The Lord and Lady in the White Tower
By
UCSBdad
Disclaimer: I own none of this. No, really. Rating: K Time: This is a sequel to the Lady in the White Tower and begins some months after that story ended.
The blonde threw her arms around Kate.
"Kate, it's so good to see you again. I've really missed our times together."
"Me, too, Ann. But I wasn't able to see you on account of having to go around the world. And getting married, of course."
"You must tell me all about the wedding." Ann turned to Rick. "I hope you realize what a prize you have in Kate, Baron Castle."
"I do, and please all me Rick."
"Of course. And you must call me Ann."
Suddenly there was a fanfare of trumpets.
"Oh, dear." Ann said. "The speeches will be starting. I hope Rick's is nice and short. Both Foreign Affairs Counselor Tabbit and Financial Counselor Pryon ramble on forever."
"You'll have to excuse us." Rick said. "I'll have to be right up front."
The two counselors did drone on and on, giving Rick a chance to ask about Duchess Ann.
"She's one of the few people who never seemed to be afraid of me. She used to drop in and we'd chat for hours."
"Does she know about…everything?"
"No. She thinks I'm just a very intelligent and well-educated lady."
"She's the Duchess of Hastings? They're one of the wealthiest families in the Empire."
"And an unfortunate one. The old Duke, Ranald, was unable to sire a male heir. God knows he took wife after wife, mistress after mistress, and probably had his way with every young lady on their vast estates. If there was no male heir, the dukedom would have reverted to the emperor. But he married Ann and nine months after the wedding, she gave birth to a son, Ranald II. There was a lot of gossip that it wasn't Ranald that did the deed, but that's just gossip. The dukedom is secure as long as Ranald II is alive. The poor old duke didn't last more than a month after his son's birth."
By then, Lady Elbetta was speaking, and Castle knew his turn would be next.
Rick had made a few extemporaneous speeches to his troops before battles, but a formal speech before the emperor and the entire court was new to him. However, Kate had written him a short, but eloquent speech which seemed to go over well.
Then the emperor spoke, and the ceremony was over.
Rick and Kate were preparing to leave when an Imperial official stopped them.
"Baron and Lady Castle. The emperor wishes to speak with you. Please go to the Blue Room. The page will show you the way." He gestured to a young man in Imperial livery.
"This way, please."
"I hope the emperor doesn't want me to leave the Empire again." Rick muttered.
Rick was relieved when they entered the Blue Room. It was filled with people. Indeed, Rick saw two other commanders of heavy cavalry regiments, sitting by themselves in the back. He went over and introduced them to Kate.
"Kate, these are my friends Baron Fonso Jomini, who commands the Brodland Heavy Cavalry Regiment and Sir Dominic Hara, who commands the Linnmark Heavy Cavalry Regiment."
Baron Jomini was dressed in the very finest Imperial styles, although all of his clothing from his shoes to his scarf were black. His hair was deep black and pomaded and curled. His beard appeared to have been waxed.
Although Sir Dominic was always carefully dressed for these court appearances by his wife, he always looked like he was a simple regimental farrier who had borrowed his master's clothing.
Even so, Rick knew they were as fine a pair of heavy cavalry commanders as the Empire had.
"Quite pleased to meet you, Lady Kate." Jomini said, rising and bowing.
"Um, yes." Sir Dominic said, making a clumsy bow.
"I was afraid that the emperor was going to send me out of the Empire again." Rick said. "Seeing you two here makes me feel better."
"There's more than just us here, Rick." Baron Jomini said. "Over there is Prince Polito. The Hangarans are the best light cavalry in the world."
"As you well know." Rick said with a smile.
"Ah, you've heard that story?"
Rick shook his head.
"Only parts of it."
"When I was a young fellow, I had to take a troop of our horse archers out to track down a band of Hangaran marauders." He looked over at Kate. "Hangar is in the southwest corner of the Empire, across the Great Inner Sea. It's a steppe land between the well-watered coastal area and the desert to the south."
"I've never been there, Baron, but I do know of it."
"We chased the rascals for two weeks and never came near them. Finally, a patrol of Hangarans arrived, led by an officer named Troon. He took me and my men to a little oasis and told us to wait for two days. On the afternoon of the second day, he returned with the rascals. They were walking while Troon's men led their horses. Troon told me to mount my horse. When I had done so, each of the marauders came and kissed my boot and swore they'd serve me faithfully for as long as I was in Hangar. I was skeptical, of course. But they served me well for the next year and a half. When I left, I gave them each a bag of gold and wished them well. I hope they went back to their tribes, bought herds and became solid citizens, but I suspect they went back to robbing caravans."
"There's more here than just us and the prince." Sir Dominic muttered. "There in front are Captains Gwinnet and Pristol. They each command a regiment of foot archers. Their bows are bigger than those of our horse archers and can shoot further."
"That's Pirend of Piraeus." Rick said. "His phalanx is like a gigantic hedgehog."
"I don't know the three to the left, but they have the look of soldiers." The baron said.
Castle looked at the three men. They had deeply black skins, the sort found on people who lived beyond the Great Sand Sea and wore shapeless black robes. However, Rick thought they had the look of soldiers, too.
A court official walked in.
"Lords, lady and gentlemen, the emperor and empress have arrived."
