Chapter 78: Ancestral Home

Originally built seven centuries ago, Ellesmere Castle, then called Castle Waugh, had been the original seat of power for the first ruling family of Duren, but after the last of that line died without an heir, a new royal line was elected from the Duren nobility and they decided that Ellesmere was far too removed from the people and too imposing to be the capital of the nation.

And so the new royal line moved out of their predecessors ancient capital halls and created a brand new castle city closer to the centre of Duren, and far less imposing and more accessible for the citizens to visit, trade in and carry out their legal, cultural and religious activities.

Ellesmere was built on what was probably the most inhospitable and perilous spit of land in the whole of the Pentarchy.

However, the founder kings had good reason to want their new nation's capital to be protected; and that was due to the long standing enmity that had existed between them and the kings of Neolandia.

The Ards Peninsula overlooked Skall's Hook; a strategically important bay which offered seafarers and traders safe moorings and protection from the dangerous rough seas beyond.

As always with castles, a small town had developed outside and stretched down to the shoreline to cater to the needs and interests of passing ships and their crews but all under the control and supervision of the first kings of Duren and later the Lords of Ellesmere.

However once the first royal line died out and the second dynasty was enthroned, the castle and town built on the peninsula came to be seen as nothing more than a relic of past that no longer represented the changing ideas of what Duren society was desired to become. And so the fortified coastline was abandoned in favour of the safer interior with lands of green and pleasant hills.

Intending to make peace with Neolandia, and break with the centuries of enmity and violence between the two kingdoms, the second dynasty made a show of demilitarising their western border to show their resolve to further cross border peace. And hopefully gain a foothold of trust, that could be built upon.

Unfortunately, by leaving the peninsula castle abandoned had the effect of embittering the townsfolk who believed there'd been left behind and seen as backwards. Resentment towards the second dynasty and angry at being left behind made them easy targets when an unexpected war broke out.

Caused by a single 'rogue' Neolandian prince - whom may or may not have had permission - held designs on the Ards Peninsula and made the decision to launch a naval invasion of Duren and conquer the peninsula land, take Castle Waugh and then declare them and Skall's Hook Bay all for his home nation.

Blindsided by the invasion, and significantly weaker due to having demilitarised itself, Duren's army now found itself having to reverse its tracks and traverse the rolling rocky plains of the peninsula. And the second dynasty learned, first hand, just why Castle Waugh was such a prized possession, and their rash steps towards reforming their own nation.

Offering strong natural defences against attack the former capital castle was held by strong and defiant Neolandian troops for eight months. However, because the surrounding land was nought but rock it meant that the invaders had to rely on the local townsfolk for provisions, as well as their own naval superiority for suppler lines.

And whilst the townspeople were initially supportive of Neolandia, they quickly turned on the invaders due to being overly taxed to support the renovation of the castle. Therefore, they slowly began to deny by omission the adequate number and proportions of supplies that the invading army needed.

Eventually, the 'rogue' prince's army was met on the battlefield by Duren's own forces but they were unable to fully utilise the advantage fighting on home territory. And so the Neolandian forces retreated back to Castle Waugh and prepared to be besieged.

However, when the siege did come it came not from Duren but from Katolis which was extremely perturbed by the internal conflict between its two northern neighbours. To which end they launched its own offensive to end the conflict and bring the two nations to peace - on its own terms.

Captured by Katolis, and ransomed back to his father, on the proviso that Neolandia also 'demilitarise its own border' as well as 'strip back its naval capabilities' and accept Katolis as the official broker of peace.

Humiliated by the might and political guile of Katolis, Neolandia's king admitted the plot to annex the Ards Peninsula and Skall's Hook bay, and then sentenced his son to internal exile within their own country. Never to set foot in the capital or royal castle again - under pain of death.

Meanwhile, centuries down the line in Duren; and after which a third royal family was selected - of which Crown Princess Annika would later be born into - this family formally decided that they should appoint loyal nobility to command the peninsula fortress and utilise the benefits that its maritime position held.

Moreover, as the castle had been abandoned for nearly two hundred years, it was seen as an economic nightmare to administer all the way from Berylgarten, as well as it was still a running sore between Neolandia and Katolis. To which only a new independent, non aligned family to Duren, could be trusted to administer and manage the former economic prosperity that was once Castoe Waugh.

To them they only saw head aches, frustration and likely trade wars with the other kingdoms arising should they continue to utilise the old capital's natural defences.

