On the Gardener

Less than two weeks after I had tasked her with collecting information on Florian, Eliza returned to me with a complete report. Such a task should have taken her far longer, but she was able to acquire the reports that had been presented to my mother. In fact, if I didn’t ask her to act discreetly, she could have handed me her report even sooner, but in that scenario I’m sure that that troublesome man would have been following close behind her as she delivered it. He’s the type of person I’d like to delay having to deal with as long as possible.

The report covered three topics in particular: Florian’s identity, the intentions of those who recommended him as a gardener, and the reason why he decided to come to Vallis.

On his identity, Florian had been very honest with the information he had given me about himself. Six sisters and fifth born of seven to a successful family of flower merchants. He never showed much interest in managing his family’s business and left that task to his elder sisters. At this point, even his younger sisters have shown more involvement.

Speaking of his younger sisters, his youngest sister, Heather, has recently married a merchant and moved to Vallisia to expand their business. Reading that gave me more relief than I thought it would. I suppose the married woman rumors had worried me more than I had originally thought.

Next discussed was his benefactor. Florian did not receive work from the crown based on his family’s reputation. Instead he received recommendation by a merchant named Isabelle. I had not known her name before this, but apparently she is an executive for the Islander’s Company. As their families have been good friends for years, it couldn’t be determined whether her reasons for recommending him were personal or if she had received some benefit for doing so. Either way, as we are dealing with Oremaris’s premier trading company, some consequences are to be expected if harm comes Florian’s way.

This whole benefactor business bothered me. Yes, an executive from the Islander’s Company would prove more influential than Florian’s family, but his family already had enough of a reputation to secure the job for him. What made them request the aid of their important friend? The answer is that Florian got himself into such a situation that they needed someone who could reasonably claim ignorance to his circumstance.

Florian had originally told my mother that he had come to Vallis to represent his family and for adventure. These were similar reasons to what he had told me and what I assume he also told Isabelle. As they were childhood friends, I’m sure Isabelle took him at his word when she let him tag along for her next trip to Vallisia. What she had not known—or least what she can claim to have not known—was that the real reason Florian had set off for Vallis was because he would soon be charged with treason.

Florian had not lied to me once, but twice. And such heavy lies they were. The report hadn’t even mentioned a thing about his supposed murder. Months of research on what had brought the man here and somehow that never came up? Why he’s been charged has never been made public, but if a murder was important enough to be treated as treason, there would be no instance where Dragomir’s people would have missed the details.

This all has been made even more bizarre by the fact that the Oremarisian government has made no attempt to notify the crown that they have charged Florian with treason. What information we have on the situation has been overhead from gossiping nobles and merchants. With what we have, I believe mother’s decision to not inform the government that we knew of the charges was for the best, but unlike her, I must confront Florian. His lies are a slight which I can not bear. And besides, I want answers.

Swordsmanship

After a bit of planning—and quite a bit of nagging—the day came for Florian and I to begin my instruction. We took a spot in the yard amongst the royal guard members who were already training there and prepared ourselves.

“Before we start, let me repeat my warnings.” Florian said as I put on a particularly thick gambeson.

“I still remember them, Florian.” These words carried with them my weariness. He had taken every chance he had been given to repeat his warnings leading up to this.

“You may remember, but that doesn’t mean you’ve taken them to heart. “He tapped his chest. “If I had taken my instructor’s words to heart, I wouldn’t be here today.”

He hinted at his cover story. I wanted to expose him right then and there, but that would have to wait for the morrow. Instead, I smirked at him. “Then I’m glad you didn’t take them to heart.”

Florian would usually have a witty response for such a statement, but he was in no mood to make one today. “First warning. What I teach you is not for defense of self, it is only for sport. I want you to make sure this stays recreational.” He put up two fingers. “Second warning. Don’t rely on yourself for your own protection. The guards are here for a reason.”

From the corner of my eye, I noticed one of the guards nodding.

“Third warning. If even these men are not fit for your defense, your sword alone will not be enough to save you. Do you understand?”

I sighed. These were obvious things. I’m tall for a girl, but that’s given me no delusion of strength. After all, half the guardsmen are a head taller and some of them are twice my weight. “The blade of the common man and the sword of the king are equal, but the value of the king and of the common man are not.” So why should a ruler gamble crossing blades with such a man?

“Take it to heart.” Florian handed me a practice sword and we began my training in earnest. Over the course of our first lesson, I was given an orientation on the necessary fundamentals. Proper stance, maintaining footing, thrusting, lunging, slashing, and parrying were all covered. We didn’t get to any actual sparring. Florian had said there would be none of that until my movements became closer to natural than they were manual.

Honestly, with his persona, I expected him to be a bit more easygoing. Not that I had any complaints. My instructors rarely went easy on me, so this was nothing new.

Consequences

Seeing the royal guards training has made Diane interested in improving her fitness.