The Dragon Ring Ch. 06

As they looked to me I stood and walked to join them.

"Let us be off then gentlemen," I said.

Our first port of call was the inn virtually outside the academy. They were well known to the clientele, being greeted by various people as we made our way to the bar.

Rissit plonked a purse on the counter and pulled out a gold. "Drinks are on Antic," he proclaimed,

I requested a cider, it being lighter in alcohol than the wines and beers.

We crowded to a table in the corner; each was keen for me to tell the tale of my adventures. As the drinks flowed I told them such portions as I thought would play down the story. Everyone laughed at the tale of my soaking with the boat, and all were greatly interested at my story of the bordello, especially the curtained back room. Indeed some stated their intent to visit as soon as they started their journeyman's venture.

After about four drinks apiece and the cost of another gold, we left and journeyed a few streets nearer the dock, to a large establishment that seemed more frequented by seamen and outsiders.

There were strange assortments of fashions on display, along with a fair sprinkling of hostesses. They seemed known here, for the barmaid came as soon as they approached the bar, calling one by name.

I was regaled by tales of their adventures at the academy. I managed to duck two rounds of drinks; I was beginning to get a little tipsy and didn't fancy the hangover to follow should I get really drunk.

They had me show them a magic gold, passing it round and examining it with some care. No one would declare it a fake, while someone wanted to try it at the bar to pay for our next round. I let it disappear, not wanting to cheat without dire need.

Our third and final stop was at a dockside inn with music pouring through the doors. The fog was settling thick now, limiting vision to less than twenty yards; sounds were echoing, you couldn't tell the direction or nearness.

A few of our company were showing signs of being drunk.

The room inside was crowded and we had almost to force our way to the bar. The barman walked past us twice and I suggested that the way to attract his attention was to hold up a gold. He came as soon as he saw it and served us.

There was no place to sit and the crush behind trying to get served pushed us from the bar into the middle of the room.

A man, a docker or seaman by his grizzled muscular build, was jostled and spilt his drink on one of my companions. The youth became angry and began berating him, shouting at his clumsiness. A space cleared around them and as the man stepped forward, I placed the image of a beareocious, rearing eight feet high, between them.

There was a panic, the like I'd never seen before, the room cleared in an instant. With the doorway crowded, people were even jumping through windows in their fear.

Aware of my previous illusion at the party, my companions, after the initial shock stood round laughing and examining the illusion.

"We had better leave," I said, letting the vision fade.

There were people milling around outside, peering through the windows and door. One of our group jocularly said, as we pushed our way through the crowd, "It has chased a maid upstair."

Aways from the inn they were laughing and pounding each other on the back as if we had won a great victory. Some staggered drunkenly from pavement to street, as we made our way back to the academy.

On the way up the incline Risset tripped in the road and lay laughing, when suddenly out of the fog there loomed a carriage and four.

The coachman had no chance of stopping, but was surprised to find himself soaring through the air some six feet above the fallen Rissit. It thumped down some ten yards past and disappeared as quickly as it came.

Those companions, sober enough to comprehend what they had witnessed, stood mouth agape.

While the others wandered aimlessly, someone had the presence of mind to pull Risset from the road. He had no clear mind of what had just happened, standing there, his clothes dirtied with the street mud.

I took command.

"Let's get him back to the academy," I said, and with him supported by two of our group we made our way home without further incident.

When we had Rissit back to his room, the noise of our return had brought other students out into the hallway. I could see the admiring glances, as the incident was retold and enlarged in the retelling.

Rissit was groaning on his bed threatening to be sick and I asked if anyone knew of a bucket and a waste bin was produced and placed at the head of the bed.

I pushed everyone out, threatening to produce a monster worse than the beareocious, and finally had a clear room.

The morning dawned with clearer skies. I was woken by a porter, who shook me awake as he would a student. Outside a footman stood at the open door in his polished uniform, he had my robes in hand and urged me to dress quickly as we were due at the coronation in a scant half hour.

The coach rushed me through the streets to the cathedral. Inside the organist was playing some tune that was unknown to me, while servants scuttled round making last minute changes as the pews slowly filled.

I had pride of place on the front row, albeit more towards the sidewall, and had just gained my seat, when the music stopped and our national anthem started. Everyone sprung to their feet as the procession started from the main door.

