Warrior King, page 12
“I let my emotions get the best of me,” replied Charlotte. “It would have gone so much better had I kept a level head.”
“Nonsense. That man deserved a dressing down. He was arrogant!”
“Still,” replied Charlotte, “a little diplomacy wouldn’t have gone amiss.”
“I doubt that would’ve made a difference. Someone like that doesn’t take no for an answer, which left you no choice. He was trying to force you to cave in to pressure from the Church. On the good side, you gave a magnificent display of strength in the face of a real threat.”
“Did I? Or did I sound petty?”
“I have no doubt the capital will soon be talking about the queen with the steel back.”
Charlotte laughed. “Now you’re making me out to be some sort of hero.”
“You did face down a Temple Commander; that’s no small feat.”
“I did, didn’t I?”
“You don’t sound convinced.”
“You and I both suspect the Cunars now serve the empire. If that proves true, then my refusal to permit them to establish a commandery in Hadenfeld will likely have dire consequences.”
“Remind me of what the archprior’s opinion was?” asked Alexandra.
“That it would take years for it to reach the Antonine.”
“Good. That gives us plenty of time to prepare a response. For now, however, we can celebrate.” Alexandra refilled their goblets. “Let’s talk of other things.”
“A good idea. What shall we discuss?”
A knock interrupted, and then a servant appeared. “Temple Captain Hamelyn is requesting an audience, Majesty.”
“Send him in.”
“Shall I take the children away?” offered Gustavo.
Charlotte looked over to where both Frederick and Kenley were fast asleep on the floor. “Best leave them be for now, I think, but could you stay in case I need you?”
“Should I fetch Lady Gita?”
“No. She’s busy seeing to the kingdom’s finances. Let’s leave her for now.”
“Yes, Majesty.”
Charlotte waved at the servant to let in the Temple Captain.
“You have news?” she asked.
“Yes, Majesty,” replied the captain. “I’ve come to report Temple Commander Amarand has left the city.”
“That’s good news, but hardly worthy of a personal visit. Is something else troubling you?”
“I may be overstepping my duties, Majesty, but I had some people keep an eye on him since his last visit to court.”
“Are you suggesting your knights were spying on him?”
“Not our knights, no, but I reached out to people we’ve met through our work with the sick and poor.”
“And?” pressed Charlotte.
“It may interest you to know the Temple Commander visited several locations before his departure.” Hamelyn pulled out a scroll that had been tucked into his belt. “I took the liberty of writing down the addresses, along with who lives there.”
Charlotte unrolled the scroll and perused its contents. “Some of these people are surprisingly influential.”
“And wealthy,” added the captain. “I have no idea what they talked about, but according to our sources, the visits were brief.”
“How brief? Could he simply have been bidding them farewell?”
“Doubtful. In each case, he was invited in while servants took his horse away. If he were only saying farewell, why let them take his mount?”
“You make a good point,” said Charlotte. She handed the list to Alexandra. “Do you know anything about any of these people?”
“I’m afraid not. Most of my socializing in Harlingen has been confined to court, but I do have a few connections in the merchants’ quarter. Shall I reach out to them?”
“If you would, but don’t make it too obvious. I shouldn’t like it to get out that we’re looking into them, else they might hear about it and cover up whatever it is they’re up to.”
“I’ll have my people keep an eye on them,” said the Temple Captain. “Is there anything else I can do for Your Majesty?”
“I assume those whom Amarand visited are well-established?”
“That is my understanding.”
“Then it’s more than likely others would know more about them. Perhaps you could make some discreet enquiries of your own?”
“I shall see what I can do,” replied Hamelyn, “but I must warn you, we Temple Knights are not spies; rather, we are warriors of faith who took an oath to always speak the truth.”
“In other words,” said Charlotte, “everything we’ve discussed is known by the Archprior of Hadenfeld.”
“I don’t report to the archprior, Majesty. My direct superior is our regional commander in Deisenbach.”
“Yet if the archprior questioned you, you’d reveal what you know.”
“Providing he asks, yes.”
Charlotte smiled. “How very diplomatic, Temple Captain. You weren’t by chance a politician before you joined the order, were you?”
“No, though admittedly, I’ve always had a fascination with how people rule.”
“And what has this taught you?”
“That Hadenfeld is most unique, Majesty. From what I’ve observed, very few rulers believe in serving the interests of their subjects. They’re more concerned with the accumulation of wealth and power.”
“Yes,” replied Charlotte. “That would be my conclusion as well. Then again, Ludwig never desired the Throne. He was forced to take it to end the reign of a mad king.”
“An unwilling king,” said Hamelyn, “yet he strives to make Hadenfeld a better place.”
“He takes his duty as monarch very seriously, as do I. If that marks us as unique, then so be it.”
“We have you to thank for that,” piped in Alexandra.
“Me?” replied the Temple Knight.
“Well, not you, personally. I meant the teachings of your Saint, although I suppose we should acknowledge the influence of Father Vernan while we’re at it. Speaking of whom, shouldn’t they be returning soon?”
