Through the Gate: The Chronicles of Cornu Book 1

by L J Dalton Jr

  “Well let’s look at the big picture as Paul used to say. Nordia is the most prosperous kingdom on the continent and arguably the best run. Oh, we’ve got great natural resources, like the fertile flood plain of the Ro. It’s more than that. It’s been well run. The rulers have encouraged the people to be industrious. And doing their share to make sure the land prospers. Just look at your grandfather, having the foresight to fund Paul’s agricultural station. Look at what’s come out it. Better horses, cattle, sheep and now more breeds that all help our farmers and people to be more prosperous. Your family has guided the introduction of all those farming machines that Paul brought from the home world. The crown made sure that the printing press was used primarily to spread important knowledge. It’s now branching out to stories and other books that are for entertainment.”

  “Your family has also helped to make sure that all the major cities are run by competent rulers. I include myself among those and I’m proud to.” The duke held up his hand to forestall Randall and he went on. “We take our taxes to fund the things that need to be done. We build the roads, enforce the laws and regulate the commerce in this land. We do live well, but we don’t have opulent palaces like some other kingdoms I could name. All of the children are raised with the idea that ruling is duty not a right. They’re schooled to be good rulers.”

  “Now as to Catrina, I think she may be your smartest child.”

  Randall smiled and nodded his head.

  “Yes, but she’s also got the personality to do it. I’m sure that she will assemble a good family to help her. Partners that will be strong where she is not quite as competent. Now I know Paul talked about how these pheromones play such a big part in our choice of partners. Yet when we talked, he didn’t think that there was only a couple of people that would pass that test. He thought that there may be several hundred or more. The key was to look in the right places. I think your family does that.”

  “Thank you Marvon, for those kind words. I will have to think about them and discuss them with my wives. We were all hopeful that you would have a solution. What do you think will happen to Brandt?”

  “Ah, Brandt. There are a number of kingdoms that are hoping to have him marry into the royal family. Let me explain why. First, the reputation of the royal family in Nordia is very high and deservedly so. Second, they are having trouble producing heirs. Those that they do are mostly female, very few males. Less than is normal. Brandt would bring the know how he gained here to any kingdom. Besides Brandt, they are hopeful that he will bring some of his close associates with him. Do you think that if Brandt were to be put in a position of prominence that he couldn’t convince his good friend James, Paul’s grandson to come with him? Maybe some of the younger scions of the better merchant families as well?”

  “I hadn’t thought about that at all. Right now, I just see a young man growing up and haven’t really looked to the future. Yes, I guess I can see what you’re saying.”

  The duke continued. “There is a dark side to this as well. Some of the kingdoms to the south are jealous and envious. They look at Nordia and covet the resources. They fail to realize that they could have similar success if they were better stewards of their kingdoms. Instead they have bloody disputes over succession and often the most ruthless is who is the new ruler. They tax their people more than we do and live in far more splendor than we do. If the cost of war was not so terrible, they might launch a war of conquest. Sometimes I fear what they may do.” As he was finishing, he saw the look on Randall’s face.

  “What’s the matter have you heard of some threat?”

  Randall nodded and then laid out Alania’s prophecy and the precautions that they had taken. As he talked the duke grew more agitated.

  “Those vile scum. I think that you are safe against direct attack. The guard you have should be sufficient to discourage all but the most suicidal attempts. A ‘warrior-scholar’ and giving Catrina a number of children. It would have to be someone from the home world. That would make her perfect to replace me. The direct attack is not what you need to worry about, it’s the assassin’s guild.”

  “The assassin’s guild? I’ve never heard of them. What do you know about them?”

  “Not much, I’m sorry to say. They are used mostly in the southern kingdoms and have their headquarters somewhere in one of them. They kidnap young boys, right after the choosing and then raise them to be assassins. They are feared and they apparently use drugs of some sort to indoctrinate their charges. Some years ago, we caught a band of them with two kidnapped boys. We rescued the boys. All the assassins committed suicide. I sent word through some dark back channels that such activities in Nordia would not be tolerated. Your grandfather backed me up to the hilt.”

  “So, you think the main threat is from these assassins?”

  “Yes, if they did convince somebody to attack your party, they would always have a plan for the assassins to get to you to finish off the family. If they strike, they may well strike against your sister as well.”

  “I’ll send a bird tomorrow to Great Falls and let my brother-in-law Dravid know. He’ll take steps to ensure that his wives and children are safe. This is a lot to think about, I appreciate your honesty and friendship Marvon.”

  The two men shook hands and then departed to go to their quarters there to discuss the situation with their wives.

  The next morning after breakfast, Randall and his wives got together.

  “As you know I talked with the Duke last night and he had some surprising and illuminating things to say. First of all, he thinks that Catrina should succeed him here.” He looked at his wives both of whom were nodding their head. “You’re not surprised?”

  “No” Juliana replied. “She’s very competent and I guess you’ve got to realize that your little girls are growing up. Christiana will have her own family soon and Catrina will soon follow. We’d been speculating that one of the children may make a good candidate to take over. What about Brandt.”

