Chapter 32
The next morning found Aislynn once again in the courtyard of the guards’ barracks. By the time she arrived, considering she was still moving more slowly and cautiously than usual, Eryk was already hard at work. She stood leaning against the wall for a time, catching her breath and just watching. He was struggling with the exercise, another round of parrying Byron’s attacks with the heavy practice sword, but he was trying. Byron noticed her first, and called for a short rest.
“How could you possibly need a rest already?” Eryk asked. “You’re not even breathing heavily.”
Byron just smiled, and nodded his head in Aislynn’s direction.
“We have an audience this morning, and I thought that you may want to say hello.”
Eryk turned, looking in the direction Byron had indicated, and his face broke into a huge smile when he saw Aislynn standing there. As if the look on his face wasn’t enough to convince her of his feelings, Eryk’s emotions came to her more clearly with every step she took as she made her way over to where the men were standing. She sat down on a nearby bench, to be welcomed back enthusiastically by Byron.
“So when do you think you’ll be back here yourself?” Byron asked Aislynn. He missed exercising with her more than he had thought he would. Eryk wasn’t much of an opponent, and he’d been able to defeat any of his own men for years now. Of course, he missed talking with Aislynn too.
“The healers told me to give it another week before I start to do anything too active,” she replied, disappointment evident in her voice. “I’m going a little stir crazy and I’ll be so out of practice that you’ll have to go easy on me.”
Byron laughed, promising to be nice for the first day or so, and then he summoned Eryk back to task. With a sigh, the king took his position again, while Aislynn settled more comfortably to watch.
Eryk grunted a little in pain as his sword connected with Byron’s, jarring the half-healed blisters on his hands. He was absurdly grateful that they had not had time to practice the previous day when the blisters had still been so fresh. At least now some of them had popped and he was well on his way to building up calluses on his hands. Today should certainly help that process along.
He was glad that his only task was to block Byron’s attacks. He felt very self-conscious with Aislynn watching him, and he knew that if he was expected to attack as well as defend, he’d have been down on the ground by now. He doubted that he would ever find that easy familiarity with weapons that Aislynn and Byron shared.
Byron, on the other hand, was actually quite pleased with Eryk’s progress. It was likely imperceptible to Eryk, but Byron was able to speed up his attacks today, each strike coming a little faster than he had been able to do previously, and Eryk was holding his own. He would never be a gifted swordsman, but that wasn’t the point of this training. Given time, Eryk would be able to defend himself against anyone for a time, including himself and Aislynn.
Aislynn, from her position as observer, was able to see holes in Eryk’s form and technique that Byron didn’t, and she spent her time calling out pointers to Byron, who would in turn use her suggestions to correct Eryk. Sometimes, the correction came in the form of a sword strike to the exposed area, and sometimes he would stop and show Eryk what he was doing wrong and how to correct it. Aislynn thought that between her and the captain, Eryk would likely progress at a quick pace. That was good news, as far as she was concerned. The sooner she could stop worrying about him quite so much, the better!
When the morning practice session ended, all three of them retired to the dining hall together. There was little point in getting changed prior to eating, since the funeral was later today and they all needed to get ready for that. Jackob, Davin and Branden joined them, and the six of them had a very pleasant meal, untroubled by any of the recent concerns of the court.
The two eesprid enjoyed themselves too, vying for Davin’s attention and the tidbits he was feeding them from the table. Seeing this, Aislynn commented that it was a good thing that Davin would be leaving with Jackob that afternoon, or otherwise Cheta was going to be fat in short order, with all the goodies she was getting from the boy. This turned the conversation to the subject of Davin’s upcoming trip to Evendell.
“So are you excited?” Branden asked, tousling Davin’s hair fondly. Branden was definitely back to his old self, and he seemed to bear no grudge toward Aislynn for his change in position. He seemed content just to be Eryk’s friend again.
