We slowed to a crawl as we caught sight of the enormous granite dome called Baemardis, first partially hidden because of the scrubby trees, then glowing pink in the afternoon sunlight.

As we circumnavigated partway around the granite behemoth, it looked the same as the Enchanted Rock granite dome Ellie and I had climbed many times over the years on various camping trips. We camped all over, so this wasn't presented as anything special, but I was looking for ulterior motives for everything in my life now, and this was literally a big one.

It took two more hours before we arrived at the edge of town. The keep rose behind it, its walls and buildings from the same pink granite, and I saw few sharp edges anywhere. Instead, everything was rounded, domed in places, blending slightly into the enormous behemoth behind it. The small town that sprawled in front of the keep made me wonder where they got their water for the keep and town. The area was rather arid, and we weren't near any rivers. My mind was wandering from the task at hand, of course. We were to meet the Regent, who ruled Baemardis in the absence of the members of the Realm.

Lord Emil was to escort me and my retinue to the Regent, and Ellie was to follow behind. That was his plan, and I nixed it. Maids Elexus and Oana of the Realm would both be with me, to my right, he to my left, with our respective duckling retinues trailing behind. Then behind them came the rest of the entourage of the hundred or so lords, ladies, sycophants, and their trains. There was a pecking order for all of them, but at this point, I didn't care. Slipping in incognito had seemed better every hour for the last four days, but it was way too late now.

As we came closer, the two wings of the keep became more prominent, with a taller domed building joining the two. The domed center building was the great hall where the Golden Scroll stood. The left two-story wing was for the Regent and his administration. The three-story right wing was for the Realm, vacant for two decades or so. However, I was assured it had been kept clean all that time in expectation of our, or somebody from the Realm's eventual arrival. We'd been told this enough times that I was beginning to want white gloves so I could check above door frames. All I really wanted was a bath and a semi-comfortable bed. Air conditioning would be a nice touch, but that wasn't going to happen, though maybe all that granite would keep the inside cooler like adobe buildings did.

As we came inside the castle walls, for this really looked like a castle even without the crenelations, Enchanted Rock/Baemardis Dome loomed above the main keep. I wondered what kept an enemy from putting trebuchets or other siege engines up top, except for the effort needed, plus whatever contingents might stand on top to repel any such efforts.

Then we were there, reining to a halt and dismounting. Both dressed in finery, a man and woman waited at the keep's entrance as we approached. They stepped to ground level, bowed and curtseyed to us as the rest of the populace did the same.

I gave a slight bow in return, with Ellie doing the same with a curtsey. I saw Oana do likewise from the corner of my eye, which got a smile from the Regent's wife. Both she and the Regent looked to be in their mid-thirties.

"Lord Kevin and Maids Elexus and Oana of the Realm," the Regent began. "Welcome home. Please come in and take your rightful places." With that, they turned and walked inside, and we followed.

The thrones were at the far end of this large gathering chamber, but more importantly, the Golden Scroll stood in the middle. It was a statue with a granite pedestal and what appeared to be an immense gold scroll sitting upright and partially unrolled on top of it. Ellie and I would stop there and place our hands on the scroll. Assuming it didn't kill us in some way...visions of Raiders of the Lost Ark melting faces played in my head...we would proceed to the thrones. A third child-sized throne sat next to the other two. They were playing the pomp and ceremony properly here, it seemed.

A light electric discharge vibrated my hand when I touched the scroll, then Uncle John's voice sounded in my head. "Come back later for a fuller message, but this will let us know you arrived safely." Looking at Ellie, I could see she got the message, too. Oana, too, with her eyes suddenly as big as saucers. It didn't kill her. Myth and legend again, or was she indeed Realm, however that was determined?

I took the largest throne, with Ellie taking the other adult-sized throne and Oana taking the new, small throne. While clean, mine had seen decades of wear, as had Ellie's.

