The morning air carried the scent of millions of flowers in spring bloom and breakfast still furnished me with energy. Khad ensured that we stopped constantly to breathe and water the horses, but my lack of experience in travelling such great distances found me weary before midday. My legs hurt from gripping Lilac too tightly, my butt was bruised from the constant jolting of her steps, and my back ached from having to sit all day without a backrest. It was all I could to keep my hands on the reins and my eyes on the road.

Not a single town lay on our path during the first day of travelling. We passed a number of farmhouses and a few roadside monasteries, but no settlements. I had known that Haelling Cove was the largest town in Ebonreach, but to witness firsthand the County’s devotion to agriculture came as a shock.

Wargwa's ageing steed slowly lost pace amongst the Borderlands stallions and he soon found himself travelling at the rear with Daegwin and I. I took the opportunity to ask him what I should have known from my studies.

'Wargwa,' I said, not using his title of Gentleman due to the familial nature of our relationship, 'are Haelling Cove and Trackford the only sizable towns in Ebonreach?'

He laughed gently, which caused his medium-length black beard flickering back and forth. He was an elderly man who looked to be in his early sixties, about fifteen years older than Father. 'I think you will find that Trackford is not so large a town as you believe.'

'You know the numbers, Wargwa,' I pressed him. Wargwa's role in our house was essentially that which would have fallen to the Steward were Ebonreach a Duchy or a Kingdom instead of a County. He managed the administrative affairs of the realm and ensured that all was to the satisfaction of the nobility.

'That I do, my lady,' he said. 'At the King's last census there were no more than 50,000 men in Haelling Cove. Many of them have families, but that is not how the census is performed. Trackford is home to less than 30,000.'

'What about the rest of the County?' I asked him. I was getting tired of having to repeat myself, but it's not as if we were short on time.

'Less than 100,000 men populate the Reach, my lady,' Wargwa replied. ‘You could say that one man in five lives in the lands between Haelling Cove and Trackford.'

'Why is that?' Daegwin asked him, just as I was content to let the conversation fade, my question having been answered. Wargwa, as always, was only too eager to discuss the information that was his livelihood.

'Ebonreach was one of the first territories in Halivaara. Though our farmlands could undoubtedly support a larger population, their produce has long been focused on luxury goods and exported to the rest of the Kingdom. It has brought our lands much wealth.'

This begged my next question. 'If the produce is exported, then for what reason have we encountered so few travellers?'

Wargwa smiled. I felt patronised, as if his smile represented his pleasure at my curiosity in the world around me. Yet I did not intend such a broad scope for my question as that.

'You will find that spring is not the season for harvesting produce, my lady. Though I have no doubt that you'll see some meats traded at Trackford. It is the Reach's centre of commerce. The roads from Trackford lead east to the mountains, and north and south, crossing the Haelling by ferry to the rest of the kingdom. Many travellers and merchants pass through Trackford. I advise you to use the opportunity to learn more about your homeland, though you must be wary of tricksters.'

I nodded, and thankfully Daegwin said nothing else. We paused for lunch when the road passed especially close to the river, and I could see a herd of deer grazing in the lightly wooded lands on the south bank of the river. I wondered why they were not farmed as the northern bank was, but on this occasion I preferred not to ask.

Timoth ate with the Borderlands men and Father's men kept their own company, leaving me to eat with Daegwin and Wargwa. One of the Borderlands men carried some sort of lute with a curved body and four strings, and he warmed the air with his exotic music while we rested.

Khad kept our stop brief. We trotted til dawn, pausing only twice more for the horses' sake. Clouds gathered in the sky, darkening as the day took its course, and any hopes we might have kindled of travelling at night under the guidance of the moon were dashed. By dusk, I was concerned that the clouds could turn to rain were we to sleep in the open.

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I resolved to make my opinion known to Timoth. I would not let Khad's presence dissuade me. I was a Countess of the Reach, after all.

I kicked Lilac into a canter until I found myself at the head of the caravan, beside my brother. I could not read his face at all due to the dying light.

'Brother,' I said, 'I don’t fancy the look of those clouds. We should seek shelter at the next monastery or farmstead we pass.'