Davin nodded, eyes sparkling. “King Jackob says that there are more eesprid at the castle, and that they will all want to play with me!”
Aislynn laughed. “Just watch out for my brother’s crow,” she warned. “He’s got a strange sense of humor and has a tendency to steal things that catch his attention.”
“So what will he be learning with you?” Eryk asked, curious.
“Well, the normal things like governing and tactics, reading, writing and mathematics. Besides that, he’ll also learn how to sense and tap into that reserve of magical power that he is capable of reaching. He’ll be tested, of course, but that’s just a formality at this point. There’s no doubt in my mind that he’ll be a powerful mage.” Jackob looked at the boy with a touch of concern, and Davin met his stare confidently.
“It will be a hard road, full of difficult lessons,” he said, directing his comment mostly to Davin.
“Don’t worry. I’m ready,” Davin said boldly.
“I doubt that,” Jackob said with a smile, “but I’m glad that you think you are.”
Soon, the meal was over and it was time for everyone to prepare for Tarren’s funeral. This was the last step to confirm Eryk as the true king of Bacovia. He had already been crowned because the kingdom couldn’t be without a ruler, but after Tarren’s body was interred in the mausoleum, there would be one final ceremony where all of the nobility of the kingdom would pledge their allegiance to the new king.
Aislynn had only one truly black dress, and she had never had to wear it before today. It was actually very unusual for someone in her line of work never to have had to attend a funeral until now. She was very lucky. So she bathed and slipped into her shift, preparing herself to dress in the uncomfortable, hot creation of fabric and lace, but when she looked for the dress, she was unable to find it.
“Marja?” she called. “Have you seen my dress for today?”
“Yes,” Marja answered, closer than Aislynn had expected her to be. “I have it right here.” Marja walked into the room carrying a dress folded over her arm, but the dress did not look anything like the garment she was expecting. Seeing her puzzled look, Marja smiled.
“I wasn’t certain if you would be well enough to attend the king’s funeral, but I had this made for you, just in case. Anna used your measurements from before, and we used some of the fabric from your old dress.” She shook the garment out, holding it up for Aislynn’s inspection. “Do you like it?”
Aislynn had never been one to appreciate clothing and fabric, leaving that to Marja, but even she could see that this dress was a masterpiece of craftsmanship. It was beautifully made, sewn of satin and lace, and when she put it on, it skimmed along her body perfectly. True to the current style, the bodice was fitted and the skirt was full, but it wasn’t uncomfortable or too warm. The sleeves were made entirely of lace, and the skirt had lace panels inset into the satin, making it considerably lighter than it would have been otherwise. All of her newly created scars were covered, as were the bruises that were still healing and currently a ghastly shade of yellow.
“Thank you,” was all she said, but Marja knew her well enough by now to know that Aislynn was touched by the gesture and that she truly appreciated the dress.
The funeral procession through the city, from castle to cathedral, was supposed to involve the full court and castle. Eryk, knowing that Aislynn would never have been able to walk that distance, had made the procession the first of his chang
es. While the populace lined the city streets, Eryk would make the procession alone, accompanied only by a squad of guards. The rest of the court and council would be waiting for him at the cathedral.
The morning was sunny and warm, but the clouds gathering on the horizon heralded rain for the afternoon or evening. Eryk was glad for the nice weather right now though, and so were the citizens who waited along the roadside, respectfully quiet as he passed. They were all dressed in mourning, filling the streets with browns and blacks. Eryk was also dressed in black, with a black silk shirt decorated tastefully with dark grey stitching, and black pants. Between his dark clothing and dark hair, he looked very pale, and definitely looked like someone in mourning. Eryk had loved his father and missed him dearly, even though the last weeks of his father’s life had been fraught with arguments.
When he reached the cathedral, Eryk was glad that he had planned these last minute changes so carefully. The stairs leading up to the cathedral doors were packed with people – members of his court, the foreign leaders who had arrived for the funeral, and his council. He had left a pathway, and it was up this path that he walked, leaving his guards at the base of the stairs. At the top, he met Aislynn, and with her hand on his arm, they led the court into the cathedral for the funeral proceedings.
