Breakfast was a simple affair, high in carbs and protein to try and lessen the effects of all the drinking. I also instructed Kala to drink lots of water as that would help with the headaches as well. Now with full bellies and sufficient hydration, we were ready to begin the day.
The first obstacle was always the worshippers. This combination of needy fools and glaring sunlight was migraine inducing. I pinched the bridge of my nose before trudging through the mass of hands and prayers being levied at me. What I would have given just for them to be quiet for one morning. Although, if I made a demand to that effect, they would probably obey it. That didn’t sit right with me though, so it is what it is.
First order of business was to report to Durdan. Not only did we need to show up so he could direct our preparations, but I wanted to know what he was putting the others in our group through. No doubt some of what we would need to do to prepare would be tedious, but it would pale in comparison to the actual mission itself. I hated politics back in my own world, so getting involved in the nightmare that was running and directing a country in a world that was completely foreign to me, well, saying that I wasn’t looking forward to it was an understatement.
The trip to the inner keep was quick and had few distractions. Durdan wasn’t in his office this morning though. Asking around it was revealed that he was currently in the large meeting room with a number of other officers. It sounded like he was busy right now, and I didn’t want to walk into that particular hornet nest anyway, so we settled for waiting nearby for the meeting to end.
The upside of this was it gave us some more time to sober up, organize our thoughts and allow the meal we had to work its own brand of magic on our bodies. About an hour later the doors to the meeting room opened and several officers filed out one after the other. The last one out was Durdan and seeing him prompted us to make our way in his direction.
Durdan must have seen us in his peripheral vision because he turned to greet us. “James, Kala, good morning.” I appreciated Durdan’s professionalism. He didn’t even glance at Kala’s freshly lightened scales.
“Morning Durdan.” I said in return while Kala dipped her head. “Did that meeting have anything important brought up in it?”
“No more or less important than the last few. We are all on edge, looking for any signs of Thrainian movement. Our spies have reported a few disconcerting happenings, but nothing has been confirmed yet. This quiet will not last much longer.” He let out a sigh before regaining his resolve. “Well, no time to sit in contemplation. You’re here for the preparations, yes?”
“Indeed. So, what needs to be done?”
“First, let us remedy your current appearance. Weathered traveler may be all well and good for your average meeting, but you will be in talks with leaders of the coalition, and thus will need to be properly groomed.”
I shrugged. “Yeah, was thinking that I probably needed to shave at the very least.”
“That is the very least of what will happen. Moro!” Durdan called out loudly down the hall. This prompted a younger looking Ulgor to come running. The lad was quick on his feet and dressed smartly, probably a squire or some similar occupation.
With a crisp salute, Moro answered Durdan's summons. “Yes sir, what do you need of me?”
“Would you kindly fetch the maids and tell them to bring their complete toolset. We are in need of the royal treatment.”
“Yes sir, I’ll be back momentarily.” And with that, he was off at a jogging pace to fulfill the order.
Now that things were in motion, Durdan turned back to us. “Well, while we are waiting, allow me to give you some study material. Please follow me back to my office.”
We did just that as Durdan made his way through the halls back to the office room that we were so familiar with. Once inside, everyone took a seat as the papers were sorted through in search of something specific. With a successful ‘aha’ a sheet was removed and held towards me with a brief description of what it contained.
“Here is a list of the council’s current members and their affiliations. It should help you obtain a simple understanding of the political web that you are about to walk into. I also took the liberty to point out a few groups that may be potentially helpful to your cause, or harmful, depending on how receptive they are to your presence.”
“Well, let’s see what the damage is then.” I was almost reluctant to accept the piece of paper. It felt like the innocuous item was about to confirm all my worst fears about this whole operation.
The first part of the paper contained the names of the council members. At the top there was Larvell, leader of the Ulgors and the one who had the most sway over the military. That wasn’t particularly surprising considering the well-known military traditions of the Ulgor as a people, but the brief notes provided by Durdan were unexpected as it seemed Larvell was experiencing war fatigue which was impacting his decision making. That could be a problem if I had to go through him to get permission to deploy more troops.
Second on the list was the chieftain of the Droln, Sarden. Other than Larvell, Sarden had the second most influence over the military, handling matters of logistics, supply lines and other support operations. Being that the Droln are almost literally walls of muscle, it makes since that this would be a role they would fit into well. Sarden and Larvell work closely together, so maybe it would pay to befriend one or the other and use that as an in to gain the support of both.
