Two Kingdoms 33: Carnevale

[DoctorM]

TWO KINGDOMS 33: CARNEVALE

This is the thirty-first part of an AU construction about a Gwynedd where the duel at Kelson Haldane's coronation went very differently indeed. We are now almost three years into the Gwynedd Wars-- Charissa's new kingdom at Valoret against the Haldanes in the south and the kingdom of Torenth in the east. This episode follows immediately after "Crescents". As always, comments and suggestions are very much appreciated.

****

Christian looks up from his worktable and the stack of notes and maps. Aurelian is there at the window, changed back from ducal finery into Inquisitor's grey and black. "Where'd the queen get to?"

Aurelian turns back to him. Down there in the courtyard witch-lights are drifting over crowds that spill back through the palace gates and into the streets of Tolan-by-Sea. "She took her women out exploring," Aurelian says. "They're out in the city tonight. Lionel's rented half the streets and bought up half the wine in town to celebrate. She's out showing it all off to her ladies."

Christian raises an eyebrow and Aurelian shakes his head. "Al-Fayturi and Rizak are both with her, with half a dozen Moors. Colforth's there, too— with half a dozen Tolan Guard of his own. And I have some of my people in the crowds. She's safe tonight."

Christian  nods. "I'm used to her taking care of herself. She's good at it, too. But I'm her Remembrancer and her consort both. I'm supposed to worry."

Aurelian laughs. "The Moors and Colforth both are with her. I'd hate to be anyone trying to get through them. Even if I happened to be Rhydon, getting past that lot and coming to face-to-face with her wouldn't be anything I'd look forward to."

Christian pours more wine for himself and passes a cup to Aurelian. "I'd love to see that— al-Fayturi putting a blade into effing Rhydon. Or Rhydon trying to trade strikes with  Charissa. You know who my money's on."

"Mine, too. And if the queen's out stalking the night with her ladies, just what are you doing?"

Christian gestures across the table. "Making notes," he says. "Writing down what happened today. When the Gwynedd Wars get to be history, history is going to be very kind to us. Because I'll be the one writing it."

Aurelian pulls up a chair. He leans forward under pale witch-light and looks over a half-rolled map of Tolan and Marluk. "Be sure to write about how clever the queen's advisors were in the wars, won't you?"

Christian laughs. "Mostly I'll be writing about how good-looking the queen's consort was. But I'll get to the high politics part."

Aurelian lifts his wine cup to him. "Well, when you get to that part... We had a good day today. We've had a good week diplomatically. Arjenol, Kulnan, Lorsol. They're all tied to the new kingdom one way or another. But Wencit's going to respond. You know that."

"I know. Right now we just wait. It won't be long. Wencit's been holding back, trying to bring Lionel back into the fold. But now he has to respond. And soon."

"He's kept quiet. The front in the Rheljans has stabilized. He hasn't sent Rhydon after us yet. But from everything I know about him, he's no fool. He won't just watch his whole western flank slip away."

"He'll start with his lawyers. He'll start that way. He's going to declare lands forfeit and titles vacant. He'll declare Tolan and Marluk forfeit to the Torenthi crown. He'll do the same with Kulnan; Kulnan's pledged fealty to the Queen. He'll outlaw Lionel and the Lorsols, too. He won't try to confiscate Arjenol, I think— the rest of the Torenthi nobles won't like to see the crown take so much. But he'll outlaw lots of Lionel's people and name a new duke. Try to start a fight inside Arjenol."

"Maybe I'll keep track of Lionel's half-brothers. Especially the one he didn't bring."

"Teymuraz. That's not the worst idea you've had. Let's do that."

Aurelian is looking up at the witch-lights floating over them. "That leaves him with Sasovna and Truvorsk in the west. I think Csorna and Sosna, too. Lionel's people tell me maybe half the Jandrich lords will stay with Wencit. He has the Northlands as well. I don't know enough about the East,  but Central Torenth has lots of men and money."  He taps with two fingers on the map of Tolan. "The queen's joined Lionel as duchess of Tolan and Marluk, not as queen of Tolan and the West. You know these people; you grew up around them. If Wencit declares her duchies forfeit, will anybody pay attention?"

"Some of the Netterhavens, sure. In Jandrich and Nordmark they'd love to get pieces of Tolan and Marluk."

"Is it time to ask questions about our friend in Marbury?"

