Hawks Keep

Epilogue


I stood next to the now burnt out pyre of my father, the Baron of Hawks’ Keep sworn knight to the King of Wynsha, and fierce warrior in all the wars that our king so casually declared. Now he was little more than a pile of ash and logs. Nothing more than any of the other men, noble or common, that had lost their lives to stupid war. I shook my head at him for the fifth time in so many days. Our fief was in a very poor condition. We were on the verge of starving everyone in the barony. Now I was going to have to take drastic measures to even keep our subjects alive.

“Father,” I told the ashes, “I am not going to let this continue. I will not abide watching them all starve to death. I know that you planned on leaving me with a fine husband to take care of this land but I have no husband and you have not bothered to teach me a thing that would be useful at this point. I know that when mother died you threw yourself into the service of your king, but I was not dead Father. Now I am left with a rotting barony and a conscience to settle.

“I hope you don’t hate me for doing something to make this right. I know there is no way to manage this without disappointing you some. Oh well, you’re dead and I’ll fix your mistakes even if I come to meet you in death for trying.”

I was hashing out my ideas as I stood there lecturing my father’s bones. Finally, all the pieces of planning managed to fall into place as turned from him to the holding wall at my back.

I had the servants call for the town’s scribe. While he was sent for, I went to my room to take off my fine silk dress. To make this work all such things had to be set aside. I smoothed my soft cotton under-dress and made my way to the Baron’s office where the old, far too thin scribe, was waiting for me.

“Hello Calleb,” I greeted him. Calleb had been good to me when I had been a little girl and I had loved to play with his son, but like so many, his son had died from a lack of food while we ate to our heart’s delight here in the hold.

“M’Lady,” he greeted me deep sorrow still bending his shoulders.

“Calleb things must change here.”

He nodded.

“I am going to need you to scribe for me significantly for quite some time. I promise to pay for each word.”

He nodded again.

“I will take care of your family’s meals since I know they are hungry.”

“My Lady, you don’t have to…” he began.

“Calleb,” I looked at him seriously, “Kevlin never should have died and I take it upon myself to guarantee that none of us looses another friend to hunger while I am the guardian of this place.”

The old scribe nodded with tears in his eyes at the mention of his son’s name, “Anything your Ladyship needs.” He whispered.

“Calleb, you’ve known me since I was weaned, please, we have bigger things to worry over these days, drop the titles and call me Cadence.”

He nodded.

“Alright, now to business,” I sat in my father’s chair, still discomfited by the weight of the office which had been laid on my shoulders. “We are going to first change a few points on the tax law and I need these posted across the barony.”

His eyebrows raised as he picked up his pen, but still he said nothing.

“First, taxes from the barony shall only be paid on excess and shall be waived completely for all the are hungry or without housing.”

“Cadence!” he gasped having stopped writing after the second phrase.

“It’s alright. I have more.” I waited for him to finish writing what I had just dictated before I continued, “Secondly, every family is entitled to a man’s weight in meat from the forest every month, to be taken by their own hand. This must be taxed and a tenth portion brought to the baronial or mayoral offices to be redistributed to all unable to hunt…”

“Your Ladyship!” He interrupted again almost rising to his feet in shock.

“Calleb. Are people starving?”

He nodded.

“Are there too many animals in the forest and no predators to keep the population in check?”

He nodded again and prepared to write on, but still looking a little wild about the eyes.

“Thirdly, Taxes may be substituted for labor or goods of equivalence, but no tax shall be more than a tenth of a person’s time or product.

“Lastly, baronial taxes shall be taken on a per household basis and not dependent on individuals. Any household needs such as shelter, food, or transportation as well as excesses shall be reported to the baronial offices that such needs may be met as such supplies or services become available.”

Calleb finished writing, “Beggin’ your pardon, I think you will bankrupt the barony with this plan.”

I smiled sadly, “Will we have any less money when all the fief dies of hunger and overwhelming taxes?”

He nodded with understanding and milling thoughts as he tried to work out which one would take less time as I had.

“I’ll send for food and you just work. I’ll check on you and when you are done with the postings I have more for you to write.”

