Brian's Adventures Ch. 08

To this day the sight of The Council Building takes my breath away and clearly it is the grandest building in all of Tania. It is the building that houses the various government offices and The Council Chamber as well. It is situated high on the hill and stands almost as high as some cathedrals I have seen. However due to its place high on the hill near the city wall it may seem higher than it actually is but its sight is no less impressive. The top of the building was a round spire and I recognized the shape of the spire and the windows in it. Clearly The Council Chamber was in the highest point in this building and towered over the whole city, dominating the landscape.

The inside of it was no less grand but not too elaborate as to be excessive or ostentatious. There were Guards in the fancier dress inside and throughout the building. As various people said hello and greeted us I noticed that more people seemed to know who Yeoline was and a few even gave us a wide berth. I didn't understand this, but at the time I was more concerned with Kincaid. Eventually we made our way through the building to the door of the Estate Clerk's office.

"Well, here we are, how do I look?" I said nervously as I stood quietly awaiting the review of the ladies.

"You look handsome of course dear. Relax, you've nothing to worry about." Jealile said with a warm smile as she straightened my shirt and vest. Yeoline also helped a bit, smoothing out a few wrinkles here and there.

"Really Brian you look great. You'll be fine. Now lets get in there. This is a happy time, remember?" Yeoline said with a broad smile and bubbled with the excitement that we all felt at the moment.

"Of course it is." I said with a thankful smile and I kissed Yeoline with a firm, quick kiss on the lips. "Thank you." I said as I looked into her warm eyes. "Thank you most of all." I said as I kissed Jealile, her gaze was piercing and loving for a moment before it was forced off of her face.

"C'mon enough dawdling, lets get in there." Jealile said as she tried to regain her composure.

With that I opened the door and entered the modest office. As I looked around I found that I was in some kind of outer office. A few seats were arranged around the room and a number of people could sit and wait to see the clerks. This morning it seemed that we were the only ones to see the Estate Clerk. Two other doors could be seen leaving the room in the left and right walls from where we entered. Across from us there hung a huge mural that seemed to be a map of Tania and covered the whole wall.

I could see that Teroncia was on the left edge of the island and a great mountain was on the right edge of the island. In the middle was the vast rural expanse that was split up into Estates that were clustered in to groups of four. Every so often a small town would spring up that served the surrounding Estates. I studied this map intently and tried to get a feel for this new home of mine. The ladies also drew nearer to the mural and looked the map over. Yeoline walked closest to the mural and intently studied the end of map nearest the mountain.

"I think Kincaid is one of these Estates here." Yeoline said after studying the map quietly for some time

Jealile and I move closer and studied the area she was indicating. On the southeast corner of the island nestled up against the mountain and the sea was a cluster of four Estates. It was just about as far away from Teroncia as you could get and it looked like a very long walk to me.

"Looks picturesque." Jealile said with a slight smile

"It also looks remote." I said with a strained smile as I imagined the walk to get there. "Beautiful, but remote."

"Would you rather be back in your cell?" Yeoline said with a slight frown.

"Point taken dear." I said with a chuckle.

It was then that we found out that we were not alone indeed. From behind one of the doors in the room some raised voices could be heard. As we approached the door to the left of us we could make out the voices and caught the tail end of the argument.

"I don't care about that, we had a deal!" Shouted one man whose strangely familiar voice I could not quite place at the moment.

"I know, I know. Calm down, everything will be alright I promise." Replied a second man in a soothing tone.

"Calm down!" Shouted the first man. "You were to hold that Estate for my younger son and now you've gone and given it away to that damned outside beggar!" He bellowed. "Do you know who I am?" He finished with a indignant shout.

"Yes Councillor Premegar I do and I know what the agreement was but my hands are tied in this matter." The second man implored, obviously trying to calm the outraged Councillor with little success.

"Hands are tied! You are the Estate Clerk you fool! You manage and hand out the Estates don't you?" Councillor Premegar snorted indignantly.

"Yes but Councillor Palpetone is my boss and he ordered me to hand the Kincaid Estate to this Westlock fellow." The Estate Clerk replied defensively. "He said it was a personal request of the Director's!"

