205 Offer (1/2)

Emily was shaking. Her long night gown was stained. Her feet were muddled.

”Mom” She called, smooth as a feather was her voice.

”Mom” She again whispered.

Nobody replied from the shadows. Her mother's calming embrace whenever she was scared didn't come to console her. She was alone. It was dark. It was cold.

”You did what!?” A woman's voice shouted. It wasn't her mother. Her mother's voice was music. The woman's was something else- dry and shrill.

”I was drunk! I didn't mean for it to happen. I know I am in the wrong here but let us first think about our next move. Word of this cannot be whispered in the taverns. My name would be cursed. We are winning. I will soon be King and you will be the Queen” replied a man's voice.

”Wasn't I enough for you?” Pain was on the woman's voice.

”Forgive me Sharon. Forgive me, truly”

There was a short but eerie silence.

”And the child?”

”I took her here. I know what you are thinking and no, I am not making a child disappear.

The footsteps grew closer and Emily heard the door open. When Emily saw the face of the Earl Brice, everything that happened occurred to her. Her mother is dead and she saw it happen. She saw what he did and it was horrible.

”It would be a hard to hide her forever” Earl Brice said.

”She looks like you. Is she really a serf? I will remember what you did for the rest of my life but I may have a plan to make use of her”

The woman went closer to her. She grabbed her chin ”Yes, yes. Looks like you indeed. Uncanny. Maybe a distant relative or something. We don't need to make her disappear. What is your name child?”

Emily didn't talk. Her body was still shuddering.

”I heard her mother call her Emily” Earl Brice went forward and Emily flinched in response.

”Emily huh? You are not a talker Emily. Good. Lucky you we need an heir if we are to become the monarchs of this Kingdom and you could fill the place. Your mother is gone Emily. She is dead. Do you understand that?”

Emily nodded weakly.

”Starting tonight you will live with us. You will not tell anyone of what happened. Be a meek child if you want us to be kind to you. Now child...” The woman lifted her chin more ”From now on, you are Emily Tulosa”

**********

The clouds cradled the sun in a warm day. Wind blowing from the east, Emily's hair swayed. It was cool. It was breezy. The day was good.

Unfortunately the sight presented in front wasn't good. Thousands of knights bearing the flag of Balian lined a few hundred steps from the moat of the fort. Their armors were shining. Their horses were large.

”The radiance of this flower is nothing compared to yours but please accept it as a token of my fancy” forced low voice, Commodore Bernard said. He held a yellow flower with six petals near her.

Emily spared the flower a single look before turning her gaze back to the knights. ”Where did you get that?”

”I plucked it among the grass before we got surrounded. Such a beautiful flower” Bernard declared proudly.

”That is not a flower but a kind of herb. They grow during late spring in the Great Plains. They also grow in the north and nobles would pay professional gardeners to pluck these things out of their gardens”

”Oh” Bernard lowered his hand but Emily took the herb.

”But this goes well with mutton stew. I learned that secret from my mother”

”Your mother? Queen Sharon?”

Emily just answered with a smile. She sighed, deep and long and looked again to the knights ”So Marquis Erik made a mistake”

”A tiny miscalculation I suppose. Who would have thought that Balian would shed most of his army just to escape”

Emily turned her look towards the river to the south. Three dozen galleys waving under the flag of pirates lay motionless on the placid river. They were more than twice the number of Vanadian ships under Commodore Bernard.