The Fortress [Greowulf]

[Greowulf]

Greowulf was silent as the Duke lead him throughtout the castle to the dining hall. If the fued between Bretagne and Hess could be dealt with peacefully, it would be fine. But, if Greowulf brought another battle into place, the whole kingdom would then be in conflict. But Greowulf knew he was drunk, and those decisions would not be made right now.

Greowulf gave a big smile as he entered the dining hall. He looked around at the servers and the people and also gave them a smile. Suddenly he was confused. At his own home he sat at the head of the table, but he wasnt home. He leaned back toward the Duke and spoke. "Where do I sit...good Duke?" he asked.

With a slight wobble he turned back to the hall and smiled once more. One thing Greowulf did know about ruling, is that even if their is a problem, make it look like everything is fine. He awaited the answer from the Duke.

[Lucius]

"Where do I sit...good Duke?"

Lucius smiled, inclining to his right side, "As the highest guest we have here, you are, of course, to sit on my right side. We might even have luck and avoid most of the rather boring and self-obsessed nobles of my castle, as they are suffering from, no doubt, a dire hangover due to the free liquor there was for their taking last night." He smiled. "We, indeed, are in luck." As he inclined the Steward to sit down, he did so himself, as the servants brought the foods on massive plates. He waited as one of the servants poured some wine to their cups, emptying it quickly. "I have to say, my liege, that I am relieved now that you are here." He smiled. "But enough of these petty talks about state business, we have had enough of them for tonight, I trust."

He looked at Greowulf, asking him, "How has the life been in Manzanare? I can only wonder what kind of a ruckus it must be in the south - my Duchy is, fortunately, small enough that the court around here isn't comparable to yours in any aspect." He smiled. "I have sometimes played with the idea of coming to south to visit your halls, but then again my lands are in too fragile state - the dispute in the south as well as the barbarians attacking from north all winter, so I suppose that I am quite bound here."

[Greowulf]

Greowulf's slight drunkeness was wearing off, and now he was slowly coming back to his senses. He sat where the Duke inclined, and smiled as his food came. He ate as he listened to the Duke. With every word he realized on how wise the Duke of Hess really was. He hoped that all Duke's had the knowledge of that Hess's.

"Life in Manzanare..." Greowulf repeated. He then pondered for a moment. Since he had been in rule, every moment had been in fear and confusion. Who were these people that wanted him dead? Why were they so angry that he was trying to unite their Kingdom. It was because he was not of royal blood. Blood was the cause of the battle, and blood would come of it.

"Hard" was the only word that came out of his mouth to the Duke. He then took a few more mouthful of food before speaking again. "Before I can do anything to unite this Kingdom, I must first make sure we are untied. And from what I have heard...things are not great between the Duchies" he said to the Duke. "I am calling a meeting between the Dukes...where all disputes will be disputed...peacefully" he said to the Duke.

[Lucius]

"That is a wise decision my lord", Lucius said, pondering Steward's words closely. "But there are many disputes that run deep between some of the older Duchies, and many of these disputes must be solved with compromises." He drew a deep, delighted breath as he smelled the food on his plate - this meal truly was remarkable show of skill from his cooks, he noted to himself - before he continued, "The tricky thing about compromises is that no-one ever seems to be satisfied with them. Many of the Dukes will also be rather... suspicious about the nature of your decisions, as you may already know. Some of them - perhaps mainly those of Bretagne and Romin, as they are the oldest after Manzanare itself - will suspect that you will make your decisions only to claim more power to yourself or the most furious of your supporters, namely the Duke of Manzanare."

Lucius took a bite of his food and smiled with delight. "This is the best meal I have had in this castle for some time now. I wonder what magics the cooks used to make it this good." He then looked at the Steward, saying, "Although it will be hard, you must make the dukes understand the necessirity of the meeting, as well as you must make them understand the causes for it. I would suggest that you put weight to the claim that there is no way knowing if these Old Blood rebels have anything to support the claim of their leader - it is most likely that their claim is based only on the speech of the old folks." He shook his head. "There is no knowledge whatsoever about any bastard-son being born to any king - not at least any official records that would exist to this very day."

