4.

Princess Avalynn meets her traveling companion

4.

 

Attired in stylish but respectful black, Princess Avalynn sat in a mood as dark as her dress, smoking nervously as she subconsciously watched passengers slowly gathering in the Eastwatch arcane train station.

In the conservative, ecclesiastical duchy of St. Wemricshire, her presence created quite a sensation, though few had any idea exactly who she was.  It was the nature of the structure of the High King’s duchies.    Wemricshire was one of three duchies ran by religious orders under the authority of the Archbishop and were semi-independent.   

Baylcothrom was one of a handful of ‘lesser kingdoms’ that were subject to the ‘High King’ and as a result, there was not much interaction with their neighboring duchies.     Although there were good relations with St. Wemricshire, they were worlds apart in most ways.

She ignored the frequent stares from the passengers arriving early to wait for the train’s arrival later that day.   Avalynn had cried during the entire trip from Trilyum to Eastwatch and Kyara had only allowed three servants to go with her.    They had arrived in Eastwatch (which was just over the border from Baylcothrom) two hours after dawn.    The servants had unloaded her baggage onto the passenger waiting area (which fortunately was sheltered from the elements with a roof), then they had left her to return to Trilyum.  

Avalynn had watched them go with a terrible ache in her heart.   Everyone had betrayed and rejected her; even her own sister.   Never had she felt so scared and unsure of herself.    Was Kyara right?   Was it foolish to trust the High King?    But what choice did she have?  Kyara’s determination to resist Reddric would lead to disaster and probably her death as a traitor.

Then the last member of her family would be gone.

Avalynn felt the tears welling up again, but her eyes were so swollen from hours of crying that she forced them away by making her mind to just go blank.   She stared off into the distance, watching a pair of human children leading a pair of cows out to a small family pasture.   The bucolic scene had a calming effect upon her and so she didn’t hear or see the man approach her until he cleared his throat for the second time.

Blinking out of her daydream, she turned and jumped slightly to find a man standing right in front of her.   He was very tall and muscular.   He wore leather and chainmail and had a sword strapped to his side, but glancing up into his face, she was relieved to see him smiling.   He looked vaguely familiar to her and perhaps she had seen him during a meeting with her father, some years ago, but she was far from certain of this.   He was young and quite handsome, with shortly cropped red hair similar in color to her sister Kyara’s tint and a shapeless cap pulled down over all but the lobes of his ears. His expression was gentle, rustic and threatened to put her mind at ease, if she would have allowed it.

“Good morning!”  He said with polite bow, “You do know that the train isn’t due to arrive until 3 O’clock this afternoon.    You’ll have about six more hours to wait.”

“Three O’clock!”  Avalynn exclaimed, “I thought it would arrive here in mid-morning.”

“Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.   This stop is always in mid afternoon.   I assume that I am speaking to Princess Avalynn of  Baylcothrom?”

Avalynn’s eyes narrowed suspiciously, “Yes, but how did you know exactly who I was?”

“Well, your luggage is very fancy and contains far more pieces than most passengers carry.  And you are by a wide margin the loveliest woman within many miles.   Your presence here has been the talk of the town all morning.    But the main reason, Your Highness, is because I received an order from the High King to watch for your arrival in case you got here before a delegation that he has sent to escort you arrives here.”

“So who are you, anyway?”   She asked, still suspicious.

“I am Denrich Fitznebos, High Sheriff of St. Wemricshire.”

“The High Sheriff?   Reddric really wants me watched,”   She frowned slightly, feeling somewhat like a caged bird.

“It could just be that he wanted you protected from the curious.   You’ve created quite a sensation in Eastwatch.    I’m certain that news of your arrival has reached Abbosett by now.    I guess it was a good thing that I rode up here yesterday when I received the High King’s message.    He is probably just looking out for your safety, Your Majesty.”

Though the Sheriff smiled, she knew that he didn’t believe the benevolence of Reddric’s actions any more than her sister Kyara would.

“So you will be ‘escorting’ me on the train?”  She asked, looking away from him and concentrating on her cigarette.

