Wherever I Am

Chapter 11 - Part 3

"I'm tired of making nice," Ellie said in a fierce whisper as we rode along the morning of the fourth day. "I just want to go home."

I felt her pain. Everyone wanted to meet us, to be our friends, to suck up to us. It was having the opposite effect. I was beginning to hate all these people. The older ones sounded condescending every time they said 'Lord Kevin of the Realm.' Lauretti's word of "trust nobody" came easy now. Her "respect everyone" was becoming more difficult with each hour.

Our entourage had grown by at least another fifty people. A Primor and his contingents and entourage from the central Burgraviate. That Burgraviate, of course, was named Baemardis just like the capitol, the Realm's keep, and the granite dome it was beside. Was Uncle John this unimaginative, or was it this way before he came here?

Riding through the countryside, you wouldn't think there were that many people living here, let alone this much in just nobility and servants. And each one seemed to need to introduce themselves and their offspring, especially those spawn of marriageable age. Ellie had it worse since it seemed to be the custom for the men and would-be men to kiss the Maid of the Realm's hand.

"I gave up on washing it," she griped. "I hope they catch each other's cooties and die. They all look at me like I'm some sort of trophy to be won."

Every lunch stop and camp, girls from fourteen to thirty-four would parade by so they could be seen by me, and the would-be suitors would do the same for Ellie. They'd keep their distance, but it was like a bunch of preening birds looking for mates, and it was too hot to hide out in the tents that were set up for lunch. The potentially good part of this was that perhaps at least some of them would spot one another and give up on us in favor of one of their own. A bad way to put it, but that's how I felt.

At lunch, I went over to Ellie's area with Adrian and Stefan. We had finally gotten a cold front through a couple of hours earlier, so the temps were in the seventies, though the stiff north wind promised a much cooler night. That seemed wonderful to me. I was sure I'd be complaining about the cold by December, but right now I'd welcome something frigid.

A dozen curtsies as we entered. It wasn't no-man's-land, but you generally needed a purpose, at least if you weren't Realm material. I was, so I took advantage of it.

"To what do I owe the pleasure," Ellie asked, smiling at me and my two ducklings.

"I wished to check on your patients-in-waiting and see how they were doing."

Sorina and Mara turned from their tasks at my voice, then stood and curtsied. I returned it with a slight bow.

"Maid Sorina, your color is better today. Maid Elexus says you are healing properly, and I'm glad to see it with my own eyes." I smiled, and she went pink, then looked off to the right where a gaggle of potential brides 'wandered' about, some fifty feet away.

"I...I am much better, Milord."

I let my smile broaden as I took a step closer. Some understanding showed in her eyes as the pink went to crimson.

I lowered my voice. "I've seen you in battle. Those flowers over there would wilt before a Sobeck even came near. I have no idea what the future holds, even for this evening when we finally get to Baemardis. I did want you to know that you're worth more than that gaggle of simpering girls."

For a moment, I thought she might pass out or run away, but the moment passed, and she curtsied. "Thank you, Milord."

Mara made goo-goo eyes at Sorina, so I turned her way.

"Maid Mara, how is your head?"

"The headaches...they are gone, Milord," she responded timidly, "and my vision is fine, too."