Chapter 6

Roland was still in a bit of a daze by the whole process of becoming a Baron. Duke Taft had indeed sponsored him. At the mid-summer's council, Roland had been elevated to the nobility as 'Baron Roland Talvon'.

It had been a week now since he had been ennobled, and he was basking in the glow of the ceremony. He had been nervous during the days leading up to the ceremony, but when he had taken his vows of fealty, a calmness had seemed to settle over him.

He had been proud that his father had been there, standing with the Duchess and her entourage, as he had given his oaths and was in turn given the oaths of his lords. It had all been such a solemn and serious occasion. Afterwards though, there had been a celebration that had lasted well into the night.

Roland had been worried that he would be challenged during one part of the ceremony, but that challenge had never materialized. He had breathed a silent sigh of relief when the time for a challenge had been called and no one had stepped forward with one.

Roland had invited his friends Cally, Luka, and Tam, particularly Tam to the ceremony. He had been pleased when all three had accepted and shown up. They were among the first to congratulate him on his becoming a noble.

It had been the day after the ceremony that his lord Duke had approached him with some information that had startled him. Since his father had forgone the title, the Duke could do nothing to relieve him from the additional tax burden that the local nobility had imposed on them for owning the valley.

More to the point, the Duke was giving him ownership and guardianship of a huge tract of land, including a castle that was being built to the south. In other words, he was a noble with land. He was being charged with its care and the care of all the tenants, as would any of his issue should he have them.

The Duke had shown him a map of the Taft Duchy, and he saw the portion that was going to be his. It looked as if the entire southwest corner of the Duchy was his! He quailed inwardly at this.

Roland was told that there was a castle being constructed in a very good location, and that it would be finished in about a year. Since the Duke had already started construction, and it was needed as a stronghold for that portion of his duchy, the Duke would see to its completion.

However, the Duke wanted two things from Roland in exchange. Firstly, he wanted Roland to serve for at least a year in the Duke's army in the south. The experience would do him good. Secondly, he wanted Roland to vigorously pursue border incursions from the south and west, including making the castle strong enough to withstand a long siege.

This meant that Roland would have to enlist a small army to protect his portion of the Duke's southern borders. The Duke said that after his term in the service was up, the Duke would loan Roland a number of troops, for a time. But, Roland would have to provide troops on his own within two years.

Roland asked what he would be guarding against, specifically. The Duke replied that there were still huge unaligned clans to the south, as well as the Tidus Principality. Most of the time, the clans kept the principality busy enough that the southern border was left alone, but for the last year now, a truce of some sort seemed to be in place down there, and raids across the border were becoming common enough to warrant the Duke keeping a standing army in the south.

"We leave tomorrow, from the wizard's guild. The Duke says there is a gate there that will let us do something similar to teleporting. It is just too far to teleport without the gate he says," Roland replied to his father's questions.

"I'm going to miss you, Son. We have never been parted for long, and now? Now you are a Lord, and will be living at the farthest point in the kingdom to the south. I have asked, and was told it takes almost two months travel by horse, to get to where you will be," Berandal said, sighing heavily.

"I will visit when I can, Father. I know it is far, but after I have served my year in the Duke's army, and taken up my lands, I will make time to come visit, I promise!" Roland proclaimed earnestly.

Father and son talked well into the night. Roland was packed and his trunk had already been sent to the wizard's guild. Roland spent part of the evening looking at the castle's spells, adding a few here and there. He wanted to give his father's castle a bit more protection and usable magic.

The servants woke him before dawn the next morning. After an early breakfast, he hugged his father, and teleported to the wizard's guild. He was met almost immediately, and was escorted to another room within the building that he had never seen or been to before.

The Duke and Duchess Taft were there, waiting for him. Several other people that were going to the south and were in need of transportation were there also. Everyone would go through in one working of the gate.

"Ah. Young Lord Talvon. Are you ready to assume your duties to the south?" Roland was asked by his Duke.

"Yes, your grace. I believe I am as ready as I can be, right now," Roland replied a bit nervously.

Duke Taft chuckled, and his wife touched his arm and said, "Don't let my husband get to you. He thinks he is being funny," Duchess Taft said softly.

"Hush, Lana, don't spoil my fun," the Duke responded to his wife's jibe.

Roland grinned and relaxed a bit. He watched with interest as several wizards were positioning themselves at three points equidistant from each other around the gate. The gate itself was a stone arch engraved with spells that Roland had yet to learn.

Finally the three wizards who were murmuring nodded as one. There was a flash, and the center of the gate filled with an image of a totally different room! Roland was fascinated with the total spell and its results.

He had been watching with his 'mage sight' and had seen how it was done. He thought he could replicate the spell if he had to.

"The gate is stable. You may now depart," one of the wizards said in a quiet voice.

"That's us," Duke Taft said.

A retainer picked up Roland's trunk, and stepped through the gate. The Duke and Duchess stood on either side of Roland. They shepherded him forward and gently led him through the gate.

While others were stepping through from the city of Frontek, Roland noticed there was a line of people waiting, presumably to go to Frontek, from where Roland had just departed. He looked around. While similar, the room Roland found himself in was different in that it did not carry with it the age that the guild's room had in Frontek.