Adrian woke with a light feeling. Strangely, he had slept well. These past few days, his sleep had been hard, waking halfway through the night, yet this morning, he felt restored.
As he sat at the edge of the bed, he frowned. Memories of the previous night suddenly flooded his mind.
"Was that a dream? Or was it real?" He mumbled, confused. What had happened was so hazy and mind-numbing that he couldn't distinguish dream from reality.
It was then, from the corner of his eye, that he noticed something. On the table next to his bed sat a half-empty waterskin and a small pouch that hadn't been there before. Intrigued, he grabbed the pouch. The metallic tinkle of coins reached his ears, he opened it and was stunned to find silver staring back at him.
Shillings. And more than a couple. Counting them, he found ten coins, ten shillings, or exactly half a pound.
For a moment, he sat dazed. He had received this exact amount once before from a certain lady, but as far as he knew, that money was tucked away safely at his house. Suddenly, he remembered the "favor" he had unknowingly accepted from Lady Harrow days ago, the one that was supposedly came with a reward of a full pound.
He didn't know what the favor was, nor did Lady Harrow gave him an idea so he simply waited for it to came…
Now, with these ten shillings added to his previous ten, he had his pound. Did this mean the favor Lady Harrow planned for him was already complete?
Adrian thought back to the night before.
Bafflement and complicated thoughts filled his mind until a knock sounded at his door.
"Sir... the steward has asked you to be ready." a servant's voice called out.
Adrian snapped out of his trance and shook his head. At this point, he accepted that last night hadn't been a dream, even if he didn't truly understand Lady Harrow's motives.
What could she achieve by having him sleep with two women? Unless... did she suspect, as he did, that the Lord Baron wanted him as the next in line? Was she currying favor?
He quickly shoved the thought away. It was too unbelievable, and far too much to process so early in the morning.
Adrian walked out of the room and followed a servant to a washroom. He cleaned himself with a wet cloth and dressed in clothes far softer than those he was used to. Soon, he found himself inside Steward Osway's room.
"What do you know of managing people?" Osway asked, going straight to the point.
Adrian sat and thought for a moment before speaking. "I know that people need shelter, food, and clothing."
Osway's brows rose. "That is the essence of it. You understand well. Now, let us break this down into smaller parts. First... shelter."
The steward seemed filled with more rigor than Adrian as he began to teach him everything he knew. The lessons moved from land and territorial management to lordly obligations.
Days passed peacefully as Adrian tackled learning instead of cutting down enemies. It wasn't just the steward teaching him, there was also old Tashe, who managed the small farms, and Darte, who handled the castle's livestock. He was even taught how the court managed disputes between peasants.
Nearly two weeks passed peacefully in this fashion.
"Feels like it's been forever since I've been here," Adrian said, looking around the tavern. The sun had only been down for half an hour, so a few patrons were still lingering inside.
"Yes, I bet you attend better halls now." Garly said from his side. Across from them, Dudley rolled his eyes.
"Hey, careful with your words now," Dudley said seriously, before a smirk played on his lips. "Or we won't be invited to those halls by our lord here."
"Har har," Adrian laughed mockingly. "I'm more surprised Garly here has free time, considering every time I see him, his face is buried on his lovers chest."
"Yes, when are you going to marry your dame?" Dudley added.
Garly shrugged and sighed. "You know there are delays. Her father... well..."
Adrian didn't respond, knowing Tawnie's father had been killed during the conflict at Sawhead. For a moment, silence fell over the table until a small figure dashed toward them.
"Hey! You guys eating? Can I have some?" Tatum asked, sounding starved.
"Come on, kid, you sound like you haven't eaten in days. I know you took a loaf of bread from my father hours ago." Garly said. Tatum was his cousin.
"I'm growing! Hey, since you're a lord now, why don't you do as old Edric used to? Flick a coin and buy everyone food!" Tatum turned to Adrian.
Adrian snorted. "I'm no lord, and don't say that so casually." He said it even though it was common knowledge that he was being tutored in lordship.
With the Lord Baron away and Lady Harrow rarely appearing in public, the villagers had become bold in their speculations.
