Chapter 66: Deeds Not Words

Joseph was just lifting the eating knife to his mouth when the door opened. He looked up to see Jonathan and Elena – two people that had just left moments before – looking anxious.

“Surely we have not been invaded in the brief time since you’ve departed,” Joseph noted. He had missed the capital but he had not missed having most decisions run through his hands.

“Some sort of plague has struck Paxifica,” Elena said. “Many people have died including the king and his family.”

Joseph sighed and put his cutlery down.

“The elders have asked us to take over,” she continued, passing over the parchment.

“Take over?” Joseph asked.

“They wish to become part of Azkoval,” Jonathan explained. “They wish to join our country.”

“Why?” Joseph asked.

“Many reasons,” Elena said. “Read the elders’ words. They explain their rationale. I have looked at it and I agree with them. They took in many of our citizens after The Fall. Since your return you have made it a point to aid them when and where possible. We have already brought influences into their society and they already feel as though they are a distant part of Azkoval. It is only natural that, in the time of the direst need, they seek the protection of those that have protected them before.”

“So you believe we should ... conquer ... them?” Joseph asked.

“Annex,” Elena corrected. “They wish to be joined to us without the need for warfare. They have a petition signed by almost every person that could sign his or her name.”

Joseph nodded.

“You need to consider this carefully,” Jonathan noted. “If they can petition to join, will you make it possible for a region to petition to depart?”

“That is something I hadn’t thought about,” Joseph admitted. “We cannot afford to spend thousands of gold coins getting them back on their feet and see them walk away and leave us with nothing.”

“No!” Elena cut in. “It comes back to the ownership of the land. Joseph owns everything. Paxifica is ceding its land to Joseph in return for his governance. They could no sooner petition for dissolution than Burbridge or Westmont could. You will need to put in a landholder you can trust and put a military presence there.”

“Wouldn’t it make more sense to name a landholder that the Pax already know?” Jonathan wondered.

“In time, perhaps,” Elena stated. “For now, we must let them know that there is responsibility that comes along with privileges.”

“You sound like your mother,” Joseph said with a small smile.

“We heard those words frequently enough,” Elena replied. “In this case, it makes sense. I will sit with Pedro when they return from the docks and explain that this is not a one-way deal. Certainly, at first, we will bear the onus of rebuilding the land. Once that task is completed we will expect them to live up to the same laws that everyone else does.”

“There are elements of their society that must change and those changes must come before be accept them into Azkoval,” Jonathan countered. “Yes, I think we assist them now but, at the same time, they must make changes before we accept them into our country.”

“The changes are already taking place,” Elena said, gesturing to the document in Joseph’s hands.

“Words,” Jonathan said simply. “Why would we wish to annex a country devastated by disaster and illness? There is no value to Azkoval.”

Elena crossed her arms and glared at Jonathan.

“Yes, at this moment, there is no value for Azkoval,” she admitted. “In time, there will be. The Pax have a long history of self-sufficiency. They have a long history of self-defense.”

“They have been able to defend themselves because there is little there that anyone else wants,” Jonathan interrupted. “For the past three years, they have been a drain on our finances. That will only grow once they become part of us. The coin has to come from somewhere. If they had enough to provide for themselves, they would not come to us for aid.”

“I agree,” Joseph said, glancing at Elena’s husband. “We are doing our best to ensure uniformity in laws and customs across Azkoval. We cannot allow a province to have a different set of rules. We are trying to make every holding support itself. We cannot allow one to suckle at the teat while we wean the others.”

He sighed.

“Let Pedro know that we will take them as a protectorate,” the king decided. “We will help them rebuild and, of course, we will do what we can to ensure the safety of their population. But we cannot consider annexation until we are certain that this is not a short-term decision and they will adhere to our laws. We will give them time to adapt while they overcome the storm damage and the illness. When the time comes to consider annexation, I will want a firm list of what they will add to the rest of the country before I agree. We already know what they gain by joining us. I wish to know what they will contribute.”

Elena frowned but nodded before they departed.

“I expected you to support the petition!” Elena seethed when the door closed behind them.

“I do support the petition,” Jonathan said.

Elena stopped abruptly and grabbed her husband’s shoulder.

“You talked him into denying it,” she said angrily.

“Elena, we must separate our beliefs from what we pass along to Joseph,” Jonathan said in a gentle voice. “We advise him so we must give him all the facts to consider before he makes a decision. We cannot slant the argument to get what we want. That has happened here for far too long. The decision he made is just. The Pax will get their assistance immediately but they must work their way toward becoming a part of our country. The land is valuable but not valuable enough to add to Joseph’s troubles.”

Elena let out a long breath.

“I know you feel strongly about the island,” Jonathan continued.

“It is the only foreign land I’ve ever seen,” Elena admitted. “It is a beautiful place, Jonathan. The sand is pure white and the people are very nice. My family spent a month there and I enjoyed it greatly.”

“I understand your rationale but we still have to present options to the king,” Jonathan noted.

“He did agree that we must do all we can to help them right now,” Elena said. “Perhaps we should head to the merchants to let them know not to quibble over coin.”

“I think that would be acceptable,” Jonathan replied.

