The Baroness of Clawynd Read online

  For those that showed an aptitude in any area of kerfios, there were guilds that ensured they were educated and able to use it safely. For the unwary, bad things could, and did, happen. Healers could overtax themselves and their patients, killing both accidentally. Spell casters could make mistakes that caused either unintentional results, or caused the power to backfire, killing the mage and possibly bystanders as well. Enchantments could go terribly wrong, causing objects to explode, or melt. The enchantment could even settle on something, or someone, that it should not with disastrous results.

  Aenid herself was a powerful healer, which came with strong mental shields and the ability to truthsay, but she could barely light a candle with a spell. If she could cast a decent spell she might be able to make her father look better. She might be able to shift the broken bones and slide the damaged skin back into place. It bothered her that she failed her father this way, but she reminded herself that the baron had loved her the way she was. He was proud of her healing ability and didn’t give a fig about whether she could spell the lights on or not.

  Madame Proust and Aenid dressed her father in his court attire. Soft leather breeches in brown with knee-high boots in polished leather went on. Next, a soft linen undershirt with a surcoat in the Clawynd burgundy went on. A simple belt and a headscarf to hide the damage to his skull completed the preparations to his body. Aenid lit several candles and they left her father in the room until he was given to the goddess in two days.

  Aenid went wearily upstairs. She had let Tanis know that she would not be at dinner that evening. She knew she should preside over the table, but she didn’t feel up to it. She went in search of Lord Merrin.

  The library was a large room on the main floor of the manor. It was filled with a more than respectable collection of literary works of Kerban and other countries. Her grandfather had been quite a scholar and collected most of what was on the shelves. There was a comfortable sitting area in front of the fireplace, with two couches and several chairs in russet colors. There was a small fire lit to take the damp out of the room. It was here that she found whom she sought. As soon as he saw her, Merrin stood.

  “Lord Merrin, may I ask a favor?” she asked. As King’s Champion, he was the ranking member of the remaining party, so the duty of presiding over the table must go to him.

  “I would be happy to assist you in any way I can, Baroness,” he responded.

  Aenid felt a little stab of sadness at the title. “Would you consider presiding over dinner this evening, My Lord? I fear I will be inadequate company.”

  “Of course, My Lady. Is there anything else you need of me?” Merrin asked with genuine warmth and concern.

  “Thank you for your thoughtfulness, but I think the servants and I have most of the arrangements made, Lord Merrin.”

  “I will miss your father a great deal,” said Merrin thoughtfully. “He was an excellent mentor to me as a young knight at court, almost a second father. I would not have become King’s Champion without his help and encouragement.”

  Aenid gave him a small smile. “He was happy to see you repay his kindness by mentoring the young knights you have brought here. He spoke to me of how impressed he was with you, and with the men you brought to Clawynd.”

  “Thank you for that, my lady,” he said softly. “It means a great deal to know his thoughts.”

  Aenid curtsied and left the library, making her way upstairs to her private rooms. She had asked for the manor’s scribe to assist her in sending out the death notices and found the young woman hard at work in Aenid’s tiny personal study.

  “I have the notices for the knights of Clawynd finished and awaiting your signature, My Lady. I’ve made a start on the notices for the other nobility, but I have left the one for His Majesty for you to do in your own hand. I hope that was correct, My Lady,” said the thin woman anxiously.

  Very appropriate, Marta,” Aenid approved.

  She looked over the papers edged in dark green. The notices were simple, as appropriate, and stated the time for the blessing of the goddess the day after tomorrow. Some of the local knights would likely attend, but it would be too far to travel for most of the rest. Her father would be in the ground before most of them knew of his death.

  She wrote the notice for His Majesty, and added a note of her fealty at the bottom. It would serve as her oath until she could go to court and swear to him directly. She then signed the rest of the notices and had them sent out. She wrote several more brief letters to various friends regarding her father’s death, and added them to the pile.

  Exhausted though she was, she rang for Tanis. Together they went over the preparations for the next two days. Lord Merrin and the knights would all stay, so they would have to be fed and looked after. There would be many in the holding that would come to pay their respects to the baron tomorrow and the next day. The cooks were hard at work preparing refreshments for all those that would come, and Tanis had arranged for additional help from the village. The priestess would come tomorrow to go over the burial ceremony with Aenid. Tanis had also remembered to send word that Aenid would not be at the Healer Hall for her duties over the next several days.

  Before he left her, Tanis reported that dinner for their guests was well underway, and was a quiet but not dismal affair. The men were telling each other stories of the baron’s prowess at arms, and of his honor and kindness.

  Aenid was glad they had good memories of him. She, too, would cherish her father’s memory. She would continue his just treatment of his people, loyalty to the crown, and excellent management of the land so that all would prosper. She would remember his love for her and do her best to continue to make him proud. She would put all of his teaching to work and ensure there would be no question about her fitness to command Clawynd.

  Aenid had already dismissed her maid for the evening. Tanis had left a tray of dinner for her, but she ignored it. She was too tired to eat. Instead, she slipped downstairs and said goodnight to her father, before returning to her room and falling asleep with her clothes still on.

