Chapter 10

  Olivia Gendrel

  “How do I look?” Anna gracefully spun herself around, her skirt fanning outward. The green dress seemed to glimmer in the sunlight, accentuating its fine, silky fabric.

  Sat comfortably atop her bed, Olivia tilted her head as she observed the sight, smiling. She found it rather amusing, the amount of effort her sister was going through just to get the attention of her beloved Jason Roost. Just an hour ago, Anna had even gone through the trouble of enlisting an entire army of maids to help braid her hair back and ensure her face was perfect.

  “You look ravishing,” Olivia said. However, the way her voice sounded had made her compliment seem like a backhanded one, which her sister instantly picked up on.

  Anna’s face soured as she groaned in frustration, her shoulders slouching. “What?”

  “Hm?”

  “What’s wrong with me?” She frantically grasped behind her head, apparently in a panic. “Is it my hair?”

  Olivia started laughing as she got up and walked toward Anna. “No, no,” she tried to reassure her. “You look stunning! I was genuinely complimenting how pretty you look.”

  “Oh…” The look on her sister’s face suggested a hint of skepticism, but she smiled. “Thank you. I tried my best, as did the maids. Do you think he’ll like it?”

  “Jason Roost?” Olivia nodded. “I think he will.”

  A big grin crossed Anna’s face. “I sure hope so. I would hate to have gone through all of this fuss for nothing.”

  “Mmm…” Olivia smirked as she caressed her own chin. “It would be a shame, wouldn’t it?”

  Her sister scoffed, circling around her as she thoroughly inspected Olivia’s attire. It was a rather plain white dress, with a green corset worn atop. On ordinary days, it’s what she preferred to wear, favored for its simplicity and comfort.

  “This is what you’re wearing?” Anna was appalled, shaking her head. “You haven’t even done your hair! Jason Roost would not approve, my lady.”

  Olivia rolled her eyes. “I don’t care what His Most Excellent Majesty, Lord Jason Roost, thinks of my choice of wear for the day. He can go kiss a lion, for all I care.”

  “Wait till Jason Roost hears of this!” Anna responded mockingly, wagging her finger in front of her sister’s face. “He will be most displeased with rotten behavior like that.”

  “Oh, how sad…” Olivia’s lips curved downward in an exaggerated, mocking fashion. “You should get him some flowers to mend his misery. Let him cry into your shoulder… Or perhaps get him a cute little toy as a gift to make his sadness go away?”

  “Stop it!” Her sister started giggling. “You’re being rude.”

  Olivia couldn’t help but laugh as well. “Not rude enough.”

  Their mother entered the room at that moment, a stern look on her face. “Girls.”

  The two of them turned to face her, straightening themselves out. No more laughing.

  “Yes, mother?” Olivia asked.

  Syrena looked to her eldest daughter, frowning. “Olivia, are you not going to change out of that?”

  She glanced down at her dress, shrugging. “Do I have to?”

  Her mother shook her head. “No, you look lovely as you are. Besides, it’s too late, your brother and uncle have already entered the city, and are on their way here. Your father wants everyone in the courtyard to greet them, so we must leave now.”

  Anna squealed with delight, clapping her hands as she jumped and ran out of the room.

  “They’re finally here!” Her voice trailed down the hallway.

  Their mother yelled after her. “Don’t hurt yourself getting there!”

  Smiling, Olivia left with Syrena to make their way down to the castle’s courtyard. Unlike the energetic Anna, they merely walked at a more leisurely pace.

  “Have you got any advice for me, mother?”

  For some odd reason, she was beginning to feel nervous. Why? she questioned herself. You don’t even like Jason Roost. What’s there to be nervous about?

  Syrena looked at her, smiling. “Just be yourself. Remember, there is no pressure for you to like him.”

  “Of course.” Perhaps she could play off her insecurities by acting more confident.

  Olivia nodded with a mischievous smirk on her face. “And what if I were to end up smudging his face with a mud pie?”

  Her mother actually burst out with laughter, but was quick to cover her mouth and stop, making sure nobody else heard or saw. She had to take a brief moment to recompose herself.

  “Well...” Syrena cleared her throat. “I believe we would have a war on our hands if that were to happen, so… Please try not to do that.”

  Olivia giggled. “I’ll try not to, mother. But I can’t promise you anything.”

  Sighing, Syrena could only smile at her daughter. Winding through the corridors, they eventually made their way downstairs and out of the keep.

  The courtyard was packed with a large gathering of servants and guards, dozens of House Gendrel’s banners fluttering in the breeze. Their formation had been arranged so that an aisle was formed in the middle, leading from the gate to the center of the courtyard, where her father and Anna were waiting.

  As Olivia and her mother made their way down to join them, she caught sight of Aimon approaching with her uncle, Ser Andrew. When Aimon noticed her looking at him, he quickly averted his gaze.

  The idea of saying something to him came up in her mind, but she was reluctant to do so. Ever since the incident with the cardinal some days ago, they had not spoken a word to each other.

  Aimon had seemingly avoided her around the castle whenever possible, and so she had made the decision to ignore him as well. Arguably, it may have been a poor one, but she figured it was the best way to avoid worsening an already fragile situation. The last thing she wanted was a full-on confrontation between them.