We sat, and all of Baemardis knelt before us. They rose again at my uplifted hand, and the three of us stood up, and I turned to the Regent.

"Lord Regent Grigore and Lady Nicoleta," I began, hopefully remembering what Emil had said were the proper words. "We greatly thank you for presiding over all of Baemardis during the absence of the Realm these many years and for your father before you. Rest assured that we wish you to continue your duties during our stay. Please retake your places."

We took three steps away from the thrones, and they, in turn, stood in front of their thrones and bowed deeply again. After our return acknowledgments, Lord Regent Grigore spoke.

"Welcome to Baemardis Proper, Lord Kevin and Maid Elexus of the Realm. Your chambers are ready for your return. If it is your wish, follow Lord Calin and Lady Lavinia, they will take you to your chambers to freshen up while dinner is being prepared. Once again, all of Baemardis welcomes you."

With another set of bows and curtsies, my ducklings and I followed Lord Calin through double doors and up two wide flights of stairs to where our rooms would be. After more double doors, we stepped out into what looked like a covered courtyard. The concave ceiling was raised where natural light could shine in from both sides along its hundred-foot length. Two long pools ran the center length reflecting the pink granite within. Over a half-dozen double doors lined each side, a lantern spaced between each, with several more doors at the far end.

This should prove interesting, with everything being in pink marble, so the light coming from the ceiling openings left everything in a pink glow. This might be a chilly walk in January, but it was pleasant compared to the outside.

Lady Lavinia took Ellie and her retinue along the left side to the fifth set of open double doors. We followed behind and took our turn at the sixth opening.

The double doors were already open, and a slight breeze hit my face as Lord Calin beckoned me in. I stepped into a wide corridor, two doors on the left wall and rolled-up pallets by the next set of open doors. For my ducklings?

Lord Calin led me through the next set of doors, and I stepped into a larger room. A large four-poster bed lay straight ahead. An armoire, a standing mirror, and a table with chairs lined the right wall. Large tapestries softened the pink granite walls. To the left was a round tub to the left that seemed plumbed, complete with a showerhead. And there was a raised throne next to that?

Okay, a gilded throne it was, but why here?

A set of open glass-paned double doors led to a balcony, which was the source of the fresh air. There was no pallet at the foot of the bed or anywhere else in what should be my room. I could actually sleep in privacy.

I made my way to the throne. It was a throne...of sorts...the type with a lid you could open and do your business. A drawer at the bottom where your business could be removed at some point. In short, an opulent composting toilet almost as throne-like as the royal thrones in the great hall a few floors below. Was this done seriously, or did someone have a sense of humor I could appreciate? If Ellie had the same setup, she'd probably be laughing her head off about now.

Was this Dad's hand? It seemed his sort of humor...much more so than Uncle John's. Had Dad been here? Nobody had been here in over two decades, which meant it would've been before I'd been born, so...maybe?

"Lord Kevin," came a voice that broke my thoughts. "Is everything to your satisfaction?" Lord Calin looked at me with concern.

I chuckled. "Oh yeah. This is good. Let's see the balcony," and I wandered that way, looking to where I could see to the south and west. I spotted the outer walls of the keep and the southern end of the town. I needed to get a better lay of the land. The stairs ended at our floor, but I wondered if there was a way up to the roof.

The top of the granite balcony railing was smooth—no place for a grappling hook to hang. Defenses were obviously in place, at least for the fifteenth century, or whatever equivalent we were in. I'm sure I'd notice more as I looked.

I turned around and found my entire retinue of ducklings watching me. Stefan with his bandaged head. Adrian, whose limp had lessened considerably in the last day or two. Filip, failing to look casual as he leaned against the railing at the far end of the balcony. Boian, a slight smile on his face as he saw me watching him, and Calin, his face worried again. Then I noticed the granite outer doors to the room.

Shouldering one of them, I found it swung easily. A foot thick, it must have weighed tons, so there must be serious bearings in the hidden hinge mechanism. I raised an eyebrow at Lord Calin.

