The sounds of heavy rain could be heard outside the carriage along with the whistle of harsh winds. If it hadn't been for Kerani leaning against me, I would have froze. We were both wrapped up in our cloaks and huddled together. Across the carriage from us was a man that we had only recently came into acquaintance with. Endre was the name he had offered to us. Both Kerani and Endre were from the southern lands of Gyose. Tanned skin and black hair were common among their people. Unfortunately, my own people had long ago started farming their tribes for servants and slaves.
Kerani had only come to work for me for three years. She spoke very little of the common language, but I was well versed in her language. My father is very scholarly and ensured that all of his children were as well. Not only did he test me the ways of the books, but always how to defend myself during battle. It was not something that I was suppose to demonstrate to anyone as it was unbefitting for a lady. Yet he told me that there wouldn't always be a knight around to protect me.
As we traveled deeper into the war torn lands of Seria, I knew that those lessons may one day be brought to good use. My betrothed, whom I have never met before, had asked that I be brought to him a year early. He explained that the war in Seria would only worsen in the next few years and that it wouldn't be safe for me to travel. Lord Blaine Stavros was, from what I understood, a brave knight and an advisor to the king. He had also been the first born son to Duke Manten Stavros and with his father's recent death had just gained a vast majority of lands and riches.
Our marriage had been arranged when I was two months old. Lord Manten and my father had once worked closely together during a previous war. They kept in contact for years afterwards and Lord Manten often joked that if my father ever had a daughter that he would betroth his first born son to her. Being the fourth child, after my mother had three sons, my father discovered that Lord Manten had been quite serious.
Of course, my father accepted the proposal as he was nothing more then a knight with a manor under another man's rule. To betroth me to a future duke would not only elevate my status but my father's as well. Though my father had checked throughout the years to ensure that Lord Manten was not teasing him. Always Lord Manten would respond with, "I shall see you at the wedding."
There had been rumors that my father had saved Lord Manten's life during the war more than once. My father had never admitted to doing anything for him, but it was the only logical reason that a woman of my standing could wed such a man.
I was not as excited as I should have been. I knew that wedding a duke would mean a lot of changes in the way that I presented myself. Having grown up with three brothers and no sisters, I had to deal with servants and my mother constantly telling me to behave like a lady. I wore all my brothers' hand me downs until the age of fourteen, when my mother could no longer stand the sight of me in pants. She informed me that now that I looked like a lady I had to dress as one.
My wedding date had been set for my eighteenth birthday, but that day came and went. Lord Blaine asked my father to keep me until it was safer to travel and added that he suspected it wouldn't be until after my twenty third birthday. It had been strange that he would make such a wild guess as to when the war would be over. Though it was more of a dispute back then as no one had died in the name of their country.
Many believed that Lord Blaine was looking for a way to escape his marriage with me. Most likely he was buying himself time with his father's ear, but when his father past he knew that there would be no way out. Which was why he had summoned me three months after his father's death. There were other rumors that Lord Blaine had a lover, which was also the reason he was trying to keep me in Requanar.
Whatever the case may be, I was more than happy to stay in my home country. I would have gladly married him and remained with my mother and father while my husband returned to Seria. He could have fathered as many bastards as he wanted and ignored my presence completely. Now, I would have to live in his home in Seria and listen to all the rumors about his lovers that he had taken in the very bed I slept in.
Kerani moaned in her sleep and it brought me back to reality. I looked over at the dark haired beautiful woman who was asleep on my shoulder. She was the most lovely girl that I had ever laid eyes upon. My father told me that I needed a servant girl to care for me, and though I am thoroughly against the slave trade, he demanded I purchase a Gyosian. I knew all about their beliefs of loyalty. Most women chose to keep a Gyosian servant because they would rather die a long, tortured death then ever tell anything that would hurt their mistress' name. Whether that is true or not has yet to be proven to me. Kerani could only speak to me, my brothers, and my father as no one else spoke her language.
My eyes wandered up to Endre who was wide awake. Though he was a servant to Lord Blaine, he carried a sword and wore chain mail armor. Obviously, Blaine had trained him to be a protector. He spoke perfect common, which proved to me that he had either been taken from Gyose at a young age or he had been born into slavery. Considering that he spoke the Gyose language, I had concluded that he had been taken young. As most Gyosian infants were snatched from their mother's arms the moment they were born. The infants were given to noble women to learn how to raise a child until they were able to be sold into labor.
Endre's dark eyes embedded themselves into my own whenever I looked upon him. He spoke rarely, and most often it was to give me directions. I turned my gaze away and leaned my head against the carriage.
"You should sleep like your chamber maid. It will be a long night." Endre's voice nearly made me jumped through the top of the carriage.
"I can not sleep in a carriage."
He looked at the window, but the curtains had been pulled and he seemed reluctant to open them. Endre was around my height as most males of his race were, but he had a strong, masculine body from years of hard labor, no doubt. His hair was long and kept pulled back. Kerani and he had had a couple of discussions, though he mostly answered her questions as briefly as possible.
"When will we arrive?" I asked and heard the sounds of several horses outside the carriage. I knew they were the escorts that had been sent with the carriage. They were all knights who were under Lord Blaine's commands. None looked privileged to have to escort his future wife to the city. It was most likely considered a meager errand far below their skills.
"Tomorrow afternoon." Endre answered me.
I propped myself up as I had been bent over, which forced Kerani's head to drop. Her eyes opened and she looked between Endre and myself. I could tell by the look on her face that she was trying to remember where she was.
"Have you not slept?" Kerani asked me in her language.
I shook my head in response.
Bouncing on her bottom, she was on the other side of the carriage and patted her lap. "Lay your head down."
"I won't be able to sleep."
"Try." She reached out her hand and stroked my hair which coaxed my head downward.
I did not like it when others were right, but as it turned out I was exhausted. The trip from my home country to Seria was a week long journey. It was also highly stressful because of the ongoing war. Lord Blaine was a known figure among our enemies and killing me would have been a tactic that they could easily exploit to get to him. Though, I highly doubted he would care either way.
