Chapter 52: A Long-Awaited Engagement
Life may have been good, but we still had formalities to observe. First on the list was for Fiona to induct Amy and myself into House Myrddhin. And there was an official ceremony for that. Fiona explained that she would lead the ceremony. But the Master of Arms for House Myrddhin would perform the bulk of the ceremony. This was Lady Cora Myrddhin. She was the woman who had delivered Quincy.
Fiona explained the ceremony was short as ceremonies go. And the only thing the ceremony required of us was that we memorized a few lines and then drew a sword from a scabbard. Fiona drilled us on the lines for a week. She also let us practice drawing a long sword from a scabbard, as neither of us had ever done that before. The hardest part of drawing a sword turned out to be getting it started. The scabbard fit flush at the crossbar. And the initial pull had to wrench it free. Not that it was hard. But it did require more effort than I had expected.
The ceremony took place in Myrddhin House’s Cathedral to the Twice Dead Gods. The cathedral had existed during the old Imperial era. And its design featured arches and columns. The designers had modeled the empire on Ancient Rome. That much was obvious. People surprised me on the day. They filled the cathedral hall until they had filled even the standing room. I supposed that the scandal had people interested. House Myrddhin was choosing to induct two new nobles. And they were a commoner and disgraced member of another house. It was quite the attraction for gawkers. Frankincense burned in censors. The smoke filled the cathedral with a sweet woody smell laced with lemon.
Amy and I stood where the pulpit should be. Cora Myrddhin stood twelve feet down from where we stood. Next to her sat Fiona, in a heavy wooden chair. Next to the chair sat a sword display mount. The mount held the legendary sword of House Myrddhin: Clarent, the Sword of Peace.
Cora Spoke, “Do you swear to always act in such a manner as to bring honor to House Myrddhin?”
“I swear,” I said, “And may I be spit upon and stoned in the streets if I lie.”
“I swear,” Amy said, “And may I be spit upon and stoned in the streets if I lie.”
Cora walked halfway towards us and continued. “Do you swear to defend House Myrddhin against all who do her harm, whether from without or within?”
“I swear,” I said, “May I be cast out and named an oath breaker if I lie.”
“I swear,” Amy said, “May I be cast out and named an oath breaker if I lie.”
Cora walked forward, until she loomed before us. She spoke. “Do you swear your loyalty to House Myrddhin? And will you hold that loyalty above all other loyalties, even to the gods themselves?”
“I swear,” I said. “May the falcon take my eyes if Iie.”
“I swear,” Amy said. “May the falcon take my eyes if Iie.”
I noticed Amy shuddered while speaking her lines. The ceremony of the nobility seemed as though it was intimidating her. But perhaps I was misreading her reaction.
Cora turned and faced Fiona. Cora dropped to one knee and said, “Your Excellency, I present two worthy candidates. They seek entry into House Myrddhin. How do you judge them?”
Fiona stood and took the sword from its mount beside her seat. She held the sword gripping the scabbard.
“I judge them worthy to enter our house. They have saved all of Ys by their actions. And any house should be proud to have them within their ranks.”
Cora nodded. She turned to face us and the audience, “The Candidates have been judged worthy by our Countess. Now they will be judged by the Sword of Peace.”
Cora stepped back out of the way and waited as Fiona approached us. She stood in front of me first. She held the sword horizontal by the scabbard.
“Now, prove that you will put peace first in your dealings. Draw Clarent, the sword of peace from its scabbard if you can.”
Legend has it that the unworthy cannot draw the sword. Fiona had said that it was a normal, if ancient, sword in a normal scabbard, and that Cora had oiled it. I should have no trouble drawing the sword. But the possibility of failing added weight to the task. I grasped the sword, and wrapped my fingers around the hilt. I braced myself and yanked.
The sword hesitated a moment, resisting me. I felt something crackle up my arm and then the sword slid free of the scabbard. I brought the sword up before my face in a salute. Fiona held the scabbard out to me with both hands. I replaced the sword in its scabbard, and Fiona stepped over to face Amy.
I noticed that Amy was sweating. I wanted to draw the sword on her behalf, now that I knew I could do so. It didn’t work that way. But I still wanted to protect her. Fiona presented the sword for Amy to draw. Amy hesitated a moment and then grasped the sword. I noticed she had closed her eyes. And then she pulled. The sword didn’t move.
I saw Amy grit her teeth and re-brace her stance. And she pulled again. This time the sword swung free. Amy sighed and brought the sword to her face in the required salute.
