moon and a milky white light flooded me, and the coin's marks were crystal clear.

“It is from Lorate!” I hissed. “All of these are!”

Joktan looked back at me. “He will be upon us any moment, Your Majesty! We must leave!”

I gasped as I caught sight of him, and quickly closed the lid and jumped from the cart.

I landed with a soft thud, and we both ran into the woods skirting the estate, and into safety.

“Did he see us?” My chest heaved up and down, as I leaned against the tree with the estate at my back.

Joktan looked around the tree before answering. “No, they are not alerted, Your Majesty.”

“Good.” I fingered the two coins I had kept from the chest.

I knew not how this was connected with every else I had learned but only knew it was important.

Here, at a quarter till midnight, I sit in the anteroom outside my personal bedchamber in contemplation and silent musing.

The coins are lying on the table in front of me, glistening in the faint light and displaying the profile of Prince Deak Codra on their surface, in unconscious betrayal.

Lord Zakar is involved in treachery, I am sure of this.

First, his apparent disapproval of any movement on our part on behalf on Kordana.

Second, his recently receiving the cargo of jewels, gold, and precious stones from some unknown source from Lorate.

Third, the survey of Kordana's defenses by his request that I never authorized, that took place a little before they were attacked.

Revolving these facts around in my head, I considered what all these added up to and the implications of it.

The resulting conclusion is this: Lord Zakar is betraying Kordana's fortifications to the Lorates in exchange for riches.

Greed has filled his heart and shut out any mercy that might have been there.

The thought of his treachery incenses me to the highest degree. And if this is true, and there is not much doubt of that, he will be dealt with most severely.

-Emerald de Gavrillac

Queen of Krespania