“It was,” Ser Yrsa said.

  “So let’s go let Ashling feed us,” Aefric said, “And use her rikas to tell Kentigern we’re ready for the castle staff to come.”

  “They’ll have a lot of cleaning to do,” Ser Arras said.

  “They will indeed,” Aefric said. “It’s time to make that castle feel like home.”

  After the big deal that Ashling had made the night before about giving Aefric time to rest following his long days at Hrafnvigi, he expected to be dining alone that evening. Or perhaps with his knights.

  And yet, with the sun riding low in the sky, Aefric found himself sitting with Ashling on a balcony, high above Kivash.

  The balcony was white stone, of course, but rugs of thick, blue and black carpets had been laid out. The handrail around the edges was highly polished brass.

  The furniture was of greenwood, surprisingly simple, but quite comfortable. Reminded Aefric of his own greenwood furniture, on his balconies at Water’s End.

  The wind had grown gentle, but the air stayed warm and sultry.

  Aefric had changed into a white silk shirt with loose sleeves, tight cuffs, and laces from the collar to about the breastbone. For leggings he wore navy blue hose. His belt was black leather, to match his low, soft shoes.

  He also wore the small, gold brooch studded with sapphires that Ashling had given him in the spring.

  He left the wand Garram in his rooms. But, of course, he’d brought the Brightstaff. It stood straight and tall beside his chair.

  Ashling wore a clinging chiffon gown the color of rich cream, held up by the thinnest of straps across her pale shoulders, and cut just low enough to be considered daring. For ornamentation she wore a thin, gold chain around her neck that dangled a citrine down near her décolletage

  She wore her raven black hair down and loose past her shoulders.

  They were sharing that sweet, honey and caramel liqueur called honsach, while they waited for their first course to be served.

  “So, tell me, Ash,” Aefric said, one eyebrow raised. “How many members of your court ‘just happened’ to see that this is how you dressed for dinner with me?”

  “Why, Aefric,” she said, teasing a smile and leaning a little closer to emphasize her low neckline, “don’t you like the dress?”

  “The dress is a joy to see on you,” Aefric said, “as you well know. But you didn’t answer my question.”

  Her smile widened then, and she swirled the honsach in her small glass. She gracefully shrugged one shoulder. “A few.”

  “Was Countess Siburh among them? Or would that be too obvious?”

  “One of her close allies might’ve seen me fussing a bit with my choice of necklace,” Ashling said, playing with the citrine.

  Aefric chuckled and shook his head.

  “Maybe I just wanted you to see me at my best,” Ashling said. “After all, I understand I am to host you only one more night.”

  “Just so,” Aefric said. “One last night here, for this visit. So naturally you wouldn’t miss the chance to confuse your allies by pretending to them that you’re making a play for me.”

  “Why ever would I do such a thing?” she asked, fluttering her lashes.

  “Oh, given that it’s you doing it, you probably have several reasons. But the one that leaps to mind is this. Thanks to your rumor, your court believes I have interest in Cyneswith. Which means her mother can play that to her advantage. By letting your court believe you’re making a play for me, you undercut her efforts.”

  Ashling laughed, and she had a good laugh. Sincere, yet suggestive at the same time.

  “Very good, Aefric,” she said, and raised her honsach in toast. “Confusion to our enemies.”

  She’d made the toast generic enough that Aefric saw no reason to hold back, so he confirmed the toast and drank down his honsach.

  It felt like drinking liquid candy with a kick. Aefric was always surprised that it didn’t taste too sweet. Some skill on the brewer’s part, he assumed.

  “Of course,” Ashling said, “you’re discounting the possibility that I wanted to look good for you. After all, you’re a handsome fellow. Dashing. With an air of mystery from all your magic, and—”

  “Come on, Ash,” Aefric said, laughing. “Enough. Do you want me to tell you you’re beautiful? You are. Breathtakingly so. But you don’t need to play games with me.”

