02.50: Harrowstead

Falkenheim, Nobart

The horse shifted under me as distant thunder reached us. Lady Erenna and Isanna stood close by.

I looked up. The sky was a sheet of iron, with clouds racing each other beneath it, faster than any horse.

I never cared for the rainy season.

Behind me, hooves scraped stone and men muttered. The column was forming.

Baron Wulf approached, his large beard combed to perfection.

“I wish you would visit us, my liege. Wulfsden would be honored to host you.”

“I would love to visit it as well, my lord, and I will, after the marriage. Perhaps with Her Majesty.”

His lips curved in a wide smile.

“I will hold you to those words.”

As he retreated, Lady Erenna approached.

“Take care of yourself, Jack,” she said, her voice soft.

I inclined my head. “I will, mother.”

“And don’t get in trouble.”

“I will try,” I said, smiling, as the procession moved out of the castle’s courtyard.

Five weeks had passed since I had arrived in Falkenheim. Five weeks of negotiations, mistakes, a battle and an assassination attempt.

I was finally on the last leg of my journey to stabilize the county.

My force of almost four hundred soldiers moved out of the city. Enough to show everyone in Nebelhain and Mondgrove that peace had been reestablished and to crush any resistance.

The eastern road was well maintained, as it led to the interior of the county; to the other end of my barony and then to Mondgrove and Nebelhain.

We came across multiple caravans on the way. The Great company’s patrolling had done its work.

They stood aside to let us pass, bowing.

My force consisted of one hundred ninety Royal troops, disciplined and uniform, a hundred and fifty soldiers from Nordhaven, used to both the sea and the mountains and fifty of my own men from Falkenheim, recent veterans of the Battle of Blackrain.

It took us a whole day of marching to reach the other end of my barony. Luckily, we only faced occasional light showers.

As the sky turned red, we reached Harrowstead, the only port my barony possessed, nestled in the break between mountains of Nordhaven to the south and Nebelhain to the north.

Calling it a port was generous, as the coast surrounding it was so shallow it would gut any deep keeled ship that dared to get close. Still, Harrowstead was a prosperous town that grew from a fishing village and a trading hub, as it sat between four baronies of the county. All the trade between the largest baronies, Falkenheim and Mondgrove passed through these lands.

It was also the seat of Arnulf Harrowstead, Eirica’s father.

I warily glanced at my carriage, which was carrying Eirica and Reshma.

The local castle rose above all, built on top of a hill so it could look at both the coast and the road. Its gray walls were quite tall for a small seat, as expected of a structure protecting a vital location. The keep was an even taller tower. A statement of authority.

And not cheap.

As the procession moved away from the main road, the military commanders began ordering soldiers to pitch tents in the open area surrounding the town.

I looked up at the sky.

It was about to rain.

I thanked my good fortune I wasn’t reincarnated as a soldier.

“Find us when you are finished,” I told the commanders, pointing to the castle.

“If it is fine with you, my lord. I would remain with the men,” Moore said.

I smiled. “As you wish, Sir Moore.”

He would make a good military commander.

The castle town’s gates opened for us. It was clear at first glance that it was prosperous. Dozens of ox-carts lined up at the edges of the paved road that wound through the town, wide enough for two wagons rolling side-by-side.

The houses were well-built, white washed with roofs sporting red tiles. The cheers of “Long live the Count!” and “Prince Consort!” echoed as we continued on to the castle.

At the castle gates, a stout man in his fifties stood in front, mail beneath his cloak.

His retinue stood behind him, disciplined and silent.

Is that some sort of signal?

His face was a mask.

His eyes were not.

I guess he found out about Jack and Eirica.

Still, he knelt as I dismounted.

“My lord, Harrowstead is honored to host you. We all stand with you,” he said, voice booming.

I nodded.

“Thank you, lord Harrowstead.”

“Word was that you died aiding some refugees,” he said, rising. “Everyone was relieved to find out that not only were you alive, you uncovered your father’s treachery, made him pay for it and earned our Queen’s hand in marriage as a reward.”

