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He finished jotting down the last few words, and scribbled his signature at the end of the parchment halfheartedly. After rolling it up, he took some of the wax and stamped his sigil onto it. He sighed, looking at the letter he had just written and weighing his options. Hoping he wasn’t making a horrible mistake, he called in the guard outside this door. He handed him the three parchments, including the one he had just made.
“Take these to the maester. Tell him to send all three ravens to Lord Celemy. But tell him to send them on three different routes there. In times of war, ravens get shot down more oft than naught, and I wouldn’t have none of them reaching him in Labrynna. Go.” The young guard took them and bowed out of the room. He returned to the other parchments on his table, only to realize the door hadn’t been shut when the guard left. He looked up to the sight of a familiar face.
“Your blonde hair has more silver in it than usual, brother; you took your House’s colors to heart I see.” She was wearing a dress of silk that reached down to her feet, colored the blue of Valentia with traces of silver running through it. Her hair was let down, reaching down her back. The only difference from the last time he’d seen her were the added lines around her eyes, though he had some new ones of those as well. The war was taking its toll on all of them.
“Miriam...I didn’t know you were visiting.” He stood to greet her, coming up to the same height as her.
“That’s cause I hate sending word of my travels, Uly.” She kissed him on both cheeks and hugged him tightly before stepping back.
“I’ll have the cooks prepare a feast for dinner to welcome you. It must be a year since I last saw you.”
“A year and six months, to be exact, and I’m sure the feast will be of a magnificence only you could muster for someone as unimportant as me. However, I was rather hoping we could have a word now?”
“Please,” he motioned for her to take a seat as he did as well. Clearing the table of the parchments, he took note of the serious tone her voice had changed to. “I pray nothing is amiss with you?”
“Oh no, not at all,” she dismissed his worry, but her face didn’t look any brighter from it. “It is someone else who has gone amiss.” Her pointed stare and frown quickly made him realize of what she was talking about. He sighed and looked down.
“So you have heard.”
“Of course I’ve heard, I am around everywhere, hearing everything. Sometimes people just can’t keep a secret. Other times, certain ravens tend to be lost in their trips. How did it come to happen?”
“I am not aware of the details. All I know is Carter Rayden has deserted, and has taken two thousand of our men with him.”
“Has he gone on to pledge allegiance to the Cynes?”
“You’d have to ask him that, I’m afraid. Though, it wouldn’t be too easy for me to…”
“Blame him?” Her question sounded as if she’d already known he would say that.
“Blame him. This war has been going for far too long, Miriam, and our people are growing tired, our soldiers getting restless. If it doesn’t come to an end soon, I’d rather not see what that’d entail.”
“Will it end?”
“I do not know. King Arthur knows this, I am aware, but asking for a peace with the Baron would be admitting defeat, and that’s something I know he will not have. But it’s been twenty years, and I see no other way.” He sighed, heavy from the thought. Miriam considered him briefly, thinking to herself.
“That’s not all that draws your eyes to the floor. Your heart is heavy.” Before he could respond, she continued. “Sylvia welcomed me into the Keep, but I haven’t seen the kids anywhere.” Nothing escapes her, he thought. Muffling a cough, he waved his hand dismissively.
“I do believe Harry must be sparring out in the courtyard, or sleeping the hour away to be ready for dinner. Isis,” he continued, “is visiting our coz over in the Sunken City.” Miriam laughed for the first time since she’d gotten there.
“What in the goddesses’ names is she doing with that old goose? And in that forsaken place? That girl belongs in balls and feasts, not trapped behind gloomy cold walls. She requires some fun, even in times of war, for goodness’ sake.”
“I do believe she has opted to go there to find that fun, sis. It was them who extended the invitation for her to join them during this year’s autumn harvest, and she was eager to accept. If I’m not mistaken, I think she has grown fond of little Annette, and having no sisters of her own it is easy to understand why.” Miriam nodded understandingly and waited, but when Ulysses didn’t continue she prompted him to do so.
“And Charles?” He tensed his chin, and she could hear his teeth gritting behind his lips. Finally, he spoke again.
“Ah, he must’ve taken advantage of the rain earlier and, eh, snuck off to the Natzu forest again.” A smile was hinted at on her lips.
“The boy is still doing that?”
“Well, yes, though usually he would be back by now so as to me not noticing his absence during dinner. I wonder what must have kept him.”
“You don’t sound too wondrous, brother.” His eyes were cold, and she knew there was more to the story than he was telling. “What did you do this time?”
Ulysses sighed and burrowed his head in the palms of his hands. He said something, but the mumbles were all but unintelligible. “What was that?”
“I said,” he explained as he sat up straight again, “that it is not so much a matter of what I did, rather what I said. No, actually, it is a matter of what someone else said and what I told Charles in turn.” He groaned. “Were we ever this complicated with Father?” Miriam smirked and shook her head.
“Of course I was, running around the Keep with a torn dress and three guards chasing after trying to get me to go to dinner. You, though, you were close to a gift from the goddesses. Never took a step out of line, never questioned his orders, always knew what to say and where to say it.” She smiled at the memories, seemingly pleased by them. Finally, she returned to the question. “So what is happening with your own boy?”
“With Rayden and his regiment deserted, our stronghold in the Lynx Caverns is left severely weakened. It is our key entrance point into Labrynna. If news of this desertion reaches the Baron before we have resupplied it and sent more men down to hold it, all it would take would be a hundred well-trained men. They’d break through our defenses and capture the rest of the Caverns in no time. Our link to our men fighting in Holodrum would be blocked, and we would be left open to an attack on our own territory. We haven’t had the Labrynnians invade Holodrum for the past five years, and I’m not about to let it happen again.”
