With a final flourish on the last writ, I sealed it with a sigh. The ache in my bones was a dull throb, such hours spent hunched over these parchments. The weight of my new crown settled not only on my head, but on the responsibility etched on every document – the shires, the lords, the heers, the meres, the saleworks, the very lives of the folk.My spine protested, yearning for a moment of respite. Briefly, I envisioned stepping onto the overlook, seeking solace in the chill of the night air, the glittering constellations beyond the glass. But even this solace was fleeting. A sharp knock shattered the nascent peace. By the heavens, would there ever be a moment of peace and rest?"Thy Majesty," a couth voice called from behind the door. "For the flower blooms, may I have a braid of thy time to converse with thee?""For the flower blooms." The secret code, a whisper among my most trusted advisors, unlocked a flicker of trust within me. With guarded steps, I approached the door and eased it open. There, bathed in the soft glow of the hallway, stood a vision - a fiery-haired woman clad in an elegant violet gown. Her brilliant mind shone as brightly as her hair: Ma'am Drea von Lithplia herself.
"Ma'am Drea," I asked. "How may I be of service to thee?"
"Personal request, Thy Majesty," she curtsied.
"Very well," I nodded. "Thou art welcome."As soon as I opened the way for her to step into the room, I closed the door behind her and casually perched atop the desk, casting aside the need for thewfastness. She made no judgement, but her lips crimped as she began to speak, neshening her stammer, "P-Pardon me for my sudden intrusion, but.. uhhh… I must request a… ummm…. d-dismissal from my duties for thee... for the time being, I suppose."
My jaw dropped loose, thus gasped, "Why? What art thou supposing about?"
"The blood accession rite will soon arrive—on the twenty-seventh day of Mittel-Winter, a day of the founding anniversary to House Lithplia. The people of Hansch have petitioned for the heir of House Lithplia to be none other than me... and me alone. Yet, I anticipate many envious glares from my fellow flesh and blood due to our… paramour origins and traditions.""Huh," I titled my head and crossed my arms. "I thought I had heard only the welltale of Thy forekind, Kurin the Deviant, in the times of the ninth-century. That she cleansed a once-haunted village of Hansch by… doing all debauched ghosts… art I right? In a missionary 'position'?""Oh," she laughed, then shed a tear of glee, her face overwhelmed with deathly tickling. "Pardon me for my foreseeable slander, but Thou'st proven to be the most terrible jester I have ever encountered in my begotten time.""Pardon me for my indecency, too," I sighed. "Yet, thou need not worry. Thy deeds have already proven thy holdship and worth. As thou'st seen thy spar alive, thou have not budge an eye upon it, too."
"Pray, I beg Thee not to call me that," she flinched, shedding a sweat from her coyness. "With all due respect, I art nobody, but Thy trustworthy maiden who can see the Silerreich as fit as it should. Shall, one day—""Shall, one day, make everyone a fellow kin of Gidden," I interrupted. "For folk to train hard, for folk to toil hard, and for folk to act jointly, we canst enjoin ourselves to form bonds and strength. And by bonds and strength, we shall make the world known for grith and love. Hence, the Lady's will be done."
My words struck home, leaving Ma'am Drea breathless and intrigued. For a minute, our discussion was halted, her thoughts a bright tapestry crafted from the strands of my discovery. Then a glint of comprehension crossed her face. A slight smile spread over her lips, shifting her initial amazement into a touch of mirth. With a soft chuckle, she finally spoke, "Truth be told, I may be quite right. Thou art truly the most terrible jester I have ever encountered."
"Whatever dost thou mean?" I asked, squinting my one eye.
"Oh, nevermind," she gaped her eyes, crimsoned, and stuttered, bowing her head whilst in flinch, but with a bold voice. "P-Pray, forgive me for stating such an abhorrent joke. Shouldst Thou find it not appealing to Thy taste, my head is open for the gallows, Thy Majesty.""Oh, fret not, Ma'am Drea. What maketh thee pardon?," I giggled, gently pushing her head up from her chin. "I couldst not even get a point out of it."
"Goodness me," she sighed, quite exasperatedly. "Thou daunted me."