“Unless the royal escort arrives before this afternoon.   Do you have any servants with you?”   Sheriff Denrich looked around as if he expected them to be hiding behind her baggage.  

“No; they were recalled to Trilyum by my sister after her coup.”

“Her what?”  The Sheriff asked in surprise.

“Coup; my sister has assumed control of the kingdom and banished me from it.”

“Yesh have mercy!”

“Oh, actually it is a moot point,”  The Princess said with a deep sigh that sent a plume of smoke from her lips like a dragon, “Within a few weeks, the High King will crush my sister’s foolish rebellion and he will make Baylcothrom another royal duchy.”

There was a long, awkward moment of silence and finally Denrich shifted his feet, cleared his throat and softly said, “I am truly sorry, Princess.”

“Are you, Sheriff?”  She replied somewhat coldly.

“Yes, ma’am, I am.    St. Wemricshire is not a royal or noble duchy and I know for a fact that the monks of St. Wemric’s monastery were quite… sympathetic… to your late father’s plight in sending so many soldiers to assist the High King in what everyone thinks was a suspicious reason.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes, everyone knows that the conflict with the Yehsaelie is more of a shadow war.    It is a convenient method for the High King to get funds, troops and perhaps even eliminate enemies.”

Princess Avalynn’s eyebrows arched slightly, “That sounds somewhat critical, Sheriff.    Perhaps it even hints at treason.”

The Sheriff met her gaze with such firm resolve that she had to glance away.

“I have my own opinions, Your Highness, and nothing but sympathy for your father and the elven people that lives in Baylcothrom.”

“Is that in keeping with what the Church of Yesh teaches, Sheriff?”

“Don’t confuse the doctrine of the current council of Archbishops with the true teaching of Yesh, Your Majesty.”

“I didn’t realize there was any difference, Sheriff.”

“You might be surprised, Princess.    The monastery of St. Wemric’s has many old manuscripts of the teachings of Yesh and some of the oldest ones show the true love and compassion of Yesh.   Not just toward humans, either.    He was completely fair with all races and loved the elven and fae races equally.”

“That is not what I have heard from the priests or bishops, Sheriff; I wonder if St. Wemric’s is apostate in their teachings?”

Sheriff Denrich smiled, but his penetrating gaze told her that she couldn’t threaten him.

“There is indeed apostasy in the church, Princess, but in surprising locations.”   He stretched his arms out and changed the subject smoothly, “So you are moving to the royal court?”

“That was the High King’s command.”

“I don’t doubt that, Princess,”  He replied with a slightly sheepish grin.

“What exactly do you mean by that snide comment, Sheriff Denrich?”

 “His Royal Highness, the High King of Albyia is notorious for his admiration of feminine beauty.    It is his chief recreation, I am told.   One that most of the gentlemen of his court share.”

Avalynn lifted her chin proudly, “So you believe he will be interested in me?”

“Clearly, he is extremely interested in you, already, Princess!   Which is one reason that he pulled his weight with the council of Archbishops earlier this year to have them -finally- give a ruling over whether half-elves possess souls like their human parents or are soulless spawns of hell like all elves are said to be.”

Avalynn frowned at his words, “It matters little to me; I am a Nymph, Sheriff.”

“Your father was an elf, Your Highness, and I doubt Reddric understands or cares about the nature of Nymphs.   He will consider you half-elven.   Nymphs are highly sought by the nobles of the court for their great immortal beauty.   However, these fine gentlemen have not found any to take on as mistresses… at least not that I have heard of.   There was a young woman ten years ago that claimed to be a Nymph, but when Reddric’s nobles learned that she was merely an elven woman trying to hide in plain sight by this charade,  the King had her beheaded.”

Avalynn frowned upon hearing this, “Deceiving the king is foolish.”

“Yes, but don’t let yourself be deceived either!   They decided that Nymphs are as equal to half-elves merely for the sake of the lusty noblemen who still want to find one for a mistress.    They view them as playthings to be discarded when they tire of them.   I fear that they will treat you no different, Your Majesty.”

“I’ll be careful, Sheriff,”  She replied in a haughty tone.

“You should be, Your Highness.   You’ll have to be as crafty as Lady Xael to survive at that court.”

