by Donald Davis
The incident with the wolves had been two days ago, and Joshua had been gone eight days now. He knew that he would be there soon. He may not have made it within a week, but with how unpredictable nature could be, he was happy to almost be there.
Joshua made it to Yordenfall later that day, before evening. He trotted on his horse until he came to the top of a hill that provided an incredible view. With the city in sight, he was almost overwhelmed to see how huge it was. Yordenfall was the largest both in city and territory in Asedith, and Joshua could now see it for himself. On his horse atop the hill, Joshua looked out and saw the massive city below him, as well as several plains and fields beyond the city walls that made the landscape a lush green. Looking to the left and right, he saw several buildings, stands, statues, halls, forges, some of everything it seemed.
Joshua eased down the hill after taking in the city for a moment. He figured that the sooner he found the leader of Yordenfall, the better. All he knew about the leader was that he was lord Braith. The Braiths had been in power in Yordenfall for roughly seven years now. With its high population and business rate, Yordenfall was thought to become the new capital of Asedith. However, before the Braiths had power, it was ruled by traitors that had helped the foreign invaders in attacking Asedith. After the invasion was stopped ten years ago, it was hard for Yordenfall to regain trust from the other cities. Seven years ago, the Braiths were chosen to rule. Ever since, the city and its people have been slowly earning back trust. The Braiths always obeyed and helped the crown whenever they could.
Joshua brought his horse down to the bottom of the hill and explained to the guards at the gate of how he was expected to meet with lord Braith. They allowed him passage and directed him towards the leadership hall. He then trotted towards the stables near the hall and stabled his horse. When Joshua dismounted, he looked all around him. Being in the midst of this large city was a bit overwhelming at first. There were hundreds of people all around him hurrying about their day, seemingly on important business. Just out in the courtyard in front of the leadership hall, he saw several merchant and trader stands, two blacksmiths and weapons traders, a woodworking shop, a furnishing store, and the city courier that made the city’s newsletters. So the rumors were true, Joshua thought. Yordenfall is the biggest city in all of Asedith.
After looking around for a time, Joshua started up the stairs into the leadership hall. He was thankful that there weren’t as many stairs leading up to the hall as there had been at Roseshire or Treadrock. He then made it up to the stairs and entered the hall. The city of Yordenfall was impressive, but the hall itself did not seem as unique as the others in the major cities. When he walked in, the room itself seemed to stretch on far. With several tables lining the middle of the room, it appeared that lord Braith would meet with others and dine here. On the other end of the hall past the tables, there was a throne with a small open area in front of it. This would be the same room that the city’s leaders would hear appeals from the citizens.
Joshua proceeded inside the building when a slightly taller man approached him. He was dressed in fine linens and wore a silver ring as well as a gold necklace. “You must be ser Joshua,” he said. “I am,” Joshua replied.
“I’m afraid that you’ve caught me off guard, what would be your name?”
“My apologies, I am lord Braith. You can call me Roland.”
Joshua shook his hand. “Ah, lord Roland. I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it was you.”
“You’re forgiven,” he said. “I’ve been expecting you. I knew that the journey from Roseshire would’ve been a long one. I had men keep a lookout for you starting yesterday. In his letter, the king bragged about your skills as a warrior.”
Joshua was surprised that Braden would brag on him at all. “I don’t know about that, lord. I try my best.”
“I’m sure that you’re just being humble. In any case, from what the king has told me and from the way you carry yourself, I believe my daughters and I are in good hands. I will also have fifteen of my city guards traveling with us to Amelina’s wedding. Feel free to position them as you wish.”
“Thank you, lord. I will do my best to keep you and your daughters safe.”
“I have no doubt,” Roland said. He then looked behind Joshua. “Speaking of which, here comes one of them now. Joshua, I’d like you to meet my other daughter, Evalyn.”
Joshua turned around and saw the most beautiful young woman he had ever seen, smiling at him.
Chapter 14: The Wedding
“Hello,” Evalyn greeted him. Joshua was almost at a loss for words. This woman was stunning. She had a thin figure with a beautiful face and long red hair. Her eyes were bright green and shined bright to reflect the innocence in her soul. Joshua tried to gather his bearings to prevent himself from looking like a fool.
