Kyou Kara Maou : The Trouble With Trolls
Summary: Wolfram's attempt to bypass Maou Wedding Curse with a small family ceremony, backfires when an uninvited relative arrives - the Troll Mother.
Disclaimer: I have no rights to Kyou Kara Maou, of course.
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Chapter 8 : The Dragon Insurrection
"But, Troll Mother," said Aldrich, "please, I don't understand why you got so angry last night. I can't help you and Wolfram's Yuuri to talk and resolve your territory claims if I don't understand."
"Oh, Little Rickie, don't bother yourself about that," Troll Mother replied. "We have a different agenda tonight." She fondled his blond bangs. Yuuri noticed he was sweating, and seemed to have trouble focusing. Troll Mother had no other troll-kin at tonight's meeting, save Aldrich.
"No!" said Manfred suddenly, and got up and strode to the head of the table. He grabbed Aldrich's arm. "Get up, Aldrich. You're sitting at the foot of the table with me. Troll Mother, stop this immediately! Or we will cease these discussions for the night, and consider removing Lord Aldrich from them permanently."
Yuuri stood in outrage – Manfred had no right to speak in these proceedings! The words died on his lips as he saw that Aldrich could barely stand. Conrad leapt to the petite Manfred's assistance. Both men helped Aldrich to the foot of the table.
"Well, certainly, we can take a break from these proceedings," allowed Troll Mother, "but Little Rickie comes with me. It's time for you to go to the trolls, dear."
Aldrich slumped into his new seat, vacant of Chancellor Gwendal von Walde this night, and kept on slumping until his face was on his arms on the table. "No," he said weakly. "Not yet…"
"Don't be silly, dear. You've had more than enough time to play with your small friends, it's long overdue. We'll help your little son Dietrich rule Bielenfeld well, and his little cousin Trenton rule Gratz, and Grendel rule Walde. They're all in our custody now, you see. But they will be raised kindly, and those domains will have rulers of the blood of the new regime and the old. That will help everyone feel more comfortable."
Manfred was monitoring Aldrich with a healer's touch and clearly didn't like what he saw.
"Hostages…" murmured Aldrich. "Brendan, Wolfram, the others, what have you done with them, Troll Mother?"
"Well, they'll live long and happy lives in exchange for yours, dear. Now come along."
Yuuri's hair rose with blue lightning playing in it. He didn't otherwise look much different in Maou mode these days, having grown up to look as he always had under that power. He was not out of control, not yet. But his full powers were at hand's reach. "Manfred, feel free to remove Aldrich to Friedrich for his safety, if he needs it. Troll Mother – Lord Aldrich is not yours to take. There is no question whatsoever of us agreeing to any of your demands until all hostages are returned."
"Then the first to die will be, oh, let's see," said Troll Mother. "There's a little red-headed girl, Bertie's Frieda, isn't it? Isn't she your foster daughter, Shinou's Yuuri?"
"Enough," a new voice said, a husky tenor.
Yuuri whirled to see two… children… suddenly in the room, with the von Bielenfeld look about their faces, wearing sleeveless tan shifts. One was carrying – "Bertram! Who are you? Why do you have my son?"
Manfred ran to the door and yelled to the guards, "Get Friedrich von Bielenfeld and Elliott von Wincott down here now! And leave guards with Gwendal von Walde!"
The child in many long braids bearing Bertram, looked at Yuuri blankly and crossed to Manfred. "Your son," he said to Manfred. Manfred accepted the baby from him wordlessly. For the moment, Bertram was all eyes, going to Manfred silently.
Tariel, whose hairstyle made him look uncannily like a young boy Wolfram, ignored Yuuri and the others, focusing on Troll Mother. "You kill your children, Tanya. This is not acceptable."
"You dare to interfere, Tariel! Aldrich is my descendant! I do not accept the death of my race as you do! I build it back. He is mine!"
