11.   The State Dinner.

 

She expected the Magistrate to return, perhaps accompanied by her newly found cousin, but instead it was a strange woman and Scarlett’s eyes opened wide in surprise.  A few inches taller than Scarlett, her face was of harsh beauty and was framed by short bright hair, though of a different shade of red.  She carried with her an aristocratic air, and the impression of one used to having her commands obeyed.  She was wearing an exquisite gown of black velvet with slits on both sides allowing glimpses of her shapely legs and tanned thighs.  Her smile was benevolent and when she spoke her voice was warm and friendly, but Scarlett could not help feeling that if she had ever doubted the existence of wicked witches, she had been very wrong.  

 

“Scarlett, dear, how nice of you to drop by.  Rinaldo’s awfully sorry he can’t see you right away.  He’s receiving a Begman delegation at this very moment.  The Eregnor situation never seems to be getting any better.”  She sighed though somewhat superficially.  “But, of course, you’ll see him at dinner.  Though I’m afraid I can’t say the same for Krigon, the Magistrate, you know.  He suddenly felt very ill.  Poor man…”

 

This time her sigh was deeper and more genuine.  “We go back a very long way, he and I, but he was never the same after that mission to Amber.  Some say your mother put a spell on him…”  She shook her head and then exclaimed, “Oh, how inconsiderate of me   Please forgive me for not introducing myself, must be all this excitement.  I’m Jasra, Rinaldo’s mother and your Aunt by virtue of my marriage to your Uncle Brand.”

 

Scarlett physically felt unseen forces surrounding the woman’s visage, perhaps magic.  She filed away the name of the Magistrate, who she had but a short time earlier thought might command her death, but instead he had concluded the matter very oddly indeed.  Krigon… she would put this information to good use with her mother at some future time, she told herself.  Presently, there were other more pressing matters.  Apparently she had stumbled upon yet another branch the family, and a well-hidden one for that matter – no mention in her history textbooks.  And what might be a reason for that?  She began with the more polite questions.  How did Jasra and Uncle Brand meet and how long ago?  What was Kashfa like, what were its sources of economy, what was it noted for?  Was Jasra of the royal family here, or did Uncle Brand mold Kashfa to become their own personal Shadow?  How long has Rinaldo been King?  What was he like?  Has either Jasra or Rinaldo had the opportunity to visit the One True World?

 

The newly found aunt turned out to be rather talkative, though most probably the same information could be just as easily obtained from a primer on Amber trading partners.  Scarlett learned, among other things, that Kashfa occupied the northern part of a very large island located to the east of Amber, just on the rim of the Golden Circle, the southern part being occupied by the kingdom of Begma.  The vast peninsula between Kashfa and Begma called Eregnor apparently was a source of many bloody conflicts between the kingdoms, though the hostilities had somewhat subdued after Kashfa’s admittance to the Golden Circle shortly after the Patternfall War.  Begma was a member since much earlier times.  She learned that most of Kashfa’s exports were raw materials, though there were various other industries in the capital city called Jidrash – the one containing the royal palace in which they presently were.  Kashfans seemed to have deep reverence for the Way of the Unicorn and the First Unicornian Church of Kashfa, as one might translate its title, had erected many buildings of splendor, one being located just across the plaza from the palace proper.

 

As for Kashfa’s ruling family, she learned that Jasra was of Shadow, but as a young girl had been recruited to serve at the Courts of Chaos where she had become a companion to Dara, Merlin’s mother, and they had studied the magical arts together.  It had been there that she had met Brand and a love at first site was mentioned.  At some time thereafter Jasra had departed the Courts and, after much travel in Shadow, had arrived to Kashfa during what she referred to as the times of unrest – it occurred to Scarlett that those times might have actually started with Jasra’s arrival – and eventually had ascended to the throne.  It was during that period that Rinaldo was born.  Scarlett also learned that later on Jasra had become interested in a magical fortress residing at the juncture of four Shadows, called the Keep of the Four Worlds, and had taken it over leaving Rinaldo to rule in Kashfa.  And yes, both of them had been to Amber many times, though not lately. Scarlett noticed that most of the narration related to the times prior to or immediately following the Patternfall War, leaving her to wonder what Jasra had been doing lately.  She also got an impression that neither Rinaldo nor his mother were very welcome in Amber, which could well be the reason why she had never heard of either one of them.

