De Haguns Family/Orpheu/Turning over Lundel

On his way to the City of Lions from his headquarters in Perdan, the newly knighted Orpheu de Haguns came across the royal escort of Queen Alyssa. He was requested to join the queen's party with his men and accompany her majesty on a diplomatic mission to return the region of Lundel to Alexandria, after it's Lord Hamilton changed banners and swore allegiance to Perdan. They were joined by Dame Isana Everlight and Sir Dardro GoldHaart.

Kingsley

Graham

The old knight's bones ached in the saddle as the Royal Vanguard crossed through the hilly mining lands known as Perdan. It had been some time since since he had saddled a horse and the years of absence commanding the Capital Watch and now the Queen's own Royal Knights left him sore and uncomfortable atop a horse, not to mention the inescapable age which had crept up even more. Still, he brokered no complaint. He was a knight, and only the Queen could dismiss him. Idly the elderly cavalier picked at the dark and grizzled scars across the bad half of his face, and re-adjusted the white patch he kept over the missing eye, that matched the pristine white cloak across his back.

"Commander." One of the other Whiteguards said to him, pointing down the road towards a group of approaching figures coming the opposite way, towards the city.

Sir Graham Goldenfields pulled his commander's spyglass from where it hung on his belt, holding it to his one good eye as he scouted down the road. "Perdan banners, and ones I don't recognize. How well do you know your heraldries, Sir Raymond?" the grizzled old knight muttered handing the spyglass to his compatriot.

"Red and Yellow. Dragon. Not one I recall seeing, Commander." Raymond replied returning the spyglass to Graham.

"Probably local, then." Graham grunted, returning the spyglass to its spot on his hip, next to the old blade he carried. "Lord Joreb raising new knights again?"

"Likely, Commander. Sir Rogos retired." replied the younger.

"So he did. Let's go say hello."

Sir Graham and the rest of the vanguard spurred their horses forward to meet the new knight. "Halt. In the name of the Queen of Perdan!"

Alyssa

"From Sirion?" The Queen asked expectantly as the messenger held out a new stack. He shook his head solemnly.

"No Your Majesty. No news of Lady Lyanna."

Alyssa nodded once and began to open the messages. "Very well. Thank you." She replied idly, inspecting the letters.

She heard the clop of hooves as the courier departed, but read the words of the first reports carefully. Alyssa guided her own white mare easily down the road, flanked on all sides by Royal Whiteguard and Stormfront soldiers as she read each report, the large stack in her hands seemingly not shrinking with each letter read. Starlight walked the path easily, the pair had trodden this road countless times during the War and it was familiar enough to both of them that little guidance from her royal rider was required. For this, the Queen was grateful, allowing her to concentrate on the matters of state in her hand instead of the large beast.

She was less grateful for the sheer number of recent missives sent between some of the council, some notes less useful and seemingly more directed than others, but all remained required reading nonetheless. After what felt like hours of reading she looked up to see they had likely only been marching for half of one. The words on the pages had lost focus, and the Queen sighed and adjusted the ornate golden circlet atop her golden hair, tied neatly into bun. As she leaned over to reach into Starlight's saddlebag she caught a glimpse of her dearest knight Isana, her Dawnstar of Perdan, who presently was attending to Captain Henrik's party tasked with the royal escort's left flank. A brief little smile flashed over Alyssa's face at the sight, replaced quickly by determination as she peered and dug into the bag.

Pulling out the thin glass spectacles so recently and chidingly recommended to her by her chief healer, she placed them carefully over her eyes and returned to her reading. It was only about one letter more before a "Your Majesty" from afar broke her attention and she quickly doffed the glass aids and stuffed them back into her bag. Her face held in serious countenance she watched as her Knight Commander Graham Goldenfields approached, a young knight she had not seen before in tow.

"Your Majesty," the grim-looking knight grumbled. "Sir Orpheu de Haguns, of the Mines. He claims he is on his way to the City."

Queen Alyssa looked him over, he was young, but had a familiar look about him. Eagerness? Or is it pride? She wasn't sure she could tell what yet, but he would be a good knight. A true knight remained to be seen.

"To the City?" She asked expectantly, a typically serious expression pointed with icy blue eyes. "Perhaps not, Sir. I have need of another knight on my way to the Admiralty. Will you ride alongside your Queen, Sir Knight?"

de Haguns

"I'm tellin' ya, this sir there is too young to be leadin' us... he has seen only seventeen winters. I wonder if he is old enough to wear his breeches anyway", said a grizzly old seargent wearing padded leather armor and a breastplate. He carried a battle-axe, which was the standard weapon of the Haguns Silver Guard, apart from the knight himself, who carried sword, shield and lance.

"I've served other lords, but never one as young as this sir Orpheu. Look at him, the 'Lion Cub of Perdan', heh!", laughed the soldier, mocking his young master's age.

Oblivious to the chatty duo, sir Orpheu de Haguns rode his horse through the hilly landscape of Perdan. He had barely spoken to the retinue awarded to him, more due to a feeling of inadequacy than bad manners or a sense of entitlement. While his family had made a small fortune due to the mining operations in Perdan, Orpheu had been brought up secluded from the world, being tutored in etiquette and arms. As the younger son, he was destined to serve in the Army, while his older brother managed his family's estate. However, Orpheu lacked the gritty, real world experience, and he felt scared. He had never been tried in battle. His aloof behavior was a facade to try and keep a modicum of respect by his retinue.

