Lord Blackwell - Part 1

"Let him know that he shall find allies in the Asabelian Court," the Queen said. "Make sure he knows that for a certainty."

The care with which she handled all of them warmed the old rock that was Lombard. He found his eyes misting over. Three long years that Lord Blackwell had been alone, fighting a fruitless campaign with so few men. So many years of frustration. And now they were over. From the younger generation, there had finally arisen hope.

"Thank you, my Queen," Captain Lombard said, and he meant that truly. Any Queen that would show such favour to his Lord was his Queen indeed.

Soon enough, the audience of Patricks, Blackthorns, Idrises and Blackwells was dismissed, leaving the Queen alone once more with her retainers, in that small, yet echoey audience chamber that she had.