After Amy had replaced the sword, Fiona stepped past us to address the crowd.
“In the presence of these witnesses, I hereby induct these two into House Myrddhin. May they live and die among us. May their bones inspire the next generation. Si vis pacem, para pacem! Si vis bellum para bellum.”
This was the motto of House Myrddhin. If you wish for peace, prepare for peace. If you wish for war, prepare for war.
Fiona raised her arms and spoke a hair below yelling. “They were once Karen Valeria Octavian and Amelia Constance Boulanger. I now present: Lady Karen Valeria Myrddhin and Lady Amelia Constance Myrddhin!”
* * *
“I was less frightened when Ren and I were hiding from werewolves,” Amy said as we relaxed the next day.
“But it was worth it,” I said, “Wouldn’t you agree, Lady Amelia Myrddhin?”
Amy beamed, “I keep pinching myself, convinced this isn’t real.”
“You smacked my hand the last time I did that.” I noted.
Amy giggled, “I did, didn’t I? Well, you can smack me if you want. Later though.”
I flushed.
“Now, as I was saying,” Fiona said, “An engagement party is a necessity. We shall invite Amy’s parents. I can provide appropriate clothing and tailoring for them. That way they shall not feel out of place. Now Ren, you are no longer a part of House Octavian. But courtesy dictates that we invite your parents and immediate family.”
“Well, parent. I did kill my father,” I paused, “Which does make the guest list simpler.”
“Ren! That’s terrible.” Amy gasped.
“I know,” I nodded, “But how else do I deal with this? He was the second person I’d ever killed. Laugh or cry, you know?”
Amy cocked her head, “Who was the first? Or do I not want to know?”
“A guard in the catacombs.” I answered, “I tried to bluff him, but that didn’t work. I was able to bluff the second guard though. So, I only ended up traumatizing myself once down there.”
“Yes, your father will not be attending,” Fiona said, “But neither will my parents. As I would not be head of House Myrddhin were they still alive. Should we invite Lynn and your aunt? And your sisters, immediate family. This would give your family a larger presence at the event.”
I considered, “Lynn is a ‘yes’. My sisters mean well, and they’re harmless. So, ‘yes’ to them. My aunt can be a gossip, but she had my back this whole time, so she’s a yes. I can’t invite my aunt and not my mother though, can I?”
“Not without being rude,” Amy said.
“And Amy, do you have aunts or uncles we should invite? Cousins?” Fiona asked.
“Nobody in the city. Most of my family lives in the City by the Sea. We might see my cousin though: Aloys Boulanger. He’s in the service of the Duke, Leon that is. And we’re inviting Leon.”
“Indeed. How does it feel to be on a first name basis with a Duke?”
“Unreal. Like I’m floating on a cloud.”
“Indeed. But now you never have to come down. I have granted you a permanent pass to the kingdom in the clouds.”
Amy turned and flung her arms around Fiona, kissing her cheek, “Yes, you did! My hero!”
I giggled, “You two are adorable.”
Fiona reached over and pulled me into the embrace, “We three beloved. We three.” She gently licked my ear and I moaned, louder than I meant to do. I put a hand to my mouth and blushed further.
We snuggled together for several minutes. Then Fiona again brought the meeting back to order, “So, we have time. I suggest we send word to Amy’s aunts, uncles, and cousins in the City by the Sea. That is, assuming Amy has their contact information. We can assume that they are unlikely to attend. But I will have my tailor ready in case they do attend and need appropriate attire. We will invite Ren’s mother and sisters, but also her aunt and cousin. If all attend, your families will have decent representation at the engagement party. This will also present opportunities for Ren’s sisters to find suitors. They seem the sort that wish to be courted rather than do the courting themselves.”
“They are so the sort that wish to be courted,” I nodded.
“I can think of several members of House Myrddhin who would be a decent match. So, their chances are good. Cora is still looking to marry. She has terrible luck with romance. Her last suitor died aboard the Verity. He was fighting slavers with Leon.”
“I swear I’m the only person I know who isn’t bisexual,” I commented.
“And yet, you’ve bedded the most men of all of us,” Amy added, poking my arm.
“I was a good daughter, what can I say? At least I was until I stabbed my father,” I shrugged. It may be part of the rival’s history, but at least I hadn’t experienced it myself.
“You are wrong in either case,” Fiona said, “Both Vincent and Leon are straight.”
