“She’s asking for wild game and fresh caught fish,” Benger observes, “and raw vegetables and fresh fruit.”
“So, she’s not overly fond of our standard fare, then,” Ember chuckles, “I can’t say I entirely blame her. They tend to overcook everything they get their hands on. The peas and carrots are always mushy and rather disgusting. Did she say why?”
“She said that when it comes to meat, that game is better because if it's wild, then it’s been eating what it should, so it will feed her as it should,” Benger replies, “She thinks it’s important for her healing process.”
“Then we should get her what she wants,” Ember shrugs, “It seems simple enough. If it works, then we will have learned something that might help others. She was certainly on point with that tip about adding woad to potions. The new ones with woad in them don't taste as nice, but they do work better.”
“I’ll make arrangements with the kitchen,” Benger says, “but we might want to get someone else to make her meals.”
"Then,” Ember chuckles, “I suppose the high priest will have to share his chef.”
The next morning, Emlyn hears a knock at the door. “Good morning, sunshine,” says Benger, “it's time to go for another walk. We'll see how far you get today. I spoke to Ember, and he's rearranged the duty schedule so that I can come and walk with you every morning. I’m to help you until you can get down the aisle to make your vows.”
“I was hoping you would be here today,” says Emlyn, “but you make it sound like I'm getting married. If you keep this up, everyone is going to think that I'll be taking vows to you and not the temple.”
Laughing, Benger replies, “I’d be fighting well above my class to land you. I still don’t even know your name, so I’ll call you Princess Nia. Please note that those girls won’t be bothering anyone else. Harassing patients isn’t allowed, so they’ll be split up and sent to different temples.”
“That will either dilute the poison or spread it,” Emlyn shrugs, “I know the type, and they’re poison. They enjoy spreading malicious rumors and take pleasure in trying to harm others. They feel entitled to be at the top of the social hierarchy without having earned their place there. Make sure that you’re never alone with them before they’re gone. Please share this with all your friends and encourage them to do the same. If they can’t get you, they may try for one of them instead. I knew a boy growing up who had his reputation almost ruined by a group of girls like that. One of them kept trying to get my friend to notice her, but he was just not interested. She and her friends contrived to catch him alone, and then all of them swore he’d tried to force himself on the girl. Even after one of the girls broke down and admitted that it was all a lie, his reputation never completely recovered. When the girls were denounced publicly as liars, the ring leader’s family tried to pull the same stunt again, but this time with one of his younger brothers. Fortunately, my mother and I were both witnesses to the entire meeting, where he walked in, found himself surrounded by unmarried women, and immediately left. Since we were all in my family’s keep, my father sent for her family to come and retrieve her.”
“What happened?” Benger inquires, interested.
“We had to give our testimony about the incident. Later on, I caught up to her,” Emlyn smirks, “in the annual combat trials. I had to throw a couple of matches to meet her on the proving grounds. Then I had to win a couple of more to make up for the ones I threw.”
Benger gives her a puzzled look.
“You don’t have the annual trials here, do you?” Emlyn asks him.
“We have tournaments among the paladins and clerics, if that’s what you mean,” Benger explains.
“Not quite,” Emlyn says, “unless everyone here in Tassatung all fights in it. Grouped by age and by gender and seeded by the results of last year’s tournament.”
“Let me see if I understand you correctly,” Benger says. “Your entire country participated in these annual tournaments.” Emlyn nods, so Benger continues, “Everyone was ranked based on that.”
Emlyn nods again, “Mostly. Some weren’t permitted to compete. Enslaved people, for example, weren’t allowed. Anyone too injured to compete wasn’t allowed. Anyone too young or too old wasn’t allowed. Some criminals were barred, but, yes, it was everyone.”
“So why was that important?” Benger asks.
“It determines status and status determines everything else, “Emlyn explains, “For example, you have no status. Under normal circumstances, you might catch a glimpse of me at a distance, but you’d never have been allowed close enough to speak with me, much less touch me. It wasn’t unheard of for lower-status families to try to kidnap higher-status brides in an attempt to force a marriage with a higher-status House.”
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
“Oh,” Benger says, “So that’s what you meant… Was that a common thing?”
“Common enough,” she nods, “that my mother schooled me on how to kill such a man with items that are commonly found in a bedroom so that I could return to my father’s house as a widow should a kidnapping be successful.”
“That seems,” he says thoughtfully, “quite… intense.”
"That is a word,” Emlyn grins, “that many have said about the Cymry and my family in particular.”
“But why?” Benger asks, “Surely those men could find someone who would willingly accept them.”
“To increase the status of their children and ultimately the entire house,” she explains, “Early on, your rankings are based on your parents and your House. This decides where you are seeded in the early tournaments. Where you are seeded decides how many matches you have to win to increase your ranking. Even the best fighter, born into a lowly ranked House, has some serious handicaps to overcome to increase their status. It means deliberately taking on higher-ranking opponents in extra bouts and winning them year after year. Rather than do all that work, sometimes, Houses would try to cheat the system. If you can kidnap and coerce a higher-status mate, then the children will start higher in the tournament when the time comes. If the children perform well, then the status of the entire House rises.”
“You said that your tattoo reflects your status,” Benger says, “Just how highly ranked are you among your people?”
