Roderick and Gorlana Pt. 02

Another stood up and Roderick tried to get his mind back on track when he heard his name.

"And, General Roderick, you are sure, as one who stands ready to hold the title of First-General, that you admittedly cannot defeat this Orcish enemy, by any means?" The man asked, holding his nose in the air.

Roderick gulped but stood straight, "Defeat their entire country? Utterly and completely? No. We never could. Though if you were to ask if we have the strength to defend the border of our new allied territories to maintain their stability, then I would say yes, absolutely. Since that is what we need to stand in a favourable bargaining position with their Queen, as I understand it."

The man looked almost ready to argue further but stepped back instead.

Valessa gave him the briefest of glances and then stepped forward again, the slender curves of her body moving in the definition of elegance, "Are there any more questions or concerns then?" She looked around at the quiet room and continued. "Good. It is decided then. I will travel to Orthanhall to meet with Queen Malgora, and treat for peace, with the intent of maintaining our current expanded borders, and a favourable trade agreement so we may begin to strengthen our economy and finally see prosperity again."

The men and women in the room nodded, the mention of increased prosperity seeming to settle them.

"I would like to add one additional point to the matter as well however," she continued, "I have decided that as part of my retinue, General Roderick will accompany me through Orthalia as my head of security."

Roderick's mouth opened for a moment but otherwise he stopped himself from showing too much of his surprise. Someone else objected first.

"Is he not to be awarded the Shield of the First-General today?"

"If the council does not object to my naming him, then yes. Are you suggesting that the Princess Heir is not worthy of the First General to escort her through foreign territory?" Valessa retorted in offence.

"Will he not be needed elsewhere?"

"We are now at peace-...." Valessa began

Roderick finally spoke up, "I would have to agree with them your highness, I am honoured to accept the title but I know the responsibilities and I will be needed, if not in Andrapolis, than at least in Southern Orthalia to shore up our defences as we had just discussed."

Valessa raised a sleek eyebrow at him and his obviously uncalled-for interruption, "And you will be given opportunity to do so, prior to my departure. For one month. I will not leave immediately, but you will. The King has expressed his desire for you and your more war-hardened ...men, to be away from our peaceful palace anyway."

Roderick allowed himself to subtly clench one fist at her implication.

"I will meet you in Southern Orthalia at which point you will escort me north to Orthanhall with an adequate force of your choosing, to ensure our security. This ambassadorship is THE most pressing and important moment so far in the war, and I think none other than our fine First-General should accompany me. I have learned much of his deeds and accomplishments in Orthalia, especially recently, and I have faith in his knowledge and competence in that realm."

Roderick gave her a slight frown of wonderment as she gave him another brief glance with perhaps a glint of a smile.

The matter seemed settled and they moved on.

Roderick could barely pay attention and keep up with the proceedings with the thoughts racing through his mind. Yet another change that he could not decide if he should have predicted, or how he felt about it. His attention switched between Professor Beleros and Valessa, wishing he could read either of their minds, though Valessa inevitably held his attention more.

He was sure the same could be said for every warm-blooded man in the room. She was more slender through the chest and hips than some men preferred but still emanated female perfection over every inch of her, in her shimmering blue and silver dress. Her face both young and intelligent, both delicate and unyielding. Even the briefest of glances at him sent shivers through his spine. He decided it was foolish wishful thinking that any of her smiles and twinkles in her eye were anything other than a practised method of keeping him agreeable and on her side. He was sure she must use that skill on anyone and everyone and that it likely always worked.

He almost jerked in response when his name was announced and his mind came back to the present moment. The ceremony to name him First-General had finally begun.

As he stepped forward, in the softest and most expensive outfit he'd ever worn, and accepted the jewelled and inscribed shield, intoning the words back to the orator, he felt too out of place. He knew that most in his situation would feel similarly, and tried to tell himself that they obviously saw leadership in him, and that he had not found himself here by any accident. However, after he finished the oath and held the shield high, and the applause echoed throughout the room, a brief subtle look shared between him and the Sage, and the secret they shared, made him wonder if this was a place where he would ever truly belong.

