“Did you kill my father?” she plainly asked. “No, I didn’t kill your fucking father. Who gave you that idea?” he wanted to know. “Me, you said the only reason you kill people is for money. My father owed everyone and I am sure you were no exception. It would make perfect sense to kill him and take your due,” Elisa told him. “You’re a lot fucking smarter than your father, I’ll tell you that. Maybe I should have killed him but I didn’t, I couldn’t. Only one person could have got away with your father’s killing. The fucking king. I couldn’t do something like that without permission of the ruling class. I am a feared man but a feared man without an army is nothing. If I killed your father I would have a thousand knights chasing me right now. Remember, I am the pawn. I can’t just run around killing dukes or raping and pillaging without sanction,” the Grizzly Bear said.
“Have you ever raped a girl?” Elisa asked. After a brief silence she stopped and turned around to see the Grizzly Bear lowering his head, avoiding eye contact. “Is it fun?” Elisa sternly insisted. “Now girl, don’t ask questions you don’t want to hear answers to,” he warned. “No, I really need to know how pleasurable it can be to beat a girl into submission before forcing yourself on her. That doesn’t sound like fun to me. And you will address me as your queen, pawn,” she reminded her guard.
He got close to her face and said, “Alright, my queen, what the fuck do you think your precious Prograggers are going to do when we storm the first city? Do you think they’ll pat the little girls on their heads and tell them everything will be alright? You better learn about the army you employ before you get high and fucking mighty with me,” he admonished.
“I simply cannot understand it,” Elisa argued. “You could never understand it. It’s a war thing, a man thing. It’s impossible to explain to a woman. It’s like when everything goes red while you’re killing. It, it’s kind of like that and you can never understand that. When you get done, you don’t even remember doing it. After staring death in the face for an entire battle, the enemy’s women are part of the reward. That’s just the way it’s always been,” the Grizzly Bear retorted.
“But that’s no reason to continue on with something. If we had kept doing the same as the first families, we would still live amongst the animals, not in these castles. I can see you know the act to be wrong. You can look at the situation and realize that just because someone has done it in the past, that’s not justification. If people started to hear the best killer in Donegal has condemned rape, others will follow you, a leader,” she smiled at the scary man.
He didn’t return the courtesy and Elisa realized she had never seen him smile. The Grizzly Bear said, “Now I’m a fucking leader? A few moments ago I was reminded I’m just a pawn. Does this come with a pay increase?” he asked. “I forgot it’s all about money with you,” she shook her head. He rebutted, “Not all of us have had a crown placed on our heads.” She thought for a second and spoke, “When I start receiving word that the cities we’ve sacked are rape free, you will start receiving your piles of gold.”
“I can control my men for enough gold, I would think, but you are on your own with the barbarians. Wait until they eat a woman’s heart right in front of you. No, the only way to control them is to cut off their cocks before we leave. Tell them it’s a ritual for warriors of Donegal. You hold that fucking horn for a reason, use it to your advantage,” the Grizzly Bear counseled.
Elisa had been warming up to the Grizzly Bear. Lady Victoriah, Lord Ichibod and the hairy beast were the only people who talked straight to Elisa. Everyone else fawned all over her with the most ridiculous compliments to curry favor. Elisa still didn’t know half the names of the people who were constantly following her around, whispering in her ear, pledging their undying support.
The Grizzly Bear guided her into a room with the only person Elisa fully trusted. Lady Victoriah sat in another seductive black dress which couldn’t conceal her erect nipples. “My lady, I present Queen Elisa,” the Grizzly Bear bowed. “Thank you, Grizzly Bear, that will be all. Please wait outside until we are finished,” the lady ordered.
He left the room and Lady Victoriah said, “You seem to have grown quite accustomed to the animal. He is much like a dog, no?” “If I hadn’t known the man and after getting to know him, if you told me he was the awful person known as the Grizzly Bear, I wouldn’t have believed it. He has a rough exterior but I can see a gentle man somewhere inside,” Elisa told her. “He’s extremely lousy in the bedchamber so I would avoid slamming hams, as they say,” the veil-less lady smirked. “I was never even thinking of that. Wait, have you?” Elisa asked with embarrassment. “Oh, come now. A huge man like that, I was curious, you could say. You can’t say you’ve never thought about it once,” the lady prodded.
