The life of Vander first 5 chapters

The Life of King, Wizard, Bard, Thief, Savior, Prophet?
Vander Penyentie

Prelude
Barega 22nd 297DVP


I enter the Kings chamber with a nod to his guard just outside the door. I find the grizzled old sovereign lying in his bed in the middle of a coughing fit, so much so that the bluish lights erupting from his fingers are strong enough to brighten the whole room to a bluish glow. I rush to his side, place the pitcher of healer's watered down wine on the side table next to him, gently wrap my arms around him to get him to a sitting position so the coughing isn't as painful. When the fit is over, I release him to pour him a cup of the wine. He grabs my hand in a grip that only one about to die can have.

"Time is short. I only have a few moments to redeem myself by getting the truth out, and I must tell this so listen carefully." Wheezes the king I have served for the last three years.

"Master, you are a great man and king. You have a sure place with the gods. Allow me go get the court healer. She might be able to do something for you." I beg for he truly is a man of greatness. To let him die without the respite, however brief, a healer could offer him, would be a terrible sin.

"No, I have had a long life. I’m older than the kingdom itself. I’ll be ready to go as soon as I tell my story to you. One last audience, a trapped one, for as your king I command you to sit and listen." He releases my hand. His eyes focus on the chair at his bedside.

"Sire.” I sit down as my king commanded while he has another coughing fit. His fingers spew out bits of bluish light again. I wish he would allow me to get help, or at least let me pour the drink.

“You have been not only my valet but my last apprentice in the arts of magic. One of my finest, therefore you might understand some of the sins I have committed, in order to maintain the balance of nature and man, magic versus science, the divine against earthy, that is forever shifting. The only excuse I offer is, I did what I thought I had to do. If that meant getting friends to be enemies and enemies to be friends, only to betray them both to each other later on, well that was how we got here.”

“Sire, you have faced every challenge you ever had with the greatness of being the one who saved us all from domination by those that would abuse their power."

“Ah, yes those who abused their powers openly, while I abused my powers for what I could say was for the greater good. Now I know time is going, will you listen to my story, or do I stop battling Horaz, and let him take me to kneel before Fiangauar for judgment?”

I stare at my king, who was king when my grandfather was just a child, younger than me, the first king of the Yueacan Island. I nod my head and say, "Please, Sire, I shall be honored to hear your story, but are you sure you do not wish me to get your healer?"

He looks at me with his piercing eyes that have seen everything and begins his story:

******


I am no older than you when it all starts, only a lad of fourteen in the city of AldHallun. I have no family, lived by my wits for the last two years. My aunts, who had taken care of me, died in a plague that wiped out almost a third of the city’s population. I am not the only wretched orphan on the streets cause of this, but one of the most skilled at getting by.

This city is one of the most colorful port cities in the Old Empire of Fianguarian. It was founded not by bureaucrats or even pioneers, but by pirates and smugglers that by this time, for the most part, had been legitimized as the ruling class in the city. All the nobles that could trace their family back more than three generations as nobles then in this region were one or the other.

Spirits are running high though out the city, the lord’s daughter is about to be wed this next morn. Many gifts from the lord and lady, in addition to the many from the groom’s family, are being passed along the city in the squares — coins, food, wine, ale and hunting passes. The grand hunt is to start the morning of the blissful event for those not invited to the actual ceremony. And last until the end of the following week, with one day devoted to each of the nine gods and twelve more to the first children of the gods and one more day each to the Hallun and Ruan and of course our king's line.

The merchants are careless. I take the opportunity and pick many pockets through the winding planned streets. I reach for a ladies cinch sack. Before I have the sack secured in my tunic a dagger is at my throat. I am about to go into the act of playing the poor boy who hadn’t eaten and was only stealing to eat, when the look in the lady's eye that commanded the man’s dagger tells me no act would get me out of this. I cringe, my gaze to the lady and raise my head to give the man a clean sweep at my throat. The gentleman lightly moves the dagger across my neck caressingly. He obviously enjoys killing.

I curse under my breath, “By Amork, get this over with.”

The lady warns, “None of the gods will save you, but you might save yourself, if you do this one errand. You may even keep that bag of gold. You will do as I ask, won't you?"

I nod as much as I could with the blade at my throat. The man removes his blade, his eyes daring me to run.

"Good. You will do something quite simple; all you have to do is deliver this little note to the lord’s daughter’s appointed protector." My eyes dart to the street and back to her and her man. I gulp. She continues, "Oh no worries, boy, You will be doing the lord and lady a great favor and it is nothing more than a warning of a danger that they need to address before it is too late."