"I don't think so. Brechlin tells me Marley is looking at Cassan and Claibourne. But, you know, let's keep an eye out in case Wencit is making any offers."

"I've been thinking," Aurelian says. "This is all like watching ice crack. All these kingdoms, the Eleven Kingdoms, you can look at them on a map and they look like they'll always be there. But once the cracks start, they don't stop and you're never sure which way they'll go. You have a lake frozen over and you can ride heavy cavalry over the ice. Then the cracks start and in a minute all you have is open water and floating splinters."

"There's always another hard freeze. You and me and Charissa, we're here to make sure that the splinters get put back together in a different order. We're here to make things different."

****

The Shadow Queen and her women are working their way through the plaza crowds. Tolan-by-Sea is filled with crowds tonight, and she can hear half a dozen languages on any street. She's brought a dozen guards— half Tolan Guard, half Queen's Moors —with her along with servants and her ladies-in-waiting, and they move through torchlight and a haze of Deryni witch-light in whites and blues and greens.

The plaza is lined with building fronts hung with Tolan and Arjenol banners, and there are tables selling wine and food wedged in every spare space. Wooden stages have been set up on the edges of the plaza, and dancers and jongleurs are luring over business. Soldiers and courtiers are striking deals for an hour or a night with street girls. Men half-fall out of buildings turned into ale shops or brothels for the conference. The royal party is moving past one of the wooden stages when the Queen hears a voice she knows. A woman up on stage is pointing at her. "You! Tall Girl! That's you, isn't it?"

The Queen's guards react in a heartbeat. Her Moors slide into position around her, blades out. Colforth and his men move without missing a step into an outer ring of chain mail. Deryni shields shimmer around the Queen and her guards. Charissa lets her stiletto drop into one hand and Deryni light begins to form around her off hand. Colforth and Rizak are fixed on the woman up on the stage. The crowd starts to scatter.

The woman jumps down from the stage onto the plaza stones. She stands with her hands on her hips. "Tall Girl! You! You remember me, right?"

Charissa tilts her head and starts to bring up her stiletto. She stops and laughs. She holds up her hand to call in her guards.  She spreads her arms. "Mistress Montague!"

The woman is probably in her late forties, and she's dressed in an Eastern robe that was expensive enough once upon a time. Too much jewelry and make-up, but you can tell that she's long been used to turning heads. She stares at Charissa and grins. "You never did stop growing, did you, girl?"

"You!" That's Colforth, coming up on the woman. "Bow to the Queen!"

Charissa waves him off. "You never bowed to my father. I don't know why you'd start with me." She gestures to both Colforth and les chiennes with her stiletto. "This is Mistress Montague, or whatever she's calling herself nowadays. She half-raised me. She was my father's...friend."

Mistress Montague makes a face. "Well, friend. I was Gwernach's camp woman. I was his bedmate whenever he went on campaign out east. And I did half-raise you. He'd go off to fight or talk to the local lords, and he'd put you with me to raise. Look how you turned out, too. You must be what, six-one, six-two? And you're a queen. Everybody has to Your Majesty you, The Marluk wouldn't know what to make of you."

The Queen jerks her head toward the stage.  "Still working?"

"Still working. It's my calling. I should be thanking you, girl. I'm making good money this week. Brought up a good dozen girls and half a dozen pretty boys to Tolan. These diplomatic types, they'll pay three times the going rate in Beldour or Fathane." She looks over at Charissa's ladies-in-waiting. "You lot, you find yourself a man like Gwernach. Get yourself set up for life."

Charissa give her one of her dazzling smiles. "This lot likes a duke's touch. They're learning. Good to hear you're doing well. I like to see the local economy thriving. Didn't my father—?"

"Bought me my first house here. Down by the St. Helier docks. Still have it, too. A brothel's the best investment going. So I was almost mad at you— moving the court over to wherever you are in Gwynedd. All that business lost! Good to see you come back for a bit."

"I'll drop your name to the visitors. See if I can shock a few lords. Get you some clients."

Mistress Montague looks over the ladies-in-waiting in their garconne outfits. She stops at Kenna and grins. "I'm guessing which one's your favourite. Always knew you'd have one."

Charissa grins back. "Don't frighten my ladies. And, anyway, I have a husband these days."

