Two Kingdoms 40 - Horsemen

[DoctorM]

TWO KINGDOMS 40: HORSEMEN

This is the thirty-eighth 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 some weeks after "Homecoming" and immediately after "Leopards" and "Padishah".  As always, comments and suggestions are very much appreciated.

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Down on the field, the Lorsöl heavy cavalry are moving. The Archduke steadies the far-glass and watches.

It's a slow advance— men and horses in armour, their faces hidden behind chain-mail veils. They're at no more than a walk, and their lances are still upright. They pass through the Lorsöl horse-archers and move towards the ragged lines of horsemen across the plain.

The Archduke swings his far-glass over to the east-northeast. There are Arjenol light cavalry over there, moving from column to line, covering the Lorsöl flank. Arjenol crescent banners are flying now, and the horsemen over across the field are starting to see how badly their day is going. The roads back to Vorna are being closed off, and there's nowhere else to go.

There are Haberlingen banners flying, too, and starting to catch the wind. The lancers are still at a walk, but their horses are starting to step a bit more briskly.

The Archduke focuses on the slow mass of the Lorsöl lancers. He lowers the spyglass and turns back to Count Andruin. "Shouldn't be long now," he says. "I like watching the inevitable."

The Duke of Lorsöl's brother shrugs. "My heavies," he says. "They'll clear a field any day."

There are men and horses dead in the grass out there on the field— Vorna men and some of the Seven Tribes auxiliaries Wencit had sent. They hadn't done well against Lorsöl and Arjenol light cavalry, and now the lancers were here, moving through the dead. You can hear the sound of armoured horses pushing slowly through the tall summer grass.

There's a flurry of horses over on the Vorna side. Small groups of riders are scattering away from the lines, riding hard and fast to the northwest. Somewhere over there trumpets are sounding.

Riders come out from the Vorna lines, white cloths tied to spearpoints. The Archduke and Count Andruin grin at one another. The day is going as planned.

Signal flags go up from the Lorsöl command position on the hill. The heavy cavalry slow to a stop. Their line opens a bit, and a handful of Vorna riders pass through under white flags. Haberlingen escorts fold around them and head them up the hill.

The Count of Vorna and four of his captains come up the hill past guards and Lorsöl officers. The count pulls off his helmet and bows from the saddle. He looks at Andruin and the Archduke. "My lord. Your Grace of Arjenol. I'm here to seek terms. There's no reason for this to end in more blood. This is my sword. It's your victory, Your Grace."

Lionel of Arjenol nods. "I agree," he says. "And it's 'Your Highness', now. These days, I'm an archduke." He holds out his hand.

The Count of Vorna passes over his sword. "Your Highness," he echoes. He's too tired to sound surprised. "I knew that's what this is all about. You'll be the next king at Beldour, won't you?"

"No," Lionel says. "I'm not looking to be king. Ask my lord Andruin here.  That's not what all this is about. Our quarrel with Wencit isn't about the throne. It's about Wencit breaking his coronation oath. We're the lords of Torenth. Wencit has tried to deprive us of privileges and rights he swore to respect. We wrote all that down, put our names to it. Wencit has to go. Then the lords can choose a new king. You can decide who you're standing with."

Vorna nods. "I was wondering how you'd phrase it. So Wencit goes and you're an archduke, whatever that is. You'll be...?"

Lionel grins. "Lord Protector sounds good. I'm Lord Protector until the lords of Torenth choose a new king. I'm not seizing the throne. This is about the lords of Torenth defending our rights against tyranny."

"I thought that's what you'd say. Something like it, at least. It's what rebels always say, I suppose. It makes a good speech, anyway." Vorna gestures back at his men across the field. "What happens to Vorna?"

"I'm not inclined to start hanging people or confiscating lands. Expel Wencit's people. Get rid of any Seven Tribes bands he's sent down here. Sign on with the lords against Wencit."

Vorna grimaces. "So it'll be Wencit who gets to be the one to hang me as a traitor."

Andruin leans over. "If it comes to it, we'll be the ones doing the hanging. You get to keep your title and your lands. Sign on and you even get to keep your castle. And you're a lord, after all— so you'll get to vote on a new king once Wencit's gone."

"You're so sure he's going?"

Lionel passes Vorna's sword down to an aide. "Wencit's going. There's no question about that. We need a new king. No having us pay for his war in Gwynedd. No demands for taxes we don't owe. No overriding our courts. No forced purveyance for his army. No seizing lands on a whim."

Vorna is considering. "You expect me to send soldiers for you?"

