A New Beginning

The following days turned to weeks, which turned to months. I had not regularly left my chambers since a day I could not remember. I lost track of time and my will to live. Thank the gods that Sevrus was able to help the Barony. I just could not. I looked to the sky for any letters to fall to my chambers. Every damn day. I wished I knew how to train my messenger bird to track her whereabouts. I was able to invent an exploding ball of death and launch it at people to kill them, but I was not able to train a damn bird. The frustration, the self-loathing, the depression… These emotions pulled me apart like a torture rack.

I sat by my bedside and began drafting my reply to her letter. Over and over again. I wrote beautiful love letters to no one. I fantasized about staying in Lythan instead of heeding the Royal Court, and the beauty that would have been had I sent a letter back in time. Perhaps I would feel better seeing my family in the Great Sky.

“Rytus, what are you doing?” Sevrus had caught me with a rope tied in a noose formation. “If you do this, how in Underearth can I take care of your realm?”

“I suspect that you might be a wonderful lord, Sevrus. I have drafted a will and I named you as my successor to inherit everything I own.”

Sevrus had enough of my delusion and landed a fist to my left cheek. I was not used to anyone being able to knock me off my feet besides Phylx. This punch was stronger than he would usually allow against me during our younger days of training together.

“Rytus! Get a hold of your damn self. I do not know what you are fighting in your heart, but I do know that there are thousands of people looking at you for leadership. How many years have you gone through tragedy, and still were able to lift everyone’s spirit? We grew up together. We are like brothers. If you cannot carry something, ask me. Or Regulus. Or Phylx. Anyone. Do not give up so soon.”

I sat on the ground, still dizzy from a cold knock from the Goddess of Decay herself. I felt as if my world had twisted into itself, and rapidly unraveled into place.

“I apologize, Sevrus. I kept seeing my failures in my head, and feeling the defeat in my heart.” I threw the noose away from me. I sobbed. I could not take the embarrassment, but I could not also bear to live.

“Rytus, let us drink at the tavern.” Sevrus helped me stand and led me to the tavern. Since the end of the war, I had entirely stopped drinking mead. Perhaps this would help me cope with the aftermath.

“Sire, the mead is on me. Please do not pay me.”

“Nonsense, you need the money. Let me pay you.”

“With all due respect, Sire, I do not need your money. However, you look like you need a drink, or a few.”

Regulus looked me in the eye and burned the message to the back of my skull. I looked at Sevrus and he was looking at me with similar intensity. I nodded and took the free drink.

“Regulus, can you tell me another story?” I leaned forward in anticipation for another epic tale from the Perseus War.

“Regulus, I heard you tickled a monster bear when you were 12. Can I hear about that one?” Sevrus was causing a fun commotion.

“Sevrus, mate, you’ll have to buy the lord another drink for that story. I heard you learned how to kiss with your mother.”

“Yes, before I learned how to plow with yours.”

The entire tavern erupted in laughter. The bard even stopped his music to laugh at the ridiculous conversation. However, I cried. How could I have tried to take this happiness away from every person here? Regulus noticed me, and reached over with his hand on my shoulder.

“My young Sire, with all the weight on your shoulders, ask someone to take some of the weight for you. Your people care deeply about you.”

I sobbed. I sobbed like no noble should sob in front of his subjects, but I could not stop the river of sadness. The people in the tavern walked close to me and placed their hands on my shoulders as well. That did not stop my emotional outbreak, but that reassured me that I would heal with the trust of the people right here in my realm without ever relying on love letters from a stranger.

***

Months had passed and my stability had slowly come back. Though much more somber than usual, I was able to increase my Barony’s wealth by a significant amount by reproducing the fire sticks I took home from Arkan. Working with Sevrus, we were also able to replicate the hand cannons that the Arkan Rebels designed for us. I also managed to design a “coffer” that attached to the hand cannon that automatically resets the hand cannon, allowing for faster firing. Instead of heeding the demands of the kingdom and the other worthless lords to simply hand the weapons over, I charged exorbitant prices for each unit, and charged much more for someone to train their troops to use them. Meanwhile, my troops were issued these weapons as the new standard, with new firearm training led by General Phylx. The other lords had nothing else to say due to my official “Hero of the Northwest” title from the war, but their contempt was easily noticed.

I had the roads improved as well after observing Arkan and their sudden increase of technological advances. I determined that the roads were the secret: instead of cobble stones, they mixed sand and tar to create this black substance that hardened into a material that was easy on both wheels and feet. These roads could also be constructed within half-days instead of weeks with less builders. The trade of ideas and materials followed the massive road constructions, probably, and they rode that wave of innovation.

There was so much more I could do with my knowledge. Instead of asking for forgiveness, I decided to reward my people for their strength. Due to the large trade increases, I had enough capital to increase wages for everyone working on the realm’s construction projects. The commonfolk had never seen this amount of wealth in their lifetime.

Steadily, my Barony became much like a small empire. The commonfolk began to use the combustion technology from the hand cannons to power carriages, reducing the need for horses. Thraliga was finally farmed and harvested using indoor gardens that used hanging pots over ice blocks. Commonfolk owned land for the first time anywhere in the kingdom, and perhaps the entire continent, and they developed residential dwelling projects in previously barren and difficult terrain. Death from diseases had fallen due to the cleanliness of the towns and the readily available Thraliga potions.

My Barony became both the crown jewel and the largest threat to the kingdom.

