I parried it deftly from the left, moving quickly and attempting a low strike from my right. He deflected it and we pulled away from each other, continuing our circling. He was faster than I had expected. We were both soon working to catch our breath and sight of our opponents. The cold wind swirled the dirt around us, whipping my skirts up. I was grateful for the trousers that Poppy had built into the dress at that moment, otherwise my legs would have been lashed by the dirt.
I leapt towards him and he caught my strike with the leather and wood hilt of his left rapier. He pushed me away with the blade of his other sword.
“You’re pretty good at this,” I said, chest heaving.
“I’m very good at this,” he corrected. “Didn’t you know I’ve been in countless duels while in school?”
“No, I did not.”
I lunged again and he barely got his rapier up before my blade crashed into his chest and face. It would have been a tragedy to put a black eye on his beautiful face.
“Who was foolish enough to duel the king’s son?”
He backed up, shaking his arm from the impact of the blow I’d nearly landed.
“Well, I had a very short temper, and there were tons of little lordlings wishing to prove they were better than the spare prince. I got good fast.”
He spotted his chance to strike right as he finished speaking. Avery came after me with a flurry of blows that I was barely able to block. My swords were engaged with his, but I saw an opening for some ingenuity. I lifted an elbow and hammered it towards his forehead. He lifted his sword to stop me and accidentally struck himself with it. I used the opportunity to land a blow with the flat of my blade on his ribs.
He stumbled and began to crumple. He had the presence of mind to fling his blades to the side so he wouldn’t fall on them. I dropped my own blades into the dirt without a second thought. Spreading the petals of my skirt out, I rushed to catch him.
“We have a winner!” Cedric roared as my knees hit the ground, arms wrapped around Avery’s waist.
I lowered him to the dirt as gently as I could, resting his head on my thighs. I knew he’d lose consciousness soon if we weren’t careful, just based on the blows that had landed.
“I’ve got you,” I whispered. “I’m here. I’ve got you.”
I lifted my head, and yelled to the squires.
“We’re gonna need a healer!”
I heard Avery speaking very softly, and leaned down as much as I could with the chainmail bodice.
“Yes, my lord?”
He took a deep breath and fluttered his eyes like he wanted to open them.
“You’re real pretty, Genevieve.”
I hoped that anyone looking at me would attribute the blush that spread over my cheeks and neck to the battle I had just finished. A healer arrived at the ring a moment later, relieving me of my charge. They relaxed once they made physical contact with Avery which made me feel whole lot better.
“He’ll be fine. Give him a few hours and he’ll be back to normal,” they reassured me. Several other healers joined the first, lifting Avery from the ground.
“We’ll take him to the hospital wing and keep an eye on him.”
I nodded and stood, dusting the dirt as best as I could from my skirt. It didn’t do much. The red dirt had made its home in the silk. Poppy was going to kill me.
CORMAC
It was finally time to have the dinner Poppy and I had agreed on. I had the perfect place chosen and asked a friend who worked there to hold a table near the window for us. Everything was going perfect, so far.
I’d slicked my hair and beard into shape with a bit of potion I’d found in the marketplace. It smelled like elderberries, which was soothing. Between that and the plum tailored jacket that I wanted to surprise Poppy with, I was feeling quite handsome.
That didn’t keep my thoughts from racing, from wondering if I wasn’t going to screw up the best friendship I’d ever had on the chance that we could make this relationship even more, somehow. I was so nervous I wanted to vomit, but I couldn’t do that without damaging the clothing I’d bought just for the occasion.
I so desperately wanted tonight to go well. We’d been kissing and flirting more in the last week or so, which had been wonderful. I had enjoyed every minute of it, just the way I had our friendship over the last decade. Sometimes I caught Poppy’s gaze and wondered if maybe they didn’t want to go further, but I hadn’t wanted to push them before they were sure.
Not until after this dinner, anyway. After this, we were going to need to have a conversation about how we wanted to proceed. That was what had me nervous, more than anything. I desperately didn’t want to lose them as a friend, no matter what. This dinner would not be the end of our friendship. In my heart of hearts, I knew that. I had to focus on what it could turn into instead.
I smoothed my hands down the plush fabric of my jacket and took a few deep breaths. Before I could psych myself out again, I walked out the door, locking the forge for the night, and whispered a silent prayer to the Goddess for luck.
POPPY
Cormac and I decided to take the long way home from the restaurant he’d taken us to. Our dinner had been wonderful, once I’d gotten past the awkwardness I felt. The food had been exquisite and his company was wonderful, as always.
He offered me his arm and I took it, relishing the closeness that it brought to us. The air around us was cool but the heat that passed between our bodies made it comfortable.
Flowers were starting to pop up all in the small raised beds that were set in front of the other shops we walked past on our way back to the apartment I lived in above my shop. We took turns pointing out different plants that we liked as we walked. He tended to like the simpler shrubbery and small trees while I liked the more delicate plants with stems and leaves that looked like lacework. It seemed appropriate somehow, given our different professions.