  Chapter 2

  Lord Merrin awoke just past dawn, warm and comfortable in an excellent bed with a fire in the hearth. He could smell the coffee that his man had brought up from the kitchens for him. It was a luxury to wake in this manner. Most of the time he slept in basic inns or on the ground in his travels as King’s Champion. War, political intrigue, and simply being the eyes and ears of His Majesty put many miles on his horse.

  He had grown up in a house similar to this one. Merrin’s brother was the duke of Bridgend. They had grown up with wealth and privilege, but also with expectations. Both men were expected to learn how to manage the dukedom and to earn their spurs as knights. Their castle and servants came with hard work and responsibility for both young men.

  The memory of yesterday came quickly, however, and he was saddened all over again. The loss of Baron Jero was a blow to him personally, and a loss to the kingdom as well. The baron was an intelligent and thoughtful man, and always gave good counsel to the king. His daughter was both intelligent and thoughtful as well, but didn’t have her father’s years of experience to bring to the council table.

  Lady Aenid was an exceptional woman. Merrin found her more than a little attractive. She was slightly taller than average, which still made her smaller than him, and had long dark-brown hair that she tended to keep bound or braided. Merrin wanted to set it free and feel its softness. Her eyes were a deep green and she had an oval face with pale skin. Her nose was slightly turned up and her lips were neither too thin nor too full. She had gentle curves and did not dress to flaunt them, as did many other ladies of the court. In fact, she did not dress extravagantly at all, seeming to prefer plain dresses for work and everyday wear, and pretty, though conservative, gowns for the more formal dinners in the evening.

  He did not know her well, but thus far had found her to be intelligent and knowledgeable of her holding and its people. She had a well-developed sense of duty both as a
healer and as a Baroness. For all that, she was not overly serious. She had some wit and could make him laugh. Micha, his man, told him that the servants thought highly of her, praising her work ethic and her fairness to them. They reported that she never stinted her services as a healer to them.

  His heart ached to be able to give her more comfort. He was not her lover who could hold her close and ease her pain, though he would certainly like to be. He was not family either, who could be closer to her in her grief.

  He wondered if she actually had a lover. Kerban society incorporated its citizens’ healthy sex drive into is culture. Sexual relationships prior to, or instead of, traditional marriage were common. Adultery was not tolerated, however. Fortunately there was readily available birth control in the form of enchanted objects. Kerbans, both male and female, who chose to be sexually active before marriage generally wore an enchanted object such as a ring or pendant, called lero, which prevented pregnancy and transmission of sexual diseases.

  If Lady Aenid had a lover, she was certainly discreet about it. Merrin doubted she did, as she seemed just a little unsure of herself when any of the younger knights flirted with her. The baroness would be considered highly desirable for marriage. She had a large holding that was well managed and fairly wealthy. A lazy man could marry her and never have to do another day’s work, as the seat was considered Aenid’s to rule. Merrin doubted she would choose such a man. She seemed too sensible, too level-headed to be so foolhardy. Though he had seen others have their heads clouded by love.

  Merrin rose and drank his coffee as he dressed. His thoughts continued to be occupied by Aenid. He wished wholeheartedly that he were closer to her. In the two days prior to the baron’s death he found himself enraptured by her. With the tragedy of her father’s death, he wanted to enfold her in his protection and look after her. She was a far more enticing woman than those at court who vied for his attention. The women there were the young, vacant-headed daughters of the nobility who longed to catch the King’s Champion for the status he would bring them. Little did they know that the brother of the duke of Bridgend came only with a small estate on his brother’s land. Then there were the older women, looking for a dalliance with a warrior that would bring them status among their peers. None were interested in Merrin the person, and none were as intriguing as Aenid.

  He sighed. His thoughts were of a lovely woman, instead of his duty. He wished to marry one day but his obligations to his country and his King made that challenging. Merrin had a position in court that came with a great deal of power and responsibility, but King’s Champion was no sinecure. It would take the right woman to understand both the challenge of his duties, and Merrin’s need to protect and cherish those that he loved.

  Merrin was raised as a knight and a noble, indoctrinated from birth to fulfill his obligations. He lived to do his duty as Champion—protect Kerban, its interests, and its citizens. Being a knight, he was also sworn to uphold the tenets of Kerban knighthood, including protecting those that cannot defend themselves as well as respecting and protecting women.

  Instead of Aenid, he should be thinking of what her father’s death would mean to the king and court politics. Though Aenid would be an excellent Baroness, there were still those that would challenge a single woman ruling a noble seat. It was rare enough to be unsettling. He thought about whom her closest relatives would be, wondering if they would support her if anyone were to question her competency. If memory served him, it was actually the duke of Dyfal. He was a distant cousin of Aenid’s mother. God, that was a complete cock up!

