The Lady Knight

Chapter XIII: Visits And Vents

Prince Nicholas

This was utterly ridiculous.

"Is it truly necessary for me to dress so formally when we are going to the village, Lord Tessensohn?" I frowned, tugging at my cloak of ermine in discomfort.

"Of course, Sire. The people must be made aware of your authority first, so that they can respect and accept you," Lord Tessensohn nodded vigorously, "your formal attire would clearly impress upon them on whom you truly are — the Crown Prince of Monrique, and future King of this realm." He announced the last few words with a grand flourish.

I looked on at the elder man dubiously, as the open carriage proceeded on at a slow pace towards the village. In truth, I should be feeling rather grateful that I was made to wear a suit with multiple layers of coats and a thick cloak of ermine that kept me warm in such freezing weather.

Instead, I felt like a fool.

"Well, Your Royal Highness," Lord Tessensohn began again, beaming jovially, "as you already know, Tessensohn is the duchy of jewels. Our people mine the ground and the slopes of the volcanoes, Mount Elizabeth and Mount Beauchamp, for many gems such as diamonds, rubies and sapphires. History states that even the Crown jewels were made from the gems unearthed from these volcanoes."

He gestured to the magnificent, snow-capped volcanoes on the other end of the duchy, which loomed over the village like the Lord of Death himself, clouded by mist.

I nodded distantly, fascinated by the volcanoes more than Lord Tessensohn's words. Mount Elizabeth and Mount Beauchamp were the only volcanoes in Monrique, and they erupted as often as once in ten years with great violence. When they lay dormant, however, they were popular attractions, because of their beautiful snow slopes and the myths that shrouded them with a unique mystique that drew people to them like magnets.

"We have arrived at the village, Sire," Lord Tessensohn announced at that moment, snapping me out of my thoughts, as the carriage rolled to a stop.

I looked around to see the villagers of Tessensohn all out of their houses and huts, lined in straight rows of two, making a pathway between them that stretched on for miles. Lord Tessensohn, the six Captains and I descended from the open carriage.

At once, I knew that something was wrong. The whole village was too deadly quiet.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Lord Tessensohn barked at the villagers.

They obediently applauded at once.

The applause was polite and muted, and although they were smiling, I could tell that their smiles were forced. Some were openly staring at me with a sullen expression, as they clapped their hands together for the sake of doing so. Most of them merely looked tired, with their faces smudged with soot and dirt from mining for hours.

Even small children were now standing still with their mothers silently, watching me with something close to fear.

"Welcome to Tessensohn, Your Royal Highness," a man in his forties stepped forward towards me, handing me a bunch of Camellias, plastering a mechanical smile on his face, "we are most delighted by your visit to our humble village." The words were carefully rehearsed.

I accepted the flowers hesitantly. "Thank you," I stammered out, "it is most kind of you to welcome me thus." The man merely acknowledged it with a bow and another perfunctory smile, and stepped back into his position in the rows.

A few more people stepped forward after him, one by one, to tell me how glad they were to see me, how I took after my father in every way, and so on. Each of their responses were so meticulously and carefully worded that it was bordering on falseness.