CHAPTER XV #8
“Lady Alexis,” Sandam points a hand to one of the chairs opposite his desk.
I smile and move towards it, taking the offered glass of whiskey from Tove before we both sit down.
Sandam extends another hand across his desk as Keane comes up behind me, leaning forward to accept the drink as both men remain standing.
“Of all the rumors to make their way to Dankworth,” the Lord begins with a small sigh, “the news of more Ancients being awake is the one I quickly discounted. And now to have you both look so resolute when you tell us that Lady Alexis rides with the Ancient of Death’s right hand…”
The Lord sighs again at the same moment Storm does.
The Ancient of Death and Exploration.
“You saw the Ancient Heysan at the coronation?” Keane asks.
“From afar,” Lord Sandam nods quietly.
“He was the first to make his appearance known,” he replies, dropping a hand to the back of my chair, “though Hirovale was the first to wake, followed by his sister Rivian in Livyatan.”
Both Woodlands Discerni catch each other’s gaze in quiet thought.
“Rivian has not left Livyatan,” the King continues, “while Heysan remains with my brother Desmond in Etter. Sianoa has chosen to remain in Alston for now, though I believe she’ll soon be traveling to Aireal to wake the Ancient Nolan...”
“Hirovale,” Keane says his name with pride, “has remained at Lady Alexis’ side throughout her travels. He is slowly making himself known within the Old World, though you can surmise what kind of reception the Ancient of Death and Exploration will receive.”
Lady Tove sits heavy in her chair next to me.
“Five of the eight remaining,” Sandam shakes his head in small awe, his long blonde hair moving across his back as he looks to Keane. “For what reason?”
I take a sip of my whiskey, curious to hear how Keane approaches this.
“All for different reasons of their own.”
“And yet three align themselves here in Woodlands…” the Lord inquires quietly.
I can feel Keane’s nod of approval behind me. Sandam is sharp.
“The changes you make in Etter,” the Lord continues, placing his hands on the table, “you’ve come to Dankworth to do the same? With the Ancients’ blessings?”
“Yes. Woodlands Court will no longer separate nor distinguish between humans and magical beings.”
Lord Sandam sits down with a heavy sigh.
“Fensby is ready to make that change.”
“Yes,” Keane replies above me, “as is Alston.”
Lady Tove turns to the King with a curious glance. “And what will take place there? Forgive my ask, Your Grace, but the humans of Alston are already afforded a better life than those here.”
“My sister works with Alma and Mina to begin integrating every quarter,” Keane tells the Lady of her home city. “There will no longer be separate businesses or homes or roads only made for some. The people of Alston, of all of Woodlands, will live commonly as they do in Knowledge and Warrior.”
Sandam grimaces, his Discerni features pulling sharp. “You must know that La Cour and Airea will not follow. They are too steeped in their tradition.”
“As are Sir Merrick and Lady Evelyn,” Tove whispers quietly, glancing down to the whiskey in her hand.
Her husband nods. “One of the reasons I brought this conversation to the study.”
“And the two of you?” Keane asks gently.
Sandam looks at his wife before he nods at Keane.
“We’ve seen the lives of those in Knowledge and are familiar and agree with the sentiment.
It’s one of the conversations I had with your father before taking Lordship, as he himself was making small preparations for change.
But Dankworth moves at a slow pace, Your Grace.
The occurrence of six years ago set relations back more than we could have anticipated.
We created the small council in its wake, placating some of that anger for a few years, but the council disbanded after a while.
It has only returned because of the word that has traveled from Etter. Since the decree has been put forth.”
“I will speak to the group tomorrow,” Keane replies heavily, “with you at my side. Nothing will move forward without both the Discerni and humans here agreeing to work together. I’m not expecting the change to come as quickly as Etter, but change will come, Lord Sandam.”
The blonde Discerni holds Keane’s glance hard before bowing his head. “You have my leadership, Your Grace.”
Keane’s hand moves down my shoulder, thumb caressing my bare skin.
“Tell me more of Sir Merrick,” he replies calmly, “of the men he commands here.”
Lord Sandam gives a small frown. “He’s a continuation from the Lord before me, a man who has now retired in La Cour. I know he keeps in contact with him, and I suspect, though haven’t yet confirmed, that he trains the men here on behalf of the capitol.”