“But most of the men in the country able and willing to fight are already up there. There are men there that haven’t seen their homes in decades. Unless you were going to hire sellswords from Hyrule, there won’t be new soldiers to refresh or reinforce the battlements in months if not years, except for…”
“House Valentia’s Personal Guard,” Ulysses finished with a grave note to his voice. Miriam’s eyes widened. “The entire country knows our family’s shields are the strongest, most able fighters in all the land. They still stand undefeated in any conflict they have ever been a part of, and number in the three thousands, more than enough to make up for our loss in the Caverns.”
“And the reason they stand undefeated is that they were vowed out of getting involved in any conflict that didn’t directly threaten the Keep, long before even Father was born.”
“No longer. That is the message that we received this morning: a royal decree ordering us to break the vow and permit the Iron Elephants to fight Labrynna.” This time Miriam didn’t even try to hide her surprise. Though, with that knowledge she was beginning to see what could have upset her nephew to such an extent. Though she felt she knew what followed, she still allowed him to explain. “You know House Valentia has never refused a command from the Crown, and so I wasn’t about to either.” She nodded understandingly. “The only problem is, the Elephants have never, in the history of our house, been allowed to go into battle without being led by a Valentia, be it the Lord or his kin.” Miriam’s brow darkened at that moment, and she stood from the chair, walking to the bookshelves that rested by the window looking out at the courtyard. Ulysses waited for her to break the silence that had formed around them, so thick he could feel it shifting every time he breathed.
“Charles can’t lead an army into battle, Uly,” she began, a bit too softly, which made him all the more uncomfortable. He tried responding, but she cut him off. “He is only a boy of seven and ten, brother, and while he may be a great fighter he has never been seasoned for war. He is youthful and innocent, meant to have a long life, with marriage and dozens of descendants that all love him. The perils of the war-” Ulysses raised his hand, his face hardening at the comment.
“Do not presume to lecture me on the perils and threats of war, Miriam. You know we were both there when this very same war claimed the life of Father in the field. When the grief overcame Mother and she had no choice but to return to her home, leaving us here, leaving me here, to rule in her place despite being in grief as well. Don’t think that for a second I don’t worry about the dangers of going to war.” She closed her mouth and looked away once again, refusing to continue. Ulysses held back a groan. “It wasn’t my intention to send Charles to the war, either way. He would be a worthy leader, but there are men there three times his age that have been fighting this war since before he was born. They would never listen to him, regardless of what sigil was embroidered on his doublet.” Her breathing didn’t change, but he could tell she was listening by the movement of her eyes, despite her not being faced towards him. “However, if he isn’t to do it, as the Lord of the House the duty falls to me. I’ve been in the field before, and I do not fear what may happen there. But while I was away, it would be Charles’ duty to be the Lord of the Keep, and believe it or not he finds the idea of that almost as appalling as the idea of the war.”
“And that’s what his problem with me is,” he finished, leaning back on his chair as Miriam turned to look at him once more, the features on her face softened after listening to the whole story, “That I wouldn’t allow the Elephants to ride to battle without their Lord.” Miriam shook her head in disbelief.
“Charles is old enough to understand traditions that date back generations. He should know that these traditions are part of what made this family what it is,” she said as she shook her head.
“He does understand, but that doesn’t mean he agrees with it.”
Just then, the door to the room was thrown open, and one of the guards peered in.
“I apologize for the intrusion, my Lord, but you asked us to inform you when Master Charles returned to the Keep…”
“Is he back then?” Ulysses asked, already knowing it was obvious. The guard nodded and he sighed. “Bring him to me, if you would, tell him I need to speak with him.” The guard bowed and exited the room, closing the door behind him. Ulysses began using his index fingers to rub circles on his temples. Sensing his distress, Miriam approached him behind the desk and put her hand on his arm. Her long, slender fingers felt warm on the thin tunic he was wearing.
“Don’t worry, brother, he’ll come to accept it. You just need to make him see it, and everything will turn out okay. I am sure of it,” she encouraged him. He smiled, but looked tired even doing something so simple. “And perhaps I’ll wait to say hello to my dear nephew.”
---------- Post added 02-02-2015 at 01:51 AM ---------- Previous post was 01-17-2015 at 08:12 PM ----------
She didn’t wait long, for it was only a few minutes before the door was thrown open again. This time it was Charles who did it. Ulysses was used to the boy coming and going to the forest as he pleased, but it wasn’t every day that he returned such a mess. Both his breeches and doublet were wet and stained, not to mention the latter was also only buttoned up halfways up his torso as the rest of the buttons seemed to have been torn. His boots were more brown than grey, and his cloak was all but missing. His hair was as if from a recent bath, still dripping rain. His expression was one of displeasure, but it quickly changed and his face flushed as he noticed Miriam was also in the room.
“Aunt Miriam? I had no idea you were visiting!” he exclaimed as he walked into the room. He made as if to hug her, then seemed to remember his current condition. She laughed and pulled him into an embrace anyways.
“Young nephew, it must be ages since I last saw you. For goodness’ sake, I was taller last time we met. What have they been feeding you?” He laughed and shook his head. All the children always seemed to laugh more with their aunt than they did with him. Understanding the look he was giving her, Miriam pulled away and smiled. “Well, I must be getting ready for dinner. You should do the same, Charles, after you’re done here. Wouldn’t want to drag mud into the Great Hall now. We will finish catching up later.” She kissed him on one cheek, nodded at Ulysses with a look that urged him to deal with the boy, and walked away, closing the door behind her. As soon as she was gone, the grim eyes returned to Charles.
“Father,” he said grudgingly, “you asked to see me?”
