Valeria

“Woah! Your mansion looks impressive. But why did you decide to build it so near the slums? Surely you could have afforded to live in a better area.” Alexandria asked Oberon as I got him out of the carriage and set him down in his wheelchair.

I thought Sir Foltest would protest when Alexandria asked us if she could tag along with us till we departed for Leonis but seems he has come to trust us somewhat.

“Not many people want to live near the slums if they can help it so as you can see our property is quite big,” Oberon replied.

I smirked and stared into Alexandria’s eyes. “Besides since we made our home here people know not to cause too much trouble lest they risk catching my attention.”

“I-I see.” She replied and looked away keeping her eyes on our mansion. “Who’s that?” she said pointing at one of the thugs outside our mansion.

I began pushing Oberon forward before replying. “I suppose we shall introduce you to the thugs.”

We came to a stop before the imposing large thug, a long scar running down his blind right eye his full brown beard covering more scars on his face, and long wild hair that looked like it had never been brushed or combed which it probably had not. He wore fine leather armor and carried a mace in one hand and a round wooden shield strapped on his other hand.

“Lord Oberon, Lady Valeria you have brought a guest.” He said in a deep booming voice nodding at Alexandria startling her slightly.

Oberon sighed. “I told you Conell there is no need for honorifics with us. Simply Oberon and Valeria will do. Anyway, our guest here is the third princess of the Sagitta Kingdom Alexandria Terramanz.”

“A pleasure to make your acquaintance Conell.” She said nodding at Conell.

Conell may be big and imposing but Sir Foltest is even more so, I should not be surprised by her disappointing reaction, but I do wish she were a bit more frightened.

Conell nodded. “A pleasure.” Then he turned to address me and Oberon. “Nobody came to cause any trouble yesterday there were a few people who came asking for help, but we told them that you were away and should go to one of your establishments. A blacksmith apprentice came to drop something off, he said it was an improved crossbow and someone from the merchant’s guild also came by asking to meet with you, but he left when I told him you weren’t here, and he did not tell me why he wanted to meet.” He smiled and spoke proudly. “I also practiced my observation skills as you told me and I saw a pair of dogs chasing each other. A flock of birds flying away in strange patterns, A cat who was watching me from a tree but then somehow climbed down when she saw me eating bread. she approached me warily and I threw some crumbs at her and she came closer and let me pet her when she was eating a piece of bread I gave her.”

That’s not what we meant by practicing your observation skills but at least you’re trying. Seems Barlow has finished improving the repeating crossbow, I will need to test it out. The merchant’s guild is it. We may not be merchants, but we have a stake in a decent amount of businesses in Sagittae, they probably want to push their restrictions and regulations on us. They can be safely ignored.

“You did well Conell, now join us inside we have more work for you and the others for the foreseeable future,” Oberon said as I pushed him up the ramp leading to the entrance Alexandria next to us.

Conell opened the door for us, and we went inside he followed closely behind, and when he entered he cleared his throat.

“Derrik! Edan! Oberon and Valeria have returned with a guest!” His loud voice no doubt reaching the other in the mansion.

I strained my hearing and tried to identify where they were. I heard someone running from somewhere upstairs, A scraping of a chair followed by quick steps coming from the kitchen most likely. Soon Derrik came running downstairs and Edan walking from the kitchen eating an apple.

“Oberon Valeria, welcome back! We did not expect you back so soon.” Derrik a lithe young man with a stubble of a beard and slicked back brown hair said.

I glared at him. “What were you doing upstairs? You know not to enter Oberon's room or our bedroom.”

“I-I wasn’t, I was in the training room I was curious about the crossbow that someone brought yesterday and wanted to test it out.”

He better not have ruined the bolts. I don’t know how many bolts Barlow sent but I don’t imagine it was a lot.

I turned my glare to Edan a short pudgy middle-aged man who fancied himself the leader of their little group. He gulped down a piece of apple. “I hope you did not leave Conell to do your part as usual while you stayed inside and enjoyed our food.” I finished coldly.

“I-I did my part I know you don’t tolerate laziness, Conell had the first shift is all.”

I continued glaring at him deciding whether I should make an example out of him for lying but decided to do so at a later time when not in the presence of Alexandria.

Oberon cleared his throat. “Now that Valeria has finished chewing you out introduce yourself to our guest the third princess of the Sagitta kingdom Alexandria Terramanz.”

