I tried to recall what I knew about the Great Walled City.
Well, first of all, I knew it had walls.
From the stories my mother told me, the walls of Jhelom (always called "the Great Walled City") had repelled countless invaders throughout history. Some said the stone itself was magical, and they would hold long as the courage of its defenders did.
I also recalled that the folk of Jhelom were renowned for being especially brave and courageous. Some boasted that a Jhelom fighter at your side was worth 3 from any other city. While the boasters could have been Jhelomian, I am sure that there would have been ample opportunities to test such boasts, as citizens of the walled city were also renowned for their tendency to get into fights. In fact, it was said Jhelom was the perfect place to get drawn into a duel, if one were so inclined. Jhelom was the home of swing-from-a-chandelier or ride-armed-and-on-horseback fights that made up the best stories. In fact, it was -the- place to make a name for oneself, in regards to any sort of martial skill.
Such was the information I was armed with upon entering the Great Walled City.
Upon entering Jhelom, we were assaulted not by warriors, but by colors and sound. A myriad of waving banners, vibrantly-dressed touts, gallants on horseback... The sight was a wall of color every bit as defining as the stone walls of Jhelom themselves. We did not stand around too long in order to take in the sights however. Since it was late in the afternoon, our first concern was locating an inn where we could stay for the night... a concern constantly reminded by the numerous, raucous touts lining the streets and markets. Since none of us knew the city very well, we selected a particularly loud and brightly-attired tout and followed him to the inn he advertised.
It turned out that he had... somewhat exaggerated the quality of his establishment. After a few hours of dubious cleanliness (and even more dubious safety), we left the inn and returned to the street to search for another place to spend the night. However, our lack of knowledge about the city's layout made things difficult; the rain made it more so.
But luck was on our side.
A passing cavalcade of warriors paraded by, impressive in spite of the rain. Marcel, in his manner, played out a welcoming tune, the skill of which caught the notice of the leader of the aforementioned procession, Prince Celestyn.
For a noble, the prince seemed remarkably polite. Especially given our somewhat bedraggled state. I am certain even Marcel would admit he was less-than-pristine after the hours we spent on the road and being unable to find decent lodging or adequate facilities for washing. However, even after hearing Marcel's self-promotion, the prince invited us to stay at his residence. As it turned out, he was going to throw a party of some sort, and Marcel's skills would be welcome.
The odd looks the prince gave us (...or was it simply me?) as he looked us over was curious, but I supposed that was to be expected, bedraggled as we were. However, that coupled with the fact that we were now wholly dependent on an extremely well-armed, highly-equipped, and very well accompanied complete stranger made me a bit uncomfortable. But the alternatives were spending the night on the street or returning to the dumpy inn instead of being escorted to what would presumably be sumptuous quarters, so caution gave way to practicality. I attributed the prince's strange look to some breach of etiquette on my part. I had no illusions regarding my appearance (and the man was old enough to be my father), so I expected I must have been gawking like a yokel, and missed bowing in time with the others.
The prince's residence was beyond anything I had ever seen before. I don't imagine anything in Blackwood Hold could even come close to competing with the grandeur of this place. We met briefly with the prince's steward, Dominic, who asked a few questions of Marcel before directing us to our rooms.
The rooms we were escorted to contained every comfort a guest could expect. There was no question about safety, as every servant seemed to have a knife, a sword, or a blade of some sort. Even breaking into the kitchen to sneak muffins might have been a dangerous task, if we weren't told that we could ask if we wanted anything.
The night passed comfortably, and the group assembled in a guest dining hall the next morning. The servants were preparing for the party, so they told us there wouldn't be as great a choice of breakfast fare, but the "limited" selection was more than adequate from my perspective.
We had several hours before the party, so after informing Dominic of our departure and eventual return, we left to speak with Vikram about the sword we had found in the mine. He was intrigued, and offered to spend some time analyzing it. We would have to leave the sword with him temporarily, but he would contact us when he had information. We left soon after. Although the smith's skill in his craft was apparently legendary (with good reason), nothing he had would have been within my price range. So much for being a heroic swordswoman, I suppose. However, leaving early gave us time to make the necessary preparations, purchase appropriate attire, and return well before Prince Celestyn's party.
