Adrian was in a heated kiss with Ela in the small library when a servant knocked on the door, informing him that Sir Cordell and his company had arrived at the docks. Adrian called for Hedley, the temporary steward of the castle, a man all too eager and spirited to do the work and ordered him to prepare a welcome for the guests.
From the brief words he had received, Adrian knew Sir Cordell was traveling with Lord Bronsone, the Baron of Hillside, though he didn't know why.
Soon, Adrian found himself seated in the hall, in the very same seat where he had once seen Lord Gareth Harrow sit. Lady Ela stood poised at his side. The doors to the hall swung open to reveal Sir Cordell with Dexton trailing behind him. Beside them was Lord Bronsone, bruised and cradling an arm in a sling.
Adrian raised an eyebrow at the sight.
Still, the Baron wore his usual carefree smile. When they reached an appropriate distance, Adrian leaned forward in his seat.
"What happened to you? Did you trip?" Adrian asked with a grin. He could almost feel Ela's reprimanding gaze for being so casual in such a formal setting.
Lord Bronsone merely laughed, though he would have waved a dismissive hand if he were able. "In a way, I tripped over an enemy. There have been changes since you left. A viscount sent a force and other resources to support the Prince. Now, because other problems arose, the Prince and the other lords are already planning to attack the main settlement of the Laluga people, taking the fight to the land instead of the sea."
Adrian was stunned by the Lord's bluntness and the weight of the information. He began to calculate what such a move would entail.
'Great' he thought, stifling a groan. 'Just as I was making plans for my own territory, I have to send out a force again and deplete the village population.' He shook his head to clear his thoughts.
"I can see you have much to tell me, so why don't we discuss the rest over supper?"
"That would be great," Bronsone replied, his voice raspy and weary from the travel. "A bit of wine always helps in dealing with pain."
"Then I'll make sure to serve you well."
Adrian gestured for the servants to lead the lord to his quarters, he exchanged looks with Sir Cordell and nodded at Dexton behind him, intending to talk with them later. He leaned back in his seat and sighed.
Ela's comforting hand reached for him, and he grabbed it, giving it a gentle squeeze.
His vacation was almost over, and soon he will plunged into battle once again.
--
As food was being prepared, Adrian called Sir Cordell and Dexton to his office.
"His Grace has already set about creating a camp behind the mountains, not far from the enemy settlement. Days ago, the enemy noticed and attacked, Lord Bronsone was part of the group establishing the camp and was injured during the retreat." Sir Cordell reported.
After a month away, the knight still stood as straight as ever. Dexton stood behind him in silence, seemingly having recovered.
Adrian nodded. "Doesn't the enemy number near 3,000? Though their numbers have dwindled, it should still be a significant amount. How does the Prince hope to beat that?"
"A trusted scout says there are about 2,000 or so remaining," Cordell replied. "With reinforcements from other lords, particularly from the Earl of Highmere, the Viscount of Ironmere, the newly arrived Viscount of Clifton and the Prince's own forces, he has enough to match the enemy's force."
"Only to match?" Adrian asked with a raised eyebrow. The knight didn't respond, but his silence suggested he thought the same.
In an open field, a match of numbers, victory could go either way, but attacking a defensive enemy was another matter altogether.
"Wouldn't it be better to slowly chip away at them? Or at least wait until the Prince has superior numbers?"
This time, Sir Cordell's expression hardened. "The Prince plans to take action quickly because of certain matters in Creviceton."
Adrian's brows furrowed as he tried to place the name. If his memory correct, it was up north near the Earl of Highmere's territory, adjacent to the Baron of Wesley's lands. It was a mountainous region, named for its deep caves and underground caverns. "What's going on there?"
"A horde of monsters has supposedly surged out from the depths."
"Monsters..." Adrian mumbled, shocked, as he leaned back in his seat.
As if the news of a conflict where he might lose more men wasn't enough, now monsters were pouring out of Creviceton? He had read stories in the castle's small library about how the caverns were home to such creatures, but he hadn't expected the legends to be true, or that they would emerge now.
