Staccato

In Thrall

~*~

When King Zion had, about a decade ago, granted the Celts freedom to encroach on our trade, it was in exchange for 'the supply of exotic Celt goods to enrich my palace'. Enrich his palace. Stuff his belly with fine Celt wine, dress himself with fine Celt clothes. That was all that he cared about. He didn't give a fig about his subjects.

People said it was an 'opening of floodgates to new trade opportunities', it would bring us all 'great progress'. With ports came sea routes, with sea routes came even more trade.

However some of us, like my dad, knew the truth behind this 'trade agreement' we entered with the Celts. It amounted to a hill of beans for the commoners.

We native traders have to get a written permission from them for any sort of trading that we intend to do. Because what the Celts really intended to do with this trade agreement was to monopolize trade.

So nothing fruitful came for us, and all that came was a royal decree from King Rexroth the Third of Celtland that made their trade-monopolizing-intentions stronger - a decree that authorized the Celt traders into an official sounding company called The Celt-Arawak Trading Company who, with the 'express, most royal' consent of King Zion, built a huge headquarter at Kingston, a port city of Arawakland by the Innish Ocean.

It's a wonder that the ones across the Innish Ocean were the ones to discover so many sea routes, and not the water-spirited Poseids among us. It only shows that it isn't inborn trait or talent that matters, for of what value is unused talent and trait, before possessed grit and determination? The ones across the Innish Ocean have always been a possessed, hungry lot. And what they are possessed and hungry about, they gain. While the Arawaks, well, we have always been either lost in or happy in our own bubble.

That tendency in us, it would cost us dearly.

A decade later, the Celts have annexed Oxia, and the Anglians and Yorks (Kingdoms like the Celts from across the Innish Ocean) have set up their 'trading companies', too, in parts of Galatia and Kveil. Oxia, Galatia, Kveil - they're all to the south. We're here to the north, hidden behind the mighty Six Stones.

And yet, the Celts have found us.

But they've always been inconspicuous and undisruptive, haven't they? Quietly building away their companies and their ports.

King Zion was frightened about the warring kingdoms to the south. What if they come here, bringing death and destruction with them to our peaceful, beautiful land of the Arawaks?

Please provide us with military support, dear Celts. Your wine tastes like heaven, your clothes feel like the finest down. And your military's might is known far and wide.

They were more than happy to offer it to our King.

On a few conditions, though.

The complete financial responsibility of maintaining our army bears on you.

We must be given permission to build a fort in Kingsberg.

We must be given say in your administration and your revenue plans, too, along with the say that we already have in your trade and commerce.

Agreed, all agreed. You have been the most civil, well-mannered, peaceful guests. I hope this alliance, this love and friendship, lasts for an eternity.

And that was how Brian Tyler, Lieutenant of the Royal Celt Navy's ship Daedalus (the first among the fleet which arrived on the shores of Arawakland more than fifteen ago), Executive of The Celt-Arawak Trading Company, became the commander-in-chief of the army which has been pledged to King Zion.