I was looking forward to a nice hot drink and snuggling up with Cormac when we got home. It would be the perfect end to a perfect day.
When we arrived at the shop, however, I stopped short at the sight of Cormac’s apprentice sitting on the stoop with the gown that we had delivered earlier that day spread across his lap. I didn’t need him to explain what happened when I saw red brown over the beautiful blue silk.
“I knew this was going to happen,” I scoffed, throwing my hands in the air. “It’s the middle of winter! Why couldn’t they duel inside where they wouldn’t get dirt on everything?”
I unlocked the door and stalked to the back of the shop to reset the mannequin so I could work on this dress again. Finn followed after me as quickly as he could while still carrying the dress. He was young and strong, but I knew the dress was unwieldy to carry.
“I’m going to have to replace all of the silk panels on the front of the gown,” I groused. “All of them! Oh, I’m going to charge her extra for this.”
By the time Cormac and Finn actually made it back to the workshop, my voice had dropped to a much more reasonable growl. Cormac helped him to slide the dress over the top of the mannequin and we all breathed a sigh of relief. As soon as his hands were free, Finn started digging through his pockets.
“She sent a coin purse with me, Poppy, and her apologies. She swears she’ll treat it better on the night of the ball.”
He produced a small but full purse and plunked it onto my worktable. That did a little bit to ease the sting of having the dress returned for repairs within a day.
“Sure she will,” I muttered. “Thank you for bringing it back here, my boy. My old back appreciates it.”
He laughed.
“Do you need my help with the repairs?”
“No, no. I’ll work on this tomorrow. It is far too late to do any work on this tonight, and I have other plans for the evening.”
I glanced at the large man who leaned on the wall just inside my workshop, struggling to resist biting my lip where Finn could see it. The boy was a notorious gossip and Cormac’s employe
e besides. Finn looked confused. He glanced between Cormac and I several times before realization, and a grin, dawned on his sweet face.
“I will leave you two alone, then. Don’t have too much fun. We all have work tomorrow.”
I rolled my eyes. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he began to whistle a jaunty tune I was fairly certain he’d heard from a busker and made his way out of the shop. Turning back to Cormac, I realized that he’d stepped further into the room while I was watching Finn leave. He was standing next to my work chair, resting his hand comfortably on the back. I let my eyes rove over his powerful muscles, relishing the sight of him. He truly was one of the most handsome men I’d ever seen.
“You know he’s going to tell every single one of your shop girls about us, right? I think any hope of secrecy you might have had about us just walked out the door with him.”
I shrugged, putting a little bit of sway into my step as I walked towards him. It seemed to work. Even in the dim light of the room, I could see Cormac’s eyes widen and darken with desire. When I replied, my voice was breathy in a way that I hadn’t expected.
“I guess it’s a good thing that I didn’t have any intention of keeping us a secret.”
He reached out his hand to me and I placed my hand in his open palm. Clasping my palm, he pulled me gently toward him.
“Poppy, I don’t want to hide this from the world either. I want… so much.”
His other hand gently caressed my cheek. I couldn’t help taking a deep breath of the scent of metal and sweat that clung to his skin and wrapped my arms around his bulky waist. I had always loved how much larger he was than me, especially when we were close like this. I wanted so much with him, too.
Now that there were romantic feelings openly involved, the contact was even more meaningful. My pulse raced as I looked up at him through my eyelashes. When he pulled away, he looked down at me as if I were the most precious metal he’d ever beheld. I never wanted this to end.
“Cormac… what do you say we skip the drink tonight? Take me to bed.”
He kissed me and I groaned, my need for him making itself known in the pit of my stomach.
“Your wish is my command,” he growled. It was the sexiest sound I’d ever heard. Without waiting, he lifted me so my legs were at his waist, and began his way upstairs.
7
AVERY
I was supposed to be responding to letters. Instead, I had been musing on some poetry that I wanted to write for Genevieve.
A knock sounded on my open door and I glanced up to see one of the palace servants stick their head through the door of my study. I slid the page of half written poetry under the stack of unused vellum.
“Apologies for the interruption, Your Grace, but I have the day’s post for you. One of these letters is marked as urgent and I wanted to ensure it made it to your hands.”
“Oh, perfect, I’d just finished this letter to be sent out. I’ll trade you.”
He handed me the thick stack of creamy vellum envelopes. I flipped over the envelope on top that was marked urgent, only to realize it was from Wolvington’s seneschal, Bertrand. That was concerning.
There had been reports of unusually vicious wolves in the forests before I left and I had asked him to keep me posted. He was not one to exaggerate problems. I slipped my finger under the wax seal and pulled out the letter. True to form, the letter was terse; there were three lines in Bertrand’s crisp hand followed by his initials.
Your Grace,
The problem with the wolves continues to worsen. Several of our soldiers have been injured to the point that we need your assistance. Please return home to assist us or send help.
BT
I grimaced. If they needed my help, it meant things were serious back at home. I would need to leave immediately if I was going to be able to help the soldiers who had been injured in time. I had to pack.
