Chapter 53: More Questions Than Answers

“Do you believe this wise, Father?” the red-haired young woman asked as they stood at the dock nearest to their destination.

“I do not know about wisdom but I believe it necessary,” the older man asked. “Your uncle’s hold on power has grown tenuous. He has become enamored with the idiotic ideas emanating from across the water. He has spoken of allowing a plebiscite in the eastern lands to allow them to determine for themselves if they wish to remain part of the country.”

“I have never heard of such a thing,” the young woman said. She was not well versed on politics but she had overheard many of her father’s conversations during about life in and around the capital. “He would permit the colonies to break free? Did he learn that from the stories we’ve heard of Azkoval?”

“Even that young fool isn’t stupid enough to believe peasants can rule themselves,” the father replied archly. “Or at least he’s learned enough not to speak such imprudence aloud. The ideas he sends forth with his soldiers are bad enough but the concept of self-governance goes beyond the pale.”

“Surely he did not learn those ideas while he lived here,” the young woman stated with certainty.

“Most certainly not!” Earl Ludwig von Schuman told his child. “He lived in a simple fishing village not far from where we stand. You can be assured that people that live there do not possess the intellect to formulate intricate ideas. The boy might be king but he is still a backward waif without the wiles to survive long on the throne. I do not worry that his radical plans for that horrible country will bear fruit.”

“Then why must we visit him?” Annika von Schuman inquired. “I certainly wish nothing to do with him.”

“In spite of his ignorance, he does sit at the head of a powerful army,” her father said. “Many of his soldiers hail from our shores and will be accepting of one of their own. One of ours already leads them but he is loyal to his new home. You must transfer their loyalty unto you. If I am to oust your uncle then I must have those men behind me.”

“Why is it necessary I wed such a simpleton?” the woman asked with disgust.

“It will give you legitimacy,” her father explained for perhaps the 20^th time. “As queen, you would have the ability to coerce the soldiers to return here to support me. The king has given great latitude to females in that land. He even appointed a woman to run the country in his stead while he was off gallivanting. You will be in a unique position to aid me.”

“Why not Pia?” Annika asked.

“You are closer to the king’s age,” her father said. “You are worldlier. I could not trust this to your sister.”

“She is your pet,” Annika accused.

Annika staggered backward but did not fall when her father backhanded her across the face.

“Do not take that tone with me,” he said sharply. “I have selected you and that is all you need to know. You will do as I’ve instructed or face the consequences.”

Annika rubbed her cheek but nodded her head.

“I want you below decks during the voyage,” her father told her. “Do not flirt with the sailors. Do not even speak to them. If I require you, I will visit your berth. When we arrive, I wish for you to start ingratiating yourself to the king immediately. He feels a kinship with Denaya for providing him succor. The trade negotiations will take little time. Even your uncle was able to coerce the king into giving things up without getting anything in return. You will spend the next 10 days working on your charm. You will not display the willful insolence you have demonstrated today. No man would wish to marry a woman like that. I swear to you, Annika, if you create problems for me on this mission, you will have no home to return to. I will put your mother out of the manor and have all of your friends executed.

“That will be the price for your failure.”

Annika nodded her submission as they boarded the vessel for passage across the water to Azkoval. Her father directed her to her berth below the deck. It was cramped and smelled of salt and mildew. She watched as he turned his back to exit and looked around for anything she might use as a weapon.

She found nothing suitable and sat down heavily on the bunk. She would fulfill her father’s desires, she decided. She would woo the king with her grace and beauty and become a powerful queen. She would assume control of a vast army and bring it back to Denaya.

“But I will never turn it over to that bastard,” she whispered to herself. She considered writing a letter to her uncle the king to alert him to her father’s plans but dismissed the idea. She had never actually met her uncle. He would lend her words no credence.

No, she thought. Instead, she would lead the army across the water. First, she would dispatch her miserable father. Then, she would march upon the capital and do away with her stupid uncle. With an army at her back, she would take over the country herself.

After all, it has worked for the simple fishmonger in Azkoval. How hard could it be? She was certain that she was far smarter than King Joseph. She was certainly smarter than her father or her uncle. Yes, she thought, she would make a perfect ruler – for Azkoval and for Denaya.

The king sat down at the table and smiled at his advisers.

It was the last day of Court. Morane and Rucar had returned earlier in the week and the castle would soon be emptied of its current occupants.

Best of all, when the sun reached its zenith on the following day, two of his closest friends would wed. Morane would unite Jonathan and Elena on the Summer Solstice – a holy day in almost every religion practiced in Azkoval.

It would be a happy end to what had become a tumultuous few weeks. It had started with Golrick’s suicide, continued with the public flogging of Frederick Hulett for refusing to live up to his end of a wager he’d made with the king and would see six landholders leaving Tyrell in the company of soldiers to ensure their fidelity.

Still, the thought of Jonathan and Elena’s wedding had Joseph in high spirits.

“Well, we have made it through,” he said. “I believe we are all thankful this event occurs only every five years. I would spend the rest of the year dreading next year if I had to face this again.”

He was speaking frankly but those around the table chuckled.

“I know we have seen many interruptions during the course of our meetings,” the king continued. “I have strayed off topic far too many times as new topics arose before I was finished with the old one. I wish to know if I have somehow managed to convey all the information we wish to impart or if I have left out something important.”

“I believe you have brought up anything that we discussed previously,” Alexander answered after glancing around the table. “The most important information was self-evident. There are new laws and new ideas. The landholders must follow them. I think the most vital piece to come from these sessions was not conveyed by words. It was the actions you’ve taken. I believe many of the lords you’ve worried about came here expecting to find an inexperienced, ineffective leader.

