After the Fall of Parthiya
On the fifth day after the fall, the small caravan of horses came westward toward Portpointe, the capitol of Parthiya. As the travelers descended into the valley, Priestess Frideswide looked out through the small window of her carriage. The sight that welcomed her was devastating.
Portpointe, once a bustling city with the busiest port on the continent, was no more. It appeared that nothing in Portpointe survived the devastating attack days before. Frideswide sighed, wiped a tear from her eye, then closed the window of her carriage.
“This is worse than I imagined,” she said to Faith, her attendant.
“My Lady?” Faith looked up from her text.
“The entire city has been destroyed. My city, Faith, my home.” Frideswide leveled her gaze at the Acolyte. “Parthiya is in agony, her people gravely injured. Fortune does not smile upon us this day.”
“Will the Queen…”
“The Queen has not been recovered. Have you not been listening, child? The messengers made everything quite clear. Parthiya is in ruins. Your duties require you to pay attention to matters such as this. Particularly if you wish to become a priestess someday.”
The carriage came to an abrupt halt, and there was a knock on the door.
Faith opened the door for Frideswide, eyes downcast. The door revealed a man dressed in the uniform of a naval captain.
“Your Grace,” the captain said, bowing low.
“As you were,” Frideswide said, gesturing for the man to stand up. He did, proffering his right hand.
“May I help you?” he asked.
Frideswide took the hand, and disembarked from the carriage. Faith followed suit, gathering up books quickly before stepping out onto the ground. A second acolyte, Elias, rushed up toward Faith from another carriage. He whispered something to Faith, and she responded with a frown. “I am hurrying!” she hissed a little too loudly. Frideswide shook her head at her acolyte’s folly. She turned her attention toward the naval officer.
“Welcome home, your Grace. I am Benjamin Lytcott, captain of what is left of our naval reserves,” he said sadly. “I am to escort you to our encampment, where you shall be installed as Queen of Parthiya.”
“Nonsense,” Frideswide said with a touch of anger. “My sister is not dead yet. For as long as she lives, she is your Queen. I will serve as counsel, and as temporary Regent. That is all. Elinor shall return, I shall see to that.”
“Still. Upon our honor, we swear allegiance to you, Princess Frideswide.” Lytcott turned toward a knoll littered with tents. “Please follow me.”
Frideswide, her two acolytes, and several armed guards entered the small military encampment near the ruins of Parthiya Castle. They approached a pavilion tent near the center of the camp. At the entrance of the tent, a guard raised a small horn to his lips, and played a small cadence, announcing the arrival.
The guard then called, “Attention! Presenting Her Royal Highness Frideswide, High Priestess of the Temple of Goddess Divina. Presenting acolytes Elias, Faith, servants of Goddess Divina. Presenting Captain Sir Benjamin Lytcott of HMS Defiant.”
A guard opened the flap of the pavilion tent to reveal three high-ranking men at arms standing at attention. As Frideswide entered, they knelt, bowing their heads low.
“As you were, gentlemen.” Frideswide began, “We are not here to stand on ceremony, but to attend to business. Please apprise me of the situation.”
As the men stood, one officer stepped forward to usher Frideswide in.
“Your Majesty, I thank thee for answering my summons so swiftly. I am Julian Furnace, acting Commodore for Your Royal Highness’ Navy. This is Edmund Beedle, Captain of the HMS Clave, Colonel Rowland Cornwalis of the Parthiyan Army, and Lieutenant William Spebbington of West Harmonia.”
Faith gasped. “An outsider?” she whispered just loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Pray speak only when spoken to, Acolyte,” Frideswide admonished, “An alliance with West Harmonia is to our advantage.”
“Your Grace,” Spebbington bowed, “As King Edward’s representative, West Harmonia swears allegiance to Parthiya.”
Frideswide nodded. “Parthiya thanks you for your service.”
Julian Furnace smiled. “Now that we have dealt with pleasantries, let us begin. Please be seated. There is much to discuss.”
*** *** ***
Hours after the sun had set, Acolytes Elias and Faith set out to survey the military encampment. Acrid smoke wafted from the razed city below, and the glow of fire just beyond it rose to the sky.
