Night Watchers -- Pawns and Queens Spin-off Story #3

[Evie]

Night Watchers

City of Rhemuth
The Gold Lion Inn
March 1, 1464
Near twilight

Señor Don Salim ibn Yussuf al-Qarrah, lately of the desert climes of the Bhuttayriah but now in residence at Rhemuth Castle, shivered in the brisk late afternoon breeze, pulling his oiled cloak tighter around him as he walked through Market Square on his way back to the Castle after buying another bag of his treasured qahwa at the river docks. Beside him, his friend Señor Don Riordan ibn Ronan al-Liryah, smirked slightly as he observed Salim's attempt to conserve warmth. Riordan was also more accustomed to warmer climes, but having spent some of his younger years doing university studies at the Free Port of Concaradine, he was a little more acclimated to Gwynedd's climate.

"We could stop by the Gold Lion for a quick pint," Riordan suggested, "or I suppose in your case, a bowl of their hot stew." Salim was rarely given to drinking alcohol unless it was unavoidable, and even then he tended to limit himself to small beer or well-watered wine. Despite that, Riordan had noticed Salim tended to visit the Gold Lion a fair number of evenings and tended not to return until the castle gates were nearly closed and locked for the night. Their stew was excellent, but Riordan suspected that wasn't the main attraction where his friend was concerned.

Salim's expression brightened. "That we could, my friend. If the fair Rosaline is working this evening, I could ask her what hour she is likely to get off tonight."

"That likely depends a great deal on what hour you intend to return to her after you've shaken me off." Riordan raised a knowing eyebrow at his friend. "Or very shortly afterwards."

"I meant off her work shift," Salim clarified with a grin.

"So did I," said Riordan, with the mildly innocent expression that served him well when he occasionally made some statement with double meaning in Amina's presence that Salim was meant to catch and that the strict duenna of their shared charge was meant to remain completely oblivious to.

They entered the inn, Riordan immediately turning to select a table in one of the darker corners of the room where they could sit and observe others more easily than others could observe them. Salim made for the bar to speak with his favorite barmaid, who was indeed working that evening, but not for very much longer. He returned to Riordan a few minutes later, carrying a wooden bowl of hot stew in one hand and a pewter tankard in the other.

"It's hot mulled ale," he told Riordan as he set the beverage in front of him. "I thought you might like a bit of warmth too after that walk in the cold drizzle outside."

"Gracias," said Riordan as he took a sip, glancing around at the others drinking and dining around them and casting out his senses slightly to take in snippets of the conversation around them. It was an old habit that had often served him well as an intelligencer for Mikhail of Andelon and later for their sultana. This time, however, there was little of import to overhear.

He returned his attention to Salim to discover his friend watching him with a mildly concerned look. Riordan responded with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"Rosaline might have a friend...."

Riordan took a sip of his ale, shaking his head. "I'm certain she has several. I'm not ready, Salim."

"She is married now." There was no need for Salim to specify what she he meant. They were definitely not speaking of Rosaline or her hypothetical friend anymore. "It would be best to move on."

"Oh, I agree. Don't think I haven't tried. But I would rather not take a woman to my bed until I can actually be with the woman in my bed, rather than wishing she were someone else."

"Fair enough." Salim took a bite of his stew. "This isn't bad," he said, "but I hope your Easter is coming soon. I'm tired of fish."

Riordan laughed. "Try getting away from fish and other seafood on the menu year-round in an island kingdom!"

Salim chuckled. "At least your visits to your father's homeland were brief. And while I haven't made it over to Llyr yet, I happen to know they have livestock as well."

Riordan checked to see if anyone else was in earshot and paying attention to them before adding "There's a spell that serves to make fish taste more like chicken, if you're interested."

"Is there? Where did you learn that one?"

Riordan's smile blossomed into a grin. "Prince Camber found it buried in the Schola archives over at the Cathedral. I wondered why he made a point of making a sign of blessing over his plate with every meal. When I asked him about it privately, he told me that's how he survives Lent without subsisting on vegetables the entire time. It also makes him heartily sick of chicken by the time the season is over, but by then he can enjoy pork and beef again."

