Roses of Barfunweltz

Penny the Mordant bore her monarch's sacred banner with all the dignity, solemnity and poise she could muster. Her arms ached under its weight as she struggled to keep it motionless while it fluttered proudly in the hot breeze of Aqshy, but she was utterly determined to perform her duty flawlessly. As the Bishop of Barfunweltz intoned the coronation liturgy, she allowed herself to indulge in a moment of self-reflection: how had such an honour befallen her? It was many years now since Penny Liedl had first discovered the Way of the Rose. It was not long after her beloved husband, a Corporal in the Glymswatch had mysteriously disappeared in Barfunweltz Cemetery . Widowed, impoverished and with twin hungry mouths to feed, Mrs Liedl's tortured soul had found solace in the Way of the Rose . Her children, Dieter and Anya had been less receptive; she briefly wondered what had become of them but her maternal recollections seemed the fade so quickly...  The Bishop finally fell silent a...