He nodded and set to work. I left and went down to meet with the cook for more than just breakfast. She was up to her ears in the first meal of many that I had instructed her to make.

“How are things going Franchi?”

She laughed over the pot of mash she was stirring, “Reminds me of the good old days when I was feeding the army.”

I was glad of her good nature and her knowledge; I frankly had no idea about how to manage on my own in a kitchen.

“Can I get a tray for Calleb?” I called over the din.

She spooned out a bowl of mash, cut him a piece of bread, and found him a few slices of ham. I thanked her and remembered to ask as I found my way out, “Estimated time to finish?”

She smiled in triumph, “Soon as you drop that off, you go get them boys.”

I nodded and went back to Calleb.

He had finished a pair of the notices when I arrived. I traded them for the food and went to find the pack of young men that my guard had rounded up. I could not help but be amused as I watched their restlessness at having to wait for me in the courtyard. Not that their anxiety was their fault, we had just ended a long war and they were worried that I was about to begin anew.

“Alright, young men!” I called as I stepped into the light, “We begin a large undertaking today.” That did little to comfort them, “Who is the fastest among you?”

A tall boy in the back with flaming red hair raised his hand as he tried to come forward.

“Your name?” I asked.

“Terrin ma’am,” he replied even though we were about the same age.

“Alright Terrin, I need you to post these in the town square and as fast as you can, call everyone there.”

He nodded, taking the last few steps to retrieve the scrolls from my hand.

“Everyone else, to the kitchen, I need help with transport.”

The boys seemed to calm, but not quiet as we got closer to the good smells of Franchi’s cooking.

“Alright Franchi! Here is your troop.”

She smiled to me and then turned on them, green eyes snapping, “Now, I’ll have none of you dippin’ fingers in, lickin’ the sides, or thievin’ for yourselves. All yall’ll get fed in good time. An’ if I catch any of you misbehavin’ then you’ll be scrubbing the latrines for a week.”

I tried not to smile as this soft woman brought out her tougher side.

She got the boys in order and filled their arms with the makings of an army’s breakfast.

“Now march to the town square and no dilly dallying!”

I took a deep breath and followed her up the stairs behind the line of salivating boys.

“No, worries lady,” she said putting a solid hand on my slight shoulder, “You’re doin’ a great thing and this’ll save our people.”

“I hope so,” I replied, “I sure hope so.”



Chapter One- The beginning of all great things

I sighed and rubbed my face, determined to make myself get out of bed. I had to make sure that breakfast was done and got it delivered to the square on time. I slipped my only dress on and brushed at the dark and the thin spots on the front. The soft cotton was looking almost as worse for wear as my blankets were. But we had gotten the first payment of coin taxes in the day before. It was good to see that the people were making the prayed for slow recovery with the work of the last five years.

I met with Terrin in the courtyard, now eighteen, his lanky frame had filled out with daily meals until he was one of the largest men in the village and easily a foot taller than me.

Everyday, fewer people came to eat at the town square. Not like five years ago when every member of the town had gathered for each meal. To my glee, now we only fed about twenty. Most of whom were fatherless and widows.

As we walked next to the horse cart, between the pristinely repaired homes and down the clean streets, I got up the courage to ask something of Terrin, “Do you think we might move meals to the keep?”

He smiled at me, “Cady you are our Lady here and you can do whatever you want. We will agree because you suggested it.”

I smiled back, “What I was asking was do you think it would be a hardship on anyone?”

“I am pretty sure that our people don’t have any idea what a hardship is these days.”

I shook my head at his teasing, “I think that was the point.” I patted the nice old bay as he pulled the cart along.

“I heard that you got gold crowns for taxes in yesterday from the coast,” Terrin tried to make conversation with me to cover my silence.

“Yes!” I exulted, “It was far more exciting to me than I would have thought.”

“So, what’s the plan at this point?” He pulled the gelding to a stop in the square and began unloading breakfast.

“Don’t tell your father just yet, but I had the builders finish that building next to the church to be used as a school.”

He smiled in disgust with my big ideas, not that he did not approve, but he acted like he should have guessed, “You’ll have us all living like aristocracy if you keep this up,” he laughed.

I stopped putting my hands on my hips. “What exactly is wrong with that?”