If I tell her no, she will kill me, but if I deliver the note as she wants, I might be able to get out of the keep before any trouble happens. I agree, thinking I could just give the note to one of the many pages in the keep and have them deliver it.

As I nod and take the note from her hand she speaks again, this time her voice carries more than threat and promise. “You will give it to him alone no one else. That understood... Vander? "

“How do you know my name?” I spurt out.

"Same way you know what path to take or when someone is lying to you, but I am trained while you are not. That could and will change. You will not have to live on the streets but you will live with those of power and wealth."

****

By now the King's eyes have unfocused on me but I’m glued to my chair, listening to his story.


The Time He Helped Put
The Ill-Begotten On the Throne

The Time He Helped Put
The Ill-Begotten On the Throne

Chapter One
Shamis 14th 14DVP The 24th year of the reign of Fianguarian King Thamir the 3rd


I make my way through the streets not bothering to be my thieving self. I walk when I can't run through the crowds like any other of the children out in the streets this day. I reach the edge of the town where the road to the Lord’s keep lay. There I wait, acting like a kid who just wants to see all the newcomers coming into the town, the knights, lords, ladies, and all the servants going to and from the keep. I linger there for about an hour, when finally who I'm waiting for comes down the road, another lucky orphan children. She works for one of the local sweet makers as a delivery girl, and she gets to deliver to the Keep twice a week.

I join her on her way into the town. “Come with me and you can have this purse of coins,” I offer as I hold up a small purse that jingled with the half dozen coins in it. It is about what she would make in a month of honest work. I had a very good day today as I got thirty-four purses filled with coins. That's more then what I would get in a three-month period; my crew of others like me would be able to pay for food and even some new clothes for those of us that need it.

She gazes at me suspiciously. “What am I doing to earn this?”

Can’t blame her for asking that, as she has blossomed in the last few months due to better eating and I’m sure she has had some other offers like the one she thinks I’m giving her. “Just come with me into the forest then you can make your way back into town within the forest. Don’t let any of the town guards see you near the gate. I've got a bet with one of the pages in the keep that I can get in there. When I win, I get triple this bag. So will you help?” I lie easily.

“Love to have those uptight entitled louts lose a bet, yeah I'll help." She grabs the bag out of my hand. I let her grab it, I could have kept it from her till after, but I trust her to do the job and not say anything. After all, until she got the job she was one of mine.

We run about halfway up the keep road and turn into the Lord’s forest. The guards on duty there notice us, but as normal, they did not stop us. By the Lord's unofficial decree as long as no visible weapon is carried or no larger than a simple dagger can be hidden the Lord allows us in to “poach” small game for he knows if we are brave enough to enter the forest to hunt, without passes, we are hungry and poor. Of course, the guards don’t think that’s what we are up to but that is my plan, as some of them have seen me in the past always solo when poaching. And with the heightened security, they may not be so willing to allow someone armed with even a slingshot into the forest. We go a few hundred feet into the forest so that we are invisible to the guards and as my female supporter is about to leave I grab her wrist. “You will go by way of the river to enter back into the city, right.”

“Vander, I made you a deal I would not be seen by the guards, so of course I would have to take the river. If any do see me, I will tell them I was taking a swim. In fact I will.” She slips her hand out of my grip, winks, and sprints off through the forest like a doe.

I make my way to where the forest meets the Lord’s wall, into a tunnel I discovered months ago, most likely a bolt hole for the lord's own, one that only he and his know of. I make my way in, clearing out the cobwebs that in the months since my last visit have accumulated. I promised myself I would not use this to get riches, but for food if needed desperately for I have no desire to die by trying to make my way past the family’s keep kitchen cellar where this tunnel leads. Of course, I wasn't given much choice; I would die either way today.

I reach the cellar and lift the trap door up, the rug that covers it adding a fair amount of weight to it. I pull myself though, into the pantry. My nose is assaulted by the delectable odors of roasting boar and breads that are cooking in the kitchen that I am going to have to pass through. I brush myself off as much as I can to appear cleaner. The gods must have favored me this morn for I had put on my least torn and most recently cleaned tunic on today. I make my way purposely to the kitchen, for the secret of being a good thief is to let yourself be seen doing the ordinary dull work therefore becoming invisible. I grab one of the buckets of slop and walk out of the kitchen heading toward the courtyard where I know my mark and his charge spend much of their day in sword and horsemanship drills. I make my way there no one stops me.