"M'lord, beware the rocks", said a young girl, not much younger than him. It was Thea, his squire. They were close in age, with month of difference. She had a round face, a slim body and black eyes. Her hair was black and short. She was plain, but had a kind heart that made her endearing. Thea was his childhood friend and the only daughter of his nurse maid, who had grown up with him as a companion. And now she served him as a squire. That had been his first choice once knighted, much to the chagrin of his family, who didn't entertain the idea of a lowborn becoming a squire. But Orpheu knew he needed loyal women to survive.

"Ah! Thank you, Thea, I did not pay attention to the ground", said Orpheu, nodding, as he directed his horse to avoid a troublesome rock in the road ahead. Had he fall of the horse, he wouldn't know where to his his shame. "We should arrive soon at Perdan", cried Orpheu so that all the soldiers could hear.

"M'lord, the road is tiresome, we will need rest in Perdan. Maybe m'lord would enjoy our merry company in the tavern? There will certainly be a wench there that will interest you, I assure", said the old seargent, who was named Falstaff. Thea's reaction was of repulsion, but she tried to avoid reveling it.

Without paying much attention to the seargent, Orpheu stopped, rising his hand. "Halt!". The axe wielding retinue stopped their march almost immediately, and approached their lord in curiosity, as he looked towards the horizon. He squinched his eyes, trying to discern who was approaching, and how many... should there be a war party, he would order his soldiers to enter in battle formation. As he looked over his shoulders, he realized they were disorganized, trying to look forward. "Disgraceful! I said to halt, not to abandon formation!", he cried angrily. With that, the seargent ordered the troops back in line. Orpheu shook his head, thinking on how he would need to drill his soldiers to obey his commands and become an elite unit.

"Knights approaching! Keep in line, they don't seem hostile! Thea, come with me", said Orpheu, as he advanced with his squire to meet with sir Graham, only to be met with a halt.

"Loyalty to the Queen! I'm sir Orpheu de Haguns, knight of the Mines. And this is my squire, Thea. We're on our way to the city, sir", said Orpheu, bowing lightly.

Orpheu de Haguns and the Haguns Silver Guards meeting with the Queen

That was not a detour he expected. The grim-looking knight said the Queen was nearby, and invited young Orpheu to pay her homage, especially since he was newly knighted and wondered the realm with such a merry band. As he approached the Queen's party, Orpheu started to worry. He wasn't ready to meet the Queen herself under those circumstances. Perhaps feeling this, Thea approached him and took his hand, squeezing it gently and reassuring. Orpheu smiled warmly, and nodded, calming himself.

Before he realized it, he was presented to the Queen. His face revealed the wild aspects of youth, but it was more due to nerves than eagerness or pride. However, he tried to keep his pose. Feeling self conscious, he heard his queen and immediatelly dismounted from his horse, kneeling on the ground.

"Y-your m-majesty, it would be an honour".

Kingsley

"Y-your m-majesty, it would be an honour".

Alyssa watched as the young knight stammered and rushed to his knee. It seemed, to the queen's estimation, that he could not dismount quickly enough. Not pride then.

"Very well, Sir. Though if you intend to ride, you will need your saddle." She said with a glance at the now riderless horse.

All eyes were on the young knight, except for hers as she gently spurred Starlight forward, sliding the parchment into the saddlebag.

The royal party now continued, through the rolling hills of Perdan towards the sea. It still felt strange to Alyssa to see the river. Though she had no love for the rolling waves and tides of the open ocean, harsh memories of dark clouds and Chaos still reflected in the current of the wide river that separated her realm from the new lands beyond. This was not the river she knew, the idyllic lazy flow of Bescanon. The current was not strong, but the water here felt different, alive, holding the spirit of the sea which once dominated what was now the bank.

"We are travelling to the realm of Alexandria." She explained. "There is an important diplomatic mission we must take. The Lord of a place called Lundel recently had a disagreement with the Lord Tidemaster of Alexandria, and announced that his people would raise the banners of Perdan. This resulted in some legal issues. I must travel there personally to sort these things."

Sir Graham merely grunted in displeasure, which earned him an stern look from the young Queen. The elderly knight nodded his head respectfully. "There is a crossing on the peninsula. We'll make camp there until we have heard from the Tidemaster that we can cross to the Altar, and from there to Nightmare. I am sure the Duke of Flames would be happy to see you."

"I don't intend to stop at the Altar." She replied stoically. "Crail is a good man, but there is too much awaiting us back home for us to tarry. I would sooner be done with this entire debacle."

"You needn't tell me, Your Majesty."

In truth, Alyssa had wanted to stop at the Altar. She had only seen it from afar, the flame that remained lit at all times atop the black, ashy hill. Supposedly a shrine to Alyssa's own Goddess of War, Leandra had been erected as part of a pantheon of the New Way of the Flames. While her Lady Leandra's virtues still burned brightly in her heart, the sting of the old Church's failure had weighed heavily and though she knew the new fires were only a dimmer version of the Leandra's true divine light, she missed the familiar prayers the priests and the bright warm sunlight from the temple's windowed ceilings shining down on her. A white candle cannot truly warm. She reminded herself, looking out once again over the river.

She took a deep breath and continued with a confident nod. "No, we will carry on straight past Nightmare through Venas and Lundel."

"As you say, Your Majesty." Sir Graham replied.

They continued in silence for some time, before the Queen once again turned to the new knight. "There is some time still before we reach the town at our side of the crossing. I am certain you must have questions, or perhaps, Sir, you have a tale of your own."

de Haguns

"Very well, Sir. Though if you intend to ride, you will need your saddle."