He felt no less out of place as the meeting adjured and the attendees milled about before gradually leaving. Despite telling himself to expect it only moments before, Roderick was annoyed at his instincts for having to stifle irritated jealous notions as Valessa flirted her way through a couple of noblemen. One in particular with a sharply down-turned nose that somehow still seemed permanently held in the air, put an arm around her in a pretentiously close embrace. He was younger than most of the nobility there, meaning he only had a streak of grey. No outward intimacy was shown but Roderick wondered if her alleged lack of courting was in fact only an official stance. He turned away chastising himself for caring in the slightest.

He wondered about finding Beleros again but the Sage had left already. A few nobles whose names flew in and out of his head surrounded him with handshakes and congratulations with uncomfortably scrutinizing eyes. He suddenly felt a delicate hand on his arm and turned to see Valessa had finally found him, and was glad for her to lead him away from the gaggle of nobles who dispersed elsewhere.

"Thanks," he said, and saw her give a knowing smirk and a nod.

"Don't worry, they get much more stifling once you get to know them. Thank you for cleaning yourself up for the occasion this time, it's rather..." she cleared her throat, "...suitable."

He gave up trying to read her face and replied, "You look flawless as ever though I think it surely took much less effort than for myself."

She smirked and gave him another narrowed gaze. "You might be surprised," then straightened her face and looked at the crowd with a much more courtly tone. "I appreciate your... mostly cooperative and agreeable words during the meeting First-General," she said with a look of slight disapproval.

Roderick expressed the same right back to her, "A warning, or even better a request for my opinion yesterday before committing me to a month-long journey through Orthalia might have been nice, is all."

She glanced past him and shrugged, "I hadn't made up my mind yet at that point. Would you have seriously said no?"

"The point that I will have much work to do in my new position, besides escorting one woman through the countryside, was a valid one."

"And my points were not? You will have much to learn in your new role General, and delegating your many duties will be one of them."

Roderick bristled, "I know about deleg-..." he stopped himself from raising his voice as he looked at the close crowd around. "There will be much we'll have to discuss. Numbers, supplies, routes, and besides, a month is too short to prepare."

"It's roughly two weeks travel to Southern Orthalian and a month from then before I arrive. Even so, you may decide on the specifics and my steward can give you a list of my supplies and needs. Or are you simply eager to spend more time talking with me? I assure you we'll be spending more than enough time together in the weeks ahead."

The hook-nosed man he had seen earlier suddenly swooped in with an arm around Valessa's waist. "Yes, I am surprised at your sacrifice to put yourself in the care of these ruffians Valessa, but impressed at your dedication to the realm nonetheless. I still say if you refuse to send an ambassador in your stead then at least have my house-guards and I accompany you as well to at least spare you of complete boredom on the road."

Valessa gave him a cool side-glance and didn't put her arm around him but didn't step away either. "Boredom will be the least of my worries I'm sure, Chasdon."

Roderick said "I would agree. The fewer people my soldiers need to look after, besides navigating what roads there are through Orthalia, the better."

The man held out his hand with a bitter smile, "Lord Chasdon, Duke of Laxindae. I don't believe we've been introduced," he said, his overly-chiselled jaw and clefted chin held high.

Roderick shook the man's hand and kept a neutral face as he withstood Chasdon's attempt at squeezing far too hard. He replied simply, "Roderick of Highquarry."

"Highquarry. Where IS such a quaint sounding village anyway. Do they have difficulty making roads there as well?"

Valessa butted in, "Have you come to fetch me for tea Chasdon? Let's leave the General to his many responsibilities."

"Indeed. Enjoy your brief stay General, I'm sure you and your soldiers and their pets they brought are all getting restless being fenced into these confined urban quarters. I wish you well on your journey."

Roderick nodded a clenched jaw, "I'm glad to have gotten to know you," he said, as Chasdon had already turned his back to him.