Tariel crossed behind Aldrich and turned into a tiny but beautiful woman before Yuuri's eyes. He – now she – bent down and put her face next to Aldrich's, and stroked his bangs back from his forehead. Though the gesture was much like Troll Mother's, the effect was opposite. The slumped Aldrich blinked, took a deep breath, and his face revived. He sat up, and Tariel stood up, their heads still on a level. Those huge green, long lashed, captivating von Bielenfeld eyes, were the same on both Tariel and Aldrich. Although Aldrich's were warm and passionate, full of humor and intelligence. Tariel, for all her beauty, was cool and dispassionate.
"See the family resemblance?" said Tariel. "Aldrich is my grandson. You do not kill my grandson, Tanya. I do not allow it."
"Grandson!? The wood nymphs had no more children! You could not breed with demons – you strangelings are not breedable with any other race! You were the last of the wood nymphs!"
"No. Wood nymph maryoku is life. I have three children by Theophilus von Bielenfeld. One, Emeraude, is dead. She is great-grandmother to that one." Tariel pointed at Conrad. "Another is Garena." She pointed to her companion, now appearing as a compact but well-built young man. The door opened and Friedrich and von Wincott appeared. "The third is Friedrich von Bielenfeld."
"You lied," said Troll Mother to Friedrich, aghast. "You told me you were pure demon! You are half wood nymph!"
Friedrich shrugged. "And you told me Aldrich would be one eighth troll. So we're even. Why would I be willing to father a part-troll with fire healing maryoku? I believed the wood nymph in him could withstand you, and he could help solve this endless feud."
"Many lies," observed Tariel. "Lies do not make trust."
"Taking hostages also breeds distrust," said Yuuri angrily. "How do you come to have my son? And where is my fiancé?"
"I take the baby from Wolfram von Bielenfeld in Krist Fens," replied Tariel. "Bertram is Shinou reborn. He is not safe as hostage of Tanya, who calls herself Troll Mother now. Yet eats her children." Tariel added, on an almost-sad note.
"You! You took the Shinou babe!" screeched Troll Mother. "How dare you interfere!"
"As I said. I do not interfere when you rebuild your race. We do not like what we see, Tanya, but we understand. Shinou killed trolls. You want to rebuild trolls. We allow. You kill your children. We grieve, but we allow. There is no other solution. But now there is other solution. You have enough trolls. And you do not kill my children, even to take revenge on Shinou. We do not allow."
"'We'? You and two sons? Their degenerate descendants? The wood nymph are gone, extinct, nothing!" yelled Troll Mother. "And wood nymphs never could fight, never could kill. I am willing to kill. I am willing to fight for the trolls' survival!"
Tariel said, "It is true I do not kill. I do not have to. But like all races, we protect our descendants." She pointed to Conrad again. "This one and his brothers, all my descendants, protect. They protect dragons and honey-bee bears and Kohi and all rare races. The others protect other people, other things. This one," she placed her hands on Aldrich's shoulders, "even protects trolls and goblins. Mine are worthy descendants of the wood nymphs.
"All races protect their own children. But there are criminals. You have murdered your children, Tanya. Mermensch, dragons, salamanders, elves, the others – we agree. You do not murder any more." Tariel turned and pointed at Yuuri. "But neither do they. There is no more killing of the dwindling races. We are too few. All demon people protect. All the other races. We demand so."
"I will fight," began Troll Mother.
"You will not," said Tariel. "The dragons fly." She pointed to the window.
As the others crossed to the windows to look, Yuuri took back Bertram from Manfred, hugging him tight. "Wimpy!" the baby said, with a big smile under flashing demon green eyes. "Chewy toes."
"Yes, sweetie, we'll get Chichiue back from the trolls," agreed Yuuri. "But look, there's dragons!"
"So many," breathed Conrad, rapt. They'd had no idea so many dragons remained. Ten of them flew over Blood Pledge Castle in formation, and bellowed. Embers flying from their scales made them visible in the night sky. They split into a ring and spewed fire. Three broke off and breathed fire on Shinou's tomb, another three on the roofs of Blood Pledge Castle. The flames lapped on stone in harmless warning. The other four dragons broke off and headed northeast.