  Merrin and the king had serious questions about Dyfal’s loyalty of late. Rumors swirled around the duke. There was talk that he was becoming prejudiced against kerfios, having no ability to wield it himself. The Mage and Enchanters guilds had all but pulled out of Dyfal, though possibly a few Healers remained. It would be rare for them to abandon the common people. Following closely on the heels of that was a whispered bit of rumor that he was making deals with Torquin.

  Torquin was the kingdom that lay to the east of Kerban. Emperor Versad ruled it with an iron fist. Kerfios use was not well tolerated in Torquin. Anyone who had the power to use it was collared from the time they manifested the ability. The collars forced the wearer to obey their master, essentially making them slaves. They became tools to be used at the whim of Versad and his nobles. Merrin had little direct experience with these collars, but had met a few people that escaped the kingdom and had the collars removed. Some were still haunted enough by the experience that they were unable to wear even a small pendant as jewelry or clothing with a high neck because they couldn’t tolerate the sensation of anything around their throat.

  Merrin shuddered. His abilities as a mage were moderate, but he would hate to be without them, or forced to use them unwillingly.

  Torquin also had strict laws regarding the conduct of men and women. Punishments for violation of their laws were harsh, and extensive torture prior to death figured prominently in the punishment. Women were not as equal in Torquin society as they were in Kerban. They were restricted as to the jobs they could hold. They could not own their own property, and were almost property themselves. Merrin’s thoughts turned to his Baroness. She would be wasted in Torquin. Not only wasted, but collared and used. Merrin considered it despicable.

  Dyfal and Clawynd bordered Torquin. So did Bridgend, but there were no worries there, not with Merrin’s brother as Duke. Dyfal was the farthest north into the mountains and was the least accessible to Torquin. Clawynd was south of Dyfal, and encompassed the end of the mountain range and the foothills. Bridgend was the furthest south, and its border was heavily guarded. It would be difficult to get troops through the mountains into Dyfal to then be in position to make war on Kerban. If Dyfal had Clawynd, however, things changed radically. Troops could move into Clawynd and would be hard to find in the dips and valleys of the foothills, especially if the patrols of the baroness’s guards were curtailed or tampered with. Normally Clawynd’s troops sealed the border, but if they were diverted with the right orders or disinformation…

  Merrin suddenly had his doubts about Jero’s death being an accident. His death could create circumstances for enough turmoil in Clawynd to let troops slip by. Dyfal could challenge the capability of the baroness to rule, forcing her to leave Clawynd and plead her case to the king. She would have to take guards with her, leaving the border less protected. Or, he could simply barge in as the concerned relative, trying to take charge. The baroness would fight him but could she stand up to him?

  But how could Jero’s death be anything other than an accident? The knights with him were all loyal, he was sure. And how could anyone have engineered such an accident? But it did bear looking into.

  King Graydon was planning a surprise visit to Dyfal in a month’s time. The only one privy to this information was Merrin. They should consider moving up the visit, and make sure it stayed a surprise. He would have to write the king today and check into the baron’s death a bit more. He also needed to provide what comfort he could to Baroness Aenid. As the next ranking noble, he should be nearby to help her receive the mourners and ensure she was looking after herself as well.

  Merrin got up from his comfortable chair in front of the fire. He suddenly had a bit more to do today than he thought last night.

  Chapter 3

  Aenid awoke to her maid, Setha, fussing over her.

  “My Lady!” she exclaimed, obviously scandalized that Aenid had slept in her clothing. “You didn’t eat!” she scolded.

  “Peace, Setha,” Aenid chided her. “I’m fine. Just help me dress and I’ll take a breakfast tray in my room this morning.” Aenid usually went down to breakfast in the small dining room with her father and their guests, if there were any.

  Setha managed to collect herself and become the efficient ladies maid that she was. She sent for breakfast and pulled out a dark-green mourning gown. It was plain and made of light material, with three-quarter length sleeves, a mode
st neckline, and slim skirt. Aenid bathed in her personal bath chamber and let Setha dress her and pull her hair back into a severe bun. She put a small, dark-green silk covering over her hair. Aenid would wear no jewels today, just the signet ring of her position as Baroness.

  Aenid forced herself to eat some of the breakfast. She knew she would need her strength today. There would be an influx of those who would pay their respects, and she would greet them and thank them.

  She could manage that. After the burial tomorrow, she would have to start planning a visit to pledge fealty to the king, and ensure the holding was ready for winter. Then she would have to plan for the coming year. And she would have to rearrange her duties as a healer.

  She suddenly choked back a sob. Here she was, planning the rest of her life, and her father was gone. Not only did she feel guilty for not having him first in her mind, she realized he wouldn’t be by her side for all that she was planning. It seemed so unfair of the goddess to take him so soon. He was not a young man, but he should have had many years left with her. She had expected to take over the holding when he retired in many years time, but not yet. She had wanted him by her side as she took over the management of the seat, not in the ground.

  Now she just felt selfish. It was all what she wanted. What about the others that her father could have benefited? The knights he could have mentored? The farmers and craftsmen and others in the seat to whom he could help ensure prosperity? They were all robbed of his presence too soon.