The White Rose

High Summer Mynscalde

We arrived back in Mynscalde for the late spring festival to honour the gods for the coming harvest. The Priests blessed the fields, the flocks, and all the stock in our fields. We held a festival for the peasant's and tenants of our farms. Father went with some of the knights back to the stone keep in a nearby town for the training of pages and squires. Mother and I went-around to all the villages to deliver charity. the announcement came that Leethia had a daughter. She said they were naming her Maerdrid after mother and her husband's mother Maersa.
Still no word came from the court. The gowns I'd had given me by the king were still at court for what would I need with such fancy clothing here in Mynscalde? Then a messenger came to the hall in the midst of another long day and mother fed him. He bowed and said, "My Lord Baron, the King is coming to Mynscalde in three days."
Never had I seen mother and father so worried. the castle was scrubbed by women who'd been brought in from surrounding villages. The candles brought out only for religious festivals unwrapped and brought out. the best wine and ale brung up from the cellars. Father went with some of the woodsmen to gather what they could in the way of game and wild vegetables and mushrooms.
My brother now eight could train as a page and so he was gone. Leethia was managing her estate and so she couldn't come. Wild honey was brought up from some of the hives, fish caught all in preparation for the king. From sun up to sundown we worked making sure there was enough provision for the king. We didn't know who he'd bring or how long he'd stay.
Then as I was talking with one of the peasants about the crop yields this year we heard the thunder of horses. There he was, the king astride his black charger. Now swathes of velvet. No clothing of royal rank. Behind him in wagons rode a few of the courtiers among them his brother Duke Raynald and his family, the count and countess of Ailshum, the Depoles, and Lady Alura's family the Raiverns.
The king dismounted from his charger as the peasant gathered around in their farm clothing of good homespun wool and stood around bowing. I heard one such utter quietly, "Kore that there be the King." Then a cheer rose up from the peasantry of "Gods bless ye Majesty!"
The king came forward and nodded tofather, "Baron Bernald,  Baroness Ardrid." "I hear there is happy news in the Barony of Treath?" "Yes Majesty it seems that our daughter Leethia has had a daughter, her name is Maerdrid." The king doffed his hat of good emerald wool and bowed to her, "then you would receive this purse of gold, as the grandmother of a first daughter?" "I have already sent a purse to the Barony as well."
Father nodded and took it, "Welcome to Mynscalde Majesty." The king smiled, ?these must be some of your hard worker's?" Father nodded. the king gestured to one of the men, a stalky man in grey tunic and trousers, "And you are sir?" He asked. the man nervously ran his hand over a head of brown hair shorn close to the head and bowed, "I be Daigon Sire." "Were you at the last battle with Purth?" "Aye sire that I were." "Good man." "Without your service we would still be fighting the Purthians." "Aye Sire, it were a pleasure, a right good'n fer ta serve ye." "How many children have you?" Asked the king seemingly very interested, "I has twa sons, Lasal and Brayde, Lasal be nigh on twalve year now." "And Brayde he really wants ter be a knight in your service but I tole im tha's fer the likes of nobleman's children." "How old is Brayde?" "Ah Sire he be nigh on eight year now, at the feast of the high Summer Gods fest." "Would you bring him here?" "Aye Sire that I will." With that the man hurried off shouting, "the king spoke ter me."
Mother nodded to the king, "If the others should like to step inside, and you too Sire." the king nodded and soon they were all seated at the high table with good ale and bread, meat and cheese. Daigon brought in Brayde a blonde haired youth, he still wore his childhood smock of brown homespun. "Bow befer the king." Said Daigon as they approached the table. Brayde bowed and the king looked him over, "Brayde is it?" "Aye yes sir." "Call im Sire." Murmured his father, "Yes Sire." Said the boy. He was a bit tall for his age, lean and fit, his blue eyes looking down at the clean rushes on our floor, "Your father tell me you want to be a knight but you can't go because of the cost?" "Aye Sirra, I mean, Sire, that be for true." "Did you know your father fought at the battle of Purth?" "Aye Sire that he told me." "Well Brayde you know being a-knight is hard work?" "Aye Sire that be true, ye need ta fight for honour, save the damsels, be noble and fair." "And you also need to listen to your overlord." Said the king, "Aye sire aye, for a knight is trained by his overlord, his lordly man who's done bled and fought for this our land."
The king smiled at Brayde, "And you want all that even though its hard work?" "Aye Sire more'n anythin." The king nodded, "It will be separation from you all." Daigon nodded, "Aye sire i know." "And your wife?""She knows the boy's wishes." "Is that she there?" Asked the King, "Aye Sire tha's me Bess, her proper name be Besnava." Bessnava nodded and curtseyed, "Kore, I mean, beggin your pardon Sire." "Daigon be speaking for true bout the boy, Brayde has wanted to be a knight." "Well then he must start out as a page." "If you are wishing, he can come train at the palace." "He'll start out as a court page, then when he's fourteen he'll be mentored by a knight, and start his squire training." "If he passes the ordeals and becomes a knight, I'll gift him with a title." "How does Lord Brayde sound?" Brayde blushed, "Aye sire that sounds right good of ya." "Thank ye Sire."
"Right then." Sid the King, "When we leave Mynscalde you will be among the pages." Said the king. He nodded as Daigon and the little family left. "That was a lovely thing you did for the boy." Said father, "I wanted to sponsor him but." "It would be seen as an unfair advantage since you are the Baron here?" Said the king, "Yes Majesty." The king ate his meal and said, "I care how your people are, I care about all my people." "Especially these since they are part of Lady Kathlynne." He turned to me, "kKathlynne would you like to hunt tomorrow?" "If there's game about?" "Yes Majesty." I said softly, "Good then." "Lady Kathlynne you know these three?" The three girls all looked around with interest, "This isn't a bad place, for a Barony." Said Melique. I blushed. "Baronies aren't Duchies Melique." Said the Duke angrily.