Sixteen Feet of Steel Chapter 20

*Before… Elizabetha

And then I can see the shorelines and then just out about a mile from the shore and the beaches is…
The White Spire… out on the coast… City Island…that’s actually the name of this place the only city that is on an island here and not just bordering the water.
Home of mother’s house…House Petrel.
The keep is all of pale sandstone blocks as in the wall for the city but The White Spire as well…it’s is actually a beacon within a tower an ancient marvel and responsibility called a lighthouse.
The whole city as I’m coming down is both more lovely than I remember with there being the same sort of colors around so much here and stone homes great and small to weather all manner of storms and clay interlocking tiled roofs.
People are pointing, bells are being wrung and men at arms are running out of barracks into the courtyard armed with spears and crossbows and cutlasses.
The bubble breaks and I fall as soon as I try to stand and my legs are too numb.
I yell though. “Fetch Grandfather! Please now!”

*And Now…

I’ve never had crossbows leveled at me.

It’s honestly terrifying when you have that happen and you know what a crossbow can do to a body.

I raise my arms and crouch lower. “Peace, peace I’m the princess! I’m Elizabetha! Lyonnes has fallen; Kingsland The Gorgon has razed us!”

They’re still pointing they’re weapons until I hear a loud voice bellow out. “Weapons own you lot, that’s Lady Deidre’s youngest daughter!”

One of the guards says. “But she came from the sky sir!?”

“And she said Lyonnes has fallen! Do you have a faster way to get here from there?”

I look and see this big man in chain armor and with a big fur made into a sleeveless long coat. He’s massive and brawny with lots of greys and a big beard he is carrying a huge broad blade that looks like it’s a good quarter of my weight.

I’ve no idea who he is but he seems to be in charge.

They pull back but they’re all looking at me like I’m something they’re all afraid of. To be honest I understand that. Aunt Aurora was rare, very rare really and she had real power. And there were others, there were women with power…but nothing like her. And she used that power; she used it for the realms for things that helped everyone. But she, she also stood for her sisters.

She gathered them up and saved them from being taken…tortured and burned.

This drove the people that hated any kind of woman with power with power men didn’t have…that they couldn’t have or own…Mad.

It wouldn’t do.

I thought though that we’d be safe. We had walls and Lyonnes had as a realm outer walls too. She had made them a long time ago. It was long before I was born too… leagues on leagues of it. How I had no clue but she did and all my life we had a dozen feet of stone as the first safeguard.

And we had troops and knights and cavaliers…we should have been safe. I thought we were safe.

I was wrong.

And these troops, these soldiers are looking at me with that look of fear and even hate.

The huge man comes down fast and he pushes through the others and he offers me his hand.

“Here princess allow me the honor.”

“My legs are asleep sir, I’m sorry.”

There’s tears running down my face. I…I see the men around me and then the attack again and it’s trying to like swallow me up…this memory.

I can’t breathe, I am breathing but I can’t breathe and I feel my heart racing harder and harder.

“I…I…I’m sorry…” It’s like I’m choking and this big man his hand reaches for this rag and he tells me.

“Breathe princess, breathe through the cloth. You’re havin a fear attack an this will calm you down.”

It’s hard, I can tell there’s something on it an can almost feel it in my lungs and I keep breathing as he’s rubbing my legs and eventually I calm own enough to breathe again.

The smell though it’s sword oil, leftover wipings of a whetstone not something herbal or a drug I lower it and look at him.

“Thank you sir, I think I just lost control…it’s…it was horrible.”

“War is princess, war is.”

He helps me up and says. “I’ll take you to your grandfather now princess, but it’ll be a shock.”

A shock?

“There’s been illness in the lands, it’s spread fast too.”

“Oh gods and goddesses. Please sir take me there.”

The guards and people part and the big man he helps ne up and we head into the manor. The house itself is large and it’s wood and stone and mostly stone to withstand the stones but the wood is here for warmth for the Eastern lands might seem more temperate but there’s a cutting moisture that dogs the coast and stone id far too close of friends to that sort of thing.

Illness is a fact of life and no matter how learned we get or how advance we seem to rise it’s always there and it always raising it’s ugly head.

I’m not as ill-informed as some of the people that are there doing prayers and whatnot or waving fumes and vapors in censers and clogging up the good air at least in the halls.

I still don’t like it though it stinks.

There’s some folks looking at me and they’re staring and while not talking or whispering right there in front of me they are whispering because of likely who I am and how I arrived here.

It’s not making anything that just happened and what I went through remotely better.

But I’m not going to cry.

I can’t.

There’s too much riding on my shoulders right now even if none of it is fair or wanted.

I look to the big warrior.

“There needs to be messages sent out sir, as fast as we can send them so if you can will you gather runners and riders?”

He looks at me sort of askance.

“Ye be taking charge princess?”

I look at him. “Is there no other here?”

The look he gives me says it’s right now just him.

He says quietly. “Nay, there in truth is not.”

I look at him again. “Your name sir?”

“Sir Vanner Argile, Lady.”

“Argile, of the pirate family?”

There’s some families like the Blackhand’s that are infamous in their own right and Padraig Argile and his family are well known pirates here in these waters on the eastern coast and when not pirating they’re smuggling in throughout the canals and the waterways her.

“Aye the same family, it’s a long story princess.”

“I’d say sir from pirate to knight.”

He nods and he then turns and he knocks on the door to my grandfather’s room and it takes a few minutes before there was a woman that opened the door in a mask and she looks to be in some kind of thin muslin over robes that look like they’re easily done away with.

She looks at me and Sir Vanner says. “She’s the princess of Lyonnes she’s here to see her grandfather before he passes.”

Passes…

Oh well that says a lot.

And Grandmother had passed given the draught of long nights when she took with dementia just a few years back.

The nurse looks at me and she nod-curtseys. “If the princess would come with me she needs to be attired and prepared first.”

I look at her and I know she doesn’t mean that I need a bath or that I need to get changed into presentable clothes but in the way that she is currently.

The room she takes me too is definitely a servant’s waiting room adjacent to my grandfather’s room where they’d wait to do things or to hear him or grandmother call for them and be there fast.

It smells of soaps here harsh and strong and boiled antiseptic herbs and of alcohols and of things like iodine.

I see robes there for me to use and I am filthy so I get out of the things that I am wearing and I wash off.

The harshness and the astringentness of it all really cuts into my brain slicing through the fog that is threatening to swamp me since things are slowing. I’m sure that I’ll have fits and faints later when all of this comes back on me.

But there’s duty, and there’s….

There’s things that need doing that I can and have to focus on before I let my losses break through on me.

The nurse helps me with salves? I have a surprising amount of scrapes and cuts and ember burns and bruises. I can’t remember getting any of them and she helps me with my hair too.

The host of pins I usually have to keep it in place while I sleep is mostly gone and it too is in a mess.

I’m led into Grandfather’s new room?

He has a couple of nurses with him and a physician I think from his patches of the guild he’s wearing. I come in and his eyes are bright and burning with awareness but he’s thin, thin like the sickness has ate away at him since the last time we seen each other.

I do a curtsey as best as I’m able and he waves me off and waves me closer as a coughing fit takes him.

It lasts several moments as he brings up blood with his cough, it’s not old blood either and it’s a little foamy from the air mixing with it. I come closer and I wait until he can get as close to breathing as he can.

“Lyonnes fell?”

“Yes, grandfather.”

“And your mother?”

“Dead sir, along with my brothers and father.”

“It’s just you and your sisters?”

“Yes I think so. I think Lady Blackhand got them out as they did me. She sent them to different places though for our safety.”

He wheezes and he’s being given some foul smell syrup mixed into brandy and he coughs some more before telling one of the maids. “Send for Sir Charles, I need him here now.”

He looks at me and he gestures to the physician. “My good bottles.”

“My Lord, that’s unwise in your condition.”

“I’m bloody dying and we all know it. I’ll be damned if I’m not having a drink with my grandchild before I pass off.”

There’s a look between them a staring contest and he has a grudging look on his face as he goes to a chest on a side board and he takes out a bottle of something deeply brown and it has a very fanciful label on it that I have never seen before and grandfather gestures for me to take it and the doctor gets two glasses.

He tells me how to open the bottle, there’s a very certain way you should like with wines and this is strong, stronger than brandy, stronger than anything that I have ever smelled.

“There is rum and there is good rum. I pray that you learn the difference through my collection. Now pour and you tell me all that happened.”

I pour with shaking hands it’s heavier than you’d think or it’s my nerves and it’s strong.