The young knight was still on his knee when the queen mentioned his horse. Does she jest? Did I overdo it? Maybe I should not have dismounted? No, no, enough with these doubts!, thought Orpheu, quite puzzled. He rose slowly as he looked around him. All eyes were on him, his own soldiers as well as the royal party, and he felt like he was shrinking towards the ground. He just wanted a hole to dig in and hide out of their judging eyes. As he moved his eyes to the queen, she was already moving ahead on her horse. No, no, I need to keep my coolness. With that, he gestured to Thea, who approached him eager. "My lord?"

"Thea, fetch the mounting block", he said shyly. While it was expected for a gallant knight to jump straight on horseback, young Orpheus would not risk scaring the horse. It would be living his worst nightmare: fall from his horse in front of all those judging eyes. That was very characteristic of his personality. Despite being young, he was very careful with how others could perceive him. In general, he was one to think thoroughly before acting. While some could see it as hints of cowardice, Orpheu was quite prudent in most of his dealings. Most, of course. There were times he would fall into the traps of youthful eagerness and act recklessly, as expected of someone his age.

As his squire placed the mounting block besides the horse, Orpheu climbed it and hopped on the horse slowly, caressing his mane to keep the animal's trust. "There, there...Thea, tell the seargent we will be following the Queen's party. I'll ride behind her. Make sure the guards fall in line and behave themselves. No chanting, no vulgarity, just tell them to march", he said, as he spurred his mount forward, following the Queen.

Young Orpheu followed the queen quietly. If there was something he had learned well was not to talk to someone above his rank before being spoken to, even more royalty. And it was another aspect of his personality, the young man would rather listen then talk. Words weigh silver, but silence is worth gold, he would often say. But there was also his shyness and the fear of making mistakes influencing this characteristic. Growing up secluded in his family's manor, spiced up with a perfectionist personality and the lack of meaningful real world experience were the underlying reasons for his general timidity. The only person to whom he would open himself truly was Thea, due to their childhood bond. But Orpheu knew to well he would need to better himself if he was to inspire respect and loyalty amongst his retinue. Eventually, while he did not know this yet, experience, personal victories and losses would sharpen his soul, and just as a blacksmith tempers and hardens the blade of a crude sword, his confidence would grow.

Meanwhile, the young knight followed the Queen but kept a respectful distance. He was still close enough to hear her talk about the small crisis generated by the Lord of Lundel. I wonder how this should end... While unfamiliar with the intricacies of international politics, Orpheu had a good memory and had for years been fascinated with the maps of the world outside. He knew Lundel was deep into Alexandria's territory and a difficult position to hold through diplomacy.

The mention of the Altar, though, caught his attention. He had heard of it, thought he was not very familiar with this religion. His family, though of noble birth, valued more the material aspects of gold and silver than ethereal deities.The Pride of Leandra, a religion he knew to be worshipped across the continent, but that never had never found home on his household. A knight's religion, and still how can I call myself a knight if I lack faith? If I lack faith even in myself, how can I have faith in others? Am I to be sir Orpheu de Haguns, the ungodly?, he grimaced. Lost in his thoughts, he was soon alerted to the queen speaking to him.

"There is some time still before we reach the town at our side of the crossing. I am certain you must have questions, or perhaps, Sir, you have a tale of your own."

Despite being surprised by the sudden attention, he managed to keep calm and thought a few seconds before speaking. "A tale of my own, your majesty? I have just recently been knighted and awarded my House's retinue, the Silver Guards", he paused, "which I hope to train and drill into an elite force one day. And if I may ask...". He was about to continue, when he suddenly stopped cold. He could hear men chanting.

Falstaff, the sergeant-at-arms of the Haguns Silver Guards tried to keep the men quiet, but they had started singing. The truth was, the soldiers were tired of marching. Former miners and field laborers who had been handpicked by Orpheu’s father to serve due to their physical attributes, the men thought they were free from hard labor and would live a calm and comfortable life as guards to a young master. They didn’t know better. They didn’t know they were soldiers and were expected to act as professional soldiers. And more importantly, they were not aware of their master’s ambition to drill them into the premier unit in the realm.

But now, despite Orpheu’s instructions to march in silent, the men were singing like an unruly bunch coming drunk from a whorehouse. The first one to realize what was happening was Thea who immediately rushed to the line of chanting soldiers.

“March, march and march, The poor man’s feet ache, The poor man’s feet parch, All for the Lion Cub’s sake”

Both Faltaff and Thea were exasperated, worried about how young Orpheu would take this act of indiscipline. They feared for the worst, especially as it happened within the royal party…

“The Lion Cub’s proud, Riding his horse high, Amongst the finest crowd, But his breeches don’t fit his tight!”

The soldiers chanted merrily, laughing and jesting amongst themselves.

“Stop that, behave yourselves, you bunch of imbeciles!”, cried Falstaff. Not that he disagreed with the content of the song, but he was worried he would answer for not enforcing his master's wishes. “Stop, I’ll whip ye!”, he said, taking his whip with his hands.

Thea was aghast and froze in her place, uncertain of what to do. What was happening was beyond her wildest dreams… but still, she couldn’t help but place her hand on her face to cover a small chuckle. Knowing sir Orpheu well, she thought it quite hilarious to hear the soldiers calling him “the Lion Cub”. Still, she was afraid of the consequences they could suffer…

The Lion Cub?, thought Orpheu. The whole situation was surreal, and beyond his wildest nightmare. As he heard the men chanting, ironically and worse of all not long after he told the queen how he expected to train them into an elite force for the kingdom, his face became pale. Then, when he understood he was the victim of his own retinue’s jest, his face became red as a tomato, and one would have difficult discerning if it was shame or fury. After all, a leader who can’t govern his soldiers wonders how far he can go in command.

