Amondo Malla was lucky in most things but alas when it came to sisters his was nearly non-existent the only exception being when it came to his twin sister Lilou, especially when he was as far away from her as possible.
She was born a few minutes before him in the summer of 944IC and never let him forget it she had married a knight called by the name of Marko Antila a month before the death of there father Acemon Malla.
He was the son of an imperial tax collector and at the time of the marriage, he had been in the service of Sir Jesly Bove the steward of the nearby imperial fiefs of Sperberie and Chenrode. Since then he had replaced him in the role after he had been killed in a duel over a matter of honour involving the daughter of the other party to the duel.
They had two daughters Olga aged eleven and Vida aged seven, both of them healthy and expected to reach adulthood. She and her daughters had been visiting for the last week in anticipation of the coming birth and no doubt Omondos return as well.
The Twins mother Medrine had married Acemon after his first wife Shel had died whilst given birth to a stillborn son in the winter of 940IC. Shortly after the birth of the twins she had fallen ill from an unusual and uncommon disease which caused her to go blind in her left eye and be unable to speak or walk for long periods. When she had got worse she was sent to be looked after by an order of nuns in the service of Matitas at their abbey in the Barony of Ryche. Two years later she had died after taking a bad batch of a new medical remedy and Acemon had married for a third time some years later.
Dako who was born in the Fall of 957IC and Caro who was born in the Summer of 958IC as well as their elder sister Zeinab who was born in the Summer of 954IC where the children of Acemon’s third wife Kelbelle Prehict who was the daughter of Lord Dard Prehict of Nagitpur in my maternal uncle’s county of Presbur.
Zeinab had married a knight by the name of Borys Knapt four years ago. He was the eldest son of Lord Kilgore Knapt of Urchola in the County of Neudon. They had one son called Vasily who was three, the family had arrived for a visit a month ago and Zeinab and her son had stayed behind when Borys had returned home a week ago so they would be there for the birth.
The two older sisters of Amondo Daphne and Rhea were the daughters of his father and his first wife Shel Lomet, the sister of Yousef Lomet the Baron of Estrip.
Daphne who had been born in the Spring of 935 IC was the eldest child of Acemon Malla and had married Stoyan Talesh the nephew and heir of Vahid Baku, the Baron of Ryche and the son of Atlan Talesh the Lord of Tilebawn in the same Barony.
They had two daughters Jasmine aged 15 and Hala aged 14 and a son Vasil aged 20. Vasil had married Laurel Rachen a cousin of Isaac Zayat, the Count of Neudon and also of the late Berenice Zayat, Leonid’s first wife. Daphne and her two daughters had arrived for the birth the day before Amondo.
Rhea who had been born the winter of 939IC was a year younger than Leonid had been. She had been married twice, her first husband had been Asen Peych the eldest son of Harl Peych the Lord of Shanaky in the Barony of Dagleana, yes the one now ruled by Eugene Haas. They had one son called Levan before Asen had been killed by a wild boar when out hunting one day.
She had remained a widow for just over a year before she married her second and current husband Goran Ceanus. He was the son of Sir Keith Ceanus, Lord of Teynal in the Barony of Henick. They had a two-year-old daughter called Maia who had stayed at home when her mother visited Membe for the birth.
Also visiting for the birth were Amondo paternal cousins Adrienna Darc and her daughter Theia plus Nazma’s mother Yasmine and two of her three sisters Saima and Hayma. Also, present where her sister in law Sallie the daughter of a successful merchant in Camburgh who was married to Nazmas older brother Quinias.
After leaving the bed-chamber of his sister in law Amondo went to the castles great hall where he joined those of his relatives currently staying at the castle and a number of his brother’s senior retainers for a get-together. The reasons for it were twofold, firstly to allow him to catch up with everyone else and to hear what they thought about the current situation both in the barony and the wilder world.
After talking to his various relatives for over an hour about the state of the barony and a number of other subjects he wandered over to the raised dais at the top of the hall where the high table was usually located to make an announcement. His brothers Herald was already waiting for him and when he arrived the Herald announced that he wished to speak to them.
“Ladies, gentlemen and others I present to you, Sir Amondo Malla.”
“Thank you, Hieron for your introduction on behalf of myself and my late brother’s widow Nazma I wish to welcome you all here for the birth of her firstborn and I am sure that like me you have all been praying to the gods and Motitas in particular that she may safely deliver on to us an heir to my late brothers Barony.
Be assured that no matter the outcome of the birth I will faithfully carry out the wishes of my brother Leonid as outlined in his last will and testament. Things, as they tend to do so, may change but I promise you here and now that I will do my utmost to ensure that they only do so for the better. Not just for those gathered together here today but for all those living in the Barony.
We may have lost a large part of the Barony’s land and it’s people but believe me when I said that we will not lose any more and in time I believe that without doubt, we will regain all that we have lost if not more besides. And when that time comes my esteemed cousin will regret even contemplating his move against us. Have faith that all this will come to pass and with hard work, dedication and although I am loathed to say it a little bit of luck we will come out of this stronger than ever.
Do not lose heart keep on with whatever you would normally be about and be prepared to do your duty if called on to do so. That is all I have to say at the moment I am sure I will be speaking with most of you in the days to come until then goodbye.”
His speech was well received and some people even clamped, he again mingled with the other attendees for another half an hour or so before heading back to the training yard to join the other knights practising their craft.
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