“Lady Xael?  Who is she?”

“You haven’t heard all the bard songs about her?”  Denrich laughed, “She has been the sensation of all the minstrels and storytellers for the past couple of years!    There are so many of them that I doubt half of them are true.   Many people think she is just a fairy tale character created to amuse noblemen and merchants at dinner.”

“Well this is the first that I’ve heard of her!”

“She’s said by some to be a Nymph, others say she is human, but some claim she is an elf or half-elf.   A few even claim she is a vampire or succubus.  Supposedly she is the most seductive and crafty woman in the world.    Sort-of a witch or maybe a sorceress.   She is said to travel around from the courts of kings, princes and nobles, seducing men to gain wealth or power.    Many of the stories conflict with each other.”

“Where is she supposed to be now?   Here in Albyia?”

“No, back in the lands that was the Southern Empire and Marksylvania - among other places.    I’ve never heard any stories of her being here.     They are much the same - she appears at some King’s court or a Duke’s castle - something like that-  and everyone is captivated by her beauty and she ends up in bed with the King or prince or duke - even Archbishops in a few tales.    They give her about anything that she wants and she controls her benefactor for a long time.    In some stories she becomes the mistress, others the Queen or duchess.    Some claim that she has children by her lovers.    But then you’ll hear a different story about her from a different place and there is no mention of any children or that she was a queen or duchess.”

“So it is all made-up!”

Denrich shrugged, “Probably… who knows.   But they all say that she is a self-assured, confident woman who gets the upper hand on powerful men.   She is never dominated or manipulated by them.  She knows how to use them without them even really knowing that she has them wrapped around her little finger.    Princess, you could learn a lesson from these stories.    Don’t let the High King or the nobles turn you into a mistress or royal w***e.    Be aware of their reasons and intentions and learn the way of their games, then beat them at them!    Be in charge of your destiny; don’t be a victim.”

His encouragement was not lost on her, for her opinion of him suddenly improved and a cautious smile crept across her face.

“You sound as if you are very knowledgeable on courtly matters, Sheriff Denrich.”

“Hardly, Your Majesty; I am certainly not a courtier.    But I have heard countless tales of what great and terrible things transpire in King Reddric’s court.”

Princess Avalynn’s eyes gleamed with a young woman’s fantasy of what a wonderful place it should be.   Her look saddened the sheriff, for she seemed to be able to quickly forget her family’s and people’s plight for the perceived glamour of a royal court.

“Tell me about what you’ve heard, Sheriff.    I want to be as prepared as I can be before entering that environment.”

He knew she just yearned to hear of grand balls, gallant princes and romantic events, but he intended to dispel her fantasies and hopefully help her see what life awaited her in the High King’s court.

“Well, I will tell you a summary of what has been told to me by men and women who have seen it first-hand.”

Avalynn looked surprised, “So you have never been there?”

Denrich smiled, “Yes, I’ve been there; three times in fact.    Twice as an assistant to the Sheriff when he gave reports to the King and his council on the finances of St. Wemricshire and once as Sheriff two years ago when all the nobles and officials were required to attend his wedding to Queen Jaelabeth.”

“Oh, a royal wedding; that must have been spectacular!”  

“Yes, it certainly was.    The Queen was as beautiful as you would expect - even though she was only fourteen years old.    Her dress was the most beautiful piece of clothing I have ever seen.    Pure white and twelve ladies in waiting carried her train.”

“Wow,”  Avalynn sighed dreamily visualizing it.

“King Reddric looked like her grandfather, and certainly was old enough to be just that.     He was adorned in majestic purple and he had twelve noblemen attending him.     From the pomp, you’d think it was his first marriage instead of his fifth.    The young bride didn’t seem too worried that three of her predecessors had been executed by the king after not producing a male heir.”

The Princess frowned, crushing out her spent cigarette, “I heard that they were executed for adultery.”

Denrich shrugged, “Perhaps, but it is curious that each of them died after giving birth to a daughter.   Three of those daughters died within days of their birth and the other two are never seen or even mentioned, so most believe they too are dead or at best, sent off to be raised in some nobleman’s court.   Not a good fate for a Queen or princess.”

