Her aura was the color of death

As the princess rides toward the fray:

Two who rode with her stood out. Of all [those from her ancestral land] present, K. was not a warmaiden, though she was present with all the ferocity of ten warriors. She made no effort to conceal who and what she was. Whenever Č. glimpsed her indirectly a white glow seemed to surround the ancient [sorceress]. K’s aura was the color of death and the princess was glad that K. was on her side.

The second unusual fighter present was there by the deliberate concession of [Duke V.]. H. of U., the eldest hostage, having sworn allegiance to Č., was allowed to fight for her. The others remained in T. amid great protestation. H. wore a tunic of green and red, divided vertically with a wavy line. Over all were two golden otters. Like the princess, he was cadenced by golden flaunches to show he was the third child of [Baron] B., the late Marshall of F.. The tunic had been made by his mother’s ladies in waiting and sent to him with her blessing a few years ago. Č. thought he looked a few inches taller wearing the arms of his family and riding into freedom after four long years.

Not much by way of news or commentary from me today. Work was very busy and I have been very tired of late. Took a one-and-a-half-hour nap shortly after getting home this evening and about to crash now.

For the heraldically literate among you, the heraldry of this parallel world varies from ours. Brisures of cadency are different (though men and women are not distinguished). This is why flaunches are for the third-born, unlike the mullet for males in English heraldry or the snowflake for females in Canadian heraldry.

Being the third-born is, coincidentally, an outward visible sign of a rapport between the princess and H., a rapport born of shared sorrows. I did not plan this as their birth order was established in the genealogies long before this scene was written. I love the surprises that emerge.

Sweet dreams, my herbivorous urchins.

--the BB