and find myself staring straight into the eyes of a large dog, a Great Dane, easily the largest I’ve ever seen.
I jump up, my first instinct to run. But Charlotte calls to it excitedly, and the animal prances over, tail wagging. Charlotte then folds her body across the dog’s broad back, giving it a loving embrace and muttering sweet nothings into one of its rigid, upright ears. The dog turns its massive head and begins enthusiastically licking the girl’s face and arm.
‘Oh for pity’s sake, do something, Adrian,’ Lady Eleanor moans dramatically.
The Duke drags himself from the window, takes one look at the dog and his daughter embracing, then turns his palms outwards. ‘The animal makes her happy. God knows nothing else around here does.’
The Duke smiles at me sadly. ‘The beast accompanies my daughter everywhere. You’ll have to win him over before you get close to Charlotte.’
Minutes later Lady Eleanor shows me to my room upstairs, Charlotte and her dog trailing behind us. ‘I’m sure you’ll be comfortable in here, the likes of this chamber I doubt you’ve ever seen before.’
My eyes do a broad take of the room. It certainly is spacious and elegantly furnished, with beautiful oak panelling. Two sets of mullioned windows overlook a courtyard below, an exquisitely hand-carved desk separating them. A door leads to Charlotte’s bedchamber, while a painted bench adorns the wall to the right. A king-size bed, with four posts that are fixed to the ceiling, sits on a raised platform jutting out from the opposite wall. A beautiful tapestry hangs above it. I go over for a closer look.
‘Mama made it,’ a little voice informs me from behind. ‘She loved to stitch.’
When I turn around Lady Eleanor is walking out ofthe door, leaving me alone with Charlotte. I point to the dog. ‘What’s his name?’
‘Papa says it should be Horse.’
‘Hmm, I wonder why?’ I mutter beneath my breath.
Charlotte drops to her knees and gives the dog another of her trusting embraces. She rests her head on its massive chest. ‘But I call him King Charles, in honour of our king. Don’t you think he looks like a monarch?’
‘He does indeed.’ But thoughts of King Charles, or any king, soon disappear as Arkarian – or I should say, Gascon – walks in and stands by the door. He addresses me politely.
‘Pardon, my lady. Lady Eleanor says it is time for your ride.’ Charlotte nods happily and begins looking for her gloves and riding whip. The dog follows her like a shadow.
‘What do you think we should do with him?’ I whisper.
‘Well, his instincts would be to protect the girl. That can’t be bad.’ Arkarian walks over to the dog, bends down and strokes it behind one of its pointy ears. ‘He seems friendly enough.’
‘The Duke says I’ll need permission from him to get close to Charlotte.’
Charlotte hears and giggles, giving Arkarian a sideways glance. I introduce him as Gascon. The dog suddenly moves and, instinctively, I step back.
Arkarian laughs. ‘You don’t look comfortable. Is your sixth sense telling you something?’ he adds in a whisper. ‘Or are you just not good with animals?’
I think about this for a minute. At my Initiation last year I was endowed with many gifts from the Lordsand Ladies of the Tribunal. But it was the head of the Tribunal – Lorian – who gave me the gift of enlightenment of my sixth sense. I shrug, because sometimes it’s not clear whether it’s my sixth sense, or simply fear. ‘The only thing I’m sure of, is that I’m not good with animals with sharp teeth.’
Arkarian looks around the room. ‘Is that her bedroom over there?’ he says softly.
I nod and Arkarian frowns thoughtfully. ‘We’re going to have to take shifts watching her,’ he explains, but his attention is soon drawn to King Charles, who is now sitting up with Charlotte on his back. She clasps her hands about his neck, and starts rocking backwards and forwards. Suddenly
I jump up, my first instinct to run. But Charlotte calls to it excitedly, and the animal prances over, tail wagging. Charlotte then folds her body across the dog’s broad back, giving it a loving embrace and muttering sweet nothings into one of its rigid, upright ears. The dog turns its massive head and begins enthusiastically licking the girl’s face and arm.
‘Oh for pity’s sake, do something, Adrian,’ Lady Eleanor moans dramatically.
The Duke drags himself from the window, takes one look at the dog and his daughter embracing, then turns his palms outwards. ‘The animal makes her happy. God knows nothing else around here does.’
The Duke smiles at me sadly. ‘The beast accompanies my daughter everywhere. You’ll have to win him over before you get close to Charlotte.’
Minutes later Lady Eleanor shows me to my room upstairs, Charlotte and her dog trailing behind us. ‘I’m sure you’ll be comfortable in here, the likes of this chamber I doubt you’ve ever seen before.’
My eyes do a broad take of the room. It certainly is spacious and elegantly furnished, with beautiful oak panelling. Two sets of mullioned windows overlook a courtyard below, an exquisitely hand-carved desk separating them. A door leads to Charlotte’s bedchamber, while a painted bench adorns the wall to the right. A king-size bed, with four posts that are fixed to the ceiling, sits on a raised platform jutting out from the opposite wall. A beautiful tapestry hangs above it. I go over for a closer look.
‘Mama made it,’ a little voice informs me from behind. ‘She loved to stitch.’
When I turn around Lady Eleanor is walking out ofthe door, leaving me alone with Charlotte. I point to the dog. ‘What’s his name?’
‘Papa says it should be Horse.’
‘Hmm, I wonder why?’ I mutter beneath my breath.
Charlotte drops to her knees and gives the dog another of her trusting embraces. She rests her head on its massive chest. ‘But I call him King Charles, in honour of our king. Don’t you think he looks like a monarch?’
‘He does indeed.’ But thoughts of King Charles, or any king, soon disappear as Arkarian – or I should say, Gascon – walks in and stands by the door. He addresses me politely.
‘Pardon, my lady. Lady Eleanor says it is time for your ride.’ Charlotte nods happily and begins looking for her gloves and riding whip. The dog follows her like a shadow.
‘What do you think we should do with him?’ I whisper.
‘Well, his instincts would be to protect the girl. That can’t be bad.’ Arkarian walks over to the dog, bends down and strokes it behind one of its pointy ears. ‘He seems friendly enough.’
‘The Duke says I’ll need permission from him to get close to Charlotte.’
Charlotte hears and giggles, giving Arkarian a sideways glance. I introduce him as Gascon. The dog suddenly moves and, instinctively, I step back.
Arkarian laughs. ‘You don’t look comfortable. Is your sixth sense telling you something?’ he adds in a whisper. ‘Or are you just not good with animals?’
I think about this for a minute. At my Initiation last year I was endowed with many gifts from the Lordsand Ladies of the Tribunal. But it was the head of the Tribunal – Lorian – who gave me the gift of enlightenment of my sixth sense. I shrug, because sometimes it’s not clear whether it’s my sixth sense, or simply fear. ‘The only thing I’m sure of, is that I’m not good with animals with sharp teeth.’
Arkarian looks around the room. ‘Is that her bedroom over there?’ he says softly.
I nod and Arkarian frowns thoughtfully. ‘We’re going to have to take shifts watching her,’ he explains, but his attention is soon drawn to King Charles, who is now sitting up with Charlotte on his back. She clasps her hands about his neck, and starts rocking backwards and forwards. Suddenly
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