Erik was reading Timothy's letter with a stupid smile on his face. He forked a sausage, took a bite and chuckled.
"I worry about your mental stability Erik" Sylvie said. She filled the plate with more food.
"That coming from you is preposterous" He tilted the paper and looked at her on the other side of the table. His eyebrows met "Are you wearing a gown?"
"Just testing it. Looks good on me?"
"Looks good... what?"
Sylvie pouted "You asked me to be the lady of Greenwater didn't you? Last month. On the balcony of the palace in Holm. Don't tell me you've forgotten"
"I haven't. But that gown is old"
"I like this one. The designs on the shoulder and neck are nice"
"I'll have the tailor make you a new one"
"But I like this one!"
"You are like a child you know that?" Erik looked at the dress. It wasn't bad "You really like that one?"
"I do"
"Let's just mark it as one of our choices" Erik sighed.
"Thank you my handsome Marquis" Sylvie rose and went to his side. She leaned on him "So, the King huh?"
"Yes it's him. Orders"
"You will soon crush the Tulosans into nothingness"
"That is quite wrong" He smiled "A series of curious events just transpired at the Capital"
"Oooh curious. Can you tell me? I'm not a spy. Not anymore anyway"
"Later. But first call the officers. Tell them to raise our banners high and prepare for a march. We are to meet Henry in Solon with the rest of the legions"
Sylvie's expression grew sad "Can I come with you?"
"Are you skilled in the art of war? Can you stop a cavalry charge?" Erik grinned but his grin vanished when he realized that Sylvie was being serious. He pulled her onto him "I'm sorry. But we already talked about this. We will tie the knot after I come back. You must remain here in Greenwater and learn from my mother how to govern a city"
"But I want to be with you"
"Sometimes what we want and what is better are different" He intertwined his hands with hers "I am Marquis Erik of Castonia. I am not going to die. I will come back and make you the lady of Greenwater"
"I am not fond of promises" Sylvie said
"Then I will not promise. Just trust me"
"Alright" Sylvie managed to smile "I will trust you"
The next morning, Erik left Greenwater with his elite guards and a thousand levies from the city. He looked back and saw Sylvie waving at him from the top of the wall. He waved back and fixed his head forward. Those Tulosans better be grateful to him, he thought.
**********
Port city of Hydas, Calgari
The young city guard shook his head, his rusty old helmet rattling.
"That ain't true! Her Majesty never did that!"
"Better believe it lad. I didn't believe it at first either. But it's true. Me cousin heard it from a harlot in the capital. The harlot heard it from a baker who is also her customer. The baker heard it from a guard. And the guards saw it themselves" said his senior- a middle aged man with white beard tugged behind his helm.
"Bollocks! You ain't fooling me with those bedtime stories. You drunk, mate?" Asked another guard, yanking the bottle of ale they have been sharing on daylight. It was illegal to drink during watch duty but an illegal thing breathes life only when caught.
"Aye. I'm sorry but I find it needy to believe such a tale" said the young guard.
"But it's true!" the old guard insisted, grabbing the ale back with one hand. He pressed the bottle's mouth against his cup, filled the cup with the brownish ale and then brought the filled cup against his mouth. "My cousin is no liar"
"A fool, maybe, or a drunken man. Impossible tales fill your cousin's ears mate" said one of the guards. Then rang laughter from the others.
"Laugh all you want lads" The old guard warned, somber tone and fixed stern eyes. "I know my cousin. I know he's no fool nor deaf nor drunk. You are free to doubt my tale. But one day, I swear by Creton's shinny arse, one day you'll know I'm right"
The others were silenced by the senior's heavy warning. The young guard was too. He just accepted the bottle from his senior with head lowered.
"Oi! Lads! Look at this" Then came a shout from near the edge of the wall. One of their mates, the one they kept on lookout for officers, pointed towards the sea "I think something is moving in the far"
"Don't shout if it's not the officers. I almost panicked and threw our bottle down the wall. What is it anyway?"
"I think I see ships. Many ships" Said the lookout.
"Ah probably a seagull like last time. Have your eyes plucked those useless things!" Shouted the senior.
The young guard, however, thought different. He rose on his feet and walked several steps to the edge of the wall overlooking the sea.
"Where?" he asked, salty air meeting his nose.
Before a reply reached him, he saw the ships.
They dotted the horizon, galleys of war- fast, sleek and proper. Trailing behind the front line of galleys was another line of galleys and another behind that. They were endless. Raised sails and moving oars confirmed their fast approach. He had never seen such a display before.
He gulped. A single sweat skidded off his face. Only a single nation could support an armada of this size- and that nation is warring with Calgari at the moment. One look at the distant flags of the galleys confirmed his guess. Two flags he saw and two flags he feared. One was the lion with swords and the other was the pelican above a ship.
"Lads..." He muttered. He looked back to his mates. They were still chatting and drinking- oblivious of the huge armada
*********
Castonia-Canton border
The boy was running along the bank of the stream. Following behind was his little sister. Their run was fast and a scraped knee will result if they lose balance.
"It's going to sink!" his little sister shouted and pointed at the boat made of wood.
The boy followed the wooden boat with his eyes. The fast spring current of the stream carried it with haste. It was sailing in the stream as what he intended it to be.
"It will not. I made it strong. I used some good nails. Just don't lose sight of it"
he said.
The boat then struck rocks. The side was broken and it sank a little.
"Not going to sink?" His little sister asked. She stop and panted.
"Not my fault the rocks caught it" The little boy said, lamenting his lost efforts making the boat. He looked above and the fading sunlight met him "Let's just make another on the morrow. It is getting dark. Da da will give us some whips again if we stay out late"
The boy then went into the stream to fetch the boat. It wasn't a deep stream- he is not an idiot to waddle in a deep stream after the melting of snow.
Suddenly the water around him rippled. The ground shook in a rhythm. The boy flinched and looked around, eyes wide. He reached for the wooden boat and rushed towards the bank. He pulled himself up, his knees scraping the mud.
"Brother" His sister said, pointing afar.
The boy whisked the mud first and then traced his sister's point. He put his palm over his eyebrows to shield against the glint of the fading sun. With an addition of a squint, he saw what she was pointing at.
There were men, walking in line as straight as strung thread. Five men side by side, they marched in a uniform rhythm. He tried to count but exhausted all the numbers he knew. He tried to see the line's end but failed to see the last men.
The men grew closer. They crossed the stream, splashing water as they go. The men wore clothes made of iron. Some of them had capes hung on their backs. A few were riding horses. Colorful and unique crests marked the iron clothes they wore on their breasts. There was a sun, a sword and a rooster.
After some while two persons with crowns perched on top of their heads passed the stream. One was a young man with black hair and deep dark eyes. They were so deep he was drawn for a moment. The other one was a beautiful woman with a long golden braided hair.
The woman smiled at him while the man winked. Both then turned their heads forward again and continued their crossing.
The boy, still holding his wooden wrecked boat, was left staring at the back of the man and woman with crowns.