Blue and Silver

BLUE AND SILVER by

Sue Perkins

WHISKEY CREEK PRESS www.whiskeycreekpress.com

Published by WHISKEY CREEK PRESS Whiskey Creek Press PO Box 51052 Casper, WY 82605-1052 www.whiskeycreekpress.com

Copyright © 2008 by Sue Perkins Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 (five) years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

Names, characters and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. ISBN 978-1-60313-086-8

Credits Cover Artist: Mollie Courtright Editor: Melanie Billings Printed in the United States of America

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT BLUE AND SILVER “…When Ailan, one of the land’s nobles, rescues her from being prosecuted as a thief, Caishel's life begins to change…his grandfather leaves him an estate, they believe themselves blessed, until they see the place. It has fallen into severe disrepair, partly due to the fact that magic ties the land’s viability to its master’s health and mood. A failing, depressed lord does not make for a good land…Something sinister threatens not only their inheritance, but Ailan’s life as well. Caishel will risk losing her husband’s love to save his life. Ms. Perkins has created a highly detailed, intricate world. At times, it reads more like a historical romance than a paranormal, but in the end, the magic is essential to the furtherance of the plot. Though at times the pacing is slow, this allows the reader a full picture of this new vista and the people who live there.” ~~Reviewed by Amanda Killgore, Independent reviewer

Other Books by Author Available at Whiskey Creek Press: www.whiskeycreekpress.com Three Hearts

Travis Denton discovers he has an eight-year-old daughter Brooke, and he travels from California to meet her. His arrival in New Zealand throws Darcy Farrell’s life into turmoil. Travis demands custody of his daughter, and is determined to take her back to America with him. He vows to prove Darcy is an unsuitable guardian and she wonders why this stranger dislikes her so much. She decides to do what’s best for Brooke and finds herself in close contact with Travis. This creates a bigger problem when she becomes physically attracted to him! Unfortunately all Travis is interested in is gaining custody of Brooke. Darcy’s outlook is grim as she prepares to fight for Brooke’s future and tries to deny her love for Travis.

Dedication ~~This book is dedicated to my daughter Kerry, my son Christopher and my husband Colin. Thank you for putting up with my regular disappearances into the fantasy worlds of my own creation. Thank you also to friends, both readers and writers, who believe in my creative ability.~~

Chapter 1 Ardon “Stop thief!” Caishel cursed under her breath as the roar of outrage erupted behind her. She’d only taken one fruje. She glanced over her shoulder and saw the stallholder chasing her, his chubby face glowing as he tried to match her speed. A laugh bubbled up inside her as she wove through the crowded marketplace, dodging the people who tried to stop her. He had no chance of catching her. All her attention was on the stallholder and she didn’t see the noble who blocked her path. The tall aristocrat had seen her coming and planted his feet wide to take the impact. Caishel ran headlong into his stomach, forcing the air from his lungs in one big whoosh. Strong hands grabbed her skinny arms and held on tight. Her desperate struggles only resulted in the loss of the fruit. “Let I go!” Ominous ripping sounds from her shirt frightened her and she kicked frantically at his boot clad shins, but her bare feet had no effect. She had to escape quickly or he would bring her before Duke Robard’s law courts and her true nature might be revealed. “Hold him, Ailan.” Her heart sank as the Duke’s voice rose above the marketplace noise. 1

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An eager crowd gathered in anticipation of a free show as the Duke stepped to the side of the noble called Ailan. “Now then, my good people, who calls this boy a thief?” “That would be me your lordship,” the stallholder whined as he nervously approached the Duke. Caishel carefully watched the face of the noble holding her, hoping for a chance to escape. On his cloak, immediately above the house emblem of a silver dragon, were the rank marks of a Sire. A look of disgust crossed the noble’s face. His nose lifted haughtily and he took shallow breaths as the stallholder came closer. Arrogant man. Who did he think he was? She’d heard life in the sky castles was luxurious, but downside only the strongest survived. Let the lofty Sire try living in the filthy streets of Ardville and see how clean he could keep himself. “That’s not exactly a major crime, is it?” Duke Robard said dismissively and Caishel silently chuckled with glee. The Duke had lost interest. “Ailan, attend to this, would you?” With a negligent wave of his hand Robard gathered his entourage around him and left the market, heading for the skyport. “How much?” Sire Ailan asked the stallholder. “Three d’jars, your lordship.” “For one fruje?” The Sire looked suspiciously at the man, recognizing the greedy expression in his eyes. “I’ll give you half a d’jar. That should be more than enough.” Sire Ailan tossed the stallholder a coin with his free hand and the man snatched it out of the air, checked its authenticity with his teeth and hurried back to his stall. Now the show had finished, the crowd lost interest and wandered off. 2

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Caishel had tried to free herself while Sire Ailan negotiated with the stallholder, but the noble wasn’t so easily fooled. He’d kept a tight grip on her arm the whole time. “Going so soon, boy?” Ailan asked. Caishel saw his lips twitch with humour. Relief flooded through her. He still thought she was a boy. “Let I go.” Thankfully her voice sounded young, not frightened. The Sire frowned and took a closer look at her. She shrank as far away from him as his hold would allow. “I’ll release you if you repay me for the fruje.” She could still hear the laughter in his voice. “You stupid? Why would I steal fruit if I could pay? Where you think I get money for you?” For a moment, Caishel thought she’d gone too far. He was going to hold on to her. What would she do if he discovered she was female? More to the point, what would he do? “I’m going to let you go now. Make sure you don’t get caught thieving again.” As he spoke, Ailan released her arm and Caishel stepped away from him, rubbing the sore spot on her skin. “I not get caught,” she stated, then muttered under her breath, “I wouldn’t have been caught before if it wasn’t for you.” She quickly disappeared into the crowd before he changed his mind. Once out of his sight, Caishel ducked down an alley between two tall buildings. After all the excitement, she decided to stay low for a while. All that trouble and she hadn’t even got the fruje! Using the back alleys, she headed for the artifact shop that sold relics from the ancients. Looking in the shop 3

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window reminded her of her father, and thoughts of him always calmed her down. She turned the corner and swore under her breath. Sire Ailan was walking down the narrow street ahead of her. Caishel quickly ducked back into the alley. Cautiously peering round the corner, she gritted her teeth in frustration. Why did he have to stop in front of the artifact shop? She sighed and began to pull back out of sight, but a flicker of movement overhead caught her attention. High above the street, a pedestrian bridge spanned the space between the upper stories of the buildings. A misty figure flickered into existence out of nowhere and Caishel’s stomach dropped in horror as it pushed a large urn from its pedestal. Once the urn started tumbling to the ground, the figure vanished as abruptly as it had appeared. The urn hurtled towards the unsuspecting Sire and Caishel desperately flung herself from her hiding place. She rammed her small body into Ailan’s, knocking him sideways to the ground where they ended up in a tangle of legs. “What the…” Ailan began, struggling to his feet, but he blinked in shock as the urn smashed noisily in the exact spot where he’d been standing. “Saw it coming. Didn’t want you to get hurt,” Caishel muttered. She watched as Sire Ailan slowly looked up at the empty bridge, then dropped his gaze to her face. Recognition dawned in his deep brown eyes and her heart sank. Her safety depended on her anonymity on the streets. She couldn’t afford to be labelled as a troublemaker. “What are you doing here?” Ailan asked as he brushed down his clothes and straightened his dark brown hair. “And why did you push me out of the way?” “I owed you one. Don’t owe nothing now.” 4

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“You really thought you owed me?” Ailan raised an eyebrow in surprise at finding a thief with principles. “Now you’ve saved me from disaster, perhaps I should tell you my name. I’m Sire Ailan of Lan, part of Duke Robard’s court. What do they call you, boy?” “What’s it to you?” “I’d like to talk to you, and it would be easier if I knew your name.” “Cai—Cail.” Idiot, she berated herself silently. Don’t tell him your real name. “Pardon?” “Name’s Cail. What you want to talk about?” She tried to sound as gruff as possible. “Let’s eat while we talk, shall we?” Ailan led the way back into the market and approached a hot food stall where he purchased two babbit pies and mugs of kee. Caishel picked up her pie and, aware that Ailan was watching, desperately tried to restrain her hunger. Soon, all that remained was an empty cup and rich gravy dribbling down her bare chin. “I don’t think I’m that hungry after all.” Ailan pushed his own food away. “I’ll just drink my kee. It seems a shame to waste this, though. Would you like it?” The words had barely left his mouth when Caishel seized and devoured the hot pie. “You said you wanted to speak to me.” Wiping the last of the gravy from her chin, she savoured every drop as she licked her fingers clean. To her horror, she realised she’d dropped her street cant and her next words came out abruptly. “What you want to talk about?” “I’m in your debt for saving me from serious injury, maybe even death. I’d like to thank you. How would you 5

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feel about being my page? You look about the right age, and a job would be better than stealing.” “A page! Up there?” She jabbed a finger skywards at Ardon Castle floating high above the town. The Sire must be joking. Nobles didn’t give scruffy urchins important jobs. “Yes. Up there.” “Me. A page! Don’t be daft. I live on the streets. Why you want me for your page?” Despite her astonishment and excitement, Caishel remembered to keep talking like an urchin. “Do you want the job or not?” “What do I get out of it?” She looked at him suspiciously. “Food. A bed. Education. If we suit one another, I’d pay you a small wage.” “Would I have a room of my own?” Caishel tried to hide her interest. She wouldn’t be able to accept the position if she had to share a dormitory with the other pages. In such close proximity they’d soon discover the truth about her. “You’d have a small closet off my rooms, and yes, it would be entirely yours.” She felt her body relax with relief. A room of her own would ensure her safety. She would be able to accept the job and get away from the dirt and grime of the streets. “Okay.” Caishel tried to stop the happiness showing on her face. “Does that mean yes?” “You’ve got a deal. I’ll be your page.” She glared defiantly at Ailan, daring him to withdraw his offer.

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“Fine. I’ve got a few matters to attend to. Can you be ready in an hour?” She nodded. “Meet me at the skyport and I’ll take you up to the castle.” “See you at the port then.” Caishel turned to leave. “Cail. You will turn up, won’t you? I don’t think you’d like the consequences if I had to come looking for you.” Caishel turned, her eyes narrowing warily as she looked at him. Sire Ailan stared piercingly at her, but did not speak. Turning, he hurried away and disappeared quickly into the crowd. **** Ailan returned to the area where the urn had fallen. He wanted to ask a few questions, but nobody seemed willing to admit they’d seen anything. The timepiece he’d been looking at in the window caught his eye again, and giving into impulse he entered the artefact shop and bought it. His purchase complete, he strolled through the narrow streets towards the skyport. The townsfolk moved respectfully aside, recognizing the noble by his fine clothes and the silver dragon emblem of Lan embroidered on the dark blue tabard and short cloak. Ailan’s thoughts tumbled over one another as he walked. Something about the boy struck him as odd. Why did he speak like a product of the streets one moment, and in the next sound like a member of the merchant class? Cail looked thin and wiry, but the way he’d shoved Ailan out of the way had proved that beneath the grubby exterior there was a hidden strength. Then there were the urchin’s eyes. Pale blue and innocent one minute, dark and shuttered the next. Could he trust him? Had he done the right thing offering the lad a job? True, he needed a page, but there were plenty to choose from among the sons of minor nobles. He could have thanked the boy by giving him some 7

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d’jars. His lips quirked in amusement. But then he wouldn’t have had the fun of seeing the reactions of the nobles to the urchin in their midst. **** Caishel wove quickly through the market stalls, eyes feverish with excitement. The further she got from the marketplace, the more doubts crept into her mind. Had accepting the noble’s job been the right thing to do? She’d nearly told the Sire her real name. Idiot! Around the streets and alleyways of Ardville everyone knew her as Cail so why had she almost told the Sire the truth? Would living in close proximity to such an attractive man mean she’d find it difficult to keep her true nature from him? She didn’t need an hour to get ready. Life on the streets meant not being able to keep anything valuable. Normally she’d be searching for food, but the pie and kee the Sire had provided was more food than she normally had in a day. She’d use the next hour to return the scrolls she’d ‘borrowed’ from the bookstalls to feed her passion for reading. She ducked down dark alleys that smelt of rotting food and other unpleasant aromas, moving further and further from the centre of town. Eventually she left the town limits behind and sprinted across open ground towards a tall, crumbling wall at the edge of the forest. Originally part of the town, this abandoned estate, supposedly built by the ancients, had a reputation for being haunted. The forest trees crowding in behind the ruins were old and gnarled, their branches dripping over the derelict buildings in an attempt to absorb them. The townsfolk kept away from the forest. They were convinced spirits floated among the ruins, but their fears enabled Caishel to use the area for sleeping at a safe distance from the other urchins. 8

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She glanced quickly round, and when she was sure no one was watching, she slipped behind a bush and through a gap in the wall. Crossing the overgrown garden on the other side, she reached the ruined building in the centre and dodged between two tottering columns. Inside the broken doorway the crumbling stone made a small gap and, with another quick look around, Caishel squeezed herself into the alcove. Hunkering down on her heels, she fumbled at a crack in the stones. Confusion flowed through her when her hands met empty space. “Idiot,” she scolded herself. “You returned the scrolls just before you got caught.” She leaned back against the broken wall and thought about her present life. It was becoming harder and harder to keep up the pretence of being a boy, but she could see no other way to keep safe on the streets. Despite the poor diet, her breasts had grown a lot during the past year, and the filth and squalor she was forced to live with depressed her more and more as time went by. Fear of discovery was the only reason she could see for refusing the job. But the Sire had mentioned payment. Money to save! Save enough and eventually the lies could stop and she’d be able to start a new life as Caishel. Meanwhile, the Sire would clothe and feed her, and provide somewhere safe to sleep. Most importantly, she’d get an education. All she had to do was keep the truth from him. Her puzzled thoughts turned to the falling urn. The white figure had looked suspiciously like her friends, the Eos, the spirits of the forest. But they never came into town. And why would they want to harm Sire Ailan? As if her thoughts had summoned them, she became aware of a white, wispy figure flitting through the edge of the trees. The spirits seldom spoke directly to her, but she 9

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felt their goodwill every time she saw them. Caishel decided to say goodbye to them before leaving for the castle. She might not see them again. She slipped quickly into the forest and headed for the clearing where she normally found the Eos. Patiently she waited for the misty, insubstantial creatures to appear. Their large dark eyes looked depthless against the pure white of their clothes, skin and hair. Silently they surrounded her, waiting for her to speak. “I’m going away, so I’ve come to say goodbye.” In an uncharacteristic gesture one of the spirits reached towards her and she held out her hand in response, but the other’s hand was quickly withdrawn. “I’m going to live up in the castle,” Caishel explained. She paused. It might be dangerous to ask about the one who’d pushed the urn, but she had to know. “Have any of you been into the town today?” The spirits looked at one another and then back at her; slowly one of them shook its head and Caishel sighed. “Someone who looked like an Eos pushed a heavy urn onto a noble. It appeared out of nowhere, pushed the urn off the overhead bridge, and disappeared as quickly as it had come.” Her words produced an unusual response in the spirits. They looked quickly from one to the other as if in conversation, and Caishel guessed they were talking telepathically. The one who had offered her its hand approached her again. Carefully, it placed a hand on her shoulder and Caishel looked up into the beautiful dark eyes. “Please tell us exactly what you saw.” “I guess it’s okay if I speak normally?” She hesitated. The creature nodded. “I saw a flash of white and looked up 10

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in time to see a figure appear on the bridge. It turned solid, pushed the urn off the bridge then disappeared again.” “We believe it is from a long lost sister tribe and would like to re-establish contact with them. Would you be able to communicate with it, should you see it again?” “I’m not sure, but I doubt if I’ll have the chance. It’s not likely to come up to the castle.” She glanced up through the leaves overhead. The sun’s position told her it was time to leave. “I have to go now, but I’ll try and do as you ask.” Caishel hurried towards the ruins, but turned back to wave before she left the clearing. To her surprise all the Eos remained watching her and the one she’d spoken to waved back. Still bemused by her contact with them, she hurried back to the ruins, intending to take a shortcut to get to the skyport. “Watcha doing here?” Caishel twisted to one side, quickly drawing her knife. She recognised Stef’s nervous, whining voice and although he was harmless, she was afraid he might have someone with him. Drat the boy. He was scared of the forest, so what was he doing here? “Nothing.” She dropped her hands as she saw he was alone. “Curious, that’s all. Gotta go now.” She turned away, but Stef’s grubby hand reached for her sleeve. His aim was poor and he grabbed her shoulder instead. The material, already badly strained by the struggles in the market, couldn’t resist this latest abuse. The front of the loose shirt ripped open, exposing a breast which had broken free of the bindings Caishel used to hide them. “You girl!” Stef exclaimed, eyes wide with astonishment. 11

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He turned to run but Caishel was too quick for him. Knowing he would sell the information to the first pimp he came across, she grabbed his arms and held on tight, her knife hovering close to his throat. “Listen, you preeve, you tell and you hurt. Hurt bad. You get?” Stef nodded wordlessly, his eyes wide with fright at the fury in her face. “I know where you hide. You tell and I come get you. Now scut!” Letting go his arms, she shoved him away from her, taking note of the way he went. Then she dashed off in the other direction, pulling the bindings up and tugging at the shirt to cover her breasts. By the time she reached the streets of Ardville, she had the material tucked tightly into her trousers. The need to appear inconspicuous made her slow down as she headed for the port. There was still a little time left before she had to meet the Sire, but it would be better not to take any chances. She knew Stef would immediately forget her threats and give in to the lure of profit, and if the pimps got hold of her, her future would be unbearable. She had to reach Sire Ailan before they caught her. Caishel had almost reached the port area when she sensed she was being followed. She glanced over her shoulder. Behind her a gleeful Stef pointed her out to two burly men who she recognized as pimps. She began to run as she neared the skyport entrance, but the men behind were rapidly gaining on her. Gasping for air, and forced to slow down, Caishel wondered if she would reach the port before a hand grabbed her shoulder.

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Chapter 2 Ailan worried he might have made a mistake. He’d offered the job because training a street urchin to be his page would be challenging. But Cail reminded him so much of himself as a child. Everyone he loved had either died or let him down and, to protect himself from disappointment, he kept his feelings on a tight rein. Eventually, he had enclosed himself in a mental cocoon to stop people getting too close. Was hiring the boy unfair? Should he tell Cail he’d changed his mind and didn’t need a page? To distract himself, he concentrated on watching the constant movement to and from the square in front of the port building. Most of it was foot traffic, but occasionally one of the increasingly rare hover scooters dropped down to land for a few seconds while the rider collected or delivered something. High above the skyport, small craft littered the azure sky as they dashed from ground to air and back again, replenishing the airborne estate of the nobles. Ailan saw Cail burst through the skyport gates and he pushed himself off the wall. Again he wondered: had he done the right thing employing the urchin? The boy was rushing across the plaza, and going that fast would cause mayhem in the castle. Ailan frowned. Panic seemed to be driving the lad. Glancing behind Cail, he saw two rough 13

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looking men shoving other pedestrians aside as they chased after the boy. Quickly, Ailan made up his mind. Cail needed protection from the rougher elements of Ardville and his introduction to the jealously guarded hierarchy of Ardon Castle could still be a source of entertainment for Ailan. It would be good for the other pages to realise that the position wasn’t the given right of the upper or middle classes. He strode to meet his new employee, determination growing with every step he took. Cail turned his head, and Ailan grabbed the thin shoulder to stop the boy’s headlong dash. “No need to show such eagerness to meet me.” He grinned, dark eyes dancing with humour as the lad spun to face him. “I wasn’t going to leave without you.” “Didn’t want to be late.” Cail shrugged, managing to glance over his shoulder at the same time. “Well now you’re here, shall we go?” Ailan escorted his charge to the port entrance. “You go ahead and wait inside while I find out the time of the next shuttle.” Cail did as directed and Ailan beckoned one of the uniformed guards at the port entrance. “There are two roughnecks trying to get to the castle,” he told them. “Make sure they don’t succeed.” “Sire!” The guard’s arm smacked across his chest in salute to Ailan. “If the Sire would point them out, I’ll make sure they’re taken care of.” Ailan discreetly indicated the two ruffians who had chased Cail, but who now stood with puzzled expressions on their faces as they discussed their next move. He left the guard to take care of the problem, and strode over to the information desk to find out when the next shuttle was due. **** 14

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Caishel strutted into the departure hall with a confidence she didn’t really feel. She’d only gone a few feet when a hand pulled her to a stop. “What are you doing here?” a boy dressed as a castle page asked aggressively. “Trying to steal something I bet. Guard!” Caishel struggled but she’d just managed to get free when a guard appeared and grabbed her arm. “What’s going on here?” “This filthy urchin,” the page’s voice was filled with disgust, “has no right to be here. He’s probably trying to get up to the castle so he can steal something.” A crowd gathered, attracted by the commotion. “Is that right, boy?” the guard questioned Caishel, and shook her arm when she refused to answer. “I’m going to the castle to be a page,” she stated defiantly. “A page! You a page! The likes of you don’t get hired as pages.” The crowd muttered in support of the other boy’s words. “Would someone mind telling me what’s going on here?” Ailan hadn’t spoken in a loud voice, but his cool authority cut through the murmuring crowd and an abrupt silence fell as everyone turned to look at him. “This urchin shouldn’t be here, Sire,” the guard holding Caishel’s arm replied. “We think he’s trying to get up to the castle, probably to see what he can steal.” “He says he’s going to be a page to a noble.” The page sneered. “Of course that’s a lie. None of our nobles would hire a wretch like him.” “And you are?” 15

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“Frano, Sire! Page to Sire Moir,” the boy replied crisply, but his self assurance withered under Ailan’s scrutiny. Caishel was amazed at the way Ailan gazed silently at the guard. The man shifted uncomfortably until the Sire flicked his hand; the guard released her. “Thank you. Now if you would be so good as to clear the way, my page and I would like to board the transport.” Quickly the crowd moved aside for the Sire. Caishel grinned wickedly at the boy who had spoken, then waggled her fingers at the end of her nose. Frano scowled, anger darkening the youthful features. “I think the rude gesture was unnecessary,” Ailan commented quietly as they took their seats on the transport. “Stuck up preeve! Thinks he better than me. Why shouldn’t I show him what I think of him?” She hunched down in her seat, annoyed that the Sire had seen her. “I can think of one good reason,” Ailan replied. “Your work hours and free time will be spent with that boy and the other pages. It’s not a good idea to make him your enemy before you even get to the castle!” The transport filled rapidly as the passengers filed in behind Ailan and his page. Caishel could feel Ailan watching her as they lifted off into the sky. She glanced below to where the town looked small and insignificant. From this distance it seemed a peaceful, innocent place, the colourful rooftop gardens of the merchants hiding the heaving mixture of treachery and thievery at street level. Duke Robard insisted on law and order, but many crimes against the poor were ignored or simply not noticed by the richer classes 16

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She turned her gaze to the castle. Approaching the airborne estate by transport gave her a superb overall view of the grounds and showed the magnificence of the huge stone castle. She’d read in one of her ‘borrowed’ scrolls that it was supposed to be a true copy of the buildings from the home of the ancients, but that was stupid! Nobody knew where the ancients had come from all those centuries ago, so how could they know what their homes had been like? A flicker of white caught her eye and she gasped. A figure in white flowing garments hovered next to the wing of the transport. The spirit’s face turned towards her, its eyes a brilliant green. The white lipped mouth opened in a circle of shock and the figure suddenly vanished. Caishel smothered a gasp of amazement. This had to be the spirit who had made the attempt on Sire Ailan’s life. The only difference from her forest friends was the colour of the eyes! She took a quick peek at the Sire to see if he’d noticed anything, but he smiled at her and she realised he thought her gasp had been due to her first close-up sight of the castle. Determined not to let him know the real reason, she quickly turned to look out the window again. The transport had reached the halfway mark and the floating estate now dominated the sky. Ardon Castle stood in the centre of rich green lawns, surrounded by flowerbeds ablaze with colour. Its turrets reached still higher into the cloudless blue, and a drawbridge crossed an artificial moat to the main entrance. The silver shimmer of a force field stretched from the edges of the park-like grounds and domed above the buildings, protecting the luxury from the atmosphere. Daith, the 17

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delicate pink day moon of the planet Hejmen, hung higher in the sky, completing the picture of tranquillity. The top part of the castle sparkled in the sunlight, but when they headed underneath to the working level, it appeared dark and gloomy in contrast. Docking portals for the transports, gusts of steam indicating exhaust outlets and large box structures with heavy-duty freighters clustering around them, made the disappearing upper levels seem peaceful and serene. Various craft littered the sky around the lower portion, making it appear like a nectar hive with attendant birds. “What do you think?” “It’s...” Caishel gulped then tried to return to her usual nonchalant manner. “It’s okay, I guess. Looks different when you get up close, doesn’t it?” “When you’re travelling with me we’ll use the mattporter, but I thought you might like to see the castle in all its glory. You’ll have to use the transport shuttle when you go downside to do errands for me.” “Why are we going underneath?” She leaned forward, trying to see where they were heading, and then glanced back to the sunshine. “That’s where the docking bays are.” The transport nudged its way through the narrow pathways, carefully manoeuvring between the various hanging structures. The hull connected with the castle with a dull thud. “Let’s go, Cail. It’s time you saw your new home.” She walked obediently behind Ailan as he moved to the exit but, although the less prominent passengers made way for him, they closed in again before she had a chance to follow. Sensing that something was wrong, Ailan turned at the open doorway and stood with his arm raised, tapping his 18

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fingertips on the bulkhead, preventing anyone else from leaving the transport. Confused, the passengers looked at one another wondering what they had done to annoy the Sire. Using her elbows, Caishel pushed and shoved until she’d wormed her way through to the front. “Ah, there you are boy.” She hid a grin as Ailan put on his best aristocratic voice. “Come now, we must leave these delightful people.” She couldn’t help it; the grin wouldn’t stay hidden, but a warning glance from Ailan wiped all trace of amusement from her face. Caishel quickly followed as the Sire swept through the checkpoint. “He’s with me,” Ailan told the guard, flicking a casual hand in Caishel’s direction. They passed quickly through the lower levels to a dropchute. Caishel had heard of these, but had never seen one before. “Living Level Two,” Ailan stated and she gulped as the force field tightened around them and rapidly pushed them to the upper castle regions. The difference in surroundings became evident as soon as they left the chute. The docking area had been ugly, but totally functional. On this level beauty and comfort reigned. Heavy woven tapestries covered the rough stone walls and tiled floors, each one depicting a different aspect of the world as it was supposed to have looked at the time of the ancients. Small heatglobes snuggled against the lower walls, providing welcome warmth throughout the length of the corridor. The only light came from brightglobes tucked into niches at head height along the wall. She trotted behind Ailan as he strode into a side corridor and opened a door near the end. He entered the room and swinging the short cloak from his shoulders, he tossed it at her. Caishel had stopped immediately inside the 19

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door, jaw slack with wonder as she looked around the room and the cloak hit her chest, then slid to the floor. A smile lit Ailan’s face as Caishel’s gaze swung from the huge, ornate wooden bed, to the tapestries on the walls and floor. Then she blinked as she saw the sunlight blazing through the window from a clear blue sky. “Pick up the cloak, please, Cail. It’s time for you to start your duties. Put it in the closet over there.” He waved a hand at the wall then sat in a chair and watched her closely. Caishel was determined not to fail and, remembering the closet in her mother’s bedroom, she picked up the cloak and walked across the room. She ran her hands across the wall’s smooth surface and continued searching until her hands found an uneven point. She rapped it with her knuckles. Behind her Ailan chuckled as the closet doors swung open with a sharp click. “Well done. I wondered how long it would take you to work out how to open them. Come here and sit while I explain your duties.” He indicated a low stool beside his large comfortable chair. “Your main job will be to run errands for me, look after my personal clothes, keep these rooms tidy and give me your loyalty, which I hope will be given freely.” Caishel gazed up at the Sire. He stopped abruptly and stared at her, then coughed and continued. “I also expect you to keep out of trouble. Remember that even among the other servants you will be known as my page. Whatever you do reflects on me.” Caishel remained silent and Ailan’s dark eyebrows drew together in a frown. “Do you understand?” She nodded. 20

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“Keeping out of trouble includes your association with the other pages. You’ll be taking lessons, weapons training and exercise sessions with them, so watch your manners. I don’t want to hear any complaints about your behaviour. Now, have you any questions?” “Where do I sleep?” “Come with me, I’ll show you.” The Sire sounded amused as he led the way to the door set in the far wall. He flung the door wide to reveal a small closet equipped with a bed, cupboard and small table. “This will be yours. I expect you to keep it clean and tidy yourself. Most of the boys sleep in the dormitory, but I prefer my servant to be where I can call on him any time of the day or night.” Caishel moved eagerly forward to explore her small domain, but Ailan put a hand on her shoulder. “No you don’t, lad; you’re filthy. You need a bath and clean clothes first.” The Sire pushed Caishel towards another door that opened into a tiled room with a sunken bath and a small basin attached to the wall. Ailan touched a sensor pad on the wall. Immediately, steaming water frothed into the bath. “All my personal needs are catered for in this room.” He indicated the toilet stool tucked discreetly in the corner. “It’s your job to make sure the servants do a good job keeping everything clean and hygienic. You would normally bathe in the dormitory bathroom. I expect you to keep yourself neat and tidy at all times, but this once I’ll allow you to use my bathroom. Into the water with you.” Caishel didn’t move as Ailan hit the sensor which stopped the water and he looked at her. “Surely you’re not shy?” He frowned, then sighed in an exasperated way. “Very well. I need to change my clothes. 21

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In the meantime make sure you use a lot of soap to get rid of all that dirt.” **** Ailan left the bathroom to select his clothes for the evening’s dinner. He dressed quickly in the soft, dark blue chamfyr leather of his tight fitting evening suit and a white linen dress shirt. He preferred comfortable and elegant nondescript clothes which provided a pleasant contrast with his lightly tanned skin, evidence of the many hours he spent in the castle grounds or downside in the countryside around Ardville. His brown eyes twinkled with satisfaction at his reflection as he dragged a comb through his dark hair. Suddenly realizing the boy would have no clothes to put on his hopefully clean body, Ailan hurried to the adjacent room and collected the clean uniform and underclothes his previous page had left behind. With the small pile draped over his arm, he headed for the bathroom. The door was shut and, curious about the lad’s need for privacy, Ailan quietly pushed it open. The sight that met his eyes surprised him so much he nearly gave himself away. His page was no adolescent boy. Cail was a young woman! An exceedingly beautiful and tempting young woman, who was presently soaking her feminine charms in the bath, the tips of her breasts peeking tantalizingly through a welter of bubbles! He shut the door softly, waited a few seconds, then knocked on the wooden panels. “Your clothes are in your room,” he called. “Don’t worry if they don’t fit properly, we’ll sort that out later. Get dressed and meet me in the Grand Hall as soon as you’re ready.” **** 22

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After the Sire left the bathroom, Caishel quietly closed the door and examined the jars of soap and fragrances on the shelf beside the basin. Lifting each lid in turn, she quickly chose one that smelt of briarwood. Swirling it into the water, she smiled with delight as it frothed up into a mountain of bubbles. Quickly stripping off the tattered remnants of her clothes, she removed the bandage from around her aching breasts. She sighed with relief then sank beneath the bubbles and luxuriated in the embrace of warm scented water. For several moments she allowed the water to caress her, but eventually she sat up and scrubbed diligently at her hair and body. Her mother’s insistence on cleanliness had been drummed into her from an early age. Caishel remembered the weekly baths she had taken in those protected days of childhood. Her parents had died when she was twelve and life on the streets had forced her to grow up quickly. Satisfied she had removed all the grime, Caishel leaned back and let her mind drift over the last few hectic hours. She’d enjoyed the ride in the transport, but wondered why the spirit had been going to the castle. Could it be a coincidence that it had hitched a ride on the same transport Sire Ailan had taken? The Sire’s voice calling through the door brought her back to the present, and she waited nervously until she heard the outer door slam then sank back under the bubbles. Stretching in the warm water she luxuriated in the freedom of her breasts, wondering if she’d ever be able to be herself. Maybe one day. She couldn’t believe how lucky she’d been when the Sire said he believed a page should have his own space. It would have been impossible to maintain the deception of being a boy if she’d had to share a dormitory with the other 23

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pages. She’d get around the problem of sharing their bathroom somehow. If the Sire found out she was really a young woman… She shuddered. She’d seen what happened to women at the mercy of the men who were supposed to protect them. Frothing the bubbles once more, Caishel leaned her head back against the rim of the bath. Her thoughts drifted to the Sire. At first she’d thought the tall, dark-haired man with the velvet brown eyes would be like the other nobles, haughty and uncaring about those less fortunate than themselves. But Ailan was different. He not only cared, he also tried to help. The warm water and hectic day combined to make her weary and she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, but woke with a jolt as she remembered the command to meet Ailan in the Grand Hall. She quickly climbed from the bath, wrapped a large towel around her body, then hurried to her room taking her old clothes with her. Laid out on the bed were the long blue trousers and matching jacket of a page’s outfit, complete with bleached cotton underclothes. Dragging on the lower clothes she looked for something to put on her feet. Beside the bed stood a pair of black shoes and she was happy to find they fitted her. The jacket was in her hands before she remembered the breast binding she’d been wearing was still soaking wet. For several seconds Caishel stood still, her mind numb with despair, she had to bind herself or everyone would know she was female! Frantically she searched the room but found nothing she could use as a substitute. The neatly hung articles in the Sire’s closet flashed into her mind. She dashed to the other room, flung open the door and grabbed one of the silk sashes the aristocracy used 24

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to hold decorative swords at their waists. Five minutes later, breasts tightly bound under the long sleeved, highnecked jacket, she left the room looking exactly what she was supposed to be, a castle page. Now her only problem was to find the Grand Hall.

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Chapter 3 Despite his solemn demeanour, Ailan was highly amused as he strode the corridors to the Grand Hall. He realised now why he had felt protective towards Cail. If he’d guessed right, the girl must be about eighteen years of age. His body reacted again as he remembered the tight young breast peeping through the bubbles, its dark pink aureole inviting a kiss. His amusement didn’t last long. Anger rose at the thought that any woman should have to use such subterfuge for safety. In his world, noble females were cosseted and protected by the male population, not exploited. The poor girl. She must have been left alone with no one to look after her and a girl with no protector became easy prey for the pimps of Ardville. They’d get many years work from her before tossing her aside when she became too old or diseased. Should he tell her he’d discovered her secret? No, that would only cause more problems. He could protect a boy by employing him as his page, but the only way he could do the same for a young woman was to make her his mistress, and Ailan had no interest in taking advantage of the girl. She’d have to remain in her boy’s disguise until he decided what to do with her. For a moment, he wished he had a 26

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sister or aunt he could send her to, but his only living relative was his grandfather and he’d never met the old man. Even when Ailan wrote to tell Serlan of his parents’ deaths, there had been no reply. **** Caishel left the Sire’s rooms and found the main corridor. Then her problems started. She couldn’t remember the way back to the dropchute and all the hallways looked the same. She tried several different ways but to no avail. When she saw another page hurrying towards her, she grabbed his arm. “Here, what do you think you’re doing?” The boy shook himself free of her grip. “Sorry.” Caishel let go and held up both hands, palm outwards in a gesture of peace. “I have to get to the Grand Hall and I can’t find the dropchute.” “You’re new, aren’t you? Who do you work for?” “I started today. I work for Sire Ailan,” Caishel replied. “Oh yeah, I heard about you.” For a moment, she saw a hint of humour in the other boy’s eye, but then thought she’d been mistaken as he immediately gave her directions to the Grand Hall. “Go down this corridor, turn right. Go along to the end of the next corridor, then through the door to your right. You’ll find a staircase that ends on the same level as the Grand Hall. We’re only allowed to use the dropchutes when we’re with the nobles. You’d better hurry, it’s a long way.” Before Caishel had time to thank him, the page ran off. Some time had passed since she left the Sire’s room and she hoped he wouldn’t be angry with her for being late. She quickly followed the boy’s directions and breathed a sigh of relief when she found the door. On the other side, a flight 27

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of badly lit stone stairs led downwards. The door swung shut behind her and Caishel rushed down the steps, jumping several at a time in her determination to get to the Hall as soon as possible. She passed several other landings and doorways in her downward flight and eventually reached a small area at the bottom of the stairs. She opened the door and was surprised to find herself in the castle kitchens. With a glance at the stairs behind her Caishel decided to take a chance and cross to the door in the opposite wall. Carefully, she picked her way across the hot and noisy room, but she’d only gone a short distance when a hand fell on her shoulder and she jumped, whirling round in a defensive crouch. “Hey, I’m not going to hurt you.” A woman stared at Caishel, her eyes wide with astonishment. “You looked lost and I wondered if you needed any help?” “Sorry,” Caishel muttered. “One of the pages told me to come this way to the Grand Hall, but I must have got lost. I’m new here and don’t know how to get there.” “That figures.” The woman smiled. “Those pages are wicked when it comes to teasing the new boys. Who do you work for then?” “Sire Ailan.” “Oh, he’s one of the nicer nobles. You treat him right and he’ll look after you. I’m Toyvar, what’s your name?” “Cail.” The unfamiliar surroundings were confusing her and she found it hard to remember her disguise. “Well, Cail, if those young hoodlums tease you too much you just come and tell me and I’ll soon sort them out for you.” Taking her by the elbow, Toyvar led her through the far door to the passageway beyond. “Now, to get to the Grand Hall you turn right at the end there, climb up two 28

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flights of stairs and go through the doorway on the second landing. Careful though, because it leads directly into a corner of the Hall.” “Thanks.” Caishel grinned at the woman, then hurried away to find Sire Ailan. Cautiously, she slipped through the doorway. Grand was a good description for the hall. Elegant white columns rose from highly polished stone floors, the bareness relieved by animal skins of varying hues scattered randomly across the floor. Rich silk tapestries depicting hunting scenes covered the dark stone walls, which disappeared into the gloom above. The Hall stretched far into the distance but, despite the fact she could see a lot of people, it had an empty feeling. At the base of each column, a glowing brazier provided heat for the scattered humans. Caishel gazed around the room and realised most of the nobles were grouped around a large circular fire at the far end of the hall. Sire Ailan was there, talking to Duke Robard and a younger man and she hurried towards them. Quietly, Caishel took her place behind the Sire, ready to make her presence known when the moment was right. While she waited for him to realise she was there, she looked with interest at the other two men. Robard was smartly dressed in his house colours of black and white and looked every inch the Duke. The other man’s clothes were gaudy and flamboyant. The orange and green flowing tunic and purple and white checked trousers clashed with each other, but the man apparently thought he looked marvellous. In the short time Caishel watched, he straightened his tunic and patted a crease from his trousers, a smug expression on his face. 29

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She couldn’t help overhearing the conversation between Ailan and the two men and to her amazement she realised they were talking about her. “Did you sort out that contretemps in the marketplace?” the Duke asked. “It really was very tiresome of the stallholder to make such a fuss. Surely he could have let the lad take one fruje.” “It didn’t seem worth the effort to argue, my lord. I gave the man some money and sent him on his way,” Ailan replied nonchalantly. “Good, good! And the boy?” “I thought it might be interesting to see how a street urchin managed in the castle, so I made him my page.” “Really?” The Duke gave a hearty laugh. “Well Sire Ailan, you’ll have to keep me up to date on his progress.” “How about a wager, Ailan?” the third man suggested. “I bet you can’t train that street urchin to be your page, or anyone else’s.” “What a splendid idea, Brenauf.” The Duke beamed. “Let’s see now, what sort of time frame shall we have? I’ve got it. We’ll give you a month to make a page of the boy. If you fail, we could probably find work for him somewhere in the castle.” “Or I could try my hand at training him.” The third man laughed, sending a shiver down Caishel’s spine. “And if I win, my lord?” Ailan asked, ignoring the other man’s comment. “Why, you get to keep a well-trained page, of course.” The Duke turned away as another courtier sought his attention. Caishel longed to flee. Before she could move, Ailan turned round, a grim look on his face. His eyes opened wide with dismay as he saw her standing behind him. 30

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**** For a moment, Ailan didn’t know what to do. How much had Cail heard? Luckily, she couldn’t be aware of the true danger of the bet. Robard wouldn’t be a threat to her as long as he believed she was male, but Brenauf was a completely different matter. The Capet lusted after young boys and Ailan had seen the unholy gleam in the man’s eyes when Robard agreed to the bet. The revelation of his page’s true identity would incite the wrath of Brenauf and his vengeance would not be pleasant. Without warning, Cail turned and roughly pushed her way through the gathering crowd of nobles who were drifting aimlessly towards the duke and his court. Ailan took a step to follow her but stopped, knowing this would cause adverse comments. When at last he managed to escape the Hall, Alain could see no sign of Cail. He hurried to the dropchute hoping the girl had gone back to his rooms. Hesitating at the door to his suite, he opened it quietly, expecting to find Cail weeping, or extremely angry. What he found was an empty room, and the lingering smell of briarwood. His mind went blank. Where would the girl go? She didn’t know the castle, and would find it difficult to make her way through the corridors. He returned to the Grand Hall with a thoughtful expression on his face. Searching for her would be a waste of time. The only sensible thing to do was carry on as if there was nothing wrong. Cail would turn up in her own good time, and if she tried to leave the castle she’d soon find out that any servant wanting to travel to the surface had to have a pass. **** 31

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Caishel ran heedlessly through the hallways, not caring where she went. She had no idea why she felt so upset and disappointed. The Sire had only behaved like a typical man, willing to lose her in a wager. What had she expected? That he would treat her with respect and take care of her? Why should he? As far as Sire Ailan was concerned, he’d picked up an urchin from the street and given the youngster an opportunity to better himself. His obligations ended there. Eventually, she arrived at a dark corner on a little used staircase. Darkness had crept across the sky and the soft golden glow of Thida, the night moon, filtered through the cobweb covered window slits onto the stairwell. Hunkering down in the corner, Caishel considered her reaction to what she’d overheard. Despite the innocent words spoken by the men, her instincts warned her of an underlying danger. Duke Robard and the other noble seemed pleasant enough, but what would they do if they won the bet? What if they found out she was a woman? Dashing away the tears filling her eyes, she clenched her jaw, determined she would no longer give in to such weak emotions. She hadn’t cried for years and now was not the time to start. Why should she give up her dreams, dreams only recently formed but meaning so much to her? She’d show them. She’d train as a page and help Ailan win his stupid bet! Caishel jumped to her feet and brushed the dust and cobwebs from her new clothing, wishing she had some water to cool down her flushed face. With a deep sigh of regret she started to climb up to the next landing, but a shimmer of white below caught her eye. The spirit hovered uncertainly on the landing beneath her. Brilliant green eyes were shaded with sorrow, and the 32

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body and clothing appeared hazy, as if they weren’t really there. “I have a message for you from the forest Eos,” Caishel whispered, trying not to scare this timid looking creature. “Please don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you.” The long white hair swayed as the figure shook its head from side to side before it slowly dissipated into the air. Caishel knew it wouldn’t be any good, but she walked down to the lower landing. The dust on the floor hadn’t been disturbed and she sighed, then a frown creased her forehead. Legends said they were the friendly souls of the ancients who’d originally settled Hejmen, but Caishel didn’t believe this. The forest Eos had said this might be a member of a lost tribe. But why was it here in the castle? “Well, I guess the spirit is the only one who knows the answer to that. Poor thing. It looked frightened,” she muttered, and continued her climb up the stairway. It took a while to find her way through the castle hallways to the Grand Hall, but eventually her path crossed a group of nobles who were all heading purposefully in the same direction so she followed them. Ailan didn’t seem to have moved since she’d fled, and she slipped quietly in behind him. He glanced round and nodded once to let her know he’d noticed her return. His unconcerned attitude stirred her anger again, but she pushed it down. To help him win the bet she needed to become the best page in the castle, and kicking him in the rear did not seem the best way to start. The conversation concerned people Caishel didn’t know, and her gaze wandered over the ladies. They sat there fluttering their eyelashes and reacting coyly whenever a man spoke to them. Their hairstyles, despite the colour differences, were all variations on the same theme making 33

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them look like mirror images of each other. The dresses hugged the women’s breasts, cinching in underneath, then flaring outwards in a rainbow of colours. Caishel thought their chatter sounded like the twittering of a flock of birds as their heads swayed from one side to the other, following the flow of conversation. Fascinated by the way the women moved, Caishel unconsciously began to copy them. Her head tilted to one side, then swayed in imitation of the identical hairstyles. One of the ladies nodded in response to a question asked by a staid gentleman and Caishel nodded too. Unfortunately, the lady became aware of the mimicry and her face twisted in anger. “Sire Ailan. Is that your page? Please control him, he’s being extremely rude!” Caishel blushed deeply as Ailan turned a warning gaze on her. “My apologies, Milady Jenu. Cail, go and stand with the other pages,” he told her brusquely then turned back to his conversation. Mortified at being caught out, Caishel was determined to show she didn’t care and straightening her shoulders she marched across to where several boys leaned nonchalantly against the far wall. As she got closer she saw they were whispering and nudging one another, and her temper rose. How dare these spoilt brats laugh at her? She might not be the child of a nobleman, but she was every bit as good as they were. Ignoring them, she chose a spot slightly apart from the rest. Folding her arms she leaned casually back against the stone. “He doesn’t even know how to behave himself in decent company.” She heard one of the boys sneer and this 34

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reinforced her determination to learn everything she could about her duties. Ailan left the group by the fire and as he passed the pages he flicked a finger at Caishel. She assumed he wanted her to follow him and she straightened and moved away from the wall, but ended up flat on her face as one of the boys stuck his foot out in front of her. Immediately, she jumped up and faced her tormentors with fists raised, all thoughts of being a good page forgotten in the heat of the moment. “Cail!” Ailan’s sharp utterance brought her to her senses. Reluctantly, she lowered her hands and followed the Sire. As she moved away, she couldn’t resist throwing a glowering look over her shoulder. Her anger intensified as she saw the boys were trying to stifle their laughter behind their hands. “Leave it, Cail.” Ailan’s voice was soft and barely audible as he carried on out of the hall without looking at her. As soon as they arrived at his rooms, he ordered her to help with his boots and outer garments. She struggled to remove the polished leather footwear and keep her temper as he criticised her upset with the other pages. “You must realize, Cail, if you antagonise the other pages, they will make life very difficult for you. As for the ladies, surely you know that if you annoy them, I might not be able to protect you from their anger.” He sighed as she removed the second boot, then stood and held out one arm. Caishel frowned, not understanding what he wanted. “The coat, boy, help me remove my coat.” Ailan sounded annoyed, so she hurried to help him, at the same time wondering how much clothing he was going to 35

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remove. Did he intend to strip down to his naked body? During her time on the streets she’d often seen unclothed male bodies, but for some reason the thought of seeing Ailan’s naked body made her flush with embarrassment. Desperately trying to think of something else, she remembered the conversation she’d overheard. “Much you care about me,” she muttered to herself as she eased his arm from his coat, totally unaware she had spoken aloud. “I’m just an urchin from the street you thought might provide an amusing diversion whilst you tried to see if he could really be a page.” “So you did hear.” Ailan sounded amused. “Cail, look at me.” When she didn’t respond, he placed a finger under her chin and forced her to raise her face and look at him. Her mutinous expression quickly changed to consternation as ripples of warmth radiated from the point of contact. At first the tenderness of his look excited her, but then she remembered he thought she was a boy and her eyes widened nervously. She hoped his expression indicated he felt sorry for what he thought was a young boy. “Listen to me, Cail.” His voice held a hint of steel, belying the soft look in his eyes. “I care very much what happens to you, but if I let the Duke and Capet Brenauf know how much your welfare concerns me, it could put you in a lot of danger. Do you understand what I mean? The only way for me to protect and take care of you is for you to be my page, but you have to play your part too. The bet was not my idea, but I was forced to agree. In this castle, the Duke’s word is law. If I’d refused the wager, you would not have been allowed to stay here. Do you understand?” Caishel nodded, still trying to keep her emotions under control. She breathed a sigh of relief as he let her go. 36

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“Get to bed, Cail. I’ll see to myself this evening.” Nervous that the Sire might change his mind, Caishel hurried to her small room, the only space she could call her own. Once the door closed behind her, she picked up a chair and wedged it under the door handle. “No point in taking any chances,” she muttered as she snuggled down in the luxury of a real bed. **** Ailan stripped off his clothing, shifting uncomfortably as he removed his tight dress trousers. He hoped the girl hadn’t noticed his reaction to the contact with her soft skin. The faint aroma of briarwood had first made him aware of her in the Grand Hall, but when he’d seen the newly clean Cail, he’d almost betrayed her. How could others not realise this fragile beauty was a woman? The briarwood also acted in a seductive way on his senses and he resolved to remove the fragrance from his bathroom at the earliest opportunity. Did she understand what he’d been trying to tell her? To remain under his protection she would have to learn to be a page, no matter what tricks the other boys played on her. She must remain quiet and unobtrusive and get on with her duties. To do otherwise meant instant dismissal from the castle or worse; Capet Brenauf might assume control of her! Ailan was not sure what the Capet would do if he realised the boy he had designs on was really a girl, but he did know it would not be pleasant. He spent a restless night knowing a beautiful young woman lay only a short distance from his own bed. A woman who stirred his senses in a way he’d never experienced before. The bed changed from a comfortable warm nest to a storm tossed sea that fought him every time he moved. Eventually he gave up. In the hour before dawn 37

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he disentangled himself from the sheets, and went to the bathroom to dampen his ardour by submerging his body in cold water.

