Eloise's Journey

"3,000" He raised his offer "That's enough for a girl like you to buy one of these homes and live for years."

"The price is 15,000" Eloise insisted "And I know that Crown Prince Kalim of the Vil'anu will buy it for at least twenty

"10,000" The merchant conceded upon hearing the name. That was just who he'd thought of selling it to.

"You are not hearing me." Eloise locked her deep blue eyes upon the man's, her voice not cracking or showing any weakness "You will either pay me 15,000 for this or I will sell it to one who isn't an exploitative thief."

This brought the traffic around her to a standstill. Eloise didn't know it but calling a merchant a thief in a Nilfenhem market was akin to outright challenging his manhood. Men had been killed for it. But the jewelry buyer was not a Northerner. He simply felt the eyes on him and knew that it was incumbent on him to either agree to her price and fight her by their customs. If he lost, and looking at her the Merchant concluded he very well might, he'd lose all respect among his customers in the Village. So he nodded.

"I only have around 12,000 on me for the trip though." He said.

"You come here regularly?" Eloise asked

"Every month." the merchant nodded, his eyes still glued to the jewel.

"Then I will have my other 3,000 next month, won't I?"

"Whatever you say, girl." He just nodded as he reached for the ring. Eloise put it in his hand. The merchant looked at the ring closely for a second before turning to his assistants.

"Unload the rest of the gold where this girl says." He said, they nodded their heads. Eloise walked up to one of the boxes of gold he had and opened it, inspecting that he had indeed brought genuine and standard gold coins. Satisfied, she grabbed a handful and marched off to a nearby stall she'd seen. It was a clothier. Selling the furs that the Northern women around her wore. Eloise grabbed the ones she thought were the finest and again haggled with the older Northern woman, eventually reaching a mutually satisfactory price. Eloise yanked her dress over her head and stood there in the market, stark naked.

Some took note, a beautiful Calandrian girl was not an every day sight, but there was no commotion as she stepped into the thick, soft fur of the skirt and tunic. Eloise stood triumphantly for a second. She was no pushover. She'd gotten her price for the diamond, gotten her price for the furs. She'd worried if Olaf's teachings had only been basic. If her progress had only been impressive for a girl so untrained. But wearing the furs, Eloise saw that was not the case. The old woman had been making these all of her life and the things Eloise had sewn on her trip were just as good. With that in mind, and another thought in her head, Eloise walked from the market with purpose.

She walked down the main road to her destination. It was not hard to find. It was the largest house in the city, built on a small hill and meant to be visible to all. As Eloise walked the road to it, she soon caught sight of Olaf. He was embracing a woman. She was tall and beautiful. Pale, with thick black hair and a muscled, voluptuous form clad in the same furs that Eloise was now wearing. She looked not much older than Eloise was herself although she was much taller. Eloise walked up to the embracing couple. Olaf saw her and looked surprised. Unsure why she was there. He broke his embrace and gave a sweet look to her.

"I told you girl, you'll be fine. You'll find something to do and a husband and...."

"I am not here for you." Eloise snapped before looking back at the woman who was observing her with a mixture of confusion and interest "You are Vetra?"

"I am." She nodded, the First Woman of the village accustomed to strangers knowing her name.

"Are you with child?" Eloise continued

"I am not." Vetra shook her head. She'd only been First Woman a year and when Olaf had visited and tested her she'd not been at the right time for conception.

"Then by your customs and traditions I challenge you as First Woman of this Village." Eloise stated. Vetra looked at her strangely for a second. Then burst out laughing. She was being challenged by a girl no bigger than a child. She looked to Olaf who was looking upon the entire scene with bemusement.

"Is she serious?" Vetra asked of her War Chief.

"Seems so." Olaf said

"And you'd accept this little suntanned thing?" Vetra asked with more disbelief

Olaf thought for a second.

"I would."

"You've bedded her?" Vetra continued. Not a question of jealousy but of certainty. She hated the thought of having to kill Eloise for no good reason.

"I have." Olaf nodded again. Several villagers had gathered and there were runners going throughout the streets. Cries of "Challenge! Vetra is challenged!" were clearly visible. More people were coming by the second. Vetra saw the assembled crowd and nodded. She stepped towards Eloise, her hands up and at the ready. It was a stance Eloise had seen. Olaf had used it. Eloise adopted one of her own.

"I hope you know what you're doing, girl." Vetra laughed as the two circled each other briefly. Eloise remained silent, simply observing her motions. Vetra swung forward with her fists, Eloise sidestepped her attempt easily before they circled again. But Eloise began to smile and she jumped forwards.

Future Bards of the Nilfen would tell the tale of this particular challenge for many years. Always they would embellish. They would call it an epic struggle that lasted days. In truth, it was over after Vetra had thrown her first attack. Eloise darted towards the bigger woman and swung her right fist in a wild cross. Vetra sidestepped it with ease and confidence. She didn't even see Eloise spin out of the feigned punch, slamming her left elbow into Vetra's throat. Vetra was nearly defeated by the vicious blow alone. For good measure, Eloise grabbed Vetra's wrist and twisted it as she pulled the larger woman towards her, her knee impacting Vetra's midsection with an almost audible thud. Eloise then yanked her forward by the wrist again, flipping Vetra onto the ground on her back. Eloise then put her foot on Vetra''s neck while still twisting her wrist.