“We’ve covered the basics,” I said, changing the subject, “Can we move onto the important stuff now? Like what we’re wearing?”
“If you’d been born a commoner, you would have become a tailor,” Amy said. Then she added, “Wait, somebody needs to give a speech about the engagement. It would be the head of the household. But could we pass that off onto your counsel Cyrus? No need to put you on the spot again.”
“He is not a noble. It would not be typical. I am unsure though, if it would be improper. I will ask his thoughts on the matter.”
“He seems like the closest thing you had to a father growing up,” I said.
“That would be accurate. After my father died, he took over many of the roles my father had previously filled. He was a mentor. He was a tutor. He was a confidante. My mother had to run the county and was frequently busy.” Fiona paused. “Father has always seemed to have more time than mother did as Countess. I am not sure my father carried out his duties in as diligent a manner as my mother or myself. Still, to a five-year-old, his method seemed preferable.”
Amy nodded. “So, we invite the extended family. We see if Cyrus will act as a surrogate father once more and give the speech on your behalf. Anything else before we move on to gowns? Ren might vibrate out of her seat if we wait much longer.”
“I’m fine,” I objected.
“I can feel your knee bouncing, Dearest.”
“Okay, fine. I'm excited,” I admitted.
“Then let us move on,” Fiona said, “We can come back to anything that we have missed.”
“I want us in ball gowns,” I rushed the words out, “matching styles, different colors. I know it's presumptuous. But I haven’t seen either of you in ball gowns. And I want to see that. I need that in my life.”
Fiona smirked, “I am worried I am too small for a ball gown. I worry I will disappear into it.”
I shook my head, “We can work around that. You have a tailor. The requirements for a ball gown are few. It needs a low décolletage, a constricted bodice, bared arms, and a long bouffant skirt. How puffy the skirt is, that’s something your tailor can adjust. Most body types look good in a ball gown. We do need to make sure the skirt is proportional.”
“I’ve never worn anything close to that fancy,” Amy said. “I’m a little intimidated to wear something that costs more than what I used to earn in a year.”
“Don’t think about the cost then,” I answered, “Think about style. I’d like to have us in matching styles. Different colors, but matching styles. It gives a unity to our look and makes it clear that we are a trio. We’re going to have to swim against the current of public opinion as a trio. And to do that we need to make a splash, make a statement- like Baroness Wander does. Coordinated ball gowns do that. It lets us own the idea that we three are together.”
“You looked devastating in the ball gown you wore to the party announcing our courtship. We could start there.” Fiona said.
“At the risk of sounding wasteful, no. I don’t want to be seen wearing the same ball gown to both my courtship and engagement party. I can save that ball gown for other parties.”
“Indeed. I meant using the styling of that gown as a starting place.”
“Oh! Yeah, that could work,” I said. “The biggest challenge is going to be the top. Do we go with straps or strapless? I wore strapless last time. Amy could definitely pull off strapless. But the big question is whether you’d feel comfortable in strapless? I haven’t seen much of your everyday fashion, but what I have seen wasn’t very revealing. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable all night.”
“I’m not going to fall out of a strapless top, am I? That is, the ladies won’t go wandering?” She whispered.
I shook my head, “The boning in the bodice is sturdy. You’d have to be larger than any of us in the bust to cause escape attempts by the ladies.”
“But both you and I wore strapless outfits at the announcement of our courtship,” Fiona said. “And you wore a strapless ball gown to the event. We could vary things for impact and variety?”
“One of the many reasons I love you,” I said, “Did you have a particular style in mind?”
“I do enjoy an asymmetric top with a single strap,” Fiona said, “Or a deep v-neck.”
I pursed my lips, “They look great. Daring and dramatic, they’re very much your style. But with an asymmetric style, they won’t provide even support. And Amy and I will notice that. I know that I’ll find it distracting the whole time. A deep v-neck is a possibility. We’ll have to see how much support your tailor can work in, or my girls will end up going for a walk.”
“Amy, would you be comfortable with a deep neckline? It would be like the one I wore at the announcement of Lynn’s courtship- the first one. I mean the one where Ren slapped Wulfric,” Fiona asked.
“I’m never living that down,” I said. “At least I look better in retrospect, now that everyone knows he’s a werewolf. And, of course, he was leading a covert invasion.”
“I imagine it is a part of your reputation now.” Fiona said, nodding.
“I can’t imagine what my reputation is, given everything that has happened,” I said.