As Kerani stroked my hair, I could hear her singing a song in her native tongue. I barely made out any of the words as my mind began to drift away. It would be my greatest of pleasures for this journey to finally come to an end. This is what I thought as my mind finally gave way to sleep.
When I had awoken that morning, I had overheard Endre and Kerani flirting. It had been such a sweet display that I pretended to be asleep until there was a pause. Then I rubbed my face to inform them of my impending consciousness. Endre fell into silence though Kerani tried to continue speaking with him. She knew that I would not mind, but Endre seemed to believe that I would be offended if he spoke out of turn. It was the situation that he had grown up in. Gyosian servants spoke only when they were asked to and it would always be in direct answers.
Kerani had come straight from Gyose when my father purchased her. She had been "trained" by a slave handler, which meant she was beaten into submission until she had no fight left in her. For the first year, she had flinched whenever I raised my hand or made any sudden movements. Now, she was more like my friend then anything else. Though she still had to give me the proper respect in front of others.
Not speaking the common tongue, she got away with a lot of improper behavior. She had been caught saying things to me that a servant should not, when she had not tested a nobleman or woman to see if they understood her language. My father would always apologize and inform them she would be punished, though she never was.
A sudden knock on the top of the carriage caused both Kerani and me to jump slightly. Endre held back a grin, "We will be arriving at the estate in the next few moments."
With that he leaned forward and opened the curtains so I could see the estate as we entered. Once we past through the gates it was mostly woods for several minutes. Then the meadow began and I could see the large stables and a lake in the distance. Flower beds lined the road until they reached the large white manor of the Stavros estate. Endre opened the door once the carriage came to a stop, and assisted me out. My eyes wandered over my new four story home and to the servants that had gathered on the front steps.
A woman with white hair and a thin build immediately approached me, "Lady Valora, allow me to welcome you to the Stavros estate. I am the house's head servant, Leora." Her smile widened as she looked me over. "My word, you are lovely."
Her fingers went to my strawberry blonde locks that laid over my shoulders and then she seemed to inspect my hands. In the past years, my father had ordered me to stay inside so I had lost much of my coloring. It was considered unladylike to have a tan. My mother said that I should look like a porcelain doll, and I was very nearly there.
"Thank you, Leora." I said ignoring her rude inspection.
She grinned, "These are all the house's servants." Her hand waved to show off the people standing on the stairs. "I am afraid Lord Blaine left a couple of days ago. The king summoned him to the castle and we do not know when he will return." She rolled her eyes, "Look at me just rambling. You must be exhausted from your journey. Let me take you to your bedroom."
I followed behind her and knew that Kerani wasn't far behind. A couple other servants had grabbed my belongings and were making their way to my room.
"You'll stay here until after the wedding. Lord Blaine has asked me to arrange all the details, but if you would like to be a part of it, I would gladly step aside, milady." Leora opened the door and allowed me to step in.
"No, I am sure you will do a wonderful job." I said looking around the room.
My own bedroom had been larger, but it would be satisfactory. A white silk curtain hung around a large tub in the corner of the room near the fireplace. My bed was on the opposite side of the room with a canopy of the same white silk. A bear skin rug covered the center of the floor and there was a writing desk near the window. The servants went to work putting away my clothing into the wardrobe.
"I do that." Kerani told them in her heavy Gyose accent.
"You take a nap, milady. I will come for you when lunch is ready." Leora bowed to me and exited the room with the other servants.
"Do you think Lord Blaine is a hunter?" Kerani asked as she started to unpack my belongings.
I looked down at the bear skin rug, "Someone was or is." I said as I made my way over to my bed and sat down to watch her work.
"You were ready to meet him, weren't you? Had your courage gathered and now you have to do it all over again." Kerani hung up my favorite red dress.
"Yes. I just want to meet him and get this all over with. I hope that after we are wed, he will leave me be for the most part. He may do whatever he pleases and leave me to…"
"Don't say such things, Valora. You don't know the circumstances behind the delay. Basing your opinions of a person on rumors is very childish."
I sighed and pulled off my shoes, "I was meant to marry him four years ago. Interestingly enough, he did not summon me here until after the man who could council our betrothal died. Those are facts."
She nodded her head as she hung up another dress, "Facts yes, but not whole truths."
I didn't want to argue with her any longer and just laid back on my bed. After several deep breathes, I chuckled.
"What do you find so humorous over there?"
"I heard your not-so-subtle act of coquetry with Endre this morning."
She burst out with laughter, "You little eavesdropper!"
"I was in the very same carriage as you. That hardly counts as eavesdropping." I playfully defended myself and sat up to see the dark pink blush across her cheeks.
Standing up, she walked over to the bed and gently pushed on my shoulders. To allow her the pleasure of pushing me down, I released the tension in my arms and fell to the bed. "He is handsome, is he not?" She asked and sat down beside me.
"There is no question. Though he is very quiet."
"It's a rule that even I was taught. However, I was lucky enough to receive a mistress that didn't enforce it."
I frowned. She knew that I despised being called her mistress, even though it was true.
"I apologize." She sighed and looked at the wall across from her. "I know that it is too early for me to be asking this, but do you think that Lord Blaine allows marriages amongst the slaves?"
I sat up and patted her knee, "I do not know, but if he doesn't I will try my best to change his mind."
She smiled and stood back up to finish her task. Kerani had told me that she was taken from her tribe three days before her bonding ritual with her lover. She had wanted to be married and was afraid that now that she was a slave it would never happen to her. I knew that she was slightly jealous of my upcoming marriage, even though I had never met the man before.
Laying my head down, I closed my eyes and allowed myself to fall into a shallow sleep. I wasn't exceptionally tired, but the week long journey had taken much of my energy.
Leora came for me and left Kerani to organizing my bedroom. I informed her that I wanted to bathe when I returned so she went to fetch some water to boil in the fireplace. Leora lead me down the flight of stairs and through the large double doors near the front entrance. It was the dining hall, which was three times as large as the one I spent my life eating in.
The table stretched from one side of the room to the other. All the walls had small serving tables surrounding the large main table. A beige table cloth covered it and golden candle sticks with white gardenia bases adorn the table. Two places were set at the end of the table, and I sat at the side. The person who would be sitting at the head had yet to be announced.