“No, I still…” the queen paused. Lady Victoriah cut her off, “I knew it, no secrets. We promised. You are in love with someone?” Elisa lowered her head. “Yes, he is probably dead and I have barely even had the time to think about him with all my queenly duties.” “Sometimes we must forget events and people from our past to fulfil our future plans. Is he highborn?” the lady wanted to know. “He is a knight,” Elisa tried. “I am sorry dear, queens don’t marry knights, they only have wild sex with the pretty ones,” the lady almost laughed.
Lady Victoriah played with her veil on the table and continued, “High Lords Maron and Wedgeword will be here on the morrow and High Lord Lolat will arrive in four days. Lords Maron and Lolat both lost sons in the Royal Road Ambush, as the day has come to be known. We need to convince them that although this king didn’t give the order, a Wamhoff will always be a Wamhoff. After the albino’s regicide, this should make them sympathetic to our cause. You have said Ali-Ster was a good man and I take your word, but so often in this realm, the good ones die young and the rotten ones live on forever. I saw my good boy, Penrose, go at only twenty. Your children are the only ones you are forced to love. They are a piece of you. They come from your body and soul. I can see a maternal instinct in you with Telly. Both lords will be asking for her hand. I will respect you to deny all requests from these lords because neither has a suitor fit for the queen’s sister. Huff all the promises they will make you, we don’t need their lands, only their swords and backing. Lord Wedgeword presents a unique problem. His rotten son now serves as Commander of the King’s Guard. We have to somehow convince the man to march on his own son. That will be a delicate matter, no doubt,” the lady warned.
“What do you think Lord Ichibod would do if Anderley was still serving the King?” Elisa wanted to know. “He would have marched a fortnight ago. A mother is forced to love her children unconditionally but apparently the same does not apply to a father. He picks and chooses when he wants to be a father. My son Darryg may never get you pregnant but he will be a great father to your child. You should see him around the young ones, he is just great,” a true smile crossed the lady’s face as she finished, “Please try to find a man who looks like Darryg for the sake of his father. That is all I can ask.”
“Of course. Why does Lord Ichibod hate the Wamhoffs so much?” Elisa asked. “I guess the puppet shows give it away a bit. He blames them for anything and everything. He blames King Ali-Stanley for the castration because he paid the ransom too late. He also thinks Ali-Stanley took his sons away to spite Ichibod for not attending his wedding with Emilia Burke. He blames the Wamhoffs for killing Penrose even though it has been established that he took his own life. He hates Tersen for having to deal with him as a high lord. He says the albino prances around the meetings, sticking out the red fox stitched into his chest so all can see he is a Wamhoff,” the lady revealed. Elisa realized everyone had reasons to hate the Wamhoffs.
“How can you kill your brother and nephews?” Elisa wondered. “Poison, my dear,” the lady said. “No, I’ve heard they died from an arrow attack,” Elisa told her. “I am talking about the poison of power. Tersen got entirely too close to miss out on his chance to wear a bloody crown. Looking at it from our s
ide this is a blessing from the Gods. People are fleeing Falconhurst like the city is on fire. Our path is clear with nobody guarding Cloverfoot. This year will grow cold and so too shall you, but it will be warm once you reach the throne,” said Lady Victoriah.
Elisa looked right at the lady, “I believe there will be room up there for the both of us.” She smiled and Lady Victoriah shook her head in agreement.
“You smile too much for a queen. I am going to get a veil for you to wear, a heavy one. I used to smile too much and found the veil to be a useful item. The cloth can hide your emotions and serve several purposes. If your citizens are unhappy and see their queen smiling like the butcher’s dog, who knows what anger that might cause. In negotiation, it is best not to reveal your motives like you have seen from the good lord and me. The veil will keep them guessing as to your reactions to their offers and you can use their nervousness as your ally. The last reason to wear the veil is to avoid people asking favors. Do you see the way the citizens react to me when I pass?” the lady asked.
