Bastions
Chapter Fifty Two: Empire of Sand
Part 1
Prelude
1394 saw England's attempts to "civilize" her neighbors turn into all-out war. Decades of raids and low-intensity wars gave way to the English plan to conquer and subjugate the Celtic peoples. They knew that the hardest nut to crack would be Ireland, with its centralized monarchy and highly motivated warriors. Scotland, in the meantime, was far to disjointed to provide much difficulty. The people there were torn between the Gaelic Highlanders and the Scots Lowlanders. With a powerful fifth column, the English strategy was to send a small force to Scotland and cause a shift in power while simultaneously landing troops on Mann and Mide to try to hit Ireland at the core. But within months, despite the successes in Scotland, the Isle of Man proved to be a tough nut to crack, withstanding siege from land and sea. The landings in central Ireland were eventually pushed northward, to Ulster, where reinforcements from Scotland could more easily be brought over. Back in Prussia, England's ally waited patiently for the call to arms, one which did not come despite the hardships. King Doyvát knew that his father-in-law was looking for a victory without help to put minds at ease. But Prussia remained vigilant anyway just in case the call did come. Across the channel, the Caliph in Barcelona watched with concern. It was the fear of many, especially in Gaul, that the English were building their forces to eventually storm across and try to capture formerly Christian territories. With the peerage system causing more division than unity, the Caliph was increasingly worried that his nation, though massive, would be unable to fight off a concentrated attack.
August 16th, 1389
Astiya worked diligently on Godiwa's hair while Kenric and Werna looked on silently. The last two days had been tough on all of them, but for Godiwa it had been something lifted literally from her nightmares. Her eyes were bloodshot and dry from hours of crying and now her face was drooped with stress and self-loathing. She looked as if she had aged decades in mere days. The King, though sympathetic to her suffering had officially disowned her, something that surprised no one. The young woman never for a second imagined that she'd be able to run off to a huge castle and have a sister and soon another sibling with a loving mother and father, though Kenric guessed that she still felt cheated from days of luxury and plenty. He watched as she nibbled silently on a piece of bread, the only thing she was able to stomach with all the pressure. The four had been put under house arrest, given a small servants' house to use while the King and his silver-faced aide went about damage control. The rest of the tribe had moved on to the sacred standing stones in the west near Vilnius.
"Fuck it." Kenric said. Werna turned slowly to look at the boy as he walked over to the women and sat down in front of Godiwa, facing away. Reaching behind he let his hair down and then stated simply, "Braid it."
"What?" she asked.
"You heard me, not like anyone is going to see." He closed his eyes and drifted off while Godiwa played around with his hair. Just as she was finishing the first braid there was a light knock at the door. Werna turned his head and as he opened his mouth to speak the door knob turned and the door was opened slowly.
From the hall entered the silver-faced aide, as well as her assistants. She wore her Sunday best, long flowing robes of red and green, her hair neatly contained by a thin veil. She stopped beside Godiwa, looking down at the girl. "Please, King David would like a word with you..." she started and then following a quick glance around the room at the others, "In private." Godiwa rose from her spot in front of Astiya, her hair only half-finished with her trademark flowers.
"W-what does his majesty want?"
"I am not his majesty. As such I believe that is a question better suited for him."
"Give the girl a break," Werna said, obviously unhappy with her treatment. "She isn't even a woman yet and still you parade her around and try to scare her with bullshit like that. It is a simple question."
Sarah snapped her head over to the Lith. Werna jumped a little, unable to read anything from the placid metal mask. The words coming from within did not sound angry, though. "I am sorry, I really am. But I have a job to do." She walked over and sized-up the black-haired girl. She started by brushing the flowers off and to the ground. "You are a Christian, not some pagan fertility goddess... look like one," she muttered.