I observe the vast courtyard that has many of the Lord's knights going through their last bit of training for the day. Though if it was a normal day even more than four times the number would be here, only the most dedicated to swordsmanship or those that had been ordered to train today are here. So of course the lady and her protector are here for they are both dedicated to the sword, she more so than he. I spot them but as I make my way to them a pair of knights who were fighting with the short blade stop and glare at me, I can tell they are looking for me to step closer to the lady. So I leave the area inconspicuously as possible to the area around the bend of the valley that the courtyard is on. I find the pigs that the slop bucket is for and dump it into their pen as I keep one eye to the yard.


After a short time, thank Apphia; for I was not cut out to handle pigs, the lady and my mark make their way through the path to the north of me that goes to the large bathing complex of the keep. As they enter they, of course, go to different bathing rooms. He has no worries of the lady in danger here for there are three female knights, that entered as they had approached, that will protect her. I decide that I would be foolish to enter the bathing area, but as the day is growing late considering that the lady has to be at the main banquet hall, the hall itself is its own keep, soon to greet her betrothed, I stand right outside the building. To all the knights and other nobles that enter and leave the building that have deemed to ask me what I’m doing, I tell them the truth that I have a message for one that is in there, though fortune is with me. No one asks who the message is for.

After about a half an hour, they walk out, side by side, smiling and joking about. I could not help it. I smirk, “If I didn’t know better one would think you two were the ones marrying and not the lady and her betrothed."


That did it. The lady frowns at me, but it quickly turns into a smile. The protector's eyes pierce through me as he grabs me by the scruff of my tunic, yanks me off the ground and holds me there. The lady rests her hand on his hands and gently admonishes, “It was in jest, Anthar.” She scans me over as he lowers me down. “Was it not, boy?”

I can’t believe my luck meeting two women that save me from their male companions. I would have been thrown across the yard. I roll my shoulders a bit, as my tunic is still in his grasp. “Course, your ladyship. Everyone knows that the two of you are like brother and sister not lovers.” This, of course is a lie, most of those that live in the town and do not get to come to the keep often love to speculate about their relationship and many believe they are lovers. Of course, there are many rumors about Anthar and the lady. It 's nearly impossible to believe even half of them.

Anthar releases me, glares down to me — and I do mean down. I barely come to his chest. “What is your reason to be here, boy? You've been spying on the lady and me for some time.”

Who would have ever thought that he noticed anything as much as me, but this is the first of many surprises he holds for me. I look at him and the lady and back to him before I answer, for I know if I don’t give the letter I have no legit, well semi-legit, reason for being here. I am more than a bit worried about what the message is; for I just have the uneasy feeling the letter is not something that is going to be liked. I ease the letter out of my tunic as Anthar’s hand rests lightly on his sword sheathe. “Sir, I have a message from a lady to give to you.” I don’t know if it is the fact the letter is his or if it 's the fact, it's from a lady but the lady's smile twitches.

I give him the letter, start to walk away almost tripping over my own feet and I hear Anthar say, “Wait, boy.”

I stop but as I am turning around to face him again the lady saves me. “Let him go. He’s obviously just the messenger. He has done his job, nothing more.” I run my way out through the nearby gate; luck is with me for there are many others running out of the gate racing to town to be able to take part of the feast the lord has supplied the city. This is a night of dreams for me, all those rich pockets.




Chapter Two
Barega 22nd 297DVP


“This is what happened, it is what I was told happened later, much later.” The king states to me with sadness as he comes out of his story to the present. “I investigated the matters, doing more than was needed, and found nothing to contradict the recollections.” He gasps for a breath and starts another coughing fit.

I regard him; arise from my chair, hesitant only because it means leaving the story. However, I know I must fetch the king a cup of the wine the healer prepared this morning, watered down as it is. I pour a glass, bring it to him and I plead, “Master, please take a short break and drink this to ease your throat. Allow me to go get some food, for surely you wish to eat.”

He grasps, with both of his quivering hands, the glass. “Yes, you are a growing boy. You need your nourishment. Go have a platter set up of food and drink, but no healer. I will not have the telling put off any longer than it must and that means no sleeping drought from her. Be quick! I will not wait for you to carry it up. Have them do so.” He sips the drink as I rush out the room.