“You did declare yourself the She-Wolf of Ys. And you did it in rather dramatic fashion, when you killed your father,” Amy added.
“Yes,” Fiona said, “I suspect your reputation is rather fierce. We will need to improve your skill with a dagger. That at a minimum.”
“So, Amy, how about the plunging neckline?” I asked.
“I would feel okay with a deep neckline, but I would prefer straps of some sort.”
“Well,” I said, “We could go with cap sleeves, or halter straps.”
“Which is less likely to cause a wardrobe malfunction?” Amy asked.
“Hmm. I would say the halter straps. I don’t think either is likely to malfunction though.”
* * *
It was the night of the Engagement party. We stood in the empty grand hall in our ball gowns. We had settled on a halter top style bodice to keep Amy feeling safe. The bodice also included a built-in corset with a lace up back. We had decided against matching colors. Or rather, I had convinced them not to go with matching colors. Our skin tones were too different, none of us looked good in the same colors. When I convinced them, Fiona had asked for a compromise. She wanted us to wear purple, magenta, and blue. Purple suited Fiona. So, Fiona wore classic purple. Amy wore celtic blue. It didn’t suit her perfectly, but it was close. I wore the magenta Fiona had wanted included. Magenta didn’t suit my skin tone, but it made Fiona happy. We all wore opera length evening gloves in white. We all wore shoes matching our dresses. Fiona wore four-inch stiletto heels. She had explained that she would wear six-inch heels if she ever mastered walking in them. Amy wore three-inch strappy wedge heels. I wore my usual kitten heels.
To keep things classic, we all wore stud earrings. Fiona wore lapis lazuli set in silver. Amy wore smoky quartz set in silver. And I wore citrine set-in gold, in concession to my skin tone. We all wore choker necklaces, to compliment the halter straps. Fiona and Amy wore silver. I wore gold.
“I’m very proud of you Fiona,” Cyrus said, his hands on Fiona’s shoulders. “I think of you as a niece. I hope you know that.”
“I do, Cyrus. Thank you.”
“You showed great courage already. But this will call for even greater courage. What you are about to do is legal. And it is also taboo. The other nobles suspect you plan to marry Lady Ren. That alone is shocking. Lady Ren abdicated her position. An unthinkable thing. And then you elevated her back to noble standing. And worse, you elevated her maid and lover. Marrying Lady Ren feels scandalous to the other nobles. But if they knew you intended to marry them both, they would seek to move to prevent your actions.”
“I know. I do not care.”
“And so, I am proud of you,” he said. “And you two ladies. I am impressed by you as well.”
Amy looked at the floor, “Thank you sir.”
Cyrus shook his head, “You are Lady Amelia now. No honorifics are necessary when speaking with a commoner.”
“Oh, I couldn’t do that, sir. You mean so much to Fiona. I would never disrespect you.”
“As you will. But please, my ladies, I have a request to make,” He said, “Please take care of her excellency. Please make her happy. And if you have questions about Fiona, you may ask me.”
“Should you be saying that in front of her?” I asked.
Fiona shrugged, “Nobody knows me better than Cyrus. If you have questions about me that I cannot address, he is the person to ask.”
“That wouldn’t offend you?” Amy asked.
“No. Not everything will be something which you can discuss with me. I understand that.”
“Your Excellency?” Wentworth entered the grand hall, “The first carriages are entering the gates now. I am preparing to let them in and introduce them.”
“Thank you, Wentworth.” Fiona said.
“Okay,” I said, “We only need to maintain our composure and get through this, and then it’s all done.”
We took our place and waited as people began filing into the grand hall. Cyrus stood on the stage of the Myrddhin House grand hall, holding a wine glass and a spoon. We three stood behind him.
Cyrus struck the spoon to the glass, and the ringing tone silenced the murmurs.
“My lords and ladies,” Cyrus began, “may I have your attention?”
He paused.
Cyrus continued. “Her excellency Countess Fiona Myrddhin has been courting the Lady Karen Octavian. Events have moved on since then. But I remember her excellency as a child. I remember teaching her strategy and tactics with great success. I remember schooling her on etiquette and diplomacy with, let’s say, mixed success.”
The crow laughed.
“I feel very much like her uncle. And so, when she asked me to give this speech, I could hardly refuse. And so, it is my pleasure to announce the engagement of the Countess Fiona Myrddhin.”
He paused and took a breath. “And so, I announce the engagement of our countess to the Lady Karen Myrddhin, and the Lady Amelia Myrddhin.”
