Fractured Families (The Pearl of Wisdom Saga Book 2)

by Jason Paul Rice

  Elisa saw the castellan, an older man in his fifties, setting up the tables. Several flying insects circled Elisa’s head as Lady Victoriah shouted across the hall to the castellan, Avery Houndstooth, “What is that horrible stink? I want crushed lavender and fennel seeds sprinkled about the floor to rid us of this. Can’t you smell the rushes have turned, Avery? We haven’t changed them once this year so you will replace all the rush mats today. Then I want the floor swept and washed clean so the new mats can be placed. I also wish for fragrant red flower petals to be strewn about for Lord Nanbert’s entrance.”

  Avery bowed and agreed to take care of the problem immediately as he left the hall. Within minutes, several porters rushed to the room and started cleaning. Lady Victoriah inspected a few more areas of the hall while Elisa checked out the wooden spice boats. They were in the shape of miniature warships, sectioned for spices, with one flat white sail on each. The sail contained a large cardinal to flatter Lord Nanbert. All of the lifelike red birds from around the castle were brought in and arranged around the table of honor. The preparation seemed to kick into a frantic pace as now forty porters worked around the hall.

  The lady quickly took Elisa to the kitchen to check on the progress of the food. The cooks screamed to each other and talked about the food as they weaved around the butcher blocks and cooking equipment. It seemed like a crazy situation to work in to Elisa. The vast kitchen led outside to animal pens and stocked ponds with herb gardens sprouting up around the fenced-off area. Victoriah chatted with the head cook as Elisa peered around the room. Kid goat and suckling pigs slowly turned on the spit. The dripping juices sizzled as they hit the glowing embers and released puffs of smoke. She saw the skipjack and red meadowlark lined up on spits, waiting to roast over the open flames. One cook pulled hindquarters of roe-deer from a mixture of salt, sugar, pink peppercorns and juniper berries. He handed them to a mustached man who washed them clean and dunked them into a cauldron of leeks, carrots and the natural juices of the animal to stew. Another cook feverishly ripped the pelt from a young rabbit and threw it onto the pile next to his butcher block. He appeared to have at least fifty more animals to prepare. On a trestle table in the corner a woman was gilding apples in gold and silver. There must have been two hundred cooks feverishly running around the kitchen and Elisa started to feel in the way by the time Victoriah signaled to leave the organized chaos.

  They stopped in the bottlery to see the cellarer. The older man, well into his forties, tasted wine and spit it into a bucket. The gentle-looking man with a red pudgy face, who was named Elsonry, spoke, “Cannot get drunk whilst I taste our product,” he smiled at the approaching ladies. “Do we have any problems with the beverage?” Lady Victoriah asked. “A few that’ve already been corrected. I still have to taste the godale and strong wine from Abbey Grove and the sweet summer red from Fox Woods. Other than that we are a go with everything else so far,” the cellarer told her with confidence. “Thank you, Elsonry, alert us at once if there is a problem and we need to change our printed menu,” the lady said.

  She turned to Elisa on their way out, “A good staff of cooks and a knowledgeable cellarer can go a long way to win favor from lords of Donegal. Food and drink can influence a man as much as the Prograggers. Men love to eat and drink, your first look at Lord Nanbert will confirm that. He isn’t tall, but his horse will be dead tired when they arrive. We have to get to the whorehouses and back so we can meet him at the main gates. Lord Ichibod will take him to see the Prograggers and he will settle into his room while we ready ourselves for negotiation and the following feast.”

  Elisa didn’t realize how much planning and money went into trying to win a lord’s backing. They had done so much already and there was even more preparation to do before the guests arrived. Elisa realized the different facets of becoming a queen and enjoyed the process with Lady Victoriah by her side.

  The vast number of whorehouses within a short ride of the castle surprised Elisa until she remembered her previous talk with Victoriah. Elisa remarked at the quality of the brothels as some had lavish decorations she had only seen in castles. They picked a variety of beautiful women from around the world to work the party. Elisa felt sympathy for these women having to turn to the life of a whore.

  The pair rushed back to the castle and got ready to meet the visiting lord. Lady Victoriah had saved the seamstresses some work with the scanty dresses. Both women’s ample bosoms were on display and the tight black dresses barely hung to their knees. Lady Victoriah helped Elisa into her new cloak and they went to wait for Lord Nanbert outside the main gate.

