Stephen Wormwood

I think this is a great assessment of Fran. Between Gustave's abuses and his own desire for nobility and power, he lost himself. Thanks for reading and commenting, @akascrubber, I value all your comments over the months. 👌

Thank you for reading it! I really appreciate all your comments and feedback.

********** The Sea – The River – Epilogue, Part 1 – Epilogue, Part 2 ********** Staunton Castle, Dragonspur, Kingdom of Morland 4th of Winter, 801 Inside the dripping darkness there materialized a warm face – an oval jaw framed by its smoky beard, its brow furrowed, its lips widened into a toothy smile to match a cantankerous wit. An old face. A wise face. A calm one. Soothing. And Edward Bardshaw smiled back. “Master…” He wished he knew what to say to him. Tha

********** A Noble Born – “And now it dies with me” – The Trial of Edward Bardshaw ********** Staunton Castle, Dragonspur, Kingdom of Morland 43rd of Autumn, 801 46 DAYS AGO Fran kept his silence. “I could always communicate with the Emperor directly, I suppose.” Said the Duke. “But even if he acquiesced at the first letter, it would take half a season to muster the help I require. Edith could march on Dragonspur in days.” “Your grace?” He frowned. “

********** Three Letters – The Die is Cast – “What do you want?” – Edward Will Die – Tenth of his Name – The Whelping Bitch – A Better Realm – Bitches beget Bastards – “Who Gave the Order?” ********** The Undergaol, City of Greyford, Kingdom of Morland 53rd of Autumn, 801 It was a rancid pit. There was little better to say about it. The walls were like slagheaps – crooked and misshapen and befouled with moss. Damp’s stench infested the nostrils at every turn as mice scur

********** An Eye for a City – Wolner Returns – Confession – Edith’s Entreaty – James the Whore – Greyford’s Entreaty – The Pig's Head – Upon the Crossroads of History ********** Walmouth Village, The Midburghs, Kingdom of Morland 42nd of Autumn, 801 The train of Edith’s Army came upon a village some hours afore noontide that day, a village called Walmouth. They found it shuttered. They found its grain stores emptied, its doors and windows boarded, its stables and paddoc

********** To The Last of the Blood – Under Siege – The Battle of Brookweald – Vengeance – “Long Live This Realm and All Her People” ********** Brookweald, The Midburghs, Kingdom of Morland 40th of Autumn, 801 Maps. Markers. Complots. War frights not in the strategizing of it, nor when its authors gathered about the table to speak of soldiers and provisions and positions. War frights in the doing, the living, the breathing. Men may speak of Tunsford Hill and all its defe

********** Encampment at Garrow’s Heath – The Riot of Dragonspur – Queen of the Commons – “Bring out the Alien” ********** Belfort Village, the Midburghs, Kingdom of Morland 38th of Autumn, 801 The mice raced into their niches in a pall of frantic squeaks as the alderman’s torch-flame floated down the darkened stairwell into the cellars. Behind him stalked Edith the Exile, sword-armed and plate-armoured, her face fixed with resolve as her guardsman Edward Bardshaw tail

********** Edith’s Castle – A Letter in Both Hands – The Training Pit – The Convocation of 801 – Shepherd Godwyn – ‘Time to return home, Fran’ – Edith’s Standard – Uprising ********** Ravensborough, The Highburghs, Kingdom of Morland 32nd of Autumn, 801 They woke him with a water bucket. A sudden burst of ice-cold water that shattered against his torso and tore him from a hard, ale-induced slumber. Edward Bardshaw shot up from his haybale bed for the night, sodden

********** An Oath Anew – The Branding – A Braised Heart for a Morish Dog – Tournament Day – Loyalty’s Reward – As the Sun Falls and the Moon Rises ********** Old Hall, Fludding, Kingdom of Morland 28th of Autumn, 801 A public show of obeisance. To cement its legitimacy, it was King Oswald’s pleasure that the Earl of Harcaster deliver the acceptance of his terms before an audience of their peers. It was not, as perhaps the Lord Earl might previously have thought, to

********** Watfield – An Evening’s Feast at Old Hall – The Golden Cockle – ‘At this very hour’ – A Master’s Celebration ********** Watfield, The Highburghs, Kingdom of Morland 27th of Autumn, 801 There now, in the Highburghs, Edward Bardshaw felt an old pull. Remembrances of a childhood (almost) lost to time. It began with lilting notes of gull-song, then moved to that distant yet distinct rumble of heavy waves crashing against beaches and shores, until the salt taste li

********** Repose – Captain of the Guard – The King’s Progress ********** Temple of St. Jehanne, Dragonspur, Kingdom of Morland 11th of Autumn, 801 Sentries guarded the temple archway, silent swordsmen bearing pikes and the livery of the Thormont viscountcy. They crossed their polearms at the entranceway as a carriage wheeled to a stop at the temple forecourt, but quickly uncrossed them once they spotted the well-dressed foreign dignitary climbing down from the cab with

The Cornishman read by candlelight rather than paraffin lamp (as so many were wont to do nowadays). There were no nostalgic reasons for this (and candles brought ghastly memories with them anyway) it was simply that the smell of the oils made him nauseous. He was home at last from a tiresome day of work and a delightful hen lunch with his son that he didn't care to lose, so he lit some wax and removed his precious King James from its spot in his dresser. He peeled it open, the tight snap of the

1909, England. A religious man with an irreligious urge takes a wander into the heart of London to relieve himself of it. One Shot/Drabble.

********** ‘Kind regards from the House of Gray’ – Council – The Rentmaster – Supper at Cromwood House – Supper at Harvenny Heath – The Red Cloak – ‘For without love, what is left?’ ********** Manse de Foy, Dragonspur, Kingdom of Morland 2nd of Autumn, 801 TWO DAYS AGO Wolfrick worked his boys hard that day. He woke them at daybreak for morning drills (those halberdiers not posted to the gates nor Gustave’s chambers) first running laps around the manse grounds then