Page 19 of Pawns of Fate
“While he does rise early, I think Lord Nicholas gave himself some extra time for your date this afternoon,” Betty added with a hint of pride for her mistress.
Rose’s limbs lightened at the idea of Nicholas making time for her. No one ever made time for her in the past—never put her first or held her in any regard. She couldn’t help it; warmth flooded her like a river overpowering a dam.
“Does Nicholas oversee the household as the marchioness would have?” Rose ventured.
“The Marquess helps him manage the castle, and Lord York oversees most military matters, although Lord Nicholas helps out with that occasionally, too. He’s a very dedicated heir. He’llbe a great marquess one day.”
Rose was impressed. The duty of overseeing the estate traditionally fell to the lord’s wife. However, Marchioness Sharp passed away some years ago, leaving her husband and two sons behind. It shouldn’t surprise her that the duties fell to Nicholas, though it seemed like a lot for a young noble to have on his plate. Running an estate the size of Castle Sharp could easily be the job of two or three people. Nicholas did all that, plus managed his family’s financials and helped with the military aspect of managing Onanish.
Rose didn’t want to admit it to herself, didn’t want the thought to plant itself in her mind, but the more she learned about Nicholas, the more attractive she found him.
NICHOLAS
Rose waved backat him quickly and shyly, then busied herself with eating and talking to Betty. Nicholas decided not to press things further. Breakfast with Rose would have been pleasant, but she still seemed wary of him. He didn’t want to push her away with his eagerness to get to know her better. He hurried on to bathe and prepare for a morning full of tasks and meetings.
At dinner last night, she looked so disappointed when he said he’djoin her, Ava, and York on their little outing this afternoon. Should he have kept quiet about everything with the Ojoh until they’d gotten to know each other better? He may have prevented them from getting to know each other by starting things with such negative news. It bothered him immensely.
Nicholas thought about his alternatives. It would have poisoned their relationship if he’d hidden the truth from her. Honesty, even if it caused distance, felt better to him than affection built on false pretenses. She would have had to serve as political collateral either way. He could only imagine how betrayed she would have felt if he’d lied about it, too.
He hurried through his morning tasks and ate a quick lunch before dressing for the outing. As Nicholas checked his reflection in the mirror, Syzman stepped out of the wall behind him. He hated it when the mage surprised him like that.
The Sharps had employed shadow mages for years, but none of them were quite like Syzman. Truthfully, none of them were as talented as Syzman. All shadow mages could manipulate darkness to some degree. Very, very few could manipulate it to the point of being able to move through shadows completely unseen like Syzman could. The ability unnerved Nicholas.
“Going on a date with the new lady?” Syzman asked in a slow, arrogant voice. It was his usual tone. His demeanor often reminded Nicholas of a lazy tiger.
“What business of yours is it, Syzman?”
“I just wanted to know if you needed all three of us to go. João and Lyla are both eager to get out of the castle, but it seems excessive to send two mages and a competentbodyguard after four nobles, two of whom are perfectly capable of defending themselves.”
Nicholas thought about it for a minute. Syzman was right. Onanish Town was protected well, being so close to the castle. They’d need two guards, maybe only one.
“João and Lyla should be sufficient. You don’t want to come spy on all of us?”
“You overestimate my voyeuristic streak,” Syzman mused, rust-colored eyes radiating boredom. “I already caught York and Ava engaged in marital activities this morning. I have no need to see it again.”
“That’s disgusting, Syzman.”
“I’m joking, little lord.” A hint of a smile teased his thin lips. “No need to clutch your pearls so tightly.”
The pen Nicholas was holding slipped out of his grip. York and Ava were infamous among the servants for how frequently and loudly they made love. Nicholas had accidentally stumbled upon it more times than he cared to recall in the castle rooms and gardens. They weren’t known for keeping their private mattersprivateas they’d been caught in the act in the library stacks, the kitchen at midnight hours, and even in the main study a time or two.
“Tell João and Lyla they’ll be accompanying us this afternoon.”
“As you wish, Lord Nicholas,” Syzman replied with a slight bow, then melted back into the shadows.
Ava and Yorkwere already holding hands when Nicholas arrived at the gate. He wondered if he should hold Rose’s hand, but she looked nervous.
The four of them began their short walk down the mountainside and into the bustling town. Ava held Rose’s attention most of the time, telling her stories about how she fell in love with York. Nicholas had to admit, it was quite an exciting story.
Ava grew up in the Imperial City, far, far to the north of Onanish. Her father owned a restaurant that had fallen on hard times. He borrowed money from the wrong people and couldn’t repay it quickly enough. So, they had taken Ava to cover his debts.
Forced servitude wasn’t tolerated in Onanish. It wasn’t supposed to be tolerated anywhere in Albion, but the empress hadn’t been using a firm hand to rule her country for a long time now, which left things up to the nobility.
Ava’s kidnappers had taken her to a small town on the edge of Onanish, probably intending to pass through the area quickly. But they’d timed things wrong. Mountain ogres attacked the village on the night of their stay. When the knights of House Sharp, York among them, had come to defend the town, they discovered the trafficker’s location. Ava and all the otherwomen were set free and offered jobs at Castle Sharp to help them recover after the harrowing ordeal. Ava accepted the job as a kitchen cook, giving York all the excuse he needed to keep seeing her.
Nicholas could still remember how angry their father had been when York told him he intended to marry Ava. He’d lectured York for hours about duty and how marrying Ava wouldn’t benefit their family. None of it stuck. York married Ava anyway. In some ways, Nicholas envied his brother’s ability to disregard the rules and follow his heart. He and Ava were clearly happy and made for a well-matched couple. In other ways, Nicholas resented his brother’s selfishness and how often it caused messes for him and Father to clean up.
As Nicholas glanced at the happy couple, he felt a tinge of jealousy. He wanted to hold Rose’s hand, wanted her to look at him with adoration in her eyes. Instead, because he was bound to do what was best for his family, his fiancée looked at him like a nervous fawn. If York wouldn’t act like a complete madman at the mere thought of Ava serving as collateral, perhaps Nicholas’s marriage could be off to a better start. And, of course, if Nicholas were as powerful a lightning mage as his brother, it wouldn’t matter if York lost his mind. Nicholas could just take his place in battle.