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Chapter 4 Caishel’s eyes flickered open and she frowned. Used to sleeping on the hard ground, curled up in the most defensive position she could find, the softness of the cot confused her. The page’s closet had no window, so she couldn’t see the sun and guess the time, but her street senses told her it was late. Grabbing her clothes, she quickly slipped on her breast bandage and dressed in the dark page outfit. Quietly opening the door, she slipped into the Sire’s room. It was empty! Cursing under her breath, she closed the closet door behind her and glanced into the bathroom. The door was open and she could see it was empty. Her spirits sank. She’d failed him on the first day of her new job. For a few seconds Caishel hesitated, unsure what to do next, but then she straightened her shoulders and headed for the corridor. Sire Ailan would be in the Grand Hall; she’d go and find him. Caishel had forgotten how intricate the castle corridors were and she soon became lost. She remembered the way to the kitchens and reaching the back staircase she’d used yesterday, she headed downwards. Arriving at the bottom step, she pushed the door open and walked forward into the busy room. Dim figures laboured over tables of food and 39

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one looked up and waved, then wiping her arms on her large apron, she crossed the floor to Caishel. “Hello, Cail isn’t it? Not lost again are you?” Toyvar, the woman she’d met the previous day, asked. “Sort of,” Caishel answered. “I woke late and Sire Ailan had already gone so I thought I’d better see if he was in the Grand Hall. This route is the only one I know.” “The Sire will be at the practice yard; most of the nobles go there first thing in the morning. You’d best get your breakfast while you can, then meet the Sire back in his room.” “Breakfast?” Her stomach grumbled, reminding Caishel she hadn’t eaten since the babbit pie the day before. “Where do I go for that?” “Pages’ refectory. Through that door.” Toyvar indicated the way Caishel had gone yesterday to get to the Hall. “Take the second door on the left. That’s where all the pages eat. When you’ve finished, leave by the other door. Two floors up is the Grand Hall level and another four flights will take you to the floor where Sire Ailan’s rooms are. That’s the way all the pages use to get to and from the formal rooms, so be sure to remember it.” Murmuring her thanks, Caishel hurried to get breakfast while she had the chance. Thrusting open the door Toyvar had mentioned, she hurried through; but as she closed it behind her, she realised how many other boys were in the room. Seated at long tables, the pages were all dressed in uniforms of the various house colours of the nobles they served. Every single one of them turned to look at her and the silence was deafening. “Well, look who it is.” She glanced at the speaker and recognised the page she’d come into conflict with at the 40

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port area. “Are you sure you’re not too good to eat with the likes of us?” Caishel decided to ignore him. After a quick glance round the room, she followed other latecomers to the serving buffet. Various snide comments came her way as she selected potage, kee and two fruje, but she continued to ignore them and found a seat at the end of one of the long tables. Her immediate neighbours quickly collected their plates and moved away. Picking up the sweetcane shaker, she liberally coated her potage, and carried a full spoonful to her mouth. A passing boy deliberately jolted her elbow jerking her hand to make the potage fly all over the table. Caishel held her breath and remembered what the Sire had told her; she had to remain unobtrusive if she wanted to stay out of danger. Of course he didn’t know that she also needed to keep her true identity secret, which meant she had double the reason to keep out of trouble with the other pages. “What’s the matter, preeve? Can’t you even feed yourself?” Once again, someone shoved her in the back, and with a sigh she gave up trying to eat the potage. Obviously, the kee would also be out of the question. Picking up both fruje, she walked towards the door opposite the one she’d entered the room by. Halfway across the room a foot appeared in front of her, but Caishel had been expecting this and nimbly jumped over it. She made it through the door with no more than a few more derogatory remarks. Instead of returning to Ailan’s rooms, she decided to look in the Grand Hall and see if he was there. **** When Ailan returned from the practice yard, he saw Cail’s door shut. He assumed she still slept. Within minutes 41

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he had bathed, dressed and departed. She could figure things out on her own, Ailan couldn’t cope with the problems of a female page this morning. In the Grand Hall, he turned to a side alcove where breakfast was laid out. He poured a cup of kee and picked up a garfruit. Technically, Cail should get his breakfast and make sure the Sire had everything he needed, but Ailan wasn’t alone in serving himself. Several other Sires and Capets were also getting their own food. In desperate need of peace and quiet to sort through the problems that could arise from employing a woman, Ailan made for a solitary corner away from the ever-present fire. He sank down on a barrelseat and sipped the hot kee, but Brenauf spotted him sitting alone and crossed the hall to interrupt his thoughts. “How’s the page doing?” the Capet asked. “I would have thought he’d be here learning his duties instead of letting you serve yourself.” “I’ve given him some other work to do,” Ailan replied. “He has plenty to keep him occupied.” Unfortunately, at that moment, a dishevelled Cail appeared at the Hall door, stopped and quickly looked around. Catching sight of Ailan, she rushed to his side. “Sire Ailan, I’m sorry I…” “I assume you’ve finished your tasks, Cail.” Ailan’s eyes warned her to be quiet. “Then you may go to the page’s refectory and have your own breakfast. Meet me back in my rooms as soon as you’ve finished.” “But I’ve already…” Cail began, then colour flooded her face as Ailan waved a hand of dismissal at her. “Yes, Sire Ailan, I won’t be long.” Ailan sighed as Cail rushed off, nearly knocking over another Sire as she hurtled through the Hall doorway. 42

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“Well, Ailan, looks as if the lad’s got a lot to learn. Presumably the first thing you’ll teach him is how to walk slowly.” Brenauf laughed as he strode away, but Ailan had seen the look of eager interest in the man’s eyes when Cail first arrived on the scene. Unable to think properly with the noisy distractions around him, Ailan tossed back the remainder of his kee and strode out of the Hall, going in the direction of the double doors which led to the castle gardens. The delicate perfume of brightly coloured flowers assailed his nostrils as he strode along the neat, weed-free paths, but Ailan was in no mood for tidiness. He turned onto the path which led to the ‘natural’ area at the far end of the garden, the part near the force field. Not many of the castle nobles came this way as the ladies in particular were always wary about their safety. The force field was another mystery left by the ancients and some of its working parts could not be replaced. If it ever failed, the castle, and the gardens in particular, would become vulnerable. Finding a rustic, half-broken bench near to the edge, Ailan sat down, his eyes staring unseeingly at the blue sky dotted with fluffy white clouds. He needed to have a serious talk with Cail and instil into her the danger of acting differently from the other pages. Bringing herself to the notice of the upper echelon of the castle would be dangerous for a female masquerading as a male, but how could he tell her that when he was supposed to be ignorant of her true sex? She’d also be in danger from him if he couldn’t control the reaction he’d felt yesterday. With a sigh of regret, he made up his mind that in future he would keep his lust under restraint by having no physical contact with the girl. Realizing he’d been in the gardens for some time and that by now Cail would have returned to his 43

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rooms, Ailan rose and with a final look at the picturesque scene he turned towards the castle. He stumbled and his feet shot from under him, throwing him off balance towards the force field. Luckily the field held and Ailan landed in an undignified heap. Scrambling up, he moved quickly from the edge, taking deep breaths to recover his composure. He wasn’t sure exactly what had happened. The ground seemed perfectly smooth. He had the distinct impression that he had been pushed from behind, but there was no one in sight so he must have been mistaken. **** Caishel decided to wander around for a while before returning to Ailan’s rooms. She found the staircase she’d discovered the night before and stopped to look out the small slit window. Below, the gardens were spread out in all their glory. In the distance, she could see the unkempt part near the force field. To her surprise, she recognised Ailan sitting on a bench near the edge. He rose and turned towards the castle, but her heart jumped as a flash of white appeared behind him and he stumbled and fell towards the force field. Unable to do anything, Caishel held her breath until Ailan scrambled to his feet and walked shakily towards the castle. Now she knew for sure the spirit was involved in Ailan’s accidents. Ailan disappeared into the castle and Caishel hurried back to his rooms, not wanting him to know she’d seen the incident. Reaching the corridor, she hurtled along it and flung open the door, then stopped to catch her breath when she saw the room was empty. “This will have to stop.” 44

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Taken by surprise, she whirled with fists raised and found Ailan had strolled up behind her. “Cail, you really must learn to slow down. If you go careening around the corridors like that, there’s no telling what trouble you’ll get yourself into.” “Sorry.” She dropped her hands to her sides. “I’ll try to remember. Er…” “Yes Cail, what is it?” “In the Hall, you said something about tasks. What am I supposed to have done?” “Nothing yet.” Ailan smiled and the effect made him appear very handsome to Caishel’s eyes. Suddenly, she felt very feminine. “I merely wanted to confuse Capet Brenauf. I don’t think he needed to know I’d left you sleeping when I went down for breakfast. Now Cail, pull up that stool and I’ll tell you what I expect of you.” She picked up the stool and carried it over to where he reclined in his soft chair. Setting the stool at his feet, she sat down, her huge blue eyes looking expectantly up at him. “Let’s begin from the start of day, shall we? You will lay out my clothes. I’ll tell you if I’m attending any event that requires particular clothes, but usually I dress in those first thing when I go to the practice yard.” Ailan indicated the garments he had discarded after his earlier hectic bout of exercise. “When I return, I dress in clothes similar to the ones I have on at present. Is that clear?” Caishel nodded. So far her duties were fairly easy. Anyone could remember these simple instructions. “One of the duties a page is supposed to do is serve his master at mealtimes, including breakfast. Like several other lords, I prefer to look after myself first thing in the morning, but I will need you at other meals. The rest of your duties you’ll pick up as we go along, but mainly, you 45

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should be there when I need you to run errands for me.” Ailan stopped and looked at her and Caishel felt her hackles rise. Did he think her incapable of understanding what he was saying? “Now, Cail, listen carefully. Rushing about the castle will bring you to the attention of people you’d probably rather avoid. Slow down and try to remain unobtrusive at all times. Can you do that?” “I’ll try, but I don’t see what harm it will do if people see me hurrying. They’ll only think I’m on an errand for you, and that’s probably what I will be doing.” “Do you like Capet Brenauf?” he asked with a sigh, but Caishel didn’t notice, she was more concerned that he’d taken hold of her shoulders and was looking intently into her face. Where his fingers touched her skin, she felt a hot prickly sensation which quickly spread to her face. “Not really, he looks at me funny.” She shrugged and managed to shake herself free of his grasp. “Bringing yourself to his notice could be dangerous. The Capet has a liking for young boys.” At last, she realised what he was talking about, but his next words worried her even more. “It’s lucky you’re not a girl; if you were, you’d have to worry about all the men trying to trap you in a corner. Just be aware that Brenauf is not the only one with a warped interest. You must be careful.” Caishel nodded as the seriousness of the situation got through to her at last. She fell asleep, vowing to rise early in the morning and help Ailan with his clothes, but when she woke just after sunrise, he’d already gone. Remembering her list of duties, she laid out what she hoped were his clothes for the day and waited for his return. He came through the door, stripping off a sweat soaked shirt, but stopped when he saw her waiting by his bed. For 46

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a moment, Caishel could have sworn he’d forgotten he had a new page. “Cail, I know your duties include helping me dress, but this morning I’ll look after myself.” His face flushed slightly and Caishel wondered if he was embarrassed, but that couldn’t be so. If his bare chest gave any indication of the rest of his body, then he had nothing to be embarrassed about. She dragged her attention away from the lure of the sight and musky smell of him, and listened to what he was saying. “What I could really do with is a cup of kee.” “Yes, Sire. I’ll get you one right away.” Caishel was halfway to the door when she realised she hadn’t a clue where to go for the drink. “Excuse me Sire. Where will I get kee from?” “Try the kitchens,” Ailan suggested. “Do you know how to get there?” Caishel nodded, but as she hurried out the door she heard Ailan call after her. “Slow down, Cail. There’s no hurry.” By the time she returned, carefully carrying the hot kee, Ailan had changed his clothes and was ready to face the day. “Come here a moment before you do that,” he said as she bent to pick up his dirty clothes. Caishel lowered herself to the stool she’d sat on the night before and looked at him expectantly. For a few moments Ailan stared at her, then he launched into how she should occupy her time this morning. “Find the other pages and go with them to the practice yard and introduce yourself to the Weapons Master. He’ll be the one teaching you to defend yourself.” “I know how to defend myself,” she interrupted, clenching her hands. 47

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“With your fists, yes, but now you have to learn how to wield a sword. The rest of the morning you’ll have lessons with the other pages. I don’t suppose you can read and write?” Ailan paused slightly, obviously expecting a negative answer. “Yes, I can.” Her words caught him by surprise and he waited for an explanation. “I taught myself years ago, and I practice all the time.” She wasn’t going to tell him her mother had taught her and, even though ‘borrowing’ the scrolls had been difficult, she’d continued her education when her parents died. If she told him about her past, he’d want to know more about her family, and then he might find out the truth about her. “Well done, Cail.” He smiled at her and an embarrassed and uncomfortable feeling rose inside her at his praise. “I won’t need you at lunchtime today, but after you’ve had your midday meal, return here and I’ll let you know what to do for the afternoon. Now I must go. I’ve got a meeting with the Duke.” She hid herself in the shadows outside the pages’ refectory and waited for the other boys to emerge, then followed the biggest group, assuming they’d be the ones going to weapons practice. Afraid they’d do some mischief if they were aware she was behind them she hung back, but this earned her a reprimand from the Weapons Master. “Late on your first day.” The grey haired soldier shook his head. “I assume you’re Sire Ailan’s new page.” “Yes…sir,” she added quickly as she saw the other boys sniggering. “Name?” the Weapons Master barked. “Cail, sir.”

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“Ever used a sword before, Cail?” She shook her head. “No, then we’ll start with the basics. You lot practice the moves I taught you yesterday.” He made sure the other pages had started working before he handed her a wooden sword. The next two hours were painful and emotional for Caishel. Each time she tried to follow the man’s instructions she got something wrong, which earned her a rap across the knuckles with the baton he was using to show her the moves. Her anger grew with every painful hit and it was only the thought of helping Ailan win his bet that kept her tongue under control. She did, however, vow to get her own back on the other pages who whispered to each other every time she made a mistake. Her revenge was sweet when they got to the classroom. “Oh, another one.” The master struck his forehead with the palm of his hand. “And I don’t suppose you know how to read and write, do you?” “Of course I can!” Caishel exclaimed, forgetting she was supposed to be on her best behaviour. “Prove it.” The master shoved a book into her hands and glared at the other pages who were trying to stifle their laughter. Five minutes later the man looked at her with respect and a dawning hope in his eyes. “At last! A boy who really wants to learn.” He spun round to face the others. “You would all benefit from copying Cail. Now, books out and down to work.” Caishel’s knowledge far outstripped the other boys as she had devoured every word from the scrolls before returning them to the stalls. She had pride in her work and the master praised her profusely. Unfortunately, this meant she became even less popular with her peers, who got their 49

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revenge after the lesson. Once the classroom had emptied, the master locked the door and disappeared down the corridor. Caishel tried to hurry away, but the other pages surrounded her. “Make us look like fools, would you? We stick together here, but then you’re not one of us are you? You think you’re too good for us.” Caishel recognized Frano, the page from the skyport. The circle of boys grew tighter around her and she desperately sought for a way to escape. “Don’t think any of the nobles will help you. As long as it doesn’t interfere with our duties, they don’t care what we do.” Her chance came at last as Frano reached out and pushed her shoulder. Using her street skills, she grabbed his hand and flung him to the ground. Then, taking advantage of the stunned response from the other boys, she pushed past them and ran off down the corridor. Caishel decided not to bother with lunch. She didn’t want any more hassles with the other pages, so she returned to Ailan’s rooms. As she turned the handle, the Sire opened the door from the other side. “Good, there you are. I have more meetings this afternoon. You can explore the castle and enjoy yourself.” His brown eyes looked sternly at her. “You won’t get into any trouble, will you?” “No, Sire.” Ailan brushed past her, leaving an emotionally confused Caishel behind him. Every time she saw the Sire, she became more aware of him as a man. She tried to tell herself nothing could come of her attraction; he thought she was a street urchin. At least he’d changed his own clothes, but that meant she’d neglected him again, and hadn’t he said something about attending him at lunch and dinner? 50

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Caishel spent the afternoon trying to avoid the other pages, eventually returning to the cobwebby stairs where she’d seen the spirit. She decided to use it as her own personal place and sat on the top stair with her eyes on the landing below her, willing the spirit to appear. For a moment it seemed as if her wish was to be fulfilled as the air shimmered, but then the shimmering stopped. “Please spirit,” Caishel pleaded. “I won’t hurt you. I just want to talk to you.” A faint breeze wafted up the stairs, but no white figure appeared and Caishel sighed. Daith was dropping low and Thida was rising when she returned to Ailan’s rooms and found she had failed him again. The clothes he had worn that afternoon now lay strewn across the floor. He must have returned and changed again and was now on his way down to the Grand Hall for dinner. Not wanting to make any more mistakes, Caishel dumped the clothes in the linen basket and retired unhappily to bed, determined to start afresh in the morning.

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Chapter 5 The next few days followed the pattern of the first. During the afternoons, she explored the castle and bumped into Toyvar in many other places than the kitchen. The maid seemed to work everywhere. Bored with nothing to do, on the third afternoon, Caishel deliberately waited for Ailan to return from his afternoon meeting. “Sire Ailan, when am I going to learn how to be your page?” she burst out as soon as he came through the door. Ailan looked flustered, but then he sighed. “Not now, Cail, I’m really very busy. I’ll talk to you later.” “But Sire…” She placed her hand on his arm to detain him. A rush of emotions sped through her, and her heartbeat pounded loudly in her ears. Ailan reached out to move her hand, but she snatched it away. “I said later, Cail.” Unfortunately, later never came. Caishel couldn’t believe that he really didn’t have time to talk to her. She eventually decided he must be deliberately avoiding her. Boredom drove her to visit the pages’ dormitory. So far, she’d avoided it like the plague, managing to bathe in Ailan’s bathroom when he was elsewhere. Mid-afternoon, the boys should be attending their masters. If only she could 52

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accompany Ailan to the meetings he always seemed to be going to or coming from, then she’d feel useful too. At least her freedom meant she could see where she would have lived if she hadn’t worked for Ailan. Cautiously, she knocked on the dormitory door, her excuse ready if anyone was there. She knocked a second time and waited for at least a minute, then quietly pressed the handle and pushed the door ajar. Nobody was there, so she slipped inside and shut the door behind her. Cots lined the stone walls on either side of the large room. No windows here, the pages were too low in the hierarchy to warrant such luxury, and the only light came from large brightglobes hanging from the ceiling. Each bed had a small cabinet standing next to it, presumably for storing personal items. The room was a mess. Clothes hung over the ends of the beds, flung there haphazardly when their owners had taken them off. Beneath one of the cots she caught a glimpse of shoes mixed up with dirty laundry. She wrinkled her nose as the nauseous smell pervading the room attacked her senses. Her gaze shifted to the far end of the room where a cupboard ran the full length of the wall ending in a partly open doorway and she moved towards it. Through the gap she saw white tiles and guessed it must be the communal bathroom. These facilities were in a worse state than the dormitory. Dirty towels littered the floor and crude messages scrawled in soap decorated the tiled walls. There were ten shower stalls, no baths, and ten toilets, all open to the view of anybody else using the room. Caishel grimaced. Even if it meant estrangement from the other pages, she was glad she didn’t have to live in this filth. She wondered how they managed to appear neat and 53

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tidy for their masters if this was how they kept their own quarters. With a sigh, she turned to go back to the other room and froze. Frano stood by the door with two of his cronies close behind him. “Who do we have here?” Frano tilted his head to one side and smiled nastily, showing a row of sharp teeth. “Cail’s decided to come slumming. I bet these quarters are a lot better than you’re used to downside.” “I came to ask what time the weapons lesson starts tomorrow,” Caishel offered her prepared excuse, but as soon as the words left her lips she knew her pretence was doomed to failure. “What? Sire Ailan’s precious page didn’t pay attention today? Why should I tell you? You must know by now that we don’t want you here. You belong on the streets, and it’s time you realised it. Others have more right to be Sire Ailan’s page, but the Sire fell for your poor little urchin act.” Frano stepped forward, his fists bunched menacingly. “He can’t be a real page anyway,” one of the other boys sneered. “He hasn’t been initiated.” “You’re right, Lons.” Frano laughed nastily. “Let’s do it now. Not that he’s got a chance of passing our tests.” The boys surrounded her and Caishel wondered whether she should go along with the initiation, or fight her way free. If she passed their ritual they might accept her, but it depended on what they wanted her to do. Maybe it would be better to escape instead. “What sort of initiation are you talking about?” she asked, trying to buy time. She didn’t really expect an answer, but to her surprise the third boy spoke. “We see if you can breathe under water by dunking you down the toilet, steal all your clothes and push you out 54

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in the halls so the servants see you naked. You know. The usual sort of thing.” “Shut up, Sard.” Frano snarled. “We might do something special with this one.” “Sounds stupid to me.” Caishel moved towards the door, but her way was blocked by Frano and Lons. “Where do you think you’re going?” Frano shoved her shoulder, forcing her to take a step backwards. Used to street fighting, Caishel quickly sized up her surroundings and opponents. Sard seemed the softest of the group, but Frano barred her way to the door. She’d have no chance fighting with her fists, but she’d always used cunning rather than force to outwit the other street urchins. Frano’s hands rose to push her again, but his movement left his legs unprotected. Caishel kicked out with her right foot and connected with the bigger boy’s shin making him stumble, then she shoved the other two out of the way and ran through the door and down the centre of the room towards the door leading out into the corridor. “Get him, you morons,” she heard Frano yell as she opened the door. The last thing she saw as she closed it behind her was Frano limping from the bathroom with Lons and Sard falling over each other as they tried to hurry down the narrow space between the beds. Reaching the end of the corridor, Caishel slowed and adopted a more sedate pace. It was a good thing she did. Turning the corner she almost bumped into two or three other pages, but there were adults around and the boys contented themselves with scowls as she passed them. When she saw Frano and his friends in the Hall later that day, they ignored her and she grinned, realizing they were going to pretend nothing had happened. 55

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Next morning Caishel woke early and lay in her bed, thinking over the confusing aspects of her new life. The pages she could deal with; they didn’t realise how pathetic they were compared to the urchins of Ardville. Her main problem was the loneliness. Despite having to conceal her true identity, she’d made several friends among the women in the Ardville marketplace by making herself useful. Some of the street kids weren’t too bad either, when you considered how they had to survive without benefit of home or family. The only ones who were remotely friendly to her now were Sire Ailan and the maid Toyvar, and Ailan was distancing himself from her as much as he could. Caishel still hadn’t helped him dress or remove his clothes. When he got to the stage of changing his shirt or trousers, he sent her from the room to run errands for him and by the time she returned, he would already be wearing his fresh clothes. Despite the relief that she would not be tempted by his naked body, a tiny piece of her mind experienced disappointment. The Sire obviously didn’t trust her to do even the basic page duties. The feelings Sire Ailan aroused worried her. Contact with him sent flutters of excitement and uncertainty rushing through her and she found it difficult to believe he wasn’t aware of her reaction. Why else would he send her from the room? Every time he looked at her with his deep velvety eyes, her heart did a somersault. Caishel shuddered deliciously, recalling the surges in her stomach on the few occasions he’d allowed her to smooth his coat across his shoulders. Suddenly her lids flew open and she jerked into a sitting position. Could Ailan be a lover of boys? His warning about Capet Brenauf may have been because he wanted to 56

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keep her for himself. And what he had said about her sleeping arrangements sent a chill surging through her. Why would he need to call on his servant during the night? She hunched forward and, frowning, linked her hands round her knees. Maybe he was letting her settle in before he made a move on her. Her thoughts churned between both sides of the argument. Eventually she decided she’d know if he had a liking for boys, like she did with Capet Brenauf. Ailan had no reason to make advances to her. But he didn’t flatter and flirt with the ladies either. Suddenly, Caishel realised the uncertainty was all hers. Ailan probably only thought of her as a troublesome page. Hearing movement in the Sire’s bedroom, Caishel jumped from her bed and pulled her clothes on. She’d have to be more careful around Ailan and not let him see how he affected her. Quickly running the comb through her hair she smiled in satisfaction. Now she was ready to face another day. Ailan had thrown back the bedcovers and swung his legs from the bed by the time she entered the room. She caught a quick glimpse of bare skin before he dragged the sheet back over them. A grin played at the corner of her lips as she saw Ailan slept in the nude. Normally, he was up and dressed before her, so she’d never seen him naked. “You’re up early,” Ailan growled, a flush of embarrassment flooding his face. “You can go and get me some hot kee. It’s cold this morning.” “Don’t you want me to help you dress, Sire?” Caishel asked innocently. “Just get the kee.” Caishel smiled as she closed the door behind her. Her expression sobered. He shouldn’t feel awkward about her 57

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seeing him in the nude if he didn’t have any interest in boys. She decided to make some discreet inquiries with Toyvar who knew all the castle gossip. Ailan told her he wouldn’t need her after breakfast and, as there were no lessons this morning, she should entertain herself for an hour while he attended a meeting with Duke Robard. “Are you sure, Sire? You don’t seem to need a page; you always do everything yourself.” “Nonsense, I get you to do a lot of things for me.” “But I don’t do any of the things you told me were my duties when I first became your page.” “Once I help the Duke sort out this problem with the weather control, I’ll start training you properly,” Ailan replied as he hurried from the room. Caishel took advantage of the hour’s freedom and made her way to the kitchens where she found Toyvar sitting in a corner of the scullery peeling a huge pile of whiteroots, the small starchy tuber that could be used in a variety of ways to accompany any meal. “Hello there, Cail,” Toyvar greeted her. “Toyvar, I need your help,” Caishel replied. “I have to know what my duties as a page are and I don’t trust the other boys to tell me the truth. The Sire keeps saying he’ll tell me later, but I thought if I knew what I was supposed to do, I could pick things up as I go along.” “Well, I can’t leave this,” Toyvar waved a peeling knife at the globular roots. “But I can talk as I work.” “I’ll help.” Caishel picked up a whiteroot and began to peel it with Toyvar’s spare knife. “Now then, what have you been doing for the Sire up to now?” 58

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“Nothing really. I run a few errands for him, silly things really, like getting a cup of kee for him each morning. He keeps sending me off on errands and by the time I get back he’s dressed, or changed for dinner, or ready for bed.” “You mean you don’t help him with his clothes?” Toyvar frowned. “That’s one of the basic duties of a page. Now I wonder why he doesn’t want you to help.” “Toyvar, he acts as if he’s embarrassed.” Caishel’s words tumbled over one another as she tried to get her thoughts out before she lost her nerve. “It’s as if he feels he’s undressing in front of—I mean, he’s not, well you know, like Capet Brenauf, is he?” “Sire Ailan!” Toyvar burst into peels of laughter. “Oh no, Cail. Definitely not. True, he’s never had a particular lady friend, but liking boys is not his style. Why do you think he’s like Brenauf?” “It’s the way he acts when I’m around. Like he’s afraid to let me see he likes me, or maybe he’s afraid he likes me too much.” “I tell you what I think it is,” Toyvar nodded to emphasise her words. “The Sire’s being his usual kind self and with you not being used to the castle ways, he probably thinks you’ll be embarrassed if you see him stripped.” Caishel silently thought over Toyvar’s words. This explanation hadn’t occurred to her, but she doubted that it was the truth. “You just ignore him when he tries to send you off and insist on helping him with his clothes. He’ll soon realise he’s being over-protective.” Toyvar went back to her tuber peeling. “As to your other duties, well pages are supposed to get their master’s breakfast, but not many of the Sires insist on that, they prefer to help themselves. You should 59

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also stand behind his chair at formal meals, ready to help him.” “How?” Caishel wanted to know. “Peel his fruje, top up his glass, pick up his napkin. Your job is to do anything that’s beneath his dignity. Just watch the other pages and copy what they do. You must also keep his clothes in good order, get them cleaned and pressed, ready for him to wear at a moment’s notice. All his dirty shirts and neck cloths should be taken to the laundry each day and collected the next. His suits should be carefully brushed and hung in his closet, and his boots and shoes polished until you can see your face in them.” As Toyvar paused for breath, Caishel thought of how the Sire had started to look a bit untidy and she realised this must be her fault. She made up her mind to rectify this oversight immediately. “Anything else?” she asked when Toyvar remained silent. “How do you know all this anyway, Toyvar?” “I used to be a lady’s maid until the husband decided I should also help him in a more intimate way. The mistress believed him instead of me and she got rid of me. The only job I could find after that was as general help here in the castle. It’s not too bad.” Toyvar smiled, then she grew more serious. “Cail, a word of warning. Keep away from Capet Brenauf. Don’t get caught alone with him, he’s dangerous.” “I know, Sire Ailan’s already warned me. Sorry, Toyvar, but I have to go. Now I know what I’m supposed to do I’d better get on with it.” “Good for you, Cail. You let me know if I can help you any more.” With a quick lift of a hand to indicate her thanks, Caishel hurried off to Ailan’s rooms. Looking in the linen 60

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basket, she found shirts and neck cloths lurking at the bottom. A quick count showed they had been accumulating since the day she arrived. She’d assumed the cleaning servants took the dirty clothing to the laundry, but now she knew it was her job. “Good job he’s got lots of clothes,” she muttered before investigating further. In the bedroom Caishel found a crumpled jacket hanging from the back of a chair and clean, but unpolished boots tucked beneath the bed. Ailan’s meeting finished and he came in search of his page. He found her with her upper lip caught between her teeth as she concentrated on rubbing furiously at one of his boots. The other boot stood beside her chair glowing with such a high gloss that it reflected the brightglobe’s mirror image. Caishel heard him shut the door and looked up. “You didn’t tell me I was supposed to do this.” She waved her hand, still enclosed by the boot, at the open closet door where all his coats hung neatly pressed and brushed. “How am I supposed to learn if you don’t tell me what I’ve got to do?” Ailan glanced round the room and Caishel was pleased she had disposed of the dusty, slightly untidy look. She’d done it herself and intended to keep on top of the cleaning staff, making sure they did their job properly in future. Ailan grinned at her. “My other pages have always known what was required of them, I thought if you didn’t know, you’d find out from the other lads.” “Much good that would have done me. They’d either refuse to tell me or have spun me a load of lies.” Caishel 61

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gave the boot a final buff, and placed it beside its mate. “What else haven’t you told me?” “Maybe I should have told you to be polite to your master.” His smile took the sting out of his words and she grinned back. “You seem to have grasped all the tasks concerning my clothes. Maybe it is time to make more use of you. Let’s see if you can attend me at tonight’s formal dinner.” “I have to stand behind you, pick up anything you drop, peel your fruit, fetch anything you need and generally be useful, but unobtrusive. Have I forgotten anything?” “I don’t think so. One other thing a page learns is how to write a good hand and tally accounts, and how to wield a weapon. I understand you’re getting on well with the sword and that you’re way ahead of the other boys in your lessons.” “Why do pages have to learn all this stuff?” “Some of them will inherit their parents’ lands, but others will be the managers and bailiffs. To do that, they have to be able to do all the things I mentioned.” “Will you inherit your parent’s lands?” she couldn’t resist asking. “Enough questions for now. It’s time I taught you how to look after my nahhar.” “You’ve got a nahhar and you didn’t tell me?” Caishel stared at him, excitement firing sapphire sparks from her eyes. She’d always wanted to get closer to the nobles’ nahhars but the pages and grooms were diligent in their care and protection of the rare animals. “Where do you keep him?” “In the stables on the lower levels.” Her mouth opened with another question, but Ailan forestalled her and quickly 62

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said. “I have him transported down by the stable mattporter when I need to use him downside.” Caishel was almost hopping with excitement as Ailan led the way to the dropchute where he stated “Stable level” and the force field pushed them to the lower regions of the castle. They didn’t go quite as far as the docking level, but she was sure they weren’t far above it. In the short time she’d been at the castle, Caishel had explored the upper regions, but the only lower areas she’d visited had been the kitchen, refectory and laundry. Now she found there was a whole level dedicated to the nahhars. Each animal had its own stall, and every ten stalls had their own small exercise area where the stable hands could walk them or trot them. Ailan explained that the grooms took the animals downside to the racecourse on a regular basis. “Here’s my Garlon.” He walked towards a stall with the top half of the door open. “Come and say hello, Cail.” A huge head appeared out of the gloom and big blue eyes stared at her. She sighed with pleasure as she saw Garlon’s glorious dark blue coat and silver mane and tail. A pearly horn grew out of his forehead. “He’s beautiful,” she whispered. “Can I touch him?” “Take it slowly,” Ailan cautioned as she made a quick movement and the nahhar twitched its pointed ears nervously. “Here, give him this.” Caishel took the fruje from him and holding it in the flattened palm of her hand, she offered it to Garlon. The nahhar sniffed her hand, then snuffled at the fruje before drawing back soft lips to reveal huge teeth. Garlon opened his mouth and leaned forward and Caishel held her breath as the animal gently picked the fruje from her hand and munched contentedly. 63

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“My groom tends him most of the time,” Ailan said, breaking into her reverie. “But you need to get to know Garlon too. There are times when you might have to exercise him, feed him, or clean his stall. For the next few days, I shall expect you to come down here when you don’t have lessons and learn all you can. This is my groom, Porig.” Porig was an old man, wisened with the years, who looked as if he wouldn’t take kindly to anyone misbehaving around his charge. Silently he nodded at Caishel, and moved across to pet Garlon. Ailan left her with Porig. During the afternoon she quickly learned all he had to teach her. He grudgingly admitted she was a quick learner as he sent her off with plenty of time to clean up before attending to Ailan. “You go and have your meal before the formal dinner starts,” Ailan told her when they met in his rooms. He shrugged his shoulders out of his tight fitting coat. “Not before I help you dress, Sire.” “Don’t worry, Cail, I can take care of myself. Off you go.” Folding her arms Caishel stood stubbornly before him, her face a study of determination. “If you stay to help me you won’t have time for your dinner.” Aware that Ailan was trying to get her out of the room, Caishel stubbornly stood her ground. “My job is to help you dress and undress,” she stated firmly, wondering how she’d avoid seeing him naked. “And I’m not leaving this room until you’re ready for the dinner.” With a sigh of resignation, Ailan held out an arm for her to pull the coat sleeve. Once the coat and boots were off, he tried again to send her from the room, but Caishel 64

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remained adamant. Her job was to help the Sire and help him she would. Her determination wavered when she removed his shirt and saw his bare chest. She’d seen it earlier this morning when he’d started to get out of bed, but somehow it seemed more sensuous as the shirt gradually peeled away beneath her hands, slowly revealing the sun-tanned skin. Her palms brushed his back sending a tremor through her and for a moment she faltered, but Ailan had resigned himself to the unwanted help of his page and undone the front laces of his trousers. Standing behind him Caishel hooked her fingers in the waist, bending her knees as her body crouched lower pulling the material down over his thighs. The trousers were tight, forcing Caishel to move slowly. She gave a small gasp then held her breath as his finely sculpted buttocks were gradually exposed. Her entire body trembled as her fingers itched to touch the dimpled behind and she experienced an unaccustomed hot dampness between her legs. “Cail, if you’re going to help me, get on with it. I’m not going to stand here until I freeze.” A perverse spirit nudged Ailan and he turned towards her. Her eyes grew wide as she stared with fascination at the sight directly in front of her. His soft vulnerable flesh nestled in the dark hair between his thighs and she could smell the musky maleness of him. A longing to touch him overcame her and her hand twitched in response to her thoughts, but a warm flood of embarrassment rushed through her and she clenched her hand to her side. Before she could look away, the flesh stirred and to her horror, she realised Ailan was becoming aroused.

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Chapter 6 Why had he done it? What demon had possessed him to turn round when she was kneeling behind him? Over the last few days, Ailan had found it difficult to let the page near him. He’d been acutely conscious the boy was really a woman, an extremely tempting young woman. She’d taken him by surprise when she’d stubbornly refused to leave the room until she’d helped him change his clothes. Ailan gritted his teeth when the shirt peeled sensuously off his shoulders. He’d concentrated so hard on keeping his emotions under control, he hadn’t been consciously aware his hands were moving to the laces of his trousers. The action was automatic. He’d done the same thing so many times before when being dressed by his previous page, and the natural progression was to turn round when the trousers no longer hampered him. As soon as her warm breath played softly across his lower body, he realised his mistake and to his horror he found himself reacting to the stimulus. He prayed that she hadn’t noticed his arousal, but he knew it was a very faint hope. How could she have missed seeing the movement when her eyes were level with the top of his thighs? Why else would she have jumped to her feet and rushed over to the closet? Her eyes had stared fixedly at the floor as she 66

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helped him into his dress trousers, and she did not look at him again until she had smoothed the coat across his shoulder. The thought of her kneeling only inches from him and the memory of her breath excited him once more. He shifted uncomfortably as his body strained against the tight pranceskin of his trousers. Thank goodness he’d sent Cail off to the page’s refectory. To regain control, he forced himself to think of his earlier meeting with the Duke. Robard had asked Ailan to draw up a plan for the monthly rainfall. That was the easy part. Getting all the farmers to agree to the changes was nearly impossible. Ailan mulled over ways to win them round, but as soon as an idea occurred to him, more problems came to mind. Cail burst into the room and Ailan smiled, at least thinking of something else had stopped his body’s urges. “Don’t run,” he admonished. “We’ve plenty of time. Now tidy yourself up before we go. You can use my bathroom just this once.” Cail frowned and looked down at her tunic, then rubbed furiously at a mark on the front. Ailan grinned again as she hurried to get ready. He knew she’d been using his bathroom regularly, but he couldn’t let her know this or she’d realise he’d guessed her secret. Moments later Cail re-emerged with her hair combed and her tunic spotless. Ailan led the way to the dropchute and they descended to the Grand Hall. The tables in the dining area were laid with snowy white linen, each setting displaying a name card indicating the place for each noble and lady. “Your job is to find out where I should sit,” Ailan told Cail quietly. “So you can show me where to go when we take our places.” 67

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Ailan moved towards the flock of finely dressed ladies and gentlemen at the far end of the room, while Cail slipped away to find the Sire’s place at the table. She rejoined him so unobtrusively that it was some time before Ailan realised she stood behind him. He nodded in approval. His unusual page was quickly learning her duties. **** The Hall gradually filled up and eventually the Head Servitor announced, “Sires, Capets, Miladies, dinner is served.” “Ailan, would you be so kind as to escort Milady Jenu in to dinner.” Duke Robard’s words sounded more like an order than a request and Caishel watched as Ailan bowed his head to one of the ladies before offering her his arm. Falling in behind, Caishel realised it was the same woman who had complained about her mimicry. She took special note of the woman’s dress, telling herself she needed to recognise the lady in case Ailan had to escort her again. For some reason the thought of Milady Jenu being a permanent fixture at Ailan’s side bothered her. Forcing herself to concentrate she began at the blond hair piled high on Milady’s head. Bright red silk wove through the curls ending in a long ringlet of glossy hair and ribbon falling over the right shoulder. Bare white shoulders rose out of red satin frills, and her long sleeves dripped from the top of her arms to end in drooping points at the wrists. Red satin sheathes emerged from beneath the points to stretch across the back of the lady’s hands until they looped round the three middle fingers resting casually on Ailan’s arm. The body of the dress slithered down to hip level where the skirt flared wide. Caishel guessed the overall effect was meant to reflect poise and wealth, but despite the richness 68

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of her clothes, Milady Jenu reminded her of the whores on the streets of Ardville. Caishel decided this person wasn’t good enough for Sire Ailan, but sternly reminded herself that it wasn’t any of her business. The Sire pulled the chair from the table and helped Milady to be seated then looked pointedly at Caishel. Quickly stepping forward, she held the Sire’s chair then pushed it in behind him as he sat down. Throughout the elaborate dinner Caishel played her part, sneakily watching the other pages to make sure she didn’t forget anything. When she noticed the youths attending to the ladies their masters were escorting, she did her best to copy them. “Page.” Milady Jenu waved a hand languidly at her empty wineglass. Caishel moved between the Sire and his lady and began to pour the light wine of the pink Lorene flower into the crystal cut glass. With a flick of her finger, Jenu knocked over the wineglass. “You clumsy oaf! Look what you’ve done!” Milady sprang to her feet, dabbing at a non-existent spot on her dress. Caishel backed away in confusion. She knew it wasn’t her fault the glass had fallen and was positive none of the wine had spilt on the red dress, but with Jenu making such a fuss, she had difficulty seeing the alleged stain. “Cail.” At the sound of Ailan’s voice, she swung her gaze away from the fussing woman. “Go and fetch more wine and a clean glass.” Thankful to get away from the unpleasant scene, Caishel hurried to the serving table and collected another carafe of wine. She took it back to Ailan, but when she tried to pour into the fresh glass, he placed his hand on her arm. “I’ll do that, Cail. Go stand with the other boys.” 69

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“But...” “That’s enough, Cail. Do as I say.” Totally embarrassed at being made to look a fool, she backed against the nearby stone wall, studiously ignoring the sniggers of the other pages. Meanwhile Ailan helped Milady Jenu back into her chair and poured more wine for her. She smiled up at him, but as he turned to sit in his own chair, the lady glanced over her shoulder at Caishel with a look of malicious satisfaction in her eyes. The dinner seemed to go on forever with Caishel forced to stand against the wall doing nothing while her contemporaries hurried to their masters bidding. Every time she moved forward to help, Ailan waved her back. She stood and fumed at the injustice of her situation. Why was she being punished for something that wasn’t her fault? What annoyed her most was that Ailan didn’t seem to care. For the first time, Caishel knew what the other pages must experience with their masters. She hadn’t realised until now how easy a life she had with Ailan, instead of the uncaring relationship that usually existed between master and page. Once again, she wondered if the Sire’s interest in her was truly divorced from his emotions. At last the meal was over, but the evening hadn’t finished. The diners moved back into the main part of the Hall and the pages hurried round with kee and fermented fruits juices. Ailan still danced attendance on Jenu, so Caishel copied the other pages and approached her Sire, but he took the tray from her and waved her away again. The evening dragged on until at last Ailan rose to escort Milady Jenu to her quarters. “Return to my rooms, Cail,” Ailan told her. “I won’t need you any more tonight.” 70

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Behind Ailan’s shoulder, she could see Milady Jenu smile smugly with anticipation. Caishel angrily made her way to Ailan’s rooms and flung herself onto her small cot. Why had Jenu wanted to discredit her? This was the only explanation she could think of for the woman knocking over the wineglass. Could she have sought revenge for Caishel’s imitation of her at their first meeting? But why did Jenu feel she needed to get vengeance on a mere page? What really annoyed her was Ailan apparently taking Milady’s side. He didn’t normally treat his page so coldly. Surely, he must realise it wasn’t her fault. Turning onto her back, she folded her hands behind her head and stared up at the ceiling. Ailan’s actions were confusing, and she was puzzled. His coldness towards her made her feel miserable. Yet every time he touched her, he snatched his hand away, so he must also feel something pass between them. Caishel tried to stay awake and see what time Ailan returned, but her eyelids drooped and within minutes she was asleep. **** Ailan knew exactly what had happened with the wine. He was amused that Jenu felt jealous of a mere page, but to stand up for Cail would mean questions. Questions he did not want to answer. He had to treat Cail like any other page and reprimand her when necessary. “Would you like to come in for a while?” Jenu smiled suggestively at him as they stopped outside the door of her suite. “Thank you, but no,” Ailan replied, lifting Milady’s fingers to his lips. “I’m afraid I have another engagement this evening. Maybe another time?” 71

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He had no intention of getting involved with Jenu, either now or later, but he also didn’t want to get on the wrong side of the woman. She had a reputation of being very vindictive when crossed. “I shall look forward to it.” Jenu smiled and reached up and kissed his cheek, taking the opportunity to press her body against his. With a flutter of her hand, she entered her rooms and closed the door behind her. He walked aimlessly along the castle corridors, trying to find somewhere quiet where he could ponder the problems Cail had brought into his life. Eventually, he found an empty small salon and closing the door behind him, he took a seat by the unlit brazier. What was he going to do about Cail? She stirred his senses in a way no other woman had, and she didn’t even know he had found out her secret. At first he’d thought his feelings were merely lust for the unattainable, but the more he came in contact with her, the more he realised it wasn’t just her body he longed for. He wanted to protect her, show her the joys they could experience in each other’s arms. Every time he saw her, his heart faltered and his palms itched to take hold of her and kiss her. Ailan knew if she found out he knew her secret, he might never achieve any of his desires. Cail was impetuous, and often acted without thinking. Faced with the revelation that he knew the truth, she’d find a way to flee the castle and end up embroiled in the slimy underworld of Ardville. He could find no solution to his problem and he sighed. Maybe a good night’s sleep would bring the answers he longed for. He stood up and shivered as the temperature of the room dropped suddenly and he glanced round expecting to see the door open. It remained firmly closed and with a 72

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shrug of his shoulders, Ailan crossed the room and reached for the doorknob. He tugged as hard as he could, but it stubbornly refused to move. A tingle up and down his spine convinced him he was not alone and he spun round, but there was no one there. He turned to try the door again, but the air around him felt as if it had shrunk, robbing him of his breath. Ailan struggled ineffectively as the very last bit of oxygen was dragged from his lungs. Despite his struggles, he couldn’t fight what he couldn’t see. The pressure on his lungs increased to nearly bursting point and he started slipping into unconsciousness. With a suddenness that mirrored the way the attack had started, it finished. Gasping for breath, he grabbed the handle and pulled the door open. A startled servant stood on the other side. “Your pardon, Sire Ailan,” the man said. “Are you all right?” “I am now,” Ailan muttered, still trying to get air into his lungs, but seeing the disbelieving look in the man’s eyes he forced himself to smile. “Too much good food and wine at dinner brings on indigestion.” The man accepted this excuse and Ailan moved past him, heading for the dropchute and the comfort of his bed. **** When Caishel woke the next morning, Ailan had once again eluded her. The drapes and covers on his bed were drawn back revealing the rumpled sheets. She bent to pick up the used clothes littering the floor and decided to get the dirty linen to the laundry early this morning. Then she could have her breakfast before the Sire returned, and be there to help him dress for the day. A dangerous fascination made her long to see his naked body again. Part of her knew 73

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she should ignore him and concentrate on doing her job well, but her hands itched to touch the smoothness of his skin, and her nose twitched as she remembered the musky maleness of him. If she couldn’t caress him as she longed to then at least she would be able to revel in the look and smell of him. Picking up the clothes from the floor, she held them to her face to take in his aroma, but instead of his distinctly male smell, she inhaled a lady’s perfume. The same perfume Milady Jenu had been wearing last night! Desolation washed over Caishel, leaving her totally devoid of energy. Then anger rose in her breast. Anger at herself for allowing her emotions to run riot. Anger at Milady Jenu for attracting the Sire. But mainly anger at Ailan for paying attention to such a spiteful woman. Grabbing the dirty clothes from the hamper, Caishel hurried to the laundry then moodily went to get her breakfast. The other pages in the refectory left her alone. Word had spread that it wasn’t wise to aggravate her. Anyone who annoyed her could end up with bruises and kicked shins like the ones Frano and his friends had suffered. By the time Ailan returned, his rooms were neat and tidy, and his clothes were laid out on the bed ready for him to don once he’d taken a shower. With an aloof, disinterested expression fixed on her face, Caishel stood ready to help the Sire undress. He looked equally solemn as he held out his arms for her to help him with his coat. “Did you and Milady have a nice evening last night, Sire?” Caishel asked, trying to divert her mind from what her hands were doing. “Yes, thank you. Why do you ask?” Ailan frowned at her as she pulled off the last boot. 74

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“I’m sorry about Milady’s dress, Sire,” she said, ignoring his questions. “I don’t know how I came to be so clumsy.” “Really?” Caishel’s concentration had been on keeping her emotions under control, and her eyes averted from the tantalizing sight of more and more of Ailan’s flesh as the clothes peeled away from his body, but his tone dragged her gaze to his face. “Sorry, Sire, I don’t understand.” “You know as well as I do that Milady Jenu knocked over the wine deliberately.” “I didn’t realise you knew, Sire.” Caishel’s heart began to beat erratically as Ailan’s eyes softened as he looked at her. “Jenu was trying to get you into trouble, so I thought it best to remove you from her temptation. Presumably she did it for petty revenge because you imitated her on your first day here.” A warm feeling stole over Caishel that Ailan cared enough to protect her from the spite of a court lady, but then she remembered the perfume on his clothes this morning and ice rushed through her veins. “Thank you, Sire,” she muttered. **** Every day after lessons, Caishel checked with the Sire to see if he needed her. Usually he was engaged in meetings with the Duke and, with a wave of his hand, sent her off to help Porig with Garlon. The groom grudgingly admitted Caishel had a way with the huge nahhar and sometimes let her trot him round the exercise area on a long rein. On rare occasions, if he was in a good mood, he let her ride the animal, making sure she 75

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could control him before he let her try without the leading rein. Caishel didn’t mind Porig’s caution, she loved being near the nahhar and helping to look after him. Porig exercised Garlon daily, and while he did this it was Caishel’s job to remove the soiled bedding from the empty stall. Collecting the droppings was a smelly job, but she realised the dirty straw must be removed for Garlon to remain healthy. If she finished quickly, she had time to watch the groom put the nahhar through his paces, and sometimes get a ride herself. She loved hanging over the fence watching the magnificent animal walk, trot and canter in response to Porig’s handling of the reins. Garlon obviously enjoyed himself with his proud head held high, and the half metre horn in the middle of his forehead seeming to strain even higher. His dark blue coat gleamed and reflected the light from the brightglobes, and the tail flicked with pleasure as the nahhar took delight in his exercise. To keep Garlon clean and well groomed, Porig kept the long tail plaited while the nahhar was in the stables. He had told Caishel that when Garlon was entered in a race, the silver tail and mane would be dressed with dark blue ribbons to match his coat. With pitchfork in hand, Caishel entered the stallion’s stall and started tossing the dirty straw into the barrow she had brought with her. A shadow darkened the opening and pushing the hair from her eyes, she looked up expecting to see Porig or Ailan standing behind her. Her nerves crackled with danger as she saw Capet Brenauf. “I see Ailan is making good use of you, boy.” Brenauf moved further into the stall, pulling the bottom half of the door closed behind him. “At last he’s realised the only thing you’re fit for is working in the stables.” 76

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Caishel backed away, raising the pitchfork slightly to provide a barrier between them, but Brenauf didn’t seem at all concerned by her action. “What’s the matter, boy? Don’t you know in the absence of your master you must obey any noble? Drop that disgusting thing and come here at once.” An unholy light gleamed from his eyes as the pitchfork wavered in Caishel’s grasp.

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Chapter 7 What should she do? She didn’t trust Brenauf, if she discarded her crude weapon she would be at his mercy, but what he said was true. In the absence of Ailan, she must obey the nobles who were deemed to be her betters. Caishel could see no way out of the situation and the Capet smirked as he took a step towards her. As his hand reached out to push the pitchfork aside, Caishel saw a flash of white appear and disappear behind him, and for no apparent reason he lurched to one side. Brenauf blinked in confusion, looked behind him, then turned back to her with a smile. “Must have stumbled,” he muttered. “Now come here, boy, I have something I want you to do for me.” “Can I help you sir?” Her breath whistled in a relieved gasp at Porig’s respectful question and she saw a look of intense irritation flash across Brenauf’s face. Without deigning to answer, the Capet pushed past the groom and Garlon and strode towards the dropchute. “Thank you, Porig.” Caishel wondered if the old man realised how timely his interruption had been. “I didn’t know how to get rid of him without being rude.” 78

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Porig gave her a searching look, but turned to attend to Garlon without another word and Caishel shook her head in confusion. Had the groom interrupted deliberately to foil Capet Brenauf, or had his appearance been mere chance? Realizing she hadn’t much time left before she must attend the Sire, she began tossing the dirty straw as fast as she could. Every time she left the nahhar level, Caishel made sure she washed properly to rid herself of the smell of the stables. She still hadn’t grown used to seeing Ailan’s naked body, and accidentally touching his skin sent trembles of tumbled emotions rushing through her, making her feel hot and weak at the same time. Ailan no longer turned towards her when his lower body was naked and she guessed he was trying to save them both from the embarrassment of the first occasion. **** Some days later, Caishel had to meet Ailan on the stable level. When she arrived, the Sire stood with a group of nobles watching the Duke inspect his own nahhars and asking for any comments. “What do you think of this beauty, Brenauf?” Robard asked, as a groom trotted a black and grey coated mare around the show ring. “Has a nice high step don’t you think?” “It’s difficult to tell my lord, the ring’s not big enough for her to show her paces properly,” Brenauf replied. “Old Coscord suggested a race meeting when I spoke to him the other day,” Robard commented, naming the Duke of a neighbouring estate. “I think it’s time we transported the most likely animals downside to see what they can do.” Robard brushed his hands briskly together. “Right, gentlemen, today is as good a time as any. I’ll 79

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contact Coscord and arrange a race day. We’ll have practice races at the downside racecourse after lunch. Ailan, see that the ground staff know we’re coming, would you.” “Get my cloak, Cail,” Ailan ordered his waiting page. Eager to please, Caishel hurried through the now familiar castle corridors and quickly collected the cloak. On her way back to the lower levels, she saw Capet Brenauf at the end of the corridor and quickly took another route to the stairs. Ailan had finished his conversation with the Duke and he ordered her to follow him as he marched off towards the docking level, forcing her to trot to keep up with him. “Where are we going, Sire?” she asked breathlessly. “Downside to the Ardville racing track.” He flung the words over his shoulder, slowing as he reached the mattporter room. “Two to go down,” he told the operator then strode to the centre of the room without breaking his stride. “Stand there,” he ordered Caishel, pointing to one of several silver discs set in a circle in the floor. Caishel had never ported before and after obeying Ailan she looked round with interest as they waited for the power to build up enough for the port to the planet below. The main part of the room held the operator’s desk just inside the door, and dark brown cushioned seats followed the curved contour of the light cream walls. Must be for when they get busy, she mused. The disc area where they were standing was shielded from the rest of the room by a clear, ceiling high partition that followed the outline of the floor circle. The portion nearest the operator remained open but as the power reached maximum a panel slid across, enclosing them completely. 80

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The throb of power peaked and the image outside the cubicle blurred. When it cleared again Caishel’s eyes widened with wonder. A completely different view met her eyes. The room had gone. In its place was a glass cubicle at one end of a stable building that faced a grass racing track. She jumped nervously when Ailan took his cloak from her grasp. The door opened and he told her to follow him. He strode to a small building near the starting line and, after a brief knock on the door, he entered without waiting for an answer. Two grooms jumped up from their seats at a rickety wooden table and the younger man nodded his head in recognition of a noble. Ailan explained several nahhars would be brought downside that afternoon and the Duke expected all to be ready when he arrived. The two grooms and Ailan spent an hour looking over the stalls, the layout of the track, and testing the starting and timing equipment. When they had finished, Ailan led the way back to the stable. They got back to the castle to find a message for Ailan from Duke Robard. The races had been postponed until the next day. Early the following day, Ailan went downside to check the Duke’s orders had been carried out. “I won’t need you this morning, Cail. Go and see Porig,” he told her as he headed for the dropchute. “He’ll need your help to move Garlon downside. The Duke has decided the official races will be tomorrow.” The stable level had its own animal mattporter. Caishel experienced another thrill as she and Porig ported downside, arriving with the nahhar in the strong, afternoon sunlight. “What a beautiful day,” she exclaimed as she stretched her arms to embrace the sunshine. Porig muttered at her to stop jumping around or she’d unsettle Garlon. 81

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Trying to suppress her excitement at being involved with the races, Caishel meekly followed Porig to the nearby stables. The groom muttered about the state of the animal bedding, although to Caishel it looked clean and fresh. “Get some fresh straw from the corner and pile it on top,” Porig ordered. “That’s the best we can do under the circumstances.” Caishel diligently fetched a barrow with clean bedding and spread it over the offending stall contents, then she checked the water trough was full. The nahhar would be fed after the practice races, but would not be transported back to the castle until the following day when the official races were over. The practice heats started and Porig grudgingly allowed her to go and watch on the understanding she didn’t get in the way of the nobles. Caishel didn’t worry about his gruff warning, it was the nahhar racing she wanted to see, not the nobles talking about the traits of each individual animal. Pushing and shoving through the excited crowd of servants, she got a place at the rails and waited eagerly for the animals to appear. Garlon looked superb as he trotted onto the course, his head tossing and nostrils huffing with eagerness. Professional jockeys were hired for the races, but for this practice session the grooms put their charges through their paces. Two or three animals raced at a time, the object being to see how well they coped with the grass track and the challenge of other nahhars. Caishel held her breath as Garlon headed for the finishing line, neck and neck with a chestnut nahhar. At the last moment, Porig encouraged his mount to stretch out his legs a little bit more and they raced across the line a few seconds ahead of their opponent. 82

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Almost dancing with glee, Caishel hurried towards the stables, knowing that Porig would expect her to be there to help rub down the nahhar and settle him back in his stall. “Walk him round the practice field for about ten minutes then bring him back to the stable.” Porig handed Caishel the reins, then threw a blanket across Garlon’s back. Carefully she led the big blue onto the field and walked him round and round until his heavy breathing returned to normal, then she took him back to Porig. Together they groomed Garlon then checked that the animal had everything he needed before shutting him in the stall for the night. “Best go and ask the Sire what’s happening tonight,” Porig told her. “Then come back and let me know.” Hurrying through the throng of nobles, she saw Brenauf talking to a groom outside the big chestnut’s stall and realised the nahhar Garlon had beaten belonged to the Capet. Ducking behind an unknown Sire so that Brenauf wouldn’t see her, she threaded her way through the crowd until she caught sight of Ailan. “Porig will stay downside tonight,” Ailan replied when she relayed the groom’s question. He looked thoughtfully at the page. “We have an early start tomorrow, so I suppose you might as well stay down too. Keep out of trouble. Do what Porig tells you.” “Yes, Sire.” Caishel hadn’t realised how much she missed the open spaces. The nobles had the luxury of walking in the castle gardens, but the pages and other servants had to make do with the inside of the castle and the rare times they were sent downside. Porig grunted when she gave him Ailan’s message and handed her some of Garlon’s tack to prepare 83

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for tomorrow’s races. By the time they had finished, the evening meal was ready. Afterwards, Porig declared it would be an early start tomorrow so they should bed down and get some sleep. “I’ll be sleeping outside Garlon’s stall, but there’s no need for you to be there too,” the old man stated. “Find yourself somewhere warm, but be back here at the break of dawn or it’ll be the worse for you.” Caishel decided to go for a walk before settling for the night and she wandered onto the practice field. For several minutes, she stood staring up at the clear night sky. Thida monopolised the darkness with the silvery stars twinkling as her personal attendants. With a sigh, Caishel turned and walked back to the gate. Climbing up to sit on the top rung, she thought of Capet Brenauf. She wouldn’t be able to escape Brenauf’s clutches much longer. Was now the time to reveal her secret to the Sire? “Got you!” A hand covered her mouth at the same time as an arm tightened round her waist and pulled her backward off the gate. Fright made her struggle wildly, but she couldn’t break free, and her abductor dragged her towards the rear of the stables and onto a pile of hay. “Now you’ll see what happens to a page who doesn’t know his place.” To her horror, Caishel recognised Brenauf’s voice. She’d assumed he’d returned to the castle with the rest of the nobles. She struggled desperately to break free, but Brenauf stuffed a cloth in her mouth to gag her, then pushed her back onto the hay. She heard the rustle of clothing and struggled once more, only to feel the Capet’s booted foot shove her back before he straddled her prone form, one 84

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foot on each wrist to stop her escaping. He stood above her, his trouser laces undone and a look of expectation on his face. “Thought you’d got the better of me didn’t you? Well I’m feeling a little uncomfortable and you’re going to help me. My own page, Sard, usually looks after me, but I fancy a change.” Brenauf caught hold of her hair, lifted his foot from her wrist and dragged her to her knees, bringing her level with his trouser laces. He caught her hand and placed it on his waistband. “I’m impatient, lad, so pull down my trousers quickly.” Unable to escape or shout for help, Caishel desperately tried to think of how she could get out of this situation. Now she understood what Ailan and Toyvar had been warning her about. Directly in front of her eyes, Capet Brenauf’s excitement became evident as his arousal grew until it strained at the material of his trousers. Tentatively, but slowly, she began to pull on the waistband, hoping he would think she was obeying him while her mind frantically tried to think of a plan to escape. “That’s right, boy. Do as you’re told and give me pleasure and you’ll find I’m quite a generous fellow.” Brenauf’s arousal grew larger, and his breathing became rapid and shallow. His hold on her hair slackened slightly. Realizing this would be her only chance to get away, Caishel’s street instincts took over and she butted the Capet’s groin with her head. He screamed as he let her go, and she shot through his straddled legs and scrambled to her feet, spitting out the gag as she moved away from him. Doubled over in pain, he still had enough energy to reach for her, but a hand pushed her out of the way. “Go quickly, before he recovers,” a scared voice urged, and Caishel recognised Sard, the Capet’s own page. 85

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“Are you sure?” She didn’t want to stay, but Sard looked so frightened she felt compelled to offer. “Yes, now go.” Sard pushed her towards the front of the stables. “I’ll get you for this, boy,” she heard Brenauf hiss, his voice barely audible but full of pain. “You’ll regret this till the end of your days.”

