Chapter 11: A Coming Storm
"The rains are finally letting up, My Prince."
Duncan snorted with a mixture of both annoyance and amusement. The soldier's report was something that he could clearly see for himself, after the driving rain from the night before and then through much of the morning, it was clear as day that the downpour had finally slowed to a drizzle.
Good enough, he thought.
Now, we can finally get back on the road.
Rain showers were quite normal in Ferelden this time of year. Made even more so since the Blight had ended. The darkspawn had left their mark upon Ferelden, summers turned hotter, and winters both colder and crueler. Though the country continued on the long road to recovery, nothing could change the fact that the Archdemon's servants had left their mark.
It was the lot of all of Ferelden to deal with it.
The rains had begun the morning after their northern friends had arrive, begun, and had continued for the rest of their journey, slowing their progress. What should have taken two days took four. From blinding downpours to drizzles, the weather haunted the prince's party as they made the final push towards their destination.
Duncan gave the soldier the order to pack up the camp. They were only a two day's journey from The Grand Forest villa, provided that the weather held, and he was eager to finally dry out after sleeping in a wet tent the last few nights. The latest stop had only been for two days. They probably could have made it to Redcliffe Castle, but several small streams had flooded turning the road into a swampy mess. Not the kind of place to bring heavy wagons through, not if you wanted them to arrive safely.
The prince turned and made his way to the main tent, where all his friends and guests were waiting. He was eager to give them all the good news; they would be underway again shortly. Most of the party would be grateful, though he would likely suffer a burn or two from Oriana, someone he had been avoiding for the last few days.
Dunk shook his head.
He had still not totally forgiven her for what happened yesterday.
He found the rest of his companions in the large tent that served as a makeshift dining hall. Everyone was eating porridge and fruit as he made his announcement.
They were finally ready to get back underway.
"Finally," Oriana exclaimed, the dragoness' smile was one of amusement and dry humor, "If we had waited any longer I feared that we might need boats to make it to the villa."
Duncan smiled slightly, though he still could not bring himself to meet Felina's gaze. The Antivan girl seemed to enjoy his discomfort, but he found little amusement in any of it.
He hoped to work through the awkwardness when they reached their destination.
Thanks Oriana, he thought.
Thanks so bloody much.
He had been worried that Tessio would blame him for what had happened, that Dunk had sought to dishonor his sister. Surprisingly, the young Antivan seemed apathetic about the whole thing. Perhaps he realized that Duncan had not requested the girl's presence, or more likely, that he simply knew his sister.
The Prince slid in between Tessio and Leo, grateful that none of them had brought up what had happened. Perhaps they knew it had not been his choice. His friends seemed more interested in conversing with Saemus Cousland and Robb Howe neither was well known in the capital, but would one day wield power that could not be denied.
Any smart noble would do well to draw them into their circles, and if Tess and Leo had proven anything, it was that they were not stupid.
Saemus smiled at him, passing a full mug of ale to his prince. The heir of House Cousland could not be more like his father if he tried. The same auburn hair and strong jaw, even his eyes reflected the wisdom and strength of his sire. Born of Fergus Cousland and his second wife, not a man or woman in the north questioned that the future of Highever and the Cousland family was in good hands.
"What you said about this journey, my prince," he said jovially, glancing around at the rest of their party, particularly at the comely young maidens who had joined them. Saemus was said to be a young man that loved all of life's pleasures, and was not one to say no to any of them. It was a weakness, yes, perhaps his only one.
He grinned broadly at his prince.
"You did not disappoint."
"What is the point of getting away from home if you do not seek out all the pleasures you can find," Dunk replied.
"I don't know about you Saemus, but I need this. If I'm to settle down and prepare to take my father's throne one day. I want to have no regrets when that time comes."
Robb Howe, who sat next to Saemus, shrugged.
"My uncle would say that regret is as much a part of life as joy and sadness."
Duncan paused, he was not sure how best to respond to that.
The heir of House Cousland had no such problem.
He laughed.