They gasped before kneeling in front of her except for Conell who had already made his introduction and stared at them in confusion.

You are the strange one Conell. For common folk who have the chance to meet royalty that is the normal reaction not just a nod of acknowledgment.

“I’m honored to meet you your Highness I am known as Edan.”

“I’m honored to meet you as well your Highness I go by Derrik.”

Alexandria looked troubled but spoke. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance Edan, Derrik.”

“Now that the introductions are out of the way I want to tell you that Valeria and I will be traveling to Leonis this evening and will most likely be gone for a week or more so I will trouble you all to continue guarding our mansion until we return. Some People may decide to cause trouble when they realize we are gone so I will leave some money for you to hire more people if you feel it necessary.” Oberon said.

“You can count on us Oberon we will make sure no one causes any unnecessary trouble!” Edan said.

“I hope you live up to your word because if anything happens to our home I will hold you personally responsible Edan,” I said staring him down.

He shivered. “O-Of course.”

“Now all of you stand guard outside while we entertain our guest,” I said pointing out the door.

They nodded and went outside immediately.

“I want to try out the repeating crossbow in my training room. Alexandria, care to join me? Oberon will be busy so I will entertain you in the meantime.”

Alexandria smiled at me. “I would be glad to join you. Maybe we can also train with each other I would be grateful for your tutelage.”

Now that my strength is no longer a secret, training with her could be the best way to get her out of the way while Oberon gets our affairs in order here.

“Very well but I shall warn you right now that I am no sword instructor so you may not learn much from me.”

Oberon smiled at us. “Now that the two of you have found a way to entertain yourself while I do all the work let's head upstairs. Alexandria if you are feeling hungry feel free to ask Valeria for something to eat she is a good chef and will cook you something suitable so long as you ask politely.”

“Thank you, I will do so and trouble you for a meal later Valeria,” Alexandria said giving us a slight bow.

I suppose she is polite enough.

I picked Oberon up from his wheelchair and took us upstairs Alexandria following behind us.

She is not the type to sneak around so I doubt she tagged along with us to spy, most likely she had nothing else she wanted to do since Sir Foltest had something to do and Brigette was spending time with her father Wes today. I don’t expect any trouble from her, but I expect her to ask a lot of questions… How troublesome.

Alexandria Terramanz

Watching Valeria help Oberon on and off the carriage and now taking him upstairs made me realize just how much Oberon depended on Valeria to help him get around. Perhaps because he is so confident and sure of himself, I didn’t think about the simple problems he faced being paralyzed. When we reached the second floor Valeria placed Oberon down gently on another wheelchair close to the staircase.

I thought Valeria was just going to sit him down on a chair in his room, but another wheelchair makes more sense.

“Well then, I will be in my room writing letters to be delivered so, if I am not finished by the time we need to leave feel free to fetch me. Lady Alexandria enjoy your training session with Valeria.” Oberon kissed the back of Valeria’s hand and then pushed himself away.

Valeria turned to me. “let’s go, my training room is this way.” She said pointing in the opposite direction that Oberon went in.

Valeria made her way to the end of the spacious hallway and at the end of the hallway was a double-doored room. When she opened the doors and we entered I was shocked by the number of weapons I saw, swords of all lengths, greatswords. poleaxes, spears, maces, hammers, bows, crossbows, and arbalests, shields, even weapons I had never seen before, what looked like a spear with blades coming from either side of the pole, a sickle with a chain and a weight attached to it, Wooden sticks with something like a grip attached to them, and something that looked like the stock and trigger of a crossbow, but it ended with an open metal barrel, there was no string, and bolts did not seem like they were suited for the barrel.

I saw Valeria walk up to a table and pick up a piece of paper next to a crossbow. I walked up next to her. “You sure have a lot of weapons! How can you afford all this?! And some of the things I saw I’ve never seen even in the royal armory!”

She continued reading the paper then set it down giving her attention to the repeating crossbow that must have been the one delivered yesterday and spoke. “You can call them trophies, a decent amount of the weapons here are what I collected from my enemies, the interesting ones are what I’ve picked up over the years.” She tested the string on the crossbow pulling it slightly and examined a box with crossbow bolts packed inside.

Most of these are from her enemies she says! She must have had a lot of enemies if she can fill a room with their weapons as trophies. Should I ask?