I run down the steps and halls of the castle to the kitchen where I tell them the desires of the king and mine as well, for I am hungry, for the platter of cold meats and herb cheeses as well as the fresh drinks and bread. The kitchen servants rush about with smiles on their faces for the king has not ordered food for some time due to his illness. I grab a broken off loaf of bread and race my way back up the passages as I munch on the bread. I stuff the last large bite of the bread into my mouth. I tell the guard, "There will be food and drink brought up for the king shortly. Allow them in." I enter back in to the room and do the best I can to make sure the king is comfortable.

“The food and drink should be up here soon, Sire. The servants are smiling as they make it for you.” I tell the king as I fluff his propped up pillows.

“They think I am on the mend. We shall not tell them it is only the finale push of strength and the fact I’m making myself beat death long enough for you to hear my tale.”

“Sire, you will beat death.”

“No one can beat death, if illness or injury doesn’t take you then Horaz will join Fiangauar, I know for I've helped death many times, as you will discover. Now back to the story. You may eat when the food arrives. Take your seat and listen.” I sit in my chair eagerly waiting for him to continue the story. “Now where was I … oh yes I was about to tell you what happened after I delivered the letter to Anthar and I left to skin more pockets.”



Chapter Three

Shamis 14th 14DVP The 24th year of the reign of Fianguarian King Thamir the 3rd


Anthar's eyes dart to the horizon toward the gate and back to Serena. “That boy is no delivery boy.”

“Why do you say that?”

He answers with a casual wave of his hand toward the main gates, “He got in the keep grounds and instead of just delivering the letter he acted as a slop boy.”

“Well, maybe he is just good at his job and was told to deliver the letter in secret so not to have wagging tongues. And he got tired of waiting for you to be alone. But open the sweet note. I’d love to know who has their eyes on my blade knight.”

Anthar's eyebrows crease as he reads the letter. "Is this a joke? What in the name of the gods is this about?"

Serena pulls the letter out of Anthar's hand. “What? Did some young lady spin your head and now she’s with child?”

Anthar blushes. “By Henazita no! But it could be worse.” He eyes the letter in her hand.

She reads it and starts laughing. "If it's a joke, I can't wait to hear the punch line. You must have gotten someone upset, for someone to send you this. "

Anthar scratches his head. "I can't think of anything that would be worthy of this kind of threat lately."

Serena peers over Anthar's shoulder states, "Well you've got one more to tell it to. He will figure it out." Serena turns her attention to another young man.

He has the same distinguishing looks as her. With his wavy royal cut blond hair, his bangs lightly falling over his thin brow meeting his squinting, mint green with blue spec eyes that are taking in the crisp early evening sun. He wears a light mustache upon his upper lip and on his chin sits a light goatee, intensifying his angular jaw and strong square chin. He is wearing a teal green v–neck tunic with a silver embroidered lining down the front meeting at three silver clasps. The waist high royal blue coat is open with the same silver lining down the sides. The coat is held within his silver iron belt. His breeches are of a blue gray with tanned gray leather boots. The mid-high collar teal cape has flaps that go over his shoulders and cascades down to his knees, with the same embroidery as his chest. The inside of the cape is of a blue gray with the same embroidery of the chest.

"Hello Vincent. I assume you are here because Father is in a hurry as usual?"

"No, not that Father isn't in a hurry, but I'm hungry, so you do need to hurry. You were laughing, What did Anthar do now?"

Anthar questions, “Who me? I did no…."

Serena cuts him off with a wave as she hands the letter to her brother Vincent.

Vincent asks as he takes the letter, "Let me guess it is a letter from an irate father or brother or some lady or lass wrote him another poem." Vincent reads aloud, "The Bastards are dying. You may be next. Watch your step.” Vincent scratches his goatee, an eyebrow raises in search of an answer. “We will figure this out after tonight's ceremony, or at least after I eat. We will, as always, watch your back, but don’t do anything stupid.”

Anthar glaring, “When do I do anything stup—"

Serena interrupts, “We don’t have time for this.”

Vincent swings both of his arms in front of him as he turns back to the keep for Anthar and Serena to walk in front of him. As they pass Vincent inspects his sister noticing she is wearing a pine green tunic with tan breeches and a pair of leather laced sandals, matching Anthar’s style of outfit. He teasealy says, “You know Father will not allow you to wear what you are now. So you are going to have to change quickly.”

Serena rolls her eyes sighing as they continue to walk up to the family Keep. When they reach the Keep's back entrance three ladies-in-waiting and a matron come out, grab Serena, and rush her up the stairs to her quarters. The men take a detour to the kitchen. Vincent grabs a nut bread loaf and a skin of mead. They head upstairs to the bedchambers. Vincent tosses Anthar a chunk of the bread. Anthar heads into one of the rooms and changes into his formal blade knight Hallun attire. A teal open-collared tunic and his maroon red vest that matches his reddish brown breeches with a belt at his waist with a silver buckle holding a mustard yellow stone for the god of war and high upper calf dark maroon leather boots. The belt holds the simple black leather sheathe for his short sword. Then he heads out as he grabs his fine cape.

