Kilburn was always looked at as a second class territory in the history of the mainland for some obvious reasons. First of all, and probably the most important reason: Kilburn was the only dukedom in Burnedie. Well, in fact Kilburn was the only dukedom in the mainland outside The Barren. Since a dukedom was very, unorthodox, to put it mildly, nobody never realized how impressive Kilburn actually was. For instance, even though the Duke was a man, every noble family under the dukedom was led by women. Yet, there were never any disputes or disagreements, or any other form of dramas, something people would expect from a male leader. After all, men were untrustworthy beings who only followed their basic instinct. People suspected and speculated that those noble families were pushed to bow down to the Duke by The Queen of Burnedie herself.
The second reason was the fact that in Kilburn people were allowed to believe in something else than The Holy Mother. The Sacred Warrior was one of the second most popular Gods the Kilburians worship after The Holy Mother. There were also The Oracle, and even The Celestials, the God worshiped by people from the other side of The Golden Sea. Most of the members of royal families saw this as a sign of The Duke's weakness. Another suspicion arose that The Duke was just simply incapable of pushing the false gods believer out of Kilburn, and to avoid conflict he allowed them to reside there and practice their beliefs.
What people didn't know was that none of those suspicions were true at all. In fact they were not even close to the real facts. For example, The Queen of Burnedie didn't force anybody to bow down to her only son. It was actually the other way around. She placed the most dominant noble families in Kilburn in the hope that they would steer her son in the right direction. When Her Majesty realized that those nobles were actually fond of her son, she tried to retract her decision by replacing the duke with one of his nieces, her eldest granddaughter from the crown princess. But unfortunately the plan backfired, her granddaughter couldn't even stay for a fortnight because those dominant nobles the queen had placed there, were coming too hard on her. How the duke could not only endure it but also triumph above it, was still a mystery to the queen.
Since the queen couldn't replace the duke, she then used her son as a bargaining chip. In the end Kilburn was a border territory. On the southern side of Kilburn was Tarsir. The biggest, the most vicious kingdom in the mainland. On the southeast side of Kilburn laid The Barren; the only territory in mainland where men ruled. Tarsir and The Barren somehow had a knack to get on each other nerves, since both of them declared war every other decade, and the queen who would rather not be involved in those petty squabbles that actually not only cost many people's lives but also gold, put a man in charge in the crossfire territory.
A man was always seen as a pushover by Tarsir. Tarsir would never see Kilburn as a threat because it was led by a man, and Tarsir would also never consider bringing Kilburn into their alliance, because of the same reason. In short, Tarsir would just leave Kilburn, also Burnedie, alone and that suited the queen very well. On the other hand, since The Barren were ruled by men, they sympathized with the duke and would never attack Kilburn, but since Kilburn was under Burnedie which was ruled by a queen, they would never try making alliances with Kilburn. Also in short, The Barren would leave Kilburn alone. It seemed like a perfect scenario for The Queen.
To make the effect even more grandier, the queen also "leaked" some information regarding the health of The Duke. The Duke himself was never a healthy man. He was a pale little boy with breathing and heart problems. He was so delicate, that if his wet nurse left him 1 minute too long after bath time, he would catch fever the next day, for a week. She never made a big fuss about his health. Men could always warm up a bed, even though he was weak. In fact the bed might get warmer if he caught a fever, all was fine. All she needed to do was just to find a nice noblewoman for him to marry, he didn't have to be a main consort, side consort would be enough. But then, when he reached the age of 17, a prime age to be married, the imperial healer declared that his heart was too weak to do his marriage duty, after the queen found a perfect match for him; the eldest daughter of a Marchioness. This crushed Her Majesty's dream. A man who couldn't fuck was in her opinion: a good for nothing. And to think that she spent 8 months being pregnant with him and not to mention she had to endure the intercourse with her king consort, was outrageous.
Of course, the marchioness nullified the engagement. The queen accepted it with open heart, but the idea that she would be stuck with a son she didn't want who couldn't get married, nor fight, still terrified her. Until she realized that by making him a duke of a border territory had its own merit. If people knew that he wouldn't live long, people would rush to her side in the hope that she would choose them to replace the duke once the duke died, and to be honest they wouldn't have to wait long. So there he was, A duke, leading his dukedom which happened to be the most volatile area of the whole Burnedie.
The most impressive fact that blew Magdalena's mind was not the dukedom, nor the queen strategy, but the fact that nobody realized it yet, ever since the duke ruled Kilburn at the age of 18 until he died at the age of 35 not even one conflict happened at Kilburn, neither between the dominant nobles nor between Kilburn and the neighboring countries even when the war erupted between Tarsir and The Barren 8 years ago. They seemed to take the peace the duke established in Kilburn for granted and gave the credits solely to the queen. But no matter how big the influence the queen had, it was never enough to forced the nobles to stop squabbling or to put them working together under a man's power who didn't have long to live, nor to stop the the neighboring countries to drag Kilburn into one of their war against each other. Moreover, Magdalena was quite sure that the queen had nothing to do with it, and in fact it was the duke's skill that kept Kilburn at peace, and he did that without raising any suspicion from the royal families, and the other countries. That showed how accomplished the duke was in politics, it was not an easy job to be brave and to bare your teeth to frighten others, but it was way harder to let others know that you can bite without making them feel threatened by your presence.