Leora seated me and then disappeared into the kitchen. I was left in the dining hall with a male servant whom I was unfamiliar with. He poured me a glass of white wine and then returned to his position at the kitchen entrance.
One of the double doors opened and I turned my head to watch a tall, dark haired male enter. His hair was cut short though several locks hung over his forehead. He wore his tanned pants, black boots, and a gray riding coat. I knew that this was the riding attire of a nobleman so I tried to stand.
"No, please, stay seated." His deep voice insisted. "You must be Lady Valora." There was a grin on his lips and his eyes were dead locked on me as he came to stand at the head of the table. "You… you are quite lovely." He sat down.
"Thank you, and whom might you be?"
He smacked his forehead, "I am Lord Durril, Blaine's younger brother." Jumping to his feet, he came to stand next to me and offered me his hand. I placed my own in his palm and he kissed my knuckles briefly. "Forgive my manners." He sat back down. "Excuse my appearance, I was out on business most of the morning."
"Only if you will excuse mine. I've been traveling all week and was just roused from a nap."
Durril's gorgeous face broke out in a full smile, "Well, aren't we just a sorry bunch."
"Lord Durril." Leora walked into the dining hall, "I apologize for not being here to introduce you."
"It's alright, Leora. We seemed to have managed." Durril smiled at me again and I nodded.
She smacked her hands together, "Then I will bring out your lunch."
"Thank you, Leora." Durril said without ever taking his eyes off me. His constant stare was both flattering and uncomfortable. "Was your trip without any difficulties?"
"It went very well, thank you." I looked down to my plate, hoping to break his stare.
"I am sorry that my brother couldn't of been here to greet you himself. Unfortunately, his duties dictate that he is away from the estate quite often."
I gave a gentle nod, "I understand."
"He is eager to meet you."
"Oh? I was under the impression that he was delaying my arrival so that he could put an end to our engagement."
Durril swallowed hard, it was all the information that I needed. Even if his words would have informed me of the opposite, I would have known they were a lie. "I wish that I could tell you differently, milady. However, it is true that Blaine had no desire to wed you nor does he now."
Leora entered the room and filled our soup bowls up with a broth from a silver pot. She then placed the pot in front of us and returned to the kitchen.
Taking a sip from my wine glass, I could tell that Durril was waiting for my response. "I had thought you would lie to me, but I appreciate your honesty. I can not say that I am too thrilled about wedding a man that I have never met either."
He shook his head as he poured us both some more wine, "You do not understand the circumstances. It is not because he did not know you or perhaps it is. There were rumors that…" He placed the wine bottle on the table, "I should not speak of such things. I may give my brother the appearance of being what he is not."
"No, please tell me."
Durril sighed, "There were rumors that you were terribly homely, milady."
I believe that my jaw dropped in that instance and I just stared at him for what seemed to be an eternity.
"So homely that your father had to purchase you a Gyose servant just so you could have a playmate." He looked nervous and tapped his right foot under the table.
I just continued to stare at him.
"Obviously, milady, that is far from the truth. I apologize for bringing this matter up, I should of never spoken out of turn."
"How… how could such a rumor start?"
He shrugged, "My father use to tell us how unattractive your father was and that your mother had married up when it came to appearances. Of course, others heard of this and I suppose that eventually the rumor began to speak of your own beauty… or lack thereof."
I picked up my spoon and began to sip my soup. No longer did I want to speak on the subject and tried to ignore Durril. He seemed to sense my distress with the situation and remained silent for a few moments.
"It's a rumor that holds no truth, milady." He said after Leora brought us our chicken and asparagus. He cleared his throat, "I am sure your own people had falsehoods about why he was not sending for you."
"They said that he had a lover and was trying to wed her instead." I mumbled as I cut up my piece of chicken.
Durril remained silent and seemed almost oblivious to what I had said.
"That's true, isn't it?"
He said nothing to me and concentrated on his food.
"Are they still lovers?"
His eyes looked up from his plate to me, "No, her father grew tired of Blaine's promises to end his engagement with you and wed her to another. He does not know that they shared a bed, otherwise he may have been forced into…" Durril bit his bottom lip, "Milady, I am sorry. I should not speak of such things in front of you nor should I inform you of my brother's private matters."
I nodded, "It's quite alright. When I heard that he had a lover, I assumed that they had shared such intimacies. Why did Blaine not choose to use that in order to wed her?"
"Our father would have disowned him. He would be without the estate now, even though he would have been with the woman he claimed to love." Durril shrugged, "It is a sacrifice that I would of taken. Not that I have the estate to give away." He chuckled, "If he had done so, then you would of probably come here to wed me."
I didn't find anything he said humorous and only continued to eat my meal.
We fell into silence once again until a small desert pastry was brought out to us. "I feel I should say something pleasant about my brother now."
I looked up from my food to him.
"Blaine is very much the gentlemen, milady. I know that you will want for nothing as his wife, especially when he sees how beautiful you are. I was told by his former lover that he is a romantic at heart and I am sure that you two will have many long, happy years together." Durril watched me eat my pastry. "Although, my brother would rather kill himself then to show me or any other man his softer side."
"Lady Valora." I heard Kerani at the double doors, "Bath now." She tried to speak in the common tongue, unfortunately it sounded like she was giving me orders.
"I will be there shortly." I said in her language and she bowed before exiting.
"You speak Gyose?" Durril said in a voice that told me he was impressed.
I nodded, "I speak eight languages. My father ensured that I was well versed in language, history, and mathematics."
"And swordplay or so I have heard." He grinned.
"How could you of heard that?"
"Our father told us that Sir Crystek sent him a letter on your skills and that was listed among them."
I rose an eyebrow, "I wonder why he would do such a thing. He always told me to never inform anyone of my unladylike abilities."
"Your father has always been afraid that my father would change his mind about the engagement. He spent that last twenty two years explaining to your father that he would not and that this was no hoax. Which was probably why he would not give into Blaine's demands to marry another." Durril hadn't touched his pastry, "You said something about unladylike abilities, you have more then one?"