“To Lord Baron Rytus Paraxus,

To Underearth with your lands and your blasphemous trinkets. You of all people should know that the Deputy is the true hero, and he allowed you to live on. Is this how you repay his legacy? There-”

I simply tossed the letter in the fire. Lord Asshole and his devil son were expressing their jealousy, even after they denied help to me before. Had they helped my people, I would have shared this technology with them. They chose to dig their own graves on my behalf before ever living an honest life.

Along with letters of attrition, I received many letters of praise, particularly the King himself.

“Dear Lord Baron Rytus Paraxus, Barony of Lythan,

I write to you in deep praise, as you survive your late father’s legacy and expand it within a small drop of time. The capital’s people have written to me as a tribute to my late Deputy and to you. I am also particularly impressed with your efforts to advance our domain with unseen technologies. Though some lords will disagree, I believe that you hold the candle to the future of the kingdom.

By laws of the kingdom, where I cannot change the Sacred Word, I cannot make you a Count without an official marriage from a daughter of a Count. However, I have asked Lord Count Ulises Veraxus, Count of Veraxus, to offer his daughter’s hand in marriage to you.

Should you refuse, I will summon the Royal Court to recite the Sacred Word to legally obligate you to take her hand and become a Count.

King Theatus III”

Accepting this marriage offer was an honor of the highest decree, since the King endorsed it himself. Count Ulises of House Veraxus was a legend. House Veraxus was known in certain noble circles as “the King’s shadow”, though I was not clear what they truly did to earn that name. The county itself was powerful and affluent, and I had heard no complaints against House Veraxus from nobles.

My only concern was that the Count married his eldest daughter at the time to Britis when she was 12 years old, which smelled of nobility at its rotten core. After the ordeal, no one had heard from Juliana Veraxus. I assumed that Britis had locked her in his dungeon without any consequence. The concern was extended to my own marriage, where I felt as if the King had his own way with the Count and Countess to offer their youngest daughter's hand to me. Though she was 19, I would not be marrying a child, thank the gods. With this marriage, I would be exalted from being a Baron, and Veraxus lands would become my lands as well.

A week passed since that letter was opened, and Count Ulises Veraxus himself arrived with his daughter, Lady Laila Veraxus, and his wife, Countess Trishia Merandia-Veraxus. I welcomed the family and their court to my keep’s garden for tea.

We discussed in length the terms and conditions of the land ownership and the economic holdings that we would share. As expected, Count Ulises was a very reasonable, and very generous man as well. His land would be passed to me and my betrothal, which would allow me to use this land to my discretion. This would increase the Count’s trade power significantly while having much less land to govern, since he would only need to supply the security toll on the trade routes.

I was always astounded by how quickly the Count could talk. The wit and intellect of this man was unfathomable. He was very knowledgeable about literature and history, and would constantly quote his favorite passages from “The Divinity of the 11” and “Folly of the Imperium”. He was hardly the same man I had imagined that would sell his eldest child off to another noble for a petty alliance. After the details were fleshed out, the Count asked me to talk to him privately.

“Lord Baron Rytus, I have known and respected your father since our youth. You look more and more like him, and might I add, you have even more intelligence than him. That must have been from your mother. Anywho, I entrust you to care for my youngest daughter. She is already 19 without a husband, but we were fortunate to receive blessings from the King for this betrothal. I shall give my blessing to you as your soon-to-be father. Tytus would be so happy for you. Now please, give my daughter some of your attention. She has not stopped talking about you for months.”

I made my way to Laila, who was waiting for me at the keep’s hall. Laila Veraxus, named after Laylana, the Goddess of the Sea, was standing on the stairs to the chamber hall. She had long, silky blonde hair, and her eyes gleamed of emerald jewels as she looked towards me with a wide grin. She happened to change her gown to a velvet white dress that nobles typically used for marriage ceremonies. While I was happy with the betrothal, I would not see her as a love of mine. We were simply pawns in the nobility’s game. Additionally, my heart belonged to someone else.

“My Sire, you look rather dashing today. Oh, how the God of Luck has granted such fortune to me to become your wife… fair maidens across the land would look at me with contempt!”

“Greetings again, Lady Laila. I noticed that you have changed your gown. It looks nice. I will sign the contract to become your betrothal.”

“Lord Baron… no, Count! Your words melt such a fragile maiden’s heart so easily… I thank you very much for the acceptance, and I look forward to spending our future together, as lovers.”

“My Lady, I would refrain from using the word ‘lover’ to describe our situation. We are not. We are simply terms and conditions to own more land. That is all we are.”

She looked at me with a defeated smirk on her face. It was slightly painful to look at. It was the same look my Helena would make when I disappointed her in some way. That was when I realized that Laila reminded me of Helena. The long, silky blonde hair, the green eyes, the youthful banter… It was all so nostalgic for me.

“I apologize, my Lady. The war has taken my manners away. In this keep, please make yourself at ease and speak to me openly and honestly. I prefer it that way.”

She brightened up quickly. She coughed in her fist and took an impressively large breath.

“Rytus, you stole my heart the minute I saw you when you visited my father for trade agreements years ago! I am so excited to be by your side, but I am so sad that you will not return the excitement with me. I will do my best to make you happy. I swear to the Goddess of Fertility.”

I smiled, mostly because I found my kindness and my patience again. She helped me find them in just a brief moment of talking.

I wonder what else she would help me find again.