  Additionally, there were more pressing matters at hand, particularly the arrival of Jason Roost. She would have to wait until later before speaking with Aimon.

  So, instead of acknowledging her friend, she chose to make conversation with Ser Andrew. “Uncle, how are you?”

  He gave her a fond smile. “I am well. How about yourself?”

  Olivia shrugged. “Not so bad. Could be worse.”

  “I would argue that it would have been a finer day,” he said with a sigh. “Were it not for a certain someone visiting.”

  She smiled at him. “I wonder who this someone could possibly be?”

  “A certain someone with a chicken as their sigil.”

  “A certain Roost, perhaps?” Olivia playfully nudged her uncle’s elbow.

  “Perhaps…” He laughed as he nodded his head. “You know, if it were up to me, I would drench that fool in pitch and toss feathers on them. At least they’d look the part.”

  The two burst out laughing, their mirth loud enough to catch the attention of the entire court that had been assembled around them. Olivia’s mother cast an amused glance their way, managing to restrain her own laughter. Aimon, on the other hand, was stone-faced—something that struck Olivia as odd. Ordinarily, that mischievous boy would have joined in on the mockery. But there wasn’t much time to dwell on it.

  “What are you two rapscallions sniggering about?” Archduke Cormund approached them, a slight smirk visible beneath his beard.

  Their laughter ceased at once. Ser Andrew cleared his throat, bowing before his older brother. “A joke, is all, Your Excellency.”

  “Ah, I see.” Cormund scratched his beard. “What sort of joke? I would love to hear it.”

  The two of them exchanged glances with one another.

  “Olivia can tell you about it.” Ser Andrew jabbed his niece’s elbow. “Go on.”

  Caught off guard, she ended up stammering her way through her reply. “W-well—”

  “They were complementing the good graces of His Lordship, Jason Roost, is all,” Aimon chimed in.

  Olivia glanced at him, stunned that he had spoken up at all. They briefly locked eyes before she turned back to her father, putting on an innocent, courteous smile. “Yes, of course. That is precisely what we were talking about.”

  “…Right, then.” Cormund gave the three of them a knowing look. “Well, let us save our good graces for Jason Roost, then, yes?”

  “Yes, father.” Olivia bowed her head.

  Turning around, her father gestured beside himself. “Come on, then. Get in line, make it look good.”

  Olivia stepped to Cormund’s righthand side, taking her place as the eldest child present. Her mother moved to his left, her posture poised and elegant per usual, as Aimon and Ser Andrew passed by them next, joining the formation of knights who were positioned to their right.

  Last but not least, Anna ran to her place beside Olivia. The girl was practically beaming with excitement, barely able to contain herself. “Where are they?” she asked. “When will they be here?”

  “Patience, Anna,” their father said, chuckling. “When the trumpets sound, they’ll come prancing in right through those gates. You’ll see.”

  Fiddling with her fingers rather impatiently, Anna could only wait in anxious anticipation.

  Olivia glanced at her and smiled. “Steady yourself, come on. You can’t impress him looking like that.”

  “Everything’s under control, Olivia…”

  She gave a shriek as the trumpeters atop the wall began blaring a triumphant tune. “They’re here!”

  Cormund peered over at them. “Remember, girls, chin up. Back straight.” He turned toward the gates as they were opening. “And of course… remember to smile.”

  The first to trot in were a mixed number of mounted guards from House Gendrel and House Cosway, perhaps no more than a dozen, all dressed in fine armor and wielding lances that proudly flew their respective banners. They were led on by a knight who wore a cape that was blue and yellow, decorated with three X’s. Although his face was obscured by the visor of his helmet, Olivia presumed he was Ser Rufford Cosway.

  She smiled. It was good to see someone familiar. Although less than enthused about Jason Roost’s coming, she couldn’t wait to see her brother and uncle again. She wanted to hear all about their journey.

  Splitting into two columns on the side, the Cosway and Gendrel horsemen formed an open aisle that led to the assembled Gendrels in the middle, making way for the rest of the convoy to proceed.

  To her disappointment, however, Olivia’s smile faded as two armored knights with red capes emerged through the gate instead of Arthur and Uncle Martin.

  Although she couldn’t distinguish them for certain, she still knew exactly who they must have been: Jason Roost and whoever his companion was.

  “Goodness gracious,” Anna muttered, leaning toward her sister. Her eyes were wide as she admired the tallest of the pair. “He’s huge. Do you think that’s him?”

  “The giant one?”

  “Yes.”

  Olivia sighed in disgust, but made the effort to try and make sure regardless. Taking a closer look, she made out a snake’s sigil on the tall knight’s breastplate. House Reeve, the pets of House Roost.

  “No, he’s the shorter one,” she told her sister with a slight smirk. “Not quite Jason the Tall, is he?”

  “Doesn’t matter. He’s still got a good face.”

  “We’ll see if the legends are true,” Olivia scoffed.

  Cormund cleared his throat, as if to silence them. Both sisters were prompt in obeying, and redirected their attention back to the gate as their older brother and uncle came striding in at last.