"I suppose that's the one upside for me in your strange dietary habits," Salim joked. "I don't have to ask if anything contains pork until Easter."

"As if avoiding a perfectly seasoned and savory roast of wild boar isn't also a strange dietary habit," Riordan joked back.

The door to the inn opened, and a young blonde woman peeked inside, looking concerned. Riordan had seen her before, up at the Castle. He glanced at Salim, catching his eye before glancing back at the maiden with a slight tilt of his head. That's the Morgan girl, isn't it? Duke Joscelin's sister?"

Indeed.

They watched as the highborn lady entered the premises, casting an anxious glance around the large common room as if searching for someone. Riordan, sitting closer to a window, cast a swift peek outside at the Market Square, looking for another familiar blond head and not finding it.

I don't see or sense the Duke anywhere nearby, and if she has a chaperone, the lady is being incredibly lax.

I agree, Salim Mind-Spoke. The young lady appears to be in some distress. Perhaps we should see if she is in need of assistance. He rose, crossing the room towards her as Riordan dug into his pouch to leave a coin on the table before following his friend.

"My lady, you appear to be looking for someone. Might we help?" Salim offered as he drew close to her, pitching his voice to avoid drawing undue attention lest others around realize that the lady in question did not have a companion nearby looking out for her interests. Or at least she hadn't until this moment. Neither Salim nor Riordan were minded to allow a Duke's sister to wander about the streets of Rhemuth completely unescorted; even in broad daylight, that was less than wise, but it was nearly twilight, so hardly a safe time for a sheltered maiden of gentle birth to be out by herself wandering through the City without an escort, and preferably an armed one.

The lovely blonde's eyes lit with recognition and relief when she spotted Salim and Riordan in the dimly lit room. "Yes, please! I seem to have gotten separated from my chaperone. Joss is going to kill me!"

"I should think he'd be more likely to kill your chaperone, my lady, but we'll be glad to help you look for her," Riordan said. "Where do you last remember seeing her?"

"We were walking through the Market Square," the maiden told him, "and there was a large crowd of people walking alongside us. Someone bumped into me, separating us. I thought it was a cutpurse, so I stopped to make sure I still had my pouch, which I do, but when I looked back up, Lady Marissa was gone.

Salim's eyes met Riordan's briefly. He looked back at the anxious young lady before him. "Can you show us where that happened?"

"Yes, I think so." The lady took the arm Salim offered her. "I'm so sorry, I know I've seen both of you around Court, but I don't recall your names just now. I fear I'm feeling a bit rattled at the moment." She blushed, her fair cheeks turning rosy. Riordan stifled a laugh at Salim's charmed expression. He hoped for the sake of his flirtatious friend's nocturnal pursuits that the fair Rosaline was not the jealous sort, even though he knew Salim too well to think he was entertaining similar plans for the Duke's lovely sister. Noblewomen were completely off limits for a dalliance, with the possible exception of discreet widows, which Riordan was quite certain this young lady was not.

"Lord Salim ibn Yussuf at your service, my lady, and my friend is Lord Riordan ibn Ronan. And your name, my lady?" They stepped outside into the city square, glancing around at the thinning crowds heading for home before the night watch.

"Lady Gabrielle Morgan," she said absently as she raised a hand over her eyes to shield them from the rays of the setting sun while trying to spot her missing companion. "We were right around there," she said, pointing to a spot where a road branched off from the main square. She glanced up at Salim, who began walking in that direction alongside her. Riordan followed slightly behind them, his keen eyes alert to their surroundings and the comings and goings of the various passers-by in the area. So far, nothing seemed amiss aside from the mystery of the lady's vanished chaperone.

The pair ahead of them stopped at a spot in the cobbled road near where Merchant's Row fed into Market Square. "We were coming back from doing our shopping at Merchant's Row, and we'd just turned here when a group of people bumped into us. She was holding my hand when that happened, and had our parcels in her other arm. We got separated, and by the time I looked around for her, she was just gone!"  Lady Gabriella looked close to tears. "I looked in this area for a few minutes, thinking maybe she had seen something in a shop window, but they're all closing, so then I thought maybe she'd stopped in the Inn, though I couldn't think of any reason why she should...."

