Post by Lisa on Dec 26, 2009 15:57:24 GMT 10
Title: Duty
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Summary: Jonathan has a proposition for Lord Wyldon of Cavall
Note #1: I’ve always liked the moment in Lady Knight when Kel realizes that Wyldon didn’t really like training pages, but did it because it was his duty. It made me wonder about why he took the position in the first place.
Note #2: Wyldon Winter FTW!
Only sixteen men tilted at the Queensgrace tournament of 442 H.E.—five of them specifically to challenge Lord Wyldon of Cavall. And each pass ended the same way as the others, with Wyldon being called out as the winner, and the other knight shaking his hand in acknowledgement of his superior skill.
He was actually getting a bit tired of it.
There were only two kind of men who were drawn to tilting. There were the romantics – the men who became knights because they longed to fight for the realm of five hundred years ago, fending off giants and centaurs with the power of the lance. They were drawn to the poetic beauty of battle, and dealt with the horrors in order to sate their notions of glory. Then there were the practical men – those who enjoyed tilting because they excelled at something considered challenging to most squires and knights. Wyldon was part of the latter group; he liked the feeling of being one with his mount and using his superior strength and skill to knock much larger men out of their saddles. He was not the tallest man among the Tortallan knights, nor the broadest; it was nice to remind them that he was a force to be reckoned with.
“It’s impressive, and they all want to witness it. And, of course, try their hand at beating someone as good as you,” the king said. He didn’t look particularly kingly at that moment, leaning against the stalls in the stable, tossing an apple from one hand to another. He smiled charmingly, his teeth dazzling white against his black beard.
“Your majesty,” Wyldon greeted, bowing his head.
“Lord Wyldon.” King Jonathan stood up straight, bringing himself to eye level. “I have a proposition for you, and I don’t think you’re going to like it.”
Wyldon studied him carefully. He wasn’t entirely fond of kings. He certainly wasn’t fond of this particular king, with this progressive notions of class upheaval and upsetting every known tradition in the Eastern lands. “How can I serve you, majesty?” He was still his king, and he owed his fealty.
“We have need of a new training master in the palace. Uncle Gareth has been delegating his work for years – even more so since my coronation. I’ve been hesitant to replace him because I’m foolishly sentimental. Gary – Gareth the Younger, I mean – has been managing the pages and squires for the last four months. He has enough to do without this, so I’m asking you.”
Wyldon led his mount to one of the stalls and began to remove his gear. “Why me, sir?”
King Jonathan laughed. “First of all, there’s your work ethic. Most men, after winning five contests in a row, would have a squire or hostler take care of their horse. Secondly, there’s the fact that you easily took care of two of the best knights in my realm. Your technique is flawless. And finally, there’s the fact that Uncle Gareth personally suggested you as his successor.”
Wyldon’s eyes darted to the king’s. “Truly?” There were less than a handful of men he respected more than Duke Gareth of Naxen.
“Indeed. Today.”
Wyldon nodded numbly. “I am grateful for the commendation,” he said deliberately. “However, I must confess that this is not something I care to do.” He began to brush down his mount, frowning.
“I know you have other projects – your kennels are the best in the realm, and I can imagine that it would be difficult to leave something you enjoy doing in order to fulfill a request you are not enthused about.”
“It’s more than that,” Wyldon replied. “My wife – my daughters. They won’t want to relocate to the capital, and I wouldn’t want to live away from them.”
The king leaned over the edge of the stall, his head resting on his crossed arms. He looked very much like the young knight Wyldon had known during the Tusaine War. “You have three daughters?”
“Yes, your majesty,” Wyldon said, smiling for the first time during the exchange. “My eldest is six years old, and my youngest born just four months ago.”
“I can understand why you’d be hesitant to be away from them,” the king said, sighing. “I certainly don’t like to be away from my own.”
Wyldon looked at the king with a solemn face. “I understand what you’re not saying, your majesty. You fail to add that sometimes duty demands that you leave your children in order to see to the needs of the realm.” He was not one to shy away from his duty, whether it was a responsibility to his family or to his king. “I know that you ask me only because the realm needs a capable training master.”
“No,” King Jonathan replied seriously. “I ask you because we need the best training master we can find. You have many favorable attributes – one being that you’re younger than most of the other men I’m considering. You can not only create your own training program, you could also maintain it for years if you found that you enjoyed it.”
“Create my own program?” Wyldon asked thoughtfully. “What would you say to a program that was not year-round? Perhaps if we were to emulate your new schools for commoners, giving the lads time off to return to their fiefs? They wouldn’t need to be off for the planting and harvesting, necessarily, but perhaps give them several summer months to return home?”
