Читать книгу The Anxiety of Kalix the Werewolf - Martin Millar - Страница 39

CHAPTER 33

Vex had never liked the Red Reception Chamber. It had been decorated centuries ago in a palette of black, crimson and maroon, and was to her mind one of the most unpleasant rooms in the palace. She did her best to ignore the speeches that were droning on endlessly, as dignitaries paid tribute to the sterling career of the Keeper of the Minor Volcano. The general consensus was that he had kept the Minor Volcano in splendid condition.

Vex chafed in her dress and glared at her smart court slippers.

I hate these more than anything in the whole world, she thought, and wondered glumly how much longer the speeches would go on for. Another five minutes and I’m making a run for it.

Eventually the speeches ended. There was a gentle movement in the chamber as the assembled Fire Elementals rose gracefully, a movement which was interrupted by Vex sprinting toward the back of the room where refreshments were laid out. The Fire Queen observed her niece’s rush to the wine table and could not entirely condemn her. It had been a tedious ceremony. Throughout it the Queen had mainly been worrying about her upcoming engagements. It was all very well for Thrix to blithely tell her she’d have her new frock ready for the fashion designers’ reception, but what if she didn’t? The event was only a week away, and she simply had to look perfect.

And once I negotiate that, thought the Fire Queen, there’s my meeting with the Earth Giants. What if my new formal coat isn’t ready?

Malveria began to fret and wondered if she could leave the reception early to pop back to earth and talk to Thrix.

“I will just partake of a glass of wine first.”

The Fire Queen smiled blandly at the aristocrats who bowed their heads as she made her way through chamber. She was almost within touching distance of a wine decanter when she was intercepted by Duchess Gargamond. The Fire Queen had been pleased by the return of the Duchess, but there was something about her manner that seemed unusual.

“Such a pleasure to be here,” the Duchess said, beaming. “And look, my brother, Duke Garfire, is with me.”

The Duchess shoved her younger brother into the Queen’s path. The Duke, quite a heavy elemental, bowed politely to the Queen, telling her how honored he was to encounter her again. Gargamond’s brother was not often at court, though he was an important member of the nobility. As such, the Queen was obliged to talk to him. She soon found herself listening to a long description of a hunt the Duke had recently organized. She had never been keen on hunting, and struggled to appear interested. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Agrivex partaking heartily from a large crystal decanter. Making it worse, Iskiline and Gruselvere, the Fire Queen’s two most trusted servants, were with her.

How is it that my servants are getting themselves a hearty helping of wine while I’m trapped here with the Duke? thought the Queen, and she chaffed at the unfairness of it.

“Are there no waiters at these events?” she burst out suddenly. “One would have thought waiters would be on hand to bring refreshments to the crowd.”

“Pardon, Your Majesty?” said the Duke.

“Nothing, nothing,” said the Queen, by now very distracted.

“So you will come?” continued the Duke.

The Fire Queen, by now desperate to escape, nodded, smiled and excused herself from the Duke and Duchess with as much grace as she could muster.

“At last,” muttered Malveria. “Next stop, the wine decanter.”

To the Queen’s distress, she had taken no more than a few steps when her way was blocked by Lord Stratov and his daughter, the Honorable Gloria. They bowed in greeting. The Queen mustered a week smile. Lord Stratov was another important member of the aristocracy, of which, Malveria reflected, the nation had rather a lot.

“Stratov,” said the Queen. “I haven’t seen you at court for some time.”

The Duke nodded but seemed lost for words, perhaps even a little embarrassed. If that was the case, his daughter made up for it.

“I’ve been telling Father he really must mingle more with his peers,” she cried, in a trumpeting voice that the Queen found irritating. “Instead of hanging around in that massive castle of his. One of the largest castles in the land, of course, as befits a man of my father’s importance, with his vast wealth and impeccable record of service to the nation.”

“Uh . . . of course,” said the Queen.

“After all, what is the point of being the most eligible man in the nation if you never meet anyone?” continued Gloria.

The Fire Queen was startled to hear Lord Stratov, who was no longer young, and had never been particularly good-looking, described as the nation’s most eligible man. She supposed it was forgivable on the grounds of daughterly pride.

“I was just on my way to—” began the Fire Queen.

“We hold the most fabulous balls and parties at our enormous castle,” said Gloria.

“Do we?” said the Duke.

“Our next will be the most tremendous affair.” Gloria was enthusiastic. “If the Queen would honor us with her presence I’m sure my father, the Duke, would be so full of delight he would be unable to put it fully into words.”

Malveria, with one eye on the refreshment tables, struggled to follow this tortuous sentence.

“Really, there will be no wine left if my handmaidens and Agrivex keep guzzling it in that fashion,” she snapped.

“Pardon?” said Gloria, quite puzzled.

“Eh, where were we?” said the Fire Queen.

“Our fabulous ball at the enormous castle,” said the Honorable Gloria.

The Fire Queen suppressed a sigh and mentally cursed the Duke, his daughter, the Keeper of the Minor Volcano and anyone else connected with this dreadful event, which was turning out to be far more tedious than she had anticipated.