  Before too long a band of about thirty men approached waving a yellow banner with the black beaked cardinal of Powers Run. A grotesque-looking man rode to the front and Lady Victoriah tapped Elisa as both ladies curtsied. “Lord Nanbert, you humble and honor us by taking this meeting. May I present Queen Elisa Burke,” the lady said and Elisa curtsied again and smiled at the lord. He squinted to look at Elisa and asked in a tone that sounded like someone was holding his nose, “Don’t you mean Elisa Wamhoff? Where’s this so-called king?”

  Ichibod spoke, “Lord Nanbert, a pleasure as always. I will take you to see our king and our key to victory if you come with me.”

  The lord agreed and all the men left. All the running around for that? For him to just dismiss me and ride away? Why did we have to meet him out here?

  Lady Victoriah and Elisa went to check on everything one last time and then retreated to a quaint room in the east end of the castle. Two stuffed lions and bear skin rugs along the walls decorated the room. A jade chandelier hung above a long black marble table crusted in the corners with jewels. A mixture of crushed emeralds, rubies, sapphires and diamonds matched the same cluster on Elisa’s crown. Her simple, golden band rested on her head. The colorful jewels glittered in the sunlight creeping through the window. A few tapestries of hunting scenes held Elisa’s attention until Lord Nanbert and three of his men entered with Ichibod.

  The High Lord of Powers Run wore all black with two red birds facing each other, one over each breast. Short, fat and bald were the best physical qualities Elisa could see in the fifty-year-old man. One brown eye sat noticeably higher than the other and his hooked nose almost touched his thick, crusty lips. His unshaven face had bald patches that only added to the lord’s debauched look. He was a man who didn’t give a damn about his appearance and enjoyed his birth privilege to the fullest extent. Elisa and the lady stood up to greet their guests.

  “Where’s the drink?” Lord Nanbert asked. “Lord Nanbert, it is an honor to meet with you but we will negotiate first and feast with drink after.” “Fair warning, I negotiate much better when I am drinking,” he advised.

  They went back and forth for nearly an hour. In his nasally tone, Lord Nanbert asked for Elisa’s first and second born sons in marriage pacts. He also wanted to be Chamberlain of the Realm. Elisa remembered when Lady Victoriah had told her about what it takes to be queen, and bit her bottom lip.

  “Will everyone please give Lord Nanbert and me the room to work this out in private?” Elisa asked firmly. She felt the questioning eyes of Lord Ichibod and Lord Nanbert’s closest men but the lord nodded and they were alone.

  “We can go back and forth over titles and children but you already have a comfortable life and I will find you suitable marriage pacts when I take the throne. I know what you like so why don’t we cut straight to it. I’ve heard the many stories of your bedchamber exploits. If that’s what you wish we have a selection of the finest whores in the world at your disposal. Have a run at all of them if you wish.” Elisa could see that Lady Victoriah’s extreme bluntness was rubbing off on her.

  “I don’t want a whore, I want a queen,” he said. She noticed he hadn’t taken his eyes off her cleavage since everyone had left. “Here it is, final offer. We go out to the feast and drink until we can no longer stand. I’ll take you to my room and you can have me any which way you desire. You will receive none of my sons bu
t your four sons will all become high lords in my kingdom. You will not be Chamberlain of the Realm but you will serve as Overlord of Fox Chapel. Before you leave tomorrow you sign the papers and open up Powers Run. Do we have a deal?” the decisive Elisa stated. “Deal,” the ugly lord stated with a giant smile of busted teeth which only made the man look worse. His freckled head became red with excitement as the negotiators joined the party.

  Lord Nanbert sat at the table of honor with the Ellsworth family and Elisa. He had left his wife at home. Lady Victoriah had told her it was because the lord couldn’t act a fool with her there. The other tables of prestige were on opposite sides of the room and reserved for Lord Nanbert’s men and the brothers of the Faith of Eternal Light. Lady Victoriah specifically put the brothers far away from the notoriously rowdy men from Powers Run. The guest of honor immediately chugged two golden goblets of godale, spilling the suds liberally on his clothes. The brothers of the church blessed the feast and everyone took their seats.

