Life with Ana

After the first night with Ana in his arms, waking to find her there with him seemed like a dream that had not ended. All that day, that week and the first month together went on as though a fantasy had come to life. Even after many months with her, he still could barely believe how wonderful life had become.1

Ana was far more than just a lover. She was a business manager and the shrewdest bargainer he had ever known. Even Melki admitted to this, openly saying he would never wish to be on the other side of haggling over prices with her. Most of the merchants simply gave up the idea and agreed to whatever she asked, knowing they would never be able to outsmart in bargaining. Beside this Ana was so loved by the community as a whole the reclusive Bjorn was forced into the light of the reserve society. No dinner or party would be complete without Bjorn and Ana, and no one would ever have thought to plan a function without them at the head of the list of guests.2

Ana was also popular with the Elosian elves, thanks to her friendship with Bjorn and Bradley. Where both Bjorn and Bradley had been popular with the Elosian, the addition of Ana to the family brought an entirely new depth to their popularity as well. Bjorn was respected for his art with iron by the Elosian and he had done much work for their tiny homes and their forest community, and Bradley was a favorite of the children. Now, with Ana such a fine seamstress and weaver, Bjorn’s creations took on new life. He made the frame of iron and she added beautiful tapestries, drapes, and hooked rugs. The Elos homes sported them with pride and Ana was constantly invited to the elves village to the far north to take part in weaving and quilting with the women folk. Bradley, of course, was always welcome in the kitchens of the women and their teas were always highlighted with his baking. The children loved Bradley, as though he was one of them and, when they met Ana, they loved her as a second mother. The two would entertain the orphan children for hours on end, with the full support of the Queen mother of the Elos. When she took to her bed for the final time, the aging matron surprised everyone by announcing that she was passing the title on to Ana, if she wanted to take it. The announcement shocked many, since it had never been considered before. While the Elosians took any elfin orphans the Queen mother had always been one of them. But no one in the Elosian kingdom seemed less than delighted at Ana’s appointment and she assumed the role naturally with the passing away of the respected old queen mother.3

The only thing which bothered Bjorn was the fact that he was not royalty. He had been unable to marry Lashir due to this and he dreaded the day he would have to face Melki and ask for his sister’s hand. Melki was a traditional man. Though he knew Ana and Bjorn lived together on his estate, Bjorn assumed he would never allow them to wed. Endlessly he fretted over how he might one day acquire acceptable status and make Ana his wife. Then, one day, the solution came quite literally knocking at his door. That morning, when he was about to start out for the day, there arrived a messenger with a notice for Bjorn. Inviting the man in, Bjorn offered him tea and settled in by the fireplace waiting, wondering what the message the bearer had for him might be.4

“You are Bjorn?” the man questioned.5

“Yes, Bjorn, that is my name.” Bjorn answered, feeling a bit confused.6

“I am Rajar, executor to the will of the late Lord Blaize Maltac, of the southern province of the Sudren Empire.”7

“Lord?” Bjorn asked, confused.8

“Yes, Blaize Maltac was the Lord of the southern most province of the Sudren Empire. He left a will naming you as his heir apparent in the event of his death. I apologize for not having alerted you to your inheritance prior to this time, but I was only just recently able to track you down here in the reserve. ”9

“What inheritance?” Bjorn asked. “The commander never told me of any inheritance. I didn’t even know he was of royal blood.” Bjorn settled into a large arm chair, stunned and leaned forward, looking intensely at the man. “What sort of inheritance do you speak of?”10

The executor smiled and brought out a scroll. He accepted a cup of tea and sat across from Bjorn to read it.11

“The order is as follows,” the messenger read aloud. “I Blaize Maltac, of the family of Sudren, Lord of the Southern Province, being of sound mind, do leave my title to Bjorn of the Northern Empire of Nartac. From this day on, Bjorn is to be known to all concerned as Bjorn Maltac, Lord of the Southern Province. He is entitled to the crest and coat of arms of the family of Maltac and all privilege and properties entailed with the bequest of title.”12

“Privilege and properties? What privilege and what properties?” Bjorn asked, still dumbfounded by this announcement.13

“In addition to the title, you inherit the Lord’s shield and dress armour and,” the messenger unrolled a second scroll, “all the estate of Lord Maltac.”14

“Estate?” Bjorn was now thoroughly confused. “What estate is this?” 15

The messenger was obviously finding this whole affair a bit amusing, but was remaining as business like as possible. “This will take some explaining sir, but please be patient and I will unravel it.” He laid out the document and pointed to it. “You see, the Maltac family has possessed the southern most lands of the Sudren Empire for many generations. Lord Maltac was a very wealthy man. But, like his father before him, he allowed his estate to be run by tenants and spent his life in the Sudren Navy. When the decision was made to drive the Kensen out of the kingdoms of Sudren and Nartac, the Lords made an agreement. All the Lords put up a share in financing the armed forces. Lord Maltac put up his entire estate, with the provision that the tenants be allowed to continue managing it and any revenue, after the war would be equally shared by those named in his will. For this Lord Maltac received commission of the one flotilla or fleet in the Sudren Navy. He looked at Bjorn for recognition but could see Bjorn was totally baffled by what he had just heard. 16

