During my fifth month at Hollowhold, my parent's most recent letter revealed that the number of King's men stationed in Haelling Cove had been drastically reduced, such that the force remained comprised only a token number of men and not an effective fighting force at all. I felt confident that things would continue as they always had under my family's guiding and protective hand, yet Father – and Timoth – were concerned about our small county's ability to defend such an important strategic chokehold on behalf of the rest of the realm. Father requested that Timoth and I, as his representatives in the capital, seek audience with the King and request a restoration of the number of men in our county capital. Of course, Father knew not of the King and Queen's potentially drug-induced indisposition.

As such, one afternoon Timoth and I found ourselves on the waiting pews in the meeting hall in which we had first been introduced to Prince Milos and Princess Alissia, upon our arrival at Hollowhold. I had expected to see Prince Milos at the table once more, managing Halivaara on his father's behalf, yet this day Prince Alum had taken his brother's position. I was delighted, and quickly readjusted the top of my blouse and my hairstyle.

'What are you doing?' my brother had asked me quietly, his tone conveying his annoyance at my sudden burst of self-aware preening.

'That's Prince Alum,' I told him, as if that was all the explanation that was required. Timoth sighed and shook his head.

'Need I remind you that you are not of age?'

'At least he's human,' I responded.

It would have been harsh if not for the fact that I had been using it to win arguments against him for five months. It was the ace up my sleeve, and I found it funny that my brother was so embarrassed by the encounter. I felt no such self-consciousness about my intentions for Prince Alum. It would have been foolish to try and hide them, after all every noblewoman in the entire kingdom shared them.

Finally, it was our turn to speak with the Prince. We clambered through the maze of furniture and I took my previous seat at the massive stone table. It seemed an unnecessary size for its purpose, though it was very intimidating. Perhaps the room was used for formal meetings with delegates from other parts of the kingdom, and so all the table space was occupied by documents or maps or models. In any case, that day the table was blank, aside from Prince Alum's forearms resting upon it. Timoth and I sat down and greeted him.

'Good afternoon, my prince,' I said. Timoth repeated my greeting.

'And to you, my friends from the Reach,' Alum replied. 'My apologies that I haven't checked on you since my initial visit. Is there some issue that you wish to rectify?'

Timoth shook his head. 'There is, my prince, but it does not pertain to our lives in Hollowhold.' I expected him to continue, but I think he felt awkward. Discussing military matters politely could be difficult, especially with a man of such intimidating status.

'Speak plainly, Count,' Alum said sternly, but not rudely. 'What do you wish of me?'

Timoth was still biting his lip. I did not expect him to cower, but he did hesitate. I rolled my eyes – Timoth felt no fear at facing a band of faeries or a longboat full of Western Islanders, but he baulked at the thought of trying to resolve matters using mere words. I could have waited for him to speak, and I had no doubt that he would if I gave him the time, but I was itching to have the Prince notice me. The advantage of doing so in such an environment was that he would view me as someone with skills and a role and a life, rather than just another faceless bachelorette in a sea of noblewomen.

'The King's men stationed at Haelling Cove have been reduced in number,' I said. 'Is there some reason for this?'

Alum took a deep breath, and I sensed that this issue had caused friction in the past. 'Prince Milos made the decision. I disagreed, but when we confronted the King he sided with my brother. We owe you a full explanation, so allow me to continue,' he said, as I was about to interrupt. I closed my mouth and nodded gently. 'Haelling Cove does not interest my father or my brother. There is no prospect of further expansion or of further riches from stationing men on the coast. They see it as a money sink. They'd prefer to send the men to the Borderlands to wage war against the desert nomad tribes, who have been emboldened by their unification under a single leader in recent months. My view is that the risks associated with leaving the Haelling weakly defended – and that is no offence to your Father, it is simply a matter of manpower – are too great. Even with my Father's detachment there, longboats would occasionally slip through and wreak havoc in Trent. Now there will be many more, and some of them may travel as far as the mountains. I do understand the danger of leaving Haelling Cove undermanned, but there is naught that can be done to undo the decision. The King has spoken.'

Timoth shook his head in disdain. Perhaps it was because of my naive belief in Father's skills and the men of the Reach, but I was not emotionally affected by his words. I spoke logically. 'Is there anything that can be done to find the men elsewhere?'

I was rewarded for the intelligence of my question by Alum's look of approval, and of consideration. Timoth shared it, but he did not speak. I think he knew what the answers were, and though I did not, he did not wish to raise them as they were unpalatable. Eventually, the Prince spoke. 'Ebonreach could petition for incorporation into the Duchy of Trent. That would give you access to Duke Crower's men.'

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Timoth was already shaking his head vigorously. 'Father would never permit it. I would never permit it. The Reach has stood free since Halivaara's founding, and its citizens would never be content with the status of a mere vassal.'

'You are already a vassal of the King,' Alum said, hoping to detail the smallness of the difference between being ruled by a King and being ruled by a Duke, but Timoth was still shaking his head, sending his unruly hair in all directions.

'It is off the table. The farmhands and fishermen of the militia would rather take up arms to defend Haelling Cove than answer to Duke Crower. He is not well thought of, on account of his… personal life. The men of the Reach are proud of their status as a free county, and even in the direst of circumstances we would be reluctant to concede it.'