I smiled, "I also said that I wouldn't inform anyone about them."
"Come now, I've offered information that could get me into quite a bit of trouble with my brother. I think it's only fair, don't you?"
With a chuckle, I shook my head, but answered him anyway. "I can climb trees, fish, ride a horse bareback….hmm, I've probably been in more mud fights than any male on the planet. Oh, I didn't start wearing dresses until I was fourteen."
Durril waved his hand at me, "Stop, stop." He said as he laughed, "Are you telling me…" He was laughing so hard, he couldn't talk. I had no idea what was so funny. "Are you trying to tell me…" He took a deep breath, "that you enjoy many of the activities reserved for males?"
"Yes. I have three older brothers and no sisters. I didn't stand a chance."
"My brother is going to love you." He said as he stood up, "I have to finish my work, Lady Valora. I will see you at dinner, I hope. It was such a pleasure to finally meet you." He kissed my hand and left the room.
I stood up when he was gone and headed up to my bedroom to inform Kerani of my meal with Blaine's brother. I also wanted to enjoy that bath that she had prepared for me.
In the distance, I could see the approaching shadows of at least thirty horsemen. The guards near the manor's entrance didn't appear to be alarmed and stood perfectly still. Torches were burning around the outside of the manor to guide the horsemen towards us and I could clearly see the entry way of the manor.
When the group arrived in front of the entrance, one of the guards walked over to the man in the lead. He wore full plate armor including a helmet so I couldn't see what he looked like. He dismounted his horse and allowed the guard to take the reigns from him. I watch the guard take the horse towards where I knew the stables were. The knight who had dismounted began to speak to another man in the party. The horses were so loud, I couldn't understand what was being said.
Suddenly, they all flipped around and took off into the distance, and the knight remained in front of the house. My heart pounded when I questioned if this was Blaine. When the guard who had taken his horse returned, I received my answer.
"Has she arrived?" The deep voice asked.
The horses could still be heard in the distance, but their loud pounding hooves were slowly fading.
"Yes, milord. She arrived this afternoon." The guard told him.
The knight looked towards the stables, "I suppose it's too late to catch up with Lieutenant Gerik." He jested.
"The horse is being brushed down as we speak, milord."
I heard him exhale deeply before he removed his helmet. Though, I could barely make out his features because of the shadows the torch light cast.
"Did you see her?"
"No, milord, I was not on duty at the time."
"Have you heard anything?"
"If you mean have I heard if she is as unattractive as they say, then no, milord, I have not." The guard patted his shoulder. They were obviously friends. "You should go to bed and find out for yourself in the morning. She'll be here. She'll be here for the rest of her life."
He looked up to my bedroom window at that moment. It was as if he had felt my eyes upon him. I stood frozen in the window, though I wasn't certain if he could see me.
"Yes, she's in the room you specified." The guard told him, "If you are planning on taking a peek, you should pray she is not a light sleeper."
"I'd take the armor off first." He looked down from the window. "Besides this has been driving me insane since I summoned her. I don't think I will be able to sleep until I know exactly how homely she is, Amon. Rumors can exaggerate."
"They can lie too." Amon, the guard, said.
"She'll be practically in the next room, I can't sleep knowing that I could have my answer this easily."
"And what if she is the most hideous woman on earth? Are you going to ignore your father's wishes? Are you going to run away?"
He didn't give Amon an answer and ran into the manor.
I jumped into bed and turned my face towards the window so that he would have to enter the room to view me. After fifteen minutes, I was beginning to believe that he had changed his mind and had started to drift to sleep. That was when I heard my door squeak open followed by a mumbled curse, which I assumed was towards the squeaky door.
He seemed to be tip toeing towards my bed and he was extremely quiet. Had I actually been asleep, he probably would of made it without ever awakening me. When his shadow covered my face, I tried my hardest to not grin and keep a sleeping face. I heard him exhale deeply as if in relief and head towards the door.
"So, am I homely?" I asked and heard something slam against the ground which I assumed was his feet after he jumped with a start.
"You scared the hell out of me." He snapped in a whisper.
I grinned but kept my eyes closed, "I asked a question."
He was silent for several long moments and I was beginning to think he might of left the room. Turning over onto my back, I sat up and could still make out his shadow in the middle of the room.
"Are you not going to answer me, Lord Blaine?"
"Did you hear my conversation with the guard?" He asked removing himself from the sneaking position to stand erect in front of my bed.
"Do you think anyone in the manor could still be asleep after a herd of horses came thundering up the way?"
"Do you always answers questions with questions?"
I crossed my arms, "Do you?"
There was a deep chuckle that came from him which told me that I was amusing him, "I apologize for awakening you."
"You should apologize for making me wait for four years while you tried to convince your father to end our engagement on a rumor that I was homely."
He chuckled again, "Alright, I apologize for that as well."
"Very well. If you are finished I would like to go back to sleep. Besides it's hardly proper for you to be in my room this late. Think of what the servants may think if they saw you sneak out at this hour." With a wave of my hand, I laid back down and closed my eyes. A little sense of pride filled my chest as I reviewed what I thought was a clever plan.
After sometime I didn't hear the sounds of anyone leaving and I sat back up to find him standing at the end of my bed. His hands were on the footboard and he stood stiff.
"Why are you still here, Lord Blaine?" I ran my fingers through my hair to brush it back away from my face.
He was silent for several long moments, "Would you be inclined to walk out to the lake with me? It's lovely this time of night."
"First and foremost, I am in my sleeping gown and tired. Second of all, it is hardly an appropriate situation. Thirdly, you have just returned from a long trip, I think it would be best if you went to sleep."
"Already speaking as if you are my wife, I see." He crossed his arms, "No one will see you. I think it would be a nice way for us to come to know each other without the restraints of proper etiquette. I find they get in the way of knowing the real person."
"The real person that I am is exhausted. I, too, arrived from a long journey today and though you may be use to it, I am not. Now, milord, I bid you goodnight." I laid back down and closed my eyes again.
I heard him chuckle from the footboard, "Goodnight, Lady Valora." He whispered before the sounds of my bedroom door closing filled the room.