Next up there was the Valus and their elected representative, Artisa. Apparently, the Valus owned and operated many merchant guilds across the coalition territories, and Artisa oversaw them all while maintaining the standards. That sounded like a hassle, especially knowing how much money and business tend to be centers of corruption. I hoped that she at least was able to manage it and hadn’t fallen to corruption herself. It would be easier to handle her if she didn’t have backroom deals being thrown about which would just gunk up the gears.
After the Valus came the satyrs, or ‘they who stride the mountains and touch the sky’ as the paper so helpfully reminded me. Regardless, the representative's name was... What the fuck? I squinted at the page with a look of sheer bafflement on my face. The one who marches trails across the barren wastes to find the lands towards which he makes haste, A determined soul who yields not to adversity and seeks a place of infinite diversity, He who... I stopped reading at that point and shook my head. While completely insane to have as a name, it did provide a little bit of insight into the person in question. It appeared that the poems that served as a moniker were also a list of characteristics and or achievements of said person. That was interesting as a concept, but damn it was going to be annoying to address them. Overlooking that little aspect, the satyrs as a people were responsible for most of the ores and gems that flowed through the coalition territory. Being mountain dwellers gives them prime real estate for acquiring such material.
Now for a more familiar subject, Trelnval were next. Nadala was the name of this council member, and she was directing the flow of food throughout their territory. Grains, fruits, fish, alcohol, if it was edible, then she knew where it was going. As ruler of the breadbasket, her influence amongst the general population was immense as one word from her could see whole granaries filled or emptied.
Last but not least, there was the Nactren and their chosen council member Olias. Apparently, an industry tycoon, Olias was the owner of many different smithies, factories, and assembly lines for various products both functional and fantastical. If you had the raw materials, he most likely could produce something out of it. Weapons, armor, magical items, what little the coalition could afford to produce and spread amongst their soldiers came from him.
A rather diverse cast of characters, all with their own massive power structures. That wasn’t even to mention the side show that was the church of the divine and the banks, each of which have their own influence on political events while not operating as openly as the representatives. Fuck me, the headache, the headache is already starting.
I put down the piece of paper and leaned back in my chair, letting out a deep sigh. “Durdan, I respect you immensely for dealing with this bullshit, even if only in part.”
“Your respect is noted and appreciated. However, I need you to do better than me, to succeed where I have failed.”
“Yeah, I know.” I said with a huff. “Ask of me the world why don’t ya?”
Durdan chuckled. “Well, considering who your patron is, if I thought you were capable of such, I may very well have.”
“Don’t even think about it.” I warned him half in jest.
“Yes, I am well aware of the limitations of your gifts. Even that outburst of yours during the siege you were quite adamant about not being able to reproduce. Frankly, I consider your mind to be the most valuable tool in your possession. Your knowledge is impressive and your manner of solving problems is unique. I’m rather eager to see just what you might accomplish when peace allows for the pursuit of more elaborate projects.”
I had a plethora of ideas about how to improve the general quality of life in this world, but as Durdan stated, those were projects for a time of peace. Before we could continue talking, there was a knock on the door as a feminine voice called out from beyond the boundary.
“General, you called for us?”
“Ahh, yes, come in ladies.” He replied.
With a click the door opened to reveal a pair of familiar faces. A duo of Trelnval ladies walked into the room before performing a small bow. While it did take me a second to identify them, it came to me that these were the two who had cleaned me once before when I first started my journey to sabotage Yol’vastume.
“Sir, we have gathered our tools and are ready to service Lord James. We are making use of the eastern bath if that is acceptable to you?”
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“That will be fine ladies, thank you. James, if you would, please follow them so they might correct your appearance.”
“Right, where to ladies?” I asked with a slightly flippant gesture.
“Please follow us my lord.”
“Just James, if you would.”
The maid I was talking to shook her head a little. “Sir, while I do recall your desire for casual conventions, that was at a time when you did not formally have a title. Now that you have officially been named as such, it would be remiss of us, and an insult besides, to not speak to you with respect.”
I let out a sigh. “Right, well, while a bit annoying, I can understand that there are customs and social norms. I’m going to have to get used to this eventually.” It really was frustrating just how much this new title was being forced upon me.
“Thank you for your understanding my lord. Please, this way.”
As I started to turn and make my way towards the door, Kala took that moment to speak up. “Hands above the waist girls, he’s mine.”
That got a reaction out of everyone as even I quirked a brow at her. What was probably the head maid turned to face her and I saw her eyes flick downwards towards Kala’s lighter belly for a moment before returning to her face. “Yes, we can all see that, my lady. Rest assured we are professionals.”
There was a bit of ice in the air that confused me even more. Is Kala getting territorial over me? Do Trelnval women fight or argue over partners? I really needed to learn a bit more about the culture of the Trelnval.
