The next afternoon Wildas appeared at Coulta's door after the midday meal. Wildas was dressed in dark blue riding clothes and wore a blue-and-gold twisted cord of rope from his left shoulder to his right hip. Coulta assumed it to be some sort of mark of station.

"Would you like to go for a ride? I thought I'd give you, Myri, and Anil a tour of the city and the castle."

Coulta nodded. "That would be helpful."

He followed Wildas into the hallway, where they were joined by Myri. As they wound through the passageways leading out to the castle grounds, Coulta tried to remember every turn. He knew it would take a few more walks before he knew his way around the castle.

Once outside, Wildas led them to a gate in the surrounding wall.

"Aren't we bringing Anil?" Myri asked.

"We're going to get her," Wildas answered as the guards bowed and opened the gate.

On the other side was a wide path that led down to a large expanse of land on which a stable and pasture were situated. Looking straight ahead, Coulta saw a large tower on the cliff opposite the castle, across the river. There were horses in a pen, along with a barn. He was surprised to see a few people practicing archery, and was unsettled by the fact that they wore green clothes similar to Varin's soldiers.

"That's Algoma's watch tower," Wildas explained when he noticed the direction of Coulta's gaze. "The other side of the river is Algoma, and they're our ally. We both have towers along the river from the coast to the end of our land. We help each other patrol the river." He pointed off into the distance, along the river. "The country of Dyrai is a mutual problem of ours. It's a three-day journey across the stormy Corintha Sea, but it's a straight shot from the mouth of the river to Dyrai's shores. Sometimes they try to cause trouble by sending small forces in to keep us busy. The emperor likes to remind us that he's still interested in someday taking us over, I suppose. The Algoman soldiers at the tower visit Ryal from time to time. They buy supplies here instead of having them sent from inside Algoma. Sometimes our soldiers have friendly tournaments with them, too."

Coulta was once again reminded of how uneducated Varin had kept him. Dyrai and Algoma were new names to him. "Where's Berk?" he asked, thinking of the only other country he had heard of, thanks to his father.

Wildas turned to point along the river in the other direction. "The river begins at the Alta Mountains. Berk is on the other side. They are more of a trading ally than an ally in war. It's mostly cold and snowy, with very short growing seasons. Not even Dyrai wants to invade them. They were our enemy once, long ago, when they managed to take Phelin for a time, long ago."

They continued on to the stable below them, on another cliff above the river. A middle-aged man rushed up to them almost as soon as they stepped inside. He hurriedly bowed and asked, "What can I do for you, Your Highness?"

"I'm looking for the new hand, Anil," Wildas replied, absently petting a horse in the closest stall. "I need her for a few hours. She can return by the evening."

"Of course." He turned and called down the massive aisle, "Anil!"

She stepped out of a stall at the end of the barn and walked up to them, giving Wildas a clumsy curtsy. It was the first time Coulta had seen her since arriving, and when she smiled at him he gave her a small smile in return.

"I wanted to take all of you on a tour of the city and castle," Wildas explained to her. "I feel I've been a poor host to the people who saved my life."

"You gave me work," Anil argued. "That's more than I had dared hope for."

Wildas smiled. "Well, you all deserve a tour anyway. I've been stuck in bed for days and I'd like a nice ride through the city."

Anil gave him another curtsy. "Of course."

Wildas motioned for her to join them, and they left the barn again. "I've meant to ask you, Myri," he went on as they started up the sloping road, "if you'd like to work with the royal healers for now. If you decide to return to Windwick when we have news, you may, or you could stay on."

Myri actually stopped walking to stare at him. "You mean that?"

"I wouldn't offer if I didn't."

She stared at him a moment longer before finally nodding. "I would like that."

Wildas smiled. "I'll introduce you to the other healers when we tour the castle."

"Can I ask what that place is?" Anil asked suddenly, pointing up to a ledge above them.

"Ardan's Rest," Wildas answered. "That's where we're going first."

"Master Hatlim said there's a legend about it."

Wildas nodded. "It's about how the Second Age of Phelin began."

