The King followed hard upon the footsteps of his seneschal, and neither Reist nor Marie was wholly at ease in the first moments of greeting. It was the latter to whom the King addressed himself.
"My visit, Countess," he said, "is to you. I am fortunate in finding you at home."
"Your Majesty is very kind!" Marie answered.
"I have come," he continued, "to demand an explanation from you--or rather to beg for it. You have been absent from all our gatherings at the palace lately. I came to a.s.sure myself that we had not unwittingly offended you, or to ask you how we can render them sufficiently attractive to insure your presence."
Marie was taken unawares both by the King"s visit and by the directness of his questioning. It was Nicholas who answered for her.
"Your Majesty," he said, "my sister does not enjoy the best of health.
I was even now endeavouring to persuade her to spend a few weeks at the castle. The mountain air is always good for her."
"Your sister"s appearance, then," the King replied, "much belies her condition. I have never seen her looking better."
"Nevertheless, my brother is right, your Majesty," Marie said. "I have decided to leave Theos for a while."
The King bowed.
"It is not amongst my prerogatives to question the movements of my subjects," he said, gravely, "but you must forgive me if I remember that you and your brother are my earliest and best friends here. I shall venture to ask you therefore if ill-health is your only reason for desiring to absent yourself from the Court?"
Nicholas intervened. He rose and held back the curtains which led into another suite of rooms. Marie understood, and with a quick courtesy rose from her seat.
"Your Majesty," Nicholas said, "with your permission I will return your candour. The subject is one which we can best discuss in my sister"s absence."
Marie pa.s.sed out. Nicholas let fall the curtains.
"Your Majesty," he said, "only a short while ago, as your counsellor, and as one who has the interests of Theos greatly at heart, I ventured to allude to a somewhat delicate subject--to your marriage."
The King nodded.
"Well?"
"I must take the liberty of reminding your Majesty of your first visit here on your arrival at Theos. We drank wine together in this room, the Royal betrothal cup was filled for you, and notwithstanding my remonstrances, at your particular desire my sister drank with you from that cup. Its history and a.s.sociations were known to you."
The King rose up.
"But----"
"Your Majesty will permit me," Reist interrupted. "It was doubtless an act of thoughtless good-nature on your part, but we Thetians hold fast by our old traditions, and regard them as sacred things. The news of this leaked out, and the marriage of your Majesty and the Countess of Reist has been freely talked of throughout the State. Your Majesty will perceive, therefore, that my sister"s position at Court naturally became a trying one, especially as her rank ent.i.tles her always to the place by your side."
Ughtred was silent for several moments. A frown of perplexity spread itself over his face.
"Reist," he said slowly, "your sister is very charming, and I have a great admiration for her. Yet I must admit this. The idea which you have suggested is an altogether new one to me. I did not, for one moment, imagine that she or you or any one would attach any significance to what I looked upon at the time as a harmless little ceremony."
Reist bowed low.
"To the people of Theos," he said, "these ancient customs are sacred.
Your Majesty will permit me to proceed. There is a further development which has also a bearing upon the situation. I refer to the advent of Mr. and Miss Van Decht."
The King raised his eyebrows.
"And how does this matter concern," he asked, "my very good friends, the Van Dechts?"
"Your Majesty," Nicholas answered, "has admitted them, considering their position, or I should say their lack of position, to a somewhat surprising familiarity. This too has given rise to much comment in the city. Miss Van Decht is a very beautiful young woman, and your Majesty has treated her publicly with great consideration, almost as an equal. Your Majesty must bear with our prejudices. This is not a democratic country. We hold by our rank and its obligations, and we do not consider an American retired tradesman and his daughter people whom we can meet habitually on terms of equality--even at the Court of the King."
Ughtred rose from his chair, and his mouth was set and grim.
"I am obliged to you for your frankness, Nicholas," he said. "I will endeavour to return it. Mr. Van Decht and his daughter are my very good friends, and their position at my Court is that of valued and welcome a.s.sociates. It seems to me that whom the King can treat as equals his n.o.bles may endure as companions. But in any case I desire to say this to you and to the aristocracy of Theos, whose opinions you doubtless express. In the matter of my friends, as in the matter of taking a wife when the time may come, I do not permit any interference, and if any be offered I shall resent it. Further, if any stay away from my Court for such reasons as you have hinted at I shall esteem their absence a personal affront. Am I understood?"
Reist bowed in cold silence. The King took a quick step towards him and laid his hand upon his arm.
"Nicholas," he said, "don"t let me lose a good friend--you to whom I owe my kingdom. Remember that I am a man as well as a King. I did not promise to become a machine when I took the coronation oaths. I have my likes and my dislikes--as you have. Bear with me a little."
Reist hesitated. There entered a messenger for the King.
"Your Majesty," he announced, "the Englishman Brand, is at the palace.
He desires an immediate audience."
Ughtred took up his cloak.
"I fear that it is ill news," he said. "Follow me, Reist."
CHAPTER XXVII
"Your Majesty----"
The King waved his hand.
"You can leave that out, Brand. Speak to me plainly. You look as though you had something important to say."
"I have indeed!" Brand answered.
He glanced around cautiously. They were in the chamber used for meetings of the Privy Council--a great room with stained gla.s.s windows, fluted pillars supporting a vaulted roof, stone walls, with here and there a covering of tapestry. A collection of ancient arms was hung over the great chimneypiece. In the centre of the floor stood a round table of solid oak. A bad room for confidences this, in which the slightest whisper awoke curious echoes. The King noticed Brand"s hesitation, and divined its cause.
"Come this way, Brand," he directed. "Reist is close behind. He will keep out all intruders."
They pa.s.sed into the King"s private study, a small octagonal room on the ground floor of one of the towers. The King threw himself into an easy-chair, and pointed towards another, but Brand remained standing.
"Well?"
"Your Majesty, the kingdom of Theos is in danger!"
"I know it," the King answered, calmly. "There are traitors in the city itself. I have felt sure of it for some time."