But as much as I’ve never had but water with some wine I did learn tastes. You don’t get drunk as you spit it out and my nose is getting molasses and vanilla from good oak and there fruitiness there too in its depths and spice too…not hot spice but warm spices and I can taste hints of allspice berries from the far south and nutmeg or mace on my tongue before the sheer power of the drink sucks the air out of my lungs and brings tears to my eyes.

It’s so strong, so very, very strong.

Part of me is grateful for the heat soon flooding me and the effect it’s having on my nerves. I’ve no more than a half inch poured for myself and I’m sipping at that and I poured three times that for grandfather who’s sipping it.

It’s strange and surreal and tugging at my heartstrings that he’s doing me this sort of honor.

By and large this is a drink shared between men.

He gestures for me to start and I have another drink and I slowly start telling him what happened, from as much detail as I can remember.

It’s not hard to remember.

Some of it is etched on my mind forever and I’m getting a little more poured into my empty glass by Sir Vanner who’s there now as well as Sir Charles? There’s some servants here too all dressed for the sickness and all with drinks now too and he gets me to tell it all over again.

This time there’s tears shed by me and my voice is getting raw and I’m angry and I’m a little drunk too that much I know…or think I’m drunk.

Actually if you realize that you’re drunk then you’re likely even drunker than you realize.

Yes definitely drunk.

But I’m not drunk enough to not hear grandfather say.

“I’m making Elizabetha my heir.”

There’s some looks and but people actually hold their tongues except for Vanner.

“You’re putting her in harm’s way.”

“She’s already in harm’s way.”

“She’s a girl.”

“She’s old enough to be married in some realms.”

“Barbaric ones.”

He glared at my grandfather. “Look you old fool there’s enough vultures circling as is with you on yer deathbed. You might as well be signing this gels death warrant here an now.”

“I can do it.” I say.

He looks at me. “Nay ye kinna not.”

“I know myself and I can do it.”

“An ye have no idea what your grandfather does do ye and who have long wanted him dead and who wants his powers.”

I stand up in his face. “I’m not a simpleton; I’m not a coward so bloody well teach me!”

My grandfather laughs into a very bad coughing fit….he gets so very, very pale.

I look at Sir Vanner and Sir Charles.

“I’m the only one here. I’m the only one that can be heir by blood. I know that The White Spire is the symbol of justice here and that we enforce trade laws on the water ways here and I know that that’s worth more golds than I can fathom and I know that’s going to bring me enemies…but by the gods those same enemies, those same kinds of men burned my father’s kingdom to the ground. I’m well aware of the danger.”

I sit down because all the air I used from that tirade just dizzied me.

And they’re both staring at me and Sir Charles nods and stokes his beard and Vanner just looks angry with me. Angry and man frustrated in the way that they get when a woman tells him something sensible and he doesn’t like it.

But he nods too.

Then so do the others.

And I slide in my seat a moment in relief.

Even if I had the support of the two knights it wouldn’t mean much without the support of the senior servants and staff.

Mother always, always said… “Nobles might rule a place but it’s the people that run it.”

I will need all of their help.

The ceremony is pretty simple and Master Thaddeus the physician proclaims grandfather of sound mind and the will is drawn up with making me Lady.

It sounds strange but Grandfather is a knight a landed Lord only. As Commander of The Fortress of White Spire or just Whitespire he’s afforded the extra rank and title of Marshal.

But not just only. City Island is in the center of the largest trade port in the east called Rosetta. Rosetta is a city that was spawned by many small islands itself that were at the mouth of five different rivers and each of those large enough to accommodate boat traffic and trade. Trading houses and warehouse begat trade houses and then owners to keep an eye on their profits and that became gentrifies over and over until it’s a huge city in a huge bay and the first line of defense has always been this island.

Once naval base and castle it’s home to the largest lighthouse on Titan as we know it and it’s a title of tradition.

Lordship only nothing higher and there’s other lorded houses that are long term sailing men at arms and allies here that owe allegiance to The Seat at Whitespire.

It’s whitening me with fear as grandfather has his blade brought to him and I’m dubbed, and knighted…taught my oaths to swear.

“Gods of olde I call thee…”
“My sword is by my side…”
“I seek a life of honor.”
“Free from all false pride.”
“I’ll cast off to fate with a bold mighty hail…”
“Cover me with death should I ever fail…”
“Honesty…Bravery…Dignity…”

And everyone in the room holds high a glass even without something in it and chants.

“Hail…hail…hail….”

Then grandfather is looking at me, staring and wheezing with blood on his lips.

“Show tolerance and mercy….” (Coughing)
“Show patience and charity…”
“Uphold the balance and the laws…”
“Administer justice on land and sea.”
“There’s salt in blood and in the sea and not a gleam of it in gold.”

He wheezes and he looks at me. “Repeat it.”

“Show tolerance and mercy….”
“Show patience and charity…”
“Uphold the balance and the laws…”
“Administer justice on land and sea.”
“There’s salt in blood and in the sea and not a gleam of it in gold.”

He nods. “Do you understand it?”

I nod. “I do.”

“Do you swear to uphold it?”

“I do.”

He looks at Sir Charles. “My signet.”

I see Sir Charles turn from the fireplace and he has grandfather’s signet in tongs and it’s hot and now I know why it’s made form steel and not gold.

I’m near panic but I’m enthralled by it too.

It’s such a strange thing, such an alien thing for me…for any woman.

Grandfather fall-sits and wheezes. “Take it.”

I reach out and I can feel all eyes on me as I take the ring face down into the center of my palm and I can hear my skin burning and cooking as it’s branding me.

I vomit into my mouth and I swallow it.

A feat I assure you that only happened because I was drunk.

I’m shaking with pain and shock and nerves as grandfather reaches over and folds my hand close and he holds his over mine.

“Those are your oaths and this ensures that you’ll remember them.”

I look him in the eyes and I start to cry with the pain and he just holds my hands and he stares so hard into me.

This is the last thing that he’ll likely ever do and he chose me.

There are…well I don’t know why he’d chose me except for that I’m his blood…and I’m here.

But a lesser man would have married me off first.

A lesser man would have given this to someone outside the blood even.

The power of this is what’s somehow keeping me going.

And years and years of reading stories.

I watched as the physician set grandfather down on the bed yet propped up now and listened to his lungs and made him comfortable as possible. We all seen the look on his face though.

Time had caught up with him…now it was they waiting.

Grandfather looked at everyone there.

“Leave us, my heir and I have much to discuss.”

There were some protests but his eyes still held that strength of personality there.

They left but only after the physician had salved and bandaged my hand.

Grandfather looked at me and he sighed.

“Now, now for the secrets of this city Elizabetha.”

I nod and dry swallow all of this important enough to sober me a lot.

I would speak of the things that he told me but much of it was history and gossip of a proven sort on who to trust what this family was like and that family was like and some of the secrets he held about the City of Rosetta.

Like the Lords before us of Whitespire had conspired to build within each of the stone bridges that crossed the city and led inland gates that would rise out from the water and where to look for those secret doors to the mechanisms that had been made to block easy invasion from the ocean.

He told me of the double secret of Whitespire itself and that is that there is a signal that is an end of the world distress call and that is to the elves that had actually built the Whitespire.

And that beneath in unknown to all but the Lords of this place was a warthrone and on it was a battleknight, a very old one that was enameled in the same white as the spire itself. There was as of yet no one that he had trusted with this treasure….yet but he had given me a very short list of names.

Names that I had committed to memory.

Then all that was left was the waiting.

And watching him slowly fading out as his breathing had gotten worse and worse and to the point that I could hear him drowning inside of himself.

I moved at one point to sit on the bed and to pour him drinks, tiny sips of his good rum whenever he wanted a drink, hoping that drink would kill the pain, he was in.

It’s a hard way to watch someone die.

Two hours before dawn he passed away he took three big sips and he exhaled this long, rattling tired sigh and closed his eyes.

Then he was gone.

And I was alone.

I got up and opened the door to tell the others and then I moved out to the other chamber and washed and washed and I started to cry and to cry as it was hitting me that I was very much alone right now and that I had just been through hell.

I was very aware when I sank to my knees and couldn’t stop crying.

It’s just that I wasn’t very good at doing anything about it.

The maids I think cleaned me and dressed me in other robes and then I ended up either falling asleep or passing out from all of the shock.

………………
………………
………………

In the end it was my hand that woke me.

Out of the sleeping and crying and more sleeping and likely crying in my sleep.

My mouth tasted absolutely vile and dry, my head pounded, my bladder hurt more and more as I wakened and I slipped out of the strange bed and looked around until I found the private jakes.

