Enderal I Lords and Mages768Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi9nE7Nh5P3
Chapter 5 A Royal Insult
8th Era, 479, 10th of Weeping Widow
Mordurel Continent, Riverlands Region, Unholy Alcazar
Jazeera Point of View
I was woken from my sleep by steel slamming against the door to my bedchambers. I got out of bed and had a lady-in-waiting dress me in a red purple flowery gown before opening the door.
“Sorceress!” A man shouted.
I opened the door to find six Landsknechts waiting for me.
“Yes? What is the matter soldier?” I inquired of the front one.
The response was a surprising punch in the gut. The gauntlet covered fist didn’t held back and forced the air from my lungs and I collapsed to my knees and gasped for air. All I heard at first was the lady-in-waiting scream in horror. The soldiers didn’t speak, they grabbed me, one in each arm and dragged me along the floor through the castle’s corridors.
“W-h-wh-what is the…meaning of this?!” I demanded, gathering my strength and oxygen in her lungs.
“King demands to see you,” one of the told me.
With that in my mind I decided against struggling and fighting myself free from these men.
“I can walk,” I said with a determined voice.
“Got orders to drag you Sorceress,” the same man answered emotionlessly.
As I was dragged through the corridors of the castle eyes of servants and Landsknechts fell upon me. They dragged along the wooden floor. At one point I saw the son of one of the cooks. The little boy stared at her with childlike confusion. I saw Lord Reginald Forsworn’s brother, the Master of Justice look on with an expression both grim and pleased. I didn’t see Reginald until I and my little unpleasant escort reached the dining hall. An interesting meeting location, I thought.
The king was sitting by a table, dining with a golden tilted dagger at his side. He wasn’t dining alone either. The Queen and Prince and Princess was not present and I saw a puddle of blood a few meters from King Berwyn. That was a bad sign. Terribly so. At first he didn’t pay me attention. He kept eating a beef he had half-finished and the juices streamed down the corners of his mouth into his miss-colored beard. With a thud the Landsknechts let me go and Berwyn waved dismissively for them to leave. For a moment I felt relief, but I was grabbed by the arms by a pair of knights in full plate shiny armor. These were the kings Royal bodyguards.
“Hello my little Sorceress,” his majesty greeted me.
“W-what is…have I displeased you your majesty?” I asked him, concerned for my well-being.
He rose to his feet with a dagger in his hand.
“Now hold her still and it won’t hurt a bit. I’m just gonna remove your eyes.”
My eyes widened and I panicked. I tried pulling away and get up but the two men held me firm in place. Their grips was hard and helm me in position. All I could do was move my head as the king took a knee and grabbed my throat to hold me still. My eyes stared at the dagger getting closer and closer and I could barely breath despite how much I chirped for air. I had to get out of their grip and a single thought came to my mind. I shifted my hands positions and gripped the armored gauntlets of the knights holding me down.
“Khua Luagh,” I whispered.
The men let me go within seconds and fell to their backs. They screamed, almost inhumanly, as hot steam rose from their visor and other chinks in their armor. A servant put his hand on one of their helms, probably thinking to get it off, but it removed his hand as the armor was too hot to touch. His grace slapped me across the face hard and I collapsed, falling into darkness. I could still heard the men’s screams, but more distant and I felt movements on my back followed by a pulling of clothes and thrusting before I lost consciousness completely.
8th Era, 479, 11th of Weeping Widow
Continent of Mordurel, Easterlands Region, Summer Estate
Jhaenera Silverstag Point of View
I was returning to Summer Hall to dine with my family. My full family, sisters, mother, my kids and my and Serene’s husband. I would honestly prefer a dinner where I could laugh and enjoy the company of my knightly friends. I was followed by Ormond Oakenshield and Anton Mayflower as much to my mother’s delight I’m sure. I could see Lord Jagon’s sons in a tilt, preparing for the eldest sons joust. The youngest of them had jousted Sir Li-Soo the Black, an elf from faraway lands across Mordurel. He had shown his colors when he had tried to refuse the young highborn’s ransom and kept his mere. However, as much as I disliked the Jagons I could stand for a wandering knight mistreating a highborn and breaking the rules of a tourney, especially at my son’s birthday tournament. The elf had been forced to return the horse and the young Jagon kept his ransom.
“Has Aegon returned from the local village brothel?” I asked either of them.
“Don’t think so my lady,” Ormond answered. “Hasn’t seen him.”
“I’m sure he spent the night,” Anton supposed with disapproval.
We were going through the market stalls when a worryingly familiar scream came from somewhere nearby. I looked around at the sound of my little sister.
“There my lady!” Ormond pointed, having drawn the same conclusion I had.
My eyes darted to where he pointed. Indeed Myna was there, my fifteen year old sister was holding her cheek in fright as if she had been hit, and two very familiar men had a go at each other. One was Sir Mont the Young of House Montelyn. Montelyn was a small knightly House. Sir Mont was rising to his normal height after he had been punched in the gut by the other, elder man. The man was none other than sodding Daemon. He wore a red simple tunic and Sir Mont wore a velvet jacket of dark green and blue. He stood between Myna and Daemon protectively.