“Not for a while yet,” said Charlotte. “Ludwig sent word he’ll be spending some time in Udenacht as the baron’s guest.”
“Not trouble, I hope?” asked Hamelyn.
“He’s hosting a meeting between the Duke of Hollenbeck and the King of Mirantha. His letter didn’t relay all the details, merely that a conflict was brewing between the two, and he was determined to see them agree to a peaceful conclusion. It will be a few more weeks before we can expect him back in the capital.”
Cyn opened the door. “Majesty, might I have a moment of your time?”
“Of course. Come and join us. Is this a personal visit or official?”
“A little of both.”
“Let me guess, Gowan Forst?”
The general blinked. “How did you know?”
“I can think of no other person who’d cause you such distress.”
“Who says I’m distressed?”
“I can tell when you’re upset,” said Charlotte. “You tend to clench your jaw. Now, come and sit. Have some wine; it’ll help you relax.”
Alexandra filled a goblet and passed it over.
Cyn drank deeply. “Thank you. I needed that.”
“Now,” said the queen. “Let’s get to the bottom of this, shall we?”
“If he hadn’t been born a noble, he’d be the village idiot. The man has no concept of responsibility!”
“Can you offer specifics?”
“He’s always late to report for duty,” replied Cyn, “and takes every opportunity to hold his nobility over others.”
“Are you suggesting he misbehaves?”
“That’s putting it mildly, Majesty. More like he flaunts it. He thinks that because his brother is a baron, he can do as he pleases. I’ve tried talking to him about it, but it goes in one ear and out the other.”
“So you’re saying he doesn’t respect your authority?”
“He’s under the impression that only noblemen are capable of being generals.”
“You have the full authority of the Crown,” said Charlotte. “Were he any other captain, how would you handle this situation?”
“I’d probably clap him in irons or maybe put him in the stocks for a few days.”
“Then that is what you must do.”
“His brother won’t like that.”
“Then his father should’ve taught him that bad behaviour has consequences. Lord Gowan Forst is to be treated as any other captain under your command.”
“If I may,” said Hamelyn. “Might I suggest an alternative?”
“By all means. I’m open to suggestions,” replied Cyn.
“I’d be pleased for him to spend time amongst us Temple Knights.”
“Are you suggesting he join your order?”
“No, merely become our guest for a week or two. Call it an exchange, if you wish—a chance for him to experience the need for rigid discipline.”
“And if he refuses?”
Charlotte chuckled. “Then he’ll be dismissed from service under a cloud of dishonour. I think, given the choice, he’ll take the good Temple Captain up on his offer. I assume he will receive no special treatment amongst your order?”
“He shall be treated as any other initiate of the Temple Knights.”
“Meaning?” asked Cyn.
“We are a humble order, seeing to our needs in every way, which includes scrubbing floors, preparing food, and even washing our own clothes.”
Cyn laughed. “I’d love to see Lord Gowan doing laundry.”
“We are trying to reform the man,” said the queen, “not publicly embarrass him.”
“Yes, of course. Sorry.”
“Good. Then you may inform him that he is being sent to the Temple Knights of Saint Mathew for training. Before you do that, I’ll have it written up as a Royal Command, but give him the choice to accept the assignment before you present it. There’s no sense in forcing him into it if he’s willing to go of his own accord.”
“Thank you, Majesty.”
“Don’t thank me; thank Temple Captain Hamelyn. It was his idea. Who knows, perhaps it will prove such a success, we’ll consider sending others for training as well?”
“They would be most welcome,” replied the captain. “We so seldom get visits from outsiders.”
“Before you leave,” said Charlotte, “may I ask you a question?”
“Most certainly.”
“What do you think will be the result of our refusal to honour Temple Commander Amarand’s request to build a commandery?”
“Cunars are not known for backing down. He will no doubt complain most vociferously to his superiors, which means his complaint will be taken to one of the Temple Generals of the order.”
“They have more than one?”
“Indeed, they have two. One commands the Holy Army, the other the Holy Fleet, although he is often referred to as ‘Admiral’ to avoid confusion.”
“And this Temple General reports to the Grand Master of the Order, I assume?”
“He does. At that point, it becomes more difficult to predict the response. At the very least, I expect a Cunar Archprior to come here seeking to either sway your opinion or rebuke you publicly. His order believes in the supremacy of the Church.”
“Supremacy?” said Alexandra. “I’m not certain I follow.”
“Within the Church of the Saints, there are two divergent beliefs. The Mathewites and Agnesites believe the Church is a servant of the people, and thus, secular law is seen as overruling Church law. Others, including the Cunars, believe the laws of the Church take precedence over any realm’s individual laws. This debate spans centuries, but up until now, the discussion was only academic.”
“And now we’ve pushed it to the forefront,” said Charlotte.
“That seems to be the case. The hierarchy of the Church, however, is notoriously slow, so even if concerns were raised in the Antonine, it would be many months or even years before anything came of it.”
“Thank you, Temple Captain. You’ve been most informative.”
“It is my pleasure to serve, Majesty. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have duties to attend to.” With that, he left, closing the door quietly behind him.