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Chapter 8 Caishel woke early the next morning and glanced across at Porig. The groom had rolled over and opened one eye when she lay down next to him last night, then he had grunted and gone back to sleep. Yawning widely, she wandered out of the stables to find breakfast. Several other pages were lined up at a makeshift buffet and she joined the queue. Immediately in front of her stood Frano, and as the pages shuffled forward, Sard arrived and took the place behind her. Turning to thank him for his help the previous night, she gasped when she saw his face. “Did Capet Brenauf do that?” She pointed at the boy’s black eye and swollen cheek. Sard nodded silently. “Look, Sard, I really appreciate what you did last night. I’m sorry if it got you into trouble with the Capet.” Relief flooded through her that Ailan was her master, not the depraved Brenauf. “Why don’t you just leave him alone?” Frano punched Caishel’s arm. “It’s all right for you, Sire Ailan’s an okay sort, but working for Capet Brenauf is dangerous as well as unpleasant. Sard has to make the best of it, but you getting the Capet angry doesn’t make it any easier for him.” 87

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“I don’t understand, Sard. If you don’t like working for Brenauf, why don’t you apply to work for another noble?” “Got a short memory, haven’t you preeve?” Frano sneered. “The only other noble to need a page was Sire Ailan and we all know who got that job, don’t we?” “I can’t leave the Capet anyway.” Sard spoke for the first time. “It’s the only way I can get my training. My father arranged it all.” “But surely, if you told your father how unpleasant your life is he would arrange something else?” “I tried to tell him but he just said I had to make the best of it and that I couldn’t expect to be treated like a little duke all my life.” Sard scuffed the ground with his feet. “I don’t think he really understood what I meant, and now every time I try and talk about it he tells me the subject is closed. That’s on the rare occasions I get to see him.” By this time, the queue had reached the table. The three pages selected their food and stepped aside to eat it. Frano pointedly herded Sard away from Caishel as if she had something contagious. Gradually the racing grounds filled with nobles from Ardon Castle and the neighbouring area of Cor. Caishel saw several betting booths had been set up, but she had no money so they didn’t tempt her. Porig kept her busy getting Garlon ready for his race, but their jockey sent a message at the last minute to say he wouldn’t be able to ride for Ailan. “Damn!” Porig exclaimed and Caishel blinked in surprise. The groom didn’t speak much, and she’d never heard him swear before. “You can ride him, Porig,” she told him. “You won the practice race yesterday.” 88

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“Against other grooms, this is against lightweight jockeys. I wouldn’t stand a chance. I’d better go tell Sire Ailan.” The groom gave Garlon a pat on his rump and started to leave, but he stopped and looked at Caishel. “You’re only a bit of a lad,” he stroked his chin thoughtfully. “And the stallion knows you. What do you say, boy? Would you be willing to ride Garlon in the race?” “Me?” Caishel squeaked, then hurriedly deepened her voice. “But, Porig, I don’t know the first thing about racing, and besides, it wouldn’t be allowed.” “Anyone can ride in the races; it doesn’t have to be a jockey. Come on lad, do it for Sire Ailan.” Against her better judgement, Caishel allowed herself to be talked into riding and before she had time to change her mind, Porig hurried her off to change into Ailan’s colours. Luckily, the other jockeys had already left the changing rooms, so she took the blue and silver silks into the toilet and quickly got ready. Her nerve didn’t fail her until she and Garlon arrived at the starting line. The other jockeys looked so fierce and determined to win and they looked far more in control of their mounts. “Treat him like you usually do when you’re riding him,” Porig told her. “It doesn’t matter if you win or not, just do the best you can.” She nodded wordlessly, but Porig had already left her. She struggled desperately to keep Garlon steady as the other jockeys tried to push her out of line. At last the starting ribbon dropped and they were off. Caishel and Garlon started well, but apparently not well enough, as all they could see were the other nahhars’ rear ends in front of them. The big blue stallion seemed 89

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upset by this and he lengthened his stride until he passed all but the first three. Caishel noticed the leader of the group was Brenauf’s nahhar and after his treatment of her the night before, she longed to get her revenge by winning the race. Unfortunately, she realised she didn’t have the experience to get past the leading nahhars. “Garlon, let’s try, shall we?” She leaned forward and spoke into the stallion’s ear. “Don’t you want to beat the big chestnut like you did yesterday? You can do it, boy, I know you can.” The stallion seemed to understand her. He lengthened his stride again, and Caishel could feel the power in him as his speed increased. Slowly they pulled past the second and third place riders, until they were abreast of Brenauf’s nahhar. Looking ahead, Caishel could see the finishing line and her heart sank. She couldn’t ask any more of Garlon, he’d given his best. She was the one at fault due to her inexperience. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Brenauf’s jockey turned to grin at her before he lifted his whip to encourage his mount to do better. Garlon took offence to the movement and surging forward, he crossed the finishing line a horn length ahead of the chestnut. Amidst cheers of congratulations, Porig took the reins and led them into the winner’s circle where Ailan waited for them. The Sire’s eyebrows rose slightly when he realised the identity of his jockey, but he merely thanked her for a good ride. Porig sent her off to change while he walked the stallion. When she returned he gave her the reins and allowed her to lead Garlon into his stable. “The lad you beat,” the groom growled. 90

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“Capet Brenauf’s jockey?” Caishel queried. “He’s the one supposed to ride Garlon.” Porig’s face split into a gleeful smile. “Good job beating him, Cail. Good job.” **** The remaining races went well for Castle Ardon and flushed with winning, Duke Robard decided to hold a banquet that evening. “See that everything’s all right here before you come up, would you, Ailan?” he asked before returning to the castle. After the nahhars and their grooms returned to their stables in the sky, Ailan took one final look around before heading for the mattporter. Caishel knew it was now or never; after last night’s episode with Capet Brenauf, she dared not delay telling Ailan she was a woman. “Sire, before we return to the castle I need to speak to you.” Ailan turned and looked at her. Whatever he saw on her face must have made him realise the seriousness of her request, because he took her arm and guided her to a nearby field, away from the racecourse and the mattporter. Reaching the centre of the paddock he stopped and turned her to face him. “I presume whatever you have to say is private. We won’t be overheard here.” He folded his arms and stood waiting for her to speak. “Capet Brenauf has tried to—er—attack me several times.” She licked her lips, which had suddenly gone dry. “Last night he caught me behind the stables and if it hadn’t been for his page, Sard, I wouldn’t have been able to escape. He frightened me, Sire. I can’t deal with him the way I defend myself against the pages. It doesn’t matter if I 91

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hit or kick one of them, but he could make things nasty for me.” “And…” He hadn’t moved, and obviously didn’t intend to shift until she finished her tale. Caishel’s mind at first went blank then skittered from one thought to another, trying to get away from the truth that had to be told. Not wanting to see his reaction, she bowed her head as she blurted out the fatal words. “It’s…I’m not what you think I am. I’m not a boy. Not even a male. I’m a woman!” She stood with lowered head, waiting for his response, and nearly jumped out of her skin when he caught hold of her upper arm. He roughly dragged her to the mattporter and contacted the operator at the castle. “Two to port up,” he said brusquely. Caishel stole a look at him as they waited. His face was expressionless. No sign of anger, or anything to show his reaction to her confession. With its usual abruptness, the world outside the cubicle blurred and then formed into the clinical room in the castle. Ailan still had hold of her arm and he dragged her from the room to the nearby dropchute. They reached their level and he pushed her in front of him, forcing her to almost run to the doorway of his suite. Caishel stumbled into the room and turned immediately to face the Sire. Ailan had stopped on the threshold and closed the door behind him. He leaned back against the sturdy wood, arms folded across his chest. “Sire, I don’t think you heard me. I said I’m really a woman.” “I know.” The truth hit her like a physical blow, and the blood drained from her face as she raised her head to look at him. 92

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“You know!” she whispered, then her voice grew stronger. “How do you know? And why didn’t you tell me? You let me make a fool of myself.” Caishel wanted to hit him, but decided instead to let her tongue do the violence. “How could you be so cruel? You let me go on pretending to be a boy, when you knew I was a woman?” “Cail, listen...” Ailan tried to stem the flow of angry words tumbling from her lips. “No, you listen!” Caishel surged towards him, her eyes flashing dangerously. She stopped in front of him, her head level with his chest, and as she made each point, she stabbed at him with her finger. “You look at me as if you want me. When you touch me, it’s a caress. You scared the hell out of me. I thought you liked young boys. Tell me, Sire, when did you first guess?” “Cail, if you’ll just listen to me, I’ll explain everything.” “When was it? When did you guess I was female? Or did you always know? That was it, wasn’t it, you guessed I wasn’t a boy when you saw me in the marketplace and thought you’d hire me so you could have your own private whore! I suppose I should think myself lucky you waited this long to take advantage of me.” Her shoulders slumped. She didn’t want to believe what she’d just said, but her troubled mind could think of no other explanation for why he hadn’t revealed he knew the truth about her. “When I hired you, I had no idea you weren’t what you appeared to be,” Ailan said gently. He longed to reach out and touch her, hold her and comfort her, but knew it wasn’t the right moment. Any move towards her would be instantly rebuffed. Patiently, he waited for her response. 93

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“I don’t understand.” Her anger spent, she sat down on the edge of his bed a picture of total dejection. “If it wasn’t at the beginning, when was it?” “The first time you took a bath. Remember I called through the door that your uniform was in your room? Just prior to that I’d opened the door and saw you in the bath. Your—er—feminine charms were on display.” “So you got your kicks by spying on me. Why didn’t you tell me you knew the truth about me?” “Think about it, Cail. How could I look after you if the nobles knew you were a woman? As my page everyone accepted you were under my protection. As a woman, there’s only one way I could offer you the same safety.” “So now I suppose you want to offer me that safety. Well think again. I’d rather go back on the streets of Ardville.” Her anger surged to the surface once more. “I won’t stay here, not as your page or your whore.” “You know you can’t do that, Cail. You won’t be able to pretend to be a boy for much longer.” “One of the urchins found out about me and told the pimps,” she muttered staring at the floor, trying to hide her look of despair. “So they already know. How do you think you’d survive on the streets? You might keep out of their way for a short while, but not for long.” “But what else can I do? I can’t stay here with you. Not now.” The hopelessness of her situation was evident in her voice. “You can, you know.” She looked up at him, ready to tell him again that she wouldn’t be his whore, but the look in his eyes told her that wasn’t his objective. “What do you mean?” 94

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“Stay as my page.” A grin lifted the corners of his mouth. “Only you and I know about your true identity. What do you think? Shall we give it a try?” Caishel thought for a few moments, then nodded. This was her only chance. If she went downside she would end up in the brothels. Of course, there was always a chance Ailan would take advantage of her, but deep down she knew he wasn’t lying. “Good. I would have lost my bet about making you a page if you’d said no.” At last Caishel smiled. A watery, unsure smile, but at least she did not feel quite so hopeless as before. “What’s your real name?” he asked, his finger lifted her chin and he looked into her eyes. “Caishel, my name is Caishel,” she replied, feeling shy about revealing her feminine name. “That’s a beautiful name.” His voice held a caress, and the finger ran softly along her jaw line. “Caishel. Come, sit down here with me.” He led her to the edge of the bed, careful not to make any sudden moves. “Tell me about you. The real you. How did you come to be living on the streets?” As she spoke, she slowly relaxed. Tonelessly, she told him how her life had fallen apart when her parents died. “We had no relatives,” she explained. “My mother was an only child and her parents died just after she married my father. Dad’s family disowned him when he met and married my mother.” “Didn’t you have any brothers or sisters?” Ailan asked when she fell silent for some moments. “A little brother; he died with my parents in the epidemic about eight years ago. We had a shop just off the marketplace. It was going well, I know it was, but after 95

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they died, the other traders said my parents owed them money and pretty soon there was nothing left. Then the landlord said the lease had finished and I had to leave. Daddy told me once that girls weren’t safe on the street, only boys could come and go as they pleased, so I stole trousers and a shirt from a washing line and joined the street urchins.” A sob broke the flatness of her voice. “I had nowhere else to go.” **** Ailan pulled her close as the tears Caishel had held back for so many years broke through her normal self-control. He let her cry while his mind seethed at the way the young Caishel had been treated. He had no doubt the traders had taken advantage of the girl’s youth and lack of relatives and stolen whatever her parents had left her. Robard considered himself the protector of his people, but obviously a loophole remained if a young child could have her inheritance stolen without anyone standing up for her rights. He made a vow to seek out the people who had stolen Caishel’s youth and make them pay for what they’d done. Eventually, the sobs eased and Caishel sat up, scrubbing her fist across the tear-swollen eyes, her action making her seem more like the urchin he had employed less than one month before. “What happens now?” “That depends,” Ailan replied. “On what?” “Are you willing to carry on as before, until the end of the bet? I’ve been trying to think of some female for you to live with. That way you could live as your real self, and learn to be a real woman too.” 96

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“I don’t understand. What good would that do?” Caishel frowned. “Didn’t you hear me? I haven’t any money, or any job training. What’s the point of learning to be a real woman if at the end of it I’m still alone, with no family or friends?” “Wouldn’t you count me as your friend?” Ailan asked. “Well, yes. But I can’t ask you to support me, can I?” “But you will stay until the end of your page’s training, won’t you? That will give me time to see if any of your father’s family are willing to look after you.” “I’m not sure I want them to.” “Really? Why not?” “When my parents died,” she explained. “My father’s kin made no attempt to come and find me even though my father wrote to ask them for help just before he died. To me, that proves they didn’t want me.” “Has it occurred to you that the letter might not have reached them?” Ailan asked. “If I remember rightly the countryside was in chaos during that epidemic. The courier might have died on the road, or the family might have moved to a safer place and not received the message.” “I suppose that could have happened.” Caishel looked thoughtful for a moment, then shook her head. “I’m probably right. They didn’t want anything to do with us when my father married my mother, so why should they have changed their minds?” “Well it won’t do any harm to try and find them.” Ailan held up his hand as she began to protest. “We don’t have to let them know about you. First we have to find out where they are and then we’ll take it from there. I really feel it would be best if you were with your own people.” “They’re not my people. I’ve never even met them.” 97

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“Let’s leave it there, shall we? Now, are you prepared to remain as my page for the time being?” He waited for her stubborn expression to relax into acceptance, and then she nodded reluctantly. The next morning Caishel deliberately waited until she heard Ailan shut the door of the suite behind him. While he believed her to be a boy, helping him dress was acceptable, but now they both knew she was female, seeing his naked body was something she wasn’t prepared to risk. She smiled to herself. His weird behaviour towards her now became clear. He’d known her true identity and hadn’t wanted to embarrass either of them. Caishel sprang from her comfortable bed. Helping him dress was only one of her duties, the others still waited for her in the other room. The days passed and Caishel longed to be able to talk things over with someone other than Ailan. She was tempted to reveal her true self to Toyvar but, although the maid seemed friendly and full of good advice, Caishel felt it would be wrong to involve her in the deception. Her life progressed as normal, except for helping Ailan change. She still cleaned his boots, saw to the laundering of his clothes and made sure his rooms were cleaned properly. She also attended him when he took dinner in the Grand Hall. Caishel had to suppress her glee when Ailan studiously avoided Milady Jenu on these occasions. “Have you heard anything about my family yet, Sire?” she asked one night when they returned to the suite. “No, I’ve got someone looking into it, but he hasn’t reported back yet.” Ailan placed an arm round her shoulder. “Don’t worry. It shouldn’t take too long.” Caishel’s mood suddenly drooped. She hadn’t realised how much she’d been hoping that her father’s family would 98

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be willing to take her in. Suddenly the dashed hopes and Ailan’s closeness all became too much and tears threatened to overflow from her eyes. “Hush now.” Ailan pulled her close to his chest. “Whatever happens, Caishel, I’ll make sure that you’re not left alone.” “Thank you.” She looked up at him, eyes swimming with tears, but she ducked her head again when she saw the look in his eyes. “Caishel.” His voice was soft and his hand cupped her chin and gently lifted her face until her eyes met his again. She caught her breath as his head lowered to hers. Softly he brushed his lips against hers, but then passion overcame him and he crushed her to him in a fierce embrace. Frightened by his sudden aggression, she tried to push him away, then her heart overruled her and she melted towards him. Her body moulded itself to his and her lips responded with equal passion. As suddenly as the kiss had begun, it was over. Ailan pushed her from him and looked at her with sorrow in his eyes. “I’m sorry, Caishel. I shouldn’t have done that.” “Why not?” she asked in her usual direct way. “I enjoyed it, didn’t you?” “That’s not the point. You’re in my care and kissing you like that is taking advantage of you. It won’t happen again.” “Oh.” Disappointment was evident in this single word, but her eyes sparkled as another thought occurred to her. “It can’t be taking advantage of me if I’m willing though, can it?” “Believe me, Caishel, it isn’t right.” She opened her mouth to protest again, but he held up his hand to silence 99

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her. “The subject is closed. For the time being you’re my page, and that’s final. Now go to bed.” Tucked up in her cot in the page’s closet, Caishel thought about what had happened. Ailan had taken her by surprise when he started to kiss her, yet, despite her initial fright, she’d really enjoyed the excitement that had surged through her body. She’d never experienced such feelings before and they’d left her breathless and wanting more. She woke the next morning glowing with anticipation and determined to convince Ailan that she was mature enough for what she had experienced the night before. However, Ailan had other ideas. He didn’t give her a chance to tell him how she felt; instead, he ordered her to her lessons, telling her he wouldn’t need her until the evening. Frustration made her fierce with her sword practice and the Weapons Master reprimanded her for using unnecessary force. She earned other scolds from the masters of her other lessons as she found it difficult to concentrate. Her mind kept dwelling on the delicious feelings she’d experienced in Ailan’s arms. At last she was free to pursue her thoughts and she hurried to her favourite corner on the unused staircase. There was no sign of the spirit so she settled down and focused on the previous evening. The attraction she’d developed for Ailan was obviously returned by him, but why wouldn’t he admit it? His kiss had shown her his true feelings, and she hoped she’d shown him the depth of her own passion. Why then did he say it was wrong? If she’d really been an adolescent page then he would be right, but she wasn’t. She was a grown woman of twenty, so why couldn’t he accept that she was old enough to make up her own mind. Her fist hit her forehead. Idiot! He probably 100

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thought she was too young. She hadn’t told him her real age. Well she’d soon put that right. Surging to her feet, she had one foot on the upper stair when a movement below caught her attention. The spirit had returned. Slowly, so as not to frighten the fragile looking figure, Caishel moved down the steps. The large eyes in the white face grew bigger. “Please, don’t be afraid,” Caishel reached out her hand as a gesture of reassurance. “I only want to talk.” The figure shook its head and slowly faded away. She sighed. Hopefully one day she’d be able to reach the spirit. Ailan was changing his clothes when she entered the suite. He hastily pulled on his shirt when he realised she was there. “I think we need to talk,” Caishel stood in front of him, blocking his escape to the door. “No we don’t,” Ailan replied. “I made a mistake and that’s all there is to it.” “Why do you think it was a mistake to kiss me?” “I took advantage of you. You’re young and vulnerable and in my care. It should never have happened.” “How young do you think I am?” Caishel asked, curious to know why he was so angry with himself over one kiss. “Oh I realise you’re older than you look. But that doesn’t make you old enough to understand why what happened was wrong. Just take my word for it that it was wrong.” “Sire, look at me.” Caishel stood in front of him, looking deep into his eyes. “I am twenty years old.” “How old?” His eyes opened wide with shock. “Twenty. So you see, that does make me old enough to know my own feelings.” 101

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Ailan was speechless. He looked at her as if seeing her for the first time. She grinned. “It also makes me old enough to do this.” She stepped forward and put her arms around him. Before he could protest, her lips found his. This time he was the one who initially struggled, but like Caishel had done the day before, he quickly gave in to his emotions. “Wow!” Caishel exclaimed when they came up for air. “That was better than last time.” Ailan looked down at the shining face before him and sighed. “Caishel, are you sure?” “I know that I have feelings for you that have been driving me mad since I first started working for you. I didn’t know why I felt them until you kissed me, and then it all became clear.” “Clear enough to accept that I’ve fallen in love with you?” Ailan asked. “No, clear enough to know that I’ve fallen in love with you,” she replied. “I can’t stop thinking about you when I should be concentrating on other things. I nearly took Frano’s head off this morning because I was thinking about you instead of my weapons practice. At first I thought it was because you’d been so nice to me, but that didn’t explain why my stomach churned every time you touched me. Or why the sight of you naked sent such tremors right through me. Now I know it was because I’d fallen in love with you.” “I’m glad to hear you say that, because you have the same effect on me. I love you, Caishel. I want to marry you.” Caishel stared at him in surprise. Marriage! Her thoughts hadn’t gone that far. She only knew that she 102

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wanted to be with him and be held by him and kissed by him. “Marry you.” Caishel said quietly, her voice full of amazement. Slowly she raised her head and looked into his eyes. He felt himself drowning in their blue depths as her love shone out to envelop him. She relaxed into his arms as he pulled her to him, but when their faces were almost touching he stopped. “Will you marry me, Caishel?” He waited patiently for her reply. “Yes, Sire, I will marry you.” Her face was alight with love for him. “Then don’t you think it’s time you started calling me by my name instead of my title?” He smiled gently at her. “Yes, Sire…yes, Ailan.” Softly their lips met, and her eyes slowly closed as the kiss became more urgent. She melted against him, her body moulding perfectly to his as she lost herself in his embrace. His hands began to explore her body through the layers of clothing and the kiss wandered from her lips and flitted across her eyes, her cheeks and down the side of her neck. Caishel entwined her arms around his neck and she pulled him closer and ground her hips against him. Suddenly he stopped. “No, Caishel, not now!” He pushed her from him and walked to the window and looked down at the castle grounds. “Did I do something wrong?” Upset at his withdrawal, she came up behind him and tentatively touched his arm. “No, of course not.” He turned and took her in his arms once more. “It was me, not you. Caishel, I can’t make love to you like this.” 103

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“I don’t understand.” She looked genuinely puzzled. “I thought you loved me.” “I do love you. I love you so much.” He struggled to find the words to explain his dilemma. “Despite how old you really are, I still think of you as young and naïve. If I allowed my feelings free reign now I’d be afraid you wouldn’t have experience enough to know whether it’s really love you feel. Besides, if we act before we’re legally wed the whole court will think you’re my mistress and you’ll never be accepted into court circles.” “As if I cared about being accepted by the likes of Milady Jenu.” Caishel snuggled against him. “They’ll think the worst anyway.” “Not if we handle this properly. I want them to accept you, even be envious of you. Besides, it doesn’t do to upset the nobles unless you have to.” Ailan pulled her closer to him. “Don’t forget, my love, even if you want to ignore the court, our children will have to grow up in this society.” “Children.” Caishel gazed up at him in wonder before the glow faded from her eyes. “I don’t think I want to have children.” “Kaysha.” Ailan found the endearment of the shortened version of her name came easily to his lips. “What happened to you was wrong, but it won’t happen to our children, I promise. Your parents were unfortunate and had no relatives or close friends to protect you. I intend to ask Robard to stand as guardian should anything happen to us, and I can assure you he is a stickler for doing the correct thing. No child of ours will end up on the streets.” “How long will we have to wait to get married?” she asked, and he realised she had accepted his promise about their future offspring. 104

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“We’ll have to introduce you to the court as your true self. The wager time is nearly over, so we can win the bet and reveal Caishel at the same time.” He sighed. “It’s at times like this that I wish I had some female relatives. I don’t even know how to go about hiring a lady’s maid.” “I do,” Caishel said excitedly. “The only friend I’ve made amongst the servants is Toyvar. She fills in wherever she’s needed, but she’s really a lady’s maid.” “So why isn’t she working for one of the court ladies?” Ailan frowned. “Some of these servants are not very trustworthy, Caishel.” “Toyvar is,” Caishel stated emphatically. “She got fired from her last maid’s job because Milady’s husband became too amorous and she hit him. Now she’s got no references and nobody will employ her. If I can’t have Toyvar I won’t have anyone,” she finished stubbornly. “Very well,” Ailan smiled at her. “Go and get this Toyvar.” Caishel rushed off and within minutes was back with her friend. “Cail said you wanted to see me, Sire Ailan.” Toyvar said as she curtsied. “Do you want to explain, or shall I?” Ailan asked Caishel. “I think you’d do it better.” “Toyvar, tell me honestly why you were dismissed from your last position as a lady’s maid.” “The mistress’ husband decided I should be his maid, too. He didn’t like it when I objected with a slap across his face.” Toyvar didn’t look embarrassed by what she’d said; in fact, she stood proudly looking the Sire straight in the eye. 105

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“And would you prefer to carry on with your present job, or return to your previous occupation?” “It would depend on the lady, Sire.” “Do you get on well with my page, Cail?” “Cail? Oh yes, Sire, he’s a nice lad.” Toyvar’s puzzled expression cleared. “I see. You need to know if I could work with him, Sire Ailan, as well as being maid to your lady.” “Not exactly, Toyvar. You see, Cail is really Milady Caishel.” Ailan watched carefully to see the maid’s reaction. Toyvar looked at Caishel with astonishment, then her face slowly changed to a grin and she began to laugh. “I thought there was something odd about you,” she said when she’d regained her composure. “I’d love to wait on Milady Caishel if she’ll have me.” “I’ll have no other.” Caishel smiled. “Good.” Ailan quickly explained their intentions. “We need to dress Milady in the appropriate clothes, but of course she won’t be able to go to the dressmaker to be fitted. Have you any ideas.” “That won’t be a problem, Sire. My training included dressmaking. You just leave it up to me.” Ailan was only too happy to comply and with the d’jars he gave her, Toyvar accomplished miracles in a few days. By the time Ailan was ready to reveal Caishel to the court as a woman, she had a small wardrobe of a day dress, one evening dress and a heavily embroidered cloak. The last had been purchased from a dressmaker in Ardville as they simply ran out of time. “How do we do this?” Caishel wanted to know. “Leave it to me,” Ailan stated, “I’ve got it all planned.”

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Chapter 9 “Your month’s up, Ailan, let’s see what this page of yours can do.” Brenauf sneered unpleasantly when Ailan appeared in the Grand Hall with Caishel, still in her Cail persona, following closely behind him. “Yes, Ailan, let’s see if the urchin has learnt anything,” Duke Robard drawled from his seat by the fire. “What exactly would you have him do, sir?” “He can start by getting me a drink,” the Duke replied, lifting his empty wineglass. “Cail, a glass of wine for his lordship,” Ailan ordered. The three men watched, along with all the other courtiers present, as the page crossed the room to the refreshment table in the far corner and returned with a glass of ruby red wine on a tray covered with a white cloth. Bowing slightly from the waist, Caishel offered the wine to the Duke. “Excellent,” Robard commented. “And not a drop spilt. You choose something for the lad to do next, Brenauf.” The Capet appeared to give it some thought. Eventually an unpleasant smile spread slowly across his thin lips. 107

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“Part of a page’s duty is to help his master dress. I would like Ailan’s page to dress me so I can be sure he’s properly trained in this aspect. Of course this should be done in private. We don’t want to upset the ladies, do we?” Brenauf folded his arms, his expression becoming more sinister as he waited for Ailan to object. “I can assure you Cail is properly trained in all his duties, but if my word is not enough then by all means let him show his proficiency in this area. However, to ensure there is no bias when judging this matter, I would suggest the Duke appoint a person to judge who is not involved with the wager, rather than Capet Brenauf.” Ailan returned Brenauf’s grimace with a dangerous smile of his own. “Needless to say I find it offensive that my word and honour regarding my page’s training is called into question at this time.” Both Brenauf and Ailan looked at the Duke, waiting for his decision. Robard tapped his chin with his finger as he considered what Ailan had said. “I think we can take the Sire’s word regarding his page’s abilities. Sorry Brenauf, you forfeit your turn. Ailan, it now falls to you to set the lad a task.” “Very well, sir. I have a pair of dirty boots here that you may examine. I set Cail the task of cleaning them to perfection.” “Agreed.” Duke Robard nodded, and beckoned to a nearby servant. “I don’t think we need to actually see him doing this, not in the Grand Hall. This servant will take the boy to a side room and supply him with the necessary cleaning materials then stay with him while he polishes. Shall we say twenty minutes?” “That should be ample time, my lord.” 108

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Ailan watched Caishel follow the servant. He breathed an inward sigh of relief that Brenauf hadn’t got his way. If Caishel had been forced to help another male dress it would have caused extreme embarrassment when she was later revealed as a female. In the case of Brenauf, it would have also been dangerous, as the Capet would almost certainly have sought revenge for his loss of face. Fifteen minutes later Caishel reappeared, a gleaming boot in each hand. Robard checked them carefully then beamed at Ailan. “It seems you’ve won the bet, Ailan, and gained a well trained page as your reward.” “Thank you, sir.” Ailan turned to Caishel. “You can go and do your work now. Return in an hour and don’t forget to warn the steward I have a guest for dinner.” **** Caishel bowed her head to hide the grin she longed to share with Ailan, and after a quick word with the steward, she hurried out of the Hall. Dinner should be very entertaining tonight. Instead of serving Ailan, she would be sitting beside him as his betrothed. Toyvar was waiting for her when she opened the door to Ailan’s rooms. “Quick, Milady, we haven’t much time.” The maid had a bath full of foaming hot water ready, and Caishel quickly stripped out of her page uniform and hopped into the water. She still hadn’t got used to Toyvar helping her, despite the amount of practice they’d done since the revelation of her true identity. Each day, Toyvar came to Ailan’s rooms in the afternoon and schooled Caishel in the ways of the court ladies. The lessons began with learning how to walk in a swaying skirt and expanded to cover dining and coping with servants. Ailan then 109

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stepped in and taught her how to behave towards the other nobles of the court. Today would show how much of their training Caishel had retained. Toyvar washed her mistress’s hair then rinsed it with scented water. “You’re lucky it’s so short Milady,” the maid commented. “If it was longer, it wouldn’t dry in time.” Caishel would have enjoyed lying back for a long soak, but Toyvar hurried her from the water as soon as she considered her mistress to be clean. A rub down with a huge fluffy towel brought a rosy flush to Caishel’s skin, some of it caused by the embarrassment of appearing naked in front of Toyvar. Scented oils anointed her skin, then Toyvar helped her put on her undergarments. First the fine cotton pantalets edged with lace, followed by the silk camisole which was much softer on her breasts than the binding she’d worn for so many years. Next, Toyvar placed a coarse cape around Caishel’s neck to protect the undergarments, then dressed her hair and delicately painted the elfin face. When the maid had finished and Caishel looked in the mirror. She gasped. Her reflection showed the face of a great lady, not the urchin face of Sire Ailan’s page. Her hair curled softly round her face, slightly higher at the crown. Blue eyes sparkled from under darkened lashes and her eye shadow radiated from dark grey at the eyelash to silver at the brow. A mere touch of soft pink lipstick delicately defined her lips. Caishel sat and stared, unable to believe the transformation from urchin to lady. “Milady.” Toyvar broke the spell and Caishel blinked. “We must get you dressed or you’ll be late.” Caishel wanted to surprise Ailan, so she hadn’t allowed him to be involved in choosing the colour and style of the 110

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dress. Toyvar finished fastening the laces and stood back to take a final critical look at her creation, while Caishel gazed at her reflection in the full length mirror on the back of Ailan’s closet door. Dark blue velvet swooped above her breasts, the briefness of cover enhanced by a fall of frothy silver lace. The neckline swung up to her shoulders joining the sleeves tightly sheathing her arms until the material stopped underneath her wrists while the front continued into a point midway down the back of her hand. The apex of each point finished in a flawless pearl. Tiny pearls looped beneath the breasts while the velvet hugged her body to the waist, the skirt gradually cascaded downwards and outwards until it swung widely round her ankles. Dark blue pranceskin shoes peeped from under the hem. “Milady, you look wonderful.” Caishel swung round, eyes glowing with pleasure. “Thank you, Toyvar, I feel wonderful.” She caught sight of a long thin box in her maid’s hands. “What’s that?” “Sire Ailan said to tell you he would have preferred to place these round your neck himself, but he wanted you to look complete when you enter the Grand Hall.” Toyvar offered the box to Caishel. She held her breath and carefully lifted the lid. Inside, nestled on a white satin bed lay a necklace of exactly matching pearls, each creamy globe glowing with a hint of pink. Toyvar fastened the necklace round her mistress’s neck and stood back to admire the final picture. Caishel had to blink back the tears. For the first time in her life, she was dressed as a woman, and the mirror confirmed she was a beautiful woman. A knock on the door interrupted her self111

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contemplation. Toyvar opened the door slightly, not allowing the person outside to see into the room. After exchanging a few words with the servant, she shut the door and turned to Caishel. “It’s time, Milady. That was a message from Sire Ailan. It only wants ten minutes to dinner.” With a shaky smile, Caishel moved towards the door that Toyvar held open for her and walked along the corridor toward the dropchute to start her new life with Ailan. **** After Ailan sent the message to Caishel, he kept an eye on the door to the Grand Hall. He not only longed to see the reactions of the other nobles, but he was also impatient to see Caishel dressed in all her glory. Despite helping with her training, the women had not allowed him to catch a glimpse of her dressed as a female and he could only imagine how she would look. A movement at the door drew his attention and he struggled to conceal his stunned reaction as Caishel floated into the room. He’d known she would look lovely, but not that she would be such a vision of beauty. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he walked briskly down the room and, reaching her, he raised her hand to his lips. His eyes twinkled with humour as he kissed her fingertips then offered her his arm. She gave him a nervous smile and placed her hand upon his arm. Together they walked slowly towards the group surrounding Duke Robard. One by one the ladies and nobles of the group stopped talking and turned to watch them until, finally, they were close enough for Ailan to see the gleam of appreciation in 112

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the Duke’s eyes. Leading Caishel directly to Robard, Ailan made the introduction. “Sir, may I have the pleasure of presenting Milady Caishel.” He paused for a moment to allow the members of the group to take in what he’d said. “Milady has done me the honour of agreeing to be my wife.” Gasps of astonishment, envy and dismay greeted his announcement as Caishel sank into a graceful curtsey. The Duke took her hand from Ailan’s and gently pulled her to her feet. “Milady, we are delighted to receive you at our court, and also delighted that someone has at last managed to capture our Sire Ailan.” He beamed at the Sire. “My congratulations, Ailan. I don’t know where you found this beauty, but it almost makes me want to get married.” “I think if you look closer, sir, you will see where I found Milady.” Ailan waited nervously for the Duke’s reaction. Would he recognise the page, Cail, in the beautiful Milady Caishel, and be angry at the deception? “Sorry Ailan, you’ve lost me,” Robard said after he gave Caishel a piercing look. “Maybe Milady was a child the last time I saw her and has now grown?” “No sir. The last time you saw her was only an hour ago.” Ailan waited while Robard frowned and narrowed his eyes as he examined Caishel’s face. “The page!” Brenauf gasped. “It’s the urchin he trained as a page!” “Why, Brenauf, I believe you’re right!” Robard blinked in astonishment, but to Ailan’s relief he roared with laughter. “Trust you to win in the end Ailan. Tell me, when did you realise your page was really a beauty in disguise?”

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“Almost immediately, sir. Caishel played the boy extremely well, but she couldn’t keep her true nature from me for long.” The three conspirators had discussed what Ailan should say when asked about the disguise. Realizing if he denied any knowledge of the situation until the last few days, his own sexuality would be called into question, they decided the truth would be the best path to take, but they saw no need to reveal the whole truth. **** “Come, Milady, join us.” Milady Jenu patted the seat beside her and Caishel carefully sank down. “So, you are really female. Whatever possessed you to dress yourself as a boy?” “Necessity, Milady. Circumstances forced me to live on the streets and it isn’t safe to be a girl or woman there, so I dressed as a boy.” Caishel experienced a shiver of uneasiness and convinced someone was watching her, she glanced over her shoulder. Brenauf stood behind the Duke, his eyes smouldering with hatred as he looked at her. She turned back to her conversation with Milady Jenu, but the uneasy feeling remained with her and her spirits didn’t lift until Ailan appeared at her side to escort her to dinner. She’d used her time as Ailan’s page to store up information on how to behave in the company of other nobles, what cutlery to use for particular dishes and many other useful tips. These now came into play as Ailan settled her at the table. Aware the other ladies were watching her every move, she carefully picked up the white linen napkin, shook the folds out and placed it over the skirt of her dress. The first course was soup and Caishel could almost hear the nobles hold their breath as her hand moved to the 114

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array of cutlery in front of her. Half filling the soupspoon she delicately lifted it to her mouth and swallowed the liquid without a sound. Several ladies, Jenu in particular, looked disappointed. Presumably, they’d been hoping she would make a fool of herself by drinking her soup with the wrong spoon, or that she would make a loud and vulgar noise. As the servant removed the empty bowl, she glanced at Ailan who watched her, his love for her evident in every line of his face. A small smile broke her lips. His eyes sparkled in response and he lifted his glass of wine and saluted her. The rest of the meal passed without incident and after the last course was cleared, the nobles rose and wandered into the main part of the Hall for the usual round of cards and gossip. Caishel took Ailan’s arm as they approached the Duke to take their leave. “Going so soon, Ailan?” Robard commented, a teasing look in his eyes. “And where is Milady Caishel to take her rest tonight?” “I arranged for an apartment next to mine to be put at her disposal, my lord,” Ailan replied as Caishel tried to hide her startled reaction to his words. This was the first she’d heard about sleeping in another room. “Milady has been using it for the last week or so.” So that was it! Once again, Ailan had told only as much of the truth as he felt necessary. Toyvar and Caishel had used the vacant room next to Ailan’s as a workroom while they prepared Caishel’s new wardrobe, but neither of them slept there. Each night, Toyvar returned to her own bed in the servant’s dormitory and Caishel tossed and turned in the closet off Ailan’s room, knowing that only the wall separated them. 115

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“No doubt Sire Ailan is retiring early because he has an exciting night ahead of him,” Brenauf sneered, revenge still evident in his eyes. “A woman from the streets must have all sorts of new tricks to show him.” “My lord Duke, forgive me for causing a scene in your presence, but if Capet Brenauf does not withdraw that slur on Milady’s honour, I shall be forced to call for satisfaction.” Ailan dropped Caishel’s arm and turned to face Brenauf, his fists balled tightly as he strained to hold his anger in check. “I think you went too far that time, Brenauf.” Robard drawled. “Can’t call a lady’s honour to account like that, you know. It’s not the done thing. I strongly suggest you apologise to Milady Caishel and Sire Ailan.” His voice became steely. “I would be extremely unhappy if you do not.” Faced with Robard’s disapproval and the censure of most of the surrounding nobles, Brenauf had no choice but to take back his words. “My apologies, Sire Ailan. My words were said in envy and I didn’t think before I spoke.” Knowledge of his real nature and the tone of his voice denied the truth of his words, but Ailan accepted the apology with a nod of his head. With a bow to the Duke, he led Caishel from the Hall. When they reached their floor, Caishel stopped outside Ailan’s suite, but he gently pushed her further along the corridor to the room she’d used for dressmaking. Reaching past her, he opened the door and ushered her into the room. Caishel gasped in surprise. It hadn’t been necessary to remove the protective dustsheets from the furniture when 116

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they were working, but now the polished chairs and table reflected the brightglobes. A huge bed hung with luxurious blue draperies stood in the centre of the room, dominating everything else. Heatglobes warmed Ailan’s suite, but Caishel was delighted to see a log fire in the open fireplace and two high backed cushioned chairs standing on either side of the warm blaze. She blushed as she looked at Ailan, longing for him to stay and share the remainder of the evening with her. “I’ll leave you now as I expect you’re tired. It’s been a big day for you.” Ailan leaned forward and awkwardly pecked her on the cheek. Desperate to hide her disappointment, Caishel touched her lips to his face, then turned to hold her hands out to the fire. “Goodnight then.” She stood facing the fire until she heard the door close behind him, then sinking down onto a fireside chair she propped her chin up on her hands and sighed. She’d been looking forward to this night for so long and now disappointment threatened to engulf her. Watching the reactions on the faces in the Grand Hall had been amusing, and Brenauf’s apology satisfying, but this was her first night as a female and Ailan had acted as if she had changed her true self when she changed her clothes. He said he loved her, but had it really been the excitement of revealing her femininity? “Kaysha.” Caishel had been so deep in thought she hadn’t heard him return and she looked up in surprise. “I wondered. Do you feel strange?” he asked. “I mean, we’ve shared a suite for so long, and had a certain sort of intimacy. Suddenly, tonight, I feel as if we’re strangers.” 117

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“I thought maybe you didn’t feel the same way about me now everyone knew I was a woman.” She couldn’t look at him as she spoke. What if he really did feel like that? “Kaysha.” He reached down and caught hold of her arm, pulling her to her feet. “I will never stop loving you. It just feels strange being able to openly show my love. I couldn’t do that when you were my page.” “The only thing different about me now is I’m wearing skirts.” Looking earnestly into his eyes, she reached up and stroked her hand down the side of his face. “I’m still the same me as I was earlier today, and yesterday and the day before.” “I know but it doesn’t help. I felt as if I could only see you from a distance. Someone I could look at but not touch.” He caught her hand and kissed her palm. “Oh, Ailan,” she breathed as he placed a hand on either side of her face, drawing her towards him until they almost touched. “I love you,” he murmured earnestly in the second before his lips crushed hers. His hand caressed the back of her head, while the other gently massaged her lower spine. The kiss softened as their bodies moulded to each other and her legs seemed to melt. Mouths still locked together, he swung her up into his arms and carried her to the bed. Their lips parted as he laid her on the soft counterpane and she waited for him to join her, but he stroked her face and smiled down at her. “I think we should have the wedding soon, my Kaysha,” he said softly. “I can’t hold back much longer.” “You don’t have to Ailan.” She held up her arms, inviting him to her bed. “Yes I do. You’re so young. I want you to be sure you want the same future as I do, so I’m willing to wait until 118

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you’re my wife.” He leaned towards her and for a moment she thought that despite his words he meant to join her. Instead, he kissed her cheek again and straightened. “I’ll send Toyvar in to help you.” He moved away from her, fingers gradually sliding down her arm until they brushed hers, then parted. With a slight lift of his hand he left the room. “Now then, Milady, let’s get you ready for bed.” Toyvar bustled into the room and helped her off the bed before starting to unlace the beautiful dress. “Please, Toyvar, don’t call me Milady. I’m not really a lady; call me Caishel.” The dress dropped to the floor in a ripple of velvet and Caishel carefully stepped out of the blue pool of material. “I can’t do that, Milady, it wouldn’t be proper.” Toyvar picked up the dress and shook it before placing it on a wooden holder and hanging it in the closet. It looked forlorn in its loneliness with only the day dress and cloak to keep it company, and Toyvar tutted before turning once again to her mistress. “We really must get you some more clothes, Milady.” “Toyvar,” Caishel placed her hands on her maid’s shoulders to hold her still. “I’m still me, the page Cail. Just because Ailan calls me Milady, doesn’t mean I am one. At least call me Caishel when we’re on our own.” “When Sire Ailan marries you, you will be Milady so it’s best that I start the way I mean to go on.” Toyvar shrugged off Caishel’s hands and dropped a white cotton nightgown over her head. “It wouldn’t be right for me to call you Caishel.” “Please, Toyvar. Apart from Ailan, you’re the only friend I’ve got.” 119

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Toyvar pulled back the covers of the bed, removed the earthenware pot of heatglobes and helped Caishel to climb in between the bleached sheets. “Now you settle down to sleep. I’ll come and wake you in the morning.” Toyvar turned down the brightglobes and headed for the door. “Goodnight, Milady, sleep well.” The door swung shut behind her then re-opened and Toyvar’s head appeared once more. “Goodnight, Caishel.” She said softly, grinning as she closed the door again. Despite being forced to sleep alone, Caishel snuggled down in the bed feeling happy and contented at last.

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Chapter 10 Ailan stood under a cold shower for ten minutes before his arousal subsided. Roughly drying himself on a towel, he wondered if Caishel understood his reluctance to take her before they were married. She had shown herself willing to give her body to him, but did she really know what she offered? He had no doubt she was a virgin and his reluctance to make her truly his stemmed from his need to prove to her he not only wanted her body, but all of her. Rather than have his actions misconstrued, he preferred to wait for the marriage bed and take her with love and passion. If he waited, both of them could be sure that marriage and love were what Caishel really wanted. He would hate for her to mistake security and stability for love. Ailan considered marriage to be forever; the vows exchanged merely the start of a lasting friendship and partnership. Perhaps he should explain this to Caishel and make sure she understood what marrying him meant. He sat down, sighed, and attacked the unpleasant task he had been putting off for some days. Despite the fact his grandfather ignored him, as head of the family, he was entitled to know his heir intended to marry. The problem lay in Caishel’s background. The old man would not think 121

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her good enough to be a future Duchess of Lan, but on the bright side, he would almost certainly show his disapproval by not replying to the letter. After several attempts, Ailan finished his unpleasant task. He sealed the parchment with wax and impressed it with his signet ring, the only personal thing his father had left him. A knock at the door surprised him and he opened it cautiously, having no idea who would be calling on him at this hour. “Sire.” Recognizing the man he’d hired to delve into Caishel’s life past, Ailan beckoned him in and closed the door behind him. “You have news?” he asked, waving the man to a seat. “Yes, Sire.” The man sat nervously on the edge of the chair, ill at ease in the luxurious surroundings. Opening his notebook, he recited tonelessly from the handwritten pages. “Caishel Fleur was born to Jahar and Marnie Fleur twenty years ago. Jahar was the younger son of a minor noble and consequently had to make his own way in the world. He and his wife had a shop that sold and repaired the ancients’ artefacts. Their children were Caishel and Jahar Junior.” He paused for breath and Ailan pushed a glass of wine across the small table that lay between them. “The elder Fleurs and the boy died in the vir epidemic which swept through Ardville about eight years ago. This left the young Caishel alone. No family appeared to look after her, and the neighbours and business associates took the opportunity to rob the orphan of everything her parents had left. When the landlord demanded the return of the shop premises before the lease expired, the orphan disappeared.” 122

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His tale finished and he looked to see if Ailan had any questions. “You have the names of the people who robbed the child?” “Yes, Sire.” The man handed over a grubby piece of paper. “The landlord is the first one on the list, some of the others have died or moved on since then, but the addresses are the current ones of those who are still around, or their heirs.” “Thank you.” Ailan handed over a pouch of d’jars and shook the investigator’s hand. “I know I can rely on you to forget this conversation.” The man nodded and left the room. As the door closed, Ailan picked up the list of names and scanned it. The landlord’s name he recognised as Mer Polstar, a well off merchant. A note beside Polstar’s name revealed the six months lease of the shop had been paid just prior to the death of Caishel’s parents and it still had four months to run when the landlord turned her out onto the streets. If they made the date of the wedding soon, Ailan knew he would not see much of Caishel as she and Toyvar would be far too busy preparing the brides’ trousseau and planning the wedding feast. This would leave him free to pursue his own plans for the list of men and women given to him by the investigator. **** “Mer Polstar, a moment of your time.” “Sire.” Flattered that Sire Ailan should even speak to him, let alone enter his establishment, Mer Polstar practically grovelled in front of the noble. “I believe you own buildings around Ardville which you lease to other individuals?” 123

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“Yes, Sire. Does the Sire wish to inspect any vacant ones?” “I have in mind one building in particular.” Ailan had adopted the haughtiest tone he could manage, and was delighted to see the merchant start to wilt in front of him. “I believe you own the premises in Shalt Lane which in the past has been leased by a mender of ancient artefacts?” “Yes, Sire. I still own the shop, but the repair man has been gone for some years.” “It is actually the man I wish to find, not the premises. Fleur I believe he was called.” The merchant nodded. “Whatever happened to him?” “He died, Sire, him and his wife. In the vir epidemic, must have been all of eight or ten years ago. I know of other people in the same business, Sire, that I can put you in touch with.” “No, it’s Fleur I want to know about.” Ailan couched his next words carefully. “Didn’t the Fleurs have a daughter? What happened to her?” “Taken by relatives I expect, Sire.” The merchant began to shift nervously as the questions became more specific. “I understood there were no relatives.” “Must have been friends of the family then.” “You know that’s not true Polstar,” Ailan said softly. “How long did the lease have to run when the Fleurs died?” “It had just finished, Sire.” Polstar’s eyes took on a crafty look as he saw a way out of his dilemma. “That’s why I’m not sure where the girl went, she cleared out when the lease finished.” “Liar!” Ailan’s voice snapped with cold anger. “The lease had just been renewed and you threw the girl out on the streets when she could have had a home for another 124

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four months. What’s more, neither you nor any of her parents’ so called friends made any attempt to find her family. Instead, you discarded her like an unwanted animal.” Mer Polstar took several steps back, stunned by Ailan’s fury. He tried to stutter out an excuse, but Ailan gave him no chance. “You will refund in full the six months lease, plus interest for the years since then. You will refund it now!” “But, Sire. That will take all my profits for the year, my family will starve!” “As you left a twelve-year-old girl to starve! You will pay immediately or I will take this matter to Duke Robard.” Frightened by the threat of the Duke who was known to be a staunch upholder of the law, the merchant disappeared into his back room and returned with a large heavy bag of d’jars. “I should make you deliver this personally to Milady Caishel, but as her betrothed, I will make your apologies for you.” Ailan gave the bag to one of the two castle servants he’d brought with him. He had no trouble recovering the remainder of Caishel’s money and in some cases personal items and furniture that had belonged to her family. The news that he had practically beggared Polstar quickly ran through the town and by the time he reached the last person, the d’jars were counted and ready for him. Before he presented Caishel with her new-found wealth, he sent his investigator out to see what had happened to her family. Surely, in the intervening years, someone from the Fleurs would have tried to contact Jahar and learning of his death would have begun a search for the child? 125

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The answer came quickly. Jahar’s parents had died in the same epidemic that killed the younger branch of the family. The older brother had survived, but remained unmarried. A few short months after his parents’ death, he gambled away the family land and wealth committed suicide. The investigator could find no trace of her mother’s family, so Caishel was truly an orphan. The day before the wedding Ailan knocked on the door of Caishel’s room. “Oh, Sire, you can’t come in here!” Toyvar exclaimed when she opened the door. “I don’t want to come in,” Ailan replied with a smile. “But I would like to have lunch with Milady if that’s possible.” The sound of rustling material came from behind Toyvar and then Caishel’s flushed, happy face appeared. “I’ll try not to be too long, Toyvar,” she said as she edged through the door so he couldn’t see the contents of the room beyond. Linking her arm through Ailan’s, Caishel walked beside him happily, but blinked when he opened the door to his own rooms. “There are a few things we need to go over before tomorrow, so I had lunch set out in here.” He pulled out a chair for her at the table. “Fine,” Caishel beamed at him. “It’s nice to be alone together again, isn’t it?” He smiled as he offered her a plate with a babbit pie. “I had these sent up specially to remind you of when we first met.” Her grin softened as she reached for the plate. Their hands touched and lingered for a few seconds before she gently freed herself. 126

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“I suppose I’d better use a knife and fork this time.” She grinned and cut a piece from the pie. “What did you want to talk about?” “Kaysha, are you sure you want to marry me?” he began. The colour drained so quickly from her face that she looked ill, and he hurried to reassure her. “I still want to marry you.” He stretched across the table and enveloped her hands in his. “But I must be sure you know what you’re getting yourself into. Marriage to me means commitment, a lifelong oath to one another that we will always be honest and truthful. Most of all, that we will be faithful to one another at all times. I’m worried that you’re so young you haven’t had time to experience life and consequently might think you love me, then find out your mistake when it’s too late.” “Is that why you won’t make love to me?” He nodded. “Well, that’s a relief. I wondered if you were one of those men who put their women on a pedestal, look but not touch sort of thing. Then I wondered if you were marrying me to protect me.” “And thinking that you still wanted to marry me?” “Of course.” Her hands crept on top of his and this time she offered the comfort. “I realised that your body’s— er—positive reactions wiped out both of those reasons. Still I had begun to wonder why you always stopped before we got too far. Do you mind if I eat? I’m starving and my pie’s going cold.” Ailan roared with laughter. This was the Caishel he’d fallen in love with, the practical person who could talk love and food all in one sentence. 127

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“I don’t see what’s so funny.” She looked affronted as she released his hands and picked up the fork. “I can’t help it if I’m hungry. It’s hard work standing still while Toyvar fits my dress.” “I love you.” His voice caressed her and their eyes met, their love shining forth and combining. They finished the meal and were relaxing with a cup of kee when Ailan spoke again. “There’s something else we have to talk about.” “Mmm.” She sat dreamily holding her kee in both hands, a faraway look in her eyes. “Kaysha,” he prompted, reluctant to bring her back from her daydream, but knowing their time was almost up. Toyvar would soon be knocking on the door. “Sorry, I was thinking about tomorrow.” Her eyes lost their dreamy expression, but glowed softly as she looked at Ailan. “You should have money of your own, Kaysha,” Ailan stated more baldly than he intended. “Normally your parents would have provided a dowry when you got married.” “Are you asking for one?” Caishel stared at him, unable to believe what he’d said. “No of course not,” Ailan said quickly. “What I meant was that they would have made sure you had money of your own.” “Well, that’s not going to happen now, is it? My parents are dead and their money is gone.” “No. It’s not.” “It is, Ailan.” She frowned at him. “I told you what happened when my parents died.” 128

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“Yes, you did, but I went and saw the people who were looking after your parents’ wealth and persuaded them that you needed it back.” He pushed a small chest with his foot. “This is your inheritance Kaysha, what your parents left you.” Caishel blinked, then dropped to the floor and opened the lid. Gold and silver d’jars winked at her and she gasped then ran her fingers through the hoard. On top of the chest lay a small bag and she picked it up, sat back on her heels and undid the drawstring. Tipping the contents into her hand she gasped as a silver locket on a slender chain fell into her palm. “My mother’s locket! How did you manage to find it?” She leaned against his legs, and Ailan stroked her hair as he explained how he’d gone from merchant to merchant retrieving the money and items stolen from her at the time of her parents’ death. “The bigger things are in storage, we can look at them after the wedding. Kaysha, I also tried to find your family. I couldn’t understand why no one had come looking for you. I’m sorry my love, but it appears they died about the same time as your parents, so there isn’t anyone. Your father’s brother squandered the Fleur inheritance before he died and there’s nothing left.” “I’m glad,” she said softly. “I thought they didn’t care about me, so I made no effort to find them. Now I know they couldn’t look for me it makes me feel better. As for what my uncle lost, I’m not sorry. Daddy didn’t get on all that well with his family, so I’d rather not have anything that came from them. This is enough for me.” He watched as she fondled the silver memento, then gently took the locket from her grasp and placed it round her neck. 129

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“You should wear something of your mother’s when you marry me,” he murmured. “If only you’d found Daddy’s watch. I’d love you to have worn it tomorrow, then it would have seemed like they were both at the ceremony.” She sighed. “I thought I’d found it in that antique shop. The one where the pot fell on you. But I expect it’s sold by now and I’ll never know if it was the right one.” She looked up in surprise as Ailan abruptly stood and crossed to a box on the cabinet beside his bed. He took a small key from his pocket and unlocked the box, and when he returned to her his fingers were closed over something in his palm. “Kaysha. I bought this in that shop, just after you saved my life.” He opened his hand and she gasped. “It’s Daddy’s watch! You found it after all.” She sprang to her feet and flung her arms around his neck, but after a few moments she stepped back and looked shyly up at him. “Would you wear it tomorrow? You don’t have to wear it afterwards, if you don’t want to.” “Now I know how much it means to you, I’d be honoured to wear it tomorrow and every day.” He bent down and kissed her, knowing that although life with Caishel would be at times confusing, he wanted to spend eternity with her. **** “Stand still, do,” Toyvar told her as she straightened the underskirts before dressing Caishel in her gown. Several layers of stiffened cotton fell from the waist to stop at Caishel’s ankles. Shoestring straps on her shoulders expanded into a pure lawn chemise that tucked into the tied waist of the underskirts. 130

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“Are you ready?” Toyvar asked, and Caishel swallowed and nodded nervously. The maid climbed carefully onto a chair then lifted the dress from its stand. For a moment, the satin enveloped Caishel as the creamy material fell all about her before her raised arms emerged followed by her head, neck and shoulders. Climbing down off her perch, Toyvar fluffed out the skirts of the dress, straightened the top and moved round the back to tighten the laces. With a final tug she tied the ends and neatly tucked them inside the back of the bodice. “Can I look yet?” Caishel asked, longing to turn round and see herself in the full-length mirror, yet at the same time dreading to look in case she was disappointed by what she saw. “Not yet,” Toyvar replied. “Let me put your locket on and do a final check.” Eventually, Toyvar gave a satisfied nod. Taking her mistress by the shoulders, she gently turned her round. Slowly, Caishel’s eyes lifted to the mirror and she stared in wonder at her reflection. Blond hair curled closely round her head, laced through with strings of tiny seed pearls. Heavy cream satin embroidered with thread of a colour matching the pearls, hugged her shoulders then swooped low above her small breasts, leaving bare the golden skin of her neck and upper chest. Below her breasts a bow of cream ribbon tied at the centre, the tails flowing downwards over the voluminous satin skirts. The material gradually eased to the back so that by the time it reached the floor the front was smooth while the rear flowed out into a long train. Dazed by her image, Caishel reached out to the mirror and watched her sleeve swing gracefully down as it fell from 131

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the arm to end in a point. The remainder of her arm and hand were completely sheathed in a satin glove. Her breath escaped in a sigh of satisfaction, she hadn’t realised she could look like this. She’d been afraid Ailan would be embarrassed by her appearance, but he couldn’t possibly be ashamed of her when she felt so beautiful. Her lips trembled as she glanced at Toyvar and saw moisture glinting in the maid’s eyes. “It’s time to go down, Milady.” “Toyvar, thank you.” Caishel clasped her friend’s hands between her own, tears smudging her blue eyes. “I couldn’t have done this without you.” “Nonsense, you’d have managed,” Toyvar responded gruffly, surreptitiously wiping her own eyes with the back of her hand. “But I wouldn’t have looked like this,” Caishel waved a hand at the mirror. “You’ve made me look more beautiful than I could ever have imagined.” Toyvar sent a servant to advise the Duke they were ready and Robard met them at the doors leading to the Hall. Seconds later, an unseen musician started playing a sedate marching tune and the doors were flung open. All talking stopped and the assembled guests parted to provide an aisle as they all turned to look towards the Hall entrance. The stone pillars of the doorway rose majestically into an archway and beneath the centre point, Duke Robard paused, his hand supporting Caishel’s arm. “Here we go,” he murmured for her ears alone. Ailan stood patiently at the end of the aisle and as they walked towards him, Caishel thought how handsome he looked. He had decided to wear his favourite blue dress suit and brilliant white ruffles emerged from the neck of his coat while smaller ruches peeped out from the edge of his 132

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sleeves. Glossy boots completed the outfit. Knowing she was going to marry him, Caishel felt proud and humbled at the same time. She grinned inwardly as she saw several of the ladies of the court, unmarried and married, throw him approving looks, despite the fact this was his wedding day. Caishel could hardly believe that in a few short weeks she’d gone from an urchin to a bride. Ailan had saved her from the streets, but even she hadn’t known what the grime had concealed. Since starting to dress as a woman she’d thought she didn’t look too bad, but now she felt like a Duchess. As she drew closer she saw the look in Ailan’s eyes confirm her beauty, enhanced by the cream satin. Robard stopped when they came abreast of Ailan, who looked down at her with a dazed expression in his eyes. She looked up and grinned and for a moment she was the page Cail. With a swirl of purple robes, the marriage celebrant stepped forward and the service began. “If any person present has any just cause to prevent the joining of these two people they should now speak.” The celebrant paused for a second, and as he continued Caishel breathed a small sigh of relief. “Do you, Ailan of Lan, take Caishel Marnie Fleur as your life partner and wife until death do you part?” “I do take Caishel Marnie Fleur as my life partner and wife until death do part us.” Ailan gave the set response that grooms had given for eons, but it sounded so beautiful to Caishel that she started when she was asked to respond with the same oath. Quickly, she recovered and began, “I, Caishel...” “I now pronounce you man and wife,” the celebrant announced at the end of the service, and a collective sigh of disappointment escaped the lips of the ladies in the congregation. “You may kiss the bride.” 133

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Ailan turned to face her and gently took her into his arms. Looking deeply into the blue pools of her eyes, he lowered his face to hers and kissed her softly on the lips. “To keep you going until later,” he murmured as he straightened and linked her arm in his. “Let the festivities begin,” the Duke announced and the solemnity of the occasion disintegrated as the nobles relaxed and moved forward to congratulate the newly married couple. Engulfed by the crowd, Caishel became separated from Ailan, but looking over people’s heads, he tried to send her a reassuring look. “Too late for you to back out now, Ailan.” Robard clapped Ailan on the back, grinning as he did so. “With such a lovely bride you shouldn’t have any cause for regrets. It was a good day for you when that urchin bumped into you, wasn’t it?” Ailan murmured an agreement and the Duke moved off to speak to a nearby lady. “Shame she’s got no money; beauty doesn’t count for everything and in her case it’s only skin deep,” he heard someone say behind him and turned in time to see the nasty smirk on Brenauf’s face. He managed to restrain himself. This was Caishel’s day and he wouldn’t spoil it by rising to the Capet’s bait and causing a scene. The time would come when Brenauf would step out of line once too often. Musicians struck up the wedding waltz and Ailan retrieved his bride from the circle of ladies and led her onto the floor. They floated around alone for several moments before Robard offered his hand to Milady Jenu, signalling it was correct for others to join in the dancing. Caishel was stolen from his side as the dancing continued and other Sires 134

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insisted on partnering her, but Ailan was not left on his own, the ladies saw to that. “So, Ailan, will you continue at Duke Robard’s court or strike out on your own?” Jenu asked as he whirled her along in a lively dance. “Sorry, I don’t understand.” Ailan frowned. “How could I start out on my own? I would have to inherit a castle or estate.” “Not always.” Jenu smirked. “I know of a Duke who died without heirs and his castle and lands are to be given to a Sire who would then become Duke. All the Sire has to do is prove he’s the right man. What a pity that you’ve proven yourself unworthy by marrying your page.” Luckily, the music finished at this point and Ailan could walk away from Milady without causing any comment. He crossed the room to Caishel’s side and carefully extricated her from her crowd of admirers. They left the Hall with only a few coarse remarks from the gathered nobles. A servant handed Ailan a letter as they passed through the doorway. He glanced at it, then tucked into his pocket. With his arm around Caishel’s shoulders, he hugged her close to his side and led her to the dropchute.

