An Oath Of Lords And Ladies (ARTK, Book 1)

Chapter 14

Noveno 18th, 3327 A.G

The trio's journey from the shoreline to House Alymere took slightly over a day on foot- as a direct, flat path had been carved through Narene's uneven landscape decades ago. Upon approaching the main gate, they weren't asked to identify themselves- as Andre'd been working for Narene's trade industry for years and had managed to wedge his way into Emerson Alymere's inner circle.

  After the gates were opened, Renard stood there for a second- staring. He'd seen walls like it before on his singular trip through Ebon, but that didn't mean he was used to it or the cold. Having grown up on a warm island with no surrounding walls and plentiful food, he couldn't imagine why someone would willingly subject themselves to the cold and a (not unsignificant) level of danger anytime they got sick of looking at stone walls.

  They'd been lucky enough not to run into ice giants, but each was smart enough to know it was only a matter of time with the horrid scene they'd encountered at what used to be the shoreline camp.

  "Andre! Welcome back-" A guard rushed them through the open gate, then gestured to ones on top of the wall to close it not a second later. "The lord is in their private courtyard."

  Andre whispered something unintelligible to Renard in the guard's ear, causing him to grin and Renard to tilt his head. He didn't have time to contemplate what it could've been about though, as Andre and Imania nearly dragged him through the main square.

  They wove around a few merchant stands and servant's cottages before heading down an outdoor hallway with several guards at the end. There- three newer ones who didn't recognize Renard stood in a straight line to block their path.

Renard smiled. This had happened before at house Vraemore when he tried to approach his own advisor with an unsheathed sword in hand- no intention of harming him of course. They both looked at him like he'd lost his mind until it clicked, he was sent to take a long nap since he admitted to being sleep deprived- and that was the end of that.

At house Alymere, things would be different. Because of it's status as a commanding house they had more power than others and thus put more effort into protecting the family. The commanding lord could order his guards to do anything and they'd have to listen. The guards here were not his guards or people, so his title didn't matter to them. They'd kill him if ordered to but almost all lords and ladies across the world were smarter than to demand something like that, knowing an assassination would cause another war.

  "Weapons." A guard said, looking at nobody but Renard. He gestured to the sword sheathed at his hip, the bow and quiver slung over his shoulder and the knife poking out of his sleeve that he'd stolen from the ship's kitchen.

  Renard had no problem handing them over for a first meeting with another lord or lady for their peace of mind, but just as he was about to comply- a commanding voice boomed out from the other side of the guards.

  "Oh let 'em through-" It said. "People know better than to try and assassinate me with weapons."

  Renard highly doubted that, but he kept his mouth shut. No matter how skilled an individual thought they were, there was always someone out there who could wield a weapon better. Andre had proven that to him.

  The guards parted, creating space for one person at a time to pass through the gap. On the other side, they were met with a courtyard covered in bright colors.

  The stained glass windows overlooking it were more like paintings in their complexity. The ground was snow-covered dirt and the archways surrounding it were standard architecture, but various cold weather flowers and greenery were planted throughout.