And so the Ards Peninsula, former royal castle and jurisdiction over the local town were all granted as a by the first Pentarchy Conferences to a long forgotten but important lesser known noble family of Duren - whom had been instrumental in the original formation of the Five Kingdoms.

The Amari Family.

During abandonment, and subsequently after the invading Neolandians had been defeated, Castle Waugh had been stripped of all and any remaining valuables: intricate carven stone, wooden frieze panelling that surrounded the once great council chamber and all the weapons in the armoury.

Devoid and empty of all life, objectivity and purpose, the former capital was left to decay; to the resentment of the local townsfolk, whilst the new royal line enjoyed the more hospitable and prosperous centre of Duren.

It wasn't that the townsfolk didn't understand why the capital was moved - to make the lives of the average citizen easily thrive and to ensure that agriculture could become more dominant and easier - but the fact that no plans were put in place for those whom stayed behind on the peninsula hurt the people greatly.

So when the Amari family gained control over and ownership of the peninsula fortress, the bay and town they found it a sorry sight. The castle was almost in total ruins; not that they hadn't been warned about the possibility of such.

Unfazed by the state of their new home and territory, the Amari family immediately set about using their primal magic to rebuild the castle, using brick and stone anew - breathing new life back into the walls and town.

Moreover, they utilised their innate primal magic to bring greenery and verdancy to the previously difficult terrain and inhospitable coastline - which also had the added benefit of transforming the barren earth into rich arable land that surprised and enamoured the townsfolk.

Trade had always been the way of life on the peninsula but now that the land had been developed by this primal magic, and the land was made tillable, the potential for an expanded trade network was now greatly increased. And the prosperity of the town and castle would rise too.

Renaming the old capital, Ellesmere, and removing all connection to the original namesake royal line after they had been extinct for nearly two hundred years, was also a major step forwards as the local townsfolk as well as the new royal family in Berylgarten were uneasy about turning away from the original name.

Eventually, the new castle was rebuilt and completely refurbished, utilising a new building product, brick, as well as stone to create a blend of the original architecture with a newer style of building.

Once completed, the family breathed a 'vow of protection' into their new home as well as extending it to cover the whole of the Ards Peninsula too. A precaution in case of extreme weather, naval attack and protection of their knowledge; the family never once believed that they would ever need to utilise it - but for one day centuries into the future.

When this one stormy night occurred, and the vow was activated, the reason given confused and enraged the townsfolk and guards as they had all believed that the Amaris were seen as integral to the Pentarchy's survival. However, the last words - a plea - from Lord Sion communed to the guards back in Ellesmere warned them of the purge and his desire for them to protect and save his youngest son.

Another temporary command was influencing the weather to be smash apart the ships pursuing his child giving him a higher chance of escape. As the townsfolk heard their lord's final breath, their courage and determination to protect Ellesmere was bolstered hundredfold.

Startled by the act of civil disobedience and entrenched and staunch support for the Amaris, Kings Relling and Svengauld feared that their lies about 'Amari treachery and corruption' would spread across the other nations and threaten their stability. And so they appointed and dispatched Sir Richard Aurelius to be the Governor General of Ellesmere.

The vow protected Ellesmere during the Purge from the attempted siege led by the traitorous Rogues and attacking soldiers of Neolandia and Katolis. Also, unbeknownst to either the rogues or the vengeance driven militancy, the vow had created a vault deep underground where primal magic books, artefacts and ancient devices - gathered by past Amaris - were securely hidden away.

Loyal scholars, magic healers and personnel fled through hidden tunnels leading them in the direction of the swampland border with Evernere. It was within the northern swamps of the island kingdom of Evenere that the truly loyal Amari allies, the Faceless Order, fled as they awaited the return of the young master.

Protected by Queen Sasandra; whom played Relling and Svengauld off one another to protect her own nation, the Faceless Order placed their hopes in their young master. Willing that he would be able to convince the Pentarchy's next generation of monarchs to return him all of his families lands and titles.

The gardens of Ellesmere Castle had been created and nurtured by the family themselves as a pet project in between their normal work of trying to improve the lives of the ordinary citizens across the whole of the Pentarchy, as well as the day to day management of the city status that Ellesmere town had achieved.

Built on terraces that were moulded out of the natural rock by primal magic and then subsequently breathed life into by that same power, the Ards Peninsula was transformed from a rocky outcropping into arable and fertile lands. Cultivated by both family and town, the land was now fully prosperous.

Whilst gardeners and groundsmen were brought in for garden and farmland assistance, the townsfolk and citizens as far away as Del Bar and Katolis began to slowly idolise the Amari's 'hands on approach' to providing for the common people.