“The Lion Cub, they say? Cub or not, a lion still has sharp claws and teeth…”, he expressed his thought aloud without realizing others could hear him. He was shaking with anger.

He took three deep breaths to try and calm himself before the worse came out him and turned to the queen. His eyes had a cold and unforgiving expression and his face was still red from the mixture of fury and shame he felt. “Forgive me and my men for this utter dishonor, your majesty. They are not professional soldiers, and I did not have time to drill them… yet”. Despite his previous hesitation, his voice now carried a resolve of steel. “They will be severely disciplined for this unruly behavior, and if Your Majesty wishes and allows me to, I shall discipline them myself now”.

Everlight

Consumed with bringing the Stormfront's turnout back up to standard after several weeks' light duty in peacetime, Isana paid only the briefest attention to the newcomer. A young knight spoke with her darling Queen, apparently nervous by the elevated tone of his voice, but respectful to a fault. She smiled to herself at his rigorous formality and turned her focus back to Cedric to resume verifying the troops' quivers.

--

Back on the road, Isana's Blizzard found his way to Starlight's side habitually, Isana falling in at her love's right hand. The betrothed women shared a fond smile and rode on companionably, the new knight slightly behind. The dark-haired knight smiled at her love's diplomatic overture to the newcomer and listened quietly to the exchange for a moment until her attention was drawn to a delightful melody being belted out in the columns behind. She appreciated the tune though the words escaped her at first listen. Something about a lion cub.

The merry singing was a welcome addition to the march until a threat of whipping was called over the column. Isana had been preparing to offer a compliment to the knight for his troops' high morale, but instead her brows fell heavy at the threat and she halted Blizzard's walk, turning to look back at the source of the voice. Behind her the new knight was displaying the high passion of youth.

“The Lion Cub, they say? Cub or not, a lion still has sharp claws and teeth…”, he expressed his thought aloud without realizing others could hear him. He was shaking with anger.

He took three deep breaths to try and calm himself before the worse came out him and turned to the queen. His eyes had a cold and unforgiving expression and his face was still red from the mixture of fury and shame he felt. “Forgive me and my men for this utter dishonor, your majesty. They are not professional soldiers, and I did not have time to drill them… yet”. Despite his previous hesitation, his voice now carried a resolve of steel. “They will be severely disciplined for this unruly behavior, and if Your Majesty wishes and allows me to, I shall discipline them myself now”.

Isana's head was already shaking a negative.

"That will not be necessary, Sir Orpheu. Unless you intend to dismiss the singers without pay--and it sounded like there were quite a few--they will learn better manners from a spot of tough civil work, and watching their Lord lead them with honour. Respect is best when earned, not demanded. At the very least, they are marching in proper formation and in good spirits. And we don't mind them their sorry songs, though there's an alternative..."

She glanced to Alyssa, "I think the Whiteguard and Stormfront can redirect them with a more patriotic tune if they insist on singing, eh?"

Alyssa nodded approvingly. Isana hid her grin and signalled her mischievous Captain Henrik. He saluted sharply, raised both arms, and the Stormfront ranks of threescore trained longbow warriors chorused into a bawdily patriotic sea shanty celebrating a heroic long-ago defense of the Grand Harbour at Perdan. It was a tune the Stormfront and Whiteguard had learned on the voyage to Itorunt and were very fond of. Alyssa's guard quietly awaited the Queen's signal, though smiles could be seen sparkling among their ranks as well. The Queen waited a few bars, then gave a nod, and more than half of the Whiteguard broke into enthusiastic song as well.

Under the cover of the harmonious noise, Isana addressed the young knight more somberly. "Soon enough they will see rougher times, battle and strife. Theirs are the actions of an immature troop. They will learn or they are likely to be among the unfortunate..." She sighed wistfully, remembering something.

"I have found that bashing heads with commoner soldiers is ineffective. Fear is not a sustainable motivator. Better to understand their motives and desires, and redirect them to positive pursuits. Your Guard, I think, are jealous of your good fortune and fear their future with an inexperienced leader, even well-trained and intelligent as you are. They are also yet soft to military manoeuvres, and protest the hard work being assigned them for no immediate reason they understand. We show them now that they are not alone: they stand as proud Perdanese in company of the Queen herself and other soldiers like themselves, and by example they will learn to act with discipline for the good of the realm."

de Haguns

"That will not be necessary, Sir Orpheu. Unless you intend to dismiss the singers without pay--and it sounded like there were quite a few--they will learn better manners from a spot of tough civil work, and watching their Lord lead them with honour. Respect is best when earned, not demanded. At the very least, they are marching in proper formation and in good spirits. And we don't mind them their sorry songs, though there's an alternative..."

She glanced to Alyssa, "I think the Whiteguard and Stormfront can redirect them with a more patriotic tune if they insist on singing, eh?"

Orpheu had noticed the knight who approached the queen and how familiar she seemed with her royal majesty, riding side by side with her. However, he was not prepared for her almost immediate reaction to his request to punish the unruly soldiers. She spoke with assurance and seemed to have royal approval in dismissing his request without a second thought.

The 'Lion Cub' studied her carefully, his face losing the redness of anger and shame, although the feelings persisted. While not a proud man by nature, he had been hurt by the soldier's jests. Had it happen within his own party, he would give a stern warning to the soldiers... But their jest happened within the royal party, bringing him unbearable shame. He was still toying with the possibility of punishing the retinue... Falstaff was certain, maybe a good whipping on one of them, or should he whip each of the merry singers? Or shouldn't he? What would Thea do?, thought Orpheu, knowing the answer already. After all, one of the reasons he had chosen her to be his squire was due to her good natured and carefree personality, as well as her kind heart. Thea was to serve as counterweight to his strict ways. My anchor to the world.

