Frits had been inside the palace only twice before. Both of these times, he was there as an escort to the royal messenger. This position was just a body that was meant to be silent and stay in line.
On this occasion, he was the royal messenger. This involved being the leader of the party and speaking directly with the king and queen. His forehead was draped in sweat and his hands were clammy. The young man could feel his heart beat in his throat as the four soldiers made their way to their regal leaders.
Two, beautifully carved, wooden thrones stood at the far end of a large, wooden table. In them sat King Edward and Queen Melanie who were speaking to their chief advisor, Gerrit. A low fire crackled away behind them, giving a soft glow to the scene. The king looked to be frustrated about something as he slammed the arm of his throne. Gerrit threw his arms into the air in exasperation. Queen Melanie touched the king's arm and started speaking some words, too quiet for Frits to hear, to the both of them. Within moments, the two calmed down and the king cracked a small smile.
Frits smiled as Gerrit walked away past them at a brisk pace and his head down. Queen Melanie was known to be a great diplomat and connector of people. Some even say that she used magical powers to influence others. While Frits did not know about magical powers and those who wielded them, it was a special sight to see her bring the king back to a calm level.
"My king and queen," the orator who escorted them said with a bow. Her powerful voice echoed in the large room. "The royal messenger’s party has arrived."
"Thank you, Tamera," Queen Melanie said with a slight bow. "Greetings, please start with your names, each of you."
"Captain Damon, my king and queen," Damon said with a bow and his right fist over his heart.
"Frits, my king and queen," Frits said in the same tone and copied Damon's gesture.
The fist over the heart was a sign of respect and unity among all people of Hailgalad since the kingdom's inception. Some lore masters say the gesture came about when the first Hailgaladrians that actually met Areandel. They were so struck by her splendor that words eluded them and they could only place their hands over their hearts and bow. Regardless, this was the Hailgalad salute to show respect to one another. Eva and Jon followed suit with their right fists over their hearts.
The king and queen stood up and approached the group. "Which of you is the royal messenger for this journey?" the king asked in his booming voice.
He wore an iron crown and was dressed in extravagant red and gold robes. He had kind eyes and a short, finely trimmed, brown beard. The queen followed in a flowing gown of red and gold. Her brown hair was up in an intricate weave of braids as she smiled brightly.
"I am, my king," Frits said with a defiant step forward.
He tried his best to keep his voice strong, but it quivered slightly. Frits saw King Edward smile and his bright eyes glinted as he sensed the young man's nerves. Frits knew nothing about how strange it must be to have someone so nervous to meet him, but it was clear the king knew the feeling all too well.
"Here are the scrolls. They must be delivered to Everand of Frostwatch, or any designee which carries her seal. In addition to these, say to her that we wish to see her at the Festival of the Fifth Tree next month," King Edward handed over a bundle of scrolls that Frits put in his messenger's satchel. "Now, is there anything else you require of us?"
"No, my king and queen. I shall move at all haste to deliver your messages," Frits said with a bow and his right fist over his heart.
It was customary for the king or queen to ask this question to ensure their messengers had all they needed to complete their mission. It was likewise customary for the messenger to decline any further assistance.
"Safe travels Frits, Eva, and Jon. May Areandel's light shine upon you," Queen Melanie said with a bow.
Without the word, the four bowed and left the presence of their king and queen. Frits breathed a sight of relief.
The hardest part is over, he thought.
***
Frits and the others went straight to the stables on the palace grounds. There, three horses were being readied. Unlike soldiers in the calvary, these were not owned by the messengers, but lent to them from the royal house. This was because the horses used by messengers were of the royal stock, a bloodline directing from Eardred the first lord of Hailgalad's horse, Masufeld. These horses were faster, smarter, and more resilient than their average counterparts. These attributes made them the ideal companion for a messenger of the king and queen to ensure the job was done as efficiently as possible.
"Taunten is for you, Frits," Eric, the stable-master said pointing at the dark brown steed. He was a truly magnificent beast that was elegant and strong. "He has been on this road a hundred times. No better horse for a new lead messenger.”
The large man stroked his bushy red beard as he nodded to Frits with a smile. “You will do fine.”
Frits put his hand on the horses face and closed his eyes. We got this, right old boy, the young man said in his mind, as if he was able to silently communicate with the animal.
"Alright, get a move on," Captain Damon growled. As the three mounted their proud steeds, he said, "Frits, I know you like to be late, but this cannot be one of those times. Three days to the watch, three days back. If you can make it in two and a half all the better."