An hour before, the Acolytes assisted Frideswide as she blessed the departed. The dead were given a blessing from Goddess Divina, piled onto pyres, then set out onto the waters of Magnum Maris Triadic to burn, per Parthiyan custom.
Elias sighed. “Such meaningless slaughter. Fortune frowns on us this day.”
Faith looked at Elias quizzically. “Fortune has naught to do with this. Yet, Thou speakest Fortune’s name as though she were still worshipped in this era. Thou and Frideswide both. Why?”
Elias stopped walking, touched his beard with his index finger, then looked down. “I do not refer to the Ancients, Faith. One need not worship Fortune to receive her bounty or even a smile. I guess it is an old colloquialism that has weathered the centuries long after the deity has been forgotten.”
Faith considered this, and then she smiled. “I understand now. I was confused all day by Frideswide’s words. Goddess Divina reward thee, Elias.”
Elias nodded. The two resumed their survey of the encampment. Refugees from the massacre were given shelter in the northwest corner. Sixteen in all sat around a small fire. Eight children, four young women, an injured soldier, two elderly gentlemen, and a crone all sat together quietly. One young sentry stood near the circle, keeping watch.
As Elias and Faith approached the circle, the refugees and the sentry looked up from the fire. Despite their calm and quiet demeanor, their haunted expressions betrayed them. These people were terrified, traumatized, and in spiritual agony.
Faith knelt next to the old Crone. “How can we be of service?” she asked softly.
One of the younger women spoke up. “Come hither, we pray. Dost thou bring tidings?”
“Alas,” said Elias sadly, “We bear no tidings. Perhaps a blessing from Great Goddess Di-“
“Woe!” moaned an elder gentleman. “Woe, for no Goddess smiles upon our sorry lot!” He spat.
A young girl stood and rushed up to Faith. “Prithee, my lady, he is heavy with heart.”
“As are we all,” the old Crone sighed.
The young girl continued. “Madame, Goddess reward thee for blessing my lady into the afterlife.” She threw her arms around Faith, who responded in kind. Faith wanted to cry. No child should lose her mother at such a young age.
“Goddess Divina reward thee. Thy bravery has been noted.”
Elias spoke softly with the Crone, asking if the refugees were in need of supplies. “We are safe, but our hearts are heavy. We are alone, without mothers, daughters, fathers, sons, husbands, or wives. Some of us no longer believe in the Goddesses. Nazaza has forsaken us, will Divina forsake us also?”
“Not if we can help it,” Faith said softly.
“No, Madame,” Elias tried to reassure the Crone. “As representatives of Divina, we will see that no further harm comes.”
“If I may,” Faith spoke, “We are witnesses to Divina, and to Parthiya’s Regent, Princess Frideswide. We shall lobby your concerns, and I vow they shall hear your prayers. Please do not abandon hope, we shall triumph in the end. Divina as my witness, this I solemn vow.”
*** *** ***
The next morning, the military leaders quarreled at length about strategy and whether there was enough weaponry to defend Parthiya from the next attack. Not a single person agreed whether they should seek out Queen Elinor first, or defend the land and rebuild. At last, Frideswide asked for a tally of what resources Parthiya did have, so that they could build a strategy from there.
“Your Grace,” Cornwalis said, “We have two and thirty trebuchet, five and twenty catapults, fifteen drakes, one elephant…”
“Elephant?” Spebbington guffawed wholeheartedly. “What on Earth dost thou need an elephant for?”
“Sir Spebbington, elephants are superior at crushing the enemy should they get underfoot. They are also quite capable of lifting heavy objects, ramming gates, and carrying yeoman. Now I pray thee, cease with the laughter!”
Spebbington rolled his eyes. “Perhaps this is why the cavalry failed to save Queen Elinor.”
“Enough!” Frideswide hissed. “We cannot continue to bicker if we are to rebuild, let alone rescue Elinor. This is what the enemy desires most! By all means, gentlemen, let us waste time quarreling about whether our weaponry is suitable while our beloved Parthiya burns to the ground! Let us question our possessions whilst our soldiers continue to desert their posts, and our citizens lose hope!