  A smile made its way back to Olivia’s face as Ser Rufford heralded their arrival.

  “Lord Arthur Gendrel, the firstborn son of Archduke Cormund Gendrel of Galeria, and heir to Hildan Keep,” he declared. “Accompanied by his uncle, Ser Martin Gendrel, brother to the Archduke, and a sworn Knight of the Nine Realms!”

  The assembled members of the court cheered and gave a polite applause in response. Jason Roost, who had raised his helmet’s visor, was visibly perturbed. Although the lord sat high atop his white horse adorned in full armor like a warrior king of the past, he looked envious.

  Taking note, Olivia wondered why her brother and uncle had been announced, but not Jason Roost. Knowing Arthur and her uncle, however, she figured it may have been a deliberate move—orchestrated as a backhanded insult against House Gendrel’s greatest rivals. She congratulated the both of them in her head. Well played.

  Her sister, meanwhile, was infatuated with Jason Roost and stared at him longingly, her eyes glued to his face. The young lord had taken off his helmet to let his long, wavy blonde hair flow.

  Olivia silently admonished her sister. Could you be any more obvious?

  Curious, though, she couldn’t help but take a gander at him as well. Upon looking, however, she immediately met his gaze. Her eyes widened in shock.

  No! she screamed at herself.

  Although her first instinct was to pull away at once, she stopped herself from doing so. Such a move would have been dreadfully embarrassing. Instead. she gave a polite smile in hopes of playing off her mistake.

  Jason Roost smiled back at her warmly, bowing his head.

  Returning the gesture, Olivia could only hope that he hadn’t notice her panicking when their eyes had met. She had gotten a good look, however, and was willing to admit that Jason had a nice face—as prophesized.

  He possessed a strong, well-defined jaw, his eyes were like diamonds, and his luscious golden hair seemed to glisten in the sunlight. Jason Roost looked as if he had just emerged from the pages of a classic knight’s tale. In every way, he was indeed what any lady would desire to marry.

  Or was he? she reconsidered. Although his good looks were hard to refute, the vital question yet remained of his character. What was he like? Was he a good man, or a bad one?

  Whatever the answer to that question was, the next few weeks would be her chance to find out. The truth would make itself known eventually.

  Glancing aside, Olivia noticed that Aimon had a look of disdain on his face, likely fresh from having just witnessed her exchange with Jason Roost. Her sister, similarly, did not look pleased either, but was quick to put on courteous smile as Arthur and his party began dismounting.

  A few guards came out from the side to retrieve their horses and led them away to the stables.

  “Take good care of him,” Jason told them, fondly patting his steed before leaving.

  Turning back around, he and his knight trailed Arthur and his uncle as they made their way toward the rest of the Gendrels. Stopping just short of a few feet away, Arthur and Ser Martin knelt before the Archduke. The Roost and his companion were quick to emulate them.

  “Father,” Arthur greeted. “We have returned from Cosway with Lord Jason Roost, the son and heir of Archduke Gerald Roost of Brunzhal. It is my pleasure to present him before you.”

  Cormund smiled at them. “Welcome, welcome. Please, stand.”

  Rising to his feet, Arthur was warmly embraced by his father.

  “We’ll talk about how your journey went over supper later, hm?”

  “Of course, father.” He chuckled.

  As Ser Martin stepped forward to converse with Cormund, Arthur greeted his mother next.

  Holding him closely, Syrena cupped her hands around his face protectively. “I heard all about what happened in Cosway. Are you alright? Are you okay?”

  “Yes, mother.” He tried his best to reassure her. “It was thanks to Jason Roost and his knight that we were able to get out of there in one piece.”

  Tightly embracing her son, she held onto him for a while. “…I’m glad you’re alright.”

  “Me, as well, mother.” After being let go of, Arthur took a step back. “So, what’s for supper?”

  “Antelope, your favorite.”

  Grinning, he nodded in approval. “I look forward to it!”

  Arthur then made his way past his father and uncle, who were still chatting, and approached Olivia. Smiling at her, he gave her an affectionate hug.

  “Welcome home,” she said to him. “I missed you terribly.”

  He chuckled. “Missed you, as well, Olivia.”

  Anna placed her hands upon her hips, her impatience boiling over. “Hey, I missed you, too!”

  He turned to face her, smiling as he reached out. “Come on, then.”

  Running into his arms, she held onto him as tightly as she could.

  “I’m glad you’re alright,” she said, holding back what must have been tears.

  Arthur laughed softly as he patted her shoulder reassuringly. “It’ll take more than that to kill me.”

  “I hope so.” She got back in line as she sniffled, wiping her eyes clean with a handkerchief.

  Sharing one last smile with Olivia, Arthur nodded at her and went back to fetch Jason Roost and his companion. As he brought them forward, he made sure to step aside as he presented them to one another.

  “Lord Jason, this is my father, the Archduke, Cormund Gendrel.”

  The young Roost gave a courteous bow and smiled as they shook hands. “A pleasure to meet you, Your Excellency.”

  “Lord Jason, I hope the journey here was not too perilous.”

