Swiss Arms 95 (Patreon)

Swiss Arms

Chapter 95

-VB-

Isabella von Fluelaberg

As their convoy made its way out of Chur, Isballea considered the events that unfolded here over the course of two months. She had thought that she could use this opportunity to show Hans just how useful she was. That she could be more than an administrator or just a steward for him. 

Unfortunately, the matters of the priesthood was something the priests loved to keep women out unless the women in question were nuns. It took time for her to get a feel for each priest and spark up conversation with them over who they might be voting for and for what reason. She carefully constructed a network of priests who seemed to like her enough to tell her what was going on internally within the election…

And then her husband came around and convinced so many priests to do his bidding in the same period of time she took to set up a rudimentary network. And then wined, dined, and gifted the priests until they were singing his praises and voting for whoever he wanted. 

She was able to give him some advice and information that he didn’t manage to catch, but in the end, her participation in selecting a bishop favorable to the Compact had been minimal.

And it made her feel useless.

The help she provided were efforts that Hans could have bulldozed over or swayed people with his speeches and gifts so that things would go his way. Even though she had a head start in negotiations and networking, she found herself left wanting. 

It didn’t matter that the priests liked her more than Hans now. At the end of the day, what mattered was results like her dad always taught her brothers, and she didn’t even get close to the results she wanted.

Administration and stewardship were things that could be fixed. The election of the Prince-Bishop of Chur, on the other hand, was potentially once in a lifetime event. Yes, there will be other elections, selections, and whatever else but this was the one event that was close to the Compact’s “infancy,” as it were, and would have the biggest impact out of them all! What use was influencing the Prince-Bishop of Augsburg going to do twenty years from now? 

“What’s wrong?”

She looked up and looked at her husband’s worried look. He sat with his back to the front of the carriage while she faced the front. 

“... I feel I haven’t done enough to help you during our stay at Chur, husband,” she replied as she looked away. 

“Huh?”

Blinking in surprise at his surprise, she looked back up and saw Hans giving her a quizzical look. Well, quizzical would be an understatement because he looked shocked at what she said. 

“I wasn’t of any significant help,” she told him. “I told you a little bit about the priests and where they were, but by the time I was able to hold friendly conversation with the priests in general, you were already persuading them to vote for the Prince-Bishop.” Then she sighed. “On top of that, you knew who to talk to. You kept finding people who you could use to further your - our - interest, and all I did was set up the table.”

“Honey, you know that isn’t true,” he began but she glared at him, telling him to stop talking but he didn’t. “Some of the priests and monks I’ve talked to were fine with approaching me because they met with you first. So your efforts were not wasted or insignificant. Do you remember the Abbot of Wessobrunn Abbey? According to the Abbot, you said how the Compact - and specifically I - will most likely help him with some of the reconstruction of the abbey’s still untouched ruins if he were to just talk to me. I’d been trying to talk to him for almost a week at the point but he never responded. He only came to talk to me after he talked with you.”

“He… he said that?” she asked, feeling a little better.

“Yes. Sure, it still cost me a pretty penny to pay him off, as it were, to ensure his support, because monasteries are no small expenditure, but I wouldn’t have been able to convince him to see me for at least another week. You helped reduce my workload. So thank you and don’t talk yourself down.”

She stared at him a little bit more as she felt her eyes watering a little before turning away with a half-hearted huff. 

“Thank you, too,” she muttered. 

“You’re welcome,” he chuckled. 

---

The thanks did not extend to their training. 

Because it would be seen as unsightly in front of so many priests, many of whom would disapprove, Isabella hadn’t been able to continue her sword training for some time. 

So when she got back into it, Hans had been understanding … and thus proclaimed that they would need to put twice as much effort into their training as before. 

But also because she was pregnant, he wasn’t alright with her getting hit with a sword, wooden or not, and thus her main training was …

“God help me…!” she hissed as she dragged herself forward with a small backpack and a longsword.

Yes, Hans was making her walk alongside the caravan. 

“God can’t save you here, honey,” her husband taunted from next to her, carrying thrice her load along with all of his armor, the giant slab of steel he called a sword, and the thick bear cape. “Not when you asked this yourself.”

“I … did not … ask to carry … all of our food…!” 

“Honey, you’re only carrying the blankets. I’m carrying all of our food,” he chuckled as did some of the rangers and soldiers behind them. She didn’t have the energy to throw a glare at the commoners. Instead, she trudged forward, begging for the next open field to be their resting spot.

She’d rather be swinging her sword!