Summer solstice arrived and the palisade was finally finished. A cool breeze carried the scent of pine needles to my nostrils as I climbed it and gazed down at the valley floor. It wasn't the lush, green vista spread out before me that caught my attention, but the expressions on my people's faces. The children ran around laughing, while the adults seemed content. They were still destitute and somewhat emaciated, with fishing, hunting and foraging barely sustaining us and nothing beyond the clothes on their backs to their names, but the sight of the crops and the castle shooting up rapidly had lifted everyone's spirits.
That day, luck smiled upon us and we caught a lot of game. Everyone got a bowl of thick, rich broth with some meat in it, putting smiles on their faces.
But the day wasn't entirely pleasant, as the crotchety Elder Hyde tried to rile up people against me. The people were in a festive mood, laughing and dancing merrily, when he raised his voice to address everyone.
"My dear brethren," He began, "we have survived a great ordeal and found a new home, a place to call our own. Words cannot express how happy I am to see your smiles and full bellies. We are finally free to practice our own ways without persecution, but... they are being corrupted, by someone who we put in a position of power and responsibility, no less. We trusted him to help our people thrive, not turn them into swine. I'm talking about none other than our dear 'Supreme Leader,' Viscount Jack Nobara!"
Viscount, huh? Use Jack's former title to make me the 'other.'
"He has turned one of our daughters into his personal whore! Do you really want a man like that leading you?"
I had been listening to him calmly, but those last words made my blood boil, and couldn't stop myself from retaliating.
"Do not insult my woman like that, Elder," I growled at him. "I will not stand for it."
"See that? No respect—" He spat, but I didn't let him finish.
"She came to me of her own volition," I shouted him down, "and decided to stay with me by her own choice. I never coerced her into anything!"
"None of that matters! No proper rites were performed!" He tried to match me in volume.
Aah. Bargain bin ultra conservative here. Force her all you want, just make sure to get our permission first.
"Her parents were fine with it. I made no threats to coerce them. Go ahead, ask them yourself." I encouraged him.
"It does not matter! You violated our ways!"
He looked at the people, almost pleading. "We have strong walls and warriors to protect our people now. We don't need this man anymore!"
"So now that we've gotten everything we needed out of him, just throw him away?" Lothar asked him in a tone that made it clear what he thought of the Elder's plans.
That gave the old coot pause.
I could've gone on the offensive, but even through my anger I could see he was in no mood to reason; it was all feelings. I recalled what I knew of his past, and felt some sympathy for him.
"Elder," I told him gently, "Aprilia has not suffered the same fate as your daughters." I gestured toward her. "Look at her and tell me with a straight face that she is unhappy or enslaved."
She gave him a radiant smile. That took out all the wind out of him.
"She was not snatched away from her home, but came to me willingly, with the blessing of her parents. As for not marrying her, there is a good reason. I'm keeping myself officially single to entice Nanon into an alliance via marriage if they ever decide to take us at any cost." I explained.
"If our situation wasn't so precarious, I would have married her. Surely breaking a rule once is worth saving the lives that would be otherwise lost in a conflict. I know I'm not setting the best example, but I hope the Council can indulge me this one time."
That seem to somewhat mollify him, and the tension fizzled away. I left the celebration to avoid any more unpleasantness.
With our security taken care of, I could finally focus on the long term goals for Chadom. No matter the place and time, people band together to establish a settlement and eventually civilizations for three main goals: mutual security, well-being and prosperity.
For a people so destitute, any food, any type of clothing and any form of shelter would count as well-being, but I wanted more for my people: Proper nutrition, healthcare and a well-planned city with houses that would have running water and indoor plumbing.
Achieving prosperity, on the other hand was going to be a much bigger and much more difficult challenge. Since I didn't have all the knowledge accumulated over centuries to produce medicines to cure deadly diseases and reduce the high infant mortality rate, we would have to re-run both the scientific and industrial revolutions. Fuck my life.
Still, I knew where to start. The seeds of prosperity were always the same:
Investing in children, by providing every one of them with high quality education, nutrition and upbringing. Then nurture their talent and provide them opportunities to excel in a field they are interested in, they are skilled at and that which brings value to society.
Establish sensible and predictable laws and regulations, that can resolve any form of conflict and create an environment that fosters wealth creation, with capable, honest people to enforce them.
Get these two right, and eventually you would have plenty of motivated and skilled talent and enough money to spend without worrying about immediate return on investment. Then you could put it in risky ventures, such as research in medicine, materials, energy, transportation etc. which pushed society forward.