“Yes, Charles, please take a, er, seat.” He had realized that the furniture might suffer from the condition of his son’s clothes too late to retract the offer. Charles did as he was asked, albeit cautiously. He could sense he wasn’t going to like what he was going to hear. “I know after our conversation this morning you will find it hard to look in your heart for some love for me, but I beg you at least listen to what I have to say. You left before I could tell you everything I know, and I fear you think the situation is worse than it is.”
“Oh, really?” Charles answered in disbelief, “please, explain how this couldn’t be any worse than it already is.” Normally he would’ve found his son’s mocking tone infuriating, but at the moment he needed to keep Charles from becoming more upset than he already was.
“There was one very important detail I forgot to mention this morning. It is necessary for you to know that the war is close to an end.” Charles’ eyes became wide, though he gave no other hint of caring about what Ulysses had just said.
“You do not know that,” the young man muttered, his eyes drifting to the window, perhaps thinking of some way in which he could escape from his father.
“Perhaps I do not understand how I know to such an extent that I would call it a sure science, Charles, but I believe it. Something is changing. Carter Rayden was only the beginning. I don’t know what or why, but what has been true for the past five years is no more. People are changing sides, people are growing tired, and now centuries old laws are being revoked. For better or worse, the winds have shifted, and on them rests the fate of our nation.”
Charles sighed, rubbing his temples in much the same way his father had earlier. While Ulysses might have thought that hearing this would help his son deal with the stress, Charles didn’t seem to be very pleased by it. “Thanks for the overly dramatic philosophical banter, but this isn’t news, father, and you know it,” he started, “It isn’t news because I already knew the war was soon to end. And yes, it’s started with Rayden’s desertion. A desertion 2,000 men strong! You might be trying to play it off, act natural and fearless against such a loss, but you’ve been reading war strategy books with me since I was old enough to read. The first book I ever read on my own was A War on Logic for goodness sake. All my life, it’s been about the war, so don’t try to make a fool of me on what I already know. The caverns those men were holding could be the turning point in this war, and ravens fly faster than elephants can walk. By the time you and the entire force of our house get there, they may very well be lost. A thousand men could be waiting to ambush you, and then it would be all for naught. With you and our army defeated, and the rest of our strength isolated in Labrynna, the enemy would have an easier time plowing through our country than they would harvesting crops. And all the while that you would be out there getting massacred, I’d be stuck here in a Keep emptier than it is large, sitting behind a desk to control a land I’m not ready for, with a title I neither want nor dream of but in nightmares.” Charles had become so exacerbated that the knuckles on his fists had gone completely white, and the blood had all risen to his cheeks. Ulysses was taken aback, for this was the first time in years that his eldest son had opened up about his feelings in a long while. The two men sat there in silence for a few minutes. Neither dared move, but they didn’t say anything either. However, the more he thought about it the more Ulysses became angered. Finally, all his thoughts spilled out on the table.
“I am the Lord of this house,” he muttered cooly. Charles stayed in silence. “Are you presuming to doubt my prowess in battle? The ability of your household’s soldiers?” Then, Charles frowned, confused.
“What? No, I never said that.”
“You will speak when I tell you to!” Charles gaped at him for a moment, then sat back. His eyes became hard again. It was too late for Ulysses to back down now, so he said everything he had to. “The proud Elephant always remembers, Charles, and what we remember is thousands of years of undefeated battles. If you honestly think a few thousand measly Labrynnians would be able to hold out against three thousand of us, then you’ve clearly not been reading the history books correctly.” He stood up, forcing Charles to look up to him. “I will bring down this Keep, stone by stone, with my bare hands, before I stand by and watch my country fall to invaders that haven’t been able to break through our defenses in over half a decade! And yes, I would gladly give up my own blood in return for the safety of Holodrum, as should you. So I will go out and lead our army into battle, my head held up high, and I will fight down to the last man. And as my blood, as my eldest son, a man fully grown, you will hold this seat! You will guard the Great Realm and you will do so with the pride that befits our house. All these years you’ve been sneaking out to the forests of Natzu to do away with your duties to play like a little boy, returning in tattered clothes, dragging in mud behind you,” he motioned at the current state he was in, “but you have far outgrown that age. Now, you will keep those forests safe for your people to enjoy while I keep the country safe as a whole. You will be a Lord, as I had to be when your grandfather fell in battle, and you will never question my word again! Am I understood?” His volume had gotten progressively louder as he spoke, and now he was certain that the entire hallway was able to hear what he was saying. All the color had drained from Charles’ face, and no emotion betrayed him. A simple nod was all the answer Ulysses got. “Now, a dinner will be held in your aunt’s honor, and I expect nothing but the best behavior. Go and rid yourself of these nasty rags, bathe and ready yourself. And I better not hear about you running off into the forest again. You are dismissed. Go!”
“As you command, my Lord.” Charles’ words felt deadlier than any poison as he stood from the chair and hurried out of the room without even a second glance at his father.
When he was gone, Ulysses collapsed back onto his chair, feeling the weight of all his years suffocate him once more.
---------- Post added 07-01-2015 at 06:19 PM ---------- Previous post was 02-02-2015 at 01:51 AM ----------
Sylvia had always thought of the iron chairs of the First Hall as unnecessarily uncomfortable. There were five, placed along a high platform overlooking the rest of the hall. It was called that as it had been the first part of the Keep that had been restored after the Great Moblin was defeated, and even after all this time remained the most magnificent and largest hall in all of the Keep. She was sitting to the right of Ulysses’ chair, which remained vacant even though the feast had already started. To her right, where Isis usually sat, was her husband’s sister. She was laughing, conversing with Harry about how strong he was getting. Sylvia sighed as she looked out across the Hall. It was only occupied at half of its capacity, seeing as the feast had been on very short notice. She also noticed that many of her husband’s counselors were missing. However, the absence that truly preoccupied her was Charles’. She, like most everyone else, had heard about the argument that had taken place earlier between him and his father. Now she had the concern that Charles might just up and leave so as to not have to deal with the situation any longer.