  A platter with a golden-domed cage came toward the table. Ten cardinals fluttered around the enclosure as two serving men carried it to Lord Nanbert. The lord lifted the cage and threw it aside. The cardinals flew out into the inner ward signaling the start of the feast. One red bird flapped its wings but couldn’t get off the silver tray. Lord Nanbert slapped the bird to the ground and stomped it dead while his men shouted approval. Elisa was appalled at the unnecessary act of cruelty but it was just a precursor to the events to follow. She looked down the table and saw Darryg and Anderley shaking their heads. Golden plates and silver bowls sat in front of every guest with an ivory handled knife and wiping towel. The men from Powers Run received a special knife to keep with cardinals painted on the handles. Big bowls of rosewater were presented to each guest to wash their hands before the feast but Lord Nanbert shoved his away.

  The twenty-one courses were to be supplemented with entremets between the larger offerings. A different drink had been selected to pair with each course of elegantly presented food. The charred squirrel legs with scrambled brains came first with the small animals’ pelts hanging from the silver serving trays. A peppery red wine came with the first course. Lord Nanbert grabbed a handful of legs, tossed them onto his plate and threw a glob of brains on top. The man ate like someone was going to snatch the food away and hovered over the plate. The lord sat on the left end of the rectangular table with Elisa and Lady Victoriah to his right. Lord Ichibod, Darryg and Anderley filled out the table with the High Brother of the Faith at the end, farthest away from the raunchy lord of honor.

  A vinegary smell wafted into the room as the pickled lambs feet came into the hall. Lord Nanbert attacked them with the same vigor as the squirrel. He did the same with the young rabbit and long-pepper stuffed quail with fennel pollen sprinkled over the top. The roast suckling pigs with golden apples in their mouths circulated the room and the guests politely picked at the meat. An untouched pig came to the High Lord of Powers Run. He screamed to his men, ripped the eyeball out and ate it to the delight of his cheering section. Four more courses came with wines and the lord must have drunk over twenty goblets by now. He tried to talk to Elisa but his slurred words made no sense.

  Elisa mostly whispered back and forth with Victoriah during the meal. Lord Nanbert kept going to the privy to relieve himself but that didn’t stop him from continuing to gorge on food and drink. The man was the definition of gluttony. Lady Victoriah commented that they should have installed a chamber pot beneath the beast’s seat. Elisa laughed but she knew the worst part of her night was still to come. The milk fed veal with purple lemon and candied ginger came around and Elisa took Lady Victoriah’s advice to sprinkle a little white pepper on it. The lady told Elisa to only take small portions and not to fill up on drink. Lord Nanbert piled salt onto the veal like he did on every other morsel that was placed in front of him.

  “SOP,” screamed Lord Nanbert as he slurped at the mutton and carrot stew thickened with almond milk. The serving girl quickly brought some manchet and the lord took a whole loaf from the tray to dunk in the stew. As the meal went on and the lord got even more obnoxious, the brothers of the church left the feast. The exotic whores and harp players came in soon after and the last seven courses were accompanied by entertainment. A couple of jesters danced around the room constantly being insulted and physically harassed by Lord Nanbert’s men.

  Toward the end of the meal, the lord started vomiting on his plates or bowls and demanding the closest server take it away. The queen had never been more disgusted by a man’s looks and actions. Her stomach turned thinking about the promise she had made.

  The last five courses were all desserts but that didn’t slow Lord Nanbert down. The crusted apple pies with grains of paradise, almond-cinnamon pudding with dried apricots and a velvety red cake shaped like a cardinal didn’t stand a chance with the good lord. He now had a trail of the previous courses on his black attire and he screamed and yelled, but even his own men couldn’t understand him.

  Elisa couldn’t comprehend how one man could eat and drink so much without dying. After the food had stopped, he simply upped the drinking. Most of his contingent disappeared with the working women and the Lion’s Hall began to clear out. Lord Nanbert’s eyes started to shut as he chased two whores from his lap. Elisa noticed a stain in his pants indicating he couldn’t make it to the garderobe in time. She wished she could renegotiate the terms of the deal when Lord Nanbert said, “It…it’s time.” He barely got the words out as he licked his crusty white lips.