He laughed and shook his head again, “What are we to learn?”

We dished out food to the now familiar faces of the poorest of our town.

“Reading, writing, arithmetic, and weapons,” I replied as I plopped a pile of hot mash onto a small boys plate.

Terrin stopped, “Weapons? What weapons?”

I shook my head as I handed a plate to a little girl in a fine pink dress. “I spoke to an old weapons master from Caley and he has promised to be here in a few months. He told me he would begin with the staff.”

“Cady why are you doing all this?”

I had asked myself that and gone over the answer so many times in the last few years and, there had been so many different answers. “I just can’t not,” I finally replied, which was the most honest thing I had been able to come to.

He chuckled.

Trumpets blared as we finished serving breakfast. My eyes snapped up to see a pair of the finest dressed courtiers arrive under the king’s family pennant. I sighed; these were not the kind of guests that I looked forward to having. I had many letters from the King demanding to know how I had managed to get all my peasants to pay their taxes, and after telling him, he would write again demanding the truth. So, now he had sent some one to see for themselves. I brushed my hands on my skirt and told Terrin to take the cart back up to the hold and have Calleb write another notice that meals would be moved to the keep in the morning.

I curtseyed for the riders who eyed me with disgust. “How may I help you today my Lords?”

The thin irritated man to my right responded, “You can get out of the way, we are sent to see Lady Cadence from the Hawks’ Keep hold.”

I smiled, “That would be me.” I replied.

He scowled again appraising my attire and my filthy state.

“I do not believe you,” he replied, nose in the air.

“Well, believe me or not, I am still the same person.” I turned and began to walk up to the hold while they sat there looking frustrated.

I had not managed to get far when they began to follow. An amused young man offered me his hand. “If you would be so kind as to allow me to help you up we will arrive at the keep much more quickly.”

I looked up into his mocking green eyes and sighed defeat. I nodded and while pulling my skirt up with one hand I offered him the other and climbed on behind him, swinging my leg over the horse’s rump.

He laughed, “You are more than a little uncommon, aren’t you. You don’t even ride like a lady.”

I pursed my lips and held onto his belt softly, “In days like these I have little time for such courtly niceties.”

He laughed again a merry rolling laugh and pushed his horse ahead towards my keep.

“I couldn’t help but notice the look of the barony. It appears that everyone is well fed and the buildings, even the out buildings, are in amazing condition,” he noted.

“Thank you that has been my goal.”

“How have you managed it?” he inquired as he swung down and offered me a hand.

“Tax credits,” I replied. “They do work for the barony instead of giving me money and we all do better.”

He looked as if he were trying to see through me, or tell if I was lying. I shrugged. He could believe me or not, it mattered little to me.

The other rode in, dismounted, and looked around for the grooms.

I shook my head, “We have no grooms at the present, we sent them all off when my father died, and you will have to curry them yourselves. I am sorry.” They looked appalled as I walked off to leave them to their work.

I ran to my rooms calling orders to the few servants left. I had Franchi begin making refreshments and I went up to my room to make the best of the way I looked. I sent the hold’s only page to Calleb to warn him that we might need all the edicts of the last five years as well as all the tax accountings prepared for our guests. As soon as I scrubbed down and pulled a brush through my now soaking hair I went down to meet with our guests again. The page, Drew, had led them to the only sitting room left in the hold. All other furnishings and pretty things had been sold to abutting nobility to pay for the taxes that could not be covered by the people without starving them. I took a deep breath and walked in to speak with our guests who were munching on the last of the summer fruit preserves from the year before. I curtseyed and sat down in my chair.

“Now, what brought you all the way from Caley to our little neck of the woods?” I smiled.

The tax official with the pinched face replied, “We have come to review the tax records and assure that all that which should have been paid to the King has been.”

I nodded and sent Drew for Calleb and his records.

He arrived shortly with a stack of books, each bound in exchange for taxes by the year. This impressed the sour man and he took Calleb aside to begin the painstaking review of all available records.

The young man with the sarcastic looks then spoke, “We also would like to review…”

I nodded, “The edicts I have written.” I went to pick up the other books that Calleb had left for me on the small table at the entry of the parlor. “Here they are in the order they were written.”