"That meddling fool." Snarled the angry Councillor.

"Don't worry, he won't last any longer than the rest. Inside of a month he'll be begging me to take Kincaid back and your son will have the Estate as promised." The Estate Clerk finished and the room fell silent.

"You'd better be right!" Premegar growled angrily.

A moment later the door opened up and a very angry Counsellor Premegar emerged from the room. He glared at me for a long moment with a steely glare and his whole being seethed with anger. His gaze wandered over the three of us and lingered on Yeoline for a while. She clung to me tighter, shrinking under his scrutiny and I felt her tremble with fear. It was some time before his focus returned to me. In truth it was only a minute but it seemed so much longer to the three of us who were subjected to his angry stare.

"You're lucky to be still breathing boy! If you know what's good for you, you won't take Kincaid." Councillor Premegar said in the calmest voice he could muster but his voice dripped with loathing still as he took a step or two toward us.

"I welcome any opportunities that come my way Councillor Premegar." I replied with a smile not showing the least bit of fear by his display. Yeoline still clung to my side tightly looking out from behind me.

The truth of the matter was that I felt like I had nowhere else to go but Kincaid. Besides I was still intrigued and thrilled by the idea of being the Master of an 'Estate' and did not want to pass up the opportunity. To me it sounded like someone had just offered to make me a Lord and who would ever turn that down! After all when was the last time someone offered you an Estate for free! I was not scared off easily as I thought that I truly had nothing to lose.

"Don't say I didn't warn you boy." The gruff Councillor said with a sneer and walked out.

"Do either of you know anything else I should know about this Kincaid Estate?" I asked to a shocked Jealile and Yeoline who said nothing in return but shrugged their shoulders.

I could see by the looks on their faces that they were straining to remember but alas nothing was coming to mind at the moment. In retrospect I doubt that even if I knew then what I know now about Kincaid that I would have walked away from it. I was determined to call something my own on this foreign land and an Estate sounded as good a place as any.

"Mr. Westlock so good of you to come. This will take but a moment. Come in won't you." The Estate Clerk said in a polished tone as he stood in the doorway to his office and motioned me inside.

He had taken a moment to compose himself and now had the polished look that you would expect from a man of his stature. His manner reminded me a great deal of Councillor Palpetone's; clearly he was a subordinate and student of the Councillor's. He was tall and skinny and not much to look at but his appearance was not hard on the eyes either. The man was a politician and a bureaucrat and he seemed comfortable with himself and nothing seemed to ruffle him.

"Thank you, it was good of you to see me sir." I replied in as polite a manner as possible as I entered his office with the ladies in tow. I figured due to the behaviour of his last visitor he would appreciate a more subdued and civilized tone.

"Your companions can wait outside if they wish, this shouldn't take long." The Estate clerk said with a polished yet condescending tone as he looked at the ladies and then outside.

"They are my friends as well as my council." I smiled and allowed the ladies to sit first.

"As you wish Mr. Westlock, I'm sure they'll serve you well." The Estate Clerk said with a smile and closed the office door and walked around behind his desk. "As you may have heard, your application for the Kincaid Estate has been approved and the Estate is yours if you wish." He said and paused as Jealile, Yeoline and myself smiled at each other upon hearing this. "However, I should point out that since the death of the last Kincaid the Estate has fallen onto . . . hard times and the new Master will have a challenge to put things right." The Estate Clerk said as tactfully as he could, clearly trying to phrase things just right.

I could see that he was not telling the whole truth. For one thing I have learned is that no politician or bureaucrat will ever tell you the whole truth if he doesn't absolutely have to. However at the time all I really heard was 'the Estate is yours if you wish'. I figured that I could easily handle any minor problems or hard work that came along with it. All I cared about at the time was that the Estate was within my grasp and I would not let it slip away for anything.

"What sort of 'hard times' are you talking about?" Jealile asked curiously while I was lost momentarily in my own thoughts.