“He’s a good man,” offered Captain Gustavo, “and gave us a clear answer when he could’ve avoided the subject altogether. I wonder how long before a Cunar archprior arrives requesting an audience?”
“We already have one of those in Harlingen,” said Alexandra.
“We do,” agreed Charlotte, “but he’s been here awhile and won’t say anything that would risk his position. I think when the time comes, we’ll see someone from higher up coming to lecture us.”
12
Diplomacy
Autumn 1105 SR
Six Elven riders led the procession heading towards the baron’s keep. Behind them came four of King Augustinian’s knights, followed, in turn, by the horse bearing His Majesty.
From his vantage point atop the keep, Ludwig watched with great interest. He’d been worried the presence of the Elves might complicate the situation. However, when His Majesty came to a halt and dismounted, he appeared in good spirits, even going so far as to acknowledge his Elven escort with a slight bow. Lord Nikolaus came down the keep’s stairs to greet King Augustinian.
“Quite the sight,” said Sigwulf. “I hope all this work is worth it. The last thing we want is a war on our border.”
“Let’s hope they both see reason,” replied Ludwig. Lord Ulfric, the Duke of Hollenbeck, had arrived two days earlier and now waited in the great hall. “Speaking of which, we should join them. I’d hate for their first introduction to each other to go astray.”
“You think that likely? They’ve both travelled quite the distance to get here.”
“Yes, during which they likely both rehearsed their demands.”
“Do we restrain them if things get physical?”
“I doubt it’ll come to that,” replied Ludwig. “I believe they’ll realize the merits of working side by side instead of being at each other’s throats.”
“Who’s going to be the toughest to handle?” asked Sig.
“Handle? I intend for them to come to a reasonable solution without any form of coercion, not force a solution down their throats.”
“Still, they’re two very different people.”
“Actually,” said Ludwig, “I’ve found them both to be quite level-headed.”
They entered the great hall to find Lord Ulfric waiting in the centre of the room, a pair of his guards standing off to one side.
Lord Nikolaus entered by way of the main door, leading King Augustinian. The King of Mirantha’s gaze met that of his counterpart and he offered a nod, which was returned.
“Shall we?” said Ludwig. As the host, he sat at the head of the table, with the Miranthan delegation on one side, while the Hollenbeck group sat on the other. Lord Nikolaus took his seat at the far end, and then a bevy of servants moved up to pour drinks.
“Thank you,” said Ludwig. “I know both of you travelled a great distance to come here today, but I think, given the circumstances, we can reach an agreement that’s satisfactory to both your realms.” He paused as the servants pulled away, then continued. “Before we discuss more recent matters, this would be a good opportunity to discuss the disputed region. Might I enquire how that land came to be claimed by both of you?”
“It is something we inherited from our ancestors,” offered Ulfric. “Under the reign of the Old Kingdom, Hollenbeck and Mirantha were both provinces. With its demise, we became independent states, but the area between us was, and still is, dense forest.”
“But there must’ve been a border during the reign of Therengia?”
“There likely was, but with their defeat, we no longer had any access to their records.”
“Yes,” agreed Augustinian, “and there’s been no need for an established border, as the disputed area was of little use to either of us.”
“And the area is still of no consequence,” said Ludwig. “The sky metal is the real prize here.”
“True, and therein lies the problem. That metal is in Mirantha’s lands.”
“I beg to differ,” replied Lord Ulfric. “That area belongs to Hollenbeck.”
“If I may continue?” said Ludwig. “I propose you work together to locate this sky metal and then split it evenly.”
Lord Ulfric slammed his fist on the table. “Why in the name of the Saints would we agree to that?”
“I can think of two good reasons. Since you’d both be working towards the same goal, it lessens the chance of confrontation. Secondly, it means you’ll have twice as many people searching for it.”
“How do I know that if King Augustinian finds it first, he’ll not claim it all?”
“Arrangements can be made,” replied Ludwig. “Each search party would include at least one person from the other realm amongst its numbers, or, if you prefer, I can offer some of my own men to monitor both sides.”
“Why would you do that?” asked the King of Mirantha. “Are you now demanding a share of the wealth?”
“I lay claim to nothing save the peaceful coexistence of those realms bordering my own.”
“May I make a suggestion?” said Sigwulf.
They all stared at the great northerner.
“By all means,” replied Augustinian.
“All this talk of sky metal is grand, but have either of you given any thought as to what to do with it?”
“What do you mean?” asked Ulfric. “It’s worth a fortune; everyone knows that.”
“Agreed, but it does nothing by sitting in someone’s treasury. To gain any benefit from it, you’d need a buyer, someone who could work the stuff.”
“And you know such a person?”
Sigwulf smiled. “Not personally, but I’m pretty sure I know where one can be found.”
“Then out with it, man,” said Augustinian. “Where is this fellow?”
“Nethendril.”
Ludwig smiled. “Good point, Sig. I wish I’d thought of that myself.” He turned to the two rulers. “Nethendril is an Elven city within the Goldenwood.”