“You have proven their theory incorrect and you’ve demonstrated that there is only one source of power in Azkoval – you. You rule by heritage but you also rule by mandate of the people. They know now that they and their children may not make up their own rules as it suits them. They understand that the rights you’ve given to the people apply to all people – and the laws that govern the citizens also govern them. You will not have problems with Lord Halversham’s replacement. He has been espousing your goals since well before I knew you still lived. I believe Lord Hulett’s oldest son will remain truculent but the younger children are firmly on your side. In fact, I would not be surprised if Frederick Hulett were to suffer some sort of accident as his ascension nears. Drummond, Palmer and Heilman were always weak men and your willingness to deploy your might will ensure their compliance. Yes, King Joseph, I believe every lesson that needed to be taught has been offered. I also believe that most, if not all, of the men you wished to learn these lessons have taken them to heart.”

“Good,” Joseph said. “I do not wish more bloodshed. I know, at some point, it will come but I prefer that time to be far in the future. Is there anything else I need to know before we head in for the closing session?”

“One thing,” Choran said despite the fact that Joseph had already started to stand. The king resumed his seat and looked at the finance minister. “A ship from King Olaf arrived in port late last night. The Denayians have sent their official emissary. He seems to be a pleasant man and his family is nice. There are two boys of about seven or eight and his wife. I believe you will like them. I only met them briefly but I was favorably impressed. He said he understood that Court is in session so he will wait until you have time before calling upon you. He is content to learn what he can about Tyrell. He will take up residence in one of the houses Franco set aside for diplomats and made no reference to wishing to stay at the castle.”

“Good,” Joseph said with a nod.

“It gets better,” Choran said, smiling broadly. “He brought with him a great many seeds to see if they will grow in our soil. Many are spices but some will bear fruit. He also brought with him the remainder of King Olaf’s payment for the services Genrico rendered to him.”

Joseph sat back at the thought of having some of the fruits on his table he’d found as a child. Azkoval grew apples and pears but Denaya had many types of berries and melons that he’d never found before. The coin was an even bigger surprise.

“That is three years early,” Joseph pointed out.

“Yes,” Choran said brightly. “King Olaf said he had a bountiful year and had to fight off no incursions into his northlands. He knew that was because word of Genrico’s training had reached the raiders so he put the coin he would have used to fight into our hands instead.”

Joseph nodded.

“Very well,” he said. “I would like for you to draft a message for my signature thanking the emissary for his consideration and patience. I wish another for delivery to King Olaf pledging our continued friendship and alliance. Then I wish for you to select one coin in ten and return it to King Olaf as a tribute for his swift payment.”

Choran’s face fell at the last declaration.

“Do not fret,” Joseph said with a laugh. “You already have three times the amount of gold you planned for this year from Olaf’s purse. We can take the additional payment to finish our shipping fleet and make five times what you return to the king. It will garner goodwill with our closest military and trade ally while we will still be able to push forth many projects that we planned to put off for a year or two. It also might encourage others that owe us coin to pay more promptly once word gets out. The shipping fleet is the most lucrative but not the most important. We will also have funds to broaden Lady Burbridge’s educational platform, if it proves as worthwhile as we all believe it will, and put troops on the landward passages from Marindar.”

Those around the table sat back and looked at the king.

“Why do I appear to you as a bug under glass?” he asked with a hearty laugh. “I have paid attention to you while you spoke to me of how you wished to proceed with your areas of governance. I recall that King Olaf was always tight with the purse. Now I understand that came less from frugality than from necessity. Sending a bit of it back to him now will allow him a bit of a cushion if next year isn’t as bountiful. It will also give him something to use for payment if the crops fail or if some other calamity strikes. It will not hurt us in the short run and we will more than make up the difference from moving our profitable enterprises forward by a year or two.”

“We understand all that,” Genrico said, also laughing. “It just came as a surprise to us that you thought of this without having us to explain it to you.”

“I will bid you farewell after the marriage ceremony,” Empress Yana told her daughter. “I believe it is time for me to return to Troyvet. I fear I am growing accustomed to a life without decisions or strife.”

“I will miss you, Mother,” Liala said. She understood full well that it might be the last time she spoke to the woman who had given birth to her.

“And I you, my daughter,” Yana said. “I know we have not always seen eye-to-eye on things. I fear it is because we are too much alike. We are both too stubborn to admit when we are at fault. I did you a grave injustice when I brought you here as a present to a man we did not know. Thankfully, he has proven worthy of our friendship but there was no guarantee that would be the case. I wish to apologize to you before I leave.”

“I understood the situation then and I see it even more clearly now,” Liala admitted. “Even if the king were different from we found him to be, a military alliance with him would have been beneficial to Troyvet. The trade alliance is already proving to be a boon for both countries. If it had taken a marriage to him, I would have acquiesced.”

“I know you would have agreed to it,” Yana said. “But you would not have been happy about it. I have watched you grow since we arrived on these shores. As the youngest daughter, I did not give you much in the way of responsibility so I did not truly know how capable a person you are. I have seen it here and I am impressed by you. I would ask you to accompany me back to Troyvet but I know it would be foolish.”

“I would return if you commanded me to,” Liala said.

“I know you would,” Yana answered again, reaching out to run the backs of her fingers across her daughter’s cheek. “I speak only of the fact that there is no real role for you to play in Troyvet. Your sisters and brothers are all older and they have claimed many of the jobs you are best suited for. I could not displace one of them without causing hardship and they are all good at what they do. Here, you will have everything you desire. You will be a soldier again and a leader of men and women. You will have friends and compatriots your own age that do not see you as my youngest child but as a woman in your own right. You will not have to live up to anyone’s expectations but your own. But, know this, you will always have a home in Troyvet and you will always be welcomed by your mother.