Weight of the World
DOMA, LORDSHIP OF DOMA, KINGDOM OF OTHARN, HIGH KINGDOM OF PARMA
Egil was glad to be on dry land after two long, tedious days at sea. The Sound may be a narrow passage, but the slightest bit of marine travel was able to make a certain green hue shine out from a face full of fur.
Thordan being Thordan, he obeyed his father's orders to the letter. The best defense is sometimes a good offence, and he led what little troops he had into Doman soil, hoping to cut off the troops of Lord Valdemar from rallying together. So far he has succeeded - four bands of Doman levies have been neutralised, their weapons and supplies wrenched away, and they have been forced to turn back with tails between their legs.
To seek a decisive battle here would be suicide. Lord Valdemar's son may find it safe to stay in the city of Doma proper, but if Sverker Crestworth does lead his troops out of the city, there is a high chance for Thordan's force to sustain heavy casualties in the process of being routed.
Lord Sverker Crestworth may be just as young as Thordan was, but his father and grandfather taught him how to lead soldiers on, while Thordan was quite lacking in martial ability. However, he was unwilling to take risks of any sort, buying Thordan ample time for besieging Doma itself.
Thordan was clearly not enjoying himself. As a healer, he was not used to being responsible of the deaths of other beasts, so he has right cause to be anxious. Egil had reminded him that panic will doom morale, and so Thordan did his best to hide his trepidation.
"We have to cut off all Doman access to the sea," Thordan said. "If Lord Sverker is able to take control of the Sound, an invasion of Meraholmer will surely be inevitable."
Egil thought for a while, then gave his opinion. "Why don't you try to take Doma? If Doma is yours, Lord Valdemar and his son cannot launch any offensive without their bastion here in Otharn."
Thordan Swalestrom was the only Lord in the Southern Realms to actually consider the opinion of vermin, after the passing of his grandfather. Even then, there are times when the easily persuaded lord can be surprisingly stubborn.
"No. Taking the city would likely lead to casualties on both sides. We will just box the city in for now, and we'll leave in about seven hours."
"But-" Egil tried to argue.
"Do not rebuke me!" Thordan snapped, causing Egil to mutter an apology. How could Thordan of all people suddenly fly into rages? He has always been cheerful and mild. Has his grandfather's death changed him so?
Seeing the damage he had done to his friend's spirit, Thordan's ears dropped down. "No, Egil. It is I who should apologise. You have advised me well since the day we have met, and it is unbecoming of me to discount your counsel. But there are days that your counsel should indeed be discounted, and today is one of them. Please forgive me for doing as such, for we will have little choice but to turn back to Raevsvakt."
Suppressing the urge to inquire further into the mind of Thordan Swalestrom, Egil spoke. "We should at least retreat slowly and without panic, or else the Domans will pounce onto our rearguard."
Thordan nodded. "You are always able to give sound advice. You are Skuli's son, after all!"
VARGO, LORDSHIP OF VARGO, KINGDOM OF OTHARN, HIGH KINGDOM OF PARMA
Skuli has always enjoyed talking to his creditors.
Normally, they would simply deliver on their promises after a hearty meal and a drink, but King Erlend of Garlesca has always been a prickly otter.
The house in which the weasel resided was quite luxurious compared to the rest of his kind's residences - a symbol of a self-made beast's hard work and perseverance. Simple yet opulent in some ways, the manor was composed of a three floors, but there were no glamorous art within it. Merely a few paintings and tapestries were hung - just for their demand to increase and an insisted buyer to be found.
The dining room was not as spacious as some other merchant houses, but it still served its purpose. Skuli still remembered the first time Lord Thordan Swalestrom visited his residence and almost decimated the kitchen supplies. It took all of the elder weasel's self-restraint to stop himself from barring him from visiting ever again.
"Thank you for the meal, Mister Skuli." King Erlend expresses his gratitude while he wiped his mouth. His appetite may have been less than either of his sons, but they would surely be surpassed if the king was in his younger days.
"The pleasure is all mine." Skuli responded. "Now, Your Majesty eem to have collected a few coins during your Garlean crowning." When Erlend was crowned King of Garlesca, he managed to procure a large amount of gold from his subjects for the ceremony - and proceeded to rush through it, pocketing most of the raised amount. He could even be a beast that could rule over the whorl of chaos currently engulfing all realms.