Soon the royal party was graced with a beautiful tune that seemed to wash out the anger out of Orpheu's body. But there was more to that. In his eagerness to punish the jesters, he had not considered the difficult situation he had put himself. Should his request for punishment be granted, there would be no backtracking. He would have to punish the soldiers himself, and that would certainly earn their enmity. Not a sensible course of action, considering their mutual distrust. Unless he wanted to die by 'falling of his horse', or 'due to a large mountain rock casually falling on his head'. Otherwise, should he pardon them after the punishment was authorized, he would be seen as a coward or too lenient, neither good options. He had placed himself in a crossroads due to his youthful passion and desire to protect his honor, something he only now realized.

However, Isana saved him from that horrible situation by flatly refusing his request. More than that, she shifted the circumstances entirely, saving him from a faux-pas, as now the troops were focused on their marching songs. And for that he was relieved, grateful and intrigued. That knight seemed wise beyond her years. I just hope neither she nor the queen connect the dots that I'm the "Lion Cub" they chanted about.

"Soon enough they will see rougher times, battle and strife. Theirs are the actions of an immature troop. They will learn or they are likely to be among the unfortunate..." She sighed wistfully, remembering something. "I have found that bashing heads with commoner soldiers is ineffective. Fear is not a sustainable motivator. Better to understand their motives and desires, and redirect them to positive pursuits. Your Guard, I think, are jealous of your good fortune and fear their future with an inexperienced leader, even well-trained and intelligent as you are. They are also yet soft to military manoeuvres, and protest the hard work being assigned them for no immediate reason they understand. We show them now that they are not alone: they stand as proud Perdanese in company of the Queen herself and other soldiers like themselves, and by example they will learn to act with discipline for the good of the realm."

"My lady, if I may say... thank you. I was honor bound to request punishment for my soldier's behavior, but I had not considered the consequences of my actions", he said shyly. He was certain she would understand the crossroads he had found himself. "I've grown up under the assumption that discipline requires that examples be made of insubordinates. Still, I see your point...", he ceded reluctanly, looking backwards to his retinue. "They have entered into my service only days ago. They don't know me yet and I now see plainly that they only trust my purse, not my character", he sighed.

Kingsley

"They have entered into my service only days ago. They don't know me yet and I now see plainly that they only trust my purse, not my character", he sighed.

"For now." the Queen said regally as their ride continued.  "They cannot trust your character, Sir, because they do not know it.  And they will only know what you show them.  Show them humility, grace, and confidence, and they will follow it themselves.  Show them anger, humiliation, and worry, and you will see that reflection just as well."

She paused briefly.  "Yours was not an uncommon assumption for young knights.  It was one I made myself upon my own knighting some decade ago."  The side of her lip twitched almost imperceptibly, and she took a deep breath and turned her eyes back towards the road.  "My Lady is wise." She continued, now stiffly.  "Heeding her has always granted me insight and strength." An affirming nod concluded the Queen's addition.

Alyssa said little else for some time as their ride continued.  She fiddled idly with the reins as chatter and marching songs continued around the royal party, her thoughts and memories interrupted only by the loud cackle of some bird off in the trees upon the hills by the road.  She turned her head quickly to see and watched the tree line carefully, but saw nothing and the distant cawing soon stopped.

As the sun began to approach the horizon, the Queen and her escort approached their destination, North Haven, a little town which held in a mixed state of new and disrepair.  It was clear the town had not been completely restored to its old self after the land-shifting volcanic cataclysm which some scholars were referring to as the Good Tidings.  A large stone bridge had been built at the East end of the town which led across the new river to the lands of Alexandria, and the structures around it had received most of the restorative attention.  Atop a hill to the west, the holdfast which watched over the town had half-collapsed, the North towers crumbled and exposed, while the Southern half of the structure remained firmly intact.  Alyssa recalled the place was known as Coralstone Keep, and had been left vacant for some time, likely why it had not yet seen any repairs.

"Send word to the bridge-commander and the aulderman of our arrival." Alyssa said handing a sealed letter to Sir Graham Goldenfields.  "We shall take up in what remains of the Keep, please return there when you are done."

"Your Majesty," he began to protest, "That keep is hardly fit for a Queen."

"It isn't, Sir Graham, but it will suffice.  You should recall perhaps better than anyone that I did in fact spend six years living in a tent in the ash-laden remnants of our countryside.  A holdfast in disrepair is hardly the worst place I can think of to spend an evening or two."

"Hmph." was his reply as he considered the argument. "Well, I suppose the aulderman will be happy you won't be displacing him from his home then.  It shall be as you say, Your Majesty."

And so it was.  The remnants of Coralstone were fortunately better suited than initial looks.  The armory and battlements had been designed to hold from the North, and so most of the damage caused by the calamity affected the holdfast's defensive structures; the armory, the battlements, and the workshops.  The Southern quarter housed the Master Bedroom (the Queen's quarters for their stay), and a number of other suitable chambers for a temporary sojourn.

After supper, the Queen took up for the evening in a nicely furnished parlor, cleared of dust for her arrival.  A large stone fireplace roared, granting light and warmth through the chill seaside castle.  Her highest ranking knights, including Sir Graham, the young Sir Orpheu had been invited.  She had taken the opportunity to change out of riding leathers and into a more comfortable, white dress, though the golden circlet remained around the top of her head.  She stayed close to Isana during the evening but made conversation when approached.  The ride had been long and the Queen was grateful for a light evening.