  He chuckled. “On the contrary, Your Excellency. The journey was a delightful one.”

  “That’s good to hear.”

  Cormund turned his attention to the Reeve knight. Despite the Archduke’s exceptional height, the giant still stood at least a head over him. Seemingly impressed, he nodded in approval. “May I have the pleasure of knowing your name, good ser?”

  Lord Jason laughed. “I apologize on his behalf, Your Excellency. He is unable to speak.”

  “Oh, I see.” He slightly bowed his head. “My apologies, I did not know.”

  “There’s nothing to forgive, Your Excellency.” The young Roost smiled as he gestured to the giant. “This fine knight is Ser Titan Reeve, my sworn protector.”

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  Lifting his visor, Ser Titan allowed his scarred face to be seen as he bowed to the Archduke.

  Olivia found herself intimidated by his presence. Even in the sunlight, the brute’s eyes were cold and dark, and he seemed to be the sort that never learned to smile. Judging by his size, the knight must have been able to swing his greatsword with exceptional speed and power as well. She could only imagine the horror of facing such an opponent on the battlefield.

  How easy would it be for him to cut a man in half? she wondered. Would Uncle Martin or Arthur have any hopes of beating him in single combat?

  Feeling herself shudder, Olivia had to make herself stop thinking about it. Ser Titan is not your enemy, she told herself. …For now.

  Her father introduced her mother to Jason Roost next, styling her as the “Archduchess of Galeria” and “only one around here with an authority that rivals the Emperor’s.”

  “My lady.” Jason bowed before her. “It is an honor and a privilege to meet you.”

  Syrena gave a polite smile. “Welcome to Hildan, Lord Roost. Please, feel free to make yourself at home.”

  “Thank you, my lady.” Bowing once more, Jason was then introduced to Olivia. The moment she had long been dreading was here.

  In hopes of preventing him from believing she was nervous and therefore absolutely smitten by him, she had to keep herself as composed as possible. Remembering her father’s words, she held her chin up, straightened her back, and smiled.

  “This is Olivia, my eldest daughter.” Cormund gestured to her. “I don’t believe you two have met before.”

  “No, Your Excellency, I don’t believe so.”

  Jason Roost looked at her with a smile. Taking her right hand, he planted a gentle kiss on the back of it. “My lady, it is a pleasure to meet you.”

  Whatever perfume it was that he wore, she found its scent rather pleasant. A hint of sweetness. Not too strong, and not too weak. A perfect balance. She couldn’t help but continue taking whiffs of it through her nose. Her head felt light as butterflies stirred around in her chest.

  Play it subtle, she scolded herself. You’re not supposed to feel this way.

  “You honor us with your presence, Lord Jason.”

  His eyes glanced down at her neck. “Were my gifts to your liking, my lady?”

  “Yes,” she lied, putting on a smile to mask herself. He must have been checking to see if she was wearing his necklace. She had deliberately chosen not to. In fact, she wasn’t even sure where it was. “They were lovely.”

  Jason nodded his head. Although he seemingly believed her, his eyes flashed a sense of betrayal. “I am pleased to hear it, my lady.”

  Moving on, he went in front of her sister as the Archduke began introducing her next.

  “This is my youngest daughter, Anna,” he said. “And I would be mindful of her, if I were you.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “She’s a bit of a firecracker,” Cormund answered with a smirk. “Always stirring trouble in one way or another.”

  Anna frowned at him, crossing her arms in protest. “Father!”

  “If he’s going to live here, he might as well receive a warning, no?”

  Her face was reddening by the second, ripe as a tomato. Before she could rebuke her father, Jason Roost started laughing.

  “How curious,” he said. “I will be sure to remain most vigilant around her, Your Excellency. There is nothing you should worry about. And besides, what fun can the world have if there isn’t the occasional mischief that make things interesting?”

  Anna’s pouting lips turned into a smile; her fury apparently extinguished. “He’s right, you know.”

  The Archduke chortled as he nodded in response, an amused look on his face. “Well, on that note.” He gestured toward the inner keep. “Lord Jason, I presume you must be tired from your journey.”

  “A little,” he admitted.

  Looking toward Anna, Cormund gave her the signal. She was more than delighted.

  “Right this way, Lord Jason. I can show you to your room!” Extending her hand out, she offered it to him.

  “A moment, if you please, my lady.” He turned to Olivia and smiled. “My lady, it was a pleasure meeting you on a fine day such as this.”

  Anna’s face soured ever so slightly, something of which Olivia took note of. She felt sorry for apparently stealing Jason Roost’s attention, but there wasn’t much she could do in the moment.

  At least you’ll get to take him on a tour of the castle, she thought. Oddly enough, however, she felt a tinge of jealousy. No… It’s not happening, is it? I don’t… She had to stop thinking about it.

  Returning a friendly smile, she bowed her head in a courteous manner. “And you as well, my lord.”

  He took her hand once more and kissed it. She actually smiled. Admittedly, it was something she could get used to—and fond of… No, stop it.

  Jason Roost gave her one last bow and turned back to face her father. “Your Excellency, has a room been prepared for Ser Titan?”