His eyebrows raised, “So many?”

“We had a lot of problems and I had to address them all as quickly as possible. I found that edicts managed to cover my bases.”

He laughed, “We are going to be here forever, aren’t we?”

I smiled, “No offense, but all these things I wrote to His Majesty, you will find everything just as I told him.”

He shrugged, “When the man speaks we have to listen, no matter what ridiculous things flow from his maw.”

I was surprised as the lack of respect he showed our sovereign and was sure that as much was apparent on my face.

He laughed again, picking up the pile of edicts, “You obviously haven’t had much opportunity to meet our king.”

I shook my head, “He never seemed like the kind of man one would want to spend time chatting with.”

The man smile, “That is an understatement, Father is dry and boring and selfish.”

“Father?” I asked, swallowing hard.

“Yes, but no worries, I am the youngest and by far worst mannered of all the children of our king and so I am here to read your edicts and enjoy your lush lifestyle before going back to the house of our royal boringness.”

I frowned, “We have no extravagant lifestyle here. You will find nothing lush about the keep. This is by far the finest room in it and this,” I continued touching my ragged dress, “Is my only dress. But enjoy your reading all the same; I have a meeting with the town counsel to gauge the needs of this and the other towns of the barony at the present time.”

I curtseyed again and left the appalled prince with copious amounts of reading ahead of him.



This barony was one of the strangest I had seen. Unlike the rest of the kingdom, all the homes and farms were in pristine condition as if the war had not touched their peace. I looked deeper hoping that the Lady of the hold had only fixed the facades and all was the same as in the rest of Wyrnsha. But looking only made me more uneasy.

Not only were all the houses in working order, but so were the outbuildings, and the roads. Even the peasantry was well clothed and plump. Everyone looked happy and pleased with life, much to my dismay, when we rode into the baronial keep city of Hawks’ Keep.

There in the middle of the immaculate square stood what must have been the only poorly dressed woman in the entire fief with a tall red haired man, and a shaggy cart horse feeding a few of the more properly dressed city folk. The royal scribe, whose company I had been enduring for the last few days, and whose name I hadn’t bothered to learn, spoke rudely to the woman who was surprisingly beautiful for all her unkempt looks. The defiance roused by his words brought a blush to her cheeks and a light to her eyes that made what had been nice looks become magnificent.

This was the Lady of the keep. Now more intrigued than ever, I watched only for a moment as she stormed away up the hill towards the hold, before offering her a ride. She looked up at me and I found myself lost deep in her brown eyes.

As she rode with me, I couldn’t help but feel the warmth of her pressed against my back. I tried to make casual conversation, but could not help smiling in irony. Father had sent me here to banish me from his court and thought this small place to be my best exile. He thought it the one place backward enough that none of my brothers would want it and I would be sufficiently humbled by being sent here that I would mind my manners at his palace. Yet, here in what he considered a backwater, was this woman who in moments became the most tempting, pleasurable puzzle that I had ever come across.

I thought foggily as I climbed down and offered her my hand and she demanded that I curry my own horse. Even in her anger, her scarlet hair and endless brown eyes called to me as if she were that part of myself that had been missing.

I curried Darkness carefully and sent him into an unused, albeit clean, stall. Father had set me a task that I must finish before I could seek out the woman and I was duty bound to obey him.

When she met us again in a shabby sitting room, she listened with unmasked irritation to the pinched scribe’s words and directed him about his work. To me she behaved in the same manner, but I hoped I was right to see she was a little more flustered, especially when I teased my father. The leather bound volumes she produced were appalling not only in their quality but in their quantity.

I had thought to spend a few days reading tedious edicts but this promised to take much longer than I had. At this point, I wished this Lady to never meet my brothers, no doubt she would interest them as well.

When she excused herself a second time, I could no more than watch her go. I asked the little page for help, not believing that this was the most comfortable room, once I had regained my composure.

“Can you take me to somewhere bright and comfortable where I can read these?” I motioned to the heap of edicts.

“Like our Lady said there are only two such places here in the hold, this room and Lady Cady’s balcony.”