With that bit of weirdness done with, I followed the pair out of the room and down the hallways. While walking, I struck up a bit of conversation with them using that recent interaction as a starting point. “Hey, sorry about Kala, not sure what’s gotten into her. Hope you didn’t take it too personally.”
The one I had been talking to before turned her head to speak. “Don’t worry my lord, we were not offended. Her reaction is understandable given your current... relationship.”
That got me curious. “Oh? How so?”
“Well, if you don’t mind me saying sir, your current coupling is rather... informal, by Trelnval standards. While it is clear that you have shared in intimacy with one another, normally such a thing comes after the relationship itself is recognized by the elder and the village. As it stands, by Trelnval customs at least, you are still an eligible bachelor and free to seek out other relationships. If one had such a desire, they could try and contest her for a place at your side, a position that has become even more valuable considering your recent acquisition of noble title. Rest assured, we uphold our standards as maids and do not mingle with our employers or clients, if possible. Can’t dismiss those who have more lecherous desires for their servants after all.”
That was a bit of a heavy revelation that was dropped on me. I remember we touched upon Trelnval relationships when we first started dating, but it hasn’t come up again or shown itself to be of concern until now. Was she really worried that someone might sweep in and take her place? After everything we’ve been through? I couldn’t even picture that happening. Regardless of if it made sense to me or not, it would have to be a conversation between us in the future.
We arrived at the bathroom, a large set of double doors. The two maids opened them for me, revealing what was a very lavish looking bath setup. The center of the room was taken up by an eight-by-eight-foot cube the dropped into the floor about four feet. On the left wall extending out a snarling visage of a dragon like creature that I recognized as a stylized Sevathen. From its mouth a stream of water flowed freely as steam rose from the pool that it was dumped into. The eyes of the statue contained crystals, and upon closer inspection, I could see runes carved into them, probably to facilitate the movement of water and possibly the temperature as well. Finally, across from the entrance on the far wall there were three narrow windows that helped to aerate the room.
Damn, this is a bath that people would pay for in my world. Honestly, I hadn’t had a decent cleaning in a long while, and while partial to showers myself, soaking in a bath sounded great. The ladies were kind enough to turn around for me while I got undressed, perhaps they remembered my preference in not stripping in front of people.
The water was warm, the perfect temperature for bathing. As soon as I was seated with the water up to my chest, the pair of maids began the process of grooming me. The first step was apparently a bucket of water being thrown over my head, soaking my hair to a wet mop like state. I was directed to present my limbs to the ladies so they could apply a number of soaps, scented oils, a scrubbing tools to my body.
After thoroughly working over my every inch with the cleaning supplies, they moved on to my hair. I was presented with a towel and a reclined chair with which to sit in. First, they combed my hair, getting it straight and fixing any of my cowlicks. Once satisfied that my messy head was orderly enough, a pair of, not quite scissors, came out. Shears? Whatever they were, she began to use them to cut large sections of my hair off, including my beard to a certain point.
The snipping continued for several minutes as a pile of hair grew on the floor. Eventually the shears were put away and out came a straight razor. I had never shaved, or been shaven, by such a razor, so it being placed at my throat made me experience all kinds of uncomfortable feelings. My throat had been slit more than once, and the sensation was unpleasant to say the least.
While my body was a bundle of nerves, the ladies continued dutifully in their work, skillfully removing the hairs around my neck and face without so much as a small cut in my flesh. At long last my sudden spa day was coming to a close. After a little bit of cleanup where they wiped off my face and shoulders, they presented me with a small mirror to see the results.
The moment the reflective surface revealed my visage I was stunned into silence. Even though it was an irrefutable fact that this was my face, it might as well have been that of a stranger’s to me. I could scarcely recall the last time I had seen my face without the effects of travel and hardship plastered upon it.
My hair was cut short with just enough length to style. There was not a speck of dirt or grime on my face, and the skin that had been hidden beneath my beard for the last few months was once again visible, jagged scar running up its side and all. It was such a striking moment that my silence was registered by the maids who became concerned.
“My lord, is something not to your liking?”
I blinked a few times as the stupor that had fallen over me was undone. “Oh, no, nothing’s wrong, you did a good job. It’s just... I barely even recognize myself anymore.”
She nodded with a small smile. “Well, I hope that the person you see now is an improvement of what you once were, sir.”
Now that was a thought, one that had not been considered. When I looked again, I could now see that there was more... purpose, in my features, for lack of a better description. This world hardened me. I did not break under the fire and pressure. Instead, coming out the other side as something more than what I once was.
A small smile graced my lips. “Yeah, I think they are.”
