“I want you to refuse whatever offer he makes you and instead..., instead, work for me.”

Work for her? I have no interest in building reflecting pools or entertaining guests with ice cold drinks.

“I’m sorry, can you please repeat that Lady Eleanor?”

“I wish for you to work for me Mr. Jayce. Oh, but don’t misunderstand, I will not have you entertaining guests, I wish to hire you to keep me safe.”

“So you mean like a bodyguard then?”

“Well, you can think of it that way. Like I said Mr. Jayce, war is coming to Freeport and I’m not so sure Freeport can win this time. It is possible Freeport will fall and many will be forced to flee or face execution. It’s only natural that I would take precautions against that, don’t you think?”

War huh? I figured wars would be common in the Northern Territories but I hadn’t expected the Freeport of legends to be caught up in it. And I definitely did not expect the possibility of Freeport falling.

“This is a difficult decision to make Lady Eleanor. I know very little about Elkia or any other cities. I came to Freeport because it was the one place I knew of, but what if Elkia is actually a better place to live than Freeport?”

“I understand Mr. Jayce; though my opinion may be a little biased I do not believe you would enjoy living in Elkia. Elkia is an absolute monarchy with a massive military. But why do you think their military is so large? It’s simple really; all men are conscripted into the military, which would include you of course. As a young man of considerable talent, Elkia would stop at nothing to obtain you. Do you wish to be conscripted into the Elkian army Mr. Jayce?”

Conscription into a foreign military is the last thing I want; though mages were an exception even the Empire did not force their citizens to serve in the military. The Empire conquered other nations but they had very strict regulations regarding the conduct of the military.

Crimes such as rape and the slaughter of citizens were a capital offense, of course it still happened, but if caught you risked your life. It was one of the few things strictly enforced as the nobles would use these crimes as a way to turn public opinion against the imperial army.

But I doubt the Elkian military has the same set of regulations or oversight. Would I be party to a military that rapes and kills women and children? It’s very possible.

“This is a bit sudden, and I need to think about it a little more before making a decision, can I give you my answer tomorrow instead?”

“Certainly Mr. Jayce, there are many things to consider after all. I wouldn’t expect you to rush into a decision like this with your limited knowledge. For now is there anything else you would like to ask?”

Right now I’m not sure whether I should ask her or gather information on my own. As she said she has a biased view, so any information will I receive from her may not be truly accurate. Even if what she is saying is true I don’t want her view on things to influence my decision.

“No, right now I don’t have any other questions.”

“Is that so… well, that is what I wished to discuss with you tonight, please think carefully about it. Since there is nothing else I think I will get some rest as it has been a very long and exhausting day. Gerard will show you to your room. Goodnight Mr. Jayce.”

After bidding Lady Eleanor goodnight Gerard brought me to a guest room within the main house. The room is much larger than the servant rooms with a very large bed and even a private bath. It looks like tonight I will have much to think about.

********

The room is large with a four post bed and a fireplace. Opposite the door is an entire wall of windows. The light is dim but bright enough to see everything clearly. Holding my hand he brought me to the bed that only had a light blanket covering it, most likely because of the heat.

The bed is firm unlike my bed and there are few pillows. It’s not comfortable at all. How can someone possibly sleep like this?

“Sorry, I normally sleep with the drapes open, let me close them.”

I hadn’t really thought of it, I would often spend hours looking out my window at night, but I understand the reason for closing them.

“You looked beautiful in your dress today. Not to say you’re not beautiful without the dress of course”

The tension between us is so thick you can almost see it. I know what is about to happen but it would be a lie to say I’m not afraid. We’re married now though, and this is a wife’s duty; it is her job to provide children for her husband. I understand that, it’s just, it’s all too sudden.

“Thank you Lord Weston.”

“Please call me Alan, we’re married now so there is no need for formalities between us.”

Even though he says that, as ten years my senior he’s more like an uncle than a husband.

“Then, thank you Alan, you looked very handsome today as well.”

“It was a beautiful ceremony; your family must have put a lot of effort into it. Even going out of the way to hire a mage, it must have been very expensive.”

Ah, Jayce I believe was his name. I didn’t have a chance to talk to him after all. I wanted to ask him more about magic and was hoping to see more, but it would have been a bit inappropriate to do so.

“Yes, I believe you spoke to him about ranked magic, is it really that rare?”

“Hmm… it’s difficult to explain but ranked magic is just a way to scale how powerful a mage is. Elementalist's are able to directly affect the elements around us, unlike arcane mages who rely on spells, but you can still rank them on the scope and scale of the magic they produce. Someone of the 8th rank is very powerful. If utilized properly a mage of the 8th rank is easily equal to 5,000 normal soldiers, perhaps more.”

So it turns out he really is powerful. I have no aptitude for magic, no one in my family does, but if I did what would I be doing? And why would he be working for my mother?