Before our preparations, however, Prince Celestyn decided to meet with us as a group. We were taken to his study, another remarkably impressive room containing a detailed tiled floor map of Britannia. He and the others bantered lightly, but I cannot recall most of it, being too worried about appearing a yokel. I had not forgotten his earlier look, and the... frown he gave me also added to my concern.
However, the others seemed unconcerned. After leaving the prince's study, we had planned to return to our rooms to prepare for the gathering. As we were planning this, however, a servant was sent for Valicus. A personal meeting apparently, and he returned later with a more-contemplative-than-usual expression on his face. I do not know what was said during his meeting, but I imagined Valicus would tell us later, especially if it concerned our group.
My meeting came next. Fortunately, I had already finished my preparations so I was not standing in the same clothes I had worn earlier. However, I was nervous about appearing crude and uncultured. But in spite of my nervousness, the meeting went well enough, and I... learned a few things I had not known.
After my meeting, Robert was asked for next, and presumably Marcel. What was spoken of, I do not know. But the meetings continued nearly until the first guests began to arrive.
As could probably be expected, the guests invited to such a gathering were elaborately attired. The most notable were the princes and princesses themselves, and their retinues.
As the guests entered, they immediately gathered in groups. Not moving in political circles myself, I am uncertain whether this sort of thing is common. However, it was clear that two groups emerged, and none mixed. It seemed it was expected for guests to select a group. With the absence of Celestyn, none of the nobles were familiar to us. However, as it turned out, we would make the acquaintance (of sorts...) of some of them. Also, a kind guest was able to assist us by providing some information about those in attendance. (I must remember to write the names down for future reference...)
The larger of the group contained an older man, a woman, and a younger man.
The older man was a prince named Przemsyl. Though he appeared to be around the same age as our host, time was not as kind to him as it had been to Celestyn. However, what he lacked in youth, he made up for in shrewdness. He questioned us as to our reason for being there, and wondered if we were playing in politics of our own accord (though not quite in those words). He also tried to find out some secret Celestyn seemed to be hiding. Apparently, such gatherings (and Celestyn's sudden return) was not quite usual. However, he seemed to play at being aware of Celestyn's scheming, whether or not he was actually informed.
Veronika was the next of the Jhelomian nobility we had the dubious pleasure of meeting. From the moment she arrived, it was apparent she had some dislike for Robert. Robert did not rise to the bait (even if I did not possess as much patience), and she eventually left to inflict her presence on someone else. Judging by her demeanor (and the fact that all of her retinue was dressed for action, rather than dancing), it was clear that she was not a friend of Celestyn and that she would likely oppose whatever plans he may have had in mind.
The younger man was a prince named Kazimierz. He and Przemsyl seemed in close company, though I know little else about him.
The smaller of the groups contained Celestyn's retinue, and that of the princess Basia's. Our acquaintance informed us that she and Celestyn were close. However, it appeared she was his only ally. Whatever was happening, it was apparent that Celestyn's plans were not terribly popular among his fellows.
Another person of note was "Julia". Though she appeared much different than I recalled, I recognized her voice as Radha from the Green Jug tavern in Avalon. I tried to keep an eye on her, but I suspect she knew I was doing so. And such was the atmosphere of the party we found ourselves cast into.
While Marcel played, Valicus, Robert, and myself were left to our own devices. The other two men seemed more at ease in such a position. Perhaps it was because of their familiarity with social responsibility.
As for myself? The feeling was vaguely reminiscent of being in Echo Pass, and expecting an ambush. And being in a ballgown on top of it all.
Valicus and Robert joined the smaller group, with Celestyn and Basia's retinues. I stayed back for a bit, but joined the group once Celestyn arrived.
In spite of some of the guests, the party was generally enjoyable. There was feasting, and dancing, and much hinting of secrets from our host and others. What this surprise was, however, would not be revealed until later.
After the dancing, Prince Celestyn drew the attention of his guests, and directed their attention toward a particular doorway. After making a speech about the glory of Jhelom and what it was missing, he had a horse brought for him... a "horse from across the sea", as I recall. He said he would go on a quest to search for... something, I do not know what. I do not recall if he said it was dangerous, but I -do- remember that he said if he did not return, his followers were to choose someone else to lead them.
