Suzerain of the Beast (Vision Dream Series Book 3), page 31
Then Angelterra heard the sling sound of several swords being unsheathed behind her.
No one was going to hurt this child…her child.
She whirled around ready to meet the attack. There stood three men with large hoods covering their heads, swords out at the ready, but instead of their blades being pointed at the princess and Selkeeda, the men’s swords were aimed at the woman and her dark-haired child. One of the men pulled down his hood revealing the man who had saved her and Selkeeda from the wolf pack.
“Lord Georveld!” someone in the crowd exclaimed.
“Aye, tis I,” said Lord Georveld. “And let all of you know that I personally saw the white wolf pack attack these two on the road before Munkenira. I and my men chased the beasts away moments before they would have done these two great harm. So I find your charges absurd. They have the ring of falsehood about them. Does anyone wish to dispute my findings in this matter?”
All of the passengers slowly shook their heads no. The dark-haired child was about to speak when her mother put a hand over the child’s mouth.
“Thank thee, My Lord,” said Angelterra.
There was a loud thud, and the ship jerked and shuddered for a moment under the princess’s feet. The sailors grabbed the main planks and began to run them down to the dock.
“Welcome to the port town of Catsfang Point in the Kingdom of Hwevlandar,” called out one of the sailors. “All passengers may disembark.”
“It seems we have landed just in time,” said Lord Georveld. “Have a pleasant stay in our kingdom, Lady Angelterra.”
Lord Georveld and his men sheathed their swords, turned, and walked over to where the rest of his men and horses were staged.
Without wasting any time, the princess gathered her things, took Selkeeda in one hand and Bucky in the other and lined up to go ashore. Her next stop: the orphanage.
❖ ❖ ❖
Sisters of the Children Orphanage, read the sign above the large stone building.
Angelterra watched two women wearing long, black dresses and wearing black veils upon their heads walk up the short, stone steps and into the orphanage.
“Have you ever been cared for by a woman dressed in the same fashion as these women are?” she asked Selkeeda, as she and the little girl stood before the steps of the orphanage.
The little girl just stared at the building, her wild blonde hair sticking out from under her headscarf.
“Please, think hard, My Sweetie,” said Angelterra. “We need to find out where your home may be.”
Selkeeda glanced at the princess for a moment then shook her head no.
“Have you ever stayed here?” tried the princess.
Again the little girl shook her head that she had not.
Now Angelterra was at a total loss of what to do. She did not wish to leave Selkeeda with the Sisters, but she really did not have much of a choice. The princess needed to find the suzerain who could gain one of the magic tears of the icy beast. A beast which she now believed was somewhere in this land.
“Home,” said Selkeeda, and the child pointed down the street that led out of the village.
“That is the same way I am going,” said a voice behind her.
The princess turned to see Lord Georveld standing behind her. He was alone.
“My Lord,” replied Angelterra. “Do you know to where she points?”
“It could be any of a dozen towns or villages which lie upon that road,” replied Lord Georveld. “The last of which is the city of Gelidus’fera.”
“Fera, Fera. Yes, Fera,” said Selkeeda excitedly, still pointing towards the road.
“How far is this city?” wondered Angelterra.
“It is nearly a fortnight’s ride from here,” said Lord Georveld. “I am headed to my village which is along the way. If My Lady would be willing, I and my men will escort you both there.”
The princess was not so sure she wanted company on her quest to find the white tear, but if she was to reach Selkeeda’s village, she was going to require the help of someone who knew this kingdom.
“We would be honored to accept your kind offer, My Lord Georveld,” replied Angelterra, bowing her head slightly to show the proper respect to this generous noble. She hoped this northern lord was a man of his word.
❖ ❖ ❖
“…So the child just came walking out of the woods? Alone?”
“Yes, she had nothing but her clothes and her doll,” said Angelterra.