“Mark my words, gentlemen. Truly, thou would’st squander our time with petty words whilst our foe plague this land. We lick our wounds whilst Southwark schemes to conquer not merely Portpointe, but all of Parthiya. Then next? Northward to Aura, the Harmonias, and even the kingdom of Euphony. It is our duty to disallow that from happening. Thou shalt heed my counsel, or depart this day!
“As of now, our people have little hope. My Acolytes have spoken to the people, and they have given up. Their only hope now is to die, and that is unacceptable. This bias is to Southwark’s victory. Feud, so that any glimmer of hope departs once and for all.
“Gentlemen, I say ‘Nay.’ Goddess Divina as my witness, I shalt not allow hope to wither on the pyres of the dead. Let us deny Southwark that victory, and work together, shall we? Let us instill hope in even the youngest of children, because we need a little hope. We need to attend our people first, heal the injured, rebuild the broken walls.
“From there, we train for war. Our reserves are depleted. Many fell whilst hunting the Drake of Magnam Maris Triadic, a terrible folly. More perished defending Portpointe, now our soldiers are few. Let us then rebuild a solid defense, and banish the villains from Southwark completely from our lands. We will continue to build alliances with our neighboring countries to the north, and our armies and navies shall swell greatly.
“Finally, we can avenge our lost loved ones. We shall seek out our foe and destroy them. We shall search for my sister, your beloved Queen, and we shall recover her. Victory shall be ours, and Fortune shall smile upon us.”
Spebbington and Cornwalis bowed low, while Beedle, Lytcott and Furnace all agreed. Furnace smiled, feeling hope for the first time in days.
“Divina and Nazaza as my witness, verily I shall follow thee.”
“Aye!” the others said fervently, “Lead us to victory, Regent Frideswide!”
“Very well. Now, I pray, set aside your differences. It is time to get to work.”
Author notes: While this story takes place in an alternate universe, there was an actual Princess Frideswide. This story follows events told in this story. Drakes are small cannons, and an archaic term for dragon.
Thank you for reading
Portpointe, once a bustling city with the busiest port on the continent, was no more. It appeared that nothing in Portpointe survived the devastating attack days before. Frideswide sighed, wiped a tear from her eye, then closed the window of her carriage.
“This is worse than I imagined,” she said to Faith, her attendant.
“My Lady?” Faith looked up from her text.
“The entire city has been destroyed. My city, Faith, my home.” Frideswide leveled her gaze at the Acolyte. “Parthiya is in agony, her people gravely injured. Fortune does not smile upon us this day.”
“Will the Queen…”
“The Queen has not been recovered. Have you not been listening, child? The messengers made everything quite clear. Parthiya is in ruins. Your duties require you to pay attention to matters such as this. Particularly if you wish to become a priestess someday.”
The carriage came to an abrupt halt, and there was a knock on the door.
Faith opened the door for Frideswide, eyes downcast. The door revealed a man dressed in the uniform of a naval captain.
“Your Grace,” the captain said, bowing low.
“As you were,” Frideswide said, gesturing for the man to stand up. He did, proffering his right hand.
“May I help you?” he asked.
Frideswide took the hand, and disembarked from the carriage. Faith followed suit, gathering up books quickly before stepping out onto the ground. A second acolyte, Elias, rushed up toward Faith from another carriage. He whispered something to Faith, and she responded with a frown. “I am hurrying!” she hissed a little too loudly. Frideswide shook her head at her acolyte’s folly. She turned her attention toward the naval officer.
“Welcome home, your Grace. I am Benjamin Lytcott, captain of what is left of our naval reserves,” he said sadly. “I am to escort you to our encampment, where you shall be installed as Queen of Parthiya.”
“Nonsense,” Frideswide said with a touch of anger. “My sister is not dead yet. For as long as she lives, she is your Queen. I will serve as counsel, and as temporary Regent. That is all. Elinor shall return, I shall see to that.”