Trying to climb out of my chair without moving it, I tripped and barely caught myself before my face smashed into the floor. After last week’s unfortunate concussion incident, I didn’t want to spend any more time at the healers. Especially with my people depending on me.
Luckily, I didn’t need much in the way of travel supplies. I knew routes that I could use to shave nearly a full day off of the journey that I had taken with my parents in the carriage. By traveling light, with only what I needed from the Palace healers to treat my people and enough food to get me there, it wouldn’t be a difficult journey at all.
I just had to tell my mother where I was going. That would be the difficult part, as she would have to make my excuses for all of the social engagements that Bayard had scheduled me for. At least I had a good reason for it this time. Not even my much older brother could find fault with me going back home to take care of a serious problem like this. Or so I hoped.
AVERY
I rode hard through the night and had gotten started early again in the morning after a few hours’ rest. If there was anything I was glad for, it was the fact that it didn’t take as long to reach home on horseback as it did by carriage. The countryside was beginning to blossom into spring as I rode through it. Leaves were beginning to regrow on the oaks of the forest.
I had no idea what kind of situation I would be getting into once I got home. If Bertrand had called for my help, there would be at least a few people injured fairly severely. Otherwise our staff healers would be well able to handle animal bites, even from a wolf.
My horse’s galloping kicked up the dark brown dirt that our region was famous for. Wolvington was known for its thick forests and prize rams and sheep. We had some of the best breeding stock in Elisade, and supplied a good chunk of the country’s wool. As a result, we tended to have more than enough money to live off of as a duchy. But the sheep were also a draw for the packs of wolves that roamed our forests, especially in lean winters that were especially cold.
The fact that these wolves were being so vicious, and so consistent, worried me. Usually, the furry beasts did their best to stay far away from the areas that we patrolled. As long as they left us alone, we left them alone. This was the third bunch of attacks we’d had on soldiers, but the first time anyone had been seriously injured. Something wasn’t right about this but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
I had to slow my horse down as we got further into the forest. I didn’t want to risk the gelding picking up a stone or tripping over a tree root while we were so far from anyone who could help to heal him. I knew the basics of wrapping a tender hoof, but if he broke or sprained something out here, it would add nearly half a day to my journey, instead of taking few hours at best which I couldn’t afford at the moment. My people needed me, and that was the most important thing on my mind.
It didn’t stop me from wishing I had written a small missive to Genevieve to tell her that I would be out of town for a few days. I just hadn’t thought to do it before I left and now it was too late. I hoped she would forgive me for the lapse in manners.
Thoughts of her filled my mind as I guided my horse through the familiar woods. I wondered what she would think of Wolvington. Teagan wasn’t all that different, being essentially neighbors, though they tended to focus more on agrarian products than we did. As I thought of all the places at home that I wanted to show her, the woods around me began to thin.
Glimpses of sandstone walls and wooden buildings began to show through the trees and my heart beat a little bit faster. I was home. There was no more time to waste. Kicking the gelding into a trot, I began to steel myself for the situation ahead of me.
Guards moved to stop me as I came up to the gate, until they recognized me. Then they saluted. I didn’t recognize either of them, but that wasn’t a surprise. We regularly rotated guards throughout different areas of the duchy in order to ensure that there were no issues of bribes or other corruption among their ranks.
“Welcome home, Your Grace.”
I nodded to the two soldiers. Sliding off the horse, I handed the reins to one of them and bega
n to pull things out of my saddlebags.
“Bertrand sent for me after the latest attack,” I explained. “Where are the wolf survivors located?”
“The garrison hospital, Your Grace. Do you require help carrying your things?”
“Yes, please. I brought medical supplies from the palace, so my bags are as full as I could get them. And stop that ‘Your Grace’ nonsense. We haven’t time for it.”
“Would you like to visit your rooms first or head straight to the hospital? Bertrand informed us you were coming to help with the attacks.”
“The hospital, please.”
Nodding, one of the soldiers detached the bags from the saddle entirely. I blinked. That would’ve been the smart way to handle this situation. With a short bow, he spoke.
“Follow me, sir.”
The gates opened and he led me through the maze that was the garrison’s section of the duchy. Wooden buildings of varying sizes lined the gravel walkways that were made of smaller pieces of the same stone that built the walls. I hadn’t spent much time in this part of the duchy, as security had been one of my father’s duties since he came to Wolvington before I was born.
However, I knew a hospital when I saw one. The long, segmented building with a handful of windows on both sides had been rebuilt from the ground up several years ago per the latest in medical technology. It had a ward for contagious diseases and one for the general injuries like the occasional broken bone, animal bites or concussions that were common in soldiers on duty, with curtains between the beds for privacy.
I walked in to find that the curtains were drawn around every single one of the forty beds that made up the two wards. Bertrand certainly had not been exaggerating. I could hear soft voices behind them, but I didn’t see anyone. Where was the healer that had been assigned to this garrison? Where were the nurses who should have been assisting them? I turned to the soldier who had guided me to ask, only to find that he was staring at one of the beds in horror. Following his gaze, I recoiled.
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