"Are you able to sense her whereabouts?" Salim asked very quietly. "Given whose sister you are, I am assuming you know how."

She shook her head. "I know how," she clarified with a tiny sniff. "But I can't feel her right now," she whispered back.

That sounded alarming. Riordan and Salim shared a look.

"Perhaps it might be best if Lord Salim escorts you back to the Castle before your brother grows too worried about you," Riordan said. In a much quieter voice, he added, "If you can share what the lady in question looks like, I can continue searching for her and let you and His Grace know what, if anything, I might discover. It sounds like the night watch might need to be notified as well, so I can take care of that also."

"Would you? Thank you so much!" Lady Gabrielle gazed up at Riordan with stark relief painted on her lovely features as she held out her hand for him. He took it, bending over it to kiss the air above it in order to disguise the true intent of her offered hand, committing to memory the shared image of the woman he had offered to search for. "Knowing Joss," the lady continued, "he will likely send out others to assist you once he hears my story, unless you've found her and returned to the Castle by then. I hope you do; I'm very worried! Lady Marissa is such a dear."

As the Moor and the duke's sister headed away towards the Castle, Riordan took a look down the side street as he tried to pick up any sense of what might have happened to separate Lady Gabrielle from her chaperone. He had a much clearer idea of who to look for now, for not only had the young lady had the good sense to Mind-Share a very detailed recent memory of the woman in question–a kind-faced woman of late middle years with graying blonde hair and blue eyes that held an amused twinkle, as if she had been sharing a jest with her young charge, and wearing a dark blue woolen gown with brass buttons up the front as they had walked through the Square–but she had even thought to share the Mind-Feel of Lady Marissa's psychic signature.

Extending his senses, he failed to detect that particular signature among the other minds in the vicinity, their numbers now even more sparse than when he and Salim had left the inn with Lady Gabrielle, for the sun had nearly set. But as the rays of the setting sun caught the outer angle of the building on the corner next to the side street, Riordan thought he spotted something unusual on the red brick wall. He walked over to take a closer look, one hand near his dagger hilt as he approached the narrow opening of the side street, for it was less well lit in the growing gloom, and under the circumstances Riordan felt more caution was warranted than less.

It appeared to be a streak of blood. He frowned, touching a fingertip to it to be sure. It was only slightly damp, but his fingertip came away a brownish-red.

He touched the wall, trying to see if he could pick up some resonance of what had happened in that spot, for sometimes violent actions or accidents could leave an impression. He had a brief flash of insight, a quick vision from the point of view of someone stumbling or falling hard against the brick before fading out. Possibly a head injury, then. If so, then there might be more traces of blood around, and a loss of consciousness could explain why he couldn't detect her presence nearby. That or the lady might be dead, but he didn't want to leap to that conclusion just yet. If she had died on the spot, she'd have been remarkably ambulatory for a corpse, as there was no body lying at the base of the wall, and Lady Gabrielle would not have needed an intelligencer's skills to detect that. There was a small chance that this injury had happened to someone else besides the lady he was seeking, but given the freshness of the blood, that seemed too unlikely a coincidence.

So Lady Marissa was likely injured, and either had become disoriented and stumbled away from the main square before passing out, or else possibly someone had taken advantage of her injury–or perhaps had been instrumental in causing it–and took advantage of her stunned state to whisk her away. There were possibly other variables to consider, but whatever had happened, it seemed likely that the answers to his questions lay down this side street.

#

Rhemuth Castle
Early Evening
Shortly after sunset

Lord Salim and Lady Gabrielle entered the main gatehouse of the Castle and made their way through the lower bailey towards the apartment block where the Duke of Corwyn resided with his sister and their entourage. They did not get very far across the open space when they heard a flurry of activity coming from the stables. It was the Duke and his squires, mounted and heading towards them, having expected the lady and her chaperone's return well before this hour of the evening and prepared to go in search of them. Duke Joscelin did not look best pleased to see his sister running towards him, wearing an oiled wool cloak that was not hers and was a few sizes too large, without the lady he had placed in charge of her and in the company of a man who, although he seemed trustworthy enough to Joss in his previous dealings with the man, was pretty much a stranger to his sister. At least Joss was well aware he had never formally introduced his sister to the new Duchess of Carthmoor's weapon master, nor could he think of any reason why his sister should be in the man's company, especially without Lady Marissa present.