"You agree, Maou Yuuri?" asked Tariel. "You agree to protect all races. Agree it is murder to kill trolls and goblins and others, and I tell them you surrender. Or they destroy Blood Pledge Castle and town, and then all Aristocrat castles and cities in all domains of Shin Makoku Federation."
"I surrender?" cried Yuuri in surprise.
"And Tanya, you also surrender," said Tariel. "Or dragons destroy troll reservation and Trond Hall and Trondheim cities."
Yuuri gazed in wonder at the dragons. "I am more than willing, I am eager, to protect all races," he said. "I want only peace for all citizens in Shin Makoku. Clearly all Mazoku races are brothers of the Mazoku demons. I agree it is murder to kill each other. I will protect all my citizens, and ensure that the Aristocrats do the same in their domains."
"I cannot trust them!" screamed Troll Mother. "Tariel, you know what they have done to us! All of us, not just the trolls and goblins! How can you trust?"
"You need not trust demons. You trust dragons," pointed out Tariel. "The dragons enforce this." Tariel kind of … faded… for a few long moments. When she solidified again, he was his boy form again. "The dragons accept Maou Yuuri's surrender. They fly for Trondheim now. Your answer, Tanya."
"Ten dragons cannot protect us," argued Tanya.
"Thirty," replied Tariel. "There is a dragon on every castle of the Aristocrats, and every major city. And they stand guard until Yuuri does his work. The four flying for Trondheim are to destroy the troll reservation."
"And if Shinou's Yuuri cannot do what he promises?" demanded Tanya.
"He does," said Tariel. "You know that I know that, Tanya. But if all you understand is threat – the dragons kill demons until they no longer outnumber the other races." He let this sink in a moment, then lowered Troll Mother's emotional barrier, adding softly, "Your people have suffered great pain, Tanya. You did what you had to do to rebuild troll blood. It is enough now. Trolls can survive. The other races help. It is enough." His voice resumed its cooler tone to repeat, "Your answer, Tanya."
Troll Mother clenched her fists, giant tears falling from her eyes in pain and anger. Aldrich walked over and put his hand in her hand. "Please, Troll Mother," he said. "You are Troll Mother. We live. You did the impossible, you built us back from nothing. You are a heroine, mother of our people. We will always love you, revere you, for what you've done. Now we have a new choice. Let us live in peace with the demons. Trolls are nice people. We want to be friends. Please, Troll Mother?"
Troll Mother looked at Aldrich and saw that he really did understand, that he really did appreciate what she had done. And she understood him. She hung her head and nodded. "You win, Tariel. I surrender. Call off the dragons."
"And you release the hostages, and work with Yuuri to make new laws. It is a crime to breed up-troll if males die of it," clarified Tariel. "You obey new laws, Tanya?"
"They will make us give up the death feast!" Troll Mother said in anguish.
"No," said Yuuri. "I understand the death feast. We will respect your rites for the dead. But you will not kill a man by breeding. That will be a crime until we find a way to make it safe for him to do so. Troll Mother, there will be difficult decisions and compromises. But your people will have a say. All the other peoples will, too. And our Aldrich can help us all understand. We can make this work."
"And you do not have much choice," said Tariel. "Agree to release the hostages, and lead your people to obey new laws. Or the dragons kill your children."
"Agreed," said Troll Mother, finally admitting defeat. Tariel phased out again a moment. "The surrenders are done."
"Where are the hostages?" demanded Yuuri.
"Danny's Brendan and four children and Gwendal's Annissina walk to Blood Pledge Castle with only three trolls," replied Troll Mother. "They arrive by morning, probably. They did not catch any others. Ten trolls lay dead," she added bitterly. "By your descendants' hands, Tariel."
