Lady Sepha smiled sweetly across the banquet table. “That was delicious, but I couldn’t eat another bite. My compliments to Juliana.”
Lord Darron nodded. “She truly outdid herself. Again. Gods, the woman can cook. Shall I call the servants to pick up?”
“No. The mess will keep. Let them have the night off. How did your meeting with the Vermaini go?”
“The Vermaini want peace and free trade, just as we do. It’s the king who’s blind to this, and he’s willing to plunge all of Colton into war over one small patch of land. Treat the Vermaini with respect, and they’ll respect us. It’s that simple.”
“You’re wise, Darron. Wise beyond your years. Come join me by the fire.”
Darron rose, put his plate with the rest of the food at the center of the table, and stood behind his wife, embracing her tightly. “What troubles you, Sepha?”
“The rumors of war, among other things. It seems so far away, Welkonshire, but if war breaks out, it could easily spread here. You’ve worked hard to maintain the peace in Colbyshire, beloved. I don’t want to see that destroyed.”
“I’ll keep my people safe, my dearest. But I know that look. There’s something else.”
“I worry about Elyse.”
“What’s she done this time?”
“I saw her through the upstairs window today. Did you know she likes to tug on your guardsmen’s …errrrrm …weapons a bit when she thinks she’s alone with them?”
“Sounds completely normal for a girl that age. Nothing to be concerned with. If I remember correctly, you told me you did the same once with a stable-boy.”
“Kitchen-boy. And I was a few years older than Elyse is now. She worries me, Darron.”
“Elyse is Elyse. All we can hope for is to make a suitable marriage for her. No sense in worrying about what can’t be helped. Come, now. It’s late.”
“You seem to be in a hurry to get to the bedchamber.”
“Who said anything about the bedchamber? You said you wanted to give the servants a night off. And here we have this fine banquet table that I paid to have hauled here from Morrelshire. Let’s put it to good use.”
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