Chapter 23

Bubble of Peace

Korelia Castle

In an unexpected turn of events, Lady Audrey recognized the prisoner as her cousin. The prisoner admitted the fact and all doubts were put to rest. Baron Omin was Lady Audrey’s cousin.

The story didn’t end there. She had a stronger claim to Omin’s House.

Ten years ago, little Audrey and her mother were kicked out of their home by his uncle after her father’s untimely death.

That uncle was Omin’s father. Later, the uncle sold the estate, bargained for larger land, and a knight status in faraway Lowlandia.

Audrey never knew her House migrated to Lowlandia.

But now suddenly she could lay claim to her long-lost estate.

With Baron Omin facing punishment for his crimes in Korelia, the House would naturally select a new head.

Audrey’s strong claim and her position as the victor lord’s consort meant that it was now effectively her House.

She would possess all that Omin had achieved. This included the entire Korimor and the title.

That day, Lady Audrey was no longer a consort.

She was now Baroness Audrey, the Lady of Korimor.

***

Lansius

The end of summer was closing in. On a serene day, I bid farewell to my honored guest, Lord Jorge. He had wished to tour the castle before he left and we happily obliged.

We gathered the old staff. Many still had fond recollections about Lord Jorge and his family.

“It is very gracious of you to let me walk around the castle,” the handsome guest said as we toured the corridor.

“Please, the castle is yours, My Lord,” I replied sheepishly.

Who would've thought that Jorge has a charm akin to a movie star?

“Please don’t address me as such; I count myself as your peers.” Despite that, he was clearly amused.

“I cannot do that, My Lord. I’m merely a vagabond who borrowed your castle," I replied.

He chuckled at that simple joke. “This castle feels larger in my memory. Only now, I feel the corridors are narrow and the courtyard small," he said nostalgically.

I could only nod.

“Lord Lansius, you would do well to enlarge this castle, or build a bigger one.”

“Indeed I’m thinking of building a new one on the east side. So I could return this one to its rightful master,” I quipped.

It made the man happy. He grabbed my hand and led me into touring the castle.

In a reversed position, Jorge guided me inside the castle. He obviously knew better. Helped by the old staff, he even found some stuff hidden from his childhood.

I’m happy for him. I hoped this could be a foundation for our alliances.

A messenger escorted by the guards had found us as we sat down in the Great Chamber. He brought a small tube, likely a pigeon mail.

Sir Morton readily opened it before passing it over to Lord Jorge.

“What’s this?” Jorge read and commented, "Ah, this nonsense again!” He dismissed the letter and pass it back to Morton.

“May I know what the tidings are?” I asked without being nosey.

“It’s silly. The Nicopolans are getting too radical these days and spouted too much propaganda, unbelievable!”

I listened seriously.

Jorge took notice of my reaction. “It’s nothing worth your time, but if Lord Lansius is interested.” He gave a look at Morton who readily offered the letter to me.

‘The ageless one is dead.’ I read the first part, followed by other events that supposedly served as evidence. I folded the letter and gave it back to Sir Morton.

“It’s disturbing if true,” I commented as calmly as I could.

If the letter is true then soon there'll be a civil war, followed by a regime change.

“Indeed, but frankly there might be some truth to that," Jorge answered.

“How so?”

“My nephew told me that there have been some changes in the capital lately. Ranking people went missing without a trace. Some spoke of assassins.”

“It seems we’re living in a dangerous time," I commented grimly.

“Indeed, that’s why I feel lucky that I could find a reliable ally such as Lord Lansius.”

“That’s too kind, My Lord.”

“So, Lord Lansius, when will you start on our plans?" Jorge asked.

We ended up discussing our plans regarding Umberland and South Hill.

He seemed pleased by the prospect and left the castle in high spirits. “Please send my regards to the future Baroness of Korimor.”

That was Jorge's farewell and he entered the carriage.

Flanked by his entourage, the carriage rode away. Korelia gave a send-off ceremony. Our troops and townsfolk lined up on the road outside the castle.

Jorge’s carriage rejoined with his army on the field. This army had recovered into a thousand men and dozens of horsemen.

The promise of pardon and food had made the survivors return in droves.

I watched the Three Hills army march westward from the battlements.

Truthfully, I’m concerned for Lord Jorge’s safety. He wasn’t bad and had a knack for good ruling, but he was naive.

I hoped that Sir Morton and Sir Arius would continue to serve as his bulwark.

...

Two days after Jorge had left, we sent Hugo with a sizable force to Korimor. This time he was tasked to occupy Korimor castle in Audrey’s name.

Hopefully, Omin’s letters could persuade them to turn down their arms peacefully. Otherwise, it would end in a siege.

***

Lansius

The door closed and there were only two of us, the newlywed in the Lord’s chamber. That was a long way to say my bedroom.

We still haven't selected a chambermaid to help us. Thankfully Audrey didn’t fancy a fine gown so dressing up wasn’t a big deal.