Valessa gave Roderick an apologetic nod which turned into a smirk of amusement as she saw the fire he was staring into the back of Chasdon's head, then she turned to accompany the man. As he watched the backside of her dress saunter away beside him, finally tearing his eyes away, Roderick found himself bitterly agreeing that it was indeed time he got the hell out of this place.

...

Roderick knocked on the office door and took a nervous breath. The secretary of the Sage's college had assured him the Professor was in, but as the silence stretched on he found himself half-hoping she was wrong.

A "just a minute" snuffed out that hope, and the heavy wooden door creaked open as Professor Beleros regarded him with a neutral stare only slightly longer than was natural.

"Good afternoon General, come in," the Sage said politely, and made a point of looking around outside for anyone outside the door before shutting it. "To what do I owe the pleasure."

"I came to return your books," Roderick said. "And... you had suggested having a longer conversation, last time we spoke."

"Ah," Beleros said, only now seeming to notice the stack in Roderick's arms. He paused a moment then looked back up at Roderick. "Keep them," he said. "For now, at least. Unless... have you finished them?" he asked doubtfully.

"Oh, no," Roderick said, off-put that anyone might ever read that fast, "I skimmed them all out of curiosity at first, but I've only got through half of the first one in earnest."

"Hmph," the professor shrugged as he walked around to his desk chair. "I would suppose you'll have plenty of time to read them during the long journey you have planned."

"I doubt I'll be short of work, keeping her royal highness safe, let alone satisfied during the trip," Roderick said, honestly.

"Yes I'm sure you'll have many things to worry about. Even more than you do now," Beleros said. Then he continued when Roderick gave him a doubtful glance. "But, you can be relieved that at least one of them WON'T be whether I will break my promise not to say anything about your... heritage."

Roderick hadn't known he was hunching his shoulders when he felt them drop in relief. "Thank you," he said simply.

"Though I don't know how you've managed to keep it a secret all this time, or whether you can keep it up indefinitely,"

"I'm not entirely sure either," Roderick admitted. "Andralians are the easy part, as long as I'm not completely reckless letting my teeth grow or working my ears flat, people see what they expect to see."

Beleros gave a short chortle of agreement, "Isn't that the truth."

"The orcs can smell it though; not always, and not instantly, but definitely if we're alone for long enough, so I'm constantly at the mercy of them not breaking the taboo and speaking of it. I suppose it's good that it keeps me on my toes to keep them happy and respected. Maybe in part they know that and trust me even more because of it." Roderick shrugged.

"Indeed," the Professor looked at him in fascination.

Roderick gave a chuckle, "So you said you wanted to learn a few things from me?"

Beleros took a breath and seemed to catch himself, "Well... that was before I knew your station. I admit I had half a mind to sit you down and interrogate you all day with questions for a manuscript to send to the University for publication, but... that would seem rather improper now."

Roderick noted the Sage's more deferential attitude this time round and found himself much more relaxed than he had expected. "Well, how about instead of... interrogation as you put it. We sit down for a chat over tea instead. Perhaps we could learn a thing or two from each other."

The Professor gave a cautiously amused smile, "I could move some things around and make time for that. With your permission... I suppose if I learned enough for a journal manuscript I could publish it while keeping your name anonymous...?" he looked at Roderick with a delicate hopefulness.

Roderick chuckled and nodded. "Sure."

Beleros gave a wider smile, "Right then. Let's call for the tea then shall we?"

Five hours later, Roderick tried to remember when the tea had switched to wine and ale, as he stumbled out of the Professors office with a mutual chuckling goodnight, and wondering if the palace had any expensive herbal cures for a hangover he had heard of.

...

6 weeks later,

Roderick stood on the windswept grassy hill and looked out over the Orthalian foothills toward the Rampart mountains, which were shorter this far south but loomed with intimidation still. The royal entourage escorting the princess seemed like ants in comparison creeping slowly down the hill on the other side of the wide shallow valley, but they seemed to hold more cause for intimidation in Roderick's mind.

