The Duke and his entourage thread carefully the trail supposedly leading to Chester-le-Ford. It is hard to believe that any kind of settlement worth mentioning truly stands at the end of such an unkempt path. The mules are good beasts though, and the procession steadily makes its way East.
Sure enough, there it is, the gate tower suddenly appears behind a small hill, just as described by his Mother. A couple of guards, obviously expecting him, stand to attention as he advances on the bridge. They greet him by his title and bow deeply as he passes them. If nothing else, people here show better manners than many other provinces.
In the city, a strange sight awaits the Duke. There are a handful of fairly imposing buildings, seemingly scattered across the land. there is an inn large enough to house the whole town’s population, stables fit for a King, a three story Villa, all seemingly out of place in this country side of shepherds, weavers and miners. Despite this, many foundations are being laid, and much ground is covered with stone piles, lumber, various carts, work benches and makeshift sheds. It is undeniable that the town is expanding.
As a couple of stable hands take on unsaddling, brushing and feeding the mules, a young woman walks out of a group of stone masons near the stables. Even though she wears simple white cotton trousers and shirt and she carries a long roll of parchment, but her gait, her high chin and her rounded abdomen betray her as the bold woman he corresponded with, Miss Liserett.
“Good afternoon, Liserett I assume?”
“Indeed, and you would be Duke Yùick undoubtedly! I am most pleased that you arrived safely. Please excuse the road’s condition, a proper cobblestone road is to be built, but I am afraid I have more plans than stonemasons!”
“Ah yes, it is always troublesome completing roadwork. Indeed I have a few settlements within Kaine that have very little roadwork about them. If you would, my men could use some water to quench their thirst.” He extends his hand to her in a pleasant manner.
With a warm smile, Liserett delicately takes the offered hand and bows. “Of course Duke, please allow me to direct you to our inn for refreshments. I also had rooms prepared for you, you are expected. I hope it is not too crowded for your liking, many of our workers are currently housed there. The servants will arrange bathing tubs for you, I am sure you will appreciate these after such a journey. Unfortunately, the bathhouse is still under construction, so I hope the inn meets your expectations.”
Duke Yùick appreciatively nods and waves his men along towards the inn. “We shall all freshen up a bit and then the two of us can speak about a trade deal.” His eyes tracking his men as they wander through the street. “And about other such ordeals.” He adds almost as an afterthought, his eyes snapping back to her.
Still smiling, her eyes having never left him, Liserett replies “Certainly, Duke. When you are ready, please notify the innkeeper and he will have you escorted to the villa. We shall meet in my study, I had wool samples brought up for your perusal.”
Smiling, he holds her stare for a few seconds before following his men. As they settle into the inn and begin to clean themselves a peculiar feeling begins to settle over Yùick. He isn’t sure what it is, but something about Liserett has both disturbed and intrigued him. “Interesting…” He mumbles to himself as he gazes out onto the small, yet oddly big feeling town.
Before long, his men have finished the ordeal of cleaning themselves and have settled down within the inn, some begin to order drinks and become relaxed for the night. Yùick himself, however, speaks to the leader of his guard; The Ra’oole. They set off together towards Liserett’s villa.
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Duke Yùick resists the urge to close his eyes and rub his temples. Miss Liserett is an aggressive, but fair negotiator. After more than an hour of discussion, examination of samples and compromises, they finally have a deal that makes them both entirely happy, much to his surprise.
He glances at The Ra’oole who’s standing to attention near the doors. He appears to be, incredibly enough, still perfectly alert. “You’ve done well Gale, my mother’s training shows. However, I need a moment alone with the mayor, if you will.” The Ra’oole nods and swiftly steps outside, shutting the door behind him.
Duke Yùick stands to inspect the maps and plans on the walls for a few moments before turning back to look at Liserett. Her eyes have not left him, and she offers him her usual warm smile. He suddenly laughs, his laugh a gruff and loud sound in the silence between them, and fully smiles before calmly clearing his throat.
“Tell me, friend, who is the father of such a lucky child?” He asks a smile still on his lips.
“Ah, dear Duke this is rather an indiscreet question isn’t it? The father’s specifics are of little concern to Kaine, surely? Rest assured, my progeny shall be well provided for.”
“I do not worry whether the child shall be well kept, it’s obvious you can take care of the child yourself. And no, you’re right, the father is of little importance to Kaine itself. However, it is a curious topic and I for one am a slave to my own curiosity. Besides, much of our world respects blood and its lineage.”
Liserett’s face suddenly freeze, her smile looking uncertain for the first time. She silently mouths a few words, then laughs, holding his gaze. “Dear Duke, remember curiosity killed the cat. But thank you for letting me know I can use yours as leverage if I need.”
The Duke raises a single eyebrow his brilliant blue eyes sweeping over her. “A cat is also a predator, one who kills and eats birds, do not forget that.”
“Hmm, yes, I shall take note of this Dear Duke.”
“Now, as I said before, blood lines are important in many circles of our empire.”