Felis had helped Audrey in finding gowns for formal occasions. But most couldn’t fit her properly.

My wife was too athletic to fit into a normal size. As there was no good tailor in town, we had ordered new ones from White Lake.

I’m dying to see her in good dresses. Hands me down just didn’t do her justice.

I changed into a plain white gown. Believe it or not, while the lower class slept on their daily clothes, the upper class slept naked.

Audrey grew as a squire though, so both of us were more comfortable with wearing clothes for sleeping.

Actually, we even kept swords and crossbows nearby. I guess we were pretty Spartan for a couple. It was an old habit because we used to live on the road.

“You know we come a long way from making tents on the roadside," I said as I put a fresh log into the fireplace.

“Mm, yeah… I still can’t believe we lived in a mansion like this," she said while looking around at the painted ceilings and the bright colorful tapestry.

“Many still need to be fixed, though.”

The place was old but still better than most rooms in the castle.

“I’m looking forward to seeing a better room than this," she said with a small grin. “Oh, I heard you’re looking for new talents?"

“You heard from Calub?”

“Yeah, he says Lord Robert offers someone.”

“Well, we need more talent. Calub and Hugo are overworked," I reasoned.

“True… Mm, it's going to be a male, right?" she asked while watching me from the corner of her eye.

“Definitely," I assured her.

“You know I can’t say no if you need to do a political marriage.”

“Please don’t. I don’t think I’ll be happy with anyone besides you.”

“Really?" She chuckled generously at my cheesy line as she changed clothes.

Meanwhile, I went to wash my face in the bronze basin.

“I hope he's a scribe. I’m worried about Calub, he still winces when he writes," Audrey said.

“Yeah, I know. That's why I want to send Calub to visit the Healer’s Guild. Maybe even bring Thomson back on his return."

Audrey nodded satisfied.

I went to the corner where a stone washbasin with drainage was located. I found a freshly cut young twig and chewed its one end. The bite easily produced a bristled end and I used it as a toothbrush.

The twig felt gingerly fresh. There was tooth-paste like stuff available, but I didn’t trust the content. So I only used salt. A gurgle later and then I’m done.

I stretched myself on the bed and immediately felt sleepy. This was probably not even 8 pm.

“Drey, why didn’t you tell me about Omin?" I asked while getting comfy under the blanket. Ever since marriage I hadn’t touched the books I used to read before sleeping.

“What about him?"

“Don’t you have any suspicion about him when you hear his name?”

“Oh, I thought it’s merely identical. Sometimes it happens, right?”

“Omin? What part of that name is normal," I complained.

“Haha, I thought it’s common." She giggled and went to clean herself.

“Drey, since you’re a Baroness, can you knighted Hugo for me?" I asked afterward.

“Ehh, I could do that?”

“You can." I smiled. Transfer of power between family members didn’t need Imperium's consent.

“Then I should be first,” she exclaimed.

“First of what?” I failed to follow her.

“Knight myself!”

I burst out in laughter. “You’re already a Baroness you dummy!”

She frowned at me.

“Please don’t be mad," I pleaded after I got my breath back.

Audrey pouted her lips and turned her face away.

“Stephania," I called her as I loved seeing the reaction.

“Eeekkk! Stop calling me that! Or…”

“Or, what?”

“Or I won’t give you any," she threatened.

“Ermm… but you like it more than I do?”

Hah, two could play that game!

“No, it’s not. You like it more!" She flat-out rejected.

“Nope, it’s definitely you, My Lady," I wouldn’t back down.

We ended up trying to prove who enjoyed it the most and it was crazy. Let’s just say we never argue about it ever again.

***

Korelia

It was a lovely morning when three men barged into the eastern mansion. They wrecked a guard post and dueled the guards.

The fight reached the main hall where Audrey and I watched from the second floor. Cecile and Carla were blocking the stairs.

As chance would have it, the attacker in plate armor looked up and noticed us.

“Fuck, you two are really wed!" The leading man roared with laughter.

I recognized the voice, sighed deeply, and put my crossbow away.

“Anci, you bastard! What are you doing?” Audrey cried as she descended the stairs.

The guards were in utter disbelief when they heard the name.

“At your service, oh you’re now a consort or a Lady? I’m confused, the innkeeper was giving me a long-winded story about you, haha..." Anci said while removing his helmet.

“Why are you here? And remove your sword, the staff is afraid," I complained as I followed Audrey downstairs.

“Oh, sorry about that, My Lord. This is just morning practice.” Anci tossed his helmet and sword behind.

Two young men jumped to retrieve the two items.

“They are my squire and my servant," he said proudly.

We were ecstatic. This meant that his mission was a success. “Come, let’s talk in the garden. Cecile, can you arrange for breakfast at the gazebo?”

“At once, My Lord," the cup-bearer replied, but her eyes were disapproving.