They reached level ground and Wildas led them along a much narrower path to the small outcropping that was just large enough for them all – and a marble statue of a man – to sit a comfortable distance from the edge. The statue was carved to look like a man standing in the wind, hair and long robe billowing. One arm was at his side while the other was raised almost as if he were casting out some sort of spell. He looked out over the river, the smooth face and plain stone eyes somehow carved into a masterpiece of determination. It looked like the statue had just been placed there hours before, it was so clean and unweathered.

"That's Ardan," Wildas began. "Phelin used to have the same ruling structure as other countries, with only one king and queen, until it was overtaken by Berk. The walls of Ryal were breached for the first time in the over three hundred years since the first king, Tryrayl, built it. King Caol's heir was born as the city was being taken, and the queen died from the stress of it all. Ardan was the court sorcerer, and according to the legend, he was Caol's secret lover. He escaped the city as it fell, with the newborn prince and a nurse. Somehow, they eventually made it to a small village at the very foot of the Altas. They named the prince Caolan, and when he was old enough, they told him who he was.

"Ardan had made sure people believed that an heir had survived and would reclaim Phelin. When the time came, he helped build Caolan's army, finding all his highest military commanders, including those who would become Second King Kian, Queen Dyna, and Queen Nydia. Another high official was a man named Nelek, who was Lord Varin's ancestor."

"Nelek wasn't happy afterward, was he?" Coulta asked.

Wildas shook his head. "He felt that being given his own land to govern wasn't a good enough reward. That's why we have had problems with Arren's earls almost since that very day Nelek took power there."

"Why did the others marry Caolan?" Anil asked.

"The legend says that Caolan was in love with Kian. He told Ardan that, if he was going to reclaim Phelin, he might as well change tradition. Ardan convinced Caolan that it would be best if he had a wife to give him an heir. Somehow, they decided that four was a better number than three. Some even claim it was because Caolan wanted to choose Nydia, but she was in love with Dyna, so he took both of them. Only they ever knew the reasons, but love always makes a good story.

"After the war, which lasted almost two years, the ruler of Berk surrendered. The original borders were restored and treaties were signed, and at the same time Phelin had a very large wedding and coronation ceremony. Everyone was so happy to be free of Berk control that they embraced the change. It's common now to find people who decide to follow the tradition themselves. It also led to more acceptance for those who previously had to keep their relationships secret, because loving someone of your own sex used to be frowned upon. In some more remote places in Phelin it still is. 'Just because the royal family does it, doesn't mean everyone should,' is their belief. And of course there's Arren, where no relationships except by blood have ever been allowed.

"Ardan helped to rebuild the city and castle, and stayed to see Caolan and his spouses through the first five years of their reign." Wildas shook his head as he gazed out across the river. "When Berk overtook Phelin, all members of the court and anyone with even the slightest royal blood were executed. Here. Every person of rank was beheaded here and thrown into the river. But they left Caol's body here. Ardan learned that a few years after Caolan came to power, when he found an account of the executions in a journal. The legend says he found this place, and found Caol's bones. With a prayer, he threw the bones into the river, then, having fulfilled Caol's last request by ensuring Caolan was safe and secure on the throne, he stepped from the ledge to join him.

"He had left Caolan a note, and when Caolan came to this spot he found a ring resting on the bare stone, one of the many gifts that he had given Ardan in thanks for everything he had done. Caolan commissioned the statue, and Dyna placed a spell on it so that it would never weather. This has been a place that many people in the royal family visit for solitude. I know Shelton meditates here quite often. I think it's important that Ardan is not forgotten, after all he did in life."

Coulta was surprised by how taken he was by the story. He glanced at Wildas, who was leaning against the stone behind him with an unreadable expression. How must he feel, knowing that his own ancestors had died where they sat? Looking at Anil and Myri he saw that both of them looked sad, and Anil wiped a hand over her eyes.

"How long ago was this?" Coulta asked.

"Two hundred and fifty years, about. When the time comes, I'll be the ninth Grand King. Hopefully that won't be for several more years."

