Bladewind — Roleplayer Guild

IncredibleBee said
If he learns I've hired mercenaries, he has permission to wreck our shit. If the spies don't come back, he has permission to wreck our shit.

I was under the assumption that the king knew. A rather well known group of mercenaries moving through the country tends to attract attention.

That aside, the currently portrayed king is rather unwilling to really move against his sister, the man has a conscience and that aside, he has his reputation to consider. He is on shaky ground, if he orders the army into action against the recently deposed previous sovereign he is making a gamble with freshly attained loyalties. Not only that, but neighbouring countries will watch the destabilized kingdom with the eyes of a hawk. Right now, unless the queen makes far too large ripples, the king is busy otherwise. All of this is assumed however and will require Partisan to clarify.

Godwin the Free. Why that title? Baldric had wondered about this ever since the usurper ascended to the throne. There were many potential titles out there. So why had "the Free" been decided upon? It had this tint of irony about it, what with being the kind of title usually used by commoners with aspirations to power. Rebels and the like. He doubted that Godwin had chosen it for that reason. That boy had never really been fond of jokes made at his expense and would probably sooner be caught dead than actually making one himself. At this Baldric felt himself smiling a little. Neither of those two siblings had ever had much respect or patience for his jests. They always had seemed most like brother and sister when their faces went red with rage or shame at inappropriate jokes that he brought to the opulent halls of their palace from the rough folk of his Blackwood. Luckily his father had taught him the skill of dodging spontaneously thrown household goods before dying. Then again, if he had been struck down by Godwin back then, perhaps the backlash of that would have prevented him from gaining as much backing from the court as he did. Rulers that killed nobles in fits of rage never did live long.

Before the thoughts of how else he could have prevented the coup took overhand and turned his smile into a frown, a polite cough woke him from them. Looking to his left, he saw one of his guards look at him with some concern: "Your lordship, perhaps it would be better if you returned to the hall?" The man had the characteristic look of a resident of the Blackwood. The heavy build of his people was a source of pride for him. No other barony in the land had such enduring workers. Without them, he would never have been able to make full use of the resources of his lands the way he did. Though finding guards that were handsome enough to bring to the royal court was a bit of an issue. The man in front of him was the perhaps biggest problem in that regard. One might have called him grandfatherly if not for the indentation upon his forehead. After meeting his captain's wife he had decided that the story of a bandit raid he had been told as a child was a lie to preserve the man's honour. Whether the chosen tool was a mace like in the story he would probably never find out. His smile became heartier at this. "Your lordship, perhaps it would be better if you returned to the hall?" That brought forth a laugh. This man knew him well.

"Gerdric, I cannot go back in yet, you and I both know that." Baldric glanced back at the lit windows of the palace. It was strange how serene it all looked from out here. Not that he was referring to the coup. It had all gone over so smoothly, there was no need for anyone to miss a step. What bothered him, and always had, was how different the inside was from the outside. An outsider would gaze upon the palace and think of the nobility, moving through the corridors, untouched by the world outside as a god would be untouched by the mortal realm. A calm quiet as footsteps are barely heard upon the stone, voices rarely ever raised above a whisper, only the wind sometimes daring to disturb the sanctity of the aged architecture. But in the end even this grand structure only contained mortals. It was filled to the brim with them in fact. Finding some peace and quiet was impossible as servants rushed through the corridors to fulfill the demands of the masters. The courtyard rang with the rythmical clashes of steel that announced training from sunrise to sunset. In a way, the palace reminded him of a lake. Gazing upon it, one would never dream of the amount of fish that swam beneath the surface.

Setting his gaze back at the sky, so brightly lit by moon and stars, he continued speaking: "I assure you I am sufficiently warm to sleep out here if I should decide to and with such a beautiful sky I just might." Gerdric nodded at this, Baldric did not need to look at him to know that. Hearing the crunching of boots upon the path, he waved his guard away. His eyes remained on the sky, inspecting a star that seemed strangely close to the moon. Had it always been like that? He could not tell and studying the stars was not all that widely done. Perhaps he could find an interested scholar to sponsor? Before he could entirely weigh up the amount of money invested compared to the enjoyment he might derive from hearing more about the celestial bodies, the footsteps stopped behind him. He turned to face the arrival and bowed deeply: "Your majesty, I am glad to see you managed to find the time to meet me." There was a chuckle: "Do you never tire of these meeting in the gardens Baldric? Especially in the middle of the night." Straightening, Baldric smiled at Godwin: "I fear I will never quite get over it, no. My flair for the dramatic acting up perhaps, though judging by your inauguration, I would say that we share this flair. It takes effort to impress the way you did, though perhaps it just comes naturally." The figure in front of him was standing in the shadows, preventing Baldric from making out the expression his king wore but there was another chuckle: "I must make an impression. I will be the pillar this country stands upon from now on. There cannot be any doubt about that."

A moment of silence, then he stepped out into the moonlight, his face worried, appearing almost shy to speak now: "I assume you and my sister are still close? She trusts you?" Baldric kept his expression carefully neutral as he answered: "I do believe so." Godwin began pacing back and forth, his unhappiness showing clearly now. The sword at his hip caught Baldric's gaze as he watched the man before him struggling to continue the conversation. He spoke quietly now, giving the usurper a reassuring smile: "Godwin, you are not only my king, you are among my closest friends. You can speak freely with me. Whatever you require of me, I shall do my best to supply it, be it a sharp sword or good advice." His words had the effect he had hoped. The king took a deep breath and stood up straight, once more exhibiting the royal aura that he so easily wore about him at other times. Baldric suddenly felt reminded of how he had watched this man duel three of his very own royal guards with such ease that it seemed as if he was merely warming up. Godwin placed his hands on his vassal's shoulders, speaking in a strong yet conspirative voice: "My friend, I fear this time I will require all that and more. You know I granted my sister mercy. Stag's Rest was given to her when I could have taken everything. Some among the court may perceive this as weakness, but I do not care for the whispering of cowards. But now I must find they may be right! She has hired mercenaries. Mercenaries! I want to trust her, trust that she will do what is best for Arlon but how can I after she did that?"

The reassuring smile turned into a predatory grin: "I understand your majesty. I will watch over your sister."

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