  “Maybe teasing you is fun,” Ashling said, shrugging one shoulder again.

  “Especially when it also teases your younger sister?”

  “Close,” Ashling said, more seriously now. “Especially when it teaches her a lesson. She’s been lobbying me for the chance to spend time with you. In fact, she tried to push to have dinner with you tonight herself. I finally had to assign guards to get her to behave.”

  “Thank you for denying her,” Aefric said softly. “I’m not ready for a meal, just the two of us.”

  “I know,” Ashling said, just as softly. “But she’s being dense about this, and I’m losing patience with her. If you weren’t leaving soon, I’d have to send her back to Fyrcloch.”

  Alarm bells rang in Aefric’s mind. “How much are you losing patience with her?”

  “What do you mean?” Ashling asked, tilting her head enough to drape her long hair down one shoulder.

  “Ash,” Aefric said, “I can’t help but notice that I’ve been offered leaba by not one woman here, but two. Together. Two nights in a row.”

  She laughed, that open sound again.

  “And you thought I was preparing you to find me coming to your room tonight?” Ashling said with a smile. “Well, maybe I am. Maybe I have a woman all picked out for us to share. Someone eager. Nubile. Someone you’d quite enjoy.”

  “I think that if that were your intention, you’d be playing it very differently.”

  “Oh?” Ashling smiled, then waited while two young serving women brought out the palate wine.

  The same two women who’d been coming to Aefric’s rooms at night. And both gave him wicked smiles.

  “How would I be playing it?” Ashling asked, affecting innocence.

  “I’d believe the outfit,” Aefric said, as the serving women withdrew. “More daring than your usual, and doing an admirable job of emphasizing your beauty.”

  “Thank you,” Ashling said.

  “But I don’t believe the behavior,” Aefric said. “I think our third would be here with us already, so that we’d all have time to get comfortable with one another. To make sure we all got along, before starting anything.”

  She chuckled softly. “I could kick Zoleen for blowing it with you.” She shook her head. “You’re right, of course. I’m just playing, because I know you’re safe to play with. We’re friends, after all. Aren’t we, Aefric?”

  “Yes, Ash,” Aefric said, smiling more sincerely now. “We’re friends.”

  Ashling continued to tease Aefric through their dinner, but he was pretty sure it was just good-natured fun for her.

  And he had to admit. Charismatic as she was, her attentions — even playful — felt flattering.

  Aefric told her about most of his exploration of Hrafnvigi. The discovery of the secret passages. The first floor “family” section and the … array of uses the Hrafntonn family had put it to. The spell locks, the warded grimoires.

  He omitted only a few key elements. The quantity and variety of treasures he’d found — saying only that he was pretty sure the Hrafntonn family had lost a good deal of their wealth with the castle — the reagents, the ballistae. He mentioned the armories only in discussing how warlike the Hrafntonn family had been.

  And, of course, he said nothing at all about the nature of the castle or the magic he’d found within it.

  He was surprised, however, that she brought up the escape route.

  “I presume they had a bolt hole of some kind?” she asked, over a bite of savory, slow-roasted rabbit. “A tunnel to the docks, or beyond the wall?”

  “A warehouse on the river,” Aefric said.

  “Which one?” she asked. “I’ll make a gift of it, and three other properties, so that its purpose won’t be obvious.”

  Aefric paused with his dry red wine inches from his mouth. “You’re sure?”

  “Of course,” she said with a dismissive wave. “I want you safe when you’re here, Aefric. You need an emergency escape route. And no escape route is useful if anyone could guess where it leads.”

  Of course, she would choose other properties that either helped her allies, hindered her enemies, or both. Probably both. But that was her nature.

  Just as Aefric was certain that the other properties would have value, if Aefric used them properly. Thus increasing his own investment in Kivash, and his interest in keeping it Armyrian.

  That was fine, though. That was just the way politics was played.

  The rest of the conversation was much more relaxed and friendly. Ashling talked about her new castle and the fun she’d had in claiming and redecorating it. She also had a great many recommendations about local crafters, tailors, and other workers.

