SS [48] Conditional Protection

Bjorn moved along the outer path of the royal estate at a steady pace, keeping himself controlled despite the instinct to prowl. It was something that only sharpened thanks to his time in the Chaos Lands but amongst civilized people it would make him look overly dangerous. One of his heads watched the grounds ahead while another remained angled back, making sure Anasuya was secure on his back. She yawned lazily even as her grip on him stayed steady.

Bjorn did want to see the inside of the estate but unfortunately they had been left outside. The others were brought into the manor without hesitation, but Bjorn and Anasuya had been redirected along the perimeter. There had been no protest from the staff, and no apology either. The decision was made quietly, as if it required no explanation.

“Animals were not meant for the interior halls. There is plenty of space on the grounds for them.” 

Bjorn could almost hear the justification in someone’s voice, and it was not an unreasonable one. He was not some small, dog-sized lizard that could be guided through narrow corridors and polished floors without consequence. He weighed well over a thousand pounds now, and his talons could bite into most unenchanted stone with ease. The wooden floors he had glimpsed through the doorway would not fare any better. 

The estate itself was built with both grandeur and function in mind. At a glance it presented as a noble residence, complete with carved stone, layered architecture, and carefully maintained grounds. A closer look made its purpose clearer. The walls were thicker than necessary for appearance. The guard placements were positioned for visibility and control rather than ceremony.

It may look like the pentacle of royal retreat manor but it was a fortress shaped to resemble a home. Given their distance from the Deadlands, the design made sense. Monsters rarely reached this far, but the possibility was real enough to justify preparation. 

Even so, something about their arrival had not sat right with him. He had noticed it the moment their wagon came into view behind the princess’s. The guards had tensed before anyone stepped out. The reaction came too early to be caused by him or Anasuya. It had not been confusion or surprise. It almost seemed like agitation to something behind the scenes.

More specifically something tied to their patron Princess Yrsa.

Bjorn slowed his pace around the estate grounds ever so slightly as the thought settled into place.

Yrsa had not acted like someone returning to familiar ground. Her attention had been outward, observant rather than assured. She had taken in the estate as if seeing it for the first time and trying to hide that reaction. She was being introduced to the staff rather than acknowledged by them.

At the same time, the guards had already been in position before she arrived. They had not escorted her. They had not arrived alongside her. They had not even waited at the entrance of Highhall to gather her. They had been waiting here protecting a place and not the occupant. That contradiction was difficult to ignore.

If she held authority here, she would have been received. If she held standing, she would have been recognized. Instead, the reception had been controlled and measured almost reluctant. This did not feel like a welcome.

If there was political maneuvering at play, then they had stepped into it without understanding the shape of it. From the outside, their position was already defined. They had not arrived as independent travelers. The perception of them would from here forward be attendance or agents of the princess.

That association alone would be enough for others to draw conclusions. Whether those conclusions were accurate would not matter.

He sighed loudly which came out as a long hiss. He did not have enough information to make a better decision. In a place like this, asking too many questions too quickly could create more problems than it solved. Not to mention he wasn’t exactly in a form that could easily perform investigations.

For now the only reasonable approach would be to accept the reward Yrsa would offer them. Then leave as soon as possible.

“Dad, I’m hungry, can we eat?” Anasuya asked.

Bjorn stopped in his tracks when heard her voice. He hadn’t eaten yet either and they were now in the manor of a rich and powerful person. Surely they could get all sorts of good meat and vegetables for their guests.

“I will get us something to eat,” Bjorn said. 

He picked up his pace around the estate until he saw a guard leaded against his halberd nodding off. He approached and called out to the dwarf.

“Hey, we need assistance.” Bjorn said, his heads alternating between words.

The dwarf jerked upright. “Huh, wh-what? I wasn’t sleeping, sir.”

“I did not ask if you were asleep,” Bjorn replied.

The guard turned, looked up, then looked higher again as he realized who he was speaking to. To his credit, he did not immediately raise his weapon, but his legs still looked close to giving out.

“Y-you, you-you can t-talk?” The man stuttered. 

