We rejoined our party, dismounting with Daegwin, Wargwa and three of the men. The others saw our horses to the stables. Timoth had us take our valuables from the carriage lest they be stolen during the night. He and Daegwin carried my chests to my room. Though Timoth protested with words and Daegwin with her expression, there was never a moment where they did not intend to carry them for me.

I’d never entered a tavern before yet I was unsurprised by the scruffiness of ’s patrons. Ruffians mostly, though silk-shirted merchants were scattered among them. Many of them played card games at the tables, while some sat at the bar drinking with only conversation for diversion.

A curved wooden staircase in the back corner of the tavern led to our accommodation, and Timoth and Daegwin led the way with my chest raised between them. Wargwa and the three soldiers followed us upstairs, whereupon I sighted a lengthy corridor bordered by doors facing each other on both sides. The rooms within were, presumably, our lodgings, and Timoth selected one to be mine and dumped the chest with exhausted irreverance.

'What have you got in there? Bricks?' he asked.

I laughed. 'Only some of what I'll need for the next two years. The rest I'll have to buy when we get to Hollowhold.'

'Father entrusted us with much gold,' brother admitted. 'I hope to take some back to ensure that he’s in good spirits upon our return.'

'You do not believe that our return after nearly two years will be sufficient to give him cheer?'

'If we return scandal-free, it will be,' Timoth replied, and I realised that he was referring to me. I went to retort, but I could not find the words. I had caused an incident in my only encounter with a young nobleman, and now I travelled to a city packed with them. No wonder Timoth had faint hope of an uneventful stay; he probably thought himself optimistic to pray that I would not fall pregnant with six months of our arrival.

'Do you think I’d cause an incident that will require us to return home prematurely?' I asked him. 'Honestly.' I added the last as an afterthought to set the tone of the question retroactively. Timoth turned away, and my heart sunk.

'I do not think it likely, but I do fear it,' he admitted. 'I would not have agreed to come for anyone but you.'

'You came to babysit me?!' I cried, but Timoth only shook his head.

'I came to protect you. There are benefits for me also, but two years is a long time. The benefits would not have outweighed the commitment had it been for someone other than you,' he said. He looked at me now, his green eyes glimmering in the torchlight. I was touched by his care but angered by his lack of faith in me.

'Sorry sir,' one of the guards stumbled into the room. He carried a cubical wooden chest about half the length of mine. It was filled beyond its capacity, and the blade of a short sword and a tip of an unstrung shortbow protruded below its lid. 'Where do you want this?'

'Uh, I'm across the hall,' Timoth replied. He left the room to direct the guards in their unpacking of the carriage.

I had some time before the Trackford Founding Fair began. Nevertheless, I had no wish to explore the city any further. The constant commerce made me feel uneasy, as did the lack of fortifications. I’d grown up in a fortress town, after all.

Besides, what was there to do? I certainly wasn’t interested in banks, brothels, or taverns. Timoth had carriage of the coin and I doubted that he would consent to my purchasing jewellery or a dress. It was probably a bad idea anyway, the fashion in Hollowhold would be different.

I kicked my shoes haphazardly onto the floor and flopped into the bed. My body agreed with my decision and as I relaxed in upon the bed's thin feather mattress I felt the muscles down my entire body cry out in relief. Days of constant horseback riding had taxed them as they had never been taxed before. At five feet and nine inches, my back was often sore after long periods standing or upon backless seats, such as my saddle.

It was odd that Kaela was so short. I sometimes wondered if we truly sprang from the same mother. It did, however, strike me as curious that she was born so far in advance of Timoth and I. There were only two years between us, but Kaeya had more than five years on Timoth, and seven on me. I think she still saw me as a suckling infant, and it would probably be difficult to shake that perception from her eyes.

I lost myself in relaxation and my own thoughts. The noises of my travelling companions ceased as they too relaxed in their rooms, or else made their way to the bar downstairs. Daegwin had not come to see if I had any needs that required tending, but I didn’t begrudge her some rest. She’d struggled most of all with her mount, a gelding though it was. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t hesitate to summon her if I had use for her.