They stand outside her room; Vincent is standing on the right side of Serena’s door while Anthar is standing directly across from Vincent on the right side of his door, sharing the loaf and the skin, while Vincent tells Anthar what he has been reading today, a military battle that happened three hundred years ago. Anthar, as attentive as ever, while smoothing his mustard yellow on the outside but midnight blue in the inside military shoulder cape, “go on… Sounds interesting… Really… Wow…. Uh huh …..” In all the right spots. Twenty minutes of Vincent telling of every bit of troop movement in clinical detail Anthar runs his hand through his black with auburn highlighted hair down his neck as he is shifting his weight Serena’s door opens he says “in...ter…rest…ing….” as his dark blue eyes with hazel specs go wide and his cape drops to the floor as Serena steps out.

As one of Serena's maids close the bedroom door Serena glances at Anthar, a flicker of smile flashing over her face as she notes Anthar’s mouth hanging open. Her fingers slide underneath the twisted tri-strand brass choker around her neck as if to loosen a noose. Her fingers wrap around the three-inch brass hilt of the six-inch iron dagger that hangs from the strands of the choker feeling the coolness of the ruby in the center of the hilt. The point of dagger plummets behind a one-inch silk teal blue ribbon that leads to the sea-green form-fitting bodice enhances her fair formed breasts. The sleeves at the shoulders, are snug around her well-muscled upper arms, and gently flare from the elbow to the wrist.

Her lightly calloused hands still contain a feminine softness to them. The ring on her left pointing finger is made up of a brass band on top of it holds a circular iron plate. Embedded on the plate is a six point bronze star and at each point holds a gem from each of the Gods of Balance and one to represent the god of war, Helawig, in the center. The north point of the star is Nafunina’s birth gem of red granite. The south point of the star belongs to Fiangauar, solid polished obsidian. The North West point is Pavan’s white diamond representing wind. The green peridot at the northeast point is Gorgek’s earth gem. Below Pavan’s gem is the fire gods, Aden, gem of orange agate. Across to the last point, Laura’s water gem is sapphire. The center of the star has a rough cut of the war gods mustard yellow amber.

The royal blue three-inch thick sash is tied around her waist hanging gracefully off her right hip. The hemline of the dress is a three quarter hemline in the front and to the floor in the back all matching the bodice. Her teal blue flat soled shoes with a sea green sunburst pattern that are laced with a one quarter inch teal blue silk ribbon going up her calves half way.

Her once mated helmet hair is now in curls in the front and wavy on her sides the different tones of blond were noticeable the back of her hair had been tightly curled, being contained within a four string twisted brass circlet. It has three twists then splits into two strands forming two loops that form four small circles, in each of the circles is a gem going mustard yellow amber, a blood red boulder opal with their blue and burnt orange streaks and finally black onyx. This pattern goes around the whole circlet three full times until the front, where the strings separate again into individual loops forming four small circles with two large circles one at the top and one at the bottom with a diamond shape in the center. Each of the circles contains a gem matching the rings gems doubling the mustard yellow amber one at the north and the other at the south points. The diamond shape is open to her skin. Her light olive tan complexion shimmered with a light pink blush to accentuate her high cheekbones and a light pink lip-gloss to soften her lips, offsetting the squareness of her jaw. The gown that she is wearing compliments her two toned eyes, by being two shades lighter than the eyes that being spearmint green with blue flecks.

Vincent taking a sip from his flask notices Anthar’s difficulty in picking up his cape because Anthar is not bending his knees. He turns his head to his left, sees his sister, nods, hands Anthar the flask. He picks up the cape and places it on Anthar’s shoulder clasping it, and places his hand behind Anthar's shoulder gently pushes Anthar to face the hall instead of Serena. After getting Anthar’s body facing the right way, he releases his hand on the shoulder, bowing to Serena to go forward, he semi gently elbows Anthar’s skull within the same motion. Vincent steps back still pointing forward, Anthar refocuses and straightens his broad chest upwards and realizing that his cape is not fully hiding his short simi-ceremonial sword, adjusts his cape as he strides forth. Vincent is now pulling back giving Anthar space and allowing Serena to step into place. Serena with a light blush in her high cheeks and even more intensified twinkle in her eyes raises her eye brows lightly she steps in between her best friend and fellow knight Anthar and her brother Vincent, follows Anthar down the hall. Vincent as he starts to walk behind looks up with a roll in his laughter busting eyes, “I’m hungry hope were having pork.”



