my care. I am Lady of Ravensmuir from this day forward, Ada, by virtue of being Merlyn’s widow and heiress.”
“No!” The color drained from Ada’s face.
“Oh, yes.” I smiled, determined to show more grace than she.
“It is so, Ada,” Fitz intervened with authority. “The documents are all in order.”
Ada’s mouth contorted with rage before she managed to choke out a word. It was one I should have expected, but I flinched all the same. “Witch!”
“Ada...” Fitz began, but I held up a hand for silence. I would hear Ada’s charges against me.
“The omen is come true, then!” she cried, her outrage clear. “Doom has swallowed the Lammergeiers of Ravensmuir, doom that was hatched years past when Merlyn was beguiled into taking you to wife.” She spat on the ground before me. “The loss of my lord Merlyn is but the beginning of the end.”
Clearly, Ada did not believe that I would punish her audacity. It was refreshing to meet some soul who put so little faith in my rumored powers of sorcery.
But then, if anyone should know that the rumors of my arcane abilities are nonsense, it should be Ada Gowan.
“I appreciate that your grief at the loss of my lord Merlyn may have affected your greeting,” I said coldly, letting Ada see that I appreciated no such thing. “But I and my siblings are in need of a hot bath and a hot meal.”
Ada’s lips drew to a line so tight that they disappeared. “We were not prepared for your arrival.”
“But you had made arrangements for Merlyn’s return, for he was so recently in residence.” I was well aware that my siblings eyed me with surprise. I dredged up my memory of every lesson Merlyn had granted me in noble conduct, and thought I did passably well.
I let my voice drop. “I counsel you to play no games with me, Ada. You will prepare a bath in the bathing chamber, you will ensure that chamber is warmed, you will see that a hot meal is prepared, that wine is poured and that both the great hall and the beds are made ready. And you will do this promptly.” I smiled a smile that was more akin to baring my teeth. “Your pledge of obeisance to me can wait until the morning.”
Ada’s eyes flashed fire. She opened her mouth and closed it again, spots of color burning in her cheeks. “I will not...”
“Then you may leave now and seek employ in another household. It will not trouble me.” I spoke with indifference when once I would have shouted. “I believe Dunbar might be the closest keep, and surely you could reach it in several days of hard walking.” I smiled again. “Of course, I could not grant a steed or a wagon to someone fleeing my service.”
She glared at me, her outrage worsened by my composure. I was delighted that I was finally better at her ploy than she. My siblings were silent. Fitz coughed into his hand and, if I had not known better, I might have thought he disguised a chuckle. Ada’s brother watched us, his gaze flat.
Finally Ada straightened, then inclined her head stiffly. “As you wish, my lady,” she said, as if the words were poison upon her tongue.
With that, she pivoted and marched back through the gates. Her brother hesitated but a moment before he ambled after her, leaving the four of us in the rain.
Another soul might have been daunted, but I was bolstered. The first clash in this latest battle with Ada had fallen in my favor. I fully expected that Ada would flee that night, but I did not care. She could not steal all of Ravensmuir and whatsoever she left would be more than we had had this very morning.
“Do you intend to linger in the rain all the night long?” I demanded gaily. Fortune had smiled upon us and I was determined to make some merriment, the better to forget my misgivings about Merlyn’s demise.
I beamed at my silent siblings. “It is Christmas Day, after all, and our circumstances are vastly improved. Surely that is cause for some cheer?” I nodded at Fitz, then strode into the hall of
“No!” The color drained from Ada’s face.
“Oh, yes.” I smiled, determined to show more grace than she.
“It is so, Ada,” Fitz intervened with authority. “The documents are all in order.”
Ada’s mouth contorted with rage before she managed to choke out a word. It was one I should have expected, but I flinched all the same. “Witch!”
“Ada...” Fitz began, but I held up a hand for silence. I would hear Ada’s charges against me.
“The omen is come true, then!” she cried, her outrage clear. “Doom has swallowed the Lammergeiers of Ravensmuir, doom that was hatched years past when Merlyn was beguiled into taking you to wife.” She spat on the ground before me. “The loss of my lord Merlyn is but the beginning of the end.”
Clearly, Ada did not believe that I would punish her audacity. It was refreshing to meet some soul who put so little faith in my rumored powers of sorcery.
But then, if anyone should know that the rumors of my arcane abilities are nonsense, it should be Ada Gowan.
“I appreciate that your grief at the loss of my lord Merlyn may have affected your greeting,” I said coldly, letting Ada see that I appreciated no such thing. “But I and my siblings are in need of a hot bath and a hot meal.”
Ada’s lips drew to a line so tight that they disappeared. “We were not prepared for your arrival.”
“But you had made arrangements for Merlyn’s return, for he was so recently in residence.” I was well aware that my siblings eyed me with surprise. I dredged up my memory of every lesson Merlyn had granted me in noble conduct, and thought I did passably well.
I let my voice drop. “I counsel you to play no games with me, Ada. You will prepare a bath in the bathing chamber, you will ensure that chamber is warmed, you will see that a hot meal is prepared, that wine is poured and that both the great hall and the beds are made ready. And you will do this promptly.” I smiled a smile that was more akin to baring my teeth. “Your pledge of obeisance to me can wait until the morning.”
Ada’s eyes flashed fire. She opened her mouth and closed it again, spots of color burning in her cheeks. “I will not...”
“Then you may leave now and seek employ in another household. It will not trouble me.” I spoke with indifference when once I would have shouted. “I believe Dunbar might be the closest keep, and surely you could reach it in several days of hard walking.” I smiled again. “Of course, I could not grant a steed or a wagon to someone fleeing my service.”
She glared at me, her outrage worsened by my composure. I was delighted that I was finally better at her ploy than she. My siblings were silent. Fitz coughed into his hand and, if I had not known better, I might have thought he disguised a chuckle. Ada’s brother watched us, his gaze flat.
Finally Ada straightened, then inclined her head stiffly. “As you wish, my lady,” she said, as if the words were poison upon her tongue.
With that, she pivoted and marched back through the gates. Her brother hesitated but a moment before he ambled after her, leaving the four of us in the rain.
Another soul might have been daunted, but I was bolstered. The first clash in this latest battle with Ada had fallen in my favor. I fully expected that Ada would flee that night, but I did not care. She could not steal all of Ravensmuir and whatsoever she left would be more than we had had this very morning.
“Do you intend to linger in the rain all the night long?” I demanded gaily. Fortune had smiled upon us and I was determined to make some merriment, the better to forget my misgivings about Merlyn’s demise.
I beamed at my silent siblings. “It is Christmas Day, after all, and our circumstances are vastly improved. Surely that is cause for some cheer?” I nodded at Fitz, then strode into the hall of
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