Ace walked stiffly through the long corridor, uncomfortably sandwiched between two Valiant guards. Another guard led the way, and a fourth brought up the rear. Despite visiting the Valiant palace as an ambassador, he felt much like a prisoner being escorted to his execution. The relative silence, save from their footsteps on the stone ground, did not help matters.
His light blue tabard, bearing Kalgara’s colors and coat of arms, stood out among the gray cloth and chain maille that surrounded him. It was far from the first time the Daethen had worn the country’s garb, but this, too, singled him out among the group as they passed others who lived and worked in the palace.
Soon, they came to a stop in a foyer decorated with white and purple banners on the walls and an intricately woven rug across the stone floor.
Two more guards stood on either side of a wide wooden door, and when one received his whispered orders, he turned to knock on the door.
“Enter.” A woman’s voice returned.
The guard entered, closing the door behind him.
Ace swallowed, rocking on his feet in an attempt to work out his nervousness. He had nothing to worry about; he was simply there to relay the Kalgaran king’s orders and return with the Duchess of Valiant’s response to the matter. But, it was his first mission as Dorian’s ambassador, and he was unable to shake his unease of the situation. After all, the guards had escorted him far from the throne room where royalty usually held such discussions.
The door opened and the guard returned to the foyer.
“Her Highness, Duchess Vashta, will see you now.”
Ace nodded with his lips pressed tightly together. He then straightened his posture and stepped away from the guards at his sides. He entered the room and jumped as the door closed heavily behind him.
“Ah, Sir Gallagher.”
Ace turned to find the fair-skinned ruler of Valiant standing beside one of four high-backed wooden chairs around a round pedestal table. She was dressed in a thick velvet robe tied at her waist, a silver circlet crowning her forehead, and a small, lace eyepatch covering her right eye. Her long blond hair curled around her shoulders and spilled down her chest.
The table was already set with two crystal glasses, a tall glass pitcher, and a small corked flask, all etched with a shimmering gold “V.”
“I will admit, I was expecting King Swift when they announced a visitor from Kalgara had arrived.” The duchess eyed him as she poured the dark red wine into a glass that was already half-full. “But you’ll do just fine.”
Ace glanced at the glass as she pushed it towards him before looking up beyond the table. Lavish purple hangings created a backdrop for a cream-colored chaise lounge, and an immense canopy bed was tucked behind the hangings against the far wall. A small army of candles flickered on the ground on either side of the couch, while tall stained glass windows cast the scene in a lavender light.
“I wasn’t aware I was gaining access to your personal chambers,” the knight finally admitted. “Have I caught you at a bad time?”
“Oh, no,” Vashta set down the pitcher and swirled the contents of the glass. “This is perfect. When my husband, the duke, is away, I prefer to host visitors in my chambers, rather than that cold, dark throne room. Please, have a drink.”
“No, thank you,” Ace raised his hand.
“Please,” Vashta stressed, “your journey has been long and you need refreshment. It would honor me if you shared this wine with me.” She held out the glass toward him.
Ace bit his lip. As an ambassador, he assumed it was best to be polite and accept her act of hospitality. “I’ll admit I’m not much of a wine drinker, but if it pleases Her Majesty…” He reached forward and accepted the glass. He took a sip and was unable to quench a soured expression as the liquid burned his throat. “Thank you,” he choked out as the duchess’ grin widened.
“Now, what was it you came here to discuss?” The duchess took her glass and turned from the table.
“Well, Your Highness, I was sent on behalf of King Swift to discuss the trade agreement between Kalgara and Valiant. You see–”
“How is the King?” Vashta glanced idly over her shoulder as she stepped up to the couch.
“Um, he’s fine. Busy, as you would expect; hence why I am here. So, basically…”
He trailed off as Vashta yawned loudly and stretched backward against the couch. The robe stretched tight against her body. Ace cleared his throat and looked away.
“As you are aware,” he tried again, “the Pontus Market was founded on both Kalgaran and Valiant land where our countries can come together to set up shops and trade with each other. Lately, our merchants–”
“Your merchants?” The duchess set down her empty glass. “You’re a Daethen.”
“I am a Kalgaran Knight and a dual citizen, Your Highness,” Ace shifted his arm to display the circlet that proved his rank. “Kalgara is my country as much as Northaven is.”
Vashta huffed. “In the history of Kalgara, has there ever been a Daethen dubbed as a Kalgaran Knight–or Ambassador?”