Kerani had only come to work for me for three years. She spoke very little of the common language, but I was well versed in her language. My father is very scholarly and ensured that all of his children were as well. Not only did he test me the ways of the books, but always how to defend myself during battle. It was not something that I was suppose to demonstrate to anyone as it was unbefitting for a lady. Yet he told me that there wouldn't always be a knight around to protect me.
As we traveled deeper into the war torn lands of Seria, I knew that those lessons may one day be brought to good use. My betrothed, whom I have never met before, had asked that I be brought to him a year early. He explained that the war in Seria would only worsen in the next few years and that it wouldn't be safe for me to travel. Lord Blaine Stavros was, from what I understood, a brave knight and an advisor to the king. He had also been the first born son to Duke Manten Stavros and with his father's recent death had just gained a vast majority of lands and riches.
Our marriage had been arranged when I was two months old. Lord Manten and my father had once worked closely together during a previous war. They kept in contact for years afterwards and Lord Manten often joked that if my father ever had a daughter that he would betroth his first born son to her. Being the fourth child, after my mother had three sons, my father discovered that Lord Manten had been quite serious.
Of course, my father accepted the proposal as he was nothing more then a knight with a manor under another man's rule. To betroth me to a future duke would not only elevate my status but my father's as well. Though my father had checked throughout the years to ensure that Lord Manten was not teasing him. Always Lord Manten would respond with, "I shall see you at the wedding."
There had been rumors that my father had saved Lord Manten's life during the war more than once. My father had never admitted to doing anything for him, but it was the only logical reason that a woman of my standing could wed such a man.
I was not as excited as I should have been. I knew that wedding a duke would mean a lot of changes in the way that I presented myself. Having grown up with three brothers and no sisters, I had to deal with servants and my mother constantly telling me to behave like a lady. I wore all my brothers' hand me downs until the age of fourteen, when my mother could no longer stand the sight of me in pants. She informed me that now that I looked like a lady I had to dress as one.
My wedding date had been set for my eighteenth birthday, but that day came and went. Lord Blaine asked my father to keep me until it was safer to travel and added that he suspected it wouldn't be until after my twenty third birthday. It had been strange that he would make such a wild guess as to when the war would be over. Though it was more of a dispute back then as no one had died in the name of their country.
Many believed that Lord Blaine was looking for a way to escape his marriage with me. Most likely he was buying himself time with his father's ear, but when his father past he knew that there would be no way out. Which was why he had summoned me three months after his father's death. There were other rumors that Lord Blaine had a lover, which was also the reason he was trying to keep me in Requanar.
Whatever the case may be, I was more than happy to stay in my home country. I would have gladly married him and remained with my mother and father while my husband returned to Seria. He could have fathered as many bastards as he wanted and ignored my presence completely. Now, I would have to live in his home in Seria and listen to all the rumors about his lovers that he had taken in the very bed I slept in.
Kerani moaned in her sleep and it brought me back to reality. I looked over at the dark haired beautiful woman who was asleep on my shoulder. She was the most lovely girl that I had ever laid eyes upon. My father told me that I needed a servant girl to care for me, and though I am thoroughly against the slave trade, he demanded I purchase a Gyosian. I knew all about their beliefs of loyalty. Most women chose to keep a Gyosian servant because they would rather die a long, tortured death then ever tell anything that would hurt their mistress' name. Whether that is true or not has yet to be proven to me. Kerani could only speak to me, my brothers, and my father as no one else spoke her language.
My eyes wandered up to Endre who was wide awake. Though he was a servant to Lord Blaine, he carried a sword and wore chain mail armor. Obviously, Blaine had trained him to be a protector. He spoke perfect common, which proved to me that he had either been taken from Gyose at a young age or he had been born into slavery. Considering that he spoke the Gyose language, I had concluded that he had been taken young. As most Gyosian infants were snatched from their mother's arms the moment they were born. The infants were given to noble women to learn how to raise a child until they were able to be sold into labor.
Endre's dark eyes embedded themselves into my own whenever I looked upon him. He spoke rarely, and most often it was to give me directions. I turned my gaze away and leaned my head against the carriage.
"You should sleep like your chamber maid. It will be a long night." Endre's voice nearly made me jumped through the top of the carriage.
"I can not sleep in a carriage."
He looked at the window, but the curtains had been pulled and he seemed reluctant to open them. Endre was around my height as most males of his race were, but he had a strong, masculine body from years of hard labor, no doubt. His hair was long and kept pulled back. Kerani and he had had a couple of discussions, though he mostly answered her questions as briefly as possible.
"When will we arrive?" I asked and heard the sounds of several horses outside the carriage. I knew they were the escorts that had been sent with the carriage. They were all knights who were under Lord Blaine's commands. None looked privileged to have to escort his future wife to the city. It was most likely considered a meager errand far below their skills.
"Tomorrow afternoon." Endre answered me.
I propped myself up as I had been bent over, which forced Kerani's head to drop. Her eyes opened and she looked between Endre and myself. I could tell by the look on her face that she was trying to remember where she was.
"Have you not slept?" Kerani asked me in her language.
I shook my head in response.
Bouncing on her bottom, she was on the other side of the carriage and patted her lap. "Lay your head down."
"I won't be able to sleep."
"Try." She reached out her hand and stroked my hair which coaxed my head downward.
I did not like it when others were right, but as it turned out I was exhausted. The trip from my home country to Seria was a week long journey. It was also highly stressful because of the ongoing war. Lord Blaine was a known figure among our enemies and killing me would have been a tactic that they could easily exploit to get to him. Though, I highly doubted he would care either way.
As Kerani stroked my hair, I could hear her singing a song in her native tongue. I barely made out any of the words as my mind began to drift away. It would be my greatest of pleasures for this journey to finally come to an end. This is what I thought as my mind finally gave way to sleep.
