B3 Chapter 8

With a sigh of relief, Lucan left the company of Lord Ravencroft and his two neighboring knights. The echo of a dozen murmurs populated the hall as he led Lilian to the other side, acknowledging bows and dips of the head left and right, most of them from men he did not recognize, likely aides to the attending lords. 

A servant stopped beside him and Lilian, handing each of them a goblet of wine. They accepted the wine, moving eagerly towards those they hadn’t yet entreated. However, they didn’t get the chance to choose this time, as Lord Sergrave left the company of his peers, walking towards them with purpose.

Lucan brought his betrothed to a stop while leveling a polite smile in the lord’s direction, pretending to wait for him. Truthfully, however, he was apprising Lilian of what he knew of the man. “Lord Sergrave is a grim man. I have seen and heard him on occasion during the campaign. While his lands do well with plentiful farmland and river trade, he is occupied first and foremost with fighting Wildermen. His men are perhaps the most experienced when it comes to scouting and fighting against the people of the Wilderlands.” Lilian nodded hurriedly as the lord came within earshot.

“Lord Sergrave,” Lucan said, giving the man the same courtesy he’d given his peers, a dip of his head.

“Lucan,” the lord said simply, coming to a halt in front of them, his dusky skin making any onlooker wonder about the man’s ancestry despite themselves. “We have met briefly, I believe? So let us not stand on needless formalities.”

“As you wish, Your Lordship,” Lucan said, a bit taken aback. He quickly gestured to his side, however. “This is Lilian, my betrothed.”

“Yes, yes.” The lord nodded quickly as though time itself could be rushed by his words. “It is a pleasure.”

Lilian curtseyed, and perhaps feeling the haste in the lord’s manner, she did not speak more than necessary. “The pleasure is mine, My Lord.”

“Now,” Lord Sergrave said, his sharp features along with his grave countenance making the weight of his attention feel like an axe hanging above the listener. “You say that foremost of this alliance’s duties would be to ward off the Wildermen, yes?”

“Yes, Your Lordship.”

“So I would have your sword should the Wildermen spawn in my woods?”

“You would,” Lucan said without hesitation.

“And am I to presume that your word is as binding of an oath as your father’s was before you?”

“He would not have let me continue to be his son were it not so, Your Lordship.”

“Then under these terms, I accept your offer, provided, of course, that my estate can expect all those in the alliance to lend their swords as well.”

“Those terms shall apply to all parties in the alliance,” Lucan assured him.

“Good.” The lord extended an arm, and Lucan looked at it with incredulity. Was it truly this simple? After all the wrestling he’d had to go through with the other lords?

He continued staring, mouth agape, before Lilian elbowed him subtly. Then he quickly let his feelings come to the fore with a wide smile, clasping the lord’s arm. “It is an honor to have you in our ranks, Lord Sergrave.”

The lord only grunted his acknowledgement, shaking Lucan’s arm firmly. After which, they exchanged polite nods, and Lord Sergrave turned on his heel, marching back to Lords Cassius and Drummond.

Lucan and Lilian stared after the man, then looked at each other incredulously. Eventually, Lilian shrugged, as though surrendering to matters as they were.

Lucan sighed, part in relief at getting such an easy victory, and part in exasperation at the oddness of it all. Lord Drummond had barely given him a chance to speak. On the other hand, Lord Sergrave had not needed to be spoken to at all. Perhaps there was fairness in that.

“They are our last?” Lilian said. Lucan followed her eyes and found Lord Thornvale and Sir Caerlyn. The two nobles were still standing together, and as their eyes met his, they nodded, inviting him to join them.

“Yes,” Lucan said. “And it seems they intend to stand together on this matter. I hadn’t known they had their own unspoken understanding.”

“Perhaps it is their very own alliance,” Lilian remarked.

“Perhaps,” Lucan said with a slight tilt of his head. “Shall we?”

“Yes, My Lord,” Lilian said coquettishly, giving him a side-eye. He met it with a look that would have been disapproving had he properly managed it, then a smile forced itself onto his face.

Together, they strode towards the two waiting nobles. On the way, Lucan thought to quickly enlighten Lilian about the lord. “Lord Thornvale is of moderate wealth, though I know little else about him, for he is too distant a peer. He commands our alliance’s only border with Pontis…That is, if he agrees to join our ranks.”

Lilian squeezed his arm. “I am certain we can persuade him.”

Lucan nodded. “We must, since that is the only way to ascertain seamless trade between east and west. Should he choose to impede said trade, all my plans would be for naught.”

“You have enough in this alliance now to ward off the princes from trying to press you into service. It is more than nothing, my dear,” Lilian said.

He acquiesced with another nod. “There’s truth in that.” After that, they grew quiet as they came within earshot of the two nobles.

The pair met them with polite smiles. Lucan dipped his head to Lord Thornvale, and waited for a dip of Sir Caerlyn’s head before acknowledging the knight with a nod. “Lord Thornvale. Sir Caerlyn.”

“Lord Zesh.” “Lord Zesh.”

Lucan noted that Sir Caerlyn had only brought an aide with him, having no children of age yet, of course. He was only two years Lucan’s senior, after all. His father had given a good showing of himself and his family in the Battle of Dam, but unlike Lucan’s own, he had not returned.

Lord Thornvale, on the other hand, had brought a son older than Lucan. He stood to his father’s side and dipped his head slightly in Lucan’s direction.