"Yes, it was sad," agreed Tariel. "But they did it to protect. And they knew not what they did. I speak to my children of this. Tonight, we wait for hostages to come back. Then you return to Trondheim, Tanya, and prepare your negotiators. Yuuri sends for his Lords. When peace is accomplished, the dragons depart your cities. Until then, all who kill across race will be killed, by dragons or others.
"Now, Tanya, please leave us. I visit with my family. And Yuuri Maou talks to his people about the dragons." And Troll Mother walked off the balcony into the night. Aldrich stood sadly at the railing a few minutes watching her go, as most of the others went back inside.
Friedrich put a hand on his shoulder. He murmured,"You did well, Son. I can't tell you how proud I am of you." Aldrich smiled gratefully, and the two shared a hug before heading in to join the rest.
oOo
"Garena," said Tariel. "The others?"
Garena sat on the floor, chin on hand, elbow on knee, staring up at Manfred and frowning. Though generally as dispassionate as Tariel, his face seemed capable of some emotion. He clearly didn't like what he saw. Manfred gave him an evil green demon glare in return.
"Why is your son in his arms?" demanded Garena, with a jerk of the head toward Yuuri.
Manfred scowled. "Yuuri and my son Wolfram adopted my son Bertram. What business is it of yours?"
"Garena," repeated Tariel. "The others?"
Garena kept glowering at Manfred. "Adelbert and Greta are on a canoe with goblins. They are here by mid-morning. I send a baby dragon for the troll murderers – his sons – and the von Krist. They are here in three hours."
Yuuri heaved a sigh of relief and hugged Bertram close. "Chichiue will be home by morning, sweetie. Everybody's safe." Aldrich and Manfred shared a hug of relief as well.
"It is not murder to kill when protecting," Tariel corrected Garena. "And as I said, it's time you paid your dues." She let that sink in a moment – on him, apparently, since no one else understood the comment.
"Tariel, Garena, I thank you for the news of Wolfram, for protecting Bertram, and all the rest you've done this night," interrupted Yuuri. "I hope you will stay here for some days as we prepare for this peace process?"
Tariel shrugged. "That is necessary. I talk to dragons. You do not."
"Aha! Yes, yes. In fact, I… really ought to go do something about that now." He added to Conrad, "There are dragons sitting on roofs all over Shin Makoku and no one but us knows why or what I've agreed to. If you'll excuse us? Conrad, Aldrich, Lord Wincott, perhaps you could assist me in, ah," he scratched his head, "crafting the instructions to the Aristocrats."
"Any attack on other races," Tariel reminded him, "is death." Tariel and Yuuri stared at each other for some moments – Yuuri was not one for the death penalty. Eventually Tariel added, "We enforce, not you. You only tell them."
Yuuri stared at him a moment longer, grimly. His voice was cold when he responded. "I understand. And I did surrender. Do you have any idea how long this… dragon martial law… will continue, Tariel? That I might communicate this to my vassals?"
"The leaves fall and the dragons depart," said Tariel. "But you do not tell them that. Aldrich helps you tell the Lords. Accepting other races' representatives is hard, many arguments. Only wood nymphs talk to all other races. Too much von Bielenfelds. These arguments take time."
Aldrich, Conrad, and von Wincott nodded solemnly. Yuuri was vastly grateful that his political advisor Wolfram would be back soon – hopefully before these letters had to go out. "Well, you'll excuse us," he said, with an ironic bow to the tiny conqueror with the big green eyes. And they left to join Gwendal in his tower and plan how to communicate the sudden new world order to the rest of Shin Makoku. Manfred took Bertram back from Yuuri before he left – the baby still needed strong protection and a bed.
oOo
Their departure left only Friedrich, Manfred, a sleeping Bertram, and the wood nymphs in the dining hall. They spoke until the hostages began returning. As families reunited, and the immediate letters were dispatched, everyone finally got some rest.
