The Porfian Princess: The Chronicles of Cornu Book 4

by L J Dalton Jr.

  When they got to the stable, the stableboy told them that Cedric had left minutes before. They realized that he could be anywhere and that they wouldn’t find him that night.

  The following day Duke Marvon and Princess Catrina were briefed on what had transpired. Both of them were furious. Catrina looked at the head of the Guard. “Find out where they got these children from and what happened to them when they got older. Once we know that, we can have the trial.”

  The people that they found in the tavern were all questioned. Cedric’s employees underwent some more severe questioning. A couple were intimately involved in the whole thing. They talked when the questioners used drugs and mild torture. They gave it up and told the Guard the whole gruesome story.

  After all the information was gathered, they were brought before Duke Marvon and Princess Catrina. The head interrogator gave the testimony. “Your graces, the young boys and girls were procured primarily from the Steppe Nomads. They were prisoners that they had kept after raids on villages throughout the northern part of Landia. They were sold to Cedric’s people and then used in these illicit sex acts. They were drugged and beaten to perform. If they became too old or too damaged, they were disposed of. They were either sold to somebody in the south as slaves or killed.”

  Both Marvon and Catrina were visibly angry at what they heard. Catrina was the one who handed down the sentence for the people involved in the sexual exploitation, including Nortrom. “They will be taken out tomorrow at dawn and hung until dead. The people who were gambling and those running the gambling will be fined. The fines will be published. If they can’t pay the fines, they will work for the state until such time as the fines are paid off. All of Cedric’s possessions will be seized and then sold off. The proceeds will go to providing for the young people who are still with us.

  The sentences are a blessing compared to the crimes that were committed. The condemned will have a quick death. The young people they bought as slaves and used faced a life of terror and pain. Be thankful that I am merciful.”

  Duke Marvon declared that the court was done for the day. Neither he nor Catrina wanted to hear any more cases. They were too mad and horrified by what they’d heard to be sure that they could render fair and impartial verdicts.

  That evening Catrina was still upset and told Mike and Illaria about what had happened. Illaria was shocked, and Mike was furious. Illaria was a bit surprised by Michael’s reaction. She later talked to Catrina about it. Catrina explained that it was the warrior Michael. He showed that side of himself only when there was a gross injustice or the family, was threatened. Illaria understood and found that in its own way, it was comforting.

  Michael wanted to know more about the Steppe Nomads. This was the second time he’d heard of them. This time they were doing things that directly impacted the duchy. Catrina explained. “They live to the north of the established kingdoms. They are nomadic and live off the herds and wild plants. They also raid villages, plunder them and take the people prisoner and make them slaves. My great-great-grandfather ran them out of the eastern part of the continent. They now live mainly in the western part of the continent. Apparently, they are traveling further east than they have in generations.”

  Michael thought, ‘Mongols, with guns and not as many people.’ “Catrina, do you think that these nomads could become a problem?”

  “I hope not; if they do, it will fall to Countess Morinia to deal with them. I don’t see them being a problem for us. I can’t imagine that they’d have the numbers to challenge the countess seriously.”

  That seemed to satisfy Michael. But he filed it away under things to possibly worry about sometime in the future.

  Meanwhile, Cedric had left the city. He’d bought some land a days ride east of Centralia and had a small cabin there. This was his bolthole, and no one knew who he was. When he got there, he hunkered down and started to think about what he could do in the future. He knew that one thing he wanted was revenge. Revenge against that Princess and her meddling husband. He would have his revenge.

  Menounos Arrives

  The first night the King spent time with his family. King Menounos was happy to see his wives and daughters. They filled him in on what they’d learned while they were in Sandford and Koronus. The King was pleased that they’d established links with his spies and that they’d expanded the network. While he was a southerner, he was more aware that women were capable than his peers, but even he was surprised at how they were able to operate on their own, gather intelligence and come to sound conclusions. He was especially impressed by his daughter Alla. She was much more confident and assertive than she had been.

  His wives told him it was the influence of Elizabeth and Noria and the other northern women. They also told him that Pinar was spending a lot of time with Prince Brandt. That started the King to thinking. His wives laughed and told him that she wasn’t doing anything the other young northern girls were doing. Spending time with boys and getting used to interacting with them. Intellectually he understood, but it was still something he had to wrap his head around. So many changes.

  His wives gave him a rundown on all the people that he’d be dealing with. He was both surprised and impressed when they described Prince Brandt and his friends. “My, they are people who look to get things done. You say that this Rolf is helping to organize the security for the wedding. The young Prince seems to have everything in hand.”

  The next day he met with Duke Harlold, Noria, Prince Arken, Elizabeth, Alla, and his wives. He noted that Alla sat with Arken and Elizabeth, it would take some getting used to, but that was to be expected as she would soon be joining the marriage. He did make note that he wanted to see Elizabeth’s daughter, but first business.

  The King started off. “I saw what is being done in the village just south of here. It’s very impressive. The people from the north are doing very well for us. I understand that we now have the means to make those new houses. They are such an improvement over what the people had been living in that it is almost not comparable.

