Michael Manning - The Line of Illeniel

I was tired of listening to pointless debate so I cut in, “Alright… so let’s make our plans, starting right now, enough speculation. What can we do today?”

“Every war starts with money,” Rose stated. “You found out last night that you have more money than you realized. You need to go to the Royal Bank of Lothion and get everything they’re holding in your name, you’ll need it. Then you have to inform the king. Marcus will have to inform his father, including everything we’ve discussed here. Lancaster will be your most valuable ally since he stands to lose just as much as you do. I will talk to my father and see what help he can give. No matter what he decides I will gather whatever support and supplies I can to aid you.”

“I thought you were going to come to Washbrook with us?” Penny reminded her.

“That was half an hour ago. Things have changed dear,” Rose replied. “On second thought Mordecai, don’t take all the money out, just take part and leave me a letter of credit to draw on the rest.”

“I don’t even know how much I have, if anything. How much do you think you’ll need?” I asked her.

“It’s war sweetheart, we’ll need everything you have and more. I plan to use my own savings as well. Fielding an army is expensive.”

“An army!?” I know, I should have realized. I just wasn’t used to thinking on such a large scale.

“You don’t think you’re going to stop the armies of Gododdin with your impressively large staff and a charming smile do you?” she replied. I could see I was never going to live down the past. At least she was kind enough to make complimentary jokes… it could have been worse.

I decided to sidestep the joke, “How are you going to explain all this to your father? It seems odd to me that Lord Hightower is going to let his daughter recruit for a war and then go marching off with a private army.”

Rose grimaced, “It won’t be easy. Fortunately I have lands and titles of my own, modest though they may be. He may not like it but he’ll do what he can to aid me, since he can’t prevent me from helping you.”

“We won’t fail,” said Marc. “The goddess will support you Mordecai, even though you deny her. Her good grace will open other doors as well. She won’t sit idly by and let Mal’goroth ride slipshod over her people,” he added piously. I couldn’t help but wonder where the goddess had been when the Children of Mal’goroth killed the royal family of Gododdin and enslaved a nation, but maybe I was just being uncharitable. I could certainly use whatever help I could get.

We split up after that. Rose went to see her family, Marc to see his, while Penny and I went to see King Edward. I hoped we wouldn’t have to wait long. Even a count has to request an audience. I tried to make it clear to the head servant that our news was quite urgent.

Adam replied with his typical noncommittal tone, “I will make sure his majesty knows you are waiting.” The implication being that we would be waiting, no matter how important we thought we were.

Half an hour later I was pacing the floor in the small receiving room he had left us in. “We should have just sent a note. We’re wasting valuable time here.”

“Calm down,” Penny tried to soothe me. “We still have months; an extra hour or two won’t change anything.”

Irritated I started to snap at her but Adam returned and I quickly closed my mouth. “His majesty will see you now.” I had to admit, half an hour wasn’t that long.

“Thank you Adam,” I replied smugly. I had already switched gears, going from irritated to the picture of grace and nobility. Penny and I followed him into the small reception room that Edward used for informal meetings.

After a few formalities I was able to get to the point of my visit, “Your majesty I have learned some things you should hear.”

“Feel free to speak, we are all ears,” he answered.

I had decided to leave Penny’s gift out of the discussion, so I jumped straight to what Marc had told me, “Marcus Lancaster visited me today with a message from Millicenth.” Edward’s eyebrows went up at that. “He told me that Gododdin prepares for war and will march on Lothion in the spring.”

The king held up his hand, “We have received reports that they were preparing for something militarily, training exercises and such. We had not thought they would try something like this however. Gododdin cannot hope to win such a war.”

“They do not follow the dictates of reason your majesty, but the insane motives of their god instead,” I answered. “There are also shiggreth loose in Arundel and within my lands as well. The goddess believes they were created by Mal’goroth to sow confusion before the war commences.” I wasn’t sure if he had heard of the shiggreth but I was prepared to explain if he asked.

Edward leaned forward, surprise on his face, “Shiggreth! They are creatures of legend only. Surely you are mistaken. According to the tales they were wiped out after Balinthor’s defeat.”

“I would find the tale hard to credit your majesty, even coming from a god, but for my own experience before traveling to Albamarl,” I spent a few minutes describing the creature Penny and I had slain, as well as the disappearances that had preceded the encounter. Edward was quick to ask questions but his wits were still sharp and he soon had a full grasp of what I could tell him.

“How many men can you muster in Cameron?” he asked.

“I have only begun to restore my mother’s estates sire, at present I have no men at arms at all,” I responded honestly.

“Then your town is lost. Arundel cannot hope to face so many, and his lands will be the first they cross. Even with Lancaster’s aid you could do no more than delay them, and perhaps not even that.”

“Surely you will meet them at the border?” I was shocked, even though Rose had warned me this would be his likely response.

“The border itself is indefensible. It would be folly to meet them there. We will consult with Lord Hightower of course, and the marshals, but it is likely that we will face them at the river Trent where the crossing will leave them vulnerable. Unless they plan to turn north and cross the mountains they will overrun your lands and Lancaster as well.” Edward was matter of fact, though he spoke of the loss of lives and livelihood for many people.

“Where does that leave my people your majesty?”

“My advice is to abandon your land. Evacuate everyone that can move at the first of spring. Once the war is won you can rebuild.” Edward’s tone was hard.

“Your majesty, begging your pardon, they will starve. With nowhere to go I cannot hope to find homes and food to feed them while they are dispossessed. Those that survive will return to find their homes gone and their livestock butchered to feed the invader, if we ever get to return,” the volume of my voice was perhaps a bit strident.

“Don’t presume to teach us our part young lord! We are well aware of the sufferings our subjects will bear if war comes to our lands. Our task is to ensure there is a kingdom left to recover once the war is won. We have more to consider than just Cameron! As it stands we could have you fined for not being able to answer the levy call!” the king was red-faced now. The levy he referred to was the call to arms, in which all the nobles would be asked to provide knights and men-at-arms to fill the ranks of his army. Having none of my own yet I would stand in breach of my oath by failing to respond. “So what will it be?” he asked.

“I cannot abandon my land or the people there that depend upon me,” I answered.

“Be wary, you stand close to crossing the line into treason young Illeniel.”