  The Archduke looked at his wife for an answer, who ended up speaking for him. “Yes, Lord Jason. It’s right next to yours. Anna may show him there as well.”

  This seemed to please him. “Ser Titan, accompany us to the keep, if you will.”

  As the giant obediently moved in behind him, Jason went up to Anna and finally took her hand. “My lady.”

  Taking him away at once with a smile on her face, Anna seized her chance to finally be alone with Lord Roost, a thought that Olivia allowed to only bother her a little bit.

  When Anna and the Brunzhalians were gone, Cormund dismissed the servants, guards, and knights, leaving only the Gendrels and Aimon Mosenclaw with him.

  “Come then, let’s get inside.” Turning around, he led them up the steps toward the keep.

  As Olivia’s father had a discussion with her uncles and Arthur about having a meeting to discuss matters of state, Olivia caught a glimpse of Aimon walking beside her in the back. His face was a gloomy one: cold and ominous. She was beginning to reconsider her plan of confronting him about their smoldering friendship.

  Likely realizing that the two of them were going at the same pace, Aimon suddenly sped himself up in attempts of cutting her off. Instead of climbing one step at a time, he began climbing two by skipping over the other. It felt like he was trying to escape from her.

  Am I truly that repulsive? she questioned.

  As frustrated as she was about him outright avoiding her, she wasn’t going to let ten years’ worth of friendship die like this. If it was going to end, she would have at least wanted it to go out in a huge blazing fire, not whatever this was.

  “Aimon,” she called after him in a hushed voice. “I want to talk.”

  He didn’t bother turning at all, however, seemingly refusing to acknowledge her. Aimon merely kept his gaze forward as he continued walking.

  Not going to say anything, are we? Olivia scoffed at him in annoyance. Well… Desperate times call for desperate measures, as they say.

  Slightly raising her skirt to allow herself to run, she caught up to Aimon and seized his wrist. Before he could do anything to react, she gave a firm tug and dragged him back to her.

  Aimon stumbled before managing to catch himself. Giving her a nasty glare, he tore his arm away from her. “What is it with you?” he hissed.

  She didn’t hesitate to shoot back at him. “What is with you? Stop ignoring me.”

  “Oh, I ignored you?” He shook his head in disbelief. “Speak to the stones, love.”

  “Stones don’t talk.”

  “Exactly, and neither should you.” Satisfied with his comeback, Aimon turned around to start climbing again.

  Gritting her teeth in a seething rage, she hurried after him. “Aimon, listen to me—”

  “Are you alright down there?” Cormund’s voice bellowed from above.

  The two of them halted in their tracks, both looking up to him as he approached. The other Gendrels had also stopped, and were curiously peering down at them from atop.

  Aimon shot a furious look at Olivia. Look at what you’ve done, you bloody fool, he seemed to scold her.

  Turning back to face her father, he made his voice sound more cheerful, even faking a laugh alongside. “Nothing, Your Excellency,” he said. “We were just having a playful banter, is all.”

  “Ah, I see.” Cormund waved off the others to go inside. “Well, in case you missed what we were talking about; I will be holding a meeting with Arthur, Ser Martin, and Ser Andrew about matters of state. The Archduchess will be off to the kitchens to help prepare supper, so the two of you will be left to do as you please until the evening.”

  Olivia nodded in acknowledgement, smiling. “We’ll try not to tear down the castle while we’re at it.”

  Her father gave an amused chuckle. “It’s not you I’m worried about. Keep an eye on Lord Roost and your sister, will you?”

  “Of course.”

  Patting both of their shoulders, the Archduke turned away and departed. With only a few guards and servants around, Olivia and Aimon were finally left mostly to themselves. The hostilities were quick to resume as their temporary truce was broken.

  “So, you want to talk, then?” Aimon asked, a hint of bitterness to his voice. It felt like the more wicked version of his usual, more lighthearted sarcasm. She didn’t like the way he was talking to her. Not one bit.

  “It sure took you quite a while to come to that conclusion,” he continued. “After ignoring me for days.”

  Olivia crossed her arms defensively. “I—” She hesitated and stopped herself, despite wanting to fire something back at him. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm her nerves. This was no way to be diplomatic. Fighting like children? She knew she was better than this.

  “What?” He goaded her on, cocking his head ever so slightly. “Something happen? A fart in your brain, perhaps?”

  She wanted to strangle him in that moment. In fact, she was rather tempted to slap him in the face. But it was peace that she truly desired, not war.

  “Aimon… Listen to me, please.”

  Sighing, he took a few steps away before turning back to face her. “…What is it, Olivia?”

  “I just want to talk… about what happened in the garden. Please.” She came a bit closer to him. “…With the cardinal?”

  His anger faded despite his reluctance, a soft expression emerging on his face instead. “…Can we talk about something else, as well?”

  Olivia nodded, relieved that they were finally making some progress. “Of course. To the garden, then?”

  “Ladies first.” Stepping aside, Aimon mockingly bowed before her. What must have been a genuine smile finally made its way back to his lips.

  She couldn’t help but smile as well. “That would be you,” she retorted.