Slowly this jokey commentary on how the other nobles and royals of the Pentarchy preferred slothful idle activities to their day to day monotony, as well as seen as prideful and arrogant, began to result in an Amari ostracisation from court politics. However, whenever flareups with Xadia occurred - dragons flying above or elven incursions - the human kings would turn to their innate primal mage family to lessen the threat levels.

Due to this innate primal magic, and then being the only humans whom could actually fight Xadia - at its own level - further increased the public popularity and adoration of the Amari family; unabated and without malice amongst the citizenry.

Yet, to those in power - the centre of court politics and the Pentarchy Conferences - the Amaris began to seen as upstarts whom were trying to supplant the traditional order with newer ideas of equal justice and fair government.

And that sowed the first seeds of private distrust and public jealousy. Yet, due to the Amari's often down to earth personalities the royals didn't seem to be that perturbed and tended to give offhanded jokes about themselves when visiting or requiring Amari council.

However, generations later, when King Otar Ren of Neolandia and King Svengauld assumed the thrones of their respective countries - and then toned their words enough to convince Queen Sassandra of Evenere - to see, or think that she saw, the Amari's as too unpredictable, dangerous and deceptive to considered useful to the Pentarchy anymore that the level of fear and distrust - held at bay for centuries - finally gave way to the Amari Purge.

And so, after the family was killed but also during the Pentarchy's continual hunt for the surviving child, the whole of the Ards Peninsula including Ellesmere Castle were placed under the military jurisdiction of General Sir Richard Aurelius.

Hailing from the kingdom of Del Bar but a full resident citizen of Katolis for over thirty-six years, Sir Richard was a tall red haired man who tendered to wear dull greyish-blue armour with full length black cloak strapped to his shoulders.

An expert in swordsmanship, as well as spear and shield warfare, he was well versed in the planning of sieges as well as how to best break them. Prior experience he had plenty; for he had been the architect of the Siege of Ztenmea.

Forty years ago Ztenmea had once been the jewel in the Xadian border fortresses that constantly threatened the border into Duren-Xadia. Built into the side of an active volcano and controlled largely by sunfire elves, with a contingent of Tidebound elves too, the fortress was said to be invulnerable.

However, on that day all those years ago, a young man convinced the then monarchs to allow him and his newly formed army to capture the fortress in the name of humanity.

Using nothing but his own intuition, as well as some explosives inventions created for him by then High Mage Claude Devant, Richard Aurelius conquered the previously unconquerable Ztenmea fortress before hanging, drawing and quartering the defeated sunfire elves within and forcing the tidebound elves to flee back across the border.

As a reward for his efforts, and for pacifying the Duren-Xadia border, Richard Aurelius was knighted and officially became the first of the Six Generals.

Lux Aurea tried to retake the fortress a years later, aided by a fire dragon called Pyrrha; whom was sent by Sol Regem, but in the end they were all driven back by the human General and his accompanying army. And from that day onwards Richard Aurelius became known by the elves by the epithet: 'Fire'.

Richard Aurelius, and then later on Misano Esdeath, became known as the only humans to be feared by elves and whom could massacre their way through huge numbers of elven troops and assassins - not that any elf would willingly admit their fear aloud - yet the names Carnage and Ice became bywords for vigilance and stealth whenever elves were tasked to enter the human realm.

With the eyes of Xadia terrified by these two human warriors - capable of defeating and cowering the strongest of elves and even able to turn away and injure fire dragons - the eastern part of the continent became begrudgingly content in the fact that the humans were also content in their lands.

And therefore Xadia returned its ever watchful gaze and simmering resentment back towards the Dark Kingdom, and the so-called 'Lords of the Crystal'.

Present Day

"My Home…"

Standing at the bow of Esdeath's personal warship, Zeren gripped his arms tightly as he stared outwards at the looming cliffs of the Ards Peninsula - and the shadow Ellesmere castle just beginning to come into sight.

"Calm yourself young master", Nyau murmured placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Whilst true that this is your home until we convince General Aurelius to stand down the castle remains an impounded property".

"But that doesn't mean the we cannot reintroduce you to the townsfolk and regain some of their prior loyalty to your family", Esdeath uttered walking forwards to stand behind Nyau.

Gritting his teeth as he recalled the tall red haired, armour clad man who'd manhandled him into speaking at the royal commission before Svengauld and Harrow, Zeren bit his tongue preventing himself from speaking his mind.