"Yes, sir," they said in unison and bowed with their right fists over their hearts.
With this, they rode away to the norther gate with Captain Damon's watchful eye on them.
***
The three riders made their way north of the palace grounds. Here, the road turned past a great many large villas. In the light of morning, these homes were mostly quiet save workers straightening the trees and other plants, cleaning clothes, and delivering daily fresh food. In the evening, many of these homes would be the center of social life in the city. Their owners would host extravagant dinner parties and dances that were the magnet of all high class folk. This was not the company the three riders kept, but each were briefly lost with the thought of joining them one day.
"Do you think we will ever live here?" Fits asked while deep in thought.
The young man knew it was a preposterous question. The families that lived here had done so for many generations. One could rise in the ranks of society, but to reach something this high was nearly impossible. This did not stop him from dreaming.
The others did not answer him which prompted Frits to look at his companions. They still glowered at him. Jon simply shook his head as they plotted along.
Eva continued to stare with her deep brown eyes. Her short hair bobbed as they continued on the path.
Finally, she said, "You need to get on top of your life, Frits. You are always lost in your mind, running your mouth to superiors, or late."
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Frits was taken back by the sudden hostility. "It all worked out today. I was almost late. The king and queen did not seem upset."
"This time it was fine. Next time it could be our positions in the army. I don't have anyone to help me in this world. Do you know what I've had to do to get to this meager station? The nonsense I took from people? The inches I've crawled after years of toil?"
“Do you really think that you are the only one of us who has struggled, Eva?" Frits fought back. Annoyance laid thickly on his voice.
"All the more reason for you to get a hold of your life and responsibilities," Eva countered. "You have four brothers and sisters who are counting on you. We all know your dad was a great man but..."
"Do not talk about my father," Frits cut in sharply.
There was a prolonged silence as the they proceeded down the hill and into the bustling city. The stark difference between the serene villas to the dense buildings of the lower city was always staggering to Frits. They could now hear various machines and tools clanging away on the day’s work. A multitude of people were in the streets going about their business. Their chatter brought a low rumble of noise throughout the streets as the three's horses clopped along.
Jon was the first to break the silence. He was a tall broad man who had a short brown beard and short hair. His voice resonated deeply as he spoke, "By Areandel, I wish I had more to eat. I wonder if anyone has requested anything from them when the king asks, Now, is there anything else you require of me?"
Frits was hungry as well. After the late night and early morning, he could use some nice cooked meat and eggs. Even a sweet roll would do.
He laughed as he remembered, "I wonder if this may help change your thought of me."
He pulled two sweet rolls from his pack and threw them to his companions. He then took a big bite out of a third.
Eva and Jon took a few thoughtful bites as Eva said, "You still need to shape up."
"All is forgiven," Jon cut in with glee as they all started to laugh.
After they had ridden for some time in silence, Jon spoke up again. "What do you think the news is about?" he asked. He was the youngest of the bunch and a fresh recruit out of the army training academy. “It is my first mission. Do you ever receive any of the news, or is it kept between the lords?”
"Most journeys, you will not get much information," Eva said. "I have delivered for Frostwatch, Mendale, and the Iron Mountain. Mendale has the best views being on the coast and all, but Helewise does not give much away. In fact, many times the messengers are not allowed into her estate. We are tasked with providing this information directly to the governor or their designee, of course, but after a good while of arguing with the guards there, we typically just hand it over and go on our way with little to no report in return. That is unless the yearly shipping reports are due. In that case you better have brought a whole cart."
She paused, deep in thought, then continued, "I would like to see the inside of that place though. She lives in a beautiful stone villa atop a rocky shore. A place that is fit for a queen, or one as rich as a queen anyway.”
"What about The Iron Mountain? Is Sylvester as unkind as they say?" Frits asked. “I have only been on escort duty before, but only to Javailty, where the king's sister Elizabeth lives. She is kind, but very reserved. The other journey I took was to the Royal Training Academy of Arnorad. That place has a great deal of traffic back and forth since Prince Edwin is now studying there.”
"From a scenery perspective, it is the most boring trip you could take," Eva said with exasperation as she rolled her eyes. "The fields of Aeros stretch as far as your eye can see for days. It is the most dangerous road as well. The closer you get to the mountains, the more dangerous the lands become."
"Danger within our borders?" Jon asked in a nervous tone. "How can that be?"