The ambassador’s brows lowered. “I don’t know, probably–but that’s not really the point–”
“Fine!” She turned her body to lean against the couch’s arm rest as the robe threatened to open at her chest. “Continue if you must.”
Ace didn’t have to be an ex-gambler to read into her dismissive attitude. “I can come back at another time if you’d prefer,” he eyed her.
“No, no, no,” Vashta waved her fingers at him. “Please, continue. And drink up–you mustn’t get faint.”
Ace’s mouth hung open for a moment before he looked down at his glass and took another swallow. The bitterness of the wine left a strangely sweet aftertaste, and, in an effort to get her eyes off of him, he finished off the glass before continuing to speak. He let out a breath and set his glass back on the round table.
She turned aside with a faint smile on her lips. “Now, what were you saying?”
“Kalgaran merchants have worked to keep prices reasonable in order to provide Valiant with necessary goods. However, Valiant merchants have–”
“Have a seat,” Vashta patted the couch with her hand.
“Oh, I’m all right here–”
“Sit.” Her words grew sharp.
Ace took a seat on the far edge of the couch begrudgingly. He frowned, awaiting Vashta’s attention as she idly pulled her robe above her knees. “To continue,” he glanced out the stained glass window, “Valiant merchants have not been following the basic rules of the Pontus Market and have either greatly lessened their stock, or are charging much higher prices.”
Vashta pulled her legs onto the couch and offered another yawn. Her golden hair fell on her arms as she drew them over her head.
“This is creating an unfair situation for Kalgara, which defeats the very reason the Pontus Market was founded after the Battle of Recovery. The purpose of my visit was to appeal to you on behalf of the–”
Her bare foot slipped under his thigh.
Ace yelped and shot to his feet. “Excuse me!”
“What?” She pursed her lips.
The knight shook his head. “I apologize, Your Highness, but I’m no longer comfortable with this meeting.”
Vashta grabbed him by the end of his tabard. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“Away.” He grit his teeth.
She grabbed his belt and tugged him closer. “I have a better idea…”
“Nope!” Ace tore from her grasp.
A conniving grin twisted the corners of her lips as her form slunk across her couch.
Ace’s eyes narrowed coldly. “Why didn’t I see this coming? Let’s invite the Kalgaran ambassador into the duchess’ bedchamber and give him wine, all while the duke is conveniently missing…”
Vashta laughed from her throat and curled her arms around her chest, tugging open the edges of her robe. “You talk too much.”
“Because this can go two ways,” Ace held up his fingers, “I shun your advances and you start screaming that the ambassador has attempted to violate you, which incites hatred toward Kalgara all over again; or, I play along with your plan and you scream that the ambassador has actually violated you, which incites hatred toward Kalgara all over again.”
“No wonder good King Dorian chose you,” Vashta rose from the couch. “You’re a smart one.”
“Believe me, I know the tricks because I used to use them.” The knight sneered.
“Then, why did you fall for it so easily?” She took a step towards him, her good eye catching the light of the stained glass window.
“Because I thought maybe, as Duchess, you were above that.”
She winced. “Ooh, that hurts,” she muttered, drawing her hands across her chest. “Why don’t we just get this over with, then.”
“Sorry, ma’am; I’m not on the market for an adulterous relationship.” Ace stepped backward.
“Oh, shut up,” she cooed.
Ace’s eyes darted to the candles. "Oh, shoot," he blurted.
The duchess whipped around fearfully.
The man flew toward the door.
Vashta’s face initially twisted with outrage when she realized she had fallen for his trick, but the grin returned when Ace was found tugging on a locked door.
“Nice try,” Vashta sneered, “But I told them to keep the door firmly locked.”
“Oh, so you’ve got them involved too; all the more Valians to corroborate your story!” Ace slipped away from the door as Vashta squared herself up with him. “I’m surely in for it, now.” He muttered sarcastically.
“You certainly will be when that potion kicks in.” Vashta smiled.
Ace’s stomach turned. The sweetness had not been the wine.
“I suppose I fell for that too,” his words were guarded, and he immediately began scanning the room for a different way out. His eyes fell upon the crystal flask on the table.
“Now, why don’t we move this to the bed,” she gently tugged the side of her robe to expose one of her thighs. “After all, my husband is away visiting the Daethen King, and surely you understand the power of desire…”
“But of course! I love throwing away my morals and letting my manly desires rule my life.” He mocked through his teeth and flexed his thin arms.