GoldHaart

Sir Dandro GoldHaart, 

With permission from his Lady Duchess Aila Storme,

Dandro rode with all haste to the Perdan Mines to meet his Queen Alyssa Kingsley and escort her on the diplomatic mission to return the region of Lundel to Alexandria. Having ridden throughout the night Dandro rode down the road to the town that people had pointed him to, Where Dandro would find his Queen Alyssa Kingsley and the bridge that crossed over to Alexandria. Dandro was looking forward to seeing his Queen Alyssa Kingsley against as it he wanted to thank her again for the dance upon their first face to face meeting and express his thanks to her Majesty for her leadership of this beautiful realm.

Dandro spoke to the guards on the road. "Greetings, My name is Sir Dandro GoldHaart and I have been sent by Lady Duchess Aila Storme to escort our Queen Alyssa Kingsley on the diplomatic mission to return the region of Lundel to Alexandria, please inform Her Majesty that I have arrived to aid her. Thank you" 

Kingsley

The town watchman nodded and bid the knight come follow as he turned to lead him up the hillside towards the partly-collapsed holdfast.  "Right this way, Sir.  The Queen's party arrived this afternoon.  She had several knights with her, including Lady Isana.  Some new knight out of Pelasgia too.  Everyone's talking about them, royalty don't visit too much you know, even if it is just to pass through."

The watchman led Sir Dandro and his soldiers up the hill towards the castle, where they were met by a dutiful-looking knight called Sir Raymond.  He saluted the Knight of Perdan and took responsibility for the party, informing Sir Dandro his men were welcome to set up camp, and directing some of the royal party to find suitable quarters for Sir Dandro, before escorting him to the Queen, who had taken the evening to relax in a cozy parlor on the south side of the castle.

Sir Raymond said his goodbyes and returned to his post.

Alyssa stood near a warm glowing fireplace, a stoic, weary expression on her face, with her arm slid through Isana's as she spoke to Sir Graham about something seemingly important.  A few other of the Queen's Royal Whiteguards and attendants hovered around, some clearly on duty standing at attention in their shining plate armour near the exits while others relaxed in more casual dress.  Another young knight stood out among them, seemingly admiring the subtle, yet welcoming decor that had been left here by the castle's previous occupants.

The Queen's eyes darted instantly to the door as soon as it opened, then relaxed and nodded to Sir Dandro as he stepped in.

de Haguns

The Lion Cub and the Squire

“Are you ready, my lord? It’s been a while and the Queen invited you to join her. Are you having trouble in choosing what to wear…”, asked Thea as she unceremoniously entered the chamber that had been given to sir Haguns to spend the night. As she entered the room, her mouth fell open and she turned, blushing, not without giving a second glance at what she had seen. The young knight was nude above the waist as he looked over a black tunic that was lying in his bed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”, she stammered.

“How many times…”, started Orpheu, pausing to add a dramatic effect, “… have I told you…”, then he took the cloth in his hands, felt the fabric and turned towards the girl, while holding the black embroidered tunic close to his body as if imagining how he would look while wearing it, “not to call me ‘my lord’ when we’re alone? Or do you want me to call you ‘Theodora’ from now on?”, he smiled, knowing fully well where to strike. “How do I look? Don’t mind me, you’ve seen my naked torso before”.

“Don’t you dare! Call me Theodora, I call you ‘Lion Cub’”. Thea giggled as she strode graciously inside the room and pinched the knight’s nose jokingly, to which he reacted by pushing her lightly as both laughed at her antics. “You may find this funny now, but I do not. I was humiliated in front of her majesty and knights of the realm by their behavior. They were lucky there were no consequences, be assured of it. But should those soldiers… call me this unflattering epithet again, they will be severely punished”, replied Haguns in a more serious tone. “Now, tell me, are these clothes fit for the Knight of the Perdan Mines”, he asked, pointing to more pressing matters.

“Don’t fret over this matter, Orpheu. Give some time and you will have their respect and loyalty, just as you have mine… they just don’t know you well enough, and they think you’re just another knightling. Their jokes… are just jokes, don’t make it something bigger than you can handle”, said Thea as she examined the tunic. “This won’t do at all. Are you in mourning, by any chance? Besides… we are in your homeland. You should proudly display your house colors. Try this…”.

After Orpheu was dressed in his fine attire, Thea made a curtsy and went to leave the room. “I’m going back to the camp the soldiers set up outside the keep. Should you…”

“Don’t!”, said the knight and both were surprised by his fast reaction, as he held her hand so she wouldn’t leave. “You… are my squire, you should sleep here tonight. In the antechamber, I mean! Besides, I have enough space here… and it may get cold outside… so you should stay, arrange some furs and cushions that make you comfortable…”. An awkward silence followed as Thea looked downwards, suddenly embarrassed.

“I should go now…”. Muttering a quiet “thank you” as Orpheu left the chamber, the girl's eyes followed the knight. She smiled.

Evening at the royal parlor

The Lion Cub of the Mines had been at the soirée for a while. As suggested by Thea, he wore a tunic in vibrant colors of red and gold, fastened by a silver belt. The Haguns colours. Contrasting to his somber behavior and the armor he wore during their journey, the Knight of the Mines looked dashing, elegant and dignified. He talked with some of the other nobles and seemed finally at ease and less guarded, maybe due to the effects of liquor and the excitement of his previous interaction with Thea.