  Aefric considered asking Ashling to recommend a locksmith, but realized he didn’t need one. He could change the locks himself.

  Not something to announce to Ashling, though he did want to get word to Ser Deirdre, so she wouldn’t spend her morning hunting down a locksmith for him.

  They spoke more about Kivash. About Ashling’s plans for the north side. About ways she hoped to improve trade.

  When Aefric thought back on that conversation later, he marveled that she hadn’t spent the whole time talking. But she hadn’t. Despite the topics, she’d been quite good about soliciting his views and opinions, and seemed to give them real weight.

  She even broke up the more serious topics with gossip about this local merchant family and that local noble house.

  Aefric probably relaxed during that dinner more than Ser Yrsa would have approved of. But if he gave away any information that he’d intended to hold close, he certainly didn’t recall doing so.

  Of course, the fact that he was tired from the stresses of the day — not to mention the effort of overcoming his new castle’s test — might have played a role in how he relaxed over dinner.

  They were just finishing up their dessert — a whipped chocolate cream dish that was both light and tasty — and watching the sun set, when Ashling surprised him.

  “I’ve decided I do want to share the noble privilege with you.”

  Funny how something so light and creamy as that dessert could suddenly grow thick as tree sap in Aefric’s throat.

  Caught between trying to breath, speak, and swallow at the same time, he started coughing. Ashling was saying something as he coughed, bent forward, but he couldn’t hear it over the rush of blood past his ears, and the sound of his own coughing.

  By the time he cleared his throat enough to take a good breath, his face felt hot and his head light.

  “I’m sorry, Aefric,” Ashling said, one soft hand on his wrist. Though the sentiment was undercut by the humor in her eyes. “I didn’t mean to shock you so.”

  Aefric needed a few more breaths before he could respond.

  “I thought we were just friends,” Aefric finally managed, sounding a little hoarse.

  “We are friends,” she said, looking puzzled. “That’s the point.”

  “I don’t follow,” he said, sipping some of the rich, fruity dessert wine, to help soothe his throat.

  “I see that,” Ashling said, one eyebrow raised. “What I mean is this. I like you, Aefric. I honestly do. If you were a woman, I think I’d be falling in love with you by now. But you had the misfortune of being born a man.”

  She patted his wrist.

  “Don’t worry,” she said. “I don’t blame you for it. It wasn’t your fault. But there is one advantage to your unfortunate gender. Some of the women who might want to share my bed are hesitant, because they’ve never been with a woman before.”

  “I see,” Aefric said, chuckling now. “And you think that my presence in that bed would coax them into … trying new things?”

  “I’m quite sure of it,” she said. “Which would make the experience more fun for both of us. And since we’re friends, I think we could share without making it a contest of some kind.”

  “I’d hope so,” Aefric said, frowning. “Sex shouldn’t be a competition.”

  “See?” Ashling said with a dazzling smile. “We’re on the same page there.” She trailed her gaze over him. “And who knows? Once things get going, we might have some fun together ourselves. I understand you have some scars I might find quite tempting.”

  “You’ve suggested as much before,” Aefric said dubiously.

  “Ah,” she said, raising an index finger, “but I was only teasing then. I’ve come to gain a good enough sense of you, I think, to safely say that even if I bring you the bliss moment, you won’t turn into either a fawning sycophant or an arrogant blowhard.”

  “I should hope not,” Aefric said.

  “You’d be surprised how many men do, if brought the bliss moment by a woman who prefers women. They seem to take it as a statement about themselves.”

  “I still can’t believe we’re having this conversation,” Aefric said.

  “I’d go further than that,” Ashling said. “I’d say the point is settled. I shall come to your rooms one night.”

  “But not this night?” Aefric asked.

  “Oh, no,” she said, patting his shoulder now, and letting her fingers play over the muscles a moment before withdrawing. “No, you’re tired. And anyway, I wouldn’t want to think I was using our friendship to pressure you.”