Eryk knew that everyone had been expecting an announcement of his choice of bride prior to the funeral, but that announcement had not come. Yet here he was with a beautiful princess on his arm; they all had to be speculating about their relationship. Eryk decided to let them think what they would. He and Aislynn had reached a comfortable truce on the subject of marriage, and he was content to leave things as they were for the time being. He’d convince her eventually, he knew, as long as he was patient.
The cathedral servants had been busy decorating for the funeral. There were flowers everywhere, in vases flanking the bier where his father’s body lay, single flowers at the pews and in garlands strung here and there. The smell of the flowers was nearly overwhelming, but they still couldn’t entirely mask the scent of death in the air. After this long in the warm weather, even the healers’ preservation magic was starting to weaken. Once the church was packed, every seat taken, Father Jonas started the ceremony.
The ceremony was a long one, with the attendees sitting, standing and kneeling at intervals. This was hard for Aislynn, and Eryk helped her as best he could. Unfortunately, he couldn’t do anything to alter this part of the ceremony. This was the same ceremony used to say goodbye to Bacovia’s kings and nobility for generations.
Finally, all of the songs were sung, the eulogies were read, and the honor guard entered the church. They walked up the aisle, steps in perfect time with each other, each man taking his position at a corner of the bier. In unison, they lifted Tarren’s body, and they slowly bore him out of the church and toward the mausoleum. Eryk and Aislynn followed, followed in turn by the rest of council. While this small final interment ceremony was conducted, the nobility would arrange themselves in order of rank, preparing for the ceremony of fealty.
The mausoleum was built of marble, and faced the cathedral across the small square at the top of the stairs. Generations of Eryk’s family were interred here, and now his father would finally be laid to rest next to his mother, just as Tarren had longed for since his wife had died. Nobody entered the building except for the guards, and Father Jonas finished his proclamations just outside of the door.
Now it was time for the last ceremony of the day and of the whole coronation process. Eryk had made changes to this one as well, having it held in the cathedral instead of back at the castle following another procession through the city. He had also arranged for two chairs, one for himself and one for Aislynn, as she would stay with him throughout the ceremony.
The two of them led the way back to the cathedral, but Aislynn stopped at the head of the aisle while Eryk proceeded to his chair alone. Once he was sitting, Aislynn walked alone up the aisle and knelt before her king. There, before the court and council, she pledged her service to him as his chief advisor. He helped her to rise, and they took their seats, hers to the left and slightly behind his. Together, they accepted the fealty of the council first, all of them vowing to serve their king to the best of their abilities. Next came the foreign rulers or their representatives, including her father. They pledged to keep the established treaties, as least until such a time as they were renegotiated. Finally, the members of the court presented themselves before Eryk, and Aislynn by association, promising to remain loyal. Eryk had set this up very specifically, having Aislynn there with him to receive the vows of fealty. When she was one day queen of Bacovia, their pledges of fealty would apply to her too, and this way, she had already received them.
The ceremony was over at last about mid-afternoon, and it was a tired Eryk and an exhausted Aislynn who finally made their way back to the castle. Byron had been looking out for the two of them, and when they emerged from the cathedral, they found their horses waiting.
“At least we don’t have to walk back,” Aislynn commented wearily, promising herself to do something nice for Byron. They mounted, followed by their guards, who had also had mounts provided for them, and they all went back through the city.
Upon their entry into the main courtyard of the castle, Jackob and Davin, who were just awaiting their arrival before leaving for Evendell, greeted them both. They had Jackob’s six guards with them, and nothing else, all of Davin’s belongings managing to fit into a pair of saddlebags.
“Well, my dear daughter,” Jackob said, “it is more than time for me to return home. You know how your mother hates to deal with the government.”
