From the diary of Dulcie, Crown Princess of Bentlefay:
I am ashamed to admit that when I was much younger, I used to think war was rather romantic, with its martial songs and poetry and self-sacrifice, and the measure of man through challenge, and all that chatter. Before the most recent conflict with Marshweather, I was quite a child the last time we were up against anything of that nature, so I wasn’t told much, and of course it’s much easier to feel solemn and gratified when you don’t actually know what is going on.
But, now that we are entering our second war of the year, I realize it is actually a swinging bore, and a tragedy, and expensive, and an enormous waste of time and resources and lives. Why on earth does Norhammer want to fight us? We’ve done nothing to them. We are far enough away that I would think it no end of a bother even to try and conquer us. If they are such fools as to believe whatever Bleake is feeding them about his puny personal reasons for private vengeance, then they deserve to be beaten like a carpet.
The difficulty there is that I’m not at all sure we’re the ones to do it. We are merchant seafarers at best, with none of their marauding past or inclination, and while I’m certain we could give them more of a fight once they made landfall, I fear they would already have a great deal to bargain with if they got that far.
Father tries to put on a good face, but I can tell that he is worried, although I must say Mother seems perfectly serene in spite of being up for two nights running with envoys flying to and fro around the kingdom.
I managed to corner her last night after dinner. She was alone in her boudoir – the first time she had been alone since the news came – and when I burst in, I found her writing a letter. I stared at her incredulously.
“Don’t you ever stop?” I demanded. “I would think that even your correspondents would understand a silence of a day or two in a time of war.”
“Well, there is quite a lot to be done,” she said mildly, “and not all diplomacy goes through official channels, you know.”
She looked up at me, and though her eyes were tired I was surprised to see them twinkling. “When you are Queen, you will find aid and comfort in the most unusual places, and you should never be too proud to ask for it.”
She put down her pen and stretched. “Now, what was it you wanted to know?”
I contemplated her for a moment. “I came in to ask if you had anything up your sleeve about this Norhammer business, seeing that you don’t appear to be nearly as bothered about it as the rest of us, but I believe you may have already answered.”
Mother nodded slowly. “Yes,” she said, “I don’t think I have anything else to add at present.”
Mother never ceases to astonish me, even after all the years I’ve known her. I still don’t know who she was writing to, but I slept better that night than I had since we got the news.
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Christina, Queen Consort of Bentlefay, to Captains Jem “Hook” Herring of the Blood Wind, Robert “Long Bob” Langstrom of the Golden Gull, and Jock “Madman” Masters of the Sad Sarah:
Gentlemen:
I trust that this letter finds you all well and happy, and that your business has been taking you well out into international waters. Obviously, because I prefer not having jurisdiction over it, but also because you may be able to do us a service.
Norhammer has recently and quite unaccountably declared war upon Bentlefay, and has already attacked us once at sea. The sea, unfortunately, is not Bentlefay’s natural theater of activities, and Norhammer knows it, which sticks in my throat a bit. I would like to have something to surprise them with, and I therefore beg your assistance. Would you consent, for the sake of old ties, to keep alert for any of their movements that you observe or intercept, and to pass on the intelligence to me here at the Tower? We can contrive to make it to your advantage, as well.
I will send this to Aunt Jessie at Tesoro for forwarding, but since I imagine it will take her some time to find you, please consider this a matter of urgency and reply as soon as you can. The fate of the nation may hang in the balance.
Yours very truly,
Christina, Queen Consort of Bentlefay
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Captain Robert “Long Bob” Langstrom of the pirate ship Golden Gull, to Queen Christina of Bentlefay:
Sweet Tina,
Luck is always on my side when it comes to you – I was sitting down to supper with our sainted Aunt Jessie when your messengers arrived. She sends her love, and I make so bold to do the same, if you will take it as the tribute that it is.
Of course I will do anything you ask – haven’t I always? and I will make sure the other fellows know the score. I will send you a message at the first breath of anything wrong, and I know that Masters and Herring would too – I’ll work on Phelps and Roberts, and we should have a good squad of spies for you.
Wishing I could see you again,
Long Bob
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Captain Jem “Hook” Herring of the pirate ship Blood Wind, to Queen Christina of Bentlefay:
Your Magisty,
Hoping your helth and fortune are good and the king and your gal too. We sited a Norhammer ship only a bit out from Bentlefay’s waters like you said. They was bigger than us so we didn’t bother them, although if I’d had the old Blue Diamond I might have taken them on. Any way if you was right and they was coming to fight there’s going to be more. We can stay around here and I can get more of the boys if I tell them it’s for you, but you should know in case theres something partickuler we should do.
Sinserely,
Jem Herring
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Queen Christina of Bentlefay to Captain Herring of the pirate ship Blood Wind
Dear Uncle Jem,
Thank you so much for the warning. We owe you a great deal – and if you ever cared to visit us this far inland, the treasury might help us repay you. You certainly have my gratitude and the gratitude of the nation for your swift and selfless action.
I would like to organize a more formal alliance in this matter, since your reach and strength is bound to be broader than our navy’s. Would you and the others be willing? We will subject to a signing ceremony, if that is what it would require.
Yours truly,
Tina
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