Whatever he was doing, however, did not appear to please Veronika. She declared some sort of vendetta against Celestyn and his allies. However, Celestyn continued with his plans, and disappeared through the doorway, along with his retainers Dominic and Stanislaw.
Needless to say, the party was effectively over.
After the party, my attentions returned to "Julia". I knew she had brought the horse for Celestyn, but I did not know how involved she was in what had happened. After Celestyn's... disappearance, I felt some investigation was in order.
As it turned out, so did she. I encountered her in a sitting room, and we struck up a conversation. From what I gathered, she was working for someone who was interested in supporting the progression of the skyport and the airships. Celestyn, I knew, was involved with that, so her presence here and her bringing the horse was explained in part. Our goals were not at odds, and it seemed we were allies... at least for now. However, it seemed she wanted more information about the prince, in order to ensure her employer's or patron's investment.
I knew little of Celestyn's plans myself, so Radha was going to investigate elsewhere. As I doubted I could prevent her from investigating, I agreed to accompany her in order to keep an eye on what she was doing.
We... discreetly gained access to the prince's study, and were investigating his desk when we encountered others who had been in the room before we entered. They were obviously quite skilled, and the manner in which they revealed themselves made us suspect they wanted to be seen. Perhaps they believed they could stop us, or blame us for a theft? At any rate, their assumptions were incorrect.
We killed the first one, and pursued the second on the roof before the guards were alerted. I shot him in the lower back, which would have been a paralyzing shot, but he leaped off the roof and turned into an owl. Radha and I lost sight of it/him soon after it flew toward the main city.
We returned to the sitting room quickly, before our absence was detected. It was not long, however, before all of the party was summoned by Sir Ector, the acting seneschal. He requested Robert's help in investigating the matter.
I revealed what had happened earlier to the rest of the group. Though they questioned why Radha and I were in the office to begin with, they eventually focussed on discovering who the dead man worked for. Using his ability to speak with the dead, Valicus was able to gain information from Richard, the recently deceased.
The person he worked for was a lord named Simon, who lived in town and was affiliated with Prince Kazimierz. Since Ector could not risk a siege, it was decided that we would "investigate" further under the cover of darkness the next night. The next morning, we investigated the location, and made the necessary plans for the infiltration. In spite of a visit by the local druid, Crispin, who warned us to think of our actions and our loyalties, we continued with our plans.
We waited until dark. Using the roof of a neighboring building, we were able to scout the roof of Lord Simon's residence. After disabling the guards and their relief watch, we entered the building through a trapdoor in the tower roof, and were able to reach the first main floor of the building with little trouble. Fortunately for us, the office was on that top floor, and infiltrating it posed little trouble. However, when we got there, Lord Simon was waiting for us, the documents visible on his desk in front of him.
He was not willing to negotiate, and summoned his guards. We had to overcome him by force (and, recalling, I left my arrow in his hand, which will likely cause me trouble in the future). However, we managed to retrieve the documents (a historical account of King Karol, the first king of Jhelom), and returned to Celestyn's residence.
The next morning at breakfast, we were greeted by a servant who informed us that a guest had arrived for us. Although Marcel hoped it was Ismene, I was pleased to see that it was Suraliha. Not only was her company infinitely more pleasant than the Avalonian witch's, but her swords would undoubtedly come in handy.
The party now assembled, we decided to visit Crispin. I was unsure how break-ins would be handled, and the druid seemed like the person to ask. I had other questions as well, but the group focused more on the consequences of actions in Jhelom, and what constituted justice. I resolved to visit him later, if time permitted.
As to be expected, few issues in Jhelom actually resulted in trial. If a noble could not defend himself, the noble's followers would question whether he or she was worthy of status. It was clear that by infiltrating Simon's residence and injuring him, we had insulted him. It was not an issue that would be resolved by simply an apology. On the bright side (sort-of...), the matter with Simon was unlikely to result in a vendetta, unlike the issue with Princess Veronika.
Vendetta involved blood or assassination. Fortunately, vendettas were a last resort. They were more like a miniature war, rather than simply a matter of prestige. And they were always resolved one way or the other. Unfortunately, Veronika's action was obviously the result of a long-term dispute. It was hard to say what would need to be done before the issue was settled.
