Last Life

Book 4: Chapter 8

Vintervald. Fjordgrad

Eastern wing of the Pearl Palace

THE KONUNG’S PALACE, which was called the Pearl Palace for some reason Prince Louis found utterly inexplicable, was a gloomy and tasteless structure. Honestly though, the part of the palace where Princess Astrid stayed and where the king of Vestonia’s youngest son was now dining with his court, was something of an exception.

In this corner of the palace, though it was very crudely rendered, there was an attempt to create some level of elegance and luxury which came as a pleasant surprise to Prince Louis after the long and dreadful journey.

The walls were laden with expensive fabrics and works of art from various countries, while the floors were set with pink marble decorated in a way that, while modest, was at least pleasant.

Big windows facing a mountain landscape flooded the room with cold northern light, reflected in the gold statuettes and vases.

The central part of the space was a lunchroom where Prince Louis and Princess Astrid as well as their court were seated at a long, richly appointed table, which was set with silver and fine porcelain dishes.

In both directions, the room had a few recreation areas where people could chat with guests or just relax after their meal. These zones were packed with soft sofas and armchairs surrounded by small tables with floral compositions delivered from the princess’ personal orangery. Vestonian furniture, fresh winter flowers, porcelain dishes and proper silverware — the Konung of Vintervald clearly indulged his daughter’s every whim. And she must have been entranced with the culture of her southern neighbors since childhood.

In the depths of this part of the palace, where Prince Louis was not allowed to go, were Princess Astrid’s living quarters. According to his entourage, who did everything in their power to present their prince with more information about his future bride, which they got in exchange for generous gifts to the princess’ servants, her personal chambers were no less opulently appointed.

Contrary to the opinion he’d formed on the way north that the barbarian princess slept in a cave on a pile of wild animal pelts, her servants reassured the prince’s entourage that Sharptooth’s daughter lived in chambers furnished in the Vestonian manner.

Prince Louis believed that eagerly because the spacious chambers he had been given to stay in had a large bed with a canopy, a wardrobe room, a bathroom with marble tub, and a drawing room. He was later told that Princess Astrid personally saw to the furnishing of these chambers for him.

Louis and his entourage thus spent their time in this more or less tolerable setting. Meanwhile, Carl III’s youngest son overcame his humiliation and did his best to enjoy the hospitality and majesty of the Pearl Palace.

Today, like almost all the time, Prince Louis was drowning in thoughts about the Marchioness de Gondy, who he’d left behind in Herouxville, and felt depressed and awash in sorrow. His heart beat in time to memories of the marchioness, and being apart from her was like torture.

At first, Prince Louis tried to hide his feelings from those around him, but with each passing day, the farther the embassy went from the capital of Vestonia, the more palpable his despondent state became. The once lively and vigorous look in his eyes had lost its shine. His cheeks were pale, giving his face a tortured expression.

While Prince Louis travelled, he often kept secluded from his entourage, preferring solitude in his travelling tent or carriage, where he spent long hours ruminating on his love and sighing over the marchioness.

He brought on the trip all his beloved Blanca’s old letters, which he slowly read through, enjoying every word and loop that had come from her quill. Sometimes, he pulled away from reading and spent a long time staring out into the monotonous northern landscapes. His eyes looked into nothingness, dreaming only of a rendezvous with his beloved.

Louis became tight-lipped and laconic, which made his friends and entourage alarmed. They didn’t recognize the charming prince full of lust for life they’d once known. A few of them even tried to entertain him, but all their efforts were in vain.

And thus, His Highness, tormented by love and separation from the Marchioness de Gondy, slowly lost his passion for life, and his heart became ever heavier with sorrow he simply could not get rid of.

Prince Louis was sad not only about the Marchioness de Gondy, but also because of the state of his life in Herouxville. His paintings and books, balls, and receptions, were going on without him, seeming untouchable, as if retreating into the past.

He had an especially hard time with the inability to work on composing his plays, which he poured so much heart and effort into. His theater, his actors, who he had expended such long and diligent labor to gather from throughout the land were stuck back in Herouxville.

And in this production, the prince was planning to play the main role of the love-struck minstrel flattering an elite, young aristocrat. He dreamed of taking all his actors along on the trip north to continue working on the play and to bring his dream to life.

Nevertheless, his father forbade him from doing so, asserting that Prince Louis had to be a victorious warrior in Northland, not Prince Louis the jester and minstrel. Those words hurt Louis’ feelings deeply. After all, he was perfectly aware of who told his father to do that. Sooner or later, the day would come when the vile Kiko would answer for his machinations and mockery.

Sorrow for his past life and artistic torment felt even stronger when the embassy finally made it to Vintervald. To this land of barbarians, full of people who seemed stuck in an earlier age.