“So, Sylvia, what do you think?” She turned quickly, confused at the question.
“I beg your pardon?” Miriam smiled apologetically.
“Harry says he is still a boy, and I was saying that he is already a young man. He wanted to know what you think,” she explained. Sylvia smiled half-heartedly at her son.
“A young man he may be, but in my heart he will always be my boy.” Harry smiled and nudged his aunt.
“See! See! I told you I was right.” Miriam laughed in response, and Sylvia felt relieved of her worries for the moment. She was about to resume her meal, however, when she heard Miriam talk again.
“Well, there’s one of your children who is definitely not a boy anymore.” She heard a door opening and closing and turned to where Miriam was pointing to see Charles finally entering the hall. Her eyes widened at his appearance. She would have never said her eldest son dressed too casually or in a childish manner, he’d always had an eye for the styles that caught the eye, but she had never seen him looking like this. She could tell he had trimmed his hair, bathed, and styled it before it dried. It looked mature, parted on one side, clean in a way. The light also made it look darker than his usual blonde. His facial hair was also present to a point where his jawline was more pronounced, and his gray-green eyes glistened. His clothes were the most shocking, however. Anyone who knew Charles would say he was always dressed in Valentia blue and silver. Not on this night, however. Sylvia was astounded to see him donning a rich, black licorice colored doublet, interlaced with golden silk. The buttons were also crafted from pure gold, glistening on his chest. The collar was patterned with it as well. His breeches were midnight blue, and when he turned she could see he was wearing a cloak that was onyx, and on it was expertly etched the elephant of Valentia in gold, standing on its back two feet. She had never considered him to be a man grown more than she did at that moment, and she was sure she heard some gasps from the people sitting below.
He walked up to his seat, to the left of where Ulysses would be, and motioned for one of the waiting girls to bring him a cup of wine as he sat. He finally looked at Sylvia and nodded, which made her notice that he hadn’t smiled since he’d gotten there. When the girl brought him his drink, she bowed and delayed a moment before him. However, he didn’t seem to notice. He simply gulped down the entire cup and gave it back to her, asking for more. Disappointed, she turned and hurried off to fetch more wine.
The silence continued for a little while longer on his side, while Miriam and Harry continued to giggle away to the right. The girl hurried up to him once more, gave him the wine, and slithered away immediately this time. Sylvia knew she must be embarassed. Now Charles simply sipped from his cup and waited for the food to be served. Sylvia’s mother instincts were screaming at her to know that something was wrong, but before she could start a conversation with him her thoughts were interrupted by a man’s booming voice.
“Shame that Ulysses isn’t here, I was quite hoping to chat with the old man,” Sylvia heard to her right. She turned to see a big belly standing before her.
“Not as old as you, Ser Caproar,” Miriam joked, offering her hand for him to kiss. He did so beaming and turned to Sylvia next.
“My Lady Valentia, glowing more than ever I see. Not expecting another child, I hope?”
“Oh Goddesses no,” she blushed, taking the comment as a compliment, and quickly tried to divert the conversation. “Ser Caproar, have you met my son? Charles, this is one of the first knights your father anointed.”
“Ah yes, your eldest I presume. Quite ready to be a Lord himself, I see,” Caproar chuckled. Charles’ mouth twitched in return.
“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ser, your kind words flatter me,” he replied monotonously, finishing the wine that was left in his cup. He raised the cup to the air and quickly another serving girl came and exchanged it for a filled cup. Now Sylvia’s worry was even more pronounced, but she would not speak of it while someone else was listening.
“One for me as well, of course!” Caproar roared at the poor girl laughing as she skidded away frightened to fetch more wine. While they waited, the knight turned to Charles once more. “You know, lad, you remind me very much of your father.” His eyes hardened, though not enough that Caproar noticed. “So young and brimming with life, presiding over feasts and wooing the innocent girls.” He laughed mightily at his own story. Charles looked bored and his eyes drifted through the hall as he answered.
“That’s so very interesting, Ser, though I imagine there couldn’t have been too many of those feasts in his life before he went into war and changed his cups of wine for bloodied swords.” Caproar gulped and frowned but the serving girl returned with an empty cup and jug of wine for him before he could give a reply. When she was finished serving him, Charles motioned for her to fill his once more drained cup. What worried Sylvia the most was that she could not remember ever seeing her son drink more than one cup of wine at any party, let alone however many he was up to now. But she knew, to stop him then would mean to undermine him in front of a respected knight of her husband’s trusted order, and that she would not do. When it looked like the knight was about to speak up again, she interrupted.
“Apologies, Caproar, but I need to have a word in private with my son. If there is nothing else you need, I’ll be glad to let my husband know you were looking for him.” Her eyes glinted, waiting for his reaction. He merely coughed and nodded.
“Of course, m’lady. Apologies.” He turned to her son, who was looking at him with as little emotion in his eyes as possible. “Lord Charles.” With that he turned and walked away as Charles began drinking his wine again. With Caproar gone her full attention was on him.
“Charles, what do you think you’re doing?” she whispered hurriedly. He looked at her and raised an eyebrow, seemingly confused. “You’ve had plenty drinks already and the feast hasn’t even started.”
“Mother, please, I know how to measure myself,” he responded dismissively, rolling his eyes. Almost like an after thought, he muttered into his cup, “If I’m old enough to be a Lord I’ll be cursed if I can’t drink what I please.” She didn’t understand and simply sighed as she heard the main doors of the hall swing open. Everyone turned their eyes to look as Ulysses appeared.
