Delrik stared at the paper but he couldn't make sense of the words. It was late and his bloodshot eyes with bags under them were dull and glazed over. He looked pale and a bit sickly.
A knock at the door brought Delrik out of his trance. He looked up as Kevler entered carrying a small stack of papers.
Setting the papers on the desk, Kelver said, "Sir, these are the documents you requested."
"Thank you, Kevler," Delrik said as he thumbed through the stack.
More Baxarte accounts to settle. There were more than Delrik had originally thought. The money wasn't the issue, Delrik was rich beyond imagination. The problem was the amount of people the Baxarte's had loaned from. They kept popping out of the wood works, eager to collect. Unpaid gambling debts, unpaid servant's wages, unpaid tailor's bills. It was ridiculous how many people the Baxarte's had found to loan them money.
Just that day, Delrik had met with twenty different people seeking compensation. And that was a light amount compared to how many he normally had.
Kevler hesitated. Finally, he said, "My Lord."
Delrik said, "How are the preparations for the journey to the CPG?"
"Finished. But Sir, you don't intend to finish this work tonight, do you?"
"It must be finished before I leave."
"Sir, you haven't slept in three days."
"I am aware of that," Delrik said as he took out a specific paper from the pile and began writing on it.
"You could always postpone your trip."
"It cannot wait." He had already postponed the trip for too long.
"But my Lord. Your health!" The whole castle had begun to worry about their Duke.
Delrik glared at Kevler, saying, "That's final."
Kevler hung his head.
Delrik said, "You're dismissed."
Kevler left as Delrik took a few seconds to glance out the window. He thought, I cannot wait. I cannot endure this parting any longer.
༻✧༺
It was early morning as Cosaria sat up, staring out the window in her Centralist guest room.
Marley entered and said, "Oh, you're already up. That's great."
With longing in her voice, Cosaria said, "You don't think he's forgotten about me, do you?"
"Who?"
"Del-, my Lord Derlik."
"Uh… no. I don't think so." It seemed like a weird question. How does a man completely forget about his wife?
Cosaria wiped her eyes as Marley realized she needed to take this concern more seriously. It mattered to Cosaria.
Marley said, "There's no way he would forget you. I mean, I can't assume what someone else will or won't forget, but, well, I don't think at all that he'd forget you, you know."
"I do hope he comes soon."
Frowning, Marley sighed as she bit her lip. Suddenly, an idea played to her mind. As her eyes lit up, Marley said, "Say, my lady, what if we go out on the town today? We can meet some locals and try out Lady Finklehead's teachings." Pretending to have a Centralist accent, Marley said, "What say ye?"
Cosaria didn't really care as she said, "Yes. That sounds good. Let's do that."
༻✧༺
The goal of a tourni was to show off who had the most powerful army and win ransoms. Ransoms were money paid to the winners by the losers. It was how most knights became fabulously rich. (It was how Delrik secured his enormously vast fortune. Richer than even the king. If the Ragdorian woman had known how rich Delrik truly was, not even his reputation could have saved him from their advances.)
During a tourni, it was the goal of the opposing army to capture an enemy's knight for randsom, and bring them to their capture zone. After the last knight of the opposing army surrendered or was captured, the tourni was done and negotiations were carried out for ransoms. Most knights ransomed their land, horses, swords, and money for freedom.
The fights were not supposed to be deadly, although deaths occasionally happened. The purpose was to capture the enemy alive. You couldn't ransom a dead man; their inheritance would go to their mourning family. And nobody liked making a child fatherless.
Such was it explained to Beniter as he stood, waiting in the staging area, just outside the battlefield arena. It wasn't long now before the tourni would begin and the Lothar knights and apprentices were gearing up for battle. Men with swords, horses and armor were trying out their equipment as they swung their swords and fiddled with their armor straps.
Gareth and Beniter stood next to Felux who was fastening his saddle to his horse. Reed stood beside them, frowning miserably.
Reed said, "I can't believe I'm here."
Beniter was asking his instructor, "You really think we're ready, Sir Felux?" This would be his first battle. As excited as Beniter was, he was also terrified.
Felux said, "Aye."
If Felux thinks we're ready, then we must be ready, Beniter thought as he fiddled with the handle on his sword.
