Noble Beginnings by D.W. Jackson

silence, than a soft and
surprised sounding “oh," escaped her lips
    "Yes," he said awkwardly. "I mean, you have a
point...there's no reason for women not to join the King's army as
soldiers. There's no law against it, and several of the other
duchies have started allowing it, I think. I bet the number of
women soldiers will only grow the longer the war continues...and to
be honest, I don't think that the war is going to stop anytime
soon. Don’t get me wrong I wish it would but with four different
armies trying to win the same throne and none of them with an
advantage over the others.”"
    "Good point." He heard the sound of water
sloughing off a standing body and respectfully kept his eyes turned
the other way as Edith stepped out of the tub. "Anyway, I'm leaving
now. I have work to get done back at home. Thanks for inviting me
down here."
    "No problem," he said easily. "Take care,
And...Edith?"
    There was a rustling of cloth, and then
silence. Dorran peeked over his shoulder, and when he saw that
Edith was already wearing her tunic and trousers, he turned around
fully to look at her. "Yes?" she prompted him with a smirk on her
face.
    "Do whatever you need to," he said. "I like
to rely on you to help out with the barracks, since you've helped
me with it from the beginning, but I know you've got your own
priorities and in the end I trust you, so I believe that if you
find it important than it must be." He looked her straight in the
eye, watching as her eyes widened slightly in surprise.
"Just...take care, all right?"
    She looked at him, face level but perhaps, he
thought, vaguely approving. "Yes. Thank you...my lord."
    He sighed quietly to himself as she left, but
found himself smiling as well. It was far from a complete victory.
He still hadn’t learned what she had been up to but at least they
were back on friendly terms and that alone meant a lot to him.

CHAPTER VII
    Striking a balance between training and his
study of court life proved difficult. Dorran asked Myriel for
advice as often as he could, and checked in with his sisters
whenever he was able to find them. He started to feel like he was
jumping at shadows in his attempts to be where he was needed
without having to be asked, for all that Myriel occasionally
assured him that he was improving. Those few words while heard
rarely were a great prize for him.
    The most annoying aspect of balancing his
time, he thought, was how unrelated the two activities seemed. Even
though thousands of Farlan's men were fighting and dying abroad,
this topic was only rarely discussed in court, and even then never
in detail. It was the King's business, he supposed, rather than his
mother's, but he couldn't help but be frustrated nonetheless. Every
now and then he would dream about confronting his mother about
being sent with a band of soldiers to the King, a shadowy figure
who looked him up and down before gesturing with an imperious hand
and releasing a horde of shadowy soldiers on him. Just as his sword
was about to clash with that of the first foe, Dorran would wake
up.
    He was absent mindedly contemplating his
latest dream as Thea opened the council. She looked pleasant,
almost jovial, but somehow more tired than usual.
    "I'd like to begin this meeting with some
pleasant news," she announced. "I've decided to invite the family
of my late husband, Jaren, to live with us in the castle. Several
months ago, I invited the Lady Alven and her daughter to come live
with us, in my late husband's memory. They have happily accepted my
invitation, and after they have put their affairs on their
ancestral estate in order they will be arriving here at the castle.
I expect them to be here within the week. I hope all of you will
show them hospitality befitting the joy their presence will bring
me…and, indeed, all of us. I have organized a small feast to
celebrate their arrival, and they shall thereupon be honorary
members of our council."
    Dorran had no particular reaction to the news
it only