This whole background story was nowhere to be found in any other books about Kilburn, of course. Magdalena knew that since she had read almost the whole book collection in The Ducal Manor during her mourning which today hit the 1 month marks. The only book that mentioned this detailed background information about The Duke, and the queen's secret intention of making the first dukedom in Burnedie, was the book that The Duke Arn wrote. Of course The Duke could make it up, or he could misunderstand or read the situation the wrong way, but somehow Magdalena felt that this book mentioned only the truth, and The Duke was not only perceptive, but also smart, and sly like a fox. His lack in health was definitely overcompensated by his strategic and political ability, that was for sure. He seemed to be able to read other people's plans not only 2 or 3 steps ahead, but more like 100 steps ahead. And of course having a confidant who could read minds would help him, a lot.
The door of her study was opened, and her butler, Sir Richard, an old 70 years old male with balding hairline and white tux as white as his hair, popped in. "Your Grace, Marchioness Iurda has arrived. Shall I send her here?"
Magdalena closed the book with one hand and stored it in the drawer of her massive wooden table. "No, not here. I wish to see her in the sun room. Could you please send her there, ah and tell the kitchen to bring tea and cake there."
The butler nodded, but before he left the room Magdalena added "could you also please inform Master Rowan that I am looking for him? Can you send him to this room later?"
The butler nodded again and left the room.
Lauren Iurda and Rowan Arbies. Two most important chess pieces in The Duke's plan. I wonder if I could reign them just like you did, Arn. After reading your story, I think I am no match to you.
****
The sun room of The Ducal Manor was a small room on the south side of the manor. It had 3 big panels of windows that overlooked a big patch of garden filled with yellow roses and buxus trimmed that looked like The Dukedom of Kilburn coat of arms if seen from the balcony on the other side of the rose garden. This room also had a glass ceiling, but it didn't mean that the room was always under the sun, the vines of hederas and hoya were criss-crossing across the ceiling, filtering the sun so it was just enough sun rays to come through.
This room was The Duke's favorite room to drink his tea or read a book when he felt a bit better. Unfortunately during the course of their marriage, Magdalena never sat in this room together with Arn. She was too busy feeling sorry for herself, and he was too polite to ask and too proud to get rejected. She regretted it now, if she knew how Arn was more than those snotty little Lords she usually hung out with in Tarsir, she would be more than willing to engage him in some discussion.
"Your Grace" greeted Lauren Iurda once Magdalena entered the room.
"My Lady," answered Magdalena and she gestured to the two padded armchairs "Please sit down"
Marchioness Lauren Iurda was not a beauty, but her look was still admirable. She had a heart shaped face with deep green almond shaped eyes that glowered like a pair of cat's eyes. She has a long neck that she tried to hide by wearing a high turtle neck gown but still straight and she held his head always at a certain angle that made her look pious but not overly arrogant . Her hair was strawberry shade blonde, wispy, and even though she had a tight net on her head, a few fly away hairs still escaped between the holes of the hairnet. Overall she did remind Magdalena as a noblewoman through and through. Not only from her magnificently expensive dress, but because of her posture and how she held herself. She radiated some auras that only a noblewoman who was properly educated from a young age could achieve. No new money could buy that degree of elegance.
Lauren Iurda sat down on a chair across from the duchess, she fixed her gown so the jewels on the hem of her bottle green dress fell on the right angle and reflected the sun rays complimenting her green eyes. She already thought about this, Magdalena realized that. As she couldn't wear anything but a simple black attire for the next 8 months, The Marchioness tried to set the tone of this meeting by outdressing her without being too obvious. This woman was not someone she should mess around with.
"How are you holding up, Your Grace?" asked Iurda while clutching her warm cup of tea.
"It's been quiet. That's why I appreciate it very much that you come to visit me. I'm sure you're quite busy."
Iurda put down her cup of tea on the coffee table between them. She took the time to fix the hem of her gown again. "I am very busy indeed, Your Grace. So let's not beat around the bush. What is it that you require from me?"
For a second Magdalena was weighing her options, between telling her the truth or to play the game. Both of them had some risk and edge to it, but since Magdalena didn't know her marchioness very well, she decided to extend her pleasantries for a while, testing the water was always the best policy. "Oh, a little bit of this and a little bit of that." Magdalena poured the tea into her empty cup, and once she noticed that Iurda hadn't even taken a sip out of her cup, she smiled. "How is the border?"
Iurda scoffed. "Which border, Your Grace?"
Magdalena took her time to stir in some sugar and milk into her tea. She might be a skipper if it came to swords fighting training, but she always paid her full attention in decorum class. It was crucial to set the pace of the conversation to assert your dominance. She didn't want to come across as too eager, in the end she was the duchess and her guest, no matter how important she was, still a marchioness. "Well, let's start with our border with The Barren."
