Chương 290: 2.2

Jewel mused as they made their way down the east bank river road. Across the Vah were mule trains hitched to their barges heading north to Kliatbatrn. Ahead of them were the rising buildings and grey stalks of smoke rising and blending together into the spring sky. Kaeketeh had grown so much since Jewel's rise to be its liege and Countess. And along their road south Jewel could note the way that the world was different from those times.

Even in inns and households she had never been or met a single person within she was treated differently then her youth. With fear if not proper respect. No one dared to mistake her for an animal anywhere in northern Viznove now. Even off her usual road from Rochford to Kaeketeh. Her people knew of their lady. They knew of Countess Jewel of Rochford, Shining Wyrm of Viznove. And nowhere was that more true than in Kaeketeh and its surroundings.

Even arriving from the north instead of the east Jewel could see the shift in character of the travelers and farmers along the road. The depth of their bows growing. Until the crowded traffic of the roads going into the city along its outskirts was pulling out of her way without even a word from Muriel or her entourage. Jewel's mere presence parted the carts and people of the outskirts like soft earth under a plow. The thatch roofs that had once dominated a huddled extended village around Kaeketeh were gone.

Taken over by clay or wooden shingles now. The simple earthen brown of daub walls were lime bleached white clear to the fields. Wealth and expense had bled out from Kaeketeh's walls like a stain of ink in wool. Feeding new heights of buildings far beyond the fortifications. Jewel had seen it happen. And with it was a change to her people. Her passing every year through these very gates now proved her status in the people's eyes. Not even at the head of a triumph had they acted as they do these years.

It was not entirely welcome. Jewel was not entirely comfortable with what had risen in place of assuming she was an unthinking beast. Kaeketeh was a place of revelry, they would in fact be holding a celebratory festival and fair for her entire stay within the city as they always did. But in person? When she passed them on the road to the keep? The people who were so eager to dance and scream and vent their fury in song were silent. Unnaturally quiet and still as they knelt to her.

The sound of the city stopped around Jewel but for breaths of praise whispered in awed throats. You could place the strangers and new immigrants to the city by their reaction to Jewel. Some held wonder on their faces, others fear or badly veiled disgust. Those that newly settled that lived within the walls kneeled with their neighbors and fellows, if somewhat reluctantly.

Visiting dignitaries and merchants remained standing, although Jewel had found they still dipped their heads and shoulders in respect when her gaze passed over them. Valasect and Rochford only kneeled during ceremonies of her office. But Jewel even stepping foot on the streets of Kaeketeh would grind the city to a halt in its supplication. Adelyne had demanded that Jewel stop taking walks as her wyrm self to avoid the disruption to commerce.

If she did not put herself upon a stage or dias above them the people would bend their heads and stop their business and labors. And that brought costs to her people. The abject supplication was disquieting. Far in excess of that due even a Countess of all Viznove. And the whispers. Gem had witnessed men speaking her name in ill tones being beaten by their neighbors for the insult to her honor. Kaeketeh had changed under Jewel's rule, despite her near total absence. Her shadow lingered in spite of it.

Even in middle town with its ever greater and higher opulence the sons and daughters of her vassals knelt just as the rich and powerful of the guilds. They pressed in to be near her somewhat, and yet shied away from obstructing her passage. The smell of Kaeketeh has changed as well. The city still stank of course, but Lavender scented smoke was prevalent in the densely packed opulence of the noble's island. Even from scheming nobility and greedy guild heads Jewel could feel the shift in the city.

Then there was what they did during her visits. The Offerings. As they passed over the second to last bridge to the keep Jewel could already see them. The fortress wall between the keep and midtown had to have its outer gates opened to accommodate the people's outflow of them. Far in excess of any proper tithe of a subject to their liege. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Far in excess of what was due in taxes and debt to herself as the lady of the city.

Her people here gave a collective fortune. Kaeketeh piled offerings of dried lavender bound tightly around thin cuts of good firewood. Silver coins. Hard Cheeses and dried fish. Wooden crafts as children and men might make during winter. Bowls of the palest rendered fat and even glass vials of golden green oil from the distant south! It was a terrifying abundance and Jewel had commanded that the only portion she took for herself was a small sample of the lavender and oils for her own baths.

The rest was to be sold or otherwise utilized for the efforts of the beggars and orphan's guild. Lest the gifts go to waste! It would have taken Jewel five years to use even the offerings she received in a single visit to Kaeketeh these years. And those were just the nonperishable goods! Jewel explicitly demanded that all fresh food given in offering to her be distributed to the hungry and needy as soon as it was possible to do so without offense.

