21st of Kale
Wonderful day. Ashley
and I announced our engagement. It had
all been prearranged by father with the hope of possibly bringing the east side
of the island to see legitimate rule, she being Alexanders niece and all, but
more important than that we have known and loved each other since we were
children.
This also indicates, since Silvas has not had a marriage
arranged, that I am first to be heir to Windfall and the family’s
holdings. It is natural since I am the
eldest, however, father has always said the decision would be based on
merit. It seems I will in fact get
everything I want.
23rd of Kale
Betrayed by the man I called brother. Ashley told me this morning with tears in her
eyes that Silvas attacked her. Driven by
jealousy, I knew he cared for her but this is insane and cannot be
forgiven. I rallied some guards and this
afternoon we moved to avenge her owner on the shores of the lake by our
estate. He killed on guard and I drive a
nasty strike to his left cheek before father interrupted. He says he’ll decide the justice of the
matter tomorrow morning. Silvas had best
be glad, it is father’s justice and not mine that he faces .
24th of Kale
Silvas banished, he should be dead, and if he ever returns he
will be no matter the cost. At least we
can live in peace without him here. The
whole ordeal has upset Ashley greatly as one might expect, she couldn’t stop
crying all day. Curse Silvas for the
pain he has caused. In addition the
stress of needing to banish his own son seems to have aggravated father’s
health even further. I think it won’t be
long until I am the only uncontested lord of Windfall.
27th of Kale
With father’s health continuing to fail the running of the
island and the city has fallen to me. It
requires me to go to the city and manage the day to day. The people worry about my father when they
should worry about their productivity.
With the new Emperor, may he live forever, taxes are likely to increase
I must get more out of the mines.
29th of Kale
I miss my sweet Ashley.
She has staid behind at our estate to tend to my father’s last
days. Messengers say he grows
worse. Despite his weakened health he
has sent his personal body guard, a former imperial legion officer to attend to
me. I’m in no danger but it serves as a
clear signal to all those around that I am the heir and owner of this
island.
I can only complain because he keeps correcting my actions
and doing so in front of servants no less.
He still sees me as the master’s son not the master. So long as my father lives it will always be
that way.
1 st of Munth
Despite my multiple dismissing of my “guard and servant” he
interrupted midday meal to inform me that my father had died. How tragic, I had very much hoped to see him
again. To be alone and sonless on his
deathbed is a sad fate for a great man.
May mercy forgive me for not being by his side. I should have been there, had this city and
these peasants not been so utterly helpless I could have been. I leave now to attend
to his funeral.
3rd of Munth
My father now rests in our family catacombs. May his spirit find the reward it
deserves. No son could have had a better
father, and no people a better lord.
Despite my mourning, I must continue. I have ordered the entire house staff to
return with me to the city of Windfall. Ashley will stay behind for a day and
follow with the servants. We should be
in the city during this difficult time to make sure the people don’t forget
their new lord.
Such a think maybe complicated since my father hid or lost
the signet ring. Its only a small
technicality I can have the smithy make a new one, but it would have given full
legality to my reign since my father became too ill to draft the formal
declaration.
6th of Munth
The servants have returned to the city palace but Ashley was
not with them. They said she wished for
a moment alone and then they could not find her. Silvas must have kidnapped her. I was so foolish to think he would have left,
so foolish to leave her unprotected. I
have ordered may men to search the west half of the Island, I already have a
fight with Silvas no need to start one with Alexander.
10th of Munth
Still no sign of Ashley and no one seems to know
anything. I’ve even sent word to
Alexander but have yet to hear back from that bandit. To
make matters worse the mine productivity is even lower than was reported to
me. I walked through the mines and found
men drinking and mourning of the days my father ruled. I doubled their quota, if I have not time to
mourn neither do they. They act as if
their purpose is not only to serve.
12th of Munth
Reports from the dock all say they have neither seen Ahsley
nor Silvas but I think they lie. I
ordered the shake down and search of all the ships in port today. It was not a popular action, and considering
what we found I understand why. No
Ashley or Silvas that prize still alludes me, but lots of smuggled goods that
the empire doesn’t want to know about.
Most likely for and from the Caledenstine monastery. Those necromancers hide on the north tip of
the island as long as Alexander is there they are just out of my reach.
They and that fortress that haunts the north rim of the bay
have forever been the source of ghost stories and nightmares on this
island. Though I have not the men to
fight them all. CURSE you SILVAS. I need more from the mines, more money means
I can attrack more soliders, I’ll find silvas and bring the bandits and wizards
to kneel before their proper lord.
15th of Munth
BLOODY UNGRATEFUL PEASANTS.
Their was a riot on the docks today and a strike in the mines. I ended the strike by arresting their
leaders. However the riot made it
impossible to search the cargo. Is it
possible Silvas organized this to smuggle Ashley out under my nose? It can’t be she has to be here, where else
could she be?
19thof Munth
More strikes today. I
publicly flogged their leaders in addition to arresting them. I’ve also taken the privilege of knighting
the most loyal of my subjects. Extra
swords are always helpful.
20th of Munth
My assigned guard seems to have given up. His constant, “your father would do this…”
nonsense earned him a relief of duty. He
went back to the legion. Good riddance
to him, he did little to help my find Silvas or Ashley almost think he was
helping them.
21st of Munth
The scum openly rebel against me. The people in the slums call themselves the
righteous and no one will go to work in the mines or the docks for fear that
they will attack them, and I don’t have the soldiers to protect everyone. I ordered arrests be made and a fight broke
out on market street 3 peasants and 1 knight was killed. It
was made worse by the Magistrate’s visit.
He says he’ll send a group of legion soldiers to keep the peace. Takeover is more like it. Windfall has always enjoyed relative freedom
from the empire. Everything is unraveling.
25th of Munth
A lucky break , my eyes and ears tell me the righteous do
have a leader. A man named the
saint. Self- righteous bastard. If I can find him this will all end. However, curse the fates the legion has
arrived. Only five soldiers, my former
body guard leading them. Not a lot of soldiers
and they are clearly not here supporting me, without the signet ring or a declaration
the Empire is not taking a stand, only keeping the peace. We could over power them but killing the
legion will only bring more. I’ll have
to find this Saint quietly.
How has my world unraveled so quickly? A month ago I had a love, a brother, a
father, and a realm to rule. Now my
father dead, my bother an enemy, my love missing, my realm in turmoil, and an
added unseen villain.
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