"Um, Milord, these can be closed against the elements...or battle."

"Have we had battles here?"

"Not in my lifetime, Milord."

I pushed the door back in place, where it eased to a stop. I'd ask Ellie about this. It was more engineering than I cared to contemplate.

There were tables and chairs out here as well. I could easily see Dad and Uncle John sitting out here with cigars and single-malt, and I smiled, which seemed to put Lord Calin at ease.

"I can see spending some time out here," I said. "This seems comfortable. A nice overhang, so it'd be possible to sit out here except when the elements are...extreme. Adrian, you might work with Stefan on his lessons out here."

"Yes, Milord," Adrian responded with a smile.

"Milord," Lord Calin protested. "That shouldn't be necessary."

"Of course, it isn't necessary, but it seems a quiet place for training for both of them, especially when I'm doing the training."

"Yes, Milord."

I'm pretty sure I said it mildly, but Lord Calin took it as a complete rebuke, so I sighed. "I apologize, Lord Calin, but I'm not from around here, so the way I do things isn't necessarily how you're used to it happening. It's something you'll have to get used to, isn't it, Lord Boian?"

Boian let out a heavy laugh. "That's an understatement, Milord. Just be glad you're not Maid Elexus's lady-in-waiting. They really—"

"Did I hear my name," Ellie said as she came onto the balcony, her retinue trailing behind her. Lady Lavinia looked scandalized while the others entering seemed to be trying to hold straight faces, except Oana, who ran and hugged me. I saw Boian stretch out his hands slightly and give Calin a 'told you so' expression.

"Sister, it seems you have entered my inner sanctum," I said seriously.

"And it's against some rule for me to visit you? I would've knocked, but let's see. All the doors were wide open." She gave me a wicked grin—another attack against the structures of the world.

"Sister, you are always welcome to visit me in my rooms."

"But Maid Elexus," Lady Lavinia began, "this isn't proper."

"Lady Lavinia," Ellie retorted. "My brother and I have had rooms next to each other all our lives. We have always visited each other in our rooms just like we just did when the doors are open or by knocking first if they aren't. Lord Kevin of the Realm just said it is still the case here, so...what are your concerns? We can discuss them with Lauretti and Uncle John when they get here."

Winning friends and influencing enemies was never Ellie's forte, though from the looks, Doina, Sorina, and Mara were in awe of Ellie, and Oana was giggling. I couldn't tell what Lady Sabina was thinking, but I thought Lady Lavinia was close to having a fit of some sort.

"Nothing, Maid Elexus. It will be as you wish." The tone was submissive, but the look she gave Ellie said this was far from over. Ellie had just pissed off a powerful woman with her husband standing by.

I looked at Lord Calin, who watched his wife stalk out the door.

"She is not used to change," he said. "I will talk with her."

"I would appreciate that," I agreed, then paused before deciding to continue. "Understand that the Realm is larger than this world that you know and that where we were raised, women were able to speak out in public as easily as men...and be listened to. My sister isn't the most tactful, but what she said isn't much different from what we just discussed. Now that we're here, I would expect some other representatives of the Realm to show up sometime in the next month or two, whether it be Uncle John, Lauretti, our parents, or some others. I know that changes were implemented a few decades ago, and some of those were discarded over the years while the Realm was busy elsewhere. Expect change because it's already happening. Ask Lord Boian. He can give you more details of what we discussed on our travels here. Ask him about the Sobecks and how they're attacking in larger numbers, banding packs together for battle, setting traps and feints. Hell, ask Masters Adrian or Stefan. Ask Maids Mara or Sorina. Ask my sister, Maid Elexus of the Realm. Without her speed and accuracy with the bow, that battle we were in might have had a very different outcome."

Lord Calin stared at Ellie, who stared hard back at him until he broke away and glanced at Boian, who nodded gravely.