Overall, the young knight seemed happy to be in the gathering. Sometimes he would lose himself in his thoughts, anxious if he had been too forward with Thea… there could be gossip within the castle, and he was engaged to Cerise, did he do the right thing by inviting Thea to sleep so close to him? Then, someone would greet him and Haguns would put aside those thoughts to have pleasant conversation.

He drank a glass of wine, admiring the keep’s décor. The knight was impressed with its finesse despite the state of abandonment it had been left by whoever lived there. Suddenly, the door opened and a curious fellow appeared ready to join in their evening gathering.

Orpheu went towards Alyssa and made a gracious bowl, looking quite different from the stiffy young man from earlier. His intonation was a bit higher than usual, which suggested he had indulged himself in wine, though not much… he just seemed happier. “Your majesty, what a lovely evening. Thank you for honoring me with an invitation to join you and such distinguished nobles tonight. It seems good company can even restore ruins back to their former glories”, he said, gesturing towards the parlor. “And now, we have a new arrival to join this pleasant group. I don’t remember seeing him within the royal escort”, added the knight, looking curiously at sir Dandro.

GoldHaart

Stepping into the parlour, Dandro locked his sword and shield on his back holsters before removing his helm and placed it on the helm hook under his arm designed to hold his helm to keep his hands free, Dandro gave his Queen a deep bow.

"Greeting your majesty, My Lady Duchess Aila Storme sends her regards and has granted me permission at my own request to escort you on your diplomatic mission to return the region of Lundel to Alexandria."

Kingsley

"Sirs." The Queen said flatly. "Thank you for your escort. It is an honour for any person to ride alongside a knight of Perdan. Indeed Sir Orpheu, the Duchess sent him just after Isana and I departed. You will recall when we met you on the road I told you that I had need of a knight." She turned her attention to Sir Dandro. "I am happy the Duchess saw fit to send you alongside, Sir." The Queen did not smile, but she meant her words. These knights are our future. She told herself.

"In any case, introductions are in order. Sir Dandro, before you is Sir Orpheu de Haguns of Pelasgia. He was knighted just the other day by Lord Joreb. Sir Orpheu, Sir Dandro of House GoldHaart, Knight of Perdan. You have both, I am certain by this point, been introduced to my betrothed, Lady Isana Everlight, Dawnstar of Perdan." She shifted herself slightly closer against Isana's arm.

Then she turned her attention to the grim-looking old man she had just been speaking too, his left eye covered with a simple white patch, the left side of his face horrifically mangled by some aged injury. The elderly knight nodded sagely. "This," The Queen continued, "is Sir Graham Goldenfields, Knight-Commander of the Order of the White."

Sir Graham did not extend his hand, but merely grunted, eying the two young knights carefully, before giving Alyssa a look and nodding. "I'll keep you informed of the situation, Your Majesty." He said and turned to leave, giving each of the young knights a final brief once-over with his one remaining eye before he walked off.

"The ride across the Nightmare Plains will be long, though not so frightening as it sounds. Lord Daizen Tideweaver has always been somewhat dramatic in my experience, his ducal titles seem to be no different." She waved her free hand dismissively. "The soil in Alexandria is somewhat dark as it it mixes with ash from the Volcano. That is all that separates Nightmare from Perdan. With luck we will be able to begin our ride quickly."

de Haguns

Orpheu nodded towards sir Dandro, but his face was serious. He did not know what kind of man the other knight was, so the young Haguns would keep his guard up. “A pleasure, sir. I look forward to learning more about you as we ride together”. Then, he turned towards Alyssa and Isana, surprised by what she said. So she is her bethroted, it seems. That’s why they seemed so close and familiar during the journey, their bond certainly strong…, he thought. “Aye, I’ve met Lady Everlight, your majesty. And I am glad for that. Her advice is sound and fair, as I have come to learn by firsthand experience earlier. May your dawnstar shine your path, your majesty”.

The young knight finished his cup and placed it over a small and oval pedestal table, then rested himself against the wall, crossing his arms as he listened attentively. He stared down the grim-looking knight. The scars on his face caused Orpheu to shift uncomfortable in his position. The seasoned warrior caused him an impression, for truth be told, Orpheu had never seen battle, neither killed or injured someone. His fresh face was that of a young courtier still to have his baptism of fire. As the queen presented the Knight-Commander, Orpheu once again nodded respectfully, but made no effort to approach him. They had already met on his way to the City of Lions, before the Lion Cub joined the royal escort.

"I'll keep you informed of the situation, Your Majesty."

"The ride across the Nightmare Plains will be long, though not so frightening as it sounds. Lord Daizen Tideweaver has always been somewhat dramatic in my experience, his ducal titles seem to be no different." She waved her free hand dismissively. "The soil in Alexandria is somewhat dark as it it mixes with ash from the Volcano. That is all that separates Nightmare from Perdan. With luck we will be able to begin our ride quickly."

Orpheu frowned, taking a mental note of what had been said by the older knight. Was there any reason for concern?

“Your majesty, I and my men were born and raised in the badlands of the Perdan Mines. This is our homeland, after all. Rest assured, no ‘nightmare plains’ shall scare me or my men”, he said with a glimpse of rare pride for the usually humble knight. “However, without trying to rise above my station and involve myself with matters that might not concern me, I’ve noticed that sir Graham Goldenfields seemed… uneasy, to say the least. And he is the living embodiment of a seasoned warrior. Pray, my queen, is there any reason for concern on the road ahead?”

GoldHaart

Sir Dandro GoldHaart nodded at each in turn as Queen Alyssa Kingsley introduced each in turn making sure to make notes of each, giving each a respectful node as Dandro listening to each who spoke in turn making sure to take in as much information as possible.

