Let's see what awaits...

4th Maludae, the 26th day of the month of Semens (Sem), the 3672nd year of Salvation's Landing

As the group made their way through the estate grounds, Princess Katya gave the order for Reglin to lead the procession to the hedge maze. Once in, the Princess kept giving orders as where to turn, with an apparent destination in mind within the maze. Needing to provide direction, the Princess had made her way to the front of the gaggle of ladies, and was almost pleasant in her tone, if a bit short.

After some time of walking in the gigantic maze, they finally reached Katya’s intended destination. A dead end that former a rounded cul de sac of sorts with three rounded benches. The girls made their way to the seats, leaving the middle most space available for the Princess, save the northern ladies who preferred to stand.

Reglin took a post where he was able to watch over the ladies as well as the pathway that they had come from, drawing his two-handed flamberge and grounding the point softly in the grass, both hands placed over the pommel. The blade drew a few appraising eyes, evaluating the oddly exotic blade. He watched as Katya smoothed her dress and sat, her voice rose and everyone else’s fade to silence, “So, here we are, guardsman. I told you that I had some questions for you. And I’m sure Lady Falina will have her own as well. Her house resides out on the Marches and their success is directly reflect in those campaigns.”

Nodding at the opening from the Princess, “I understand. You perhaps want some firsthand knowledge of how it fares, I suppose? I will do my best to impart the knowledge I have concisely…” His eyes drifting over the gauging ladies’ eyes and to the sole point of possible danger.

With her own curt nod, Katya went on, “Let us start simply… Tell us where you were, what you did, and the state of things at your leaving.” Reglin noticed Lady Falina’s head nodding at that basic question. Of all in attendance, only her, her handmaid, and the Princess’s faces wore such a look of grim determination.

There was nothing else to look at besides the ladies or the lone exit to their little alcove, so Reglin stared down that opening while nodding, feeling the beauties might distract his thoughts, “Initially, I was deployed with the spearhead in the north. But, within two years, my squad had made its way all the way to the southern front on the Western Marches. We had become a sort of task **** and were sought after by many of the field commanders. We were good at what we did, and word got out. As to how things were when I left? They had stagnated a bit. I was last with the Bulwark. One thousand heavy infantry, supported by five hundred longbowman, and one hundred light cavalry. All knew that this where the action was highest, butting up against the Grim Forest to the south. The forest, of course is where the clans call their stronghold of sorts. As much of one as a loose coalition such as they could have.” Reglin finally turned to look at those with him, focusing primarily on the Princess and Falina.

Both women looked thoughtful, working through his words. Most of the others were talking amongst themselves quietly, apparently not all that interested in the current topic of conversation. But Wilmyna and Freighla seemed attentive at least, looking at his in a way that did not immediately want Reglin to take them then and there. There were measuring him as a warrior if he had his guess. Did he offer enough to impress the two northerners? More than likely, not yet.

It was Lady Falina’s turn to address Reglin, “I wish to know if you happened to be at the Battle of Crag Hill?” Her grim bearing somehow managed to become grimmer with the question.

He shook his head, recalling the battle that took a few years ago. Some of the Polivandrian army overextended itself and ended up routed. A bad day for the kingdom, “I was not, my lady. Our expertise had already taken us further south. What I know of that day, is secondhand at best, unfortunately. But I can tell you what I know if you would like? Is there a particular reason this battle is important to you?”

The Lady’s jaw was set determinedly as she met Reglin’s eyes, “My brother was at that battle. I wish to know what happened besides what has been told to us with all the flowers and pageantry that the **** of a noble heir brings.” Her eyes were intense and made Reglin take stock of the information that he had. She did not want to hear that her brother was the hero of the day. She wanted the straight truth.

Princess Katya’s voice drew Reglin’s eyes when she spoke, “In case you do not know, Guardsman, Lady Falina is the eldest daughter of the Western March Duchy. Her brother was heir to the duchy… and my betrothed.” Those last three words had fire in them, but Reglin was not sure what was behind their heat.

