"Yes, very fine-looking," he grudgingly agreed.
Ned raised an eyebrow. "You have your doubts?"
"About their looks?" Ned nodded, and Hawkins shook his head. "No."
"Then you question their abilities?" Ned guessed. Hawkins didn't reply, which led the old man to believe he'd found the problem. "Does the king know about your doubts?"
Hawkins sighed and nodded toward the gatehouse. "Let's speak in there." He led Ned into the empty guardhouse and into a private room like the that in the city entrance. Once seated, he leaned back and folded his arms across his chest. He gave Ned a careful examination. "May I be blunt with you, sir, without fear of the king overhearing?"
"Only if the king has developed ears in the wall," Ned joked.
Hawkins didn't laugh. "With that woman at his side I could believe such a thing."
Ned's amusement slid off his face. "She is who I wish to speak about, but we'll come to her soon enough. What of the guards of the castle?"
Hawkins scoffed. "The castle? If only it was confined to a single place. I fear the entire army is as useless as the man you met at the gate."
Ned raised an eyebrow. "Is it so bad?" he asked Hawkins.
The captain shifted in his seat. "Bad enough I wouldn't count on half the men to be useful to the girl, regardless of what hidden skills she has at leading."
The old man's face grew grim. "This is very serious, and yet you say the king does nothing? What are the problems?"
"What aren't the problems?" Hawkins countered. "Arrogance, lack of skill, disobedience. You saw what fools that cantankus made of them. They are unfit to guard a barn, much less the city of Galaron."
Ned pulled at his beard, and pondered Hawkins' information. "This is most serious. Did these problems arise after the arrival of this Lady Martley?"
"I won't lie even to blemish her name. The rot started before her coming," Hawkins replied. "The king is as arrogant as his soldiers, and comfortable in the awe and fear the name of the Galaron army instills in our old enemies."
Ned stood and slowly paced the room. "I fear an old enemy is who they will have to face, but what you tell me gravely worries me. You say the woman has nothing to do with these troubles?"
Hawkins frowned. "I wouldn't go that far. She alone has the king's ears and she does much to stop his actions."
Ned paused and glanced at the young man. He raised an eyebrow. "Stop the king's actions?"
"In a way. She holds him up in his castle and she alone manages the messages that come in with the city's problems." Hawkins noticed a strange expression on Ned's face. "Is there something to this?"
The old castor nodded his head. "I have known the king a long while, long before the kingship passed to him. He was always an unwise man, rash and arrogant. Anyone who halts his advice and orders can only be helping the people of the city."
"So she may be doing us a favor?" Hawkins guessed.
Ned sighed and shrugged. "That is a question only you can answer. What has she done with this power? What decisions has she made?"
Hawkins smirked and returned the shrug. "You ask the captain of the guards when you would do better to ask the king's advisers."
Ned vehemently shook his head and returned to pacing the room. "No, I would rather not risk Lady Martley learning of my suspicions through them." Ned halted when a memory flashed through his mind, and he snapped his head over to Hawkins. "Have you any idea what this surprise betrothal is about?"
"Again I can't answer that, but I can say I believe that that woman was as surprised as anyone to learn about it," Hawkins replied. The captain leaned over the table and narrowed his eyes. "Do you believe it's trouble for the girl?"
Ned snorted. "Trouble follows her like a shadow, and King Stephen's plans are no exception."
Hawkins pressed his lips together and shook his head. "This feels like more trouble than one of the king's ideas. Something is in the wind."
Ned paused and leaned heavily on his staff. His face held a
Ned raised an eyebrow. "You have your doubts?"
"About their looks?" Ned nodded, and Hawkins shook his head. "No."
"Then you question their abilities?" Ned guessed. Hawkins didn't reply, which led the old man to believe he'd found the problem. "Does the king know about your doubts?"
Hawkins sighed and nodded toward the gatehouse. "Let's speak in there." He led Ned into the empty guardhouse and into a private room like the that in the city entrance. Once seated, he leaned back and folded his arms across his chest. He gave Ned a careful examination. "May I be blunt with you, sir, without fear of the king overhearing?"
"Only if the king has developed ears in the wall," Ned joked.
Hawkins didn't laugh. "With that woman at his side I could believe such a thing."
Ned's amusement slid off his face. "She is who I wish to speak about, but we'll come to her soon enough. What of the guards of the castle?"
Hawkins scoffed. "The castle? If only it was confined to a single place. I fear the entire army is as useless as the man you met at the gate."
Ned raised an eyebrow. "Is it so bad?" he asked Hawkins.
The captain shifted in his seat. "Bad enough I wouldn't count on half the men to be useful to the girl, regardless of what hidden skills she has at leading."
The old man's face grew grim. "This is very serious, and yet you say the king does nothing? What are the problems?"
"What aren't the problems?" Hawkins countered. "Arrogance, lack of skill, disobedience. You saw what fools that cantankus made of them. They are unfit to guard a barn, much less the city of Galaron."
Ned pulled at his beard, and pondered Hawkins' information. "This is most serious. Did these problems arise after the arrival of this Lady Martley?"
"I won't lie even to blemish her name. The rot started before her coming," Hawkins replied. "The king is as arrogant as his soldiers, and comfortable in the awe and fear the name of the Galaron army instills in our old enemies."
Ned stood and slowly paced the room. "I fear an old enemy is who they will have to face, but what you tell me gravely worries me. You say the woman has nothing to do with these troubles?"
Hawkins frowned. "I wouldn't go that far. She alone has the king's ears and she does much to stop his actions."
Ned paused and glanced at the young man. He raised an eyebrow. "Stop the king's actions?"
"In a way. She holds him up in his castle and she alone manages the messages that come in with the city's problems." Hawkins noticed a strange expression on Ned's face. "Is there something to this?"
The old castor nodded his head. "I have known the king a long while, long before the kingship passed to him. He was always an unwise man, rash and arrogant. Anyone who halts his advice and orders can only be helping the people of the city."
"So she may be doing us a favor?" Hawkins guessed.
Ned sighed and shrugged. "That is a question only you can answer. What has she done with this power? What decisions has she made?"
Hawkins smirked and returned the shrug. "You ask the captain of the guards when you would do better to ask the king's advisers."
Ned vehemently shook his head and returned to pacing the room. "No, I would rather not risk Lady Martley learning of my suspicions through them." Ned halted when a memory flashed through his mind, and he snapped his head over to Hawkins. "Have you any idea what this surprise betrothal is about?"
"Again I can't answer that, but I can say I believe that that woman was as surprised as anyone to learn about it," Hawkins replied. The captain leaned over the table and narrowed his eyes. "Do you believe it's trouble for the girl?"
Ned snorted. "Trouble follows her like a shadow, and King Stephen's plans are no exception."
Hawkins pressed his lips together and shook his head. "This feels like more trouble than one of the king's ideas. Something is in the wind."
Ned paused and leaned heavily on his staff. His face held a
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