  Duke Harlold, you are doing well, and you are doing exactly what your father would have done. I must say you not only look like him, but you act like him. That is very good. We’ll have to talk about the change in ownership of the businesses, but you have that well underway.

  Prince Arken, I understand that you are heading that effort. That’s good. You could be considered somewhat neutral, and your station gives you the status necessary to preside over such an undertaking.

  That brings me to an important point. As you know, thanks to the Porfians, I have no heir. I can’t have any of my daughters succeed me, and until recently, the Porfians intended to replace me with one of their puppets. That, of course, has now changed. At my age is doubtful that I will ever produce a male heir or have any other child. I’ve got to make sure that the succession goes smoothly. It would not do to be getting out from under the Porfian yoke only to have the kingdom dissolve into turmoil over the succession.

  So, as soon as you, Prince Arken, marries my daughter and bring her into your marriage, I will name you to be my successor. I don’t think that anyone, except for the Porfians, will have any objections to that. Prince Arken, I trust you are amenable to this.”

  “Yes, your majesty, I am. Although I expect that I’ll have a long time until I have to assume your duties.”

  “Ah, don’t worry about that. I intend to put the three of you to work helping to bring our kingdom out from the wreckage that the Porfians have made and to set us on the path to being more like the northern kingdoms or our neighbor Sudlund.”

  Elizabeth told the King about her plans for starting a research station in Tantulus. He already knew that Nordia would be sending some breeding stock for cattle when it was established. The King promised his full support and wanted to know what was needed. He was only mildly surprised when Elizabeth handed him a list of what was required.

  Next, he met with Princess Christiana and Prince Roddrick. Christiana a
nd the King discussed what aid that Nordia would be sending to Tantulus. It included the breeding stock, and it would also include machinery at reduced prices. There was a limit on how much they could buy at those prices, but it was enough to get them on their feet.

  The King and Prince Roddrick discussed financial concerns. Roddrick would help Duke Harlold’s minister of finance set up a new bank that would eventually tie in with the banking system that linked the northern kingdoms and Sudlund. He would look in the northern kingdoms for somebody to come to Akari to establish the kingdom’s national bank and work with the other kingdoms. King Menounos felt that was a good start. He recognized that the bank would help integrate the realm into the trading network of the northern kingdoms. This was part of the long-term economic plan.

  The next day, he met with Prince Mathias, his wife, Duchess Morvinia, and her family. The primary topic of discussion was increased trade between the two kingdoms. The first order of business was to improve the roads. Duke Harlold had already started on the road between Koronus and Sandford. King Menounos promised that he would improve the east-west road that ran near Akari and connected the continent south of the Sud. He hoped to entice some engineers from the northern kingdoms to come oversee the enterprise. He would rely on Princess Christiana and Prince Arken to help in that endeavor.

  Finally, he was very interested in meeting Prince Brandt and his group of friends. Early the following day, he went out to the exercise yard and watched them practice their swordsmanship. Prince Arken, Prince Roddrick, Prince Mathias, Petor, and Duke Harlold were all there. Prince Mathias was giving Harlold lessons. It was apparent that he was just learning the basics. The others were all very good. He had to admit that Prince Brandt and his friends were more than capable.

  Menounos decided to meet Brandt and his friends informally. He knew that they often sat around an hour before lunch, so he made sure to be there. As the King approached, Rolf noticed him and stood up. The others noticed it, and they all stood and bowed to the King. Menounos smiled. “Thank you, and please relax; I thought I’d come to talk with the younger generation and find out what they think. Do you mind if I join you?”

  Brandt replied, “Not at all, your majesty. Please feel free to join us. We were just passing the time.”

  Menounos sat down and looked at the young men. “Tell me, what have you observed while you’ve been here? Please feel free to be brutally honest.”

  Prince Brandt introduced all of his friends and gave their background. Then he asked Kelvin to talk about the merchants. “Your majesty, we’ve spent some time in the city visiting various merchants. Since we are young, they are much more open with us. There are more than a few that are quite angry. We were all run out of one dry goods store after they insulted Duke Harlold, Prince Arken, and the Nordian Royal Family.”

  That surprised the King, and he looked quizzically at the young men. Kelvin and the others smiled. “Prince Brandt let the proprietor know who he was and that he was lucky he lived in Koronus and not in Porfia. I believe that gave the man some pause. However, I doubt that his hatred was dampened any.

  As to this Darvin, we observed him in the meetings that Prince Arken has been holding. I wouldn’t trust him any further than I could throw him.” The others nodded their agreement.

  “Prince Brandt,” asked the King, “what does Prince Arken think of this?”

  “My uncle is aware of what we think. He’s hopeful that it is merely anger and that it won’t be turned into action. But he is aware that as my brother-in-law Count Michael says, ‘hope is not a plan.’ So, Rolf, who has been trained in security by Count Michael, Duke Marvon, and his father has been working on security with Baron Dedessus and Colonel Petronas.”

  The King looked to Rolf. “Yes, your majesty. The wedding is the most obvious place to strike. To borrow another saying from Count Michael, it is a ‘target-rich’ environment. There are a large number of very important people gathered together out in the open. There are lots of people around them, and any strike could result in the death or serious injury to someone important.