I hurt inside and out.

My first hangover on the end of escaping a battle with my life and standing vigil for my grandfather and getting literally branded and made heir.

Nerves took me right after that into dry heaving.

And another crying fit that I could ill afford the loss of moisture for.

There was a knock and I coughingly croaked. “C…come in.”

Sir Vanner came in and he looked like he’d had time to bathe and shave. “Yer up earlier than I thought.”

“Hangovers and branding and needing to use the pot trumped how exhausted I feel.”

“You look like shite Lady.”

“Oh thank you ever so much sir knight that’s just what a princess wants to hear in the morning.”

“Evening actually Lady. And you still look like it so bandying words won’t help ye none.”

I push off from the pot seat and pull they chain sending water to flush my leaving away and straighten up with an effort.

“How are they taking the news?”

“What news?”

“Of grandfather.”

“We’re leaving that to you Lady, seeing how you arrived and it becoming scuttlebutt around there’s a lot more going on out there than even I thought would be happening.”

“Like?”

“There’s some priest and some nobles in the main city are accusing ye of witchcraft.”

“Oh…well that’s rotten, and unfounded.”

“Still Lady it’s getting some force to it, you’re looking to get accosted from these folk.”

“The nobles have any claim to my seat here?”

“Aye some are the once families of former members of City Isle.”

“Former?”

“Aye some never stay when they can rise elsewhere than just being a paltry knight under yer command.”

“Can we seal off City Isle?”

“Aye why?”

“Then let’s do that and I want the lords and knight under my command here called to the castle in the morning.”

“An when will ye be openin City Isle Lady?”

“After I have a meeting with the lords and knights here and the heads of the guilds after that. I will need their goodwill.”

“Sealin the Ilse is goodwill?”

I look at him and it hurts to do so somewhat. “We’re already looked at and treated differently out there in Rosette with the higher nobles aren’t we?”

“Aye…”

“Then we honor our closest first, we mourn as an Ilse in private first and that will give me time with them and it will give us some time to go over the books and for me to get to know more of what’s going on here.”

“Thet won’t go down well in Rosetta.”

“It won’t have to. I’m not going to let them bully me; I’m not even going to give them the chance to not until I have allies at my side and true friends at my back.”

He looks at me.

Sighs. “Are ye going t’go back t’bed then?”

“I can’t really afford to….So do you know any hangover cures so I can get things done?”

“Aye commat with me Lady.”

I get my feet into slippers that were left for me and I follow Sir Vanner out after securing my robe and feeling quite undressed and a little self-conscious I am led to the kitchens where there’s staff working and doing things and we definitely get looks as we come in and I’m getting stares from some of the staff there that I haven’t met.

I’m going to have to change that, mother wouldn’t approve of me not knowing.

I bite my lower lip thinking about her, thinking about what I’ve lost and bark my knuckles on purpose on the archway wall coming in. Pain to distract from the pain.

“Our Lady is a bit hung over after quaffing the old demon rum with our late lord.”

There’s some nods and one of the older cook-maids concocts something from what looks like bulbous roots in a thick liquid and a bottle of chemists water which my mother used to treat gas with.

I stared at it a little concerned until I smelled it. “This is ginger?”

She bobs a curtsey. “Aye milady we get it somewhat fresh from the Chaikanese traders.”

I drink it slowly it’s really potent stuff but I feel better or at least more settled now that I’ve had some and my stomach rumbles in a very unlady like fashion by the time I consumed the glass.

She looks at me. “Milady is hungry?”

“Very, I haven’t eaten since the night that Lyonnes fell.”

She gives me a concerned look and an appraising one. “We’ll need to get you fed then, no offense Milady but the coast is too wet and cold and damp for a girl with no meat on her bones.”

“Honestly I agree, is there any food leftover from the evening meal?”

“We can make you whatever you like milady.”

I look around. “First maybe could I have a few of those biscuits and some butter and molasses?”

She nods and she and the others fetch some and I take a seat at one of the counters and I get a few smiles.

I’m not a fussy one really, none of us really were raised to be and I like molasses because I learned to in a book where there was a lot said of it including the fact it has minerals in it that are good for things like anemia. I’ve never had it and that’s sometimes rare for girls like me that get their menses and don’t eat properly but fashionably.

I eat what’s made or easily made.

There’s broth made from the leftovers from the lamb that was cooked for the evening meal with vegetables and barley and heavy with onions and some other things that I don’t know and there’s plenty of bread too and I have that with it and there’s lots of cheese that we have here many I don’t know and I eat it all and wash it all down with a very heavily sugared flagon of stimleaf tea.

Sir Vanner’s looking at me as he’s sipping his own tea and was eating a thing slice of bread with preserves on it.

“Feel better Lady?”

“Yes much now I need clothes and a seamstress if we have such things, I will need clothes.”

The cooks-maid I was talking to says. “I can send for them right away milady.”

I smile at her. “Could you send them to the offices? And send for Garret the chamberlain if he’s willing to see me?”

She nods and she scuttles off and I look to Sir Vanner. “Can you escort me to my offices, I am afraid I actually have never been there.”

“Aye but careful doing anything Lady too much too fast won’t do the rest of us good.”

“Nor will me wasting time when there’s enemies out there seeking to slander me and mine.”

He and I lock eyes and while I’m not used to being as forward and aggressive as my mother I have a still throbbing brand of my oaths in the palm of my hand and I need to do things.

I need to know the fortress and my people in it.
I need to know our accounts and who our suppliers are and what our bills are.
I need to know who owes us.
I need to know what all my post entails.
I need to get the service for my grandfather set.
I need clothes.
I need flags and standards.
I need to know who’s starting the rumors.
I need to know who my enemies are now.
I need to know who my enemies were for Lyonnes to fall like it did.

I don’t need to out stubborn the man I just have to let him see all of that that’s piled on top of me and the strength that weight has.

I take a breath and a drink of my stimleaf tea. “I’ve a duty to you as well Sir Vanner, I will get some rest but I have things to do that really and truly need to be underway.”

He sighs and seems mollified or at least somewhat.

“What do ye need then fer me t’help right now?”

“See to us being closed up and see to the men at arms. And I have a list of names.”

“Names lady?”

“Yes, people I want called here; called to speak with me it’s important.”

I write them down on a kitchen tally sheet then pass it to him.

He raises his eyebrows. “I know some of these names…most of these names I was scouting them with your grandfather.”

We lock eyes…he doesn’t know.

“Can you do it?”

“How soon?”

“As fast as possible, I’d like to steal a march with this if we can.”

He nods and sighs then sketches a bow. “To your offices then Lady.”

I take another drink and take my flagon with me and he takes me through the halls to where the offices are.

Alright they’re fairly easy to find since they’re just a floor down from the rooms I was in.

Garret is there waiting for me as is a tea set on a rolling trolley and I can smell various offerings.

I look to him. “I’m sorry to keep you from your rest Garret.”

He offers a smile, he’s known us since we all were little being tha chamberlain and all.

“I’m the chamberlain Lady Elizabetha; I’m well acquainted with much later evenings than this.”

“You’re not opposed to me inheriting?”

“Lady I knew Lord Petrel all of my life and even if I had not seen him swear you in and you take that brand of faith on your hand as you did I’d still not gainsay it.”

I smile because that makes me happy and that is something I will need to keep me going.

“Alright shall we get started?”

The office is fascinating to me since grandfather has it filled with wonders and trinkets but there’s things that are just as fantastic and just as practical like his globe and that he has maps on the wall of the coast in great detail under glass as well as of the east here and one of the continent as well and I see a collection of books too many with titles that talk just about a region or even a product or a region.

I will fully admit to being a worshipper of books.

I can see the interest and the practicality of a book called the practices and politics of sweetness.

It’s a book about sugars of all kinds and where they’re from and who makes them and the way that it’s moved and traded and shipped.

See that’s part and parcel of grandfather’s job and that’s taxes and contraband in this region for The High King, prevent thieves and pirating both in the local waters and on the rivers as well up until the point that The City of Rosetta’s territory ends and that of the local lords begins.

Garret and I go over the books and there are multiple books for each of the garrisons and the keep and then the subsections of the keep like the smithy and stables and the kitchens and what we use as well as for the jail/prison for city island and for our three dry dock and repair yards and for the boats that we maintain for The High King and then there’s ones for each of those boasts as more.

We drink tea and nibble as we work and I’m not meticulously pouring over things yet but I am getting familiar with things. Moreover names and captains and the various owners that falls under this office.

