CHAPTER XVII.
Mylene was looking forward to this Holiday, not because she admired the armor duels, but because she would be able to truly take a vacation for the first time in… she doesn't even remember when was the last time she took proper vacations.
Roland was muttering how she should just have stayed back and kept working to himself in a corner in the ship while pretending to be working on some airbike he commissioned from the Atlees, that hurt her a little, but that won't deny herself this much needed time away from work.
Erica had chosen to stay at Elijah's home, not being interested in the brutality of combat armors.
Besides, she enjoys the idea of getting in the way of her dear husband debauchery, back home it is more convenient to keep out of each others ways but now they were in Marqui Framptom territory and they needed to keep appearances, she does not enjoy making Roland suffer, but she was once a star eyed princess in love with her prince charming… she will live her dream for the duration of the tourney and Roland's complaints be damned!
Julius and his friends were coming with them as well, just… in another ship in their fleet, they were all with the Lafan girl, Marie. She doesn't like the girl if she was being honest, she has the potential to become a good Queen if Julius and his friends do a Good Job in their respective stations, but Marie is not suited to rule, not like Angelica was…
At least she won't find herself in her shoes, trying to rule the kingdom alone while her husband looks for younger girls to procreate with, Julius was devoted to her, it was disturbing to notice how much her son and husband were alike, both liked petite bodies and ignored well endowed ladies in favor of such figures.
At least Julius would remain loyal because it doesn't look like Lafan will develop any further.
They are probably going at it like rabbits in their own ship, she just hopes that they'll do it one at a time, their relationship is scandalous as it is, the royal family doesn't need any more rumors going around, Marie isn't even pregnant and the court nobles are already talking about how can she provide Heirs fro five different Houses and some go beyond stopping just before what they say could become slander.
The church wasn't hounding her son's entourage because they had found a stolen relic that formed part of the Saintess apparel and it reacted positively to Marie, if the girl really was the Saintess of this era it would be a blessing for the kingdom and her House. It would allow Julius to marry the girl without backlash from society.
It would just make things so much easier if Marie was the Saintess.
0x0
The Frampton territory had become a vibrant place full of people, merchants had established around the arena selling their wares to nobles and commoners alike, food stands offering a warm meal and a cold drink, artist exposing their art in various ways, musicians competing to gather the largest crowds, some others set stands to challenge the skills of the public. Wealthier merchants offered higher end wares, jewelry, pictures, sculptures, even armors were on display.
But Mylene could only watch from a distance, she had a whole contingency of bodyguards around her, her family and friends.
She has Roland's arm prisoner on her own arm, she wouldn't let him escape and do his usual nasty stuff.
Her son is walking hand in hand with Marie, who is also holding hands with Jilk… and his other three friends are all hovering around like vultures waiting for either of them to let go of one of her hands to replace them, they all act so shamefully that she could barely stand it.
The Marquis had informed them he would greet them later for he is too busy with tournament matters… Malcolm is probably just using the opportunity to make himself as someone important and busy to them.
While she is happy he organized all this she won't be fooled by these tactics, they are annoying, she does not wait for anyone, once the Marquis is ready to meet with them it'll be them who are busy.
After a short walk they arrive at one of the biggest tents in the campament, it has the symbols of the Holfort House engraved on every wall announcing this was their place, all other tents have maintained a respectful distance from them.
That is royalty in a nutshell, always alone at the top, be it her with her duties or Roland trying to drown himself in his current mistress' body or Julius desperately trying to seek out others, her daughter trying to forge a good relationship with her fiance, they were alone in the end.
She was the most pathetic in her family though, while her husband and son still tried, she had given up when Julius abandoned Angelica.
Her selfish child had forcibly severed her most fulfilling bond with another human being, she felt like Angelica had looked up to her, depended on her, loved her even.
She had kept tabs on Angie, according to her spy she is living happily with her husband and his mistress, she was given her proper place as the lady of the fief and has even recently given birth to a healthy baby boy…
She wanted to be happy for her, but all she could see in her was a dangerous future adversary. Vince has been openly defying the Crown Prince and pointing there is no adequate successor as of yet.
She could see the resentment festering in the Duke's House over the breach in the contract, she has been supporting Framptom quietly, she didn't like the man at all, but he has his uses if you are careful enough with how you pull his strings.
Locating Vince's weakness was tricky, his vassals have closed ranks around him and his family, Gilbert is a shrewd politician in his own right, but he was the most vulnerable of the three, he has been staying in the court to guard House Redgrave's interests.
And she knew better than asking Miriam for help, she remembers her uncle raising her to be just like her.
Angelica was well guarded by her husband who has never been defeated in battle. She knows of the various attacking forces he has obliterated, including the elite mercenary units House Marmoria sent to destroy his territory.
She has a spy, a young adventurer by the name of Aaron.
He was lucky enough to find a certain lost item that allowed him to communicate with her no matter the distance and managed to infiltrate the Bartfort Branch House as one more of the many peasants that were trying their luck in the newly discovered floating Island, a perfect front for the young spy.
Aaron was also her one hope of taking care of Angelica if the need became an urgent matter, she really hoped these issues could be resolved before it became necessary to use such underhanded methods.
If she could locate Angie and sway her back to her side that would end most of the crown's internal problems.
But there was the matter of the Principality of Fannos that would still be hanging over all of the kingdom's heads, they have surely noticed the civil unrest her son has caused and are probably preparing to attack.
The kingdom's military power far surpassed that of the Principality but they still are a serious threat with how much they have been developing their technology the past decade and there is still the matter of the Black Knight, Vandel is still probably the most powerful knight in the continent and he alone had the power to destroy a medium sized fleet in battle.