For the first few days, excluding some mandatory lunches and dinners, the prince spent a lot of time in the chambers he had been assigned thinking over how excellent it would be to get back to work on his play and again surround himself with people who shared his passion for the arts. But here in the far north, in savage Vintervald, he was deprived of the opportunity to practice his art.

Prince Louis often caught himself thinking that every day the creative spark within him was fading. In those moments, he felt an acute emptiness and longing for the things that truly mattered to him.

But a few days later, Prince Louis started feeling a bit better. And the reason for it was his first meeting with Princess Astrid. His conversations with the northern beauty lightened the burden in the prince’s heart, helping him to forget his longing for the Marchioness de Gondy.

Princess Astrid, much to Louis’ surprise, was an arresting conversationalist. He was particularly taken by her ability to listen and converse on a variety of topics.

Astrid turned out to be a keen study of Vestonian culture, and specifically everything connected with His Highness Prince Louis’ creative output. So imagine his surprise when the princess from a bear den knew his verses by heart, as well as his two most recent plays.

Slowly, thanks to his conversation with Princess Astrid, Prince Louis started to return to life. Nothing could inspire him like a discussion with a person who truly appreciated his talents. Particularly when that person was a very pretty woman.

Everyone around started to notice the prince looking more clear-eyed while his face started to regain its former color. Despite the fact that His Highness’ heart still belonged to the Marchioness de Gondy, Astrid’s warmth and care helped him conquer the burden of sorrow and longing. The princess was not only a solace to him, but a friend, who he could share his thoughts and feelings with.

The night before, on a stroll through her orangeries, the two of them discussed passages from Prisoner of Love, a poem by Arnauld Gaspard de Lavalle.

Astrid was so open and so kind at that moment that Louis nearly shared everything that had been tormenting him for the last few months. But no matter how good Louis felt about Astrid, somewhere in the depths of his mind, the fire of reason had yet to be fully extinguished.

After all, this was all leading to the two of them being married very soon. Was it really intelligent to share such details from his personal life then? Of course not!

Louis hated himself in those moments. The melancholy and sorrow fully swallowed up his nature and kept him from thinking soundly. To keep himself from giving into temptation and making a mistake, he turned the topic of discussion that evening down a different path and spent almost the whole night in bed sleepless, staring at the ceiling. Which was why since morning, Louis had been grumpy and closed off, surprising Princess Astrid with his behavior.

The konung’s daughter, meanwhile, was already getting used to the abrupt shifts in his mood and paid them no special mind. She decided to act patiently and intelligently to slowly conquer the heart of Prince Louis.

What was more, she was already perfectly aware of what was going on. Prince Louis wasn’t the only one with his spies. All of Astrid’s servants had been letting supposedly secret information slip about their master to members of the Vestonian prince’s court. By sharing the princess’ secrets, they were slowly getting all the dirt on Louis.

In that way, she quickly learned who her beloved was sobbing over. A certain Blanca de Gondy. Daughter of the Duke de Gondy, a mighty ruler from Vestonia’s south.

But Carl III decided his elder son would be married to Blanca. And Astrid found that a genuinely wise move. That way, the king of Vestonia would make the Duke de Bauffremont and the Duke de Gondy butt heads.

Astrid could benefit from that. Those who had known her since childhood were perfectly aware that, if the daughter of the Konung of Vintervald decided she wanted something, she was sure to get it. And in full measure, at that.

If it was a magic gift, not even the prospect of being flattened like a pancake could keep her from honing it to the finest point. If it was getting into art, her collection would have the rarest pieces in the country sooner or later. And if it was love — then her husband would surely become king. She would take care of that. And no Princesses of the South could stand in her way.

Astrid had already made up her mind. She would be Queen of Vestonia, and then queen mother!

And that was why, when sitting at the table today, she was pretending not to notice her future husband’s dismal mood.

When the doors of the room where they dined opened, and in the frame appeared the man who had irritated first Helga, and now Erik, Astrid smiled. Very good. Everything was unfolding just as she’d planned.

The thing was that, after a conversation with Helga about the young man whose words had wounded her so much on the day of the Vestonian embassy’s arrival, Astrid ordered a detailed dossier drawn up on him.

She now knew that Maximillian Renard was the bastard of a count from a very ancient Vestonian house. His father had been executed for treason, and his mother died in childbirth. The young man was thrown out of his own house and sent to some backwater town in the west of the country.

And that was where the story might have ended, but then this Renard made several public displays of excellent swordsmanship, making himself a hero of the Frontier in the process. And all that from a young man with no gift.

Upon returning to the capital, he managed to wrest back his manor, and get noticed at court. They even sent him along with the embassy.