Before Timoth could respond, Khad made his presence known. 'Is it common for your people to have to give up their homes to travelling nobles?'

'No,' my brother answered before I could say anything. 'Our custom is much the same as yours, to respect the privacy of our citizens except in an hour of utmost need. I do not judge us to have such need. Yet, do monasteries in your land not offer shelter to weary travellers?'

Khad bowed his head. I wondered if – despite outward appearances – he was actually attracted to me, but thought aggression would impress me. He’d cut me too deeply for that to occur, especially so soon. It was because of him that I was faced with spending the night in the rain.

'They do,' he conceded.

'Then,' Timoth turned to me, 'we shall stop at the next monastery. We have not been making the speed that I’d hoped, and I do not believe that we’ll make it to Trackford tomorrow without the light of the moon.'

'I concur,' Khad said

Though my plan had been to speak to him once we made camp, I made an out of character decision to get it out of the way now so that I wouldn't have to deal with it later – I was concerned that we’d be cramped in the monastery, and it would be difficult to get any sort of privacy.

'Count Djiron,' I began, carefully, using his proper title. I considered telling him that my words came at the request of my father, but decided that they’d have more impact if he thought they were my own. 'I wish to discuss what occurred yesterday.'

'I do not,' he said briskly, his eyes front.

'I think you should listen,' Timoth added. His tone was forceful, but not harsh. It reminded me of Father's. I was suddenly glad that he was the heir to Ebonreach. Khad certainly seemed to heed his words, and turned his head back towards me.

'I did not intend any offence,' I said. I had decided on honesty as the best solution. 'The man was not harmed, nor punished. He will realise that my words were spoken in haste when he finds that his pay has not been docked. An apology would only serve to weaken my authority, wouldn't you agree?'

'Were I speaking for myself, I might agree,' Khad replied. 'Yet it is you who is at the centre of this situation. A ruler such as myself who travels with the men, and fights with them, might need to use such an opportunity to remind them of his status. But you do none of these things. Your chamber in the castle is lofty and from it you look down upon those who serve you. You should use the opportunity to have them forget your status, and remind them of your humanity.'

His words were harsh, but his tone indicated that it was more due to his understanding of our tongue than any great malice on his part. I understood his argument, but it reminded me of what I'd overheard Mother saying. Did I really come off as that superior? Obviously, I knew that I was superior to illiterate commoners, but did it show that much?

I decided to change my tactic. Honesty wasn't working. It was time for its often-reviled but more ambitious cousin, dishonesty.

I felt my lips move. ‘Perhaps I would have, if not that I recognised the man. I had overheard him previously calling me spoilt whore and speaking of how he would manhandle my breasts.'

I paused to let the words sink in.

‘What?! Which man was this?’ Timoth demanded. It felt awkward talking of such things in front of Timoth, but he was my brother and our bond was unbreakable. I kept my gaze fixed on Khad. I could deal with Timoth later.

I continued, 'I did not act upon it at the time out of embarrassment, but when he almost wronged me a second time I overreacted out of shock. I do not think I should apologise to such a man.'

Khad did not seem overly shocked by my words, but his response did indicate that he understood them. 'I asked you if he had wronged you previously. You told me he had not.'

Damn his memory.

'I was too embarrassed to talk about it. It makes me so angry just to think about what he called me,' I said. The lies were flowing thickly, and I reminded myself not to offer too much information too freely. ‘I fear I have made a scene, and wish to resolve this issue before you return to your home country.'

'Ah,' was all Khad said for some time.

I began to think him rude or uncaring, but when he spoke I realised that he was simply conquering his pride. I respected him for that.

'Countess, I beg your famous kindness, and seek your forgiveness for my harsh words.'

He made no excuse for his behaviour even though one was open to him: I hadn’t told him about my fabricated history with the man-at-arms. As such, it was only too easy to accept his apology.

'No matter,' I said. 'I hear you are more interested in Kaeya anyway.'

I quickly veered Lilac away from the head of the carriage before he could respond and settled back in beside Daegwin.

'How did it go?' she asked.

'Well, I think,' I said. I did not feel that she needed to be told every detail of my life. Attendants were so prone to gossip, and sometimes I had to remind myself that they were not my friends. They were my servants.