There was not much else to say. Regardless of the manner in which we'd been involved in them, there were little alternatives for resolution. Conflict was inevitable. The only question was when.
After Crispin's dire speculations, we returned to Vikram's shop at Twelve Trees Square for less gloomy news. As it turned out, the smith had finished his examinations of the sword, and come to some peculiar conclusions.
The sword was metal -- that much was clear. However, unlike regular swords, whose striations were consistent with the folding and beating of metal, our sword had more in common with organically-formed bone. The smith's determination was that our sword was grown, or crafted of some sort of metallic bone.
The enchantment of the blade was related to the material. As Vikram put it, there were two ways of enchanting an item to be a bane to something else: using similarity, or using opposition. Using similarity in an enchantment involved taking a piece of the creature, or a similar one, and incorporating it into the weapon itself. Using opposition to enhance an item involved taking a piece from a natural enemy. The problem, however, was determining whether this sword contained the bones of the creature itself, or the bones of its natural enemy. It was impossible to tell, as none of us knew of any beast which had metal bones. We speculated that perhaps the forgeborn might be connected, but at the present, we had few clues. Vikram could glean no more information from the blade, so we took it with us, and decided to return to Celestyn's estate.
As we were leaving, however, I noticed someone watching us from across the square. It took me a few moments to recognize the individual whispering to his cohorts, but I soon placed him. The last time I saw him, he was exploding doors and shooting lightning at us.
At least his retaliation was timely, I suppose.
Alojzy, Simon's magus, called out a challenge to us, claiming that we had insulted his lord. We engaged him and his comrades, and managed to disable all but the magus himself. However, Alojzy was able to grievously wound Robert, and Valicus took a heavy blow to his leg. After downing Robert, Alojzy called out for a truce, claiming that those who caused insult had been punished. Though I was loathe to simply let him be, it was clear the mage was capable of killing Robert if we continued the fight. We agreed to stopping the battle, and we collected our wounded.
I could do little for Robert myself. All I had was a healing bead, which only worked on myself. However, I knew Valicus had powers to heal, so I gave it to him. Curiously enough, the bead reacted to the Speaker's power. All this time, I had not known that the healing charm contained... something. A spirit, perhaps.
At any rate, Valicus was able to somewhat restore Robert. But though he was no longer in danger of dying, it was clear we needed to return to Celestyn's residence. Perhaps one of the prince's retinue would be able to further tend to Robert.
As we reached Celestyn's estate, servants ran out to meet us. The doorway was glowing, they said. We rushed as quickly as we could to the room housing the magical portal. As it turned out, we did not have to wait very long to find out what was happening.
Within moments, Celestyn appeared.
The appearance of the returnees caused quite a stir, to put it lightly. It seemed everyone who could be present without thoroughly depleting the defense of the estate itself had found a reason to be in the ballroom. It was not long before we found ourselves on the outskirts of a cheering crowd.
In spite of Robert’s injuries, we were able to push through to be closer to the returning prince and his comrades. The returnees appeared tired, but mostly well. However, it was clear they had been changed by their ordeal. The coronet Celestyn wore seemed different somehow. Dominic carried a broken sword and had a bandage over one eye. Healers were called to tend to Dominic, and it was revealed that the bandaged eye had been changed to... something ephemeral. Stanislaw too seemed different in a way I could not explain.
Celestyn greeted us warmly, and Marcel explained the events that had happened during the prince’s absence. Stanislaw seemed interested in our encounter with Alojzy, whom he called “the Stormbreaker”. It seemed the Stormbreaker was a member of the School of Bardan, Stanislaw’s own school. There were also odd rumors circulating about Alosjzy, even if Stanislaw would not recount them for us.
I noticed “Julia” was present as well. Celestyn welcomed her as well, grateful for the assistance she had provided. Though the horse she had brought had been sacrificed, its presence had been invaluable.
After addressing the crowd briefly, the returnees retired either to their duties or to rest. Any questions remaining to be asked would have to wait until another day.
After the ballroom had cleared, I caught the eye of “Julia”. After my initial suspicions about her had faded (slightly), I was curious about the magic she had used, and her skill when we were fighting the two thieves. I was also curious about how she knew what she did. And, of course, who she was working for.