“Oh, that’s impressive then.”

I can feel myself sweating, not because of the heat but because of how nervous I feel now that he has just sat next to me on the bed. I can feel his gaze on me almost like it’s burning into me. It’s not a look of lust, but I can tell what he’s thinking. As much as I’ve prepared myself mentally, I’m still not ready.

“Grace, I know this is hard for you. It’s difficult for me as well. I was engaged to a woman I loved very deeply, so I’m sure you can imagine how I feel. However, I need an heir to continue on as a member of the council. There is no easy way to do this, but please undress and lay down on the bed.”

My body can’t stop shaking, I don’t want this. I don’t want my body to be seen by this man. I don’t want to be touched by him. Why does nobody care what I want? No, I can’t think like that. I’m a woman, it’s only natural to get married and have children.

“Can you, can you please turn off the lights?”

After putting the light out in the lantern I do my best to take the dress off but in the end he helped me unbutton the back. As he did he slid his hand slowly down from my shoulder to my waist before pulling my dress all the way down.

Lying down I can only hope it’s over quickly. I’ve closed my eyes but the tears are still spilling out. I can feel him on top of me; His body rubbing against mine while groping me with his hands. I’ve never felt so embarrassed before.

My body is locking as if frozen in place and I can’t tell if he’s trying to comfort me but it’s not helping that he’s forcibly opening my legs.

Sliding his hand behind my shoulders he pulled me up into his chest and, I can, I can feel him, it hurts! Gods it hurts! The tearing feeling burns and the pressure inside of me, it’s so uncomfortable. Please, please...

********

I was up all night thinking about what to do. If what Lady Eleanor said is true then I’ve found myself in a difficult situation. I don’t want to get caught in a war, but my knowledge of the Northern Territories is very limited.

I just wanted to escape the Empire. I didn’t have time to research anything further then what I already knew. Maybe taking the job here right away wasn’t the smartest thing to do. I should have gathered information first, at the very least I should have tried to get a map, but then again I had no money either.

If the nearest city is too far away I may end up swept up in a battle even if I try to leave. I can only curse my stupidity. I know too little about the various powers and alliances as well. And what good does it do if I leave one war-torn city only to go to another?

If Lady Eleanor is telling the truth then it’s hard to say whether or not her proposal is a good move on my part. In an open field battle against non-mages, I would be practically invincible. But in a city, well I would be very limited in what I could do. Though I’m confident I can protect myself, I don’t know if I can protect a group of people also.

If Freeport is overrun then it is probably in both of our best interests to flee, but I’m not sure where we could flee to. Leaving the city would also be very difficult. It’s possible to build a tunnel exiting the city, but even I have my limits.

The tunnel would at the very least need to be a couple of miles long. That’s assuming there are no advanced scouts patrolling the area; I doubt we would be that lucky. But assuming we are lucky the tunnel would still need to be pretty wide. I can’t see Lady Eleanor walking 100 miles or possibly more to the nearest city.

And there would need to be supplies, so probably a wagon of some sort would be needed. But then again what are my other options? If the city falls I would face conscription or possibly death. If we tunnel out far enough I may be able to defend us in the open. But I can only do that for so long. If they send waves of attacks I’d no doubt fall due to exhaustion.

Could I tunnel far enough to escape them? Maybe if it was only me that would be viable, but with a group of people, I don’t think I can.

Is it better to meet the enemy head-on instead? If I meet them on the battlefield I would be able to dwindle down their forces significantly. This might be the best option truthfully. Even if I don’t completely defeat them if I can bring their numbers down and make it so they are unable to enter the city that would be a victory.

For now I think I’ll go back to the guild and see what information I can find. I also received 10 gold coins from Lady Eleanor. Though it should have only been 4 she told me to think of it as a bonus and future investment. I think I’ll check some shops as well. My meeting with Lord Weston is at 3 so I have plenty of time.

********

The heat and the wedding preparations have left me thoroughly exhausted. After giving birth to my son my body hasn’t been the same. I tire easily now, often feel nauseous, and sometimes even my vision turns blurry. Some days it’s so bad I have a hard time leaving my room, so this week has been particularly hard.

I’ve been told it happens sometimes when women are pregnant but it should go away in time. It’s been 12 years though so I don’t think it will be getting better.

Ah, my Grace is married now. I’ve failed her as a mother. Grace has always been my favorite child, it may be unfair to her sister and brother but it’s true. She reminds me so much of a younger me. But I’ve failed her.

I haven’t had the energy to properly raise her, no, that’s not right. I shouldn’t use my disease as an excuse, I wasn’t there for her, and worst of all I forced her to marry that man.

But what else could I do? A member of the council has the power to destroy our family. And though it wasn’t said outright it was implied that if I didn’t agree with the marriage things would become difficult for us.