“I can talk, yes,” Bjorn said.

“Right. Of course. H-how can I uh, help you, sir?”

“My daughter and I are hungry.” Bjorn said.

The guard glanced over his shoulder and then back again. “Your daughter… there is a baby hydra somewhere around here?” 

“She is not a hydra and there is no reason to worry. She eats only plants but I require meat.” Bjorn said.

“Right. Right,” the guard repeated. “I can take you to the stable, I am sure we can find something for your daughter there, as for the meat…”

“If none is available I can go hunt.” Bjorn assured him.

“Guh-uh, no don’t do that,” the guard blurted, raising both hands.  “Most of the animals around Highhall belong to someone. A h-hyd… uh someone of your immensity, hunting could cause distress and it would be theft.”

“I see. I would prefer not to upset anyone,” Bjorn said thoughtfully. “My name is Bjorn Scalebound by the way.”

“Right. My name is Dorrim Grimline,” the guard said quickly. “And you are not going to eat me, correct?” 

Bjorn chuckled though to Dorrim it likely sounded like a threatening hiss.

“No, no, Dorrim, I would rather beef or chevon. Smoked if it is available. Mutton is good too.”

“Right,” Dorrim said again, swallowing hard. “I will take you there.” 

He pointed over his shoulder but did not move immediately, as if waiting for permission.

“It is that way.”

“I will follow behind you,” Bjorn said.

“Actually,” Dorrim said carefully, “could you go in front of me? No offense meant.”

“If it makes you feel better. Just watch out for the spikes at the end of my tail.” Bjorn said.

“Spikes?” His voice raised an octave. “Yes. I will… stay clear of those. ”

One of Bjorn’s heads angled back as he began to walk ahead. “How long have you worked here, Dorrim?”

“Only a few days here,” Dorrim said, now sounding slightly steadier with Bjorn in front of him. “Before that I was a town guard for seventeen years.”

Bjorn tilted one of his heads. “I assumed you were part of a royal guard.”

“Oh no,” Dorrim said quickly. “The royal guard does not leave the capital unless the king is traveling. When the manor is not occupied, the oligarchs maintain it as a sign of patronage to His Majesty. Her Royal Highness being here meant they had to station respected guards as personal security.”

Bjorn considered that for a moment as he continued. “Why was there no escort at the gate to receive her?”

“I… do not know, this is the first I am hearing of that,” Dorrim admitted. “I am just the man who stands in the garden.” He cleared his throat, then added quickly, “We are going to pass the annex on the right.”

“Do you know why she did not arrive with an escort?” Bjorn asked.

“Were you not her escort?” Dorrim asked before he could stop himself.

Bjorn did not answer immediately. His attention drifted forward as he processed what he had just learned.

The princess had arrived without a royal escort. She had entered a politically significant estate controlled by oligarchic forces, accompanied only by Soren and a single attendant. No visible military presence. No structured delegation. No clear assertion of authority beyond title alone.

He wasn’t familiar with all how royalty should be treated here but from his experience with nobility this was not typical. Unless the structure of this kingdom worked differently than expected.

Perhaps dwarven governance relied less on overt royal projection. Perhaps oligarchic houses provided security as a matter of controlled patronage rather than loyalty to the crown. If so, then the guards here would answer to local power rather than the monarchy itself. That would mean Yrsa’s protection was conditional, not inherent.

Was this the Oligarchs showing their authority? Conditional protection could be withdrawn.

Bjorn exhaled slowly through one of his jaws.

He was missing something important, but he could not yet see what it was.

Behind him, several guards in the courtyard noticed his presence. A gardener quickly stepped aside, abandoning any attempt at formal decorum as she retreated. The guards did not approach. They simply watched, then called out to Dorrim. He responded with reassurances, and after a moment the tension eased enough that they accepted it.

When the stable was in sight Bjorn was happy to see they had horses and not drakes. Horses would be much easier to deal with the blind stampede of great lizards trying to flee at the sight of him. He just wanted to eat and was hopeful that coming here wasn’t going to lead to more trouble.