“Is the number still the same?” Keane asks coolly.
“Roughly the same over the past twenty years. Eighteen hundred, give or take.”
Ancients. That’s a large number.
Though I remember reading once that Dankworth acts as a reserve for Alston below it and Fensby above.
“How many men are true to Sir Merrick?” Keane questions, trailing a finger up my neck.
“More than half,” Sandam replies hard. “Their sentiment remains true to Woodlands, so we tread carefully. To be honest, I’m unsure if they will remain in Dankworth once any true changes are made.
They may defect and offer their services to La Cour, though I suspect many of them will choose to stay here and fight for their home to remain as is… ”
I can’t help but laugh as I get into bed, marveling again at what was supposed to be a quick trip through Woodlands now becoming the start of an impending internal war.
From everything that Troy and the Queen spoke to us last night in Alston, to now learning of the soldiers here that would most likely side with La Cour, I can’t see any possible way forward that doesn’t end in outright battle.
Keane stays up late writing to Desmond, his mother, Troy and the Leading Lords of Knowledge and Warrior.
At times he’ll speak to me from across the room of what he’s writing, keeping me apprised of his thoughts and everything going on.
His goal has always been to get the three western cities of Woodlands on his side before approaching the problems that rest within La Cour and Airea, but his immediate problem now is to gauge the soldiers of Dankworth.
It surprises me, then, when he tells me that he has a full army of three thousand Warrior men waiting in Brassard to come to Dankworth’s aid, if needed.
And this is on top of Fensby’s own guard that resides in the far northern city.
Another army sits ready in Knowledge, patiently residing in I’Nir, but Keane wants to leave those men there for Etter’s sake, in case the village is attacked from the two cities above.
Even with the new influx of Knowledge soldiers making the travel to the village, Etter was not nearly prepared to take on a combined force of La Cour and Airea should they decide to move south.
Troy has been continuing his title of Leading Lord of Woodlands, traveling back to the capitol to deescalate any force or uprising that wished to fight against the King.
Keane tasked him with presenting a standstill to La Cour and Airea, allowing the two cities to mind their own while he continues to make changes to the remainder of the court.
It’s a compromise, at best, and if agreed, would take a lot of worry off of Keane’s back.
But it’s one that still relies heavily on his brother to promote it, and although both Queen Renate and Elena vouched for the authenticity of Troy’s actions in Woodlands, I still can’t let go of my own doubts.
Something still irks me knowing that Troy can act so well.
That he can play his role of the Leading Lord of Woodlands Court almost too good.
My silent laughter continues in bed as Keane keeps me updated from across the room.
Problem after problem just seems to rear its head with no end in sight, and I honestly don’t know how Keane’s able to handle it all.
He’s so cool in his collectiveness, assessing options from different sides that I can’t even consider.
It’s then, lying in bed with my body turned to him, that I realize he is the ultimate person who will bring change to Woodlands.
Without him at the forefront, Disce will remain the same.
The night has already been long, and perhaps I’m just missing his presence in bed or feeling deeply for the decisions he has to make, but I need to be next to him, need to offer any company I can to help ease those heavy choices.
I stand up and grab a blanket at the end of the bed, wrapping it around my body as I make my way over to the table he took me so easily on.
Keane is so engrossed in his writing that he spots me at the last moment, dropping his pen as he sits back with a deep breath.
I reach a hand for his shoulder, gripping it tight before my fingers inch for the back of his neck, massaging it in greeting.
Keane smiles and pushes his chair away from the table in return, tapping the top of his thigh.
I sit down and snuggle myself into his chest, my head falling into the crux of his neck as Keane wraps his arm around my middle. He scoots his chair back in, continuing his messages for the rest of the night as I fall asleep in his strong and protective hold.
“Seventeen hundred,” Sir Merrick sits atop his horse in calm indifference.
We’re in a Discerni section of the city that hosts barracks similar to those of Bardot and Gaumond, though these are smaller than the ones that grace both capitols.
Training arenas and practice fields surround the long white buildings filled with Woodlands men moving quickly against each other.
Most, if not all of the soldiers here are Discerni.
I think I’ve only counted around a hundred human men since we arrived, at best.
Keane nods to the Lord quietly, matching his sharp Discerni features.