“Her Majesty awaits you in the Yellow Drawing Room.” The Queen’s guardsman held the palace door open for the stranger dressed in a long brown frock coat. The man eyed the guardsman from underneath his bowler hat and nodded in return. He entered the open door with an elegant stride and heard the door close behind him.
Once inside the man removed his bowler hat. He then straightened his brown hair by running his hand through it. A footman stood before him, as he continued to prepare for meeting the Queen. He removed his frock coat. Which handed to the footman, along with his hat, the Queen’s servant took them both without any word.
“Has the Queen been waiting long?” The guest asked.
“I am sure the definition of a long wait would be different for Her Majesty. Know you did take some time to appear in response to her summons. She asked that I bring you to her the moment you arrived.” The footman replied.
“Well Paris is not exactly a hop, skip and jump, away, is it? Well lead on then, I should not keep her majesty waiting any longer.” The guest commented.
The pair moved through the low-lit palace. Its staff did not even stop their late-night duties. Nor acknowledge the figures as they moved to their destination.
The footman moved at a brisk pace and the Queen’s guest had to keep his stride quick to keep up. The pair soon arrived at their endpoint and the footman turned to the man behind him. “I will announce you to Her Majesty please wait here.”
The man nodded in return and leaned against the wall in the hallway. He seemed not concerned that he was reclining in the opulent bowels of Buckingham palace. A passing maid snorted and shot her nose up in disdain at his clear lack of respect. The man raised his eyebrows in mirth and heard the door to the room creak open. The footman stepped out into the hallway and gazed at the Queen’s guest.
“Her Majesty will see you now.” The footman eyed the Queen’s guest with a haughty glance.
“I am sure she will since I will be standing before her. Unless her eyesight has degraded since our last encounter.” The man could not resist the quip since he found these royal mannerisms rather boring.
The footman’s only response was a wave of his hand indicating that the man should enter. The lavish yellow themed room spread before the man’s eyes. Only two figures were in the candle lit room. One was a nervous young chambermaid and the other Queen Victoria herself. Her Majesty, dressed in a rather plain dress considering her status. Paced in front of the low burning fireplace lost in her own thoughts.
The chamber maid cleared her throat to alert the distracted Queen that her guest had entered.
“Are you sick child?” The Queen said.
“No, Your Majesty,” the maid said with a bow.
“Then don’t clear your throat like that on our behalf, we can see he has arrived. Now leave us.”
The chambermaid bowed once more and left eyeballing the man.
“It would seem your staff is not pleased to see me, Your Majesty,” Baron Daedalus informed his host.
“Spare me your observations of Our staff, Baron Daedalus. You know full well they are not pleased with you over that poltergeist incident.”
“I assure you, that monk needed dealing with. I am sure Your Majesty's staff did a fine job repairing that room after my encounter with him.”
“Yes, they did, and we cannot thank you enough for deposing of that horrid spirit. But we have not called you here to chat about past dealings.”
“I assumed that much.”
The Queen indicated a nearby sofa and proceeded to sit upon it at one end. Baron Daedalus bowed and sat on the opposite side. The pair sat in silence for a moment. Baron Daedalus could tell the Queen was gathering her thoughts. They seemed to move in twitches of worry across her face.
“What troubles Her Majesty this night?”
“Have you heard of the Ripper?”
“Who in London has not, it has even hit the tongues in Paris as well.”
“Then you have also heard of theorized suspects?”
“If limited to that mentioned in the daily times then I have.”
“It is not.” The Queen stated in a short tone.
“Then Your Majesty has information that I am not privy to, knowledge I am most likely to acquire, here and now.”
Moments of silence once more passed between the pair. Baron Daedalus kindly allowed his host to impart her knowledge in a time and manner as she saw fit.
The Queen’s face edged with sorrow. Baron Daedalus saw her stern countenance quiver with inner thoughts. “Our own grandson is under scrutiny.”
“Prince Albert is an interesting fellow but no murderer.” Baron Daedalus pointed out.
“You do not know the depravity our grandson is capable of. Or how much of the royal coffers have emptied to keep his indiscreet behavior from the public eye. Baron Daedalus, we know he is somehow connected to this appalling tragedy. We do not need public exposure of his involvement no matter how small it may be.”
“I understand your majesty.”
“Have you heard of a man named Montague Druitt?”
“Are you implying the prince is slumming with a supernatural?”
“Then you know of this foul creature. Yes, the Prince is entertaining this man. It appears at places some men frequent who hold most unnatural desires.”
“The prince’s odd sexual frolics even with a Veiler do not put him as suspect for the murder of prostitutes.”
“At first glance, you are correct. Yet We, have had to deal with several extortion attempts by ladies of the night. Claiming their bastards were the result of union with Our grandson. We dread the thought that these young women of late have died in a most horrific manner. To cover up the sexual abuses of Our grandson in anyway.”
Baron Daedalus gazed at a nearby painting of the Queen’s family. Painted many years before and he stopped his eyes to rest upon the face of a young boy. The very boy discussed in low voices, now grown into a man. Now gallivanting about London with a supernatural beast. In hedonistic spree. “I now see Your Majesty's concern. This Druitt fellow deserves further examination. I would also assume You Majesty want me to clear the prince of these matters as well.”
“You have assumed correct. We called you because you are the only man, we know who can deal with these Veilers or creatures of nightmare.”
“Nightmares some may be but most live a life of simple existence.”
“Baron Daedalus, We appreciate your observation, but you would not be in such high demand if myth were not real.” The Queen said with a slight smirk.
“I too could be also classified as myth, and I am quite real and always have been.” Baron Daedalus noted.
The Queen gazed upon her guest. A stern demeanor once more chiseled upon her face.
“Please do not dander about Baron Daedalus and help the Throne put this delicate matter to rest. All the appropriate staff at the Yard will not hinder you during this investigation. Also, Our personal staff and transports are available for your use. If nothing else at least they might help you be on time in the future.”
Baron Daedalus stood and with a bow took his exit from the Queen’s counsel. “Good day, Your Majesty.”
Baron Daedalus walked over to the door opened it and then turned back to his host. “Once I knew a young Princess who believed in magic and happy endings.”
“Happiness seems to be child’s play which has come to an end, now that We know how dangerous magic can be.” The Queen said.
“I will find out the truth, Victoria. If there is one thing Your Majesty's old professor knows how to seek, it is the truth.”
© Cathalson – 2011 / CANNOT BE USED WITHOUT PERMISSION.
“GRACE FLYNN” is held under TRADEMARK.