---***---
With the carriage windows still drawn, I could only tell that it was daytime by the sun that peeked around its edges. Endre had demanded that we keep them shut as to not give a clear shot to any archer assassins that we might pass by. This explanation only terrified me, though I was composed enough to not show any fear.When I had awoken that morning, I had overheard Endre and Kerani flirting. It had been such a sweet display that I pretended to be asleep until there was a pause. Then I rubbed my face to inform them of my impending consciousness. Endre fell into silence though Kerani tried to continue speaking with him. She knew that I would not mind, but Endre seemed to believe that I would be offended if he spoke out of turn. It was the situation that he had grown up in. Gyosian servants spoke only when they were asked to and it would always be in direct answers.
Kerani had come straight from Gyose when my father purchased her. She had been "trained" by a slave handler, which meant she was beaten into submission until she had no fight left in her. For the first year, she had flinched whenever I raised my hand or made any sudden movements. Now, she was more like my friend then anything else. Though she still had to give me the proper respect in front of others.
Not speaking the common tongue, she got away with a lot of improper behavior. She had been caught saying things to me that a servant should not, when she had not tested a nobleman or woman to see if they understood her language. My father would always apologize and inform them she would be punished, though she never was.
A sudden knock on the top of the carriage caused both Kerani and me to jump slightly. Endre held back a grin, "We will be arriving at the estate in the next few moments."
With that he leaned forward and opened the curtains so I could see the estate as we entered. Once we past through the gates it was mostly woods for several minutes. Then the meadow began and I could see the large stables and a lake in the distance. Flower beds lined the road until they reached the large white manor of the Stavros estate. Endre opened the door once the carriage came to a stop, and assisted me out. My eyes wandered over my new four story home and to the servants that had gathered on the front steps.
A woman with white hair and a thin build immediately approached me, "Lady Valora, allow me to welcome you to the Stavros estate. I am the house's head servant, Leora." Her smile widened as she looked me over. "My word, you are lovely."
Her fingers went to my strawberry blonde locks that laid over my shoulders and then she seemed to inspect my hands. In the past years, my father had ordered me to stay inside so I had lost much of my coloring. It was considered unladylike to have a tan. My mother said that I should look like a porcelain doll, and I was very nearly there.
"Thank you, Leora." I said ignoring her rude inspection.
She grinned, "These are all the house's servants." Her hand waved to show off the people standing on the stairs. "I am afraid Lord Blaine left a couple of days ago. The king summoned him to the castle and we do not know when he will return." She rolled her eyes, "Look at me just rambling. You must be exhausted from your journey. Let me take you to your bedroom."
I followed behind her and knew that Kerani wasn't far behind. A couple other servants had grabbed my belongings and were making their way to my room.
"You'll stay here until after the wedding. Lord Blaine has asked me to arrange all the details, but if you would like to be a part of it, I would gladly step aside, milady." Leora opened the door and allowed me to step in.
"No, I am sure you will do a wonderful job." I said looking around the room.
My own bedroom had been larger, but it would be satisfactory. A white silk curtain hung around a large tub in the corner of the room near the fireplace. My bed was on the opposite side of the room with a canopy of the same white silk. A bear skin rug covered the center of the floor and there was a writing desk near the window. The servants went to work putting away my clothing into the wardrobe.
"I do that." Kerani told them in her heavy Gyose accent.
"You take a nap, milady. I will come for you when lunch is ready." Leora bowed to me and exited the room with the other servants.
"Do you think Lord Blaine is a hunter?" Kerani asked as she started to unpack my belongings.
I looked down at the bear skin rug, "Someone was or is." I said as I made my way over to my bed and sat down to watch her work.
"You were ready to meet him, weren't you? Had your courage gathered and now you have to do it all over again." Kerani hung up my favorite red dress.
"Yes. I just want to meet him and get this all over with. I hope that after we are wed, he will leave me be for the most part. He may do whatever he pleases and leave me to…"
"Don't say such things, Valora. You don't know the circumstances behind the delay. Basing your opinions of a person on rumors is very childish."
I sighed and pulled off my shoes, "I was meant to marry him four years ago. Interestingly enough, he did not summon me here until after the man who could council our betrothal died. Those are facts."
She nodded her head as she hung up another dress, "Facts yes, but not whole truths."
I didn't want to argue with her any longer and just laid back on my bed. After several deep breathes, I chuckled.
"What do you find so humorous over there?"
"I heard your not-so-subtle act of coquetry with Endre this morning."
She burst out with laughter, "You little eavesdropper!"
"I was in the very same carriage as you. That hardly counts as eavesdropping." I playfully defended myself and sat up to see the dark pink blush across her cheeks.
Standing up, she walked over to the bed and gently pushed on my shoulders. To allow her the pleasure of pushing me down, I released the tension in my arms and fell to the bed. "He is handsome, is he not?" She asked and sat down beside me.
"There is no question. Though he is very quiet."
"It's a rule that even I was taught. However, I was lucky enough to receive a mistress that didn't enforce it."
I frowned. She knew that I despised being called her mistress, even though it was true.
"I apologize." She sighed and looked at the wall across from her. "I know that it is too early for me to be asking this, but do you think that Lord Blaine allows marriages amongst the slaves?"
I sat up and patted her knee, "I do not know, but if he doesn't I will try my best to change his mind."
She smiled and stood back up to finish her task. Kerani had told me that she was taken from her tribe three days before her bonding ritual with her lover. She had wanted to be married and was afraid that now that she was a slave it would never happen to her. I knew that she was slightly jealous of my upcoming marriage, even though I had never met the man before.
Laying my head down, I closed my eyes and allowed myself to fall into a shallow sleep. I wasn't exceptionally tired, but the week long journey had taken much of my energy.
---***---
Leora came for me and left Kerani to organizing my bedroom. I informed her that I wanted to bathe when I returned so she went to fetch some water to boil in the fireplace. Leora lead me down the flight of stairs and through the large double doors near the front entrance. It was the dining hall, which was three times as large as the one I spent my life eating in.
The table stretched from one side of the room to the other. All the walls had small serving tables surrounding the large main table. A beige table cloth covered it and golden candle sticks with white gardenia bases adorn the table. Two places were set at the end of the table, and I sat at the side. The person who would be sitting at the head had yet to be announced.
Leora seated me and then disappeared into the kitchen. I was left in the dining hall with a male servant whom I was unfamiliar with. He poured me a glass of white wine and then returned to his position at the kitchen entrance.