I leave what’s working good of fine well enough alone except to leave those book in a pile and a thought to write then each letters thanking them for their good service and their good jobs and to actually have a certificate of merit good words and something official to go with it is good for moral.

Father was actually pretty good at those things just little things that some folks could be proud of. I’ll give it more thought though later.

Then it’s the problem ones and the flagging books that seem to have problems and those, those I will go over in further depth to see what we can do to turn things around.

I have the feeling do to my age and my sex I won’t be forgiven very much by those that are already seeking my fall.

Auron Kingsland, The Gorgon, The Iron Bull had attacked us and while I don’t know why I do know we were wealthy, and we had favor from father’s part in the war and with Aunt Aurora aid we were only getting to be more and more prosperous and educated.

I don’t know how things happened but I’m sure that with him in control of Lyonnes grain lands and our other resources that there will be financial pressures he’ll use. The price of grain effects the prices of flour and that effects other trade greatly as well as the best trade routes from the southern kingdoms of Titan pass through Lyonnes to the rest of the north.

He and his fellows might have planned this along with grandfather being sick and being sicker. If he has then me being here has thrown off the plans of his allies here and this is why they might be already rallying against me using my sex and Aunt Aurora against me.

Scare the young girl; make me look foolish or worse and other things to discredit me and to make it seem that there might be a legal reason to challenge me before the courts.

I’m almost to my teens just actually shy of my birthday and in some places I’d be wed already, in some places I’d be expected to know at least something of running a household.

I’m the third daughter, marrying was likely going to be my fate and I would have to know things.

And father would have found me at least a place and a man that both he and that mother could have tolerated.

So it’s yes something huge…this whole thing is huge and scary.

And I’m young.

Really young to be doing this and I shouldn’t be doing this but…I really have no choice.

Soldier on.

I’m a Lyonnes for the gods sakes.

My mind is turning all of these things over and over in my head and I see Jemma my Grandmother’s maid there waiting in the doorway and I smile since she’s still here and wasn’t turned out when my grandmother died as some people do.

“Jemma! Hello it’s good to see you can I help you with anything?”

She curtseys and blushes even at her age. “Y’see Princess I was the maid t’your grandma and I have been allowed t’stay on in some regards but I was wondering if I might be of service or something that’s just more than dusting/”

“Done, I’ll be needing your skills and your knowledge that kept my grandmother so sharp and keen.”

She brightens with praise but stops when I hold up my finger. “First get a suitable replacement one of the local older orphans or foster care girls from the Temple of Sea and Stars.”

They both look at me. “Temple?”

I look at them. “Is there a problem?”

Garret shakes his head. “No it’s just your Grandfather was a very secular man and your grandmother wasn’t terribly faithful either.”

“But we’re not on unfavorable terms with the Temple of Sea and Stars are we/”

Garret shakes his head. “No lady, but Rosetta and her nobles favor The Temple of Light as per in the capital.”

I nod. “Do you know who’s running the Temple of Sea and Stars here on City Island?”

“I can find out, it’s a strong church to be truthful with all the seafarers and fisher folk.”

I nod. “As it should be can you find out as soon as you can and invite them to breakfast with me?”

Jemma nods. “Be there anything else Lady?”

“I need clothes, so anything of my grandmothers and my mother’s things here can you have them out and cleaned and aired and have the seamstress in so she can take my measures and I can have the adjustments made accordingly?”

Garret looks at me. “Not new?”

I look at him. “I’ll re-use what we have and buy things when they’re needed but not until then and we can cut and sew and dye cheaper. Besides it’s not so much what I’m wearing as how much it’ll look like it costs and who made it in these cases.” I give them both a wry smile. “Gracia was very up of the makers of clothes and such even in Lyonnes and especially with the truly famous ones.”

They nod and she leaves and Garret looks at me. “I think you’ll do fine Lady.”

I pour myself some more tea and I get a scone half and add a little butter and some berry and port jelly and eat it down fast. “I’ll have to be.”

I ask him to get some paper and envelopes and I start writing letters out to my other lords and knights here on the island and with it the death announcement of my grandfather and my taking things over here.

I write one for the King’s governor in Rosetta and several to be sent to The High King and I’m doing several in the case of some of my letters not making it there. I’m also sending a report of who and what happened and everything that I had seen and gone through when Lyonnes fell and I tell him that I have been sworn in by my grandfather and all his state secrets have been passed onto me…I even ink my palm and do one ink print of my palm and my brand to be send along with my message and my report.

It’s I’m sure not exactly right but it’s one of the claims that I can make that’s my hand and it has the brand of the seal on it.

Garret looks at me and he nods. “It is different but that should suffice Lady.”

“I hope so; I want my rule here to have proof to it.”

“You think you’ll be challenged?”

“Sir Vanner thinks so; he told me that there were rumblings of witchcraft out there in the city from some people already with word having spread about how I arrived.”

“And this is why you sealed the island?”

“Yes, I will use this as an Island thing now for mourning and getting ready for the funeral but I don’t want us flooded with so called we wishers that aren’t here for that but to spy or cause trouble.”

“You thought of that?”

“That and truly I want our people to be first and not for our lords and knights and captains to be treated less than those from Rosetta.”

“The governor will not like that.”

“He’s the governor of Rosetta not City Island or Whitespire.”

He’s nodding and there’s a bit of a smile. “You remind me of your mother, she’d have taken charge like this.”

“My mother did…during things in the castle.”

He reaches out and squeezes my shoulder which does start me crying some more for a while and he makes me some more tea this time with some brandy in it.

“You should sleep Lady it is getting late again.”

I nod and wipe my eyes clear. “As soon as I finish these other letters.”

I write letters of summons to the names of the folk that he had considered as possibly being worthy for consideration for using the Battleknight underneath the White Spire.

I don’t know any of them but one does stick out since they’re a squire.

The rest are knights and after asking Garret most are older men but Squire Daniel Hollander is just under a score in age and he never completed his training according to what Garret had heard.

“Why did he not finish?”

“There were rumors of a scandal but nothing of what it was.”

“So why did grandfather think him good enough to run a Rig?”

“Capital training Lady they only accept the best to begin with, the lad would have had skills to spare really.”

I drink my tea and brandy and nod thoughtfully and finish my letter of summons for him and the others and then it’s sealing them and there’s somehow this feeling of ceremony when I’m pressing my ring to the wax and then sealing each message into their oilskin and clay tubes.

I stay up enough just long enough to see The Courier Knights ride in and they’re looking actually pretty grim as they see just how many I summoned and that it’s me that summoned them.

They don’t naysay me except to ask to see my seal and my hand and I get respectful bows.

Courier Knights aren’t controlled by any kingdom they’re an ancient sect of riders that came from ancient past of our ancestor’s ancient pasts and they have sworn vows that keep our messages safe and keep them steadfast and true.

It’s considered as vile a crime as attacking holy pilgrims and hospital temples and the like.

Oh it’s been done but it’s a high crime, and it brings their order down whoever does it and other forces too.

It does cost me, it costs us a goodly amount of money to send things by them and to the capital itself and several times over…and by different routes.

It costs, it costs and it also highlights just how important this is.

They seem to know this too.

And then I’m with Garret up on the walls and we’re listening and watching as it gets close to midnight here and we’re locking up City Island.

Now we can’t actually lock it up not in a total sense but we have large wrought iron gates that separate the docks from the main streets and they have gates and when we do lock them up we have guards and keepers stationed at those gates.

Of course there’s a hundred other ways most likely to get on City Island but none of them are right now legal.

I sigh as we get the last flare fired into the air from the last gate.

“Well now I’ve done it.”

Garret nods. “You have made a mark Lady none would expect this from you, not at your age.”

He offers me an arm and he escorts me back inside the main keep of the fortress and then to my rooms where Jemma is waiting and she helps me like some of my mother’s maids did her and that’s with things like helping me with my bath…I can bathe myself but having someone to wash your back and to help with your hair is nice, it’s more than nice and once I’m dressed into a night gown and she’s brushing my hair she has one of the other girls there using boiled heavy ceramic plates to warm my bed and another is showing me the clothes thus far.

Thankfully I have what looks like an appropriate black mourning gown with a hat and a veil that comes off of it and long gloves and even a parisole. She has set out something that is an aqua velvet dress with a hood like a robe for my breakfast with the representative of the Temple of Sea and Stars.

I’m not Gracia to coo over clothes but this is a good start.

The thing is I really don’t know this material from that material and the names of the stitches.

I can actually tell you how to use oil nuts from the southlands in varying applications but this I only know what I know from my sisters and my mother.