“Still. Upon our honor, we swear allegiance to you, Princess Frideswide.” Lytcott turned toward a knoll littered with tents. “Please follow me.”
Frideswide, her two acolytes, and several armed guards entered the small military encampment near the ruins of Parthiya Castle. They approached a pavilion tent near the center of the camp. At the entrance of the tent, a guard raised a small horn to his lips, and played a small cadence, announcing the arrival.
The guard then called, “Attention! Presenting Her Royal Highness Frideswide, High Priestess of the Temple of Goddess Divina. Presenting acolytes Elias, Faith, servants of Goddess Divina. Presenting Captain Sir Benjamin Lytcott of HMS Defiant.”
A guard opened the flap of the pavilion tent to reveal three high-ranking men at arms standing at attention. As Frideswide entered, they knelt, bowing their heads low.
“As you were, gentlemen.” Frideswide began, “We are not here to stand on ceremony, but to attend to business. Please apprise me of the situation.”
As the men stood, one officer stepped forward to usher Frideswide in.
“Your Majesty, I thank thee for answering my summons so swiftly. I am Julian Furnace, acting Commodore for Your Royal Highness’ Navy. This is Edmund Beedle, Captain of the HMS Clave, Colonel Rowland Cornwalis of the Parthiyan Army, and Lieutenant William Spebbington of West Harmonia.”
Faith gasped. “An outsider?” she whispered just loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Pray speak only when spoken to, Acolyte,” Frideswide admonished, “An alliance with West Harmonia is to our advantage.”
“Your Grace,” Spebbington bowed, “As King Edward’s representative, West Harmonia swears allegiance to Parthiya.”
Frideswide nodded. “Parthiya thanks you for your service.”
Julian Furnace smiled. “Now that we have dealt with pleasantries, let us begin. Please be seated. There is much to discuss.”
*** *** ***
Hours after the sun had set, Acolytes Elias and Faith set out to survey the military encampment. Acrid smoke wafted from the razed city below, and the glow of fire just beyond it rose to the sky.
An hour before, the Acolytes assisted Frideswide as she blessed the departed. The dead were given a blessing from Goddess Divina, piled onto pyres, then set out onto the waters of Magnum Maris Triadic to burn, per Parthiyan custom.
Elias sighed. “Such meaningless slaughter. Fortune frowns on us this day.”
Faith looked at Elias quizzically. “Fortune has naught to do with this. Yet, Thou speakest Fortune’s name as though she were still worshipped in this era. Thou and Frideswide both. Why?”
Elias stopped walking, touched his beard with his index finger, then looked down. “I do not refer to the Ancients, Faith. One need not worship Fortune to receive her bounty or even a smile. I guess it is an old colloquialism that has weathered the centuries long after the deity has been forgotten.”
Faith considered this, and then she smiled. “I understand now. I was confused all day by Frideswide’s words. Goddess Divina reward thee, Elias.”
Elias nodded. The two resumed their survey of the encampment. Refugees from the massacre were given shelter in the northwest corner. Sixteen in all sat around a small fire. Eight children, four young women, an injured soldier, two elderly gentlemen, and a crone all sat together quietly. One young sentry stood near the circle, keeping watch.
As Elias and Faith approached the circle, the refugees and the sentry looked up from the fire. Despite their calm and quiet demeanor, their haunted expressions betrayed them. These people were terrified, traumatized, and in spiritual agony.
Faith knelt next to the old Crone. “How can we be of service?” she asked softly.
One of the younger women spoke up. “Come hither, we pray. Dost thou bring tidings?”
“Alas,” said Elias sadly, “We bear no tidings. Perhaps a blessing from Great Goddess Di-“
“Woe!” moaned an elder gentleman. “Woe, for no Goddess smiles upon our sorry lot!” He spat.
A young girl stood and rushed up to Faith. “Prithee, my lady, he is heavy with heart.”
“As are we all,” the old Crone sighed.
The young girl continued. “Madame, Goddess reward thee for blessing my lady into the afterlife.” She threw her arms around Faith, who responded in kind. Faith wanted to cry. No child should lose her mother at such a young age.