“Hello, pleased to meet you, my lady.”
“The pleasure is mine. I believe I heard my father call you Joshua?”
“That you did. I am ser Joshua Bracken of Roseshire. I have been sent by the king to escort you and your family safely to and from your sister’s wedding.”
“I am pleased to hear it, the roads are dangerous. One can never know what lies out there.”
“Indeed, my lady.”
“So it is ser. You are a knight?”
“Yes, my lady. A king’s knight, as a matter of fact. I am sworn to the king to dispense his justice and do his bidding when needed.”
“Well, that is a very noble thing to do,” the princess smiled.
Joshua smiled back, “Thank you, my lady,” he said.
Roland then spoke up once again. “Glad that you two had the chance to meet before the journey.” He then turned to Joshua. “Ser, I know that you’ve been traveling for over a week now, but I’m afraid that we must leave at first light tomorrow. You may stay in one of the vacant rooms in the hall if you desire.” Joshua nodded, “Very well lord, thank you.” Roland then looked at his daughter. “Evalyn, your mother and sister were looking for you. Something about packing their belongings for the journey and of the details for the ceremony. If you would, please find them and see what they need.” She nodded, “Yes, father.” She then turned to Joshua. “It was nice meeting you. I do hope that we get to speak again.” Joshua’s heart skipped a beat. “As do I, my lady.” And with that, Evalyn walked further into the building.
Roland then turned to Joshua again. “I know you must be tired, ser. I insist that you rest. I do wish for you to be sharp on the journey there and back over the coming days. I’ll have a servant come by and show you to your quarters for the night.” Joshua nodded, “Thank you, my lord.” Lord Braith smiled. “You can just call me Roland. I have mutual respect for those who carry out the will of the crown. Loyalty is important. Something I wish to embed in the people of Yordenfall, due to the previous house that ruled here.”
“Of course,” Joshua said. “Thank you, Roland.” Roland turned and walked away. “Get rest, Joshua. You may need it tomorrow,” he said as he left the room. Shortly after, a servant came and showed Joshua along to the room that was mentioned. It was small, but it would do for the night. It was still midday, but he didn’t care. Joshua got into bed and slept from then until the next morning. When he woke up, he took care to equip his chainmail and prepare to travel yet again. Joshua was grateful though, considering the trip was only to be a day and a half compared to the eight-day trip that he had just made. The ceremony was to take place within Roseshire territory, but it was in the southernmost region, just outside of Yordenfall boundaries.
Joshua got dressed and walked outside to ready his horse. Once he did so, he trotted his horse to the stairs of the leadership hall, where everyone else was gathering. Roland walked up to him.
“Good morning, Joshua. I trust that you slept well?”
“I did. Thank you again for your hospitality.”
“It’s the least we can do. I also wanted to tell you that the other soldiers are already here. Feel free to approach
them and arrange their positions and formations as you see fit.”
“I will Roland, thank you.” The lord then walked away, back to his family. Joshua saw Evalyn across the yard. She was talking with her family when she looked over and saw Joshua and waved. Joshua smiled and waved back. At least she is friendly, Joshua thought. Beautiful, too.
Within the next half hour, the rest of the party had gathered in front of the hall and Joshua had positioned the soldiers. The royal family was intended to ride in the middle of the caravan, out of harm’s way. Half of the guards would be stationed around the royal carriage, while the rest would be spread throughout the caravan. Two of the guards would hold up the front while two held up the rear. Joshua would ride in the middle of the caravan on his horse, riding just ahead of the royal carriage.
After the formation had been set up, Roland permitted them to start moving. Altogether, the caravan set out on the trip. Within a day and a half, they would be there. Joshua was already fond of Roland as a person and leader. He seemed to be humble with his leadership, treating most men as equals rather than subordinates. His daughter Evalyn seemed kind enough as well. He had not yet had the chance to speak much to Roland’s wife or the other daughter yet.