“Before or after I joined the paladins,” Emlyn smirks, “Before I joined, I was in the top five of my age group every year. After I joined, the rules changed, and the way my status was calculated also changed. Once I joined the paladins, I had to compete with the paladins from my order and other orders as well. Most were outside my age group, and lots of them were men. Even then, I did quite well. That’s how I was able to increase my status and get another band added to my tattoo.” Emlyn grins at him, “It’s as high as you can get, short of being a member of the Royal House. I’m told that I’m one of the youngest ever to accomplish it.”
“Just how young are you?” Benger asks hesitantly, “Forgive me for saying this, but I thought you were… an adult.”
“Not by the ways my people count such things,” Emlyn says, “I’m still mostly considered to be a child. I’m not even old enough for a formal betrothal, much less marriage. That’s still two or three winters away. Normally, it would depend on my mother’s decision.” Suddenly, Emlyn looks ready to cry.
Thinking quickly, Benger changes the subject, “If you can make it to the dining hall, I have a surprise for you. I’ve arranged for you to meet some of the other lads. We can have lunch with them, if you can get there before they have to go on duty. I’ll borrow this chair from your room. You’re going to lean on me and walk as far as you can. When you can’t go any further, you can sit in the chair and rest. When you think you can go on, we’ll go as far as you can.”
Snorting, Emlyn replies, “You’ve given me a goal, but a most inappropriate prize.”
“How is that inappropriate?” Benger says, sounding insulted.
“I’m not supposed to be around any man I’m not kin to until I’m married,” Emlyn explains.
“That won’t do,” Benger tells her, “We’ll be your fellow paladins. In essence, your brothers. If anyone says or does anything inappropriate to you, I’ll punch them myself.”
Despite herself, Emlyn giggles, “Going to defend my honor?”
“Damn right, I will,” Benger says, “You officially have little sister status. Since you don’t seem to have anywhere to spend Midwinter, I’ll write to my mother and tell her I’m bringing you home with me. She always wanted a girl but got stuck with a bunch of rowdy boys. She’ll love you to bits.”
“You sound like my friends,” Emlyn says wistfully, “from before…”
“No moping,” Benger says, “you’re going to walk so you can take your oaths. You’ll take your oaths so you can take your place among us. Once you do that, you’ll have more brothers than you will know what to do with.”
"I suppose I had better get moving then,” Emlyn says, “so that I can claim my prize.”
“Tomorrow we’re going to the chapel,” Benger tells her, “And we'll see how close you get to the altar on your own. We'll have to go early so that we don't disrupt services, so be ready.”
“Vanya has been experimenting with my potions,” Emlyn tells him, “I feel stronger, so I want to see how far I can get on my own.” Without waiting for a reply, she stands up carefully and walks to the door. He points her in the direction of the dining hall, and she sets off. It’s not a speedy pace, but she gets quite a lot further than her previous attempts before her knees start to buckle. Benger quickly shoves the chair under her, and she sits down hard. “That was further than I thought I’d get,” she says, leaning against the wall weakly, “I don’t suppose there is some place where I could swim?”
“Nowhere that I’d want you to go swimming,” Benger says. “The river moves far too fast for you in the shape you’re in right now. The only ponds are decorative, and the priests get pretty upset if you disturb their fancy, expensive ornamental fish.”
“I wouldn’t relish paddling around in knee-deep water anyway,” Emlyn shrugs, “I need deep enough water to take some of the weight off.”
“How’s the food?” Benger asks her, “I spoke to Ember about it, and they were supposed to change it.”
“It’s much better,” she nods, “It’s almost like it's not from the same kitchen. The elk was cooked perfectly.”
Laughing, Benger tells her, “It's not from the same kitchen. The kitchens had a fit about being asked to cook game and not cook their vegetables. The high priest’s chef is making your meals. It was the only other fully equipped kitchen in the temple. The chef is excited about doing it because he’s getting to cook things that aren’t all swimming in the cream sauce that the high priest loves so much. I’m supposed to ask you how you feel about pickled or fermented vegetables. He said to tell you that there are other ways to prepare vegetables that don’t involve cooking them, if you’re interested.”
Intrigued, Emlyn nods, “I would be interested. The real restriction is that they are not cooked. Everything in them that’s good for you gets cooked out of them.”
- Emlyn tries fresh oranges for the first time and is delighted like a child discovering cake.
- She pushes herself to walk farther—and succeeds, even if she needs catching.
- Benger proudly assists, part pack mule, part bodyguard, part repentant disaster man.
- Rumors swirl, Ulwin is nosy, and Ember is DONE with it.
- The mean?girl acolyte clique finally gets handled—via transfers and Emlyn’s mouth.
- Emlyn explains the Cymry tournament system, status ranking, kidnapping deterrence, and how intense her culture truly is.
- Benger learns he would’ve been beneath her notice back home, and yet… she walks with him now.
- Emlyn reveals her pre?paladin rank and tattoo significance—spoiler: she’s top?tier elite.
Coins:
We left off at 295 coppers.
Add +8 coppers for citrus joy, social smackdowns, and cultural lore.
New Total: 303 coppers
Random Object:
A single pale pink peony petal, pressed flat like a keepsake from a day that went surprisingly well.
Snips the Crab:
Snips scuttles in wearing:
- A tiny sunhat made of an orange peel
- A minuscule bouquet of peony petals clutched in one claw
- A wheeled walking?frame he insists Emlyn should borrow (she rolls her eyes)
the Discord via this invite link. If it doesn't work, DM me for a new one.