The hall exploded into conversation. Cyrus struck the spoon to the glass a second time, and the crowd quieted once more.
“All present, I ask that you raise a glass. A toast to the Countess Fiona Myrddhin, the Lady Karen Myrddhin, and the Lady Amelia Myrddhin!”
We presented ourselves to be greeted and congratulated. The members of House Myrddhin seemed genuine in their congratulations, at least to my ear. But then we reached House Ocatvian. My mother stood at the front of the line. And I didn’t know what she would do. My mother glowed as she approached, but I noticed her eyes never focused on Amy. She would look past Amy. Her eyes would roll over Amy without stopping.
“Your Excellency,” She gushed, “Thank you so much for taking in my wayward daughter. A mother can’t help but worry about a child after all.”
“It is my pleasure. I love them both.” Fiona said.
“You and Ren make a lovely couple. I’m sure you will be very happy together.”
“You are ignoring Lady Amelia.” Fiona, her voice hardening.
“And thank you for elevating Ren back to nobility. She’d be helpless as a commoner.”
“I very much doubt that.” Fiona answered. She paused and narrowed her eyes. “This is intentional, is it not? You are making a show of your disapproval.”
“Your Excellency, I don’t know what you mean.”
I watched Fiona set her jaw as she spoke, “Then please congratulate Lady Amelia as well. We are a trio.”
Silence. My mother said nothing. Fiona removed a pocket watch from somewhere and stared at it. I could tell she was counting. Mother continued to stare in silence. Fiona closed the watch and returned it to its hidden place in her gown.
“Wentworth? Show the lady Evelyn Octavian to her carriage. She is leaving early.”
“What do you mean?” Mother said.
“I mean you are unwelcome in Myrddhin House. Leave or Wentworth will remove you.”
My mother went silent again but didn’t move. Aunt Theresa stepped forward, “Walk out while you still have your dignity, Evelyn. From what I know, the countess does not bluff or bluster. Now you three, congratulations! I am so pleased for you. Ren, I owe you an apology. I hadn’t known this whole thing was consensual. I apologize for my words in the council hall.”
My mother stepped back, away from Fiona. She looked stunned. What had she expected would happen? She had tried to disrespect the fiance of a countess, and she was only a lady herself. What did she think she had? Did she think we were ashamed of Amy and wouldn’t defend her? I didn’t know, but I shook my head as Wentworth led mother away.
I smiled, and turned to face Aunt Theresa, “There is nothing to apologize for Auntie. I understood why you were upset.”
“Amy darling. I’m sorry, Lady Amelia, you look wonderful. Nobility suits you. My grandmother was elevated to nobility, you know. She always said that nobility was a burden. You might be born carrying it and stumble under the weight. You might discover it in your travels and take it upon yourself to lift it to your shoulder.”
“Thank you, Lady Theresa.”
“Not at all dear. I’m buttering you up, because I’m about to ask you a favor. My niece can be frivolous in the extreme. She seems to have improved since her change of heart. I trust she has the two of you to thank for that. True love is a wonder, isn’t it? But I suspect she still has that flighty heart and mind. So, you need to be the middle way between her and the countess. If you’ll pardon me, Your Excellency, I respect your directness and decisiveness. Both you and my niece are women of extremes. And I suspect you will need practicality. That is second nature to somebody with common blood, like her or I. So, you look after them, keep them balanced dear. I’m counting on you.”
“Thank you for your faith in me, Lady Theresa.”
“We’re equals now, Lady Amelia. I’ll use your title if you enjoy hearing it. But there’s no need for either of us to be so formal away from court. Also, I’m your aunt now. So, give Auntie a hug.”
Amy burst into tears again and drew Aunt Theresa into a fierce hug. When the hug finally broke, my aunt turned to Fiona.
“Your Excellency, I could not ask for a better protector for my nieces old and new. I saw how you defended Ren after she slapped Wulfric. I heard how you fought in her defense more than once. I saw you sacrifice your good name to elevate your loves to ladies. And now I have seen you face down the world to marry them both. And good for you. And thank you. Please protect them.”
Fiona smiled, “You need not use honorifics when speaking to your niece. I am Fiona. May I call you Aunt Theresa?”
My aunt beamed, “You may!”
And this time Aunt Theresa initiated the hug.
“And you!” Aunt Theresa broke the hug and turned to face me, “You should have told me! Auntie would have had your back then!”
