Fairytales Family/Looking good on any occasion
Her scribe had been sent on his last mission. He was ordered to bring a envelope back to Nihilus Orgauth, and envelope containing a ring. Marriages were not a thing for heroic dames like Fainche, that she now knew. To promise oneself to a brave, good looking, wealthy and respected knight was a great thing for a dame.. but, well, Fainche was deviated from normality, and rather used to wander on strange but more glorious paths. A hero. Yes, a hero would have been a good candidate. A good looking hero with style, of course. The more legendary, the better.
It was raining lightly, when Fainche left Qolani's Sword Smithy and wandered lonely through the crowds in the Blue Street in Remton. Her shimmering blonde hair was soon lost in the mass of people. On the cobblestone pavement, the latest issue of the Heroe's Vogue Magazine was soaking with water.
Hero's Vogue Magazine
Headlines:
Page 4: Shocking news! Olga Krawolga does not wear any chastity belt!
Page 23: Rathar Frostnova - last breath interview of a demanded gentleman and hero
Page 24: Fairytales gone! Beautiful sisters take some holidays.
Page 67: Danil Thyme. My story as an Arcaean Casanova.
Page 87: Remton Sneak Preview. A nice regional description of Remton by Dentara de Lacy soon, which is soon to be included into the regional description of Remton. Features the most well known Hotel like the Grand Remton Hotel, the famous Blue Street, and the great bars.
It was a cold day in Nocaneb. It was cold, like the weather would have played a dirty game with the inhabitants of this Arcaean region. It was cold inside the many houses, for Sartanian troops were present, and many peasant feared to collect firewood. All waited for a wonder. Would the Arcaean troop leaders were drawn to fight back the combined army of Cathay, Lasanar and Ethialia in the distant duchy of Lasop.
All Arcaean Troop leaders? Let us have a closer look.. no, indeed not all. Behind the walls of the mighty fortress of Nocaneb two Arcaean heroes were watching the Sartanian army to take it's assault positions. Whether they stayed behind because of sentimental feelings towards that mighty fortress, or because simply because they were not able to reach the mighty battle of Lasop in time no one of the soldiers knew, and that should not be disclosed here. The men of the Banner of the Dragon and Banner of the Griffin were all wounded, and not a single one was able to crawl against the enemy.
Florence leaned over the the heavy stones of the fortification, observing the Sartanian troop camp, when she heard her sisters voice from behind.
"Isn't it a good day to die?"
Florence turned around, and saw her sister Fainche in full eqipment. She wore her black armor from Arcachon, the Zucci boots from Remton, and a black cape. Only her blond hair and the reflections on her Qolani blade shimmered in the dying daylight.
"You still can't let this dog of Talon go?", asked Florence. "He is not even in this army.. as if he feared You.. we can still leave to Remton, refit, and join the counterstrike, and hunt down this man.."
Fainche ignored her sisters question and went over to that wall.
"My dear Florence, our brothers from the Field of Honour will not make it in time. Not for me, for I shall not give any meter of Arcaean soil to Sartania."
Florence sighed. She could not leave her sister on the walls, her own blood, while she would return safely to Remton. She looked on the Sartanian army, and then turned back to her sister.
"Allright, my little girl. Remember last year, when we joined the army of Arcaea and fought our first battle against Ethilia?"
"You mean when that knight Danil defeated me in a duel?", Fainche remembered.
"Yes.. if it has to end, let us end it our way."
A couple of hours later, while the sun was slowly setting, the two Fairytale sisters rode against the mighty Sartanian army, shouting out challenges. Challenges to the death.
"Monsters.. Mylady.. monsters they killed my husband..", the old women whined.
Fainche made her hair. Monster is Saex. Certainly, that was bad news. And eating up the Santoros poor peasants was not good news for .. Santoro. There was still this fashion show she had to attend to.
"Monsters.. Mylady.. monsters ate my baby..!", the old women cried.
Fainche sighed. Eating babies from Santoros poor peasants was bad news.. for the population growth. But peasants were peasants. And besides, there was was something wrong with her hair color.
"Minsters.. Mylady.. terrible looking monsters.."
Fainche stopped making her hair. Slowly turning around to the old women, she asked:
"Did You just say terrible looking monsters?"
Half an hour later, the infantry unit Banner of the Dragon was on the way to Saex.
After she had finished her letter, Fainche commanded her scribe to bring it to the military conclave.