  “That brings me to what he said about Brandt. Apparently, many of the other ruling families are having trouble producing heirs, especially male heirs. If there is a strong attraction between Brandt and a royal in one of these other kingdoms they would be thrilled. Marvon sees the hand of God in this or if not God, something powerful anyway. He also thinks that the other kingdom would hope that he would bring along his friends like James. Our kingdom is apparently viewed as the best run kingdom on the continent and they want to tap into some of our talent.

  Both women smiled. Serverna took the lead. “I’m sure if Brandt left for such a marriage, James would soon follow. Not only James, there are two or three others that are in the group with Brandt and James. They are all the lesser sons of large merchant families and if they wanted to go with them, no doubt their families would be happy for them to move into new opportunities. But this idea that the royal families are having trouble producing heirs is something I haven’t heard of before.”

  “One more important thing. Marvon believe that the threat comes from a kingdom in the south. His real fear is something called the assassin’s guild. They are a strange group; from what the Duke says I’d guess that they are a something like a cult. If there is an attack it may be to weaken us and make us vulnerable to the assassins. I’ve sent a bird to Great Falls and to father to warn them. Being armed and alert will be even more important once we start for home from Great Falls”

  The three of them continued to discuss it during the day. That evening they had a farewell meal. The Duke and his wives continued to engage both the adults and the three children in conversation. The wives seemed to be very solicitous of Catrina. Brandt was simply pleased to be noticed by the adults and treated with like he was important.

  That evening there was a diner and reception for the royal family. Just before it was to start, the duke called them into a private room. “Your highnesses I’ve taken the liberty of increasing the security. I’d like to introduce you to Trenten and his men.” The duk
e indicated six men dressed in evening clothes who bowed to the royal family. “One or more of these gentlemen will be near you at the reception. They’re there for your protection. Just treat them like any other guest. There will be extra protection on your quarters as well.”

  Christiana and Catrina showed visible shock. One of the duke’s wives said. “This is a precaution, my dears. One of the duties that come with these positions is to carry on and pretend that nothing out of the ordinary is happening. I’m sure you two are more than capable of it.”

  The two girls looked at each other and Christiana sighed. “Of course, your Grace, you’re right my sister and I welcome the protection of such handsome men.” With that the men proceeded to go out and take their seats. A minute or so later the royal family and the duke and his family followed. The dinner and reception went smoothly.

  In their room Christiana and Catrina went to Christiana’s room to talk about the night. “Extra security, what’s going on Christiana?” asked Catrina.

  “I’ve no idea, but let’s see if Brandt has any idea.” With that the two sisters went and knocked on their brother’s door. When he opened it, they pushed their way in and shut the door behind them.

  “What’s going on? The two of you don’t come knocking late at night and barrage into my room unless there’s a problem. So, what’s wrong?”

  Christiana took the lead. “Something is going on, there was extra security at the reception tonight and after his talk with duke last night, our parents seem to be a bit more worried. Do you know anything?”

  Brandt thought for a second. “James and I thought that there might be something going on so we both got derringers as an extra weapon that we could easily hide on our person. I know both his mothers and ours are now carrying them. Guess I’ll start sleeping with my dagger under my pillow.”

  “Derringer, what’s that Brandt?” asked Catrina.

  “It’s this little gun that you can hide. It’s not very big and you have to get really close to use it. But if somebody disarms you, they might miss it. Here let me show you.” With that Brandt got out his derringer and showed it to his sisters.

  The girls looked at it carefully. “Brandt, where did you get this, and do you know how to use it?” asked Catrina.

  “James and I got ours from the armory in Nordport. The armor showed us how to use it. It’s got two barrels. You pull back the hammer on one barrel and pull the trigger and it hits a flint inside and shots out the ball. You could pull back both and shot both barrels. Up close it will do the job. James and I worked with it and you’ve got to be only three or four feet away. It makes a big hole.’

  The girls looked at each other. “We’ve got to get one for each of us.” Said Catrina. Christiana nodded. They thanked Brandt and left his room. Before they went to their rooms, they found one of the guards.

  “Could you please ask the Duke if he would be so kind as to supply each of us with a derringer for our trip?” asked Christiana.

  “Certainly, your highness. I’m sure that can be arranged. They should be available prior to your departure in the morning.”

  The girls then went to their separate rooms. Each slept with a knife under their pillow. The next morning before they left Centralia, a servant came up to them and handed each of them a box. “These are the items you requested.”

  The duke and his wives saw them off and they headed northwest towards Westland. The carriage carrying Randall and his wives was mostly silent as they considered what they learned. While in the carriage carrying the two sisters there was a more animated conversation.

  “Cat, what was your impression of our visit.”

  “First, we’ve got a problem as we know. Tonight, you, I and Brandt will find out what’s going on. As to the rest, they’re very nice and their obviously competent. The city is growing and prospering. It’s now the third largest city in Nordia. I did get the impression that I was being interviewed very carefully. What’s your take Chris?”