“Wyldon, I never realized that you were such a sentimental family man.”
“My liege, I loved training at the palace. One thing I didn’t like, though, was being completely isolated from my brothers and sister. I don’t enjoy the notion of taking ten-year-old boys away from the most powerful influence in keeping them centered young men. And if I were to take the position as training master, I would require some time to spend with my family in Cavall. Vivenne would never agree to live in Corus.”
“I think it’s a more than reasonable request,” the king answered. “The queen would agree – mirroring the new education program is sensible. And we would not want to tear you away from your family permanently. I think we could formally begin training in September and end by Midsummer. Does that meet your requirements?”
Wyldon nodded at the younger man. “There are other changes I would make – weight training for the senior pages, for example. Training trips throughout the realm, for practical application of the skills they’ve learned. And I would demand to have complete control over choosing the training staff.”
“Agreed,” the king said. “Though there is one staff member I would like you to consider. The Shang Wildcat is interested in a position. She intends to make Corus a permanent home – she’s done with her wandering. Would you be willing to consider her?”
Wyldon was not fond of the notion of having a female on staff, but he nodded. The Shang women were as skilled as the men, and he would value any teaching they could provide. “I think an arrangement could be made.”
“Am I free to make other suggestions, or would you rather not have my input?”
“If I were to take this position, I would of course be willing to consider any ideas you put forward. I would prefer to not be forced by your royal privilege to adhere to every suggestion, though.”
King Jonathan laughed, head thrown back. “Uncle Gareth said that I would value your honesty and lack of flattery. I can respect someone who wants to do things their way, and I would be honored if you would take me up on the offer.”
“I can’t make any promises yet, your majesty.” Wyldon sighed. “You are my king, but you are also a married man – you surely understand that I must speak with my wife before I make my decision.”
“Understood,” the king said. “Gary will have the pages until the summer, and you can begin your program in the autumn, if your family agrees. And in the meantime, we can discuss the logistics of the arrangement and you can make your staffing suggestions.”
Wyldon bowed as best he could within the stall, and King Jonathan left. He resumed brushing down his mount, thinking of all the possibilities. He liked having squires – but having one squire was not the same as being responsible for the education of so many boys. It was a great responsibility, and he knew it was something the realm needed.
The realm needed him, he realized. King Jonathan would not so easily approach a known Conservative if it wasn’t needed.
Wyldon liked being needed. Duty was meaningless if it was not necessary.
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Summary: Jonathan has a proposition for Lord Wyldon of Cavall
Note #1: I’ve always liked the moment in Lady Knight when Kel realizes that Wyldon didn’t really like training pages, but did it because it was his duty. It made me wonder about why he took the position in the first place.
Note #2: Wyldon Winter FTW!
Only sixteen men tilted at the Queensgrace tournament of 442 H.E.—five of them specifically to challenge Lord Wyldon of Cavall. And each pass ended the same way as the others, with Wyldon being called out as the winner, and the other knight shaking his hand in acknowledgement of his superior skill.
He was actually getting a bit tired of it.
There were only two kind of men who were drawn to tilting. There were the romantics – the men who became knights because they longed to fight for the realm of five hundred years ago, fending off giants and centaurs with the power of the lance. They were drawn to the poetic beauty of battle, and dealt with the horrors in order to sate their notions of glory. Then there were the practical men – those who enjoyed tilting because they excelled at something considered challenging to most squires and knights. Wyldon was part of the latter group; he liked the feeling of being one with his mount and using his superior strength and skill to knock much larger men out of their saddles. He was not the tallest man among the Tortallan knights, nor the broadest; it was nice to remind them that he was a force to be reckoned with.
“It’s impressive, and they all want to witness it. And, of course, try their hand at beating someone as good as you,” the king said. He didn’t look particularly kingly at that moment, leaning against the stalls in the stable, tossing an apple from one hand to another. He smiled charmingly, his teeth dazzling white against his black beard.
“Your majesty,” Wyldon greeted, bowing his head.
“Lord Wyldon.” King Jonathan stood up straight, bringing himself to eye level. “I have a proposition for you, and I don’t think you’re going to like it.”
Wyldon studied him carefully. He wasn’t entirely fond of kings. He certainly wasn’t fond of this particular king, with this progressive notions of class upheaval and upsetting every known tradition in the Eastern lands. “How can I serve you, majesty?” He was still his king, and he owed his fealty.
“We have need of a new training master in the palace. Uncle Gareth has been delegating his work for years – even more so since my coronation. I’ve been hesitant to replace him because I’m foolishly sentimental. Gary – Gareth the Younger, I mean – has been managing the pages and squires for the last four months. He has enough to do without this, so I’m asking you.”