“Goddess Divina reward thee. Thy bravery has been noted.”
Elias spoke softly with the Crone, asking if the refugees were in need of supplies. “We are safe, but our hearts are heavy. We are alone, without mothers, daughters, fathers, sons, husbands, or wives. Some of us no longer believe in the Goddesses. Nazaza has forsaken us, will Divina forsake us also?”
“Not if we can help it,” Faith said softly.
“No, Madame,” Elias tried to reassure the Crone. “As representatives of Divina, we will see that no further harm comes.”
“If I may,” Faith spoke, “We are witnesses to Divina, and to Parthiya’s Regent, Princess Frideswide. We shall lobby your concerns, and I vow they shall hear your prayers. Please do not abandon hope, we shall triumph in the end. Divina as my witness, this I solemn vow.”
*** *** ***
The next morning, the military leaders quarreled at length about strategy and whether there was enough weaponry to defend Parthiya from the next attack. Not a single person agreed whether they should seek out Queen Elinor first, or defend the land and rebuild. At last, Frideswide asked for a tally of what resources Parthiya did have, so that they could build a strategy from there.
“Your Grace,” Cornwalis said, “We have two and thirty trebuchet, five and twenty catapults, fifteen drakes, one elephant…”
“Elephant?” Spebbington guffawed wholeheartedly. “What on Earth dost thou need an elephant for?”
“Sir Spebbington, elephants are superior at crushing the enemy should they get underfoot. They are also quite capable of lifting heavy objects, ramming gates, and carrying yeoman. Now I pray thee, cease with the laughter!”
Spebbington rolled his eyes. “Perhaps this is why the cavalry failed to save Queen Elinor.”
“Enough!” Frideswide hissed. “We cannot continue to bicker if we are to rebuild, let alone rescue Elinor. This is what the enemy desires most! By all means, gentlemen, let us waste time quarreling about whether our weaponry is suitable while our beloved Parthiya burns to the ground! Let us question our possessions whilst our soldiers continue to desert their posts, and our citizens lose hope!
“Mark my words, gentlemen. Truly, thou would’st squander our time with petty words whilst our foe plague this land. We lick our wounds whilst Southwark schemes to conquer not merely Portpointe, but all of Parthiya. Then next? Northward to Aura, the Harmonias, and even the kingdom of Euphony. It is our duty to disallow that from happening. Thou shalt heed my counsel, or depart this day!
“As of now, our people have little hope. My Acolytes have spoken to the people, and they have given up. Their only hope now is to die, and that is unacceptable. This bias is to Southwark’s victory. Feud, so that any glimmer of hope departs once and for all.
“Gentlemen, I say ‘Nay.’ Goddess Divina as my witness, I shalt not allow hope to wither on the pyres of the dead. Let us deny Southwark that victory, and work together, shall we? Let us instill hope in even the youngest of children, because we need a little hope. We need to attend our people first, heal the injured, rebuild the broken walls.
“From there, we train for war. Our reserves are depleted. Many fell whilst hunting the Drake of Magnam Maris Triadic, a terrible folly. More perished defending Portpointe, now our soldiers are few. Let us then rebuild a solid defense, and banish the villains from Southwark completely from our lands. We will continue to build alliances with our neighboring countries to the north, and our armies and navies shall swell greatly.
“Finally, we can avenge our lost loved ones. We shall seek out our foe and destroy them. We shall search for my sister, your beloved Queen, and we shall recover her. Victory shall be ours, and Fortune shall smile upon us.”
Spebbington and Cornwalis bowed low, while Beedle, Lytcott and Furnace all agreed. Furnace smiled, feeling hope for the first time in days.
“Divina and Nazaza as my witness, verily I shall follow thee.”
“Aye!” the others said fervently, “Lead us to victory, Regent Frideswide!”
“Very well. Now, I pray, set aside your differences. It is time to get to work.”
Author notes: While this story takes place in an alternate universe, there was an actual Princess Frideswide. This story follows events told in this story. Drakes are small cannons, and an archaic term for dragon.
Thank you for reading