Chapter 11: Lost Kitten
"Raven Knights?"
Aideen repeated those words, savoring their cadence, while Bella leaned casually against the cold stone wall of the hallway, seamlessly continuing her explanation.
"The Raven Knights constitute the order sworn to His Grace, Duke Tillian. Though not born into nobility, most of them have ascended to titles through His Lordship’s patronage and financial backing."
’Financial support?’
The princess raised her eyebrows in surprise. Her understanding of finances was limited, having neither taken classes on economics nor held any tangible responsibility for money. However, she was aware that Duke Tillian Valentine, despite his royal lineage, sustained himself with funds allocated by the House of Nobles in return for safeguarding the North.
This money, naturally, would never have sufficed to procure a noble title, not even for a select few, let alone an entire order of knights.
’He wanted to hire a magician, he bought noble titles for his knights... Where is all this money coming from?’
Bella appeared oblivious to the intricacies underlying Aideen’s surprised expression as she continued,
"Almost every day, excluding weekends, in the afternoon, immediately following their training sessions, they depart from the castle to survey the perimeter, ensuring that not a single creature has encroached upon our territory. His Grace consistently ensures the safety and protection of everyone within his castle."
Aideen could not shake her sense of bewilderment and curiosity.
"He cares so deeply about the safety of the people living here; his knights scout the territory nearly every day. Is this truly the same Duke Valentine everyone talks about? The rumors painted him as a savage, a tyrant, but here... no one seems afraid of him at all."