I do take the time to try them on and to thank them for their hard work.

Jemma pins my hair into place to keep it neat and then my night cap to further safeguard it and then they leave me to try and sleep.

Even though I know there will be nightmares I still sleep.

My dreams are hazy and blurred like smoke in my eyes and I think that I can even smell it and I see things all over again.

Soldiers rushing in, siege weapons and flames and the screams of rage from the attackers and the screams of fear from my people.

I see my Father dead in The Rampant.

I see my Mother dead on the grand staircase.

I see my brothers dead in the courtyard.

I see Aunt Aurora dead from being crushed by The Gorgon and his hand from his Battleknight reaching out to me and breaking through stone and glass to crush the life from me.

I wake screaming and tangled in my dressing gown and fighting unfamiliar sheets and one of the maids comes in and she’s staring at me and I fight myself free of the blankets and fight to not get caught up in over breathing.

Every time I close my eyes to get a hold on myself though I see flashes of my nightmares.

“Are you alright M’lady?”

I look at her. “No, it’s nightmares of home falling.”

She looks at me with some uncertain sympathy.

I let out a sigh along with one on the inside. We’re so different she’s trying to understand but I’m several years younger than her and I was raised in completely different circumstances and now I’m her employer.

And I thought that I was the odd-girl-out home being the bookish one.

I look at her. “What’s your name?”

“Milly M’lady.”

“What time is it Milly?”

“Near dawn M’lady.”

I breathe and lay back down but not to sleep I’ve had close to five hours and the fortress will be readying for the day and there’s things to do.

“Can you get me some Stimleaf tea and I’ll be getting ready too.”

“This early M’lady?”

“We’ve much to do and we’ll be having visitors for most of the day. I want to get a march ahead of things on the day.”

“Yes M’lady.”

She’s giving me this look like she thinks I’m mad for being awake this early and not playing to my titles and upbringing by sleeping in.

She leaves and I lay there for a bit until I can hear maids coming and then I get up and I make my own bed and straighten it up and I’m taking off my night-cap and pins from my hair and have changed my small clothes.

I take a minute to look at myself in the mirror and I sigh.

Very much too young looking and very much too thin and no breasts to speak of even though I started bleeding early for some women.

It’s not like I’m man crazy either, actually very little.

But the world is what the world is and there is a certain level of authority you get as a woman when you at least have something there up top.

I scrunch my face up.

I’m a long time away from cleavage.

Sigh.
Some of the other maids nod at me knowingly and they offer to help and I don’t really need it except that they brush out the hooded dress and make sure it’s wrinkle free and they help me with my hair and my cosmetic.

And then I’m off downstairs meeting Milly as I go and take my tea from her and she looks embarrassed that I’m already moving and out of my rooms and I can see from the height I’m at when I reach the stairs to go down to the main floors of the keep that there are people already lined up outside the gates and they seem to be already upset.

I’m met at the ground floor by Sir Vanner who looks like he’s gotten zero sleep and there’s a glare from him as he’s drinking what smells like heavy thick stimleaf tea.

I don’t mind that look, it’s honest.

And given his beginnings and his previous statements since we’ve met he’ll be blunt and honest with me and not mince words or snuggle up to my posterior.

“Morning.” I say after drinking some of my tea.

“Aye, it’s morning and you have a lot of explaining to do out there or I bloody have to. There’s people that are irate wit ye for closing up the island.”

“Do you have a list of names?”

“Aye…”

“Can I see it?”

“Aye…”

He passes me a scroll and I look it over and I ask him about a few names and there’s some rich folks and people that would be upset by the interruption of things and some that neither of us know that seem to think that they have a reason to be at the main gates to voice their grievances.

I head to the gates and keep the scroll in hand and I look to the assembly that’s there.

“I’m Elizabetha Lyonnes Princess of Lyonnes and now heir to Whitespire and Lady Marshal of City Isle.”

There’s a lot of murmuring and I hold up the signet and I show my palm.

I then take the scroll in hand. “Due to the passing of my grandfather I will require the attendance and counsel of the following knights and lords and people that was on a list that was passed to me by my grandfather.”

I list off the names of the one that I want to come through the gates and as I’m doing so I see the entourage of the Church of Sea and Stars coming and I give them a bow. “Merrows and Maids you are expected if you will please pass through the gates I will attend with you shortly.”

They bow back most of them are in simple grey-greens or blue greens and there’s some woolen knits like netting and the like that are inspired with wool knit sea shells of different kinds at some of the know points.

Some are actually carrying containers and boxes and baskets with them.

The amount of respect that they’re given is something that I’m thankful for.

We live on the water, even those with interests in Rosetta live on the water here and while The Temple of Light might be powerful in the kingdom this is still the coast.

I look at the others.

“Those of you here with questions I want to say this first and hopefully it will answer some of the questions that you have.”

“I closed off the island for us all. We’re in grieving and my grandfather knew all of you and so many more and he served all of you for decades on decades. I’m taking us out of the mainland politics for a few days. Let them do whatever they want but we’re lost Our Lord Marshal and I want us to have the time to grieve that loss as a people first before the circus begins.”

There’s some stirrings still and one older and stern looking fellow steps forward. “And that’s it we’re supposed to just suspend business whilst this is going on then?”

I look at him. “Not at all, but I will be using the watch to escort supplies and deliveries through the closed gates and we’ll be keeping those not from the isle from setting stray feet on the isle.”

One of the others says. “That sounds paranoid and daft.”

I look at him and I set my jaw but wipe at my eyes.

“Well this news has only gotten out recently and sent to the High King in Valhalla but My Home Lyonnes has fallen if that’s not made the rounds as of yet and that was done in an attack by one of the mainlander lords and one of my grandfather’s own here has told me that there are those already speaking ill of Lady Aurora and of myself for escaping the same fate as my family through her own sacrifice.”

He’s staring at me and he looks like that’s a lot of news.

“Plainly spoken good masters and merchants I want time. And I want security too and honestly a chance for us as a people to have our time first without the machinations. I want to keep spies out and us together.”

Another asks. “What are you plans Lady Marshal?”

Oh that definitely helps with him using my full title.

“I’m going to speak to the clerics, I’m going to get anointed by them like the old Sea Lairds used to and clear my name before it’s slandered and I’m going to plan grandfather’s funeral and his wake.”

I wipe my eyes again. “If any of you wish to stay until after I’m done counsel with my knights and lords and with the clerics and speak to me then I will definitely do so and I’ll do my best to make sure that you’re as comfortable as I can offer at the moment.”

There’s some muttering and talking and nods and I give them all a bit of a curtsey and head off to meet with the clerics and I gesture to my knights and lords to follow.

“Gentlemen I will be indebted to your counsels while we are doing all of this. I will be depending on your wisdom, honor and charity.”

It’s so very strange now being in my mother’s shoes and playing hostess as we enter the great hall all together and there’s a table that’s set that’s very, very long and looking at I see it’s tables placed end to end to make a long, long table.

I count out the seats and my guests and I look at some of the lords and knights.

“Alright sirs if you please can you help us move the tables I think we’ll get much better use out of these if we set them up as a square until I can make something more suited to a council space.”

One of the oldest is gesturing to what might be a son, grandson or a squire and he looks to me as the men all move to get the tables in order and some of the others with the clerics are moving the table cloths and the dishes and such as they were set out.

“A council space, you’re intending on a council?”

“I’d be foolish to make many decisions here without advice.”

“That’s true but who do you have in mind?”

“I’ll want some of you or all of you if I can have someone that you’d trust this to if you don’t want to be involved. I want someone from the church here as well as some of the people that are key guild folk here on the island.”

“None from Rosetta?”

“Do we have the power to affect their policies?”

“No.”

“Then why should they have that power here?”

Some of them stop working and are looking at me.

I look back at them.

“Who enforces the tariffs? Who braves the guilds that operate in the shadows and will slip a knife into you or your kin for golds? Who stands ready against pirates and buccaneers and storms and hurricanes not those pretty folk that get our island sheltering their harbor it’s us.”

I just gave a speech, I opened my mouth and my mother came out with all her headstrongness.

The old fellow says. “You’re one of those pretty ones.”

I look at him and pass him my upturned signet branded hand.

“I watched my home burn very unprettily sir and I took my oaths and gave of my flesh and I’ll do that again and again and again sir.”

He’s staring at my hand and he’s staring then into my eyes and there’s something there.

Something that says he’s seen bad things too.

He takes my hand and he shakes it twice and then kisses it in a bow that looks like he doesn’t do often.

“Lord Henry Whitaker at your service Lady Marshal.”