Sitting in his office alone made the king feel slightly bored. He had been on the go and around people for the past month and a half. He had grown accustomed to conversation (something he had been certain he never would after years of silence in Denaya).

He considered for a moment and then decided a walk around town would be just the tonic. He opened his door and saw his ever-present soldiers standing guard. One of them looked at him and asked if he required anything.

“I thought I heard a noise,” Joseph lied. “It seems I was mistaken. Carry on, gentlemen.”

He reclosed the door and slipped into his closet. He couldn’t reach his chamber but he could find somewhere to reappear that would permit him to leave unnoticed.

He made his way behind the walls to a vacant room and entered. He listened at the door for a moment and then slipped out and down the hallway to his chamber. It wasn’t until he was in his bedroom that he noticed most of his belongings were missing. He puzzled about the fact briefly before deciding to carry on with his current mission before starting a new one. He was certain someone knew where his things had been placed.

The only things in the room were the dirty clothing he had worn on the last day of his journey. He decided those would suffice nicely. They were worn and frayed and no one would believe him to be from the castle. The subterfuge might actually permit him to mingle among the people instead of hearing their comments second- or third-hand.

After changing clothing the king made his way back to the empty room. He knew he could find an outside exit well away from the eyes of those that had sworn an oath to protect him (and those that protected him without an oath). He made his way into the sunlight and hugged the castle wall until he found a path that led down the hill to the docks.

Unseen by him, a group of young women inspecting the barracks and horses saw his departure.

“What is he doing?” Julia hissed.

“Where are his guards?” Elizabeth wondered.

“Why is he dressed for riding?” Catherine asked.

The young women didn’t bother with answers. Instead, they headed back inside the walls to follow Joseph.

It didn’t take them any effort to find his path. All along the streets people had stopped their toils and moved to the side as soon as they saw the king approaching. Once he had passed, they continued to look down the street after him.

Joseph saw the bowed heads and understood his face was too recognizable for stealth. With that knowledge, he veered toward the docks. He doubted the sailors would know who he was – even though the prostitutes he passed obviously did.

The dock was bustling with activity. He saw men and women scurrying about, pulling carts and wagons with goods. One man had a barrel on a wooden litter that obviously designed for two people. The man was dragging it along behind him.

“Let me help,” Joseph said.

“I’m not going to pay you,” the man replied brusquely.

“No need for payment,” Joseph replied. “Euclid says we should do a good deed every day.”

The man sighed.

“A simpleton,” he muttered. “Well, if you’re dumb enough to believe that stuff I’m dumb enough to let you work for free.”

He looked back over his shoulder but Joseph had bent down to pick up the back half of the transport.

“What is in here?” Joseph asked as he judged the weight of the barrel. It was far heavier than water or ale would have been.

“Brads,” the man said. “It seems the king has decided that a bunch of foreigners take precedence over getting the barracks done for our soldiers.”

“The king has decided no such thing,” Joseph replied before he could stop himself.

The man glanced back over his shoulder and stopped suddenly.

“Gods above,” he muttered. “My apologies, Your Highness. I did not know it was you.”

“Fret not,” Joseph replied. “What is this about foreigners taking all of our material?”

“Baron Jonathan and Lady Elena showed up at my shop and told me that all available materials were to be loaded onto a ship bound for Paxifica,” the man answered. “I have my assistants working to make more for our use because I understood this order came from you.”

Joseph frowned.

“Let us keep moving before we dislocate both of our shoulders,” he said.

“To the ship or back to the shop?” the man asked.

“The ship,” Joseph said. “How long will this delay the barracks?”

“Weeks,” the man answered as they started to move again.

“Will it finish before winter?” Joseph wondered.

“Oh, to be certain,” the man said. “We are ahead by a good margin but we wished to present the finished project to you as quickly as we could. This will take away all the time we’ve gained. Is it true about Paxifica?”

“Yes,” Joseph said. “A huge storm destroyed much of the island and now illness has claimed many more of its people. We can delay the barracks to lend a hand.”

Joseph saw the man’s head bob.

“You’re Franco’s son!” he said out of the blue.

“I am,” the man answered as they approached the ship headed to Paxifica. “Your Highness, may I inquire as to why you are here?”

“It’s been a while since I’ve done any real work,” Joseph answered with a light laugh. “I used to work in a smithy when I was a boy in Denaya. I felt the need to stretch my legs – and now my arms – so I ventured out into the city. I had hoped to go unnoticed but that was folly.”

Leo found himself smiling.

“Well, Your Highness, you should know that a stall near the smithy sells drawings of you as quickly as the girl can produce them,” he said over his shoulder. “Most of the city has spoken to you or at least seen you go past. Those that haven’t probably have a portrait of you on their walls.”

“Oh, gods,” Joseph mumbled.

“This is as far as we take this load,” Leo said. “Thank you for your kindness, King Joseph, and please forgive my impertinent remarks before I knew who you were. The docks are filled with people looking for a bit of coin.”

“Your remark wasn’t far from the truth,” Joseph said, extending a hand toward the large man. “It’s a pleasure to meet you finally, Leo. You and your brother and sister have always found a way to avoid dining at the castle with your mother and father.”

Leo looked at the hand for a long moment before shaking it. He was certain the king didn’t want to touch his calloused and filthy digits.