My beloved Queen,
My men are in bad shape. I have lost most of my cosmetics, mirrors, shavers, in Lambresi, and the short supplies in Remton do not guarantee me that I can fill up my units most vital equipment in the next days.
I have heard marvelous stories about great gold treasures, gold treasures in Ethalian and Sartanian lands. Treasures, that could be used for the clothing of the entire Arcaean Army, treasures like combs, toothbrushes, parfumes of any kind. And they are all hidden, so these marvelous stories say, in the houses of ethalian and Sartanian Lords.
Hereby I request, my Queen, with all my respect, a exclusive license to loot.
Your most good looking troop leader and follower,
Fainche Fairytales (Dame of Remton)
Fainche looked at her comb. It lookek broken. But it was not. The new deranged collection from Remton looked really weird - and was expensive, for her coffers were empty again..
These were terrible times.
She sighed and remembered the great days at the tournament in Idapur. Drinking, dancing and chatting with the other nobles brought her back to life. She also made it to the third round in the tournament, beating some more experienced knights in swordfighting.
And celebrating her achievement, she drank a lot of Idapur Gin, a drink that Baron Frostnova recommended to her. Inspired by it's fiery ingredients, she had composed a letter to the lords and knights of the tournament, trying to explain the terrible state Arcaea was in and the boring political structure of the far east.
But then the big of the world started to complain. Her Queen thought she, a small hero from Remton, wanted to sabotage the Arcaean politics, her sister Florence from the diplomatic council was mad at her for addressing Lasanar as the bad guy. But how in the world could she had known it, when all that the Arcaean history books say is that Lasanar is the evil Goliath in the north? Even those educated Thymes and well-travelled Krawolgas did not know that Arcaea had friends in Lasanar. And why was there no news from Florence and the Council of Foreign affairs?
Fainche took another gulp of wine.
A wormtongue. Pah. She would challenge Vulpes for that - to the death, of course. One day, this poor man should see the truth.. the truth, that most of those rulers of the Far East were old farts hiding between seals and contracts, alliances and federations, and all those other things making life on this side of the world more boring for a simple noble. No Fairytale can be kept locked up for long.
Another gulp of wine went into Fainche stomach, when a messenger entered the tent.
"Lady Fairytales, there is a package for Your from Santoro Thyme."
"A package from Santoro Thyme?", Fainche asked surprised. "That it interesting. Bring it in!"
Two minutes later, Fainche was looking at 25 bonds from what she thought was her admirer. If just had the time, she would make a visit at the Blue Street in Remton, where the masters of whool, cotton and iron resided.
Finally, the Banner of the Dragon arrived in Lasop. The men were demoralized. Almost half of the units equipment was lost, broken or had been stolen. With mites in their field cushions, broken combs, a missing fingernail tweezers the spirit of the once so valiant men sank into dark, bottomless pits. Even the unit healer, Dr. Vlad, started to mumble about bad payment and smoked away most of the units healing herbs.
That, however, changed in the first hours of their stay in Lasop, for Fainche Fairytales had received a huge amount of money from the Krawolga, Thyme and Crownguard family to bring her unit back to combat duty.
"Men! You fought greatly! And You hanged many peasants! Now it is the time to rejoice! Let us have some fun here in Lasop .. therefore, I command You to go dancing."
"Yipee!" screamed a dirty soldiers.
"Hurray", yelled another dirty stinking soldier.
Fainche then commenced with her speech: "In addition, we will visit the local swimming pool, get new haircuts, buy new uniforms and auxiliary field equipment, and we will order new uniforms ..."
And so Fainche Fairytales spent 53 gold pieces in just 8 hours.
In her camp in Lambresi, Fainche Fairytales was reading the latest Battlermaster Vogue. Her new fashion advisor, Pierre le Fou, had suggested her to read the article about a new hot combat uniform. It was rumoured that it had it's origins in the far Caligan Empire. How it came to Arcaea it was not clear yet. Rumours were saying that a rich trader brought it along. Other rumours were claiming that a foreign troop commander was sighted wearing these clothes in Remton.
Foreign troop commander or not, these new uniforms looked quite good.
"Albert?"
"Yes, Mylady."
"Travel to Remton and order one set of Caligini Uniforms for me and the entire unit."
"Of course, Mylady."
"And make haste. I do not want to fight another battle with this rubbles. The man also may start complaining."
"I will, Mylady."
With that Albert started his journey to Remton, seeking the new hot infantry uniforms.
