out the mess was never easy.
She looked at Lady Barb, who was watching her with a gimlet eye. “Can I count on you?”
“I should charge you a salary,” Lady Barb said, sardonically. She motioned Emily back into the carriage with one hand. “But I dare say I could stick around for a while, unless something pops up.”
Emily sat down in the carriage, again, as the driver cracked the whip. This time, she pulled back the curtain and watched as the Faire came closer. It wasn’t due to open for another week, she knew, but there were already thousands of people there, preparing their stalls for the grand opening. Last time, there had been potions, books and rare magical artefacts; this time, there would be all of that and more. Her eyes narrowed as she saw a set of iron rails, carefully embedded in the ground. A railway line?
Imaiqah said her father intended to show off a few things , she recalled, as she felt a sinking sensation in her stomach. What have I let myself in for ?
The coach drove around the city and up towards the castle. It was a squat brooding monstrosity, dominating the landscape around it by its sheer presence. The previous baron, a thoroughly unpleasant man, had bragged that his castle could never be taken by storm, but he hadn’t counted on being caught red-handed trying to overthrow the king. His execution had been pretty much a foregone conclusion. And now it was hers. Emily braced herself as the gates opened, feeling the thin edge of the wards pass over her as they acknowledged their mistress. Inside, only Bryon was waiting for her.
“I was expecting a crowd,” Lady Barb said, tartly.
“I asked him not to organize a greeting party,” Emily said. She packed her books in her bag, and placed it on the seat. “I always hated being greeted by everyone.”
She opened the door as soon as the coach came to a halt and jumped down to the stone courtyard. Bryon went down on one knee as soon as he saw her, lowering his head until he was looking at the ground. Emily sighed inwardly, and took a long moment to study him. He seemed to have grown up a little since they’d last met, but he was still terrifyingly thin, with short brown hair. Perhaps that was a good thing, Emily decided. He’d certainly had ample opportunity to eat himself sick while he’d been working for her.
“You may rise,” she said.
“My lady,” Bryon said. “I welcome you back to Cockatrice.”
Emily nodded. The castle — and all the surrounding lands — were hers, but she didn’t feel as if she owned them. It was strange and terrifying to realize that she effectively owned hundreds of thousands of people, people who would have no recourse if she went mad and started to abuse them. The previous baron had written so many laws that no one could live without breaking a few, giving him a ready-made excuse for killing or jailing anyone he didn’t like. Emily had repudiated most of the laws when she’d been granted the barony, but she knew there were still problems. How could there not be?
“I thank you,” Emily said. She turned and beckoned Frieda out of the coach. “This is Frieda, my friend. I trust you have prepared a room for her?”
“I have,” Bryon said. He bowed to Frieda, then straightened up. “Would you like to be shown to them now?”
“Yes, please,” Emily said. “We will need to sit down tomorrow and have a long talk.”
Bryon looked relieved. “Thank you, my lady,” he said. He nodded briefly to Lady Barb as she climbed out of the coach. “The servants will bring in your bags.”
“I’ll go down to the Faire and see who’s there,” Lady Barb muttered to Emily. “I’ll catch up with you later.”
Emily nodded, and allowed Bryon to lead her through the wooden doors and into the castle. It was not just her home, but the administrative center for the entire barony. Even so, it still surprised her to see so many people in the building, ranging from a handful of ceremonial guards to dozens of
She looked at Lady Barb, who was watching her with a gimlet eye. “Can I count on you?”
“I should charge you a salary,” Lady Barb said, sardonically. She motioned Emily back into the carriage with one hand. “But I dare say I could stick around for a while, unless something pops up.”
Emily sat down in the carriage, again, as the driver cracked the whip. This time, she pulled back the curtain and watched as the Faire came closer. It wasn’t due to open for another week, she knew, but there were already thousands of people there, preparing their stalls for the grand opening. Last time, there had been potions, books and rare magical artefacts; this time, there would be all of that and more. Her eyes narrowed as she saw a set of iron rails, carefully embedded in the ground. A railway line?
Imaiqah said her father intended to show off a few things , she recalled, as she felt a sinking sensation in her stomach. What have I let myself in for ?
The coach drove around the city and up towards the castle. It was a squat brooding monstrosity, dominating the landscape around it by its sheer presence. The previous baron, a thoroughly unpleasant man, had bragged that his castle could never be taken by storm, but he hadn’t counted on being caught red-handed trying to overthrow the king. His execution had been pretty much a foregone conclusion. And now it was hers. Emily braced herself as the gates opened, feeling the thin edge of the wards pass over her as they acknowledged their mistress. Inside, only Bryon was waiting for her.
“I was expecting a crowd,” Lady Barb said, tartly.
“I asked him not to organize a greeting party,” Emily said. She packed her books in her bag, and placed it on the seat. “I always hated being greeted by everyone.”
She opened the door as soon as the coach came to a halt and jumped down to the stone courtyard. Bryon went down on one knee as soon as he saw her, lowering his head until he was looking at the ground. Emily sighed inwardly, and took a long moment to study him. He seemed to have grown up a little since they’d last met, but he was still terrifyingly thin, with short brown hair. Perhaps that was a good thing, Emily decided. He’d certainly had ample opportunity to eat himself sick while he’d been working for her.
“You may rise,” she said.
“My lady,” Bryon said. “I welcome you back to Cockatrice.”
Emily nodded. The castle — and all the surrounding lands — were hers, but she didn’t feel as if she owned them. It was strange and terrifying to realize that she effectively owned hundreds of thousands of people, people who would have no recourse if she went mad and started to abuse them. The previous baron had written so many laws that no one could live without breaking a few, giving him a ready-made excuse for killing or jailing anyone he didn’t like. Emily had repudiated most of the laws when she’d been granted the barony, but she knew there were still problems. How could there not be?
“I thank you,” Emily said. She turned and beckoned Frieda out of the coach. “This is Frieda, my friend. I trust you have prepared a room for her?”
“I have,” Bryon said. He bowed to Frieda, then straightened up. “Would you like to be shown to them now?”
“Yes, please,” Emily said. “We will need to sit down tomorrow and have a long talk.”
Bryon looked relieved. “Thank you, my lady,” he said. He nodded briefly to Lady Barb as she climbed out of the coach. “The servants will bring in your bags.”
“I’ll go down to the Faire and see who’s there,” Lady Barb muttered to Emily. “I’ll catch up with you later.”
Emily nodded, and allowed Bryon to lead her through the wooden doors and into the castle. It was not just her home, but the administrative center for the entire barony. Even so, it still surprised her to see so many people in the building, ranging from a handful of ceremonial guards to dozens of
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