The records of that evening’s circumstance all track back to Rolly’s library. Ectron’s ledgers, though they closely corroborate the events following, make no mention of Rolly’s part in the affair, nor do those of his sons. However, only such a heroic expression of chivalry could warrant the King’s affection hereafter, so we may rest, for the lack of a counter argument, the facts stated as true.
Both beauties, Rolly’s sisters earned the attention their due, and in tandem with their new friends, their guards kept a key eye on their dance partners, and if one appeared slightly below their station they sent another to relieve her.
Close in age and alone in their elevated station in the Black Pass, the sisters grew together as each others’ only close companion and friend. Such constant acquaintance drew out similar tendencies, so that, while not identical, the two shared mannerisms, and preferred the same styles of dress and comportment. In fact, since they sewed their clothes from the same cloth, and used the same patterns and styles, and wore their hair in the same fashion, they seemed almost interchangeable with the exception that Phete wore a purple ribbon and trim and Ani had green in the same places.
Their personalities to this point in their lives had coincided with their like interests and agreement on almost everything, yet her brother knew that Phete had a more practical bent while Ani had a quicker mouth and wit that served to save the space of air while Phete contemplated the best reply to solve the problem that Ani’s rashness had incurred. Due to their seclusion, this situation had only played out in interaction with their parents, until an uproar broke out across the floor, and Rolly saw Ani run towards the scene with an expression of concern. His sense of duty split the crowd in two around him, until he broke into the circle and found his sister Phete standing with a shocked and confused expression between two men, one of which had a sword pointed towards the other on the floor.
He had approached behind the aggressor, but at a subtle angle enough to insert himself between his sister and the sword-bearer.
“What, another one?” the aggressor said, staring past Rolly at Phete.
“You are suggesting an insult to my sister’s honor?” Rolly answered.
“I apologize to you both,” the man said sincerely, “However, she was duped by my malicious brother who out of sheer jealously must use every means to obtain everything I find dear,” with this, he turned to the man on the floor.
“You lie, we have been dancing together all night long.”
“You use our similar appearance to trick this fair lady into your trap!” said the other, and as he lunged at the man on the floor, some untested courage and slight of hand motivated Rolly to risk his own life for this poor fellow. Perhaps he actually had the insight he would later lay claim to, but most likely the compassion of a rural boy raised in comfortable circumstances, a rural boy with a soft heart steeled himself and with one swift move, he kicked the weapon from the man’s hand. It fell at Ani’s feet. She had finally finessed herself to the front of the crowd and spoke now to clear the confusion.
“He had been dancing with me,” she called out, perhaps too loudly to shush the crowd. “You were dancing with my sister Phete. We were separated during the last turn around and…”
“And I grabbed her instead because they looked the same from behind but I promise I meant nothing malicious about it, I would rather dance with the girl I have come to know,” said the man on the floor.
“I stand corrected and apologize for my rashness,” said the former aggressor extending a hand to help his brother up, “Who are we to suppose ourselves the only twins in this kingdom.”
Rolly, who had guessed at the identity of the brothers by now, if not by the presence of the royal guards at the ready, gave a forbidding stare to Ani who had opened her mouth to correct the assumption.
Eno, who had been the aggressor, graciously extended his thanks to Rolly for clearing up the confusion. Lew, an inch taller than his brother and none the worse for his time on the floor, quickly asked Rolly’s permission to dance with Ani again. Eno followed suit for Phete’s hand. A royal guardsman then called for the music to resume and, with the girls now in good hands, Rolly found himself with no lack of hopeful doe eyes upon him, waiting for his favor to ask their hands.
When the horns sounded to signal the closing of the castle gate, the princes brought Phete and Ani up to where Rolly and Thenen waited and gave them each a card with a familiar stamp upon it, with which, they explained, they could use to gain entrance to the tournament grounds the next day.
The girls swooned the whole way home, though neither seemed aware of the identities of their suitors until the next day after they presented their cards for entrance to the tournament. Upon sight of the card, the guard turned very deferential, and called a footman to guide the party to their seats. Rolly, who kept his suspicions to himself in fear of elevating hopes beyond the scope of possibility, could hear them whispering in escalating tones about how close the footman led them to the royal box, and only when they discerned their suitors flanking the King and Queen did Ani let out a squeel that only Rolly and the wild animals in the ring could hear.
While the girls took their places at the sides of their respective suitors, the King approached Rolly, shook his hand warmly, and bid him to tell the story of how he had spared his hot-headed boys from making a dreadful mistake.