Astrid was sincerely confused about why such an energetic and industrious young man was not yet a part of Prince Louis’ personal retinue. Though actually, that was clear. Her Louis was not of this world. He was not interested in courtly intrigue or politics. He lived through art and creativity. That was why the only people at his side, with few exceptions, were nobodies. For example, Renard’s cousins. Both were absolute zeroes except for their origin and position in the family. When the time came to stand and defend their prince and future king, those two weaklings would turn and run.

But people like this Renard…

Over the last day, here in Fjordgrad, which was essentially foreign territory, he had already proven himself severe and calculating. Those who saw him as a particularly daring blusterer were severely mistaken.

Beyond that, by all appearances, the kid was not financially constrained. He had hired a very powerful stryker practically on day one who even her father spoke of with respect. Beyond that, by hiring a heretic, Renard was provoking the vile priests, which earned her sympathy.

And the way he taught a lesson to Erik and his toadies Astrid found particularly heartening.

He was exactly the kind of person she thought kings should have by their side. His father’s people like Lord Gray didn’t count. Her and her Louis needed their own loyal, daring, and cold-blooded people. To become the foundation of their royal retinue. Those were the very kind of people who in the future would serve her children and defend her grandchildren. They were the sort of people her father brought into his world and showered with favors.

And although Louis was a person with a different mindset, not cut out for ruling a state, that was nothing to fear. That was what he had her for, Astrid. Together, she and Louis could forge a new kingdom, both strong and enlightened. People like Renard meanwhile would serve as its supports, its architecture.

That was what Princess Astrid was thinking when Chevalier Renard came walking their direction with a light almost animalistic gait.

“Your Highness,” he came, performing a respectful bow. “I’ve been told you wanted to see me.”

Louis emerged from his dismal thoughts, gave a slight shudder, and glanced in surprise at the young person looming before him. After that, the prince turned to look at Astrid, who gave him an immediate smile of approval.

“Indeed, monsieur,” the prince came languidly, and glanced back at Astrid. “Your Highness, allow me to introduce Chevalier Maximillian Renard.”

“Your Highness,” Renard then bowed to the princess. “It is a great honor to make your acquaintance.”

Astrid gave a favorable nod and smiled with restraint. After that, she nodded at the little silver wing hanging on the chevalier’s chest and said in a welcoming voice:

“Monsieur Renard, I am always glad to see all those who serve the king and people without regards to their own lives.”

“I thank you, Your Highness, for such a high estimation of my modest deeds,” Renard responded with respect.

“Monsieur,” the prince turned to him. “I have become aware that, beyond being a highly skilled swordsman and graceful rider, you are also a great hunter. My people have reported to me that it is thanks to your talents that my table had meat the whole way north. You even outperformed the royal huntsmen, who were sent with us especially for the journey.”

“Mere luck,” Renard smiled. Meanwhile, Astrid didn’t even notice a shade of embarrassment on his face. It was as if he wasn’t twenty, but forty years of age.

These were the very kind of people she needed.

“And nevertheless,” Prince Louis came. “As a way to thank you for your loyal service, I have decided that you will accompany me on a great hunt His Majesty Bjørn Sharptooth has decided to hold.”

Astrid chuckled to herself. If she hadn’t directed the conversation just right and made Renard’s name come up in conversation, and from Louis’ very mouth, no one would have even been thinking of taking this bastard along. In other words, Renard was going on the royal hunt thanks solely to the efforts of Astrid herself.

“Thank you, Your Highness!” Renard bowed. “It would be an honor to accompany you on a hunt. May I ask you a question? What exactly will His Majesty be hunting?”

“In one of my father’s northern fiefdoms, a large wolf pack has formed,” Astrid responded. “The fief turned for help to the free bonds of those lands, who were unable to deal with the incursion on their own. The leader of the pack is extremely wily and intelligent. When my father became aware, he decided it was a great opportunity to let off a little pressure and relax. The pelt of the leader of the wolf pack will make an excellent trophy.”

“Okay then, amazing news!” Renard smiled. Though Astrid didn’t see even flickers of happiness, much less fear. “I’m brimming with anticipation.”

“Excellent,” Princess Astrid replied for Louis, pointing at the table to the right of hers and adding: “We depart tomorrow. But for now, eat and drink to your heart’s content, Monsieur Renard.”

The chevalier again bowed and headed for the table occupied by his drunk elder cousin, who was watching him with unconcealed disdain.

Astrid just laughed to herself, noticing how uneager the nobles at the table were to make room for Renard. Perfect. This was only the beginning. Soon, the worthless weaklings would all be replaced by people like this chevalier. Strong people loyal only to her.