Most importantly, however, I wondered if she would teach me.
I had mixed feelings about everything. The prince, the duel, the ritual... In the span of five days, my companions and I had been thrust into the heart of Jhelom politics, been forced into allegiance with someone we barely knew, had a vendetta called against us, stopped a theft only to break into another noble’s house to steal the item back, fought in a duel, and assisted with a ritual that could very well make one prince the high prince of Jhelom. It was unsettling. Radha, however, seemed able to navigate such tricky terrain. Though I was uncertain where her loyalties lay, there was much she could teach me. If she agreed to it, of course.
We went out to the garden and spoke some, and I asked her about teaching me. The people she worked for would understandably expect someone who could be trusted, so she questioned why I wanted to learn.
The answer seemed fairly straightforward to me. I replied that I wanted to help others. I could sense things were coming, but I was not sure whether I had the skill to assist. Radha asked what I wanted to learn. If fighting was what I wanted to know, any number of people here would be able to teach me. If I wanted to learn sneaking about, I had already proven myself capable of surprising her. But neither of these things was what I was looking for.
She then asked whether I planned to become one of Celestyn’s partisans. Celestyn was not a bad sort, but I was not ready to offer oaths of fealty to him. Though I had contemplated the idea, I knew I would not be content to stay in Jhelom. Though it lived up to much of its reputation, there were other parts that... were not quite what I had expected.
After my answers, she told me I had potential. But she said I did not know what I wanted. If I had an answer for her, if I showed the “right attitude”, she would consider it.
I was a bit dismayed by her charge to find a better answer (and my inability to answer to her satisfaction), but decided to give the issue more thought anyway. If she would not teach me, I would either find someone who would, or learn on my own. It was true I did not know what exactly I was looking for when I spoke with her. A means of more clearly seeing the path I was on? Knowing how to navigate it, as she did? Some way of gathering the threads I could detect but not piece together? She was wrong. I knew what I wanted. I simply found it difficult to voice what it was.
Dwelling over my answer, some of her words did not sink until much later. She mentioned that Jhelom’s internal conflict would prove a distraction for others. But who would it distract, and why? The only others who might be distracted would be Trinsic. But who would want Trinsic distracted? Pirates? The Den? It seemed like the easy answer. But was Radha working for pirates? If Radha was allied with Celestyn, did that mean Celestyn was in league with pirates? But if Celestyn was interested in airships, how could that have anything to do with pirates?
Since it was still late afternoon, I sneaked out to visit the druid Crispin. He had said that if we had any more questions, that he’d be willing to answer them. He admitted to being concerned about the situation as well, though he did not mention pirates.
A fragmented Jhelom competed with only itself. The princes and princesses were a threat to only each other. A Jhelom united, however, became an army. Though unification (and an army) was not a bad thing in and of itself, armies really only had two purposes: defense and conquest. He told me to consider my loyalties, though it seemed such advice had come too late to be of much help.
Crispin advised me to keep sight of the horizon, to not lose sight of the forest because of the trees. The group I was a part of was a fulcrum. It was unclear whether there was still change in the future, or whether we had already enacted change... but I suspected we would have more influence in the future.
The idea was frightening. That our actions could have such far-reaching consequences did little to set me at ease. It further disturbed me to know that I was missing something... but what?
I returned to Celestyn’s estate in a troubled mood. I had come to Jhelom for adventure, yes, but I was not prepared for the adventure that had managed to find us.
The others were gathered in the common area, making conversation. Marcel was being his usual chatty self, and seemed to be discussing everything that had happened, and where to travel to next. It did not seem right to simply leave, especially with so much coming. But we did come here for a reason, and now the reason was done. It just troubled me that we had contributed to so much change, and then we would leave.
The party did not discuss much I wanted to speak of, and I did not want to share what was on my mind. My thoughts were only half-coherent, and I was uncertain whether I would be able to explain my concerns. I decided to wait until later.
My thoughts still troubled, I went to the archery range on the estate to clear my thoughts and get some practice. If the last few days were anything to go by, it would be wise to be prepared for anything. Veronika had openly declared vendetta, but it was apparent that the other nobles were not above alternate means of achieving their goals.