  Elisa and Lady Victoriah called the Grizzly Bear over to help guide Lord Nanbert to Elisa’s room. One of the strongest men in the land had trouble keeping Lord Nanbert on his feet. He threw him into Elisa’s bed and left. Elisa and the lady started to strip down the lord while holding their breath.

  The next morning, Elisa paced around the room as the man snored in her bed. Lord Nanbert started to stir and she dropped her robe and slid into the bed. “AAAHHH,” the lord screamed as he stretched out. The nude, disgusting man reeked of stale booze and his breath smelled ten times worse. “You were a savage last night,” Elisa said. “I know. I always am. You want another go before I leave?” he offered through his awful breath. Elisa jumped up and put her robe on. “I couldn’t possibly, not after last night. I will be satisfied for years, my good lord.”

  “Enough, girl, you can walk a fine line with flattery and insult. You kept your promise and I will keep mine, I’ll sign,” he confirmed.

  The two got dressed and went to the meeting room. The lord and lady of the castle waited for them. Lord Ichibod Ellsworth listened in shock as Elisa read the terms of the deal to the scribe. Elisa had given up barely anything to obtain free passage and gained twelve thousand trained soldiers from Powers Run. Lord Jerion Nanbert signed the agreement and left.

  Ichibod asked, “Holy horseshit, did you really sleep with that vile beast?” “No. Lady Victoriah helped me to understand our guest’s weaknesses,” Elisa answered. She looked at Victoriah with a smirk and for the first time saw the lady smile through the dark veil.

  ALI-STER

  King Ali-Ster pulled up on the reins. The empty wagon that had been stuffed with food and coin came to a stop at the castle stables. The peasants who had lined the street to catch a glimpse of the King turned to go home. Ali-Ster’s female citizens had thrown flowers and blown kisses as the men shouted, “Long may live our King.” He had been going out every day to a different town of poor citizens. The people prayed to the Gods that King Ali-Ster would pick their area next. His councilors still begged him to stop going into harm’s way without proper protection. His uncle Ryen was the only one who supported Ali-Ster in this measure. His popularity soared with the stars amongst the lowborn of Donegal. The stories had already spread throughout the realm and everyone wanted to see the Noble King. The people set aside their daily chores to crowd the roads of Ali-Ster’s travels. A renewed sense of pride in the kingdom flowed from the east coast along the Sea of Green to the
Goldenfield border in the west. Ali-Ster filled the heart and soul of the land with hope and love, yet his own felt empty. He still dwelled on the abandonment of his mother, cousin and Elisa. Future thoughts of life with Leimur fueled the eighteen-year-old now.

  We were supposed to be Thunder and Lightning, ruling the realm together. My mother might have never loved me now that I think about it. Now it will be the Warrior King and Queen. I should leave today and never look back. No, I need a fortnight to practice with Deydrana before I leave. Maybe I should just go right now?

  His mind debated back and forth on whether to start his adventure now. He ultimately chose to stay for the time being, although the King had become anxious to leave. He crossed the bridge and entered his castle. He spotted Neron, who turned away on seeing Ali-Ster and rushed off. His cousin had been acting suspicious for the past two weeks and much stranger in the last two days. He seemed to be avoiding the King. Ali-Ster assumed he was still embarrassed about being caught with another man.

  The King chased Neron down. “Oh, my King,” he said awkwardly with a pale, freckled face. “Chess?” Ali-Ster offered. Neron shook his head and walked quickly toward his room until Ali-Ster grabbed his shoulder. “Fox and Geese?” he asked and pulled a golden fox marker from his leather belt pouch. “Not in the mood,” Neron said, unenthusiastically inviting the King into his room. The two men entered and closed the door.

  “You’re nervous about the hunt, aren’t you?” Ali-Ster asked. “No, I’ve been on hunts before,” replied his cousin in an annoyed tone. Neron had been on many hunts, but never brought down an animal.

  “No need for worry, I’ll take care of you like always,” Ali-Ster promised. Neron snapped back, “I don’t need you to take care of me.” The King softened his tone, “Sorry, cousin, I’m sure you can handle yourself on the grounds.” “I’m sorry too. Have you forgotten the idea of that super kingdom?” his cousin asked in a much more relaxed manner.