Troll Mother and her retinue departed after sundown, with little more being said.
oOo
The late afternoon river boats bore return correspondence packets for the upriver Aristocrats, and quite a lot for Yuuri as well, delivered as the group visited before dinner was served. Yuuri was unsurprised when somber Gwendal disappeared immediately into his office with Yuuri's and his own correspondence, to stew and glower over. The elderly Lord Regent Elliot von Wincott skimmed his mail briefly before dinner, engaged in pleasant supper conversation, then excused himself to work. Brendan and Aldrich ignored their mail until the after supper coffee, while the children were excused from the table to play. Yuuri offered an office, but Brendan waved this away. "No, no, it's family hour. Though… not very edifying tonight, I'm afraid," he added to Aldrich, sadly.
In contrast, Aldrich was chuckling over his topmost letter. "Oh, I've got it tonight, Brendan. Let's begin, boys!" Trenton and Dietrich ran up to him, and Brendan put aside his mail. All were smiling. "OK, so here's the setup. Lord Howard's been left with the domain while his lazy liege lord's on vacation downriver, right? And overnight, no warning, no explanation – a dragon alights on Castle Bielenfeld! People are scared! There are no answers! There is muttering and unrest in the kingdom!"
Trenton and Dietrich muttered unrestfully, falling onto each other's arms in fear, pointing above at an imagined dragon. Efram joined in, squealing in fear and hiding his face on Greta's shoulder. Frieda giggled. Wolfram reached for Yuuri's hand and squeezed, smiling. Manfred, Friedrich, Cecilie, Conrad, Yozak, Günter, Annissina, and Gregor von Dienst all sat back to enjoy the show. Adelbert picked Frieda up onto his lap. Tariel and Garena hadn't dined with them, and the babies were already in bed.
"Now, Lord Howard," Aldrich continued, once he felt everyone grasped the spirit of the situation, "doesn't know any more than they do why there's a dragon on his roof. So, what to do, what to do… You'll never guess this one." He raised one eyebrow at one boy, one at the other. The boys nodded for him to go on. "He holds a dragon naming contest! Now, think about it – what does this goofy solution accomplish?"
Everyone, not just the boys, looked at each other while they thought about it. Most came to an enlightened look after a moment or two, smiling. Yuuri was still looking puzzled at a smirking Wolfram, when Aldrich continued because Dietrich and Trenton had answers. He pointed to Trenton and gave Dietrich a hug.
"He's buying time!" said Trenton.
"Very good! Anything else?" The boys looked unsure. "I think Efram and Greta know. What happens to the fearful muttering and unrest in the kingdom?"
Greta shaded her eyes to better peer at the ceiling. "I think he looks like a Robinaud," she mooned in a dreamy falsetto.
Efram folded his arms and tut-tutted. "What a sissy name for a dragon. He needs a brave title – Demonbane!"
Annissina folded her arms and harrumphed. "She is the brave-hearted fire-breathing Angelique!" Everyone chimed in with names after that, mostly romantic or dangerous or heroic. Yuuri wryly suggested 'Alford'. Wolfram offered 'Fido' and Conrad 'Moopsie'. Aldrich pointed at them grinning, You're catching on!
After they'd all named the dragon, Aldrich continued, "Well, that's a definite improvement over muttering and unrest, isn't it? Lord Howard's brilliant! Oh, he doesn't say in his letter, but who do you think judges the contest? And when?" This one he left just to the boys. When they both had an answer, he picked Dietrich.
"After supper," Dietrich said. "He judges the contest, after he's had time to get letters upriver from Blood Pledge Castle and think them over." Trenton nodded.
Aldrich nodded. "Good answer! I bet that's just what he did. And the winning dragon name was… drum roll please," the boys drummed the table, "… Neville!"
Into the ensuing silence, Trenton opined, "Your Lord Howard's a dweeb. What kind of name is Neville for a fire-breathing dragon?" Brendan, chuckling, enfolded him in a hug.