"Joss, come quickly! We can't find Marissa!" The Duke could sense his sister's palpable distress over her missing chaperone, which eased a few concerns while bringing up equally alarming ones. He glanced over at Lord Salim for an explanation of his involvement in this situation.

The Moor bowed, approaching closer. "Lord Riordan and I were dining at The Gold Lion when we spotted Lady Gabrielle in search of someone and appearing quite distressed, so we offered our assistance. Your sister and her chaperone got separated in Market Square while returning from their shopping. From her description of what happened, it appears they might have been deliberately separated. Lord Riordan has remained behind to see if he can find the missing woman. We knew you would be concerned about your sister's late arrival, so I did my best to get her back to you safely before full dark."

The Duke looked back at his sister. "Show me what happened," he said.

She complied instantly, sending him a flurry of images and impressions of the last moments she remembered being in the presence of her chaperone, the hard bump from the stranger in the crowd and her quick check to see if her purse straps had been cut, the horrified realization that Lady Marissa had gone missing during her brief moments of inattention, the frantic search afterwards, her desperate attempts to look anywhere Lady Marissa might have gone, culminating in her discovery of the two Andelonian lords at the inn and their prompt assistance in joining her search. As the mind link ended, Joss frowned in thought. "That 'accidental' jostle certainly appears to have been deliberate. I'm just baffled they seem to have taken her and not you!"

Lady Gabrielle's eyes widened. Salim wondered if the thought had not yet occurred to her. It was the first thought that had come to his mind also. "My guess is that they must not have realized who your sister is," he told the Duke. "She would certainly be the far more valuable prize. I can only think they weren't after a hostage, nor even a beautiful young woman, but after the parcels the chaperone was carrying."

"Thank Jesú for that, at least! Though I hope Lady Marissa hasn't come to serious harm. That street corner looks vaguely familiar; was it where the Merchants' Row branches off from Market Square?"

"I think it was, Your Grace," Salim said. "If you will grant me just a few minutes, I can saddle up and lead you to the spot." The Duke nodded his assent.

"I want to go with you!" Lady Gabrielle said, but her brother denied the request with a shake of his head.

"It's too dangerous, Gabby." Glancing at the oversized cloak draped across her shoulders, he told her "Give the man his cloak back and get inside. I'll let you know what we've found once we return."

#

City of Rhemuth
Merchants' Row
Evening

"Who goes there?" a voice called out from fairly close behind him. Riordan turned to face the man. He wore the great cloak of the Night Watch and carried the tools of his occupation: a lantern and a rattle meant to catch someone's attention. This particular Night Watchman was also Deryni. Riordan could tell because he could sense the man's tentative mental probe.

"Lord Riordan ibn Ronan, a liegeman of the Duchess of Carthmoor's entourage," he answered truthfully. Even had he wished to lie, it would have been imprudent to do so to a man who was actively Truth-Reading him.

The man paused, lifting his lantern slightly to get a better look at him. "Why are you out so late, my lord? It's nearly curfew."

Riordan had been in Rhemuth for long enough to know that the city's curfew no longer made it illegal for the King's subjects to be out and about late at night, and such nocturnal wanderings had not been illegal for centuries, yet it was still highly discouraged due to the greater danger of encountering the less savory sorts that tended to become more active under cover of darkness. "I am in search of a missing woman who is a resident of the Castle," Riordan told the watchman. "She was chaperone to a lady of the Court, but they got separated shortly before sundown and the older woman is now missing. The friend I was with has returned to the Castle with the young lady to return her to her family and seek assistance, and I have remained behind in order to continue the search."

"I see." The man, still Truth-Reading him, appeared satisfied with the explanation. "And why were you looking at the wall?"

