stoppered bottle and then, bending to retrieve it, several quills as well.
Rosvita smiled. "Your Majesty. If I may go to my clerics and make ready?"
Henry nodded absently. As she moved off, he called her name. "I thank you, good friend," he said with a sudden, brilliant smile, and she could only incline her head, staggered as always by the force of his approval.
Rosvita reached young Constantine in time to help him pick up the last goose quill. A moment later she heard a hail. Brother Fortunatus and Sister Amabilia had appeared on the steps, blinking sleepily, and now they swung around to look as a rider came into view.
• "Where is the king?" the man called. Rosvita stepped forward to take his message. "Nay, I bring no message," the rider continued politely. "I ride as herald for Margrave Judith. She has returned to the king's progress with her bridegroom. She escorts Lady Tallia to the king."
"Her bridegroom!" said Fortunatus just as Amabilia exclaimed: "God Above! What has the girl done to get herself thrown out of Quedlinhame so quickly?"
A new set of riders clattered into view, and the clerics stared expectantly, but it was only an annoyed Prince Sanglant with his escort of Hathui and the four guardsmen made anxious by the Eika dogs. Servants scattered, running for safety. The dogs erupted into a frenzy of barking, and a moment later Count Lavastine and his hounds spilled into the courtyard. The noise became so deafening that Rosvita covered her ears.
Sanglant leaped down off his horse and yanked his dogs down, but they kept struggling up to bolt for the black hounds, who wisely kept their distance without stinting in threatening growls and ear-splitting barks even as the count called them to heel.
Then Lavastine's heir came out of the hall. Lord Alain knelt beside the hounds and spoke a few words to them, and at once they ceased barking and sat, tongues lolling, with patient vigilance.
Sanglant was still cursing his dogs, who barked and lunged and snapped at their rivals. His right hand dripped blood where the chain, dragged through his grip, had scraped the skin raw. Alain approached him cautiously, knelt with extended hand, and reached out to touch the nearest Eika dog.
Rosvita shut her eyes as Amabilia gasped and Fortunatus swore under his breath. Constantine whimpered in fright. Then Rosvita cursed herself for cowardice and opened her eyes just as an uncanny silence fell upon the scene.
Alain had laid a hand gently on the head of the biggest and ugliest of the Eika dogs. It sat meekly, trembling beneath his touch. The other two hunkered down. Gobs of saliva dribbled down their muzzles to stain the dirt at his feet.
"Peace," he said to them. "Poor troubled souls."
He stood up. Sanglant regarded the young man with astonishment. Count Lavastine's expression was so blank Rosvita could not read it.
A moment more they all stood so. Then raised voices drifted out to them from the hall behind. Sanglant grimaced and hastily dragged his dogs away just as Sapientia and Father Hugh emerged from the hall. An attendant carried infant Hippolyte, and the baby crowed and burbled as Hugh smiled at her and tickled her under her fat chin.
But Sapientia was staring around the courtyard, mouth pinched down. "Did we miss something?" she demanded as Sanglant vanished behind the stable. Hathui nodded curtly at Rosvita and left to find the king. Servants emerged cautiously from their bolt-holes and resumed their labors, and the messenger crept out from the safety of the stables and knelt before Father Hugh.
"My lord. Your mother rides not an hour behind me on the road."
Father Hugh turned his smile from baby to messenger. "Ah, you are the younger son of old Tortua, the crofter over by Lerchewald. You're much grown since I left Austra. You are wed now?"
"Nay, my lord. The farm has gone to my elder sisters and there was nothing left for me, so I came into your good mother's service."
"Indeed," said Hugh with a gentle smile
Rosvita smiled. "Your Majesty. If I may go to my clerics and make ready?"
Henry nodded absently. As she moved off, he called her name. "I thank you, good friend," he said with a sudden, brilliant smile, and she could only incline her head, staggered as always by the force of his approval.
Rosvita reached young Constantine in time to help him pick up the last goose quill. A moment later she heard a hail. Brother Fortunatus and Sister Amabilia had appeared on the steps, blinking sleepily, and now they swung around to look as a rider came into view.
• "Where is the king?" the man called. Rosvita stepped forward to take his message. "Nay, I bring no message," the rider continued politely. "I ride as herald for Margrave Judith. She has returned to the king's progress with her bridegroom. She escorts Lady Tallia to the king."
"Her bridegroom!" said Fortunatus just as Amabilia exclaimed: "God Above! What has the girl done to get herself thrown out of Quedlinhame so quickly?"
A new set of riders clattered into view, and the clerics stared expectantly, but it was only an annoyed Prince Sanglant with his escort of Hathui and the four guardsmen made anxious by the Eika dogs. Servants scattered, running for safety. The dogs erupted into a frenzy of barking, and a moment later Count Lavastine and his hounds spilled into the courtyard. The noise became so deafening that Rosvita covered her ears.
Sanglant leaped down off his horse and yanked his dogs down, but they kept struggling up to bolt for the black hounds, who wisely kept their distance without stinting in threatening growls and ear-splitting barks even as the count called them to heel.
Then Lavastine's heir came out of the hall. Lord Alain knelt beside the hounds and spoke a few words to them, and at once they ceased barking and sat, tongues lolling, with patient vigilance.
Sanglant was still cursing his dogs, who barked and lunged and snapped at their rivals. His right hand dripped blood where the chain, dragged through his grip, had scraped the skin raw. Alain approached him cautiously, knelt with extended hand, and reached out to touch the nearest Eika dog.
Rosvita shut her eyes as Amabilia gasped and Fortunatus swore under his breath. Constantine whimpered in fright. Then Rosvita cursed herself for cowardice and opened her eyes just as an uncanny silence fell upon the scene.
Alain had laid a hand gently on the head of the biggest and ugliest of the Eika dogs. It sat meekly, trembling beneath his touch. The other two hunkered down. Gobs of saliva dribbled down their muzzles to stain the dirt at his feet.
"Peace," he said to them. "Poor troubled souls."
He stood up. Sanglant regarded the young man with astonishment. Count Lavastine's expression was so blank Rosvita could not read it.
A moment more they all stood so. Then raised voices drifted out to them from the hall behind. Sanglant grimaced and hastily dragged his dogs away just as Sapientia and Father Hugh emerged from the hall. An attendant carried infant Hippolyte, and the baby crowed and burbled as Hugh smiled at her and tickled her under her fat chin.
But Sapientia was staring around the courtyard, mouth pinched down. "Did we miss something?" she demanded as Sanglant vanished behind the stable. Hathui nodded curtly at Rosvita and left to find the king. Servants emerged cautiously from their bolt-holes and resumed their labors, and the messenger crept out from the safety of the stables and knelt before Father Hugh.
"My lord. Your mother rides not an hour behind me on the road."
Father Hugh turned his smile from baby to messenger. "Ah, you are the younger son of old Tortua, the crofter over by Lerchewald. You're much grown since I left Austra. You are wed now?"
"Nay, my lord. The farm has gone to my elder sisters and there was nothing left for me, so I came into your good mother's service."
"Indeed," said Hugh with a gentle smile
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