“Yes, they all try to stare until you approach closer then they put their heads down and pretend not to see you,” Elisa answered. “Yes, they do. That’s because I don’t smile at any of them. You smile and they think you are their friend. Then, they ask every sort of favor you could ever imagine. Huff all that. The people can call me Lady Ice, just so long as they don’t call on me for favors. Smile only once and they will always expect something. I will have the seamstress measure your head later. I may have her make yours a bit thicker to hide that happiness. War is serious, as well. You don’t want to look happy while men are dying. We can smile when we dance in the King’s Castle or Queen’s Castle as it may become known. Now get a good night’s rest. Tomorrow is a big day. I’ll be around early to get you,” the lady said.
The next day, Elisa met the high lords at the main castle gate. The visiting lords brought their wives and settled in their rooms before Lord Ichibod took the high lords to see Ali-Varis. Elisa was nervous that the prospective king would lash out at the high lords or try to attack them. She still vividly remembered the scene from their wedding festivities when Ali-Varis went crazy at the dinner table. Most of the King’s Guard had to band together to control the prince.
The appeased lords came to the room to join Lady Victoriah and the queen. Elisa negotiated in the meeting room with Lord and Lady Ellsworth, across the table from High Lords Wedgeword and Maron. After about an hour, Lord Maron argued, “The crown has been in trouble many times over and always came out on top. What makes you think you can really win?” “We have a clear path, straight to the Capitol,” Ichibod pointed out on the map. “So she can’t promise anyone from Ali-Varis’ family and she won’t promise any of her children. How can I trust a queen who is unwilling to seal our pact with marriage?” Lord Maron asked.
Lord Maron of King’s Reach was a wrinkled old man. His bald head had freckles and made an odd contrast to his unshaven face. Hezekiah Maron stood shorter than Elisa and weighed about the same as the skinny queen. His lips shook when he talked through them in a light, whispery voice.
“What kind of pact is ensured by promising an unborn child to another unborn child? I believe that Grand Duke and Foreign Chancellor are better offers than these propositions of marriage,” Lady Victoriah argued. “Makes me suspicious you already have her children claimed for yourself, Lord and Lady Ellsworth,” Lord Maron stated.
“I want her firstborn son or I am out. I’m marching on my own son. I deserve the firstborn son as tribute to my outright dedication,” Lord Wedgeword said. Alek Wedgeword talked in an overpowering, boisterous voice. The man stood tall and thick with long black hair and a beard streaked with gray to his chest.
“I can see this has turned into a pissing contest the likes of which unsuited for our queen. Lord Ellsworth, would you show these men what they are siding against, please,” Lady Victoriah suggested. “Absolutely, my lady. My lords, if you will please follow me,” Lord Ichibod said and the men left the room.
Elisa’s heart pounded with excitement. She enjoyed negotiating with the top lords of Fox Chapel. If she secured the three lords’ support, she would have the backing of five of the ten districts of Fox Chapel. Add the army of Prograggers to the mix and Elisa felt confident. She knew little of war but much of numbers and scenarios to understand this was a risk worth taking.
“This will go either one of two ways,” the lady said. “What is going on?” Elisa asked. “Lord Ichibod is going to show them the Prograggers and elephants. Then he will give the lords an ultimatum. They will be with us or against us. There is no middle ground in this matter. They will receive the final offer as it stood right here at the table. They can take it and stay for the feast or kick rocks up that dusty northern trail. If they refuse they had better wish we don’t take the throne or it will become quite uncomfortable for the two men,” the lady stated.
A few hours later, Ichibod barged through the doors and said, “Can we accommodate the two high lords for the feast?” He flashed a quick smile and stated, “You have your ways and I have mine. Rather fine combination we make. I have even more confidence now that Lord Lolat will come to our side. The Prograggers swung the good lords to our cause.”
“Yes, I’d like to speak to you about that. What do you know of their battle behavior?” Elisa asked. “They are relentless warriors. You should thank the stars to have them on our side,” Ichibod stated. “I’m worried that whatever they do in the towns we sack will be attached to our rule. I want to stand for justice but I can’t truly do that if my army is raping and pillaging the kingdom we swore to bring honor to,” Elisa told him.