And with that a lot of the mood changes and I’m taking introductions and hands with the firmest handshake that I can give followed by the politeness and I let them look as much as they need to at me and at my brand of office in the palm of my hand.

It’s a struggle with my nerves really.

This is that iron clad kind of ovaries thing that my mother would actually have reveled in doing.

And part of me does like and want the respect that I’m getting.
Then the tables are set and the dishes and such are placed back and we all take seats. I’m in the middle of one of the tables and it’s still sort of the head but not as blatantly the head of the table as it would have been.

Plus it’s much easier to talk and hear each other.

They look at me and I look at them and then I look at the Merrow. A Merrow is the title of a male cleric of The Church of Sea and Stars. If there’s any other titles they have I don’t know them.

“Perhaps we should get the fact that I’m not evil nor a witch or a liar proven and out of the way and witnessed first?”

The Merrow nods. “As you wish Princess.”

“Lady Marshal now Merrow…” I let it trail off in hopes he’ll tell me his name since I don’t know it.

“Finn, Lady Marshal.”

“Finn?”

“Two ens, like the actual name and not the fish part.”

That gets some chuckles and it seems to be a joke with the clerics.

“Alright so what should I do?”

“Just leave everything to me.”

“Okay then.”

They actually start by getting a formal document drawn up with a scroll and all of the waves and star borders on it and he brought with him a scribe for it and then the tests start.

Holy water to drink and to have my hands and feet washed in as well as after that for consecration my face and then my hair. There’s chanting in a language I’m unsure of with the last part of that and then there’s the test of their symbol which is actually a finely made compass and with a sextant in relief on its backing and a series of stars on the cover of it and he does something that makes it shimmer from silver or steel to almost that sunlight on a blade reflectiveness and there’s head bows from some of the clerics and they exchange looks and a few of the knights that seemed up on the faith as well.

Merrow Finn leaves the compass around my neck. “Tis yours Lady Marshal.”

“Mine?”

“Aye, you’re not just here and heir but you were sent here.”

“I was sent here by my Aunt Aurora.”

“Aye in physical terms but a holy compass shines brightly on where it was meant to go.”

“And it shone here?”

“Yes and brightly, and not just brightly but entirely.”

“I don’t know what that means?”

Lord Henry says. “It means Lady Marshal that you were meant to be here and that it’s the will of The Sea and Stars that you’re here now.”

I hold the compass and it looks normal now and I look to them. “I was meant to be here?”

There nods.

I look at the Maid cleric that’s acting as our scribe. “Perhaps we leave that part out.”

Merrow Finn nods. “Wise given what you had said to the merchants and guilders and nobles waiting out by the gates.”

“More like scared.”

He smiles at me. “Sometimes it’s wise to be scared.”

I look around and there’s nods from more than a few now and I exhale a breath that I didn’t know that I was holding and then there’s more shaking hands from these men.

Gods and waves and stars even the squires they brought here are older and bigger than me.

We finish the scroll, well actually scrolls and the scribe has started to make three more copies so one will be at the temple, one sent to The High King and one will be for me to show to people like The Governor of Rosetta.

I slip out to the kitchens while they’re doing that and send in refreshments at least and I take some time to sit in one of the larders and shake and hold the compass in my hands and have a nervous cry.

Bless the staff for looking in on me and Milly for stopping by fast as she found out with a strong cup of tea to set my nerves right.

Then it’s getting the food set for this gathering and I’m deferring to what the head cook said that my grandfather and grandmother would serve to these knights and lords and clerics.

Lots of pickles enough that there’s serving platters with the variety and most of these are familiar but some I’ve never seen before.

Bread deep and dark made with rye and caraway and black pepper scraped with fresh bacon fat and sprinkled with salt on the slices.

There’s a seaweed they call laver in a pot boiled to be used as a topping for the bread.

And then there’s this dish that I’ve never heard of that this really hard sea biscuit that will or would break your teeth but they soaked it in small beer and then it’s squeezed out leaving this odd flaky mush with this sort of beery yeasty flavor and they fry it all up in a pan that they cooked all this salted pork that they call scruncheons and they had taken out the meat to just use the hot fats and then there’s bit of smoked but not salted codfish and it’s all made into this hash that is finished with the pork bits.

It looks a mess but it actually smells good?

Not good like I know it but good in that way that this is sort of local and its marine-soldier and sailor foods.

And as it’s morning meal there’s scramble of eggs and more scone-biscuits and molasses and there’s some slab rashers of bacon.

I look out the window to where there’s still people waiting and I look to the cook staff. “Have some of the workmen bring them out a barracks table and put out some biscuits and bacon render with molasses and some of the bacon and a pot of porridge and the like along with a warmer pot of stimleaf tea and hot-sully.”

Hot-sully is local and it’s a blend of roots that is some wild local kin to what coffee might taste like and it’ll wake you up the same way and it’s boiled with a cinnamon stick and again molasses.

Yes molasses in very common here on the coast and especially here in the east with it being able to be made from local things here like the grapes with the east being the best wine country for the kingdom itself as well as there being much brought if from other lands as well with all of the port traffic and it’s cheap.

The grape molasses is a side product of making wine along with others like vinegar and some stronger alcohols and it’s here so much because it’s very easy to sell locally as a replacement for sugar.

I leave them to take care of my outside of the gate guests that are remaining and I head back into eat and talk with my counsel.

We go over what each one of them does and their responsibilities and that takes a good while as all folks like to talk about their jobs and it takes a few slipped in questions and a few pointed ones to find out some of the things that I want to find out about the state of things on My Island.

Well it’s not mine but it’s my charge now so really it is in all but the high court of the king way.

Which leads me to having a letter delivered to me by a Courier knight from the Governor of Rosetta summoning me to his steading to discuss matter of import at my greatest urgency.

It was worded very nicely like that too and I read it out to the counsel and then look at them.

“Seems I’ve been summoned.”

Lord Henry says with a look on his face. “They’d never have sent that to your grandfather, he’s trying to intimidate you.”

I look at them. “Well then I should craft a response, what would my grandfather have said?”

A couple of them raise their middle fingers at the direction that Rosetta lies in.

And we all have a chuckle at that.

I get a pen and I write my own message back to him.

…… ‘Governor Dunwater, I have received your message and unfortunately as I am busy with matters of mourning for my family and the duties to my office and my faith I am not able to come to heel at the moment however if you wish to come and seek an appointment to see me I will try and make time for the Civilian administrator of the city of Rosetta…… Warmest regards Princess Elizabetha Lyonnes, Lady Marshal of Whitespire and City Island.’….

I even made sure to use a large C with writing Civilian.

I sign it and seal it and pass my reply back to the Courier knight who nods and he takes it and goes.

I look at the knights and lords with me and the clerics.

“Now, let’s talk about what we need to work on and some of the things that I would like to see implemented as soon as we can.”

They nod but one of the lords is talking around a mouthful of bread and laver. “I’d be keen on your thoughts to M’lady.”

“Schools for one. I want to open some free schools here on the island and have some of our children attend.”

Someone else says. “That might not be popular it’ll be taking children away from their chores and work.”

I nod as bad as it sounds the work of chores and even jobs is a part of life. Even as much as I don’t like some of those jobs it’s a reality.

“We can start it though, we can have it for free and those that want to learn can come and learn.”

The first man that’s eating says. “What if it doesn’t take?”

I pour myself a drink of Hot-Sully and look at them. “It might not here but it did in Lyonnes.”

He raises an eyebrow. “Free schooling…that almost sounds like a waste of money.”

I drink and then set down my mug.

“Nobles are the stewards of the people, we take care of them and they take care of us as well. My father always said that a man or a woman could work with more heart when they were more equal. That everyone deserved to know enough to not be cheated and learned enough to read the laws instead of being told, and of having the right to write and save their own lore and stories, or to see their sons and daughters have that right.”

He looks and me and he nods. “It worked out then?”

“Until the attack it worked quite well and our folk did a lot better by their own rights and contracts.”

“Contracts? That’s pretty advanced.” He says.

“People with a will learn fast especially when it comes to crooked landlords and unscrupulous merchants that try to sell folks or trick folks out of their hard work. And it did that exactly, it cost us some business I think but then people were getting what they had agreed on in more than taking just words or being told what they had signed had written on it.”

Lord Henry looked at me. “That’d likely have been one of the things that might have gotten him killed Lady.”

I nod slightly. “It wasn’t a popular thing with some of our guests but what killed my father and scattered my family was a treasonous lord or lords. They didn’t kill The Lyonnes instead they left its daughters alive. A mistake you shouldn’t make with Lions.”