Chapter Four

Anthar, Serena, and Vincent enter the Great Hall. The aromas of the apple wood and pine needles wafting from the lit fireplaces in the four corners invigorate them. They nod to the many nobles, upper class merchants, and the high-ranking officers, from miles around, as the trio stride to the high table. The dozens of servants, all dressed in Hallun colors of teal blue and mustard yellow; quickly and quietly serve the throng of well-dressed guests diced fruits in custards and spiced bread and a young mild wine. Brother, sister, and her blade knight greet Lord Jagua and Lady Killdra before they sit to feast.

“Father, Mother,” say the siblings in perfect union both nodding to them as they stand at their seats at the center of the long table.

“My lord, my lady.” Anthar bows to them and joins the siblings where he is sitting next to Serena.

Lord Jagua and Lady Killdra, nod in acknowledgment, sit at the head of the table. To the right of Lord Jagua stands the Satchel, the two lord's and lady's blade knights, the captain of the keep and the captain of the city, then three empty seats that are for his son Vincent, his daughter Serena and her blade knight, Anthar, followed by his four additional foster children that range in age from nine to fourteen. Lady Ruan and her bodyguard are standing at the other head of the table. On the bodyguard's right side, there are the ladies and lords in waiting, a middle-aged female blade mage, the high priest and the wizard by Lady Killdra.

The harp that is in the middle of the hall along with a few other string instruments plays a set of nine notes. The rest of the group at the high table sits down to feast, while the rest of the guests immediately leave their groups and head to their own tables. Serena inhales deeply taking in the fresh scent of the white orange jasmine flower in front of her, fully accepting her duty to her family. She raises her head to her father with deep respect and love for the way the Great Hall looks and smells on this all-important day.

The servants bring out the bread and cheese plates, along with another light wine. A quick wink and a smile to Anthar, Vincent quips," Don't expect Serena to be at practice the morning after tomorrow."

Serena looks down and begins to pick at her bread and cheese. Anthar returns the glance at Vincent then looks down at Serena, "I know she will have enough sword play during the night." Serena's eyes find Anthar's as her cheeks heat, bursting into a blush red, she takes her knife and stabs the bread to stop her from causing a scene. A female servant steps between Serena and Anthar pouring another glass of wine. Anthar with perfect timing, "I'm sure the sheathe will fit.”

Serena after just managing not to spit out the gulp of wine bumps the servant’s elbow, spilling wine into Anthar’s lap. Vincent unable to help it releases a quick chuckle as he brings his glass to his lips. Serena continuing her turn towards her brother, “Your turn is coming brother. You know father is looking for a match for you.”

As the poor flustered servant tries to clean the spill, Anthar is doing his best not to notice the pressure of the servant's rags patting on his lap to soak up the wine so the stain won't be as deep, Vincent chokes on his wine, “You just had to add that extra line didn't you Anthar.”
“I had to get a rise out of her." He takes hold of the teenage girl hands and removes them from his lap and smiles to her. Another servant arrives to pour the wine.

Vincent waiting until Serena picks up her wine glass after it was filled. “No you didn't she'll get enough of a rise tomorrow night.”

Serena rushes her napkin up to her mouth and laughs the wine into her napkin. Anthar without pause, "That's not the only thing that's going to be stained.”

Two servants come over as the ones pouring the wine leave. One of them removes the plates that have the bread and cheese, the other serves a meat platter’s which contains roasted lamb, roasted pheasant and baked fish all of which are covered in their natural fat drippings.


The servant girl blushing still at Anthar's and Vincent's remarks, walks to a small door that leads to the hall that she takes it to the other entrance to a courtyard, where there is a small party of well-dressed young men. One is a young teenage squire, the second is a guard dressed as such in a guards uniform though not of Hallun colors. And the last but not the least - never the least - is a young man standing six foot two with a medium olive skin, whose hazels eyes sparkle with the green of young grass. The servant girl approaches him. He smiles and nods his head. “How is it progressing in there?" He waves his squire to help the girl. The squire takes the wine platter she carries.
"They have just finished their bread and fruit platter, My Lord. Everyone is enjoying themselves."