“Coincidence, Sheriff; I am sure of that.   He has the right to expect faithfulness from his Queen.”

Denrich snickered, “He doesn’t practice what he expects from his wife.    I’ll wager that even you, up in your father’s kingdom, have heard the many tales of his mistresses.”

“That’s probably just gossip… isn’t it?”

Denrich smiled knowingly and shook his head slightly, “Let’s just say that all the noblemen in the royal court have mistresses.   Married or unmarried, it makes no difference to them.   Their wives mostly overlook their activities as it is considered ‘normal’ if you can believe that!    But there is a double standard and if a nobleman’s wife has an affair it is an executable crime. Unless of course she is the mistress of someone more powerful than her husband.”

“So in this case the husband allows it?”

“Often letting his wife be the mistress of a powerful duke or earl gets him wealth and sometimes a better noble position.    Many of these nobles take care of their mistresses’ husband if he looks the other way at his wife’s infidelities!   I know it sounds too incredible to be true, but it happens all the time in Reddric’s court.   Of course the King has any woman he likes and many of the wives of the more powerful nobles were at one time his mistress, which is how these noble men advanced in status, wealth and rank.”

“That sounds like an exciting place,”   Avalynn replied, her eyes still gleaming with excitement.

“It is a beautiful place where most of the wealthiest people in Albyia spend at least part of their time, but to be honest, Princess, it is undoubtedly the most wicked and evil place in the world.”

“Surely it can’t be that bad, Sheriff, if everyone has an understanding about relationships with each other.”

Denrich looked at her as if she was either insane or completely lacking in morals, “It is awful, Your Majesty.   People clawing their way up the ladder for status and money; everyone betraying each other for power or sex and nothing is pure and sacred anymore.   Women are used by the men for their purposes and most of them hope for this so they can get something of value out of it.”

“Yet an intelligent, independent woman could survive there.”

“Not untainted, they couldn’t.    It perverts and warps anyone who lingers at the court for longer than a few days.    I’ve known monks from St. Wemric’s who were given posts as scribes or tutors to some of the nobles’ children at the royal court that forgot their vows and took on mistresses and neglected their duties to their order and their God.    It ruined them all.   None of them ever returned to live as humble monks again.   It’s a cesspool of sin and evil, Princess.”

Avalynn shrugged, “Well, I’m going there, anyway.”

 Denrich sighed in frustration at failing to frighten her with his tales of the royal city, “Princess, are you going there because you were summoned by the High King or because you want to see it first hand?”

“For both reasons, Sheriff.    I was commanded to come to the High King’s court, but it is something that I always thought would be thrilling to see.   My father and then my brother wouldn’t even consider letting me go for any reason; not even a short visit.”

“That was very wise of them, Your Majesty.    They had your best interests in mind.”

“Yet if they had allowed a visit, perhaps I could have prevented what is about to happen to Baylcothrom.”

“How?   Even if the High King himself took you on as his mistress, that would hardly keep him from seizing more land if that is what he truly desires.    He never hesitates to do whatever he wants to do, as long as he has the power to do it.”

“I believe that I have the power to do something about the fate of Baylcothrom, Sheriff, if I have to do some immoral and even detestable things to achieve it.”

He looked at her skeptically, but before he could say anything further, a commotion at the other end of the platform drew his attention away.

A woman and two small children were being chased toward them by a large, burly man waving a wood chopping axe, clearly quite enraged.

“Sheriff!  Sheriff!   Help me!”   The woman screamed, pushing the two children toward him.

Denrich and Avalynn leaped to their feet as the mother and children approached with the wild man hot on her heels.

Avalynn glanced anxiously at the young Sheriff, but he didn’t draw his sword.   Instead he just simply stood his ground and the woman and children ran to him, and then quickly darted behind him as the woman screamed out an incoherent explanation.

The wild man continued rushing forward, his eyes burning like the fires of hell, but then, suddenly, he noticed the young man standing firmly in his path with his arms crossed across his chest, glaring at him.