My room was windowless and there was no way to keep track of the time. My stomach rumbled. I decided to venture out of my room and slipped my riding shoes back on, not caring enough to rummage through my chests for a change of shoes or clothes, and stepped into the hallway. The sun was setting, so I walked to Timoth's door and gave it a knock.

'The sun is setting,' I told him. 'Steib will be expecting us.'

'Let's wait another twenty minutes, I'm sure the Baron understands that we’re travel-weary. I’ll rouse the men when it’s time.'

I nodded and returned to my room, closing the door. Twenty minutes gave me enough time to prepare for such an event. This, at least, was one realm within my experience. At Haelling Cove I’d often attended balls, fairs, and various other ceremonies. I knew how to present myself for them, and to that end I flung open my chests and discarded my riding outfit. It was dirty and sweat-stained and I never wanted to see it again. At least, not until Daegwin had washed it.

Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

The customs here are different, I thought. The people here had no class, no poise. Too fancy a dress would alienate me. Khad's words stuck in my mind like barbs. My chamber was lofty, apparently, but the folk of Trackford had not met me in person. This was a chance to create a fresh impression of myself in a distant part of my homeland. I tried to recall what I had seen the women downstairs wearing. Dresses mostly, and short ones at that. Some of them had been wearing blouses and skirts, and some of them wore white stockings down their legs. I was wary of dressing like a whore, for Wargwa had warned me that creatures of ill repute often lurked in dens of drinking and whoredom, but I nevertheless rummaged through my chest until I found a set of white stockings.

The dress I chose was the blue of my House, and I was happy that the combination would remind folk of my heritage. There were stylistic S-shaped gaps in the side of the dress, revealing my abdomen’s sides while covering my body from those who faced me directly. I had deemed it too risqué for use at home, particularly with my mother's watchful eye upon me, but it seemed well-suited for Trackford.

I chose shoes with heels that would increase my already domineering height and earrings with simple bands to offset the dress. My galley necklace was the most valuable item in my possession and I rarely left home without it. Silver was an expensive commodity, especially silver so beautifully carved.

With the touch of ointment to my hopefully minor facial blemishes and a hasty brushing of my hair, I felt ready. A pinch of the cheeks later and I was outside Tavern with my travelling companions. The soldiers had not donned anything special, but Daegwin wore her best mahogany linen dress, and Timoth and Wargwa were clad in white silk shirts with stylish folds and ornamental cuffs. I scowled when I saw that Timoth had not deigned to change out of his faded cinnamon trousers. My brother raised an eye at my dress, but I shot him a stern glance and he said nothing. A scabbarded sword hung at his hip, no doubt intended to display his martial inclinations.

'You look beautiful, my lady,' Daegwin said. It meant little to me, after all my well-being was her job.

'I know,' I replied. I noticed that Daegwin had pinned up her raven-black hair rather expertly. I envied her skill, though I usually felt that having my hair out accentuated my best features.

We strode, with confidence in our appearance, to the centre of the town square, guided by the sounds of lute, harp and flute music. Baron Steib stood upon a slight wooden dais, not dissimilar to the one upon which the county throne was perched back at Haelling Cove. He chatted idly with his attendants until he spied approach and began to shout over the din of the revellers.

'Quiet now, quiet now,' he declared. 'We have, at this year's Founding Fair, two visitors from Haelling Cove.' There was some uncertain clapping before Baron Steib continued. 'Count Timoth Tfaeller, heir to the throne of Ebonreach, and Countess Saemara Tfaeller, his delightful sister. I bid you all make them welcome in our town.'

As he finished, he clapped his hands together in an attempt to create a proper upswelling of applause. It succeeded, and my entry to the main part of the town square was accompanied by a percussive chorus of hand claps.

