Warrior King, page 4
Ludwig had spent a considerable amount of time amongst the Elves but always found it difficult to adjust to their appearance. Their elongated faces made him feel as if someone had stretched a Human head upward, distorting the features. Added to that were their slightly pointed ears and silver-white hair, giving the talon a striking presence.
“Greetings, Talon Elonin,” he said.
“And to you, noble king,” replied the Elf. “I am pleased to see you in good health.” She turned to Charlotte. “And to you, noble queen.”
“I’m sorry we didn’t reach out to you sooner,” said Ludwig, “but ruling Hadenfeld has proven more challenging than either of us would ever have imagined.”
“I understand, as does High Lord Sindra. It was this very suspicion that convinced her to delay sending an emissary to your capital.”
“I assume you’re here to formally sign our agreement?”
“Not at all,” replied Elonin. “I lack the necessary authority to do so. I am here, instead, to arrange a visit by the High Lord herself.”
“Sindra wants to come here?” said Charlotte. “I must say that surprises me.”
“As it did me,” agreed the Elf. “It has been more than a millennia since a High Lord of Nethendril visited a foreign court.”
“We shall have to send an escort,” said Ludwig. “I shouldn’t want anyone to think we’ve been invaded.”
“I must insist she be allowed to bring her own guard.”
“I have no objection, although I need to know how many to expect so we can make arrangements for their stay.”
“Twenty, not including the delegation itself.”
“Which consists of?”
“Myself, the High Lord, Galrandir, and six servants.”
“I shall arrange for accommodations. Do you have a specific date in mind?”
“I should think the first day of summer most appropriate. Amongst our people, it is seen as a portent of good fortune. I took the liberty of consulting with your people in Eisen and discovered we mark the turning of the seasons on the same day.”
“I wonder why that is?”
“I can answer that,” offered Charlotte. “It dates back to the early days of Human civilization. At least, that’s what the scholars claim. I suspect it was a tradition our early ancestors adapted from the Elves they are thought to have traded with.”
“That appears to be the most logical explanation,” replied Elonin. “As to our route, I suggest we emerge near Eisen, then travel along the northern road through Malburg, which is the route I came here upon.”
“It shall be as you wish. Anything else you’d like to address while you’re here?”
“Yes. The repulsion of Zowenbruch last summer convinced the people of the Goldenwood that we needed a larger standing army. To that end, we have increased the number of warbands. To put it in terms you might be more familiar with, we have added two companies to our expeditionary force.”
“Expeditionary force?” said Charlotte. “I’m afraid you’ve lost me on that one.”
“It refers to the number of warriors we would commit should Hadenfeld require aid.”
“That is most generous,” said Ludwig, “but as far as I recall, there was no specific mention of how many warriors we’d send, although naturally, we’d help in any way we can.”
“The High Lord believes this particular item needs to be included as part of any agreement between our people. She trusts you, Lord King, but we must account for the relatively short lifespans of you Humans. Without that stipulation, a future king might deign to send only a token force.”
“A fair point, but at present, we’re still recovering from a civil war and haven’t many men to spare.”
“We have every confidence that your realm will recover in time, and, as I said, we trust you to provide whatever aid you deem suitable should that prove necessary.”
“Thank you. You’ve given me much to consider.”
“With your permission,” said Elonin, “I shall withdraw.”
“By all means. Captain Gustavo will show you to one of our guest quarters.”
The talon bowed, then allowed herself to be shown from the room.
Ludwig turned to Charlotte. “What did you make of that?” he asked.
“They’re worried about something.”
“They have every right to be. By allying with us, they’ve entered the politics of the Petty Kingdoms, a difficult thing to navigate.”
“Perhaps they fear further attacks?” suggested Charlotte. “Could Zowenbruch be plotting something?”
“I doubt it. We gave them a good trouncing last year, and King Konrad gave his word to remain on his side of the border.”
“True, but while you negotiated that settlement, it was under the authority of King Morgan. Now that he no longer sits on the throne, Konrad may not consider the agreement valid.”
“Which means I’ll need to send someone to Zowenbruch to smooth things over and ensure the peace still holds. Yet another task I wasn’t expecting. Is our entire rule to be like this?”
“Very likely,” replied Charlotte. “It is the burden of monarchs across the Continent to deal with the unexpected. Why should we be any different?”
“It’d be nice if all the Petty Kingdoms could mind their own business and stop all this incessant warmongering. Imagine how prosperous we’d all be if we didn’t constantly fear an enemy crossing our borders.”
“If you break down the politics of the Continent, it all boils down to jealousy. Rulers covet what their neighbours possess, or rather what they think they have. They can’t stand the idea that others are better off than themselves.”
“That’s a very astute observation. I suppose the question is, how do we counter that threat? Do we visit other realms and complain about how difficult life is in Hadenfeld?”
“Human nature being what it is, I doubt that would work. Others would claim you were lying to dissuade them from invading.”
“Then what’s the use of employing diplomacy?”
“We ensure the peace by building personal connections,” replied Charlotte. “Friends don’t go to war with one another, but strangers do.”