Narrowing his eyes in thought, trying to be as true to his recollection as possible, “Once again, this is secondhand knowledge at best. But from I was told is that the cavalry overextended themselves, outdistancing their support and allowing themselves to be drawn into the woods. The foot could not cover the ground in hopes of relieving the horse. The woods were denser than originally thought and made maneuverability more difficult. Within minutes the horse were wiped away and the foot that wished to make a path for withdrawal for them stuck out in the open for Clan archers to loose volleys upon.” Not knowing the role her brother was in, Reglin decided it was best to not make any judgements on the battle just yet.

Falina, looked thoughtful once again, but Katya went on, “So, by your estimation, the horse were folly in aggressiveness? What I had been told, and I’m sure that Lady Falina has heard something very similar, is that the Polivandrian army was routing the Clans when their witches used their magicks to bring out forces hidden by fog, turning the tide.” To her credit, the Princess looked skeptical. She also was tired of hearing what people thought what she wanted to hear.

“Fogs and other subtleties like that are well within the Clan witches’ capabilities, but this is the first I have heard of it in association with Crag Hill. I think the tale may have been sweetened for Your Highness.” Reglin’s voice was low, trying to make sure his voice did not carry too much, thought the hedges did a fairly decent job of dampening sound.

The ladies nodded, to include Falina’s handmaid, Deela. She seemed to have an interest in this tale as well, it seemed. But it was Falina that spoke, “So, even if it may not be true, the telling of Crag Hill puts the error on the horse? At least, the initial?”

Reglin gave a single nod at that, “That is the only telling that I have heard of it so far, besides what I have heard just now.” Thinking about his own circumstances on the battlefield, he elaborated, “I can understand to some degree. I have seen what can happen with the blood gets hot. But we were fortunate.”

The Princess raised a brow at that statement, but this time it was the Northerner Wilmyna who interjected, “Old war stories are something that I hold dear, guardsman. I would count it a favor if you would tell me one of your own.”

Thinking back on that oddly fateful day, Reglin thought how we would tell this story. He was no singer of stories. He would just tell it like it happened in his eyes, “In the grand scheme of the Kingdom of Polivandria, our role on the Bulwark is to blunt the strength of the Clans while the spearhead to the north will push, following the coast. We are the pivot, while those north of us advance. On the Bulwark, the Lady Falina may know that the land there falls under the Jarldom of Bormley. They are perhaps the newest jarldom and logically, the smallest. This means that expansion of their territory will be hard won given the royal edict.” Falina was nodding, not necessarily in agreement, but more in following the stratagems of the Marches.

Reglin continued, “But the young Count Bormley was intent on doing so. Anyway, there was battle and the Polivandrian army had repelled the Clan forces and set about reforming or ranks and resupplying. But this does nothing for House Bormley. If they wish to expand, they do so at the cost of their own men. His house army was pressing against the forest line, similar to Crag Hill, determined to grab ground for Bormley. And like that, they found themselves in the hornets’ nest. My squad was watching things rather intently, looking to see if we would be needed for our expertise. We saw the error in their ways but didn’t see a need for our usual tactics. I guess we have been spoiling for our own fight, or we just didn’t want to see King’s men die needlessly.” his eyes were looking at the vacant entrance, but slid back over to the ladies again and he noticed that none of the women were carrying on with their small talk. They were all listening to him now. He was not sure how that should make him feel.

He took a deep breath and pushed on, “So, my men and I got our horses and jumped in a stirrup to carry us the relatively short distance and entered the fray. Once there, we left our stirrups and went about cleaving a way to the Count. The heavy that were with us begrudgingly formed up and made the wall of steel that they are so well known for. They did not advance, but they offered us a line to get back to. We made it to the Count, and I managed to hew down those intent on him. I managed to get him to listen and withdraw to the heavies, saving his hide as well as dozens of his House men.”

Princess Katya spoke with a healthy bite of scorn, “A proud man who apparently is not deserving of his lands…” Some of the ladies nodded their agreement, but oddly Falina and Wilmyna did not. But neither spoke as to why they were not necessarily in agreement.

And so, it was on Reglin to be Advocate for the noble, “The Count is in a hard place. Other Houses to the north will push forward with the armies, expanding their territories and their renown. The Bulwark is not a place to win much besides the respect of the soldiers, and that does not get you far in Court.” The Princess looked at him with a gauging eye, Reglin not sure what she was thinking, “But he is an honorable man who admitted his errors and awarded us handsomely for our efforts. After all, we were well withing our rights to just stand aside and watch them perish.”