King Erlend's ears perked up. "Oh yes, yes. The money, right? I can only pay about a tenth of that amount." Seeing the weasel's eats drop and angered glare, he quickly added, "I will surely return the rest after the war of course."
"And if you lose your life fighting the Southards?" Skuli quizzed. "You see, anything could happen in war, and I would definitely desire to have some sort of guarantee."
"You need not worry, merchant," the otterking responded quite affectionately as he sipped his Parman damson wine. As was stated in our new contract, the next Lord of Kaldos would have the responsibility of repaying my debts, whoever that might be."
"What happened to 'my heir-general'?" Skuli continued to ask.
"I don't think I'm departing all of my territories in one piece," Erlend explained. "Sigurd gets Kaldos and Thordan gets Thavnair. You should call your boy back to you before I pop my clogs. Triel will not welcome your kind, and for him death would be better than the other things that they can do."
"Where are you headed to in the meantime?" Skuli asked his third consecutive question. He was an inquisitive beast, even compared to his son across the Sound, though Erlend was a willing answerer.
"Back to Triel. My sons will hold Dravania, and I will enact my duties as Duke of Thavnair. Triel needs me almost as much as I need Triel, and I have a personal score to settle against my brother and his so-called king."
"Very well. Here's the moment when you say something about hearts and minds, hmm?" Skuli asked sarcastically.
"Correct."
For the briefest of seconds, Skuli saw a phantom smile appear on the otterking's muzzle.
KURBURG, KINGDOM OF OTHARN, HIGH KINGDOM OF PARMA
"I, Lord Mestwin of Worrad, do solemnly cast my one and only vote in favour of Erlend, King of Garlesca, Duke of Thavnair and Lord of Vargo and Kaldos. He and no other."
Lord Niels watched as the fifth elector cast his vote. So far, one vote was for Lord Valdemar Crestworth and two were for Erlend Swalestrom. One squirrel elector voted for himself, and Bernhard of Lorsa somehow thought it prudent to vote for Niels of all beasts.
The Parmans have long claimed dominion over the entirety of the Southern Realms, and Triel and Southsward are subservient to them, at least in theory. For the sake of safer trade, the other two kingdoms are independent de jure as well as de facto, but Parman legitimacy still hold true.
The beast on the Parman throne will surely be the one to solve this Trielo-Southard War. Valdemar will throw his weight behind Floret, and Erlend does not bother to hide his intentions, and a foreigner to boot. The future of the world lies in the balance of these very seven fools.
The Swalestroms shall never be Parman kings.
"I, Lady Lorelei of Vargo, do solemnly cast my one and only vote in favour of Erlend, King of Garlesca, Duke of Thavnair, and Lord of Vargo and Kaldos. He and no other."
Lorelei cast her vote for her husband, which was no surprise for anyone within the room. The queen returned to her seat at the left of the room, ignoring Lord Valdemar's wrathful glare.
The Skywards and Crestworths have been feuding for more than a century, and the death of the last male Skyward has not brought an end to it. Born a Crestworth but raised by Thordan Skyward, Niels was put in an awkward situation. He cannot serve either house without betraying someone who trusts him, so he decides to take a third-option and serve the realm instead.
After the first election yielded no clear victor, Niels had no choice but to call another one. He was starting to get used to the awful business of ruling an entire kingdom while the second round shall yield no result, just like the first one. Otto Crestworth will not simply vote for the husband of the last surviving Skyward.
"I, Grandmaster Otto of the Shieldbrothers, do solemnly cast my one and only vote in favour of Valdemar, Lord of Doma."
The Shieldbrothers were an anomaly in a realm of lords and mayors. While lords inherited their position and leaders of free cities were chosen from one amongst themselves, the beasts sworn to defend Parma were always a special case.
To be a Shieldbrother, one must swear to take no wife and father no children, and to never betray Parma and her king. The organisation put Otto Crestworth (not to be confused with his more royal grandfather of the same name) at its head due to Crestworth prestige, and he did not betray their expectations. Getting another vote on the Electoral Council was merely a slight bonus.
Yet another round with no king. One can say anything about Erlend or Valdemar, but Parma needs a king as soon as possible. The majority of the Parman lords desire a weak king - one that will not interfere in their affairs.
In their eyes, Valdemar Crestworth was not an option. He was efficient, yes, but he has too much of his father within him. Erlend Swalestrom might be yielding, but his loyalties lay with Triel - a fact that the Parmans will not accept. Besides, electing Erlend would see Parma and Southsward at odds once more.
