Chapter 604: The Engineer and the Confessor
In the early hours of the morning, while the Vale of Mists prepared to celebrate the betrothal of Lady Nyrielle with a day of games for children and contests for adults before the grand banquet that would begin with the setting sun, very different preparations were underway in Lothian Manor.
Walking through hallways that bustled with servants even at this early hour, Isabell fought the urge to pluck the folded slip of parchment from her breast pocket to read it yet again before she arrived at her destination. The message had been perfectly clear, leaving little room for doubt about who had sent it and the purpose of their message.
~In two night’s time, join me for dinner at the Broken Blade Tavern in the village of Maeril. Reunions are joyous and conversations may run long, be sure to pack accordingly.~
Marcel, the mysterious Black Merchant who seemed to know things that no boy his age should know, had promised her and Master Tiernan both that he would arrange a meeting with Lady Ashlynn if they could secure the rights to settle lands near the mouth of the Vale of Mists.
After days of traveling with Owain Lothian, touring not only Hanrahan Barony but the territory claimed by the Dunns as well, Isabell had yet to secure a promise to allow her to settle the lands that she and Master Tiernan had selected.
In fact, when she’d suggested that they camp in the wilderness for a day or two if needed to allow her and Tiernan to inspect the lands as they passed through them on their way to Dunn Barony, Owain Lothian had reacted as though she’d suggested camping in a bear’s den while wearing a suit of raw meat. He not only flatly refused her request, he berated the coachment to drive their horses faster when they drew close to the Vale of Mists.
Now that they had returned, however, Owain seemed to be strangely reluctant to bring her request to his father. Day after day, he sent excuses for denying her meeting, citing the Marquis’s workload, preparations to receive visiting barons from the east, and even his father’s health in order to delay the meeting.
Now, it seemed like even Mister Marcel was tired of waiting for a resolution to the issue. Isabell had no doubt that a man as well informed as he seemed to be had a number of men in the manor in his employ, doubtlessly feeding him whatever gossip or news they could gather. When she received the note, lying folded on her nightstand and seemingly placed there while she was washing after dinner, her suspicions were all but confirmed.
Packing would be easy. Even though she traveled with multiple trunks on the long trip from Blackwell County, she had learned long ago how to live out of the single chest allowed to an officer among soldiers, and she could make do with even less if she was required to. But while packing could wait until the last minute, her business of the morning could wait no longer.