Wherever I Am

Chapter 20 - Part 3

Confirmation came mid-morning via a rider, another squire, who announced that Lady Lauretti had arrived at Lord Tiber's northern Primori of Lunca shortly after dark. She'd arrived with a half-dozen Realm members on horseback and a loaded wagon. The transport rings at Uncle John's and that other world weren't big enough to handle a horse-drawn wagon. Something else to learn about sometime in the future, I supposed.

They planned to leave at first light this morning, along with the Primor and four contingents, though only those on horseback would be arriving first. Those on foot would travel with the wagon and come sometime tomorrow.

Ellie asked about the others from the Realm, but none of them were our parents. Two about our age, plus four twenty-somethings, with Lauretti being the oldest. Nobody seemed familiar, with some of them blond and blue-eyed, though the girl our age had a complexion more little like the natives, dark-haired but with a broad streak of white.

I dismissed the youth to get food and rest, though he requested a fresh horse to ride back to Lauretti's group and ride in with them since he was the Primor's squire. He seemed in awe of Lauretti and the others and didn't want to miss the chance of being with the demigods, as he seemed to see them.

Once he left, I asked Emil to tell me more about Lauretti. He'd perked up at the news she was in-country and even more at the question.

"The stories say that she rode with Crown Lord John of the Realm when he first conquered here some two centuries ago. They say she was a teen, maybe fifteen, but already skilled with weaponry and unorthodox fighting methods. Somewhat like yourself, Lord Kevin, if I may say so. I understand you took down that foreign fighter with a kick to the face."

"I did," I agreed, then sighed.

That may have gotten more people killed. Had I run my dagger through his eye instead, less may have died. I definitely would have been dead if the grenades had been detonated right away, and...well...Adrian and Filip would already have been too close, so I don't know if it would've been much different. Maybe just other people killed. Perhaps the fourth guy would've just waited for the most opportune time to create the most havoc, assuming that's not what already happened.

Emil frowned slightly at my expression before continuing. He'd fought in a number of battles, so maybe he recognized whatever my face showed. I assumed that Tiber also fought, but I didn't know much about him, except that he'd replaced a Burgrave before his predecessor could put his plans for a coup into action a few years ago.

"She has lived here for extended periods over the last two centuries and ruled in Crown Lord John's place during times when he wasn't here. Lady Lauretti raised families here but took the children away by their mid-teens, rarely to be seen again. It's said that there were some occasions when one of her children would come to rule in her place. They didn't look any older than you though they'd been gone for a couple of decades. After meeting the two of you, I am wondering about the stories and if they used us as a training ground for ruling a country. If I may ask, how are you related to Lady Lauretti?"

I laughed at that. "That's getting to be a more interesting question all the time, Lord Emil. She said she's a distant cousin, though I had no idea how distant." I looked over at Ellie. "We haven't seen any of our grandparents since we were little, and our lineage has never really been discussed."

"I suppose she could even be our five times over great-grandmother for all we know," Ellie interjected. "Maybe we're the latest generation of rulers, but if we are, it would've been nice for them to tell us. Of course, Kevin's much more the ruler type than I am. If I had to do it, all the Burgraves would probably be planning a coup to take me out." She smiled at Tiber as she said that.

Tiber smiled back. "I doubt it would come to that, Maid Elexus. If nothing else, the stories say that doing anything like that would be signing our own death warrants. Crown Lord John would appear from nowhere with an army of highly trained fighters and decimate all who participated. That alone is enough to halt any transgressions against the Realm. Besides, after Lord Kevin's injuries, you did take charge and appointed the best person to handle the crisis." He gave a nod to Emil.

"At the same time, other decisions you needed to make at the time were made decisively, which is what we needed. When Lord Kevin reappeared after his...revitalization...he did the same. And even before, prompting our late Regent into actions that we Burgraves seemed unable to cause. There is now hope that we can reclaim the lands Sandoval has taken and bring the Sobecks to heel. You seemed to be of like mind with your brother on those issues, so I'm sure you would've done the same, had it been up to you."

Ellie squirmed under the praise. "Thank you, Lord Tiber. I hope that what you said would be true. At the same time, I've been repeatedly told that I'm not behaving as a Lady or Maid should, and I have no intention to do so."

Tiber laughed. "You are the talk of the Ladies again this morning, Maid Elexus, with your training of both your Maids of Honor and Lord Kevin's pages and squire. I saw a little of your training, with all the Maids riding astride, and you even found ponies for Maid Oana and Master Radu. You are very unorthodox, but at the same time, your teaching seems effective. Maybe not ladylike, but I will give no complaints and advise my Lady to offer none."

"Tomorrow, I will have them back out with the archery targets set up." Ellie gestured like she was drawing back a bow. "I've also enlisted a few soldiers who had been trained in the bow to help. They found some child-sized bows, so even Radu and Oana will be joining us. Sorina is now able to join us, and when Zoe and Mihai are healed up enough, I'll have them out there, too."

Tiber raised his eyebrows. "Common soldiers with our fine young maids?"

"They will behave themselves, and our fine young maids had better do the same. These are older soldiers who could be the girls' fathers. The younger soldiers haven't had the training. I'm also hoping that Kevin will join us to assess the soldiers' archery training. It has been a while."

I laughed. "And you'll be assessing mine."

She smiled back. "Of course."