I shook my head at a loss. This place was such a contradiction of luxury amongst the commoners and scarcity among the nobility. I had hundreds of questions for this Lady Cady already and I had not so much as looked at her edicts.

“Well,” I shrugged to the boy, “It seems that you should take me to Cady’s balcony, this place will not be enough.”

The boy nodded, uncertain whether or not he should listen to me, but he led on all the same. Even in the Lady’s own room, nothing seemed to be anything but common. Her bed was old, still sturdy, but nothing sufficient for the Lady of a Barony. I shook my head going to the balcony.

Now this was more like what I was used to, this was a place suitable for such a Lady. She could look out from her balcony across the expanse of her holdings, at least most of them. In the far distance, the ocean glimmered and a cool breeze brought with it the smells of the trees and cool mountains.

This might just be the finest place in the entire world.

I sat and began to read. I blinked after the first line and started over. She had revoked local taxation. She had sold all the holding’s goods and it appeared given everything she received for the care of her people. She had begun to feed them with the money from the sale of her own goods.

I kicked up my feet to think. This woman was not a thing like the selfish bubbleheads that I had flocked to court. What would bring a noble lady to give up all the things for her land? What had she gained by doing this? If she really had no tax revenue for years, how had she lived?

I pondered and found that with each edict I had more questions and fewer answers. I was broken from my reading and questions when she stormed at me one more time. Again, her beauty and poise startled me. How she might look in well cared for clothes. Father had sent me to prepare the barony and I decided then and there that she deserved some preparation as well. If only for my benefit.

“Come, sit with me, I have a million questions for you and I have not even gotten through the first year of your reign.” I asked her as soon as she appeared.



Chapter Two- Prince Preparations

The town counsel meeting was as encouraging as any I had been to since I had taken over running the barony. In Hawks’ Keep, there was a shed in need of repair and the blacksmith could use a new bellows. In Eagles’ Rest, the herd had produced eighty-five new lambs. The harbor city of Osprey was beginning to send tax money since the fishing fleet had been fully repaired and a fishing school set up for the fatherless and fearless. The other townships reported equally reasonable progress and all seemed to be going according to plan.

“Alright gentlemen, I am going to make you aware of the next step in our barony recovery plan. There have been school houses built in all corners of the barony and beginning with the first frost all children, and any adults that choose, will be attending school in which they will learn reading, writing, arithmetic, and weapons.”

“My Lady, all children will learn to wield a weapon?” Asked Terrin’s father Olaf.

“Yes, Olaf, all children. A war will kill our women as well as our men and I would rather not risk any of you to it.”

They nodded, pleased with the complement. The old men had seen far too much of war and were understanding of my worry.

“Will you send your children?”

They nodded, “Good, then we will continue to prosper as we have. Have a good day my friends I must hurry back to the keep to watch over his majesty’s men who have come to audit my work.”

This worried my counselors, “Do not fret,” I tried to comfort them, “I have kept the best of records, they will find no fault.”

Still, I fussed over it as I walked back up to the keep. Maybe I had missed something, or there was some law that I had overlooked and would be fined for it. I hoped not, we had so little else to give, at least I did.

I went up to my bower and found the door to the terrace open. There sat his Majesty with feet propped up and book open on his lap, enjoying my sunshine. I scowled, this was my place, and he had not asked. Not that he had to; I reminded myself he was a prince.

He turned and smiled as me as I walked out into the light, “Come, sit with me, I have a million questions for you and I have not even gotten through the first year of your reign.”

I pulled up a small stool and sat down.

“This says that you stopped taxing your people.”

“Well, not exactly, I just changed the amount of the tax and then made taxes of kind allowable.”

He scowled, “But I don’t see how that would work.”

I smiled sadly, “If the baker needs a new roof to keep working and the builder needs to pay his taxes then I assign the builder to put a new roof on for the baker and for every day he spends on the roof, he had paid his taxes for nine other days.” I replied, leaning back onto the sun-warmed brick at my back.

“But then how is the baker taxed on the benefit he receives from the new roof?”

“He’s not,” I replied, “As the holder of the barony; it is my job to keep things in order and to maintain humane conditions for the people of my fief is it not?”

