She met with the town council, though they were mostly symbolic now, with little real power. Thamos had appointed magistrates and tax collectors who would now report to Gared, of all people.
She shook her head. Gared Cutter, Baron of Cutter’s Hollow, capital of Hollow County. That would take more than a little getting used to.
The rest of the town seemed puffed with pride about the appointment. The Hollow had never had a lord, and they quickly forgot Gared the town bully from just a few short years back. He had been popular as a child, handsome and strong as an ox; promised to Leesha Paper, whose father spun paper into gold. But after their split, his reputation had been as ruined as hers, for Bruna made him publicly recant his lies about bedding her.
Without a bride or the esteem of the town, Gared had turned to his strength to gain respect, with mixed success. No one was fool enough to cross him, but they gave him a wide berth all the same.
All that changed with the Battle of Cutter’s Hollow. Gared had just lost his father, and all agreed Steave had been a bad influence on the boy from the start. Steave’s affair with Elona was common knowledge. But Gared had emerged from the battle a hero, and had put his life at risk every night since, keeping the town safe. It had been easy to forget the old him. Many of the Cutters had found their calling thus, and all the town had come together, forgiving one another’s failings in their need to survive the night.
Leesha couldn’t even say Gared would be a poor lord. He had the count to keep him from abusing his power, and seemed content to delegate responsibility and keep his focus on leading the Cutters. If Arlen was right, and the people needed real heroes to look to, Gared fitted the description perfectly.
But again the image of him and her mother flashed in her mind, and she shook her head, trying to clear it.
It seemed nothing could banish the sight.
As promised, Thamos’ carriage came for her at gloaming. Leesha was in the hospit, and many saw her climb in. Folk leaned in to whisper to one another, and Leesha could only imagine what they were saying. Was it scorn, or were they hoping for another grand wedding in the near future?
Knowing the Hollow, probably a little of both. Leesha resigned herself to it and sat back in the plush carriage. It would only get worse when her belly began to swell, and better people think the child Thamos’ for the nonce.
The count’s new keep was impressive, she had to admit. Only a skeleton of what it would become if the corelings and Krasians didn’t tear it down first, but already it was a powerful defensive position, built on high ground with a temporary palisade of sharpened stakes to protect the workers who dug the foundation and hauled stone for a more permanent wall.
Leesha was met in the courtyard by Lord Arther, who escorted her through the yard, past pavilions set to house workers, servants, and men-at-arms. The keep at its centre was a skeletal maze, but Arther guided her to the small livable section that housed Thamos’ personal quarters, which would probably become guest quarters once the count’s proper rooms were appointed.
Nevertheless, the dining room was richly furnished, as befitted a prince of Angiers. Thamos waited at the head of the long table, conferring with Captain Gamon, but the moment Leesha arrived both men rose and the captain bowed deeply. ‘A pleasure to see you again, Mistress Paper. Please excuse me.’ Gamon was out the door as soon as Leesha nodded.
Thamos himself pulled out her chair, and then sat himself as a servant filled their wineglasses. He dismissed the woman with a wave, and she scurried from the room.
‘Alone at last,’ Thamos said. ‘I’ve been thinking of you all day.’
‘You and the whole town,’ Leesha said. ‘Your coachman told tales to half the Hollow after dropping us off last night.’
The count raised an eyebrow. ‘Shall I have his tongue cut out?’
Leesha’s eyes bulged, and Thamos broke out laughing. ‘A jest, only!’ He patted the air to placate her. ‘Though he should be punished.’
‘What did you have in mind?’ Leesha asked.
‘A week of digging refuse pits without pay should make him think twice,’ Thamos said. ‘I can’t have loose tongues in my servants.’ He winked. ‘At least not when it doesn’t suit my purpose.’
‘And this doesn’t suit your purpose?’ Leesha asked. ‘You wouldn’t be parading me through town in your coach and dangling your title if you didn’t think marrying me would bring you advantage in the Hollow.’
‘Courting you properly brings me advantage,’ Thamos agreed. ‘Bedding you like a tavern wench does not.’ He shook his head. ‘I can already hear what my mother is going to say when she finds out.’
‘I see no reason why she needs to know,’ Leesha said.
Thamos chuckled. ‘Don’t fool yourself. My mother has more spies in the Hollow than you can count.’
‘So what do we do about it?’ Leesha asked.
Thamos held up his glass. ‘You accept the position as Royal Gatherer, and we work together to benefit Hollow County. In the meantime, I will invite you to dinners, send you flowers, and shower you with expensive gifts while entertaining you with witty conversation and playful banter. After that … we’ll see.’
‘And are you expecting these dinners to end in your bedchamber?’ Leesha asked.
Thamos smiled. ‘I will remind you, Miss Paper, that it was you who took advantage of me last night.’
Leesha clinked her glass with his. ‘So it was.’
Gared was overseeing the Cutters’ muster in the Corelings’ Graveyard when Arlen found him.
‘Evening, Baron,’ he said.
Gared looked at him, embarrassment in his aura. ‘Don’t feel right, you callin’ me that, sir.’
‘General?’ Arlen asked, smiling.
‘Night, I think that’s worse,’ Gared said.
‘No better than you callin’ me sir,’ Arlen said. ‘Think you got half a decade on me. So how about we drop the formalities? I’ll call you Gared and you call me Arlen.’
The embarrassment turned to actual fear. Gared started to shake his head, but Arlen put a hand on his shoulder. ‘You’ve got demons on one side and corelings on the other, Gar. Either I’m just folk and ent too good to be called my proper name, or I’m the ripping Deliverer and you got to do as I say.’
Gared rubbed the back of his neck. ‘Guess when you put it that way, ent got a choice.’
‘Arlen,’ Arlen said.
‘Arlen,’ Gared repeated.
Arlen slapped his shoulder. ‘Didn’t burn your tongue, did it? Walk with me a spell. Got something to show you.’
Gared nodded, and they set off to the private spot where Renna waited with Rockslide. She kept a firm hold on the stallion’s thick braided leather reins, though he seemed to have stopped struggling, at last. It had taken a long time, and several broken reins, before Rockslide came to accept that Renna, who was a tenth his mass, was strong enough to hold him immobile.
Gared stopped short at the sight of the magnificent animal, letting out a low whistle. ‘He’s even bigger’n Twilight Dancer.’
‘Rockslide is Dancer’s sire,’ Arlen said. ‘Only horse I ever saw built on your scale, Gared Cutter, and I don’t think there’s anyone else strong enough to break him. Cutters managed to get him into a saddle, but none of them has been able to keep the seat.’
‘Don’t let Arlen scare you,’ Renna said, handing Gared the reins. ‘Rocky’s sweet as can be. Just gotta understand him.’
‘Ay?’ Gared asked. He reached out to stroke the horse’s neck, but Rockslide turned a glare his way, and he thought better of it.
‘Ay,’ Renna said. ‘Rocky’s been locked behind the wards for years, but he was meant to run free in the night.’
‘Know what that’s like,’ Gared said.
Renna nodded. ‘Don’t put him behind walls or tolerate him acting the fool and he’ll friend you. And with the wards I cut into his hooves, he’ll kick in the skull of any demon so much as looks at you funny.’