Any way you look at it I sold my daughter. I always hoped she would be able to fall in love and marry unlike me. I can only hope she can find love in her marriage.

Much of that depends on this war though. I don’t see Freeport escaping this time. The council would like to keep it quiet but it’s no secret that food stores are low. Every year Elkia sends forces explicitly to weaken us over time.

The influx of refugees from the smaller villages to the north dwindles our supplies even further. And now that Elkia has captured Canrit they can focus all of their attention on us. It’s only a matter of time.

Was it a mistake to marry my daughter off then after all? If Freeport falls what power would the council have over our family anymore? That damn foolish husband of mine! The constant pressure he exerted, I just gave in in the end.

Since my disease began he’s been slowly taking more and more power from me. It’s a good thing because I no longer have the energy to manage the household, but it’s a bad thing as well because of how foolish he is.

“Lady Eleanor, may I enter?”

Gerard, he’s been with our family for as long as I can remember and is the one person I can truly trust. In some ways he’s more of a father than my father ever was.

“Yes Gerard I’m just resting you can come in.”

I’ve told him to call me Eleanor when we’re alone but he refuses to. Something along the lines of professional pride and it would set a bad precedent should anyone notice.

“Lady Eleanor I’ve brought your breakfast as well as tea, I hope you were able to rest well last night.”

“Thank you Gerard, yes I was so tired I simply collapsed and did not stir until just a little while ago.”

“That is good to hear, now that the wedding is over you should be able to rest more”

“There is still work to be done, but nothing as intense. By the way Gerard how is Mr. Jayce?”

“Yes, as expected he left early this morning. Most likely he went to the guild to notify them of the completion of his job and to gather information.”

Well, he’d be a fool if he didn’t at least do that much. It’s strange to think he took this job with so little information. But then again he may have needed the money; I also need to remember he is only 16 after all.

“It should be fine; I haven’t told him any lies. Canrit is the nearest city and now that it is under Elkian rule the nearest city is almost 300 miles away. Though I can’t be sure I believe now that Elkia can focus on us they will begin attacking our neighbors in a similar fashion.”

“This may be a bit impertinent of me, but should Freeport fall, where would we go if even our neighbors are being attacked as well?”

“Our best bet is to seek refuge in the Corinth Alliance. The closest city would be Asmuth, roughly 500 miles to the northeast, but they are the only ones with the power to match Elkia. It would be a 10-15 day ride from here.”

“Are you even able to do that at this time in your health?”

“What choice is there Gerard? It’s hard to say for sure whether we can escape anyways. Elkia will certainly try to block escape from the city and the river will be no exception.”

The situation really is dire. The council must know this as well, but there has been no movement on their part. Just what are they thinking?

“Is that why you insist on hiring that mage?”

“Indeed that is why I wish to employ Mr. Jayce. With his power I believe we may stand a chance at escaping. Are you still opposed to it Gerard?”

“I’m not in favor of it. He is a mercenary, they only care about themselves. I do not believe for one moment that he would be willing to endanger himself for our sakes.”

That’s true, but I don’t need someone who is absolutely devoted to our sakes. I need someone who is in a similar situation as us. He should be looking to escape Freeport as well. All we need to do is lead him in the direction we wish to go. If he is as powerful as I think he is then he should probably not have a problem taking care of anyone on the way.

It may seem heartless but other than Gerard I do not plan on bringing my servants with me, it’s just not very feasible. To maximize our chances we will need to travel as a small group. Even if there are only a few of us it will be difficult.

“It is true that he is a mercenary Gerard, but I think he is our best hope at this time.”

********

Other than being able to buy a map I was able to confirm at the guild mercenaries would be participating in the upcoming battle. Most of them are actually excited about it.

Apparently the council pays participating mercenaries well, so almost all of them join voluntarily. But in the past mercenaries were conscripted if the battle was more intense than anticipated.

There’s no information on the size of the force Elkia will be sending but there are also rumors that the tribes from the Northern Expanse, a large plateau to the north, might also attack. But there is no sense of tension at all. As if everyone believes the city walls can never fall, so it’s just easy money.

Or maybe they think there’s no reason to worry, that the members of the council will take care of any problems that arise. It’s a stupid way to go about things. No city is unconquerable and no leader is infallible.

I can only hope Lord Weston has some type of realistic plan. It would be nice to get concrete information as well. The council must have an idea of the forces Elkia is sending. Come to think of it, I haven’t heard anything in the guild or from Lady Eleanor about Freeport’s military.

If they are relying on the help of mercenaries I’m not very optimistic about our chances. The Empire only used mercenaries when they needed to perform some type of dirty job they didn’t want to be directly affiliated with.

Ha, escape one life and death situation only to find myself in another? What a joke. Well Lord Weston, let’s hear what you have to say.