Roy LeRoy

 

Roy LeRoy  (Roy Roy)

Born a child of the children of refugees to the Refuge, Roy was raised on a steady diet of tales from his Grandfather, one of the refugees.  His grandfather never talked about the wars that lead him and the rest to the Refuge, but instead talked about the times before when the Seven Kingdoms were at their height.  He heard about knights and Tournaments and he heard about Princesses and Dragons and great Sorcerers.  But it was the story that his grandfather told him about the time well before those glorious times, when the LeRoys were Kings and Royalty in the distant past, in the time before Unity.  Grandfather only mentioned it a few times when Grandmother was asleep, but he longed to hear more of those times.  He told him that he was to keep this knowledge to himself because it was a family secret, one that even his Grandmother did not know, nor his own mother; It was a secret for the Men of the LeRoy to know about.  When he talked about it, he often ended with why they were no-longer kings and when he discussed it, he would say it was because the LeRoys had thought they were better than the others and they stopped paying attention to the people.  He took me by the shoulders and looked me in the eyes and told me to never take people for granted and to look out for them as your family.  It was a few years before I knew what that meant.

I would go into the woods and give the animals in the trees pep talks and walk around like a king or a general encouraging the stumps and the logs, the trees, and the birds to do better, keep a sturdy footing before the battle and to be ready for anything.  Years later I would remember those days and those speeches and try to encourage my fellows the best I could giving speeches to people before sporting matches.  I never told them things that they did not know already, but me telling them seemed to make them do better anyways.  Grandfather said it was the Gift granted to the LeRoys from before they were kings, our special mark.  Amongst my friends I was never the smartest or the charismatic, but I was well liked.  I listened to what people thought and chose strategies that seemed the best for the time based on general agreement.  Grandfather said that that was our downfall, we thought we knew best and that we knew everything; no one does, so listen to your advisors and when you see a lot of heads nod, make that advice your own. 

Just before he died, Grandfather came to me and told me that He was proud of me, I was a true heir of the LeRoy name.  He said the Secret of Leadership was not being right or having the best ideas but being the one to make people see what you say as being the right thing to do; to inspire people to see my words as the right thing to do.  I remember these words as my inheritance from him and as a tacit promise to do right by him and his teachings.  I was 15.

Over the next few years, the obligations to family and society came first.  I trained hard to learn the tasks that my father set before me as an entertainer, working as the entertainer in our family establishment.  My mother was a fabulous chef and despite having little in the way of variety and herbs and spices, she was able to provide a welcome repast and my father was able to provide entertainment for the town and a place to meet and talk.  There was little in our town that provided that and there was a need to let out steam for most people before curfew.  When I was 18, I married Natasha, the daughter of one of the local farmers, and she moved to our house, her dowry of a milking cow and three goats was a needed boost to my parent’s business, the additional hand helped my mother.  18 saw me accepted into the local militia too, a step that meant in more than one way I was a man.  

My ability to command was noticed by the aides of Commander Hightower and I was sent to join the Drop Guard, a prestigious step for a young militiaman.  The addition of a small wage allowed me to send real support for my wife and children, Rose, Willow and Benjamin (named for my Grandfather).  I took My Grandfather’s old chainmail and weapons a great axe and a glaive with me with my father’s blessing; he never liked them in the house anyway.  When Lord Hightower asked for volunteers, I put my name forward because I knew that any mission for the Lord would have a dire importance for the future life of my children.  My wages are sent to my family after my personal upkeep is seen to.  I was happy to see people I knew when I joined the Guard, I was pleased to see my friends in the guard already, we had gone our own paths when we came of age and it was good to reconnect.  I hope that one day they can see me as more than the one that stayed at home.