The only reason that there were not heaps of baked apples in the fortress as she passed was because her stay in Kaeketeh was early this year! Far out of season from when anyone should have had any left from the winter festivities! Yet she could still smell dried apples and cinnamon of all things as she passed through the wall fort. Apparently some of Kaeketeh's people had thought to save some through all the winter celebrations for her!

Just because she'd complimented how pleasant apples were four years ago and how Rochford lacked orchards of such. It was all of it an embarrassing profusion of gratitude every year. Which seemed to grow even faster than the city's population! And that was before the more dangerous implications of such devotion was considered. She wished she had known to discourage that from the start. Jewel was no longer comfortable with how similar the woven lavender sticks resembled the offerings for divine ceremonies.

It was a newly realized concern. But one she had suspected from her reading of the Rochford library. Now horribly confirmed. There were some very dire warnings about what could happen when living rulers attempted to become gods. Even worse were the fates of the ones that had apparently succeeded! So said the few tomes Gem had managed to read within the Temple of Nerthus' library. Some of the things the temple did not give out freely were disturbing.

Even compared to the usual advice regarding the stars and fortunes. Far from Jewel's original expectations the stars were apparently terrifyingly accommodating of those that sought to elevate themselves to a place among them. But the toll upon those who sought divinity? Jewel did not outwardly shudder with her wyrmish self. Not within sight of her subjects. The majority of them now the City Guard they might be. But Gem could shiver in apprehension hidden as she was on Smithson's new horse.

The tremble caused a whinny of worry to pass the steed's lips. Still fresh and unsure of what the moods of her smaller rider might mean. It was a fine mare. Still perhaps a bit skittish around Jewel, but serving well. Poor Oxhoof had needed to retire to pasture and stall last year. Her back and legs too strained from the trials of the Viznove roads. The old mare seemed happy, but Smithson confided she probably would not last many more winters.

Sadly Jewel had no more time to drift in her thoughts, they were approaching the last bridge of Kaeketeh. Coming onto the courtyard of the Keep itself. As her duties grew imminent Jewel refocused herself. Dipping her neck to pass under the last gate before Kaeketeh Keep. Adelyne and the captain of the Kaeketeh Guard were there to meet her already. Along with two other heads of the city's guilds. She noted it was once again the Weavers and Leatherworker's guild heads this visit.

Jewel held her proper poise as their liege and lady. Wasn't this all a bizarre arrangement? None of them were directly her vassals, and yet Kaeketeh might as well be ruled by them. What had started as a means to fill out and balance the interests of the Guilds for common law judgements had taken root and grown a bit out of either Jewel's or any of her inner council's expectations. Kaeketeh and its Keep were the imminent property of the Countess of Viznove.

But as if by spontaneously accepted tradition the day to day affairs of its governance had fallen into a matter dealt with by triumvirate. Any three heads of the guilds could convene and decree common law in Kaeketeh. Furthermore any other three heads could propose to countermand the edicts of another triumvirate of the guilds. With the captain of the Kaeketeh Guard having final say on how such a conflict would be resolved.

Jewel as the arbitrator of noble law and the liege lady of the City had final powers and highest authority to dictate if anything got out of hand. But Adelyne had barely needed her to exercise that right. Simple greed had sufficed to keep the burgeoning 'common law lords' in check. The imminent threat of various head guild's rivals politicking getting decided by the captain of the guard forestalled many issues. Or so Adelyne kept insisting to Jewel in her reports.

She'd not found any reason to doubt her former bond servant's word. The Countess Wyrm of Viznove was honestly just glad that the arrangement kept so much of the business of running Kaeketeh below her concern. But it meant that a tradition of sorts had grown up around the arrangement. Jewel came to a stop before them. Her footmen marched to rank in file to match their opposite number in the City Guard. They had been doing this for years now. The Guild heads among all of Kaeketeh did not spontaneously kneel.

Not without ceremony.

"All kneel to the Imminent and Shining Wyrm, Countess Jewel over Viznove, Lady of House Rochford!" The crier for the city announced Jewel. Standing just within the place where the stonework had to be replaced during her demonstration so many years ago. He was a new face, probably elevated from the trainees of the Guard. However he served his post well. His voice was clear and he did not falter or turn his gaze.

Jewel turned to the chosen three leaders of her city that would welcome her, at their now kneeling supplications. Adelyne smelled amused and stressed in a way that promised a very taxing discussion behind closed doors. The other two were the usual mix of awe and feint jealousy. It had been a long walk from the last village. But her duty had its requirements. Jewel spoke with the authority of their Countess and Liege.

"Rise my subjects, let us feast and share news. My travels have already been a greater trial than expected." And with it the heads of Kaeketeh's leadership rose and their eyes met her own. Jewel could already smell the politics brewing.