Though Rolly’s ledgers claim to preserve the interview verbatim, scholars dispute the testimony as transcribed thirty years from the date it took place due to the inconsistencies between the laudatory account of Rolly’s bravado in his own words, and the impression left on Ectron as demonstrated in his own ledgers. Ectron complimented Rolly’s sense of duty, even temperament and aura of authority that commanded attention and respect without a hint of entitlement to that position. Contrary to the station of his sons, Rolly had earned the weight of his words, and the King found him a welcome companion and fascinating conversationalist due to his respectful comportment that exchanged none of his own pride in appreciation to the king.
Rolly, in his more humble personal journals, few of which have survived, hinted that his comfort in the company of the king had more to do with distraction. He had longed to witness a royal tournament, and now finally among the best seats in the stadium in which to enjoy the games, had to divide his attention between the spectacle at play, and the King chatting away the afternoon as if an empty field lay before them and not exotic animals, brave men of arms risking their lives, and amusing fools eliciting giggles all around them. This opinion exposes the taint of royal ennui of which Rolly too, would become victim. He no doubt felt exhilarated in the presence of the king, and in the daze of so much stimulation, handled himself well enough to earn high regard.
The group spent the rest of the fair at court, the sisters on the arms of their suitors, Thenen and Rolly privileged to all the entertainments available. Their host and hostess too were offered preferential place in the arena but declined such frivolities as the amusements of the younger set. Rolly found himself catching coy glances from the many lovely ladies of the court, all curious to learn more about the stranger held in such esteem by the King, but kept himself aloof and mysterious. The purpose of his presence at the fair had produced a better result than he could have ever anticipated, and he feared jeopardizing his sister’s chances by his own actions. Thenen too executed his role professionally. While maintaining his station as Rolly’s equal, he gave the impression that he served as the chaperone’s guide, a knowledgeable and astute companion and assistant, actually at times more affable when Rolly acted aloof, and quick to defend his friend when Rolly was caught ignorant of some court custom or another. Situated north of the Black Pass, Thenen was more familiar with the history, trends and habits of the kingdom’s seat, while Rollly offered a wider view of the commerce of the kingdom as a whole, which made him seem worldly to those who lived out their entire existence cloistered within the castle walls.
On the final night, after the prize Knights were granted their glory in the ring and as the fairgrounds descended into debauchery below (even the blacksmith warned against attending the fairgrounds on the final night) the party of valley youths were granted to attended the grand banquet and ball in the castle keep. The Queen had requested the Pete and Ani’s presence early in the day for measurements, insisting that her seamstresses adorn the girls with new frocks suitable for such a ball. Thenen and Rolly too, were to be given the proper vestments, and they were asked to return directly at the tournament’s end for fittings.
At their arrival, each where shuttled into separate chambers. Rolly admired the tapestries and plush furniture of his room for the first half hour and then fell into boredom. Eventually a servant came and dropped by some clothes. Rolly took that as a cue and dressed. More time elapsed. Then another person appeared, a man of middle age, tall and stately, definitely not a servant. He bid Rolly follow him down the hall to another chamber, in which, to his surprise, Rolly found his father sitting with the King. His father was perched on the end of his chair, his legs wide and one arm propped on his knee as if he needed it for support. The King looked relieved to see Rolly, and bid him to join them. His father’s face clouded when Rolly entered, but as his son took his place beside him, and for the remainder of the conversation, he did not turn his head to look at him but remained in his strange stance.
“Let us drink to this day,” said this king. raising one of the three cups a servant had brought. “Rolly, son, I have just informed your father that Eno and Lew are preparing to ask for Phete and Ani’s hands at the ball this evening, and I am pleased to welcome you to the family.”
Rolly watched as his father awkwardly pretended to sip his wine, cleared his throat and responded, “And we are…so grateful…your highness…for your hospitality and your choice of…us, Phete and Ani have always been good girls, you will find them good wives.”
“And your son,” Ectron said, “will be a valuable contribution to court. I would like to offer him an appointment.”
His father had already started shaking his head. “With the greatest respect sir,” he said with his eyes fixed at the base of the candle between him and the king. “My son is indispensable to me. I could not continue to serve you as a proper toll collector without him. He is essential to the commerce of the Black Pass….My son does not know this but my health has been failing for a number of years. I need him for my eyes, my ears, and my legs. You would be crippling me if you took my son.”
A frown of disappointment fell over the face of the king. “I am sorry to learn that. You both provide a valuable service. The Black Pass is a very strategic region of my kingdom,” he paused and his face cleared, “and I am glad that it is in such good hands.” Here he smiled at Rolly.