There was such a strange look of sadness and fear on his face that Coulta found himself wanting to hold him, which was strange. Did the vow to protect apply to emotions? But he found that he could hold back the urge, that he wasn't forced to reach out and touch Wildas.

He was distracted from his confusion by Wildas getting to his feet.

"Would you like to go for a ride now?" he asked them. "This place makes me a little sad."

"I haven't ridden since we got here," Myri replied as she stood. "I hope Lore remembers me."

"I'm sure he will," Anil told her.

"Did you get along well with Quiver?" Wildas asked when Coulta drew close to him on the walk to the castle wall.

"He was a good horse," Coulta said honestly, remembering how the stallion had easily followed his commands when they fled Windwick.

"Would you like him to be yours?"

Coulta liked the thought of having a horse of his own, despite knowing next to nothing, still, about the animals. "For how much?"

"No, I mean, he's yours. We give all of our soldiers their horses, and if you're going to be my protector, you'll need one when I leave the castle grounds. He'd have to be given to someone else to use anyway."

Coulta wasn't used to someone giving him so much. He'd been paid more than Varin would have paid him in two years just for escorting Wildas to Ryal, and Wildas had made sure he had a room and was being paid regularly just to follow him around. Now Wildas wanted to give him a horse that likely cost at least as much as he'd been paid already.

"Thank you," he finally managed.

Wildas smiled at him. "You're welcome."

*****

Myri wasn't happy with Wildas's decision to take a long ride so soon. She would just have to watch him carefully, she decided. They might not have known each other very long, but she already knew there was no reasoning with the man.

They rode out into the city, and Wildas paused almost immediately to motion around them. "This is what we call the upper market. It's mostly businesses that work almost solely for the royal family and court."

He turned his horse down the road to the right and Myri noticed how the people in the street bowed as they passed. Wildas acknowledged them in groups, nodding to clusters of people on the left and right at various intervals.

"You can find just about anything here," Wildas explained. "There are tailors, jewelers, booksellers, even pets."

"What's that, at the end?" Anil asked.

Myri looked straight ahead to a massive stone building that could very well be another, much smaller, castle. It spread across the entire street and looked to be a part of the stone walls themselves, the way it merged seamlessly with them on either side.

"That's where most of the sorcerers in the city live," Wildas explained. "They work on developing new defenses and building methods for use all over Phelin, but most are there waiting for opportunities to directly work for a member of the royal family or for a lord. Those jobs become available fairly often, but it's the chance to be the sorcerer of the Grand King's court that they all want."

"How often does that happen?" Myri asked.

"Not often. Once the current sorcerer reaches an age where he wants to retire, he will choose a new sorcerer, who the Grand King must approve of. The current court sorcerer is Second King Shelton, and I doubt he'll be willing to pass on the position until he's too old to walk."

"I've heard rumors about him," Anil commented. "Is he truly the most powerful sorcerer in all the world?"

"According to what knowledge I have of magic, yes. I've been told violet is the most rare and highest level of magic, and only one person with violet powers exists at any time."

"What's the most common color for magic?" Anil questioned.

"Brown," Myri answered easily. "The most I can do as a healer is place weak spells on herbs to enhance their natural abilities, and sense other magic."

"What about black?" Coulta asked.

"I didn't even know black existed until I met you," Wildas admitted. "You should talk to Shelton about it."

"Would he speak to me?"

"He told me that he's waiting for someone to return to the city to ask her about curses," Wildas answered. "Apparently she knows a great deal about how they function, more than Shelton does. It's not because he's concerned about you. I think he's just curious and truly wants to help you if he can."

Coulta nodded. "Thank you. And him."

The more time Myri spent with Coulta, the more she understood that the horrible magical taint on him actually hid a kindhearted soul too terrified to express any real emotion. Myri caught a fleeting glimpse of gratitude on the sharp face before he looked away, and she realized that he was using his curse to keep himself distant. He had agreed to be Wildas's protector, but she wondered if Wildas would ever be able to coax him from behind that wall he hid behind.