  Arthur Gendrel

  After Arthur had taken off his armor, washed his face, and changed into a new doublet, he made his way to the council chambers. Coming across the occasional guard or servant, he was sure to give each of them a polite greeting and a smile as he went by. Father had always told him to be kind and courteous—especially to those who served you.

  Nearing the garden, he overheard Anna chattering away with Jason Roost around the next corner of the hallway. Intrigued, he couldn’t help but eavesdrop as he went closer, ensuring that his footsteps were slow and quiet.

  “And so there we were, on that lake,” Anna went on. “I was sitting there, in peace, minding my own business, until Olivia comes out of nowhere—silent as the moon, and pushes me into the water!”

  Arthur scoffed to himself as Jason Roost started laughing. He must have heard this story a thousand times by now. Worse yet, Anna’s version wasn’t even an accurate depiction of the affair.

  “I can’t believe she would do something as evil as that,” Jason said.

  “Villainous, isn’t it? Contrary to what my father told you, I would advise you to be weary of her, not me. She’s the troublemaker around here.”

  Peeking his head around the corner, Arthur finally made his presence known. “Is she, now?”

  “What?” Anna turned back and saw him, her eyes wide with shock. Standing behind her was Jason, who looked equally as surprised to see him.

  Arthur merely smirked as he stepped out toward them. “I seem to recall a different version of that story.”

  “No, you don’t.” She crossed her arms defensively.

  “Perhaps I don’t, perhaps I do.”

  Exasperated, Anna sighed in frustration. “Haven’t you got something else to be doing?”

  “I do,” he answered. “In fact, I was well on my way to a meeting before stumbling across the both of you. I couldn’t help but give my regards to my little sister and Lord Jason.”

  “Well, your regards have successfully been given, congratulations.” She clapped her hands together to mock him. “Now, I would suggest you get going. Wouldn’t want to be late, would we?”

  Arthur smiled at her, chuckling to himself. She seemed quite keen on having Jason Roost to herself. He wasn’t surprised.

  “Of course,” he said. “I need not disturb your fragile peace any longer. I shall see the two of you at supper, then.”

  Jason Roost nodded. “Farewell, Arthur. I shall see you then.”

  “My lord.”

  After bowing, he deliberately slowed his pace to that of a tortoise as he went away, delaying the process of leaving. An ever-impatient Anna was quick to catch on and lunged at him.

  “Go on, shoo!” she scolded, pushing him away.

  Arthur was laughing as he almost stumbled and fell flat on his face. Her strength was rather impressive for her size. Not intending to incur her wrath any longer, however, he turned around and made a quick escape.

  Vicious woman. Straightening out his wrinkled clothes and fixing his hair as he went along, he finally arrived at the chambers’ entrance. Around a dozen guards were posted nearby. In a way, he found their presence comforting after the debacle that had transpired in Cosway. Better safe than sorry.

  Opening the doors, he made his way inside. His father and both of his uncles were sat around a large stone table.

  “Ah, the conqueror himself,” Ser Andrew called him out with a laugh.

  “Better late than never,” his father mused. “Come then, have a seat. We have important matters to discuss.”

  Ser Martin poured a goblet full of wine as he sat down, and passed it to him. “Don’t drink too much. You’ve got to keep your mind sharp.”

  “No worries, I’m not Uncle Andrew,” he replied, smiling.

  “Lies. I am fully capable of controlling myself, thank you very much.”

  Cormund scoffed. “Is that why you still have yet to marry? You’ve already chased off the last three women with your unruly antics.”

  “I assure you, brother…” Andrew took a sip from his cup. “There is a plan being put in place to remedy that.”

  The Archduke looked rather unconvinced. “I’ll believe it when I see results, Andrew.”

  “Oh, you will. I assure you.”

  “We all look forward to it, uncle.” Arthur smiled at him. “I’m sure you’ll find a wife soon.”

  “The sooner I can, the sooner my brother can stop mocking me about it.”

  Cormund chortled. “I’ll just find something else to mock you about.”

  Groaning, Ser Andrew rubbed his nose in disappointment. “…Of course you will.”

  The table erupted in laughter, their joy echoing around the chamber for a brief moment before dying down. Leaning against the table, Cormund’s face became a serious one.

  “Now,” he said, his voice firm. “Our first matter of business will be the attack in Cosway.” He glanced at his son. “Arthur, are you feeling alright?”

  He did not immediately answer. There it was again—that dreadful moment, immortalized in memory. He had dreamt about it from time to time. Ser Titan’s imposing shadow was framed in the cold moonlight as he towered over him. Grasped tightly in his hand was the flailing robber, who screamed for mercy and struggled to free himself. As desperate as the blaggard was, the knight was unmoving, and answered his pleas by squeezing even harder. The sharp, final snap of his bones being crushed echoed in Arthur’s mind. Crack!

  A cold wind prickled at his back as he drew a long, deliberate breath in hopes of steadying himself. “No,” he answered, his voice a heavy one. “I’m not alright. I still remember… My first kill. I cut his throat and stabbed his companion in the heart… It’s the first time I’ve taken a life with my own hands.”

