Chapter 6 Fatherless Children
The great hall.
Lord Heinrich of Blasser Hafen was a head taller than most men, and his body showed the signs of many years of military service. His blond hair reached the nape of his neck. His eyes were blue and bright. He was a perfect example of the men of the Grand Duchy of Blasser Hafen. The kingdom of the past and the duchy of the present owed their names to the almost white stones that dominated the gigantic harbor where the royal family had lived for centuries.
Guillermo with enthusiasm: Count Vulfhelm! It is a great pleasure to see you this morning, Your Excellency.
Heinrich started in his second language: Stop it you fat weasels! The meeting for the king...
Guillermo cut him off: My lord, what harsh words in the castle of our magnificent king. If a lord were to say that in front of a Count of Costa Lunas, that man would be flogged until he remembered his position.
Heinrich sputtered: He dare threaten my?
Wulfhelm spoke in a low but hesitant voice: Uncle, you represent my mother. Please respect that.
Guillermo: Ah, your voice is lower than last night. Do not worry for a moment, young Count. In a short time, your voice will stabilize, and you will be popular with the girls. And you speak the language of the king almost like a person born here.
Heinrich spoke to his count in their common language: Meeresgott, Graf, Sie möchten, dass ich diese Schlange respektiere?
Guillermo interjected: A snake or a weasel? Which am I, sir? I speak your language quite well. Und ich kann die Sprachen der Barbarenfürsten im Norden sprechen. At least the tongues of the wild northern barbarians do not sound like dogs are vomiting. Forgive me, Count, sometimes I say things out of anger without thinking. I had no intention of offending you.
Heinrich reflexively placed his hand on his dagger.
The sounds of six swords emerging from their sheaths echoed throughout the great hall. The herald raised his hands in surrender.
Guillermo spoke with false fear: My lord, I am certain you could kill me before they can cross the distance. I hope the king believes the boy and his mother are innocent of my death. The method of execution favored by our king is gruesome and slow.
Wulfhelm: Heinrik! Lord Guillermo, please forgive him. He is a warrior. Could you tell us when the king will have time to discuss matters related to the duchy and our succession?
Guillermo cheerfully: Of course, Your Excellency. But now I need to go to the kitchen to get my breakfast. I did not want to delay you this morning, and I am famished. Ich wünsche Ihnen einen schönen Tag. I wish you both a good day.
The topmost floor of the grand tower.
Monika was a fifty-year-old woman with golden hair and sea-green eyes. She had been a servant at the castle since she was twelve. Her service began when the Duke of Puerto Blanco sent her to the castle as a gift to King Reynaldo the Conqueror. Now, her most important duty was to care for the bastard daughter of King Aloisio. She approached the door of a small bedroom in a secluded part of the castle. The guard was leaning against the wall, his expression bored, his eyes bloodshot from the festivities of the night before.
Monika in a soft tone: Do not show your eyes to your captain today, boy.
The young guard: Yes, my good lady. My head hurts and my stomach is upset.
Monika: Take the small cup from my tray and drink the liquid. The taste is unpleasant, but you will feel better in half an hour.
Guard: You are a savior of my life.
He laughed a little and winced at the pain. He drank the liquid and placed the cup back on the tray. His face showed that the liquid tasted horrible. He opened the door and held it for the woman with the respect usually reserved for nobles.
The older woman entered the bedroom and placed the tray on a simple table. On a bench in front of a small window sat a fifteen-year-old girl. Her hair was brown, a mix of the dark brown of the locals and the blond of the people of Puerto Blanco. Her eyes were green and sad. She stared at a Pegasus flying south.
Monika: Good morning my beautiful girl.
Olivia excitedly: Guten Morgen, Monika. Danke, dass du mir mein Frühstück gebrachen hast.
Monika: Danke, dass du mir mein Frühstück gebracht hast. Good morning, Monika. Thank you for bringing me breakfast.
Olivia: Gebracht.
Monika: You speak very well and with practice you will be able to speak like a native of my hometown.
Olivia: Thank you. Can I go outside today?
Monika in a sad voice: Sorry, but no. The herald said you cannot visit the gardens or see the Unicorns in training. It is only for a week, precious.
Olivia hopefully: Could you ask my father? He is the king. If he allows it, the herald does not matter.
Monika: If I have time and the king is not too busy, I will try, but it is not a promise, you understand? I have never promised anything I was not sure of.
Olivia: Danke Mutti.
The heart of the elder woman ached a little every time the girl used the word mommy in her own language. She never said it in the language of the king. The poor girl never knew her mother, as she died giving birth. Monika had lost her son many years ago, and Olivia was the child she had to care for. She could not tell her that her father never thought of her and had told Monika many times that it would have been better for both to die rather than just the young maid. Monika had helped bring Olivia in the world and had given her a name as her father had expressed indifference.
Monika: Good, can we eat this delicious food and then play a game or sing some songs?
Olivia with a smile: A story about Pegasi when you were young?
Monika smirked: You have heard all those ten times.
Olivia: I know, but I love your stories about High Priest Clemente. Oh, yes! The story of how he flew all night and into the next day to save the kingdom from war. I love that story.
Monika: Yes, my little one. But first, a good breakfast. You need to become a beautiful and resilient woman like your grandmother, the queen.