Most weddings would take place within one of the cities, but this case was different since both the husband and wife were among royalty and from different major cities. From what Joshua heard, the location that they were heading to was remote and isolated. The road from Yordenfall to the location was rather dull, Joshua thought. Most of the trip was on a straight road and offered no interesting inns, towns, or landmarks. But luckily enough, the caravan arrived safely to the wedding location the next night.
When they arrived, Roland stepped out of the carriage. “We are here, everyone. Make camp for the night, the ceremony shall be in the morning,” he said. And so it was. The men unpacked and set up camp for the night, setting up tents and in some spots campfires. Roland was kind enough to have his men prepare a tent for Joshua, which he appreciated. Joshua knew that the next day they would have the ceremony before leaving back for Yordenfall, so he decided to get some sleep. Joshua lay in bed for a while. He tossed and turned, unable to find peace. This was unusual for him.
Finally, after a long time of restlessness, Joshua decided to sit by the nearby campfire for a while, in search of peace. Joshua put on some tunic that he had packed and exited the tent to make for the campfire. He walked out and sat down on a log near the fire. He sat there, for a time. He thought about all of the recent events and how they had brought him here. The rebellion, the battle at Keridion, his father’s death, Braden becoming king, Braden then making Joshua a king’s knight, it was hard to believe that all of this had happened so recently. Now that he was thinking on it, Braden making Joshua his knight didn’t seem like a suggestion. It all seemed forced, planned even. Was this some way of him intentionally keeping Joshua, the former king’s son, away from the capital? After all, he knew that Joshua and his family would need to find some other occupation to provide for themselves after he had lost the election. The thoughts kept coming, but Joshua tried to put them to rest. He knew that when he was tired that he could be paranoid.
Joshua then looked up from the fire to see the lord’s daughter, Evalyn, approaching. “Is that you, ser Joshua? May I join you?” she asked. “It is, my lady. And of course, you may," he responded. She walked over and sat next to him. “I couldn’t sleep," she said. “I’m a bit restless, with my sister’s wedding tomorrow. We’ve always been close and I’m sad to see her go. I hope that her husband treats her well.”
“I’m sure he will, my lady,” Joshua answered.
She looked at him and smiled. “Well, if you represent what most people are like from Roseshire, I’m sure that she’ll be in good hands.”
Joshua smiled back. “Thank you, my lady.”
“You can stop saying ‘my lady’, you know. You can call me by my name.”
“Yes, my lady," he joked to her. They shared a moment of laughter.
“So Joshua, how does one come to be a king’s knight? You must have friends in high places to be trusted with a job such as that.”
Joshua then began to think of everything once again. “Well, it’s sort of a long story. But my father used to be king. We won the rebellion against the Sulvaine army with a final battle at a small town called Keridion, not very far from Roseshire. We won the battle, but on the way home, my father was killed by remaining soldiers who had been planted in wait before the battle took place. Even in death, Blaire Sulvaine managed to take down my father.”
“Oh Joshua, I’m sorry. I had no idea. I apologize for mentioning it.”
“It’s okay, you couldn’t have known. At any rate, after we buried my father, the city proceeded to have an election. In any other kingdom, I would have immediately assumed the position as king. But as you know in Asedith, it is based on a vote from the people, and I guess the people just wanted a new face. Once Braden had been crowned, my family and I knew that we would have to find a way to take care of each other. Which is when I asked Braden for a position, in which he anointed me a king’s knight.”
“I’m sorry that all happened to you, I did not know. When I met you, I knew your name was Joshua, but I didn’t know that you were Joshua Bracken. I heard that you fought bravely at Keridion and that you’ve helped Treadrock with issues before coming here. In that, we are all thankful.” She smiled and placed her hand on his. “Your father would be proud.”
Joshua held her hand. “Thank you, Evalyn.” They smiled at each other, looking deep into each other’s eyes. Joshua hadn’t had time to be with many girls, he had always been training to be the next king. There was a talk at one point of possibly making a match for him with someone, but before that could happen the rebellion had started. That was well over a year ago now. He knew what he should do, but he was nervous. He tried to forget about it, but the moment just felt right. Joshua then leaned in and kissed Evalyn. He then backed away, realizing what he had done. “I’m… I’m sorry, my lady. I didn’t mean…” Evalyn then closed in and kissed him back. She smiled, “It’s quite alright.” Joshua wasn’t sure what to say at this point, he had never had a moment quite like this. She was also the daughter of a lord, nonetheless.