Gareth noticed and asked, "Ye nervous?"
"A bit."
Reed said, "Is it too late to bow out?"
A facilitator near the gate entrance stood on top of a soapbox and began to address the participants. He said, "Welcome, one and all. The tourni will begin shortly. Please, take your positions."
As people began to settle into their spots, Felux said, "Stay back with the groundlings. I'll be headin up with the horse charge."
Beniter and Gareth nodded.
Felux said, "Prove yourselves. Make me proud."
Beniter and Gareth nodded again while Reed slouched. The poor kid had no confidence.
As the three boys got into position with the other soldiers, Felux mounted his horse and joined the front of the charging crew.
Waiting for the sound of the starting trumpet, Beniter asked, "Has anyone died participating in tournis?"
"Aye," Gareth said, "All the time." Then Gareth smacked Beniter on his back, and said, reassuringly, "Remember, yer dead a long time."
Beniter said, "Right. Whatever that means." He still didn't understand Gareth's CPG sayings.
Reed said, "I hate ye both and yer stupid commitment to heroism and bravery."
If these would be Reed's last words, he wanted them to have meaning.
༻✧༺
On the other side of the battlefield, Tilda, Finklehead, and Ofelia entered the wooden grandstands set up for the onlookers.
As she looked at the gathered crowd, Ofelia said, "It's a mighty good show." Spotting Jeffan waving near the front row, Ofelia waved back before guided the group over. She said, "Aye, looks as if Jeffan's saved us seats."
Tilda, Finklehead, and Ofelia joined Jeffan, who was sitting by his parents. While Lurois had sponsored an army, he had decided not to take part in the battle himself because he was still recovering from a recent injury.
Turning to Jeffan, Tilda asked, "How come you're not participating, Jeffan?"
Ofelia smirked and said, "Jeffan's an intellectual, he's not handy with a sword."
Jeffan said, "I can handle myself with a sword."
"Against a wee rabbit maybe," Ofelia said. Then she lowered her voice and told Tilda, "He's stopped tryin since he got outmatched by Felux."
"Ooooh."
Tilda smirked. Jeffan fumed.
༻✧༺
Cosaria and Marley walked along the busy outdoor shopping center. People were crammed into shops and store owners were yelling out prices and discounts.
Cosaria was especially glad to be away from the tourni. She didn't want to see fighting and violence. It made her stomach turn uncomfortably.
One storeowner called out, "On sale now! Lothar army memorabilia! And the famous painting of the dynamic duo. The Felux and Delrik momento."
Gasping, Cosaria grabbed Marley's arm and said, "I'd love to go see it."
Marley said, "Of course."
When the two entered the bustling shop, they were immediately crowded by a throng of people. The crowd forced Marley in the opposite direction and soon, the two were split up in different sides of the store.
Marley called, "Lady Cosaria? Lady Cosaria?" But her voice was drowned out by the crowd.
It didn't take long before Cosaria stood in front of the painting, having been barely inconvenienced by the crowd. The painting was an epic scene of Felux and Delrik, side by side, backs against a stone tower, beating down an oncoming army, and winning.
Two bystanders noticed the beautiful girl. The first was on older woman, she said, "Oh, ye be a fan of Felux?"
Cosaria said, "Oh, I suppose. I think it's amazing how he and Delrik accomplished so much together. Delrik truly is amazing."
The older woman recognized the accent and the gleam in the eye. She corrected herself and said, "Then it be Delrik yer eyein?"
"The foreigner? Really? To each their own, I suppose," The second bystander said. She was perhaps a daughter or younger sister of the older woman.
The older woman said, "Have ye heard about the exhibit they'd be having by the fountain? It's a must see. It's got all the old Delrik souvenirs."
"Aye, that's where I purchased this tooth from one of Felux's victims!" The young woman said, holding up a tooth on a string. Felux was the CPG heartthrob, but Delrik was not without his fan club. Often, young women got into serious debates about whether they were team Felux or team Delrik.
"Oh!" Cosaria said. She was shocked at seeing a young woman wearing a tooth around her neck. It was so vulgar.
The older woman said, "Of course they've less tawdry things as well. Collections and stories of their bravery, painting of their valor. They've pins with their family crests, just as well."