I had not expected to find many serious archers here in Jhelom, but I ended up being pleasantly surprised. Though I did not get as much actual practice done as I had planned, spending time with the locals was an enjoyable diversion. I made the acquaintance of Anton. Even if his style was needlessly showy in Jhelomian fashion, he was pretty good. At least the company was pleasant, and I felt in better spirits.
The next day, the party went to the library to research mythic realms and metallic-boned creatures. Though the others seemed interested in the words of librarians and musty old books, I found my mind distracted. I briefly browsed books on magical horses, but it wasn't much more than passing time. Jhelom had become less of a collection of entertaining stories, and a much more real place where plots folded in on plots, much like the metal of the swords they all seemed to carry around.
It was late by the time we left the library, and a storm was coming. It reminded me of what Stanislaw had said of Alojzy. The Stormbreaker was able to draw energy from the weather, it seemed. It was said he was often seen on the cliffs when storms rose.
I decided to investigate.
I told the others I would meet them back at Celestyn's residence later, and made my way to the cliffs near the shore. Securing my horse a distance away, I crept closer to where several figures were sheltered by a lighthouse. One of the figures was the magus Alojzy. The others were his companions, whom we had fought at Twelve Trees Square.
He was involved in some ritual, that much was apparent. He marked a circle, reached for the sky, and the wind picked up as he shouted something I could not quite discern. Lightning arced downward toward his hand, and the storm began to clear... but something seemed to not be to his liking, for he barked some orders to his minions and a chained captive was brought down.
From a distance, it was hard to tell anything about the captive. It was slender, but I could not even be sure if it was male or female, young or old. What was clear, however, was that Alojzy was displeased with the captive, and that the prisoner was not obeying whatever it was Alojzy was making him or her do.
After what I can only assume were threats, the prisoner ceded, and the storm returned. This time, the mage was able to catch the lightning somehow, and do something to it, though what he did is quite beyond me. The storm became... weaker, and the mage and his party prepared to leave. They slipped a hood over the head of their captive and rode off.
The rain was beginning to pick up, but I wanted to find where they had gone. Leaving my horse tied, I decided to follow them on foot. It was here I discovered that sneaking through the streets of Jhelom was more difficult than trying to conceal myself in the woods of Spiritwood. Anyone on the street was trying to duck out of the rain, leaving the narrow paved roads clear to anyone who was keeping watch.
I tried to follow them, but I ended up being spotted. Ducking into an alleyway, I barely avoided being shot by one of the magus' followers. It was not long until I heard the clatter of hooves on the stone pavers. I knew they were coming my direction. Jumping up quickly and flattening myself on the roof, I waited until they passed. However, it was clear it would be difficult to follow them to their destination.
As I hopped off the roof (to the surprise of one of the citizens shielding themselves from the rain), I noticed part of my cloak had been torn, breaking whatever concealing magic contained within the cloak, and ending whatever plans I might have had of following the horsemen.
Retrieving my horse, I returned to Celestyn's residence, significantly more soaked than I had been, and in a worse mood.
The next morning, the group assembled in the common room to discuss our next destination. Trinsic was one suggestion. Avalon was another obvious choice. Whatever was happening here in Jhelom was apparently coming to a head. The only thing left here seemed to be witnessing the consequences of our aiding Celestyn.
I was still uneasy about my thoughts of pirates, and decided to question Marcel. Even if I disagreed with his choices, he was still better at deciphering politics. However, he doubted my ideas, claiming that it could not be the sole reason for the conflict within Jhelom. I agreed, but I did not know where else to go from there. I suspected the airships were important somehow, and suspected Radha was a pirate, or working for them, but I could not quite see how such things played into a bigger plot. Maybe I was imagining plots where there weren't any.
After some fruitless discussion, I turned my mind back to other mundane things, such as getting my cloak repaired.
Marcel suggested asking a servant about such things and did so (over my protests). Though I was loathe to pester people about such trivial matters, we were eventually directed to Dominic, as it seemed only higher-ranking (so to speak...) people had any use for magical attire.
Dominic was in the prince's study, unsurprisingly, discussing matters with the prince. Being the master of subtlety he is, Marcel questioned the one-eyed seneschal about the location of a magical tailor.