"Well met Lady Isana Everlight, Lord commander and Sir Orpheu de Haguns. I look forward to sharing the road with you all."

Looking at the gathered party. With a respectful nod.

"Me and my men are at your service, May I ask what can we expect from this mission My Queen, Lady Isana Everlight, Lord commander and Sir Orpheu de Haguns any and all information would help."

Kingsley

“Your majesty, I and my men were born and raised in the badlands of the Perdan Mines. This is our homeland, after all. Rest assured, no ‘nightmare plains’ shall scare me or my men”, he said with a glimpse of rare pride for the usually humble knight. “However, without trying to rise above my station and involve myself with matters that might not concern me, I’ve noticed that sir Graham Goldenfields seemed… uneasy, to say the least. And he is the living embodiment of a seasoned warrior. Pray, my queen, is there any reason for concern on the road ahead?” "No." The Queen answered decisively. "There should be no trouble. Many of us who fought in the Great North-South War are naturally wary. It was a... difficult time for everyone. Before I was Queen, I was a knight like yourself, and awarded the title of Imperatrix and Councilor to King Kay Peregrine, as such I have nearly always been a crucial target for any enemies of the realm and on more than one occasion suffered a wound in an unexpected ambush. If Sir Graham seems uneasy, it is because he takes his duties of protecting my life incredibly seriously. Even on a mission such as this where there is no threat he remains vigilant. As for that matter just before, it is nothing so grim. He was informing me that an Alexandrian rider was spotted across the river approaching the causeway. It appears tonight will indeed be our last in this place."

She turned then to Sir Dandro.

"Me and my men are at your service, May I ask what can we expect from this mission My Queen, Lady Isana Everlight, Lord commander and Sir Orpheu de Haguns any and all information would help." "That is good to hear, Sir. As for our mission, I am sure you heard of the issue regarding Lord Hamilton and the region of Lundel. As I announced the other day the region will be returned to Alexandria. I am required to be present for the official release of the region, so I must travel to Lundel and meet with the Tidemaster Daizen Tideweaver. You, Sir, as well as Sir Orpheu, and my dearest Isana will serve as my knightly escort to the region. This should be a routine mission, but I believe it would do you well to see other lands. If that rider is indeed the messenger we expect, then we shall set out in the morning and cross the bridge to set out for Lundel."

She turned her head to Isana and squeezed her arm.

"If so, I believe it may be best that I retire to bed. I do not intend for us to stop once we set out for our destination. Please have a good evening."

Alyssa retreated with a stiff nod to the two knights, and Isana followed in hand a sleepy smile to them.

"They will be good knights," She told Isana as they stepped out into the hallway. "But we shall see how well they ride."

de Haguns

After the queen and Lady Everlight retired for the evening, the remaining nobles soon followed, aware that on the next day they would certainly face a rough march on foreign lands.

Orpheu found Thea sleeping soundly at the floor of the antechamber, amongst furs and cushions. Due to the darkness, all he could see was her silhouette. The young knight stepped carefully into the floor so he would not wake her, and closed the door to his chambers slowly. He found an old wooden bed covered in furs and cushions, just as Thea had prepared for him. He thanked her in his mind, for he was too tired, and after undressing, fell on the bed and soon in a deep sleep.

The next day, Orpheu was woken up by his squire soon after sunrise, as usual. Breakfast was quite humble for a noble, but given the circumstances of their journey, quite sensible – Thea had arranged for him hot bread and pieces of cheese. Still feeling a bit tired from the last night’s wine indulgence, Orpheu had nothing to drink. While a knight should not ride on a empty stomach, gluttony could cause certain embarrassments…

The soldiers broke camp and the knights readied themselves, expectant as they were of crossing the border. Young Orpheu had chosen to wear breastplate and his usual light armor, but added his embroidered fur cloak, bearing the Haguns coat of arms. He had entrusted Thea and a weary Falstaff with organizing the Silver Guard and making sure there were enough provisions and high morale for the march ahead.

Not long after, he met the Alyssa, Isana at the Knight-Commander as they left the ruined holdfast, and seeing the opportunity to be useful, volunteered to ride ahead and meet with the Alexandrine messenger by the bridge in North Haven which led into the other country. Given his inexperience and the sensitive subject that was involved, sir Graham went with him to ensure everything went as expected and no diplomatic faux-pas would occur.

Not long after the message was delivered, the royal party crossed the stone bridge in North Haven, and went deep into the Duchy of the Immortal Flames. They followed an old ash-laden cobblestone road which was almost impossible to discern from the dark lands, save by irregular stone curbs that established the road boundaries.

From the distance, a massive black plateau towered vigilantly over them. “The Chaos Temple… or is it called the Altar, I suppose”, said Orpheu as he gazed in wonder at that immemorial wonder that was still shrouded in mystery to him. He had heard about the stronghold, but the tales could not have prepared him for its grandiosity. As the royal escort marched, the black stone giant would stay a constant in the horizon.

Orpheu rode through from tail to head the line of troops that stretched down the road as an armored serpent, inspecting their formation and pace, until he found Alyssa, Isana and sir Dandro at it’s front. “Your majesty, my dame Everlight, sir GoldHaart”, he saluted, “all seems in order. Now, if I may, I have a question. As we ride into these strange lands, what kind of people are we expected to meet? I’ve wondered about why would Lundel turn against their liege and defect… though I’ve heard certain… unsettling rumours about the Duchess of the Nightmare Plains. I suppose her name is Ingrid, or was it Sigrid?”, he asked, trying to remember the name he had once heard.