He looked confused, “Yes…”

I did not wait for him to finish, “Then in essence I am maintaining the conditions of the village through the work of the builder and thus assuring that all people have available bread.”

He looked confused, “And you feed any who need it three times a day?”

I nodded.

“Where do you get the money? It is not a self sustaining program.”

I looked down, “Not at the beginning no, it was not, now it is close to being such.”

“So, where did you get the money?”

I sighed, “From the hold. I sold everything to feed and clothe the people. Other barons and their families bought our fine furniture, my beautiful dresses, my father’s horses, and the bobbles that father had given to mother.”

He looked aghast, “So you gave up all the wealth of your name to care for the commoners of the fief?”

I smiled, “Don’t they deserve to be cared for?”

“At the cost of your comfort?”

I frowned, “Why not? Why am I such a more important person?”

He frowned as well, “How do you intend to keep this going since you have nothing to support it now?”

I smiled, “We made it through the bad parts already. I received my first full gold payment just this last week from the city of Osprey. They have managed to repair and advance their town so much that they have more than sufficient for their needs and can pay with the excess.”

“So things will get better?” He asked leaning towards me.

“I hope so.”

“What are your plans for the taxes?” He continued looking at me in earnest.

“Schools,” I replied, playing with a worn spot in my dress.

He looked confused again, “For whom?”

I looked up, “Everyone. If they are all educated, no one will be able to scam them and they will be skilled enough to endure another war without the losses we incurred the last time.”

He frowned, “How have you decided all theses things?”

“I read a lot as a child and was taught by the best business men and small nobility, as well as spending much of my time with commoners. I lost quite a few very good friends to hunger while we ate well. I decided that I would allow nothing like this to go on when I ran the fief.”

He thought about that for a time looking up at the sunlight with his eyes closed. “And did you think that you must marry to keep the rule of your fief?”

I blanched, “Yes,” I whispered, “It had occurred to me, but I hoped that we were a small enough fief that his Majesty would over look us until I was older.”

The prince laughed, “His Majesty has not, but that may be your fault as well. When your father died, we received less than a hundred gold crowns a year from your fief and more than half of your peasants owed more than a year’s worth of taxes. In the last five years we have receive no less than five hundred crowns each year and all, I mean each and every one, of your peasants owes the king nothing.”

I smiled, “They have done well.”

“So my Father had to stand up and take notice.”

I nodded, maybe that was my fault, “But the people have pride in themselves for being able to make their payments, Your Highness.”

He smiled, crookedly at me, “Can we be a little less formal?”

I smiled back, “All the people of the keep call me Cadence or Cady.”

“Well, Lady Cadence, I am Cooper. I must say that you are not a thing like any other person that I have ever met.”

“I think I will take that as a complement.”

He grinned crookedly at me and drawled, “I think you should.”



We ate dinner in the town with the other peasants that were in need of food. I pulled the wife of the deceased butcher aside and spoke with her, while her children milled about.

“Annalyce, I think that you might be able to help me with a problem that I have been considering.”

She bobbed a bow to me.

“I am worried about the few kids that have lost their families in the war. I know it is the end of summer and this winter will be the loss of them. I would like to know if you would be the school director and be willing to mother them in the school house.”

She blinked, and quieted her children.

“You would be paid to care for them and to teach. Of course that would mean I would have to teach you to read and write before fall sets in. Would you help me in this?”

She smiled, tears building in her eyes, “Yes my Lady, I would be honored. Thank you.”

I smiled back. “I was thinking that since we moved meals up to the hold, you can stay over between the morning and noon meals or the noon and the evening meals and I can teach you. There is lots of space for the kids. What do you think?”

She smiled hugely, “I think I will see you in the morning.”

I nodded and turned to see Prince Cooper watching me. I gave him a little curtsey and began walking back to the hold.

“Tell me Cadence,” he called after me as he hurried to catch up, “Where is your horse?”

I smiled sadly, “I sold her last year to cover costs.”

He shook his head, putting his arm through mine and turning me about, “Come then, let me buy you a horse. What is a lady without a fine mount?”

I looked at him sadly, “I cannot promise you that I will not have to sell it again to pay for things around here,” I replied.