0x0
After getting properly settled in their tent Mylene took her most trusted guards and a coat and went out for a stroll in the busy camp. She wanted to see her people without being immediately recognized, so she could pass as one of the many noble Ladies walking through the stands.
After walking a few minutes without anything really catching her attention they crossed the commercial part of the encampment and arrived at a new residential part of the camp, less opulent tents compared to the ones on her own sector but still wealthy, these were rural nobles showing up wealth they probably didn't really have.
The deeper she went into the rural nobles camp the louder it got, energetic music, the kind that incites people to dance could be heard in what was probably the center of the commotion.
She signaled her knights to follow her to the origin of the music, near the source there was the biggest concentration of people she had seen in this place so far.
She could see the people dancing around a campfire, some others were eating and drinking, some of the older ones just sat at the edge of the celebration with smiles on their faces.
Walking through some other onlookers she found herself at the front of the people that gathered to witness this celebration that borrowed the location for their own purposes, it wasn't wrong of them to do so, but it certainly painted an ugly picture about their shameless nature.
She was about to continue with her tour around the camp when she saw a young woman with braided, blonde hair dancing with two partners…
Angelica, her husband, and his mistress, the three of them with smiles on their faces moved at the rhythm of music, they were the center of attention, even the other couples around them seemed to pay attention to the young trio and to another couple dancing just by their side.
For a second she could picture Julius and Marie in place of Angie's partners… if only Angelica had been more tolerant.
"You seem to have a knack for spying on Angelica!" she knew that voice, turning around she confirmed it was the Redgrave Duke.
He was not happy to see her, he never was since their children broke their engagement, but this time his features were softer, he was carrying a bundle covered by a soft and warm fabric.
There was another man walking with him, by his looks he wasn't one of Vince's bodyguards, there was nothing remarkable about the man other than the company he kept.
That was probably the baby Angie gave birth to, Vince's grandchild. Was the other man the baby's other grandfather?
He did have a strong resemblance with Angelica's husband.
Either way she wanted to take the baby from him and pamper him, such were her motherly instincts, she herself could still bear one or two more children but Roland had lost all interest in her after Erica was born.
"I was only passing by when I noticed this… commotion" she defended herself, she didn't need to spy on Angie directly, she was the Queen.
"I suppose that's possible" Vince conceded, not interested in starting anything while having the baby in his arms, the Duke turned his attention to the other man and in a bout of non verbal communication ordered him to leave.
The man did so with some obvious reluctance.
"Are they celebrating something?" she asked looking back at the dancing couples.
"Olivia is pregnant" Vince told her carelessly while looking at the baby with adoration.
"Lord Bartfort's concubine?" she asked, it was unusual for wife and mistress to celebrate such things together, or more accurately, it was strange that wife and mistress had a friendly relationship.
"They are hoping for a girl this time" VInce told her ignoring her question, but that in itself was enough of an answer.
"They look happy…" she commented, hoping to extend this conversation, it's been some time since the last time she could have a civil conversation with the powerful man across from her.
Perhaps the birth of his grandchild has calmed Vince enough to reconsider his policies against the royal family; she was prepared to extend an olive branch to him if he was. She could put his rival Houses down if he was cooperative.
Perhaps even promote his son-in-law to Viscount based on his achievements dismantling air pirates ships and crews.
"They are from what I gather, Angie has even given her consent for Olivia to wed Leon, finally the Duke put his attention back on her, his face taking a sterner expression as if putting his guard back up.
That was something she wanted to avoid, this could be her only chance to avoid a civil war within the Holfort kingdom.
"I'm glad things worked out for her in the end" she said with a genuine smile. "Vince… don't you think it is time to end our quarrel?" she asked, looking tenderly at the baby in his arms, she didn't want to involve the next generation in their mistakes.
"You want us to forget the humiliations your family put us through and become your supporters once again?" Vince's face showed just how much he disliked the idea.
"You would be compensated accordingly" she told him calmly, she didn't expect him to agree with her just because she asked "We would put down your rivals, promote your son-in-law, depending of the timing maybe bethrot one of Gilbert's children to one of Julius" she offered to try and link their Houses again next generation since this time it wasn't possible, but time was not something significative for their Houses
Vince told her flatly "I don't need your help to overcome my enemies, a promotion would be troublesome for Leon and neither My son or I wish to have anything to do with… your son or husband."
"Vince, are you aware of the rift you are creating within the kingdom?!" she asked in a last ditch attempt to make the Duke see reason, the way things are right now, a civil war would be inevitable, and most likely attacks from their neighboring countries like Fannos and Rachell, they are slowly walking towards the kingdom's end.
"Are you aware that it was That Thing's fault?!" Mylene sighed at the response, there was no turning back now.
She walked away and didn't bother saying goodbye to Vince, she had a meeting to arrange with Marquis Framptom.
She needed a way to deal with the oncoming war without loyal subjects losing their lives.
0x0x0
Stephanie was not having fun!
This place was dirty and their tent provided no privacy and she was feeling pent up from not being able to sate her needs with her personal servants!
The children of her family's vassals kept their distance and she was surrounded by untouchables all around.
Stephanie spent her days waiting for the start of the tournament watching her father's knights train in a tent specially prepared for them.
It was the most exciting thing to do right now, and their new knights were much, much better than the old ones.
one in particular stood out from the rest.
She still can remember vividly how ruthless he was, he was relentless and never gave his opponents time to breathe, if she had to use a word to describe him, it would be wild.
How would she enjoy taming that beast!
Then break him to the saddle and enjoy riding him!
But alas it was not to be in this hellhole full of boredom.
She would have to make her own fun.