"Yeah," Saemus chuckled, "That does sound like something your uncle would say."
Robb shrugged again. Clearly he was not as comfortable in such noble company as the rest of their party.
That was not surprising considering his history.
There were many on the royal court that felt that the Howes had no place among the nobility. The actions of the boy's grandfather over a decade and a half earlier and soured many people on the acceptance of the Howe family line. Some looked at Robb as an up-jumped merchant's son, and that the first chance he got he would turn into something far worse than his grandfather. Rendon Howe's depravity was well known, and remembered, the entire family line might have gone extinct if not for the actions of Robb's Uncle, and his mother the Lady Delilah.
Tall, pale skinned with dark hair and eyes, Robb was the spitting image of his Howe ancestors. He favored his mother greatly in his looks, with only his chin and nose marking him as different from his predecessors. Delilah had fled her father, taking shelter in the arms of an Amaranthine merchant. It was yet another strike against the young Howe, even though he had been raised to lord after his actions at his uncle's side.
Robb had been a squire to the warden Nathaniel Howe since he was eight, learning lance, sword, and bow from the warden hero. Though Nathaniel himself had been a skilled hunter, he had been training in the knightly arts, arts he had passed onto his nephew. The two of them had saved Teyrn Cousland's life a few years back. It was for that act of heroism that the boy had risen, and finally had a chance to redeem his family name.
It would not be easy, Duncan thought, but as the elven knight often said, nothing worth doing ever is.
"Are you still serving at Vigil's Keep Robb?" he asked.
The other boy nodded.
"It is as good a place as any to meet with merchant and farmers," he replied, "My holdings are small, but there is potential. We actually grew enough food that we did not need the Vigil's aid last winter."
The young man smiled.
"It is not much, but it is a start. My people don't trust me yet, not that I blame them.
"I will give them reason to trust the name Howe again."
Saemus chuckled.
"I thought your uncle already did that?"
Robb shrugged.
Nathaniel Howe's actions were well known.
There was no reason to repeat them.
"How is he doing by the way, your uncle?" Dunk inquired. "He has not been seen at court in quite some time."
Robb shook his head.
"He is slipping I'm afraid. He…he has not been the same since he returned from Adamant fortress. Even before that maybe…the loss of his wife. My Aunt…her… her…her disappearance in the deep road hit him very hard."
Dunk nodded. He remembered Nathaniel and his wife, the woman had been…prickly at best, but she had clearly come to hold Robb in high regard.
Robb sighed and waved his hand dismissively.
"Enough of such sad talk," he said, "We are here to celebrate, are we not?"
"That is what I'm certainly here for," Felina called out, grinning at the both.
Dunk and Robb both blushed and bowed their heads.
Robb had been attracted to the Antivan since they had met. Dunk was…well…things had been made a bit more awkward in the last few days.
Dunk prayed to Andraste that his blush did not show too badly.
Damn that girl!
Alindra rose from her place beside Jocelyn and left without a word. She did not even excuse herself or say where she was going. She rushed out of the tent, not even looking at him.
Duncan feared that he had angered her, but…surely she could not blame him! What happened with Felina…that wasn't his fault.
That wasn't fair!
He glanced down the table towards his brother. Anthony had not moved, slowly, almost mechanically he continued to break his fast.
The sight disturbed Duncan almost as much of Alin leaving.
He had hoped bringing his brother along might snap him out of this…malaise he had been trapped in.
So far, no such luck.
The prince sighed.
Yet, another thing that had gone wrong today.
He shook his head and sided.
It wasn't my fault.
It wasn't.
IOI
Alin took a deep breath of cool morning air, the damp ground giving gently underfoot as she made her way across the camp.
She closed her eyes and took another breath, trying to calm herself.
Alas, it did not work.
Her small hands curled into fists.
Part of her wanted to hit something; it might make her feel better. Yet, that was not her way; her mother had always wished a different path for her, a gentler one.
Sometimes…Alin resented that.