His tone was restrained, but it didn’t take a genius to figure out he wasn’t overjoyed.

Nonetheless, I smiled.

Eirica arrived, with her child in her arms.

His expression flipped the moment his eyes landed on them.

“We have been traveling all day, father,” she said gently. “Let us speak once the guests are rested.”

Smiling, he stood aside to let us in.

His face broke into a wide smile when I introduced Garwin as the new Baron of Nebelhain.

“Well deserved, my lord,” he said, grasping Garwin’s hand with both of his.

“Sir Garwin is a very honorable knight. He will make a fine lord. I’ve always had fair dealings with him,” he told me, in a tone that hid chastisement, but not very well.

They gave me the chambers with a view of the other side of the hill, which faced the sea.

My heart skipped a beat as I entered the bedchamber.

Is this where they...?

Shaking the pointless thoughts away, I moved to the window.

A beautiful sight greeted me, along with the smell of salt. The fishing town sprawling beneath the castle, bathed in the red light of the dying sun, while rain fell from the sky. Boats were coming back home with the final catch of the day.

Too bad the coast was too shallow to let any ship with a heavy draft get close, or Nordhaven wouldn’t be our only major port.

It would also cut travel time between Chadom and Falkenheim.

Well, not really, but I would like to have a backup. That knockoff Olenna Tyrell gives me the creeps.

A few Youtube videos came to mind.

If not depth, then design.

Also speed and stability.

I’ll have to talk with the shipbuilders in Chadom.

A gentle knock broke through the pitter-patter of rain on the castle walls.

“Yes?”

“My lord,” a soft, quiet voice came from the other side.

I hesitated before opening the door.

Eirica entered the room with small, tentative steps.

Her lustrous brown hair was pulled together in a neat bun. Her black dress fit well, a little too much. Modest, yet distracting.

“I hope my father wasn’t too harsh with you.”

“Not too harsh,” I said. “Why was he harsh at all, though?”

Her eyes flitted to the bed, then me.

“He found out about… us. Before my marriage to the Baron.”

“I hope you didn’t suffer for it?”

“No. He made me do penance and swear to never speak of it to anyone.”

“Then how did Grunric find out?”

She paused before answering.

“I think he simply… said it. To see what would happen.”

Not good enough. I suppose we’ll cross the bridge when the time comes.

“How are you holding up?”

A faint smile graced her lips.

“Well. I will be better once Mondgrove is settled.”

I stepped closer and squeezed her shoulder. “It will.”

Even in the cold, she was warm.

She stilled.

Then glanced at my hand.

So did I.

For a heartbeat, neither of us moved.

Feeling that weren’t mine stirred deep inside me, amplifying the attraction I felt towards her into a dangerous concoction.

I drew it back, carefully.

I must not get close to this woman.

I looked back at her.

She was close.

Had I moved, or her?

Our breathing had picked up.

Silence enveloped the room as neither of us spoke, looking at each other.

She almost took a step forward. Almost.

Then pulled back and bowed low.

“I owe you a debt I cannot repay for saving me and my Cedric from Grunric.”

“Nonsense. I would be a worthless lord if I couldn’t do even that.”

“You will find my father more agreeable at dinner.”

“Will I?” I asked dryly. “I robbed you of a regency. What does he think of that?”

“I will convince him it was the right move.”

“Call for me if you need help.”

She nodded.

Neither of us moved.

Then, she stepped back, gave me a formal bow and turned.

Without giving me a second look, she closed the door gently behind her.

I cursed at myself.

My relationship with Reshma might already complicate things with Aprilia. I couldn’t afford to make my life more difficult. Not on top of all the problems looming over us and the ones I had created for myself.

Some time later, a knock broke my nap.

A steward stood on the other side. “Lord Harrowstead requests the honor of your presence at dinner, my lord.”