"Well, since the death of the Master, its women are marrying off and Kincaid women's numbers are dwindling. Those that remain can barely handle the workload now and I fear the Estate will fall vacant soon. As well, the Estate has not been as involved as it should be in the local council as it once was and that too is of concern." The Estate Clerk fidgeted in his seat as he was not comfortable talking about this subject in particular.

"What did you mean by 'he won't last longer than the others'?" Yeoline asked curiously and we all watched the Estate Clerks manner become quite perturbed and unnerved as he prepared to speak. Somehow he managed to keep that unruffled exterior intact.

"Well, I've awarded the Kincaid Estate before but it hasn't worked out. The first one simply disappeared shortly after arriving at the Estate and the other three just refused to take the Estate after taking one look at it. I couldn't get a straight answer out of them as to why they didn't want it. I've been there myself years ago and it is quite possibly the most beautiful Estate in all of Tania. I guess that's why Councillor Premegar wants it for his son so badly."

"What do you mean?" I asked curiously.

"Well, his eldest son is being groomed to take his place on The Council naturally, and he wants to take care of his younger son as well. Presenting his son with an Estate on his eighteenth birthday seems like a nice thing to do I'd say." The Estate clerk chuckled expecting to get a laugh from us as well.

"I certainly didn't get anything as grand on my eighteenth." I chuckled in reply. "If I do take the Estate, what is required of me exactly?" I asked, now wanting to get on with the business of getting my Estate.

"After all I've told you are you sure you still want it Mr Westlock?" The Estate Clerk asked sceptically.

"I don't shy away from a challenge or hard work sir." I replied confidently.

"Well, because of the recent troubled times at Kincaid we need to make sure that the new Master is one who is capable. A few conditions have been set out for the successful awarding of the Kincaid Estate. First of all you are to regain control of the Estate and participate in the local town council as soon as possible. Salvage whatever crop you can this season and bring in a full crop next season. If you do this then we will know that we have awarded the Estate to the proper man." The Estate Clerk said and paused to let me think it over and stuck out his had to shake mine and said. "Do you still want the Kincaid Estate?"

"Yes I do. I'm not as timid as some people think. I won't let you down, you'll see that I'm the right man." I smiled as I shook his hand firmly while keeping a confidant smile about me.

"Excellent, glad to hear it, there is just a few papers to sign and you may be on your way." The Estate Clerk said with a grin that I wasn't sure was genuine or false but seemed pleasant enough.

A short while and a few signatures later I found myself standing in the hall outside his office with a parcel of papers concerning my new Estate. I stood there and looked at the parcel in my hand and the weight of everything that had happened hit me. I said nothing but had a silly grin on my face as I realized that out there somewhere was a piece of land that was mine, and an Estate at that!

"Well, what now Master Westlock?" Jealile said with emphasis as she put her arm around my waist.

"Did that really happen, is that all there is, I mean am I really the Master of an Estate now?" I asked in a disbelieving voice with a shocked smile on my face.

"The Estate is yours already Brian, but as long as you live up to his requirements then the Estate will remain yours and your children's and your grandchildren's." Yeoline said with an excited smile and her excitement was contagious and I burst into laughter and jumped for joy with Jealile and Yeoline jumping along with me.

"C'mon Master Westlock, Lets celebrate and see the town." Jealile said with an excited chuckle as we calmed down a bit.

With that we left The Council Building and headed out to spend most of the day walking around Teroncia. We leisurely walked, talked and the three of us held hands as we leisurely explored the sights of the city. There was a playful air to the day and everything was bright, sunny, warm and good. In short I was happy, truly and honestly happy, for I had two women with me that I loved and who loved me. We seemed to be in constant physical contact the whole day though this was not conscious or intentional. There were even a few times that we stole a few kisses in the more secluded corners of Teroncia.

Everyone seemed to be friendly and more and more people seemed to recognize me and I got some odd looks as we passed by. Some people even whispered to each other as they watched us walk by. I guessed that being the first immigrant to Tania made me stick out a bit. Of course that little incident at my scheduled execution didn't help me blend in unnoticed either. For the most part I enjoyed my newfound notoriety and revelled in the thought that I was somebody. For not only was I the Master of an Estate, I was the talk of the town and I had two beautiful women on my arm; in short, life was good.