“So I should travel around making friends?”
“That about sums it up, yes.”
“Well, it would give me a break from court.”
“From our court,” she replied, “but you’d be visiting the courts of all our neighbours, so I’m not so certain you would consider it a break.”
“Any suggestions on where to start? Zowenbruch, perhaps?”
“I’d suggest Hollenbeck. Sig already has a connection to the duke there, and he lent us some help during the siege of Harlingen.”
“Then that shall be my first visit once we’re finished with the High Lord of Nethendril.”
4
Emissary
Summer 1105 SR
Hadenfeld’s Knights of the Sacred Shield trotted through the city gates, the summer sun glinting off their armour as they led the procession. Behind them came the Elves of Nethendril, in silver and green, a delegation of warriors mounted on white horses that pranced as they entered Harlingen.
Sigwulf viewed the entourage from atop the northern gatehouse, curious how the people of the capital would react to these foreign visitors.
“Impressive, aren’t they?” said Cyn. “Do you think all their horses are white or only these?”
“They were all white at the Battle of Eisen. I suspect that’s the breed.”
“I like the look of them.”
“I never took you for someone who loves horses.”
“I ride one, don’t I?”
“That you do,” said Sig, “but I’ve noticed you don’t appear comfortable in the saddle.”
“I’ll admit it’s not my favourite mode of travel, but I still appreciate a fine animal. We should discover if we can arrange for some of those horses for breeding purposes.”
“They’re too small to bear the weight of our armour.”
“There is such a thing as light cavalry.”
“Perhaps,” he replied, “but as far as I know, Hadenfeld has never employed any.”
“Then maybe it’s time we started? It’s not practical to use heavily armoured men to scout.”
“It’s worth considering. We’ll bring it up to Ludwig once we finally get around to enlarging the army.”
“Agreed. Now, we’d best get to the Royal Keep before anybody notices we’re not there.”
* * *
Ludwig had planned for himself and Charlotte to greet the delegation as it arrived at the keep, but she’d been unable to rise this day. Instead, the Baron and Baroness of Drakenfeld took her place, more to calm Ludwig’s nerves than through any other necessity.
“I can hear the crowds cheering,” said Merrick.
“And well they should,” replied Gita. “It’s not every day a foreign ruler visits Harlingen. Come to think of it, I don’t believe a non-Human ruler has ever set foot in the city before.”
“There’s a first for everything.”
“Indeed,” added Ludwig. “Let us hope this visit is a portent of better times ahead for both our peoples.”
“Very diplomatic of you,” said Merrick. “Did you come up with that, or was it Charlotte’s take on things?”
Ludwig smiled despite his frayed nerves. “Hers, of course. She’s far more diplomatic than I am.”
“Says the man who convinced the eastern barons to take his side during a civil war. Not that there’s anything civil about war.”
“I recall you supporting me, and you’re not from the east.”
Gita laughed. “He’s got you there!”
The cheering grew louder as the parade of warriors turned onto the main street some blocks away, but even from this distance, the knights’ gleaming armour and their large warhorses proved an impressive sight.
“They look lovely,” said Gita.
“Lovely?” replied Merrick. “Hardly the description a warrior would appreciate. They are, perhaps, the finest knights in all the Petty Kingdoms.”
“Hardly that,” said Ludwig. “To be honest, they’re a pain in the royal arse.”
“Why?”
“I know the answer to that,” said Gita. “When the kingdom was sundered fifty years ago, the order fractured, with many of its members joining Neuhafen. Both sets of knights claim the right to the name, leading to two separate orders of chivalry with the same name.”
“Yes,” said Merrick, “but we’re all one big happy kingdom now, aren’t we?”
“We are,” said Ludwig, “but we’re dealing with knights who, until last year, fought on opposite sides. Then there’s the matter of their current organization. Whose grand master gets to rule the order?”
“I thought their grand master died at Erhard’s Folly?”
“He did, or rather the king’s grand master did.”
“But we didn’t have any knights when we faced them.”
“That’s because Morgan disbanded those from the east. They didn’t fight, but ever since I became king, they’ve begged me to reinstate their membership in the order.”
“And will you?” asked Gita.
“Eventually, but I must first determine how to reintegrate them into the order. I’d hate for fighting to break out between knights.”
The men in question approached, passing by the keep, their leader offering a salute with his sword. Ludwig nodded a quick acknowledgement, then focused on the Elves and their silver mail that reminded him so much of fish scales. The lead riders proceeded past him, slowing their pace and coming to a rest as High Lord Sindra’s horse came even with the entrance to the keep.
Elonin, who rode beside her lord, dismounted first, handing her reins to one of her warriors. She then moved to steady Sindra’s mount while the High Lord climbed out of the saddle.
“King Ludwig,” said Sindra. “I bring you greetings from the people of the Goldenwood.”
“Welcome,” he replied. “I trust your trip was uneventful?”
“On the contrary, it was full of marvellous sights. You have a green and pleasant land full of farms and pastures—a vastly different appearance from our own lands.”