He wondered for a while, saying then, "I would also point out the harm the Old Blood rebels have already done - they have caused much grief to the ordinary folk as they have caused it to you. The best way to support your claims would be supporting the claim of the ordinary folk here - that the brigands robbing the towns have in fact been those of the Old Blood rebels. We cannot know, however, at this point whether this is true or not, but I would count on it - it is most likely that those villages that do not wish to support their cause they will rob to get enough supplies to keep themselves alive. Most likely the folks don't attack them or defend against their attacks because they fear something."

Lucius was silent for a moment. "Perhaps because they are most likely of the Old Blood religion themselves. I would say that these rebels are just more... agressive and radical ones of their own religion. They could well be compared into bloodthirsty mobs that some priests are known to raise when there are suspicions about something unnatural happening." He shook his head, his lips twisted into a bitter smile. "Such is the way of all religions."

[Greowulf]

Greowulf nodded once again to the Duke. Everything he said was good points, and he would use them. He indeed may have to exaggerate a bit to convince the other Duke's to join his cause. But in reality, Greowulf shouldn't have too convince them to unite when someone is a threat to them all.

"Bah Religions..." said Greowulf to Lucius. It was all he could muster for any thoughts to say as of now, but if he were more stable he would be able to say much more. He would say that Religion is the cause of all the blood, religion is the cause of everything. If they were all just the same, they would be fine. If it was a perfect world...

"The meeting will be held in Bretagne...for it is in the center of this grand Kingdom" he said with a smile. "And perhaps if the other Dukes being in the shadow of the forest..they may understand the situation..." he said taking a drink. "But enough of bad talks...tell me of your people, what progress are the people of the North making?" he asked the Duke.

[Lucius]

Lucius took a sip of his cup, shaking his head. "There is little process to be made. The constant pressure from the north, the vast tribes of the barbarians attacking against our northern borders keeps our northern lands abandoned and barren. Unfortunately that is where we would find our minerals as well as land to farm." He sighed. "It is not long until the winter comes and the attacks begin again, forcing me to return soon to the northern border to push their armies back." He shrugged. "I have found out something due to careful research about the barbarians that might end this conflict soon enough - it has lasted for a generation or so now - but I am not sure."

He smiled a bitter smile. "My liege, my people are hard and resilient people, but they have grown bitter of this constant warfare. Thousands of my people have died in the attacks of the barbarians and I fear that many of my people hate your father for the fact that it happened during his reign - they think that the Kingdom should've helped them. And they think my father a hero", he said, laughing shortly, "as he fell on one of the major battles. It was also my first victory", he said, with a sigh. "And it was where I received my wound."

Emptying his cup, he shook his head. "This is not a matter that would suite a dinner table, my liege, I am afraid. The conflict has made me weary and I would gladly end it in any way possible..." He took a deep breath, then shook his head, as if wishing to shake disgust from his mind. "Enough of that subject, if you don't mind. I do not wish to lose all my appetite." He smiled, shaking his head. "Sometimes it would be rather nice to have a wife to talk about these things. My father used to say that my mother was the one who would give him the best ideas he ever had about many problems." He laughed, filling his cup again.

[Greowulf]

Greowulf smiled when he said that he did not want to loose his apetite over the talk. Countless times he would go mealess for he was pondering the current situation. Countless times he was on the verge on just sending his army into Drakkius and burning it down. The threat would be gone and there would be peace...

But, he knew that burning the forest would do nothing but start more conflict. Anything he did would cause more conflict, so he would have to decide whether or not if conflict was nessesary, could he wait it out? Would he have to fight? These were the questions he pondered everyday.

"Yes...a wife" said Greowulf as he filled his mug. Another thing that seemed to be on his mind lately. Right now he was still buzzing, but he knew he wanted a wife. He wanted a sucessor, whether or not he would be steward, was not a problem. He just wanted a family, he wanted to have some small ray of light in his life. Instead of the vail of darkness. "A hunted Steward like me doesnt need a family...right?" he asked the Duke.

[Lucius]

"My liege, you may not think so but no matter how dire the situation is, you need a wife. It would show your people that you are not afraid, that this situation does not trouble you - that you are above these vicious attacks against your people. It is important that you show courage, that you show that you will not waver against any enemy, that you are content." Lucius smiled. "This, however, is not the case when it comes to me. I am the servant of my people, and their well-being comes before my own, even if it would be that I am the last of my own bloodline." He shook his head, saying, "Apart from my dear cousin, of course, but he is in no way eligible to sit on the throne after I am gone - he is an exile, and such is the fate of the exiles that should they try to return to Hess during their lifetime, they would be torn apart." He smiled. "My people are quite... strict when it comes to treasons, for example."

