A Crown Of Blades(ARTK, Book 3)

Chapter 29-30

Anor 23rd,3330 A.G

Nara looked back at her giants, at the three human men assigned to protect her that likely felt useless. Not only were she one of the most renowned warriors of their time, Andre and her husband had tagged along too. Ysmen and Renard rode beside her, Andruche and Eudo behind- along with some Narenian soldier plucked from the masses so it wouldn't look like she were only choosing her closest friends for assignments(she were).

  The soldiers seemed to grow more restless with each "break" period, wanted more and more to do- and another battle or five to win. That day would come, just not today- and it annoyed the hells out of them.

  On top of that she'd begun to show( Ysmen  said earlier that most, later than some), and it reminded her husband of just how pregnant she were; how dangerous their jobs were. He hadn't left her alone a single moment, and she were very close to commanding him to fuck off.

  "Is this shipwright... good at what he does my queen?" Eudo grimaced, imagining being sent across the short sea in one of those things.

  "He's Overseen the building of dozens of ships that he designed almost all of. Including... two of ours. Why do you ask?" Nara frowned.

  "Well- those." He slightly cocked his head forward as they approached a lake in the forest, large enough for this man's tests. As none of them had ever seen one, they weren't sure exactly what that involved- but there were twenty or so failed models at the lake's edge, some had just a few scratches on the bottoms, holes in the sides- others were barely recognizable as boats. "I imagine someone who's.... good at their job wouldn't have to... whatever it is he's doing right now."

  The shipwright were currently kneeling, holding a model up to the sun and mumbling. He had a crazed look in his eyes, but Nara could dismiss that as a side affect of sleep deprivation. She were paying him very well for his time, at least.

  "Sir-" Nara called out, ignoring Eudo. "How is the work going?"

  As he stood, his movements were jerky- and it became more obvious that he hadn't brushed his hair in months. "My queen... my king... oh there was a rough start... to tell you the truth I believed your request to be unreasonable in the beginning, but I've never shyed away from a challenge."

  "You are the greatest shipwright the world has ever seen." Nara started to dismount on her own, but Renard got down from his quickly and insisted on helping. As the others got themselves down, she rolled her eyes. "I should hope not. You sent a messenger?"

  The shipwright nodded quickly as Nara remembered their first conversation.

  "This is... a lot of coin my queen." He'd gulped. "What exactly do you want me to do with it?"

  "What you do best." She'd shrugged. "And what was discussed with you earlier, remember? I want you to design me a ship. Only I want these ones to be about a thousand times bigger and a thousand times stronger than a one person messenger boat."

  "My queen the... messenger boats are already as strong as they can be. And if I tried to use one as a base for this new model, the amount of Ashhand iron would sink your thousand men before that boat were a thousand paces out."

  "Then don't base it off the messenger boats." She'd said. "Try something new. Isn't that how all great inventions start?"

  He'd nodded, started mumbling about all the materials he'd need just for the tests- and walked off without any sort of bow. Nara had decided then and there that she liked him.