While we were there, he also mentioned my theories (which I had been loathe to discuss, especially after the initial response to my sharing them). Although I felt a bit pressured, I conceded to discussing my ideas and we were shown into the study. At least it provided a better reason for the intrusion, rather than simply asking the location of the nearest magical tailor.
Celestyn seemed to take my theories more seriously than Marcel did, which was moderately encouraging. However, I found myself a bit uncomfortable about his responses. He did not seem to mind that Radha may be allied with pirates, that pirates could possibly make trouble for Jhelom, or that he was being assisted by pirates. What kind of ruler would ally with those of... questionable morality? Should a lord not expect at least a minimum standard of behavior from his followers? And should he not be showing some caution when accepting allies?
However, I could not be too dismayed by it. If a similar situation was happening in Spiritwood, and misfortune befell the lords we fought against, I would probably not shed a tear either. Celestyn did say he would deal with the pirates afterward if they became a problem, so I did not question him further. And as for accepting allies, well... if he had not been the sort he was, my companions and I would not be in his residence. We'd probably be spending the night in the dilapidated inn. Still, the thought that we might be pirates or bandits or assassins or something should have occurred to him.
Even if the thought of Marcel being an assassin was, frankly, ridiculous.
At any rate, Celestyn did seem to agree that perhaps a little more caution was in order, and that he might need to know more information about the people Radha worked for, and that if we discovered anything he would appreciate the information. However, that brought up the question of what I would say to Radha.
After we had finished our discussion with the prince, I decided to speak with Radha. I had little intention of actually sharing the information about her group with Celestyn, so trying to wheedle information out of her was not a concern. (Even if I had been concerned with that, I knew I would not get very far, seeing as how she was much more skilled at such things than I.) However, I had told her I would not share her identity with everyone. Yet I also felt it was necessary to warn Celestyn to consider what sort of people he was making his allies. Radha had lurked around in his office for similar reasons, so telling him to be careful seemed fair, at least. However, I doubted Radha was terribly concerned with what was fair.
I decided to simply tell her the truth. I expected that being honest with her would ruin my chances of her accepting me for training. However, my intentions were not to mislead her. Fortunately, though she was not pleased to hear of my disclosure, she did not seem too dismayed, as it would have been necessary eventually. Still, there must have been some hesitation, as she directed me to the Den. If I was seen as worthy, I would be contacted.
After speaking with Radha, I returned to the common room. I was uncertain whether my comrades would be interested in taking such a journey -- or even whether I should make such a trip. Though on the surface it seemed that many of the skills coincided with what I was already doing, I was unsure whether I wanted to be a spy.
But were scouting and spying really all that different?
At any rate, sometime during the musings and attempting to convince my companions to go to the Den, a servant appeared to tell us that Celestyn would be holding a gathering, and that we were to dress in finery and armor. It seemed the prince had a different sort of soirée in mind.
This gathering showed Jhelom warriors in their true finery. Though the armor they wore was still decorated and grand, it was clear that every piece was meant to withstand a blow. This time, their arms were not ceremonial. It was both exciting and alarming.
The prince and his ally Princess Basia once more gathered with their retinues. The eyes of every single person in the room were fixed on Celestyn as he gave his final speech. The gates of Jhelom would be taken. Once they were under Celestyn's command, he would effectively control the city.
The prince and his troops began to ride out.
Everything my friends and I had done from the moment we had arrived had been building to this point. But in this, we were merely spectators. This was Jhelom, not Spiritwood, Trinsic, Avalon, or Skara Brae. Celestyn had been planning this for a long time. His allies knew where they were going. My friends and I merely played in with his plans.
If all went well, there would be little need for help. If Celestyn and his forces could keep control of the gates, his troops would enter the city and prevent the other princes and princesses from receiving reinforcements. My Jhelom history might have been limited, but I knew that no one had ever overcome the city from outside the walls through force. And if something did go awry?... It was unlikely that my friends and I would be able to stop it.
So it was that I returned to the garden overlooking the city and watched with a sense of foreboding. Though I wished for Celestyn's success, I knew that what he said in his speech was right. This would change things for generations to come.
As the sun set, and clouds began to form in the darkening sky, the line of torches - the line of Celestyn's army - advanced through the city.