Page 39 of The Robber Knight's Love
Raising a hand, Ayla knocked at the door,almost hoping he wouldn't hear. But of course he did.
“Come in, daughter,” the Count called.
Stolen Youth and BlackPudding
Ayla entered the familiar circular tower chamberwith its bright tapestries and broad, horn-pane windows. She hadalways loved those windows, as had her father. This high up in thecastle, far above the reach of any arrows, the builder had judgedit safe to install really broad windows, not just broader versionsof arrowslits, and they granted an even more impressive view of thevalley than the narrow windows in the main hall or the guest roomsdid.
Beside the largest of the windows stood abed, and on the bed lay a frail figure.
“Ayla? Come closer so I can see you.”
Hesitantly, Ayla stepped closer and kneltbefore the fragile old man. She was shocked by what she saw, andfor a moment wondered why. After all, she had got used to how smalland weak her father had become over the years. Yet, she realized,seeing another figure lying on another bedstead today, a figure inthe prime of his youth and as tall and strong as the Count had oncebeen, had brought the decline of old age into sharper focus.
Careful to keep the shock from her face, sheraised her hand and stroked Count Thomas' white beard.
“Hello, Father,” she said in a low voice,hardly able to keep herself from choking. Now she would have totell him. She would have to destroy what little peace he still had.She couldn't bear it! But she had to tell him about the feud; itwas her duty.
“Sorry I haven't come to see you all day.It's just... something has happened. I... um...”
“He has declared a feud, hasn't he?” TheCount sighed. “I wonder what took him so long.”
Ayla's mouth dropped open. “He? What do youmean he has declared...? How do you know? Which he?”
“The Margrave von Falkenstein, of course,”Count Thomas said. “We are talking about the Margrave, aren't we?Don't say another power-hungry noble has beaten him to it?”
“It is the Margrave! What I want to know ishow you knew already. He only sent me the gauntlet today!”
The Count sighed. “Oh, Ayla. I’ve known for avery long time that something like this was going to happen. Foryears and years I watched Falkenstein declare one feud afteranother, swallowing up every fiefdom in the neighborhood. His powerhas been growing constantly, and with his power his hunger formore. I tried to warn the other nobles, but nobody would listen tome.”
“How come I didn't know anything about that?”Ayla demanded, anger replacing her shame. “How come you didn't tellme?”
“You were still a little girl, Ayla.Falkenstein has been playing this game for years, and he's acareful player, always sending out generous gifts to every noblearound him, promising he is their friend, their ally—until histroops stand at the border and it is too late for them to realizehis true nature.” The Count's eyes became sad. “I'm sorry, Ayla. Ishould have taken action long ago, should have faced him in battlebefore he became as powerful as he is today. But I hesitated. Todraw the bloody sword of war is a terrible thing. I hesitated toolong. My sickness struck, and it was too late. Too late... Now Icould not draw a sword even if I wanted to. Now you will have toface him. My little girl.”
He held open his frail arms and Ayla rushedinto his embrace, hugging him back with probably a little bit toomuch force. She quietly sobbed into his shoulder.
“Shh.” The Count's voice was a raspy whisper.“It's all right. Everything is going to be all right, honey.”
“No it's not, and you know that!”
“Yes, I do. I'm so sorry, Ayla.”
“For what?”
“For you having to face the result of mynegligence as a liege lord.”
“Don't say that! There's never been a morejust and honorable lord than you!”
“Well,” he laughed drily, “now I will have togive up part of my dominion, no matter how just and honorable I am.Tell me, daughter, and do not try to shield me from the truth: howmuch did he demand?”
Frowning, Ayla drew back. “What do you mean,Father?”
“The Margrave von Falkenstein. How much didhe demand?”
“I'm afraid I still can't follow you.”
Now the Count was frowning, too. “But... thisis always the way it is done. He threatens someone with feud,unless they give up a part of their lands. What does he want? Thebridge and the toll rights, am I right? I suppose we will have tocomply. I won't deny it will be a heavy loss, but we will manage tosurvive somehow. We can...” The Count's voice slowly faded as hesaw the expression on his daughter's face.
“What did he want, Ayla?” he asked. “What didyou agree to?”
