| Marc Pelzer | Lorys Germany
How could he dare?! Running off with the court magician and doing so in front of everyone! After his father’s death, he had raised him like his own son. And what did he get in return? A knife in the back. Bitterly, the duke tried to calm himself. It took all his strength to manage it. He turned away from the two and stomped towards the buffet, making a painstaking effort to show no one his anger to avoid drawing attention to the matter. With diplomatic skill, he swallowed his fury. Fortunately, the Prince of Redwood was occupied at the other end of the hall. It was his daughter whom the duke intended to pair with his captain, to bring the eastern part of the duchy closer. The people there had long felt they could secede and proclaim their own small duchy. Often, war had been just a stone’s throw away, but clever negotiation had always maintained inner peace. The unique opportunity of a marriage could resolve this issue once and for all. To jeopardize all of this was foolish, even idiotic of the young man. Perhaps he did not even understand the far-reaching consequences his mere behavior at this festivity could have. He would deal with him and Yaena tomorrow.
The celebration was over, and the guests, once again, had undoubtedly had the best time of their lives. However, this was not true for everyone. Gemon had not slept a single second that night. He had left the feast directly when the duke’s gaze had confronted him. Now, he had been summoned to the smaller throne room. He had a terrible premonition. Was he not allowed to enjoy himself? Why did the old man always become so grumpy? As he walked through the castle, his uneasy feeling grew stronger, something made his organs knot and his blood freeze. Normally, he was not afraid of the duke. He was like a father to him and despite the many stupidities and mistakes he had made in his past, the duke had always been fair to him. That did not mean Gemon had never been punished, quite the contrary, but the punishments had always been reflective. As he arrived at the throne room, he could already hear the duke’s angry voice, berating Yaena. According to his words, her behavior yesterday had been a danger to politics. Uncomprehending and now himself flaring up in anger, Gemon shook his head and opened the door.
The duke fell silent and waited for him to approach the throne. He saw Yaena, close to tears. He swallowed, there was no more anger in him, not a spark of fighting spirit, and he realized that he might have indeed made a mistake. “You know why I am angry with you?” Eldric Valerian asked him, his voice now somewhat tempered. “Duke, forgive me,” Gemon deliberately addressed him with his title, hoping to defuse the situation, “you promised me to another woman, and I disregarded that.” The duke grimly nodded: “At least smart enough to see your own mistake, even if foolish enough to make it! You two are, alongside my advisors, the highest-ranking people at the court. I know you are young, but it is damn hard to find a better magician than you, Yaena.” His words calmed her slightly, as she seemed to only now realize the problem that had occurred yesterday. “And you, Gemon, as captain of the guard, you are supposed to protect me! And correct me if I’m wrong, but a duke in the midst of a civil war or even worse is not particularly well situated.”
The confusion was written all over Gemon’s face. He avoided the gaze of his counterpart. The duke then began to explain in detail how, sixty years ago, the last advisor from the Principality of Redwood had betrayed the duchy to the then reigning king from the House of Delmont during the Great War of the Seven Kingdoms. Since then, a rift had been struck between the principality and the ducal house, and trust had never been fully restored. Eldric intended to perform this long-overdue act now. Since he had no sons, Gemon, as a person close to the duke, had been chosen to marry the heiress of Redwood. This would even be a social ascent for him, as he would become the heir of the prince, should the old man not have another son.
Yaena was shaken; everything she heard was new to her. The internal politics of the duchy were not her responsibility, and she had never been interested in them. But above all, she was furious with Gemon. If he had not dragged her into this whole mess and had told the truth directly, the duke would not have been so angry with her. Unlike him, she could not rely on noble birth. If she were expelled from the court, she would have nothing left. When the duke had finished and delivered a clear decree, she stormed out of the hall. Gemon wanted to speak with her, but she ignored his words. She strode towards the east wing. He followed her. Briefly, she considered erecting a magical barricade behind her to keep him at bay. She drew magic into her hands and formed the rune structure with her fingers, but the light that gathered in her palms was too weak. It shattered like glass, and the few shards burned out in a bright light on the floor. What the hell was going on? Was she that agitated? Gemon was still talking to her. She didn’t understand a word, deliberately tuning him out because she didn’t care. Finally, she reached her chamber, quickly opened it, and slammed the heavy door shut in the face of the man she had kissed just yesterday. Idiot!
The celebration was over, and the guests, once again, had undoubtedly had the best time of their lives. However, this was not true for everyone. Gemon had not slept a single second that night. He had left the feast directly when the duke’s gaze had confronted him. Now, he had been summoned to the smaller throne room. He had a terrible premonition. Was he not allowed to enjoy himself? Why did the old man always become so grumpy? As he walked through the castle, his uneasy feeling grew stronger, something made his organs knot and his blood freeze. Normally, he was not afraid of the duke. He was like a father to him and despite the many stupidities and mistakes he had made in his past, the duke had always been fair to him. That did not mean Gemon had never been punished, quite the contrary, but the punishments had always been reflective. As he arrived at the throne room, he could already hear the duke’s angry voice, berating Yaena. According to his words, her behavior yesterday had been a danger to politics. Uncomprehending and now himself flaring up in anger, Gemon shook his head and opened the door.
The duke fell silent and waited for him to approach the throne. He saw Yaena, close to tears. He swallowed, there was no more anger in him, not a spark of fighting spirit, and he realized that he might have indeed made a mistake. “You know why I am angry with you?” Eldric Valerian asked him, his voice now somewhat tempered. “Duke, forgive me,” Gemon deliberately addressed him with his title, hoping to defuse the situation, “you promised me to another woman, and I disregarded that.” The duke grimly nodded: “At least smart enough to see your own mistake, even if foolish enough to make it! You two are, alongside my advisors, the highest-ranking people at the court. I know you are young, but it is damn hard to find a better magician than you, Yaena.” His words calmed her slightly, as she seemed to only now realize the problem that had occurred yesterday. “And you, Gemon, as captain of the guard, you are supposed to protect me! And correct me if I’m wrong, but a duke in the midst of a civil war or even worse is not particularly well situated.”
The confusion was written all over Gemon’s face. He avoided the gaze of his counterpart. The duke then began to explain in detail how, sixty years ago, the last advisor from the Principality of Redwood had betrayed the duchy to the then reigning king from the House of Delmont during the Great War of the Seven Kingdoms. Since then, a rift had been struck between the principality and the ducal house, and trust had never been fully restored. Eldric intended to perform this long-overdue act now. Since he had no sons, Gemon, as a person close to the duke, had been chosen to marry the heiress of Redwood. This would even be a social ascent for him, as he would become the heir of the prince, should the old man not have another son.
Yaena was shaken; everything she heard was new to her. The internal politics of the duchy were not her responsibility, and she had never been interested in them. But above all, she was furious with Gemon. If he had not dragged her into this whole mess and had told the truth directly, the duke would not have been so angry with her. Unlike him, she could not rely on noble birth. If she were expelled from the court, she would have nothing left. When the duke had finished and delivered a clear decree, she stormed out of the hall. Gemon wanted to speak with her, but she ignored his words. She strode towards the east wing. He followed her. Briefly, she considered erecting a magical barricade behind her to keep him at bay. She drew magic into her hands and formed the rune structure with her fingers, but the light that gathered in her palms was too weak. It shattered like glass, and the few shards burned out in a bright light on the floor. What the hell was going on? Was she that agitated? Gemon was still talking to her. She didn’t understand a word, deliberately tuning him out because she didn’t care. Finally, she reached her chamber, quickly opened it, and slammed the heavy door shut in the face of the man she had kissed just yesterday. Idiot!