"If my bride to be is half as lovely as you I shall consider myself one of the most fortune favored men in the kingdom." His eyes trail the young lady as the squire hands him a goblet of wine. He raises the goblet to the heavens. Before he takes a sip, he pours a small amount to the earth.

The servant girl's eyes drop and bows. “Thank you, Lord Edwin, and you shall be most pleased. She is a lady and not a mere servant like me."

"You are no mere servant. You are a beautiful young woman. Never forget that, my dear." He flirty comments. He takes the fruit, cheese, and spiced bread platter from her hand lightly brushing her hands with his. Her cheeks redden once again. “Thank you. We shall wait for your return for the next dish."

The servant girl bows once again and walks back to the Hall. He hands the tray to the squire. Meanwhile the servants are just finishing serving the meats to those inside the hall.

While Edwin is waiting, barely able to hear the music, the muffled voices of the noble families, the moisture from his palms start to build. He pulls his cape around him. He starts to pace allowing his mind to race as he sips wine absently minded. “The last time I saw her she was only... fifteen. She was a rambunctious spitfire then. Has she matured into a Lady who can handle my household? My kids, she doesn't even know about them. All my traveling will she understand that most of it is for handling my father's affairs across the whole kingdom and outside the kingdom in the unconquered and barley civilized Islands? Am I going to be like my father and be philanderer, or only maintain the mother of my young children as a mistress? Will she give true heirs? Oh, if there is a whisper there will be retribution. She is from one of the finest and oldest families of the south, so that might have to be tempered. I don't know her but it is my duty to my family to have her as my wife. I hope she will like me. Of course, I have never had any complaints but I have never had one that I had to be true to before either? Will she ....”

The squire steps in front of Edwin, to replace the empty goblet it with a full one.

The bodyguard with a swallow of the bread he was gnawing on, “What you worried about, my lord? You have had plenty of other women. This one is just going to have last your lifetime instead of a few months.”

Edwin downs the heady wine in a gulp, walks over to the plate, grabs a hunk of bread and stuffs a few pieces of cheese into the bread, bites into it, to resettle his nerves.

As he gulps his second bite a servant boy comes out announcing, “My lord, it’s almost time to go in. Here is the meat platter that they are half way through." setting the platter on the table next to the almost empty wine decanter. "I will have another wine brought out. You have about ten minutes to eat, then I will lead you in.”

Edwin refills his goblet and downs that once more. He pulls his cape close again. Edwin stares at the great doors while waiting for his squire to bring him a plate of the meats. He takes a deep full breath stretching his back as he does so. His eyes close, as the early nafuninaiam fragrances of the courtyard garden, lavender, jasmine, the citrus trees at their height of bloom fill his senses and the sounds of the swimming fish from the pond splash about.

“My Lord it is time to go in now.” Interrupts the servant boy. Edwin jolts out of his revelry, opens his eyes, and nearly drops his plate of meat he didn't even know he had. He hears his squire and guard licking meat drippings of their fingers.

Edwin and his party walk into the entrance hall of the Great Hall. He lowers his head down, takes a deep filling breath, puts on a pair of dress gloves that match his boots, trying to gain proper composure. The odors of the roasted meats, the fresh breads, herbs and spices used in the dishes that were served, makes his mouth water, reminding him that outside of a few bites of the local bread and cheese he hasn't eaten anything since breaking his fast this morning. Just beyond the great story and a half doors lays the Great Hall where Edwin can hear the loud murmuring voices of the people and the music. One of the three Great Hall guards, wearing their full Hallun uniform of teal blue coat, its mustard yellow tunic underneath, tan color britches, and a medium length, mustard yellow in the inside, teal blue on the outside, cape, pulls on a cord three times.

Edwin takes another deep cleansing breath. He hears nine sharp notes from the harp and the scraping of the chairs as the people are standing in his honor then silence. The door to the Great Hall opens up as Edwin's angled downward head becomes more composed, his eyes still lightly shut, he takes two full steps into The Great Hall and then one half step to gain his balance he brings his head up into a regal position and opens his eyes, the harp player plays a light stepping tune.

Edwin thinks impressed, “Most of these nobles are only in last year’s seasons fashion, they’re not as backward as I thought they would be. Only a few are in something more than three seasons out of date.”