It was the third day of their trek north, and she was feeling more comfortable with her new host and escort. The two of them rode far ahead of the rest of his men on the same road that young Selkeeda had pointed to as the way to her home, a place the young girl had called Fera. The princess looked down at the sleeping child in her saddle, who leaned her small body against Angelterra. Like a wild angel with her porcelain-like cheeks reddened by the cold wind, Selkeeda was a precious bit of trouble that had landed smack in the middle of Angelterra’s quest journey. The princess wondered how empty her life would be when she and this little cherub were finally parted.
“The girl means a lot to you now, does she not?” asked the young Lord Georveld.
His question stabbed at her heart, just as the nagging realization that some day the girl would be gone from her life. All she could do was to nod her answer to him.
“It be a noble thing you are doing for this lost child. And I pledge to you I will help you in anyway I can,” said Lord Georveld.
“Thank thee, My Lord,” replied the princess.
“Are you from East Lunverdaire, then?”
“No. I am from…” the princess decided to keep her birth place a secret for now. “…Rosverdar.”
“Rosverdar is it?” said the young lord who then looked straight at her with his penetrating dark eyes. “So, what of you, Angelterra of Rosverdar? What is it that you seek here? What are you after?”
He was about her age, maybe a bit younger, and he seemed to have all of Dareldin’s confidence, but none of his brashness. Under his single braid, the rest of this young lord’s shoulder-length, dark hair was becoming wild from the road. And his jaw was quite angular, below his wide nose. He was thoughtful and quiet for one so young. But when he did smile, it made him captivating.
“I was on my way to Swevladiliona before Selkeeda walked out of the woods,” said Angelterra.
“Swevladiliona?” exclaimed the lord in a whisper. “Please do not mention that place to anyone from Hwevlandar. I implore you not to say anything about your desire to go there.”
“Why the secrecy?”
“We have an uneasy peace with them at the moment,” explained Lord Georveld. “Someone here may consider you a spy even for mentioning that kingdom. I am afraid there will be war with them sooner than later.”
“I had heard that Swevladiliona may have been responsible for the break up of the Lunverdaire Kingdom,” said Angelterra.
“It is where we found our most recent war with that kingdom. Not on our own lands did we fight, but on the lands of our poor neighbors to the south,” said Lord Georveld, sounding saddened by that fact. “Now I and others volunteer our time to help keep West Lunverdaire as safe as we can.”
“Tis a shame it had to come to that,” said Angelterra.
“Yes,” agreed Lord Georveld. He paused for a moment, then continued, “Please forgive my boldness, but what would possess you to go to that kingdom? They are not open to strangers.”
Angelterra was hesitant about what she should reveal. She did not want to tell him that she was in search of the icy beast as it seemed everyone else in the kingdom was, then she caught a glimpse of the bracelet her aunt had given her.
“Alabastaranium,” said the princess. “I was given an object which has pieces of those stones. I was told that they were only found in Swevl…that other kingdom. So I wished to find more of it.”
“You are looking for alabastaranium? Really?”
“I realize it sounds strange, but I am quite serious,” insisted Angelterra.
“Well, I cannot tell you how much of it you will find in either kingdom,” replied the lord. “It is extremely rare. And is said to have magical properties, but I am afraid none has been mined in either kingdom for hundreds of years.”
“So there is none left?” asked Angelterra.
“I will ask my father for you if there is any to be found,” said Lord Georveld. “Of course, if we get lucky in the hunt and find the beast, we will find all the alabastaranium you could ever wish for.”
“How is that?”
“It is said that the beast has been sealed up in a chamber made of alabastaranium and ice,” said the lord.
Then Lord Georveld looked over at the sun, which was now passing below the tree line. “There is a village on the other side of this rise in the road. I have family who live in the village. We will be welcome to stay there for the night before we continue north.”
❖ CHAPTER 28 ❖
ANGELTERRA AND SELKEEDA stood just inside the front door of a small vestibule with Lord Georveld, while his men waited outside in the courtyard of this large manor house.
“Oh, Runny, tis so wonderful to see you again,” said a plump woman with gray patches in her dark hair, who suddenly appeared from the main part of the house, arms outstretched. The woman grabbed the young lord and caressed his head to her bosom.