Liserett leans back in her seat, waiting for the duke to continue.
“So tell me Liserett, with whom have you made this child?”
Liserett laughs again. “Duke, your insistence tells me you know something that I perhaps do not, if it is the case, I beg you to let me in on the secret! My child shall be an O’Kleefe and his blood shall be O’Kleefe. I am afraid the local… liberal customs may have influence on the settlers including myself. You’re not so old fashioned as to shun a pregnant woman because she lacks a husband, are you?”
Yùick’s eyes search her face silently for a few moments. “Maybe you didn’t know, so I shall forgive your ignorance for suggesting such a thing, but I am a bastard myself. My mother never married, in fact she had a variety of lovers over her lifetime. Some men, some women. She was an interesting woman indeed. So no, I do not wish to shun you because of your choice.”
Liserett gets up to her feet and approaches the Duke. “She was a wonderful woman, and I see she raised a great heir. Blood isn’t that important then, I’m sure you’ll agree.”
The Duke smiles and emits a short laugh. “Blood is not important for how a child grows, in that you are correct. However, blood is that which creates potential. Potential which a child needs to be strong, with the right guidance.”
“Few are familiar with my genealogy I believe, but my mother was in fact the granddaughter of an emperor. Duke, blood is meaningless, unless we’re breeding horses. But had it significance, I assure you, a father or another would make little difference to my child’s potential.”
The Duke realizes her eyes have not met his once during this whole statement. “Liserett, you’ve just proven me right! You are of royal blood, you were trained from a young age. You were taught many things, you’ve taken what you’ve been taught and now look at you. You act a noble, not because of your situation, for as a serf your nobility is limited. But because it courses through your veins.”
“My mother was a single minded architect and my father a horse breeder. I practically raised myself Duke, because I have a duty toward this town as mayor. Regardless, I am sure this is not the issue you truly wished to discuss, as you did not know of my pregnancy when you sent for me.”
“Both the issue I have yet to bring up and this one have similarities, yet I will drop this one, out of respect.” He says kindly, his piercing gaze, however, speaks of the issue as unresolved. “Now, I must ask you, why is it that you send out messengers to my towns, my people, people all over Hermertia and ask them to come to Chester-Le-Ford.”
“Duke, if you read well, I request the highest qualified personnel available. Available being the keyword here. I want this town to grow and shepherds can only do so much.”
“Let me rephrase, why do you ask my people to abandon my lands and come work for you? I mean it not as an affront, but as a worried friend.”
“Your people? You said yourself I sent this message all across Hermertia. Do you think Kaine has all of the highest qualified personnel in all Hermertia? Better stablemaster than Perth even? You told me yourself Kaine is knowing some expansion, in which case your people will have plenty of work and will not come here. Why is it you feel so threatened?
“Stop deflecting my questions. You understand me.”
“Duke, with all respect due, isn’t Hermertia a land of free men, a land of equal rights, a land of incredible potential for all? As the mayor of a town that came so close to fall in decay and oblivion, as a mother, and as the daughter of the town’s founder, I owe my people, my unborn child and my mother’s legacy to make this city flourish. Can you blame a mother for working hard to ensure her progeny’s future?”
“I do not blame you, no. But I find that reasoning all too easy. There is more here at hand then you speak of, this act is not only for benefit of those around you but also for your own. On one hand you have new scholars and workers flocking here who believe they could be of use. On another, you have also now the attention of the empire, they know who you are. Never has something been done like this before, in fact some may see it as a problem. I warn you to not continue…”
“Very well, the concerned mother act doesn’t work with you, but I am sure this will. You see me and you see a rising threat. You feel my hunger and it concerns you. Perhaps you wish to crush me before I become a problem. Allow me to be frank with you Duke, if you choose to view me as a problem, then I already am one. I do not get crushed, I don’t have it in me.” She is now inches away from the Duke, her smile is gone, as though it was never there and her gaze is a burning blaze. “Do not hinder me, Duke. I will not be a serf forever and I will remember good allies. Let’s better use our energies and perhaps join sides. I cannot hide my ambitions from you, but neither can you hide yours from me.”
The Duke, unmoving, speaks slowly and quietly “You are not a threat to me, you are not a problem, and your hunger is not concerning to me, concerning isn’t the word I would use. I think a more fitting word is…” He stops to think for a moment still staring her down. “Pleasant.” He suddenly laughs and distills the tension in the air. “I think what you have done is in fact genius! I only wish I had thought of it myself, or my own advisors had let me do such a rash thing. I guess being a singular serf has its benefits. I warned you before, before I saw your tenacity. You are right, we both have a hunger within us which needs to be filled, in more ways than one. Thank you for your hospitality Miss Liserett.”
On these words, the Duke leans over, firmly grabs hold of Liserett’s shoulders and kisses her on the lips.
“Until we meet again, mayor.”
_________________ Lady Liserett of the House O'Kleefe Countess of Chester-le-Ford, Wysteria Deputy Minister of Hermertian History Appointed Minister of Wysterian Architecture
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