  She shook her head. “No. Tonight, I suspect the young ladies who served our dinner will be eager to offer you leaba one more time before you leave us. However. The next time we sleep in the same castle, I shall come to your rooms. When I do, if you feel enough trust in me as a friend to share a night with me and the woman I bring, invite us in. If not, you may say no without fear of harming our friendship.”

  Aefric made a show of looking her over and smiled.

  “Ash, unless I have a compelling reason to do otherwise, I can assure you you’ll be invited in.”

  “Then I shall have to aim for a night when you have no compelling reason to refuse.”

  “And you do have skill at hitting your target, don’t you,” he said, not even pretending it was a question. He raised his glass in toast. “To friendship.”

  “May it last beyond our lives,” she said, confirming the toast.

  Together, they drank.

  Aefric sat with Ashling for some time, after dessert. just lingering over good, strong, smoky ishka and talking about the Risen Sea and shipping, and the problems of the pirate queen, Nelazzi.

  Ashling even showed willingness to commit two warships to going after Nelazzi, if Aefric ever got King Colm’s permission to do so.

  Then, at last, the sun was down, and Aefric was escorted back to his rooms by Cyneswith, with a personal guard of Sers Temat and Wardius.

  Cyneswith didn’t make conversation this time, as she led him down an elegantly decorated spiral staircase and out of this tower.

  She looked a bit subdued, he realized, after seeing the outfit Ashling had chosen for dinner with Aefric that night.

  Aefric was torn between the temptation to reassure her that Ashling had no matrimonial designs on Aefric, and the knowledge that he shouldn’t encourage the poor girl anyway.

  The truth was, future countess or not, he couldn’t take her seriously as a potential bride. Not until she was at least of age.

  And given the pressures that Aefric felt to choose a bride, he expected to be married by that time.

  So he let her lead him in silence through a short hall, then back up a less elegant staircase to what would be his rooms for one more night here at Ottarvigi.

  She did give him a sad smile on reaching his rooms, and Aefric couldn’t help but give her a hopeful smile back, that left her departing with a pensive expression.

  Sers Wardius and Temat took up their posts outside his door, but before Aefric entered, he turned to them and spoke.

  “I need you to send word to Ser Deirdre for me.”

  “Would you like us to summon her, your grace?” Ser Wardius asked.

  “No,” he said, with an abashed smile as he realized what the knight was thinking. “Nothing like that. It’s just that I no longer need her to find me a locksmith tomorrow, and I don’t want her hunting through the city for one.”

  “Of course, your grace,” Ser Temat said. “We’ll see that she gets the message.”

  “Thank you,” Aefric said.

  “Good night, your grace.”

  “Good night, Temat. Wardius.”

  Aefric then opened his door and entered his rooms.

  Those two pretty serving women were already there and waiting for him.

  Aefric wasn’t the least bit surprised.

  7

  Aefric spent another aett at Hrafnvigi, seeing to it that the new servants set about organizing the castle to his liking.

  He settled one of the older knights in his service — a woman named Raedwaru Ol’Erresan — as castellan, to look after the castle and Aefric’s local interests in his absence.

  Ser Raedwaru had come of age when Duchess Arinda’s grandmother ruled Deepwater, and had served honorably ever since. Despite her advancing years, she’d even fought for Arinda during the Godswalk Wars.

  Though time had slowed her spear hand, it had done nothing to diminish Ser Raedwaru’s loyalty or her spirit, and she proved quite eager to take charge of a new castle in a new city for her duke.

  Hrafnvigi — or rather Castle Cairdeas as Aefric now named it, after an ancient word for “friendship” — was a simple castle with little in the way of lands. As such, with a good castellan in place, it didn’t need a true seneschal.

  So Aefric brought in a majordomo instead. A cousin of Kentigern’s. A woman named Fedelm Ol’Klimath, who was small enough to be often underestimated, and clever enough to use those presumptions to her advantage.