Chapter 22

Eslada steadfastly avoided thinking about the contents of the box Jorgarn had brought back from Domita. The fact that insects seemed to be attracted to it was enough for her to understand what was inside.

She was not surprised that Jorgarn and his soldiers were eager to return to Emertland and hoped to leave by the morning tide. She had barely had enough time to pack the belongings she wished to take with her, given the amount of time she had to spend assuaging Wenta's fears about the future.

She was surprised, however, when Lord Longview asked to accompany the group to the dock. The man kept up a conversation with Ronac on the trip and from the snippets Eslada overheard, Wenta was trying to gauge the differences between the cultures – questions he had never bothered to ask her in the 10 years she was his wife.

She didn't wonder about the sudden interest. The realization that his grandchild would rule a sovereign country had Wenta strutting like a peacock. It was only with the greatest effort that Eslada manage to convince Wenta that Jorgarn was not exactly aware of that fact and it probably wasn't Wenta's place to inform him.

Wenta helped Eslada from her horse and kissed her softly on the cheek.

"Thank you for opening my eyes," he said softly. "I wish you well and I will miss your counsel. You were a better wife to me than I was a husband to you. I'm sorry."

She had expected such a declaration and offered a similar reply.

"Be well, Wenta," she said. "I have said often that you are a good man. Now is the chance for you to prove me right."

She chuckled mildly to herself when Wenta placed his hand on Jorgarn's arm at the port and asked him to stay behind for a moment. She was certain Jorgarn thought this would be one last attempt to convince him to stay behind.

The look on Jorgarn's face was one of confusion and a hint of anger when he boarded the ship. It took much prodding from Eslada before he would speak of the encounter, even to her.

"He said he was proud of me," Jorgarn said with a hint of bitterness. "All those years of bowing and scraping for that man's approval and he waits until it matters not the least to me to give it."

He was shaking his head sadly.

"For 15 years of my life, I did anything I could think of to hear those words," he continued. "Now, I truly don't care if he is proud of me or not. Does he truly think I will ever consent to return to that place?"

"No, Jorgarn, he doesn't," Eslada said as she put her arm around him. "But he finally faced what his life has been about and he realized all he missed in your life. I truly believe he wants to become a part of your life – but of the life you've made in Emertland, not the one you had in Longview. He stepped back from his world for just a moment and found it to be nothing like he thought it was. That happens as men age and when they face their mortality. He knows he is lucky to survive Pietro's attempt. He knows he is lucky to have the chance to get to know you – the real you, not the you he thought existed. I hope you'll give him that chance someday."

Jorgarn was not impressed by Eslada's suggestions.

"I'm sure his interest will wane in time," he said dismissively. "He will train his surrogate son to be his heir. Yatil's mother, Treene, will replace you. I hope the young one, Montay, does not replace me however."

"I believe Wenta's actions were meant to show both of us that we weren't to be replaced," Eslada said.

"Oh, I don't mind if Lord Longview forgets about me," Jorgarn corrected. "I simply hope Montay has a better childhood. I believe I will write to Treene in a few years and remind her that precedent has been set for sending a son to Emertland. I always liked those boys of hers."

Eslada smiled warmly.

"Actually, I believe that letter would be well received by Lord Longview," she said. "Not to mention Montay. Now, onto other matters, what do you think of my new wards?"

"I like them," Jorgarn said with a genuine smile. "Drosset is a fine young man. He was never allowed to do much while with the Symingtons. I gather the same is true for Bralan. I promise, Eslada, to offer the same type of guidance and assistance as you offered to me through the years. I hope that is acceptable to you."

"More than acceptable," Eslada said. "But I have other questions for you about Bralan. Do you think she will be upset if I do not designate her as my heir right away?"

Jorgarn's eyes widened.

"I do not get the impression that she ever expects to be named such," he said. "I actually gather she might find it unpleasant if you were to do that. She has plans to ask you about the Noble Guard in a year or so."

"Oh, she has many plans of her own, Jorgarn," Eslada replied with a smirk. "She plans to join Denae's entourage and serve there until she is of age. Then she will join the Noble Guard and serve there until she completes her last plan."

Jorgarn smiled at Eslada.

"Well, if she is half as insistent as her adopted mother, I'm sure all of her plans will come to fruition," he said. "I assure you, I'll help in any way I can."

Eslada shook her head.

"No, Jorgarn, I doubt you will," she told him. "Her final plan is to marry you someday."

Jorgarn was still pondering Eslada's parting words when Pernice took her spot at the table beside him.

"You should rest," Pernice said. "It will be most of a day before we reach land. I hope we can order all the men to stand down and sleep soon. I know none of us slept well in the past three nights."

"Yes, I think that is appropriate," Jorgarn said, kicking himself for not ordering it sooner. "We have no need for watches aboard ship. The captain will alert us if something is amiss. Encourage the men to lay off the spirits though. I have heard there are mercenary ships in this water."

"I'm sure none would think of drinking today," Pernice said.

Jorgarn let out a laugh.

"Oh, they will think of it," he said. "Particularly Gorin and Fieth. I know I am thinking of it and I would wager you are, too."

Pernice returned Jorgarn's smile.

"I admit to thinking about it," he replied. "What I should have said was that each man knows his duty and will abstain. Is that more accurate?"

"Much more accurate I would guess," Jorgarn agreed. "Let them know that as soon as the festivities end at the castle, I will ensure every man here gets two weeks leave. We might have to stagger them a bit but I don't think so."

He glanced sideways at his friend.