“How about this,” her lips curled impatiently as Ace continued to sidestep around her. “If you don't lie with me, I’ll start screaming right now.”
Ace brought a finger to his mouth. “Screaming now, or screaming later; I’m honestly not sure which I’d prefer.”
Outraged, Vashta roared and leapt at him.
Ace dodged her and ran to the table. The empty glasses clattered over as the table rocked in their wake, but he still managed to slip from her grasp. He skipped a few steps as he adjusted his boot, but he was quick to slide over the back of the lounge as she fell upon it. He pulled one of the purple hangings from the ceiling, tossed it backward, and laughed as it literally tied her up for a moment.
Now at the foot of the bed, he found a tall candlestick with a heavy base against the wall in the corner. He swung around the bedpost and grabbed it, turned to locate the closest window, and only then did he discover daylight shining through a cracked door just on the other side of the bed. Unfortunately, he was forced into the corner when a fuming duchess blocked his path at the end of the bed.
“What do you think you’re doing with that?” She spouted.
He looked at the stand in his hands. “I was thinking you could use some more light in here.”
She looked down her nose at him. "Cut the jokes, Gallagher. You’re only delaying your inevitable degradation." She took a sauntering step closer. “You said it yourself; either way, you’re going to lose. So, why fight it?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” he said, setting the bottom of the stand on the ground. “I think I’ve got a pretty good chance of convincing everyone that this was all your doing.”
Vashta let out a laugh. “As if anyone here will take your word against mine!”
Ace bent down to reach into his boot. “They might believe me if I show them this.”
The duchess’ eyes widened as the knight produced her small crystal flask, still half-filled with the pink liquid of the potion. But, just as before, a dismissive grin tugged on her lips. “You could have brought that here. You were trying to drug me, after all, so you could seduce me…”
“I would bring in a royal flask with your monogram etched into it?” Ace turned the golden “V” toward her.
Her smile soured. “All right. You win. Hand it over and I’ll let you go free.”
“No can do, Your Highness. I give it back, you scream, I lose.”
She took another step. “Give it to me; you have my word.”
“I think it’s best for me to hang on to it for safe keeping,” a smirk painted his face as he slipped it back into his boot, “You know, in case you ever try to accuse me of something I didn’t do in the near future.”
The duchess bared her teeth. “You sneaky, crafty, son of a–”
“Here you go!” Ace threw the candlestick at her, buying him enough time to leap onto the bed to reach the doorway on the other side. A wave of dizziness slowed his movement just enough for Vashta to grab him by the boot. They wrestled for a moment as she attempted to wrench the boot from his foot, but he kicked her hand with his other leg and rolled off the bed. He staggered back to his feet and shoved through the back door.
He found himself on a small, round balcony overlooking an orchard. Lacking the time to survey any further, he bit his lip and climbed onto the ledge.
“Don’t you dare!!” Vashta hovered in the doorway behind him.
“Please send a letter to the Kalgaran palace detailing your plan for returning the market to our accepted regulations, and we’ll call this meeting good. Thank you!” He saluted her and jumped from the wall.
Ace sliced through tree branches until he hit the ground and rolled to withstand the force of the fall. The potion’s effects were beginning to weigh on his limbs as he got back to his feet, but with Vashta’s angry screams belting behind him, he knew he needed to get out of the area immediately.
He zipped through the orchard, scaled the stone wall that fenced it in, and shuffled down the hill back into town. With every step, his movements grew sluggish. It was becoming difficult to keep his eyes focused as his surroundings swirled dizzily.
He found himself in a dark, empty backroad of the city. He squinted through the fading daylight, but he couldn’t determine where to go. He staggered through the road, pressing against the buildings for balance.
He leaned against the glass of a wide shop window and peered inside. Intricately carved wooden creatures looked back at him. Their sandy forms began to move, inching towards him.
Ace gasped and backed away as his heart pounded in his ears. He could scarcely turn his head to look at shops across the street before he saw the same figures in their window, silently crawling up to the glass. Their movements blurred as if they were trailing mist. The figures began to morph until they resembled Mioko holding Athena in his arms.