Their treatment of him had shifted, he no longer received woodworking commissions, not that he had the time but it had been a while since he'd touched his tools. Neighbors brought him gifts, and most had taken to bowing when they saw him.
He felt it all strange and isolating. It was as if he weren't the same as everyone else anymore.
It felt a little lonely. In the end, he pushed the feeling aside, trying to think of himself as just another peasant. The future was uncertain, anyway.
Bell arrived with their food, a spring in her step. "Here, as you ordered. Would you like any 'special service,' milord?" she asked, mirth dancing in her eyes.
Adrian groaned. Of all the people who treated him differently, Bell was the most normal, mostly because she took every opportunity to tease him for his new status.
Dudley and Garly laughed, jeering at him.
Adrian only smiled. "Can you please kick these two out of the tavern?"
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They spent the rest of the supper in good cheer. An hour into the night, Dudley, Garly, and another villager joined Adrian at the table. They were deep into their cups while Adrian remained sober, focused instead on arm-wrestling Garly.
"Come on... aren't you supposed to be the elder here?" Adrian taunted, his muscles straining as he leaned into the contest.
Garly, his cheeks flushed with exertion and ale, grunted back, "Big talk for a kid! I bet you haven't even had your first woman yet!"
Adrian smirked. From the corner of his eye, he saw Bell flash him a knowing wink. "Oh, you have no idea..."
Around them, the few patrons left in the tavern roared with laughter and cheered. For a moment, the weight of his new responsibilities felt worlds away.
A few long seconds passed and Adrian was winning, or at least, Garly's knuckles were inches from the wood, when the tavern door burst open.
It was the veteran soldier, Colby. His eyes locked onto Adrian immediately. Startled by the appearance, Adrian's focus wavered, Garly seized the opening and slammed Adrian's arm down, shouting in triumph.
However, the cheer was quickly overshadowed by Colby's words.
"Sir... you are needed at the castle. Sir Cordell has arrived with a message from the Lord Baron, along with... something more."
Adrian's brows knitted together. He bid a quick goodbye to his friends and followed the soldier out into the night. "What is it?"
"You'll have to see for yourself, sir."
From the soldier's vague words, it was clear the Lord Baron still hadn't returned. As they approached, Adrian noticed a flurry of activity, men moving between the river and the castle gates. The keep had roared to life, murmurs filled the air and more torches than usual flickered along the battlements.
In the courtyard, he saw groups of unfamiliar people. There were more than a dozen of them divided into two lots. The larger group wore heavy chains on their legs, they were brawny and fierce-looking though weak and injured. Adrian immediately recognized their weathered features as islanders..
'Prisoners?' Adrian thought. He turned his gaze to the second group. These were fewer in number, looking scrawny, hollow-eyed, and small.
"Who are they?" he asked Colby, keeping a steady pace behind him.
"Prisoners and slaves." Colby answered simply.
They entered the keep, and soon Adrian found himself in the familiar solar, standing before Lady Harrow. Sir Cordell stood as straight as ever, delivering his report. At Lady Harrow's silent gesture, Adrian took his place behind her, standing on the same level as the steward, a position that did not go unnoticed by the knight.
"The Prince has called for the local lords' support." Cordell reported. "He has promised benefits to those who assist and new settlers for his plan to construct a port city."
Adrian's heart hammered. It had been barely two weeks since he left Whitesand Town, and already change was happening. Was this the Prince's purpose the entire time? He knew a Prince of the Realm appearing in these remote corners of the kingdom was never a mere coincidence.
Adrian remained silent during the briefing. At the conclusion, Sir Cordell briefly summarized the situation for Adrian's sake who just arrived.
In short, the immediate threat of the islanders had been diverted, though several longships had been spotted passing the coast, meaning the danger remained.
As for the captured lords, the lords had met the islanders demands, and the Prince himself had paid the ransoms brining them back, just before another skirmish broke out following the exchange.
The Earl of Highmere had supposedly arrived with an army of soldiers and servants to help with the Prince's ambitious plan. Now, Sir Cordell had been dispatched back here with captured enemies and slaves to work help with the territory. Furthermore, the Lord Baron had decreed that resources must be sent to help build the new port city.
And Adrian would be the one leading the group.