Snippet #1066478

The anger in the princess's voice was clear, and Mason's instinct was either to cower or to grow angry. Fortunately for him, he did neither, standing his ground. "Escort me? Well, if my father thinks is best, why should I deny him? He could tell that there was more to this story than she was revealing, and that her anger wasn't truly intended for him. "But do you truly think four guards will be able to protect me and my women?" Mason nodded, ignoring the nervous fluttering in his stomach; after all, he would never be able to live it down if he failed to keep her safe. "Princess, there is only so much we can do to make your passage safe. I feel that you and your women will be in the best of hands."

Then she surprised him; the throne room quickly emptied at her command. Did she trust him so easily? No, but she trusted her father, and Mason was here on behalf of the king. She drew close, probably to keep their voices hushed. "Thank you. You might not know this, but my father has not been himself for quite a while and everything is falling down..." She drifted, and Mason wondered if she had dropped off in thought. At least her voice was relatively civil. "Your job is to take me to Porl where I am to ask for a treaty with the king of Porl. I am to take gold and scented oils and fine clothes and two beautiful women. Plus the greatest treasure of Thurl; the sword of Eldine." Mason knew that such was tradition; there was no way that Thurl could withstand the armies of Porl. Times were desperate. But Mason, raised in the military, hated with all of his being to give up something with so much history and value. Alleysea clearly agreed, as displayed by the tension on her face.

But then she turned, and Mason watched her carefully, trying to read her. Was that fear that he detected on her proud features? "I am to ask him to be my husband if nothing else works. I am to give him Thurl in a silver platter... but if he dares to destroy its beauty I will poison him and stab him in the heart." Something told Mason that she would hold true to this sentiment. She was strong. She would not give herself without a fight.

For some reason, Mason wanted to be on her side when that fight came. He vowed within his heart to make sure that the young woman had something to hold on to when everything fell apart, as it was bound to.

"Ready your guards and the best carriage. I will ride and the women will be in the carriage. The sword will be with me at all times." Mason nodded; he mentally examined his checklist. He would need to gather the guards first, then ready the carriage; he was much too anal about certain things to allow anyone else to fulfill such duties, particularly when he privately feared that the guards cared much less for the mission than he would have preferred.

And off he went, to the stables. Where he had told the guards to wait.

---

The guards were a merry bunch; they had made good friends with each other on the way to Edetser. Mason was at least five year younger than all of them. They didn't care too much for the fact that Mason was actually superior to all of them in many ways, including his fighting skills and horsemanship. For the most part, they ignored him, unless he was giving them instructions. He kept the contact they had to a minimum, since he didn't care too terribly much for any of them either.

After telling them the plan, he headed toward the royal carriages, leading his light palomino mare. When she saw the many coaches, all lined side by side, she almost spooked, but Mason stroked her nose and whispered to her in a soft voice. Then he began his rounds.

He was not looking for the most luxurious carriage. That would be stupid, since the bandits and raiders and enemies would instantly target such a thing. They needed something that could pass through the treacherous mountains, something that was durable and sturdy and could hold (and hide) the treasures and protect the women.

And then, he saw it.

It was a small carriage, with only enough room for one person to control the two horses and two people to sit inside. The wheels were freshly added, but the sides had clearly endured quite a bit of abuse, meaning that the wagon was secure and sturdy. The back half was well-protected, only accessible from the front of the carriage, and had enough room for all of the treasure that they could possibly need.

Mason waved over a nearby stableboy. "Find me two of the best horses. I want ones that can pull this carriage all the way to Porl if need be." He didn't mention that Porl was actually the destination. The boy nodded and ran off.

Then a servant walked from a nearby door to the kitchen. "Sir, we have food and treasure."

Mason nodded absently, then registered what he was saying. "Lead me to it, and I'll help carry it to the carriage."

By the time Mason and the boy had finished loading their supplies, the two horses had been hooked to the front. The guards, loitering around, had their own horses. They looked sullen when Mason told them that one of them would be driving the carriage and would need to leave his steed behind. Mason, seeing two women exit the back door of the kitchen, clutching beautiful cloaks, reminded himself to keep an eye on the guards and one more covered his head with his hood.