The next day, the royal entourage had a new point on their agenda. They would be leaving Lindridge suddenly and continuing further Northwest. Etty insisted that the group should travel to her home in Ashbourne, where Varre could finally experience some real, proper hunting.

  Originally, they were supposed to stay in this village for a few more days, but everyone was on board with the girl’s idea. Especially considering the recent events. The treatment of peasants in Lindridge clearly agitated the king and everyone felt it was best to give him some other activities to occupy his mind. Dutton too would be given some time to figure out how to act properly and Varre would get to see more of his duchy.

  Besides, the trip could trigger even more of his memories.

  After all, the real intention behind this entire journey was providing the monarch with an opportunity to experience his childhood again and shock the amnesia out of his system. It hadn’t worked yet, so it was time to try something new. Benjamin eagerly jumped onto the idea and Elvira too strongly supported him.

  As to Varre himself, he was fine with it. Before leaving, he made sure to warn the magistrates that they shouldn’t abuse the peasants in his absence. He figured that his threats alone should suffice. They weren’t mistreating their workers out of malice, but out of a lack of knowledge and understanding. They shouldn’t disobey direct orders just to get some kicks out of their systems. Hopefully.

  Regardless, the group returned to their wagons and carriages shortly after breakfast and got back on the road. A small group of about ten Royal Guards, as well as many of the servants, remained in the manor. Esther’s family home was much smaller and wouldn’t be able to accommodate this many people. They could camp in tents, but this wasn’t necessary. Ashbourne was just a day away, so they could quickly move to rejoin their liege in case anything happened.

  Along the way, the wagons moved through one small town and several other villages. The further they moved the more depopulated the area became. Each settlement was smaller than the last. Some didn’t even have any fields, concentrating purely on herding animals and processing material from the surrounding woods.

  While few merchants travelled all the way out here, the roads were well maintained. Ashbourne and the other hamlets on the very border of civilization were popular places for aristocrats to visit.

  Noble from all over Logres wanted to try hunting out here. Ones who lived in more civilized areas of the duchy saw it as a nice way to train and spend their time. Wealthy, powerful ones who lived further away, saw it as a prestigious vacation that they could brag about to others instead. Visiting a distant province just to bring back some trophies was always impressive. Especially an area as dangerous as this one.

  Even some adventurers came out here sometimes. Either scouring the nearby wilderness, or crossing the kingdom’s border into the perilous Gomera Forest. The rare animals that inhabited it and the rare herbs that grew in the shade of strange trees were valuable commodities for alchemists all over the world.

  All of this traffic meant good, solid roads, and frequent taverns in every major settlement. Every landowner wanted to show off their properties from the best perspective, especially if they planned to receive wealthy and powerful guests at any point. Even the very monarch himself. Though it was rare, Varre wouldn’t be the first to travel out here. Though he would be the first ruler in Ashbourne.

  The hamlet itself was a sight to behold. The woods around it were dense and Lord Rodger, Esther’s father, even built a palisade around the settlement. A single tall watchtower stood nearby to watch over the gate. There was even a guard posted atop, eyeing the approaching caravan of wagons.

  “Is it really that dangerous out here?” Varre asked.

  Etty brought her hand to her chin. “It can be. There are wolves in the woods. Sometimes even bears. They typically stay away from Ashbourne, but in winter, they could come closer to the hamlet. The palisade keeps them out.”

  “And the guard?”

  She giggled. “That was father’s idea. If we know that we have guests coming, we like sending someone out there ahead of time. It makes for a good first impression.”

  “Then I guess it also lets you know as soon as the visitors come into view,” the king said, “you can start preparing dinner in advance.”

  “Can’t argue with that,” Etty shrugged, “I hope you’re hungry too. Father always likes to show off some wild game for his visitors, though I’m sure he’ll save the best stuff for later.”

  The carts rode in through the gate and entered the small hamlet. There couldn’t be more than ten houses inside. Each one was set up right against the road with a small vegetable garden or orchard in the back, filling the limited space that the palisade provided.

  The peasants came out to watch the passing horses. They were certainly excited. It was rare to get such a large caravan here, but they were already used to receiving important guests. According to Esther’s stories, there was at least one visitor coming here every month. Sometimes even several.

  The manor itself was located past all of the houses. It was separated from the rest of the hamlet by a wooden fence, though it was nowhere near as impressive as the one in Lindridge. It reminded Varre of a picket fence from Earth, though it wasn’t as uniform. The locals didn’t have access to industrial quantities of manufactured planks, so each one had to be carved by hand.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  The mansion was prepared as the last line of defense in case of an attack. The gate could be barred and a second watchtower was attached to the building. Archers could shoot from the top or through the windows onto the people gathering outside and trying to break through the doors.

  Still, it couldn’t resist any dedicated assault by a real army. First, the entire structure was made of wood. It wouldn’t survive even a single shot from a catapult. Or a powerful enough wizard. The gate was too, so it could be destroyed with enough force from a battering ram, or even a large enough hammer. Other castles might raise the floor level and have some expendable stairs that could be demolished before an attack, but here, it was just a couple feet of the ground. Any person could easily climb in, even without the three steps.

  Ashbourne was clearly designed to stop angry wildlife and perhaps some small bandit groups in the worst case scenario. If an actual invasion force came through here, the lord would be forced to surrender without a fight. No matter how well armed Rodger actually was.

