Chapter 3: New Arrivals
The next few days passed quickly as the Champion saw to the fitting of the Brythunian navy ships for the upcoming campaign.
Much to Princess Freyda's consternation, she discovered the Champion was staying in a large tent in the center of the palace courtyard, and despite her many invitations to join her in her room once the sun set, he respectfully declined, pleading official business.
Late one afternoon over the evening meal, which the Champion was sharing with the Royal Family and their retainers, a page appeared and whispered into King Saul's ear.
The red-bearded man nodded his head and dismissed the page, then smiled broadly at the Champion.
"Three delegations have arrived at the front gate, all appearing within an hour of each other. It's the diplomatic parties from Southron, Hyrkania, and Njord. I've given instructions for them to assemble in the main audience chamber."
The Champion nodded, setting aside his fork and trying not to notice the plaintive, desperate look Freyda was giving him from across the table.
Queen Iola waved for the servants to remove the plates, and the party departed the dining chamber for the royal audience chamber.
The mummer of conversation from the large group in the center of the chamber suddenly ceased as the Champion and the Royal family swept into the room.
The crowd was primarily made up of young women, all of breath-taking beauty, with several pages and servants mixed in.
King Saul clapped his hands gleefully.
"Now they have come, my Lord, as you sent for them. The finest courtesans from the lands of the North, the South, the East,and the West."
With every eye on the room fixed on him, the Champion stopped before the dias on which King Saul's throne was. The royal family took up positions along the side of the dias, letting the Champion handle the affair.
Regarding the audience before him, the Champion raised a hand in greeting. He was wearing simple breeches and a white cotton shirt, for he had spent the day prowling the wharves inspecting the naval ships.
"Greetings, and welcome to the royal palace of Brythunia. King Saul shall be the perfect host, and is delighted to have so many important guests under his roof."
The monarch roared in approval and raised a goblet handed to him by a page. "After the meeting is over, there will be tables of food in the courtyard, as well as tents for all our guests. I regret we have no rooms, for the city is swarming with troops in preparation for the coming invasion."
The Champion then continued. "I thank all of you for coming on such short notice. My message was urgent, and the need is great. Your kings are to be commended for responding so quickly. And now, would you please introduce yourselves?"
Seven gorgeous golden skinned women came to stop before him, all with long, flowing raven-black hair, golden bronzed skin, and the almond shaped eyes distinctive to the race of the Far East.
They all wore gauzy blue see-through robes, beneath which very little was hidden. The Champion recognized it as the traditional dress of Hunang Province's courtesans of the highest rank, girls trained from the age of 13 in the arts of pleasing men.
One of them stepped forward and gave a deep bow of respect to him.
"My Lord, I am Sung Hi, sent to you along with my sister Geishas from the Kingdom of Hyrkania, with the express thanks of my King, Geno Sudo."
One by one the women came and stood before him, telling him their names.
"Jade."
"Mariko."
"Dawn."
"Jiki."
"Kumiko."
"Rikichi."
Now seven pale women came before the Champion. Unlike the golden brown girls of these East, these women had alabaster skin that had rarely, if ever, seen the sun. Their hair were long, flowing manes of spun gold, and all were dressed in the maiden armor of the Njord; silver and gold painted steel that formed breastplates, helmets and shields.
The tallest, a breath-takingly beautiful girl with ice-blue eyes and bosom that swelled majestically within the confines of her breastplate, came and stood before him.
"Great Champion, long have you stood with the Peoples of the Snow against their enemies, and now at your call our Great King, Jarod the Warhammer, has sent us to you. My name is Gretta, chief among the Valkyrie warrior-girls."
Again, the girls stepped forward one by one to tell him their names.
"Brigga."
"Brunhilda."
"Asta."
"Danilda."
"Frigga."
"Hulda."
Then came seven dark women, 4 of them jet black of skin, three lighter colored but still very dusky. They wore the wild animal skins of the great cats of the Southern Region, along with feathered headdresses and they carried spears.
A magnificently proportioned girl stepped forward regally, dropping to one knee and inclining her head.
"O Great White Brother of the Skies, long has your name been spoken around the fires of my people, and we remember you still as the Great Warrior that turned back the Picti and the Witches of Nin when they threatened to enslave us. Our Chief Brother, King Shaka, picked us from his finest women to send to you, for he knows you shall use us well. I am Yana, his own daughter."
"Ceba."
"Uhura."
"Verda."
"Isparana."
"Meeka."
"Zuzanna."