Carack

Ch3 p2

‘Good morning once more, my Lord Hugh, permit me to formally introduce myself to you, I am the High Lord Madron, servant and confidante of the High King Pirran, ruler of the western edge, master of all Somerdor and this is my daughter Morvah. My pride and joy, a credit to her mother and her teachers.’

‘You are kind to say so my dear pater. I greet you Lord Hugh and welcome you to our humble castle.’ She bowed her head towards him and reached to select a peach from the pile in front of her. She turned it around in her delicate hand, which was emphasised by a large red ring she wore on one of her slender fingers, slowly surveying the fruit with a penetrating gaze before she picked up the small silver knife on her plate and dissected the peach with it it. Gerent gulped and replied, ‘Oh er, ah, thanks very much I – I’m pleased to be here.’ ‘That’s a lame stupid thing to say’, he thought to himself, ‘bet she’s really impressed. He gave a weak smile.

‘Please help yourself to contents of the dishes you see before you in order to break your fast and as you do so we will discuss the events for the day. I do hope your injury will not inconvenience you too much, I have had my surgeon dress the limb for you, it will, I am sorry to say, take some time to heal, should you need assistance my servants will help you, please eat.’ Madron gesticulated at the laden dishes and helped himself from a silver dish laden with glossy purple grapes, which he then proceeded to peel before slowly placing them in his mouth and chewing. Gerent watched him fascinated and replied:

‘Thanks, it feels much better for the bandages, I’ll be Ok.’ Gerent noticed that after each grape Madron inspected his slender fingers and long white nails, as if to ascertain that they had not been damaged in the process. Gerent glanced along the table and piled his plate with pastries that oozed with sticky apricot topping. Cramming them in and swigging orange juice he listened to Madron outline the ceremonies he had organised for the day in honour of Gerent’s, or Hugh’s, as Madron believed him to be, arrival.  

There was to be a parade of the burghers of Netherzoyland, the town surrounding the castle. Gerent didn’t know what ‘the burghers of the town’ were but he assumed they weren’t the kind of burger he got from the local fast food place at home. Madron explained that they were to view this parade from a balcony in the castle and it would be an opportunity for the people to see Hugh for the first time.

When Madron asked Gerent if the arrangements suited him Gerent nodded, swallowed and asked:

‘Do you know how I got here and how I can get home?’

There was a merry peal of delicate laughter from Morvah at this question, but Madron frowned and said:

‘Ah yes, you came in a cart, but the idiot I trusted has been duly reprimanded for his failure.’

‘No, I mean how-’, Gerent stopped as Madron rose from the table and said:

‘I have taken the liberty of having some suitable armour brought from our store for you as I presume you have none of your own.’ Gerent shook his head, ‘it is a mere hauberk, a gold engraved breast plate and helmet,’ he said, ‘But it will impress the town’s people.’ Madron went on to explain that after a lunch, where it sounded to Gerent that half the town would be present, they were to attend the meetinghouse to give thanks to the Buccas for Hugh’s safe arrival from the far land. Gerent sighed, it sounded like church to him, and Madron went on to detail an evening feast, which would contain entertainments and song.

‘Once this day has passed we will be able to talk on serious matters, but the peasants must have their celebrations first.’ Madron concluded, Gerent felt uneasiy at the hint of a sneer in every word that came from Madron, unless it was directed toward, or about Morvah, his daughter. But, he thought that Madron meant to discuss his return home tomorrow and so he said no more.

‘Really, if I may say so my dear pater, you indulge the masses too much.’

‘My own little one, we do not have such power yet that we can overlook their wants. But soon, perhaps very soon, now that we have Hugh to help us, that may change. Do the arrangements suit you my Lord Hugh?’ Madron smiled in a cold sort of way at Gerent.

‘Oh, er yeh, whatever you say, it’s gonna take me some time to get used to being here so I’ll go with the flow. Do you rule this land?’ he waved his hand, which contained a half eaten pasty, toward the view beyond the balcony.

‘Indeed.’ Madron replied inclining his head.

‘Then how come you have to do what the people want, I thought rulers did what they liked. I mean I would. Why have all this do if you don’t want it, I wouldn’t care, I don’t think it would matter if people don’t get their celebrations’ Gerent hoped he would get Madron to cancel the day’s events as he felt it would be embarrassing and tedious.

Madron laughed softly and turned to Morvah:

‘You see my daughter, it is as I have told you, Hugh is quite of our way of thinking. Should you find it pleasing a union between you would be most satisfying.’

Gerent nearly choked, ‘hey!’ he thought, ‘I like the girl but they’re thinking of marriage already?’