The Imperial Couple walked in, followed by a slender young woman and a young lad not much older than she.
Everyone stood and bowed.
"That's Lady Arran." Rick whispered to Kate. "The one I told you about."
"She will break hearts in a few years." She whispered back.
The emperor and empress sat and motioned everyone to be seated.
"My lords, lady and gentlemen." He began. "I will begin by introducing to you, the Princess Arran of the Golden Coast. With her is her betrothed, Sir Karl Lowe. I'm sure you're all familiar with the Lowe family."
The emperor gestured to a flunky and a curtain was pulled back to reveal a map of the world.
"For the past twenty years we have been sending ships south along the coast of Auracania. We colonized the Islands of Pelicans, just off the coast years ago."
A flunky used a pointer to show where the islands were.
"And we have sailed further south. Each season we've gone a bit further south. We've found places to trade and have traded our goods for the locals' gold, silver, jewels, cotton and some spices. Eventually, one of our captains reached the former capitol of the Golden Coast, Aurum. Well, perhaps I should let Captain Deese tell you what he found."
Deese, who had been sitting in front of the three strangers from Auracania, stood and bowed to one and all.
"Exactly six months ago, my ships found Aurum right here, where the old maps said it would be." Deese reached up and tapped a portion of the map about halfway down the coast of the continent." Amazingly, the city was in very good shape. We'd thought we'd find naught but ruins, but the walls still stood, although the wooden gates had rotted away and the buildings inside were mostly intact. There was a large iron chain across the harbor mouth, but we pulled several small boats over the chain and sent men to lower the chain. We didn't go far inland, but we found no sign of life."
Deese resumed his seat.
The emperor resumed speaking.
"You may or not be aware of the history of the Golden Coast. A century and a half ago a man called Nikodimas, usually called Nikodimas the Slaughterer, began expanding the power of his tribe. When he defeated another tribe, he'd murder all of males and give the women to his soldiers as wives or slaves. This provided another generation of soldiers. His son, Nikodimas the Younger, continued the practice and built up a huge army of conquest. He attacked the Golden Coast, eventually and slaughtered everyone he could find. Those who could found refuge in Aurum. Nikodimas the Younger had never tried to assault a walled and fortified city and had no siege train, nor anyone who knew anything about sieges. Being a seaport, Aurum could bring in food, medicines and all necessities and withstood the siege easily. However, the armies of Nikodimas ravaged the countryside around Aurum. They destroyed every building, cut down all the trees, killed any animals they found, poisoned wells and other waterways. So, by the time Nikodimas and his army left, there was no hinterland to support the city."
The emperor then pointed to Lady, or rather, Princess Arran.
"This is Princess Arran. Her great-great grandfather decided to abandon the city and come to the Empire. Although King Poros had no realm left, he swore fealty to the Empire on behalf of his people and the realm of the Golden Coast."
The emperor stopped and looked around the room.
"I have decided to reclaim the Golden Coast for the Empire."
That set off a buzz of conversation.
"Of course, Princess Arran is too young to rule the Golden Coast, so I shall appoint a Viceroy to rule until she is of age and then to oversee her rule on behalf of the Empire. Note that the Viceroy will speak with my voice. Understood?"
Princess Arran nodded and smiled sweetly. Sir Karl kept a straight face but looked unhappy.
"I have thought long and hard as to who will best serve the Empire in far Aurum. Baron Castle, will you come forward."
Castle quickly rose and strode to the emperor.
"Kneel."
He did so.
The emperor took a ceremonial sword and tapped Castle on the left shoulder, head and right shoulder.
"As you kneel Baron Castle, rise Lord Castle, Viceroy of the Golden Coast and all of My Lands bordering Auracania."
Castle rose,
"I swear I will serve the Empire and the emperor faithfully for all of my days."
"Excellent." The emperor said with a smile. "Of course, your personal troops will be reinstated into the Empire's regular forces to be paid and equipped by the Empire. You will also have command of the two heavy cavalry regiments whose commanders you see here, in addition to the two regiments of archers. Our allies from Hangar and Piraeus will also provide troops. Lastly, Chief Tokar and his brothers will provide you with troops." The emperor pointed to the three Black men.
One of them, Tokar, rose.
"I am Chief Tokar. When Nikodimas attacked our people, we fled to the city of Aurum. When good King Poros decided to flee to the Empire, we went with him. The Empire settled us on the eastern shore of the Great Inner Sea where we prospered, but always dreamed of returning to our homeland. We will bring you three thousand soldiers, plus many farmers, herdsmen and tradesmen to repopulate the Golden Coast."
"Thank you, Chief Tokar." Castle said. "But can you tell me of what happened to the armies of Nikodimas?"
Tokar smiled.
"He destroyed himself eventually. He killed so many and destroyed so much, eventually there was no food to feed his armies. Then a plague struck, and many died, including Nikodimas. The army broke into small bands, searching for food. These bands fought among themselves. The few tribes that were left hunted them down and destroyed them."
"I'm glad to hear that." Lord Castle said.
"Lord Castle." Sir Karl Lowe stood up. "My family has raised a force of guards for my betrothed. I bring you a force of four hundred men: Half archers and half spearmen."
"Thank you, Sir Karl."
TBC