was too late to change his mind. Inconvenient or not, he wouldn't release her. And modern or not, she would have to bend to his will because she was his fool and he was the King.
And that would never change.
Chapter 5
The palace was nothing like Jane expected.
Over the last week, Jane had learned this world was different in many ways, but the palace grounds were downright weird. It started out a little odd. She pictured the Elven Lord in a castle, a defensible structure as a power base that gradually became a simple show of strength as his influence expanded. However, royalty was often eccentric and their royal structures sometimes reflected their oddities.
When the front entrance to the "palace" looked more like a California beach house than a royal home, she took it all in stride. Maybe the Elven Lord was a beach bum at heart. Not that there were any beaches around that she'd seen, but plenty of verdant gardens, brilliant flower beds, and even a very large park-like area reminiscent of an arboretum. In short, everything was very lush, very green, and very open. Jane grinned. This was her kind of palace.
That's when things started to get weird.
They approached what could have been front doors if there were any doors. It was really a huge open square in a wall through which people came and went as they pleased. Daken took her arm, and as they stepped through, Jane suddenly felt a tingling along her spine.
"Daken?"
"The Lord knows we are here. He will come find us when he has a moment."
"But how?"
Daken glanced down, a soft smile playing about his lips as he explained what, apparently, was supposed to be obvious. "He has spelled the door, Jane. He knows all who enter or leave by it."
Jane nodded. "Sort of a security alarm. Does it detect weapons and bombs and stuff?"
"Of course." Daken nodded congenially at a group of people lounging on couches just to their left. "The spell no doubt tells the Lord everything we carry."
"Everything? Like clothing, hairpins, exact change?"
Daken nodded.
"Is that it? Or does it read minds too?" She was only half joking. Just how much of herself had she exposed by coming here? She glanced nervously around her, wondering if a dozen guards would soon come running down the hallway screaming "Space alien!"
Nothing happened. Just people chatting in loose groups. Some read thin linen-like papers, others seemed absorbed in contemplating the scenery.
Jane relaxed until Daken spoke. "The doorway would not read your mind, although there are spells to do that. It is more likely it can recognize an intent to do evil or the like."
"Oh. Is that all?" she asked weakly.
Daken gave her a quick piercing look, but Jane didn't elaborate. They continued to stroll through the palace which was really two floors of open rooms for people to lounge in.
That's when things changed to bizarre.
They left the front building to enter the back courtyard, and Jane felt her jaw go slack. Surrounding a well-trafficked field were dormitories, two large classroom buildings, and what seemed like a cafeteria. At least that was what it looked like to Jane.
"This looks more like a university than a palace," she said as much to herself as to Daken. Even the people constantly milling around looked more like students and faculty than courtiers.
"A un-i-ver—?"
"University. A center of knowledge. Where people come to learn and to teach."
"Yes. This is Bosuny, the Elven Lord's capitol."
Jane stopped, turning to watch Daken's face as she spoke. "You mean people come here to study and learn? The Elven Lord's home is really a school?"
"Yes. Knowledge is strength. Why does this surprise you? How else would it be?"
How else indeed? The Elven Lord zoomed up several notches in her esteem. "You mean there are no heavy political games, no big gun lobbies, little clerks wrapping everything up in red tape?" Jane stalled out. What exactly had she expected? Her image of the doings in Washington D.C. was fed
And that would never change.
Chapter 5
The palace was nothing like Jane expected.
Over the last week, Jane had learned this world was different in many ways, but the palace grounds were downright weird. It started out a little odd. She pictured the Elven Lord in a castle, a defensible structure as a power base that gradually became a simple show of strength as his influence expanded. However, royalty was often eccentric and their royal structures sometimes reflected their oddities.
When the front entrance to the "palace" looked more like a California beach house than a royal home, she took it all in stride. Maybe the Elven Lord was a beach bum at heart. Not that there were any beaches around that she'd seen, but plenty of verdant gardens, brilliant flower beds, and even a very large park-like area reminiscent of an arboretum. In short, everything was very lush, very green, and very open. Jane grinned. This was her kind of palace.
That's when things started to get weird.
They approached what could have been front doors if there were any doors. It was really a huge open square in a wall through which people came and went as they pleased. Daken took her arm, and as they stepped through, Jane suddenly felt a tingling along her spine.
"Daken?"
"The Lord knows we are here. He will come find us when he has a moment."
"But how?"
Daken glanced down, a soft smile playing about his lips as he explained what, apparently, was supposed to be obvious. "He has spelled the door, Jane. He knows all who enter or leave by it."
Jane nodded. "Sort of a security alarm. Does it detect weapons and bombs and stuff?"
"Of course." Daken nodded congenially at a group of people lounging on couches just to their left. "The spell no doubt tells the Lord everything we carry."
"Everything? Like clothing, hairpins, exact change?"
Daken nodded.
"Is that it? Or does it read minds too?" She was only half joking. Just how much of herself had she exposed by coming here? She glanced nervously around her, wondering if a dozen guards would soon come running down the hallway screaming "Space alien!"
Nothing happened. Just people chatting in loose groups. Some read thin linen-like papers, others seemed absorbed in contemplating the scenery.
Jane relaxed until Daken spoke. "The doorway would not read your mind, although there are spells to do that. It is more likely it can recognize an intent to do evil or the like."
"Oh. Is that all?" she asked weakly.
Daken gave her a quick piercing look, but Jane didn't elaborate. They continued to stroll through the palace which was really two floors of open rooms for people to lounge in.
That's when things changed to bizarre.
They left the front building to enter the back courtyard, and Jane felt her jaw go slack. Surrounding a well-trafficked field were dormitories, two large classroom buildings, and what seemed like a cafeteria. At least that was what it looked like to Jane.
"This looks more like a university than a palace," she said as much to herself as to Daken. Even the people constantly milling around looked more like students and faculty than courtiers.
"A un-i-ver—?"
"University. A center of knowledge. Where people come to learn and to teach."
"Yes. This is Bosuny, the Elven Lord's capitol."
Jane stopped, turning to watch Daken's face as she spoke. "You mean people come here to study and learn? The Elven Lord's home is really a school?"
"Yes. Knowledge is strength. Why does this surprise you? How else would it be?"
How else indeed? The Elven Lord zoomed up several notches in her esteem. "You mean there are no heavy political games, no big gun lobbies, little clerks wrapping everything up in red tape?" Jane stalled out. What exactly had she expected? Her image of the doings in Washington D.C. was fed
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