One of the double doors opened and I turned my head to watch a tall, dark haired male enter. His hair was cut short though several locks hung over his forehead. He wore his tanned pants, black boots, and a gray riding coat. I knew that this was the riding attire of a nobleman so I tried to stand.
"No, please, stay seated." His deep voice insisted. "You must be Lady Valora." There was a grin on his lips and his eyes were dead locked on me as he came to stand at the head of the table. "You… you are quite lovely." He sat down.
"Thank you, and whom might you be?"
He smacked his forehead, "I am Lord Durril, Blaine's younger brother." Jumping to his feet, he came to stand next to me and offered me his hand. I placed my own in his palm and he kissed my knuckles briefly. "Forgive my manners." He sat back down. "Excuse my appearance, I was out on business most of the morning."
"Only if you will excuse mine. I've been traveling all week and was just roused from a nap."
Durril's gorgeous face broke out in a full smile, "Well, aren't we just a sorry bunch."
"Lord Durril." Leora walked into the dining hall, "I apologize for not being here to introduce you."
"It's alright, Leora. We seemed to have managed." Durril smiled at me again and I nodded.
She smacked her hands together, "Then I will bring out your lunch."
"Thank you, Leora." Durril said without ever taking his eyes off me. His constant stare was both flattering and uncomfortable. "Was your trip without any difficulties?"
"It went very well, thank you." I looked down to my plate, hoping to break his stare.
"I am sorry that my brother couldn't of been here to greet you himself. Unfortunately, his duties dictate that he is away from the estate quite often."
I gave a gentle nod, "I understand."
"He is eager to meet you."
"Oh? I was under the impression that he was delaying my arrival so that he could put an end to our engagement."
Durril swallowed hard, it was all the information that I needed. Even if his words would have informed me of the opposite, I would have known they were a lie. "I wish that I could tell you differently, milady. However, it is true that Blaine had no desire to wed you nor does he now."
Leora entered the room and filled our soup bowls up with a broth from a silver pot. She then placed the pot in front of us and returned to the kitchen.
Taking a sip from my wine glass, I could tell that Durril was waiting for my response. "I had thought you would lie to me, but I appreciate your honesty. I can not say that I am too thrilled about wedding a man that I have never met either."
He shook his head as he poured us both some more wine, "You do not understand the circumstances. It is not because he did not know you or perhaps it is. There were rumors that…" He placed the wine bottle on the table, "I should not speak of such things. I may give my brother the appearance of being what he is not."
"No, please tell me."
Durril sighed, "There were rumors that you were terribly homely, milady."
I believe that my jaw dropped in that instance and I just stared at him for what seemed to be an eternity.
"So homely that your father had to purchase you a Gyose servant just so you could have a playmate." He looked nervous and tapped his right foot under the table.
I just continued to stare at him.
"Obviously, milady, that is far from the truth. I apologize for bringing this matter up, I should of never spoken out of turn."
"How… how could such a rumor start?"
He shrugged, "My father use to tell us how unattractive your father was and that your mother had married up when it came to appearances. Of course, others heard of this and I suppose that eventually the rumor began to speak of your own beauty… or lack thereof."
I picked up my spoon and began to sip my soup. No longer did I want to speak on the subject and tried to ignore Durril. He seemed to sense my distress with the situation and remained silent for a few moments.
"It's a rumor that holds no truth, milady." He said after Leora brought us our chicken and asparagus. He cleared his throat, "I am sure your own people had falsehoods about why he was not sending for you."
"They said that he had a lover and was trying to wed her instead." I mumbled as I cut up my piece of chicken.
Durril remained silent and seemed almost oblivious to what I had said.
"That's true, isn't it?"
He said nothing to me and concentrated on his food.
"Are they still lovers?"
His eyes looked up from his plate to me, "No, her father grew tired of Blaine's promises to end his engagement with you and wed her to another. He does not know that they shared a bed, otherwise he may have been forced into…" Durril bit his bottom lip, "Milady, I am sorry. I should not speak of such things in front of you nor should I inform you of my brother's private matters."
I nodded, "It's quite alright. When I heard that he had a lover, I assumed that they had shared such intimacies. Why did Blaine not choose to use that in order to wed her?"
"Our father would have disowned him. He would be without the estate now, even though he would have been with the woman he claimed to love." Durril shrugged, "It is a sacrifice that I would of taken. Not that I have the estate to give away." He chuckled, "If he had done so, then you would of probably come here to wed me."
I didn't find anything he said humorous and only continued to eat my meal.
We fell into silence once again until a small desert pastry was brought out to us. "I feel I should say something pleasant about my brother now."
I looked up from my food to him.
"Blaine is very much the gentlemen, milady. I know that you will want for nothing as his wife, especially when he sees how beautiful you are. I was told by his former lover that he is a romantic at heart and I am sure that you two will have many long, happy years together." Durril watched me eat my pastry. "Although, my brother would rather kill himself then to show me or any other man his softer side."
"Lady Valora." I heard Kerani at the double doors, "Bath now." She tried to speak in the common tongue, unfortunately it sounded like she was giving me orders.
"I will be there shortly." I said in her language and she bowed before exiting.
"You speak Gyose?" Durril said in a voice that told me he was impressed.
I nodded, "I speak eight languages. My father ensured that I was well versed in language, history, and mathematics."
"And swordplay or so I have heard." He grinned.
"How could you of heard that?"
"Our father told us that Sir Crystek sent him a letter on your skills and that was listed among them."
I rose an eyebrow, "I wonder why he would do such a thing. He always told me to never inform anyone of my unladylike abilities."
"Your father has always been afraid that my father would change his mind about the engagement. He spent that last twenty two years explaining to your father that he would not and that this was no hoax. Which was probably why he would not give into Blaine's demands to marry another." Durril hadn't touched his pastry, "You said something about unladylike abilities, you have more then one?"
I smiled, "I also said that I wouldn't inform anyone about them."
"Come now, I've offered information that could get me into quite a bit of trouble with my brother. I think it's only fair, don't you?"