“An honorable reward for his life… I’d like to know what the farmboy thinks what such a gift really is.” Katya said with a rumble, but it seemed her ire was still with Count Bormley.

Giving a faint smile at that, “Yes, I grew up a poor farmboy. Which is why when he awarded me a parcel of his land three miles by five miles. I could not help but see the generosity in that.” That little nugget caused a few mouths to slacken a bit and brows to climb foreheads.

The Princess went back to her constant peering at him, but Falina broke the silence of a few moments with, “Y-You’re a Baron of my Duchy, it seems…” her voice sounded rather unbelieving of her own words. Both Reglin and Katya snorted and laugh at the same time causing their eyes to meet.

When Katya chose to not go on any further, Reglin told them, “I have been promised land. It has not been awarded yet, but I have the promissory writ from the Count. But that means he will still have to hold the necessary land when I come to call for it. And my men… He gave them all one mile by one-mile writs of land adjacent to my own. So overall, my hunters have five miles squared.”

“Still, you are a Baron-in-waiting, so to speak…” Falina went on, speaking as if she were trying to understand it all still. If the ladies present hadn’t found him to be something intriguing before, they ALL looked at him as he was now. Even the Princess, as odd as that was.

Freighla spoke since the maids were not restricted in any way in this venue, “You said ‘my hunters’… What did you hunt? Besides the obvious Lord in need of having his ass pulled from the fire.” The crassness of the handmaid’s remark made almost all of them titter, and Reglin himself smiled briefly.

But Reglin only gave the her a single word response, perhaps giving in to a sense of melodrama, “Witches…”

The silence that followed was, of course the dramatic effect that he was going for. He found an odd entertainment in telling these high-born ladies these war stories. Perhaps breaking them of a few notions that they may have regarding the world.

Wilmyna’s bold self of course broke the silence, with Reglin noticing a rise in color on her cheeks and was her breathing a bit heavier? Given the ample breasts, he could not mistake that for anything other than that, “So, is that how you got that curvy-bladed sword of yours? If I recall, that is of Clan make, is it not? Not usual to see its like in our armies.” Her voice was excited in its tone. She really did seem to like these stories.

Reglin nodded once more but added a small shrug, “In a round-about way, I suppose. I will make this one a bit briefer. My throat is getting parched…” He made an attempt at some levity and was rewarded with giggles, “Witches are always a thorn in the side of the armies. My unit was very good at sniffing them out and neutralizing them. Anyways, there was a Clan champion that was an otherworldly terror on the battlefield. Traihg was his name. Everyone spoke of how he was eight feet tall and that arrows failed to find a home in his flesh. So, we made our way to the front that Traihg was on, and with some investigating we found that he was the product of three Clan witches magicks. He and his armament were all ensorcelled. Knowing this, we made our way under the cover of night and did our business. So, when the time came for Traihg to face us, he lacked quite a few enhancements that he had become reliant on. I’ll admit he was a good swordsman, but not superhuman. And as I was the one to best him, a Champion’s weapon became my spoils of war. And I was told to wear it by my commanders, as a reminder to the Clans that I had bested one of their best…” With the conclusion of that little tale, Reglin looked back to the vacant space, thinking that he had spoke enough for the time being, hopefully.

The chatter among the women let him relax a bit, realizing that maybe he wouldn’t have to entertain them further. But the Princess spoke for him to hear, “I’ll give you this… You are an interesting farmboy. And your hygiene has improved… slightly.” She had to get her digs in, didn’t she? “Anyway, Let’s be about our way, shall we ladies?” And just like that they were all up in their feet babbling agreement with the Princess.

Over a bit of time, the procession made its way out of the hedge maze on the north side, heading to the back of the grounds. They could see the stables and riding ring straight ahead and the guard training facility to the northwest. To the northeast was the stream and laundry house he was in yesterday.