Cosaria said, "That sounds wonderful. Perhaps I shall go."
The younger woman pointed to away from the crowd towards a smaller archway and said, "Best way out is through this little alcove there. Ye'll get ran over if ye try exitin the entrance."
"Thank you," Cosaria said as she waved goodbye to the nice bystanders.
The two women waved back as the older said, "Such a lovely lass."
From somewhere inside the store, a wide eyed, panicked Marley was calling out, "Lady Cosaria!!!"
But it was too late. Cosaria had exited through the little alcove.
༻✧༺
It didn't take long for Cosaria to find the Lothar exhibit where artifacts from Felux and Delrik tournis were on display. Her eyes were glued to a painting of Delrik, looking brave and regal on a horse.
A child's screaming brought Cosaria out of her revere.
"PUT US DOWN!!!"
"We didn't do anything wrong!!!"
A lumbering guard was carrying two little boys, one in each arm. The two boys looked like ten-year-old siblings, with slightly varied hair color.
The guard said, "Sure, sure, tell it to the store ye robbed."
The boy with darker hair squirmed and said, "We didn't take anything!"
"Ah!!!" The guard said as the lighter-haired boy bit his arm. Surprised the guard dropped the boy.
Now free, the lighter-haired boy ran over to Cosaria and said, "Mother! Mother, I was so scared!" He grabbed at Cosaria's skirts.
The darker-haired boy wiggled free from the guard's arm and ran to Cosaria, hugging her tightly.
"Oh my," Cosaria said, "I'm sorry little ones, but I'm not your mother."
The guard lumbered over.
The lighter-haired boy whispered, "Please, help us!" He was hoping that Cosaria would pretend to be their mother.
Cosaria said, "Of course."
The guard said, "Ye troubled by these vermin, lassie?"
"Not at all. I'm going to help them."
The two boys shared a worried, wide-eyed glance. They may have chosen the wrong 'mother'.
The guard asked, "Do ye admit to bein a cohort in their theivin schemes?"
Cosaria said, "A what? Oh, I haven't stolen anything."
"Maybe not ye, but these lyin bags of rubbish-"
"You mustn't call children rubbish, Sir," Cosaria indignantly interrupted.
"Ah, aye. These… wee bairns… were found theivin one of the shops."
"Surely they must have a good reason."
With pleading eyes, the lighter-haired boy said, "We were so hungry."
"They stole jewelry."
"To trade for food!" Said the darker-haired boy.
Cosaria said, "Oh, don't you have a heart? Can't you see how innocent these poor little ones are?"
The two boys pouted out their lips and batted their eyes innocently.
The lighter-haired boy said, "We're only misunderstood."
The guard said, "Be that as it may. They've still to pay for their crimes."
Reaching in her purse, Cosaria said, "How much do they owe? Maybe I can pay their debt."
"75," The guard said as he glared at the two boys, who shrunk shyly away.
"Here," Cosaria said as she held out the money.
The two boy's eyes looked like they might pop out of their heads. Greed glazed their faces as they watched the guard take the money.
Sighing, the guard said, "Very well, but ye be wary about these two. If I see ye two around again, I'll be kickin ye out."
The guard walked away as the lighter-haired boy stuck his tongue out at him and the darker-haired boy hid a sneer.
Cosaria said, "What's your names, little ones?"
The lighter-haired boy said, "I'm Ioul."
The darker-haired boy said, "And I'm Vexi."
Cosaria said, "Nice to meet you Ioul and Vexi. Let's see about finding your mother now, shall we?"
Without warning, Vexi grabbed his stomach and fell over in pain. He cried, "I'm so hungry!"
Ioul pitifully tried to lift his starving brother. He pleaded with Cosaria, saying, "Please good lady, couldn't we be getting some food before we look fer our mother?"
"Of course!" Cosaria said. "You poor things were probably so hungry. Let's go then."
Cosaria led the way as the two gremlin boys exchanged snickers amongst themselves.
༻✧༺
Back at the tourni grandstands, Tilda moved over a seat to make space for Rayn to sit next to his wife. He had just barely made it in time. The event was about to start.
The crowd was breathless as the trumpet sounded and the different gates erupted open. Soldiers charged towards each other in fierce spirit.
The battle had begun.