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Chapter 11 Secure in the curve of Ailan’s arm, Caishel reviewed her wedding day. She’d never imagined her life could change so drastically in such a short time. Less than two months ago she’d been living on the streets, not knowing where her next meal would come from, always afraid someone would find out her secret and take advantage of her. Now she could be her true self. In fact, more than her true self as she was now Milady Caishel, wife of Sire Ailan of Lan. The suite was warm and subtly lit. A nightgown spilled across the bed in a waterfall of satin and lace and the allure of scented water wafted from the open door of the bathroom. “Kaysha,” Ailan breathed as he turned her to face him. “I love you.” Her breathing became shallow as she reached up and traced the line of his face from dark hair to strong chin with her finger. The back of her hand turned to stroke his cheek and she stood on tiptoe to kiss him. “Oh, Kaysha.” Catching her behind the knees he swung her into his arms, then strode across the room and laid her gently on the bed. He towered above her and a shiver of apprehension 136

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went through her. Had she done the right thing marrying a man she hardly knew? The doubt was momentary. He leaned forward to kiss her and passion exploded through her from the tingling touch of his lips. With deliberate slowness he rolled her towards him until he found the laces at the back of her dress. As the satin peeled from her shoulders the material softly caressed her breasts as it slid lower and lower. Despite the warmth of the room, the coolness of the air wafted across her and her excitement grew with anticipation. His fingers moved to undo the tapes of the underskirts and Caishel arched her back to allow him easier access. The action also lifted her breasts and Ailan bent and kissed first one pink bud, then the other. An electrifying spark surged from her breasts down through her stomach to excite her in a way she’d never experienced before. Her body arched even further, enabling Ailan to slide dress and undergarments down her legs until they were free of encumbrance. Lying full length beside her, Ailan gently kissed her. He leaned towards her. She moaned and gave herself up to his embrace, allowing the strange emotions rippling through her to take control over her movements. She shivered as his hand moved down her body and brushed her thighs. Briefly, Caishel remembered when their positions had been reversed and she had been longing to touch his thighs. The memory dissipated as her body took on a life of its own. Unable to control her reactions, she yielded to Ailan. His ever increasing demands brought her to a pitch where she couldn’t tell if love or lust drove her. Caishel bucked and surged as she struggled to control herself, then her body cooled as he broke contact with her. For a few moments she lay confused and unhappy until she 137

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realised he was removing his own clothing. He lowered his naked body until his arms straddled her, and his legs lay between hers. Slowly, ever so slowly, he eased himself into her and she gasped in pain as he pushed against the final resistance of her body. The pain was short and sharp. He entered her forcefully, demanding the ultimate capitulation. She thought her response to his caress had been excessive, but now her body moved in time with his. Wave after wave of pleasure swept through her until a final thrust overloaded her senses, engulfing her completely and leaving her adrift in a sea of satisfaction. Caishel was vaguely aware of Ailan moving to lie beside her, but she couldn’t even find the energy to turn and smile. Slowly she drifted off to sleep. Caishel stretched languorously when she woke the next morning, luxuriating in the softness of the bed. A frown marred her forehead as her searching hand found emptiness and she realised she was alone. Raising herself on her elbows she looked round the room. Ailan stood beside the window. At this early hour both moons were in the sky and their soft light surrounded Ailan like a halo. Slipping quietly from the bed, she flung a robe round her shoulders and stepped up behind him, snaking her arms round his waist. It was then she realised he held a letter in his hand. “Morning,” she murmured, snuggling into his back. “Good morning, sleepyhead.” Ailan turned in her arms and kissed the tip of her nose. “Did you sleep well?” “Mmm, until I woke up and found you’d gone. What’s in the letter?” Ailan’s face clouded over and she could see indecision in his eyes as he glanced first at the letter, then at her.

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“I suppose you might as well read it.” He handed the parchment scroll to her. “It’s best that you know where we stand right from the beginning.” Concerned by his words, Caishel unrolled the scroll and started to read. “I received your letter with the news of your marriage and you must be aware this causes me great displeasure. To marry so much beneath yourself must mean that you are lost to all sense of decency and if there were any other legal heir to the dukedom, I would disinherit you. As this is not possible, I must endure the shame you have brought upon our family. I have no desire to meet either you or your bride, so please do not attempt to enter my domain before my death. Please do not contact me again. Serlan, Duke of Lan.” “Who is Serlan?” she asked, trying to hide the misery the letter caused her. “My grandfather,” Ailan replied. “I’ve never met him, but felt it my duty to tell him of our marriage.” “But why should he be so nasty? He doesn’t even know me.” Tears of bewilderment and hurt welled up in her eyes. “Hush, my love.” Ailan held her close and kissed her damp cheeks dry. “Don’t let him upset you. He’s an old man who’s living in the past. He disapproved of my parents’ marriage and refused to meet my mother. When my parents died in an accident I wrote to him, but he didn’t even bother to reply.” “What was your mother like?” “Beautiful. A very lovely woman who meant everything to my father. They adored one another, but still 139

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had time to shower me with love. Unfortunately, they died when I was about fourteen years old. She would have loved you and welcomed you to the family with open arms.” He smiled down at her, the warmth of remembrance shining from his eyes. “Then I shan’t worry about this silly old grandfather of yours. If your mother didn’t care about his disapproval, then I won’t care either.” Ailan held her close so that she wouldn’t see the expression on his face. His mother had lived with his grandfather’s displeasure all her married life, the biggest hurt being his father’s underlying pain. “Get dressed, my love, I have a surprise for you.” Ailan turned her round and patted her bottom to get her moving. Caishel, thoroughly bemused by Ailan’s attitude, held his hand as he led her to the dropchute. They alighted on the nahhar level and she wondered why they’d come to see Garlon today of all days. To her surprise they didn’t go near the row of stalls; instead, he led her to the mattporter. This confused her even more. If he’d wanted to go downside, why hadn’t he used the mattporter in the main area of the castle? They materialised downside and she made up her mind not to ask Ailan what was happening. He obviously wanted to surprise her, so she would wait until he was ready. “Close your eyes,” he ordered. She obeyed and he took her arm and led her forward. Eyes tightly shut, she felt him lift her hand and move her forward a few more steps. Her hand touched warm animal skin. “You can look now.” Ailan let go of her and she felt him move to one side. 140

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Her eyes slowly opened. Immediately in front of her stood a nahhar, muscles twitching as if it didn’t wish to be standing still, but was impatient to be running free as the wind across the open fields and pastures. “She’s yours, my love,” Ailan murmured, pleased by her stunned reaction. “Now we can ride the countryside together.” Flinging her arms around Ailan’s neck, she kissed him exuberantly. The nahhar shifted her feet nervously and Caishel hastened to reassure the animal. One hand caught the bridle while she stroked the silver coat and marvelled at the pearl coloured horn. The mane and tail were the rich blue of Garlon’s coat and the hooves a polished silver. “Oh, Ailan, she’s beautiful. What’s her name?” “She hasn’t got a name. I thought you should choose one yourself.” For several moments she walked around the nahhar, taking in every detail of her coat, colouring and noting the way the animal pawed the ground with her feet. Realizing the mare was the negative version of Garlon, she decided to change a few letters in the stallion’s name to feminise it. “Her name is Raglon,” she stated. “Has Garlon met her yet?” “Yes,” Ailan laughed. “He seems to think I got her especially for him.” “Can I ride her now?” Caishel turned back to look at Raglon, who shifted her feet impatiently. “Sorry my love. We have to make our appearance in public, but we can go for a long ride this afternoon.” When they returned to Ailan’s rooms, now their rooms she supposed, he wrinkled his nose. “We smell of nahhar, better clean up before we go down to the Hall.” 141

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Taking Caishel’s hand, he led her towards the bathroom. Toyvar moved to follow them, but he waved her away. With a smile, the maid quietly left the room. The water cascaded steamily into the bath and Ailan quickly stripped, but stopped Caishel as she began to undo the fastenings of her clothes. “Let me be your maid,” he murmured, bending his head towards her neck. Her head tilted and stretched to one side as his lips beat a light tattoo from collarbone to earlobe. She felt her knees weaken as his hands first pulled, then impatiently ripped the loose top down to reveal her breasts with nipples standing excited and erect. His hands moved to her waistband as his mouth took hold of her breast, his tongue teasing the nipple, then rolling the nub at its peak between his teeth until Caishel nearly screamed with the waves of pleasure coursing through her. With his mouth still locked to her breast, Ailan picked her up and Caishel’s skirts slithered down her legs as her feet left the floor. He stepped into the bath and transferred his attention to the second breast. Caishel lay back in the water, her strength sliding away as she succumbed to his every demand. When at last their love was satisfied, Caishel lay back against the side of the bath, totally exhausted. If this was married life, she intended to enjoy every moment of it. A few lewd comments greeted their late arrival in the Grand Hall, but neither paid any attention to the remarks. The newly married couple had eyes only for each other and Duke Robard had to speak twice before they even heard him. “Sire Ailan, Milady Caishel.” Robard sounded amused. “I trust your wedding night went as desired?” 142

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“Perfectly, sir.” Ailan replied with a grin, while Caishel blushed deeply. “The lady displays such modesty, maybe too much?” Brenauf’s sneer came from behind them. “Capet Brenauf, I have warned you about your slurs on Milady Caishel.” Robard looked coldly at the Capet. “If you cannot conduct yourself in a seemly manner, then perhaps you should take yourself elsewhere.” Having delivered his rebuke, Robard turned and engaged Ailan in conversation concerning the seemingly unsolvable weather problems. “Come, Milady.” Jenu had arrived unseen at Caishel’s side. “Let me introduce you to some of the other ladies of the court.” Jenu did indeed offer some introductions, but her main objective appeared to be a private conversation with Caishel. “I think you’ve married a saint, my dear.” Milady sat and waved Caishel to a seat beside her, spreading her own wide skirts to prevent them being crushed. “In what way?” “For one thing, there’ll be no chance of advancement for Ailan. Duke Robard might offer the hand of friendship within the castle, but he won’t put Ailan’s name forward if a chance of getting his own estate arises.” “Really? I don’t see why our marriage should affect Ailan in such a way.” Caishel had seen the glint of malice in Jenu’s eyes and knew the woman meant to cause trouble. “My dear, there’s no way an urchin from the streets can rise to the height of a Duchess. It’s unheard of.” Jenu affected shocked surprise that Caishel should be unaware of this fact. “The other nobles wouldn’t stand for it.” 143

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Caishel remained silent, unsure if Milady Jenu was telling the truth in a malicious way, or simply telling an outright lie. “In confidence, my dear,” Jenu leaned towards her and lowered her voice, “an estate became vacant a few days ago and the Duke has made no effort to put Ailan’s name forward. It must be the result of his association with you.” “Excuse me.” Caishel had heard enough and she was angry. Angry at the ridiculous code of conduct which ostracised Ailan because he had married outside the elite circle, and angry with Jenu who seemed to take such delight in spoiling what should be the happiest time in Caishel’s life. “Kaysha, what’s wrong?” Ailan had noticed the expression on his bride’s face and excused himself from his conversation with the Duke. “Nothing. I just feel a bit stifled by all this.” She waved her hand at the assembled nobles. “Then let’s get out of here.” He took her arm and led her away from the group around the Duke. As they passed Capet Brenauf, Caishel saw Sard standing sullenly behind his master, a multi-colour bruise surrounding his eye. “Where are we going?” She hoped he would take her downside to try out the mare, but managed to hide her disappointment when they arrived at their suite. “Toyvar’s waiting for you.” He gave her a little push to propel her through the door. “I’ll be back for you soon.” Bemused, she looked across the room to where Toyvar stood beside the bed, a huge grin on her face. On the bedcover lay an exquisite blue riding habit with wide threequarter length trousers and bolero type jacket all edged in silver. Beside the outfit lay a matching hat and ruffled white 144

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shirt, while next to the bed a pair of shining boots stood to attention. She was surveying her appearance in the mirror when Ailan returned. He knocked gently and Toyvar opened the door and stood back to let him in. Caishel held her breath as she turned and waited for his reaction. “You look stunning.” He took both her hands in his then stepped back a step and looked her up and down. “Every lady in the court will try to look as you do now, but not one of them will succeed.” He kissed her on the tip of her nose, and she felt her legs tremble at the touch of his lips. Would her reaction always be so intense? Tucking her arm in his, Ailan led her to the mattporter and when they arrived at the downside terminal, Caishel found there were more surprises waiting for her. Porig led the silver mare from the stalls using a silver bridle and saddle of a rich, dark blue leather. Ailan boosted her into the saddle then stood back to look at her, appreciation gleaming from his eyes. Reaching to pat the nahhar’s neck, she realised her outfit matched the animal’s mane and tail exactly. The groom’s riding lessons had stopped when he considered her sufficiently competent to exercise Garlon, and the old man had even grudgingly admitted she had a natural talent with animals. Sitting tall in the saddle, her legs lightly gripping the nahhar’s sides she trotted Raglon round the yard while Ailan watched. Porig nodded with satisfaction as he turned to fetch Garlon from the stalls. “This is wonderful.” Caishel’s voice was barely above a whisper as side by side they trotted out of the racing grounds towards the bridle paths. “She’s beautiful.” 145

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“A beautiful animal for a beautiful rider.” Ailan smiled at her suppressed excitement. “I chose her not only for her colour, but because she’s got a nice temperament.” “Can I put her through her paces?” The whisper had gone and her voice shook with eagerness. “Wait until we reach the open fields near the forest,” he cautioned. “But we can ease into a trot, if you wish.” Moving briskly, they followed the widest path until they reached the open pastureland beside the dark forest. Once there, they let the nahhars have their heads. Side by side, they pounded across the stunted grass, heading for a small hillock in the distance. Ailan, on the bigger and stronger Garlon, gradually pulled ahead and Raglon responded by putting on an extra spurt of speed. Caishel sat low over the nahhar’s neck as they raced over the ground, glancing forward every few seconds to see how close they were. Her smile turned to horror as Garlon reared onto his hind legs and fell to one side. She could almost feel the sickening crunch as Ailan was thrown to the ground. “Go Raglon, go!” She urged the mare to an even higher speed. Raglon’s hooves skidded to a halt as they reached Garlon and Ailan. The stallion was attempting to struggled to his feet, but Ailan lay still on the ground. “Ailan. Ailan. Talk to me.” Caishel sobbed as she threw herself from the saddle and knelt down beside him. To her relief he groaned and putting his hand to his head, he opened his eyes. “Are you all right?” “I think so,” he replied, struggling to sit up. “A bit bruised and battered, but nothing seems to be broken.” 146

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“What happened?” Caishel asked as she helped him stand. “I’m not sure. Garlon suddenly spooked. He’s never done that before. It was almost as if there was something in front of him, scaring him.” He rubbed his head again. “Garlon! Is he all right.” He staggered across to where the stallion stood calmly cropping the grass, completely unperturbed by the recent events. Carefully, Ailan felt the nahhar’s legs and sighed with relief as he patted Garlon’s neck. “He’s all right, thank goodness.” He continued to pat the animal, his face thoughtful. “I think we should go back to the castle and then you should rest,” Caishel told him, nervously plucking at his sleeve. “Go back?” Ailan came out of his daze and smiled at her. “Whatever for? Some small animal frightened Garlon, but we’re both fine now, my love. Don’t worry.” He kissed her cheek and then helped her onto Raglon’s back. They walked the animals back the way they’d come to cool them off after their great exertion, but eventually they increased their speed and trotted slowly back to Ardon. Caishel still felt shaken from the fright of seeing Ailan thrown to the ground and she remained quiet throughout the ride. “Do you like her?” Ailan asked. “Pardon?” It took Caishel a moment to realise he was talking about Raglon and she bent forward and patted the mare’s neck. “She’s wonderful. Did I say thank you.” “Yes you did, but your happiness with her is the best thanks you could give me.” He leaned across and gently tugged at Raglon’s reins, pulling the nahhar nearer to his 147

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own mount until they were close enough for him to kiss his bride. Now that she’d recovered from her fright, Caishel wondered whether she should talk to Ailan about his chances of promotion to his own castle. Would it be better not to say anything? But if she didn’t and Jenu had told the truth, Ailan might eventually hate her for holding him back. Suddenly, she thought of the letter from Serlan stating that Ailan was still his heir. Could the other Dukes stop Ailan from obtaining his inheritance? She decided to ask her husband. Better to get it out into the open now, before it had time to fester. “What’s the matter, Kaysha?” “I was thinking about something Jenu told me.” She hesitated, then acting in her usual forthright manner, she plunged straight in. “She said because you’ve married me, you won’t have a chance of getting your own castle. You’ll be overlooked for any promotion because I’m a nobody from the streets. She said there’d already been one vacancy and Duke Robard hadn’t put your name forward.” “He didn’t put anyone else’s name forward either, Kaysha. The vacancy she mentioned was inherited by a distant relative of the dead Duke. There was never any question of it going to someone else.” His lips thinned with anger as he continued. “As for my being overlooked because I’m married to you. I will have a word with Milady Jenu. She’s trying to cause trouble between us, my love. She knows as well as everyone else in the castle that I’m my grandfather’s heir. Remember Serlan’s letter I gave you to read?” “Can the other Dukes change the heir if they disapprove?” 148

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“Only my grandfather can change the inheritance, and as you know he considers me his heir, no matter what he thinks of me personally. When he dies I will become Duke of Lan. Jenu knows this. I can’t understand why she should try to stir up trouble between us.” “That, that—woman!” Caishel exploded. “Wait till I see her next; she’ll regret the day she crossed my path.” “Kaysha, hush.” Ailan moved his mount closer. “Don’t forget she’s the leader of the other females here at court. If you upset her, you upset them all and they can make your life very unpleasant. Don’t go seeking revenge. One day, Milady Jenu’s spiteful words will come back and haunt her.” “Maybe you’re right, but I find her so insufferably self righteous. She acts as if she’s totally innocent of any wrongdoing and the effects her words cause have nothing to do with her.” “Patience, Kaysha. Eventually her lies will destroy her.” **** The next few days were a haze of enjoyment for Caishel. She spent all her time with Ailan and at least once a day they went riding, her enjoyment in Raglon growing each time she settled in the saddle. Every night they retired to bed, pulling the curtains round to create their own universe and Ailan introduced Caishel to a world full of love, excitement and total satisfaction as they explored new avenues of passion. Their lovemaking never became boring as each new approach made it seem like a fresh journey to ultimate fulfilment. Eventually Duke Robard called Ailan back to work. His first job was to accompany his lord on a working visit to a neighbouring castle. 149

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“I’m sorry, my love.” Ailan nuzzled her ear making it difficult for her to concentrate on his words. “Usually we take our ladies with us, but this time we’ll be gone for such a short while it’s not worth the upheaval. Will you miss me?” “Sorry, what did you say?” Ailan’s tongue began a devious torture from her ear to her jaw and Caishel squirmed, her body moving of its own volition towards Ailan. “I know I’ll miss you.” Ailan’s hands crept up beneath the loose shirt Caishel wore when they were alone in their apartments, and he pushed it completely off her shoulders. Still tickling her neck with his tongue, his palm brushed across her nipple making it peak with excitement. She couldn’t contain the excitement any longer and with a heave she pushed Ailan onto his back then straddled him, a leg each side of his hips. He didn’t say a word, but his eyes gleamed with anticipation and his lips twitched with the beginning of a smile. “Do you know how much you torture me?” She dipped her head to kiss the tip of his nose. “Now it’s my turn to torment you.” Wriggling herself lower down his body, she felt his arousal grow and press against her buttocks. She was astounded to realise she had the ability to excite him as much as he aroused her and her own body grew hot and eager. Parting his shirt to reveal his bare chest, Caishel laid her full length against him and teased his nipples with her tongue in the way he’d so often pleased her. His body came alive and groans of pleasure escaped his lips as her kisses dropped lower. Her hands unlaced his trousers, gently drawing them down as her body moved lower and lower. A quirky thought popped into her mind as she recalled the 150

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first time she’d removed Ailan’s trousers. Then, his body’s reaction had been slight, but this time as the material peeled down his legs, his arousal sprang eagerly forward and he groaned again, his hands clutching at her hair, the only part of her he could reach. To get in a position to remove his trousers completely, she rolled slightly to one side and looked fully at him. Despite her longing to feel him inside her again, Caishel realised she’d never really looked at the part of him that brought her to such a peak of excitement and she took a moment to investigate. One hand still trailed sensuously over Ailan’s body, keeping his interest alive. Tentatively, her other hand reached out and touched the source of so much of her pleasure. His body twitched and he grew even larger in response to her action. Glancing at his face, she saw his eyes were shut and she could hear his breath coming in excited gasps. The now familiar hot dampness started between her legs and obeying the demands of her own body she wriggled out of her trousers and flung herself across him, holding herself above his throbbing arousal. Slowly she lowered herself, and moist with passion she eagerly welcomed him inside her. Ailan’s hands suddenly reached up to grab her breasts, his fingers digging painfully into her skin as he automatically reacted to his body’s demands. She flung her head back and arched towards him, the pain causing nearly as much pleasure as his earlier teasing had done. Like lightening his hands moved to her back and he pulled her onto him, entering her deeper than he’d ever done before. Together they bucked and swayed until, with a scream of pure pleasure, wave after wave of ecstasy sapped her energy and 151

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she collapsed on top of him. She could tell by the flaccid feel of him, that Ailan had also found relief. “So, will you miss me?” Ailan repeated a little later as he dressed again. “How long will you be gone?” She knew he had to go, but she was reluctant to dwell on the thought of being separated from him. “Only a few days,” he replied. “We’re going to discuss weather control with Duke Coscord.” “Exactly how do you control the weather?” she asked pushing herself up on one elbow. “Surely, it’s either good or bad, hot or cold, wet or dry. Nothing you do can change it.” “Do you know it’s never occurred to me that you believe the weather is natural? I don’t suppose you know we alter it to whatever we want.” He looked at her in amazement. “Perhaps I should explain. Each castle has a weather centre and the Dukes decide whether there should be rain, sunshine or whatever, depending on the crops and local events. Think about it. We seldom have extremes of rain or sun to cause floods and droughts.” “What do you mean, seldom?” Caishel asked. “There have been a few breakdowns,” Ailan admitted. “This conference at Coscord’s is to decide on next year’s weather for this area. Some of the farmers have been objecting to the pattern and we have to sort it out.” “And you’ll only be gone a few days?” “I’ll be back before you miss me.” He kissed her cheek. “Only if you give me something to remember you by.” She wound her arms around his neck and pulled his lips to hers. “I don’t think we have time, my love,” he told her regretfully. 152

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“Then we’ll just have to make time, won’t we?” Caishel’s hands moved towards his trouser laces. **** The rest of the day dragged for Caishel. Ailan had forbidden her to take Raglon to the surface on her own, so she had to make do with riding in the restricted practice area on the nahhar level. The first evening she spent with Toyvar sitting beside the fire in the room that had been the newly revealed Caishel’s bedroom, but which had become a sitting room since the wedding. “This won’t do, Milady,” Toyvar tutted. “The other nobles will think you’re scared to show your face when Sire Ailan’s not here. If you want to hold your own with them, you have to show no fear.” The maid’s words haunted Caishel all the next day and she realised the woman was right. She was Milady Caishel, wife to Sire Ailan and would not hide in her room like a frightened child. **** “Okay, Toyvar, you win. Let’s show those nobles what I’m made of,” she said the next afternoon. Caishel hesitated at the entrance to the Grand Hall. She’d never felt so alone since the time her parents died. She had no Ailan to give her his arm and take her into the evening’s entertainment. Instead, she must traverse the room on her own. A sly smile flitted across Brenauf’s lips as she got closer to the group by the fire and a shiver of apprehension rippled down her back. “Milady Caishel, come sit by me.” Jenu patted the seat beside her. “Thank you, Milady.”

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At least she’s a familiar face, Caishel thought as she sat down, and surely Brenauf won’t try anything while I’m sitting with a group of people. The evening passed slowly, Caishel found the company extremely boring, but stuck to her determination to become accepted by her husband’s peers. Milady Jenu irritated her by continually mentioning how sad it was that Ailan could no longer hope for advancement to a Duke. “I’m sure love is more important to him than mere financial gains.” Jenu smiled insincerely at Caishel. “That must be the case, or he wouldn’t have married you my dear, would he?” “But surely you know, Milady, Ailan is to inherit the Dukedom of Lan from his grandfather.” Caishel hid her enjoyment of the other’s discomfort as she continued. “I thought everyone knew, and Duke Serlan has confirmed the inheritance since our marriage.” Jenu muttered a few words to the effect that she hadn’t known that, but Caishel could see the woman was annoyed at having her ruse found out. At long last, Caishel felt she could retire to bed without being considered rude, but remembering the glint in Brenauf’s eyes, she took great care to leave the Hall at the same time as another group of nobles who lived along the same corridor as herself. “Is something wrong, my lady?” Toyvar asked the next day when Caishel repeatedly lost the thread of conversation. “If you’re missing the Sire, he’ll be back tomorrow or the day after.” “It’s still hard not to miss him, though.” Caishel let the maid believe this was the true reason for her absentmindedness. Jenu’s insinuations still bothered her, even though she knew them to be untrue. Why was the 154

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woman trying to cause harm between her and Ailan? Was she merely being malicious, or did she still think she could get Ailan for herself? She spent the morning with Raglon, then bathed and changed her clothes to spend the afternoon in the Grand Hall with the other ladies of the court. For the first time, she realised how empty their lives were. All they did was sew and gossip and Caishel had no inclination to learn the rudiments of needlework, and could not join in most of the gossip as it stopped when she appeared, presumably because they were talking about her. Only Jenu continued talking, as if nothing was wrong. An afternoon of doing nothing left her extremely tired, but she knew she’d have to endure the long boring evening or risk the other ladies condemnation. Jenu was absent that evening, but several of the other women took the opportunity to ask further questions of the newest member of their group. Despite their apparent openness, Caishel wasn’t convinced they truly offered the hand of friendship. The one bright spot on the evening was the absence of Brenauf. At the same time as the previous evening, Caishel made her excuses and left the Hall. As Brenauf wasn’t there, she didn’t bother to wait for any of the others to leave and consequently she stepped off the dropchute by herself. The corridor seemed dimmer than usual, but this didn’t worry her as she only had a short distance to go. She’d walked about halfway down the main corridor when a movement in the shadows made her jump nervously. She told herself not to be so silly. On the streets of Ardville she had been quite capable of defending herself, so why should she have any difficulty now? Because there’s nowhere to go except back the way you’ve come, a small voice in her head answered her unspoken question. 155

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Tempted to pick up her skirts and run, she determined not to give in to her fear and walked confidently towards the side corridor leading to her own rooms, at the same time keeping her senses alert for any signs that she was being followed. Intent on listening to non-existent sounds behind her, she missed the movement in front of her until it was too late. “Good evening, Milady.” Caishel forced herself to remain outwardly calm as she faced Capet Brenauf, all the while her mind racing as she thought of and rejected several ideas for escape in quick succession. Brenauf stood between her and the door to her rooms and she knew if she turned to run he would catch her before she’d taken a step. “I said good evening, Milady.” “Capet.” Caishel nodded and tried to estimate whether she could slip past the man and hurry to her own suite before he realised her intentions. But as if he guessed her thoughts, Brenauf took a step closer. “Surely Milady is not retiring so early? After all, you have no one to warm your bed tonight, do you? Though I have no doubt Sire Ailan has found congenial company to keep him occupied.” “I don’t have to stand and listen to your insulting remarks.” Caishel straightened her shoulders, determined he would not see how much he frightened her. “Please stand aside, Capet, I wish to pass.” Like a striking slither, he grabbed her by the arm and twisted it painfully as she tried to break free. “You’re going to be disappointed then, my lady. I’ve been waiting for this chance for days. It’s time you learned that no one makes a fool of me as you have, and for that 156

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you’re going to pay dearly. Shame you’re not a boy; I would have enjoyed seeing you grovel for my favour.” As he spoke, Brenauf dragged her towards a room immediately before the junction with the side corridor to her own rooms. Flinging the door open he dragged her inside and slammed it behind him. She heard a click as the key turned in the lock. “Got a present for you, Larup.” Brenauf raised his voice as he pocketed the key. Caishel realised they were not alone as a figure on the bed struggled to sit up, eyes bleary with an excess of alcohol. “Larup, here, hasn’t got any inhibitions,” Brenauf explained as if he was instructing a child. “Man or woman, young or old. Makes no difference to Larup. Although I don’t desire you myself now I know you’re female, I shall take great delight in watching my old friend have his way with you.” “What makes you think I’ll submit to that?” She pointed a derogatory finger at the unkempt figure trying to pull himself to his feet. Maybe if she kept Brenauf talking long enough the drunkard would pass out and she’d only have the Capet to deal with. “No problem, my dear, I shall simply hold you down so that Larup may do whatever he wants with you. I’m sorry to tell you his tastes are slightly depraved, but no doubt you’ll be used to all sorts of positions after whoring on the streets of Ardville.” “Why are you doing this?” Caishel asked, keeping one eye on Larup who was still trying to stand up. “Revenge, my dear. Pure and simple.” Brenauf stepped away from the door, but Caishel refused to move. No way would she give any ground to either of these men. “I’m also 157

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doing a favour for a friend who’s rather annoyed that you snatched Ailan from under her nose.” “Jenu,” she breathed. “Now, Milady, I didn’t mention any names.” Brenauf had released her arm when he locked the door, but now he grabbed her again. “Enough of the small talk, my dear. I know what you’re trying to do and it won’t work, and before you open your mouth to scream, remember the walls and doors are extremely thick and most of the nobles on this floor went with the Duke. Don’t even think of appealing to Larup’s better nature; he hasn’t got one,” he cautioned as Caishel glanced at the drunkard. “Up to a point, he’s careful who he beds, but I’ve given him enough drink to drive him way past that point. In his present state he doesn’t care who he takes, willing or unwilling—makes no difference to him now. So, Milady Caishel, come forward and meet your charming bed partner for tonight.” She struggled desperately as he pulled her towards the bed, but the skirts that made her feel so much a lady caught around her feet, effectively cushioning any kicks she aimed at Brenauf. Larup still had problems standing upright. Every time he managed to leave the bed, he fell back again, as if an unseen force was pushing at him. At last, he gave up the attempt and fumbled with the laces of his trousers as Brenauf dragged her closer to the bed. Frantic to escape, she tried to scream, but her voice had deserted her and all she produced was a whimper. Caishel’s heart sank as she realised that if she didn’t get free in the next few moments, it would be too late.

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Chapter 12 The weather discussions with Coscord and the farmers had gone well and Robard decided his party would return earlier than intended. After docking the party dispersed, but Robard and Ailan continued talking about what should happen next. When they reached the level of the Grand Hall the Duke detained Ailan, who was impatient to go and find his wife. “Excuse me, Sire. Sire Ailan.” A frightened voice interrupted the nobles’ conversation. Ailan glanced down at one of the pages. The boy’s face sported fading bruises and he seemed extremely nervous. He tugged urgently at Ailan’s sleeve. “Don’t you know better than to interrupt your betters, boy?” Robard asked angrily. “Who’s your master?” “Capet Brenauf, my lord,” the boy answered breathlessly, then rushed on while he had the chance. “But, Sire, I must speak to you.” “I shall have words with Brenauf about the rudeness of his page.” Robard waved his hand. “You may talk to Sire Ailan when we have finished our conversation. In the meantime, wait over there.” “Excuse me, my lord.” Ailan had seen the frightened, pleading looking in the boy’s eyes and an awful premonition 159

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stole over him. “I think this may be important. Perhaps we should let the boy speak.” “Very well, but make it quick, boy,” the Duke agreed reluctantly and Ailan turned to the page. “It’s Sard, isn’t it? Why don’t you tell me what’s wrong, Sard.” “Capet Brenauf has taken Milady Caishel into one of the bedrooms. She didn’t want to go, but he forced her.” “Probably wanted to talk to her in private. If I know Brenauf, he’s let his mouth run on again and feels the need to apologise before your wife complains to you,” Robard stated with irritation. “I wouldn’t worry about it, Ailan, Brenauf doesn’t fancy the ladies, you know.” “Sire Larup was in the room as well, my lord,” Sard added. “Milady struggled and I overheard the Capet say he wanted to get his revenge. Then I heard the key turn in the lock.” “Don’t like the sound of that.” Robard beckoned to the two guards who stood at the entrance to the Grand Hall and gave them separate instructions. “You come with me and you go and get the master key from the chatelaine.” The Duke and one guard hurried to catch up with Ailan who was already running towards the dropchute, pushing Sard ahead of him. Within seconds the party had reached the doorway indicated by the page. Moments later the second guard arrived with a large key in his hand. Ailan took a deep breath to calm himself, then carefully inserted the key into the lock. Slowly he turned it, trying to make as little noise as possible and after hearing a quiet click, he opened the door. Brenauf was dragging a kicking Caishel across the room towards Larup who swayed drunkenly before he fell back onto the bed, a depraved look of expectation on his face as he fumbled with his trousers. 160

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“Take your hands off my wife, Brenauf.” In the second before he let her go, Caishel saw anger and hatred flash across Brenauf’s face, but then he composed his features and releasing her, he turned to face Ailan. Caishel rushed across the room and flung herself into her husband’s arms. He hugged her briefly, before gently pushing her towards Sard. “Take Milady to her own rooms and make sure her maid is there before you leave her. Then come back here,” “But, Ailan, I want to stay,” Caishel protested “No, my love, go with Sard. I won’t be long.” Reluctantly, Caishel left with the page, who looked fearfully over his shoulder as he left. “You should look scared, Sard,” Brenauf called after the boy. “How dare you betray your master?” “Quiet!” Robard roared. “Brenauf, you have gone too far this time. You have overstepped the lines of decency. You will pack your bags and be ready to leave within the hour.” “Leave!” Brenauf stuttered. “But, my lord, I’m your man. I’ve always been your man. Where shall I go?” “Somewhere you will not be able to do any harm.” Robard beckoned to the guards. “Escort Brenauf to his rooms and see that he packs, then bring him to me in the Grand Hall. You are not to leave him alone for one moment. The Capet is under arrest. Ailan I suggest you check on your wife then join me in the Hall. You, boy, come with me.” Sard, who had just sidled back into the room, edged closer to the Duke as the guards removed Brenauf. “Wait till I get you alone,” Brenauf hissed as he passed the page. “I’ll make your life a living hell.” 161

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“I suggest we lock the door behind us.” Ailan indicated Larup who had collapsed onto the bed as the drink completely overwhelmed him. “I don’t think he’s going anywhere. We can deal with him later.” Robard agreed and the men parted in the corridor as the Duke headed for the dropchute and Ailan for his own apartments. **** Caishel had repaired the damage to her appearance, but when Ailan entered the room, she rushed towards him and buried her head against his shoulder. His arms enfolded her and he held her close, tenderly stroking her hair until her violent shaking stopped. When she was calm enough, she tilted her head back so she could see his face. “Are you all right?” Ailan asked her. “I am now.” She gave him a shaky smile. “I was never so scared in all my life. I couldn’t fight properly with these skirts on and I had nowhere to run with the door locked.” Ailan hugged her again as another shiver trembled through her body then he led her to the fire. Sitting down he drew her onto his knee. “What’s going to happen to Brenauf?” she asked. “Robard’s going to send him away. I have to go to the Grand Hall to see his final disgrace.” “Good, he shouldn’t be allowed to get away with this and they should take Sard away from him.” “You’re worried about the page?” Ailan seemed surprised that his wife should now show concern about Sard. In the past, she had suffered scorn and teasing from the other pages until they decided to ostracise her completely. “Ailan, you know Brenauf forces him to do horrible things and the poor boy can’t do anything about it.” 162

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“Kaysha, my love, some boys like that sort of thing. If Sard objected he only had to complain to his father or Duke Robard and he would have been placed elsewhere.” “But he did complain to his father.” Caishel sat upright in indignation at Ailan’s patronizing tone. “His father wouldn’t listen to him. He thought his son was finding it difficult to fit in and told him to stop being a baby. I don’t think he realised what awful things Brenauf put the boy through.” “I see.” Ailan’s finger tapped his chin thoughtfully. “What do you suggest we do about it, Kaysha?” “I have an idea.” She pecked him on the cheek. “I’m coming to the Grand Hall with you.” Caishel stood her ground despite Ailan’s protests and resolutely accompanied him when he entered the Hall. “Milady, I trust you are recovered from your ordeal.” Robard lifted her from her deep curtsy. “Yes, my lord. Thank you for your timely intervention.” “Are you sure you wish to be here while Brenauf is dealt with? It’s not necessary for you to see him again, Milady.” The Duke seemed full of concern as he released her hand. “Quite sure, my lord Duke,” Caishel replied firmly and Ailan smiled as several of the court ladies looked up in surprise. Few people spoke to Duke Robard in that tone of voice. “Here’s the culprit now,” Robard said as the two guards escorted Brenauf into the Hall. Caishel’s hand crept into Ailan’s as the Capet flung her a vicious look before he turned to the Duke. “Brenauf, I have decided what to do with you.” Robard sat down in his ducal chair and flung one leg negligently 163

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across the other, a sign that the person he was speaking to did not deserve the respect normally shown to members of the court. “I cannot see the point in charging you officially with any crime as the rules for what you did are blurred and I’m not sure you will get what you deserve. Therefore I am transferring you to a place where you will not be able to cause any further mischief. You will be escorted to your new home by a troop of my guards, to make sure you reach your destination safely, of course.” “My lord, please listen. I can explain…” “Be silent, Brenauf,” Duke Robard ordered, a cold dispassionate look in his eyes. “Leave quietly, or it could be the worse for you. I don’t wish to see you in my castle ever again.” Ailan leaned over and spoke quietly in the Duke’s ear. “Oh dear, did I forget to say where I am sending you?” Robard’s face displayed mock dismay. “I’m sure you’ll be pleased to know that you’re going on a long visit to Pator.” A collective gasp from the avidly listening nobles and the colour draining from Brenauf’s face told its own story, but the Duke noticed the frown marring Caishel’s brow. “For Milady’s edification, perhaps Sire Ailan would like to describe Pator.” “Pator is the estate of Duke Patmar. The castle hovers above the Patorean desert at a much lower altitude than Ardon Castle and the heat there is excruciating. There is little wealth in the region as the land is totally devoid of life. The only source of income is the salt mines which are said to be an absolute hell to work in, and the weather control seldom brings rain due to the need to keep the salt dry. People don’t go to Pator willingly. They try to get away from there. The sand gets everywhere in the castle and prisoners work the mines. It’s not a very nice place.” 164

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“I think that about sums it up,” Robard said. “Time for you to leave for your new home, I think, Brenauf.” “What about the boy, sir?” Ailan asked as he saw Sard reluctantly move forward in obedience to Brenauf’s silent signal to follow. “I do believe the Capet has some words to say on that matter.” Robard nodded his permission for Brenauf to speak. “He’s mine.” Brenauf scowled at Sard. “His father gave him into my care. You can’t take him away from me.” “I’m sure if his father knew how you’d use him, he would never have left him in your care,” Ailan said coldly. “He does have the right, though.” Robard commented unhappily. “He is the legal guardian in the absence of a parent.” “Except when the page needs to change masters, as in the case when his present master dies or is considered unsuitable to be in charge of a minor.” Ailan had gone over several arguments in his mind and thought this to be the one most likely to work. “In that case, the most senior noble present may act as the parent.” “Well, well, Ailan. I guess that means me.” Robard sat up with a happy smile on his face. He was obviously delighted to be given a chance to help the boy. “What would you have me do?” “Milady.” Ailan gently ushered Caishel forward. “My lord Duke. As you know my husband is presently without a page. If Sard is agreeable, Ailan would like to take over responsibility for him. This of course will be ratified with Sard’s father.” “Come here, boy. What do you have to say to this? Would you like to work for Sire Ailan?” Robard didn’t really need to ask. One look at Sard’s face was enough. It 165

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was filled with hope as he nodded speechlessly. “I guess that means you have a new page Sire Ailan.” “You can’t do this,” Brenauf screamed. “The boy’s mine.” “There is one other thing, my lord Duke.” Ailan glanced at Caishel in surprise. She hadn’t mentioned anything else when she’d told him her plans for Sard. “My attention is all yours, Milady Caishel.” “Capet Brenauf mentioned he not only abducted me for revenge, but also as a favour for a friend, a lady friend. I believe the Capet may not have been telling the truth, but the lady should be given the opportunity to clear her reputation,” Caishel paused, and looked for instruction from the Duke. “Go on, Milady.” Robard nodded approval. “Tell us the name of the lady, so she may absolve herself of any wrongdoing.” “Capet Brenauf mentioned Milady Jenu’s name.” Caishel looked directly at the woman. “Me?” Jenu appeared genuinely astonished by the accusation. “Why on earth should I wish to harm you, Milady Caishel? I can only think the Capet is trying to make his own crime appear less by implicating me.” “Oh no you don’t,” Brenauf howled. “I’m not taking all the blame. You came up with the original idea, Jenu, and I put it into practice. You knew all about it.” Jenu looked sadly at Brenauf and shook her head, then turned innocent eyes on Robard. “My lord, to be guilty of such a charge, I would require a motive. I ask all present what motive I could possibly have.” She looked around the circle of nobles, daring anyone to think of a reason. 166

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“Milady does have a point there.” Robard looked thoughtfully at Brenauf and then at Caishel. “Why not try jealousy?” Brenauf sneered. “The bitch is green with envy because Ailan married a street urchin instead of her. You all know she’d been angling after him for a long time.” “Why yes, I’m friendly with Sire Ailan and I must admit I did have the ambition to be his bride, but I have bowed to the inevitable. He has married someone else, so there’s no point in my carrying on wishing for something I can’t have.” “If my hands were free, I’d applaud you for such a brilliant performance.” Brenauf laughed. “Don’t believe her, my lord Duke. Think of it from my point of view. I can expect no leniency from you for what I’ve done. My major crime was getting caught. What do I hope to gain from implicating Milady Jenu in the scheme? Besides, all you have to do is wait for Larup to sober up, he can verify everything I’ve said.” “Shut up, you fool!” Jenu hissed, eyes flashing with anger. “Duke Robard, surely you won’t believe the word of a drunkard. He’d say anything for a drink.” “Milady Jenu, I believe you protest too much. You are confined to your quarters until such time as Sire Larup can be questioned.” Robard turned to his guards. “Take Milady to her room and make sure she stays there.” Head held high, Jenu marched ahead of the guards; but she’d hardly reached the door before the whispering started among the other ladies of the court. “Do you think she did it?” “Did you see the way she snapped at the Capet?” “She’s as guilty as sin. You can see it in her eyes.” 167

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Caishel turned her back on the gossiping women and smiled at her husband’s new page. “Welcome to the family, Sard.” “Milady, I don’t know how to thank you.” He glanced at Ailan who was talking quietly to Robard. “I don’t know what I’d have done if I had to go with the Capet.” “Now you don’t have to worry anymore.” Caishel hesitated, wondering if she would be overstepping the mark with her next comment. “Sard, I really think you should write to your father and tell him about what happened with the Capet. You can send it with the Sire’s letter. Don’t worry, you don’t have to go into great detail, but at least tell him the Capet was trying to make you behave dishonestly and the Duke has sent him to Pator. I’m sure he’ll understand.” “He might, but he thinks a master should be obeyed implicitly.” Sard paused for a moment, then he smiled shyly. “But he’s bound to read the letter to my mother and I know she’s been worried about me. I think I will write. It would comfort Mother to know I’m now working for Sire Ailan, and Father will boast about it to all his cronies. Thank you, Milady.” Ailan joined them and placed his arm around his wife’s shoulders. Caishel smiled up at him, happy that he was beside her once more. “Are you happy to work for me, Sard?” Ailan asked the page. “Yes, Sire. Very happy.” Sard’s eyes glowed. “I suggest you stay in the dormitory with the other boys for the time being. Come and see me in the morning and we’ll go over your duties.” With a small bow, Sard turned and walked towards the door. Caishel couldn’t help smiling as she saw him 168

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practically skipping when he thought himself far enough away that no one would notice him. “That’s one happy lad,” Ailan murmured in her ear. “Thank you for being my conscience, Kaysha.” “What will happen to Jenu?” Caishel asked as they walked towards the dropchute. “The Duke’s convinced she’s guilty so she’ll probably be politely asked to leave the castle. Although there’s no real proof she intended you to be harmed, I’m positive she thought of the means to humiliate you. Brenauf tends to act on the spur of the moment, not plan things so thoroughly. Larup will realise his best defence is to say he was so drunk he couldn’t remember anything. No matter, Jenu won’t trouble us again.” When they reached their suite Ailan dismissed Toyvar and acted as Caishel’s maid himself. She felt worn out by the events of the evening and for the first time, she was relieved that he didn’t attempt to make love to her. She submitted to his ministrations as he pulled her nightgown down over her head, picked her up and placed her in the bed. Gently, he tucked the covers round her shoulders before climbing in next to her. Cradled in his arms, she quickly fell asleep. Next morning, Caishel woke to find Ailan gone, but when she raised herself up on her elbows she realised he hadn’t gone far. Through the open door into the sitting room she could see him sitting beside the fire, his whole attention focused on a piece of parchment in his hands. She quietly slipped out of bed, pulled a robe over her nightgown and tiptoed through to the other room. Standing behind him she dropped a kiss on the back of his neck, but he didn’t turn round and smile at her like he usually did. Concerned, she moved round to kneel in front of him. 169

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“Is anything wrong, Ailan?” “Sard brought this to me this morning.” The parchment in his hand fluttered as he jerked it. “It’s from the Castle of Lan. My grandfather—he’s dead.” “Ailan, I’m so sorry.” Caishel wanted to take him in her arms and comfort him as he’d held her last night, but he leaned back in the chair as if he didn’t want to be touched. Hurt by his rejection, she sat back on her heels and watched him. “I don’t know why I feel so devastated,” Ailan sounded as if he was talking to himself. “I never met the old man, but he was the only member of my family I had left. Now I have to try and fill his shoes.” Caishel remained silent. There wasn’t really anything to say. Ailan shuddered, leaned forward and took her face between his hands. “Kaysha, you’ll help me, won’t you? You’ll be my family from now on.” She surged up and flung her arms around his neck. “Of course I’ll help you. I’m your wife and I’ll always be there for you.” She covered his face with tiny kisses, trying to reassure her husband he wasn’t on his own. “This came with the letter.” Nestled in Ailan’s upturned hand was a silver ring set with a blue stone and an embossed silver dragon, the emblem of Lan. It was undoubtedly old, the stone and dragon tarnished by the years. “It’s the ducal ring of Lan. I suppose now I’m the Duke, I’d better put it on.” “Let me.” Caishel took the ring and catching hold of his left hand she placed it on the middle finger. As she released his hand she felt her husband shudder. “What’s wrong, Ailan?” 170

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“This is weird. I’m the Duke, but I’ve never seen Lan or the previous Duke. It’s just so unreal and the ring feels different now I’m wearing it. Almost as if it’s come alive.” Caishel leaned forward and stared at the ring. “That’s strange. When I put it on your finger it was quite dull, but now it’s sparkling. Some gemstones react to the warmth of the skin, perhaps that’s what’s happened here.” “My little book of knowledge.” Ailan bent and kissed the tip of her nose. “I wonder what else you’ve got buried inside that pretty head of yours.” Ailan went to inform Duke Robard and make arrangements for their departure while Caishel called Toyvar to come and help her pack. Sard appeared to ask if they needed any errands run and Caishel drew him to one side. “Sard, you’ve only just been made Sire Ailan’s page, so if you don’t want to come with us to Lan, you’re quite within your rights to refuse. Ailan would make sure you get a good master to serve.” The look on the boy’s face was answer enough, but she allowed him to say what he thought. “Milady, I would like to go with you to Lan. If you’ll have me, that is.” “Relax, Sard, you’re very welcome.” She grinned at him the way the page Cail used to do. Patting him on the shoulder, she asked the boy to go and get more wooden crates for packing. “How about you, Toyvar, do you want to come with us?” she asked as the boy left the room. “Milady, how can you ask such a thing? Of course I’ll come with you. Who else would allow me to work as a lady’s maid?” The woman turned away, and Caishel saw her 171

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wipe her hand across her eyes. “Now then, Milady, surely you don’t want to take these old things with you?” The tips of Toyvar’s fingers held her mistress’ street urchin clothes as far from her body as possible, and Caishel laughed at the distasteful expression on her face. “Yes, I do, Toyvar. They remind me of how fortunate I’ve been. Besides,” she continued slyly. “You never know when I might need them again.” The two women completed the packing in record time, almost as if they wanted to put the past behind them. On Caishel’s part, she would be relieved to get away from Ardon Castle and Robard’s lands in general. She’d looked forward to embracing her new life as Ailan’s wife with freshness and vigour, but Brenauf and Jenu had soured her eagerness. Maybe a new place where nobody knew she had been Ailan’s page would give her a fresh start. She knew she could rely on Toyvar and Sard to keep silent about her past. “How’s the packing going?” Ailan asked as he avoided the boxes and sacks blocking the doorway. “Nearly finished.” Caishel replied. “What did Duke Robard say?” “Oh he knew it was coming, just not when. Can you be ready by tomorrow my love? The sooner we get to Lan, the better.” “Of course I can be ready, but what’s the rush?” Caishel linked her arm through Ailan’s and they wandered into the other room. “It will only take a moment by mattporter surely?” “We won’t be going by mattporter.” Ailan stopped and turned her to face him. “They’re only used for travelling to the ground and back. It’s impossible to realign them to a new location so far away. We’ll be travelling by nahhar and our goods will go by wagon.” 172

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“So, what’s the hurry?” “Kaysha, you do realise that Lan is the other side of the continent, don’t you?” “I knew it was further away than Duke Coscord’s, but no, I didn’t realise it was that far.” “Still want to come?” he asked slyly and laughed as she punched him playfully in the arm. “I take it that means yes. Lan is on the eastern seaboard. It’s about ten days travel from Ardon. The main revenue comes from prance herding and fishing. And now, my love, you know as much as I do about our new home, for I have to admit I’ve never been there.” “You’ve never...oh, your grandfather.” Caishel hugged him to take the sting out of her words. “Yes, my grandfather. He didn’t want anything to do with me, so I never got invited to the family home. Should be interesting to see what it’s like.” Ailan went to the closet, and chose his favourite evening suit. “I remember my father telling me about his boyhood at the castle. It hurt him so much when his father refused to see him after he married my mother. They’d been very close until then, but grandfather was apparently a stickler for doing things correctly and he considered my parents had broken the unwritten rule. Fortunately, that same sense of correctness is what made him make me his heir.” Caishel had listened with interest to this tale of Ailan’s history, but now she frowned. “What are you doing?” She waved a hand at the evening clothes and Ailan, who was removing his shirt and work trousers. “Getting ready for tonight. I didn’t think it worth bothering Sard, not when I’ve got my own well trained 173

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page standing right in front of me.” He pulled her to him, but she struggled from his grasp. “I meant why are you getting changed?” “Robard’s giving us a farewell dinner tonight. I told you about it, didn’t I?” “No you did not tell me.” Caishel stamped her slipper shod foot in exasperation. “I’ve packed my evening dress and now I’ll have to unpack it. You’re lucky we hadn’t got round to cleaning out your closet, otherwise you’d have nothing to wear either.” Still muttering to herself, she surged from the room calling for Toyvar to come quickly as they had a lot to do. Despite the rush, Toyvar worked wonders and within the hour, Ailan escorted a beautifully groomed and coiffured Caishel into the Grand Hall. The dinner was formal and Caishel and Ailan sat at the top table with Robard. The absence of Brenauf and Jenu made for a relaxed atmosphere and several of the ladies amused her by offering reassurances that they’d had nothing to do with the schemers, but they’d always known Jenu wasn’t to be trusted. Towards the end of the meal, just prior to the pitchers of kee being brought in, Robard stood and called for silence. “Sires, Capets and Miladies, many of you have known Ailan for years, and recently rejoiced with him when he took Milady Caishel as his bride. Unfortunately, Ardon Castle will be losing them tomorrow as they start on a journey to their new home. My lords and ladies, may I present to you the Duke and Duchess of Lan.” Robard looked from one to the other of the newlyweds and flapped his hands upwards to indicate they should stand. Totally embarrassed, the pair rose and bowed slightly to acknowledge the loud cheering from the assembled 174

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diners. Caishel tried to stand back and allow Ailan to take what she considered his just rewards, but he would have none of it and pulled her to stand beside him. The cheering eventually trailed off and people began to drift away from the table. Robard indicated that he’d like to speak to Caishel and Ailan alone and the remaining nobles moved towards the ever present fire. The Duke led the way to a small side room often used for private discussions between nobles. “Ailan, I would like to thank you for all you’ve done for me since you came to the castle as my page. It was the first time I’d had someone near my own age to talk to.” Robard held up his hand to stop Ailan interrupting. “I know you were six years younger, but to someone who’d been surrounded by people at least twenty years older, you were like a breath of fresh air. All these years you’ve stood by me, been my second in command, so to speak, and in many ways you’ve understood the problems of being the lord of all these people far better than I have. And now you’ve married this gorgeous lady who I’ve no doubt will stand by your side and be your helpmate through the years to come.” The Duke suddenly straightened and his words became brisk. “What I’m trying to say, my lord Duke of Lan, is that if ever you need my help or, dare I say it, my advice, you only have to ask. I can never repay all you’ve done to help me, but I’m here for you if ever you need me.” With a hearty clap on the shoulder, Robard took Ailan’s hand and pumped it up and down. Caishel turned her attention to smoothing down her skirts, aware that tears were pricking her eyes at this show of camaraderie between the two men. 175

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“You do realise what your responsibilities as a Duke entail, don’t you, Ailan?” Robard asked, looking pointedly at the ring on Ailan’s finger. “Of course, my lord,” Ailan replied. “You’ve trained me well.” Robard looked at his former Sire with a thoughtful expression on his face, then a wide grin spread across his face. “Why so formal, my lord Duke?” he asked. “If anyone’s earned the right to call me Robard, you have.”