As we entered what looked like a small town square I noticed a huge stone statue in the centre of it. A man stood tall and proud on a pedestal and a small group of women and children huddled at his side clinging to him. He stood there tall and looking intently at the horizon and the whole statue was much larger than life and positively dominated the square.

I read the plaque underneath it and it said: 'Augustus Teroncia, the founder of Tania, our Salvation, our Father, and our Protector. He led us from the homeland to escape the destroyers. By God's help we will keep our new home safe from the Destroyers and never flee again.'

I stood there and knew then just how vital and important this man was to their history. I wondered just what these people would do if I were to reveal that the land they left was not destroyed as they feared. What would they do if they knew that their 'homeland' as they called it, recovered and flourished after the Viking invasions? After seeing the wondrous new home that they had built for themselves here on Tania I wondered if the point even mattered. What good would come from telling them that Augustus was wrong to leave England. After all this time of believing him to be a hero, why tell them that he was a cowardly fool. He had led these people to this island and together they built a new land to rival any county in England out of nothing. In that he was a hero and should be thought of as such. However I will never understand why he chose to flee rather than fight for his homeland. Some things will be lost to the sands of time is suppose, never to be revealed.

"I come here sometimes when I want to think and be alone in a crowd." Jealile said as she squeezed my hand. "The view of the bay from here is quite lovely and I find it comforting to be near the 'old man'" Jealile finished with a nod in the direction of the statue.

"Teroncia is a lovely city. I don't want to leave it but I guess I will have to make my way to Kincaid soon enough." I replied as I looked at the city around me and finished with my eyes resting on the ladies. "So many things I don't want to leave behind." I said with a lingering look into the eyes of the ladies standing near me that I treasured so dearly.

"There's plenty of time to think of that later." Jealile said with an uncomfortable look about her, a tear came to her eye. "For now we've got some shopping to do!" Jealile said with a bright grin as she grabbed me by the collar and pulled me to her so my face was an inch from hers. Clearly she was trying to push the inevitable parting out of her mind at the moment and I welcomed any diversion from it.

"Shopping? But I can't afford to buy anything so what's the use?" I replied, not sure if I liked what she meant.

"Nonsense my Father owns a clothing shop in town and it'll be my treat!" Jealile said with an alluringly cute quality about her.

"Sweetheart you've been too kind to me so far, I can't allow you to keep buying me things." I said with a concerned look. I was not comfortable with her being so free with the gifts as I didn't want to take advantage of her affections.

"Nonsense, why can't I spoil my betrothed on the day he was awarded his Estate . . . our Estate." Jealile said with a pleadingly warm look that finally won me over and a smile broke across my face. "If you're going to be the Master of an Estate you should at least look the part my dear." Jealile finished as she traced a pattern on my chest while she pressed her forehead to mine and looked me deep in the eyes.

"You'll spoil me something rotten." I chuckled.

"Don't worry, we'll give your ass a swift kick when you need it." Yeoline smiled playfully. "Just let us celebrate this joyous occasion and give us this chance to take care of you." Yeoline said with a smile as she pressed herself into the now three-way hug and played with the sleeve of my shirt.

"When you put it that way, how can I refuse?" I replied with a smile. "But only a few outfits mind you. I don't want you emptying the store or your Father will think ill of me." I playfully warned with a chuckle.

"You needn't worry about Father, I'm sure he'll love you." Jealile smirked. "Now lets move, it's getting late and we still have to meet the gals by the docks yet."

With that we walked down a few twisting and turning streets and ended up in what seemed to me to be a quaint shopping district. The shops were all packed so close together and the street seemed to be alive and vibrant. Things of all shapes, sizes colours and colours seemed to burst forth from all the shops. Each shop tried to outdo each other and demand your attention. It reminded me of the crowded markets back home but a little more subdued and with some space that you could walk down the street comfortably. We stopped at one shop that burst forth with clothes of all description and went inside.