Riordan shared his findings and his suspicions that the missing Lady Marissa might be somewhere down the side street he had just been about to wander down when the watchman appeared. The man agreed that seemed likely. "We can look together, Lord Riordan," he said, holding his lantern higher to chase away the darker shadows in the narrow street ahead.

"You have me at a disadvantage, Master Watchman," Riordan said. "You know my name; how should I call you?"

"Hugh Whytacre," said the man somewhat distractedly, for he had just spied what appeared to be another spot of blood, this time on the cobbled street. He bent to take a closer look as Riordan extended his senses once again. This time, he thought he felt a faint presence ahead.

"She might be in there," he told Hugh, pointing towards a side alley extending off to the right. It was even darker than the poorly lit street they were on, so Riordan was quite content to let the watchman with his lantern lead the way.

They found her lying just a few feet inside the alley, barely conscious and breathing shallowly. Riordan did a quick check for other injuries and could find none aside from a few scrapes and bruises he thought he could sense through the tight sleeves of her torn gown, but he was no Healer, and in any case she needed a closer examination under better light, preferably by a trained physician or Healer. At least he was satisfied that most or possibly all of the blood had come from her head injury, which had bled an alarming looking amount of blood into her hair, but Riordan knew that was not unusual for a head injury, and the bleeding appeared to have clotted since the time of injury.

They heard the sound of horse hooves on cobblestone turning from the market square onto the side street. Riordan extended his senses, relieved to feel a familiar presence. "It's the Duke of Corwyn," he told Hugh. "The chaperone is in his employ."

Hugh stepped the few feet towards the side street so that the Duke could more easily see him. "Your Grace, the missing woman is here."

Duke Joscelin and his squires stopped at the end of the alley, the Duke swiftly dismounting and handing the reins to his squire Anselm before joining Riordan.

"She's alive, Your Grace, but badly injured. We need to get her to a Healer quickly," Riordan informed the Duke quietly.

"One moment, Your Grace," the night watchman said, approaching the spot where Duke Joscelin and Lord Riordan knelt beside the woman. Setting his lantern on the ground next to her, he told them, "I need to take a quick peek into her mind to see what memories she might have had on how she ended up here, and if she caught a glimpse of whoever led her to this place, because it appears she had some assistance. Lord Riordan said the lady was carrying shopping parcels when she went missing, but as you can see, there are none with her now, and also her pouch straps have been cut. Once I have that information, I can continue with my search while you bring her back to the castle for the care that she needs."

The Duke nodded. "Make it quick."

Hugh Whytacre did, taking only a few moments to glean the information he needed from the woman's mind, Duke Joscelin also including himself in the link, both to obtain the same necessary information for himself and also to ensure the watchman did not attempt to glean any more from the helpless woman's mind than was strictly necessary for his purpose.

That done, the Duke swiftly mounted his horse, Lord Riordan carefully lifting the semi-conscious woman into his arms. Lady Marissa groaned, but a gentle touch on her forehead by her Duke's hand gave swift relief from pain, silencing her.

"Shall I continue the search along with Master Whytacre and report back on anything we should find?" Riordan asked.

"I can assist also," said Salim, edging his horse forward into the brighter space illuminated by the watchman's lantern.

The Duke swept a glance over both men, noting that they were inadequately armed for a possible encounter with ruffians, having set out from the Castle earlier with little thought of being swept up into such happenings, and therefore being armed with little more than their customary belt daggers, at least as far as Duke Joscelin was able to determine. Turning to his two junior squires, he instructed them to loan the Andelonian retainers their swords, Riordan and Salim swiftly exchanging their daggers for them with the agreement to return the weapons when they returned with their report. Arrangements thus settled, the Morgan entourage returned to the Castle with their injured charge while Hugh, Riordan, and Salim continued their search.

#

Rhemuth Castle
The Duke of Corwyn's apartment
March 2, 1464
Late Morning

It had been quite late by the time the three men had apprehended the assailant, who had been discovered in a nearby gambling den attempting to trade in the contents of the lady's parcel as partial payment of his debt. Unfortunately for him, the books the parcel contained, while beautifully bound and illustrated, were of relatively small value, since they were all the more modern sorts of printed books rather than fully hand-calligraphed manuscripts on vellum. The value was still a goodly enough sum, more than the gambler could come up with quickly on his own earnings, but his debts were even higher in total and his creditor was illiterate, so the watchman had been drawn to the sound of arguing voices engaged in this ill-fated negotiation and had recognized their culprit from the brief images he'd drawn from his victim's mind.