The militia could be raised from the adult men in a region in order to manage its defence in times of war. Ebonreach had not raised its militia in many years, as the longboat raids were too fast to be countered with civilian mobilisation, and small enough to dealt with by Father's professional soldiers.

'Well I know of no other way to raise the men your Father desires without impressing the farmhands and the fishermen, as you suggest,' Prince Alum responded. 'I have my men, the Prince's Guard, but if I were to assist you in this it would be seen as a direct move against the authority of my family. My father and brother have made their decision, and I am the junior son. Though the Guard accedes to my will, their uses must be politically sound.'

'The Prince's Guard?' I asked, having never heard of it before.

Not for the first time since arriving at the capital, I wished that I'd paid more attention to my studies. Not that the memory of that moment would drive me to actually comprehend the scholarly books later, my apathy would surely see to that. I decided to cover up my lack of knowledge with inferences from the Prince's statement. 'So they will just sit at the capital, doing very little?'

Timoth stiffened awkwardly, but the Prince did not seem offended by my words, I think because guilt was clouding his judgement. He said, 'their duties include the defence of my life. Yet what you say is true, and perceptive, my lady. The vast majority of my Prince's Guard are currently inactive, yet I fear to move them to your Father's aid for fear of offending the King and his heir.'

Timoth nodded in understanding. Perhaps it was because I had never commanded soldiers, nor partaken in court intrigue, but saw what seemed to me to be an obvious compromise. Later, Timoth explained to me that every lord and lady, as well as the Princes of the realm, possessed a retinue of housecarls. Housecarls were professional soldiers, selected for their fighting prowess and their loyalty to their liege, the latter of whom was free to command them as he desired. Even Father had housecarls, though I had never cared enough to know to differentiate them from the regular men of the Reach.

I spoke more carefully this time, in case my suggestion was stupid and I was blinded by my lack of knowledge from being aware of it. 'As so many of your men are untrained, having spent their lives in the peace of the capital, could you not assign a detachment of men to Haelling Cove under the guise of practical training?'

I was again rewarded by Alum's expression of approval. He looked at Timoth, as if to check that he had no objections, and then turned back to me. 'Your shrewdness surprises me, my lady. Yet I can see of no reason why your suggestion would cause offence. Obviously, lmy father and brother would see through the deception, but I would not be flaunting their authority if I sent only, say, one quarter of my men. That should replace about half of the men that my father has withdrawn.'

'You would do this for us?' Timoth interjected. It was a fair question. I had taken Prince Alum's goodwill for granted, but in my time in the capital I had quickly learnt that most people have their own agendas.

'You may think poorly of my brother, who sometimes views men little differently to tools and does not understand why your land should not defend itself as do the four Duchies. Yet I understand the needs of the realm at large. The Borderlands is a desert, a wasteland. The men already there are more than capable of defending it, and if not for the greed of my kin few would counsel in favour of attempts at expansion. There is little to gain from such expansion, and much risk. So my goal is simply the preservation of the realm, and the internal stability of Halivaara. Of course, my men will benefit from the experience, and I may one day call upon your goodwill in memory of this decision, but these are not the reasons that I send my men to your city. I simply do not want to see the lands that rely on the Haelling plundered by pirates and raiders.' Prince Alum spoke with a fire in his eyes, one which gave me no other choice than to believe him. He was inspiring, as a King – or a Prince – should be, and I truly felt that his motivations were the safety of the realm. I began to respect not only his title and his good looks, but also his devotion to his duty. Timoth was also awed by the Prince's speech, perhaps even moreso than me, as Alum's words had spoken to the part of my brother that was aware of the martial obligations that he would one day share, as a Count of Ebonreach.

I spoke first. 'Very impressive, my prince. Will you not come to my chambers this evening so that I might regail you with tales of the city you plan to send your soldiers to?'

It was a barely veiled effort to have some privacy with the Prince, but today felt like the day for barely veiled efforts. Timoth interjected, 'I am certain that my father will greatly appreciate your generosity, Prince. I most certainly do. Your men may change the future of the Reach.'

'And of the Kingdom, I hope,' Alum replied, before responding to me. 'Perhaps I will attempt to spend some more time with you. Both of you that is,' he added, and I forced my smile not to disappear. It was still a massive success. 'If my brother has his eye on the Borderlands, it is my duty to keep mine upon the Reach, and what better way than to speak to the Reach nobility. And what luck that two of them live only a short distance from my own quarters.'

'So you will come tonight?' I asked. I saw Timoth's head fall in frustration out of the corner of my eye, but I maintained my best smile in the hopes of influencing the Prince's decision.

'Not tonight,' he replied, 'but I will visit soon, to learn of your homeland. Thank you for the invitation, Countess.'

'It is my pleasure, Prince,' I said, beaming.

The conversation came to an end with that. There were dozens of men waiting to speak to the Prince, and I noticed that many of them appeared to be from the Borderlands. I wondered what they had to complain about now that the King was sending them so many soldiers, but only for a moment. It was hard to think of anything other than that the Prince would be coming to my little stone house, and soon. I gave Timoth a quick farewell and skipped back there to tell Daegwin.