Modern Magick

Royalty and Ruin: 10

'Torvaston the Second?' I gasped. 'But no, how could that be? He and Queen Hrruna founded the new court at Mandridore.'

You see the problem. Not that I was aware of this point of detail myself, for with these snatches of rumour came no report of the catastrophe at Farringale. But in my memory, Farringale was all-powerful, utterly unassailable. Why, then, should Torvaston ever leave it? And without Hrruna? It was impossible to credit such ridiculous assertions, and I ceased to listen to those who spread them. Somewhat to my regret, now.

My brain reeling, I had no immediate idea of what to say. Alban looked absolutely thunderstruck.

'But, no,' he said, faintly. 'That cannot be, Melmidoc. It cannot. It is so widely known that Torvaston and Hrruna both took the Court to Mandridore. If the king had vanished, that must have been known. How could it have been concealed?'

I cannot answer that any more than you can, said Melmidoc. And perhaps I was right to dismiss these stories; perhaps they cannot, after all, be true. But I thought that you should know of them.

'You were right,' I said. 'Thank you, Melmidoc.' My heart was fluttering with excitement at this new mystery, and I wanted to set off running at once. What if it was true? What if?

'Where did they go?' said Jay. 'Was it ever said? I can't suppose they went off to your other Farringale.'

No, I do not suppose it either, Melmidoc agreed. The Court here is similar in some respects, but wildly different in many others, and would offer nothing of the comfort of familiarity a refugee might seek. Besides which, of course, Torvaston was king only in his own Britain. Another held that position here. No, I do not think it likely they went to Farringale, but where they went instead, I never did learn.

Alban was looking wild-eyed, and I thought I could guess at some of his thoughts. If Torvaston the Second had disappeared, who had known of it? Who knew of it now? Did his current liege-lords have the smallest suspicion?

What is commonly known about the earliest days of the new Court at Mandridore? Melmidoc asked.

'Um.' Alban visibly collected himself. 'I've never studied the details, but it's known that many of the Old Court made the transfer. Not all, but both of the monarchs for certain.' He thought for a moment, then shook his head. 'It isn't my area of expertise. I'd have to research.'

I could see two choices opening before us. We could go back to Mandridore and raid the libraries there for more information about magickal surges, griffins, and now the founding of the new Court. Or we could stay on the fifth, and see if we could uncover the truth about the supposed arrival of Torvaston the Second from the sixth. The latter posed a few problems. If nobody knew where they were said to have gone, where did we start looking?

'Mel, if we wanted to dig into these rumours, where would you suggest we go?'

If my memory does not betray me, answered Melmidoc — gliding past my abbreviation of his name, this time — I received these rumours from the lips of a travelling storyteller. In those days, they were a common sight. They wandered from town to town, telling tales in exchange for food or ale or coin. They brought gossip, too, and the news from parts far distant, though I have often suspected them of fabricating events altogether for the sake of a wage. There are not so many, now, but a handful remain. They make a virtue of the power of tales which I, I confess, do not wholly share, but since it has lead them to keep meticulous accounts of the stories, rumours and half-truths they have told down the ages, it is not without its uses.

'So there is a repository somewhere?' I said, encouraged.

I believe there are paper records, as I believe you are thinking of, but this practice was not begun until much more recently than the period we are interested in. I do not think it would be of much assistance to you.