Mistress Montague waves a dismissive hand. "Oh, husbands. Who pays attention to husbands? I put two in the ground and I've got another two or three in different towns back East. Always get yourself a favourite girl. City property and a favourite girl of your own. That's what you want to invest in." She looks at Charissa. "I'm mostly out in Sankt-Pȍlten  these days. Tolan and Marluk weren't the same after your father died. You were in Beldour too much, and nobody liked being reminded about Gwernach's bad habits, meaning me and a few others. So I finally went out east. Kept the house here, mind you. And...is it true about who you married?"

"Oh, absolutely. Married him, made him a prince."

"God, what your father's ghost must be thinking. It's Lord Derek's son, isn't it? I remember him, I think. Dark hair, always talking about books. Played backgammon with you. But not a prince in Beldour— your father wanted that for you, I know."

Charissa shrugs. "I got what I wanted though."

"You're a queen, now."

"Married Christian, got to be a queen, killed the man who cut my father's head off. That last part, I want you to know I did that. Did it myself, by the way. So things aren't what my father planned for, but they're what I want."

Mistress Montague shakes her head. She's rising fifty, but her hair is still long and black, and it's unbound down to her shoulder blades. It whispers across the faded silk of her khilat. "All different from what your father thought you'd be doing  back when you were just a girl. I'm glad you got that Gwynedd bastard who killed Gwernach, too. Good for you, Tall Girl. So you're happy?"

Charissa shrugs again. "It's different, but different's good. Now, listen, Mistress— this conference here in Tolan, that's about making everything on the maps different. The world's about to change, for better or worse. I know how I want it to change, and I'm pretty sure what I have to do get it there."

She looks down at Mistress Montague. "Sankt-Pȍlten may not be a bad place to be while it all happens. You're always  welcome in Tolan-by-Sea, and you're welcome to come to Valoret any time. But everything's going to change. And it'll be a hard time."

The woman laughs. "I've kept my houses running through wars and plagues, Tall Girl. But I'll keep it in mind. What are you going to do, start raising Deryni demons or just bring the wars east?"

The Shadow Queen shakes her head. "I'm going to burn a lot of the world down. Break up the old world. Change all the maps. Make everything different. Make it all different."

"You always were a scary girl. Even at eight or nine— I told your father you'd be scary one day. But if anyone can make everything different, it'll be you. Just keep me on your good list. I did half-raise you, Tall Girl. Remember that."

Charissa gives her her best smile. "You're always on that list. I'll come see you before I go back to Valoret. I might even bring my husband to your place at St. Helier to visit. He won't be shocked, mind you, but let's see how a houseful of expensive whores handle dinner and wine with a queen."

She kisses Mistress Montague on each cheek. "I'm taking this lot to see what a city looks like after dark.  We're going to where Arjenol and his clan are staying. You pay attention to what's going to happen in the world, now. Everything's going to be different. Your profession's about the most secure there is in this world, but the next few years are going to be about the world being broken and re-made. Stay safe, Mistress."

[DerynifanK]

Intriguing. It would be good to remember that when the ice cracks it does not always rearrange itself in the desired directions and some sections sink and are lost. It is never good to cultivate too many enemies. It will be interesting to see where this goes. Christian may be writing the history of the Gwynedd wars and he may not. As always, you are good at throwing out mysterious hints. I would not discount the Haldanes as you tend to do. I do enjoy your writing if not always your outcomes.

[Jerusha]

Nice interplay between the characters; shows a side of Charissa some may forget.  Loyalty to the woman who helped raise her, advice on how to keep safe.

And now we have a timeline of several years.  If all goes according to plan....

[DoctorM]

Nice interplay between the characters; shows a side of Charissa some may forget.  Loyalty to the woman who helped raise her, advice on how to keep safe.

And now we have a timeline of several years.  If all goes according to plan....

Ah, yes-- the Queen and her advisors are looking at a timeline of some years. The trick will be to see what the plan really is.

Charissa believes deeply in loyalty, and she cares deeply about the people who've stayed loyal to her or been her friends. Whatever she's done or is planning to do in her role as queen, she won't betray a friend.

[DoctorM]

Intriguing. It would be good to remember that when the ice cracks it does not always rearrange itself in the desired directions and some sections sink and are lost. It is never good to cultivate too many enemies. It will be interesting to see where this goes. Christian may be writing the history of the Gwynedd wars and he may not. As always, you are good at throwing out mysterious hints. I would not discount the Haldanes as you tend to do. I do enjoy your writing if not always your outcomes.

That is the question-- what happens when all the various ambitions here start cracking the ice. There are multiple players here, and so many conflicting hopes...