As if sensing his disquiet, Nyau draped his right arm around Zeren's shoulder. "Just remember", the blonde young man spoke as he swiftly turned the other boy around to look at him. "Leave the talking to Lady Esdeath. She'll get you your home back".

Trying very hard not to frown at the gravity of the situation to come, as well as how Nyau had just frivolously described the hand over of Ellesmere back to the Amari family as a mere talk between generals, Zeren simply nodded his head and forced a smile.

"I guess…" he remarked, his mind trailing back to a dream he'd just recently had, "there's more to General Esdeath than I imagined".

Suddenly feeling a sharp but non-aggressive elbow to the ribs Zeren winced as he turned an annoyed glare at Nyau. "I wasn't badmouthing her!" He murmured bitterly. "I just ... merely stated that she wasn't the person I initially thought her out to be".

Grinning as he again relaxed his draped arm around the Amari boy, Nyau couldn't help but chuckle. "I know what you meant", he replied mirthfully, "I just wanted to see how you'd react"

"Okay then", Esdeath spoke. "When we make landfall, we'll be met by the harbourmaster who'll probably recognise you. I've known him a very long time, and he's friendly and trustworthy if a bit too talkative".

"He will be the first person to know you..." she explained. "And it will too be him that sends word to Sir Richard about your arrival. And by his own eagerness shall the townsfolk also know". Patting Zeren on the head, the White Wolf spun around and walked back towards the helms-deck.

Looking back out from the bow of the ship across the water towards the docks and quays within the harbour walls of the refashioned privately owned port of Ellesmere, both boys noticed a small contingent of soldiers watching the approaching ship warily.

"General!" Nyau yelled spinning around and outstretching his arm back towards the port, "there's a small unit of Aurelius's soldiers at the docks. Should we let off a truce flare?"

Esdeath simply rolled her eyes at Nyau's announcement. "Richard always was bold but this is just showmanship, he's just showing off that he was given guard of this landspit rather than the others".

Withdrawing her rapier the female general fired a lance of lightning laced ice high into the sky; its purple colouration illuminating the clouds above, and visible to the castle on the cliffs above and the people in the town before exploding into the silhouette of a brilliant wolf.

"I thought you said you were allies", Zeren mused cautiously. "Why'd you need to announce a truce?"

Chuckling as she flicked her long hair out of her eyes Esdeath grinned towards Zeren. "We are allies", she replied "but Richard and I have a friendly rivalry that is based on which one of us can kill as many elves and dragons as possible. The colour of my ice flare is to announce that I have beaten our current record for Xadian kills".

Immediately feeling a chill to his very core upon hearing that the two generals - whom were about to decide whether or not he would have his family home returned to him - competed with each other in killing elves and dragons, Zeren clutched at the stiff leather jerkin he was wearing.

"Xadia… you both kill elves for sport?" He asked shakily. "I thought the job of a General was to defend the border?" Bitterness creeping into his voice.

"We do that too", Esdeath replied blasé about the boy's tense posture. "The border is an acutely dangerous place: elves will attack the six fortresses whenever they sense weakness within any of the five kingdoms".

"There are also wild mana beasts in the area that need to be culled or driven away if they get to close to the human realms; that includes dragons", Nyau interjected walking past Zeren and handing Esdeath a bottle of red wine.

"I managed to find the correct vintage, Lady Esdeath", the blonde haired youth white haired bowed. "A 76' Arenian red from the low lands of Del Bar. If I recall correctly, it's one of Sir Richard's favourites".

With a smile forming on her face Esdeath reached forwards and took the bottle from the youngest of her three beasts and pointed her rapier back towards the port. "Prepare for disembarkation", she proclaimed loudly as she spun around and sheathed her sword. "Our diplomatic reclamation of Ellesmere castle begins now!"

Grabbing the Amari boy in a hug, no then lifting him up by the shoulders, the slightly alarmed and confused Zeren blushed in embarrassment as he inadvertently had a brief glimpse of the general's cleavage.

Meanwhile, Esdeath herself, unaware of the misha. chuckled slightly as she noticed the boy's red cheeks; then gesturing upwards, at the now fully insight Ellesmere Castle, she ruffled Zeren's hair.

"Welcome home Lord Zeren. I'm sure the locals will celebrate your return heartily". Smirking, she returns her rapier to its scabbard - on her hip - and formally composed herself. "Now…" she spoke calmly and ruefully, "let me acquire for you, the return of your family home".

N.B.

The Frozen Ship.