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Chapter 13 Few people appeared to see them off the next morning and after a brief farewell, Ailan, Caishel and their two servants mattported down with the last of their baggage. The nahhars and main part of the load had been sent down by transport the day before. Both nahhars were saddled, their reins held by Porig who had stayed on the ground overnight to make sure his charges were well cared for. The groom helped the nobles mount, and then steadied Toyvar as she clambered up to sit beside the driver of the wagon. Porig and Sard hopped onto the tailgate. With a stamping of hooves from the large work beasts pulling the wagon, the journey began. Caishel had never left the Ardville area before and she looked around with interest as they left the town behind them. The countryside immediately around the town was flat and heavily cultivated with only the forest to the north left in its natural state. Caishel grinned, realising the people were more afraid of the forest spirits than their Duke. As they put more distance between them and Ardville, the crops faded out and pastureland gradually took over. At first the fields were lush and well fenced with various animals dotted across them, but as the homesteads became fewer, the land turned rough with stubby grass and stunted 177

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bushes struggling to survive. On the horizon, Caishel saw hills crouching before white capped mountains and she shivered. The countryside had always beckoned her, but despite her companions, she thought the area a very wild and lonely place. “Are you cold, my love?” Ailan moved closer as he saw her tremble. “No, a bit spooked. The land is so desolate.” “A few hundred years ago the sky castles used to keep more than just the ceremonial guards and all the men were taught how to use arms, not just the nobles. Castle fought castle and this empty landscape was the result.” He swept his arm round to include the land from horizon to horizon. “What happened?” Caishel wanted to know. “Luckily, the Dukes came to their senses. They all signed a treaty vowing to help each other instead of fighting. It didn’t come about immediately, but after about fifty years things began to settle down. Unfortunately, it takes longer for the land to recover.” For several days their routine stayed the same: up at dawn, eat breakfast and drink a cup of hot kee, then break camp and travel until midday when they stopped for lunch. Rest for a while until the sun passed its zenith, then travel on until an hour before sunset when they would begin to look for a camping site. Caishel, still a novice rider, found the journey by nahhar hard on her rear, so she tried travelling on the wagon with Toyvar. Sitting beside the driver, she watched with interest as the man drove the vehicle. The beasts pulling the wagon were distant cousins of the nahhars but they were of a heavier build and their horns were mere nubs in their foreheads. The driver held the reins in one hand, in the other he held a rod which stuck up out of the 178

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floor. Most of the time the rod was pushed right forward, but when the wagon started down a hill he pulled the lever back. How much depended on the steepness of the hill. Although she’d often hitched illegal rides on the tailgates of wagons when she’d been an urchin, she’d only gone short distances. Caishel soon found travelling for long periods over unpaved roads to be an entirely different matter. The seat felt hard, despite cushioning by cloaks and the noise and smell of beasts wafted back over the wagon, making her feel quite sick. Before long, she abandoned the wagon for her beloved Raglon. “I think I’d rather get sore from riding my beautiful mare than by the jolting and nauseous stench of the wagon,” she commented to Ailan as he helped her mount, and then got quite cross when he laughed at her. “Why can’t they make them with engines like the transports?” “We don’t make the transports, Kaysha. The engines, mattporters and even the sealed engines that keep the sky castles aloft, were inherited from the ancients. Hejmen hasn’t got the metal to make things like that, but luckily the stores are full of replacement parts so we can keep them running.” “I don’t understand.” Caishel frowned. “If we can fit the replacement parts, surely we can make the things ourselves, using something other than metal.” “Unfortunately that’s not possible. There’s no machinery to turn out the parts, but most important is that without the power cells nothing would work. The cells are sealed units and over the centuries a lot of clever people have tried to open them to duplicate them, but they have a tendency to explode if they’re tampered with.” “But doesn’t that mean when the power cells run out, the castles will fall from the sky?” Caishel was horrified. 179

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The world she’d always known wasn’t the well-ordered place she’d thought it to be. Instead it had been built on the slippery sands of ignorance. “I don’t think it will come to that, Kaysha.” Ailan reached across and patted her hand reassuringly. “There are millions of cells stockpiled throughout Hejmen. Enough to last for several of our lifetimes.” Caishel still felt on edge, but tried not to let Ailan see her fears. He would have enough to worry about in a few days when they arrived at the castle. The hills and mountains gradually grew nearer until after several days of traveling, the road began to climb steadily. “Let’s stop for lunch shall we?” Ailan suggested as a clearing appeared on the side of the road. “Give us some stamina for climbing up to the pass.” “You mean we have to go up there?” Caishel looked up the road to the mountains that overshadowed everything from this angle. “Right over the top?” “Not to the top, my love.” Ailan grinned at the expression on her face. “Before the mountains take over from the hills completely, there’s a road that leads through Ardon Pass to the other side of the continent. Duke Robard visited Lan many years ago and he estimates that when we reach the other side we’ll only be two days away from the Castle of Lan.” Ailan waved for the wagon to pull into the clearing and the driver nodded and hauled on the reins. After lunch the servants repacked the wagon and climbed back on board while Ailan helped Caishel to mount her nahhar. “Ready to move?” Ailan looked over his shoulder to see that everyone was seated, then shook Garlon’s reins and the stallion moved forward. 180

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Behind them, the driver shook the reins and released the brake but, although the beasts pulled willingly, the wagon didn’t move. After several attempts he got down from his perch and tied the reins to a tree while he examined the wagon. The riders turned back to see what was wrong. “Sorry, my lord Duke, I think the brakes have seized,” the driver said apologetically. “Will it take long to put right?” Caishel asked. She felt more capable of tackling the climb now that she’d eaten, and was eager to be on her way. “Several hours, Milady,” the driver replied. “The wagon has to be unloaded before I can lift the wheels on blocks. Then once I’ve freed and re-greased the brakes, everything will have to be reloaded again.” “In that case, we might as well camp here tonight.” Ailan dismounted and helped Caishel down. Porig moved forward and led the nahhars away to graze and drink at the small stream to one side of the clearing, while Sard helped Toyvar clamber down from the wagon again. With all of them helping, it didn’t take long for the wagon to be unloaded. “Well it’s a relief that’s done,” Toyvar commented. “An afternoon sitting on soft grass is just what I need after that hard seat.” She looked slyly at Ailan and Caishel. “Why don’t you two go for a walk and let me have a nice rest.” Laughing at Toyvar’s forthrightness and suffering from the lack of privacy over the last few days, Caishel and Ailan wandered off into the bush. They followed an animal track for some distance before it emerged into another clearing with a small pool fed by a waterfall. “Last one in is a preeve.” Caishel stripped her riding clothes from her body and raced towards the pool. 181

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She climbed onto a rock at the edge and paused for a moment with her arms stretched high above her head, taut breasts outlined against the waterfall before she executed a graceful dive into the crystal clear water. Pushing upwards, her head broke the surface in time to see Ailan throw his naked body from the same rock. She waited for him to reappear and became concerned when the water remained calm, not a ripple disturbing the mirror like surface. She was about to take a deep breath and duck her head under to see if she could find him, when her ankles were grasped from below and a huge tug dragged her down. Eyes open, she saw Ailan grinning at her through the silvery liquid and pulling him close she pressed her lips against his. In a welter of bubbles they rose to the surface. Ailan broke the kiss and gasped, desperately dragging air into his lungs while Caishel covered his wet chest in tiny kisses, each kiss lower than the previous one. Not to be outdone, Ailan pulled her towards the bank until Caishel felt the ground beneath her feet. He kissed her again, his lips trailing down her neck, across her breasts and down to the waterline at her navel. Caishel’s hips swayed in time with the water, making little ripples expand into larger circles. Despite the coolness of the pool, her body flushed as Ailan’s kisses sent wave after wave of heat rippling through her. Her excitement surged from the tips of her toes and fingers and even the hair on the top of her head felt alive with the tension of her emotions. Ailan’s kisses travelled up her body, keeping her at fever pitch until his lips found hers. His hands reached below the water to her buttocks and lifting her up he slid her slowly onto him. The combination of the heat of her body, the coolness of the water and Ailan’s scorching thrusts sent Caishel into a frenzy. She linked her arms 182

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around his neck and her body bucked and thrashed violently until she completely lost control. All the time he held her steady, his arms linked under her buttocks and feet braced to keep them upright. Her last shudder was so strong that Ailan gave one final thrust and exploded inside her before he lost his balance. Bodies still entwined, they tumbled below the water in a welter of arms and legs. Strength spent, they broke the surface and Caishel floated lazily, while Ailan leaned against the side of the pool breathing deeply. Sometime later, he swam slowly over to Caishel and before she realised his intention, he ducked her under the water. Spluttering with assumed wrath, she surfaced only to find he had disappeared. Turning from side to side, she searched for him, but his attack took her by surprise as his hands grabbed her ankles and tipped her upside down. “Enough!” she cried as she surfaced and he homed in for another attack. “I feel lazy and just want to float along on the water.” Ailan grinned at her, but didn’t renew his assault and she watched fondly as he swam the length of the pool with strong clean strokes. Lying back, she floated lazily, arms outstretched as she enjoyed the sunshine. The water lapped delicately at her skin and she felt pleasantly satiated. Her eyes opened lazily as she sensed Ailan beside her. He floated on his back and he reached across until his hand found hers. She closed her eyes again, and together they floated across the warm water, allowing it to take them where it wanted. A tiny breeze sprang up and Caishel wasn’t aware they were being pushed closer to the waterfall until the texture of the water changed from velvet smoothness, to bubbling 183

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turbulence. Unable to pull back quickly enough, they both sank beneath the welter of bubbles. Spluttering from the water she’d swallowed, Caishel pushed upwards and broke the surface then swam a few strokes from the waterfall. She turned, expecting to see Ailan close behind her, but there was no sign of him. “Ailan,” she called. “Stop playing games and show yourself.” He didn’t reply and she still couldn’t see him. Turning quickly in a full circle, she called again. “Ailan! Where are you?” Frantic with worry, she dived beneath the surface. Ailan’s body swung lazily with the rhythm of the water, but his feet seemed to be attached to the bottom. Remembering her mother’s actions when her little brother had fallen into the river and stopped breathing, Caishel placed her lips over his and blew air into his lungs. Quickly pushing upwards, she reached the surface, gasped more air into her own lungs and dived back down. This time she swam towards Ailan’s feet. Somehow he had become entangled in the weeds at the bottom of the pond. She felt near to tears as she tugged desperately at his foot. Eventually she managed to pull him free. Pushing his body in front of her, she headed for the surface where she gulped in huge lungfuls of air, and filled Ailan’s lungs again. Struggling with the extra load of Ailan’s unconscious body, Caishel managed to tow him to the bank. Frantically, she dragged him up onto the grass, and turned him onto his back. Still using her mother’s life saving methods she pounded his chest and blew air into his lungs until at last he coughed and a great gush of water rushed from his mouth. Caishel used the last of her strength to turn him on his side and then she collapsed beside him. The sunshine had 184

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dried their bodies before they became aware of each other again. She looked across at him and found him looking at her. “You saved me, my love. Thank you.” “What happened?” she asked and her hand crept slowly across until her fingers touched his. “I’m not sure,” he replied. “I tried to swim back to the surface, but it was as if something grabbed my foot and kept me down there. I struggled to break free, but I couldn’t and then I felt myself fading away. Next thing I knew I was lying here with you beside me. Did you drag me out?” “Well I wasn’t going to leave you there to drown, was I?” she replied brusquely, relieved that they had both survived. “Ailan, is someone trying to kill you?” “What?” He looked genuinely surprised. “Whatever makes you think that?” “Since I’ve known you, you’ve had a lot of mishaps, and you’ve probably had more that you haven’t told me about.” She decided not to tell him about the spirit; he might think she was being silly. “Accidents, my beloved. And accidents can happen to anybody, I’m just unlucky.” He stroked her cheek. “The sun’s going down and Thida is rising. Maybe we should get dressed before someone comes looking for us.” Caishel realised the subject was closed as far as he was concerned, but she knew what had happened was no accident.

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Chapter 14 “Milady. Sire Ailan.” Sard’s piping treble accompanied by the sound of snapping twigs disturbed them as they scrambled into their clothes and quickly tidied their appearance. “Toyvar says dinner’s nearly ready and you’re to come right away.” The boy looked curiously at their flushed faces. “Oh, and the wagon’s been fixed.” Exchanging secret smiles and holding hands, they followed Sard and joined the rest of their party, but Caishel blushed when Toyvar gave her a knowing look. They spent the night as they had the previous ones of their journey, lying together beneath the glow of Thida and the stars, unable to express their love with more than a chaste kiss. Tonight it didn’t matter, the glow of their lovemaking in the pool remained with Caishel until she fell asleep. The following day the party climbed up the foothills of the high reaching mountains. The higher they went, the colder it became until they reached the light covering of snow in the pass. Before entering the narrow track they stopped. Porig and Sard covered the nahhar’s feet with wool lined leather socks and put chains on the wagon’s wheels. 186

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“What is this stuff?” Caishel asked, rubbing the snow between her fingers. “Snow, my love. We don’t bother with weather control on the mountains, so this is totally natural.” Ailan bent to the ground and when he stood, he held a ball of the feathery whiteness in his hand. Assuming he’d picked it up to show it to her in more detail, Caishel moved towards him. Ailan laughed and threw the snowball at her, but her street trained reflexes automatically took over and she ducked. The snowball missed her, but when Caishel stood up she had formed her own missile, which she threw at Ailan. “Stop! Stop!” Ailan cried several minutes later. “I give in. You might not have seen snow before, but you certainly know how to win a snowball fight.” Porig and Sard had finished putting on the animals’ protective footwear. They mounted and Ailan led the way with Caishel close behind him. The wagon followed their tracks, the sound of its passing muffled by the ground cover. Snow had banked up to either side of the pass, but on the road the going was easier. Granite peaks towered over them, their shadows thrown across the ground filtering the daylight. Despite the icy whiteness, the going proved easy and soon the road started to widen as they neared the far side of the pass. “What’s that rumbling sound?” Caishel cocked her head on one side. “Probably one of the beasts complaining about the cold,” Ailan replied, turning in his saddle to look back at the lumbering vehicle. “No, it’s coming from up there.” Caishel looked at the rocky heights above her and gasped. “Ailan, the mountain’s moving.” 187

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High above them the snow slid slowly downwards, gathering momentum as it moved. “Ride. Go as fast as you can,” Ailan yelled, slapping Raglon across the rear before he called back to the wagon driver. “Avalanche. Right on top of you. Give it all you’ve got.” Raglon charged down the path and Caishel clung to the nahhar’s neck, struggling to keep her seat. Head pressed close to the animal, she managed to glance behind her. Garlon pounded in her wake, reducing the distance between them until the big blue nahhar came alongside the silver one. The rock walls on either side disappeared as the pass ended abruptly, but Ailan grabbed Raglon’s bridle and their mounts fairly flew across the mountain pasture, only slowing when they reached the far side, close to a small copse of trees. Ailan pulled on the reins until both nahhars slowed to a stop. Worried about their friends, Caishel looked back at the pass, but all she could see were whirls of white snow billowing and puffing from the gap between the cliffs. Gradually the billows turned to turbulent clouds as the wagon erupted from the hidden chasm. Pulled by the two terrified beasts, the vehicle sped across the pasture, snow pouring in its wake like a huge white beast determined to catch its prey. The nearer the wagon came, the more the avalanche slowed until the vehicle drew up next to them, the sound of the laboured breathing of the draught beasts making the nahhars prance nervously. In the silence after the wagon stopped, they heard the soft sigh of the snow as it settled a mere body’s length away from them. “Is everyone all right?” Ailan looked first at Caishel then checked everyone else. “I don’t think it’s a good idea 188

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to stop here. There might be further snow falls. We’d better press on and find a camping ground lower down.” As they rode on, Caishel thought about what she’d seen when the avalanche started. Above the moving snow, she’d caught a glimpse of a white figure. For a moment she wondered if it was coincidence, but immediately dismissed the idea. Every time something happened to Ailan, the spirit appeared. Even if it wasn’t actually causing the accidents, it certainly had something to do with them. Two hours later they left the mountains behind them and dropped down to rolling grassy plains. “See those hills.” Ailan pointed to a blur on the horizon. “They’re about a day’s ride. When we get to the other side the map shows we’ll be in the Dukedom of Lan.” Caishel narrowed her eyes, trying to get a clearer view, but the distant hills remained a blur. As the next day progressed, the horizon became more detailed until they arrived at the base of the nearest hill in the glow of the setting sun. They packed up camp early the next morning and started the gradual incline to the top of the hill. Ailan and Caishel sat side by side at its summit, looking down on their new home. Fields and farmhouses dotted the countryside below, and in the distance a huddle of buildings indicated a town with a castle floating above it. None of them held Caishel’s interest. Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened as she caught sight of the expanse of blue beyond the town. “Is that really water?” she asked. “I never dreamed there could be so much in one place.” “That, my love, is the sea.” Ailan smiled at her surprise. “The town not only trades its crops, it also has a fleet which supplies fish to places like Ardon.” 189

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“I think I’m going to enjoy living near the sea.” Caishel smiled back. “My mother used to cook delicious fish meals, but it’s not an easy thing to steal from the stalls.” Slowly they descended to the plains until they reached a road and the lopsided signpost told them they were on the main thoroughfare to Lan. Once on the paved way their speed increased and at noon Ailan called a halt. “I estimate we should reach the town in another hour. Let’s stop for lunch first; then we can arrive in Lan early in the afternoon.” “Does anyone know we’re coming?” Caishel asked. “Did you send a letter telling them when to expect us?” “Not exactly. I wrote to the steward and told him we would be arriving within ten days. I thought that would give them enough time to get things ready for us, plus we would be able to take our time on the journey.” “There’s something not quite right with that castle.” “What?” He turned to see what she was looking at and frowned. Caishel thought the Castle of Lan looked odd but she couldn’t figure out why. And by the look on his face neither could Ailan. Maybe when they got closer the wrongness would become self evident. Ailan obviously had trouble restraining his impatience while the party ate lunch. As soon as they were finished he took Porig aside for a few moments then literally threw Caishel into the saddle before leaping onto Garlon’s back. “Let’s go.” He said brusquely. Clapping his heels to the blue’s sides he surged forward. Taken by surprise, Caishel was left behind, but Raglon seemed eager to stay with her stablemate and she immediately responded to Caishel’s flick of the reins and raced to catch up with Garlon. Ailan travelled so fast the 190

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mare didn’t achieve this until he reined the blue stallion in at the edge of the town. Caishel caught up with him and saw him staring up in dismay at the castle, which dipped alarmingly towards them. “It’s not too bad is it?” Caishel asked. “A properly maintained castle shouldn’t tilt at all,” Ailan snapped, then flashed an apologetic smile. “Sorry, Kaysha, it’s a bit of a disappointment seeing it like that. It indicates the whole place must be run down.” They made their way slowly through the town and Caishel noticed people in the streets stopped talking when they caught sight of her and Ailan. Glancing behind, she saw them huddle in conversation once they’d passed. One or two of the shopkeepers scowled at them and even the street urchins kept their distance. This puzzled Caishel as she knew from experience the street boys took every chance they could to beg or steal and new faces in town meant fresh pickings. Their route took them through the market place. In the gaps between the buildings she could see the harbour. The squawking birds hovering above the water attracted Caishel and she stopped to look at the fascinating sight of the boats, but realising how far Ailan had moved ahead of her, she dragged her eyes away from the intriguing view and hurried to catch up with him. They rode into the sky port square where the castle transports should be docked, but Caishel noticed a difference between the traffic of Castle Lan and Ardon Castle. Whereas the latter had a never-ending stream of transports and freighters ferrying people and goods back and forth, here not one vehicle flew the skies. The port buildings looked dirty and deserted. Ailan dismounted and handing his reins to Caishel, he entered the terminal. 191

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Within moments he had returned, brushing the dust from his hands. “Nobody there,” he told her. “And it doesn’t look as if anyone’s been there for some time.” “Where are they all?” “I have no idea.” The noise of their wagon arriving alerted them and Ailan turned toward the entrance to the square as their goods and servants entered. Caishel dismounted when the groom came forward to take the nahhars’ reins. “Porig, hold them tight would you? I’m going to try something.” Ailan disappeared inside the terminal and a moment later a noise like a wounded prancer erupted from the top of the building. The nahhars danced nervously, but Porig held them firmly and when the emergency klaxon stopped they waited expectantly in the sudden silence. First to arrive were the urchins who sidled round the edges of the square, then people appeared at the entrances, pushed nervously forward by the press of others behind them. To the noise of shuffling feet the square filled, but nobody stepped up to question them. Ailan leapt onto a mounting block. “Where is the Portmaster?” he called. The crowd muttered but nobody answered, and he called out again. “You there. Where’s the Portmaster?” The individual he had pointed at slipped back into the crowd, but although the muttering increased, still no one spoke directly to them. Caishel edged slowly behind the wagon until she was out of sight of the crowd, then fishing a d’jar out of her 192

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pocket she beckoned to the nearest urchin, letting him see the coin in her hand. “You answer, you get coin.” She reverted to street cant as the urchin sidled up to her. “You tell where man is.” “He there.” The boy seemed amazed at her mode of speech, but he indicated a small man trying to hide behind a larger person near the front of the crowd. Caishel flipped the coin at the lad and rejoined her husband. Standing on tiptoe she whispered in his ear. Ailan jumped down from his viewpoint and strode forward into the crowd. When he reappeared he was dragging the Portmaster with him. “I would like to know why the port appears to be closed.” Ailan let go of the man, but made sure Porig, who had handed the nahhar reins to Sard, was standing behind him. “Who wants to know?” The words were surly as the man brushed and straightened his dishevelled clothing. “Speak respectfully when you talk to your Duke.” Porig clouted the man from behind. “Duke? What Duke?” “I am Ailan, the new Duke of Lan and I would like transport to the castle for my party and goods.” The mutters of the crowd gave the Portmaster courage, although he took care to be out of Porig’s reach before he spoke. “You can like all you want, but there are no transports. Haven’t been for ages.” “You mean nobody uses the transports?” Ailan stated, waving back Porig who looked as if he was going to use violent persuasion to make the Portmaster speak more civilly. 193

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“Can’t use what isn’t there,” the man muttered, keeping a wary eye on the groom. “They’re all up at the castle. The only time we see one is when they want something. They don’t trust the likes of us not to steal the transports.” “Has the old Duke died then?” a woman called from the crowd. “This is worse than I thought,” Ailan said in an aside to Caishel. “Nobody’s even told them about Serlan’s death.” He turned back to the crowd. “How do you contact the castle?” “Don’t.” The reply was abrupt. “They port down when they want something, but there’s no way for us to get hold of them since they disconnected the voice speaker.” “Can I use the mattporter to get to the castle?” he asked the Portmaster. “Nope. No operator. You might be able to get up that way if you know how to work it,” the man answered after considering the question for some minutes. “It all depends on if there’s enough charge in the power cells.” “Show me, man.” Ailan stood back and the Portmaster hesitated, then moved quickly forward as Porig scowled at him. A few moments later Ailan returned to tell Caishel the mattporter power cells held just enough charge for one port to the castle. “I’ll go up and let them know we’re here, then return with a transport,” he told her. “No,” Caishel said firmly. “Don’t you see, it wouldn’t look right for the new Duke to do that, plus it might be dangerous. What if they don’t believe you? You’d be all on your own up there and you’re far too trusting at times. Let Porig go.” 194

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“Milady’s right, Sire,” Porig said, forgetting their new station in life as he spoke quickly to prevent Ailan from going skywards. “It’s not right for you to go and find out why there’s no provision to get you to the castle. Duke Robard would have sent a servant.” His last statement made Ailan stop and think, then he nodded. “Very well, go and stir them up, Porig, I want a transport big enough for you and the nahhars and the goods on the wagon, and a personal transport for my wife, Sard, Toyvar and myself.” He glanced at the crowd who were watching events with a sign of interest. “In the meantime, I will bring these people up to date with what’s happening.” Porig went off with the Portmaster and Ailan hopped back onto the mounting block. “Madam, I believe you asked after Duke Serlan, I regret to tell you that he died over a week ago. My name is Ailan, son of Golan and grandson of Duke Serlan. As his grandson I am his heir and inherit the Dukedom of Lan. Has no one told you of my grandfather’s death?” “No one tells us anything,” someone in the crowd grumbled. “That’s right. We haven’t seen Duke Serlan for over a year now. If you hadn’t turned up they wouldn’t have bothered to tell us the old man was dead.” The speaker jerked her thumb at the castle. “Someone must have come down from the castle to send the message to me,” Ailan insisted. “Persan ported down about ten days ago. He went out to the northcoast farms for a few days, then came back and ported up again.” A merchant at the front of the crowd told him. 195

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“That’s probably why the cells are low,” Ailan commented to Caishel. A roaring in the sky made all faces look upward. A small bullet shape passenger transport headed for the port while, moving at a much slower pace, a large freighter lumbered behind it. Caishel noticed the outer fringes of the crowd drifting away and by the time the craft landed on the pad on the other side of the building, very few people were left. “Stay here,” Ailan ordered Sard and Toyvar. Taking Caishel’s hand, he led her through the building to the landing area. A tall tawny haired man hurried towards them, dressed in the livery of the Duke of Lan. “My lord Duke, I’m sorry we weren’t prepared for you.” The man seemed sincere in his apologies. “Please allow me to welcome you to Lan and offer my escort to the castle.” “We have servants, nahhars and belongings to transport up as well.” Ailan’s tone was frosty. He was clearly not amused that things were not ready for the new Duke, despite the fact he had not indicated an exact date for his arrival. “The freighter has space for your luggage and nahhars. Your man insists on travelling with them back to the castle. He’s in the freighter checking that it meets with his approval. This way, Duke Ailan.” The man stood to one side to allow Ailan to pass, but he refused to do so. “We will wait until my groom is here,” he stated firmly. “In the meantime you can tell me your name.” “My pardon, Duke Ailan, my name is Dossman. I’m the steward of your lands and castle.” 196

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Caishel had remained in the background until now and she doubted if the steward had noticed her. Ailan took her by the hand and drew her forward. “My wife, the Duchess Caishel,” he told Dossman. “Milady.” Dossman nodded curtly in her direction. Had she imagined it? Had Dossman’s tone been cold and condescending? Ailan obviously thought so. “You will address my wife properly, Dossman,” he snapped. “Your pardon, Duchess Caishel.” The steward bowed in her direction, his face hidden by his movement. “Please forgive me. My mind is distracted, wondering how else we might have failed our new Duke.” Porig appeared before Caishel could reply and Ailan sent him out to the square to oversee the transfer of luggage and animals. “Best keep Sard to help you, but tell him to report to me once he’s seen the luggage taken to our suite,” Ailan instructed the groom. “Tell the Duchess’ maid to attend us now.” Toyvar joined them and the party entered the passenger shuttle to take their seats for the trip to the castle. Caishel remembered her first trip in a transport, but looking up at the Castle of Lan, she realised this was an entirely different journey. Their craft had sole occupancy of the sky and the docking bays beneath the castle had a look of neglect. Despite the hulks of several transports, there was no sign of the hustle and bustle of Ardon Castle. She glanced down at the town of Landon. Again, the contrast with Ardville was extreme. No gardens decorated the rooftops and the lack of bridges connecting the top levels of the buildings suggested that in Landon the 197

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merchants lived at street level. The only thing that looked clean and fresh was the sparkling waters of the sea. In the moments before they flew underneath the castle, she noticed the lawns around the building were completely overgrown and the arms of woody shrubs intertwined in a way no decent gardener would have allowed. If she’d thought the lower regions of Ardon Castle were dull and utilitarian, the region she now entered made Robard’s docking levels seem like a palace. Dirt and grime covered the walls while rubbish huddled in the corners, and she was sure she saw something moving in the piles of refuse. “I’m sorry, Duke Ailan, the dropchutes are not working in the lower regions,” Dossman apologised. Ailan nodded, but did not speak as they climbed stairs that reflected the filth of the docking levels. Passing through the doorway into the living section of the castle brought them to a slightly cleaner area. “Needs a good polish,” Toyvar muttered as she ran her hand along a table top, leaving a trail in the dust. “Duke Serlan was confined to his bed for some months and the main part of the castle has not been used for a long time.” Dossman tried to excuse the mess. Caishel wondered what thoughts were passing through Ailan’s head. He’d been looking forward to putting into practice all the things he’d learnt with Robard, but he’d expected a reasonably well run estate, not this. The dropchute on these levels appeared to be in better condition than the rest of the castle, although the ride was bumpy, with no resemblance to the smoothness of the ones at Ardon Castle. The corridors to the apartments were slightly cleaner than those below, but the tapestries looked 198

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worn and faded and very few of the heatglobes and brightglobes were working. “This is the master suite.” Dossman opened a door at the end of the corridor. “The old Duke’s rooms.” Caishel shivered as they entered a large room with a high ceiling. No wonder she felt cold, no fire brightened the hearth and she couldn’t see any heatglobes radiating warmth. The darkness of the walls absorbed the light shining in from the corridor making the whole room feel dark and sinister. She assumed Duke Serlan had died here, and wondered how long it had been since the body had been removed and cremated. Behind her, Toyvar tutted under her breath in disgust. “I think we’ll go to the Hall.” Ailan’s distaste was plain on his face. “Presumably there’s a fire there.” “I’ll try to get things sorted out here, Milady,” Toyvar said quietly to Caishel. “You go with the Duke and get warm.” Patting Toyvar’s shoulder and smiling her thanks, Caishel walked after Ailan who didn’t seem to realise she had followed him. Castle Lan’s Hall was small compared to Duke Robard’s and the abnormal tilt showed in the angle of the floor. Faded and worn tapestries decorated the walls, but the chilly stone floors were bare. Heat from the meagre fire didn’t warm more than the immediate area around it. Ailan headed for the chairs beside the circular hearth in the centre of the room. Becoming conscious of Caishel’s presence, he politely waited until she sat in one of the dusty seats before sitting down himself. “Sit.” He waved Dossman to another chair. “I think there are some things which need explaining here. First, it’s less than two weeks since my grandfather died and you 199

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knew we were coming, if not exactly when. Why wasn’t there any transport waiting for us? Why didn’t the townspeople know that Duke Serlan had died? And more to the point, why is the estate so run down? I know that Serlan was old and ill, but you are the steward and should make sure everything ran smoothly, even if the Duke had not got his hands on the wheel.” “My lord Duke—” “Duke Ailan will do, Dossman,” Ailan interrupted. “As you wish.” Dossman nodded his head politely. “May I take your questions in reverse order? The main reason for the run down appearance of the estate and castle is because there is no money. We have had several seasons of bad harvests due to the weather. The fishing has also been bad and because of this we’ve had to restrict use of the transports, cut back on staff and generally economise. That’s why everything is so dilapidated.” “I don’t understand. Why hasn’t the weather control been adjusted for the crops? There shouldn’t have been bad harvests.” “At first Duke Serlan was too ill to adjust the weather, then he seemed to stop caring what happened and eventually took to his bed. I tried, Duke Ailan, really I did, but it seemed every time I made any headway with the crops, the fishing tailed off and when we got that sorted out, something else would happen. With a reduced staff I couldn’t keep on top of things.” “Very well, we’ll look into that in more detail later. Why is the castle tilting at such an alarming angle?” “I know it will sound strange, but it seemed that as the old Duke became weaker, the castle became more unbalanced. When he died the castle tilted as you see it now.” 200

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“Very strange! Finally, why didn’t you make any preparations for our arrival?” “As you said, Duke Ailan, we were not aware of the exact time you would come. I ordered a lookout to be posted at the edge of town to let us know as soon as you were sighted so we could send down the transports. I shall look into why he was not at his post.” Dossman hurried on before Ailan could interrupt again. “I also sent a message to the Portmaster advising him of Duke Serlan’s demise and asking him to inform the other dignitaries. I shall personally look into why this message was not delivered.” “Very well, Dossman, I’ll wait until I’ve got a better grasp on the situation before I take it any further. That’s all for now.” “I’d like to ask something,” Caishel said as Dossman rose from his chair. “One moment, Dossman.” Ailan looked wearily at his wife. “Go ahead, Caishel, ask away.” “Dossman, you keep referring to ‘we’. Who exactly is ‘we’?” “We were forced to reduce the staff until only three of us were left. Myself, the chatelaine and the head groom, but with so little to do, the chatelaine started looking for another post. Then she had an unfortunate accident. That left myself and the head groom. We’re the only staff in the castle now. Persan, the groom, drove the freighter when you came up from downside.” Ever since they’d sat down, Dossman had ignored her and even when answering the question he looked at Ailan, not Caishel. “If there are no servants at the castle, does that mean there is no one to cook or clean?” 201

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“We used to have a couple of women come up once a week from the town, but that stopped when we couldn’t pay them. We look after ourselves now and, of course, we tended the Duke until he died.” “In that case I’d better find the kitchens, or we might not get anything to eat tonight.” Caishel turned as Sard came into the Hall. “Ailan, may I borrow Sard for a while?” “I’m not sure I like you working in the kitchens. Can’t Toyvar get a meal together?” Ailan frowned, evidently choosing his next words carefully. “You’re a Duchess now, my love, and you must act like one.” “Ailan, I’d rather be a well fed nobody than a starving Duchess.” She stood in her familiar urchin stance with feet spread and hands on hips, forgetting that she wore skirts. “Also one of my responsibilities as a Duchess is to look after the people who are in my care and that means feeding them.” With a nod to Dossman she stormed from the Hall and a resigned Ailan indicated Sard should follow her. “I think you’d better fetch Toyvar and bring her to the kitchens,” Caishel told Sard as she headed in the direction she assumed the kitchens to be in. “And while you’re at it, change into something more suitable for dirty work.” Her sense of direction hadn’t failed her and she soon found the kitchens. Toyvar and Sard arrived to find her standing in the middle of a dark, dirty cavern wondering where to start. “I took the liberty of bringing one of my dresses for you, Milady.” Toyvar wore her usual dark grey working dress with a matching kerchief round her head to protect her hair. Caishel popped into a storeroom and changed her clothes. Emerging into the main kitchen she rolled up her sleeves and organised her workforce. 202

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“First, we clean a large enough space so we can work properly. Sard, go fill some buckets with water while Toyvar and I get the fire going.” The kitchen hearth overflowed with cold ashes and the cooking range had thick congealed grease covering it completely. “It looks as if no one’s bothered to clean this for some time,” Toyvar commented, running a cloth over the range then grimacing at the result. “Leave that for now,” Caishel said as she shovelled the ashes into a large container. “We’ll use the hearth tonight and make a vegetable stew as that seems to be all there is in the storeroom.” “Do you know how to make a stew?” Toyvar asked with a surprised look on her face. “Yes, I do.” Caishel laughed. “I didn’t always live on the streets you know. My mother had me with her in the kitchen from the time I could walk. She was a good housekeeper and made sure the family had the right things to eat. By the time she died, I could cook and keep house almost as well as she could. The only thing I never got the hang of was sewing. I seemed to be all thumbs when it came to that.” Sard came back with two buckets of water and Caishel sent him off to the storeroom to collect as many of the vegetables as he could carry. “And see if you can find any flour as well. I noticed some dried yeast somewhere, so we might be able to have bread with our stew.” Sard hurried off and the women struggled for some time until they managed to get the fire lit. “Let go of me.” 203

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Caishel sprang to her feet as a struggling Sard returned with a swarthy looking man twisting his arm up behind his back. “Little thief,” the man snarled. “Take the food right out of our mouths, would you?” “I’m not a thief,” Sard insisted, wincing as the stranger jerked his arm even higher. “Brought your friends to help, I see.” The man threw Sard from him and the page landed in a heap at Caishel’s feet. Behind her, she could feel Toyvar bristle with indignation so she stepped quickly forward. “I suggest you find out who you’re talking to before you accuse someone of theft,” she said with as much dignity as she could muster. “Who are you anyway?” “I’ll ask the questions here.” The man took a threatening step forward, but Caishel stood firm, she’d dealt with bullies like this before. “Hid yourselves on the transport did you? You’ll be punished for that. Give me your names and who you work for.” “I work for no one. My name is Caishel, Duchess of Lan. These are my maid Toyvar and Sard, the Duke’s page. Now, who are you?” The man’s eyes narrowed and he stood looking them up and down for a moment before shaking his head. “Nice try, but your voice has a hint of street cant and no Duchess would be down here in the kitchens dressed like that.” His expression became calculating as if he liked what he saw. “Maybe if you’re nice to me, I can overlook your stealing.” He moved towards Caishel and she felt a tremor of fright pass through her. How could she make this man believe that she was the new Duchess? 204

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Chapter 15 “I’ll ask you for the last time, who are you?” Caishel’s temper rose as she refused to be intimidated. She hadn’t liked the man from the instant he’d marched poor Sard into the kitchen, and his attitude since had not improved her opinion. “I see you’ve met the Duchess, Persan.” They all turned to look at Dossman who stood in the kitchen doorway a look of smug satisfaction on his face. “After you make your apologies to Duchess Caishel, Duke Ailan would like to see you.” “Milady, please, I’m so sorry.” Persan bowed low in front of Caishel, practically grovelling. “There is so little in the way of provisions that we’ve had to guard what we’ve got carefully, and I didn’t recognise your boy without his fancy uniform. I hope the Duchess can forgive this little misunderstanding.” The only sign of forgiveness Caishel gave was a sharp nod. Despite his words, his eyes showed that he hated having to apologise to a mere woman. Her eyes narrowed as the man walk past her to Dossman. To her surprise, the steward’s expression darkened with dislike once Persan had passed him. No love lost there, she thought as she turned back to the hearth. 205

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An hour later, with the soup bubbling merrily and the bread dough steadily rising, Caishel sent Sard off to change so he would be clean and tidy for dinner. “Will you be all right here, Toyvar?” she asked. “I’d like to sort out the ducal suite. The glimpse I got of it gave me the shivers.” “I unpacked your clothes, but didn’t have time to get a fire started Milady. You stay here in the warm and keep an eye on the food while I attend to your rooms,” Toyvar protested. “Thank you, but no, I’d like to set the rooms up as I want them.” Caishel dimpled at Toyvar. “But you could send Sard up with some logs for the fire when he gets back.” “Very well, Milady.” Toyvar shook her head. In the short time she’d worked for Caishel, she’d learned that the Duchess could be stubborn and it was inadvisable to try and change her mind. Caishel hummed to herself as she made her way to the upper levels. From the start of her marriage to Ailan, she’d found too much time on her hands, especially when he’d gone away for a few days, and she suffered terribly from boredom. Now in her own home, she could order things the way she wanted them, and there was a lot to organise. Flinging open the door to their rooms, she shivered as she surveyed the dark, unwelcoming interior. Turning her back on the gloomy sitting room, she pushed open the bedroom door. She’d brought cleaning equipment and a bucket with her and could only hope that the bathroom would have hot water on tap. First thing to do was get some light into the room. The heavy curtains were filthy and when she managed to pull them back, clouds of dust infested the air. To her surprise, the room remained gloomy and further 206

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investigation revealed dark wooden shutters fastened across the inside of the windows. After she finally dragged them open she turned to survey her domain. The daylight showed a room suffering from deep neglect and Caishel rolled her sleeves up ready to attack the mess, but she was interrupted by a knock on the door. Opening it she found the page outside with a basket full of logs. “Thank you Sard.” She pulled the door wider to let him in. “Put them on the hearth, will you.” “Shall I get the fire started Milady?” “No, I don’t think so, not now you’re wearing your uniform. Go and see if Toyvar needs your help, and if she doesn’t then you’d better find the Duke.” The page nodded and when he’d gone, Caishel decided to get the fire started before she did anything else. Soon a cheery blaze brightened up the room and she set to work on the rest of the dirt and grime. The sheets were clean but damp and musty, so she stripped them off the bed with the rest of the bedding and laid them across the chairs on either side of the fire. Then she polished the furniture with some pleasant smelling wax she’d found in the kitchens. By the time she’d finished this task, the growing warmth had begun to draw out the flowery aroma of the polish, impregnating the whole room and making it seem more welcoming than when she first entered. Taking a deep breath, she marched over to the door she assumed led to the bathroom and flung it open. Some attempt had been made to clean it, but again the room held an air of neglect. The bath taps showed evidence of a quick wipe over, and the same with the tiles. Clean towels hung on the rack, but dampness also pervaded these. Caishel took them to join the bedding in the other room. A quick check proved the water was hot, although she had no 207

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idea how this came about. Soon the bathroom sparkled to match the glowing bedroom. Leaving the towels airing in front of the fire, she remade the bed and stood back to survey the results of her work. What had once been a neglected, bleak room now appeared warm and inviting. Of course, the curtains would have to be taken down and beaten to remove the dust, but that could wait until another day. Selecting a gown from the closet, she laid it on the bed then headed for the newly cleaned bathroom, singing softly to herself she stripped off her filthy clothes. **** “This is Persan, my lord. Duke Serlan’s head groom.” Ailan looked up from his paperwork as Dossman ushered a short dark man into the estate room, then waved them both to seats on the opposite side of the desk. “I have a problem, Persan.” Ailan leaned back in his chair, chin propped on steepled hands. “Dossman told me you have been my grandfather’s head man in the stables.” “That’s correct, my lord,” Persan stated proudly. “Two years I’ve been in charge of the nahhars, and before that I worked under the previous head groom. Your lordship needn’t worry about your nahhars while I have them in my charge.” “Ah, now you’ve hit the problem, Persan. You see my groom, Porig, has always looked after my animals. He is my head groom and will remain so. This is no reflection on you or your abilities. I am sure you are excellent at your job, but Porig has been with me most of my life and knows my ways. I hope you understand.” “Not exactly. Are you telling me I’m out of a job?” Persan glared at him, eyes flashing with anger, and Ailan 208

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straightened in his chair. The man had a right to be annoyed, but his rudeness was unacceptable. “Not at all, Persan,” he said smoothly, noting the aggressive posture of the groom. “I am merely stating that you will not be able to carry on working in the same area as you have been. Before I make a decision as to where to deploy your energies, I thought I’d ask if you had any preferences.” “Nahhars have always been my job.” Persan’s surly reply again denied Ailan the respect due to his rank. “I expect this has come as a surprise to you, Persan.” Ailan decided to give the man the benefit of the doubt. Maybe shock made him behave this way. “Take a few days to think about it and come back to me when you’ve decided what you’d like to do.” Persan nodded his head sharply and marched out of the room, shutting the door noisily behind him. “I get the impression he’s not very happy about that.” Ailan sighed. “It can’t be helped, though. No one looks after my nahhars but Porig.” “He’ll get over it, my lord.” “Right; Dossman, I’ve seen the situation regarding finance, now let’s see the true state of the castle.” Ailan walked towards the steward who opened the door for him, then followed him through. **** Caishel sang to herself as she entered the bedroom from the bathroom, but the tune came to an abrupt halt as Ailan entered through the other door. “You look tired, my love,” she commented as he crossed the room. “You can’t do everything in one day, you know.” 209

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“Kaysha, you have no idea how bad things are.” Ailan sat down in the chair beside the fire and leaned his head back against the cushions. “The estate ledgers are in order, but they show a terrible lack of cash. The castle buildings and grounds are in a disgusting state. The lower areas could not be used even if there were anyone to use them. Broken machinery. Dirt and neglect. The nahhar level is slightly better, Porig refuses to leave the animals alone and he’s cleaning and looking after them himself.” “But I thought that man Persan was your grandfather’s Head Groom. Surely he kept the stables clean and looked after the animals.” “There are no animals apart from our own nahhars.” Ailan’s tired eyes turned to Caishel who sank to the floor beside him, looking up from where her head rested on folded arms on Ailan’s knees. “And as for Persan, I had to tell him that Porig is my Head Groom and I’m afraid he didn’t take it too well. Dossman assures me the man will get over it, but I’m not sure if I want a servant with that sort of attitude around me. There’s so much to do, Kaysha.” “We have one thing to do now and that’s to have dinner, followed by a good night’s sleep. Let’s leave dragging the castle back to its former glory until the morning.” The only clean rooms were the kitchen and the ducal suite; dinner was served at the scrubbed wooden table beside the kitchen hearth. While the vegetables and bread were cooking, Toyvar had swept the floor and washed enough dishes and cutlery for the evening meal. Caishel had told her maid that she and Ailan would eat with everyone else tonight, so Toyvar laid the table for seven. When Sard 210

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appeared, she sent him off to find Porig and the other two men. Caishel and Ailan entered the kitchen dressed in their everyday clothes and Toyvar tutted her disapproval, but waved them to the top end of the table without further comment. Sard and Porig sat on the wooden benches on one side of the table facing Dossman and Persan. The steward joined Sard and Porig when they hurriedly jumped to their feet as Caishel approached. Persan, however, did not move until Ailan frowned at him, then he slowly stood. Once Caishel had been seated, Sard helped Toyvar to serve the thick stew and hand out the newly baked bread. “I’m sorry there’s no butter, but there didn’t seem to be any in the storeroom,” Caishel apologised. “Toyvar and I did the best we could.” Ailan looked at her in surprise, but didn’t say anything. “The townspeople won’t supply us with any provisions,” Dossman said, his eyes on Ailan. “Their bills haven’t been paid for some time.” “What about the tithes?” Ailan asked. “I noticed there hasn’t been any produce coming from downside for some months. Surely things aren’t that bad. The fields look pretty healthy as we rode in to town.” “You approached from the west my lord. The farmers there take a certain amount of pride in their property. Unfortunately that’s the only area that does. The northcoast farms are mostly weeds, the tenants cultivating only enough for their own needs. It’s the same with the fishermen. They catch enough for themselves and a little to sell, but when they’re reminded of their obligations to the castle they shrug and say the fish aren’t running well, or they haven’t caught enough to pay their tithe.” Dossman took a mouthful of stew. 211

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“I kept telling the old Duke he should make those ingrates pay.” Persan growled under his breath as he used the last of his bread to mop up the final drops of stew. “He was too soft, didn’t want to force them into starvation, he kept saying. Instead, it’s us who are starving.” “We’ll talk about this in the morning, Dossman. I have a few ideas on how we can improve relationships with the townspeople and also increase our own self sufficiency.” Ailan ignored Persan and dipped his spoon into the stew. “This tastes good, Toyvar.” “You should tell Milady that, my lord,” the maid replied. “She made it out of practically nothing.” “I still say force is the only way to make those downsiders do their duty,” Persan stated, handing his bowl to Toyvar for a refill. “They only understand a show of strength. You can talk until you’re out of breath, but they pretend they don’t hear or are already trying their best.” “Maybe they’re telling the truth, Persan,” Caishel interrupted, not liking the man’s tone. “Sometimes nature stops people doing what they would like to be able to do.” “There’s always a way, they’re just too lazy to find it.” “That’s enough Persan,” Ailan warned. “I won’t prejudge people before I’ve had a chance to see how things really stand.” “You’ll see,” Persan muttered. Arms linked, Caishel and Ailan went up to their suite. She had banked the fire before going down to dinner and put small heatglobes in the bed to warm the newly aired sheets. When they reached the bedroom she quickly got undressed and slid into the warm bed. “Night, my love.” Ailan climbed in beside her, leaned over to kiss her then snuggled down under the covers. “Don’t let me sleep too late in the morning.” 212

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**** Caishel was still asleep when Ailan rose the next morning. He dressed quietly and made his way to the estate office on the lower levels. Sitting in the large chair behind the huge desk, he pulled the most current ledger towards him and also one from two years before. Opening them side by side, he compared the old with the new. He could see at a glance the difference. The old accounts were written completely in black ink, but in the present day ones, the ink was mainly red with a trickle of black appearing only occasionally. “My lord.” Ailan had been so engrossed in the ledgers he hadn’t heard Dossman enter the room. “I didn’t realise you’d be here so early.” “There’s a lot to be done, Dossman.” Ailan pushed the ledgers away and stood. “Before we eat breakfast, I would like to take a tour of the gardens and perimeter of the castle.” The two men left the building by a side entrance and Ailan led the way to the edge of the unkempt lawns. “Be careful my lord,” Dossman warned. “Part of the force field has failed because we don’t have enough power for both the field and the castles needs.” “That partly explains why the castle’s tilting. There’s not enough power for the gyros to work efficiently.” Ailan frowned. “But each castle is allotted power cells for its maintenance, what’s happened to them?” “Without the Duke around things seemed to fall to pieces. The sicker he got, the more things broke down or went wrong.” Dossman scuffed the dirt at his feet, an embarrassed look on his face. “Something always goes wrong when we order power cells. There aren’t any at the nearest depot; they’ve been sent to us, but never arrive; 213

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they’ve been sent to the wrong castle. There was always an excuse for why the cells didn’t reach us.” “That’s the first thing we do when we get back to the office, send for more power cells and also demand the backlog that we haven’t received.” Ailan took a step closer to the edge of the lawns. “My lord, please come back from there,” Dossman said in alarm. “It’s not safe. See where the edge is crumbling.” Ailan looked down and realised the sense of the steward’s warning. The soil was breaking up almost under his feet and he hastily stepped back onto the firmer ground. “Remind me to tell the Duchess and the servants I brought with me, not to come anywhere near the edge of the grounds.” Ailan walked back towards the castle, Dossman trailing behind him. “We really have to get more staff, these gardens are totally overgrown. The castle has very few rooms which can be lived in and if we have to do everything ourselves, it will take forever.” “It’s not only the question of money, my lord.” Dossman shifted his feet uncomfortably. “The townsfolk are superstitious about the castle. There were unexplained accidents to some of the longest serving retainers. The Duke’s Head Groom went first, the one before Persan. They found him in the stable of the Duke’s favourite nahhar. He’d been trampled to death. That was only the beginning, and of course they destroyed the nahhar.” “Accidents do happen.” “I realise that, but the man had reared the animal from a foal and there’s no way that beast would attack him. Then there was the chatelaine. She’d been here since your father was a boy, but the dropchute failed as she entered it and she fell from the top floor and died instantly when she hit the bottom. The safety net had been disconnected, we never 214

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did find out who had done it. Other key members of the Duke’s staff mysteriously disappeared, until the castle had a reputation of being haunted by something sinister. The townsfolk refused to take jobs up here and the ones who already worked here gradually drifted away until only Persan and myself were left.” “Let’s go in for breakfast,” Ailan suggested. “I usually think better on a full stomach.” Caishel had breakfast on the table when they entered the kitchen and she waved from the hearth with a potage covered ladle, indicating they should sit down. “Hot potage gentlemen?” she asked, cheerily ladling the thick mixture into their bowls. “Toast will be ready in a minute.” Toyvar placed steaming cups of kee in front of the men and Ailan nodded his thanks. He spooned the potage into his mouth, but looked up when Persan arrived in the kitchen and took his place at the table. “Morning,” the ex-groom mumbled, then glanced over at Toyvar. “Get me some potage, woman.” “You’ll have nothing until you mind your manners,” Caishel told him, putting a hand out to stop Toyvar as the maid started across the room with the potage pot. “Please,” he said sarcastically and Ailan’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the man. What was it with Persan? He seemed to deliberately look for ways to cause trouble. “So what are we going to do today?” Persan asked, speaking with a partly filled mouth as he started eating his food. “I want you and Dossman to go downside and hire some staff.” Ailan, his bowl now empty, leaned back with the cup of kee cradled in his hands. 215

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“Not much point in that,” Persan replied. “No one wants to work up here.” “Nevertheless, I want you to try,” Ailan said, putting his empty cup down with a sharp thud. “If possible, try for people who used to work here.” “Duke Ailan, the old staff will refuse.” Dossman looked genuinely sorry that he had to burst his lord’s bubble of hope. “They’ll say they weren’t paid for the last work they did, so why should they come back to do more work for nothing.” “Good point, Dossman.” Ailan tapped his teeth with his finger while he considered the problem. “Ask anyone who objects to come to the transport hall at noon. I’ll port down and talk to them. Best make sure there’s enough power to work the mattporter. Ask the Portmaster to be there as well, will you?” “Right, we’ll be off then. Come on, Persan, time to go to work.” “Waste of a morning, if you ask me.” Ailan heard Persan mutter as he followed Dossman from the room. Caishel cleared the dirty dishes then sat down beside Ailan with a cup of kee. “I don’t trust those two,” she said. “Persan’s attitude is rude and disrespectful, while Dossman seems secretive.” “I agree with you about Persan, but I think Dossman’s just not used to dealing with women.” “Neither of them likes me, you know.” “Nonsense, they just need to get used to you. Don’t forget there hasn’t been a Duchess of Lan for decades, my grandmother died when my father was born. I expect it shocks them a bit to see you working in the kitchen as well.” Ailan grinned as Caishel snorted. 216

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“Would they rather see me gliding round like a great lady and watch everybody starve?” “Doesn’t matter what they think you should be doing, my love, you carry on. By the way, I didn’t know you could cook and do all the other things you achieved yesterday. I thought you said you didn’t have any of the attributes of a great lady.” “You think cooking and cleaning are the things a lady should do? Milady Jenu would disagree with you. I learned these things from my mother. I used to follow her around copying what she did.” Caishel planted a kiss on his cheek and pushed herself to her feet. “Come on, lazybones, we’ve a heap of things to do today.” “Wait a minute, Kaysha.” Ailan looked round to make sure that Toyvar had left the room. “I’d like to talk over my plans with you before I go downside.” “Let me get the urgent jobs done, then I can leave Toyvar to carry on. Meet me in the sitting room of our suite about an hour before you port down.” “Sitting room?” Ailan looked totally confused. “The room next to our bedroom, the one with the connecting door. I thought it would be nice to have a room we could furnish as a lounge for ourselves. For when we want to get away from everyone. Don’t forget, an hour before noon.” Not waiting for his reply, she planted a kiss on his lips and left before he could react. Shaking his head at the impulsiveness of his bride, Ailan made his way to the estate office. **** When the urgent jobs were finished, Caishel told Toyvar what she’d like done next. 217

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“I need you to check the store cupboards and see what we’ve got. By the time you’ve finished, I should be back and we’ll have some lunch before getting on with the next job.” “Leave it to me, Milady, I’ll have a complete list for you by the time you return.” Caishel headed for the dropchute, but a sense of unease came over her and she used the stairs instead. Ailan was waiting for her when she entered their suite. “Right, my love, I’m all yours,” she told him. “I’ve spent the morning seeing exactly how much money we actually have and how much income we can look forward to,” he stated. “We can pay some of the back wages we owe the staff who used to work here, hire a woman to help you and Toyvar with the heavy work and four men to help get the estate working again, but even that will stretch our resources.” “Will that be enough?” “It will have to be.” Ailan smiled at her and, taking her hand in his, he sat on a fireside chair and drew her onto his knee. “We’ll win through, Kaysha. It will just take a lot longer than I thought it would.” “We could use my money,” Caishel said. “I know it’s not much when you put it against how much we need, but it might mean another worker for you.” “I didn’t retrieve your inheritance for you to give it back to me.” He drew her closer to him. “It’s yours to do with as you want.” “Well I want to use it for our future,” Caishel said stubbornly. “I can provide food for us all.” “Kaysha...”

