Yngvild and the Forest of Dreams

Persuading the Earl

The guard at the gate had doubled and looked more alert, but we were met by the Earl's Private Secretary. He hadn't shaved, and looked like he hadn't slept either.

I spent less time waiting than the first  time I went to see the Earl. He was already in the audience chamber when we arrived.
'Good day, Lady Yngvild, such a pleasure to see you again.' The Earl said.
'Well met, Your Grace.' I bowed slightly. 'This is Jerre, one of my messengers.'
Jerre gave the Earl a deep bow from his waist before stepping back against the door we'd just came in.
I sat in front of the Earl.
'I passed your message on to my superiors in Kronstadt, along with a favourable recommendation.' I said.
'Thank you, Lady Yngvild, it is good to know that one has been listened to.'
'It was the least that I could do. However the speed of events have been faster than my despatches.'
'Indeed they have. I don't think anyone expected our King to die quite so suddenly.'
'I have it on good authority that you reacted very promptly when the news reached here.'
'Not as promptly as the King of Cottalem, his army occupied the Citadel before daylight broke. But you know that too, because you were in the Citadel yourself.'
'Yes. I was in the Citadel later that day.'
'So what message do you have for me from the conqueror of Salicia?'
'My mission remains the same as it was before. To seek peace and prosperity for us all.'
The Earl laughed.
'Hah! Naivety does not suit you Lady Yngvild. Nor skulduggery. Be open, it makes it easier on us all.'
'I was taken prisoner and tortured by a man called Rojden. He holds my friend Noren still. I've come here under duress to give you his message.'
'Are you acting under a geas?'
'No, he hasn't done that to me, but I believe he has to Noren.'
'I've heard of Rojden. He was the Captain of Duke Xaime's Guards. We didn't see him though.'
'That's because he was also working for the King of Cottalem as a senior advisor. The Duke of Xaime's Guards were supposed to kill you and the other claimants to the throne before betraying the Duke.'
'Well they did most of that. There's just me and the King of Cottalem left now.' the Earl said. 'What is his message?'
'Rojden offers you life, liberty and property if you acknowledge his King.'
'It's a tempting offer, but I'm not sure how much I trust them to honour their word.'
'What guarantees would you want to ask for?'
'I worry most about becoming inconvenient alive. There isn't any surety that Rojden or his King can offer to that.'
'Nothing pays you back for being dead?'
'Exactly! You have the makings of a good negotiator, my lady.'
'So how do we keep you alive?'
'There are two ways that I can think of. One is to make me King and I ally myself to Rojden's grand design.'
'--it may be too late for that. I was made to attend a coronation in the Citadel before I left.'
'He doesn't leave much to chance, does he?'
'I don't think he's comfortable with chance. Rojden likes to make his own luck.'
'Well my other option is to find some enemies of Rojden and stand firm with them against him.'
'While I empathise with that, I'm not sure that it will keep you alive.'
'Not if I stay here, no. Even I can see that the army of Cottalem masses outside. By this time tomorrow they'll outnumber us, and in a week we'll be cut off without hope of anything but starvation and disease. Time and numbers are against us.'
'Where would you go?'
'Skyss if you can arrange it. I understand that you are no friend of Rojden.'
'Many of us aren't, but he does still have friends in Skyss, not all of whom are obvious.'
'Can you lodge me with reliable people?'
'I can point out some people that I know are reliable, but I can't convey you myself until I've freed my friend.'
'I can get there under my own sail I believe, if you give me your recommendations.'
'I will gladly give you a letter of recommendation for my mother.'
'Can your mother protect me from Rojden?'
'Come new year she will be the First Sea Lord. If she can't protect you then no-one else can.'
The Earl turned and spoke to his private secretary 'Some writing paper and ink please, Allan.'
Allan turned to the cabinet in the corner next to where he sat and produced the necessary writing paper, pen and ink. He set them on the table in front of me.
I wrote. The Earl watched silently. All that could be heard in the room was the scratching of the pen on the paper.

'Thank you, Lady Yngvild. I will keep this letter safe.'
'What do you wish me to say in reply to Rojden?'
'Tell him it was hard work, but that you persuaded me to see the futility of standing against him. I have faith in him honouring his word and that I seek to protect the ordinary man more than my reputation or position. I will not stand against my lawfully anointed King, and will gladly uphold his laws.'
'In short, you are his most humble and obedient servant?'
'You are gifted.' the Earl smiled.
'What about ending the siege?'
'Please leave that to me. I will seek clarification that the army of Cottalem is not here in conquest and stands under the orders of the rightful King of Salicia. Once their commander confirms this then there is no siege, it was all a misunderstanding and we all acted out of absolute loyalty to our King.'
'If it is fine with you I may informally suggest to their Commander that approach?'
'So long as he understands that it is your suggestion rather than mine.'
'I will.'
'It has been a pleasure, Lady Yngvild. I do hope that we meet again in happier times.'
'Me too. Fare well, your grace.'

Jerre and I left the room, escorted by Allan. He took us back out to the guard, and handed us over to an officer to be taken out of the city under a flag of truce. We walked back out the way that we'd come in. The last hundred yards between the barricades was still and empty in daylight. The brazier had gone out and all the soldiers were out of sight inside the houses. Just before we passed the final barricade the officer stopped us.
'If you don't mind, my lady, we need to blindfold you.'
'But we've already seen your defences.'
'That's not why we're blindfolding you. It makes you look more like you belong to the Cottalemese when we go over.'
'In that case let's do it.'
The officer nodded to a guard at a nearby doorway. A drummer and another officer came out. The officer had two scarves with him, which they used to blindfold Jerre and I. While they were doing that the drummer played a tune, which he repeated after a short pause.

The officers led us out across the open area. The drummer kept repeating his tune. I heard the same tune being played to our front, presumably the Cottalemese playing it in response.

Half way across the open area we halted and the officers removed our blindfolds. A couple of Cottalemese approached with their own flag of truce. We met at the midpoint, my escort stopped and waited for them to approach.
'Do you wish to parley?' asked the Cottalemese officer.
'We're on our way back from a parley' I said.  'can you take me back to your commander.'

He looked unsure about this. 

'Sir, I'm the escort for the Lady Yngvild, from the Horse Guards. Major Duerte is in command of our detachment.' Jerre said. 

'Thank you, trooper.' the officer said, then turned to my escort from the Earl. 'We'll take them from here. Thank you for your co-operation.'

Both drummers sounded in unison, and then we parted and walked into the lines of the Cottalemese army. 

#

At the HQ I passed on the news to the local commander, and then asked for horses to get us back to the Citadel and Rojden. Major Duerte appeared in the HQ when I was almost done reporting. He was keen to return with me to the Citadel and facilitated us getting away.