"Perhaps that will give you and Rayna enough time to wed," he offered.

Pernice shrugged.

"I am not certain that is the path we are on now," he said. "I have seen a side of her in the past weeks that I do not like and I cannot live with."

"Every woman has that side, I'm certain," Jorgarn said. "Unless you can learn to live with the parts you do not like, you don't get to enjoy those parts you do. Rayna is a good person. Of that, I'm certain."

"She does not like you!" Pernice said.

Jorgarn simply nodded.

"There are many who don't, my friend," he replied. "I would wager the number of people who dislike me is far greater than the number of those who abide me. You can't base your future on what people think of me. I've seen how she thinks of you. That is what is important."

"I'm not certain you fully understand my problem," Pernice said. "If we wed, I fear Rayna will insist I leave the guard. She has accused me more than once of turning into you. Of course, I took that as a compliment but I'm not sure that is how she meant it."

Jorgarn did not smile at his friend's joke.

"Do you know why she dislikes me?" he asked instead. "I have never done anything – purposefully, at least – to harm her. I would never do that. Not just for your sake or Denae's but because I actually like Rayna. She has, I don't know, spirit."

"She has spirit," Pernice said. "And I do know what her problem is with you. I don't think it is personal, by the way. I think if she were to look at you objectively, she would find your humor and your wit to be enjoyable. But for the past four or five years, Rayna has had unfettered access to the Princess. She was the person the Princess came to for advice. She was able to point the Princess in whatever direction she chose. There was no one standing between her and, well, power. Now there is; there is you and you are not as malleable as the Princess. You do not take other people's feelings into consideration when you make a decision."

Jorgarn frowned.

"I didn't mean that badly, Jor," Pernice said quickly. "I meant only that if something needs to be done – like we've done these past days – you don't allow sentiment or emotion to enter the decision. The Princess does. Or at least that is my impression. I've seen her follow Rayna's advice on matters – trivial matters, mind you – when she wasn't certain it was the best way to go. But she went that way because it might have hurt Rayna's feelings if she didn't. Rayna has played on her friendship with the Princess for a great many things. Her mother is now second cook, for instance, and her brother was pardoned from some crimes he committed. I think she has come to understand that those days are at an end. Even if she convinces the Princess, it is unlikely she will be able to convince you."

"If is a trivial matter, I doubt Denae will even discuss it with me," Jorgarn pointed out. "I do not get approval over her staff and I wouldn't want it if it were offered. The King will have final say on anything important for, I hope, the next 25 years or more anyway. I will be, always I hope, the final authority on nothing."

"But she has lost that access," Pernice replied. "She knows that you would never have pardoned her brother. He was caught setting up an ambush site. The others with him were killed but he was only branded again because Rayna begged the Princess to ask for a pardon. The Princess would discuss this with you beforehand. You would disagree with a pardon. I could see it on your face when I told you his crime. I disagreed with it, too, by the way. I still do. Every time I am around the man I look for a reason to run him through. Not surprisingly, the little sneak always minds his manners around me."

"Perhaps I should take a moment to explain to Rayna that I do not wish to usurp her role," Jorgarn offered.

"But you must usurp her role," Pernice asserted. "She held too much sway over things she doesn't understand. And I don't think it would do any good. She is jealous of you and your emergence has given the Princess a different view of things. She has already told Rayna she couldn't do some things she planned – such as make appointments to the Princess' staff. Rayna assumed that it would be you who helped with those selections but I told her she was foolish. You don't care who works for the Princess so long as they are trustworthy. I also believe that Rayna had designs upon hiring your staff."

Jorgarn chuckled.

"She can if she wishes," he said. "I have told Denae repeatedly I do not require employees. I am capable of selecting my clothing and laying it out the night before. I can keep track of where I have laid my swords very well by myself."

Pernice patted his friend on the shoulder.

"Now you can," he said. "But what happens when you must be in three places at once? What will you do when you must meet with Guards, attend Tribunal and pack for a trip in only a quarter of a day? You will need employees – probably more than one – to set your schedule, to fix appointments, to make sure your dress tunic is pressed and cleaned. I believe Torbert has six men who work for him doing those things and I do not believe any of them has an easy time of it."

"Cläda," Jorgarn muttered. "What have I gotten myself into? Do you have any recommendations?"

Pernice laughed and shook his head.

"Oh, no," he said. "I'm not walking into that one. If things do work out with Rayna she would never forgive me for making a suggestion when she was not allowed."

"She is allowed," Jorgarn asserted.

"You should not heed her counsel, Sir Jorgarn," Pernice said. Jorgarn knew when his friend started using his title that Pernice was about to impart something important. "She will wish to have her brother on your staff. That will not work. He is a twice-convicted thief. He is a drunkard and laggard. He will view a job at the castle as a chance to sit back and collect pay without doing any work. If he is hired, he will expect to be made your chief steward. It will create nothing but problems for you."

Jorgarn nodded.

"If she suggests him, I will interview him," he said. "It is the least I can do for her and the least I can do to try to bridge the gulf between Denae's two closest advisers. I will make sure she knows it is not set in stone. If he presents himself well and is candid with me, perhaps I will offer him a secondary job. Perhaps I can recommend a job with the groom or in the kitchen."

Pernice lowered his eyes but shook his head.

"He will not accept anything of the sort," he said. "He has always been this way – at least since I have known him. He expects something for nothing because his sister is friends with the Princess. He has already seen the benefits to that. If he turns down a job, Rayna will still blame you."