Princess Aravo Part 1

21

The next day came... Tobro visited her this morning and said that the prince let him spend with her almost the whole day. Plus he brought with him a present for her, a new magic mirror as she had to use it a lot in this city. He also volunteered to be her guide and give her an excursion round the High city. While they walked along streets they attracted a lot of attention. At first Tobro as usually clothed so that you could see him from great distance. Besides, Irbis became famous in the High city as the only one that won Sirvantame. Everybody looked at her with great interest trying to understand how she did it (but also it was very pleasant to look at her).

At first they both went to some building on which was written "The city administration".

"Remember," Tobro whispered to the girl. "It is a place where peace is forgotten. Be ready for everything. Everyone hates it but nobody is able to avoid it."

Inside it was very clean, neat and pleasant. Only the girl noticed that people sitting on soft chairs in the foyer were by some unknown reason anxious, bored and worn out. She and Tobro came up to the counter. The jester explained everything to the woman standing behind it. She looked at Irbis as usually people look at famous persons and gave her some papers to fill. Then she said that our girl needed to go somewhere and she herself disappeared behind some door. After some time a man came out of that room.

"Next time! Next time! I was waiting for it for so long and then "Next time!" he growled and then swore.

Then that woman came out and said to Irbis that she could come in. But some other old woman that left a soft chair interfered.

"Miss, it is my turn!"

Two women recognised each other. That old woman was the one who Irbis asked for help on her first day in Tinalden and got none. By the way, her escort sat on a chair with her handbag and folder with documents. She looked at the young girl with indignation. That wimp was then accompanied by the court jester and cut in line while she a respectable noble woman should wait.

"Madam," said the woman-employee. "Please sit down and wait. Then you will be received in the best way."

"Please, forgive me but..." the old woman was going to start.

"Madam," the woman sat her again on her seat and began explaining everything.

Meanwhile Tobro pushed the girls elbow and made a gesture for her to come in. She obeyed. There sat another woman and she asked Irbis to fill more papers. Papers, papers, papers... Water, water, water... Then she was asked to sit on a stool in front of a white screen. Her image was shot. After it she had to put her signature with a special pen on a magic mirror a couple of times. Also she was asked to put her hand on a special horizontal screen and look with one her eye in a hole in some device. When procedures were over the woman said that to continue she should make some documents in other building and gave the address.

Irbis returned to Tobro and said it to him.

"Eh... We are going to have a long day," he sighed.

Before going there the fool said that she should make pictures first and went to some shop. There her images were shot again and their little company directed to the building X. Oh my dear reader, please, don't make me describe all those horrors that were there... At last they came out with papers they needed to bring to the former building. They returned. Irbis went to one room, and then she was sent to other one, then to the third. There were some problems and she should have waited for a couple of days for some special document to be ready. And thus they left that nightmare...

They spent a half of the day in those buildings. Then Tobro decided to lead her to a restaurant where they could pleasantly spend their time. They had good meals and rest and then they went on tour. In the streets Tobro showed her various buildings and told her different stories.

"What is this?" asked Irbis pointing to a beautiful grand building.

"It is the Main Temple of Tinalden."

"A temple?"

"Yes, we have some religious people here. It gives services on seventh days. To tell you the truth, I don't recommend it to you. The prince himself doesn't like it. In this city there a lot of more interesting places."

Tobro knew really much of Tinalden, its places of interest and its history. Irbis wanted to know about the former dynasty. The fool dodged those questions and asked never to ask them more.

"Tell me, do you know who is Princess Aravo?"

"Who?" he got startled. "Where did you know this name?"

"Sir Armin before his death managed to say something to me. His words were very quiet and I am not sure that I heard everything. Among the ones I heard was the name... Princess Aravo of... what was then I actually didn't hear."

Tobro became silent and was thinking for a while. Then he told the girl never to pronounce that name ever again if she wanted to be safe. They went ahead and continued the excursion. One more building attracted the girl's attention especially. It was very big and windows in it were completely black.

"And what is this?" she asked.

"It is The Magicians' House. There live and work all our magicians. They are the closed caste and all simple mortals are not allowed to contact with them."

"Why do they have such windows? Do they live in darkness?"

"No, Miss Irbis. These are special windows. From inside it is seen everything happening outside but from outside you cannot look inside."

"Why are such strange measures?"

"I've already told you. They are the closed caste."

"And do they never come out?"

"Almost... But sometimes they do by very extraordinary emergencies."

A closed magic carriage drove in the wide street and stopped in front of the Magicians' House. A couple of men in formless clothes like monastic soutanes that covered their entire bodies came out of it. Their faces were concealed behind hoods.

"And these are magicians," the fool pointed to them and then added to himself:

"So the results have come..."

"What results?" the girl became surprised.

The jester didn't answer her.