  He intended to show himself from his best side and he waited for his guests outside, dressed in heavy chainmail. He even sat atop a magnificent stallion to complete the image of a chivalrous knight. It wasn’t plate, like what many wealthier nobles wore during the war, but that alone didn’t mean he couldn’t afford it. Perhaps this was meant as more of a heavy hunting outfit than proper battle armor.

  When the doors of the carriage finally opened and Varre stepped out, the lord made sure to get down from his horse as well. He bowed his head in greeting and tried to introduce himself properly. Before he could finish though, Esther was already running toward him and caught him in a big hug.

  “Etty! You had me worried sick,” he chastised her, “how could you leave like this!”

  “You know I had to,” she explained, “come on, I haven’t seen Varre for so long!”

  “Well, if you leaving me all alone here is what it took to invite our liege to visit in person, I guess I just have to forgive you,” he smiled.

  She showed her tongue and gestured at her friend to come closer.

  The king approached, but before anyone else could react, the lord caught him in a hug as well.

  “It’s good to see you to Varre. I appreciate you coming all the way out here,” he said.

  The guards were already rushing over, ready to separate the two men, but Captain Hakon raised a hand to stop them. He understood enough about the relationship between these noble families to realize nobody was in any danger. Even if the monarch himself hadn’t noticed his overzealous defenders.

  “No problem,” the king replied, “at least I get to see more of my country. I’ve heard so much about this place, that I just had to see it.”

  Rodger let go of the man and raised an eyebrow in confusion.

  “Father, I’m afraid that Varre is suffering from amnesia,” Etty explained in a sad tone.

  “Are you serious?” the lord asked, clearly concerned.

  “Yes,” the monarch lied, “it’s a side effect of my treatment. They say this Soulkiller Plague is a very deadly disease. It took some unusual methods to help me recover,”

  “I see… I’m really sorry about your parents. No one deserved such a horrible fate,” the lord shook his head.

  “Thank you,” the kind replied, “but the good news is that I managed to get better.”

  “Not just that,” Rodger chuckled and finally let go of the man, “you are the monarch now! I shouldn’t get so close. I apologize.”

  “Father!” Etty lightly kicked his leg.

  “It’s alright,” Varre raised his hand, stopping them both, “I don’t mind.”

  “Well, in that case,” the lord said, “welcome to Ashbourne your maj-“ he got kicked again, and glared at his daughter, “Varre. Welcome Varre. Please make yourself at home.”

  As the servants unloaded the wagons and the local workers showed them where they could place the supplies, the councilors were led into the manor.

  The entrance hall was a huge, rectangular chamber, separated into smaller areas by large open archways. A dining room could be seen at one of the far ends, with a kitchen hidden somewhere nearby, while the other ended in a staircase. It must have led all the way to the tower.

  Three separate fireplaces heated up the entire floor. One was located in the center, across from the doors, while the others spread out closer to the sides. Each wall was covered in a massive quantity of hunting trophies. Deer, and boar skulls numbered by the dozens. There were some that Varre didn’t even recognize, but luckily Rodger was more than happy to talk about his decorations.

  Several belonged to bears and lions, while others to strange mythical creatures. The king recognized some by name. There was a griffin’s skull, which seemed similar to an eagle, and a massive manticore. Rodger even had a unicorn’s horn. Others though, were less familiar. In particular the aurochs, which too numbered several dozen. The monarch couldn’t be sure what that monster truly was, but the skull was terrifying.

  He thought about asking, but he didn’t want to accidentally make a fool of himself. After all, despite his loss of memories, he was familiar with many of the other animals in the world. It was better to ask in another, more private environment.

  The group was led to the second floor, where the bedrooms were located. A single corridor run through the center of the entire building, with doors along the entire length. The first one belonged to the lord, while the one straight across to his daughter. The others would be distributed to the guests.

  Naturally, Varre received his own room. The rest had to share. Elvira agreed to take on both of her apprentices. Benjamin shared with Hakon, while Kerryn had to sleep together with the other guards. The rest of the bedrooms were split between the warriors.

  The mansion was big and clearly designed to host large parties of nobles, but it couldn’t accommodate such a large influx all at once. Even after the royal entourage had been stripped of some of its people. Some of the guards would sleep on the ground floor, on bedrolls, while others took over some of the servants’ rooms in the outlying buildings.

  The workers of course had to deal with the hardest conditions and moved to the storage areas or settled in together with the peasants in the hamlet. Fortunately the wagons brought enough cots and supplies to keep everyone decently comfortable.

  Each bedroom was outfitted with its own fireplace. The nights had to get rather cold out here in the wilderness. The floors were covered with rugs made of animal skins and hides, and even each bed had a sheepskin that could be placed on top of the linens.

  The group settled in for a nice dinner, where they were served some freshly caught pheasants. The meat was delicious, but Rodger told everyone to prepare their appetites for the real hunt tomorrow. He didn’t want to spoil the effect by tracking down a deer by himself. He left that privilege for the guests.

  And Varre, as the guest of honor, would naturally be asked to deliver the killing blow.

  Great, he thought to himself, let’s just hope Kerryn’s training actually taught me something. If I end up embarrassing myself I’ll have a bone to pick with that bastard!

  We also learn more about the animals and other creatures that live in the woods.

  Let's hope he can teach Varre how to hunt properly!