Wyldon led his mount to one of the stalls and began to remove his gear. “Why me, sir?”
King Jonathan laughed. “First of all, there’s your work ethic. Most men, after winning five contests in a row, would have a squire or hostler take care of their horse. Secondly, there’s the fact that you easily took care of two of the best knights in my realm. Your technique is flawless. And finally, there’s the fact that Uncle Gareth personally suggested you as his successor.”
Wyldon’s eyes darted to the king’s. “Truly?” There were less than a handful of men he respected more than Duke Gareth of Naxen.
“Indeed. Today.”
Wyldon nodded numbly. “I am grateful for the commendation,” he said deliberately. “However, I must confess that this is not something I care to do.” He began to brush down his mount, frowning.
“I know you have other projects – your kennels are the best in the realm, and I can imagine that it would be difficult to leave something you enjoy doing in order to fulfill a request you are not enthused about.”
“It’s more than that,” Wyldon replied. “My wife – my daughters. They won’t want to relocate to the capital, and I wouldn’t want to live away from them.”
The king leaned over the edge of the stall, his head resting on his crossed arms. He looked very much like the young knight Wyldon had known during the Tusaine War. “You have three daughters?”
“Yes, your majesty,” Wyldon said, smiling for the first time during the exchange. “My eldest is six years old, and my youngest born just four months ago.”
“I can understand why you’d be hesitant to be away from them,” the king said, sighing. “I certainly don’t like to be away from my own.”
Wyldon looked at the king with a solemn face. “I understand what you’re not saying, your majesty. You fail to add that sometimes duty demands that you leave your children in order to see to the needs of the realm.” He was not one to shy away from his duty, whether it was a responsibility to his family or to his king. “I know that you ask me only because the realm needs a capable training master.”
“No,” King Jonathan replied seriously. “I ask you because we need the best training master we can find. You have many favorable attributes – one being that you’re younger than most of the other men I’m considering. You can not only create your own training program, you could also maintain it for years if you found that you enjoyed it.”
“Create my own program?” Wyldon asked thoughtfully. “What would you say to a program that was not year-round? Perhaps if we were to emulate your new schools for commoners, giving the lads time off to return to their fiefs? They wouldn’t need to be off for the planting and harvesting, necessarily, but perhaps give them several summer months to return home?”
“Wyldon, I never realized that you were such a sentimental family man.”
“My liege, I loved training at the palace. One thing I didn’t like, though, was being completely isolated from my brothers and sister. I don’t enjoy the notion of taking ten-year-old boys away from the most powerful influence in keeping them centered young men. And if I were to take the position as training master, I would require some time to spend with my family in Cavall. Vivenne would never agree to live in Corus.”
“I think it’s a more than reasonable request,” the king answered. “The queen would agree – mirroring the new education program is sensible. And we would not want to tear you away from your family permanently. I think we could formally begin training in September and end by Midsummer. Does that meet your requirements?”
Wyldon nodded at the younger man. “There are other changes I would make – weight training for the senior pages, for example. Training trips throughout the realm, for practical application of the skills they’ve learned. And I would demand to have complete control over choosing the training staff.”
“Agreed,” the king said. “Though there is one staff member I would like you to consider. The Shang Wildcat is interested in a position. She intends to make Corus a permanent home – she’s done with her wandering. Would you be willing to consider her?”
Wyldon was not fond of the notion of having a female on staff, but he nodded. The Shang women were as skilled as the men, and he would value any teaching they could provide. “I think an arrangement could be made.”
“Am I free to make other suggestions, or would you rather not have my input?”
“If I were to take this position, I would of course be willing to consider any ideas you put forward. I would prefer to not be forced by your royal privilege to adhere to every suggestion, though.”
King Jonathan laughed, head thrown back. “Uncle Gareth said that I would value your honesty and lack of flattery. I can respect someone who wants to do things their way, and I would be honored if you would take me up on the offer.”
“I can’t make any promises yet, your majesty.” Wyldon sighed. “You are my king, but you are also a married man – you surely understand that I must speak with my wife before I make my decision.”
“Understood,” the king said. “Gary will have the pages until the summer, and you can begin your program in the autumn, if your family agrees. And in the meantime, we can discuss the logistics of the arrangement and you can make your staffing suggestions.”
Wyldon bowed as best he could within the stall, and King Jonathan left. He resumed brushing down his mount, thinking of all the possibilities. He liked having squires – but having one squire was not the same as being responsible for the education of so many boys. It was a great responsibility, and he knew it was something the realm needed.
The realm needed him, he realized. King Jonathan would not so easily approach a known Conservative if it wasn’t needed.
Wyldon liked being needed. Duty was meaningless if it was not necessary.