Niels stepped up from his seat. "As no candidate for the kingship could gain a majority of at least four votes, there is still no king yet. A third round of elections will be called."
This does not help in any matters at all! They would simply fail to choose a king, and the whole thing repeats itself once more. No! Something must be done!
"If the next election shall yield no result, all seven Electors will be locked within this shrine until a candidate is found and selected!"
"What? You cannot do this, Lord Niels!" Lord Valdemar was clearly puzzled. "We need all the time we need to select a perfect candidate, with no one better to take his place!"
"On the contrary, Lord Valdemar," Queen Lorelei spoke as she gestured at Lord Valdemar and the Grandmaster. "As I remember, my father, the late King Thordan II, left explicit orders to appoint Lord Niels, your uncle, to the office of Royal Vicar, performing all the duties of a king during an interregnum. Now a king cannot be found - we are not yet in agreement. Now, Lord Niels desires a true, ruling king, as does all of us. We indeed require a king, and we need him fast."
Lord Mestwin Worrad spoke up. "Locking us in here may seem like an unsightly option, but I will do what I must for a king." The mouselord continued, "I agree with Lord Niels' motion for these measures, extreme they may be."
Grandmaster Otto spoke next. "Parma cannot have a king unacceptable to her people. It is indeed a luxury to choose our kings, so we will have to do naught but to find time for a king who would do nothing for himself and everything for Parma. If we are to sacrifice our liberty temporarily to ensure a truly Parman king, it will be done."
Seeing glances of approval from all seven Electors, Niels declared,"It is settled then. My lords, you may return to your residences while you await a third election within the next two weeks." Hearing this, the Electors stood up and walked out of the door.
Only Lorelei of Vargo smiled when she exited the double doors of the shrine. Niels returned the smile, until he remembered that he will owe her a favour - a favour that will be called in very shortly.
A favour that could keep Parma inside Skyward paws.
He then put his paw up onto his face, covering it completely, finally catching on to his small mistake which shall lead to consequences which are by no means small.
DOMA, LORDSHIP OF DOMA, KINGDOM OF OTHARN, HIGH KINGDOM OF PARMA
Bertil watched with Lord Sverker while the besieging troops started leaving all of a sudden.
"They're leaving." Lord Sverker said for the umpteenth time as fires were put out, and anchors brought up from the boundless deep. He was always prone to staying the obvious, but he was not a dull beast at all, having a penchant for dry humour and irony. His capabilities do show up in other places, including when his father's city is under siege by their traditional enemies.
The otterlord continued. "It isn't like Thordan for him to just leave like that. His father would negotiate first, and so would his grandfather. Something must have happened to Thordan."
"My Lord, shall I give the order to pursue?" Bertil asked. "The Islanders are not prepared for an attack, and not a single beast is located in their defensive trenches." It was the perfect time to strike, and the meddlesome lord can perhaps be finally brought down. To be fair, Bertil liked the lordling - he actually treated the hedgehog rather well during his last visit. A pity he had to go.
"No. We remain in Doma." Seeing Bertil's visible confusion, Lord Sverker added, "Lord Thordan could be setting a trap for us. My duty here is to defend Doma during my father's absence, and not to hunt down enemy forces equivalent in size. To pursue is to go against my orders. We let them go."
"In the meantime, you get a mission of your own." Lord Sverker handed a folded and sealed envelope to the hedgehog. "Take this to my father. This letter should tell him to only go for Meraholmer if he obtains the Parman throne. If anyone else gets the crown, our own holdings are in danger of revocation."
Bertil nodded. Impulsiveness doomed Lord Canute, but his grandson sees fit to play a long game. But he remains oblivious to the fact that this game quickly increases in both pace and magnitude, and that there is still no lord of the whorl to carry the weight of the world.
A/N: Bertil gets a PoV chapter! Huzzah!
After reading this chapter, you will have many questions. Why did Thordan pull out from Doma? What on earth is Erlend trying to do? How will Niels and Lorelei deal with each other? What happened to Isangrim? How did Thordan II die? You will get the answers to these questions soon enough - perhaps in the opening chapters of Book II (except for the last one, of course - you will have to wait a bit longer for that).
Chapter 9 (From Fear to Fortitude) will be out on 12/13 June! Stay tuned!