"Yield or die." Eloise spoke plainly. Vetra looked in shock and struggled but Eloise's grip was too tight and, as she felt herself nearly pass out from lack of breath, Vetra choked out her surrender.

"Yield. I yield." She said. Eloise loosened her grip, allowing Vetra to breath and rub her sore neck. Eloise paused for a second. She really would have killed the Northern Woman if she hadn't yielded. Cheers rang up from the crowd. Loud ones. They cared nothing for who'd won. Just that someone had. And it had been a decisive and brutal one. That was all they needed to swear a new allegiance.

Olaf put his hand on Eloise's shoulder.

"What of her then?" Olaf asked, pointing to Vetra. Vetra rubbed her neck sorely, the first defeat she'd ever experienced at the hands of a Woman.

"You can have him." Vetra laughed with genuine good humour "Him and that smell and that giant thing of his."

Eloise nodded. She knew that Vetra would have no role to fill because Eloise had none. She looked at Vetra, her pale, porcelain skin and silken, luxurious hair and made up her mind.

"She will live in a house I build." Eloise stated, to the crowd as much as Olaf. "She will stay on as my adviser. She will acclimatize me to your ways and the problems of the village."

"Good" Olaf nodded "Now let's go inside and we'll...."

"I'll deal with you later." Eloise said, cutting him off before again addressing the crowd. "What is an area of immediate concern here?"

There were various things shouted but one louder than all the other. As soon as they heard it, their voice was almost as one.

"The Docks!" Came back the cry. Eloise looked to Vetra for information.

"They want the docks rebuilt and expanded. More fishing. More trade." Vetra said, still looking down and rubbing her neck. "Cost too much this season. Maybe next."

"How much will it cost?" Eloise asked again

"Near 10,000 gold." Vetra said "And we only have one thousand people in the village. And they pay no tax."

Eloise then looked to Olaf who shrugged

"I have many villages with many problems." He said "And that's a lot of gold."

"Then whoever will build the Docks will go to the Ascibian jeweller in town." Eloise ordered "And will collect the needed amount from him. Work will begin tomorrow."

Another cheer came from the assembled throngs before they dispersed. They were eager to start on the work. They gave her a few more cheers on the way out. Eloise turned back to Olaf and the still seated Vetra who seemed ashamed to even look at the new First Woman

"Good start." Olaf nodded "But you'll need to..."

"And she," Eloise said, her voice still burning with purpose as she pointed at Vetra "Will share my bed while you are away."

"Good choice." Olaf said, smiling at Vetra "Many First Women have such arrangements."

Eloise looked down at Vetra

"That is acceptable?" Eloise asked. Vetra finally looked up at Eloise. Eloise saw right away that she'd been wrong. Vetra was not shamed. The look in Vetra's eyes as she looked at Eloise was one of pure, unbridled lust. She saw right away that getting defeated by Eloise had warmed Vetra far more than Olaf's tongue had done to Eloise when they'd first coupled. Eloise smiled before turning back to Olaf.

"Now let's go inside and see if I'm enough for you in bed." Eloise said sarcastically, clearly indicating she thought it would be a test of the reverse.

The End

(RCH Addendum: Of course, that is simply the end of Eloise's journey. While the Princess thought she'd live in Suvind for the rest of her days, her time in the North lasted only the 6 years of the Calandrian War of Rebellion. The People's Movement and those loyal to the King fought an intense and bloody conflict better chronicled at length elsewhere before the Nobility, having lost the king the year before, sued for peace after their crushing defeat at the hands of Admiral Ignatius Poole at the Battle of Cafen Strait. The result of the peace was an agreement that called for a Bicameral legislature with one house composing of an elected parliament and another composed of the Nobility. The Nobility, still threatening to call on the Ascibians for aid if their terms were not met, insisted on a Monarch with at least figurehead authority and Veto. The People's Movement readily agreed and Princess Eloise was summoned back from her brief exile. She returned for her Coronation clutching the young Princess Elsbeth triumphantly, her return being seen as a end to the harsh and bloody war.

In the fifteen years since, Eloise has reigned over a prosperous and peaceful rebuilding of the nation. While a figurehead to the People's Government headed by Prime Minister Thurgood, she was nevertheless seen as an important and uniting figure, easing the strife of the deeply divided Nation. Queen Eloise has never married, preferring to consort with various people of her choosing. She is a frequent guest of Prime Minister and Lady Thurgood and also would frequently receive the War Chief Olaf for the remaining 12 years of his rule before his drowning at sea. Vetra was named the Nilfen's Ambassador to Calandria and frequently joins the Queen and the Princess at the Hunting Estates where Queen Eloise makes her personal home.)