  “I agree we need to know what’s going on so we can be prepared. Brandt already suspects. He probably didn’t tell us because he didn’t want to worry his sisters. He’s a good brother. As to the interview, I wouldn’t be surprised if you were. Duke Marvon, has no heirs and nobody wants a relative to take over there. There are a good five people who would be able to make a legitimate claim. It would all be much better if he could declare an heir. And what better way to put to rest any disturbances than to name a member of the royal family.”

  “You mean ME! What about Brandt. They seemed interested in him as well.”

  “You’re the logical choice sister. I’ll need support when I assume the throne. I’ll have cousins in Great Falls, and if I have a sister in Centralia then those are three largest cities accounted for. Duchess Sophia is a solid supporter of the crown. It would make sense. Also, Brandt is destined to go somewhere else on the continent. While he can be an annoying little brother, he has a number of good qualities. He’s intelligent, forms good friendships and is quietly competent. I imagine many of the realms would be pleased if he married a daughter of high standing. Don’t ever tell him I said this!”

  “I wouldn’t think of telling him that, he might become even more annoying.” Catrina replied with a laugh. “I guess I’ve just concentrated on marriage and family and not really thought about what comes next all that much. I’m going to have to start.”

  Westland

  The first night after leaving Centralia was spent a large inn. After dinner, the three children, went to their parent’s room and knocked. When they were let in, Christiana took the lead. “What’s going on. We’re apparently in some sort of danger and we need to know more so we can protect ourselves.”

  Randall could tell that his children were united in this. He looked at his wives and then started to tell them the whole thing. Aliana’s vision, her warning to not go into the valley, the possibility of the warrior-scholar, the duke’s worry about the assassin’s guild, his suspicion about the southern kingdoms. He held back nothing except the possibility of Catrina winding up married to this strange warrior-scholar. When he was finished they all sat in silence.

  Brandt was the first to speak. “I’ll do whatever I can to protect you. If we’re going to die, let’s go down fighting.”

  Before anyone could answer Catrina spoke up. “Brandt, I know you’re brave. Dying is the last choice. Of all of us you’ve got the best chance of making an escape, especially if there are woods. First chance you get, you take off into the woods. No matter what happens I want the people who did this to suffer. You’ll have a good idea who they are and can at the least tell grandfather. You’ll also have the chance to get help. So, you run to either save us or avenge us.”

  “Brandt your sister is right. This isn’t about bravery, it’s duty. An heir must survive. You need to promise me if something like we’ve been talking about happens you will escape. I need your solemn word.” Said his father.

  Brandt was not happy, but reluctantly agreed. After some more conversation the children left. Catrina and Christiana wound up in Christiana’s room.

  “What do you think?” Catrina asked.

  “Well, I hope it’s not true at all. But with all this there has to be some danger out there. Another kingdom, I can’t believe it. We need to find them and deal with them without starting a war. Big question is should we share a room. Sleeping with a knife under our pillows until this resolved is a good idea.”

  “I can’t decide, I think sleeping in our own rooms. That way it’s harder to get to both of us. I suspect anyone who goes after our ‘little’ brother will find a little viper instead. He can use that sword and he’s a good shot with the pistol.”

  Catrina left and went to her room. The rest of the trip was somewhat melancholy, but they put on a good face for all the people they met during the trip. As the girls reminded themselves, the duke’s wife was right. This is part of the duty of someone in their position.

  Westland was located in the Northwest
of Nordia and on the great plains of the northern part of the continent. The weather was a bit colder than what they were used to, but at this time of the year not unpleasant. The winters were another matter. Like Randport the winters were cold. But the winds from the plains made it even colder. Over the years thick stands of fir trees had been planted around the city. Now they extended a good half a mile from the outskirts of the city. It was the smallest of the six major cities in Nordia, with under twenty thousand inhabitants.

  The southern part of the duchy supported cattle and sheep. The northern part was left to bison and wooly mammoths. Also, to the north were the mines and the blast furnaces. The royal family arrived after a week of traveling since leaving Centralia. They were greeted at the palace by Duchess Morinia, her husband Simane, and co-wife Ludmina. The two families were on good terms as were the children. Being somewhat older, two of their daughters had already married, one had moved away and Rolina the oldest was still there and the heir apparent. She and her husband Abel had not yet had a child. The one son, Petor, still lived at home. He was nineteen and in two or three years would start looking for someone to marry. While he and Catrina were friendly, neither were interested in betrothal. The families had easily accepted that it wasn’t to be.

  When they arrived, Randall took Morinia aside to explain the situation. She already knew. “Your highness, Duke Marvon has already sent a bird. I’ve no idea what this assassin’s guild is. However, security has been increased. My husband, son-in-law and son are all aware of the situation. Whenever you leave the palace, I’ll be sending some of my guards with you to augment those you have. Any extended trips and the three men in my family will accompany you. Somebody attempting to strike at the royal family is attempting to strike at us all. I pray this is a false alarm. If they attempt a strike here, I and my family will do our best to make sure that it is unsuccessful and very painful.”

  “I appreciate that your Grace, I really do.”