I coughed trying to get her attention. “What did you do before meeting Oberon? I don’t believe you were at his side when he was younger.

She paused and pushed crossbow bolts into the magazine attached to the crossbow. “Before I met Oberon I was part of a sizable mercenary band and did some work in the lands beyond the sea. Some places you probably never heard about, I had plenty of enemies to collect spoils from.”

A mercenary and one that has been to the lands beyond the sea, I wonder if that is where she is from! That must be why she is so strong, but if that was before she met Oberon then I can assume that was about 9 years ago, how old is she? She looks young but I don’t know her age I just assumed she was around the same age as Oberon, but that would mean she would have been around 16 when she was a mercenary is that really at an age where one can effectively be a mercenary? Something seems off.

Before I could speak and asked her more questions she pointed the crossbow at a straw dummy at the back of the room and pushed and pulled the lever. Thump! Thump! Thump! She fired about 10 bolts at the dummy and 8 of them struck it. I was familiar with the repeating crossbow, so I was impressed by her accuracy from this distance.

“The accuracy seems to have improved. Let’s test if it can penetrate plated armor. Alexandria, help me.” She put the crossbow down on the table and walked to a closet.

I followed her and again was surprised by what was inside. Pieces of plated armor. Some breastplate pieces, greaves, pauldrons, and vambraces, though I don’t think all the pieces made a matching set as they all had different designs, and some were rusted and dented. She grabbed a slightly rusted breastplate and made her way to the dummy, and I followed closing the closet.

I don’t know how she got her hands on so many pieces of armor and I think it's for the best that I don’t ask.

Valeria held the back piece and the front piece in place on the dummy and looked at me with a slight smile. “I assume you know how to put on plated armor?”

I did as I often helped Sir Foltest put on his armor and even tried plate armor on myself though I preferred gambeson. I smiled at her. “Of course. I often help Sir Foltest with his. What about you Valeria, do you use plated armor?” I asked as I fastened the front and back piece together.

“No, I prefer studded gambeson it gives me more freedom of movement, but I recognize the advantages of plated armor so maybe one day I will have a suit commissioned for myself.”

I smiled at her. “Seems we have that it common I prefer gambeson as well.” I finished putting the breastplate together and gestured at myself.

She laughed lightly as we made out way back to the table with the crossbow. “Don’t be so sure about that. I only prefer gambeson as armor, not common wear, for that I prefer my dresses and tunics. From what I hear the “Tomboy Princess” one day put on gambeson armor and never took it off.” She finished with a teasing tone.

I blushed slightly in embarrassment. “I just thought it more practical to keep my gambeson on than having to change clothes constantly. I have no issues wearing dresses, but I prefer not to which is why I’m rarely seen in a dress.”

I did not think Valeria was the type for dresses but looking at her she certainly has the body for it with her long legs and ample bosom.

Valeria shrugged her shoulders and smiled at me. “Perhaps one day you will understand that dressing up isn’t about being practical but to impress. It doesn’t have to be everybody just one person you want to impress. For me, it’s Oberon which is why I take every chance I get to look my best for him.”

I sighed. Even Valeria is telling me I don’t understand something because I have never been as Sir Foltest put it “sweet on anyone”. Can people just choose to like someone, or does it have to happen naturally? When will the time I find someone I am sweet on come I wonder?

Slightly depressed, I stood next to Valeria and watched her load the crossbow with bolts. She aimed at the armored dummy and fired pulling the lever up and down. Thump! Thump! Thump! She fired around 6 bolts and it looked like all of them hit this time. We ran to take a closer look at the armored dummy, and I was impressed that the crossbow bolts penetrated the armor.

Valeria examined the armor before speaking. “Looks like Barlow did it. The bolts can penetrate plated armor even at a distance though looking at the length of the shaft it did not go too deep. It may not kill someone in plated armor, but it should be enough to bleed them and make them think twice. I am satisfied with the results.”

“I assume Barlow is a smith of some sort, he seems quite skilled if he could improve the repeating crossbow. Perhaps I’ll visit him one day and see his work for myself.” I said as Valeria yanked the bolts from the armored dummy examining them.

After her examination, she threw them to the side and walked to the middle of the room. She turned and stared at me with something like anticipation in her sapphire-like eyes, A slight smirk on her lips, hand on her sword. “Shall we begin our training session?”

I suppose it’s time to find out just how much stronger Valeria is than me.