  That’s why we’ve been taking special precautions. We’ve got sharpshooters with rifles positioned around the temple square and at key points on the route. We’ll have an honor guard of soldiers who could be used to block any attempted assault. All the men will have their swords with them. We realize that is not normal; however, we all feel that it is necessary. The women and young ladies will all have derringers with them. The Nordian women all know how to use them, and James has been instructing the others.”

  The King then looked to James. He had a derringer on him and passed it to the King. “As you can see, your majesty, it is easily concealable. It’s small and easily handled. It has a very short range, but at that range, it’s hard to miss, and it is deadly.”

  The King examined the derringer. “Will the women use it?”

  Brandt answered. “My sister Catrina killed an assassin with one when we were attacked. Even little Marta had a knife at that time. I expect you’ll find that you don’t want to threaten Nordian women or piss them off. It’s not a good idea.”

  James then asked the King if he would like one. The King agreed, and James promised to provide a couple of derringers and instruction on their use. They made an appointment to meet the next day.

  Menounos nodded; they talked about things for a bit more, and then the King took his leave. That evening he told his wives about the conversations and how well versed the Prince, and his friends were. His wives mentioned that his daughter was becoming much more confident spending time with that group. This pleased the King. He wanted his family and kingdom to emulate the northerners and shed a lot of their backward ways.

  The Wedding

  Everyone was both excited and nervous about the upcoming wedding. The women were all in the final push to get the wedding preparations done. The new brides, Noria and Alla, were both a bundle of nerves. Their mothers and friends did their best to soothe them. Prince Arken was taking it pretty much in stride. He’d been there done that. Elizabeth was helping Alla; she was happy this would complete the marriage and help the kingdom. Killing two birds with one stone, so to speak. Duke Harlold was starting to get a bit nervous, but he wasn’t nearly as nervous as Noria.

  The rest of the guests were getting ready as well. This was both a social occasion and a political one as well. They were doing their best to cement relationships and work towards greater co-operation in the future. Prince Brandt and his friends stayed out of the way and concentrated on what they thought might be a dangerous situation. Rolf had suggested that they all wear cuirass. He procured some that would shine up nicely and were sturdy enough to stop a ball from a pistol or, hopefully, a musket. If it didn’t totally stop it, the protection might prevent a fatal wound. The boys all thought that this was a good idea, even though they were heavy.

  Brandt got Roddrick, Petor, and Mathias to wear them as well. Their wives urged them to and overcame any reluctance they might have felt. Roddrick’s situation was typical. He asked his wife. “Chris, do you really think that I need to wear this thing? It’s nice-looking, but I feel a bit silly.”

  “Roddrick, at our wedding, you were shot in the chest. If you weren’t wearing Michael's armor, you’d be dead. So, don’t be difficult and wear it. Besides, you look dashing in it.” Christiana wasn’t above adding a little flattery to appeal to her husband's ego, especially if it got results. Results were what counted.

  The Ducal Palace was not the only place that was a hive of activity. Darvin was busy as well. He was excited and nervous; this was a roll of the dice and all or nothing. The wedding was his big chance to turn the tide and keep Tantulus firmly in Porfia’s grasp. At least, that is what he thought. The number of important people attending the wedding was staggering. The most important was the King, who was betraying Porfia, and for that alone, he should die. Then there was the usurper, Duke Harlold. His crimes were obvious, and they deserved the death penalty. Of course, who best
to succeed him than the man who organized and led the successful resistance to the ouster of Porfia. Prince Arken needs to be eliminated as well.

  If he could get all three, then King Leonades would have to move to reassert control over Tantulus. He was sure that even if one escaped, Leonades would move.

  Besides the big three, there were other worthy targets there as well. Kingdoms that had supported the rebels and led to the current situation. The duchess of the city in Sudlund where the rebels trained and were based. The heir to the throne of Sudlund, which had supported the rebels. The heir to the throne of Nordia and the in-laws of the man who’d come up with the idea to squeeze Porfia and who had trained the rebels and taught them the tactics to defeat the Guard. All of these people were guilty of crimes against Porfia. If any of them died or were seriously wounded, that would be deserved.

  Darvin was delusional enough to think that Nordia and Sudlund would stand by and allow members of their royal families to be killed without any consequences. If Prince Bartrum knew what Darvin was planning, he would be appalled. It could well mean war. If there were significant casualties, Porfia wouldn’t escape without serious consequences.

  As delusional as Darvin was, he wasn’t the only one. There was a strong core of a dozen merchants who felt like he did and wanted to take direct action against their enemies. They agreed with him and would help in the attack at the wedding. Altogether, they had about thirty men ready to attack the wedding party.

  It wasn’t only the merchants who were incensed; porfian members of the Guard were as well. This was a minority of the Guard, yet a sizable minority all in all about forty men. They were motivated by two things. First, revenge for their friends and comrades who had died in the fighting. Second, by the loss of prestige. An ordinary soldier or sergeant back in Porfia didn’t have nearly the stature and privileges they had in Tantulus. They were Porfian and, therefore, by definition better than any of the locals. They lived like it as well, far better than they would back in Porfia. These men would fight to maintain their station and the good life.