Thoughts of the princess had plagued him almost incessantly over the past several weeks as he returned to Southern-Orthalia to resume his role as the overseer of the allied territories, or High-Chief if he let the orcs have their way with titles. Besides his new additional title of First-General and having slightly more wide-reaching military decisions to address, there was actually very little in the way of new or significant problems. In any other context he would say that things were running as smoothly as he could hope, with only minor areas of mismanagement having happened while he was gone.

Princess Valessa was coming though. This made everything seem like it needed to done better; for things to run smoother, look cleaner, and kept him second guessing what he should have prepared. What would she critique? What would she demand? Even of her lodging here in the main township, let alone for the preparations for the journey north. Her steward had been far less specific than she had implied, and Roderick was left to simply do his best. He was plagued with an irritated knot in his stomach as he tried to anticipate how much pampering she would expect. Yesterday he had his aids searching the township for any amount of silk or satin of any sort, though he couldn't tell them exactly what she'd even do with it. It just felt like it would be good to have on hand. He hated that she somehow had a way of making him feel like a fool even when she was still miles away.

He let out a breath and not for the first time wondered if there was a deeper reason that thoughts of this princess seemed to leave him bothered. She was far from the first beautiful woman he'd had dealings with, though none had used him the way she seemingly had. Used wasn't the right term he supposed, as they had already seen eye to eye, at least at first. The way she had switched from pleasant and almost flirtatious, to cold and calculated given the room and settings made him doubt how much he could trust any outward emotion she showed. His nose had never been much help when his own feelings were too strong, only knowing things instinctively rather than consciously. What was genuine and what was simply to get what she wanted? He knew he shouldn't blame her if it was the latter; everyone used the tools they had. Why did it bother him so much though?

He remembered the Professor's words, when after chatting for an hour they had become more comfortable and candid.

"I would advise you not to get too involved with Princess Valessa my friend. I may be an old man but I'm not out of touch, or blind to these things. I suppose if she has her mind set on you for a particular reason she would be a difficult woman for any man to defy, but you should focus on your duty as first-general and try to stick with maintaining that, and no more. I worry enough with you keeping your blood a secret with your station as it is. I'm sorry to tell you that if you rise any higher I fear it might become too difficult to hide. At a certain point people always inquire about lineage. The nobles are quite particular about it."

At the time Roderick had mostly bristled at the thought of 'purebred' nobles and their gate-keeping of common riffraff. The Sage's words of the princess had flew over his head until he thought of them later.

That office had seemed the only place he could relax in that city, wondering the whole time if people could see through his subtle features the way the Sage had. Out here though, he could relax, and not worry. These hills of Southern Orthalia, not that different from Fringeland, with just as many mix-breeds by his determination over the years, felt almost as much a home at this point than any other.

As his greeting party trotted down the slope to meet his guests though, he knew his days of relaxation were gone.

"General Roderick," the soldier at the head of the procession gave a flat-faced nod. "I am Lieutenant Todrin."

"Welcome to Orthalia," Roderick said with a smile.

Roderick estimated at least a hundred soldiers on either side of the Princess's large, ornate carriage. They rode four abreast, and there was some awkward-appearing rearranging as he and his retinue joined them. He noticed the soldiers behind the general included four women, who were in much lighter armour in front of the carriage and he wondered if they were servants or bodyguards, or perhaps both. His own army was up to 20% women depending on the regiment, but these had a different look. He only gave them a fleeting glance nonetheless as he reigned up to trot alongside the lieutenant.

"My thanks," Todrin said, "Though we've already been here 2 days. Our speed through the Orthalian side of the pass was limited by the poor roads. Her majesty insists something must be done about that."

Roderick pursed his lips and cocked his head. "That's excellent to hear that our petitions for the supplies and men we need to upgrade them will now be responded to."

The lieutenant cleared his throat, "Well I hope the journey will be more pleasant than that from here on out."

"From here to Glenhold? Yes, we've been hard at work improving the main road for the trade it now sees, but that stretch you speak of is difficult to maintain, and we're considering re-routing it. Once we cross out of allied-Orthalia into enemy territory though, you will see a stark change, and you may find yourself thinking fondly of that rough patch you speak of. Or... will you be accompanying her highness or heading back to Andrapolis?"