by Timothy Bond
"Excuse me," Anne said as she released Rozlynn's hand, smiled, and backed out of the small garden enclosure. One of the King's Elite appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, to prevent anyone from accidentally entering the alcove, and the King was effectively alone with the Lady, as was the plan.
"What's this all about, Your Majesty?" Rozlynn asked, as she took a step toward him.
"Please, don't talk," Leondis said, fumbling for something in his vest pocket.
Rozlynn took another step toward the King and was now nearly close enough to touch him. Leondis managed to free whatever was in his pocket, looked Rozlynn in the eyes, and fell to one knee before her. Reaching up to take her hand in his own, he nearly fell onto the paving stones, as she was still just a little too far away for him to reach her easily. She stepped half a step closer and held his hand in both her own.
"Lady Rozlynn," he began after clearing his throat. "These weeks that we have spent together have been precious to me. Precious beyond words. I feel a bond with you unlike any that I have felt with any of the many women I've been with up ‘till now."
Rozlynn raised an eyebrow at this, but the King did not seem to notice.
"If I may have only one thing, one thing only, for the rest of my life, I wish only that you will agree to be my Queen, my wife, my partner in life, to bear my children, bear with me and all of the challenges that I will pose to a wife, and spend every day with me until we both pass from the world."
He lifted the ring in his right hand until it was well over his head.
"Lady Rozlynn, will you marry me?"
Rozlynn looked at the man before her, once the arrogant womanizer who wanted only to bed her in the middle of the night, and realized that she too had fallen for him. This started out as a simple task to make sure that there were as few complications as possible when she finally cast the spell upon the King.
That task turned into much more, and now Rozlynn found there was nothing she wanted more than to marry this man and to be with him, as he grew old and feeble. She would live on long after his death, of course, and that would be something that she would have to deal with, but it was a small price to pay for the years they would have together.
She lifted the King's left hand, signaling him to rise as was befitting a King. When he was once again standing, a head taller than the diminutive Elven Princess, she pulled him down to her level and kissed him passionately, before pulling back and simply replying, "Yes."
Sixteen
When the King and Rozlynn returned to the party, they were hand in hand, and neither could contain their joy. As they walked into the room together, the gathered crowd erupted in applause and congratulations, which caught both of them a little off guard.
"What is this?" Leondis demanded.
"Your Majesty," Minister Nolan was the first to greet them. "The secret of what you planned tonight is probably the worst-kept secret in the history of the Kingdom. Seeing the Lady Rozlynn enter the room with your Mother's diamond ring on her finger, well, that pretty much tells the whole story."
Rozlynn raised her left hand, the back of it facing the room, and wiggled her fingers to show off her engagement ring.
"You did not tell me this was your Mother's ring," she said into Leondis' ear.
"It did not seem important at the time," the King replied.
The two continued into the room, where those in attendance, many who were more than a little bit drunk, subsequently mobbed them.
"Your Majesty.” Lord Kreager nearly stumbled into the King, as he came up to offer his congratulations. "On a night such as this, Sire, might not you finally name a Baron of Eagles Reach? The Barony has been without a Lord for more than a year now. Surely on this grand occasion, someone fitting of the title has proven worth."
It was no secret that Kreager sought the title, and for the last six months, he had lobbied the King at every opportunity.
"Splendid idea, Kreager!" Leondis agreed. "I have been too long in naming a Lord to oversee the region, but frankly it was not because I was unable to decide who to name. I made that decision long ago."
Kreager smiled, stumbled a little, and nearly clapped the King on the shoulder before realizing what he was about to do. He turned and took a step to the side to avoid a collision.
"I'm pleased to hear that, Your Majesty," he slurred, and then swept his arm across the room. "I'm sure all assembled here eagerly await the news."
"The reason I delayed, was really one that I simply needed Minister Nolan to help me with. We finalized our work just last week, and I am pleased to say that Eagles Reach is now a Duchy, and no longer just a Barony."
Applause filled the room. Kreager was beaming, and more than one man present was already congratulating him on what was sure to be his elevation to Duke tonight.
"The people of Eagles Reach will be honored to hear this, Your Majesty," Lord Randolf said in earnest. "They have long felt slighted by being so isolated from their Duke in the North. Though your Father talked of combining the Barony with Alnen and perhaps creating a Duchy centered across the lake, which was also not to their liking. They are a proud and independent people."
"Proud and independent, like their new Duke!" King Leondis said, smiling as he looked around the room. Kreager was straightening his jacket, sure that he was now to be named.
"It gives me great pleasure to announce several things formally tonight, and for this I will return to the dais and ask that you all gather around. Lord Randolf, Lady Anne, and Lady Rozlynn, please join me."
The crowd collected below the dais, the servants distributed drinks, and the King waited until everyone had a drink in hand to offer a toast for his announcements.
"First, the news that started my evening, and something that makes me incredibly happy for one of my oldest and dearest friends.” He raised his glass and turned toward Lord Randolf and the Lady Anne. "Tonight it gives me great pleasure to announce the engagement of Lord Halford Randolf and the lovely Lady Anne Cadresean. They are to be married this coming spring—in Fifth-month if I heard correctly. Please join me in a toast to the perfect couple! Say a few words, Randolf!"