Godiwa looked mortified as the aide forced her along, nearly pushing her out of the door. Astiya looked at the flowers and began to gather them up for later. Her face sadden as it came to a particularly beautiful one, now ruined by the feet of a pompous automaton. "I don't like her," Werna said. "But she is the King's face to all us lowly sorts. I guess we are lucky we get as much as that."
Down the hall, being sped along by the silver-faced woman, Godiwa trying to ask again what the King's purpose was but this time there was no reaction from the aide. She just walked silently with her two assistants following like small ducklings follow their mother. Eventually they came to a room with four guards standing on either side of the door. They recognized Sarah immediately and stood aside to let the four pass. Godiwa looked around in amazement as she found herself in the castle's library. "Your grace... Lord David, I have brought your daughter as you asked."
The King appeared from behind a bookshelf, stack of books in hand; he looked confused. He was going to protest but he saw the girl standing among the older women, her face mixed with a nervous pale and an embarrassed red. Doyvát sighed and walked to a table to unload his books. "Thank you," he said quietly. "You may go." The others filed out of the room and the door clicked behind them. The King looked the girl over and rubbed his temples before sitting down. He scooted his chair over and invited Godiwa to bring her own over and sit beside him. She walked over with a heavy wooden chair and climbed up to look at the books he had collected.
"Which book is in this?" she asked, indicating a heavy sack.
"Actually it is something I wanted to show you," he said swallowing back his pride. He opened the sack and pulled out a book that could easily be called ancient. The binds had been done over and over again and the cover was blank except for intricate lines that once would have been colored with gold leaf. The King opened the first page and Godiwa looked down at the neat hand written words.
"The Bible?" she asked.
"Well... yes... but this is a special copy. It was brought here by one of our ancestors," Doyvát explained.
"Who?"
"A man named Morcar sailed across the sea and landed not too far from here where the city of Mariengrad stands. He came here and started our family, which despite all the complaints and denials... you will always share a part in. And so too will your children. And their children... and all of them."
"Dad?" Godiwa asked quietly.
The King almost flinched at the word but asked, "What?"
"Can I sit on your lap?"
"Aren't you a little o..." He looked at the girl who only made eye contact for fleeting moments before looking away. He smiled and pushed his chair away from the table and let her sit down. She hung her legs over the side so he could still see the table and looked over all the books. One of them had a large crest: a black eagle on white, supported by two white dragons. Doyvát saw her focusing on it and pulled it up, pushing everything out of the way and then cracking it open.
"What does it say?"
"It says: 'Histories and Peoples of the House of Hwicce - Long may they reign over the lands of Prussia.' It is the lineage of our family." He turned to the next page where a small sketch of a man was next to a crest with a white dragon on red. The colors had faded slightly, but it was a newer copy and one that had been updated shortly before his father's death. "This is Ædulf, who was a man who lived in England almost five hundred years ago."
"What did he do?"
"We are not sure... to be honest... but his son, Leofwine, who ruled a small Kingdom called Hwicce. And it is from his son, Leofric, where we get our family name: the Leofricsons of Hwicce. His son was Duke of Mercia, a powerful region in England and it brought the gamily great pride and wealth. He was also married to Lady Godiva."
Godiwa smiled at the mention of her name, "Mother used to tell me stories about Lady Godiva... how she stood up to Leofric and helped the people of England."
"Did she now?" Doyvát tried not to look sad.
"You loved her, didn't you?" Godiwa asked.
"I did," the King said.
"That is good... at least someone other than me did."
"Was her husband cruel?"
"No... he thought a lot about work. And when he wasn't working he was... out... He tried to pretend, play along for the prestige. He took me to the docks and said I was his. But I am sure he knew all along.”
“Did she love him?” Doyvát asked quietly.
“I thought she did, but I don’t know what to think about it anymore. A few days ago had someone told me I was the daughter of the King I would have thought they were crazy… yet here I am.” She looked at the older man who still seemed a little aloof.
“I…” Doyvát started. He glanced up at Godiwa who listened intently, but he didn’t know what to say.