With a chuckle, I shook my head, but answered him anyway. "I can climb trees, fish, ride a horse bareback….hmm, I've probably been in more mud fights than any male on the planet. Oh, I didn't start wearing dresses until I was fourteen."
Durril waved his hand at me, "Stop, stop." He said as he laughed, "Are you telling me…" He was laughing so hard, he couldn't talk. I had no idea what was so funny. "Are you trying to tell me…" He took a deep breath, "that you enjoy many of the activities reserved for males?"
"Yes. I have three older brothers and no sisters. I didn't stand a chance."
"My brother is going to love you." He said as he stood up, "I have to finish my work, Lady Valora. I will see you at dinner, I hope. It was such a pleasure to finally meet you." He kissed my hand and left the room.
I stood up when he was gone and headed up to my bedroom to inform Kerani of my meal with Blaine's brother. I also wanted to enjoy that bath that she had prepared for me.
---***---
I heard what sounded like a thousand horses galloping toward the manor. It was dark in my room and my eyes flickered open trying to decide the difference between reality and the dream world. When I was certain that the horses were part of reality, I threw the blankets off me and walked to the window.In the distance, I could see the approaching shadows of at least thirty horsemen. The guards near the manor's entrance didn't appear to be alarmed and stood perfectly still. Torches were burning around the outside of the manor to guide the horsemen towards us and I could clearly see the entry way of the manor.
When the group arrived in front of the entrance, one of the guards walked over to the man in the lead. He wore full plate armor including a helmet so I couldn't see what he looked like. He dismounted his horse and allowed the guard to take the reigns from him. I watch the guard take the horse towards where I knew the stables were. The knight who had dismounted began to speak to another man in the party. The horses were so loud, I couldn't understand what was being said.
Suddenly, they all flipped around and took off into the distance, and the knight remained in front of the house. My heart pounded when I questioned if this was Blaine. When the guard who had taken his horse returned, I received my answer.
"Has she arrived?" The deep voice asked.
The horses could still be heard in the distance, but their loud pounding hooves were slowly fading.
"Yes, milord. She arrived this afternoon." The guard told him.
The knight looked towards the stables, "I suppose it's too late to catch up with Lieutenant Gerik." He jested.
"The horse is being brushed down as we speak, milord."
I heard him exhale deeply before he removed his helmet. Though, I could barely make out his features because of the shadows the torch light cast.
"Did you see her?"
"No, milord, I was not on duty at the time."
"Have you heard anything?"
"If you mean have I heard if she is as unattractive as they say, then no, milord, I have not." The guard patted his shoulder. They were obviously friends. "You should go to bed and find out for yourself in the morning. She'll be here. She'll be here for the rest of her life."
He looked up to my bedroom window at that moment. It was as if he had felt my eyes upon him. I stood frozen in the window, though I wasn't certain if he could see me.
"Yes, she's in the room you specified." The guard told him, "If you are planning on taking a peek, you should pray she is not a light sleeper."
"I'd take the armor off first." He looked down from the window. "Besides this has been driving me insane since I summoned her. I don't think I will be able to sleep until I know exactly how homely she is, Amon. Rumors can exaggerate."
"They can lie too." Amon, the guard, said.
"She'll be practically in the next room, I can't sleep knowing that I could have my answer this easily."
"And what if she is the most hideous woman on earth? Are you going to ignore your father's wishes? Are you going to run away?"
He didn't give Amon an answer and ran into the manor.
I jumped into bed and turned my face towards the window so that he would have to enter the room to view me. After fifteen minutes, I was beginning to believe that he had changed his mind and had started to drift to sleep. That was when I heard my door squeak open followed by a mumbled curse, which I assumed was towards the squeaky door.
He seemed to be tip toeing towards my bed and he was extremely quiet. Had I actually been asleep, he probably would of made it without ever awakening me. When his shadow covered my face, I tried my hardest to not grin and keep a sleeping face. I heard him exhale deeply as if in relief and head towards the door.
"So, am I homely?" I asked and heard something slam against the ground which I assumed was his feet after he jumped with a start.
"You scared the hell out of me." He snapped in a whisper.
I grinned but kept my eyes closed, "I asked a question."
He was silent for several long moments and I was beginning to think he might of left the room. Turning over onto my back, I sat up and could still make out his shadow in the middle of the room.
"Are you not going to answer me, Lord Blaine?"
"Did you hear my conversation with the guard?" He asked removing himself from the sneaking position to stand erect in front of my bed.
"Do you think anyone in the manor could still be asleep after a herd of horses came thundering up the way?"
"Do you always answers questions with questions?"
I crossed my arms, "Do you?"
There was a deep chuckle that came from him which told me that I was amusing him, "I apologize for awakening you."
"You should apologize for making me wait for four years while you tried to convince your father to end our engagement on a rumor that I was homely."
He chuckled again, "Alright, I apologize for that as well."
"Very well. If you are finished I would like to go back to sleep. Besides it's hardly proper for you to be in my room this late. Think of what the servants may think if they saw you sneak out at this hour." With a wave of my hand, I laid back down and closed my eyes. A little sense of pride filled my chest as I reviewed what I thought was a clever plan.
After sometime I didn't hear the sounds of anyone leaving and I sat back up to find him standing at the end of my bed. His hands were on the footboard and he stood stiff.
"Why are you still here, Lord Blaine?" I ran my fingers through my hair to brush it back away from my face.
He was silent for several long moments, "Would you be inclined to walk out to the lake with me? It's lovely this time of night."
"First and foremost, I am in my sleeping gown and tired. Second of all, it is hardly an appropriate situation. Thirdly, you have just returned from a long trip, I think it would be best if you went to sleep."
"Already speaking as if you are my wife, I see." He crossed his arms, "No one will see you. I think it would be a nice way for us to come to know each other without the restraints of proper etiquette. I find they get in the way of knowing the real person."
"The real person that I am is exhausted. I, too, arrived from a long journey today and though you may be use to it, I am not. Now, milord, I bid you goodnight." I laid back down and closed my eyes again.
I heard him chuckle from the footboard, "Goodnight, Lady Valora." He whispered before the sounds of my bedroom door closing filled the room.