  For a moment there was silence in the room, a solemn look worn on each of their faces. Then his father spoke up. “…I’m sorry this happened to you, son. I’m sorry that the world is the way it is. Cruel, merciless, and… unforgiving.” He shook his head.

  “The world is a turbulent place, Arthur,” Ser Andrew said. “Eventually, we all must learn to live with the prospect of death. Animals will want you dead, disease will want you dead, and… people will want you dead.”

  Uncle Martin gently placed a hand on his shoulder. “That is why we train you, Arthur, so you can fight. Were the world a better place… we would not have a need for swords. But, the cycle of life involves death and killing all the same. It is… inevitable.”

  He looked his nephew in the eye. “But killing someone should never be something we want to do. I took that robber’s life because he was threatening your life, my life, and the others. I did what I had to, as did yourself against those men you killed. It was either their lives, or ours. In the end, when the time comes, the decision is ours to make. And if we refuse to choose, or if we fail to stand up for ourselves, that’s the end.”

  “Your uncle speaks truly, Arthur,” Cormund said. “I wish it could be said differently, but… the truth is, you will have to learn how to live with killing another man. Such is life, such is reality. As Archduke, conflict and war are always a possibility, and so the lives of yourself, your family, and your people will always be in peril. It is you who must lead, you who must fight, and you who must protect. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, father.”

  The Archduke nodded his head. “I’m not telling you not to feel guilty about taking another man’s life, but I am telling you not to destroy yourself over it. See killing for the tragedy that it is, yes, but when the time comes, you must not falter. It is your life, or your enemy’s.”

  “…I understand, father.”

  “If you ever need to talk to us about anything, we’ll always be open,” Ser Andrew said. “Don’t be afraid to come to us.”

  “Thank you, uncle.” Arthur smiled. He was glad to have such supportive mentors in his life. If it were not for them, he likely would not have made it this far.

  “Do you have any more concerns, son?”

  He shook his head. Although he still had his doubts to trifle with, they were battles that he would have to tackle alone, and at another time. The meeting had been delayed for long enough. He wanted them to proceed with more important matters.

  Arthur’s father likely saw right through him, but chose not to press the matter any further.

  “Very well, we shall proceed, then.” Cormund turned to his brother. “Andrew, you wished to voice your concern regarding your suspicions of the attack in Cosway.”

  “Yes, I did,” he replied, taking a sip of wine. “As we all know, there were, what, nine men who attacked?”

  Ser Martin nodded. “Yes, there were.”

  “And if Jason Roost and his companion had not arrived in a timely manner, then perhaps you would have been overwhelmed?”

  “Perhaps,” he answered.

  “Do you not think of it as disturbingly convenient? That he just so happened to be there in time to come to your rescue?”

  “I do,” Martin was willing to admit. “But not as seriously as yourself.”

  “I suspect a plot. It was all too perfect. You can never trust a Roost.”

  Arthur raised his hand to interject. “We should give them the benefit of the doubt, uncle. Lord Jason and his knight risked their lives defending us in battle. Surely, if they had been plotting our demise, they would not have made their presence known during the fight.”

  “And besides, those men were poorly equipped and poorly trained. A house as wealthy as the Roosts would not resort to such folly for an actual assassination. More likely, they would have hired proper assassins or mercenaries. Your prejudice is getting the better of you, I think.”

  “Aye, you’re not exactly wrong there.” Ser Andrew scratched his chin. “But I’ve still got my doubts about those bastards, you mark my words.”

  “I’m not saying we should trust them, but we shouldn’t be making accusations without proper evidence.”

  His father looked proud, nodding his head. “You speak truly, Arthur. And I agree. The Roosts are not to be considered our allies, and so we must tread carefully. However, that does not mean we should be making such claims.”

  Ser Martin and Ser Andrew both expressed their agreement, although the latter was more reluctant. Of the four of them, he was perhaps the most distrustful of the Roosts. Arthur didn’t blame his uncle for that, though.

  “Regarding Jason Roost,” his father continued, taking a sip of wine. “Arthur and Martin, the two of you were the first to meet him, and you traveled with him for quite a few days. What would you say of his character?”

  Arthur recalled when they had stopped to rest by a lake. He didn’t know if it had a name, but he remembered how fun it was to be there. Teaming up with Jason, he climbed atop his shoulders and wrestled with the others by the shallows. They had even organized a tournament. Whoever was knocked over and fell into the water first was to be eliminated.

  All throughout the afternoon, they had competed fiercely under the blistering hot sun. Arthur and Jason eventually wound up beating Ser Rufford and a guard named Hudson after a tense match, winning the tournament. As he fondly thought back to that moment, he remembered the joy and pride he felt with Jason Roost over their victory. A glorious moment, indeed.

  “I must admit I was skeptical of his nature at first,” he told his father. “But I got to know him better over the course of our journey here. Lord Jason has a sense of arrogance, it’s true, but he’s got spirit. Not to mention, he also risked his own life to help us, as controversial as that may be.”

  Cormund caressed his beard, seemingly in thought. “Would you say he’s a good fit for Olivia?”