He reminded himself that Creviceton was a fair distance away, consoling himself with the thought that the monsters wouldn't slip through other territories to reach his own.
Speaking of slipping through, Adrian frowned as a memory surfaced. "The beasts from before... do you think it came from Creviceton?"
He remembered the event, how he had been told to join a hunting party before they realized they wasn't one beast, but two. He had pushed the matter from his mind, but the news of the surge brought it all back.
"It could be." Sir Cordell admitted.
If that were the case, his territory wasn't so safe after all. He could only hope the lords surrounding the mountain would deal with it.
"So the Earl's support, and possibly the Viscount of Ironmere's, since they aren't far off from Creviceton will be pulled away soon." Adrian stated.
Now he understood why the Prince wanted to eliminate the Laluga Clan threat so quickly, even if the odds weren't entirely in his favor.
He tried to find a silver lining. If they dealt with the Laluga Clan now, it would be a long time before another threat appeared, ensuring future stability for the prince new port city, and of course to him as well but that was provided, they won, of course. If they lost, that was a different story entirely. If they succeeded, his only worry would be the occasional stray monster, and surely the lords around the mountain would eradicate the bulk of the horde.
He refused to dwell on the nightmare of a total defeat. For now, he simply had to win this decisive battle against the Laluga Clan to secure the peace needed to grow his territory.
--
That night, they held a small feast. Adrian appreciated Lord Bronsone's company, the man's casual demeanor was a breath of fresh air, a sense of normalcy he hadn't felt since becoming the Baron of Harrowfield.
At this point, it was common knowledge that Adrian had taken Ela as his mistress, and Lord Bronsone couldn't resist teasing him, making under-the-table jokes about Ela being the previous Lord's wife.
Adrian bantered and joked with the Lord until the older man retired to his quarters. Later, Adrian lay in bed, naked and slightly breathless, having just finished his activities with Ela. She rested her head against his chest, her skin warm against his.
"Milord, I hope you do not risk yourself too much again. The territory needs you." Ela whispered.
Adrian chuckled lightly. He was about to reassure her that he wasn't easily killed thanks to his gift, but he caught himself and changed his words. "I will... And I'm tougher than you think."
He felt Ela's head move as she nodded, and they settled into a contented silence. Then she spoke again.
"Are you leaving the day after tomorrow?"
"I am."
"Then…" She pulled herself up until she was sitting. "Let me treat you to something special tonight, Milord."
"As if you didn't already?"
She chuckled, slipped off the bed, and grabbed a thin robe. As she turned back to him, she whispered, "Wait for a moment, Milord…"
Adrian raised an eyebrow as he watched her walk out and close the door. Just as he was wondering what she was up to, the door clicked open again, but it wasn't Ela who entered.
Even in the flickering candlelight and soft moonlight, Adrian could see the newcomer's long black hair and thin gown. He blinked, realizing who it was. "Edith?"
It was Ela's cousin, her handmaiden and one of the women he had before. Then Ela re-entered the room, closing the door behind her. Adrian's mouth hung open as he watched Ela gently push Edith toward the bed. At the same time, Ela let her robe slide to the floor, revealing her body once more. Soon, both women sat at the edge of the bed as Adrian propped himself up on his elbows.
"Milord… you're familiar with her, right?" Ela asked, a playful smile on her face.
"I apologize for taking advantage of the Lord." Edith said, bowing her head, though her gaze kept flickering toward Adrian's bare chest.
"Uh, yeah, I am... no, it's fine..." Adrian said, still a bit dazed as he looked at Ela in confusion.
Ela's smile turned into a mischievous grin. "Milord… tonight, she will join us."
Adrian was stunned. He couldn't believe what was happening. Was he dreaming? Had he fallen asleep after his first round with Ela? His silence lasted a few moments too long, causing Ela's confidence to falter.
"Unless… I have overstepped my bounds? If so, I apolo-"
"No." Adrian blurted out, snapping out of his trance. He swallowed hard, his throat suddenly parched as his gaze turned toward Edith, her bosom peeking out, her figure silhouetted by the gown.
Adrian swallowed again and spoke, "No, I appreciate it..."