“What I do know of the Prograggers is possessions and rape mean little to them. The glory of winning the battle is of upmost importance for these men. You saw them, they are different from our soldiers who see rape and plunder as reward. I cannot surely tell you what they will do in a sack but if they do start raping, I’m not going to stand in the middle, and I suggest the same for you,” the lord advised. “I warned you about dealing with matters you don’t agree with. You can’t have it every which way you like. Your words were, ‘I will do anything,’ remember? We’ve assembled a growing army of sixty thousand already. You have to deal with all that arises from that. This, I don’t believe, is the stand to take,” Lord Ichibod advised.
“Easy for someone to say who’s never been raped,” Elisa raised her voice. Ichibod snapped back, “Neither have you. Me, yes, I’ve had much worse done to me so don’t lecture me on the ruthlessness of life. I am sure you know what I am talking about because you two have talked more in your short stay here than we have our entire marriage. War can be one cruel bitch and you are about to find out you can’t have everything without moral sacrifice.” Lady Victoriah stepped in, “Alright, alright, everybody relax. We have an enemy to fight soon, let’s not kill each other first. And now, we have a feast to attend.”
The Lion’s Hall had been lavishly decorated for the event. The flags of both districts had been hung around the room. The marching mountain cat in front of the blue house on a white field represented the Maron family of King’s Reach. Other flags with a golden bow and crossed silver arrows on a powder blue field stood for the Wedgewords of First Foot. Candle holders extended across the entire wooden tables, covered with black tablecloths. Serving men carried trays of fried slices of stag horn for the guests to snack on. The affair had a more formal feel than the rowdy feast with the obnoxious Lord Nanbert. The high lords sat at stepped buffets with their families and guests. The Ellsworth family, the high brother of the church and Elisa sat at the table of honor at the dais. The rest of the hall was filled with lower tables made of pine and lined with matching benches.
The dinner wasn’t nearly as gluttonous as her last feast, which sat fine with Elisa. The guests seemed on their best behavior and the brothers of the church appreciated the good manners. Fire roasted mountain cat made its rounds to the delight of the Maron contingent. Next came the crab st
uffed thistles with melted butter and toasted mustard seeds. Elisa really liked them. Cockles in metal buckets were dropped on each table for the guests to pull from the shells. The applewood smoked lamprey followed and Elisa couldn’t eat much more. She picked at the desserts of mulberry cobbler, lemon tarts, jellied apricots and of course, apple buns.
After the long meal everyone got up and mingled with each other. Elisa noticed her sister sitting alone. She quickly went over and sat down. “Having a good time, are we?” Elisa asked. “No, not at all. Did you marry me to one of these lords’ sons?” Telly demanded with a snotty attitude. “No, of course not. Every lord has asked for you and I’ve refused each one. Unless you want me to?” Elisa lingered on it.
“No, the other places could be much worse than here. At least they have the apple buns here,” Telly said. “They are quite tasty treats. Sorry I haven’t been able to spend much time with you. As queen, I am being pulled in every direction at all times. I barely have time to breathe,” Elisa explained. “I still don’t understand how you are the queen,” Telly said. “King Ali-Tersen has a false claim to the throne. I have the rightful claim from my marriage to Ali-Varis. It’s complicated, but our family will be in the royal records,” Elisa said.
“I heard the guards talking the other day. They don’t want to go to war for you,” Telly revealed. “How did you hear that?” Elisa demanded. “I climbed a tree and they stood under me and talked,” Telly told her sister. “You need to stop doing that. It’s too dangerous,” warned Elisa. “The men said that all of them were going to die. They said you are just a creation of Lord Blackheart and Lady Ice. They called you Queen Ice-Heart,” Telly told her. “I like Queen Ice-Heart. You need a heart of ice to rule a kingdom,” Elisa responded. “Ice melts,” Telly said.
Fractured Families (The Pearl of Wisdom Saga Book 2) Page 38