Someone Else's Kingdom, BOOK I - Chapter 29

Julen, having slept and lounged around for most of the journey, was now much more like his usual self, and Box and Goola were relieved to see him back in his standard, idiotic mode - clattering about the place. So, as they pulled into Fools' Harbour they were struck by how quiet and beautiful it was in contrast to the renewed noisiness of Julen. The sight of peaceful, dry land giving things the slight air of a fresh start.

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The harbour itself was smallish, and almost a perfect square in shape. On either side were long sandy beaches that quickly raised up into hilly little outcrops of beach grass. Beyond which were fields of more regular grasses and wild flowers. There were also numerous little shops, homes and inns dotted around the harbour, giving the impression of a small town, or a very large village. With the whole scene leading towards a gently sloping hill, a top of which was very small, and very old, church. Picturesque being the word. There could be no other.

As the sea captain tied the ship to one of the harbour posts, Box and Goola stepped out onto the wooden slats of the walkway, now feeling rather pleased that they'd made this little detour on their journey. As Eldskeep followed the weight of his large frame made his footsteps clack against the wood.

"Where next? ..food and drink, I think," he called out, answering his own question before anyone else had a chance to reply. Still, it was a sentiment shared by everyone.

His loud voice felt a little too much for the small community they'd arrived in, and as the five headed towards the nearest tavern they felt a million times more conspicuous than they did in Patina. Given that they were specifically trying to keep a low profile it instantly occurred to Goola that perhaps this wasn't the wisest way to go about things. Before she could share her concerns though a second thought entered her head. Perhaps if they tried too hard not to be noticed that may look even more suspicious, especially given how clumsy both Eldskeep and Julen were at concealing their intentions. So she kept her thoughts neatly to herself.

The bearded sea captain, who by now felt less of a stranger, planned to wait a few days to see if there were any other travellers in need of his services, then, failing that, simply make the choppy journey back to Patina. With hunger nagging him too though, he was happy to tag along for the time being. Luckily, it didn't take long before his desire was satiated, for as they stepped off the harbour boarding, and onto the stony cobbled ground of the street, their noses were quickly filled with the smell of fresh bread.

The cosy tavern they entered was run by an old married couple, and it was divided in two by little swinging wooden doors. On the one side the tavern itself, serving drinks to the few barflies and old sailors dotted about. On the other, a neat little bakery, that had a separate entrance out onto the harbour front, where it sold bread and cakes over the counter to the occasional old ladies popping in. As the three males perched themselves at the bar, Box and Goola made a beeline for the snug little table by the window. They also quickly eyed the treats beyond the partition.

The wife of the old couple, pleased to see such young faces, followed over; shouting to her husband as she did so. Ordering him to fetch some goodies. Completely oblivious to the fact that he was already busy serving Julen, Eldskeep and the the old ship's captain. Or perhaps aware, but just expecting him to do everything at once anyway. As he finally arrived with an assortment of cakes and biscuits Julen had joined Box and Goola.

"Why's it called Fools' Harbour?" questioned Box, as he placed the array on the table.

"That's a long story."

The old man then walked back to the bar, poured his own drink, then pulled up a chair alongside them.

"It's said that, a long, long time ago, there was once a young duke." He half-whispered this, enjoying the opportunity to make himself raconteur. "From a very wealthy family, who lived by the harbour. One summer, in his youth, a ship from the mainland arrived, bringing dignitaries and other important people. Amongst which was a young girl - the daughter of a rich merchant. She spent the whole summer in this little harbour town, playing and making friends with the local children, including the young duke. Smitten, he fell madly in love with her. However, as he fretted and wasted time umming and aahing as to whether to say something he missed his chance to speak, and one day, as the summer waned, she got back on the boat and sailed away back to the mainland."

He settled into his chair as he continued, taking a sip from his drinks to lubricate his words. Ever so briefly looking over his shoulder, just in case his wife had more chores with his name on them.

"Anyway, every summer it's said he would wait by the harbour, hoping she'd return. Hoping he'd get the chance to speak the things he never spoke. Yet, every summer, all he found was disappointment. Just waiting, lovesick, with an aching stomach. Still, he never let go of the hope. "Next summer," he'd think to himself, keeping her sweet image in his mind. Then, when he turned twenty-one, his father arranged a marriage for him with the daughter of a wealthy landowner, but he refused the offer and turned it down. No one could compare to the beautiful merchant's daughter. He was destined to be with her, or so he thought. He had to remain loyal. Then, finally, after twenty whole summers, miraculously, she returned to the harbour. On a ship from Patina - exactly where you've just came from. As she stepped from the boat and onto the harbour front, looking much the older and very different to how she once looked in youth, he nevertheless recognised her immediately.."