He laughed at me, “My Cady,” it rolled off his tongue by mistake and he did not bother to correct it, but that made me blush all the harder, “it seems that you would be someone else altogether if that were not the case. Still, if it comes to that point, send me a letter first and I will try to salvage your gift.”

I laughed, “You don’t have to do that. I can manage.”

He smiled, “Yes, but your generosity needs to be repaid in some way and with all the taxes your people have managed to send in this last year, my Father can afford it.”

His servants glared as him as he steered me into town. Most of the shops would have been closed, but the keepers opened them just for us. At first, I was confused as Prince Cooper knocked on the tailor’s door. Cynthia came down from her home above the shop to let us in.

“I am sure that Cynthia does not keep horses,” I told the prince. He looked down at me and smiled.

“I am sure you are right.” Then turning to her, “Our Lady is in drastic need of a new dress. This one is so threadbare that it makes me blush.” He told her flirting as best he could leaning on the door frame.

“You are not buying me a new dress!” I contradicted him taking a step back and feeling insulted by his implications that my dress was immodest.

He frowned at me, “Well, Miss Cynthia it seems that we have an ornery noble on our hands. I think you should take measurements anyway and we will fuss over whether or not she wears it later.”

Cynthia tried to hide a smile as she shooed us inside, but got out a knotted rope and began measuring and taking notes. I glared at the prince the whole time.

Cooper handed her a silver crown when she finished, “Nothing too fancy mind you, and we wouldn’t want our Lady here looking like a Baroness or anything.” He winked at her and again took my elbow to direct me out of the shop.

He took a deep breath of the evening air, “This is a fine place in deed. And my nose says the livestock master must be in this direction.”

“You saw him on the ride in,” I accused, not sure whether to like or distrust this show of kindness.

He smiled, “Well, maybe I did.”

Terrin and his Father Olaf smiled at me under their scruffy shocks of hair as they turned the stock in for the night.

“How can we help you tonight, Cady?” Terrin asked.

Cooper raised his eyebrows at the informal way in which he addressed me and leaned on the intervening fence.

I pointed my thumb at Cooper, “This one thinks I need a horse.”

Terrin smiled, “Then I like him already. I think you need a horse as well, at least one. A cart horse is good for pulling meals to and from the keep, but you need a Lady’s horse.”

Cooper smiled, “Now that is what I wanted to hear.”

They both laughed and I scowled. They walked off into the stables and I stayed put arms crossed.



As we got near the stables, the tall redhead stopped me and looked at me with all seriousness, “My Lord, I mean no disrespect, then again, maybe I do, but our Lady is not to be trifled with. What are your intentions towards her?”

I grinned and shook my head, even now it was so hard to understand how these people loved her so well. They reacted as my friends would. “I promise you I have the best of intentions towards your Cady.” I grinned and realized I had used the same possessive name for her a short time ago, but how it really fit her, “My Father sent me here to be sure that all was well.”

“And you swear on your honor that you will not take advantage of her?” He demanded, green eyes still intent.

I laughed, “I will swear that to you as few of my brothers will. I swear that I will never take advantage of your Cady, unless and until she marries me.”

The red haired Terrin leaned back and whistled, “So that’s why you’re here.” He led me to a fine pale golden horse with the most remarkable blue eyes.

“Is she blind?” I asked, rubbing a hand down her fore led to pull up her hoof.

“Nope,” He shook his head, “She just came from Baron Rodger’s herd. I was thinking that Cady needed a good horse. Would this make the kind of overture you were looking for?”

I looked over at the Lady’s friend, “Are you saying that you approve?”

Terrin shrugged, “So far.”

“Then I’ll need your help convincing the Lady. I find myself at a loss with her most of the time.”

Terrin chuckled again, “I think you should just get used to that. Cady is hard in places that most women are never required to be hard, like her head. And she still manages to surprise me and take my breath away. Even I am not immune to her goodness.”

I nodded, “But you will help me?”

Terrin smiled, “As long as I think it’s best for Cady.”

That was good enough for me.



“It seems you have an admirer.” Olaf pointed out as he shoveled hay into a stall.

“I am not sure. I think the King has his eye on our little fief.”