Lionel shrugs. "You'll be part of the confederacy to restore Torenth. I think your people could be useful out east. The Seven Tribes like Wencit. None of us want them here. You can keep them out."

Vorna looks at Andruin. "So Wencit is a tyrant and you and the Torenthi lords are just fighting for our rights. Like I said, it sounds like every rebellion everywhere."

Andruin looks over at Lionel. "Lionel's better as Lord Protector than Wencit is as king. We'll do better with the Archduke here than we'll ever do with Wencit."

Vorna makes a face. "Didn't Wencit say the same thing when he was plotting to kill Aldred?"

Lionel opens one hand. "I'm sure he did. I don't even think he was wrong to kill Aldred. But it's our turn now. Wencit thinks the crown should have absolute power. I think the lords need to defend their place. And Vorna...just remember. Aldred was a monster. Wencit is a clever monster. I'm not a monster. I'll be sending you home with your sword. Wencit would've sent your head to Beldour to be spiked on the walls."

"What about the Tolan girl? Wencit says you and the Tolan girl want to break Torenth up. When he writes me, he can't decide whether she's bewitched you or whether you're using her to climb up to the throne."

The Archduke laughs. "Young Charissa is going to build herself a kingdom in the west, and good for her. The Tolan and Marluk have always had their own laws; they've always gone their own way. What I care about is the real Torenth."

Vorna shakes his head. "Wencit says you've been having a torrid affair with her for years."

Lionel laughs again. "Not true. Not even close. But, oh, Vorna, does any man ever have a torrid affair that goes on for years?"

Andruin laughs at that, too. The Count of Vorna throws up one hand. "So the kingdom loses a couple of duchies and gains just what?"

"It gains a new king who doesn't want to take away power from the magnates. It gets a king who cares about his obligations to his lords. It gets a king who asks his lords instead of bullying them."

Vorna shrugs. "You were always the smart one of the Furstans. I'll never out-talk you."

"Festils," Lionel says. "I'm not using Furstan. I'm Festil d'Arjenol now."

"I'm not smart enough to know what that's all about. You'll have to tell me about that one day. I'm sure you can out-talk my councillors and lawyers about everything. I'm just an east country hill lord...Your Highness."

Lionel reaches a gauntleted hand over. "So you're with us?"

Vorna sighs and takes Lionel's hand. "I like being a count. I like having my lands and my castles. I don't like having Wencit send Seven Tribes savages to my county and having me pay for them, especially when I know they're there to keep an eye on me.  I don't like being dragged into wars outside Torenth without being asked.  And I bloody well don't want to end up with my head spiked on a gate somewhere. So, my lord Archduke— yes. I'll sign whatever you want. You can be Lord Protector.  Wencit has to go. Send over whatever you want, and I'll put my seal to it. I might even believe it if I look at it enough."

"Good." The Archduke looks back at Andruin. "Let's get couriers out to your brother. Tell Duke Ronal we're welcoming the Count of Vorna to our cause."

Lionel reaches down to one of his aides and the man passes the count of Vorna's sheathed sword up to the Archduke. Lionel hands it back to the count.  "Welcome to our confederacy. We'll get your seal on our manifesto. Go clean up your court— get any Seven Tribes huszárs and anybody who supports Wencit out. Get them the hell out of Vorna. If you want to hang anyone, feel free.  If you need help clearing them out, just ask. After all, we're saving Torenth, aren't we?"

[Jerusha]

I like it when a plan comes together.   

[DoctorM]

I like it when a plan comes together.   

Lionel strikes me as someone whose plans have a way of doing just that.

[DerynifanK]

I thought Wencit might be asking for trouble, biting off more than he could handle. He is alienating his earlier allies, losing them to the other side, whatever the other side is. Sounds like a Torenthi civil war, scary. And how will all this affect Gwynedd and the Haldane, still mostly  left out if the discussion but I think not without power and goals. What a tangle. But intriguing.

[DoctorM]

I thought Wencit might be asking for trouble, biting off more than he could handle. He is alienating his earlier allies, losing them to the other side, whatever the other side is. Sounds like a Torenthi civil war, scary. And how will all this affect Gwynedd and the Haldane, still mostly  left out if the discussion but I think not without power and goals. What a tangle. But intriguing.

That's exactly what's happening. Lots of local ambitions and local grievances are being woven into the larger scheme of things. The designs of the main players-- Charissa, the Haldanes, Wencit --are being altered or affected by other, unexpected things. It's going to be quite a tangle.