The old gentlemen then took a long pause and another drink for storytelling effect.

"And.. !" insisted Box.

"And ..she never recognised him. She couldn't even remember him. Not his name, nor his face, nor the times they'd played together. Nothing at all. He'd never made any real impression on her whatsoever. He was just another child she'd briefly played for a few months one year when she was young. He meant nothing to her, ..and he'd wasted all that time waiting. All that longing and heartache. All that patience and aching stomach ..for nothing."

"Wow, what a sad story," sighed Goola, who'd been listening silently, "Is it really true??"

"I'm not sure," replied the old man, with laugh, "It's certainly disenchanting enough to have the ring of truth to it, though." He then started laughing out loud more so, largely to himself. "It's befitting of this place too," he then added, with a droll smile, "The men play second fiddle here, that's for sure."

At this point his wife burst through the double doors, as if to punctuate his point, and ordered him to come through to help deal with another customer. He reactively leapt to his feet, leaving his drink half-drunk on the table. "In the Maiden Lands the men are little more than fools, and little better than slaves. That's why we only ever have female rulers here," he remarked, as he headed towards the howled orders. The double doors still swinging on their hinges.

Though spoken in jest, the last line was a factual one. In the Maiden Lands the law was that only females were allowed to ascend to the throne. It had been this way since time immemorial, and it put the country in counterpoint to almost every other kingdom on the map. The current queen was the now ageing Queen Aglaia. Or, to give her her full name: Queen Aglaia Fetterina Fiorina Maquella. Who'd ruled the country, largely peacefully, for the last forty odd years.

"Don't listen to him," piped up the sea captain in counterpoint, "They know exactly what they're doing. There are many benefits to having a female ruler, which the men of the Maiden Lands are only too aware of. For a start it pacifies the people. Males generally resent having to kneel before another man - it pricks the pride, sparking rebellion. With a queen though, every gentleman in the queendom naturally bends over backwards to impress, just as they would for a beautiful young woman. Either that, or they show a respect and deference, as they would to their ageing grandmother. Likewise, the foreign princes and kings feel much less threatened, so it truly works wonders for diplomacy too. And these Maiden Landers have made quiet an art of it."

"You have us figured out," joked the elderly gentleman, popping his head back through idly, as he listened in. Stealing a brief moment from his endless tasks.

"This is why they never get invaded."

The sea captain was now in full flow, "It's also why they can constantly weasel out of sending men and ships to fight the mainland wars. Not that I blame them for it."

"I think it's more just due to location," jutted in Eldskeep, not wanting to take a backseat on talk of political affairs. "I doubt they would have the same success with a female ruler were they closer to the action. I certainly wouldn't fancy their chances if a war did break out. You need a strong male ruler for that. They're lucky the mainland are always so occupied with the Western Isles."

"I'm not so sure," countered the weary captain, "They've done pretty well so far."

Box and Goola listened to these back and forth discussions with an eager intent, and as they listened they liked the sound of the Maiden Lands more and more so. Coupled with the beautiful flowery fields and the fresh bakery smells, it all seemed positively ideal when compared to the mainland. And on hearing about the wonderfully named Queen they had endless questions.

"Does the queen have any children? ..Who will be queen when she dies?" And so on and ever more so.

"She has no children," the old man calmly explained, as he stepped from the bakery and back through to the bar. " Only dogs: Four, Five and Six. Apparently one of her distant nieces is next in line."

"Four, Five and Six??"

"That's what the dogs are called - Four, Five and Six."

"What happened to One, Two, and Three?" quipped Julen, with a smirk.

"Well, dogs don't live as long as children, and the Queen is getting quite elderly now. Once upon a time the dogs had proper names, but those days are long gone." The old man laughed once more, enjoying the reaction of the three eager listeners.

"What's she called again?" asked Box, trying her best to remember the full name she'd been told just a few moments earlier.

"Queen Aglaia Fetterina Fiorina Maquella."