“No, it’s okay. He might look tough but he’s also scared of Hannei," I explained.

“Hannei?! That Mage is here?" Anci slightly crouched while looking around, he was ready to dash for the exit. The two had a long history of squabble and infighting.

That made Audrey and I chuckled.

We wrote the destruction Anci caused as a security test. Even the bested guards remembered Anci and were thrilled to see him back.

That settled, we went out to the garden and started breakfast in mismatched attire. I had a quiver and dagger attached to my belt, but still wearing my sleeping gown.

Audrey was wearing her black gambeson over her robe. Her sword neatly rested on the wooden bench beside her.

Meanwhile, Anci was still comfortably in armor.

“So how’s the Capital?" Audrey started the discussion.

“It’s glorious, I had sword bouts almost every day. Lots of tournaments, formal and even shoddy ones," Anci chuckled. Then he looked around and seemed to remember something. “Where’s that slowpoke, Hugo?”

“He’s attacking Korimor as we speak," I answered.

“Ah good for him, doing something brave for a change.” Anci laughed.

To sum up Anci’s incoherent ramblings, his mission to the Capital was a success. Bengrieve’s bid for my Baron title got approved.

Furthermore, Earl Arte’s bid to reclaim Arvena was also approved.

My gratitude to the men and women who made this possible. The diplomatic gymnastics must be crazy. I couldn’t imagine the favor owed and the bribe required.

... We're getting closer to Bengrieve’s masterstroke.

However, not all were merry and happy.

“The town and villages in Elandia are lifeless. Bandits are lurking and the local lords are losing control.”

We listened to Anci's words intently.

“Even my armed convoys were ambushed. Bah, I can’t even drink in peace there," he mused and then he surmised. “It feels like the Imperium is dying...”

Anci was clearly upset by this. I poured ale into his cup. “Drink up, buddy.”

He gulped it down.

Sadly, there was nothing we could do. We were just minor players in a backwater province.

“So you got knighted?" Audrey asked lightly in between munching a morsel of bread, a slice of ham, and lettuce.

Anci showed a smug face before answering. “I won a jousting tournament and Lord Arte knighted me afterward.”

“Ha, good for you.” Audrey smiled. The two had been friends since their squire days in Arvena.

“So, has Lord Arte returned to Midlandia?" I asked.

“Yes, he’s preparing stuff in Midlandia. Oh, their marriage is approved, so I’m here to fetch Lady Felis.”

“Just you and the squire?”

That sounds not like Lord Arte.

“Nah, in two days the messenger from the capital should arrive. Our entourage and escort are attached to their convoy," Anci explained.

We spent the day discussing at length what had happened in his journey to the capital that may change our future plan.

...

Just like what Anci had said, two days later a convoy and its armed escort arrived.

Bearing red banners with twelve silver dragon insignia. They were unmistakably the messenger from the Imperium.

Formally we received them at the castle. They spoke of the travels from the Capital to Korelia as if directly.

However, we knew from Anci that it was just an act.

The fact was the messengers had been in Midlandia for almost three months. They deliberately stalled for time, knowing that a battle was likely going to take place.

Only after a battle had happened and I came out as the victor, did the messengers depart to Korelia.

In a short ceremony, they confirmed my status as the Baron of Korelia. A royal patent signed by the High Lords Council served as the proof.

With this, our occupation of Korelia Castle Town was finally legal.

Tonight, a banquet was held to commemorate this achievement. Korelia entered a new chapter.

***

Eastern Mansion

Covered by a warm blanket, Audrey yawned and looked very sleepy. I put my hands on her back and caressed her till she was soundly asleep.

I smiled while looking at her.

Because of her, these past few days were the best days of my life. I hoped this moment could last forever.

By chance, I looked around at the dimly lit room. The painted ceilings, the oaken furniture, the bright colorful tapestries.

Not bad, not bad at all.

I felt proud of my achievement. From a humble farmer who tilled the farm into the owner of this mansion.

With letters patent on my hand, I could finally say that I had a place of my own.

The Baron of Korelia… sounds too fancy for me.

However, in the grand scheme of things, the peace in Korelia was a mere bubble. A fragile thing that could burst at any time.

To safeguard this peace, I needed to make Korelia stronger and more durable. Not just a mere shelter, but a bastion worthy to keep the people dear to me safe.

The thought made me sit on the edge of my bed. I recalled the words spoken to me by many.

The world is changing.

The ageless one has died.

The Imperium is dying.

I realized chaos already entered through the door, but only very few realized its presence.

I hoped that there was enough time to prepare because what was coming would be the turmoil of this century.

Not all era had their Octavian Augustus after Gaius Julius was murdered. In fact, many eras descended into a century of warfare before peace returned.

Obviously, I had no power to save the era, but I would do my utmost to protect my family and the people around me.

Quietly I walked toward my desk, lit a candle, and started to scribble plans for the future. Only in peace, one could prepare for war.

***