The castle’s great hall glowed yellow, the candlelight fractured by quartz crystals of the chandelier.

Very decadent for a small seat. The fief was just the town of 800 souls and some land around it, but its wealth as a rich trading hub was at display everywhere. The second largest settlement in the barony located on a strategically vital location.

And still the fool Zock had objected to Jack’s desire to marry Eirica.

Land-hungry moron.

I sat at the seat of the guest of honor beside the older man.

After the usual speeches, the feast began.

I didn’t have much appetite, but ate to not offend my host.

Lord Harrowstead refrained from drinking.

Once the feast was finished, he invited me into his solar.

Shelves full of ledgers with frayed edges lined the walls of his office.

His index finger had calluses from holding the quill for a long time.

Not just a knight playing lord.

“I hear you are making grand changes to the county,” he began. “Councils and stewards.”

His finger tapped a ledger.

“Systems that dilute authority.”

“Systems that stabilize it,” I replied.

“They won’t stand on their own.”

He opened a ledger and turned it toward me.

Routes. Volumes. Taxes.

“Almost all land trade between the baronies of this county, except one, passes through Harrowstead’s lands.”

He closed the ledger.

“If my cooperation falters, your councils will not immediately fail,” he paused, “but they will weaken.”

My eyes narrowed.

“Are you sure you want to threaten someone who will be married to your monarch in a few weeks?”

“I am only informing you that Harrowstead is a vital part of this county. A grieving father isn’t easy to subjugate.”

“Your daughter will be safe.”

His eyes narrowed to slits.

“She was supposed to be a regent, not a voice among many, in a council where those with less stakes can overrule her.”

“That council will prevent the kind of collapse that forced her to flee for her life.”

“You caused that collapse. You shattered the chain of command.”

His gaze didn’t leave me.

“Now you offer your structure as the cure. I will not have my daughter and her son dependent upon a structure they do not control.”

I raised a finger.

“I merely defended myself, so I’m not responsible for any of that.”

“That’s not what I heard. Word is that your force slaughtered the men, including my son.”

I sighed.

“It was a one sided battle, not because of my brutality, but because of my father’s arrogance. We were well entrenched in the land beyond the Treacherous Bog. More than a hundred men armed with bows, while his force was standing on a bog. I tried to warn him but he would not listen to reason. The county suffered due to one terrible man, but it wasn’t me.”

I raised another finger.

“Eirica will have a seat on the council as the guardian of the young Baron—”

“A seat is not power.”

I smothered my irritation.

“Not just a seat, my lord, but my personal backing as well, as your Count, and the future Prince Consort, on top of influence as the heir’s guardian. You need not worry about her being sidelined.”

“Influence can fade. I want assurances.”

“What kind?”

“First, her position must be permanent. Not removable by vote.”

“That is already in the charter.”

“Second, any decision that affects Mondgrove’s internal security or succession requires her consent.”

“Also there. The guardian has the veto power in those matters.”

As if the Nordhaven crone would have agreed to the council system without them.

“Third, you do not replace her with one of your appointees under any pretext.”

I grimaced internally, while nodding.

That I would never codify. If she turned out to be a terrible councilor, I would remove her swiftly. Not that I would say it to him.

“Secure her position within your reforms, and you will have Harrowstead’s full support. If not…”

He left the rest unsaid.

His eyes found the floor, then found mine.

“What happened to my son?”

“All those of noble birth were given a proper burial.”

He exhaled, slumping in his chair for a moment before straightening.

“I had a talk with my daughter. Apparently, your backing will not be of a… personal nature?”

Hard eyes bore into me.

“No,” I replied, while my heart picked up pace. It couldn’t guarantee that answer would remain the same in the future.

“Good. I would prefer it remains that way. If anything like that were to become public, my grandson’s claim might be jeopardized.”

“The stability and prosperity of Nobart is my highest priority, my lord. I will not risk it for anything.”

He nodded in acknowledgment.

I left his solar, my heart pounding in my chest.