“Um…yes, Auntie. Tis so nice to see you too,” managed Lord Georveld, as he struggled to free himself from her embarrassing caress.
“Nephew, it is good to set eyes upon you once more,” said a gray-haired, but stout, man standing next to the plump woman. He then grasped Lord Georveld in a warm bear hug, which the young lord returned heartily.
“Tis good to see thee too, Uncle,” said the young lord.
“And how is that brother of mine, Runny?” asked his uncle.
“Father is well,” replied Runny. “I have just returned from West Lunverdaire and hope to see him soon.”
“I doubt your father noticed your absence,” said his auntie. “He is probably obsessed as usual with that idiotic hunt.”
“Oh, what I would not give to go on the hunt again,” said his uncle, wistfully. “Your father and I had some great times before….”
There was an awkward silence.
“Ah, yes, Auntie, Uncle, let me introduce you to my traveling guests Lady Angelterra and her ward, Mistress Selkeeda,” said Lord Georveld. “I am escorting them to Gelidus’fera. I hope you could give them and my men lodging this night.”
The auntie looked at Angelterra and Selkeeda, frowning in disapproval. The princess glanced down at her traveling cloak and realized it was dirty from the mud and snow of the road and Selkeeda’s was no better.
“Lady…Angelterra, eh?” said the aunt.
“Do not be a harsh judge, Isen dear. Of course, you and your traveling companions are welcome here, Nephew,” said his uncle. “Your men can stay in the back house quarters. There is plenty of room. And this lovely lady and her lovely child will stay here in the main house with us, as you too will. I shall have Becella see the ladies to the second guest room.”
“Thank thee for your kind hospitality, Lord Lethero and Lady Isenbura,” said Angelterra.
“Thank thee,” Selkeeda said too.
The uncle and Lord Georveld laughed at the child’s answer, while Lady Isenbura scrunched up her face in a scowl.
“You are certainly welcome, little one,” said Lord Lethero, patting Selkeeda’s wild blonde hair.
“Yes, well dinner is in one hour, dear Runny,” said the auntie to Lord Georveld. Then she turned to Angelterra. “See that you and that…child of yours are not late. We are prompt in this house.”
“Of course, Lady Isenbura,” said Angelterra as sweetly as she could muster.
❖ ❖ ❖
Angelterra and her ward descended the long main stairs. The blue gown that she now wore was more than a bit snug, but with a little help from the lady-in-waiting, Becella, the princess had managed to pour herself into it. Though it was a simple gown and far too tight, Angelterra felt properly dressed for dinner and ready for Lady Isenbura’s scrutiny. The small white gown sent up for Selkeeda fit the child quite well. And the princess was sure she saw a brief smile cross the girl’s lips when she looked at herself in the mirror. Angelterra kept a slow pace as she descended the stairs so that she would neither trip nor tear the constricting gown. At the bottom of the steps was Lord Georveld staring up at her.
“You are stunning,” said Lord Georveld. “Both of you.”
“You should close your mouth, Nephew, or someone might believe you are awestruck by these lovely ladies,” said Lord Lethero, as he walked up to stand next to his nephew.
When Angelterra reached the landing, Lord Georveld offered her an arm, which she accepted. Lord Lethero put out his big meaty hand to the little girl and Selkeeda, without saying a word, placed her tiny hand in his and with her other hand she held tightly to her two dolls. The four of them walked down a long hallway towards what was sure to be the dining hall. The whole time Lord Georveld kept staring at the princess, and she was not altogether displeased by the attention as she smiled back at him. His braid was gone and his long hair was now neatly combed. He wore a formal blue dinner tunic, which made him appear even more noble…and handsome than before. Nothing like that wild wizard from Prelandidar.
Traydreal.
For a moment her heart ached for that rogue she had rescued in a small meadow back in Rosverdar. He knew her like no one else. She missed that wizard, even as she stared into the admiring eyes of this handsome Lord.