They had stopped though and Katya looked to the riding ring. There Reglin saw a woman in the distance riding with abandon, jumping obstacles and making sharp cuts. It really was impressive to watch, “My sister, as always… It truly is amazing that she has ridden as she has for all these years and hasn’t managed to break her fool neck.” That caused some more snickering from her little court, “I truly feel sorry for the man that she eventually marries. There is no way that he will measure up for her.” That caused outright laughter. ‘Was that an off-color joke from the Princess of Prudence?’ Reglin thought but showed no visible reaction.

Katya had decided to lead the gaggle to the stables. As they came to the entrance, she said loud enough for everyone within fifty feet to hear, “And as I suspected… My other sweet sister, Yelena. Playing with her creatures…” No one really snickered this time.

Reglin had to peer in from the light into the shadows to make out Yelena’s slender form. She still had that blonde-brown hair with its natural waves in it that she was wearing loose. She was looking down and scratching a baby goat’s forehead. That was really all Reglin could make out from the distance, but he did notice that Yelena didn’t respond to what was a deliberate goad from her elder sister. Reglin saw Yelena’s handmaid sitting on a stool, crocheting and paying the world no mind, it seemed.

Without getting the rise from her sister that she was going for, Katya spoke, “Let us move on, Ladies. Lead the way, Guardsman Reglin.” She put particular emphasis on his name and Reglin, who was still watching Yelena, saw her head snap up and look in their direction. She stared for a few moments, as if trying to make out what she was seeing before the kids butted her hand with its head, drawing her attention back down momentarily.

“You two were playmates in your youth, were you not Guardsman? She had always been about taking in strays…” Katya continued with her barbs, this time for both him and Katya’s younger sister.

Reglin did not answer the Princess, instead watched Yelena for a few more moments before turning and returning to his duty of escorting Katya and her cohorts. She didn’t really want a response. She just wanted to embarrass the two of them in eyes of her colleagues.

Their meanderings were relatively uneventful regarding Reglin. Perhaps they had enough of him? Whatever it was, they gossiped and poked fun at one another, but ignored him from what he could tell. But when he turned around on occasion, he usually caught someone staring in his direction, ‘Interesting indeed…’ he thought. But when the sixth Daybell chimed, Reglin escorted them all back to Princess Katya’s antechamber where they relaxed in the seats around the walls.

Princess Katya approached him at his post next to the hall entry, “That will be all for you this day, Guardsman Reglin. Perhaps I will call on you again, if only to antagonize my sister… I believe she always thought fondly of you. But you may go now…” It seemed as though she was going to say something more, but she left it silent.

Fist to chest and bowing, “A good afternoon to you and your guests, Your Highness. I serve Polivandria.” He said formally to the Princess and turned on his heel, opening the door and heading out to the hall of the palace.

~This is knowledge for the Reader~

The Affection Multiplier

~Mana: 181 (+78) 259 ~

~Mana Channels: ~Labiae Passionii (Lips of Passion) free, ~ Corpu Vigorii (Vigorous Body) 100, ~ Uirtau Proelium (Martial Prowess) 100, ~Mensu Lucidae (Bright Mind) 100, ~ Tactu Beatae (Blissful Touch) 100, ~Plurem Amatrixae Normalii (The Normalcy of Many Loves) 500

~Tabitha~ Affectionae: 100 Erosii: 63 Libidae: 100 (Effective 19)
~Lim~ A: 29
~Boll~ A: 16
~Grahm~ A: 29
~Lina~ A: 29
~Asha~ A: 25 E: 2 L: 2
~Princess Katya~ A: -63 (+8) -52
~Maiden Caterina~ A: 12 (+6) 18 E: 0 (+1) 1 L: 1 (+1) 2
~Maiden Gwynfuir~ A: 10 (+5) 15
~Maiden Erynna~ A: 1 (+4) 5
~Lady Wilmyna~ A: 7 (+10) 17 L: 2 (+3) 5
~Maiden Freighla~ A: 3 (+8) 11 L: 1 (+2) 3
~Lady Falina~ A: 2 (+10) 12
~Maiden Deela~ A: 1 (+8) 9
~Lady Vidala~ A: 2 (+4) 6
~Maid Camilla~ A: 2 (+4) 6 L: 2 (+2) 4
~Night's Shift Guards~ A: (+6)
~Govren~ A: 2