“Bring in the food! This is a feast, after all,” he chuckled as the serving girls and boys hurried into the room carrying platters with all kinds of delicacies. The guests exploded into joy, musicians began playing, and chatter and laughter ensued. As the Lord made his way to the front seats where his family was waiting for him, Charles made sure to finish another cup of wine and asked for more.
“Take these to the maester. Tell him to send all three ravens to Lord Celemy. But tell him to send them on three different routes there. In times of war, ravens get shot down more oft than naught, and I wouldn’t have none of them reaching him in Labrynna. Go.” The young guard took them and bowed out of the room. He returned to the other parchments on his table, only to realize the door hadn’t been shut when the guard left. He looked up to the sight of a familiar face.
“Your blonde hair has more silver in it than usual, brother; you took your House’s colors to heart I see.” She was wearing a dress of silk that reached down to her feet, colored the blue of Valentia with traces of silver running through it. Her hair was let down, reaching down her back. The only difference from the last time he’d seen her were the added lines around her eyes, though he had some new ones of those as well. The war was taking its toll on all of them.
“Miriam...I didn’t know you were visiting.” He stood to greet her, coming up to the same height as her.
“That’s cause I hate sending word of my travels, Uly.” She kissed him on both cheeks and hugged him tightly before stepping back.
“I’ll have the cooks prepare a feast for dinner to welcome you. It must be a year since I last saw you.”
“A year and six months, to be exact, and I’m sure the feast will be of a magnificence only you could muster for someone as unimportant as me. However, I was rather hoping we could have a word now?”
“Please,” he motioned for her to take a seat as he did as well. Clearing the table of the parchments, he took note of the serious tone her voice had changed to. “I pray nothing is amiss with you?”
“Oh no, not at all,” she dismissed his worry, but her face didn’t look any brighter from it. “It is someone else who has gone amiss.” Her pointed stare and frown quickly made him realize of what she was talking about. He sighed and looked down.
“So you have heard.”
“Of course I’ve heard, I am around everywhere, hearing everything. Sometimes people just can’t keep a secret. Other times, certain ravens tend to be lost in their trips. How did it come to happen?”
“I am not aware of the details. All I know is Carter Rayden has deserted, and has taken two thousand of our men with him.”
“Has he gone on to pledge allegiance to the Cynes?”
“You’d have to ask him that, I’m afraid. Though, it wouldn’t be too easy for me to…”
“Blame him?” Her question sounded as if she’d already known he would say that.
“Blame him. This war has been going for far too long, Miriam, and our people are growing tired, our soldiers getting restless. If it doesn’t come to an end soon, I’d rather not see what that’d entail.”
“Will it end?”
“I do not know. King Arthur knows this, I am aware, but asking for a peace with the Baron would be admitting defeat, and that’s something I know he will not have. But it’s been twenty years, and I see no other way.” He sighed, heavy from the thought. Miriam considered him briefly, thinking to herself.
“That’s not all that draws your eyes to the floor. Your heart is heavy.” Before he could respond, she continued. “Sylvia welcomed me into the Keep, but I haven’t seen the kids anywhere.” Nothing escapes her, he thought. Muffling a cough, he waved his hand dismissively.
“I do believe Harry must be sparring out in the courtyard, or sleeping the hour away to be ready for dinner. Isis,” he continued, “is visiting our coz over in the Sunken City.” Miriam laughed for the first time since she’d gotten there.
“What in the goddesses’ names is she doing with that old goose? And in that forsaken place? That girl belongs in balls and feasts, not trapped behind gloomy cold walls. She requires some fun, even in times of war, for goodness’ sake.”
“I do believe she has opted to go there to find that fun, sis. It was them who extended the invitation for her to join them during this year’s autumn harvest, and she was eager to accept. If I’m not mistaken, I think she has grown fond of little Annette, and having no sisters of her own it is easy to understand why.” Miriam nodded understandingly and waited, but when Ulysses didn’t continue she prompted him to do so.
“And Charles?” He tensed his chin, and she could hear his teeth gritting behind his lips. Finally, he spoke again.
“Ah, he must’ve taken advantage of the rain earlier and, eh, snuck off to the Natzu forest again.” A smile was hinted at on her lips.
“The boy is still doing that?”
“Well, yes, though usually he would be back by now so as to me not noticing his absence during dinner. I wonder what must have kept him.”
“You don’t sound too wondrous, brother.” His eyes were cold, and she knew there was more to the story than he was telling. “What did you do this time?”
Ulysses sighed and burrowed his head in the palms of his hands. He said something, but the mumbles were all but unintelligible. “What was that?”
“I said,” he explained as he sat up straight again, “that it is not so much a matter of what I did, rather what I said. No, actually, it is a matter of what someone else said and what I told Charles in turn.” He groaned. “Were we ever this complicated with Father?” Miriam smirked and shook her head.
“Of course I was, running around the Keep with a torn dress and three guards chasing after trying to get me to go to dinner. You, though, you were close to a gift from the goddesses. Never took a step out of line, never questioned his orders, always knew what to say and where to say it.” She smiled at the memories, seemingly pleased by them. Finally, she returned to the question. “So what is happening with your own boy?”
“With Rayden and his regiment deserted, our stronghold in the Lynx Caverns is left severely weakened. It is our key entrance point into Labrynna. If news of this desertion reaches the Baron before we have resupplied it and sent more men down to hold it, all it would take would be a hundred well-trained men. They’d break through our defenses and capture the rest of the Caverns in no time. Our link to our men fighting in Holodrum would be blocked, and we would be left open to an attack on our own territory. We haven’t had the Labrynnians invade Holodrum for the past five years, and I’m not about to let it happen again.”
