The huntsman watched me seriously for a bit before he eventually began to chuckle himself. After a moment he relaxed, and we laughed together. When we calmed down I spoke first, “You’re right of course.”
He smiled confidently, “I knew that already, Your Lordship.”
“Forget the honorifics,” I told him. “From now on I don’t want to hear any more ‘Lords’ and ‘Excellency’s’ from you… unless it’s a public occasion. Understood, Master Grayson?”
“Fine, then you’ll have to call me Chad. I can’t have you addressing me properly if I’m not allowed to do the same,” he answered.
I readily agreed to that with a nod. “Alright then, Chad it is. Now, will you send your huntsmen out to get extra game for tomorrow?”
“No,” he answered bluntly. “I’m not some foolish whore you can buy with a smile and a laugh. You asked me to protect your lands, and if I pull the men away from that, I’d be neglecting that duty.”
My eyes went wide with shock. This man really wasn’t overly impressed with titles and nobility. After years of people bowing and scraping it was refreshing to find someone able to speak honestly, even if he was a rude ass. I thought carefully for a moment before replying, “Tell you what, send a token number… say five men, out to hunt game, and you can keep the rest on watch.”
He watched my expression carefully. “And if I refuse?”
“I’ll have you whipped for insubordination and replace you. We may be friends, but I can’t allow my men to ignore my orders,” I answered plainly.
Chad smiled, “They’ll be a’ hunting before another hour passes.”
“Excellent,” I answered. “Have you eaten lunch yet?”
“No.”
“Come eat with me, everyone else is busy today, and I prefer to eat with a friend,” I told him.
“Don’t mealtimes count as formal occasions?” he suggested. He was indirectly reminding me that the Master Huntsman didn’t ordinarily eat at the high table.
I snorted, “Not today they don’t. There will be more than enough formality tomorrow.” I clapped him on the shoulder, and we headed for the main hall.
Chapter 18
I slept late the next morning, until Penny forced me out of bed for breakfast. Even then she had delayed it until nine, which was rather late for us. Breakfast was a sort of sacred ritual for our family. Being an important nobleman had put all sorts of strains and obligations upon me, that tended to limit my ability to spend time with my wife and children, but breakfast had been the place that Penny had drawn the line.
Lunch and dinner were usually eaten in the great hall, and even if we didn’t have any special guests, it still put us in front of the people. It was never about simply eating. We were a symbol. Breakfast was different though. It was just for us. Penny cooked and the children and I ate together in our quiet mountain cottage. It was a short time each day, but during it, we could pretend we were just a normal family, eating and sometimes laughing together. Well, in my case, mornings being as early as they are, it was frequently eating and growling.
That morning was no exception. I was in an unusually good mood, probably because I had found a genuine friend in Chad Grayson the day before. He and I had hit it off quite well, despite our rough start. I found myself smiling and making silly faces, to amuse the children as we ate.
“You seem very happy this morning,” Penny observed.
My cheeks were stuffed, with one boiled egg in each, so it was a bit difficult to answer. “Ish that sho’? You do ash well m’dear!” I replied. My garbled speech had Conall and the twins laughing hysterically.
Penny smiled. “In years past this has been the one day I could almost guarantee you would be in a bad mood. It’s good to see you finally relaxing.”
I spit one egg out and quickly ate the other. Don’t judge me on my table manners; I was forced to behave with decorum and dignity for most of every day. Once my mouth was free I answered her, “I could say the same for you. Normally you’re as anxious as a mother hen when we have feast days.”
My lovely wife looked thoughtful for a second before replying, “You’re right. I think perhaps the looming attack next week has put the minor anxieties of today in perspective. I’m determined to enjoy this.”
“You don’t think that that has anything to do with it?” I asked, pointing at her sword. She kept it close by her at all times now, and currently it was hanging on a peg near the oven.
“That may have a part in it as well. I have missed it, since we dissolved the bond,” she said honestly. We weren’t really talking about the sword, so much as the power she had given up, when we dissolved the bond between us years ago. She had continued to practice with the weapon on a regular basis, but without the strength and speed provided by the bond, she had always felt like a shadow of her former self. The earth bond had changed all that.
“What does Momma miss?” Moira asked suddenly. As usual she had been following the conversation carefully. The boys, Conall and Matthew, were more interested in seeing if they could imitate my feat with the two boiled eggs.
“Nothing honey,” I answered immediately, trying to quell her question out of pure habit.
Penny apparently felt like fielding the question though. “My strength, dear heart… Your father has given me back the strength I used to have, when I was his body guard,” she answered. We had told the children stories of our years before they were born, many times over.
“Like Uncle Dorian?!” interjected Matthew excitedly. Obviously he had been paying more attention than I had realized.
Moira was a bit put out with his presumptuous idea. “No, she couldn’t be that strong, Uncle Dorian is the strongest man in the world.”
“Well, in this case, I bet she comes pretty close…,” I started, but they were in full swing now.
Conall piped up, “I thought Daddy was the strongest man in the world.”
“With magic,” Matthew informed him very matter-of-factly, “but physically, Uncle Dorian is probably the strongest.”
“If Mommy and Daddy fought who do you think would win?” Conall asked immediately. Trust a child to ask the most embarrassing question possible. I gave Penny a sheepish grin.
Matthew thought the question over seriously for a second, “Probably Dad, there isn’t much you can do about magic. He could set her on fire or something before she ever got close to him.”
“Hmmph! Shows how little you know!” Moira said jumping in. “Mommies have a secret weapon. It doesn’t matter how powerful Daddy is, she can always beat him.” Penelope was looking at me now with questions in her eyes. Clearly she was wondering if I had put any strange ideas into our daughter’s head. I immediately shook my head, ‘no’.
Matthew was curious now, “What secret weapon?”
His sister looked down her nose at him, perfecting her imperious gaze, “I heard the maids talking about it the other day, when they didn’t think I was listening. Ladies have something that their husbands can’t live without.”
“What?” asked Conall.
“I’m not sure what it is, but it’s called a p… mmmph!?” Moira’s words were cut off suddenly, as Penny’s hand covered her mouth.
“That’s enough for now, children. Boys help your father clear away the dishes. Moira come with me… we need to talk a bit,” Penny said with brisk efficiency. Rising from the table, she led her daughter away by the hand.
I couldn’t help but grin as they left, which of course put Matthew’s curiosity on high alert. He knew well that something had been left unsaid. “What’s wrong with them?” he asked me.