“No!” Ace shouted, mashing his eyes shut and shaking his head as fear and horror gripped his chest. When he opened his eyes, the window had returned to normal. He let out a slow breath–but before he could take another, the forms again began to swirl. More and more figures seemed to rise from every window, every doorway, every dark corner–all of them bearing Mioko and Athena’s resemblance. He could see the pain in Mioko’s eyes as he trudged toward him. He could see the way Athena’s body hung lifelessly in his arms. He shrieked and threw up his hands as he rushed away from them.
He ran blindly down the street until he reached a wide square, but the figures were still lumbering towards him from every angle.
“Get away from me!!” He yelled, his knees weak and his body trembling. “This isn’t happening–it’s–it’s not happening!”
But the once silent forms began to rumble in his ears. They had surrounded him like a terrifying mist. Hissing, like the sparks of faulty electric wire, pierced through his brain and threw him into a panic.
He ran one way, stumbled, caught his balance, and tried to run in three other directions as the forms held out their hands toward him and stopped him in his tracks.
“Go away!!” He cried as tears streamed from his eyes, “Get away from me!!”
The rumble became deafening. The figures closed in.
He let out a horrified cry as he was grabbed forcibly by the shoulders.
“Sir! Snap out of it!!” The older man cried, his face bent in worry as the man writhed in his grasp and shouted various syllables. He lost his grip and panicked himself when Ace ran straight into his wife, screaming.
Grabbing his walking stick, he swung it and struck the knight square in the forehead.
Ace froze, silent and still. He dropped to his knees, his eyes then drooped closed, and he collapsed onto the cobblestone.
“What’s all this racket?” A Valiant knight rushed into the square, pushing through the small crowd that had formed as a second followed.
The elder man was still gripping his walking stick over his head. “This–this man was in delusion! He tried to attack me and my wife!”
The dark-haired knight hurried over and nearly gasped when he saw the color of Ace’s tunic. “It’s the Kalgaran Ambassador!!”
“How was I supposed to know?” The man spouted, “he sure doesn’t look Kalgaran!”
“Just–everyone, go back to your homes; we will take care of this!” The dark-haired knight waved his arms as the second knelt down beside the unconscious knight. Once the square had been cleared, he, too, crouched beside him. “The duchess was screaming about him breaking out of her room–but then she told us not to go after him. What on earth could have happened?”
“I’m not sure, but she made it very clear we were to leave him be,” the second knight mentioned, wincing when he turned Ace’s head to find an open gash across his forehead. "If word gets back to her about this, we were not the ones who struck him.”
The dark-haired knight shook his head, though he stopped when he caught a glimmer tucked into the side of his boot. Curious, he grasped the flask in his fingers and removed it. “Stealing from the duchess,” he gaped when the golden “V” was spotted. He pulled out the plug and sniffed the remaining liquid. His eyes bugged from his head. "Is this vendelirium??”
The second’s face paled. “Put it back–now.”
“But shouldn’t we–”
“Put it back.” He stressed, adding with a hiss, “This is why the duchess wanted us to leave him alone…”
The dark-haired knight glanced at him. “I don’t understand: why wouldn’t she want us to remove this evidence against her? Are you sure we can trust him not to speak about this?”
The bottle was plucked from his fingers and returned the flask into Ace’s boot.
“We have no other choice,” the other stood after the deed was done. “The duchess stressed that we must allow him to leave. If we take it, he may suspect we are covering it up for her. For now,” he sighed, “we need to get him to a doctor and explain he was struck in the head, but do not breathe a word of the potion. Our royal family's reputation must not be tarnished.”
“Of course,” the dark-haired knight narrowed his eyes toward the castle, “although, it seems the duchess has grown incredibly careless…”
The two knights scooped Ace up from under his shoulders and walked him down the road to the nearest doctor.
—
As soon as the knight came into view, the king urged his steed and hurried down the hill. He practically leapt from the saddle and ran up to Ace with a wearied expression.
“Ace–what in the world happened??”
“Hey, Dorian, how’s it going?” Ace smirked as he held his horse’s reins in his hand.
Dorian raised his visible eyebrow. “You know, it’s hard to stick to formalities when someone is a day late and shows up with a gash across his forehead.”
Ace glanced up, as if looking at his own head. “I suppose you have a point. It’s an awfully exciting story–and one you’ll never hear from a single Valiant.” He grinned toothily.
“Okay; explain.”
