Chapter Ten
The door to his bedroom opened silently. Looking in, Justin was surprised to find the room well-lit, with candles on the mantel and on his bedside table. He could easily make out the four-poster bed with the green canopy and the emerald green drapes pulled securely across the windows. The floor was covered in a thick beige carpet, and the fireplace was lit, giving the room a comfortable warmth. The walls were simply decorated with 3 landscape paintings and a painting of a horse in mid-gallop.
Walking to the bed, Justin sat down on the mattress and immediately felt his body relax against it. It was much softer than it appeared at first glance. He realized that before he could allow himself to sleep, he would need to blow out the candles. He didn't realize how much of an effort it would take him to pull himself back off the bed and extinguish the wicks, only leaving the fire burning in the grate.
After laying his book on the bedside table and making a quick trip to the bathroom that he found in an adjoining room, he was more than ready to sleep.
When he sat back down again on the bed, he took the time to slip under the covers and fix his last interaction with Maggie in his mind, and he was fast asleep.
A knocking on the door brought him out of a deep sleep. It was probably the deepest sleep he had experienced in years, and he was loath to leave it. It took him a moment to remember where he was, but once he did, all thoughts of sleep left him.
His voice still held the residue of sleep as he spoke. "Come in." Justin wasn't sure who would be standing on the other side of the door when it opened. He hoped it would be Maggie. When a tall woman in a simple cream colored dress with a long black apron peeked in around the door, he did his best to keep a pleasant look on his face.
"Mr. White, Princess Magdalin has asked me to fetch you for breakfast with her and the king. Justin tensed at her words. On one hand, he was thrilled that he would be seeing Maggie soon, but he was also terrified of making a fool of himself in front of the king. But he knew that in order to help Aldervaile with their mythical creature problem, he would have to interact with the king. He was just as determined to go through with it as he had been last night. So with nothing else to do but to get out of bed and follow her, that is what he did.
As he walked a few steps behind the maid, he realized that he was wearing the same clothes as yesterday. He might be able to get by wearing them today, but he would need to find a clean outfit or two and ask Maggie about taking a bath.
Justin could see that all of the windows were now open and the drapes had been tied back with matching velvet cords. He wondered if the same attendant whose job it was to wipe up the candle wax also had to open all of the drapes every morning.
It became very evident to him very fast that the castle was much more of a labyrinth than what he had experienced last night. From the throne room to his room had been a fairly straight shot, but he was so turned around by the time they reached the doors to the dining hall that he knew that he would never be able to find his way back on his own.
With a small curtsy, the maid left him standing before the doors where two guards stood at attention. Justin felt a moment of fear as he wasn't sure whether to open the door himself or wait to be let in. After a few moments, one of the guards leaned forward and opened the door. As Justin stepped in, he heard the guard announce his arrival. Looking up, he saw that the king and Maggie were both sitting at a long table, and they were both looking at him expectantly.
As he stood there, unsure what to do, he noticed Maggie signaling him to walk forward.
Justin did his best to thank her with his eyes, but from where they sat, he doubted she could read his gratitude. He would be sure to tell her when they were alone.
As he reached the table, he noticed that a plate, glass, and silverware had been laid to the right of the king and across from Maggie. He made a deep bow and then silently took his seat. After letting the attendant fill his glass with water, he pulled his focus off his lap and greeted the king and Maggie.
"Good morning, your Majesty." Looking at Maggie, he hoped she understood his next words were only said because her father was in the room. "Good morning, Magdalin. I hope you both slept well." Maggie made a barely perceptible grimace that Justin felt sure the king didn't notice, but she quickly smoothed her features and smiled warmly at him.
"Good morning, Justin. I did sleep well, I hope you did too, and I hope you found your rooms satisfactory." Justin realized something for the first time. She had said rooms. He had been so tired last night that he had not looked beyond his own bedchamber and the bathroom.
"I did sleep well. I slept so well, in fact, that I went straight to bed after blowing out the candles. I'm afraid I haven't had a chance to explore the other rooms you provided for me, other than the bathroom, of course, but I will do so as soon as I can.
Maggie looked down at her plate, then back to Justin, as though trying to convey something. When he noticed the servant had filled his plate while he was talking, he realized she wanted him to try the food.
After taking a big bite of piping hot eggs lathered in a creamy beige sauce, it took everything in him not to moan in contentment. Maggie wasn't lying when she said that the cook was extraordinary in her craft. He definitely wanted to meet her.
Justin could see by the smile on Maggie's face that she was pleased with his reaction. She went to change the subject with her father to give Justin a few extra moments to enjoy the food.
"Father, have you given any thought to how you want Justin to begin tackling the issues with the magical creatures?"
There was a long pause as the king took a moment to finish chewing his food and take a drink out of his goblet. Justin wondered if he was giving himself extra time to formulate a response or if this was how he acting normally. When he had set his glass down and wiped his mouth with his cloth napkin, he turned slightly in his chair and looked at Justin full in the face.
It took everything in him not to look away. He had to remind himself that he was the expert. He repeated in his head, "I can help. I can help." He was able to keep his gaze steady, but inside his mind was fighting to run wild.
"Yes, Magdalin, I have given this much thought since we talked last night. I admit that it kept me up for longer than I would have liked, but hopefully it will all be for good." Maggie looked at Justin in encouragement at her father's words. "First, I think you must meet the mages. I have asked them to meet us in the library after we eat. It would be helpful to gain a deeper understanding of what we are facing from those who have been working to solve the problem. Don't you agree?"
Justin almost missed his question, so caught up in the reality that he was about to meet true magicians, but he came back to the present with enough clarity to nod and respond. "Yes, your Majesty. I think discussing the situation with the mages is the right thing to do. I look forward to meeting them.