“The sailors are sworn to secrecy.” Brody sat up. “Can I finish my story now? The Seer has lived a really long time, almost a hundred years, so I thought I would ask him what his secret is for living such a long and healthy life.”
Gwennore leaned forward. “What did he say?”
“Garlic.” Brody buttoned his shirt. “Lots of garlic. He recommends you include some in your tonic.”
“I see.” Gwennore glanced at Silas. “Do you know where we can get a big supply of garlic?”
“I’ll check into it,” Silas said, then glanced at Brody. “What do you know of the Seer? What is he like?”
With an exhausted sigh, Brody fell back onto the floor. “He has bad breath.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Over the next two days, Silas helped Gwen as much as he could. He was worried about her safety, but with all the errands he had to do, he wasn’t able to stay by her side. He took some relief in the knowledge that Brody was spending most of his time as her guard dog.
On the first day, Sapphirday, Silas located a supply of garlic and brought it to Draven Castle. He enlisted a few servants to help peel and chop all the garlic. Unfortunately, the kitchen staff was already swamped with work, preparing for the grand feast that would signal the opening of the Summoning.
His next mission was to collect bottles and clay jars so they could store and distribute the tonic Gwen was making. So that afternoon, he flew to the army camp, shifted and dressed, then rode into Vorushka with Aleksi and a troop of soldiers. There, they bought all the small containers they could find. Then they transported them by barge and wagon back to Draven Castle, arriving late that night.
He was glad to have the troop of soldiers with him. The Summoning would begin soon, and that meant a great deal of visitors would be arriving. Gwen’s would-be captor or even the Chameleon might use the event to sneak into the castle.
As busy as Silas was, he was only able to see Gwen a few minutes at a time. She was equally busy, and he worried that she was working herself too hard. But she was determined to have the first batch of tonic ready to hand out at the Summoning, when so many of the Norveshki people would be gathered together.
Gwen convinced them that they should promote the medicine as a fertility tonic. That way, more people would be willing to take it.
By the second day, Ametheday, Gwen and her friends were bottling the tonic. Silas was busy seeing to the security of the castle as the crowds of people started to arrive. Nobles were given rooms in the castle, while commoners either found rooms in the inns in Dreshka or pitched tents along the river.
Preparations for the Summoning began in earnest. At dawn, the kitchen began roasting huge slabs of meat for the opening feast. Servants constructed a dais at the northern side of the courtyard and set two jewel-encrusted thrones on top. Benches were placed in rows to fill the rest of the courtyard with a wide aisle down the middle, leading from the dais to the southern gate.
More servants set up a long line of tables in the Great Hall. These were covered with red velvet tablecloths. The feast would take up every inch of the tables. Nobles would be allowed to go down the buffet table first, then they would eat at the other tables in the Great Hall. After the commoners had their turn, they would eat while sitting on the benches in the courtyard.
As more and more people waited for the feast to begin, the nobles gathered in the courtyard, while the commoners waited outside the southern gate. Silas preferred to watch everyone from the roof of the castle. He was able to walk along all four wings of the castle, observing everything that was happening both outside the castle and in the courtyard.
As the sun set, horns blared to signal the beginning of the opening feast. The commoners gave a cheer and eagerly waited for the southern gate to open and allow them inside. Meanwhile, the nobles hurried into the Great Hall so they could have their pick of the buffet table. The king and queen would already be there with their own table filled with dishes just for them.
Silas was supposed to eat at the royal table, but he remained on the roof, carefully watching the crowd for anyone who appeared suspicious. He spotted Brody in dog form, weaving through the crowd to make sure the Chameleon wasn’t sneaking in.
As the sun set, torches were lit and placed around the courtyard. Silas spotted Margosha and some servants passing out bottles of Gwen’s tonic to the commoners. No doubt, more tonic was being distributed inside the Great Hall. Some soldiers had already distributed the tonic in Dreshka, and tomorrow, as the Summoning officially began, Aleksi was planning to take several cases to Vorushka.
Gwen had warned him that it might take a few months before they saw any results from the tonic. For now, Silas hoped she would finally have some time for him. The best way for him to protect her would be to marry her. But he needed time alone with her so he could court her and win her heart.
* * *
Gwennore woke up early on Diamonday to prepare the bottles that would go to Vorushka. Annika and Margosha both came to help, and in a few hours, they were done. Annika alerted one of the soldiers standing guard at the door, and he dashed off to find Aleksi.
“I’m so glad we’re finished,” Gwennore said as she checked the cases to make sure the bottles were packed well with sheep’s wool to keep them from breaking. “I’ve been curious about the Summoning. When does