Edwin walks to the left and around the deep mahogany table, gracefully matching the tempo of the harp. He scans the whole of the Great Hall. Taking in that the first of the three white stone stories is twice the standard height and the two stories of balconies are of fine oak wood one-third walls. The main floor he high back chairs are of mahogany wood with fine burgundy red cotton seats. Including all fifteen long tables, that twelve seat thirty-six, and the three Hallun family tables, identical to the one Serena is sitting, sit twenty-four fine are also of mahogany wood. He glances upward only with his eyes and notices that all the many smaller there or six person tables in the balconies are also of same quality. The lit fireplaces are of brownstone, releasing the smell of apple wood and pine into the Hall. Edwin allows his eyes to stray to the high ceiling.
He continues to stride to his place, notices the musicians in the middle of the hall, all but the harp player watching him not playing. He turns right to walk around Lord Hallun but as he does, so he can’t help but to stop as he gazes toward the middle of the table and thinks, “This is to be my wife, she is more beautiful than I thought that the mousy spitfire could ever become. If her personality has grown into that of a lady I shall have no worries.”


During the split second, he pauses to look over his wife-to-be, Serena bows her head in acknowledgment. She reflects how the last few minutes of the day has gone and what changes are about to happen in her life.

Serena hears the nine sharp harp chords being played. She rises from her chair. She peers at her plate and realizes that her plate is half-full with food. She glimpses to see Anthar’s and Vincent’s empty plates. She lifts her head to see the great hall doors open. Serena shifts her weight slightly toward the right to look upon her husband-to-be as he enters the great hall. The light cascades from the second and the third floor windows on Edwin’s shoulder length chocolate brown hair with peanut highlights glistens bringing out his medium olive skin tone the curls in the front accentuates his strength of his forehead. The length of his immaculate styled slightly wavy hair against his face softens his angled cheekbones that lead into a clean shaved strong jaw. She notices that his eyes are closed for a split second as he takes a deep breath, bring him to his full above average height.

As he walks around the table and comes into Serena’s unobstructed view, she sees the six tiered frost green cape clasped to a lime green coat with gold inlay on the seams, with a tiger brown vest and a mid-collard white shirt. His pecan brown breeches with the tiger brown weave show his well endowed leg muscles is held up by his gold belt. His tiger brown knee high boots with six gold buckles going up the leg and an intricate triple weave gold lace going up the seams.

She takes in his bearing. She wonders again for the hundredth time today. "Will I meet his approval? Am I going to be able see my family or even go on trips with him or will I be stuck at his manor like a prisoner with no friends? Will he allow me to bring my own personal serving girls or a whole new set of servants? Am I going to have a role in the mercantile side? Or just the responsibilities of a noble wife? Why with a merchant and not a proper noble? Will Anthar remain to be my blade knight? He better allow me to train with Anthar and remain a Realm Knight. How many children is he going to want? Is he going to be like the rumors I hear of his father? Will he be faithful? Will we grow to love each other like my mom and dad or will we loath each other? What will I do if he or even I am unfaithful? Will he be gentle or will he take his husbandly rights? How can I lay with a man for the first time when he has probably laid with many? It isn't for me to question, my father loves me but he has his own duties to the empire."

Edwin gazes over her she looks into his bedroom eyes staring intently at each other. Lord Hallun turns to block Edwin’s view of Serena and offers his hand. Edwin shakes Lord Hallun's hand as he releases a sigh and Serena takes a deep breath Lord Hallun smiles and gestures to continue. Edwin walks to Anthar's seat. Anthar takes a half step back, his arms behind, nods, as Edwin on the other side of the seat. A dagger thuds into the middle of the seat, Lady Killdra screams. Anthar pulls his sword out and whips his cape in front of Edwin and Serena, his eyes scans all of the tables. Lady Ruan faints. As all the other guards are take their short swords out, Serena pushes Anthar's arm that is holding the cape down so she can get a view of the room as well.

Some of the guards run up the stairs to investigate the second and third floor balconies as other guards are going to the rooftop apartments where the head-chefs live. A scream from the second floor. Anthar signals the captain of the guards to take control of Edwin. The captain also, tries to keep Serena protected but she is too swift and pushes them aside as Anthar races up toward the scream. Serena pushes ahead and pauses at the stairs to allow Anthar to take the lead. Vincent puts his hand on Edwin’s shoulder. Edwin looks toward Vincent toward his wife-to-be and her Blade knight as they head up the stairs. Edwin slightly steps to the side causing Vincent’s hand to leave his shoulder.

Anthar, Serena and the guards go toward where the scream emanated from, they see a girl of no more than sixteen convulsing. The guards form a protective circle around her. Anthar enters the circle as Serena pushes her way through the guards. The teen-age girl suddenly stops convulsing and with one last hoarse breath exclaims, "Missed the bastard."