The sun was shining high up in the sky, gilding the waves around the ship’s bow and making the scarce pieces of thin ice still floating around sparkle like diamonds. Flocks of seagulls were flying around the masts and their cries echoed over the calm sea. For a short while, a couple of dolphins came dancing and playing around the nose of the ship for the delight of all crewmembers. In the distance, the tall green-gray shores of Norden were getting closer by the hour.

Lorelei stood perched on the bow. Today she had left her long hair unbraided and the cold wind was playing with it. On her left Jessup sat cross-legged on a pile of rope and was telling her about Norden and its biggest city and capital – Yalda. But Lorelei didn’t listen to him much. Right now, she was contemplating the talk with her husband from last night.

She closed her eyes, as the still fresh memories overwhelmed her.

***

“I have a daughter.”

Noah held his breath as his eyes peered at Lorelei, forcing her to avert her haze.

The young woman could feel the loud bangs of her heart, each beat a painful spasm that shook her very core. A daughter. So, her husband had a child. Without even realizing it, Lorelei bit her lip. Somehow this news made her feel… strange. It was truly a childish notion, a foolish reaction, but she couldn’t help it.

From her own experience, Lorelei knew very well that many nobles had illegitimate children. This was quite normal. To be honest, she had always been surprised that she was the only Orten bastard since her father had gotten almost every maid in the mansion laid. And Noah, even more than the count, was at an age when every healthy man had certain… needs. Still, she somehow could never picture the honorable duke Norden doing the same things as her father. She couldn’t, no, didn’t believe it!

Lorelei swallowed hard, driving the unwanted images away from her mind. Maybe… Maybe the child had been the fruit of true love?

Trying to ignore the inexplicable sharp stabs in her chest, Lorelei motioned to smoothen up some non-existent creases of her dress, but then stopped. Her palms were shaking slightly, so she clasped them together. It did not matter how long she would procrastinate. The question had to be asked.

As she lifted her head, Lorelei met Noah’s sharp eyes and realized that he had been observing her intently this whole time. She moistened her lips a bit before daring to speak.

“And the mother?”

Now was her husband’s turn to look away.

“She died seven years ago,” came the quiet reply.

The silence that followed hung heavily in the air. Lorelei could see Noah’s brows drawing together. His gray eyes also became strangely glassy and distant. So, this woman had been that special to him. Again, this realization made the pain in Lorelei’s heart even sharper, and yet again she tried to suppress it with little success. Why should she even care? Their marriage was a farce anyway. They didn’t even know each other that well. He could have as many lovers as he wanted, past, present, or future. It meant nothing to her.

Noah’s soft words broke the silence.

“Both the child’s mother and father passed away seven years ago, so I’m all she has left.”

“P-pardon?” In the first second, Lorelei thought that she had misheard and just gawked at the man. She bit her lips, trying to fight the sudden urge to burst into laughter after the relief of realization had swept over her. It was a ward! The child he talked about was his ward. But then why being so anxious?

Luckily, her husband continued to speak with his head down, which saved her from a really awkward situation.

“Please, understand, lady Lorelei, my daughter has a special place in my heart.” Noah’s hands balled into fists. “She saved me in a way that is difficult to explain. So, I hope that you too would show her kindness and support.”

After saying this, the man lifted his head and was met by two clear brown eyes. Lorelei nodded and gave him a shy smile.

“What would my responsibilities be, my lord?”

“That…” The duke blinked. This reaction was oddly familiar. He quickly composed himself. “Since the child has no mother, I would like you to guide her and play the role for the time you spend in my home. She has nannies and caretakers, but there are things that only a mother can give.”

“I will do as you wish, my lord. Anything else?”

“Just one thing. This is a rule that applies to all of my retainers. Treat the child fairly, punish her if needed, but never lift your hand at her.”

Lorelei’s face froze. Her hands curled into fists as she abruptly stood up, startling Noah. How could he? How dared he? A wave of emotions overtook her, resulting in her tongue being a tad quicker than her common sense.

“What person do you think I am, lord Norden?” Her voice shook and she could feel her eyes starting to sting. “Do you think I would ever hit a child?! I never thought your opinion of me was so low. A daughter, a ward, a bastard, it does not matter. It is still a precious child. So fear not, my lord, I will fulfill my obligations as per your wish.”

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Met with such a passionate reaction, Noah’s brow furrowed. He too stood up from his cot, looming over Lorelei’s small figure. She gulped and stepped back, both anger and fear filling her heart. Had she overdone it? Was he going to hit her?

Then her eyes rounded.

With a hand over his heart, her husband bowed deeply.

“Forgive me, lady Lorelei. My words have offended you. It was not my intention.”

“N-no, please, my lord, stand up! I… it was my mistake… You shouldn’t bow to the likes of me!”

“A husband has offended his wife. A lord has offended his lady. Both the laws of heaven and man demand an apology.”

“I accept your apology, my lord! Please, please, get up before Jess or sir Duncan see you!”

Noah finally straightened his back. On his face, Lorelei could read relief, but also something else. The slightly drawn corners of his mouth and the spark in his eyes left her with the feeling that before her stood a mischievous rascal and not a dignified duke. She could not comprehend what he was thinking. Noah Lux Norden, what a peculiar man he was.