Although the brute was nearly a foot taller than Sheriff Denrich, his eyes widened in alarm as soon as he saw him.    Nearly all of the rage left him immediately as he stopped in front of the Sheriff, lowering his axe as if he now realized what he was doing.

“Burge, what in the name of Yesh are you doing?!”   Denrich yelled angrily at the larger man, “Did you chase Finny and your poor little kids all the way from St. Wemric’s up here to Eastwatch?”

The man apparently named Burge hung his head and his massive shoulders sagged.

“Sheriff, I-I…I didn’t…”

“What, Burge, What?   You didn’t mean to scare them to death?   You didn’t mean to chase them forty miles?   Why are they here, Burge, looking fearful for their lives?!   Answer me!”   Denrich’s voice carried such power and authority that the larger man cringed and began to shake.

“I didn’t chase them all the way from St. Wemric’s, Sheriff!   T-They… they came looking for me, ‘cause…well…”

“Because you went on another damned drinking binge, didn’t you?!   Right in the middle of the wheat harvest, when every hand is needed!  What is wrong with you, Burge?!   Every year you do the same thing!   This is the third year in a row you’ve not made it through the harvest season without getting drunk!   Last year you got into a fight with Rake Phinlow and nearly killed him and I had to lock you up for a month!”

“I didn’t wanna hurt nobody, Sheriff!   Honest!    That’s why I sneaked away!   I figured if I came up here to Eastwatch, I could drink in peace!   I didn’t know she’d come lookin’ for me and bring the kids with her!    I was trying to stay away from them!   But when she came burstin’ into my room at the Inn, rantin’ and ravin’ about how no-good and worthless I was…”  

“Oh, I can imagine, Burg!”   Denrich interrupted, “You got mad and picked up an axe and began chasing her.   Where’d you get the axe, Burg?”

“I was cutting some firewood for the innkeeper… for room and drink.”

“Well, you’re lucky you didn’t kill someone or cut your own foolish leg off!    Give me that axe, Burg!”   Denrich held out his hand and the drunk man meekly handed him the axe like a child being reprimanded for mischief by his father.

“I’ve had enough of this stupidity, Burg!    Three times I’ve gone leniently on you for all the trouble you’ve caused, because when you’re sober you’re one of the best harvesters in the duchy.   Your wife and kids don’t deserve to be treated like this, Burg.   I don’t know why Finny doesn’t leave you!   She could easily get a divorce after all the stunts you’ve pulled.     I’m not going to stand for you to act this way any longer, Burg!”

Burg was blubbering now, more of a child in trouble than a man, “What you gonna do to me, Sheriff?”

“You’re going to make some restitutions, Burg.    You are to go find Daven Truss, the Harvest Reeve here in Eastwatch and tell him that I have assigned you to join his harvesters.    Then you are to stay up here and help them finish the wheat harvest.”

“But I could do that at home!”

“Yes, and you’d drink and threaten your wife and kids.    Up here you are to stay under Daven’s supervision after work.    He is a sworn deputy, Burg and if I hear that you give him any trouble; I will put you in the dungeon so long that you will never see daylight again.   Have I made myself clear?”

“Yes, sir,”   Burg said, weeping pitifully.

“When the harvest is over, you will be brought back to St. Wemric’s and I will hold court on your charges.”

“Charges?”

“Public drunkenness, disturbing the peace, failure to comply with grain tithe laws, and domestic violence.”

“Oh, no, no, no…”

“Quit your whining and be a man, Burg!   Listen to me!  If you want to shave off some of these charges and perhaps avoid most of your jail time, then you sober up and fly arrow straight until the wheat harvest is completed.”

Burg looked up, a glimmer of hope in his eyes, “I’ll do that, Sheriff!   I promise!  Please, give me a second chance!”

“I’ve given you three chances already, Burg.   This time you have to prove yourself.    You pour out any liquor that you have and sober up.    And don’t you think about sneaking out of Eastwatch, or by Yesh I will hunt you down and drag you back to St. Wemic’s with a hook in your nose.”

Burg’s eyes widened, “No, sir!   I swear!   I’ll sober up!”