There’s some nods and a couple of the knights thump spoons on the table and I take a breath.

“Alright I want to talk of defenses and of the two light ships my grandfather has had loitering inside a warehouse and about then funeral.”

It goes for another two hours and Garret comes in with some of the books and to do some scribe work as we hammer a lot of things out.

Like the funeral plans for our folk here tonight.

And getting the chapel/temple here in the fortress itself cleaned and re-opened and ready for the service as well as making it a fully working place instead of just the once a week services.

Preparations too for a wake after the services.

Then talking about who should get which of the two boats that grandfather had in reserve. They’re not large boasts and they need their masts set to and the spars and whatnot but all of the parts were there.

We did decide that though and that there’s some captains in our fleet that deserve their own commands now and we went with that since they have been performing good service on older vessels and this way we actually get to shift the lines of command and promotion.

I’m even getting a lesson from several of the lords as why forward momentum is good for the realm and for the island and morale.

I do listen as it really mirrors my thoughts and feelings on those merit certificates as well that I had been thinking of last night?

Was that last night?

Gods, Sea and Stars it seems more run together than that.

I’m relieved when we’re finished and I see them all out and to the gates. And there’s some of the ones that had stayed and waited to see me and they seemed to take note of the way that the knights and lords were speaking to me and some of them left with what I would assume are their local lords or at least are familiar with them enough that this is happening but some are still there and I can see that the food and the refreshments are gone and there’s still a good dozen or so people remaining.’

I look to them. “Gentlemen, masters, good merchants I hope that my hospitality hasn’t been lacking?”

Most of them are thanking me for that and they look like they might have a different less angry reaction than this morning.

I move to the table and actually take a seat on the bench that’s with it. “You have concerns, please let me hear them and perhaps I can do something about them.”

There are some of my men at arms for here now with me and Garret too and we sit and we talk and they’re concerned at how long we’ll be closed and how things are going to come through the next few days.

I explain that the docks will still be working only we will have the gates to the streets closed and guarded and that it will be business as usually for those with long standing business here.

And the rest is talking about the funeral and the services and when they can come to pay their respects and it goes pretty smoothly when the respect thing is taken care of.

When they get that I’m wearing a holy symbol of the long held local temple and faith.

That the local knights and lords weren’t arguing nor gainsaying me.

It’s all a good thing.

And I’m not holding the fact that they shouldn’t assume a woman can’t do this job to heart in a bad way nor my age either.

The world is the world and they are just reacting as they would if anyone like myself took this position.

Though with some of their reservations about what Governor Dunwater might do or say now that I’m in command and that I’m not blindly doing as he wishes me to do since I’m so young and whatever else that man might think.

No currently I’m not thinking too highly of a man such as him given thet tone of his message and that he seemed to expect me to come at his beck and call.

I get myself some of the last dregs of the Hot-Sully and I smile at them all. “I think we will be fine. He might be The High King’s Governor but I am still a Princess and not a stranger to games and petty politics. If he thinks that he can bully me he’ll not only find the princess but he’ll find a Lioness and the new Lady Marshall as well.”

I show my brand again and now I’m up close and I am really getting why the branding more than just the passing of the ring and the title.

As much as it hurt, as much as it still hurts there’s definitely this social weight to it as well.

Every Lord Marshal of Whitespire and City Island before me has born this.

By the time they are done it’s past time for me to be getting ready for our services for my grandfather.

I get bathed and changed into the funeral dress and then I head to the great hall where he’s laid out.

The clerics and the healers and nurses did most of the work and Sir Charles is there and we shake hands and he kiss bows and I curtsey and then we do the final details.

He’s wrapped in muslin but so fine as we can see him still through it. He’s been treated…washed and cleaned and he’s been anointed with oils and spices to an extent and then it’s getting his casket ready.

There’s bottles of water and rum for his journey and comforts, a sack of jerky, salt pork and fish and hard tack biscuits as well. A good knife, a compass, a marlin’s spike and a measure cup of pewter of a chain as many mariners wear.

He had to be dressed in his armor and that's a personal thing, a family thing and as his granddaughter in place of my grandmother, in place of my mother and as a woman of his family for his plates and other parts.

I'm fitting it snugly as I can remember. He’s thin from his sickness and I’m quite small but I do it anyway and I let myself cry as I’m doing it too. I’m reliving and mourning the times when my mother would help my father and my older brothers into their armor. I do his stays and pins and make sure everything is straight and pristine.

I place a fine sword and new shield with him as by rights and tradition those he had are mine…part of my inheritance.

Then there’s some prayers and the lighting of candles and we start….

The household here first before anyone else, their families and the men at arms that aren’t on duty.

There are long tables once more set up with a place for candles to be lit for him and there’s another set up for gifts for the family and this house and the wall closest to the kitchen has a table set out with drink not anything like what we’ll have at the wake but enough to have a drink of something strengthening or something hot as we have tea, coffee, Hot-Sully and a thin but bracing broth.

The broth was made by the clerics and they are actually there to act as servers so the household doesn’t have to.

Then with my knights and lords of City Island with them coming in in their blacks and their funeral garments and their families.

I am meeting a lot of people, and I’m shaking hands and returning bows and all of those things that would be done home in court.

I show my brand to all, I wear the signet openly as well as the blessed compass of Sea and Stars.

I do sit sometimes between things since it’s taking several hours and hours just for that and by the time my knights and lords are done and we have a few short words between and for ourselves and a few simple prayers we let the rest of the folk in.

I’m flanked by my lords and knights as my advisors as people come in.

And all of the peoples…we have doors bolted where we need to and guards in place of n’ere do wells and worse but I have our gates open and anyone on City Island can come and see him off, have a drink, light a candle and do and feel what we need to.

Us…as islanders, Us as a people…Us first.

And until this was actually happening I had not one soul tell me that no one had done this before.

The people tell me though.

They’re hesitant at first but they do come and talk to me.

I wish that I was better with memorizing things or better at faces because there are so many people.

But the more that they talk to me, they more that they open up and talk to me.

And I get one of the scribes to be close.

And when it seems important, when it’s a concern of theirs, or rumor or just a good story I get it written down.

There’s drains on certain streets that need fixing, there’s cobbles that need replacing and holes in some of the streets, there’s sailors that are wandering between berths that are sleeping in the streets and sometimes unsavory.

Market prices, costs of things, wages by the king’s rote not being paid by times.

Pleas for clemency for those with family in legal trouble and in the jails.

It’s a funeral but it has become in at least part hearing petitions.

I try something new with that.

I ask their addresses for each complaint and how to find them and the hours they work and were that is too.

I want to know, so I can call on them, or send word or letters.

Which brings me around again to talk about schools and getting folks interested at least.

Ninth glass of the evening we close things down…see folks out. More handshaking, bows, curtseys.

“It’s late and we all have to work on the morrow unless we’re working tonight. I want to have grandfather and all in the fortress and hopefully on the Ilse settled for the eve before midnight, we’ll have the last day for ourselves tomorrow starting at the ninth glass.”

It does take the best part of that time between seeing everyone out and letting the troops that have changed the watch to come and mourn for their own selves.

I’m more than grateful when Molly and Jemma have my bath ready and are helping me out of things and crawl exhaustedly into my bed.

………………..................................................... Of course I have more strange dreams and nightmares.

Nightmares again of things at home and the attack and people being killed and my home destroyed.

Nightmares of people here in the crowds being assassins and us being under attack. Faceless men in hoods with knives and daggers and crossbows and things and that sort of feeling that I don’t know when an attack is coming from.

Dreams of home, dreams of things that father did and mother did to deal with recaltriant people that were less than amenable.

Little lessons they both taught us, things that they said one way or another but they said a lot and that was that we depend on our people and that we are their protectors from others, others that would balk at using their powers and positions and strengths against those less fortunate.

Like The Gorgon had.

And some of the dreams are just blurry remembrances I think. I woke a few times to make water and one of the night maids that I still have to learn or remember the name of made me tea with brandy and as soon as that went down so did I back again and I actually slept so soundly I remembered nothing else until it was half-and past the seventh glass.

I get up and bathe and I use the cold water for my bath only from the taps and I use that to wake myself and go through my morning ablutions and I send the maid off for a strong mug of stimleaf tea while I get into a very simple dress and leave my hair loose to dry and I head to the kitchens and meet my maids once more on the way there.

I take my meal in the common hall after a stop into the kitchens to ask for some breakfast and to tell them that everything smells lovely already and then I head out to sit with the staff and drink my tea and send for Garret.