The fact that we didn't have enough people nor would I be alive to see this project to fruition dampened my mood, despite the festive atmosphere. Aprilia, ever attentive, sensed my mood and sat next to me.
"What's wrong?" she asked softly.
"Hmm?"
"Why do you look so sad? Elder Hyde didn't get to you, did he?"
"No, baby. I'm just a worrier." I forced a smile. "I was thinking of what great things we could achieve, but we just can't. There just aren't enough of us."
She pecked me on the cheek. "You worry too much. Look at the people. Look how happy they are when only a few months ago we were almost starving. They are happy not just because they have food in their bellies, but because they have hope. This palisade and those armed soldiers are proof that our future can, no, will be better. You brought that hope to us." She insisted.
"I know. Intellectually, I know, but my mind just cannot stop worrying. We could have a much better future... if there were only more of us."
"And wouldn't that have come with it's own set of problems?"
"Yes."
"Such as?"
"Crime and lack of resources. We are barely scraping by as it is."
"So it's not that bad, see?"
"Yes, mother." I replied.
She smacked me playfully and pulled me up to dance. Her embrace was just the balm I needed.
---
"So," Aprilia teased the next morning, while lying on top of me, "now that the palisade is complete, what new project will you embark upon, oh great messiah!"
"Messiah?"
"You did tell the Elders you were blessed by God, right?"
"Yes. Why did they accept that claim so readily?"
"You did come back from the brink of death within a week, and you saved our people when no one else would. Did you actually meet God?"
"God or whatever he was, but yes I did."
"Really?" She asked, with eyes gone wide.
I contemplated telling her the whole truth, but it wasn't the right time. We hadn't been together for long enough.
"Yes." I said simply.
"So you were the miracle sent to help us. Holy shi... maybe I shouldn't be swearing in front of you." She bit her lip. "So what is your great next project, Your Holiness?"
"I'll tell you if you worship me like a good little supplicant." My eyes drifted meaningfully downward.
A sly smile crept upon her face as she slid down to obey.
"A school." I said, forcing my voice steady. "We need to start educating every child from the age of five to fifteen in language, science, mathematics, fu—" I hissed as Aprilia performed her duty with exceptional skill and diligence. "And geography and history. Since you are such a diligent student, I think I will enroll you as well."
She freed her mouth and scowled at me. "I'm not sitting with the children."
"Oh, of course not. Please continue. You will be my secretary. Helping me set up the school, it's curriculum and it's management. We can also have some... private lessons."
"What kind of lessons?" she teased.
"Well, a boss might have to teach his innocent secretary about the birds and the bees... or the frustrated aid might have to instruct her clueless boss about HR policies."
"HR?"
"Human relations."
---
Nobara Castle was a stout fortress and the seat of the Count of Nobara. It might not rival the castles of the south in grandeur, but standing proudly upon it's hill, it commanded a view none could match. In the shadow of this formidable structure, it's master, Count Zock, was slinking through the alleys of the castle town like some common thug. He moved furtively, keeping to the dark, to avoid coming face to face with anyone who might recognize him.
He stopped at a nondescript door, and knocked a precise number of times in a precise rhythm. The door opened a crack and someone peered at him. Confirming his identity, they opened it a bit more, the wood screaming as it scraped across the floor. Zock slipped inside the dimly lit room and the door was promptly shut behind him.
He looked around to confirm that the man who had opened the door was the room's only occupant.
"My lord," the man said, bowing.
"Sir Miran," Zock greeted the well-built middle-aged man. "I have been told that you can be counted on for discretion."
"I would not be alive otherwise, my lord," Miran replied evenly.
"Good. Let's get to business. A caravan was recently attacked by a large bandit party in my lands. Among the travellers was a noble who was carrying an item... from an acquaintance of mine. That item was very dear to him and must be recovered at any cost."
"May I ask what it is, my lord?"
"A letter, with a curious mark at the bottom. This is what it looks like." He showed a piece of parchment to Miran. There was a diagonal cross drawn on it, with dots inside each quadrant.
"Thank you. Would you happen to know the current location or bearing of this bandit group?" Miran inquired.
"They are currently fleeing towards the border. I believe they have a hideout on the other side of the Treacherous Bog."
"My men will be upon them within a fortnight," Miran told him, "but the letter might be lost. I doubt bandits, no matter how skilled, know how to read."
"Confirm that it has been destroyed, then." He took out a heavy pouch of coins and placed it in Miran's palm. "I will send a man of mine with you. Do not fail me, and keep the existence of this letter to yourself, above everything else."
"It will be done, my lord." Miran replied, as Zock left the building with the same haste he had entered it.