"It's quite peaceful, if you can call it peaceful. Even though the border has been fixed since 2 years ago, they still don't have enough men to man the border. I haven't heard anything suspicious from The Barren, they are probably still too poor and too weak to stir up any trouble." muttered Iurda in a flat tone and she said all of that in one breath.
Magdalena took a sip out of her cup and let the tea mingle in her mouth for a while before she took her handkerchief to wipe her mouth. "You seem to be very well informed, My Lady."
Iurda rolled her eyes. "I am The Marchioness of Southern Kilburn. I am the defender of the border of the three lands. Does Your Grace really think that I am so ineptitude that Your Grace needs to compliment me just simply because I am doing my job?"
Magdalena smiled. "I am very sorry if you are offended, My Lady. As you know, the inept one is me."
Iurda didn't react to Magdalena's apology, she simply stared at her. Somehow Iurda reminded her of her sister Louisa. The hot head type was always easy to read, they put their emotion on their sleeves. They have no subtlety in their action, and Magdalena could now breathe a little bit easier. She knew how to play against Louisa, knew how to push her buttons, and knew how to provoke them.
"My Lady, if you don't start blinking by now, your eyes will be teary." chuckled Magdalena, not unkindly but simply amusing. "What is it that you're thinking of?"
Red flush appeared on Iurda's cheeks, but she still didn't break her eye contact. "Nothing, Your Grace. I am just wondering when you will ask me the question."
Magdalena raised her eyebrows. "What question, My Lady?"
Iurda broke her eye contact and sat a bit straighter. "I'm sorry for my straightforwardness, but just like what i've said I am very busy, Your Grace. Let's presume we didn't waste our time by exchanging pleasantries just now, and you could just ask the question you've been dying to know. About Tarsir. About the situation of our border with Tarsir. About how if someone already knocks on the door looking for you, Your Grace"
"What if I didn't want to know all about that?"
Iurda rolled her eyes again. "What if Your Grace starts telling me what is the purpose of this tea time then? I am sure Your Grace would find me too mundane to accompany you just for tea."
Magdalena leaned back on her padded armchair, her legs crossed, and she tilted her head a little bit to the side. "On the contrary, My Lady. I think you're quite amusing." replied Magdalena in a soothing tone like someone who tried to explain to an upset toddler that one plus one is two. "And I told you the truth. I don't need to know about our border with Tarsir, or if someone knocks on your door looking for me. I know they are looking for me, and I know that they can't do anything until I am out of my mourning. And even though I know you don't like me, I know from your monthly report to the duke that you are a very capable politician, you have gold, men, and connections to defend our border and then some. Even more importantly, you take pride in doing your job excellently. I am truly not worried about Tarsir. As for The Barren, they are an unknown variable in my knowledge, and that's why I asked, My Lady"
Whatever Lauren Iurda expected to hear from Magdalena, what came out of her duchess mouth was not one of them. She didn't know how to react, so she simply went back to the staring contest.
"But you are correct, how about we stop the pleasantries and cut the chase. I noticed that I only irritated you even more when I tried to be polite. But before that, I see that the one who is dying to ask some question is not me. So, what is it that you want to ask me, My Lady?" continued Magdalena.
Iurda shifted in her chair, she averted her gaze from Magdalena to the glass ceiling. "Very well, Your Grace. Is the rumor true?"
"What rumor?" Magdalena raised her eyebrows again.
"Did you kill your mother, The late empress of Tarsir, with poison?"
Magdalena smiled, she had been expecting this question. "I thought we agreed not to waste our time. But yet you asked me such an unimportant question. I beg your pardon, but I refuse to answer that."
"Is it because you wish to keep it secret? Or because you don't want to lie?" asked Iurda again. And then when she realized her rude tone, she added quickly "Your Grace"
"Neither. I refuse to answer that, because you already made up your mind, so it doesn't matter if I did it or not. You would only believe me if it matches the answer you already had in your mind. If you believe I did it, it would make no difference even if I swear by the holy mother that I am innocent. So why waste our time?" Magdalena then sat a bit straighter and reached across the table to grab Iurda's cup that was still filled with tea, and drink it. "I, however, didn't poison your tea, nor do I have plans to poison you in the future. So rest assured, My Lady, if you ever have spare time between your busy schedule to visit this widow again during her mourning period, it is safe to dine or to drink with me. I would personally test your food and drink myself in front of you, if I have to."
Magdalena stood up from her chair and went to the door, but before she opened it, she turned back to face Iurda who was still sitting on her chair, her face was still stiff as if someone had clubbed her on the back of her head. "And your gown is indeed very beautiful, My Lady. I believe the jewels on the hem are Emeralds from Berron? They do give such amazing reflections under the sun rays. Very elegant and it fits you very well. But I'd appreciate it if you don't try to outdress me next time. At least until my mourning is over. It's unwise to want to compete with a woman who just lost her husband."
Magdalena opened the door and left the room. Marchioness Iurda meanwhile felt a surge of feelings, a combination of embarrassment, guilt, and shame. Exactly what Magdalena wanted her to feel.