Her cryptic response lingered in my mind. Since her hopeful interruption, her words seemed to carry a hidden meaning, veiled behind fleeting grimaces. It left me questioning her true intentions, a prickling suspicion as if secrets lurked beneath the surface. My earlier words, spoken in sympathy with Amorepart, received only a dismissive head tilt. Ma'am Drea, my most brilliant advisor, had become an enigma, her hidden complexity both intriguing and unsettling."Anyway," I asked, averting my thoughts. "What of 'envious glares' that thou hadst uttered erewhile? Art there any hints of bad blood between thee and thy kinsmen?"
"Heh," she frowned. "'Tis true. Indeed, bad blood runs deep among us every time… every decade. Even as a child that I once was, I bore witness to the vile schemes unfurling all around. One step further deep into the heart of Grand Keep Lithplia, and thou shall only hear whispers of malice and deception brewing in the air across every corner, then lurking like a venomous serpent… hunting every predator and prey alike. There, soon the death of others wilt come, reaping on what they must see fit," Then she faintly gnashed her teeth for a fleeting moment and clenched her fist, then closed her eyes and breathed heavily, relieving from obtrusive thoughts. "Alas, my mother and sister fell victim to such wickedness, their lives stolen in the darkness. The people of Hansch were shaken, for the news of their noble lady's tragic fate spread like a haunting hex. Eftsoons, the town found itself plagued, but this time, it was envy that wove its wicked web around the descendants of their saviour of yore."
"Hence, the folk had been whetted to do a boon?""Aye," she nodded. "And they hath chosen me instead… despite my deepest intent to escape from their sooth. Yet, the people… I must see their agony no more."
"Indeed, I canst see," I took a clean paper, dipped a pen into an inkwell, then wrote,
I hereby brought unto thee, Ma'am Drea von Lithplia, as a token of trust and mensk, the enfeoffment of Hansch and all the rights appertaining thereto. This grant is given in acknowledgement of thy holdship, meedful thaning, and unwavering hallow to the rich.
Thou art now vested with the noble burden of overseeing and managing the lands and affairs of Hansch. As the new holder of this fief, thou shalt neet the rights and boons that come with such an esteemed headship.May thou govern with wisdom and evenhood, fostering weal and shielding the welfare of the folk under thy charge. As the steward of this land, thou art betaken to uphold the laws of the rich and the holy oath of allegiance to the crown.In witness whereof, this enfeoffment is duly signed and sealed with the blessed emblem.With a final flourish, I signed the writ and carefully folded it, placing it within a wax-sealed envelope adorned with my crimson Coasern's emblem. This act, a token of my trust, entrusted Ma'am Drea and her fellow subjects with the contents, adhering to the favourable ruling I had issued.Then I turned to Ma'am Drea and stretched it towards her, a gesture of solemnity and significance. "There, one last writ for this nightwork, and this time… 'tis for thee, Lady Drea.""Oh, Thy Majesty," she smiled in tears, took an envelope, then suddenly hugged tightly around my chest, slightly weeping despite her greatest efforts to stifle. "I pray that Thy wield shall soon guide our motherland to a path of prosperity and kindness. Even without my being beside Thee, Thou shall never cease fostering Thy mind and Thy heart.""And I pray that thou'st my greatest succour for the rest of thy eternity, and may Gidden bless thee with thy might and wisdom, determined to bring grith and leeth of thy homeland," then I released myself from her hug and instead gazed closely at her woesome face. "Now I bid thee to shed no tears and breathe as deep as thy piercing bust."
Heeding to my call, she slowly pulled herself apart from me, wiping her tears in front of me, and gasped, "Shall I bid thee thousand farewells and thanks, for I must dismiss my duty and depart from the hoff, Thy Majesty."
"Thy wishes art granted, thou dost as thou delight, for I also bless thee thousand weals for thy future endeavours and gratitudes for thy services as my sworn sister."
Hence, Ma'am… or rather, Lady Drea slowly turned her head behind and ambled out of the chamber. Before shutting the door, she dropped her last solemn curtsy before me, trading each other one very last farewell."Even from afar, I shall see thee and thy future unfolding before my eyes," her last words crossed into my ear before fading from my sight.