“This is my son, Sir Matteo Thornvale.”

“A pleasure, Sir Thornvale,” Lucan said, quickly returning the courtesy by presenting his own companion. “This is Lilian Saltner, my betrothed.”

“Ah, I see, I see,” Lord Thornvale said. “A pleasure to make the acquaintance of such a fair lady.”

Lilian hid her blush behind a palm before curtseying. “It is my honor to make your acquaintance, My Lord.” She turned to Sir Caerlyn then Lord Thornvale’s son. “Sirs.”

The three nobles acknowledged her greetings. Then there was a beat of silence, heralding the beginning of true discourse.

“A fine gathering you have managed here,” Lord Thornvale said at last.

“It is only by the grace of Lord Arden that we are all here,” Lucan said.

“Yes, yes, of course,” the lord said. “But…let us talk without disguise. This whole affair is of your making.” Lucan only shrugged in response; and the lord continued, “But I suffer no offense from that. I imagine that you have some of the good lords already in your ranks?”

Lucan couldn’t hold back the predatory smile that came over his face. “Not some, Your Lordship. Lord Arden, as is already known, is part of this alliance, and now, so are Lords Cassius, Ravencroft, and Sergrave. It is only a question of whether you and the good Sir wish to join our ranks.” He eyed Lord Thornvale then Sir Caerlyn.

“Well…” Lord Thornvale hemmed and hawed for a moment. “You see, Sir Caerlyn and I are of one accord that should we join this alliance, it must come with cause enough for such obligation.”

“Is protection against the north’s sway and the south’s savagery not enough?” Lucan asked.

Lord Thornvale shrugged. “We must ascertain that our own ends will be met before we bind ourselves to such a grand undertaking.”

“And what are those ends?”

“As you well know,” the lord said. “My estate shall be the sole territory bordering Pontis where merchants can safely cross once the war erupts. I intend to have my own tolls established upon the border. I imagine your intentions are different, yes?”

“It was intended that the tolls would be even across all the territories of the alliance,” Lucan said. “So that no one estate would harm the passage of trade nor gain more than it is due.”

“Ah, but you see, I have what no one else does,” Lord Thornvale said. “A border with another realm. I imagine we will have our own Barwalin merchants prowling in the alliance’s territories soon enough, particularly when they hear of this promise of safety. But any that would wish to cross the border…”

“You would have a steep toll for,” Lucan finished for him.

“I would not call it steep,” Lord Thornvale said. “Only fair.”

Lucan sighed, his eyes shifting to Sir Caerlyn. “And what would Sir Caerlyn want to join our ranks?”

The young knight smiled. He was not much older than Lucan himself. “Nothing but the prosperity of all. I stand with Thornvale for his right to impose whatever tolls he sees fit.”

“I see,” Lucan said. It was clear to him now. Sir Caerlyn’s estate was likely suffering, and more so now that his father was gone. The good Lord Thornvale was likely providing wealth in one form or another, which the knight’s estate needed, and in doing so, he dictated the latter’s choices, at least on certain matters. Lucan turned back to the lord. “I understand your wish, of course, Your Lordship. But one must also concern themselves with what may happen once such tolls are imposed. Merchants may stop crossing the border–” He nearly stumbled over his words as he felt a pinch on his arm. He only threw the briefest of glances at Lilian who gave him a meaningful look. He could only presume that what he’d said was in some form untrue. Would the merchants not suffer as much as he imagined from a border toll? As he made to continue speaking, he felt another pinch and spared his betrothed one more glance. Although they were closer now than they had ever been, he still could not tell her thoughts from her gaze alone, but he could glean that she was thinking of something and that he ought to spend a moment thinking too. He hummed for a moment, eying the lord, who had noticed his shifting attention even if he was as ignorant of the cause as Lucan himself was. “Perhaps Your Lordship would tell me precisely how you intend to impose this toll?”

“It’s simple,” Lord Thornvale began. “Aside from any tolls or taxes a merchant would pay as a matter of course, they would need to pay another should they wish to cross the border from or into Pontis.” Another pinch. This time, Lucan did not glance at his betrothed, but he finally understood her thoughts.

He’d nearly forgotten. Lord Thornvale didn’t know of his plans for trade from the east. He hastened to make the best of it, even if it would be obvious that his tone had quickly changed on the matter. “The lord’s wishes are reasonable, but if I may suggest a slight change?”

The lord nodded, gesturing with an open hand, and Lucan continued, “We will have few merchants in the South, most of them coming from the rest of Barwalis having suffered setbacks aplenty. Perhaps you and all of us would be better served by allowing them passage into Pontis without a toll, only tolling them on the way back when they’re laden with Pontian goods. There will also be plenty of Pontian merchants wishing to cross into Barwalis, looking to make their fortunes in such dire times, and they will not be suffering as much as their Barwalian peers.” Lucan tilted his head meaningfully. “Should you do this, Your Lordship, we can call this toll a tariff of entry into Barwalis. It would not be considered when we speak of the toll duties imposed by the estates in the alliance.”

Lord Thornvale’s face had gone from rearing to interrupt to thoughtful to intrigued. “Ah…I see. Perhaps that would be proper. And you say I would also be free to impose a common toll of passage over my lands, one equal to that of the other peers?”

“Of course,” Lucan said.

“Then it is decided!” The lord grinned, extending an arm.

Lucan took it before the man could change his mind. “It is decided.” He grinned too.