Into Town

I learned my fleet needed to be even larger than I had expected. The village where my new estate lies is not only a day’s carriage ride to the Pacific Ocean, but it is also situated on a large freshwater lake ("The Sweet Sea") that runs more than 100 miles long, and eventually connects to the Caribbean Sea. Evidently this makes my kingdom vulnerable to pirates, which has made me even more distrustful of the majordomo who at times likes to don an eye patch and a cape.

To get a better of lay of the land, one morning shortly after my arrival I beckoned some members of my court to take me into the quaint and colorful town. Though I fought against the idea, they strapped me into a harness so as to blend in with the village people and not to arouse suspicion. We were quite a motley bunch, and if it had not been for our pathetic attempt at disguise, I would have traveled about in a stately carriage and in proper dress.

Immediately I was struck with the number of churches around town which contradicted my previous notion that I was reigning a land of pagans. Here in the photo above I am standing outside the nunnery (in my shameful bondage) with the jester, the maiden, the lady-in-waiting (who did not last long under my employment) and the master of the hunt. Of course the Abbess of the convent refused to attend to us, most likely because of my harness and the horrid dress of my party. This unfortunate event reminds me that I must look into the state of capital punishment here in this land because I will have her head the next time she denies me. I did, however, address the matter with the Bishop who implored me not to be mindful of the Abbess who is a miserable cat-loving hag.