Chapter 52

The ship arrived in port only a few minutes after the bells tolled to open Court. Although none were dressed for it, Sir Torbert and Sir Jorgarn decided they and the Senis would make their way to where Landor and Bralan were conducting the opening speeches. The rest of the group would get to go to sleep for a few hours.

"Lucky them," Jorgarn said through gritted teeth. He disliked the pomposity of Court. He hated that everyone around the room seemed to put on airs and try to act haughtier than that one before him. He disliked that everyone believed they should bow and scrape not only to the Heiress, previously Denae and now Bralan, but to him, too.

Certainly there were some he enjoyed to see humbled when they went to bended knee in front of him. He particularly noted that Sir Torbert would often require those he disliked – the King's advisers, for example – to conduct the entirety of their business from the floor. Jorgarn had yet to go that far, although upon occasion he had felt as though he should.

He had been in residence only twice during Court. He found the first time ridiculous because of Denae's actions during it. He found the second maddening because all the talk was war and commerce.

He wondered if Bralan could withstand the flattery. He wondered if she had already succumbed to the glib speech and glad-handing as quickly as Denae had. He worried that he would kill someone if she had.

Strangely, he didn't worry about Leyota. It wasn't that he took her for granted. He simply had been with her for so many years and she had never let him down. She was steadfast in her loyalty and commitment to him. She had never wavered and he expected she never would.

A thought struck him: Bralan had never wavered either. She was as committed to him – and he to her – as Leyota. With a smile and a warmed heart, he offered his arm to Lady Seni when they disembarked.

"Please, fair Lady, allow me the honor of escorting you to your seat," Jorgarn intoned.

"Oh, I'm certain you have other things you need to be doing rather than that," she said with a blush.

"Nothing I would find as enjoyable, I can assure you, Lady Seni," Jorgarn replied honestly. "If this is to be the last time you enter as head of your house, I would be proud to escort you to your seat. I seem to recall that you were second in seniority behind the not-so-dearly departed Lord Esselrig. That would make you first now."

"A dubious honor, I can assure you," she laughed. "It means that I am older than dirt itself."

"Why, you're not even as old as Lady DeStrad," Jorgarn joked. "Do you mean to suggest she was around before dirt?"

"I believe, dear boy, Lady DeStrad created dirt," Lady Seni replied with a laugh. But she clasped Jorgarn's proffered arm and took her son's arm with her other hand.

The Great Hall was strangely silent when he entered. Sir Torbert had hastened from the ship to alert Landor of their arrival. Jorgarn had purposefully dawdled in an attempt to miss the opening speeches. It seemed Torbert had arrived in time to postpone them because Landor and Bralan sat upon their high thrones with Torbert behind Landor and to his side.

"It appears they waited for us," Jorgarn deadpanned. "You must be quite popular."

Lady Seni's slight giggle could be heard by almost all around them.

Gerrit left his mother's side to take his seat behind her – as was custom for the heir to the holding – and Jorgarn extended his hand in friendship to the man. Gerrit smiled and shook it.

"It was my pleasure to get to know you, Master Seni," Jorgarn said. "I truly hope I will get to know you better in the future."

"As do I, Sir Jorgarn," Gerrit replied.

"Milady, you bring honor to your family and to this proceeding," Jorgarn told Lady Seni when he presented her at her chair. "And you bring honor to me by allowing me to accompany you to your seat. Be well and know I will aid you and your family in any way I can."

"Thank you, Sir Jorgarn," Lady Seni responded. Jorgarn noticed that the entire group of nobility had arisen when he entered. They would stay standing until he took his place with Bralan. It was another asinine custom, Jorgarn thought.

"Please, Lady, take your seat," he whispered. "I wish to say hello to a few people I have missed dearly. There is no reason for you and Gerrit to try to stand on sea legs longer than you must."

Lady Seni took her seat and motioned for her son to do the same.

Gorin's mother, Lady Destrad, stood to the left of the Senis. Her fat, feckless son stood behind her. Jorgarn decided it would be rude to ignore them so he offered a hand to Gorin's older brother, who seemed surprised but shook it anyway.

"Well met, Master DeStrad," Jorgarn offered. It was the best he could think of, given the fact he thought the man to be a louse.

"Well met, Lady DeStrad," Jorgarn said as he clasped the woman's hand in front of him. He did not kiss her hand, nor did she curtsey. She was too old to curtsey anyway, Jorgarn thought, and a smile hit his lips. "Are you keeping Gorin out of trouble this year?"

"You are still a scamp, Sir Jorgarn," Lady DeStrad replied. Like Eslada she was sharp of wit and sharper of tongue. She had called Jorgarn a "scamp" when she had first met him almost a decade before. "But you are well met, too."

She smiled at him.

"I don't suppose I can convince you to take the one behind me on your next adventure, can I?" she whispered softly. "I am getting too damned old to come to these things but I refuse to die until he does."

Jorgarn stifled a laugh when he saw the woman was serious.

"Well, you don't look a day over 80," Jorgarn said lightly. He knew the reaction it would bring. It had been a running joke of theirs for years.

"I'm only 74," she insisted.

"I know," Jorgarn replied with a smile and he leaned forward and kissed her softly on the cheek. "And I would wager you'll see another 25 years."