It took a good five minutes before I caught my first glimpse of Sissy. She looked magnificent in a dress sewn with sparkling gems, bare armed but with long white gloves, she had a radiant smile on her face. My heart swelled and I felt so proud of my Princess.

She took a seat on the throne erected before the alter and I could see her eyes look left and right as she surveyed the assembled crowd. She finally spotted me and her mouth split wide in a grin, her white teeth a line through the red of her lips.

The ceremony took a full hour till, crown on head; she proceeded back up the aisle.

I was hustled to the nave while the throne was removed and most of the guests left.

Here I was left to wait another quarter before being called by a young acolyte. He accompanied me to a seat set separate in the middle of the aisle, then left to join the lines either side of the alter.

Sissy entered, accompanied by the four Bishops, several servants and priests and stood before a small bench.

The Sons Bishop stepped forward and called.

"Is there one present by the name of Rigbetif? Let him come forward."

I presumed they wanted me to step forward for they had not rehearsed me in the ceremony, and I stood and walked to the bench.

"Let it be known that the Son recognises his brave and valiant deeds and does smile on him today. Let it be further known that this valour is recognised by the crown of Utopica who has fittingly awarded him the honour of the title Lord Sir Rigbetif."

Sissy came forward and a page handed her a sword.

She said in a clear voice. "Kneel Rigbetif, and receive this honour."

I knelt on the bench before me and she placed the blade on both shoulders.

"Rise Lord Sir Rigbetif." Her face was a smile from ear to ear and I had a lump in my throat that I couldn't swallow. I wanted with all my being to leap the bench and take her in my arms.

She stepped back and an old robed wizard stepped forwards.

The Bishop's voice boomed again. "The wizards' guild recognises the deeds done and hereby grants him full membership of the guild with the rank of master."

A page handed the old one a bright sash of the colours of a master and he looped it around my neck, then flipped it down my back, tying it about my waist. He held out his hand and I looked in askance of him, his eyes flicked to the old sash at my waist and I loosed it, handing it to him. He stepped back.

The Bishop turned and held his hand forward, fist clenched and elbow to his side and Sissy placed hers on top. They lead the procession back through the door they had used for their entrance.

I was left bemused at the bench till someone touched me on the shoulder and beckoned me to the main door with a wave of his hand.

Two gone and the most important one to go, I entered a coach and was cheered by a small crowd, assembled beyond the iron fence that surrounded the cathedral.

"That last touch was my idea, I thought I'd surprise you with it," Antic said, as the coach moved off. "It will look better in the dispatches if the wedding marries a master wizard to the Queen."

"Political promotion for political purposes. As they say in tennis circles, 'Advantage Antic'." The thought ran through my head. I held my council and lay my head back.

"I can't believe you terrorised an inn last night. You'll have to put me straight on the details. The rumours around are beyond belief."

I looked him in the eye; his had a twinkle in it. I kept the details to a bare minimum, explaining that if he were attacked, then we were morally obliged to go to his defence. We were but youths who would face adult men with far more experience of the rough and tumble of real life, and rather than let it happen, I intervened in a way that I thought would cause least harm, at least to us.

"You seem to have a unique way of solving problems, let's hope you have few more to come."

I smiled at the thought; a trouble free life I could settle for.

"Perhaps sir, I should also relate to you the episode with the carriage. It nearly ran poor Rissit down. It would have done had I not lifted it over him, for he had stumbled on a cobble in the street and the carriage just appeared out of the fog."

He looked at me mouth agape, "I took that part for a drunkard's fancy, I chastised him for his foolish drunken visions."

He leant backwards. "Perhaps it is fortunate that you leave us so soon, you could cause great mischief here," he said as his eyebrows closed down his eyes into an almost frown.

I sat silent till the carriage disgorged us at the pier to take the boat to the royal palace.

The water was calm and the weather fair, taking us less than ten minutes to cross.

Disembarking at the Princes private pier we were at the chapel in under a minute. Finding a great crowd in the adjoining reception room, I excused myself, saying I needed to toilet. I wandered into the chapel itself; this is where the final act would take place. Unifying us through our love, into a couple, who would express that love as progenitors.