“But most of the men in the country able and willing to fight are already up there. There are men there that haven’t seen their homes in decades. Unless you were going to hire sellswords from Hyrule, there won’t be new soldiers to refresh or reinforce the battlements in months if not years, except for…”
“House Valentia’s Personal Guard,” Ulysses finished with a grave note to his voice. Miriam’s eyes widened. “The entire country knows our family’s shields are the strongest, most able fighters in all the land. They still stand undefeated in any conflict they have ever been a part of, and number in the three thousands, more than enough to make up for our loss in the Caverns.”
“And the reason they stand undefeated is that they were vowed out of getting involved in any conflict that didn’t directly threaten the Keep, long before even Father was born.”
“No longer. That is the message that we received this morning: a royal decree ordering us to break the vow and permit the Iron Elephants to fight Labrynna.” This time Miriam didn’t even try to hide her surprise. Though, with that knowledge she was beginning to see what could have upset her nephew to such an extent. Though she felt she knew what followed, she still allowed him to explain. “You know House Valentia has never refused a command from the Crown, and so I wasn’t about to either.” She nodded understandingly. “The only problem is, the Elephants have never, in the history of our house, been allowed to go into battle without being led by a Valentia, be it the Lord or his kin.” Miriam’s brow darkened at that moment, and she stood from the chair, walking to the bookshelves that rested by the window looking out at the courtyard. Ulysses waited for her to break the silence that had formed around them, so thick he could feel it shifting every time he breathed.
“Charles can’t lead an army into battle, Uly,” she began, a bit too softly, which made him all the more uncomfortable. He tried responding, but she cut him off. “He is only a boy of seven and ten, brother, and while he may be a great fighter he has never been seasoned for war. He is youthful and innocent, meant to have a long life, with marriage and dozens of descendants that all love him. The perils of the war-” Ulysses raised his hand, his face hardening at the comment.
“Do not presume to lecture me on the perils and threats of war, Miriam. You know we were both there when this very same war claimed the life of Father in the field. When the grief overcame Mother and she had no choice but to return to her home, leaving us here, leaving me here, to rule in her place despite being in grief as well. Don’t think that for a second I don’t worry about the dangers of going to war.” She closed her mouth and looked away once again, refusing to continue. Ulysses held back a groan. “It wasn’t my intention to send Charles to the war, either way. He would be a worthy leader, but there are men there three times his age that have been fighting this war since before he was born. They would never listen to him, regardless of what sigil was embroidered on his doublet.” Her breathing didn’t change, but he could tell she was listening by the movement of her eyes, despite her not being faced towards him. “However, if he isn’t to do it, as the Lord of the House the duty falls to me. I’ve been in the field before, and I do not fear what may happen there. But while I was away, it would be Charles’ duty to be the Lord of the Keep, and believe it or not he finds the idea of that almost as appalling as the idea of the war.”
“And that’s what his problem with me is,” he finished, leaning back on his chair as Miriam turned to look at him once more, the features on her face softened after listening to the whole story, “That I wouldn’t allow the Elephants to ride to battle without their Lord.” Miriam shook her head in disbelief.
“Charles is old enough to understand traditions that date back generations. He should know that these traditions are part of what made this family what it is,” she said as she shook her head.
“He does understand, but that doesn’t mean he agrees with it.”
Just then, the door to the room was thrown open, and one of the guards peered in.
“I apologize for the intrusion, my Lord, but you asked us to inform you when Master Charles returned to the Keep…”
“Is he back then?” Ulysses asked, already knowing it was obvious. The guard nodded and he sighed. “Bring him to me, if you would, tell him I need to speak with him.” The guard bowed and exited the room, closing the door behind him. Ulysses began using his index fingers to rub circles on his temples. Sensing his distress, Miriam approached him behind the desk and put her hand on his arm. Her long, slender fingers felt warm on the thin tunic he was wearing.
“Don’t worry, brother, he’ll come to accept it. You just need to make him see it, and everything will turn out okay. I am sure of it,” she encouraged him. He smiled, but looked tired even doing something so simple. “And perhaps I’ll wait to say hello to my dear nephew.”
---------- Post added 02-02-2015 at 01:51 AM ---------- Previous post was 01-17-2015 at 08:12 PM ----------
She didn’t wait long, for it was only a few minutes before the door was thrown open again. This time it was Charles who did it. Ulysses was used to the boy coming and going to the forest as he pleased, but it wasn’t every day that he returned such a mess. Both his breeches and doublet were wet and stained, not to mention the latter was also only buttoned up halfways up his torso as the rest of the buttons seemed to have been torn. His boots were more brown than grey, and his cloak was all but missing. His hair was as if from a recent bath, still dripping rain. His expression was one of displeasure, but it quickly changed and his face flushed as he noticed Miriam was also in the room.
“Aunt Miriam? I had no idea you were visiting!” he exclaimed as he walked into the room. He made as if to hug her, then seemed to remember his current condition. She laughed and pulled him into an embrace anyways.
“Young nephew, it must be ages since I last saw you. For goodness’ sake, I was taller last time we met. What have they been feeding you?” He laughed and shook his head. All the children always seemed to laugh more with their aunt than they did with him. Understanding the look he was giving her, Miriam pulled away and smiled. “Well, I must be getting ready for dinner. You should do the same, Charles, after you’re done here. Wouldn’t want to drag mud into the Great Hall now. We will finish catching up later.” She kissed him on one cheek, nodded at Ulysses with a look that urged him to deal with the boy, and walked away, closing the door behind her. As soon as she was gone, the grim eyes returned to Charles.
“Father,” he said grudgingly, “you asked to see me?”
“Yes, Charles, please take a, er, seat.” He had realized that the furniture might suffer from the condition of his son’s clothes too late to retract the offer. Charles did as he was asked, albeit cautiously. He could sense he wasn’t going to like what he was going to hear. “I know after our conversation this morning you will find it hard to look in your heart for some love for me, but I beg you at least listen to what I have to say. You left before I could tell you everything I know, and I fear you think the situation is worse than it is.”