"Out of pure spite, if nothing else," she said with a soft laugh. "I am glad you are safe. You mean a great deal to that son of mine."

"As do you and he to me," Jorgarn replied truthfully. "Now, please sit. I want to speak to some of the others and I don't want you complaining later about being forced to stand while I do it."

The old woman offered another smile.

"I'll simply complain that I had to sit for so long," she replied. But she took her seat and motioned her son down, too.

Jorgarn only wanted to visit with Leyota and Eslada but he immediately noticed the expectant look on the man next to Lady DeStrad. It was Eslada's brother, Lord Commerly. Jorgarn extended his hand. Lord Commerly was only in his middle 30s but his mother had given up the seat upon his 15th birthday and she had never regretted it. Lord Commerly had married later than most and his heir was only five years old and did not sit behind him.

Of all Eslada's close relatives, Cobric Commerly reminded him of her the most. He liked the man – who was funny and friendly to everyone – and didn't hesitate to speak to him before moving forward. And so it went down the line. Jorgarn took a moment to visit with each member of nobility and to shake or kiss the hand of the heir to the holding. He spent a little more time speaking to Melodart's sister and her heir, a niece, and to Lady Darnot, the holder of the land from whence Pernice hailed and where the battle was recently fought.

Each person sat after he had spoken to them.

He paused in front of Lorida, the Duchess Somalt. She didn't hesitate but for a moment before hugging Jorgarn and kissing his cheek.

Finally he reached Eslada. Without regard to propriety, he hugged her and kissed her cheek.

"It is good to see you," he said as he kept his hands on her shoulders.

She caressed his bearded cheek lightly.

"And you," she replied. "I know you are talented and fierce, but I worry all the same. At least you visited me after only a few months this time instead of waiting a few years."

Jorgarn smiled.

"Well, I have a suspicion that you'll be glad to be rid of me since you will reside in the castle again for a while," he said.

"Probably," Eslada replied with a grin. "I am the first to admit that you are best in small doses."

Jorgarn's father, Lord Elmwood, was next in seniority and stood next to Eslada. Elmwood had been the next holding created after Longview. Jorgarn saw his father gulp as he stepped in front of the man.

"Father, I am glad you are well," Jorgarn said.

"And you, son," Wenta replied. "As Eslada said, I know how capable you are but I still worry."

Jorgarn saw something in Wenta's eyes and he hugged his father closely. Wenta's arms went tightly around Jorgarn's back.

"Thank you for all your help, not just now but last time," he said. "I can say without hesitation that the men you sent made the difference. I appreciate that you trusted your people to my care. I wish I could have sent more of them back to you."

"The ones you did send home never hesitated to return to you," Wenta said. "They sing your praises and laud your leadership. I wish I had done the same earlier. I wish I had gotten to know you before you left."

"There is time now," Jorgarn told the man as he released the hug. "I'm certain Yatil is almost ready to take over. He was ever the clever boy and I know you to be a capable teacher. I look forward to seeing you often. Has Montay arrived to join the Guard?"

Wenta wiped a small tear from his cheek and nodded.

"My wife tells me he is better than I was," Jorgarn said with a raised eyebrow. "Is that true?"

"No," Wenta said conspiratorially. "But I wanted to make sure he understood how proud I am of him. I made that mistake once and I'll not do it again. Perhaps I praised him too highly. But he never took it to his head. You'll like him and he will do fine here."

"I'm sure he will," Jorgarn said. "Where is Yatil?"

"He is still pretending to be the Supernumerary son until you land Eslada's child," Wenta said in a low voice but with a smile. "You really need to get working on that."

"Yes, Father," Jorgarn replied. "I do. Please, sit while I visit with the rest of the group."

Next was Lady Gomec, who had joined with Lord Stimok to send the Dometian Cavalry. Jorgarn spoke to each of them in turn and then the several cousins and others from Longview who had assumed land holdings. He saw Saneth Fieth standing beside Astid Weltin and he greeted them warmly. He was surprised when Astid told him that Torbert had stepped down as Lord Weltin to allow her to ascend. They both inquired of Pernice, naturally, and Jorgarn told them he was resting so he could enjoy accompanying them to the parties that followed each evening.

Finally he stood in front of Leyota, who carried Marnit on her hip.

"I love you," Jorgarn said simply as he leaned forward and kissed her softly on the cheek. "And you, too, little one."

He kissed Marnit on her tiny forehead.

"We love you," Leyota replied. Marnit seemed to recognize the tall man with the beard. Her fingers found her way into it and she tugged. Jorgarn took her from Leyota's arm and lifted her in the air. Her giggles resounded through the room.

"I'll see you as soon as this is over," he told Leyota.

She smirked slightly.

"You don't seem surprised to see me here," she said. "I had great plans to lord over you for days."

"Sorry, but you didn't let a lack of title stop you before," Jorgarn joked as he grudgingly handed his daughter back. "Merg sends his love. He plans to visit in the coming months."

Leyota smiled back and cuddled their daughter.

"Get moving, you're dragging this out and I want to get you alone," she whispered. Jorgarn kissed her again and moved to a young girl who stood beside her.

"Lady Ducotte," he said. "I am glad you're well. I worried about your health."