Chapter 256: An offer unexpected.
Some days were longer than others and for Roland, this was one such day. It was coming to midnight and he was still working. Most of this work was attributed to all the changes that would be brought about by the changes in government and development plans Sigrid had helped him draft.
He sighed closed a document that he was reading and massaged the back of his neck.
"Perhaps you should start from there tomorrow." Rudbeck suggested.
The knight had been on his feet for two hours, watching Roland wince and twist, listening to one complaint after another and reviewing one document after another. He did not even get to eat dinner in peace because he was was working as ate.
Roland sighed again and started opening a new documents which was a petition. "If only I could. I have so much work to do that...." Not only did his voice break off but the frown on his face deepened.
"Trouble?" Rudbeck asked?
Roland nodded, cursing silently, "It is a petition from Sir Lachlan Valerius, urging me to have an heir as soon as possible now that the king’s life is hanging in the balance. He is advising me to take a secret mistress if I am worried about offending the Thorin’s."
In his words, a child--even a bastard child was good enough because it would add more strength to Roland’s claim to the throne. As the loyal family that they were, they were willing to sacrifice any woman of Roland’s choice in their family for the job.
Keeley Valerius was specifically mentioned. Roland told Rudbeck all of this. His knight was stunned and he barked out a laugh. "They want to give you Keeley Valerius as a mistress! They must be drunk on loyalty to make such an offer. Are they really crazy enough to ruin the life of one of the most promising women in their family just to prove themselves to you?"