Aldrich nodded, "You're right, Trenton. Howard is a dweeb, but he's an inspired dweeb! Howard didn't want a scary name for the dragon! Now everybody's looking at the thing with the wimpy name and saying, 'Poor dragon…' And best of all, the winning contestant was Edna the bakerwife! Trenton, you don't know Edna, but she's the worst, most feared gossip in all Castletown. Everyone in Castletown knows that poor Neville was named by," his voice dropped to a low death dirge, "Edna.
"So, OK, nobody's really all that scared of the dragon anymore. But Lord Howard knows that the thing's going to sit up there for months. And he's the father of an adolescent himself." Aldrich flourished his hand to give Greta and Efram their cue.
Efram mimicked the swagger of the bane of his existance as Head of the Horde – Lord Howard's son Harald. He boasted to Greta, "Last night, I went up there, and I popped that dragon right on the nose." He gave the air a right jab.
"You did not!" said Greta, arms folded and foot tapping. "Prove it!"
"I bet I can hit him with a rock!" said Trenton.
"That's mean!" objected Dietrich.
"Humph! He's got scales, it won't hurt him! You're a wimp!" retorted Trenton.
"Ah, so you see the problem!" continued Aldrich smoothly, before the boys could forget they were playacting. "Attacking a member of any other race is punishable by death!"
"Do you really think the dragon would eat children?" asked Dietrich. The boys looked more eager than scared by this prospect.
Aldrich wagged a hand so-so. "Best not to risk it. Better to channel their energy in another direction. Now, O heirs to the agricultural might of Gratz and Bielenfeld: What do we do with unwanted important guests?"
"We feed them and feed them until they roll away home!" The boys rolled into balls and tumbled across the floor. Clearly this was a well-practiced standard answer in their how-to-rule repertoire.
"That's right!" said Aldrich. He flourished his letter, and read, "'My son Lord Harald and his team report preliminary dietary research results: Neville prefers beef over pork, Tarkenburg Purple over Bielenfeld Blue – yeah, everybody picks on my potatoes – and ale over water. I fear, my liege, that Neville ate your hydrangeas before we realized he also liked plants. So tomorrow shall commence the vegetable preference studies.' What'd I tell you? Lord Howard is brilliant!"
"He's still a dweeb," chorused Friedrich, Manfred, Brendan, and Efram.
"Granted," said Aldrich with a smile. "But, oh, young Aristocrats, now your job comes in. First, how do you handle the actions of your ambitious and brilliant vassal Lord Howard? Second, sooner or later, Neville's favorite foods will be ascertained. We'll need new dragon-watching activities to soothe the public. Third, there is another source of muttering and unrest in the kingdom – for further news included," Aldrich lowered his voice to emphasize the gravity of the situation, "that the vast and important domain of Bielenfeld – larger than any other two domains combined – only got one dragon. No other domain has been so slighted! Gratz got four! It's an insult!"
Trenton looked smug, and looked to his father for confirmation. A highly amused Brendan nodded – yup, four alright… and they're none too happy about it back home.
Dietrich looked outraged. "Clearly we need to lure one of Gratz' dragons away. Unless… how many do Spitzweg and Wincott have?"
"Two each," said Aldrich. "One for their biggest city, another for the Lord's castle." It was a hint. Bielenfeld had only the one city, Castletown, with the ancient stone fortress of the von Bielenfelds rising in its center. Most domains had largest city and domain seat in separate locations. Gratz had dragons for busy Gratzport on the Donza, Brendan's seat at Gratzberg, and two patrolling the long Trondheim border. "Walde has five," he allowed.
"No, Walde's too far. Easier to steal a dragon from Gratz. Or, maybe we could just ask great-grandnymph Tariel for another?" suggested Dietrich.
Aldrich laughed and hugged him. "Diet – you're supposed to be advising me as domain ruler here. Even overfed dragons named Neville are a danger to the public. We don't really want more dragons. We're just trying to make them entertaining. OK?"
"Oh, yeah, sorry," Dietrich said sheepishly.
Trenton suggested solemnly, "I think we should eat dessert and give ourselves time to think this over."
"Nice one, Trenton! But not until after Lords' lesson."