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“You said I can do what I want with it. Well, this is what I want. I’ll come down with you and get some provisions.” “You will not.” Ailan let go of her and rose to his feet. “I suppose I can’t stop you spending your money on food, and I must admit it will help, but you are not coming downside until I see what kind of mood the townspeople are in. Do you understand?” “How will you get down there?” Caishel changed the subject, unwilling to make a promise she might not be able to keep. “Do we have enough power cells?” “Not nearly enough for what we have to do, but I’ll send a messenger off with an urgent order for more. Apparently, the last few deliveries haven’t arrived for one reason or another, so I need to send a message to the depot to find out what happened.” Ailan bent and kissed her. “I must go, my love. I’ll leave Sard here in case you need him.” Left on her own, Caishel sat staring into the flames. She sensed her husband hadn’t told her everything. Probably because he didn’t want to worry her. Should she look at the ledgers herself? Or go downside to see the true local feeling concerning the castle? No, she couldn’t go behind Ailan’s back; he’d think she didn’t trust him. Eventually, she decided to accept things as they were for now and get on with setting the castle straight. Rising to her feet, Caishel brushed her hands briskly together and marched off towards the servant’s stairs that led to the kitchens. “Here’s the list, Milady.” Toyvar offered her a slate covered in writing. “There’s not a lot of fresh food except for vegetables, but I found a freezer room hidden behind 219

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some boxes. It has some meat and fish, enough to keep us going for about a week.” “Why are there so many vegetables?” Caishel wondered. “If the townsfolk won’t supply anything to the castle, where are the vegetables coming from?” “Excuse me, Milady,” Sard broke in as he came through the outer door. “There’s a cultivated plot just outside the kitchen yard; it has lots of vegetables in it.” “Thank you, Sard, problem solved.” Caishel glanced over the list Toyvar had painstakingly prepared. “That takes care of meals for the next few days. Toyvar, do you think you’ll be able to manage the cooking with a bit of help from me?” “Yes, Milady, but it’s not right.” Toyvar shook her head. “A Duchess shouldn’t be working in her own kitchens.” “Don’t worry, Toyvar, it won’t be for long. We’re getting a maid of all work from downside. She can help with the heavy work here and with cleaning the castle.” Caishel looked thoughtful for a moment. “I must take a look round and see which rooms we can use. The others will have to be shut up for now, no point in making more work. Sard, you come with me. Toyvar I leave you to work out the menus for today and get started on the evening meal. We’ll come back for a snack later on.” “What about Duke Ailan and the men Milady?” Toyvar asked. “They’ve gone downside to see about getting more workers. At least Ailan, Dossman and Persan have, I’m not sure about Porig. Perhaps you’d better have something simple ready for when they come back. I don’t think they’ll eat downside.” Caishel straightened her shoulders. “Right Sard, let’s get to it.” 220

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The main reception rooms were shrouded in dustsheets and Caishel decided to leave them. It would be some time before they entertained. Dirty corridor after dirty corridor stretched before her as she and Sard looked into a never ending stream of rooms. The only reasonably clean ones were the estate office and some of the servants’ bedrooms. Sard confirmed these were the ones used by the two servants of the old Duke. The other ones were his and Toyvar’s. “Porig hasn’t chosen a room yet, Milady,” the page told her. “He won’t leave the nahhars until they’ve settled into their new quarters.” More like until he’s sure they’re safe. The thought came unbidden to Caishel’s mind. “Let’s go get some lunch, Sard.” Caishel led the way to the dropchute, but again changed her mind and made for the stairs. “Did we look in there, Sard?” she asked, noticing a door just before the entrance to the kitchens. “I don’t think so, Milady,” Sard replied. Behind the door lay a small intimate dining room. It had probably been used by the chatelaine, but although the dust lay thickly on the furniture, Caishel nodded with satisfaction. She and Ailan couldn’t eat with the servants if there were more staff, so this room would be ideal for them to use as their own. It would also give them a chance to openly talk over the events of the day. **** Ailan could hear the murmur of the crowds as soon as he arrived in the mattporter room. No one noticed him enter the transport hall and he took advantage of this and listened to the conversations of the people nearby. 221

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“You won’t get me up there,” a young woman commented to her male neighbour. “I’ve heard things about the castle that makes me wonder if there’s a curse on it.” “You’ve got to admit there’s not a lot of work around,” the man replied. “You don’t hear about the jobs on the good farms because the people working there tell their friends and relatives before anyone else learns about them.” “That’s right, but if you work up there,” the woman jerked her thumb upwards, “you don’t get paid, so what’s the point?” “You get fed, though,” the man protested. “But is it worth it? I suppose everyone has to make up their own mind when it comes down to it.” Ailan moved on, thinking over what he’d heard. Maybe he could use the knowledge to his advantage. Dossman, who stood beside Persan on a raised platform on the other side of the room, saw Ailan making his way through the crowd and rapped the floor with a wooden rod. “Make way for Ailan, Duke of Lan,” the steward called out. Gradually, the muttering faltered into silence and the people began to look around, searching for their new Duke. One by one, they recognised him and moved aside, opening an aisle to the front of the room. He quickly climbed up next to Dossman and held up his hands to still the final mutterings. “Thank you all for coming,” he began. “I know in recent times, you feel you haven’t been treated fairly by the castle, but my grandfather had been ill for some time before he died and some things cannot be done without the Duke’s authority. Duke Serlan was not well enough to give the orders and consequently things did not get done. That will 222

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now change, and I ask you all to give the castle another chance. Give me, your new Duke, a chance. I can’t pay high wages to begin with, as some money has to be set aside to make part payment of wages already owed to past employees. For those of you willing to take the chance, I can provide food and lodgings and twenty d’jars a week. Who among you is willing to come and work for me?” Stony silence met his announcement coupled with blank stares as if the crowd didn’t understand his words. Then a low murmur began as people turned to seek the opinion of their neighbours. “Why should we believe you?” a voice in the crowd called. “There’s no reason why you should,” Ailan replied. “I know I’m asking you to take me on trust and you don’t know me, but you can’t be any worse off than you are now, can you?” “How many of us do you want?” Despite the actual words, Ailan could tell by the tone that he still had some way to go before he would get anyone to work for him. “Not many to start off with,” he replied, looking his questioner straight in the eye. “One woman to help my wife and her maid with the cleaning and cooking, two estate workers to get the grounds straight, and two to help get the lower levels in order, so that we can accept transports again.” “Transports of what?” The comment produced guffaws of laughter. Out of the corner of his eye Ailan saw Persan glare into the crowd. Bunching his fists, he started to move off the platform. “Persan, leave it,” he ordered, and the man shrugged and returned to stand behind Ailan as he answered the 223

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question. “Transports of food and fish, the tithes that are due to the castle.” “Told you.” A woman at the front nudged the man beside her. “It’s take, not give. He’s as bad as the last one.” “On the contrary.” Ailan looked directly at the speaker. “I understand that tithes for the last few years have not been paid. As far as I’m concerned that’s in the past, but from now on I expect them to be paid on time. In return, I will do my duty to the township of Lan. Trade agreements with other estates will be made to help you sell your produce.” “And just how are we supposed to get our goods to the other estates?” the woman replied, not deterred by the new Duke’s questioning gaze. “The castle’s supposed to provide transport and guards. That means you. So how are you going to do that if you haven’t any d’jars?” “At first you’ll have to accept lower prices,” Ailan began. “No point in it then, is there?” a voice from the back called. “Putting all that work in and getting less than nothing for it.” “If you’d let me finish.” Ailan’s voice rose, silencing the muttering of the crowd. “I said lower prices at first. As this good lady correctly deduced, there is no money for transport or guards. The purchasers will have to come here to collect the goods, and provide their own guards. Naturally, they’ll expect to be charged less if they have to transport it themselves.” “It’s only a way for him to make more money,” a man shouted. “Shut up, you lot,” the woman who’d originally spoken, yelled. “He’s talking sense. Go on, Duke Ailan, what else are you suggesting?” 224

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“That’s really the only suggestion I have.” Boos and jeers greeted this statement and Ailan held up his hand to quiet the crowd again. “That is merely to get trade moving again. The next step is for your leaders and myself to sit down and plan what else needs to be done and how we can achieve our goals. It’s time Landon and the Castle of Lan were put back on the map so that we can all benefit.” Cheers of support greeted his announcement and several men and women were pushed to the front. Ailan assumed these were the elected leaders of Landon. “Now seems as good a time as any,” Rufor, the Portmaster stated, as he stepped in front of the others. “Maybe we could have a working lunch, sir?” Within half an hour of his speech, Ailan found himself sitting at the head of a table with an array of food in front of him. Half way down either side of the long board sat Dossman and Persan and Ailan could only hope the former groom would keep his temper. “You see, sir,” Rufor leaned towards him, “things got this bad because no one at the castle seemed to care. All we need to know is that you’re willing to support us and in return we’ll support you.” By the end of the lunch, Ailan had reached a basic understanding with the town leaders and arranged another meeting for the following week. In the meantime, Rufor promised to send their best messenger to the power cell depot with the letters from Ailan.

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Chapter 16 “My lord Duke.” On his return from downside, Ailan had gone straight to the estate office to work on the trade details, and Persan’s interruption was not welcome. “What is it, Persan?” he asked, trying to hide his irritation. “I’ve come to apologise, my lord. I’m afraid I allowed the shock of being replaced to colour my attitude. I realise I was exceptionally rude and beg you to excuse my behaviour.” Ailan looked thoughtfully at the man. He did look truly sorry and it probably had come as a shock to be told you could no longer do what you’d done for several years. “Let’s forget it, Persan.” He leaned forward. “Have you decided what job you’d like?” “I’ve given it some thought my lord.” Persan responded to Ailan’s signal and eagerly sat down on the other side of the desk. “Dossman will have his hands full getting the upper levels of the estate running smoothly, and starting up the trade again. I thought I could help best by looking after the lower levels and acting as docking manager. That way Dossman wouldn’t have to keep going down to give the workers their orders.” “Makes sense,” Ailan said after a few moments thought. “Very well, Persan, the lower levels are yours. You’ll 226

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report to either Dossman or myself. Show me what you can do.” “Thank you, my lord Duke, you won’t regret it.” **** “How did it go?” Caishel asked absentmindedly when Ailan entered their sitting room an hour before dinner. She was concentrating on the lists in her hand, should she order more sheets to replace the depleted linen cupboard or more plates to top up the crockery. They couldn’t afford both. “Good.” Ailan sat down opposite her and leaned back, tiredness evident in every line of his face and posture. “We hired a woman to help you and Toyvar, plus four labourers. Two for the grounds and two for the lower levels.” “What’s the woman like?” She put down her lists and gave him her full attention. “She used to work here before as a laundress. She’s strong and willing to do the heavy work.” “That’s great. How about the men? Do you think they’ll work out?” “One of the groundsmen used to be the deputy gardener, and the other’s worked in a merchant’s garden so they should know what they’re doing. I’ve told them to concentrate on clearing the overgrown stuff first. The other two have got a bit of knowledge of the docking bays and with Persan overseeing them, we should soon have things working well.” “Persan?” She looked at him with surprise. “What’s he got to do with it?” “He apologised for the way he’s been behaving. Says the shock of being deposed from the stables unsettled him.” Ailan rose wearily to his feet and headed for the bedroom. “And you believed him?” Caishel stared after him in surprise. 227

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“Everyone deserves a second chance, Kaysha.” He turned at the bedroom door and looked across the room at her. “Is dinner soon? I have a few things to go over with Dossman afterwards.” “It’s ready when you are.” Caishel frowned as he disappeared into the bedroom. His attitude had changed in the past twenty four hours. Usually, he touched her hair or her body as he passed, each touch a caress in itself, but tonight he hadn’t come near her. “He’s tired, that’s what it is,” she decided, hoping that if she spoke the words out loud they would be true. She looked forward to being on her own with Ailan in the small dining room. There they could be themselves, talk over the day and make the room their own private sanctuary. Her daydreams shattered when Ailan asked for another place to be laid at the table. “You don’t mind, do you, Kaysha?” he asked as Toyvar hurried off to get the extra cutlery and dishes. “Dossman and I have a lot to discuss so we might as well talk and eat at the same time. Ah, there you are, Dossman. Take a seat.” Caishel welcomed the steward, successfully hiding her disappointment. Beneath her calm exterior she was deeply hurt that Ailan was so insensitive of her feelings. When the meal had finished, Ailan hardly noticed her murmured goodnight, and if it hadn’t been for Dossman getting politely to his feet when she rose from the table, her husband probably wouldn’t have been aware she’d left the room. That evening was the first of many similar ones. The loving husband who eagerly made love to her had vanished, the harassed Duke of Lan took his place and all the Duke could think of was business. The only time they were alone together was in bed, and that didn’t encourage 228

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conversation, as one of them was usually asleep before the other arrived. Several times Caishel had drifted off before Ailan came to bed and the few times they retired together, his eyes closed as soon as his head hit the pillow. During the daytime Caishel could push the pain of separation to the back of her mind. She enjoyed planning and helping Toyvar prepare the meals. The woman from downside did all the heavy cleaning while Caishel and Toyvar did the light work. The only regret she had was that she was unable to ride Raglon. Ailan had forbidden her to take the nahhar to the surface until he had time to accompany her. “It’s not safe at present,” he told her. “Wait until the people get used to us.” Gradually the rooms in use in the castle came into a semblance of order. Caishel began to run out of jobs to do, and boredom set in again. Maybe if she could share her achievements with Ailan, or listen to his successes, it wouldn’t have been so bad, but the only person he shared anything with was the steward. “It’s not good enough Dossman,” Ailan stated vehemently at dinner one evening. “The northcoast farmers must be persuaded to pay their tithes the same as the townspeople and the westsiders.” “The problem is, my lord, they don’t take the same pride in their land that the westsiders do.” “Do they own the farms or lease them?” “Some own them, my lord, you can tell which ones; they’re the more prosperous farms. The run down ones are the leased ones, most of which are owned by you.” “Why don’t you just chuck the worst ones out? The others would soon realise they have to tow the line,” Caishel suggested. 229

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“Can’t do that, Duchess Caishel.” Dossman kept his eyes on his plate while he spoke to her. “Most of them have been there for generations. It would cause a lot of anger if you revoked their leases.” “We could threaten to evict them though,” Ailan said thoughtfully. “We wouldn’t have to carry it through, just make the threat.” “Might work,” Dossman replied. “Then that’s what we’ll do.” Ailan smiled across at her. “Well done, Caishel.” Much good that does me, she thought as the men talked over their plan, totally ignoring her. Ailan and the steward spent the rest of the meal discussing which tenant they would threaten with eviction, and she gathered from their talk that the plan would be carried out as soon as possible. They were still discussing tactics when Caishel excused herself and went to bed. About ten days after their arrival in Lan, Caishel followed her morning routine and headed for the kitchens to discuss the days plans with Toyvar. “Today I think we’ll make out a list of everything we need from downside. Flour, fish, fresh fruit. That sort of thing,” Caishel told the maid, then a sound in the corridor distracted her. “Whatever is that noise?” “Milady. Milady. Come quickly.” Sard burst into the kitchen, shouting at the top of his voice. “Calm down, Sard. The Duchess isn’t deaf,” Toyvar told him. “What’s wrong, Sard?” Caishel asked. “It’s the Duke.” Sard gasped. “He’s had an accident.” “Where?” Caishel grabbed him by the shoulders and glared into his eyes, trying to drag the answer from his expression. “Where, Sard, tell me.” 230

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“Down on the docking level…” The page got no further as Caishel pushed past him and rushed for the dropchute. Again a peculiar feeling of revulsion came over her and she swerved towards the stairs instead. Clattering down the steps she realised she didn’t have a clue where in the docking level the accident had taken place, she should have got more details from Sard before she dashed off so recklessly. She needn’t have worried, as soon as she reached the lower level she could see a small knot of men crowded around a body on the floor and she pushed her way roughly through them. “Ailan.” Her voice was barely above a whisper as she fell to her knees beside his still form, noting his pale face and closed eyes. “Ailan, are you all right?” He didn’t answer or move and for a horrible moment she thought he was dead. “What happened?” she demanded, not caring who replied. “The men and I had cleared all the rubbish away and were trying to move that heavy beam.” Persan spoke from behind her. “I decided we needed lifting equipment and sent the men off to get it. I’m not sure what happened, but next thing I know the beam was slipping and Duke Ailan was there. He tried to get out of the way, but it all happened so quickly and it fell on him and pinned him to the floor. We lifted it off him as soon as we could, but we were afraid to move him until you came.” “The white spirit done it for sure,” one of the docking men muttered in the background, but quickly moved away as Persan glared at him. Before Caishel could ask any more questions, Ailan moaned and lifted his hand to his forehead. 231

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up.

“My head hurts,” he complained, then struggled to sit

“Stay there.” Caishel put her hand on his chest and pushed him gently back down. “We need to make sure you’re not seriously hurt before you get up.” “Caishel? What are you doing here?” “Trying to stop my idiot husband doing more damage to himself,” she told him as she ran her hands down his arms and legs checking for any abnormalities. “Does your back hurt?” “Bit sore, but nothing serious,” he answered, and with her help, Ailan slowly sat up, wincing with every movement of his bruised body. “Sard, help the Duke up to our suite,” Caishel told the page. “Where’s Dossman?” Ailan asked. “He should have been here by now.” “Wasn’t he with you?” Caishel asked as she walked beside her husband who was leaning heavily on Sard. “I sent him back to fetch something.” Ailan winced again as Sard helped him to the dropchute. “Aren’t you coming with us?” Caishel once again hung back at the entrance to the dropchute. She told herself she was being ridiculous, everyone else used it and nothing happened, but each time she went anywhere near the chute she experienced a strong feeling of danger. Strange, she thought, I don’t worry about Ailan using it. “I’ll get some salve from my medicine supplies and meet you up there.” She looked at Sard. “You make sure the Duke takes it slowly once he gets off the chute.” “Yes, Milady.” 232

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As soon as they were out of sight, she charged up the stairs. Dashing into the kitchen, she rummaged through her creams and medicine bottles until she found the ointment for strains and bruises and a sleeping powder to make sure Ailan got some rest.

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Chapter 17 Caishel sat back on her heels and surveyed the freshly weeded flower bed. She’d decided to make this part of the garden her own private domain, but it was hard work getting it back in order. She stood and removed the gloves from her hands then brushed the dirt from her skirt. Sitting on the nearby rustic seat, she enjoyed the fruits of her work, but instead of planning her next attack on the weeds, her thoughts drifted to the near misses Ailan had experienced over the past week. That many accidents had to be deliberate attempts on his life. The first one on the docking level he’d sworn couldn’t have been anything but an accident, but the remark about the spirit had unsettled her. The spirit always seemed to be nearby when something happened to Ailan. If that had been the only incident, she would have believed her husband, but over the next seven days two more ‘accidents’ had occurred and now she was worried for his safety. The second attempt occurred when he’d given in to her pleading and taken her downside to ride in the countryside to the west of the town. She had been thoroughly enjoying the freedom of being alone with her husband when Garlon suddenly reared up in the air, then plunged down straight into a gallop. Raglon attempted to 234

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follow the stallion, but Caishel had been well instructed by Porig and she had tightened her hands on the reins as soon as the big blue nahhar began his performance. At a more controlled gallop she went after Ailan and found him sitting on the ground swearing, with Garlon cropping the grass nearby. “Are you all right?” she asked, flinging herself from her mount and hurrying to his side. “No thanks to that brute.” He scowled at Garlon. “Taking off like that just because a dratted babbit ran in front of him.” Caishel was thoughtful as they walked the animals back to the port. Garlon might be a fiery creature, but he was also known for his steadiness when something startling happened that would have scared another animal. What concerned her most was that this was the second time he’d reared unexpectedly, and she wondered if the nahhar’s training was breaking down. When they got back to the castle, she fussed over Ailan so much, he eventually lost his temper. “For goodness sake, Caishel, I’m fine,” he exploded. “Go and do something in the kitchens and leave me alone.” Hurt by his words, she went instead to the nahhar level. Porig was nowhere to be seen and she walked over to Garlon’s stall and talked soothingly to him, offering him a titbit and then sliding in beside him. Carefully, she ran her hands over his sides and when she found an irregularity in his smooth coat, she looked closer. “Did you want something, Milady?” Porig watched her from the doorway of the stall. “Porig, look at this.” She stepped back as the groom entered the stall and peered at where she was pointing. “Do 235

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you think that could be caused by something being fired at Garlon.” The groom straightened and looked stoically at her for several moments before he spoke. “No, Milady, it’s probably an insect sting. That’s more than likely what made him bolt earlier today. Nothing to worry about.” It wasn’t until after she’d left Porig that she realised how unlike him it was to give more information than was asked for. The last ‘accident’ had happened early this morning. Sitting in his office, Ailan should have been safe, but some of the globes providing heat and light to the room had malfunctioned. This resulted in a spectacular blaze that would have been much worse if the dust and dirt they’d found on their arrival had still been evident in the furniture and drapes. Ailan had put out the fire in his office by beating it with a heavy rug, and it only caused a small amount of damage to some hangings. His hands suffered slight burns, but nothing that would hinder him. Only Caishel seemed to realise the fire could have had much more serious consequences. She was convinced the ‘accidents’ were attempts on Ailan’s life, and that the spirit was somehow involved. But why? Could the spirit be the shade of Serlan seeking revenge for Ailan’s choice of bride? Not possible, she thought, it was definitely an Eos and it had also appeared in Ardon Castle before the old Duke had died. Who else would want to harm the Duke of Lan? He had no relatives to begrudge him the dukedom, and he didn’t know anyone in Lan well enough to stir up such hatred. Could some of the farmers on the northcoast be involved? Ailan had threatened to evict the worst of them, although, as far as she knew, he hadn’t taken any further 236

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action. There was only one way to find out if the northcoasters had anything to do with it, and with her experience on the streets, Caishel was the best one to investigate. Caishel walked across the lawns, carefully formulating plans in her mind. Rising proudly from the grass, the flowerbeds no longer had to struggle to be seen. The scent of roses filtered through to Caishel’s senses and she looked around her with pleasure. Roses reminded her of the garden at the rear of her parents’ shop and the potpourri her mother used to make from the petals. She wandered along, her thoughts concentrating on her plan. A flash of white interrupted her thoughts and she glanced up and stopped when she realised how close she was to the force field at the edge of the gardens. Ailan had warned her that parts of it were not functioning and that she should keep away from the edge. Luckily, she’d stopped a few foot lengths away from the warning strip Ailan had insisted the estate workers put down. From here she could see the whole of Landon below and was surprised at how widely it spread. She’d assumed the town was like Ardville, clustered around the market place and main business area. Perhaps having the harbour at one end and the market at the other made the town stretch out instead of intensifying it in one area. She turned to go back to the castle. What happened next became a blur and afterwards she couldn’t decide whether she’d been pushed or she’d fallen. All she could remember was falling towards the faulty force field, arms flailing as she searched for something to grab. Her hand brushed against a rose bush and her fingers automatically curled round the wooden stems, the thorns puncturing her palms. 237

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Lying there, dragging the breath into her lungs, she tried to get over the shock and gather enough strength to drag herself back to safe ground. As the pounding in her ears eased, she heard footsteps quickly retreating across the grass, but when she raised her head no one was there. Suddenly the spirit appeared. For a few moments, it seemed solid as it lifted her from her dangerous position. Carefully it floated her back to the grass on the safe side of the warning strip and dropped her gently to the ground. Before she could gasp out her thanks, the white figure became transparent again and disappeared. Her nerves totally shattered by the events of the last few minutes, Caishel fled back to the castle and headed for the ducal suite. She slowed when she reached the stairs and as she climbed each step, her legs trembled more and more. Luckily, Ailan had gone downside to talk to the Portmaster so she could relax on the bed for a while. The shaking subsided into shivers so she clambered beneath the covers and, gradually, the warmth returned to her limbs. The comfort and heat made her drowsy and her eyelids drooped until they closed completely as she drifted off to sleep. Several hours later she woke, confused as to why she was lying in bed in the middle of the day, then she recalled the events in the garden. Had she been pushed, or merely tripped? And why had the spirit saved her? Until now the accidents had only involved Ailan, and she was positive they had been deliberate attempts on his life. Now it seemed her own life was in danger. But was the attacker the same person? The white spirit always seemed to be around when Ailan had his accidents, but the spirit floated and she had definitely heard footsteps retreating from the garden edge. The spirit had saved her; could it also have been trying to save Ailan? These questions made her even more 238

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determined to find out who was behind the attacks, and to do something to stop them. The northcoast farmers seemed the most likely assailants, but how had they managed to infiltrate the castle? Could the new workers Ailan had hired be in league with someone downside? She needed help, but who? Persan she didn’t trust and Dossman didn’t like her and of course Sard would obey Ailan. That left Toyvar as the only one she could talk to. Pushing the covers away, she went over to the chest where Toyvar had packed away the clothes she wouldn’t need for some time. Shoving her few ball gowns and her heavy cloak aside, she found the small package of boys clothes tucked away in the bottom corner. They seemed fine, a little too clean, but that could soon be solved with a visit to the nahhars. That brought Porig to mind. Would the groom help her? She shook her head. Not directly, he would think it his duty to tell Ailan if he thought she might be going into danger, but he could be trusted to protect Ailan. After all, he’d been doing it ever since her husband was a boy. “Porig.” The groom sat on a bale of straw, repairing a bridle. “I need to talk to you.” As usual the man didn’t say a word, but he did move over to make room for her to sit down. “The things that have been happening to Ailan recently, I don’t think they’re accidents.” She settled herself on the bale of straw, surreptitiously pushing the boy’s clothes behind her. “I need to find out who’s trying to kill him and until I do, you’re the only one I can trust to protect him.” “I can’t be with him all the time.” Porig stopped his mending and looked directly at her. Caishel felt as if he was looking into her deepest, darkest secrets and she shuddered. 239

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“I realise that, but you’ll have to find some excuse to be with him as much as possible. It’s not as if there’s anyone else I can trust, except Sard and he’s too young to protect anyone.” “What about Dossman, he’s with the Duke most of the time.” “But can we trust him?” Caishel asked with a frown “Let’s see what we can do on our own to start with. We might find out who the attacker is and not have to involve Dossman.” The old man returned to his repairs and Caishel stood. Obviously her mission here was over and she turned to go. She had climbed halfway up the stairs to the upper levels before she realised Porig had indirectly agreed about the danger to Ailan and had become her ally without a word of protest. Barely puffing when she reached the top of the stairs, she thought how all this climbing instead of using the dropchute was keeping her fit. How strange that the chutes gave her such a premonition of danger for herself, yet, despite the attacks on Ailan, she had no qualms about him using them. She reached the kitchens and was relieved when she saw the woman from downside was occupied elsewhere in the castle. This allowed Caishel to talk with Toyvar without fear of being overheard. “So you see,” she said after she’d explained her concerns to the maid. “I need to find out who’s trying to hurt Ailan and why. For that, I need to go downside without anyone recognizing me as Duchess Caishel.” “Ask Dossman for his help,” Toyvar said as she placed two cups of kee on the table and sat down beside Caishel. “You’ll need to use the mattporter or a transport to get downside and you can’t do that without the help of either 240

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Dossman or Persan. I know who I’d choose to help and it wouldn’t be that self important ex-groom.” Caishel stared at her friend, surprised at the vehemence of her tone. “Has Persan upset you in any way?” “No, I make sure he doesn’t get the chance. It’s the way he looks at me, as if he’s convinced I’ll give him what he wants eventually and that it’s just a matter of time before I do.” Toyvar shuddered, then became brisk. “You talk to Dossman, he’s a nice man.” “Nice?” Caishel cocked her head to one side. “Is there something I don’t know about you and Dossman?” Toyvar blushed and busied herself with clearing up the empty kee cups. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said as she rinsed the cups under the tap. “He’s helped me a few times and is a really interesting person to talk to.” Caishel stopped teasing the maid and turned to the more serious subject of finding Ailan’s attacker. “What makes you think Dossman won’t tell Ailan? I don’t want him to know anything about this, Toyvar.” Caishel leaned forward onto her propped up hands. “He’d tell me I’m imagining things and that I mustn’t put myself in danger.” “And are you imagining things?” Toyvar turned, all signs of embarrassment gone from her face. “No, I’m not and Porig agrees something’s going on.” “I still think Dossman’s your best option for getting downside. He thinks the Duke is the best thing that could happen to Lan and I know he wouldn’t like to see him get hurt or killed. All you have to do is convince him that your way is the best way to go.” 241

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“Easier said than done.” Caishel sighed. “I’m not sure I’m doing the right thing, so how can I convince a man who doesn’t like me?” “You’ll have to work that one out for yourself,” Toyvar said. “Perhaps if you went over your reasons why you think you can do it better than anyone else.” “Do what better than anyone else?” Ailan walked into the room and helped himself to a cup of kee. “What plot are you hatching now, Caishel?” “Nothing more sinister than the purchase of food for our larders,” Caishel said, her quick mind coming to her rescue. “I think it would be best if I went down to the markets myself to see what they have to offer.” “No, Kaysha.” He turned and looked sternly at her. “I don’t want you to go downside on your own yet and I can’t spare anyone to go with you. Promise me you’ll stay in the castle until I say it’s safe.” “Are you still having trouble with the northcoasters?” She adroitly turned the conversation away from the promise he had asked of her. “Yes.” He sighed as he sat down beside her. “It’s not that they don’t accept me, they’re just plain lazy. They want the advantages they see the westsiders getting, but aren’t prepared to work for it.” “Poor love.” She moved behind him and kneaded his shoulders. “They’ll come round eventually, Ailan. You just have to be patient. You’re very tense; why don’t you go and have a lie down?” “No time.” He stood, brushing her hands away. “I have to go and sort out a few problems with Persan. He asked me days ago and I haven’t had chance to get down there yet.” “Can’t Dossman do that?” 242

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“No, he’s got enough to do. Besides Persan doesn’t always agree with him and that causes friction.” “You mean he always agrees with you?” Caishel asked in disbelief. “No of course not.” Ailan grinned at her and she realised how careworn he looked. “But he has to obey me no matter what he thinks, so it’s better I deal with it.” Giving her a pat on the cheek, he left the kitchen. “Well that’s one good mark for Dossman,” she told Toyvar. “And what would that be then?” Toyvar asked. “He doesn’t like Persan.” Caishel grinned as she left the kitchen. Deciding she might as well get it over with, Caishel headed for the estate office. At this time of day, she knew Dossman would be entering details in the ledgers and Ailan had said he would be with Persan. “Duchess Caishel.” The steward jumped up from the desk as she entered the room. “Dossman.” Caishel waved her hand to indicate that he should sit down again. “I need to talk to you. I need your help, but first I want your word that what I say you will not repeat to Duke Ailan.” “I’m not sure I can do that, Duchess.” “Let’s start at the beginning then.” Caishel looked piercingly at him. “Why don’t you like me?” “I don’t know what gives you that idea, Duchess Caishel.” Dossman shifted uncomfortably. “Come off it, Dossman, you avoid me whenever you can. Eating at the same table with me every night is obviously torture for you, and you can barely be civil when Ailan’s not around.” She flopped into a chair across the desk from him. “There must be a reason for it.” 243

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“Very well,” Dossman said after he had looked at her for a few moments. “It’s not that I don’t like you, it’s that I feel you’ve taken advantage of the Duke’s sense of honour.” “That won’t wash, Dossman. You couldn’t even greet me properly when we first met, and you didn’t know me then so why would you think I’d taken advantage?” “News travels fast,” Dossman replied uncomfortably. “Before Duke Serlan died, I’d gone to try and find the missing power cells and got talking to some of the people at the depot. They told me Sire Ailan had married a nobody from the streets of Ardville. A nobody who roamed those same streets as a boy.” “You mean you thought I’d trapped him into marriage?” Caishel stared at the steward in disbelief. It hadn’t occurred to her that anyone would think of their union in that way. “Duchess, you lived in his rooms as his page, then suddenly you’re revealed as a girl. Of course he had to marry you, it wouldn’t have been gentlemanly not to, and the Duke is every inch a gentleman.” Dossman looked pompous in his indignation. “You might be interested to know that Ailan knew my true sex from the first day I became his page. I did not coerce him, and we were and still are very much in love.” “Forgive me for saying so, Milady, but you’re very seldom together and when you are, you’re like strangers. That’s not the actions of two people in love.” He sat back with a smug expression in his eyes. “I know,” Caishel admitted sadly. “And I don’t know what to do about it. Ever since we’ve been here, Ailan has been too busy or too tired to spend time with me. I thought the little dining room would be a haven, but...” realizing who she was talking to, Caishel suddenly changed track. 244

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“Why am I talking to you like this? There’s nothing you can do to help.” “Maybe I’ve been wrong about you,” Dossman admitted. “Toyvar keeps telling me you’re a good person and that I’ve misunderstood the way things are. I’m sorry about the dining room; the least I can do is help you there. I’ll make an excuse at mealtimes and absent myself.” “Thank you.” Caishel smiled at him and for the first time since she’d met him, Dossman smiled back. “You said you wanted my help. Help to do what?” “Someone’s trying to hurt Ailan, and I’m convinced the answer to the puzzle is downside in Lan.” “I agree, but I don’t see how knowing that is going to help us.” “You think the same as me?” Caishel was surprised the steward had agreed so readily. “Milady, do you remember when you first arrived and I told the Duke I would look into why the messages didn’t get through? I checked with the Portmaster and he said he’d never received any orders. Both times I had told Persan to deal with the messages, but the Portmaster says he never received them. Persan says he did tell him and that Rufor is lying.” “And what do you think?” Caishel wondered if Persan could be the assailant, but she knew of no reason why he’d try to harm Ailan. The whole estate worked better since they’d arrived and Persan could only prosper along with the improvements. “I don’t know what to think,” Dossman admitted. “Duchess Caishel, what do you need me to do for you?” “I need to get downside and question a few people, listen to the gossip of the streets.” 245

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“Milady, they’re not going to talk to the Duchess of Lan.” “I know.” Caishel grinned. “But it won’t be the Duchess who goes downside. It will be Cail, the street urchin.” Dossman sat quietly for a few moments and Caishel held her breath. Her plan depended on the steward, a man who until a few moments ago had thought her a scheming witch. “Very well, I’ll help you.” Dossman held up his hand as she jumped to her feet. “On one condition. If I feel things are getting out of hand, or I think you’re in danger, I reserve the right to tell the Duke.” “That’s fair enough,” Caishel agreed. “When do you think we can start?” “Tomorrow, as soon as the Duke has given the daily orders. I’ll meet you at the entrance to the nahhar level.”

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Chapter 18 Ailan found Caishel already seated when he entered the dining room that evening. “Sorry, my love.” He leaned over and pecked her cheek before taking his own seat. “I got caught up in some problems Persan had with this workers. Where’s Dossman?” “He sent a message to say he wouldn’t be able to join us tonight.” “So it’s just the two of us. What’s for dinner?” “Prance stew.” She handed him the basket of bread as Toyvar entered the room with a large steaming bowl. “Good,” he said after taking the first mouthful. “Just what I need after a hard day’s work.” “Do you realise this is the first time we’ve dined alone since we arrived at the castle?” Caishel asked after Toyvar had left the room. “Surely not,” he replied, trying and failing to remember a time before this. “I’m sorry, my love, I’ve just been so busy. The place was falling apart when we got here and it’s a never ending job just to keep up with things, let alone improve anything.” “Ailan, we’re drawing further apart each day.” 247

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“Nonsense, it’s only temporary.” He mopped up the last of the stew with his bread. “When we’ve got enough money to hire more servants we’ll be able to take time out for ourselves. Sorry, my love, I’ve got to go. I have to pour over the books tonight to see if we can afford a new transport. The old ones are falling to bits.” He left the room, feeling slightly off balance emotionally. Guilt nagged him about his treatment of Caishel. No matter what he said to her, he knew he was neglecting her, but she would have to be patient. It wouldn’t be for much longer. He knew he’d been very irritable lately, more than the situation warranted, but he couldn’t help himself. Always in his mind was the certainty he had missed something crucial to the welfare of Lan. Another irritating thing was the tilting of the castle. Installation of new power cells had helped, but the castle still listed alarmingly and he could find no reason for the malfunction. An hour later he stretched his arms and shoulders, trying to remove the stiffness. As he tilted back, he found he was looking at the top row of the estate office bookcase. In the middle a large ornate book resided with the legend History of Lan embossed along the spine. Curiosity got the better of him and he fetched the book and returned to his desk. Blowing aside the dust which coated the cover, he carefully opened it and blinked. Tucked inside was a letter addressed to Ailan, Duke of Lan. He turned it over and saw the wax seal held the pattern of the ducal ring and realised the letter must come from his grandfather. He carefully broke the seal and a large, ornate key dropped onto the desk. Spreading out the letter he started to read: 248

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“If you are reading this letter it means I am dead and you are now the Duke of Lan. If matters had been different, you would have been brought up in the castle and trained for your responsibilities. I can only hope that in your position as Sire to Duke Robard of Ardon you have learned the necessary skills to bring Lan back to its former glory. You will no doubt have noticed the run down appearance of the estate. What you might not realise is that the health of the Duke who wears the ring of Lan, is closely linked with the health of the estate and consequently the surrounding countryside. This is why it is so important that the ducal ring goes to the rightful heir. The ring will reflect and enhance your moods and your feelings and the castle will respond to this. Even the weather control needs the ring to guide it and this in some way empowers the wearer. Even before my health failed, the ring seemed to be losing its power, but as I declined, so did the estate, in particular the castle. It didn’t matter how good a steward I had, without my health everything was bound to decay. You are a young man and the estate can only prosper under such a healthy Duke. If your marriage is a happy one, then maybe it was not such a bad thing, I know that your father’s partnership with your mother was happy, and I found only loneliness and bitterness after he left and so the estate suffered. Perhaps I was wrong to deny them their chance. However, that is in the past, you must ensure that the ring does not fall into the wrong hands for that would be fatal for yourself and your people. Be sure there 249

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are others who covet Lan, but you are the true heir. Try to do the best for the estate and the people. Serlan, Duke of Lan” Ailan read the letter again before he put it on the desk. He looked curiously at the ring. Since Caishel had placed the blue and silver signet on his finger he had felt different, but he’d attributed this to the responsibilities the ring symbolised. He remembered how dull the stone had looked lying in the palm of his hand, and how the blue background and silver dragon had deepened and sparkled when placed on his finger. One thing in the letter intrigued him. Dossman had shown him the door to the castle control room, but confessed he’d never been inside. He told Ailan the old duke had always done the weather manipulations alone and that he had no idea where Serlan had hidden the key to the locked room. Robard also kept others out of his control room while he implemented the weather decisions and Ailan wondered why there was a need for such secrecy. Now his grandfather had given him a clue and Ailan couldn’t wait until morning to try the ring. He hurried to the control room which was situated at the top of one of the towers. Praying he’d got it right, he put the ornate key into the lock and turned it and sighed with relief when he was rewarded by a click as it unlocked. Quickly passing through the opening he secured the door behind him and turned up the brightglobes. Machines dominated the walls of the room and he eagerly examined them. One particular knob looked as if it turned the machine on, but although he turned it several times, he met with no success. Carefully he examined the console and the control knob. A small indentation with an 250

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engraving of the dragon emblem of Lan sat next to the knob. Ailan had taken it to be a decoration, but now he realised it was the key to using the weather control. Slipping the ring from his finger, he placed it in the hollow, but even though he gave it a small push to make sure it was sitting correctly, the machine did not respond when he turned the on/off knob. Wait, what had his grandfather said about the ring enhancing his moods and being empowered by the machine? Did that mean he had to be wearing the ring? He held his breath as he put the ring back on his finger then folded his knuckles and pushed the stone into the hollow and willed the machine to start. His other hand turned the knob and lights began to flicker wildly across the console. No sound accompanied the start up, but he could feel a low pulsing throb from his contact with the console. He slowly lifted his ringed finger from the indentation, and grinned when the lights continued to flicker busily. He moved the controls, making sure he returned them to their former positions before moving onto the next. By experimenting in this way he found he did not need to keep the ring in the indentation all the time, it was only needed when he wanted to make adjustments. Exhilarated by this interaction, it wasn’t until he suddenly felt drained that he realised he’d been in the control room for some hours. He reluctantly turned the machine off. Dousing the brightglobes he left the room, locking the door behind him. When he entered their bedroom, Caishel was fast asleep. He stood looking down on her, and his eyes softened. He longed to wake her and tell her about his discovery, but she worked as hard as he did to bring things to their proper order and it wouldn’t be fair to disturb her 251

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rest. A strong swell of passion threatened to overwhelm him, but after he had quietly stripped off his clothes and climbed into bed next to her, he forced himself to close his eyes and go to sleep. **** Caishel hated sneaking around, but she didn’t want anyone to ask her about the bundle under her arm. Since she’d married Ailan the servants had a tendency to want to relieve her of any burden, as if she’d become extremely delicate in her married state. Luckily, Toyvar and her helper were still the only ones in the upper levels of the castle and they were easy to avoid. The difficult bit would come when she met Dossman. What could she say if someone saw them together and told Ailan? He knew the two didn’t get on and he’d want to know what she’d been doing with the steward. She’d have to think of some excuse and warn Dossman to tell the same story. Why did everything have to be so complicated? She hadn’t encountered any of these problems when she lived as an urchin on the streets of Ardville. “Dossman,” she called in a low voice. “Where are you?” “Over here, Milady.” The steward stepped from behind a box, carrying a clipboard in his hand. “I was checking the stable fodder that came up from Landon yesterday.” “What do we do now?” Caishel looked furtively round, expecting Porig to jump out of one of the stalls and confront them. “We should go to the docking levels before you change.” Dossman looked at her and he shook his head. “Milady, when you’re doing something furtive, you should always try and look as if you’re supposed to be there. Sneaking around makes people wonder what you’re up to.” 252

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“I realise that, Dossman. I guess it’s because I haven’t told Ailan what I’m doing. I hate keeping secrets from him, but if he knew, he’d tell me I’m being silly and stop me from going. I don’t know what I’m going to tell him if he finds out I’ve been with you and then asks me why.” “This way, Milady.” Dossman led her through the nahhar level, and Caishel looked furtively around, then breathed easier when she saw no sign of Porig. “If Duke Ailan asks why you were walking the lower levels with me, tell him you’ve been waiting for something, spices maybe, to be sent up from downside and we were going to look at yesterday’s goods to see if they’d arrived.” “Dossman, you’re more devious than I am. Better make it bolts of linen, though.” Caishel grinned at him and suddenly this adventure didn’t seem so daunting anymore. “You’ll have to go down by transport, Milady,” Dossman told her when they stopped close to the docks. “If you went by mattporter, Rufor would see you when you arrived at the other end. I’ll keep Persan and his men occupied while you slip onto the one that’s about to leave. The difficult part is going to be getting you back up again.” “Maybe we should set a time,” Caishel said, her voice muffled behind the box where she was changing her clothes. “Perhaps you could come down an hour before sunset?” “I’ll find a way to meet you outside the port buildings at that time.” Dossman’s eyes widened as Caishel stepped out from behind the box and she blushed as she realised her clothes revealed the shapely outline of her legs. Luckily her chest had all but disappeared under the bindings and she really did look like a street urchin, despite her hair being too clean and long.

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“I can’t do anything about its length,” she muttered when she saw him looking at her. “I’ll muss it up a bit with dirt when I get downside.” Dossman asked her to wait while he went ahead to check the way was clear. Peering from her hiding place, Caishel saw Persan standing beside the vessel, checking nothing had been left on board before sending the empty transport back to the ground. He seemed quite happy to take a break when Dossman asked if he could spare a minute. “The Duchess has been asking if some bolts of linen have arrived yet,” she heard the steward say. “She’s had me searching through the boxes I haven’t had time to unpack and distribute and she’s driving me mad about it. The linen wouldn’t have come up with this shipment, would it?” “Don’t know, but it won’t take a moment to check.” Persan grinned at his colleague. “Tell the Duchess to come and see me in future, I’ll give her something to take her mind off her domestic chores. You two,” he snapped at the men who were helping him. “Go and check the inventory again.” Persan turned away with a dirty laugh and didn’t see Dossman’s look of distaste, or the look of fear in the two helpers’ eyes. But Caishel did. Now that she knew Dossman’s reason for disliking her, the difference between the two men appeared more obvious and she made up her mind never to be alone with Persan. He might forget she was the Duchess and she didn’t want to find out where that would lead. Dossman’s hand waved behind his back and she took that as a sign she should board the transport. Dodging from box to box she made it to the entrance and slipped inside without anyone seeing her. Her eyes widened with horror 254

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as she saw the emptiness of the vessel and at the same time heard the voice of the driver calling to the dockers that he would be leaving in five minutes. Hurriedly she ducked under some loose canvas that had been flung in to a corner and hoped that it would be enough to conceal her. A few minutes later the craft backed out of its docking bay and Caishel felt it tilt forwards and increase speed as it headed downside. After landing, the driver turned off the engines and left the transport, yelling out to the Portmaster that he would be back to take the next load up in two hours. Carefully peeling back the canvas, Caishel crept to the wide-open entrance. Across the port apron. She could see several figures moving large boxes onto wagons similar to the one they’d used to travel from Ardville. She couldn’t see the Portmaster anywhere, so she slipped down the ramp and made her way out of the area as quickly as she could. Rufor could be a danger to her downside. No one else had seen her close up, meaning only the Portmaster could identify her as the Duchess of Lan. Once she had moved a safe distance from the port she stopped to muss her face and hair with dirt from the side of the road, then made her way into town. The darting movements of a street urchin, eyes always alert for an opportunity, quickly returned to her and she felt in her element as the female servants and merchant ladies pulled their skirts to one side as she passed. Following servants with empty baskets, she quickly found her way to the market and lounging against a wall, watching the hustle and bustle of trade pass her by. It wasn’t long before another youth sidled up to her. “Watcha doin’?” 255

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“Nothin’,” Caishel replied. “New here. Come to see what’s what.” “Can’t work the streets unless the boss lets yer,” the urchin told her. “Boss?” “Jorn, boss of the Ozards.” The boy stared at her. “Don’t know much do ya?” “Told ya, new to town. Take me to Jorn then.” The boy beckoned and together they slipped through the crowded marketplace, ducking and weaving to miss the clouts the stallholders flung at them. Suddenly, her companion darted between two stalls and down a dark alley and Caishel quickly followed him. Several twists and turns later, the salty smell of the sea tickled her nose and she realised they were heading for the harbour. Her guide ducked into a dark alley and knocked on the door of a broken down building, then dragged her inside as the door opened. In the semi-darkness, Caishel could barely see well enough to follow the boy, and her shoulders itched as she sensed someone crowding in behind her. She kept moving. “Jorn, got someone to see ya.” The boy opened a door into a brightly lit room. “Says he’s new in Landon.” Caishel moved forward her eyes darting round the room, taking note of the exits. Once she’d established her escape routes, she looked at Jorn and her heart sank. The leader of the Ozards was older than the other urchins. He lounged nonchalantly on a huge wooden throne, his leg slung casually over the arm. Beneath the grime she detected a long thin face, topped with black hair. The dark flashing eyes narrowed as he looked at his visitor. “Name?” he barked. “Cail,” she replied, equally abruptly. 256

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“New here?” “Got here this morning,” Caishel said honestly. She had only got here this morning; until now she’d been up in the castle. “Wanna join us?” “Him say.” She indicated the boy who had acted as her guide. “Need your okay to work streets.” “Work how?” Jorn stood and walked around her looking her up and down as he moved. “Stealing, whatever,” Caishel replied, not sure how this gang worked. “Any good?” “I good.” Caishel found speaking in street cant a bit of a strain. She hadn’t realised how far she’d outgrown her previous life and had to concentrate to keep her speech from straying into the tone used by the Duchess of Lan. “Berg,” Jorn spoke to her guide. “You care for him, any wrong you pay.” Thus dismissed Berg beckoned for her to follow him again and they left the room and house by the doors they’d entered. “You better be good,” Berg told her. “I not taking rap for you. You got somewhere to stay?” “Yep, first thing I do.” Caishel would have to return to the castle every night, but she couldn’t let Berg know that. “Not tell you where.” Berg nodded, accepting the fact that his companion showed some sense in not revealing a good sleeping place. They made their way back to the marketplace and Caishel found her Cail persona taking over as she filched fruje from the stalls. She balked at stealing anything except food and had to find some excuse to explain her reluctance to Berg. 257

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“I not know this place.” She waved her hand at the market stalls. “I no rush, take time to scout things first. Maybe one, two days, then I take more than food.” Again, the urchin accepted her words and Caishel realised he wasn’t very bright. To him her reasons made sense. She could only hope he wouldn’t repeat them to Jorn who would undoubtedly find her delay to be suspect. She decided not to ask questions on her first day, it would look too suspicious and the last thing she wanted was to make the Ozards wary of talking to her. “Tomorrow,” she said to Berg at the end of the day. “Here.” He nodded and she drifted off into the crowd. She was early for her trip back to the castle, but needed to make sure neither Berg nor any of the other Ozards were following her. In Jorn, she recognised a shrewd leader who had not taken her at face value and would more than likely order his underlings to check her out. Dodging and doubling back, she reached the port, positive no one was following her. Hiding behind a transport freighter, she stayed alert as she waited for Dossman to come and find her. Eventually, she saw him walking across the port apron talking to Rufor and as they came close to where she hid, she could overhear their conversation. “There’s no need for the operator to stay, Rufor,” Dossman assured the Portmaster. “I can operate the mattporter myself. I’m sorry to come down so late, but I’ve been tied up all day and if I don’t look into the Duchess’ complaint she’s going to want to know why.” Caishel realised Dossman must have known she was hidden somewhere nearby and this was his way of telling her they would be going to the castle by mattporter. 258

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Carefully, she made her way around the area and halted in the shadows of the building, waiting until Dossman arrived. Eventually, the steward entered the building and called softly to her from inside the door. “You can come in now, Duchess Caishel. There’s no one here.” Slipping through the opening, Caishel breathed a sigh of relief. Her first day as a spy was over. Dossman didn’t say a word until after they arrived at the castle terminal and hurried to where Caishel had left her female clothes. “How did it go?” he asked, back turned and eyes firmly staring forward as she changed behind the box. “Fine. Asked no questions today. Need to get to know them first.” “Duchess,” Dossman said hesitantly. “You’ll have to be careful about the way you speak. You’re talking like a street urchin.” “Thanks, Dossman,” Caishel said, smoothing her skirts as she emerged from behind her temporary screen. “I’ll have to watch that. So if anyone asks, you were helping me with some missing linen.” “That’s right, Milady.” “By the way Dossman.” She smiled cheekily at him, as they headed for the stairs. “You’ll ruin my nicer than nice reputation if you keep up the pretence that I’m nagging you so much you have to go downside and search for missing items.” “Nicer than nice, Milady?” Dossman grinned back at her. “Who told you such lies?” **** The day after their quiet dinner alone, Ailan’s guilt drowned out his dedication to his work and he went in search of Caishel. 259

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“Toyvar, do you know where the Duchess is?” he asked as he entered the kitchens after a fruitless search of the castle. “Not really, Duke Ailan.” The maid turned away to stir something on the wood range. “Duchess Caishel goes wherever she thinks something needs doing. Once she’s given me my orders for the morning, she could be anywhere.” “Well, I’ve looked in our suite.” Ailan sipped at the hot kee Toyvar had given him. “She’s not there, or in any of the public rooms and I honestly don’t have time to search anymore.” “If she turns up, shall I tell her you were looking for her?” “No, Toyvar, that’s all right. I’ve other things to do now. I’ll see her at dinner tonight.” His expression remained thoughtful as he left the room. Where could Caishel be? No doubt she’d have some simple explanation which she would reveal when he saw her this evening, but now he needed to go and adjust the weather. Locked in the control room he tried various small adjustments and then decided to allow a light misty rain to fall on the northcoasters farms. The last time he and Dossman had visited them, the ground looked as if it hadn’t been properly irrigated for many months. Each time he touched the controls, he felt a strength coursing into his body. By the time he’d finished, he had an overwhelming feeling of a job well done, although the work had also drained his energy. As he made his way down through the castle, Ailan saw Toyvar taking the meal through to the dining room and a great wave of guilt overcame him. He’d been busy enjoying himself while Caishel had been working hard. The guilt was closely 260

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followed by anger. He had no need to feel guilty. He was the Duke of Lan! “I looked for you today,” he mentioned as he carved a roast churk. “I thought we might have lunch together, but I couldn’t find you anywhere.” “I rummaged about in the attics this morning.” Ailan happened to glance up as she spoke and surprised a look of confusion on his wife’s face. “Persan said he saw you with Dossman.” He watched carefully to see her response and to his horror he saw her hands falter as she reached for her fork. “Dossman?” He watched her face flush pink and suddenly he knew she was going to lie to him. “Yes, he said you were on the lower levels.” “That must have been earlier. I asked him if the linen had come up from downside and he said it might have been with yesterday’s goods. I went with him to check.” Picking up her knife and fork she attacked her meal. “Did you have a good day?” “What on earth were you doing up in the attics?” he asked, ignoring her question and wondering why she looked confused. “You mentioned last night about more staff, I thought I’d better make sure the servants’ quarters were clean and habitable. When we’re ready we only have to make up the beds.” He watched as she bent her head and skewered a piece of meat. Had he imagined it or did her hand shake? “There’s plenty of time for that. Shall we agree to meet tomorrow for lunch?” “Oh, Ailan, I’m sorry.” She did look sorry he thought, but also nervous. 261

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“I take it that means you won’t meet me for lunch.” “I’m sorry, my love.” Her eyes pleaded with his for understanding, but that only made him suspect her next words. “I really have so much to do, it’s much better to meet in the evening. We’ve so much more time to relax, talk and be ourselves.” Her response made sense, but still her nervousness persisted. For the first time since the revelation of her femininity, Ailan knew his beloved Caishel was hiding something from him.