The three men had brought the bound assailant back to Rhemuth Castle and turned him over to the guards in the Old Keep for safekeeping until the next King's Court, where he would be made to answer for his crimes. Their work done, Hugh Whytacre had gone on his way, for he still had many hours to go until the end of his work shift, but he had promised to return sometime the following day with a full report for the Duke. The evening having long since turned into night, Lord Riordan was happy enough to retire to his bedchamber, though Lord Salim returned to the Gold Lion in hopes that his previous plans for the evening might still be salvaged. Riordan surmised from Salim's relatively prompt return to his own bed shortly thereafter that, alas for his friend's very active libido, the fair Rosaline had either declined his flirtatious overtures or had already given up waiting on him and had long since gone to sleep. Ah, well. Salim drew women the way candles in a window drew moths, so Riordan suspected he would find a consoling embrace soon enough elsewhere.

Now, both men having had several hours of refreshing sleep, they were on their way to visit the Duke's apartment, both to report on their successful mission and also to check upon the injured lady who had been the cause of it and return her purchases to her.

Anselm, the Duke's senior squire, opened the door when they knocked, allowing the men into the antechamber to the Ducal apartment. "His Grace is still attending the King," Anselm told them, "but I expect him back any minute now. In the meantime, can I offer you some refreshments?" He guided them to a larger solar beyond the entryway where a small table of foodstuffs and beverages awaited them. To Salim's relief, the beverages included a pot of darja. It was not qahwa, but it would certainly serve the purpose and was a beverage he need not politely decline.

A golden blonde head peeked out of an adjoining chamber, and a second later the full lady emerged, bobbing a quick curtsey as she beamed at the new arrivals. "Thank you so much for finding Lady Marissa for us, my lords!" Lady Gabrielle greeted her brother's visitors. "Do you wish to see her? She is faring so much better this morning."

"We brought your books, my lady," said Lord Riordan, offering her the bundle they had brought with them. "At least I hope that was everything your parcel contained. It's what we found on the thief when we apprehended him."

She smiled at him as she approached to take the books from him, studying each cover in turn. "They all appear to be here. Thank you so much! I had feared I would have to start over looking for more copies."

"You are interested in books about travel, my lady?" asked Salim, who had noted that all of the books in the parcel had run along a common theme.

"Oh, yes!" Lady Gabrielle said, her brilliant green eyes sparkling up at him. "There's just so many interesting lands and customs out there beyond the Kingdom's borders, aren't there? I hope I have a chance to see them for myself someday, though I've yet to be allowed to accompany my brother any farther than the Île d'Orsal. That was lovely, though." Her eyes grew slightly wistful at the memory. "We visited Queen Miranda after her first child was born. Their Hall is so beautiful!"

"I quite agree," Salim said, finding the maiden's excitement at the idea of visiting foreign lands quite enchanting. He glanced at Lord Riordan. "My friend might know of other books in the Royal Library that may be of interest to you, as he has recently been taking stock of some titles to recommend for Princess Elisa and Princess Richeldis as they prepare for their travels to Beldouria and Bremagne."

"I'm so excited for them," Lady Gabrielle said. "Princess Elisa was hoping I might accompany her to Beldouria, but my brother doesn't seem too keen on the idea." She sighed. "Anyway, Lady Marissa is resting in here, and she would love to be able to thank you two kind lords for your assistance last evening."

They discovered the young lady's companion in much fitter health than when they'd last seen her, albeit still a little pale, but given her recent blood loss, that was to be expected. She was seated more or less upright in a cushioned chair with a footstool to rest her feet upon, and a blanket tucked snugly around her. Judging from the number of pillows around her and the tray of dainty sweetmeats at her side, she had spent her morning being quite pampered by her young charge.

