Chương 342: 6.9

Bledaten and Pyrenean were not what Jewel had expected. Especially since apparently the Istrogranum was more of a waystation where patrols sheltered. The Vahstrehgin was a fortress above all else, supplied in levy and footmen from some maybe larger than normal collection of villages and towns. But built into the valley spanning wall and filled with barracks and heavy stone there was only the faintest accommodations of things like markets and housing that did not go to the soldiers.

That was not the case in the twin cities that straddled a river that Jewel could have mistaken for the Vah. They called it the Duna apparently. Despite being collectively the actual ostensible counterpart to her Vassal's holdings on the border the cities on either side of the river more resembled Light's End or the Capital then the military fortification. There were of course walls, heavy stonework around both halves of the city.

And unlike at Kaeketeh and the other cities of her Vassals there was no housing huddled up close to those barriers. Instead a channel had been dug immediately before their foundations and the Duna allowed to flow through it. But even there the city did not bristle like even the smaller villages in Dominik's lands did. On the contrary, besides the curiosity at her arrival there was a relaxed peace to this first Magarskan city. Children were even fishing in the moat surrounding Bledaten!

Jewel was also surprised by the population of the settlements. Which is to say they were surprisingly sparse after the densely packed populations that Kaeketeh and Light's End had shown her. While certainly larger than the demesne of Dominik there were fewer people than seemed proper. If the stone buildings she saw on this side of the Duna were packed full she'd call it barely half the number that had dwelled in Kaeketeh in her youth. But they were quite obviously sparsely inhabited.

Still, lodgings had been made ready for not just Jewel but her guests and footmen as well! The local barracks and lord's rooms in the central keep having been opened to them to provide housing for her entourage. So they arrived on the streets like a victorious army on parade. Pennants held high with the colors of her and High King Mathias, the footmen and Knights taking up parade postures with kit polished and oiled to a shine.

The last village they had made camp near had been paid for the use of their labor to help wash every tabard to as brilliant a quality as was feasible. Jewel had gotten her own scales polished and her mane oiled to bring out both of their lustres. The leather harness to carry her eggs touched up and further adorned with a drapery of the Viznove colors on either side. Gem was riding, sharing a saddle in front of Smithson on Jewel's left in one of her spawn's finer traveling dresses.

Paul on her right on a white charger that set off his black and red family armor. Then after them was Erhard and his two hundred soldiers, marching in lockstep shining in the sun. Then the cart which had been loaded with their most valuable items including the gifts for the High King, after that Jewel's Footmen and the Knights from Dominik, and finally the personages and personal entourages of those nobles that traveled with her.

To be followed after that by the rest of the baggage train and staff, and then finally their trailing follower peddlers who had rode in their wake since leaving Viznove. All told Jewel's entry into the city was an ostentatious affair. There was not quite the feel of a Triumph to the whole proceedings but in a way Bledaten was not that different from Light's End or Kaeketeh.

Given the slightest opportunity the city folk had converged into a festive mood and as always seemed to follow such crowds, stalls, carts and windows had all opened with offerings of meat and fruit filled hand pies and what smelled like sweetened cakes. The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Jewel was not particularly good at teasing out anything but the court's language of Magarska but even with the words a confusing jumble of half familiar sounds she recognized the spirit. So she took up a proper posture of a Countess and walked with all the sliding, sinuous grace she had practiced for her entire life. Back and neck arched just so, each step lighter than her size suggested to be possible, just barely gliding on the lift of her wyrm flame.

All around the styles of the Magarskan architecture were prominent, narrow towers abounded. A Prominence of stone, a heavy scent of spices and perfumes. And of course the city and its lord's troops were out with them. A tension in their backs, fear in their sweat, but a solid professionalism and courtesy in their outward action. They also had those great curving swords at their sides, sweeping things that honestly seemed to Jewel like the blade was a bit over wide.

More like a short hafted long axe blade than a sword. They had more armour then the majority of her footmen, but were practically naked compared to the totality of encasement that was Erhard's Triumphants. Still there was a very fine weave to the cloth pieces of their armor, an understated artistry to the metal scales used. And a surety to their bodies. It was in some ways more muted than Light's End and the opulence of color the lord mayor had brought up. But in others it was even more a show of wealth and power.

A functional and relaxed sign of strength that could match Jewel's mixed entourage, man for man as they walked leisurely through the city; winding their path deeper to the keep. The structures were beautiful, but again even with what she suspected might very well be the entire population of the city, Bledaten seemed sparsely inhabited.

In fact, now seeing the faces and hearing the heartbeats of the eager crowd around her as they followed her to the keep Jewel was starting to suspect that when counting the peddlers coming up behind them her arrival might very well double the city's number of adults! The uneasy sense of this was not soothed when they came upon the keep and she saw the magarska escort having to continue their march to fill out a proper honor posture at either side of their lord.

Who somewhat dubiously looked not any different from a Ridgetail Vault native. Perhaps only slightly more tanned than Jewel's own subjects in Valasect. The scent of fear on him and the stressful beating of his heart filled Jewel with concern for the man's health. Alongside his meagre forces which Jewel was now all but certain amounted to, his entire command of foot soldiers was painting the sheer scale of her entourage in a new light. She had mused that her party resembled a small army upon the march.

But even if they rallied every man woman and child as levies Jewel's soldiers might very well have been able to take Bledaten by force without her. Jewel dipped her head as was proper for a guest, the man before her dipping his head as well but she could smell his fear wafting off of him. In spite of his fright he spoke to her with a calm tone in Ridgevaul, only a hint of a foreign accent.

"Greetings Oh Shining Countess Wyrm of Viznove and the High Realm of Cantor Reborn, I am the Lord Etele of Bledaten, Pyrenean, vassal to the count Parabuch and the High Kingdom of Magarska! I accept you as my guest to be welcome in my house!" His bow was incredibly deep, further down even than was expected from Jewel's direct Vassals. She nodded again to his greeting, then mustered her best effort to not horribly butcher her use of the court language of Magarska."

Your hospitality is most welcome, my entourage and I have had a long road and needed to seek camp along the road. A proper meal and a solid roof and beds will be most welcome." He still did not raise his head even as he spoke. Although he responded in his court's tongue with just as much ease as he had spoken ridgevaul." Y-yes, indeed my lady, but also forgive me if it is but hearsay and gossip but I was led to understand that the Countess Enjoys a fine bath?

In preparation for your arrival I've had our grandest one cleared for you and your party's use during your stay." Jewel blinked at the man, staring down at him. Her words slipping back in her native tongue.

"Y-you have baths that would be able to-" He did not turn to face her, but she could practically hear the smile around his words. Almost laughing in his court's tongue." Indeed great countess, our thermae are refurbished old cantoran built! The greatest would easily take on yourself and a dozen others!" Jewel let out a deep sigh that was to be honest quite unbecoming.

"Please lord Etele, a bath before our welcome feast sounds absolutely heaven sent!" Only then did he raise his head to look up at her with a relieved grin and shining eyes. Jewel offered a smile of her own to him. Maybe this trip through Magarska would not be so bad after all?