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Chapter 19 Ailan rose the next morning determined not to spy on Caishel, but his resolve weakened at midday when he entered the kitchen. “Where’s the Duchess?” he asked Toyvar brusquely. “She’s around somewhere, Duke Ailan.” Toyvar busied herself with the midday meal for the workers. “I think she went out into the gardens, but I’m not sure, I’ve been so busy this morning.” “Never mind.” The woman was lying. No doubt she was covering up for Caishel, but he couldn’t work out why Toyvar felt the need to lie. If Caishel was only sorting out the castle, then why was she being so secretive about what she was doing? Feeling irritated, he decided to seek out Dossman and go downside to see what the northcoasters thought about their unexpected rainfall. After a fruitless search he ended up in the docking levels questioning Persan. “Where’s Dossman?” Ailan demanded, his anger nearly at boiling point. “Dossman?” Persan looked surprised. “I don’t know, my lord. I haven’t seen him since this morning.” “I don’t suppose you’ve seen the Duchess either?” Ailan grunted. 263

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“Not since early this morning.” Persan seemed thoughtful for a while then he hesitantly carried on. “In fact, my lord, the last time I saw Dossman he was escorting the Duchess along the nahhar level. Maybe Porig knows where they are.” Flinging a curt ‘thank you’ over his shoulder as he left, Ailan stormed off to the stable level, unaware that behind him a satisfied smirk had appeared on Persan’s face. “Porig!” he roared as soon as he got to the stables. Both nahhars neighed nervously at the sudden noise. “Yes, my lord.” Porig appeared from Garlon’s stable. “Have you seen Dossman or the Duchess?” “Not since this morning, my lord.” Porig waited a few seconds while Ailan stood chewing his lip. “Were they together?” Ailan snapped. “The first time I saw Dossman, he had the Duchess with him, but a short while after that he came through the stables again and he was on his own.” Ailan strode angrily away, not noticing the worried look on his groom’s face. His mind tried to work out why Caishel had been with Dossman. She always said the steward didn’t like her, and consequently she avoided him. So why had they suddenly become so friendly? **** “I wonder why Dossman doesn’t eat with us anymore?” Ailan mused at dinner that evening. “Maybe he needs a rest from business at the end of the day. Perhaps you should copy his example.” A flash of jealousy went through Ailan and he wondered if there was something going on between the steward and his wife. It all seemed to fit. Both of them had been missing when he looked for them, and now she wasn’t satisfied with his way of dealing with things. She wanted 264

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him to be more like Dossman. Could it be his fault? Maybe he should have given her more time to adjust to being a woman before he married her? Caishel had been so young and naive it was possible she’d confused love with fascination and gratitude. No, it certainly wasn’t his fault. He’d asked her if she was sure she wanted to marry him and she’d said yes. She’d got what she needed, a man to protect her and she’d become a Duchess as well. Now it looked like she’d decided to have some fun and had chosen Dossman to be her partner. He’d soon put a stop to that. “Shall we have an early night?” Caishel asked, and he glanced down the table at her. “Sorry, I have to finish sorting out some estate accounts,” Ailan replied brusquely. He needed time to think things over. Sitting in the estate office he went over her words again and again, eventually deciding he had enough proof to confront her with her infidelity. Dossman and Caishel were definitely having an affair. A small doubt persisted in reminding him that this morning he’d decided he needed to spend more time with her and her association with the steward could be a result of his neglect. But that was no excuse for her to break her marriage vows. Some hours later he entered their bedroom to find Caishel fast asleep. He stood looking down at her. She looked so young and helpless, but he knew a tough streak of independence lurked beneath the calm exterior. She stirred and muttered in her sleep and he leaned closer, trying to hear her words. “Ailan, I’m sorry. Dossman’s not to blame.” Cold anger surged through his veins and he moved away from the bed with a look of disgust on his face. Her 265

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words provided the proof of her betrayal. Picking up a cover from the end of the bed he went to his dressing room and lay down on the couch where he spent a restless night, tossing and turning as his nightmares drove him relentlessly towards dawn. Determined she wouldn’t meet with her lover today, he went to find Dossman and gave him plenty of work to do. Later, he looked for Caishel, but she had once again eluded him, although Dossman was very much in evidence. **** Without the steward’s help Caishel found it difficult to stow away on the transport. The day before, she’d met Berg and familiarised herself with Landon market. Today, she hoped to start on her investigation. She could only pray that Dossman would check behind the box for her pile of clothes and see the note discreetly pinned on them advising him of the time she’d like to return. Stowing away was difficult, but not impossible and she was only slightly late meeting Berg in the marketplace. “Where you been?” “Getting breakfast.” She offered the boy one of the hot rolls she had lifted from a stall on the way through the market. No doubt the stallholder would be surprised to find a half d’jar beneath her bread when she cleared the stall at the end of the day. Stuffing his mouth full of bread, Berg beckoned her and then set off at a trot through the crowds. Senses alert she followed him, wondering where they were going. Eventually, Berg turned off the main thoroughfare and went down several alleyways. Stopping outside a derelict property near the harbor, he looked quickly round. With a tilt of his head he indicated she should follow again, and 266

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ducked through the broken doorway and into the dark, dirty interior. Caishel blinked several times, adjusting her eyes to the dimness. Berg had disappeared and she stood inside the door for several moments wondering if she should look for him or wait here. She still hadn’t decided what to do when the boy reappeared as suddenly as he’d disappeared. “Come on,” he urged. “Whatcha waiting for?” Obediently, she followed him again until a turn in the corridor brought them to a neglected garden where her eyes were blinded by the brilliant sunshine. The smell of fruje mixed with the salty tang of the sea assaulted her nostrils and she blinked, clearing her eyes enough to focus on the courtyard garden. On a bench under the overgrown fruje tree sat Jorn, idly peeling the skin off a windfall fruit. Following his usual pattern, Berg instantly disappeared and Jorn looked up and smiled, but his expressionless eyes told her this would not be a friendly chat. “Morning,” the Ozards leader said pleasantly. Caishel nodded, determined not to speak until he made his intentions clear. “Need to get a few things sorted out about you. Like where you came from.” “Why?” “Gotta know if I can trust you.” Jorn’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “You got something to hide?” “Course not. Came from Ardville.” During her years on the street she’d found partial truth to be better than an outright lie. “What gang?” This question worried her. Did he have any way of checking up on her? “No gang. Loner.” 267

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“Why Landon?” “Ardville too hot. Time for change.” Caishel found the return to street cant tiring and she nervously wondered where Jorn’s questioning was heading. She jumped when his conversation took a new turn and his tone altered. “Let’s speak straight. You’re the Duchess of Lan and you’re down here pretending to be a street urchin for some reason.” Jorn grinned at the astonished expression on Caishel’s face. “I wasn’t born a street urchin. I probably have a background similar to yours, but it makes it easier if I blend in.” “Blend in. Don’t fool yourself, Jorn. It’s your difference that makes you the leader.” “You still haven’t told me why you’re here in disguise.” “There have been attempts on the Duke’s life.” Caishel hesitated a few moments, then decided to tell him everything. He might help if he thought she wasn’t holding anything back. “They’ve been made to appear like accidents, but I’m positive they’re not. There’s also the goods that went missing when the old Duke was sick. I think the two things are linked.” “And what makes you think we can help?” The lopsided grin still angled across Jorn’s face. “I’ve lived as a street urchin and know they have a network which finds out everything that goes on in their area. I hoped your gang might have heard something that isn’t common knowledge.” She looked at Jorn, desperately praying he would agree to help her. “Who becomes Duke if your husband is killed?” Jorn asked. “I don’t think there is anyone else.” Caishel hadn’t thought of this angle. “Both Ailan and his father were only 268

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children, so there aren’t any cousins. I suppose the Dukedom becomes vacant if anything happens to Ailan.” “Word is he’s getting things done and the town’s starting to trade again. That’s good for Landon, and what’s good for Landon is good for the Ozards.” Jorn paused for a moment and Caishel held her breath as he straightened, his mind obviously made up. “I’ll help you. The power cells are hidden in one of the farms on the northcoast. Every time a shipment was stolen, they were added to the ones already there.” “But do you know who stole them? I’m assuming you and your gang had nothing to do with it or you wouldn’t be telling me this.” “Not sure who, but it definitely involved someone from the castle the first time. My guess is the same person organised the other thefts as well.” Jorn looked thoughtful for a moment. “We know it was a man, because the first full load of power cells didn’t disappear until after the chatelaine died.” “And you have no idea who the person is, or what he looks like?” Caishel sighed. It seemed she was no nearer to finding out who intended Ailan harm. “Berg happened to be snooping around the wharves when they loaded the first lot onto a boat.” Jorn frowned, obviously trying to remember the younger boy’s report. “He said the man in charge had dark hair and the others called him boss. At one stage the man turned and Berg said he seemed to look straight at him. Silly fool said he felt as if he was being sucked into the depths of the man’s eyes, but he’s a bit of a dreamer, is our Berg.” Caishel shivered. Jorn might not know it but he had described Persan. Only the ex-groom had eyes such as those described by the Ozard leader. 269

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“Will you take me there?” she asked. “Not today.” Jorn shook his head. “Can you get down early tomorrow morning? Real early?” “What do you call real early?” Caishel asked, mentally reviewing what time she could get downside and if she would be able to count on Dossman’s help. It occurred to her that the problem might not even arise if she couldn’t get back to the castle tonight. “Just before dawn.” “Where should I meet you?” “Berg and I will wait for you outside the port area. It would help if you could bring something to eat with you as it’s a long way to the northcoast and back. We’ll have to go part of the way by boat, and then walk the rest.” Caishel nodded and they worked out the finer details of the journey. “Gotta go now.” Jorn reverted to street cant. “Time you went back up there, yes?” Caishel glanced up and saw the sun sitting directly above them in the sky. She shrugged. “I’m not sure if I can get back up at this time of day,” she admitted. “In fact, I might not be able to get back tonight because I don’t know if the person who’s helping me realises I’ve come downside today.” “What do you need to get back?” Jorn seemed pleased she trusted him to the extent of showing her vulnerability. “I have to get on a transport, without the Portmaster seeing me. He even checks the empty crates going back up as if he thinks the whole town would like to get up to the castle.” “So you need a diversion.” Jorn stroked his chin with his hand then yelled loudly, making Caishel jumped nervously. “Berg!” 270

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“Here Jorn.” The urchin’s head popped round the broken doorway. “C’mere.” Jorn looked directly into the other boys’ eyes and to Caishel it looked as if he was hypnotizing the younger lad. “Cail he go up there.” Jorn’s thumb jerked skyward. “He help us, we help him right?” Berg nodded. “You make Portmaster look other way, Cail get on transport. Tomorrow you, Cail and me take a trip so you be at port before dawn. What I say?” Word for word Berg repeated Jorn’s instructions. “Go with Cail now and upset Portmaster.” The Ozard leader grinned at Caishel. “See ya tomorrow.”

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Chapter 20 Caishel was missing again. Ailan had worked with Dossman all morning, then left the steward to carry on while he went in search of his wife, but he couldn’t find her anywhere. He’d already asked Toyvar if she knew Caishel’s whereabouts, but decided to go back and ask again. The kitchen door stood open and Ailan stopped when he heard Toyvar speak Dossman’s name. “You’re a fool, Dossman,” the maid said tartly. “The Duke’s not going to like it when he knows what you and the Duchess have been up to. Sneaking behind his back like that, it’s not right.” “I can’t help it, Toyvar,” Ailan heard the steward reply. “I find it hard to refuse her.” Ailan stumbled back to his office in a daze. He’d tried to convince himself he had imagined the closeness of Dossman and Caishel. A misunderstanding brought about by his own guilty feelings because he’d neglected Caishel. Now he’d heard the truth. His wife and the steward really were having an affair! He stayed in his office all afternoon, leaving the estate to muddle along without his help. At first his mind refused to work properly. He was too numb to do anything more than repeatedly go over the conversation he’d heard. Later, 272

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his tortured brain succumbed to jealousy and he laid the blame at Caishel’s feet. She should have understood he was working hard for both of them and been patient enough to wait until he had everything under control. A knock on the door disturbed his turbulent thoughts and he glanced up as Caishel peered around the doorframe. “Dinner’s ready, Ailan,” she said, then frowned and came right into the room. “Are you all right? You look terrible.” “I’m fine, just a bit stiff after working on these all afternoon.” He waved a hand at the open ledgers which had remained untouched today. “What have you been up to?” “This and that.” Caishel linked her arm in his as he rose and he hoped she didn’t feel his involuntary flinch of rejection. “I spent the afternoon weeding the flower gardens outside our little dining room. I thought we could eat on the terrace when it’s warm enough and the scent of flowers is always nice.” Ailan muttered something in reply and allowed her to lead him to the dining room. Jealousy still had him in its grip and he had to work hard to stop himself recoiling from her touch. Using the weeding as an excuse, he dropped her arm and crossed the room where he opened the doors leading onto the terrace. For one moment his suspicions faltered. The beds had been weeded extensively and by the freshness of the earth, he could tell the work had taken place this afternoon. “Close the doors, my love, the food’s getting cold.” He did as she asked and took his place at the table. The third place laid for Dossman remained empty and, by her actions, Caishel obviously did not expect the steward to appear. In fact she had already dipped the spoon into her 273

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soup when the door opened and Dossman entered, words of apology on his lips. “Never mind that now, Dossman,” Ailan told him. “Sit down man. Eat your soup before it gets cold.” When the meal progressed to the main course of tender wura fish done in a white wine sauce, Ailan gently teased information from the steward. “Did you get those jobs done that I told you about this morning?” “Yes, Duke Ailan. They’re all finished. Tomorrow I’ll need to talk to you about hiring more men. Now we’re back in business, the work’s beginning to pile up.” “Fine, meet me in the office before breakfast tomorrow morning.” A small movement drew his attention to his wife and Ailan’s teeth ground together as he saw the look of dismay on her face. She must have an early morning assignation with Dossman. Maybe they thought a lovers’ tryst would not be suspected or interfered with at that time of the day. If she couldn’t restrain herself, he’d have to put barriers in her way to stop her making a fool of them all. For a fleeting moment he wondered why he was trying to protect her even as she betrayed him. Why not divorce her and send her back to the streets? The moment passed. He knew why. He couldn’t help himself. He loved her and would do everything in his power to win her back. As the three of them left the dining room, Persan approached Ailan with some trivial request. When he’d sorted out the query and the other man had left, he turned to Caishel and hoped the dismay didn’t show on his face as he realised she had taken the opportunity to have a quick word with Dossman. No doubt they were altering their plans for the morning. Not trusting himself to speak to 274

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either of them, he stormed off to the weather control centre, grabbing a bottle of Lorene on the way. Safe behind locked doors, he poured himself a large amount of wine, tossed it off in one go and then refilled the glass. **** Whatever was the matter with Ailan? He’d been on the verge of rudeness ever since she’d rousted him from his office for dinner. Had Persan said something to upset him even more? After speaking to the man, Ailan seemed in an even worse mood as he stormed off towards the drop chute. “Did I say something wrong?” Dossman asked, surprise showing on his face. “The Duke’s normally such a placid man. I didn’t think he had a temper.” “He’s been in a funny mood for a few days now,” Caishel said thoughtfully. He couldn’t have found out about her trips downside could he? Surely he would have said something if he had? “No doubt he’ll share the reason for his bad humour with us when he’s ready. Will you be able to help me in the morning?” “I’ll try, Milady.” Dossman picked up the conversation where they’d left off when the Duke stormed away. “Trouble is if Duke Ailan needs me in the office, I might not be able to get away.” “So long as you know that I’ll need to come back up again,” Caishel told him. “I can manage sneaking on a transport going downside, but can’t get on one coming back up if there’s nothing to sneak on to.” “Be at the port an hour before sunset and I’ll make sure the transport is there.” With a word of thanks, Caishel left him and went to sort out the next day’s tasks for Toyvar and her helper. 275

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Before retiring to bed she arranged with the maid for a parcel of food to be left ready for her in the morning. Much later, Caishel lay in bed wondering how she could get up early the next day with Ailan lying beside her. He’d want to know where she was going and she could hardly tell him the truth. Maybe she’d get lucky and he would either have risen before her or be deeply asleep when she sneaked out of the room. The object of her thoughts opened the door and she looked up, a smile on her face which quickly turned to a frown as she realised he’d been drinking. Ailan enjoyed a mug of ale and the occasional glass of Lorene, but he never drank to excess. Something must have really upset him to make him react like this, and no doubt Persan was at the bottom of the trouble. “Ailan, come to bed.” She flicked back the covers invitingly, although she couldn’t imagine making love with him in this state. For a moment he stood looking at her and a faint chill ran through her. His eyes were cold and filled with disgust, but she hadn’t time to think about his expression as he turned away and ripped his clothes off. Naked, he walked to her side of the bed and stood looking down at her. She trembled with uncertainty mixed with excitement as his arousal grew before her eyes. His eyes were filled with loathing, but his lower body denied the hatred. Her nervousness increased as he tore the covers from her, then catching hold of the neck of her nightgown he pulled hard, ripping the material from neckline to hem and exposing her body to his hard stare. “Ailan.” Her voice shook and for a moment he hesitated, but then he glanced at her nipples which had become hard little buds, straining to meet the source of 276

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their excitement. With a sadistic grin he threw himself on top of her and despite her fright, her body moved to meet him. There was no foreplay, no teasing her body to a high pitch of excitement until she begged for release. Savagely, he took one nipple in his mouth and sucked hard while his fingers crushed the other breast in his grasp. His knee forced her legs apart with no regard for her pleas to be gentle and once inside he ruthlessly thrust back and forth until he exploded within her. Exhausted, he collapsed on top of her. Caishel lay quietly, silent tears of unhappiness and frustration dripping slowly down her cheeks. She could understand his acting in haste. They hadn’t made love for many days and his level of control must have been low, but she couldn’t grasp the reason behind the violence of his attack. The Ailan who’d wooed her and refused to take her until after they were married would not have acted in such a way. She felt him stir and tensed herself, ready for another onslaught but he merely rolled off her body to his own side of the bed and minutes later his drunken snores punctuated the silence. Moving as quietly as possible, she left the bed and went to the bathroom. Shutting and locking the door behind her she filled the bath with warm water and sank beneath the surface, lying there until she felt cleansed on the outside. As she dried herself, she realised he must have unconsciously practiced some restraint as her body remained unharmed, but her pride had been badly assaulted. She dried herself, wrapped a fluffy towel around her and cautiously unlocked the door to the bedroom. She needn’t have worried about waking Ailan; the drink would make him sleep until morning if the increasing volume of 277

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snores were any indication. Still moving with caution, she grabbed a dress and underclothes from her closet, and quietly slipped from the room to spend the rest of the night on the sofa in the estate office. Early the next morning she collected the food Toyvar had left ready for her in the kitchen and headed for the docking levels. Here she changed into the boys clothing she had hidden behind the crates. She then waited impatiently for a chance to slip onto the transport. Caishel had no trouble reaching downside or getting out of the port area to where Jorn and Berg were waiting for her. The younger boy’s eyes widened as he saw the size of the food parcel she carried, but Jorn took it from her and tucked it away in his backpack, then beckoned for the other two to follow. By the time the townsfolk began to rise, the trio had reached the northern end of the town. Caishel began to appreciate how much faster she could travel by nahhar. She and Ailan had covered the same distance in a matter of minutes when they’d first entered Landon. The town incorporated both the land and sea in its layout and architecture, but the buildings were old and had none of the modern, lacy architecture which the merchants of Ardville loved. The urban area dropped behind them and Jorn led the way down to a small beach where another member of the Ozards stood watch over a small boat. At a nod from the leader, the gang member scooted up the beach and disappeared from sight. Dumping the backpack into the bottom of the boat, they pushed the vessel into the sea, jumping on board as it cleared the sandy bottom. Jorn hoisted a small sail and the wind filled it and rushed them away from the land. The sun was low in the sky when they started, but soon reached a height where it beat down on them unmercifully. 278

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It didn’t seem to affect Berg who hung over the prow, fascinated by the water rushing beneath them. Caishel took the opportunity to question Jorn. Anything to take her mind off the heat and what had happened the previous night. “If Berg only saw the cells being loaded on to a boat, how do you know where they were taken?” She kept her voice low so that the younger boy wouldn’t hear her. “He recognised the boat, so I sent him to look around the owner’s farm. The cells are in a shed quite near the house, so we’ll have to be careful.” Jorn evidently considered the conversation was over as he concentrated on holding the little craft on course. Caishel took the chance to look around and was surprised to see how far from land they had come. Landon was now only a smudge in the distance, but the boat was heading towards an island, although it was still some distance away. “Is that where we’re going?” she asked. “Naw,” Jorn answered. “No one goes there. It’s supposed to be haunted.” “Have you ever been there?” Caishel asked, wondering if this was Landon’s equivalent of the forest spirits around Ardville. “No, but Berg has.” At mention of his name the smaller lad turned from his fascination with the sea. “Only been once,” he muttered, his eyes full of fear. “Not go again. Spirits chase me away.” “Spirits? What spirits?” Caishel asked. “What did they look like?” “White, all white. Clothes white. Skin white. Big green eyes. Staring eyes. Not walk. Floated above ground.” With a shudder Berg turned back to look at the water. 279

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They sailed in silence for some time, but did not come near enough to the island for Caishel to see any details other than the rocky shoreline. She thought of what Berg had said and realised this must be the home of the lost Eos tribe. The one who was involved in Ailan’s attacks had to come from here. “It’s not easy to get onto that place,” Jorn told her when he saw her looking. “Most of it’s like this, rocky and high cliffs. Impossible to land a boat on. The other side, away from the mainland, is not much better, but there is a small inlet where it’s possible to land a small boat, but only if the tide’s right. There’s a rip that drags you towards the rocks.” Caishel nodded to indicate she’d heard him, but did not reply. She shivered. The whole place looked dreary and inhospitable. She wondered if these Eos were as friendly as the forest spirits. The boat tacked away from the island and headed once more towards the mainland, but as they came closer to the shore she noted they could no longer see Landon. This area had none of the growth the western fields had; instead, the ground sloping down to the shore looked tired. The farmhouses were in need of repair and the fields appeared to be growing wild, with very little cultivated land. “Northcoast farms,” Jorn said with a snort of disgust. “They could have a good living, but they’re too lazy to work for it.” He guided the boat towards the shore and for a moment Caishel thought they would hit the bank, but Berg leaned forward and pushed the foliage to one side revealing a hidden inlet. Jorn skilfully guided the boat inside, letting the bushes fall into place behind them. They had only gone a short distance up the inlet when Jorn pulled the boat to 280

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the side and Berg hopped out and tied the anchor rope to a tree. “Have to walk from here,” Jorn told her, returning to street slang now Berg could overhear them. “Berg, scout ahead, make sure no one about.” “Do you think we’ll be able to get in to where the power cells are stored?” Caishel asked as Berg disappeared through the trees. “Depends,” Jorn replied. “They may be trying to keep them hidden by pretending there’s nothing there. Then again, they might be guarding them well. We won’t know until we get there.” “Where’s there?” “About an hour’s walk. Whoever planned the theft chose an isolated farm inland from the coast. Makes sense really, no neighbours to ask questions, or more likely steal the cells from them. Trouble is it means we have to walk a long way to get there.” “Won’t it look odd if anyone sees three urchins walking about the countryside?” “Nah, the Ozards often run errands out here. People know if they pay us enough they can trust us to do anything. Besides, most of the way is through the forest.” Caishel thought it quite pleasant walking along under the tall trees. Sunlight shone through the thick foliage dappling them with its warmth and the smell of warm earth floated up from the ground. She put all her worries to the back of her mind and concentrated on the job ahead. “What makes you think the person who stole the cells has got something to do with the attempts to kill the Duke?” Jorn’s words interrupted her thoughts. “I’m not sure, but I’m sure that whoever organised the theft of the cells has to be in the castle. That narrows it 281

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down to Persan and Dossman. The steward has been helping me and I don’t think he’d do that if he was involved. Besides I feel he’s basically an honest man.” “And the other one?” “Persan. The men who work with him seem afraid of him and, to be honest, I don’t like him either. He’s a slimy individual and he’s got a temper.” Jorn looked thoughtfully at her for some moments then seemed to make up his mind. “I did some checking after I spoke to you yesterday. Did you know that both Dossman and Persan are distant relatives of the Dukes of Lan?” “No, I didn’t.” Caishel looked alarmed. Surely Dossman’s friendship wasn’t merely a cover? Could he and Persan be working together to get rid of Ailan? “Did you find out how closely related?” “Dossman is descended from the daughter of old Duke Serlan’s great grandfather. His family has always been loyal to the Dukedom and he seems to be quite happy working for the estate rather than ruling it. Nobody has a bad word to say about him. Everyone who knows him likes him.” “And Persan?” “Duke Ailan’s grandfather had a younger sister who grew a little wild. She had an affair with a farmer from the northcoast and had Persan without marrying the father. His mother didn’t survive the birth and his father brought him up. The old Duke felt sorry for him and had him brought to the castle when Persan’s father died about eight years ago.” Jorn nodded. “He seems the most likely person. Word is that while he’s always sucking up to the nobles, the lower orders hate him.” “He fits the description Berg gave, and he has a connection with the northcoasters.” Caishel frowned as a 282

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thought occurred to her. “I wonder if he thinks of himself as the rightful Duke. It wouldn’t be the first time an illegitimate child thought he should be the one to rule.” “You want to be careful of that one,” Jorn warned. “The northcoasters are a funny lot. Some people reckon they can work evil magic, but it’s more likely they use threats to get what they want. Whichever it is, some of them are sure to be working with Persan, so you’d better watch out.” “Thanks for the warning. Are all northcoasters like that?” “Some of them are all right, but Persan’s family is a bad lot. Even other northcoasters don’t cross them if they can help it. I think you’ve solved the identity of the assassin,” Jorn told her. “I’m glad. Duke Ailan’s bringing prosperity to Landon. It means more pickings for us. If Persan were in charge he’d favour his own. They’d gain while everyone else lost. I say let’s keep things moving the way they are.” “Cells there.” Berg appeared as they stopped just before the edge of the forest. He pointed across the fields. “In shed far side of house.” “Cross the fields?” Jorn asked his underling. “Don’t wanna go near house?” Berg nodded but when he started to slip off towards the field Jorn stopped him. “Eat first,” the Ozard leader suggested. “Time we finish, northcoasters be in house eating. We move then.” Caishel could see the sense in his suggestion and Berg was eager to see what the food parcel contained, so they settled down under the cover of the trees. When only crumbs remained, Jorn indicated it was time to start and he waved Berg forward. The boy led them silently through the weed-infested crop until they reached the far side of the 283

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field. They slipped through the hedge dividing this field from the next. The three were so well versed in passing unseen that no sign of their passage could be traced in the untidy fields. They eventually arrived at a piece of bare land next to where Berg said the power cells were hidden. Here they took even more caution, not wanting to be seen by someone casually looking out of the house. No men guarded the entrance to the shed and Caishel moved to get closer, but Berg put his hand on her arm and nodded to the side. Caishel tensed as she saw the fierce looking dogs lying half-in and half-out of their kennels. Heavy chains were attached to the collars of the animals, but the coils beside them indicated there was some leeway before they would be brought to a halt. Berg jerked his head and moved off towards the back of the shed and the other two followed him. “Window there,” Berg whispered pointing upward. “Can look through or open.” Jorn helped Caishel up onto his shoulders to reach the opening. She carefully opened the window, pushed the corner of the sacking curtain aside and peeped in, ready to draw back if anyone was inside. The place looked empty, but she could see power cells packed from floor to ceiling. She nodded at Jorn who was looking up waiting for her signal, then he eased her back to the ground. “I need one cell to take back with me to prove that I’ve found the stolen ones,” she explained quietly. “I’m too big to climb through the window. Berg, do you think you can get in?” “No probs,” the boy replied as he shimmied up the wall without any help from either of the others. Within a minute he returned, a cell tucked inside his ragged shirt. 284

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“Gimme.” Jorn took the cell from Berg and put it in the backpack. “Let’s go.” “Wait.” Berg put his hand on his leader’s arm. “Something in there. Something moved.” Jorn looked up at the window and chewed his lip as he considered whether he could climb up. “Too high for me on my own,” he told Caishel. “I’ll lift you up again. See if you can see anything.” Once again she stared into the dim interior of the shed. At first she thought Berg had imagined it, but just as she was about to signal Jorn to let her down, she saw a faint lightening of the shadows in the corner. Peering intently, she saw a small figure detach itself from the darkness and move hesitantly towards the light shining through the uncovered window. Caishel gasped. The figure reminded her of the spirit in Ardon Castle. Then she saw there were differences. This figure was small and most definitely solid, and the only real similarities were the huge eyes and pale skin. “Who are you?” she asked, keeping her voice low. In response the tiny figure held out both hands in a plea for help. Jorn suddenly hauled her down to the ground and put his hand over her mouth. “Shh!” he warned, his mouth close to her ear. “Dog’s restless. Men will come out of house, we go now.” Quickly and quietly they retraced their steps and they’d almost reached the safety of the fields when the dogs caught their scent. They started barking, lunging forward, yanking noisily at their chains. Shouts came from the house and men spilled from the doorways to see what had upset the animals. The three intruders took to their heels, but Caishel glanced over her shoulder as she ran and saw Persan. He 285

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was waving his arms about and pointing in their direction, ordering the men to release the dogs and follow them. She prayed he hadn’t identified one of the urchins as the Duchess of Lan. Then she forgot him. The only thing that mattered were the baying dogs charging after them, mouths frothing as they discharged the heat from their bodies.

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Chapter 21 Caishel and her companions quickly disappeared into the forest. At first they banged and crashed their way through, heedless of the noise they were making, but just when Caishel thought she could go no further, Berg led them off to one side and into a deep, fast flowing stream. Flinging themselves into it, they allowed the water to rush them downstream to the sea. They could hear the dogs valiantly trying to find their scent, but soon the sounds of pursuit dropped behind until all was silent again. Wet and exhausted, they clambered out of the stream before they reached the beach. They crept quietly through the dense undergrowth until they reached the hidden inlet where they had left the boat, but despite her pleas that she would miss her ride to the castle, Jorn refused to put out to sea. “Best wait until it’s nearly dark,” he cautioned. “They’ll be watching to see if we try to escape by water.” Caishel could see the wisdom of his words, but she was worried. If she didn’t arrive at the skyport by the hour before sunset, she’d have no chance of returning to the castle that day. She realised there was no point in being 287

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concerned about something she had no control over, so she decided to talk to Jorn about the strange figure in the shed. “It was small, but definitely not a child,” she told him. “At least, not a human child.” “Spirit child!” Berg muttered, eyes wide with fear. “Don’t be daft, Berg.” Jorn cuffed him round the ear. “If it’s spirit how can it have a child? Go, keep watch.” “I must admit at first I thought it was like the spirit I saw in Ardville,” Caishel mused when Berg was no longer in sight. “But this one was too small and it was definitely solid. It held out its hands to me in a plea for help.” “Never heard of anything like that,” Jorn said. “Nothing we can do about it though. Our problem is getting you back to the castle.” “I don’t suppose you know how to use the mattporter, do you?” Caishel asked hopefully. “Yep. But now it’s working again, Rufor locks the room each night before he leaves.” “How about the one for the stables?” she asked. “No power,” Jorn stated. “Although…” He brought out the stolen power cell from his shirt. “We could use this.” “It could work. You’d have to remove it as soon as I reached the castle, otherwise our evidence might disappear.” “Right, that’s what we’ll do.” Jorn tucked the power cell into the backpack. “Best get some rest. We won’t be able to move for a while and then it will take us longer to get back to Landon in the dark.” **** Ailan’s head hurt. His ears rang loudly as his brains beat mercilessly against his skull. Even his eyes throbbed with pain. He sat up carefully and moved to the edge of the 288

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bed, but when he swung his legs over the side, he was forced to stop and allow the room to steady before he cautiously stood up. Speed then became essential as he rushed to the bathroom and literally threw himself at the toilet. Luckily he reached it in time and the contents of his stomach flew down into the bowl. Several minutes later Ailan stood and flushed away the evidence of last night’s excesses, then rinsed his mouth with water before cleaning his teeth. Patting his mouth dry with a towel, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror above the basin and groaned. The face that looked back at him had red-rimmed eyes and skin so grey it was almost translucent. Not until he was fully dressed did he realise it was late morning, and he wondered where Caishel had gone. The events of the previous night were rather vague from the time he’d caught his wife and Dossman planning their tryst. He remembered retreating to the weather control room with a bottle of Lorene, but after that his memory blurred and he couldn’t tell the difference between reality and dreams. He’d hate for Caishel to see him in this state, so he headed for his office, taking a little used passageway to avoid meeting anyone. Once there he slumped behind his desk, the headache making it difficult for him to concentrate on the ledgers. Nightmarish thoughts of Caishel and Dossman together haunted him and eventually he gave up any pretence of work and stretched out on the office sofa, but even here his wife’s scent disturbed his peace. He went to the control room, the only place in the castle that was free of thoughts of Caishel. Using the ring, he turned on the machines and worked the various castle controls, trying to solve the mystery of the castle tilt. The angle had improved since they’d arrived, 289

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but he still couldn’t work out how to make it completely level. It was as if his interaction with the ring wasn’t complete. He became absorbed in his work and his headache gradually eased, but when he at last stopped to rest he was once again plagued by thoughts of Caishel and Dossman lying together and laughing at his supposed ignorance of their affair. Anger burned inside of him and he savagely tweaked the weather controls to instigate a violent storm over Lan, but at the last moment sanity returned and he sent the storm out to sea, where it would only disturb the fishes. He disengaged from the machine and a great weariness came over him and his headache returned with a savage intensity. Locking the door behind him, Ailan returned to the office and threw himself onto the sofa where exhaustion overcame him and he drifted off to sleep. “Duke Ailan, wake up. Please, Duke Ailan, it’s urgent.” His eyes flicked open and the late afternoon sunshine nearly blinded him as Sard stood back. “That’s enough, Sard. I’m awake now.” Ailan sat up, pleased to note his headache had descended to a dull throb. “What’s so important that you have to wake me?” “The Duchess is missing, my lord.” “Don’t be stupid boy. She’s probably somewhere in the unused parts of the castle. You know how she likes to explore on her own.” On her own with Dossman, his mind teased. “No, my lord, she isn’t in the castle. We’ve searched everywhere and she’s nowhere to be found. Dossman sent me to find you and he’s organizing the workers to search the gardens as well as the lower levels.” 290

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Any other words Sard might have said were lost as Ailan rushed from the room and the boy had to run to catch up with him. “What’s happened to Caishel?” Ailan demanded as he burst into the kitchen. “One moment, my lord.” Dossman’s calm tone infuriated Ailan, and he seethed with impatience as the steward finished instructing the four workers and Toyvar’s helper, sending the men off to search the gardens and lower levels. “Sard, you and this woman go and look through the castle again. Concentrate on the rooms that aren’t in use.” “My lord Duke.” Dossman turned to face Ailan as the page and woman left the kitchen. “We’re doing everything we can to find the Duchess, but she seems to have vanished.” “Did she keep her assignation with you this morning?” Ailan asked, his heart hammering at the scene the words dragged into his mind. At this particular moment he wouldn’t have cared if Dossman had been holding Caishel in his arms, as long as she was safe. “I don’t understand, my lord.” Dossman frowned. “You ordered me to meet you in the estate office this morning, but when you didn’t show I carried on with my other work.” “A likely story. You’ve been meeting my wife in secret, Dossman. Admit it.” “Oh for goodness sake!” Toyvar exploded between the two men. “Dossman, tell the Duke exactly what’s been going on. Then maybe the two of you can concentrate on the important matter in all of this. Finding Duchess Caishel.” Calmly, if a little shamefaced, Dossman explained how Caishel had been worried about Ailan’s safety. 291

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“She persuaded me to help her get downside so she could ask the street urchins for their help.” The steward looked uncertainly at Toyvar, but she stood, arms folded, and waited for him to carry on. “I couldn’t help her this morning because I had to meet you, but I did make sure a transport went down an hour ago so she could get back.” “So what I overheard last night were her plans to go downside this morning?” Ailan felt such a fool. He should have known Caishel wouldn’t betray his trust. Why hadn’t he asked her what was going on? He knew why. Guilt and jealousy had tormented him, because he’d neglected her in favour of his new domain. He realised now what his grandfather meant about the ducal ring enhancing his emotions. It had made an unfounded doubt blow up into a major jealous rage. He would have to do something about his empathy with the ring enhancing his emotions, but not now. Now he had to find Caishel. “Dossman, I think I owe you an apology. I should have known neither of you would betray my trust.” “Not to mention that I would have had something to say about Dossman seeing another woman,” Toyvar said with a smile. “As I said, Duke Ailan, she should have come back an hour ago, but there’s no sign of her.” “We’ll leave the men up here. They can carry on the search,” Ailan stated after several moments thought. “You and I will go downside and try to talk to the street urchins. If she did meet them, they might know what’s happened to her. Maybe she missed the transport and can’t get back to the castle. By the way, where are Persan and Porig? I didn’t see them with the search parties.” “Nobody’s seen either of them, my lord,” Dossman told him. “I sent Sard to ask Porig if he’d seen the Duchess, 292

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but the boy came back saying he couldn’t find your groom anywhere. When I checked that the transport had returned, I also asked the workers about Persan, but they said they hadn’t seen him all afternoon. One of them reckons he saw ‘the boss’ as they call Persan, heading for the mattporter soon after lunch.” “Which is where we’re going.” Ailan turned towards the door, then swung back to Toyvar. “You’re in charge until I return. If my lady is found, send Sard to let me know.” Toyvar, eyes filling with tears for her lost mistress, nodded and Ailan turned brusquely on his heel and strode from the room with Dossman close behind him. **** Caishel tried to rest, but her thoughts kept returning to Ailan’s actions of the night before. What hurt most was the realization that the man she adored had abused her with hate in his eyes. At last her eyelids drooped and she dropped into a restless sleep. “Cail, time to go.” Her eyes flew open as Jorn shook her shoulder. “They don’t seem to have followed us and the sun’s set so we’d better get going. Won’t be able to get you back to the castle tonight though.” She glanced quickly at Berg, but Jorn had spoken quietly and the other urchin hadn’t heard his words. Stiff with lying in the same position for too long, Caishel took up an oar and began to help pole the boat out from under the sheltering branches of the forest and into the sea. “We won’t have to go so far out to sea this time,” Jorn told them. “The dark will hide us, but there’s no wind, so we’ll have to row the whole way.”

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Although the task seemed onerous, the shoreline soon became a blur which disappeared into the darkness of the night. “Wind’s coming,” Berg stated. “Get the sail up,” Jorn ordered and they all hurried to pull up the large sail in the centre of the boat. The wind caught it immediately and the boat skimmed along the surface, heading towards the port of Landon. Suddenly the wind’s direction changed and the boat lurched towards the open sea. All three gasped as they saw the dark clouds ahead of them, darker even than the night sky as there were no stars to relieve the black. “Hang on,” Jorn yelled as rain pelted down on them, soaking them to the skin and swamping the small vessel. Until now the little boat had held its own, tossing like a cork on the waves. Any sea water that had found its way in was dumped out on the next roll. The added water from the torrential downpour seemed to overwhelm the small craft, and it gradually sank lower into the sea, wallowing like a pregnant moonarg. “Don’t let go of the boat,” Jorn warned, his voice barely audible above the storm. “Try to keep hold of it if you get washed overboard.” Caishel didn’t reply. She was too busy trying to hang on. The storm’s strength increased and the waves grew higher and wilder, whipped by a wind screaming a torrent of anger down on their small island of safety. One huge wave crashed down on the boat and Caishel’s fingers, numb with the cold and wet, were dragged from their hold on the wooden sides. Jorn grabbed for her, but he was too far away and she became part of the wave and washed over the side into the rough unforgiving sea. **** 294

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Ailan and Dossman headed for the mattporter on the docking level. On the way they checked with the men searching the transport docks. “Which one of you saw Persan going to the mattporter?” Ailan asked. “Me, my lord,” the older of the two answered. “The boss seemed in a hurry. A transport arrived after lunch and he stood looking at it for a while; although, he didn’t go on board. Then he told us he’d be gone all afternoon and headed for the mattporter.” Ailan nodded his thanks and he and Dossman hurried off in the same direction. “My lord,” the man called after them. “Don’t know whether it’s important, but that groom of yours went towards the mattporter a few minutes after the boss.” “Maybe Persan expected something to come up on the transport and went downside to see why it didn’t arrive,” Dossman suggested as they arrived at the mattporter and he set the controls. “Doesn’t explain why Porig followed him though,” Ailan replied. Night had fallen by the time they reached downside and the Portmaster showed surprise at their arrival. Rufor was locking his office for the night and he immediately confirmed that both Persan and Porig had gone into town earlier that afternoon. “I don’t suppose you’ve seen any street urchins hanging around, have you?” Ailan asked casually. “No, my lord Duke. Everyone’s hurrying to get indoors before the storm hits. Looks like it’s going to be a wild one. Luckily the fishermen were going night fishing so they hadn’t left the harbour. Now they’re making sure their boats are safe.” The Portmaster looked at Ailan and he 295

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knew the older man was waiting for him to say he’d sort out the weather. Guilt flooded through him. He hadn’t even thought of the fishermen when he’d whipped up the storm, but it was too late to stop it now. “Thank you, Rufor.” He tried to hide his shame. “Don’t worry about us; we’ll go back by mattporter.” “Any ideas how to find a street urchin,” Ailan asked after Rufor had left, then he grinned ruefully. “My only experience with them is when they run full tilt into me.” “I suggest we head for town; maybe one of them will oblige us with your way of catching them.” Both men looked grim as they left the port area and headed for town. The deserted road stretched ahead of them, with the storm clouds sitting on the horizon making the night darker than usual as they hid the light of both day and night moons. Ailan’s spirits sank. He’d let Caishel down. If only he hadn’t given in to his guilt-ridden jealousy, she wouldn’t be in danger now. This mess was entirely his fault. “My lord.” Dossman’s quiet words interrupted his misery and he looked in the direction the steward indicated. To one side of the road stood a thin, wiry looking female in a patchwork of clothes. She was wringing her hands in agitation and stepped hesitantly forward as she saw the Duke. “You Duke Ailan?” she asked nervously. “Yes, I’m the Duke. Am I right in saying you’re a street urchin?” Ailan replied. “Yep. Member of Ozards.” “I’m pleased to meet you. We need your help.” Ailan couldn’t believe his luck. He and Dossman hadn’t had much hope of finding an urchin to question, but this one had appeared as if by a miracle. 296

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“Boy come from up there.” The girl indicated the castle in the sky. “Leader Jorn and Berg, they go with boy, not come back. They take boat out there.” The girl waved her hand towards the storm ravaged sea. “The boy must have been the Duchess,” Dossman murmured quietly to Ailan. The colour drained from Ailan’s face as he realised his beloved Caishel might be in danger from a storm his own jealousy had whipped up. “Jorn, he say to tell you if they not back by sunset,” the girl continued. “They not back.” Her message delivered, the girl turned and before Dossman could stop her, she disappeared into the darkness. “What should we do, my lord?” Dossman’s voice broke into Ailan’s thoughts of self recrimination. “The storm,” he gasped. “We’ve got to stop the storm.” He ran towards the mattporter, Dossman on his heels. As soon as they reached the castle, Ailan hurried to the control room, shrugging off Toyvar’s questions about their downside search. Flinging the door open, he threw himself at the machine, almost breaking his finger as he rammed the ring into its socket. He waited impatiently until the flickering lights told him the machine was ready for his instructions. Feverishly, he tried to reverse the storm programme. He couldn’t undo what had already happened, but within moments he had downgraded the storm to a coastal squall of short duration. Unfortunately it would take some time for the strength to leave the turbulent skies and he could only pray Caishel and the Ozard urchins were holed up somewhere safe, waiting for the bad weather to pass. 297

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“My lord.” Toyvar stood in the open doorway, her face wrinkled with worry. “There’s nothing more you can do tonight. Why not rest and start again first thing in the morning.” Although reluctant to stop his search, he could see the wisdom in Toyvar’s words and he nodded and left the control room, locking the door behind him. “Did anyone find Persan?” Ailan asked as he passed Toyvar on his way to his rooms. “No, my lord. As far as we can tell, he hasn’t been in the castle since early this afternoon. Dossman will let you know if he’s found.” With a nod Ailan sought his bed, his footsteps stumbling with fatigue and worry. As he lay down he told himself that Caishel must be all right. They were so close he’d know if anything had happened to her. The veil blocking the previous night’s memory thinned, and his actions of the night before returned to plague him. He realised he might have destroyed any love she had for him. Ailan woke the next morning and reached for Caishel, but his hand found emptiness and the memories came flooding back. He jumped out of bed and flung on his clothes, heedless of the fact they were crumpled and stained from the previous day. “Any news?” he demanded as he hurried into the kitchen. “No, my lord,” Dossman said apologetically. “There’s been no news of the Duchess or Persan.” “Someone looking for me?” Persan walked into the kitchen with a jaunty stride. “Where have you been since yesterday?” Ailan asked angrily. “You weren’t here when you were needed.” 298

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“Sorry, Duke Ailan, I received a message from some farmers who needed to see me. I expected to return by late afternoon, but I got held up and decided to stay the night.” Persan looked from Ailan to Dossman. “Is there anything wrong?” “The Duchess is missing,” Dossman stated baldly. “You were needed to help in the search.” “Duke Ailan, I’m so sorry. Please tell me what you want me to do, and of course I’ll attend to it immediately.” Although the words were said with a great deal of feeling, Ailan did not like the look in other man’s eyes. Did Persan have anything to do with Caishel’s disappearance? No. It was his own fault that Caishel hadn’t returned. If only he hadn’t allowed his jealousy to whip up such a fierce storm. “Do you have any connections with the northcoasters?” “Yes, Duke Ailan,” Persan replied, his face full of eagerness to help. “I have some distant cousins who live out that way.” “I need you to go downside and see if anyone out there has seen the Duchess. She’s been missing since yesterday morning.” Ailan debated whether to tell Persan that Caishel was dressed as a boy, and that she had been with members of the Ozards. He decided that all Persan needed to know was the direction his wife had gone. “We’ve heard that she headed out to sea in a small boat, so the storm may have washed her up somewhere on the northcoast.” “Right, my lord, consider it done.” Persan nodded to Ailan and turning on his heel he left the kitchen, but not before Ailan had seen the gleam of anticipation in his eyes. “Do you think it wise to let him know where the Duchess was heading?” Dossman asked, his own expression 299

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filled with worry. “We only have his word for why he was missing yesterday.” “But he couldn’t have been involved in my wife’s disappearance,” Ailan replied. “She went out in the boat of her own free will.” “Not necessarily.” Dossman looked thoughtful. “It depends where she and the urchins were heading. If they landed on the northcoast, Persan’s family may have come across her and taken advantage of the situation. That would explain why he disappeared, they would have sent for him to come down.” “I can only pray that they did take her in.” Ailan turned away and didn’t see the look of horror on Dossman’s face. “It would at least mean she’s still alive. It’s time we went downside and started our own investigation. Leave a message for Toyvar that she’s to send word by Sard to the Portmaster if there’s any news of Caishel.” As soon as they arrived downside they visited Rufor and enlisted his help in recruiting volunteers to search the coastline. “I’m so sorry, Duke Ailan.” The Portmaster looked genuinely upset at the news of Caishel’s disappearance. “We’ll get started right away and I’ll ask the fishermen to go out and search too.” “As long as there’s someone here to sound the port siren. As soon as there’s any news, either from the castle or the searchers, I want to know.” “Of course, my lord.” Ailan and Dossman headed for town in the hope that they could enlist the help of the Ozards. After all, their own leader was missing too. Strangely, there was no sign of any street urchins. It was as if they had all been swallowed up during the night. 300

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Hours later a tired and dispirited Ailan slumped across the desk in the Portmaster’s office. Despite the intensive search by the townspeople, there was no sign of Caishel. “Probably drowned if she was out in that storm,” Ailan heard someone say outside the door. “What was a Duchess doing in a small boat with two street urchins anyway?” another unseen person asked. The voices moved away and a few moments later Dossman entered the room carrying two steaming cups of kee. “My lord, there’s nothing else we can do down here. Rufor will keep the search going. I think we should return to the castle.” “No!” Ailan almost shouted the word at Dossman. “Not until Caishel is found.” “Excuse me, Duke Ailan.” Persan entered the office after a brief knock on the door. “Rufor said you were in here.” “Any news, Persan?” Ailan asked, his voice sounding hopeful. “I’m sorry, my lord,” Persan shook his head. “There is news, but you’re not going to like it.” “Out with it man!” Ailan didn’t like the look in Persan’s eyes, but he had to hear what the other man had to say. “It doesn’t matter whether I like it or not, I have to know the truth.” “Some of the people on the northcoast saw a small boat bobbing about in the storm last night. They say it sank before they could organise any sort of rescue. Everyone on it drowned.” “No!” Ailan’s voice rose in a howl. He wouldn’t believe that his beloved Kaysha was dead. 301

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Chapter 22 A low humming woke Caishel, but she felt too tired to respond and when a hand lightly stroked her brow, she delved once more into sleep. She woke a second time and remembered the storm and being tossed from the boat. With an effort she struggled to sit up. A light touch on her shoulder gently pushed her back down. Her eyes slowly opened, expecting to see Jorn or Berg, but the being in front of her was an Eos. “Please, don’t be afraid.” Caishel drew her legs up and shuffled backwards from the spirit. She had no idea if these Lan spirits were friendly or not. Behind the one who had spoken to her mind to mind, she could see several others moving about the cavern. “Are you one of the Eos?” She couldn’t stop her voice trembling. “I am. How are you feeling?” She checked out her body and found herself intact, although her throat was rough from the sea water she’d swallowed, and her body was bruised and sore. “A bit sore, but okay I guess,” she replied. “How did you get here from Ardon Castle?” 302

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“I have not been to this place you mention.” The mouth in the pale face smiled gently. “It is another who travelled there.” “Why?” “First let us introduce ourselves. My name is Fess.” The spirit waited expectantly for her to reply. “Cail,” she said, deciding to keep her real identity secret until she found out whether these beings were friendly or not. “Do you not trust us?” Fess asked. “In truth, you are Caishel, Duchess of Lan, are you not?” “How did you know?” She was confused. The only time she’d seen the spirit in Ardon, she’d been disguised as a boy. Then she remembered her unseen saviour in the gardens of Castle Lan. If the spirit had saved her then, it would know her true identity. “My soul mate Fon is the one you have seen. May I tell you why we have allowed you to see us?” She nodded, but as she did her stomach rumbled. “My apologies, dear Duchess.” Fess turned to one of the other spirits. Caishel didn’t hear him say anything, but within moments a selection of fruits and a flask of water were placed before her. “This will be satisfactory, yes?” “Thank you.” Her hunger overcame her and although she tried not to gobble her food, within moments the plate was empty. “As you know, we are the Eos,” Fess began. “We are as you see us, not entirely on the same plane of existence as yourself. We live on this island where difficult landing sites and tales of spirits protect us from your people. Although we do not normally use our solid state, there are times when it is necessary. When our young are born we have to become solid to interact with the earth. Our children spend 303

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most of their time in the sea and remain in their solid state for tens of turns of the planet.” “Let me get this straight,” Caishel interrupted. “What I see now is your normal state, but you can become solid as you did when you touched me, and your children remain in a solid state for some time after their birth?” “Correct. As I mentioned, Fon is my soul mate. Some turns ago she gave birth to our young one, but the little one strayed too far from his playmates. Fon went searching for him, but he had been captured by one of your people. This person refused to return our child until Fon had done a deed for him. A bad deed.” Fess frowned. “Fon had to kill my husband.” Caishel gasped, realising now what the glimpse of white had meant every time Ailan had an accident. “But why didn’t you come to us and tell us what was happening? And who captured your child?” “I do not know his name. We could not come to you as our little one’s life was threatened if we revealed what was happening. We cannot rescue our child as we do not know where they are keeping him.” “I think I know where he is.” Caishel remembered the tiny figure in the shed with the power cells. “Once I return to my husband, I’ll make sure we get the child back for you.” “There is one other thing.” Fess looked embarrassed. “When you became the Duke’s mate, the bad man wanted Fon to dispose of you as well. Although she agreed, my soul mate came to realise she might have to give up our child. She might survive the death of your mate, but she realised her inner self would not allow her to survive if she killed you as well, so she tried to help you on several occasions.”