“You’d better, if you know what’s good for you,”   Denrich gestured to a field a short distance from the arcane train station, where a group of men were tossing reaped grain into a large wagon, “Now you go and report to Daven; he is over there by that wagon.   You tell him what I told you and you follow his orders or so help me…”

“I’m going, Sheriff!    I’m going!    But what about Finny and the kids?”

“You let me worry about them!   Now you get going right now before I change my mind!   Get going!”   He waved his hand at the big man and Burg turned and shuffled quickly off in the direction of the wagon.

Denrich watched him go, and then sat the axe down as he turned around to speak to Finny.

The woman was crying in a mixture of relief and shame, her two children clutching tightly to her skirt, but she rushed forward and hugged Sheriff Denrich.

“Bless you, Sheriff!    Thank Yesh you were here!”

“You’re lucky he didn’t kill you, Finny!   Are you and your children alright?   Did he hurt you?”

She shook her head, “No, we’re just scared, that’s all.   I thought I could shame him by bringing the children with me, but I see that was stupid now.”

“It was very dangerous, Finny!   Burg has a serious problem and he’s either going to have to address it or go to jail.”

The weary looking mother nodded, but wept at the same time, “What will become of us, Sheriff?    We can’t pay the grain tithe with Burg acting up!    I don’t want us all put in prison!”

Denrich laughed gently, “Finny, the Abbot is not going to send you and your kids to jail for not meeting your grain tithe!”

“I wouldn’t blame him, Sheriff!   We barely got it paid last year!”

“Well don’t worry about it, okay?    I’ll take care of it.”

“How?”

“You can have some of my Sheriff’s portion.    I get two bushels of grain each year as part of my office as High Sheriff, and I don’t use even half of it.”

“Sheriff, I can’t take that!”

“Finny, I’m not married and I don’t have a family or even any servants, so most of it will go to waste.   Believe me, it isn’t any hardship to me.   In fact, you’d be helping me, by using it up before it spoiled.”

“Sheriff, how can I ever repay you?”  

“Raise your children and be tough but fair on Burg and that will be payment enough for me.    I’ve got to escort Princess Avalynn by train to the capital, so I won’t be here for probably a week, but I will send a note with you to Baernn that I am giving you half of my share of grain.    He’s got a key and will get it for you.”

Finny and her children now saw the beautiful elven princess who had stood back and watched the whole episode.

“Is she really Princess Avalynn?   From Baylcothrom?”  Finny whispered somewhat too loud, glancing at the princess in awe mixed with fear, “She’s an elf… isn’t she?”

“Yes, but as best as I can tell, she won’t bite,”  Denrich joked, and Avalynn frowned and blushed slightly.   The Sheriff pulled a piece of paper from a small belt pouch and wrote instructions with a charcoal pencil to his deputy about helping Finny and her kids.   While he wrote, the human lady tried to be polite to Avalynn.

Finny turned and did a fair curtsy, “Your Majesty, I am sorry we intruded upon you.   Forgive us.”

Avalynn nodded with a crack of a smile and was relieved when the human woman and her children hurried off, after taking the note and hugging Denrich again.

“That was quite enlightening,”  Avalynn said sarcastically after they had left.

“Such is the life of common folk, Princess,”   Denrich retored with a gentle rebuff at her attitude.

The princess only shrugged and sat back down on the bench near her luggage, “You were too lenient on that drunken fool.    You should have run him through with your sword.”

Denrich gave her a cold look, “That would not have solved anything, Princess.    Burg is a good worker when he is sober and if I had killed him or locked him up for life, his wife and children would just suffer for it.”

“He’ll never change, no matter how many chances that you give him, Sheriff.”

“Sometimes they do, Princess, and I feel it is worth the chance to save a man who is a father and husband, not to mention a good harvester, rather than take away all chances.”

“It’s your duchy, Sheriff, but it’s not the way that I’d do it.”

Before Denrich could reply, a bell at the opposite end of the waiting platform suddenly began to ring on its own.

“What is that?”  Avalynn asked, puzzled.

“That is the arrival bell - part of the practical magic of the arcane train- it sounds when the train is about five minutes from the station.    Which is surprising, as it is several hours ahead of schedule!”