Finally Ortwin arrived at his family holdings. A simple motte and bailey affair, with a small village surrounding it. At least the donjon was of stone. Ortwin, riased an eyebrow when he passed the gates into the motley without meeting any guards. The old bloodoak in the midst of the court looked like it had some malicious intent in mind without all it's leaves. In the naked branches a trio of ravens had taken place and seemed to watch him.
Crows bring the Spring he thought to himself repeating a Brighthall saying.
After talking with some servants he was brought to a small audience room. It was a simple room. The room looked like it always had, a hearth on one side and the only windows in the whole castle on the other side of the room, allowing someone to look down into the court. Ortwins till remembered the old oaken table his father had always used, although it seemed some more burnmarks and carves had been added in the last few years. Finally he raised his eyes on his sister-in-law who had sat there in silence.
Ortwin...
Liandre...
her voice was cold and filled with grief. Liandre had never been a particular sight to behold but with her grief-stricken eyes, the widows-clothing and that frown in her face, she looked even more unsightly. a cold silence filled the room, nobody wanting to begin. Finally Ortwin had enough.
How did...how did he die...?
The pox had taken him, he didn't have a quick death. The doctors tried to bled his gall but he only went worse. The lord had punished him for his sins.
ORtwin had almost forgotten about he...piety. If all had went the way Liandre had liked it, she would have lived in celibacy in some monastery, but alas she had been married to Ortwin's brother. Who didn't relish the prospect either. She had always hated him for it and his brother had soon left her alone having his fun with other women. That was one reason Ortwin had left, the endless tirades of that woman...
Were are the guardsmen and why did i see only one servant?
she laughed. It was a ugly laugh...a bitter laugh.
Oh as soon as this whoring bastard had left the world, they began to steal what was not nailed to the gound or to heavy to lift and made of with it. I had to sell the lands to even feed myself.
Now it was for Ortwin to laugh ugly.
You mean, you have sold them to get away as soon as possible with as much money as possible?
How dare you! I have managed this castle almost the last two years! And you dare calling me a fraud! By the One i cu...
By the Gods, stop your ranting woman! You have managed to run my ancestral lands down. When i left the lands outside were rich and the people happy. Today i only saw some half-starved wretches, no guards and an old hag screaming bloody murder at me. GET OUT!
he grabbed the widow and dragged her out into the court, she all the while screaming and flailing wildly. Finally he threw her out onto the dirty road.
Ortwin Bloodoak i curse you and your family until the en...
Get. out. of. my. eyes. You self-righteous old hag.
fueled by rage he closed the two large palisade gates himself.
when he stomped back up into the small audience room, one of the servants approached him wearily.
"Uhm you are the new Lord sir?"
Yes of course i am! And now, is Hergen the old master-at-arms still alive?
"Y-yes milord, as soon as your brother had died, Lady Liandre had thrown him out, saying that whoring and drinking sinners like him had nothing to do in such a household. I think he might currently be in the The Dead Owl"
a smirk crept on Ortwin's face. The Dead Owl had been always horrible: the drinks tasted like piss and the food was not even touched by the animals, but it had always been chockfull due to being the only tavern in the whole area.
That thing still stands? I think ill get a drink...
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Topic: You Are King II: Tales of the Storm Coast (Winter 416a) (Read 238209 times)