"Well," said Trenton, "we could tell Tariel there is racial unrest in Tarkenburg." Tarkenburg was the largest plantation and town on the other side of the Donza River from Castletown. "That'd be cool, then you could compete your dragons! Neville versus what's-its-name!"
Brendan laughed. "Not bad. I can see it now, nighttime fireworks across the river, portly Neville spouting flaming spicebread crumbs!"
"If you could get them to fight," allowed Aldrich. "I might feel… honor-bound… to ask Squire Tarkenburg first if he actually wanted a dragon scaring his populace," he said to gently refocus them toward don't want more dragons. Greta raised a hand shyly, not sure if she was allowed to butt in. "Greta! You have an idea?"
"A romance," she said. "Dragon socials. We invite each of the other dragons to come visit lonely Neville. We give them romantic deluxe suppers on the castetop, with musicians. We decorate the rooftop with flowers. We help Neville find a mate!"
"That's brilliant, Greta!" said Manfred. "I could send a call for proposals to the Institute – how to maximize Neville's chances."
"Rotating honors, which plantation provides the musicians and dessert," offered Friedrich.
"A lottery, which dragon is invited next," suggested Brendan. "Get the more worried domains feeling better about their dragons. And lets Bielenfeld gloat about having one dragon instead of feeling, um, under-feared."
"Thanks, Bren," Aldrich commented wryly.
"Any time, Rick."
"Dragons do socialize, don't they, Conrad?" inquired Wolfram, hugging Yuuri's arms around himself in delight.
"I believe so," agreed Conrad.
"Tariel would approve," said Yuuri. "Helps calm the populace throughout Shin Makoku by publicizing Bielenfeld's good dragon relations."
"Well, this beats any ideas I had. I salute you, Greta!" said Aldrich, with a seated bow. "Alright, then. To wrap up, let's review my three problems. First, this maintains my leadership over Lord Howard –"
"How's it do that?" interrupted Trenton.
"If you can't beat him, join him," explained Brendan. "Lord Howard made a brilliant start. As his liege lord, you've come up with a way to appreciate and further his excellent beginning. You don't have to upstage him – just follow through."
Aldrich nodded, and continued his summary. "Second, we have a more lasting entertainment. And third, we do it by using the competitive urge to have as many dragons as everybody else got. Perfect solution! Thank you ladies and gentlemen, Lords' lesson problem solved!"
"Time for dessert!" chimed Dietrich and Trenton.
oOo
The Bielenfeld dragon socials were a major hit – Greta's idea did much to calm the alarmed public all over Shin Makoku. The dragons vastly enjoyed their catered suppers on the flower bedecked roof of Castle Bielenfeld, dining on choicest Gratz beef and Bielenfeld produce, serenaded by plantation bands. Castletown enjoyed an increase in tourist revenue, as people from other domains came to watch the spectacle and supply their own bands and local delicacies, when their dragons had their turn wooing the famously lonely Neville.
The original Neville herself, an elderly great-grandmother dragon, was assigned to Castletown because Tariel knew Bielenfeld – no effort would be required. But this grand-dame of dragons did feel rather sorry for one of her grandsons, who'd had terrible luck in the mating game. They quietly swapped places, so that all this effort wouldn't be wasted on her. The von Bielenfelds knew about the switched Neville, but no one else caught on.
All twenty-nine other dragons came to "court" Neville (half were male, of course, and half the females close relatives), before Neville announced through Tariel that he had rather set his heart on someone – a brave lady dragon stationed on the dangerous Krist-Trondheim frontier, dubbed 'Elspeth' by her locals. Tariel persuaded Elspeth to trade into the truly boring Gratzport post, to the cheers of a nation.
Nobody knows whether Neville and Elspeth really hit it off. But the popular stories of this time always detail their great romance. Nobody associated the names 'Tariel' or 'Aldrich', or even 'trolls', with this epoch-making period. It went down in history simply as the Dragon Insurrection.
oOo
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