“Thank you, Auntie!” I could feel myself crying as well.
“Ren! Omigosh! This is crazy!” Catherine wobbled as she approached, brandy snifter in hand. Katarina was leaning on her sister’s arm, her flask already out.
“You are so crazy sis!” Katarina said. “This is so nuts. You take boys to your bed your whole life and now you’re marrying two women! So crazy!”
“But, like good crazy,” Catherine said, interjecting. “Like, wow, I’d never have the guts to do this.”
Theresa smiled, “I’ll leave you ladies to talk. I need to go meet Amy’s parents”
We continued to curtsy and smile and say our thank yous. We accepted congratulations. We shook hands. We had our hands kissed. It took over an hour, but we got through the people who had lined up. In the lull that resulted we found ourselves able to chat a little.
“I do wish my parents had lived to see this day,” Fiona said. “I am not sure they would have understood. Still, I find myself wishing they were here.”
“What were they like?” I asked.
“My mother was much like me, but a more deft hand at politics and social maneuvering. She was a diplomat and not a warrior, but she was fearsome. My father was a gentle bear of a man. Good natured in the great hall and terrifying on the battlefield. Our Duke Leon served as a cabin boy on my father’s ship, The Whalekiller, once long ago.”
“They sound impressive,” I said. “I wish I could have met them.”
“As do I.”
“I am sorry your mother was not more understanding of this arrangement.” Fiona said. “But you have the support of one Aunt and two sisters. That is not insignificant.”
“Do you see?” Amy interrupted. “Look at my parents.”
Fiona and I turned to look, and saw Aunt Theresa giving Mrs. Boulanger an enthusiastic hug. The three were in the midst of a lively conversation, and the hug had been part of it.
Fiona nodded, “I am glad to see Amy’s parents treated with some dignity. Nobility is a record of whose ancestors killed, and whose ancestors were killed. Nothing more.”
“They didn’t line up to say hello,” I said. “Let’s go make sure we include them.”
We walked over. Mr. Boulanger saw us coming and waved. Mrs. Boulanger and Aunt Theresa stopped their conversation as we drew near.
“Mother! Father! Would you like to meet your in-laws?” Amy said with a giggle.
“Amy, this is all so overwhelming!” Her mother said.
“And we knew about most of this ahead of time.” Her father added.
Aunt Theresa looked at them, “You two got the inside scoop, did you?”
“Well, Her Excellency invited us to live here at Myrddhin House. So, we couldn’t very well miss the preparations and the gossip. The house staff knew what these three planned, and they were happy to talk with fellow commoners.”
Aunt Theresa smiled, “That’s right. You’ll have whole avenues of gossip to which I have no access. We must stay in touch and swap stories.”
“Stay classy Auntie.” I said smiling and rolling my eyes.
“Climb off your high horse, Ren. You may have turned over a new leaf, but I’m betting your love of gossip isn’t something you can rein in. And I’ll be here with the dirt and the gossip when you can’t resist any longer.”
“I promise that if I get a desperate craving for gossip that you’ll be the first person to whom I turn.”
“Good girl.”
“You know that it’s going to be about the three of us for the next couple months at least.” I cocked my head to the side. “I can already hear them talking about how shocking this is.”
“Where are my darlings?” A familiar voice boomed across the great hall.
Fiona sighed, “She’s never on time, but you always know when my teacher has arrived.”
Baroness Wander marched her four spouses through the crowd like a conquering army. She swept the three of us up, one by one, in smothering hugs. Then she turned to Theresa and Amy’s parents.
“Brilliant, aren’t they? I’m Olivia by the way. Baroness Olivia Wander.” She turned to Fiona, “I can’t stay long darling. I’m needed in Primasedes and the last train leaves in two hours. But I wasn’t missing this. Not for anything.”
“What are you doing in the capital?” I asked.
“Oh, hush hush stuff. I can’t talk about it. But I expect you’ll be hearing about it from our dear Duke soon enough in your official capacity.”
“What official capacity?” Amy asked.
“Oh dear, that hasn’t happened yet. Well, something to look forward to then.” She smiled like an Imp with a contract. And then raised her voice above the clamor, “But more important I need to let you know that I have your back. Anyone who mistreats my protégé or her wives is an enemy of mine. And that’s not a safe position to be in.”
The room went very quiet.
The Baroness clapped her hands together, “Well that got the message across. Give us all hugs and we’ll be on our way!”
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