“And your escort?”
“They largely kept to themselves, which, admittedly, is how we preferred it. I assure you, however, they were well-behaved.”
Ludwig turned to his companions. “May I present Lord Merrick and Lady Gita Sternhassen, Baron and Baroness of Drakenfeld.”
“It is always a pleasure to meet like-minded individuals.”
“Like-minded?” said Gita. “What makes you say that?”
“By the very fact that King Ludwig introduced you. We have observed him at length in the east and judge him to be a man of principles.” She turned to Elonin. “Is that the correct term?”
“It is,” replied the talon.
“You must excuse me,” said Sindra. “Your language is new to us.”
“You speak it well,” said Merrick.
“It is good to hear you say so, as it is a recent development. After we worked together to defeat Zowenbruch, I thought it useful to learn your language, if only to prevent misunderstandings. Am I correct in assuming the same language is used elsewhere in the Petty Kingdoms?”
“You are,” said Ludwig.
“Perhaps we should go inside?” suggested Gita. “There is a feast laid out in your honour, High Lord.”
“Yes, of course,” replied Sindra. “I forgot how much you Humans like to bond over food.”
* * *
The dinner was a formal affair with tables piled high with enticing delicacies. It wasn’t that Ludwig wanted everyone to be stuffed, but he was uncertain what the Elves would eat, so he’d instructed the kitchen to prepare everything they could think of, resulting in much of the cooking having to be done elsewhere, where more ovens were available.
Part of him considered it an exceptional extravagance, but he consoled himself by arranging for the Mathewite mission to receive whatever was left over.
As Charlotte was still unable to attend, Merrick and Gita helped keep the conversation flowing, along with Emmett and Alexandra. Rounding out this group was Father Vernan, who seemed greatly interested in learning more about the Elves of Nethendril.
“There’s something I don’t understand,” he was saying. “Is your realm called Nethendril or the Goldenwood? Or is it customary to call it both?”
Sindra looked at Elonin and nodded.
“Nethendril is one of our cities,” replied the talon, “whereas the Goldenwood is both the name of the forest and our realm.”
“And how far does your border extend?”
“Right to the edge of the woodlands or the rivers, in those places where it forms a natural barrier.”
“I’m led to believe your lands are close to Eisen.”
“We have yet to formalize where our territory ends and yours begins, but as neither of us has expressed a desire to claim that particular region, it makes little difference. Also, we do not claim the land as you Humans do. Rather, we seek guardianship over it in the name of Tauril.”
“Ah, yes. The Goddess of the Woods, said to hold domain over all the trees and plants of Eiddenwerthe.”
“Said?” replied Elonin. “It is a fact, not a speculation held up for scrutiny. Her domain includes all natural denizens of the forest.”
“Are you suggesting there are unnatural denizens?”
“There are, indeed,” said Sindra. “Aberrations and animated constructs, the results of delving into matters best left unexplored.”
“Aberrations?” said Vernan. “I don’t believe I’m familiar with that term.”
“They are the result of willful tampering with nature. Although I am ashamed to admit it, some Elves have ventured into forbidden studies, creating mockeries of Tauril’s creatures. One such example is using magic to merge two creatures together, resulting in horrific results. Scores of the creatures have been released into the Goldenwood over the centuries, and some may still survive.”
“And constructs?”
“Constructs are a different matter: creatures with no mind of their own that must be controlled by a wielder of magic, be it Enchantments or some fouler study of the dark arts.”
“Astounding! No wonder the woods are considered so dangerous.”
“That reputation came about because our people executed those who crossed our border. It had nothing to do with the creatures living beneath the boughs of the Goldenwood.”
“You’re very open about all of this,” said Father Vernan.
“It is no longer necessary to keep it a secret,” replied the High Lord. “We rescinded the law that required the execution of interlopers, and the trade route to Nethendril is now kept safe by our glade wardens. Your people have nothing to fear so long as they use the approved method of travel.”
“Which is the Erlen River,” offered Ludwig. “Boats from Eisen carry goods all the way downstream to Nethendril, then return with Elven goods for sale in Hadenfeld. It is, I’m told, a profitable venture.”
“Astounding,” said the Holy Father. “Who would ever have thought we’d end up trading with the woodland folk?”
“Our trade, at present, is small,” replied Sindra, “but I hope this may increase over time.”
“What types of things have you for trade?”
“The better question to ask is, what goods do you seek?”
“I’m afraid you’ve got me there,” said Vernan. “I’m a Holy Father, not a merchant.” He turned to Ludwig. “You’d have a better idea, Majesty. What are your thoughts on the matter?”
“I’ve seen their carpenters’ work, and I can attest to its quality. I should think the nobles of Hadenfeld would be eager to purchase furniture made by the Elves. They also have shadowbark.”
“Shadowbark?” said Emmett. “That stuff’s worth a fortune! I remember my uncle having a desk made of it, and it cost him more than two thousand crowns.” The baron leaned forward towards Sindra. “How much do you have?”