Both of her parents were fighters, yet they did not wish that path for their daughter, they had prepared her to protect herself if she needed to, but beyond that, she was not as skilled as they were.
She could have asked one of the soldiers for the use of a bow, she was nowhere near as skilled as her mother, but she found shooting shafts at an archery butte sometimes made her feel better.
She glanced around the camp the morning mist still clung to the world as the sun struggled to peak through the rain clouds.
The sight was beautiful, inspiring really.
If she could not engage in violence, perhaps a bit of the artistic would do.
Alindra found a dry spot near one of the supply wagons; she drew her small sketch book from a pouch in her cloak.
Anger could be good, her mother had taught her that, it was passion, and passion could be turned into inspiration, when you were inspired you could create.
Alin decided to try that right now.
She drew a small piece of coal from another pocket in her cloak; she flipped quickly through the book finding a blank page. She glanced up again with her large blue eyes.
Such a morning might have inspired her mother to create some tale or song that was her mother's outlet or at least it had been before she became a spymaster for the Divine and later the Inquisition. Alindra was not the type to come up with exciting stories, and she thought her singing voice was more frog-like than nightingale, but drawing…
Yes, Alindra knew how to draw.
She worked quickly, sketching the camp as the morning sun rose. Her hand was steady, her eyes drinking in every minor detail.
The work would be rushed, but that did not mean that it did not serve her purpose. It was a form of release, one she had indulged in many times.
Her room back in the capital was full of various drawings. Both the king and the queen had commented on her talent, praise that she had accepted, yet mattered little.
She did not draw for praise, she drew to express herself. She…
"Why am I not surprised?"
Alindra sighed.
She looked up. Oriana stood before her, a look of amusement on her pretty face.
Alin resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
She really did not need this right now.
"I remember a time when you fingers were almost permanently stained black with coal dust," the other girl said.
She smiled.
"I guess I should not be surprised that you would fall back on your old hobbies.
Alindra frowned.
This was not a hobby, she wanted to exclaim. Yet, she held her tongue; she did not feel like getting lashed by Oriana right now.
Alindra looked up at her…well they were still friends, Oriana was just a friend she was not really happy with right now.
"You're still not angry with me about that business with the Antivan girl are you?"
Alin glared at her.
"Shouldn't I be?"
"Maybe," Oriana said with a shrug and settled down beside her. Looking at her friend, she found it hard to see that they had anything in common. Alin had been born both pale and petite, clearly of elven blood, while Oriana was the picture of what a noble girl should have been. Fine of features, with long blonde hair and a sharp green eye, Oriana was a paragon of noble beauty. It was hard to imagine that she was elf-blooded, even though Alin knew it to be true.
It was rare that an elf blooded human inherited no elven traits, but it did happen.
Alin shook her head.
"I wish you would have left me out of your little game with Duncan," she told her friend.
Oriana smirked.
"I wasn't playing a game with the prince," she replied, "I was playing it with your Antivan friend. You just got in the way, sorry."
Alin frowned.
Got in the way, that was one way of putting it.
One of the most mortifying experiences in her life was another.
Since her brief conversation with Anthony, she had endeavored to trap him into another, with little in the way of success. Yesterday evening she had decided to seek out Duncan, and ask for his help in the matter. She had asked Oriana if she had seen their crown prince. Her friend had directed her to his tent.
That had been a mistake.
Duncan had not been there, arriving only moments after she had peaked inside the tent.
They had both been shocked by what they had found there.
Felina had snuck in while the guards had not been looking. She had been waiting to give their prince an early birthday gift of sorts.
She had been undressed in his bedroll, awaiting his arrival, hoping for a more…private audience.
She and Dunk had both retreated with cries of surprise, soon the whole camp knew. Felina was amused. Alin was mortified. Dunk was embarrassed, and Rowan was not talking to any of them.
Oriana…well…she had been laughing too hard to say anything else.
Alindra was not pleased.
"I thought we were friends?"
"We are darling," Oriana said.
Certainly doesn't feel like it."
Oriana sighed.