***

The memory slowly faded. Leaning on the railing, Lorelei sighed and shook her head. Enough was enough! She had been thinking about it the whole night, but her thoughts had finally cleared. It was actually pretty simple. Whatever awaited her in Norden, she had vowed to support her husband through anything in the next year, there was nothing much left to ponder about.

Her spirit being lifted, she finally lent an ear to Jessup’s monologue.

“… On the other side of that long cape in the distance lies the Black fjord, and then, right before us, you can see the Seagulls-Nest and Blue fjords to the left and right, my lady. Between them lies Tight-Pass fjord, where we are heading to. That one is actually the only fjord in Norden that completely freezes during winter. My family is actually from Blue-Harbor, but I came to Yalda after I started serving as master’s page four years ago. I can’t wait to finally become a full squire. Master has promised that I will have my promotion when we get back. You must know, it is not an easy feat, but I will manage to beat sir Gregor’s record and become a full-fledged knight even faster than him. Usually, the squires in Norden are knighted at twenty-three, you see, so sir Gregor was a big exception.”

“This is no doubt a great aspiration, Jess.” Lorelei rewarded him with a big smile. “And who was sir Gregor’s master, to be able to train such a splendid knight in such a short time? Wait, let me guess, it was sir Duncan, right?”

“Well no, my lady. Sir Gregor was actually master’s squire before me. He has been serving master ever since he was ten.”

This was yet another surprise dropped on Lorelei.

“But Jess, if sir Gregor started serving the duke at the age of ten and had been knighted four years ago, just how…? I mean, sir Gregor is indeed young but still, his highness himself is not even thirty, so how…?”

“To answer your question, my duchess, Gregor happens to be exactly six years younger than me.” Noah’s voice came from behind her back. She turned around and saw him leaning on the rails, dressed in his usual black clothes. The nonchalantly open doublet, his unruly hair fluttering in the wind, and the black stubble on his chin made him look more like a pirate than a noble duke.

He greeted her with a nod.

“And before you ask, to answer your next question. Yes, Gregor was a full-fledged page and later squire to a full-fledged knight. If you believe Duncan, I am the youngest knight in written history. The emperor knighted me on my fifteenth birthday. The same day I was sent to Norden as the new duke with the well-wishes of my father and the whole court’s hope that I’ll kick the bucket here in less than a year – a mission I’ve desperately tried to fail for the past fifteen years.”

He stepped forward and stood at Lorelei’s right. She could clearly see the suppressed mocking laughter in the corners of his mouth. Lifting his hand, he pointed forward.

“Now, my duchess, let me present to you your new beloved home. This is Yalda, the Gem of the North.”

Following his hand, Lorelei gasped. In front of her, the mouth of the fjord was now clearly visible. On both of its sides of the narrow pass stood strong forts with towers reaching high into the sky. Noah called them Tor and Tarren – the twin guardians of Yalda. Behind them stretched a narrow canal, wide enough for only two ships to pass, clenched between the almost vertical green cliff-walls on both sides. Beyond them, the fjord opened up wider with a few smaller and larger islands dotting the calm waters. And even further inside a majestic city unfolded before Lorelei’s eyes and its brilliance blinded her. Layer after layer of neat houses in every color imaginable crawled up on the surrounding hills. Towers and strong walls popped here and there between them. A mighty street was splitting the city in two, climbing the hills behind. The harbor was full of ships and barges of different shapes and sizes and small rowing vessels darting between them. The vibrant colors in combination with the bustling and cheerful atmosphere brought a smile to Lorelei’s face. This looked like the land of a fairytale. Beside her, Noah filled his chest and shouted loudly.

“Put a black flag on the main mast! Captain, take us to Widow Island!”

A reply was shouted back and the ship turned into an ant’s nest. Noah remained still and turned to Lorelei, his voice back to normal.

“We are going to Widow Island. There is a monastery of the Two Gods’ Church there and a hospital. We will wait there for the other ships and prepare to enter Yalda. The headwinds have cut our advantage short, so they should arrive by tonight.”

“Why is it called Widow Island?” Asked Lorelei, already dreading the answer.

“The monastery was created by the widows of the fallen knights and soldiers as a way to support the families that were left behind. Besides, the hospital provides treatment for the ill or wounded citizens of Yalda, if needed. Over the years, it has become a custom for the ships to stop there first before entering the port if there has been death or sickness on board. The island serves as quarantine and a place for preparation of the mourning rituals.” Noah’s words were heavy. “We have already sent a messenger bird shortly after leaving Sefis, so they should be expecting us.”

Seeing the worry on his brow, Lorelei knew exactly what he was feeling right now. During their journey, six people had passed away due to their injuries. And that was without counting all the souls lost during the second prince’s campaign. Since his ship carried the most heavily wounded soldiers, Noah hoped that at least the rest of the fleet had had more luck than them. Still, they had to prepare for the worst. This was indeed a sad return home for the young duke Norden.

Soon after, the ship moored at the small pier of Widow Island. There was already a flock of people in the white-black clothes of the order waiting for them to land. As soon as the ramp was let down, they hurriedly boarded the ship to help everyone in need. With this, Lorelei’s life in Norden officially started.