Everyone clapped and cheered, and no one in the room was surprised at this. Randolf and Anne's courtship had been quite public. This was a simple marriage, but the friendship between Randolf and the King went back to their earliest childhood days, and the people assembled were genuinely happy for them.
"You honor me too much, my King," Randolf said after standing. "It is true that the Lady Anne and I are to be married in the spring, and we are thrilled to have been here on this night, for a much more important announcement awaits!" He lifted his glass in a salute to the King and sat back down beside his betrothed. She held his hand in her own and smiled in that special way that only lovers smile.
"Hear, hear," Lord Kreager declared, from his position right beneath the dais. "On to the next announcement!"
The King looked down at Kreager and was not amused; however, he ignored the inebriated Lord and continued.
"This next announcement I have been told is one of the worst-kept secrets in the Kingdom." With that statement, the room burst into laughter and applause. The King allowed this to go on for a moment as he looked to Rozlynn. She was smiling and simply glowing with that beauty that only she possessed.
"Tonight, the Lady Rozlynn has agreed to become the next Queen of the Realm, as my wife."
The room practically erupted. Though the nobles expected it, the way Leondis said it, they knew that this was more than just a woman to wear the title and to bear the heir, though both of those things were critical to the future of the Kingdom. Rozlynn was a woman of substance who would rule alongside their King, and that was something the Kingdom had not seen in several generations.
The King let the assembled Lords and Ladies go on for some time, while Kreager simply feigned applause and stood looking smugly at the King. Leondis knew what he wanted, and finally he held up his hands to silence the room.
"Though
the Lady Rozlynn and I have not spoken of the date for our wedding, I assure you we too will marry in the spring, and then get busy bringing you an Heir to the throne!"
Rozlynn playfully slapped him on the arm, while many of the Ladies in the room blushed and turned to their partners, some indicating that perhaps tonight they might make heirs of their own. Finally, the King drank deeply from his glass and made the final announcement of the night.
"Last, but certainly not least, I will name the new Duke of Eagles Reach tonight. The paperwork has all been drawn up, and all that is needed is the formal announcement—though the man does not know he is to be named. Minister Nolan, if you will please bring me the sash."
The minister was ready with the newly created sash of the office of the Duke of Eagles Reach and brought it to the King. Accepting this, he motioned Nolan to stand to the side and behind those on the dais. Kreager was ready to step up and accept the position, his bearing showing that in his mind, no one else could possibly be named Duke.
"It gives me great pleasure to announce my decision on the Duke of Eagles Reach. I have been through many hours of consultation with my advisors, including Duke Haren and Lord Berrol, and I assure you this is the most qualified man in the Kingdom. He is known and loved in Eagles Reach and beyond.” Kreager was absolutely beaming now. "I know he and I will work very well together to grow the Duchy into something that everyone living there will be proud of."
Kreager side-slipped over to the stairs leading up to the platform, prepared with his acceptance speech—memorized over months of planning for this very moment.
"With no further delay, let me introduce you all to the new Duke of the new Duchy of Eagles Reach, Duke Halford Randolf!"
* * *
The Sorceress Drianna stood quietly in the back of the Royal Ballroom, watching the proceedings. She did not understand why Rozlynn was so proud in all of this, knowing that ultimately she would have to trigger the magic that would bind the King to her and allow her to bear his children.
She said at one time that she had to live with this decision, and this life in the castle. The Prophecy said otherwise, but Drianna expected that perhaps the Princess did not want that part to come true.
The words haunted the sorceress however, as Rozlynn was her only real friend in the world. Both were long lived, and together they had studied The Prophecy for nearly four centuries. Sacrifices had to be made to save the world; however, Drianna wondered now if the time was truly right and if Princess Rozlynn was truly the one to put them on the correct path.
* * *
"Bringing The Children into the world ends one life, begins two more. Hunted by sire, friend, and foe, death follows where they lead." — The Goblin Prophecies, Caergana Abbey
* * *
"Darling," Anne asked Randolf as they finally left the party well into the morning on First-day. "Why did that man, what was his name? Kreager? Why did he and the King get into that nasty argument?"
The two wandered arm in arm toward the guest wing in the castle. They had finished a light breakfast and were going to spend the rest of the morning snuggling in their bed under the softest down comforter that Randolf had ever felt. The Lady Anne was already having an influence on the new Duke, and he loved it.
"Lord Kreager owns the estate next to our new home, my love," Randolf explained. "He has been standing in as the Baron-in-waiting since the old Baron died. He moved into the Baron's estate, took over the servants and the treasury, and though I don't believe he was doing anything irregular, he certainly expected to be named Baron. When the King announced that Lands End was raised up to a Duchy, and that I was to be the Duke, it deflated Lord Kreager immediately. Though I was not paying attention, Nolan informed me that Kreager was ready to mount the steps and accept the sash when Leondis announced that I was to be Duke. He nearly collapsed on the floor right there and then."
"So his argument with the King was because you were named Duke and not him?"