I ran over with Ormond and Anton at my back, both men ready to draw their swords if necessary.
“Enough of this!” I yelled. My voice held enough authority to bring both men to a halt. “What is the meaning on this?” I demanded when I stopped to the side of the three, all looking to me. I raised my hand for Myna to come to my side. As she did I put an arm over her shoulders and looked at her cheek. Red form a a hand.
“Your Grace, this sod slapped her Grace Myna!” Sir Mont explained, his voice one of anger.
I narrowed my eyes on Daemon and he raised both his hands defensively.
“Hey, I meant no harm,” he lied to my face. “I was insulted and slapped so I slapped back.”
I was shocked by her calm he was about the fact he had slapped my sister, a princess. Thankfully Ormond said what I was thinking.
“And you slapped a Princess of the Easterlands? Are you daft?” He found it was shocking an excuse any I did. “I don’t know how you do things in Reikland but here you Never put a hand on the royal family. Ever!” He was fired up with anger, as he hated the man already, as I did.
Fact was that whatever the case, attacking a member of the royal family was a crime under any normal circumstances. It could be considered treasonous even, to my great delight. As I expected he brought forth no apology, no regret for his actions. Then again there was only one regret he had in his miserable life.
“I think you and I should talk,” Daemon tried.
“Throw him in a cell,” I demanded.
First it appeared he would resist but when Ormond and Anton stepped forward he chose to do nothing. He wouldn’t satisfy men with an excuse to kill him right there. I’d inform my mother and we could have a trial, and as custom dictated for this transgression Daemon would lose the offending hand. But I recognized the possibility that he would call for trial by combat. In which case Myna would pick a champion and I had the perfect man for her. The best swordsman amongst my companions. Haegor Blackling. Others like Ormond or Aegon was close, but Haegor was slightly better.
I hugged my frightened sister dearly, my eyes laid on Sir Mont.
“Sir Mont,” I said.
The young man faced me and bowed his head.
“Your Grace.”
“You defended my sister. You have me and my whole family’s thanks. We will always remember this,” I sincerely told him.
“I need no thanks your Grace,” he answered courteously. “I will not allow some Reiklander fiend to insult Princess Myna.”
8th Era, 479, 11th of Weeping Widow
Ice Islands Region, Island of Wyk, Town of Pikewall
Aleron Pyke Point of View
The night was dark as ever, but it felt a lot brighter since I was leaving Screaming Lady Fort, and Balyzard behind. Setting out on the Bloodied Nymph made everything seem brighter, and it surely would have brightened my mood, if it could be brightened any further. The Longboats had already started setting out and soon his black hulled wonder would join them. speaking of wonders, little Vaerkyrion had grown an extra ten centimeters since she burst out of her egg. My little Dragon pup was growing surprisingly fast, but she was still small enough to sit of my shoulder, though, she was getting pretty heavy for me.
I reached out to assist Adrianne as she stepped into the Bloodied Nymph. The marriage ceremony was short and to the point, she was not a Merkyne anymore, but a Pyke. The marriage offered me further legitimacy in my quest to get lordship over House Pyke and kingship over the Ice Islands. She wore a beautiful dress in a different shades of blue. My favorite part was the large cleavage exposing her lovely bosom. She wore a.so a scarf and a grey cloak to hid from the wind.
After her came Lionella. She was concerned, as she often was. On my shoulder my girl was breathing heat out of her maws. She had started trying to breath fire, I imagined. She stretched out her wings to feel the wind whenever a big gush of air came through.
“Here you go,” I said and put a pelt of fur over Adrianne’s shoulders.
“Thank you,” she answered. “This castle, you’re sure it’s comfortable?”
“Yes, with loads of slaves at work. Don’t worry,” I told her. “I’m taking care of everything.”
She nodded and sat down in a small tent set up in the back. Lionella followed her inside. I remained outside as my men started setting sail. I looked to the castle at a distance. It would been a long time since I would return here, but when I did, I would do so as the Lord of House Pyke. I smirk formed on my lips as I thought about burying my axe in Balyzard’s skull.
“Men loyal to me is holding it and it’s almost as fortified as Redcliff Tower,” I told Adrianne. I sat down beside her and put my arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer.
“Please don’t exaggerate,” she said as she rested her head against my shoulder.
“I said almost. I’ve sailed Enderal and I’ve seen castles to rival Redcliff Tower, whether you believe it or not.”
“There’s nothing in the western kingdoms though,” she claimed firmly with her sweet voice.
I shrugged, “Maybe not.”
I turned my eyes to Marius. He was giving the order to set off from the harbor. The last of Adrianne’s clothes had been brought on board. She would have brought far more if I hadn’t promised her clothes befitting a proper woman of nobility in the future. But first, Balyzard had to fall.768Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn1ZvFIMSrS