 

But let Random deal with political intricacies of the Golden Circle.  Perhaps her first impression had been wrong and her Aunt was very nice indeed.  She even felt she could trust Jasra enough to tell her the Tatuine adventure story, although leaving out a few of the more amazing aspects relating to the use of the Pattern.  Her aunt listened attentively, with proper expressions of interest in all the right places, but as Scarlett moved along she was getting a more and more definite odd feeling that Jasra already knew all about it, though she could not imagine how that might be possible.  It was not until the end – the Trumping of her mother and the journey to the hospital on Shadow Earth – that she mentioned the name of her companion in adventure, and was stunned to see a fleeting but no less frightening grimace of intense hate on Jasra’s face.

 

Her Aunt got hold of herself very quickly though, fully regaining her charms and her smile and her benevolent tone.  “Ooh, could’ve talked to you forever, darling… but we must get ready for dinner.  Your maids await you in your rooms.  There’ll be other times to chat.”

 

Two of the maids actually awaited right outside the Magistrate’s office, and conducted Scarlett through the endless corridors and stairs to a rather plush suite, where more maids were ready to start the ritual of bathing, brushing, and dressing.  To her surprise they produced a rather ceremonial gown of deep purple, but she was explained that the dinner would be formal.

 

It was formal indeed.  Unexpectedly a lot of fuss was made of her entry as if she were a visiting queen.  She was met at the entrance by four knights wearing her colors, who escorted her in, and when the trumpets fell silent, she was announced as Princess Scarlett of Amber, the beloved niece of his Majesty King Random.  Scarlett felt her face blushing, not being used to such attention.  She was seated at the head of the table to the left of Rinaldo, with Jasra, who had changed in an even more elegant white gown of silk, to his right.  The Begman delegation was seated to the left of Jasra – several men of middle to advanced age, greeting her somewhat apprehensively.  The rest of the guests were Kashfa’s nobles and members of the diplomatic corps.  As the introductions were being made, it struck her as odd that while everyone who was anyone seemed in attendance, the Amber ambassador was apparently not present.  The only guest who made any impression on her – and quite an uncomfortable one for that matter – was a large blond man in a green doublet and a black cloak lined with an emerald green.  A heavy circular medallion of gold bearing a Lion rending a Unicorn was hung on a gold chain around his neck.  He was introduced to her as General Dalt.  She liked Rinaldo instantly! He was somewhat smaller than Dalt, but not much, red-haired, handsome in spite, or perhaps because, of an artistically broken nose, with the voice and manners absolutely charming.  He was dressed about the same way Random would have been on a similar occasion – full king’s regalia.  Although very masculine, now and then his smile became so similar to that of Elektra that it filled Scarlett’s heart with warmth and her eyes with tears.

 

Somehow most of the talk was centered on Amber.  There were mentions of Random habitually employing relatives on unofficial missions, which was true, though did not apply to her, which she immediately stated, causing broad smiles from Rinaldo and Jasra and much dismay from Begmans.  There were mentions of her mother’s long-standing ties to Kashfa, which, the photograph in the Magistrate’s office considered, she could not really dispute.  There were mentions of her being a close confidant of Bleys, which was essentially true but not quite in a way it was put.  There were mentions of Bleys having been dispatched by Benedict to embark to the east of Amber with a rather large fleet, which might have been true, as he had recently departed the Castle and indeed had mentioned some business with Benedict.  Nothing struck her as being certainly false, just the way they worded things – she had a definite feeling that some complex though subtle web was being woven in Kashfa’s state dining room.  But the food was delicious, the wine was exquisite, and Rinaldo’s smile was so reassuring.

 

Later on, back in her suite, blood rushed into her face and she clenched her fists in helpless fury.  The event clearly was an elaborate staging by Kashfans, with her unknowingly and unwillingly starring, meant to imply that Amber was on their side in whatever conflict over that mysterious Eregnor place.  But then Rinaldo or Jasra, or most probably both of them, knew all along of her being in Kashfa’s dungeons.  Perhaps they were the ones who had thrown her in there in the first place, to be produced at the performance time.  This would of course explain the multitude of guards – they would be well aware of her fighting skills.  But how could they possibly know of her arrival?  Was she followed all the way from Amber?  Of course they would have agents in Amber, but her position at the court would not really warrant close surveillance…  Or was it Ambrose who had been followed?  Mother did say she suspected someone else to have an interest in him…

 

Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud knock.  When she opened the door, Rinaldo’s smile was broad and disarming.  In gray wool trousers and a white cashmere pullover he looked like he had just arrived from Shadow Earth.  He carried a bottle under his arm.

 

“Congrats, Cousin.  You just saved us all the troubles of a major war.  Care for a night cup?“

 

She exhaled deeply to calm down.  “Yes, cousin Rinaldo, I’ll tip a glass or two with you… but only on a condition.  I have some questions in need of answers.  Will you grant me a few?”

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