Olaf looked up concerned, “But just this morning you said…”

I nodded my head, “This just makes me uncomfortable.”

Olaf nodded, “Don’t worry Cady; we are a small piece of land.”

I leaned on the fence, “Yes and the King has far too many sons.”

Olaf smiled, “Are you afraid to marry one?”

I nodded solemnly, “Yes, I think I would be afraid to marry one that had his own ideas of what was good for our people and have him undo in a matter of months what we have struggled for all these years.”

“Cady,” he told me leaning his pitchfork on the gowned, “You are old enough to be married. You should be. You are no little girl anymore. We would all be at peace if you were to settle down and have babies.”

“Even if it meant going back to the way things were?” I demanded of him standing up in shock.

He thought that one over, “I am sure you can find a way to keep things from going that way. Now stop fussing and go get yourself a horse.”

I nodded, but still worried what marriage would mean for both me and the barony. The last thing either of us needed was another blind, selfish leader that we were bound to follow. I hesitated to go to where Prince Cooper stood not so far away laughing with Terrin.

He turned as he caught the feel of my stare and smiled in his most reassuring way, “Don’t tell me you are afraid of horses?”

I laughed, ice broken, “Of course not.” And crossed the remaining distance to put my hand out to the beautiful creature that he was speaking softly to.

“Are you open to me asking something I probably shouldn’t ask?” I spoke to Prince Cooper as I petted the horse, golden creature that so closely matched the bronze highlights in my hair, afraid to look at the prince.

He hesitated, I asked anyway. “Why are you here really?”

There was a long pause, “I think you need the truth, but I am hoping that it does not scare you away from me… My father wants us all married off and or busy with one of his fiefs and out of his hair.”

I nodded to the horse, having guessed as much. “And this place?”

I heard the whisper of his fine shirt as he shrugged, “One of the possibilities for my brothers and me.”

“So you were all sent to go over records from softly held fiefs and find ones to your liking?”

He gave no response, finally I had to look up. There was a war behind his eyes, as he looked at me, “I suppose that is one way to look at it.”

I nodded, “So the horse is mostly just a placating gift?”

He tried to say something and I waived him off with my hand. He hushed at my grim look, “I understand. At least you are good enough to leave me with something. You did not have to.”

He looked pained.

“Do me one other favor?” I asked, looking at his shoes, unable to bear the look in his eyes as he looked so sorry for me.

“Try not to destroy everything I worked so hard to rebuild in the first year you take this place over?” I waited for no reply; but walked away, feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders even more. I had given everything to heal my people from the wounds of war and selfish rule and yet here I was with nothing and would have nothing and probably be forced into a marriage without my consent to boot. Such was the life of a noble lady and yet I had held onto hope for so much more. I scuffed my boots as I walked up the long road to the keep. No one bothered me as I felt sorry for myself, not even His Highness. I was glad of that, already being so close to tears, one more look at him right now would have sent me over the edge. I went to my room and bolted the door, sliding down the inside of it to sit weeping on the floor and cursing the hard years I had endured.



I stood flabbergasted as I watched the Lady go. She had every reason to distrust me and even to dislike me now. I should have softened the blow more than that. Things had been going so well.

“You told her?” Terrin asked from the other side of the horse.

I just nodded, watching her retreating form.

“Well, at least she took it well,” he replied.

I looked over to him, “That was taking it well?”

He laughed, “No screaming, no hitting, no calling names, I think it went as well as could be expected, don’t you? I mean for all her calmness she is female.”

I laughed, “I see why she spends all this time with you.”

He laughed, “She liked Kevlin better when we were little, but he died and I was there for her.”

I wondered if this Kevlin was the reason that Cady was hard in places that a woman should not need to be hard. I paid Terrin and thanked his father, then walked my gift up to her hold. I stabled the new mare next to Darkness and told both ladies to behave.

I walked up to Cady’s room and heard her crying through the door, so I did not knock. I sought out the kitchen below the main floor, and the cook who had made such lovely breakfast and lunch. She made me something warm to drink and left me to my thinking.

Somehow, I had to get Cady onto my side tomorrow. Today had not gone as planned.