  Despite having gotten to know the young Roost a bit more, however, Arthur still harbored a sense of doubt regarding his nature. It would have been foolish to immediately draw conclusions, but he hadn’t forgotten about the way Jason had executed that last robber. Nor those cold, unforgiving eyes as he had done so. That was unlikely to have been his first kill.

  “Possibly,” he answered. “But I think that’s more of a question for her to answer. At the very least, he’s certainly proved himself willing to go above and beyond.”

  “Aye, no doubt about that. He has sent two gifts to Olivia, hasn’t he?” Ser Andrew questioned.

  Ser Martin smiled in amusement. “Yes, he did. Lord Jason was even adamant that we sent the necklace prior to his departure from Cosway. That’s why Ser Xavier arrived here first.”

  “Ah, that explains it.” Fascinated, Ser Andrew rubbed his chin. “Did they look good, at least?”

  “I saw the dress,” Cormund answered. “I’m no expert on women’s fashion, but it certainly didn’t look cheap. I’m afraid Olivia has yet to wear it, however.”

  “Good!” A prideful smile crossed Ser Andrew’s lips. “She’s rejected his bribe.”

  “Has she worn the necklace?” Arthur asked. “Uncle Martin and I saw it before handing it off to Ser Xavier. It was quite the beauty.”

  The Archduke shook his head. “No, I don’t believe so.”

  “You should be proud, Cormund.” Ser Andrew drank from his goblet. “Your daughter is no fool.”

  Arthur smirked as he raised a brow at his uncle. “I wouldn’t be too sure about that, ser. You should have seen the way she was looking at him earlier.”

  He scoffed at his nephew. “She concealed it better than Anna did, that’s for sure. That girl’s fallen head over heels for him already. If the Lord be willing, her older sister can avoid the same fate.”

  “I take it you would oppose the idea of a marriage between Lord Jason and my daughter?” Cormund questioned his brother.

  “I do.” Andrew was blunt about it. “A Gendrel and a Roost are like water and oil. They simply do not mix. I would sooner see her marry a commoner, rather than the likes of him.”

  The Archduke gave a wheeze as he laughed. “If she wished to marry a commoner, I would not forbid her from doing so.”

  “A wonderful thing for you to do as a father, but it occurs to me that a commoner would be rather short on benefits, including titles. The prince is on his way here, is he not?” Standing from his chair, Ser Andrew reached over the table to grab a flagon and refill his cup.

  “Yes, he is.”

  “Surely, he would be a more fitting prospect for your daughter to consider.”

  “I do not disagree,” Cormund admitted. “But I know little of his character, besides courtly rumors of his supposed fragility in comparison to his older brother.”

  “I have heard as much. But we should never judge a book by its cover, hm?”

  Arthur’s father nodded to his younger brother with a smile. Ironically, one could argue that Ser Andrew was already judging a book by its cover, namely a certain Jason Roost.

  “Of course, Andrew,” he answered.

  “When is he expected to arrive?”

  “He was meant to be here a few days from now, but the prince has been delayed.”

  One of Andrew’s brows perked up. “Trouble on the road?”

  “Indeed,” he replied. “Originally, he was to arrive in two days from now. However, it was only yesterday that we received a message from him. Apparently, the prince and his retinue encountered a number of bandits on the highway, fraudulently disguised as Greencloaks. The scoundrels were in the midst of assaulting a man and his wife, but were stopped by the timely arrival of Prince Anthranor and his knights. Because he is now escorting them here, their traveling speed has slowed significantly.”

  Arthur’s eyes widened with intrigue, as did his uncles. He found himself rather impressed. “There is no better excuse for being late,” he quipped.

  His father and uncles laughed. “Seems like the Imperial court judged him wrong,” Ser Andrew said. “That’s why you never trust anything that comes out of the capital.”

  “Agreed,” the Archduke replied. “I look forward to meeting him. I have not seen him in many years, but I’m sure the lad has grown to be a good, young man.”

  “Let’s hope so.” Andrew had a skeptical look about him. “I heard his brother is the very opposite.”

  “Rumors from the capital,” Ser Martin interjected. “Nothing more, like you said. We should value a book’s contents, not its cover.”

  Sighing from his own words being used against him, he could only agree with his older brother. “…Right, of course. But who knows, perhaps Olivia will grow fonder of the prince, instead of Lord Roost?”

  Such a prospect was one that none of them opposed. Arthur, however, mused that his sister had looked rather charmed by Jason Roost. Given enough time, that charm could grow to rival Anna’s infatuation with him. He wondered whether the castle would become a jester’s court, or a battlefield, in the coming weeks. Whatever it was, he hoped to procure a front seat to watch the chaos unfold from.

  “Regardless of what transpires, we must remain vigilant,” Cormund reminded them. “The Trident is within the month, and so we must prepare. In addition, we will deploy more of our soldiers to bolster the highway patrols. Our roads must be kept safe and secure.”

  “A wise decision,” Ser Martin commended.

  “If there are no further concerns, we may adjourn this meeting. Supper is within the hour.”

  After a moment of silence, Cormund slapped his hand against the table. “Then we are finished.”