Tales of the Borderlands: The King Makes Two Announcements

The last time that Fred had seen Eryn had been at the ceremony to mark his departure on his quest. In the intervening period, she had grown from a girl into a self-possessed and beautiful young woman, tall and slim and dark haired. Her attempts to draw him into conversation in the few minutes before her father arrived had been unsuccessful. Without being rude, he had beem uncommunicative, and she had drawn hardly a dozen words out of him. Though the results of her spells had been inconclusive on the matter of who might be her future husband, she knew that Fred was now the most eligible young man in the kingdom, and that it was highly likely that her father would want her to marry him. As a dutiful daughter, she could hardly defy him, but she hoped that Fred prove to be less brooding and tactiturn than her first impression of him suggested.

Her musing was interrupted by the arrival of her father. "Please be seated everyone," he said. Once the noise of chair legs scraping on the wooden floor had died away, he went on: "It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to this banquet in honour of Lord Frederigo D'Honaire, the Dragon-Slayer. You will all have heard of his exploits by now, so I shall not repeat them here, but merely say how overjoyed I am that - against all probability - he has returned to us alive and well. Now I have two important and very pleasant announements to make before the feasting begins. Firstly, within my royal domains I hold the Province of North Umbria. Once it was ruled by Duke Samanthus, the Dragon-Hunter. It is only fitting then that I set aside a portion of that domain as a prize for my Dragon-Slayer, for him to rule in my name. Its bounty shall be his, her people under his care and protection. From this day forward he shall add the title and office of the Count of Inverness to his name. The city of Croix shall be his capital. [59184] Secondly, I am bestowing the hand of my daughter, Princess Eryn, in marriage to Lord Frederigo. Lord Frederigo's father, the Duke of Suffex, and I have agreed that the wedding will take place as soon as the necessary arrangements can be made."

Fred saw that Eryn's face mirrored the surprise that he himself felt. He had expected an engagement of at least a year before they would be married. He would be marrying someone who was almost a stranger. Furthermore it seemed that Carradene's idea that he should travel to see the Heirophant Balthasar might have to wait for quite some time.

1. The King signals that the feasting should begin.
2. A week or so earlier, a coal-black young woman had struggled back to consciousness after a three week coma. [14787]
3. Meanwhile, what has Tarin - the Crystallic safely in his possession - been up to?
4. By now, the Archmage Faith had arrived at Batlan. The other Archmages were still en route to their various destinations. [15509]
5. Meanwhile, In Aqualaria...

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