“A flotilla, sir, is six Biathon and the accompanying eighteen lancers and all supply vessels. The price of the flotilla has now been paid and the revenue from the estate of the late Blaize Maltac is now made available to those managing the estate and to you sir. You are now in possession of all the lands and one sixth of the entire Sudren fishing fleet.”17

Bjorn rocked back in his seat. One sixth of the entire fleet of the Sudren fishing industry was nearly sixty ships. And, the entire southern province of Sudra was hundreds of miles of the finest farm land. The best sponges, reed grass for papyrus, water tubers and bog berries were traditionally grown in this province. Suddenly it became clear to Bjorn that he was now one of the wealthiest men in all of Atoz. And, he was also one of the most powerful. He smiled. There was an odd irony in this. Not only would he be acceptable to the Lord of Nartac for his niece, now, he could probably buy the Lord’s entire holdings. And, now, he was also royalty. He could marry Ana. 18

The announcement of his fortune took the entire settlement by surprise. The people of the reserve threw the biggest festival they had ever had. Melki and Lashir were invited, as was Rugera Rugi of the family Rugis. Royalty also arrived from as far away as the grass sea, representing clans from all over the Atoz. The streets of the Reserve were decked out in stone painted with gold leaf for the occasion and the elves brought down enough precious blue stone to build a lighter than air pavilion dance floor. Nothing like it had ever been seen. The Elosians, proud of their adopted Queen Mother, painted the timbers with layer on layer of the blue stone, ground down into paint, it’s buoyant nature creating the most incredible sight. A circular dance floor which drifted on air, with sails attached at intervals around the edges. Able seamen tacked and steered the sail in such a manner as to keep the floor turning slowly and musicians of all sorts joined in creating the music entertainment for the event.19

Everyone had competed in an attempt to out do the elves contribution to the festival, and there was nothing which seemed too great. Farmers and ranchers from both Nartac and Sudra supplied enough food to serve crowds of thousands and Bradley gladly took command of an army of cooks and bakers, running about in total joy. He had never had so much fun in his entire life, creating a cake big enough to serve the entire crowd. It was sixteen layers thick, nearly twelve feet in circumference decorated as gigantic crown with precious jewels mined from the deep caverns of Spinea forged in platinum for the occasion, set in the center.
Presents flooded in for the new Lord, including an enormous wardrobe of the finest taylored clothes and material to make more. Another such wardrobe and jewelry was presented to Ana for her inauguration as consort to the new Lord of the South. Bautiful horses arrived from the grass sea and a custom built carriage was crafted to carry the Lord and his lady about the roads of the reserve in the proper splendor afforded a Lord. the Elosians even presented Ana with a specially designed flying carpet. All the women of the Elosian Empire had flying carpets, made of fine silk dyed with blue stone dye so that they would float, traditionally drawn by flocks of green and gold geese. Ana’s however, was drawn by a pair of the finest of the great violet blue Swans. And, from the second it had been presented, she was forever riding about the sky ferrying the children over the ranges and across the sea valley. 20

Bjorn had never seen Ana so delighted, nor had he been more so himself. Each hour his love for her grew. When the day of the festival came, he was bursting with such pride that he could hardly stand it. Knowing that their marriage would be the highlighting announcement of the festival, he could see nothing but the most glorious future for himself. How could anyone’s fortunes have seen such reversal? The men of the reserve brought all their wives and children dressed in the finest costumes, provided by tailors who had arrived in the reserve for no other reason than to see to it that all the folks were turned out in the finest attire for this rare occasion. And a carriage had been presented for Bjorn and Ana, so that they could travel the roads of the reserve as royalty, the first royalty of the new province of the north-lands of Nartac. The Sovereign of Nartac had named the reserve as such and Ana and Bjorn would be appointed as the ruling aristocracy, with the full support of all the people of the newly founded province. Nothing could be better. 21

So the night of the first day of the festival concluded with Bjorn and Ana and all their friends dancing on the pavilion floor under the crystalline white harvest moon and the blue haloes cast by a thousand swan egg lamps with scented oil in total bliss. The music drifted across the endless tables filled with merry party goers feasting, drinking and engaging in talk of the wonderful things which would come to the people of the Empire, now that the Kensen were banished and new prosperity was blooming. 22

But, while everyone seemed to think all could not be better, none knew the evil festering in the jealouse heart of one man, would soon be birthing a monstrous horror in the peaceful twin kingdoms of Nartac and Sudra. There, standing at the edge of the pavilion, his rage hidden behind a fixed smile and felicitations of good will, that rage grew with every breath he took. The man was Rugera Rugis of the Rugis Estate.23