Aislynn smiled, nodding. “Please ride carefully, and take good care of Davin. He’s rather important.”
“For now,” Jackob agreed, eyeing the pair of them speculatively. He expected that it likely wouldn’t be too long before Eryk got his way and they were sending out wedding announcements.
Jackob turned to Marcus and Mateo, who had accompanied Aislynn for the day. “Are the two of you returning home with us or remaining here? Now that Aislynn is firmly established, she doesn’t really require guards of her own. There are many men in the castle guard capable of taking over your duties.”
Marcus shook his head. “If it is all the same to you, Sire, we would like to remain here. We have made friends here, and as long as our princess is still a princess of Evendell, she deserves her own guards.” Mateo nodded his agreement, quiet as usual.
Jackob nodded his acceptance, not having expecting anything different, and then he mounted his horse. Davin was already astride his own mount, waiting impatiently to be off. With a wave, the group set off at a trot, hoping to stay ahead of the rain.
Aislynn and Eryk dismounted, Aislynn stumbling a little with fatigue, and a pair of grooms came to take their horses. The two of them made their way into the castle, heading for Eryk’s study and the meal awaiting them there. It was closer than Aislynn’s room, and she would be able to rest there before heading back upstairs to her suite.
“I think that the day was a success, your Majesty,” she said with a smile. “How does it feel to actually be king?”
“Honestly, not a lot different than it’s felt this past week,” he replied laughing. “Do you think that people will stop trying to kill me now that I’m actually king?”
“Not likely, but you could get lucky,” she said with a wink.
Eryk settled his arm comfortably around Aislynn’s waist, to help support her failing steps, and the two of them settled down to their meal and to the business of running the kingdom.
Epilogue
Eryk sat behind the desk in his study, signing and sealing a pile of papers that was waiting for him. Aislynn and Cheta were across the room, Aislynn seated on the couch and Cheta lying in the sun. Eryk’s first public court was rapidly approaching, and she was trying to sort the petitions into an order that would be reasonably balanc
ed. She didn’t want too many complicated cases back to back, nor did she want too many easy cases in a group. She remembered from her limited time at court that too many easy cases led to sleeping courtiers.
There came a knock at the door. It sounded so loud compared to the sound of shuffling papers that they both jumped in alarm. With a pair of guards assigned by Byron guarding the study door and her twins outside in the garden, Aislynn knew that they were safe enough, but it was still difficult to forget the craziness of her first ten days in Bacovia. Her wounds were still healing, her life just getting back into a normal routine.
“Your Majesty, I am sorry to disturb you and the princess,” said the guard who entered the room. “There is a man here who has some important information for you. It could not wait.”
“That’s fine,” Eryk said, gesturing to the guard to allow the man inside the room.
The man who entered the study was dusty from travel, and obviously worried enough about the information he carried that he hadn’t stopped to clean up before presenting himself to the king. He wore the uniform of a soldier of the Bacovian army, red and black, and he was quite young, likely only a year or two into his career as a soldier.
“Your Majesty,” he said, bowing low. “I was sent from the Madelian border by my commander with some very important information.”
Aislynn rose from the couch and moved over to the desk, taking her accustomed position at Eryk’s left shoulder. He gestured for the soldier to continue.
“There is fighting across the border,” he said.
“That’s nothing new,” Eryk said. “We’ve been fighting across the border with Madelia for generations.”
“This is different,” the soldier insisted. “Before today, it was always bandits who were blamed. This time, the attackers are making no effort to hide their identity. The men wear the uniforms of Madelia, and they are burning the border towns. Refugees are already making their way south, and will likely reach the capital in two or three days.”
Eryk and Aislynn exchanged looks, and Aislynn moved to the door to whisper something to one of the guards waiting outside, calling the councillors to an emergency meeting.
Bacovia was at war.
# # #
About the Author
Thank you for reading books on BookFrom.Net Share this book with friends