“Oh, really?” Charles answered in disbelief, “please, explain how this couldn’t be any worse than it already is.” Normally he would’ve found his son’s mocking tone infuriating, but at the moment he needed to keep Charles from becoming more upset than he already was.
“There was one very important detail I forgot to mention this morning. It is necessary for you to know that the war is close to an end.” Charles’ eyes became wide, though he gave no other hint of caring about what Ulysses had just said.
“You do not know that,” the young man muttered, his eyes drifting to the window, perhaps thinking of some way in which he could escape from his father.
“Perhaps I do not understand how I know to such an extent that I would call it a sure science, Charles, but I believe it. Something is changing. Carter Rayden was only the beginning. I don’t know what or why, but what has been true for the past five years is no more. People are changing sides, people are growing tired, and now centuries old laws are being revoked. For better or worse, the winds have shifted, and on them rests the fate of our nation.”
Charles sighed, rubbing his temples in much the same way his father had earlier. While Ulysses might have thought that hearing this would help his son deal with the stress, Charles didn’t seem to be very pleased by it. “Thanks for the overly dramatic philosophical banter, but this isn’t news, father, and you know it,” he started, “It isn’t news because I already knew the war was soon to end. And yes, it’s started with Rayden’s desertion. A desertion 2,000 men strong! You might be trying to play it off, act natural and fearless against such a loss, but you’ve been reading war strategy books with me since I was old enough to read. The first book I ever read on my own was A War on Logic for goodness sake. All my life, it’s been about the war, so don’t try to make a fool of me on what I already know. The caverns those men were holding could be the turning point in this war, and ravens fly faster than elephants can walk. By the time you and the entire force of our house get there, they may very well be lost. A thousand men could be waiting to ambush you, and then it would be all for naught. With you and our army defeated, and the rest of our strength isolated in Labrynna, the enemy would have an easier time plowing through our country than they would harvesting crops. And all the while that you would be out there getting massacred, I’d be stuck here in a Keep emptier than it is large, sitting behind a desk to control a land I’m not ready for, with a title I neither want nor dream of but in nightmares.” Charles had become so exacerbated that the knuckles on his fists had gone completely white, and the blood had all risen to his cheeks. Ulysses was taken aback, for this was the first time in years that his eldest son had opened up about his feelings in a long while. The two men sat there in silence for a few minutes. Neither dared move, but they didn’t say anything either. However, the more he thought about it the more Ulysses became angered. Finally, all his thoughts spilled out on the table.
“I am the Lord of this house,” he muttered cooly. Charles stayed in silence. “Are you presuming to doubt my prowess in battle? The ability of your household’s soldiers?” Then, Charles frowned, confused.
“What? No, I never said that.”
“You will speak when I tell you to!” Charles gaped at him for a moment, then sat back. His eyes became hard again. It was too late for Ulysses to back down now, so he said everything he had to. “The proud Elephant always remembers, Charles, and what we remember is thousands of years of undefeated battles. If you honestly think a few thousand measly Labrynnians would be able to hold out against three thousand of us, then you’ve clearly not been reading the history books correctly.” He stood up, forcing Charles to look up to him. “I will bring down this Keep, stone by stone, with my bare hands, before I stand by and watch my country fall to invaders that haven’t been able to break through our defenses in over half a decade! And yes, I would gladly give up my own blood in return for the safety of Holodrum, as should you. So I will go out and lead our army into battle, my head held up high, and I will fight down to the last man. And as my blood, as my eldest son, a man fully grown, you will hold this seat! You will guard the Great Realm and you will do so with the pride that befits our house. All these years you’ve been sneaking out to the forests of Natzu to do away with your duties to play like a little boy, returning in tattered clothes, dragging in mud behind you,” he motioned at the current state he was in, “but you have far outgrown that age. Now, you will keep those forests safe for your people to enjoy while I keep the country safe as a whole. You will be a Lord, as I had to be when your grandfather fell in battle, and you will never question my word again! Am I understood?” His volume had gotten progressively louder as he spoke, and now he was certain that the entire hallway was able to hear what he was saying. All the color had drained from Charles’ face, and no emotion betrayed him. A simple nod was all the answer Ulysses got. “Now, a dinner will be held in your aunt’s honor, and I expect nothing but the best behavior. Go and rid yourself of these nasty rags, bathe and ready yourself. And I better not hear about you running off into the forest again. You are dismissed. Go!”
“As you command, my Lord.” Charles’ words felt deadlier than any poison as he stood from the chair and hurried out of the room without even a second glance at his father.
When he was gone, Ulysses collapsed back onto his chair, feeling the weight of all his years suffocate him once more.
---------- Post added 07-01-2015 at 06:19 PM ---------- Previous post was 02-02-2015 at 01:51 AM ----------
Sylvia had always thought of the iron chairs of the First Hall as unnecessarily uncomfortable. There were five, placed along a high platform overlooking the rest of the hall. It was called that as it had been the first part of the Keep that had been restored after the Great Moblin was defeated, and even after all this time remained the most magnificent and largest hall in all of the Keep. She was sitting to the right of Ulysses’ chair, which remained vacant even though the feast had already started. To her right, where Isis usually sat, was her husband’s sister. She was laughing, conversing with Harry about how strong he was getting. Sylvia sighed as she looked out across the Hall. It was only occupied at half of its capacity, seeing as the feast had been on very short notice. She also noticed that many of her husband’s counselors were missing. However, the absence that truly preoccupied her was Charles’. She, like most everyone else, had heard about the argument that had taken place earlier between him and his father. Now she had the concern that Charles might just up and leave so as to not have to deal with the situation any longer.
“So, Sylvia, what do you think?” She turned quickly, confused at the question.