“Your grace?” Godiwa asked. The King tried to look strong and ruffled her hair silently. She looked displeased, first her favorite flowers had been taken out, now her curls and braids were a mess. The King seemed to understand this and gave her a sympathetic smile.
“I hope you don’t grow to hate me,” he said. “I,” he paused again and looked at the beautiful girl who did nothing but remind him of his long-lost love. “You are all that remains of her…” the words were bitter-sweet and tears welled up in his eyes.
“Your majesty,” a voice called. It was the cold metallic sound of the aide, who now stood at the door with the Queen who held a small toddler in her arms. Her face seemed hardened, but still motherly. She must have only been two or three years older than she was. In another time they might have been friends. Godiwa turned red and jumped off Doyvát’s lap as the Queen walked over.
She looked at all the books that lay across the table and then avoiding Godiwa’s gaze spoke directly to the King as if the guest was not there, “Is it not time for the Liths to be going?”
“Isn’t that a little… rude?” Doyvát asked.
“I am not sure, but they are commoners. Can we please try to move forward from this whole mess?”
“It is okay, your grace” Godiwa said, “Liths are used to being chased away.” Her face sank as she walked off toward the silver-masked woman. She had sort of expected the King to at least stop her, but instead he sat there quietly and complacently. Back in the hallway the silver-faced aide followed behind Godiwa, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“The Queen,” she said silently, “can be rough on the edges when she feels her place in the King’s heart is threatened.”
“We are used to it,” Godiwa said quietly.
As they reached the room where the other three stayed, the aide suddenly cut in front of her and stood between her and the door, “Can I ask what you expected from the King?”
Godiwa looked down at her feet, “Nothing really… it was nice of him even to just talk to me. I mean… I am just some Lith wanderer.”
“Your mother meant a lot to Doyvát… you’ll never be just a Lith wanderer. If anything, you are his Lith wanderer. When your troupe returns to this city I will try to have you back, even if for just a brief visit.” She then turned and opened the door. Sitting in the middle of the floor, Werna and Kenric played a game of cards while Astiya finished work on his hair. She had undone the braids and now worked on trying to get it to straighten out. She looked at Godiwa with inviting eyes. “I’ll see that the Queen doesn’t chase you off with a pitch fork, but I do believe that it is time for you to go.”
Werna stood up and stretched his arms over his head, “That is okay… we’ve sat in one place long enough.”
“It is not like Liths to be so sedentary,” the aide admitted. “I must admit that there are days when I wish I could join you as well. I am sure that I would never miss the waltz of politics.”
“You can always join,” Astiya said with a smile.
Werna helped her up and nodded in agreement, “I’m sure that one more mouth with not make the difference.”
The woman shook her head, “Nay… my place is here, by the King’s side. He and the Queen count on me to ensure everything runs smoothly.”
“Perhaps they are a little dependent?” Werna asked.
“Perhaps, but it is not my place to make things hard for them.”
“Well, you seem to understand your place very well, Lady Grey,” Astiya said kindly. “It is too bad; I would have enjoyed your company.”
“I will work on getting you back in next year,” Lady Grey said with a wink. “I’m sure the King will want to see his eldest daughter again at some point and the Queen cannot be angry at man for loves that burned out before she could even walk. Hopefully next time she will be a bit more graceful about it.” She bowed slightly and walked away, leaving the door open for the guests.
"So, what did the King want to talk about?" Werna asked.
"Nothing really," Godiwa said after a brief hesitation. "He talked about his family, but I know I already have a better one." Astiya grinned and caught the girl up in a hug. Meanwhile Werna and Kenric gathered their things up and headed for the door.
"The standing stones aren't too far away," Werna said to Kenric, "So hopefully we can be there sometime tomorrow. The troupe will not wait forever."
"I guess not. If we miss them will we head straight to Æstlinn?"
"No," Werna said with a longing look at Astiya, "No. It is important we stop there."