"Lady Marissa, these are the two lords who very kindly assisted me yesterday and who helped my brother and the night watch to find you," Lady Gabrielle said as she presented their visitors. After a moment's hesitation, she added, "May I present Lord Salim ibn... Yussuf and Lord Riordan ibn Ronan?"  With a quick look at them, she asked, "Did I get that right?"

Salim chuckled at her slightly worried look. "Perfectly correct, my lady."

"Oh good, for a moment I wondered if I had swapped the surnames around! I was not exactly at my best when the two of you introduced yourselves yesterday. And this is my chaperone and governess, Lady Marissa of Kiltuin."

Riordan suppressed a laugh at the maiden's very evident relief. "That's just the short version of our names, but quite sufficient for an introduction." Turning to the chaperone, he added, "We are very glad we were able to be of assistance and to find you so quickly, Lady Marissa. A lot of credit also goes to the night watchman, Hugh Whytacre. He will likely be delivering his report to the Duke later today so the court case against your assailant can proceed. I'm happy to see you returned to better health this morning."

"I am very grateful to be here, my lords. It's hard to believe all of this was over a parcel of books!"

"They weren't all that costly for us," Gabrielle reflected, "though I suppose very dear for some folk. I'm just glad we got you back. The books could be replaced." She leaned to give her chaperone a quick hug.

They heard a door open behind them and turned to see the Duke standing in the outer chamber, Anselm relieving him of his damp cloak and whispering something that caused him to look towards them. Seeing him reminded the two visiting men that they had one more responsibility towards their host. Swiftly unstrapping their borrowed scabbards, they handed their weapons back to him. The Duke sent Anselm off to retrieve their daggers from where he had stored them for safekeeping.

"The King and I just received Master Whytacre's report. The case will be brought before the King's Bench next Tuesday; can you both be there?"

"We will be there," answered Salim, with an echoing nod from Riordan.

"Joss...." His sister smiled beseechingly up at her brother. "Might we have our guests over for dinner this evening? I should love to hear more about Andelon and the desert lands beyond."

You little minx, said her brother in private Mind-Speech in reply. You deliberately timed that question so I couldn't possibly say No, didn't you?

Please, Joss? They've been ever so helpful to us, especially to Lady Marissa!

"Of course," the Duke agreed, "at least if the two of you are available this evening."

"We would be honored," Salim answered for them both.

[DerynifanK]

Love this. I can understand Gabriella's yearning for travel. I have a bit of wanderlust myself. Glad she was rescued by Riordan and Salim, very fortunate.

[revanne]

Nice to see more of Don Salim - I nearly said in action but that would be open to misinterpretation.

I feel sorry for Gabriella, Joss does seem to be very protective of her which is perfectly understandable but it is to be hoped she gets to fly her wings just a little.

Hopefully they had a nice dinner 

[DerynifanK]

It would be a kindness for the Duke to allow Gabrielle to accompany Princess Elisa to Beldour. Her brother may be a trifle overprotective and that can lead to problems. I guess we'll find out?

[DerynifanK]

I do love your spinoff stories. Did you have these already written like the main story or are some being written as things proceed? Either way they are delightful.

[Evie]

Love this. I can understand Gabriella's yearning for travel. I have a bit of wanderlust myself. Glad she was rescued by Riordan and Salim, very fortunate.

Yes, I don't think that the heart of the City after dark and without an escort is the safest place to be for a wealthy Duke's sister. She was far more valuable than those books, had her chaperone's attacker only realized it.

Nice to see more of Don Salim - I nearly said in action but that would be open to misinterpretation.

I feel sorry for Gabriella, Joss does seem to be very protective of her which is perfectly understandable but it is to be hoped she gets to fly her wings just a little.

Hopefully they had a nice dinner 

Salim says if you didn't get to see him in action, that wasn't for his lack of trying. 

I'm sure Gabrielle will get to travel more someday. Just perhaps not to a kingdom that borders a shared enemy who is actively hoping to take it over, under the very dubious chaperonage of an equally inexperienced 17-year-old. If it had been Richeldis asking to take Gabrielle to Bremagne, Joss might have considered it, at least assuming the Court of Bremagne doesn't have some unsavory reputation that might give him cause for concern.