Before he could say anything, Evalyn stood up. “Well, ser Joshua, I have had a long day of traveling and I am tired. I bid you a good night. I do hope that we get to speak again tomorrow.” She smiled and walked towards her tent. “Same to you, Evalyn. Goodnight," Joshua said. The princess got further away and entered her tent. After a moment longer of staying by the fire, Joshua walked back to his tent. He laid down in his bed. There is something really special about that woman, he thought to himself. Maybe things do happen for a reason. He smiled, then had the best night of sleep he had in a long time.
The next day Joshua woke up early in the morning, which was unusual compared to most days. Even stranger, he woke up early and felt well-rested. When he first opened his eyes, his first thought was of Evalyn. He sat up in bed, thinking of their tender moment the previous night. He couldn’t help but smile. When he got up, he equipped his chainmail and put his tunic over it. He wanted to look presentable, yet stay well protected. He wanted to sit next to Evalyn so badly, but he still had a job that he must do. By being charged with the protection of the family on the trip, he must also stand guard during the wedding should anyone bid them harm. But Joshua had hoped to speak to the princess once again either on the way back to Yordenfall or once they had returned.
The ceremony started not long after Joshua awoke. He gathered the guards and positioned them all at different corners of the area. There were eight benches set up outside with decorations set up at the end of the aisle. The couple was to be wed on a hill overlooking an open valley down below. There were many green pastures and fields out in the distance, but they could scarcely be seen due to the fog that had been laid out that morning.
Roland, his wife, and Evalyn all sat on t
he front bench, while the parents of the lord that was being married sat on the other. Once everyone had been seated, the couple gathered in the center and the priest came out and started the ceremony. For Joshua, it wasn’t a very interesting time. Since he was to stand to the side, the most interesting thing to him was Evalyn. She looks so beautiful today, he thought. He also still couldn’t remember her mother’s name. Small things like that bothered Joshua at times, so he was determined to make sure that he remembered her name before he left Yordenfall to leave for Roseshire.
The ceremony itself only lasted a few moments. After the priest announced them to be man and wife, men ran out with two barrels of ale and set them up with flasks at the nearby tables. They then brought out several courses of food. “And now we feast!” one of the men shouted. Food sounded good to Joshua, but he was not allowed to drink. Everyone was allowed to drink but him and the guards. It was to keep them sharp on their way back to Yordenfall. “If someone were to attack, I need you and the men prepared for battle at a moment’s notice,” Roland had told them. Of course, Joshua complied. Weddings could be dangerous in these times. Though mainly if someone were to attempt an attack, it would have been before or during the ceremony. The odds of someone attacking now or on the way home was less likely.
Joshua sat at a table with other guards as they ate. He wanted to sit with Evalyn , but nobody else was aware of their connection. Besides, he had a duty as a guard. He was to remain aware and to keep the family safe, much like his own family. He started to wonder how his mother and Emilia were doing. It had been a week and a half since he had last seen them. Hopefully, Braden was still treating everyone well and keeping his end of the arrangement.
After a few hours of feasting and drinking, the couple decided to be on their way. According to one of the guards Joshua had talked to, the lord from the Roseshire village owned a cabin not far from their current location. The two of them mounted a horse and waved at everyone. With that, they went on their way. There were a few servants who stayed behind to clean the area, but they were not of the caravan that Joshua rode with. After another hour, the people of the caravan gathered together and assumed the position that they had set out in. Some of the people, like lord Roland, had too much ale to drink. He seemed to be of a sound enough mind, but his speech was slightly slurred and he would occasionally stumble. Once the caravan was ready to set out once more, he stood up and announced, “Alr-alright everyone… Let’s b-be on our way.” He slowly climbed into the royal carriage. Some of the guards laughed as the caravan set out to Yordenfall.