He has a sheaf of letters that is as thick as a book with him all tied together and I look at him.

“Funeral correspondence?”

“Much of it yes and a reply from the governor.”

I hold my hand out and he passes it to me. “Sir Vanner has returned as well Lady Marshal with those from the list that you gave him.”

There’s an unusual sound in his voice?

I read over the letter.

‘While I am saddened over the loss of your grandfather I would be remiss in my duty to question his decision to pass along his position and title to a young girl such as yourself. I understand that you are scared and wish to pull the world in around you but there are many people that have voiced their concerns over you even being here and the company that your family was said to keep as well as the manner that you arrived here in.

I had only wished to conduct business with you as an older peer. You will need the friendship and the guidance and the wisdom of an older man’s hand to make your way through the position that you have inherited.

I do not wish to formally send letters questioning the decision of a sick old man but as a responsible ruler I cannot put my charges at risk. Thus I encourage you to come and meet with me despite your fears and reservations and learn just how strong an ally I can be.’

The rest is his signature and titles and he has it seems an impressive amount of them and I set it aside with a sigh.

“That was really borderline offensive honestly. I think my last reply might have miffed him somewhat.”

Garret coughs into his teacup that he had acquired as I was reading.

“Perhaps lady.”

I sip my mug of tea. “You had reservations about the people I sent Sir Vanner for?”

“Reservations no but I am confused by one of them.”

“Which one?”

“Squire Daniel Hollander, Lady…I think that there might be a mistake and that’s why the Squire retired from Valhalla.”

“And that mistake is?”

“He is a she?”

Alright that gained my attention.

“And you are sure of this?”

“She is here in a nice if not country fashioned dress to see you in Lady.”

“Oh…well there are very, very few lady knights in history that would indeed make a scandal.”

I look at him. “What time did Sir Vanner arrive?”

“Nearly a glass ago, they’ve been resting from the saddle and having Hot-Sully and the likes since the horse have been taken care of.”

“Call them all in Garret we’ll break fast together.”

I call over one of the maids and ask her to tell the cooks that we’ll have a dozen joining me for my morning meal and I finish my mug of tea and stand for them as they’re coming in.

Most of them are knights or squires and some of them look like they have seen better times or they’re older truly country knights that inherited their kit and were trained and knighted under some out there country lord.

One of them even had workmens or builders boots on his feet instead of riding boots and he looks more like a mason or a logger than a knight right down to that stoic heavy build and broad shoulders.

And there she is too…tall even with her boost from her boots and in a dark grey charcoal colored dress of good linen with very simple seams and hems. She wears a sword but it’s a shorter sword with a straight blade and a hilt much like a longsword would have.

She looks nervous, actually she looks like she’s terrified and that she is trying so hard to look like it’s okay for her to be here.

I know that feeling.

She’s looking at me and then she’s looking at my compass amulet and I hold my hand out palm up for all of them to see and they’re all looking at my brand and then at me all over again and I’m going to say Sir Vanner might have said things to them but they’re still looking and staring for themselves.

And when she does she finishes by looking at me and we lock eyes and I can see all these thoughts and hopes in her eyes?

I smile and nod a little just for her.

She smiles and blushes and she has to fix her hair because of that and she’s as fair and corn silk blonde as I’m raven tressed.

“Sirs, Squires I will get right to the point when I was sworn into my office my grandfather had imparted secrets of state to me and amongst some of these secrets was the recommendation of all of your for select service.”

One of them looks at me. “Select service?”

“Yes, and that will remain secret until I meet and know you each some more and that I can see your skills for myself.”

Alright I’m sort of not being totally truthful here and it was and is for the battleknight that has been secreted away but they all look good to me and I will need my own people.

That gets some nods and then the food arrives and I sit with them and I eat and ask them their personal histories. Most are as they seem. Country knights just having have just enough blood and title to get training but not enough funds to actually run a fiefdom and instead work on family lands and steadings using their small yearly purses to do whatever good that they might be able to do with their stipends from the High King none really have local lords of any effect that had claimed them.

Too poor to tourney either though several say that they do train when they can.

And she’s quiet for the most part having only spoken enough to say that she keeps training as well but things had happened while she had been training in Valhalla that had her sent for home.

There’s a lot of looks at her for that from the others, most don’t know the story but I can read on faces that her sex is very, very much a factor in their thoughts.

I look at her. “You’re sworn not to tell more?”

“No lady but it’s personal and I don’t truly wish to speak of it here.”

She says that but there’s an almost plea in her eyes for me not to command it.

I eat some more skillet bread I’m partial to it as it’s slices of bread cut this and then just fried crisp with a little bacon fat instead of just toast done of a rack over a stove fire.

And there’s this marmalade that has these exotic little oranges in full segments called tangerines and there’s kumquats in it too and lemon peeling that is very much my favorite this that we have on the table right now.

Though I do like bacon and the ham as well as egg scramble I’m still waking and craving sweetness.

“You will speak to me about it in private then?”

She does a hard swallow and she nods.

She looks very scared though.

I get up and I gesture for her to follow. “Come with me then.”

She gets up and she excuses herself and she follows me and she really looks nervous and I take her into the chapel for the Church of Sea and Stars and some of the clerics are looking at us and I ask. “Could we have a few moments alone maids, merrows?”

They nod and slip out and I take a seat on one of the pews and I look at her and she sits after I gesture to the one across the aisle from me.

“So you were caught up in a scandal there and it was with the mix up in your names? You are Danielle and not Daniel and they took unkindly to that?”

She shakes her head no.

Which has me raising my eyebrows.

“Married man?”

She shakes her head no.

“They found you with a woman?”

She blushes and stammers. “N..nn..no.”

I adjust my seat and look at her and gesture for her to say something.

She stares at me and her head hangs down and she looks so ashamed and fat tears even roll out from her eyes.

“I am by birth Daniel Hollander L…Lady…I am born wrong, I was never meant to be some lad…some man and I have been tortured with it all my life.”

I’m staring… “You did magic?”

She shakes her head. “There were Elves there, elves in Valhalla at the embassy there and I learned from them…and when I learn from them I found out that the way that you were born doesn’t have to be your truth…they…they have herbs and those make a potion that brings out your traits of the opposite sex if that’s your need…”

“Oh…” I honestly don’t know what to say and she’s not looking at me but instead she’s staring at the floor and she’s crying and sniffling and she’s still talking. “I had to…I had to do s…sss…something L...llady if not I would have gone fully mad. I couldn’t just go on and just live…I would have taken my own life.”

I reach over and I rub her back.

“So you did and they found out and they kicked you out?”

She shakes her head no.

(Sniffle.) “The…the elves that were there they stood up for me, they said it was common in their lands and that sex, that gender had little bearing on goodness or honor or duty or doing your duty. (Sniffle) and I was allowed to stay but so many of my instructors, of the lads there were just so hateful and word spread and spread and spread until I left because I wasn’t ever going to be chosen…and I was just tired, tired to death of being a freak.” (Sniffle.)

I keep rubbing her back. “And your family?”

“They hate me and they don’t, they keep me away from folks and them and I have a little cottage where I have enough to live decently but even there I’m a pariah.”

I look at her and she is so damned sad and she’s so damned defeated and like me she’s had so much taken away from her.

I reach over and take her chin and turn her face to me and I look her in her eyes.

“Dani, Danielle can you do your duty? Can you fight and defend and care for me and mine?”

She has fresh tears, different tears and he face is so full of desperate hope.

“Yes…Oh gods and Goddesses yes L..ll..Lady.”

“And you are fine with the history of my family, that I am a Lyonnes and my family includes my Aunt Aurora the Sorceress, Lady Blackhand.”

She nods.

“You will serve me as my knight as a princess of Lyonnes?”

She nods.

Yes as my knight, I still have my title. I might not have my family’s lands but I do have my title.

She nods.

I let go of her chin and I stand up and offer her my hand. “Then I accept your service Squire Hollander.”

She shakes my hand and she’s still crying and I smile and say. “Now let’s go and announce this before the others and with legal witnesses and make this official.”

We head out to the others and Dani is walking different, taller like some weight was taken off of her and the others rise from their seats at our return and I take my seat and I can feel myself smiling as Sir Vanner and the others are looking to me.

I can see the start of things, then start of things here and home.

I will have my own knights and I will live under my own standard as Lady Marshal here and it will still be a Lyonnes standard. I will build my Lions and my house and one way or another I will take my house back home.

There’s so much yet to do with the messages and the rest of the funeral and then dealing with everything else that will come with being here.

But it’s started.