Much had been lost, that was true, but I had also gained many things as well. It was torture, hell at times, yet the darkness was beginning to fade, and I was here now with so many others who would help banish it further. With renewed resolve I put down the mirror and got dressed once more. There were new fancy clothes waiting for me, attire befitting someone of noble status. To call myself that still made me want to barf though.
The suit had many laces, embroideries, and was a rich blue color. While I could have done without the monkey suit, I accepted it as a necessity. It felt good being clean again, a deep clean too, not the surface level washing that I had to utilize up to this point. Hygiene was another thing that needed to be improved in this world and was put on the list of things to do after the war.
Before we left, I turned to the pair. “Thank you for your service, ladies. I’ve come to realize that I don’t even know your names. May I have the privilege of knowing them?”
The one that had been talking to me all this time, who was almost certainly the head maid, responded to me. “It was an honor to service you, my lord. As for names, mine is Olea.”
“Volanda, sir.” The second one said in a mousier voice with a slight bow.
“Olea, Volanda, thank you once again. You did a great job.” The two of them bowed deeply in response to my praise.
We left the bathroom and went our separate ways. I was feeling a bit eager to show off to Kala and hear what she thought about my appearance, so I moved briskly towards Durdan’s office once more. Upon entering the room again I was greeted with Durdan, but not Kala. Durdan, taking note of my entry, decided to comment on my groomed visage.
“Well, James, I’d say this is a significant improvement. Yes, you strike a very dashing figure now.”
“Oh, well, thanks. This is probably the cleanest I’ve felt in months. That aside, where’s Kala?”
“Ahh, yes, I thought that since it was highly unlikely that she would not be at your side at any given moment that she should receive a cleaning and some new attire as well. It shouldn’t be too much longer until she returns.”
She’s getting a makeover too? That was an interesting thought. I wondered what went into cleaning and Trelnval. Did they have special products or scrubbing tools that were used? Also, attire? I’ve never seen a Trelnval wear anything other than armor before, so that had my curiosity piqued.
So, I sat down, and we waited for her to return while reading over the papers Durdan provided me. It wasn’t long of a wait, about five minutes before the door behind me opened. I stood up and turned around only to stop, stunned by the sight before me.
Kala was there, only she looked more radiant than I had ever seen before. Her scales were cleaned and polished to a degree that they looked almost like gemstones. Her body was covered in jewelry and thin strips of flowing cloth that draped along her form almost like an exotic dancer. The bracelets, necklace, and rings they adorned her with were made of golden bronze metal and inlaid with precious stones that complimented her natural scale color.
She seemed slightly bashful, fidgeting with herself as I gazed at her. “Well, what do you think?” Kala finally asked.
The question snapped me out of my stupor enough for me to begin to formulate a reply. “I think you’re the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.”
That got her to smile as she became slightly less bashful. “I’d never thought I would wear something so expensive in my life.” She did a little twirl that caused the cloth parts to flutter outwards.
“Well, it, and you, both look amazing.” I complemented her again.
She giggled a little before approaching me, getting close and examining me in detail. “You cleaned up nicely too. It’s been a while since I've seen you without a beard and short hair. Now I get to see more of that handsome face of yours.”
Before we could continue, Durden interrupted us with an intentional clearing of his throat. “Ahem, if you two are done flirting, let us keep this day in motion.” I felt myself blush a little and Kala acted slightly embarrassed as we got back on track. “Now, your friends are all receiving their equipment and instructions, learning how they need to act while on the job. You already have some experience in dealing with nobility, James, but I’m not sure how Kala might handle them.”
“You don’t need to worry about me sir.” Kala said confidently. “I’ve had to appease nobles for years.”
“Hmm, I suppose that is true, but you must not show submissiveness to them as you had before.”
“Sir, I appeased, never submitted.” She said with a smirk.
Durdan chuckled a bit. “You truly have a fiery spirit, Kala. Very well, I will trust that you know what you are doing then. That just leaves supplies, funds, and extra attire for the both of you. All of this should be ready by tomorrow. Until then, I encourage you to gather what else you think you might need. The stockpile is open to you, just don’t claim unnecessary luggage.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll keep it reasonable. Besides, we’re the ones who have to carry it everywhere.” I said with a slight smile.
“Good. Take the notes with you to study and then get all your affairs in order. You leave tomorrow morning.”
That was sobering to think about. It wasn’t like I didn’t know that this was happening, but just hearing that we were leaving tomorrow put it all at the forefront of my mind. Frankly, between being stabbed to death and playing politics, I would prefer being stabbed to death, but this wasn’t about me. This was our one chance to end the war in a timely and satisfactory manner. Nothing else mattered other than that goal, least of all my own personal misgivings. So, with determination, I took the pages and exited the office to begin our final preparation.