"Though he did not say that, exactly," Randolf explained, "that was certainly what he meant when he said that I was not qualified to be Baron, let alone Duke, and that I will flounder without direct assistance. Of course, Leondis took exception to this, and both men were well into their cups at the time. It was more drink than common sense that we were hearing."
"Is this Lord Kreager going to be a problem for you, my Duke?" she asked him, smiling and clutching his arm tightly for emphasis.
"I will talk with Leondis about making him a Baron, though he may have poisoned the King against that idea. If that does not work, I will give him additional lands and title, and make sure he has enough responsibility to keep him occupied. A good man with the energy and desire to be a leader is always one to be developed and encouraged."
"You will make a wonderful Duke, my Lord Randolf," Anne said, smiling at her future husband.
"And you will make the perfect Duchess, my Lady Anne."
Seventeen
"When will Duke Randolf return?" The Lady Rozlynn sat in the garden with the Lady Anne, watching the tiny tiella birds flittering around picking up crumbs left over from an afternoon tea. Rozlynn was fascinated that these birds still lived with the humans, since to her knowledge, they were no longer being used as messenger birds, and no humans remaining could speak with them.
"He is due back any time now, and I miss him terribly," Anne admitted. "It's been nearly five weeks, and though I know travel this time of year can take longer because of the snow in the passes, I am starting to worry since I have not heard anything."
If only the humans could still talk to the little messenger birds, thought Rozlynn, we could send one of them to find the Duke and see where he is.
"I would not worry, Anne," Rozlynn said soothingly. "The Duke is traveling with an escort of King's Elite, and they are all hardy travelers. He really needed to go set things in order in your new estate after all, and that will take some time."
"Lord Kreager has agreed to be his First Minister," Anne said in reply. "He ran the estate for the last two years, so that part of the transition should go quickly. I am looking forward to settling in after the wedding," she added. "The old Baron lived without a Baroness for a long time, and I am certain a woman's touch will be needed to make the estate worthy of the Duke."
"You will have a lifetime to put your stamp on the estate, Anne. And when you have children, things will change even more than you can imagine."
"Children," Anne said smiling. "I cannot wait to see Randolf as a father. He will be wonderful."
The Ladies Tea was something Rozlynn started soon after her engagement to the King. It was held every week, in the garden if the weather permitted, and gave the ladies a chance to meet with their future Queen. This served two purposes for Rozlynn. The first was simply to build the relationships with the noble women that she needed for an effective network in the Kingdom. The second was to casually spy on those who might be planning something against Leondis, as things were never quite what they seemed when humans were concerned.
She had grown to really love the human King, in a way that totally surprised the Elven Princess. She still had not given herself to him, and was going to hold out until their wedding night. Short of the act of lovemaking, their passion was strong, and they were already learning the ways of each other as lovers. She started many evenings with Leondis in his rooms, but she slept in her own quarters in the West Wing of the castle, overlooking the Arithe Ocean. Leondis' quarters were in the East Wing, overlooking the capital city and his Kingdom. Many a night she was thankful his quarters were far from her own.
"Have you told the King yet what you plan to do?" Anne waited until all the other ladies had wandered off to their own pockets of conversation in other places in the garden.
"You mean about having a dual wedding?"
"Yes, of course, that's what I mean! What else could I have been dying to ask you all day, but dare not when anyone could hear!" Anne smiled and twisted her scarf around in her hands—a nervous habit th
at always made Rozlynn smile.
"We started to discuss this last night," she explained, "and then something came up and we did not finish. I will approach him again after the evening meal tonight and make sure he is all right with the decision. I will not ask his permission, since he gave me full authority over all of the wedding plans, but I will need him to tell Minister Nolan, since that man still does not listen to me."
"You know old Nolan means well," Anne defended the minister. "He is not used to having a woman around, that's all. He was King Adon's closest advisor, and Leondis has relegated him to the task of Castle Administrator. That did not sit well with him at first, but he takes his job very seriously, and the castle and the King's estates have never been better managed."
Rozlynn bit her lip before she started to tell about all of the problems she had seen in the way the castle was being run. Having watched her Sister's husband run the Elven Kingdom from Kalystra for several centuries, she knew what needed to be done and what was just window dressing. She would find it necessary to change many things around here, but she had plenty of time to do it.
"Are you still okay with the idea though?" Rozlynn asked again. "I mean, your wedding is your big day, and shouldn't you be married in Eagles Reach?"
"Randolf and I have discussed it at great length," Anne replied, reaching across the small table and taking Rozlynn's hands in her own. "The most exciting wedding of the year will be the Royal Wedding between you and the King. Everyone will want to be here, and of course, Randolf and I would not miss it for anything. If we have our wedding in the spring in Eagles Reach, people will have to make a choice to stay for our wedding or travel here for yours. Can you guess which wedding they will attend? We also want you and the King in our wedding as I explained, as best man and maid of honor. The only way to guarantee that is to have our wedding here, since travel to Eagles Reach for you and the King so near to your own wedding is not practical. I really don't have any problem sharing my special day, but am more concerned about how you feel about having Randolf and I married alongside you and the King. Are you certain that is what you want?"