It would be a kindness for the Duke to allow Gabrielle to accompany Princess Elisa to Beldour. Her brother may be a trifle overprotective and that can lead to problems. I guess we'll find out?

He's protective, certainly, but I'm not sure he's overprotective. He knows his sister well enough to know she's not simply inexperienced, she's still also a little naive, and that could be taken advantage of. Consider, for instance, that it never even occurred to her until he and Salim mentioned it that she could have been taken hostage, either for ransom or by some unscrupulous character wanting to force a wealthy Duke's sister into marriage in hopes of profit. I think Joss would want her to be a little more streetwise, or at least in the company of someone else who was, before he lets her go traipsing through various foreign kingdoms. And as a Duke, he's not all that free to take her traveling himself unless he has official business that requires him to visit another kingdom.

I do love your spinoff stories. Did you have these already written like the main story or are some being written as things proceed? Either way they are delightful.

Several have already been written, I have a short list of others I hope to write, and I'm in the middle of writing a longer one, but unfortunately that one is progressing very slowly since my busiest time of the work year just started last week, so I've been fortunate if I'm managed to write anything more than a few paragraphs a day since my workload picked back up. There may also be a sequel to the main story someday, but that will almost certainly have to wait until my work load slows back down a bit before I can even think about starting that one.

[DerynifanK]

I agree after I thought about it. Beldour may not be the safest place for Gabrielle to try her wings right now with war imminent and Nordmarke so near. She does need to realize what a valuable hostage she would make considering her brother's position with the king. Guess she will have to wait awhile

[Evie]

I agree after I thought about it. Beldour may not be the safest place for Gabrielle to try her wings right now with war imminent and Nordmarke so near. She does need to realize what a valuable hostage she would make considering her brother's position with the king. Guess she will have to wait awhile

Maybe it will be safer for her to visit Elisa in Beldouria in a few years. And maybe she will be better equipped for such an experience. Beldouria is just across the border from Corwyn, after all, and they likely do a fair bit of trade across that border, so it wouldn't hurt for her to become better acquainted with their neighbors, especially since unless Joss married and has heirs, Gabrielle is Corwyn's heiress at the moment. (But that's another reason for Joss's caution. The last man to get his hands on Corwyn's heiress without any official permission made himself Duke as a result, and while we wouldn't have had Alyce, Alaric, or any of the present ducal family if it hadn't been for that, he would rather his baby sister have a normal courtship or at least an arranged marriage to someone she is willing to marry, not feel like she has to marry because she's been abducted and no longer feels she has much choice.)

[DerynifanK]

I should think Joss would have no trouble finding a bride if he wants one. I would certainly volunteer if I were much younger and in Gwynedd.

[revanne]

I should think Joss would have no trouble finding a bride if he wants one. 

But this is an Evie story where "the course of true love..."

[revanne]

I would certainly volunteer if I were much younger and in Gwynedd.

I am more drawn to Salim myself. But despite Don Riordan's encouraging words for widows, I am not nobly born and am, alas, old enough to be his granny.

[Evie]

I should think Joss would have no trouble finding a bride if he wants one. I would certainly volunteer if I were much younger and in Gwynedd.

He's an unmarried Duke. I'm pretty sure even if he didn't look like he could sit as a painter's model for a fresco of an angel, women would still be throwing themselves or their daughters at him hoping one will end up sticking. 😂 And as much as I normally prefer dark haired men, I think Joss could convince me to reconsider.

I should think Joss would have no trouble finding a bride if he wants one.

But this is an Evie story where "the course of true love..."

So true. 😄 We will see a little more of our Duke of Corwyn's backstory in later scenes, which will explain why our extremely eligible young Duke is still single.

I would certainly volunteer if I were much younger and in Gwynedd.

I am more drawn to Salim myself. But despite Don Riordan's encouraging words for widows, I am not nobly born and am, alas, old enough to be his granny.

Well, I did make an older brother for him too, though I suppose you'd find him too young also. Maybe their father will turn up someday, looking very well preserved for an older gentleman.... 😂