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“Larup stumbling for no apparent reason,” Caishel guessed. “And when I nearly went over the edge of the castle gardens.” “Yes. But now more pressure is being put on Fon. The man says he will kill our child if you and the Duke do not die soon. So I am afraid…” “You can’t let me go back to the castle or your child will suffer.” Caishel could understand his reluctance. The Eos seemed such a gentle people and they were being forced to do something which was against their nature. “If that’s the case, we’ll just have to rescue your child on our own, won’t we?” She decided early evening would be the best time to make the rescue attempt. The dogs and humans would have been fed and hopefully ready to settle down for a quiet evening. She prayed they would also feed the Eos child, making it less likely that the little one would make a sound to alert his captors. Now all Caishel had to do was work out how to get back to the mainland. “Would you be able to carry me across the water?” she asked Fess. “I am sorry, but no. We cannot maintain a solid form for long.” “How about a relay?” she asked hopefully, but her spirits fell when Fess shook his head. “What we really need is a boat.” “Come.” Fess led the way into the main part of the cave, but he was moving so fast Caishel didn’t have a chance to take note of anything more than that the place as an enormous cavern that seemed to be filled with Eos. Fess led her some distance to a small beach and pointed. 305

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Caishel could hardly believe her eyes. Pulled up just above the high water mark was the small boat she, Jorn and Berg had been travelling in when the storm struck. She raced towards it; if the boat was here, maybe her companions were also safe. Once again her hopes were dashed as she saw only half of the boat had survived. It looked as if a wave had crashed right down the middle, slicing if from prow to stern. “Did anyone else wash up on your island?” Caishel asked Fess who had come up behind her. “No. You were the only one. Is the boat any good?” “I’m afraid not, it’s so badly damaged that it’s past repairing.” She sat down on the sand, all hopes of saving the Eos child dashed. What really hurt was that Jorn and Berg must have perished after she had been washed overboard. They had been trying to help her and she had led them to their death. Tears fell from her eyes at the hopelessness of her situation. If she didn’t rescue Fess’s child, then the Eos would either have to let the child die or be forced to kill Ailan. As her sobs subsided, Caishel had a feeling of being watched and realised that she and Fess were no longer alone. All along the water line, still half submerged, were beings that reminded her of the small captive. But these varied in size from very small to almost as large as Fess. “Please excuse our young. They usually only see humans from a distance and they are curious.” “Just how strong are your young?” Caishel asked, a glimmer of an idea growing in her mind. “The little ones are quite weak, but the ones nearing adulthood are quite strong. Why do you ask?” “Strong enough for several of them to tow a raft from here to the mainland?” 306

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Fess looked from Caishel to the cluster of youngsters and back again to Caishel. A smile flitted across his lips. “Maybe not the whole way, but they could certainly do it in relay.” “But would they do it?” “To recover their playmate, yes they would.” Fess hurried off to speak to the youngsters, who became quite excited as he silently explained what he wanted them to do. Caishel spent the next few hours pulling the boat apart and rebuilding it as a raft. The Eos youngsters supplied her with strong seaweed to bind the planks together and by noon the craft was finished. “Not bad.” Caishel stood with hands on hips, looking at her creation. “Wouldn’t win a boat building competition, but that doesn’t matter, as long as it gets me to the mainland.” Fess took her back to the cave. This time Caishel took a good look at her surroundings. The walls were adorned with brightly painted murals and when her guide saw her looking at them he offered to explain their meaning. “They tell the history of our people. Once we were many and lived all across this beautiful land. We were solid beings but, unfortunately, few of us were interested in tending the land. We favoured more scholarly pursuits and eventually we became as you see us now. “This was not a problem at first as the land was bountiful with vegetation. There were animals, but we do not eat meat as your people do, we consider it muddies the thought processes. We survived on what we gathered. Then your people came.” “Don’t tell me; they chased you away from your traditional gathering grounds,” Caishel guessed. 307

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“They did not do it deliberately.” Fess shook his head. “We had never seen people like them or machines such as they used, so we hid from them. I don’t believe the majority of your people ever knew we were there. The few that were aware of us thought we were evil spirits.” “That’s what most humans still think.” “Our people decided to hide until the intruders went away, but they didn’t leave and we retreated further and further into the wild country. We separated into several groups, but this was a bad thing to do as our numbers grew fewer with each generation.” “But this painting shows your people meeting mine.” Caishel pointed at a scene where several of the Eos were talking to what seemed to be a group of Dukes. “The lands we left gradually became barren, and your people began to die because the land would not support them. We realised the land was connected to our souls and when we withdrew, the soul of the land died. To allow this to continue was sacrilege to the Eos, so we met with your rulers and worked out a plan to help one another. The leaders of each Eos clan gave a small part of their soul and these were worked into the rings of your rulers.” “The ducal rings!” Caishel exclaimed. “At times the rings were used to change the weather to help revive the land. When we realised only small portions of land would benefit in this way, the Eos helped to lift the castles into the sky so that larger areas could profit from the changes. Once the castles were aloft, the empathy between the rings and their owners helped to keep them there. The power supplies of your people were the other main factor. I believe they converted the engines that drove the ships they arrived in.” 308

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“Is that why the Castle of Lan tilts? Because the wearer of the ring had been ill for some time before it was sent to my husband?” “Yes, the soul portions in the rings are linked to the bloodlines of the rulers. If the wrong person wears the ring, or there is sickness in the wearer, then the land and castle start to fail. They must be used with caution, as the balance between soul and human must be maintained. Unfortunately, the soul in your husband’s ring is also fading. The castle will not completely recover until the ring has a new Eos soul.” “There’s still a couple of things I don’t understand.” Caishel frowned. “Why don’t my people know about you anymore? Duke Robard of Ardon doesn’t seem to know anything about the forest Eos, and Ailan certainly doesn’t know about your people. If you helped us so much, why are you now strangers?” “Only the rulers knew about us. After a few generations they forgot where their power originated from. We found that our spiritual state was not conducive to too much interaction with your people. You must remember we had only existed as spirits for about one hundred years.” Fess smiled gently. “Of course we are much stronger now, but some of our people still feel distrust and disappointment in your people.” “How did your own tribe end up here?” Caishel asked. “My ancestors found this island and realised it would not be considered worthy of the humans’ attention. We have been here ever since, our only weakness being that our young must remain solid until maturity.” “That was my other question.” Caishel leaned forward earnestly. “You know there are others of your kind in the forests near Ardville, don’t you?” 309

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“Fon said she felt a presence, but her reason for being there made her unable to seek others. She felt unworthy. Have you had dealings with the forest Eos?” “Yes. I told them about Fon and they became quite excited. They would like to get in touch with your tribe. I’m puzzled. How can you be the same people if your young have to be in the water to survive? The forest spirits don’t have any water near them.” “They must have evolved differently after the tribes separated, but they must have water for giving birth. Eos young have always been born in the water, but only since we made the island our home have our little ones lived in the sea until adulthood.” Fess’s face went blank and Caishel realised he was talking to another of his tribe. “You and I will speak of the forest spirits again when we have recovered our young one.” Caishel spent the afternoon planning the rescue attempt and, as Thida rose into the sky, she stood on the small beach explaining to her willing accomplices exactly what she wanted them to do. “Once we get there, you will remain in the water,” she told the eager group. “I’ll make my way to the farm and, with the help of your elders, will rescue the little one. It might take a while to get him back to you, but then you can bring him home.” She turned to Fess. “You’re sure your presence will scare the dogs if they try to interfere?” “I am sure,” he said gravely. “However, if the men are alerted, there will be nothing we can do.” “You mean they’re not afraid of you?” “Not if these men are like the one who took our little one,” Fess said grimly and Caishel guessed the Eos had tried to scare the northcoasters before without success. 310

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Caishel’s progress to the mainland was quite regal. She sat in stately isolation on the makeshift raft while the oldest and strongest of the young Eos took turns to tow it through the waves by means of seaweed ropes. Not to be outdone, the smallest youngsters pushed from behind so the raft moved at a fast pace through the sea. Thankfully the water was reasonably calm after the previous night’s storm as by the time they were half way to the mainland Caishel wished she’d thought of another method of travelling. The boat’s movement was erratic and she had difficulty in hanging on and wondered if she would be better just being dragged along by a couple of the Eos young. But the cold of the sea would undoubtedly sap her energy and she had quite a way to walk before she reached her destination. The youngsters didn’t pull her into the hidden inlet; they took her as far up the other stream as they could. Caishel recognised the place she and her urchin friends had plunged into the water to confuse the dogs. Good, this meant her walk to the farm would not be as long as she’d feared. With a wave to the youngsters resting by the raft, Caishel set off in the direction of the farm with a small band of adult Eos. **** “My lord Duke, wake up.” Ailan opened his eyes. Toyvar had insisted he rest when they came up from downside, but he hadn’t been able to sleep. Any rest had been impossible with Caishel still missing, possibly dead. “What is it, Porig?” His voice was heavy with dread. Had his groom come to tell him they had found her body? “There’s an Ozard down at the port office who says he has to speak to you. He says he has news of the Duchess.” 311

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Ailan jumped from the bed and hurried across the room with Porig in his wake. Dossman waited for them by the mattporter, his face grave. Ailan gritted his teeth. He wouldn’t give up hope of finding Caishel and he wouldn’t believe she was dead until they showed him her body. It was dark by the time they arrived at the port office. The Ozard who waited for them was different from most of the other urchins Ailan had seen in Landon. He stood tall and proud, as if he were not afraid of anyone or anything. “You have news of the Duchess?” Ailan asked as soon as he entered the room. “I’m Jorn, leader of the Ozards.” Jorn frowned then looked at Ailan. “I was with your Duchess when the storm hit.” “What happened, tell me,” Ailan demanded, his hope once again strong. If this lad had survived, then there was a chance Caishel had too. “We’d gone to find proof Persan had stolen the power cells, but we got rumbled and had to run for it.” He shrugged as if to say these things happened. “We made it back to where we’d hidden the boat but had to wait until it got dark so they wouldn’t see us. At first we rowed because there wasn’t any wind, but then a breeze sprang up, enough to fill the sail.” “Go on,” Ailan said impatiently. “The storm hit us suddenly and we didn’t have a hope of outrunning it. Last I saw of the Duchess was when a great wave crashed over us and she lost her grip and went over the side.” “Didn’t you try and help her?” Dossman’s quiet voice forestalled Ailan’s question. “We would have, but another wave came along and smashed the boat in two. Berg and I clung to one half. 312

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Don’t know what happened to the other. We could hardly see each other, let alone the Duchess.” “Thank you.” Ailan turned away to hide the pain the words had given him. “Perhaps you could explain more about what you found on the northcoast,” Dossman asked. “Sure. I’ve been helping Cail, your Duchess, and we found the stolen power cells. One of my urchins saw the person who organised it all. My lad described him as a tall dark man they called ‘the boss’…” “Persan,” Ailan breathed. “That’s what Cail said. We went to look at the power cells and took one back with us. She was going to bring it up to the castle to show you. The northsiders chased us, but we got away by going down a stream and then the boat. Here’s the power cell. I had it tucked into my backpack.” Jorn offered them a slightly battered looking object which Dossman took and examined. “The serial number is one of the missing ones, Duke Ailan.” He handed the cell to Ailan. “There’s nothing else I can tell you, Duke.” Jorn looked unhappy. “She might have grabbed the other half of the boat, but I doubt it. I hate to say this, but she probably drowned.” Despite all the details provided by Jorn, Ailan still refused to believe that Caishel had died. He brusquely thanked the Ozard leader and headed for the mattporter. “Dossman, come to my office,” he ordered when they returned to the castle. Once they reached this sanctuary he waved the steward to a chair. “I want Persan to suffer as my wife suffered. If it hadn’t been for his dishonesty, she would still be here. Tell me the best way I can go about this.” 313

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“We have the evidence, my lord.” Dossman sounded intrigued. “What I can’t work out is why your groom followed Persan and did he find out anything?” “I’d forgotten about that.” Ailan walked to the door and yelled. “Sard!” “Yes, my lord.” The page’s voice came from a distance. “Tell Porig I want to see him in my office.” “Right away, my lord.” Sard’s voice faded away as he hurried off on his errand. Time dragged until the groom knocked on the office door. “Enter!” Porig came into the room and approached Ailan’s desk. “You sent for me, my lord.” “The day the Duchess disappeared Persan went downside in the early afternoon. According to the workers, you followed him a few moments later.” “Yes, my lord.” Porig’s face remained expressionless. “So.” Ailan’s patience was wearing thin. Porig might have information which would help in their pursuit of Persan. “Come on, man, what happened?” Porig looked at the steward. “You can speak in front of Dossman. He doesn’t trust Persan any more than we do.” “As you know, my lord, I followed him downside. He met up with a man near the harbour. I couldn’t hear their conversation, but Persan was upset by whatever he was told because next thing he hurried off down the street to the stables. He must keep a nahhar there, because I had to hide quickly when he came galloping out through the door.” The groom paused for breath. “He took the road to the northcoast so I hired another nahhar and followed him.” 314

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In all the years Ailan had known Porig, he’d never been able to hurry the groom to disclose things quickly, and this time was no different. He could only keep his frustration under control and wait until Porig came to the point. “Persan led me to a farm and I watched him go inside. The dogs began to bark like mad and Persan and some others came rushing out of the house. The men and dogs ran towards the forests, as if they were chasing something, but Persan headed for a small shed to one side of the main house. He went in and stayed in there for several minutes, and when he came out he seemed to be in a better mood. After he left, I crept across the fields to try and have a look in the shed, but I heard the men returning so I went back to my nahhar and returned to Landon.” “Anything else?” Ailan asked. “No, Duke Ailan.” “We suspect Persan stole the missing power cells.” Ailan laid the evidence on his desk. “The Duchess and two street urchins stole this one from what sounds like the same shed on the day she disappeared. It was probably them the dogs were barking at. Persan evidently got a message that something was wrong at the farm and felt he had to investigate personally.” “Unfortunately, my lord, it doesn’t prove he stole the power cells. Only that he now knows where they are,” Porig stated flatly, obviously unhappy that he couldn’t provide the longed for proof. “Maybe we can get proof,” Dossman said thoughtfully. “After you arrived, I investigated why my messages hadn’t been received by the proper people downside. The only link between all the messages was Persan. Each time he said he’d deal with it, but Rufor, the power cell depot and even 315

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the man who was supposed to watch out for your arrival all denied having received any messages.” “We need to trick Persan into returning to that farm and catch him in the act.” Ailan steepled his fingers as he wondered how he could do this. “Got it! The Ozards. If they would help, Persan wouldn’t know of our involvement until too late. Let’s go.” “Wait, my lord.” Dossman stopped Ailan at the door. “If we all go downside, then Persan will know something’s up. Tell me what you want and I’ll go see Jorn.” “Let me go for you, Duke Ailan?” Porig asked. “No, Porig. Dossman’s right, he should go. Jorn knows him and Persan won’t be concerned if Dossman goes downside.” Ailan looked at Dossman. “Right, listen carefully. This is what I want Jorn to do.” **** It was full dark with only Thida to provide light when Caishel and her escort arrived at their destination. The farmhouse windows glowed with light diffused by the curtains and the dogs had settled in their kennels for the night. Careful not to make a noise, Caishel edged round to the window at the back of the shed and stopped so suddenly that Fess passed right through her. “What’s wrong?” he asked in his usual silent way. “The window, I’d forgotten how high it was.” Caishel turned a stricken face towards Fess. “I can’t climb up there without help.” “I can become solid for a few moments, would that help?” With the Eos help she managed to scramble up to the window, but no matter how hard she pushed or pulled it wouldn’t budge. Peering through the dirty glass she saw a 316

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nail had been banged into the frame. She slid back to the ground. “Someone’s nailed it shut since we were here. What are we going to do now?” “My child is in there?” Fess asked. Caishel nodded. “Wait here.” Fess allowed his body to fade even further than usual and then slipped through the back wall of the shed. He was gone for a while, but when he returned his face was grim. “My little one has been chained to a shallow trough of water. I have tried, but I cannot release him.” Caishel slumped down against the wall. They had come all this way for nothing. If they went round to the front the dogs would sense them, and she couldn’t smash the window without making a noise which would also disturb the animals. She sank further down the wall, trying to concentrate on how they were going to get the little one out. Something stuck into her back so she shuffled along a bit, attempting to get comfortable, but her shirt caught on a nail and she tugged it free. The shed was made of wooden boards and as she pulled her shirt the end of one board separated from its neighbour. With a grin Caishel rocked it to and fro until the other end came free. Cautiously she started on the one immediately above the space she had created. Before long she had made a hole large enough for her to crawl through. Fess watched her actions and smiled encouragingly as she wriggled through the space as quietly as she could and emerged in a corner near to the young Eos. Placing a finger on her lips, she warned him to be quiet then searched her pockets until she found the loose bit of wire she had taken from the boat. Thanking both day and night moons that she 317

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remembered her urchin skills, she quickly picked the padlock of the chain which imprisoned the little one. As soon as the child was free he flung his arms around Caishel’s neck, hanging on so tightly that she had difficulty in breathing. Gently she loosened his hands and again put her finger to her lips then pointed to the space in the wall. The little one nodded and scooted across the floor and through the hole. Caishel wasn’t far behind him. She was in time to see the happy reunion between father and son, and regretfully had to indicate to Fess it was time for them to move. As he could not hold his solid form for more than a few moments, Caishel took the child from him and they retraced their path to the trees. No sound of alarm or pursuit came, and Thida was still high in the sky when they arrived back at the raft and the stream. The other youngsters enthusiastically greeted their playmate, but Fess obviously warned them to be careful. His child was weak through not having sufficient water for so long. While the greetings progressed Fess turned to Caishel. “How will you return to your own people?” he asked. “I don’t suppose I could ask your youngsters to tow me to a beach just outside of town?” she asked hopefully, wanting to return to Ailan as soon as possible. He must be frantic with worry about where she had gone. He might even think she’d left him because of his treatment of her the other night! “As long as the beach cannot be viewed by any of your people, there will be no problem.” He held another of his silent conversations with the excited group in the water and they broke into two groups. The younger ones remained with the little one while the older and stronger ones attached themselves to the raft. 318

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“What about Fon?” Caishel asked. “How will she know your little one has been saved?” “As soon as we return to the island she will know,” Fess informed her. “She will feel the happiness of our people and will know the only reason would be the return of our youngster. Now it is time for you to go. My thanks go with you. Tell the Duke he must come to see us so that we may release the soul of the ring.” “But surely the castle will deteriorate if the ring is empty?” Caishel frowned. “One of our people is ready to pass on to his soul state. He will go into the ring, but we must have its physical presence before we can do this.” Caishel promised to tell Ailan and they moved off downstream. The two groups remained together until they reached the open sea. Thida’s light was dimming as Daith and the sun hovered below the horizon. In this hazy light, Caishel and her escort headed towards Landon while Fess and the youngsters returned to the island. **** Dossman returned to say the instructions had been followed to the letter, but Ailan was disappointed. He wanted to get moving on this now, despite the knowledge that tomorrow morning was the best time to begin. This meant he had to spend another night worrying about Caishel. But at least Persan was in the castle, which meant he couldn’t be hurting his beloved Kaysha. Early the next morning Ailan called Persan into his office. “I need you to do a job for me. There has been a sighting of the Duchess in the northcoast area. The report says she appeared to be held against her will. Much as I’d like to rush to the rescue, I feel it might be best if you go 319

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down to see if you can find out anything. After all, you are familiar with the area and the people.” Ailan looked directly at Persan. “Would you be willing to do this?” “Of course, Duke Ailan. I’ll do anything I can to help you recover your Duchess. I’ll leave at once.” A few moments after Persan hurried from the office, Dossman entered. “He agreed then,” the steward commented. “Only too glad to be of service,” Ailan mimicked. “I hope this works, Dossman. If it doesn’t and they do have Caishel, I might have put her life in danger.” “It will work, Duke Ailan. Come. It’s time we went downside so we can be on the spot when needed. Porig will be waiting for us with the hired nahhars.” Only Rufor was in his office when they arrived at the skyport. “Went like a charm, my lord Duke.” The Portmaster grinned. “He came down here like a babbit being chased by a dog. I didn’t see the street urchins follow, but a message came just after saying they were on the trail.” “Good.” Ailan slumped in his chair. “Now all we have to do is wait.” By the time word came from the Ozard leader, Ailan’s patience was wearing thin and Rufor was afraid his floor skins would be worn through if the Duke didn’t stop pacing up and down the room. “Jorn say Duke come,” the urchin who suddenly appeared in the doorway commanded. The three from the castle hurried out the door and leapt on the nahhars, but even with this assistance to speed, they found it difficult to keep up with the urchin. They reached the road on the other side of town, but stopped 320

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when the Ozard stood in the middle of the road with feet planted wide. “What’s the matter? Why are we stopping?” Ailan demanded, eager to get to where he believed Caishel was being held. “We go faster, you put me on nahhar.” “Here.” Porig leant down and offered a hand to the lad who grabbed it and quickly scrambled up behind the groom. “Go down road. Fast. Fast.” At the urging of their riders the nahhars broke into a gallop. The road was mainly straight with only a few curves, but it seemed to go on for ever. They had been riding for some time when the urchin indicated they should slow down and stop. “Hide nahhars,” he demanded, slipping down from behind Porig. “Jorn he near.” Obediently the three men dismounted and Porig took the animals into the trees at the side of the road, where he tied them securely to a tree trunk. When he returned, the urchin led them further down the road, keeping to the safety of the trees. They had not gone far when Jorn stepped out in front of them. “Good lad,” he told the urchin. “Find Berg bring news back here.” To Ailan and his men it seemed as if their guide disappeared into thin air, but after a few moments they saw him rush across the road in a blur. “Persan is in that farmhouse.” Jorn pointed to the distant building. “It’s the same one your Duchess and I went to the other day. We’ve had a quick look in the shed, but there’s only the power cells in there. They probably wouldn’t hold your Duchess there anyway. She’d be in the 321

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house if they’ve got her. Course they might not know who they’ve got as she’s dressed as a boy. As far as we can tell there’s only Persan and two other men there at the moment.” “Are your Ozards surrounding the place?” Ailan asked and when Jorn nodded he continued. “Then I think it’s time we paid the farmhouse a visit.” They used the trees to remain concealed until they reached the farmyard, but once they reached the gate Ailan and his men strode boldly towards the farmhouse door and knocked loudly on its wooden panels. Sounds of hasty movement came from inside and Ailan jerked his head towards the door. Porig tried the handle and when it didn’t yield, he and Dossman charged it with their shoulders. The flimsy wooden panels disintegrated, leaving the doorway wide open. Ailan stepped through, closely followed by the other two men. The door opened directly into the main room of the house and confusion seemed to be paramount here at the moment. There was no sign of Persan, but the other two occupants were trying to escape through another opening. Unfortunately for them, they were both large men and they had become stuck in the doorway. Dossman and Porig sprang forward and within moments the two were tied and sitting on the floor. “Why are you in so much of a hurry, gentlemen?” Ailan asked. “Surely you’re not afraid of facing your Duke.” “We didn’t know it was you, my lord,” one of them muttered. “We thought we was being raided.” “And what riches have you got that would make you attractive to a raider?” Ailan queried. “Stolen power cells perhaps?” 322

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“‘Twasn’t our fault, my lord,” the other man blurted out, despite the hard nudges from the elbow of his companion. “The boss made us steal them and hide them in the shed.” While Ailan had been questioning the men, Porig had been searching the only other room of the meagre building. He returned to the main room and shook his head at a questioning glance from Ailan. “Now we’ve cleared up the question of the power cells, you can help with another little matter.” Ailan’s voice became hard and angry. “Where is the man you call the boss and where is my wife?” The men looked at each other in confusion, then both tried to speak at once. “The boss went out the back window soon as you knocked…” “Don’t know nothing about your wife my lord, we…” Ailan’s hopes slumped. These men were too scared not to tell the truth. If Persan had caught Caishel, then he hadn’t told these two. He could only hope the Ozards had captured Persan. “Rufor and his men should be here soon, they can take care of these two. Let’s go see Jorn and find out if they’ve caught anything.” As they left the cottage, Rufor and his group entered the farmyard. Dossman told them to take the two men into custody and arrange for the power cells to be taken back to town. Meanwhile, Ailan and Porig were conversing with Jorn. “Sorry, Duke.” The Ozard leader shrugged. “We tried to stop him, but he broke through our line and was off. He left one of my lads with a broken arm and another with a bloody nose.” 323

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“Which way did he go?” Ailan asked. “Towards town.” “Duke Ailan.” Rufor came hurrying up. “The back wall of the shed has several planks missing. None of the power cells have been taken. The thieves won’t say anything, but it’s obvious they had something else hidden there.” “The spirit!” a frightened voice said behind Jorn. “He could be right,” Jorn admitted. “When we were here before, Berg here thought he saw a spirit in the shed. The Duchess looked through the window, but we couldn’t wait as the dogs had got our scent. She told me later there was a child in there, but not a human child.” “So she could have come back and rescued this child?” Ailan hoped this was a sign that Caishel was indeed alive. “Could have been the child’s own people,” Porig suggested. “Nah, they would have saved it long before,” Jorn stated. “The only person other than us who knew it was there was your Duchess. It must mean she’s alive and still free.” “And she could also be in danger if Persan is going back to the castle.” Ailan started off down the road. “There’s something else,” Jorn said and Ailan turned back. “The Duchess said someone’s been trying to kill you, Duke. She’s positive it’s Persan.” “I think Caishel is letting her imagination take over,” Ailan protested. “No one’s trying to kill me and even if they were, why would it be Persan?” “I think the Duchess is right, my lord,” Dossman said. “Those weren’t accidents you had, they were deliberate.” “The incidents at Ardon Castle were also deliberate, my lord,” Porig added. 324

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“The Duchess thinks Persan’s involved because he feels he’s the rightful Duke of Lan,” Jorn added. “Because his mother was Serlan’s sister?” Dossman queried and when Jorn nodded, he added for Ailan’s benefit, “His father was a northsider and his parents didn’t marry. Serlan never acknowledged him, but he did keep an eye on him as he grew up.” “I think it’s time we went back up. I’ve got to find Caishel and although Persan doesn’t seem to have anything to do with her disappearance, she could be in danger if he returns to the castle before we do. We can deal with Persan later regarding the power cells.” Ailan turned to Jorn and held out his hand. “Thank you for your help. Let’s get back to the castle as quickly as we can.” Ailan ran towards the trees where they’d hidden the nahhars, but when they reached them they found one of them missing and the other two scattered. Porig quickly rounded them up and Rufor offered his own animal as a replacement. With a cloud of dust they galloped down the road towards the town. Ailan prayed to the moons that he would be in time.

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Chapter 23 The Eos youngsters left Caishel on the beach where she and the Ozards had started their journey. Was it only two days ago? It was almost noon when she reached the town. She hoped to get the Ozards help to distract the port officials while she stole onto a transport, but there didn’t seem to be one urchin about as she wove her way through the streets. If the worst happened, she could always reveal her true identity to Rufor, but she’d rather arrive quietly at the castle and resume her Duchess persona without anyone being the wiser of her urchin presence downside. She arrived at the port and huddled in the shadow of the buildings, hoping she’d be able to get aboard without any distraction. There weren’t the normal amount of workers around, and Caishel took advantage of this without questioning her good luck. Dashing quickly from shadow to shadow, she reached a transport that seemed to be ready to go up to the castle. After checking no one was looking, she hopped in through the open door and blinked in surprise. The transport was empty! She jumped with shock as the door slid shut behind her, then quickly hid under a rough canvas cover that had been flung in the corner. The floor lurched and she knew they had taken off. Hopefully they were heading for the castle. When at last 326

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the transport docked smoothly, she peered from her hiding place alert for the chance to escape without the driver noticing her. The engine fell silent and boots rang as the driver left the controls but, instead of leaving by the flight deck door, he headed into the main part of the transport. “I know you’re there, Duchess. I saw you come on board.” Persan’s voice surprised her, and she quickly smothered a shocked gasp. “Come on out, milady. You and I have some talking to do.” Caishel’s nerves were strung tightly, but she remained hidden. He couldn’t know she was there, she’d been so careful. Suddenly the canvas was torn from her grasp. Persan stood above her, a menacing sneer on his face. “Snoop on me would you? I see you haven’t lost your street urchin ways. Now then Duchess, your husband thinks he’s got me where he wants me and thanks to you he nearly did. You and those blasted Ozards led him straight to the power cells. But I know it was you who rescued that whelp of the spirits. Now you’re going to pay for that by helping me get what I want.” “And what is it you want?” Caishel tried to put on her haughty Duchess voice, but her voice betrayed her as it wobbled with tension. “To be Duke of Lan, of course.” Persan looked surprised that she hadn’t worked it out. “It’s my right. Your husband hadn’t even seen the place before he became Duke, yet because he’s the grandson of Serlan he inherited the title. Well my mother was Serlan’s sister so I have just as much right as Ailan to be the Duke.” “Do you really think I’d help you cheat my husband out of what is truly his?”

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“Don’t fool yourself. I don’t need your willing help. You’ll stay here and be my bargaining point with that impostor.” Before Caishel realised what he was doing, Persan grabbed her arms and whipping a cord from his belt, he tied her hands behind her back, then looped the cord round her neck in a noose. “I wouldn’t try to get free, if I was you,” he sneered as he headed for the door. “You’ll probably strangle yourself and I’ve got other plans for you once I’ve got rid of your husband.” **** The nahhars galloped through the town in a cloud of dust, and when they arrived at the port, Ailan headed straight for the mattporter. He found his way blocked by one of Jorn’s street urchins. “Duchess come,” the waif informed him, then pointed upwards. “Take transport up there.” “Was she on her own?” Ailan demanded and the child nodded before vanishing round the side of a building. “That means she must be safely in the castle, my lord,” Dossman said. “As long as Persan isn’t up there. She could be in danger, Dossman. There’s only Toyvar and Sard to help her.” “We should search the docking level first to make sure Persan hasn’t found her,” Ailan told Dossman when they arrived at the castle. “You lead the way. You know the area better than me.” “Duke Ailan. Duke Ailan.” “Isn’t that Sard?” Dossman asked, then ran after Ailan who had taken off at amazing speed as soon as he heard the boy calling. 328

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“Duke Ailan. Are you there?” The page swung to face Ailan as he appeared. “My lord, Toyvar said to come and see if you’d returned and to tell you you’re needed in the kitchen urgently.” “Have they found the Duchess?” Ailan demanded, hands desperately clutching at the boy’s shoulders. “No, my lord, they’re still searching.” Ailan hurried towards the dropchute, but stopped as he heard Dossman speak. “Is Persan in the kitchen?” “Yes, sir,” Sard answered Dossman. “He came into the kitchen and said something to Toyvar. She got angry and told me to fetch you.” With a worried glance at Dossman, Ailan stepped into the dropchute. Persan sat at the kitchen table, looking as if he owned the castle. He glanced up when they entered, but didn’t bother to stand. “Did you want to see me?” Ailan longed to ask about Caishel, but decided to see what Persan wanted first. “Yes, Ailan. Your loving wife is where you’ll never find her.” Persan ignored the gasps of surprise from Toyvar and Sard. “Not until you give me what is rightfully mine.” “And what do you consider is rightfully yours?” Ailan forced himself to remain calm. “All this.” Persan waved a hand around the room. “Serlan took me in and raised me as his son. He never even saw you. What rights have you to the Dukedom when I’m the one he trained to take over? I should be Duke of Lan, not you.” “There’s one problem to that, Persan,” Ailan told him. “If what you say is true, then you know my grandfather was a stickler for doing things properly. I am Duke because the 329

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line came directly from Duke Serlan to me. You’re not a true relation.” “But I am. I am the son of your grandfather’s sister,” Persan sat back smugly and crossed his arms. “Illegitimate son,” Dossman added. “Legal son of Helenan of Lan.” Persan leaned forward and scowled at Dossman. “It makes no difference who my father was, my heritage comes through my mother. So you see, I’m your cousin and Duke Serlan recognised that relationship.” “My lord, the old Duke did not raise Persan,” Dossman stated vehemently. “He only brought him to the castle when his father died eight years ago. Persan was reared on his northcoast family’s farm.” “It doesn’t matter whether he lived here or downside when he was a child, and I’m not interested in what you believe or don’t believe, Persan,” Ailan said, his voice tight with anger that this scoundrel was delaying his search for Caishel. “You have no claim to the Dukedom.” “I knew you’d say that. Maybe you’ll listen to strength if you won’t listen to reason. Sign over the Dukedom to me and avoid bloodshed.” Persan sat back and again crossed his arms. “I wouldn’t leave it too long though. It might not be healthy for your Duchess.” “Where have you hidden my wife, Persan? Tell me, or I’ll not be responsible for my actions.” “I don’t think I can tell you that. Unless of course you’re willing to pay my price.” “If anything happens to my wife you will regret it.” Ailan took a threatening step forward. “Maybe you should ask Dossman if anything has happened to your wife. He and the Duchess have been very cosy recently.” 330

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“I won’t deign to give that statement a reply, Persan. Tell me, why did you steal the power cells? And I suspect it was you who arranged for those futile attempts on my life.” “Took you long enough to figure that out, didn’t it?” Persan’s evil laugh rang around the room. “I did consider taking your wife as well, but she’s a bit scrawny for me. I prefer my women to be more welcoming.” “Perhaps you’d better explain exactly what you want?” Caishel’s life was more important to Ailan than anything else and he fought down his anger. “Simple, really. I have something you want and you have something I want.” He flung several scrolls onto the table. “Sign these and I’ll let you and your Duchess go free. Refuse and the first blood that’s shed will belong to your precious wife. There’s no need to read them, just sign if you want to see the Duchess again.” Ailan didn’t touch the papers; he stood looking at Persan until the man shifted uncomfortably. Something about Persan’s manner bothered him, but he couldn’t quite grasp the thought that nudged at the edges of his mind. “You realise the other Dukes have to ratify your appointment. Signing these,” Ailan flicked his hand at the scrolls, “won’t automatically make you Duke of Lan.” “They won’t be able to do anything to stop me. I’ve got all the northcoasters behind me.” “I wouldn’t be too sure about that,” Porig said from the doorway. “Ah, the faithful groom,” Persan sneered, seemingly unperturbed by the new arrival. “And what makes you think you know better than me?” “My lord,” Porig nodded his head to Ailan, “could be the fact that Rufor knows you and your relatives have been threatening most of the other northcoasters for years. They 331

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were only too glad to help Rufor and swear their loyalty to Duke Ailan.” “You see, Persan. You can’t win. I believe you were about to tell me the whereabouts of my wife.” “And lose my only bargaining point? I don’t think so.” Persan stood and looked nervously at the assembled people, all of them loyal servants of Ailan. “You’ll tell me where she is.” Ailan took a threatening step forward. “If anything happens to my wife, you will be sorry.” Nobody realised Persan’s nervous shifting from one foot to the other had been edging him towards the door, but suddenly the man pushed Porig out of the way and raced down the corridor. Dossman, Porig and Ailan rushed after him, but he had disappeared into the tortuous maze of the castle corridors. “Porig, you search the stable level. Dossman, we’ll search from here down,” Ailan told the other two. “He’s probably trying to get to the docking level. When we find him, I’ll settle with him on my own.” The groom hurried off to the stables and Dossman and Ailan, deciding that Persan wouldn’t have gone too far from the dropchute, carefully searched the rooms nearest it on each level. As they progressed downwards, Ailan became concerned that they wouldn’t find Persan soon enough. What if the man did know where Caishel was? He could hold her hostage, but more of a worry was the chance that in his desperation he would harm her. **** Periodically, Caishel yelled for help, hoping someone would hear her and set her free, but reality forced her to admit she’d be here until Persan decided to come back. She 332

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wondered why he hadn’t gagged her, but decided he probably hadn’t wanted to suffocate her. Her major problem was her fear of being locked into small spaces. As a child of the streets she wasn’t used to being confined in a dark area, unable to move about and reassure herself about the emptiness around her. Sleep claimed her and she dreamed of how things used to be between her and Ailan. How he’d stroked her hair, patted her arm or smiled when he saw her. The warmth between them had grown cooler of late, but she knew he still loved her. That made his treatment of a few nights ago totally out of character. Instead of a lover, alert to her every desire, he’d behaved like an animal acting on lustful instinct. Surely not even too much wine would make him act in such a way. At this point her dream turned into a nightmare as she lived the awful night over and over again. She struggled back to consciousness and found her cheeks were wet with the tears she’d cried while asleep. She lay there, trying to work out how long she’d been incarcerated. Her throat felt dry and sore from shouting, her head hurt and she could hear the blood pounding through her veins. Caishel struggled to a sitting position and shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. She had a little success, but the noise still continued and she realised it wasn’t her blood pounding; it came from someone noisily opening the transport door. Heart beating wildly with apprehension, she watched the narrow gap of light widen until she was able to clearly see the man standing in the open doorway. “Well, well, Duchess Caishel. I was right after all,” Persan sneered. “Your husband doesn’t care about you any more. He says I can do what I want with you.” 333

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“You’re lying, Persan. Ailan would never leave me with the likes of you.” Caishel tried to pretend a bravado she didn’t feel. “But why should I lie, Milady. Come now. We’re going for a little walk.” He slipped the noose from her neck, untied her feet and grabbed her upper arm. She winced when his fingers dug into her soft flesh as he dragged her upright. “Your husband’s got something I want, and with you as my hostage, he’ll soon be persuaded to hand over the dukedom to me.” Holding her tightly, Persan hustled Caishel from the transport and along the loading bay. She realised he was leading her to the dropchute and as the familiar feeling of unease overcame her, she began to struggle. “Hold still, you bitch,” he cursed, his fingers biting even further into her upper arm. He raised his fist to her face in a threatening manner. “I’m going to take you somewhere where no one will hear us, so if you don’t want me to hurt you, you’d better be nice to me.” Caishel continued her struggles and he grinned nastily at her. “Or maybe you like it rough? I suppose you do, coming from the streets of Ardville. Clever of you to catch a Duke, but maybe you’re missing what you’re used to.” He pulled her towards him, ignoring her attempts to kick him. “Help!” Her yell came out as a croak which abruptly stopped as he hit her across the cheek. Tears of frustration pricked her eyes as she realised that even if Ailan arrived now, he wouldn’t be able to save her. Persan had almost reached the dropchute. Did Ailan know Persan’s real intentions? She managed to choke back the tears. She couldn’t let Persan know how upset she was. 334

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To her surprise, he skirted round the dropchute and pulled back a tapestry at the side to reveal a narrow staircase which wound up into the darkness. He maintained his grip on her arm and after he had pulled the tapestry back over the entrance, he towed her behind him as he climbed the stairs. Caishel realised the staircase must wend its way through one of the turrets which graced each corner of the castle. The climb was broken at intervals by small landings each with a door which she assumed led into the castle, although she didn’t remember seeing the other side of these doors. After they had passed several landings, Persan stopped and, tightening his grip even further, he quietly opened one of the exits and peered out. He nodded, then pulled the door wider and dragged her through. To her surprise Caishel found they were in a secluded part of the garden. The turret and castle walls enclosed two thirds of the space; the main garden being separated from them by a small hedge. “Now, Milady,” Persan cautioned her. “You’d better keep quiet or it will be the worse for you. Understand me?” Caishel nodded silently. There was no point in antagonizing the man. He’d be bound to make a mistake soon and she would grasp the chance to escape as soon as the opportunity presented itself. Persan dragged her across the gardens, keeping to the shadows as much as possible, until they reached a small copse near the force field at the edge of the lawns. “Sit,” he ordered, not waiting for her to comply but pushing her down. She noticed him frown as he stood over her and she realised he didn’t really know what to do next. “If you let me go now, I’m sure Ailan will only banish you from Lan.” 335

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“I told you to be quiet.” Persan raised his arm and she shrank back, convinced he was going to hit her again. He must have reconsidered because he lowered his hand and scowled at her before going back to his own thoughts. **** “Duke Ailan! Duke Ailan!” Once again Sard’s concerned voice interrupted their search for Caishel. They had reached the docking level and Dossman suggested they check the transport to see if she’d been inadvertently locked in. The vessel door stood wide open and they could see at a glance that it was empty. Ailan’s spirits fell and he realised he’d been placing all his hopes on her being in the last place to be searched. “Over here, Sard,” Ailan called, then noticed the steward was looking round the empty transport with a frown on his face. “What’s wrong, Dossman?” “The door is open. It was shut when we came through here earlier.” “Well there’s no sign that Caishel was here,” Ailan said as Sard hurried towards them. “Maybe one of the men left it open when they were searching. Yes, Sard, what is it?” “Persan.” The page gasped, trying desperately to get his breath. “I was looking out the window and saw him going across the gardens. He had hold of Milady’s arm. Her wrists were tied and she looked as if she didn’t want to go with him.” Once again Sard and Dossman had to run to catch up with Ailan as he headed for the dropchute. Dismounting at the garden level, he rushed towards the outer doors, but once outside he realised he didn’t know where to go, and he had to wait for the steward and page to catch up with him. 336

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“Over there, Duke Ailan, that’s the way he took Milady.” Sard pointed to the copse at the far edge of the lawns and fear coursed through Ailan. The copse was near the faulty part of the force field. He drove his mind away from what would happen if the safety device collapsed. “Sard, go and find Porig. Tell him what’s happening. Dossman, come with me, but remember, the most important thing is that my wife is not harmed. I don’t care what happens to that mongrel as long as Caishel is all right.” Ailan made for the copse by the most indirect route, even though his mind screamed at him to charge straight across the lawns and rescue his beloved. They searched through the copse as quietly as possible, looking for any trace of Persan or Caishel, but although they saw signs that someone had sat on the ground, they found no one. “They must be here somewhere,” Ailan murmured to Dossman. “Ailan, I’m here.” Caishel’s call sounded strained and it came from nearer the force field. Suspecting a trap Ailan waved Dossman to circle round and come in from the other direction, hoping that Persan’s attention would be fully taken up with his own arrival. “Kaysha, is that you?” he called softly, moving to the edge of the copse. A few steps away from him stood Caishel, her eyes pleading with him to go, that this was a trap. She appeared to be alone, but as he emerged from the cover of the trees, Persan stepped forward, dragging her in front of him to act as a shield. “You’re just in time Ailan. Give me my rightful title and lands and I’ll let you have her back when I’m finished with her. Refuse me and Milady will have to learn how to 337

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fly very quickly. Then I can concentrate on getting rid of you.” “Don’t listen to him, Ailan.” The fear was quite evident in her voice. “Whatever he says, he’s really going to kill you.” “Killing me won’t make you the Duke of Lan, Persan,” Ailan said. “Too many people know what you’re doing. You’ll never get away with it. Let my wife go and I’ll see that you’re banished, not imprisoned.” “And you expect me to believe you?” Persan sneered, moving closer to the garden’s edge. Ailan made an involuntary movement forward as Caishel stumbled. “As soon as I release her, you’ll have me in chains and all your talk of banishment will be forgotten.” “Then tell me what will make you let my wife go,” Ailan said. “And don’t say the dukedom; you know I can’t give you that.” Persan didn’t even bother to answer. They were now very near the edge and Ailan was terrified Persan was going to throw Caishel over. “Too late,” Persan said quietly and glanced back to see how close he was to the edge. At the moment of the man’s distraction, Ailan leapt forward and grabbed Caishel. He dragged her from Persan’s grip and back towards the safer ground. Dossman appeared from the bushes, but before he could attack Persan, Ailan waved him back. “No, Dossman, look after the Duchess. This man is mine!” “Maybe it’s just as well,” Persan said. “If I dispose of you, I’ll be the only one of the blood line left. There will be no one else to inherit but me, especially if I take the lovely widow as my wife.” 338

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Ailan realised talking wouldn’t get him anywhere; the man had completely lost his senses, so he attacked before Persan realised his intention. His first punch caught the other man off balance, making him stagger, but Persan soon recovered. Dropping into a crouching defensive position the ex-groom edged towards Ailan. They circled a few times before Persan sprang forward. He was stronger than he looked and they wrestled for several moments before Ailan was forced to the ground. To his horror he found they were near the broken force field and Persan was dragging him towards the edge. Desperately he struggled to free himself from the other’s strong grip, but to no avail.

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Chapter 24 “Good riddance, Ailan.” The sweat dripped from Persan’s face and Ailan could see his opponent was rapidly running out of strength. Tightening his thigh muscles he brought his legs up between their bodies and with an almighty thrust kicked upwards. Ailan’s intention had been to throw Persan off him so he could gain his feet and be in a better position to fight back, but he had misjudged the distance between them and the edge of the palace grounds. Persan’s body sailed over his head, through the faulty force field and into the abyss beyond. **** Caishel gasped with fear as she saw Ailan forced closer and closer to the edge of the grounds and when she saw him lose his balance and start to tumble after Persan, she screamed. Suddenly Fon’s wispy figure appeared and became momentarily solid as she pushed Ailan back to safe ground. Caishel ran to hold him sobbing with relief. “Hush, my love, I’m safe now.” Ailan held her close, his mind only now grasping the fact that his beloved Kaysha was safe and that she had never betrayed him. “Though I’m not quite sure how.” 340

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“Thank you, Fon,” Caishel told the Eos who had now returned to her normal spirit state. “No thanks are needed.” Fon’s words sounded in her head. “My soul mate and I owed you a debt for saving our little one’s life.” “The debt is now paid. Thank you once again.” Caishel turned to Ailan and by the expression on his face she realised he had also heard Fon’s words. “This is Fon, one of the Eos. Persan kidnapped her child and threatened to kill him if Fon didn’t kill you. Later on he included me in the deal, but Fon couldn’t do it. She was willing to sacrifice her little one’s life for ours. I helped the Eos to save the child from Persan.” “The hole in the back of the shed!” Ailan exclaimed, and bowed to Fon. “May I also add my thanks to my wife’s? Are you sure there is no other way we can thank you?” “Yes there is,” Caishel interrupted as the Eos spirit shook her head. “They live on an island just over the horizon. It’s pretty inaccessible, but I want you to proclaim it off limits to everyone. You don’t have to say why, just that it’s against the law to land there.” “Consider it done.” “And there’s something else. They have kin in the forests around Ardville. They need to get in touch with them somehow.” “Maybe when things have settled down in a few days, my wife and I could visit you and your people and work on how you can contact your kin?” Fon nodded and smiled her thanks. Gradually her filmy substance dissipated into the air. “Now, let’s get you into the castle.” Ailan carefully led her across the grass to where Toyvar was waiting to help her mistress. 341

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“You come with me, Milady. We’ll get you sorted out and then you can tell us all about what happened.” “Go with Toyvar, my love.” Ailan gently pried her fingers from his arm. “A warm bath and change of clothes will make you feel better.” Reluctant to leave Ailan’s side, Caishel was not aware Toyvar was leading her to the dropchute and when she realised their destination it was too late. She heard Ailan’s cry of fear as the field of the chute collapsed and she and Toyvar hurtled downwards. They were several levels up from the bottom and the fall seemed to last forever before their descent stopped abruptly. For several moments she lay in the dark, hardly able to believe that she was still alive. “Kaysha, are you all right? Kaysha, answer me.” Ailan’s worried shout echoed down the chute. “Dossman, quick. Get some rope!” “Toyvar, are you all right?” she asked the maid and when the woman shakily replied that she thought so, Caishel called up to Ailan. “We’re all right, Ailan. We were caught in some kind of net and I think we’ve only dropped a couple of levels.” A light appeared above them and as it descended towards her she could see Ailan climbing down a rope as quickly as he could. He reached her and pulled her into his arms. Suddenly it all became too much and she began to sob. “Hush my love, my Kaysha, hush.” Ailan’s hand stroked her hair as he gathered her into his arms. “I’m here, my love; you’re safe now. Let’s get you out of here. Come, Toyvar, you go first.” Caishel, stiff and cold with fearful reaction, clung to Ailan as he tied the rope around Toyvar then called to Dossman to start hauling. Within minutes the rope dropped 342

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again and Ailan tied it round her waist. She cried in alarm as she felt herself being dragged from his arms. “It’s all right, Kaysha,” Ailan’s voice soothed as his fingers slid away from hers and she swung upwards. “Dossman and Sard can only pull one up at a time. I’ll be with you soon.” As the rope pulled her towards safety, she glanced down and saw the love shining from Ailan’s eyes as he looked up at her. **** When he reached the surface, Ailan took a step towards his wife, but Dossman stopped him. “Persan’s still alive,” the steward told him in an undertone. “What? I don’t believe it.” Ailan turned an astonished face to Dossman. “I saw him fall.” “Apparently, he dropped on to one of the vent exits. A transport driver saw him as he approached the castle and he alerted the loading bay men who rescued him. Persan’s still alive, but not for long.” “Wait here.” Ailan walked over where Toyvar was comforting Caishel. “Go with Toyvar, my love. Have a bath and change of clothes and I’ll meet you in the kitchens when you’re ready.” As the maid led Caishel away, Ailan rejoined Dossman and the steward took him to where Persan lay dying. At first Ailan thought he was too late, but as he leaned over him, a moan escaped the other’s lips. “Looks like you won.” Persan’s words were barely audible. He winced as the effort of talking caused him pain. “I would have banished you if you’d let Caishel go,” Ailan assured him. “My only concern was her safety.” 343

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“I heard them say the dropchute failed. I suppose you’ve guessed what happened? Stupid of me, really.” Persan didn’t wait for an answer. “I got rid of the other nosey servants quite easily and I thought that without your Duchess, you’d lose interest and I’d be Duke in all but name. Then when the time was right I’d kill you too.” “I don’t understand.” Ailan frowned. “What’s this accident got to do with getting rid of Caishel?” “Set the controls to recognise her, didn’t I? Programmed the chute to fail as soon as she entered, trouble is she sensed something was wrong and never used the thing.” Persan coughed and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. “All I ever really wanted was to have what was rightfully mine. I suppose this way’s better for everyone.” His breathing was becoming more and more laboured and Ailan reached out and took his hand. “Take good care of Lan, and tell your Duchess I’m sorry. She was only a means to an end.” Persan sighed and the last breath left his body. Ailan reached across and shut the soulless eyes. He stood and looked for a moment at the lifeless body on the floor, then turned and left the room without a backward glance. **** Later that evening, they congregated in the kitchen where Toyvar provided a lavish meal. When they’d finished eating they sat around the table with cups of kee, talking over the day’s events. “Apparently Persan kept in contact with his northcoast relations and they helped him steal the power cells. They also kept the Eos child in their shed, forcing Fon to make the attempts on my life both here and in Ardon. Thank goodness she couldn’t force herself to do something against her will.” 344

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“What about the dropchute?” Caishel’s voice was much improved from the hot posset Toyvar had forced down her throat. “Why did I feel so afraid to use it? And when I did use it, why did the field fail?” “Dropchute settings can be adjusted for privacy reasons,” Dossman told her, his arm creeping around Toyvar’s shoulders. “They can be set so that only certain people are allowed into the chute, but Persan had it rigged to fail completely when it recognised your body signals. I’d say that your natural self-preservation instinct stopped you from using it. Luckily, he forgot to disable the safety net.” “What about the Ozards?” Caishel wanted to know. “Without their help, Persan would have fooled us for a lot longer.” “Not really, Milady,” Porig spoke for the first time. “I didn’t like that man as soon as I saw him. Liked him even less when he handed over the stables without so much as a whimper after that first protest. I began to keep an eye on him after you told me you thought someone was trying to hurt the Duke. He didn’t go downside much, but he spent a lot of time talking to one of the transport drivers. I followed the man down and asked Rufor what he knew about him. Rufor told me he came from northcoast and was related to Persan. After that I watched the devil even more closely.” Caishel stared at the groom in astonishment. She’d never heard him make such a long speech before. Her amazement grew when he continued. “I knew Persan was up to something when he went downside at an unusual time, so I followed him. I hoped to catch him out, but as you know I couldn’t get close enough to the farm to find out what he was up to. Then when I got back here I found the Duchess was missing.” 345

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“You came up behind him when he threatened us,” Ailan said. “But why didn’t you grab him sooner, Porig?” “I really hoped he knew the whereabouts of the Duchess,” Porig replied. “And before you ask again,” Ailan smiled at Caishel, “I’ve sent a message to Jorn to arrange a meeting to see how we can show our appreciation.” The discussion gradually drifted into talk of the day to day running of the estate until Toyvar yawned and excused herself. Shortly after, Dossman left the room and Caishel smiled at Ailan. “I think it’s time we went up as well,” she told him and he rose and held out his arm to her. Secure in their room, she felt suddenly shy. As if she’d never been alone with him before. He seemed equally reserved as he took both of her hands in his and pulled her down to sit beside him on the edge of the bed. “Kaysha, at first I didn’t remember much about the other night, but now I realise I hurt you. Hurt you badly. I had no right to use you like that. Will you forgive me?” “I didn’t like the way you forced yourself on me,” she began, but hearing his sharp intake of breath, she disengaged her hand from his to stroke his cheek. “Do you know, in its own way, it was quite exciting. I think I prefer foreplay though, it’s much more stimulating. Ailan, I’ve never seen you drunk before. Does it happen often?” “Never,” he declared stoutly, then looked slightly shamefaced. “Well, that was the first time, but I promise you I will never allow alcohol to affect me like that again. Even if it means I have to give it up completely.” “But why did you let it get the better of you yesterday?” she asked. 346

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“I suppose I’d better confess.” Ailan sighed. “I felt guilty because I put the castle before you. Your sudden friendship with Dossman grew out of all proportion in my mind. I’m ashamed to admit I thought you were having an affair.” “Me? Having an affair with Dossman? You are an idiot, you know.” Caishel burst into laughter. “Besides, I think Toyvar would be very upset if Dossman showed anything more than friendship towards me. Now let’s forget about the other night.” “I know it was stupid, but my grandfather left me a letter warning me that the ducal ring enhances my emotions. I’m going to send a message to Robard; he must know how to control it. Until he replies, I’ll take it off at night. That should keep its influence under control.” “Ailan you don’t have to wait for Duke Robard. Fess told me the Eos are responsible for the rings and for the castles being up in the air. He told me the soul in your ring is fading. When we go to see them, the Eos will remove the soul and another will take its place. Fess will then tell you how to control it.” Caishel watched Ailan absorb this surprising information, then her laughter rippled across the room again. “Oh Ailan, I couldn’t love anyone but you.” The smile left her lips. “If that’s what happens when you’re on your own too much, then we need to spend more time together. We’re growing apart Ailan, and I don’t like it.” “I know. I felt so guilty about us drifting away from each other, but I couldn’t see past my own jealousy.” She glanced up as he took her hand. “Can we start again, Kaysha. Pretend we’ve just arrived here and are still very much in love.” 347

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“I thought you’d always loved me, Ailan,” she said quietly. “I did. I do. Are you sure you still love me? After that night, I wouldn’t blame you if you made me earn your love again.” “Silly man.” She looked at him, laughter once again sparkling in her eyes. “Although it might be interesting, making you do my every wish.” “Say the word, my love, and your wish shall come true.” “There is one thing I’d like.” She looked slyly at him. “I’d like you to make exquisite love to me starting from the tip of my toes and working up the whole length of my body.” Ailan pushed her gently backwards, lifting her feet until they rested on the bed. He leaned forward and removed her shoes, then bending over her foot he glanced up at her expectant face and grinned wickedly. “Kaysha, my darling. Your wish is my command.”

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Epilogue Caishel gripped Ailan’s left hand tightly as they watched the soul lift from the ring on his right hand. It appeared as a mist and moved to hover in front of Fess. The soul bade a silent farewell and drifted skywards, gradually dissipating until nothing was left. She looked at the ring, which now looked old and tarnished as it had when she’d first seen it. An elderly Eos stepped in front of Ailan. The spirit bowed, then placed its wispy hands on either side of the Duke’s head. They remained silently staring at each other for several minutes, then the spirit’s hands dropped to his side and he took a step back, looked at Fess and nodded. “The old one says he is proud to become the soul of the ring of the Duke of Lan,” Fess told them. “He believes the Duke is a good man who will look after the land and the people of both our races.” Ailan held out his right hand and the elderly Eos dissolved into a misty cloud which funnelled into the ring. Immediately the ring’s previous lustre returned to full strength. Caishel and Ailan returned to the mainland with many promises of friendship from the Eos. They walked hand in hand through the town, returning the greetings of the 349

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townsfolk. Rufor escorted them into a transport and they lifted off for the sky castle. Caishel glanced out of the window, pleased to see several craft flying in the sky. She looked up at the castle and gasped. “Ailan, look! The castle’s not tilting any more.” “The ring must be working at full capacity.” Ailan grinned at her. Caishel grinned back. “Now we can really call the Castle of Lan home.”

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sue Perkins is originally from the West Country of England and before her two children were born, she traveled the world with her husband. Sue and her family immigrated to New Zealand and live on a three acre lifestyle block in Marlborough at the top of the South Island. Sue has worked in office administration for most of her life, but now works as a graphic design artist which combines her love of computer work and art. Sue enjoys reading, writing, genealogy and line dancing. To learn more about Sue, visit her website at: http://www.sueperkins.wcpauthor.com/

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