He shook his head, saying, "I wonder what the Duke of Bretagne seeks as he hides my cousin, giving him sanctuary in his own halls? He may never return to Hess, thus he will not be a powerful ally for Bretagne in the future - my cousin will never be able to claim the throne for himself, even if I died before my time." Finally, after a small silence, he shrugged, smiling. "I am sorry, my liege. Sometimes my mind travels when I wonder these things. I apologize."

Yawning, he said, "I think it would be good for both of us to head for bed, my liege, as we have many matters to discuss tomorrow before you leave? As I might guess that man of your position has to return quite swiftly to Manzanare - you have", he said with a grin, "a kingdom to take care of, after all." He rose, bowing slightly to the Steward as he rose, asking him, "If you wouldn't mind, may I escort you to your rooms, my liege?"

[Greowulf]

It indeed would show his people that he wasnt afraid of these rebels, if he did take on a wife. But the question was, was he really not afraid to take on a wife? Wouldnt he be putting his wife in danger just as much as him? And no doubt if they had an heir, they would be targeted just as much or more as he. No the decision could not be made over night.

When Lucius began to talk of bed, Greowulf snapped out of his trance. Why must he worry so much? Why must he have to? These were some of the questions pooping into his mind as he stood up with the Duke. He would go to bed, and no doubt wake up to find a new thing to worry about.

"Ah yes...to rule a Kingdom in chaois...jolly good" he said with a laugh to the Duke, as he allowed him to escort him back to the rooms. "The food was great" he added to the Duke, who he knew took pride in his cooks work.

[Lucius]

Lucius gave a small bow, saying, "My liege, I am sure that the cooks of my castle appreciate your thanks." He yawned, covering his mouth with his hand. "Now, if you would excuse me, I am direly exhausted, my liege, and there are pressing matters to be solved tomorrow. I have not mentioned about it before, but I have a meeting with my generals tomorrow, regarding the defense of the northern borders against the northern tribes of the barbarians. It is, perhaps, a meeting that you would like to attend to - not many know what we of the Hess endure in a yearly basis." He smiled. "I am fortunate in the fact that my boundaries are threathened by an open enemy who confront us in open battlefields rather than these petty surprise attacks and terrorizing strikes on the inner lands, as much as one can call these attacks fortunate. Your presence is most welcome, should you wish to attend to that meeting."

Bowing again, he said, "If you would not mind, some of my servants will gladly walk with you to your rooms. But now, if you would excuse me", he said, coughing violently, "I must attend to my healers who have made me the medicine to take for the night. Good night, my liege", he said, bowing again, and left the dining hall.

As he climbed the narrow stairway leading to the upper parts of the castle, he once again suffered a violent cough, taking support from the walls, and cursed under his breath. The medicine did not, indeed, work as it used to, and even if he did not admit it to himself gladly, there were times when the constant pain and agony affected his reasoning and judgement - such as earlier tonight, when he had an violent outburst on the unfortunate healer.

Sighing deeply, he shook his head. There was much to do before the winter, indeed, and the meeting of the dukes did not ease his burden - but he would attend to it, this he was content about, for he was the servant of his people, and it would only serve the best interests of his people, even if the travel to the south would take a dear toll from him.

Silent, he walked to his rooms.

[Greowulf]

Greowulf entered his room to find a fresh bottle of wine. He smiled as he poured a glass, and drank it quickly. This went on for a few more hours, until a servant enetered the room. The servant bade the Steward to lay on the bed, and have a good night's sleep. Greowulf smiled and layed down, and was quickly snoring.

When he awoke, he found his guards ready to leave. He walked his way throughout the fortress of Hess but could not find the Duke. So before leaving, he gave a note to one of the servants. "Take this to your Duke" he said to the servant handing him the letter. He then swiftlty left the Fortress with his guards.

The servant could help but peak at the note, so he read it to himself:

Good Duke,

We shall meet in five days time in Bretagne. Come knowing that progress will be made in our lands, and that all problems will be viewed.

Regards,

Greowulf.

The servant quickly folded the letter and went in search of the Duke.