"I'm sorry, okay. I should not have involved you. When I prevented our little prince from having a…interesting evening with your Antivan friend, I should have simply gone to one the guards and had her removed."
Alin gave her an arched look.
"Why would you even care?" she asked.
"Why would you?" Oriana replied.
Alin blinked.
"Duncan's my friend. We grew up together."
"Is that the only reason?"
"Do I need another?"
"Probably not," Oriana shrugged, "Still…maybe I needed to hear it."
Alindra's brow furrowed.
"Why?" she asked.
Her friend sighed.
"I wanted to make sure that you were not just another hen competing before the royal cock. Duncan has many young maidens flitting about him. I was hoping that you had not joined the race to our crown prince's bed."
Alin sighed.
"That is one place that I would not be welcomed," she said.
"It would not be the first time a girl tried to increase her station by seeking out the attentions of a prince."
Alindra knew that Oriana was not wrong, but still resented her assumption. She had no designs on being anything more than a lady in the King's Court, and a friend to the royal children, and besides.
The girl frowned.
If her experience in Wycome taught her anything, it was that her heart sometimes pointed in the wrong direction. Duncan was her friend.
She had no desire to repeat the same mistake.
"Why do you care who the prince shares his bed with?" she asked Oriana.
"I don't," her friend answered.
"Then why ask me? What was the point of coming on this journey?"
"Because I'm not simply here to have fun," she admitted, "My father is very concerned what had been going on lately in the capital, and considering what I've been hearing during my travels, he has a good reason to be concerned."
"Concerned," Alindra said, "Why is Teyrn Cousland so concerned?"
Oriana winced.
"You know I don't like it when people blurt out that I'm the Teyrn's daughter right? I'm sure you can understand that, given your own history."
Alin gave her a sheepish look.
"Sorry."
Oriana sighed. It had taken her a long time to find a level of acceptance between herself and her father's new wife. Though affection remained between the elven woman who had given birth to her and the Teyrn, any further relationship had been impossible. Both her mother, and Oriana had come to accept that, but that did not mean that it was easy.
Oriana lowered her voice and leaned in closer, what was to be said was to be said in confidence at least that is what Alin assumed.
"There are a lot of eyes on our dear Prince Duncan these days. He is almost of age. Who he chooses to take as…a companion will have great repercussions for the kingdom in the next few years."
Alin pursed her lips.
"I had not realized that it was that serious?"
"Believe me, it is," Oriana replied, "When Lady Allegra married King Alistair, no one thought much about it. After Cailan's difficulty with producing an heir, a lot of people thought that his brother might suffer the same affliction. Yet, the king surprised everyone with having a bountiful relationship with his wife. After that, there are plenty of people now watching our Prince very carefully. The Orlesians likely first among them, they did not intervene when King Alistair and Queen Allegra married, now, thanks to that union, ties between Ferelden and Nevarra are stronger than ever.."
What does all this have to do with me?" Alindra asked, "I'm no fitting consort to a future king."
"Does out prince know that?"
"Of course," Alin said, "At Least…I think he does."
Oriana sighed.
"I'm not sure if any of your little friends have…made Dunk a man yet, but he needs to understand that this is about more than just some mindless fling. People are watching, watching and scheming. If you are his friend, than you need to let him know, you need to make him understand."
Alin thought about what Oriana was saying. This sounded more and more like some conversation that her mother might have come up with. Perhaps she should not have been surprised. Oriana was almost as well travelled as her mother.
"Is it really that bad?"
She asked.
"If Duncan does not listen, it could be worse," Oriana admitted.
"Way…way worse."
In the distance thunder rumbled, the drizzling rain started to fall harder, even as the soldiers and servants that accompanied them continued to break up the camp.
They would be on the road again soon perhaps that was for the best. If Oriana was right, there was more going on than a simple celebration of the prince's birth. Perhaps she needed to speak with Duncan. It would not be an enjoyable conversation, but it was likely necessary.
There was a storm coming.
They would all need to prepare.