“I beg your pardon?” Miriam smiled apologetically.
“Harry says he is still a boy, and I was saying that he is already a young man. He wanted to know what you think,” she explained. Sylvia smiled half-heartedly at her son.
“A young man he may be, but in my heart he will always be my boy.” Harry smiled and nudged his aunt.
“See! See! I told you I was right.” Miriam laughed in response, and Sylvia felt relieved of her worries for the moment. She was about to resume her meal, however, when she heard Miriam talk again.
“Well, there’s one of your children who is definitely not a boy anymore.” She heard a door opening and closing and turned to where Miriam was pointing to see Charles finally entering the hall. Her eyes widened at his appearance. She would have never said her eldest son dressed too casually or in a childish manner, he’d always had an eye for the styles that caught the eye, but she had never seen him looking like this. She could tell he had trimmed his hair, bathed, and styled it before it dried. It looked mature, parted on one side, clean in a way. The light also made it look darker than his usual blonde. His facial hair was also present to a point where his jawline was more pronounced, and his gray-green eyes glistened. His clothes were the most shocking, however. Anyone who knew Charles would say he was always dressed in Valentia blue and silver. Not on this night, however. Sylvia was astounded to see him donning a rich, black licorice colored doublet, interlaced with golden silk. The buttons were also crafted from pure gold, glistening on his chest. The collar was patterned with it as well. His breeches were midnight blue, and when he turned she could see he was wearing a cloak that was onyx, and on it was expertly etched the elephant of Valentia in gold, standing on its back two feet. She had never considered him to be a man grown more than she did at that moment, and she was sure she heard some gasps from the people sitting below.
He walked up to his seat, to the left of where Ulysses would be, and motioned for one of the waiting girls to bring him a cup of wine as he sat. He finally looked at Sylvia and nodded, which made her notice that he hadn’t smiled since he’d gotten there. When the girl brought him his drink, she bowed and delayed a moment before him. However, he didn’t seem to notice. He simply gulped down the entire cup and gave it back to her, asking for more. Disappointed, she turned and hurried off to fetch more wine.
The silence continued for a little while longer on his side, while Miriam and Harry continued to giggle away to the right. The girl hurried up to him once more, gave him the wine, and slithered away immediately this time. Sylvia knew she must be embarassed. Now Charles simply sipped from his cup and waited for the food to be served. Sylvia’s mother instincts were screaming at her to know that something was wrong, but before she could start a conversation with him her thoughts were interrupted by a man’s booming voice.
“Shame that Ulysses isn’t here, I was quite hoping to chat with the old man,” Sylvia heard to her right. She turned to see a big belly standing before her.
“Not as old as you, Ser Caproar,” Miriam joked, offering her hand for him to kiss. He did so beaming and turned to Sylvia next.
“My Lady Valentia, glowing more than ever I see. Not expecting another child, I hope?”
“Oh Goddesses no,” she blushed, taking the comment as a compliment, and quickly tried to divert the conversation. “Ser Caproar, have you met my son? Charles, this is one of the first knights your father anointed.”
“Ah yes, your eldest I presume. Quite ready to be a Lord himself, I see,” Caproar chuckled. Charles’ mouth twitched in return.
“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ser, your kind words flatter me,” he replied monotonously, finishing the wine that was left in his cup. He raised the cup to the air and quickly another serving girl came and exchanged it for a filled cup. Now Sylvia’s worry was even more pronounced, but she would not speak of it while someone else was listening.
“One for me as well, of course!” Caproar roared at the poor girl laughing as she skidded away frightened to fetch more wine. While they waited, the knight turned to Charles once more. “You know, lad, you remind me very much of your father.” His eyes hardened, though not enough that Caproar noticed. “So young and brimming with life, presiding over feasts and wooing the innocent girls.” He laughed mightily at his own story. Charles looked bored and his eyes drifted through the hall as he answered.
“That’s so very interesting, Ser, though I imagine there couldn’t have been too many of those feasts in his life before he went into war and changed his cups of wine for bloodied swords.” Caproar gulped and frowned but the serving girl returned with an empty cup and jug of wine for him before he could give a reply. When she was finished serving him, Charles motioned for her to fill his once more drained cup. What worried Sylvia the most was that she could not remember ever seeing her son drink more than one cup of wine at any party, let alone however many he was up to now. But she knew, to stop him then would mean to undermine him in front of a respected knight of her husband’s trusted order, and that she would not do. When it looked like the knight was about to speak up again, she interrupted.
“Apologies, Caproar, but I need to have a word in private with my son. If there is nothing else you need, I’ll be glad to let my husband know you were looking for him.” Her eyes glinted, waiting for his reaction. He merely coughed and nodded.
“Of course, m’lady. Apologies.” He turned to her son, who was looking at him with as little emotion in his eyes as possible. “Lord Charles.” With that he turned and walked away as Charles began drinking his wine again. With Caproar gone her full attention was on him.
“Charles, what do you think you’re doing?” she whispered hurriedly. He looked at her and raised an eyebrow, seemingly confused. “You’ve had plenty drinks already and the feast hasn’t even started.”
“Mother, please, I know how to measure myself,” he responded dismissively, rolling his eyes. Almost like an after thought, he muttered into his cup, “If I’m old enough to be a Lord I’ll be cursed if I can’t drink what I please.” She didn’t understand and simply sighed as she heard the main doors of the hall swing open. Everyone turned their eyes to look as Ulysses appeared.
“Bring in the food! This is a feast, after all,” he chuckled as the serving girls and boys hurried into the room carrying platters with all kinds of delicacies. The guests exploded into joy, musicians began playing, and chatter and laughter ensued. As the Lord made his way to the front seats where his family was waiting for him, Charles made sure to finish another cup of wine and asked for more.