“Basically, Duke Oscar was out of town, and when that happens, Duchess Vashta’s meetings are relocated out of the cold, dark throne room and into her bedchamber…”
Dorian paled. “Oh, no…”
“She had a pretty elaborate plot in place. I mean, think of the scandal when the Kalgaran Ambassador was caught trying to take advantage of the Duchess of Valiant!”
The king was already wincing. “What did you do?”
“I found a loophole.” He bent down and removed the flask from his boot and handed it to the ex-potioneer.
Dorian didn’t even have to open the bottle. “She drugged you with vendelirium??”
“Yes, and it was not my finest hour when they found me roaming the streets in a panic. Honestly, that's… that’s something I hope I never have to experience ever again.” Ace cleared his throat, “But–as you can see–I took the undeniable evidence with me.”
The king turned the flask in his fingers. The golden V shimmered in the light.
“My best guess is she told her cronies to leave me alone, or they got one look at the flask in my boot, knew what it meant, and then they couldn’t get me out of there fast enough. When I finally came back to my senses in the hospital this morning, my horse and this letter were waiting outside as a ‘go away’ present.”
Dorian looked up from the bottle as Ace produced a wax-sealed parchment from Lady’s saddle bag. He traded the flask for the letter, broke the seal, and opened the letter.
“‘His Majesty, King Dorian Swift,’” he read. “‘Thank you for sending Ambassador Gallagher on your behalf to discuss the matter of Pontus Market. I assure you that these citizens do not represent the spirit of Valiant as a whole, and that this behavior is uncalled for. From this day forward, Valiant merchants will adhere to the rules and regulations set by both Valiant and Kalgara to ensure the success of the market. This letter, written in my own hand, is signed by Vashta Barclay, Duchess of Valiant, under the rule of His Excellency, King Rei Laude of Daethos.’”
“Mission accomplished.” Ace pointed at Dorian.
“‘Post Scriptum,’” Dorian added. “‘The Duchess would appreciate that the matter of my missing flask remain unspoken in order to protect the reputation of both of our countries. Thank you for your understanding.’”
A smile finally found its way onto Dorian’s face. “You can be awfully crafty when you want to be, Sir Gallagher.”
“So I’ve been told.” He batted his eyes.
Dorian shook his head with a chuckle. “All right, so how did you bust your forehead?”
Ace’s lips twisted. "Remember when I said it wasn’t my finest hour when I was under the vendelirium? I apparently scared some old guy with a cane…”
Dorian clapped his hand against his bearded chin, but was unable to stifle a laugh. “And here, I was expecting some exciting addition to the ‘matter of the missing flask’.”
“Hey–it may not be glorious, but it still hurts!”
“I’m sorry,” the king managed to get out.
Ace rolled his eyes as the two started up the hill. Ace’s appaloosa and Dorian’s gray buck followed loyally behind them.
“You know,” Dorian said after a moment, “you really risked a lot in order to protect Kalgara’s reputation–not to mention your own. We all would have taken a huge hit if Vashta’s schemes had come to pass.”
Ace shrugged, but glanced at his friend when Dorian patted him on the back.
“Thankfully, Vashta didn’t know who she was dealing with. But thank you, Ace. Thank you for doing what you did.”
“Like I wouldn’t have?” Ace appeared amused. “Come on.”
The king grinned almost sheepishly. “I knew I made the right choice appointing you as ambassador.”
“I mean, honestly, as the King of Kalgara,” Ace fingered his chin, “you need all the help you can get.”
“Thanks, Ace, I’m glad your sense of humor remains unharmed.” Dorian replied dryly.
“Now if you don’t mind, Your Highness,” Ace huffed with a hand on his temple, “I’d like to go sleep off this headache before I head back to Fortanya.”
The king nodded as Matthew met them at the palace gate. “I believe that can be arranged, Ambassador.”
----
I originally wrote and shared this in 2020 but I tweaked it a few months ago to match where the story has progressed since I wrote it. Recent discoveries definitely makes the venedelirium sequence more poignant since it's showing Ace one of the worst moments he's had this entire series (vs just random terror--it's now targeted terror, heh)... and why I was hesitant to repost it since it's spoilery.
I may do a Some Story Talk (Some Spoiler Talk? lol) to go through some of these changes, especially since the Athena one hit me as I was driving listening to a song that popped up on my shuffle...
I also redrew the sketch I had made back when I wrote this too.
Ace coaxed Orfea to step onto his hand, and he returned her to his shoulder before pointing to the back wall. “What country are those colors for?”
