Lèse-majesté

Part 28

Chapter 27

The day before, not long after Lady Theodora sent out her letters, Astrid and her entourage arrived at the first village in her fiefdom that was closest to the Capital. To say that they were stunned by what they saw would be an understatement.

Astrid, who had once toured these villages with her mother, had known them as being vibrant and full of life. Not a trace of that vitality could be seen in these people. The houses in the village were unkempt and some were falling apart. The people shied away as her carriage passed through. Their fear was evident. She could taste it in the air. Even Atali and Hiccup looked disturbed by what they saw.

"I failed as a Noble," Astrid uttered as she turned away from the carriage window, unable to bear to see her people's suffering.

"You've only just become the Marchioness," Hiccup told her. "You aren't to blame for this,"

"Am I not?" Astrid whispered as her hands clenched in her skirts. "I should have asked. I should have asked father how he was managing the territory. Yet, I left it in his hands all these years."

"Miss... please excuse my language, but that's a load of crock," Atali stated. "Lord Anderson would have immediately dismissed you had you asked. There was nothing you could do then because you weren't of age. But you are now and you care. You see this..." She gestured to the state of the village outside and then continued. "You see this and you care. No one can blame you for the past. You were powerless by the laws of this land until you became an adult. You care enough to blame yourself for their suffering miss. I know you will do right by these people,"

The convoy stopped in front of what should have been the village Head's cottage, which didn't look much better than the rest of the houses they had passed. The paint was chipped, the wood was rotting and Astrid was sure that the roof seemed leaky. She frowned as she stepped out of the carriage and took a better look at her surroundings. The ground was muddy so she lifted her skirts slightly to get around better. She then spotted something just as an elderly man ran outside to greet them, or that was what she had thought initially. He fell on his knees in front of Astrid and pleaded with her; not out of happiness to see his Lord, but to beg for her not to take his granddaughter away.

"What in Thor's name?" Astrid asked aloud as she instinctively took a step back from the groveling man.

"Sir please raise your head," Hiccup said and reached out a hand to help the elderly man up. He saw how uncomfortable Astrid seemed by the sudden groveling and wondered what had transpired in this village.

"YOU GET YER MITTS OFF MY GRAMPS!" A highpitched voice shouted and Hiccup had to cover his face as dirt and rocks were thrown at him.

"Hey!"

"Wait!" He shouted as a rock nearly hit his forehead.

"Stop will you!" The knights moved to cover both Hiccup and Astrid while Atali was the one to lunge at the young lady kicking up a storm.

"Let me go! LET ME GO!" The young lady screamed as Atali had gotten a good grip on her, pinning her hands together behind her back and slamming her to the ground as she didn't know just how much of a threat this young lady posed to her mistress.

"I'll never go with ye!" The girl screamed. "Ya can tell Julius to eat a pigs as-"

"ENOUGH!" Astrid interrupted the tirade with her authoritative voice. "What in bloody blue blazes is going on here?!"

"Miss! Please! Spare my daughter! She didn't mean it!" The grandfather uttered desperately.

"Of course I meant it!" The woman exclaimed in defiance. "I will never give that bastard my body!"