'Now,' he continued, and I sensed that he was concluding. I doubted that the folk of Trackford had much tolerance for lengthy speeches. 'Enjoy the festivities, and remember that anything you like, you can purchase - and for a fair price, too!'

I tried to take stock of my opportunities and obligations. If I was not to buy anything, then what could I do? Perhaps it would be best if I just returned to my room.

No. I needed to prove that Khad had been an exception, that the damaged relations between us had arisen as a result of cultural differences rather than a personal failing on my part. I would mingle with the folk of Trackford and, as long as they didn't touch me with their grubby fingers or ask me to hold their spitting children I knew I could make them proud of their royal family.

The musicians took up their instruments and the puppeteers began their performances anew. Commoners milled through the narrow streets created by the numerous storefronts and temporary stalls, and I found myself separated from Timoth and the others. I didn’t mind: the square wasn’t that big and our lodgings were only a short distance away. Besides, with my height, I could simply look over the crowd to see Daegwin's pinned hair. Perhaps I’d do better without my brother looking over my shoulder.

As I passed through the pathways between stalls I stopped to handle merchants' goods, and I made sure to compliment them. I tailored each compliment for each good, and was certain not to overstate my flattery. Yes, that apple was particularly free of bruises. No, I’ve never seen such exquisite jewellery. Certainly, your dresses are the most magnificent in all Halivaara. I quickly tired of the activity, but resolved to continue until I’d done my part for politeness. It was better than spending the hours cramped on Lilac's saddle at least.

Sometimes commoners would stop me, their arms bundled with recently purchased goods, and greet me. They were not always friendly, but those few who shared sour opinions of me or my father's rule did not say anything untoward. These commoners behaved as they should. Khad would probably be kissing their feet by now.

Then I came across a beggar. His clothes were ragged, and he was forgotten in the excitement of the fair. He lay at the very edge of the square, between a one of the few stone buildings and a temporary wooden stall. He raised his hand feebly at passers by, asking them for charity, but they pretended not to hear him.

The man spawned great revulsion within me, but I recalled my purpose and steeled myself. I wondered if that was how Khad felt in battle: unwilling but duty-bound. I made certain that I had an audience before I knelt before the beggar, and pulled my dress up to my thighs so that it would not be dirtied. I spoke to him as I had seen none do before me.

'What do you want?' I asked him. I wish I’d asked him how I could serve him, but such words fitted my mouth poorly and I settled for ones that I felt comfortable with.

'Anything,' he begged me. His voice was raspy, like that of a man who has not drunk water for many hours. His only possession appeared to be his worn attire. 'Food, copper.' He did not seem to have noticed my rank, but as he lifted his dreary eyes to scan me he asked, 'are you a princess?'

'I am your Countess,' I said. 'You are a citizen of the Reach, and all folk of the Reach should be content with the rulership of my family.' I had intended to say that I would provide for him, and see that he had money enough to survive, but I think the onlookers took my meaning. The begger certainly did, and I ensured his understanding by removing my simple band earrings and putting them in the palm of my hand. I extended my open hand to him and he hesitatingly gathered the jewellery, as if afraid that I was going to suddenly retract my offer to humiliate him.

'Thank you, most generously,' he stuttered. The earrings were inlaid with small diamonds, and I knew that he could fetch a fair price for them if he was smart. He probably wasn't, and I assumed that he would be swindled by one of the canny merchants of Trackford, but that wasn't the point. The point was that at least a dozen witnesses had seen me present a rich gift to a beggar, one whom no other had eyes for. The earrings were all but worthless to me, which was why I’d chosen them in the first place. Inwardly, I was thankful that I hadn’t worn my mainsail earrings. I would not have been so eager to part with those.

I hoped that word of my generosity would reach Haelling Cove. Perhaps it would reach Hollowhold also, and offset any rumours of my forked tongue that Khad may have started. I considered it unlikely, but that didn’t mitigate the significance of my act. I hoped that the folk of Trackford would talk both of my beauty and my charitable nature after my departure.