"Any number of reasons," Eva replied. "Not all that live in our kingdom are good people. Groups of raiders are usually kept down by our troops or the Kaboutians on their side of the border, but the world is a wide place and there are many places for them to hide. Even goblins come down from the mountains from time to time."
"Goblins? Have you seen them before?" Frits asked anxiously.
"No, I have not but I rode with a messenger that was attacked by a group of them. Nasty creatures looking for all things valuable and they have no issues about how they get it, she told me. A while back, they killed one of the escorts which prompted a company of the royal army to march south to hunt them."
Frits shuddered at the idea of a goblin raid. He thought of his training when he first entered the army. They had classes on each enemy that one could possibly face in the line of battle. These classes taught everything from wizards and their various capabilities, to trolls, to goblins.
"No one is sure where these beasts came from," the training instructor started. "Whether they sprouted from the ground, made by the gods, or by some twisted wizard, they exist make no mistake. In all our encounters with them, we have found that they are merciless, so do not try to reason with them. They are obsessed with treasure and hunt in large companies. Where one is, many are, so stay sharp and keep to wide areas. They like to stay in the shadows of dense forests or caves, so the fields are your ally if you venture south.”
"Have you met Sylvester?" Frits asked, shaking off the memory and coming back to the present.
"Yes," Eva with a sigh, "he would be charming if he was not so condescending, especially to common soldiers or people. Meeting him usually involves an underhanded comment followed by something about how the king is his childhood friend. How is Eddie doing?"
The group laughed and shook their heads as they continued to munch on their sweet rolls.
"It is a strange atmosphere down there, though," Eva continued. "The Iron Mountain is so far removed from the heart of the kingdom that it sometimes feels that it is a different kingdom altogether. Sylvester certainly seems to run certain things that way down there. In terms of the weather, it is hot, the air is dry, and there are not as many trees as there is here."
"It sounds like many of these governors are strange people. Are there any you have met and liked, Eva?” Jon inquired.
"Going to Everand in Frostwatch is my favorite ride from start to finish," Eva continued. "The forest in the North has a wholesome feel and the woodsmen are good people. They even give us gifts from time to time, like this." Eva pulled a small, wooden pendent in the shape of an owl. "It is a symbol of protection and vigilance. I got it on my first ride."
"What is Everand like?" Frits asked.
"This is not going to be the entire ride. You both will get some more missions under your belt and experience these things for yourself," Eva replied with a shake of her head, but indulged the two one more time. "Everand is a kind soul. She is strong and commanding, yet understanding. She will even bring the messengers in for council meetings from time to time. It should be a great first journey for you, Jon."
***
The three riders made it through the city that was becoming more alive by the moment. Travelers from places both close and far were arriving for any number of reasons. Some had large caravans for trade, some brought news from distant lands, and others were farmers from the fields of Aeros, bringing in their fall harvest.
“The outer walls,” Frits said as he was moved to words. “Quite a spectacle to be to sure. Every time I see them, I am blow away they were made by Hailgaladrian hands.”
The great walls stood high above the numerous, birch buildings with a commanding brilliance. They were made of massive white stone bricks that seemed to glow in the morning light. The red banners of Hailgalad flew on the top of it, a hundred feet off the ground. Soldiers in their shining silver armor stood like watchful sentinels that scanned the far horizons.
As they came to the gates, they passed by a large group of soldiers on guard duty. In times of peace, this often included a lot of sitting, and playing games such as chespel. Some of the soldiers were sparing on the side. By their look, they had some work to do as their blows went wide from one another and they stumbled about.
"Errand boys coming through!" one of the soldiers jested.
Jon breathed in as if he was going to counter with some witty remark, but Eva called him off. "They aren't worth it. Just a bunch of wall guards with nothing to do, so they heckle us."
"What are you doing with that armor? Afraid to get a paper cut?" another yelled and a chorus of laughter responded.
"Hey, hey! Get back to work!" a hoarse voice yelled. A man emerged from behind a few crates, dressed in standard garb of a person of rank in the army. This included silver plated armor with a black tunic covering the chest plate. He had long back hair and a short beard. “Have a safe journey, you three. Don't mind this lot, most have not seen any action themselves, isn't that right?"
The soldiers by the wall looked down and away as the man smiled. “My name is Halgreth, thank you for doing your part."
"Thank you, sir!" the three said in unison as they bowed with their right fists over their hearts. Halgreth did likewise.
With this, Frits, Eva, and John made their way out of the northern city gates of Hailgrad. Frits took a deep inhale of the crisp, autumn air.
It was time for an adventure.