“You seem far away,” said Lord Georveld.
“Forgive me, Lord Georveld,” said the princess. “I was just remembering my home.”
“Runny, Please call me Runny,” insisted the lord. “Everyone does…or at least the ones who matter.”
At the end of the hallway they entered a sizable dining hall in the center of which sat a long wooden table with benches for seating. The room smelled of scented candles, wood smoke from a bright fire burning in the hearth, and fresh-cut pine. Centered between two banks of windows was a fat naked Vissy Tree. Its pungent green boughs were still glistening with melted snow. Strewn haphazardly all around the base of the tree were all sorts of wooden boxes filled with holiday decorations.
“Is it that late in the year?” asked Angelterra. “I would have thought the time for a tree would still be weeks away?”
“Tis weeks away,” agreed Lord Lethero. “But Isen so loves to have a tree up that we have one up all month long. We usually have two sometimes even three by the time the holiday season is over.”
Selkeeda broke away from Lord Lethero’s gentle grasp and ran over to the tree. The little girl stood before the tree, holding her dolls. The girl said nothing, but simply gazed up at the towering green tree. Then Selkeeda walked over to a box of ornamental animal figures. She rummaged through the box for a moment then lifted out a tiny white wolf. Angelterra glanced over at Lord Georveld and he at her. The princess could see the same concern on his face that must have been on her own.
“That is a very good choice. Come, let me help you put the first decoration on the tree, little one,” said Lord Lethero and the older lord went over and lifted Selkeeda up, so she could put her ornament high on the bare tree.
“Thank thee,” said Selkeeda when Lord Lethero put her down again.
“What are you doing, Jel?” exclaimed Lady Isenbura. “It is your honor and our tradition for you to place the first holiday ornament upon the tree. This is outrageous!”
“Oh, Isen, remember it was not always that way,” countered Lord Lethero. “It was always Kenver’s honor before it was ever mine. And when Kenver…when he…then the nephews and nieces did it in his honor. This little one is actually honoring that tradition.”
“We know nothing of these foreign people! How can you even think to let this filthy little child touch Kenver’s favorite decoration?” cried Lady Isenbura, then she turned and ran out of the room sobbing.
“You must forgive us. Our sorrow from losing our son, Kenver, at a young age will not easily leave our hearts,” said Lord Lethero, and he went after his wife.
“I am so sorry that we have caused them so much grief,” said Angelterra.
“It happens often. My uncle loves children because they help him to remember my cousin, Kenver, and my auntie hates all children because she tries hard to forget the horrible pain of losing her son,” explained Lord Georveld.
Angelterra glanced over to see Selkeeda gazing up at the little white wolf ornament that dangled from a large fluffy pine bough. Unaware of the turmoil it had caused.
Had she been wrong about the girl? Instead of picking a symbol of the devilish creatures that almost killed them, had the little girl somehow picked up on the spirit of the dead son of Lord Lethero and Lady Isenbura? Was Selkeeda, in her own way, honoring the dead boy’s memory?
❖ ❖ ❖
It was quite some time before Lord Lethero coaxed his wife to return to the dining hall. Everyone waited for her. For a time everyone ate in silence, not wanting to upset Lady Isenbura any further. Angelterra kept a watchful eye on Selkeeda as the girl ate her meat and sweet cakes. If Selkeeda were to make a mess or a ruckus, the princess was ready to extract her from the dining hall. But, to Angelterra’s relief, the meal went on without an incident.
“So you and your ward are from Gelidus’fera?” asked Lady Isenbura.
“It appears that Selkeeda is from that city, but I am from the far south…from Rosverdar,” replied Angelterra.
“Rosverdar? I have never heard of such a place. Is it in Lunverdaire?” wondered Lady Isenbura.
“No, it is below the Apertine Mountains,” said Angelterra.
Lady Isenbura looked at her husband for help.
“Apertine? That must be what we know as the South Lunverdaire Mountains,” said Lord Lethero. “Below that…is known as the far south.”
