Over the next several days, all attention was given to settling into the estate. The mountain men caused a stir, and the locals who worked within the estate walls, cowered and shied away from them, but their needs were met and the everyday running of the estate continued.

Lord Owen stayed on and worked closely with Princess Estina and Prince Alain while Earl Jenric, Earl Clep and Lord Rea returned to their homes. Princess Estina suspected Lord Owen was still trying to determine what their intentions were. She didn’t mind. If he liked what he saw, he would then carry the news onto the surrounding communities which could bolster their support and alliances. For this reason, Princess Estina allowed Lord Owen to join them in all meetings.

Princess Estina and Prince Alain sat down with Blent and the other residents who were fundamental to its management. It included the head cook, the matron in charge of housekeeping, and staff who ran the farm. Their plan was to determine how the estate had been run in the past, what difficulties they believed they currently had, and what ideas or changes they wanted to see in the future. Prince Alain had also bunkered himself down in his new room, going over years’ worth of the estate’s accounts.

It was obvious to Princess Estina that the household staff had never been asked these questions before or been given an outlet to express their desires or complaints. After much cajoling and encouragement, the conversations started to flow.

Several hours later of interviewing the house staff, Princess Estina smiled at the shy and timid maid sitting in front of her. Lady Annalei sat beside her and lowered the ink stick in her hand.

“Thank you for your suggestions,” Princess Estina told the young woman. “We’ll certainly look at some of these issues.”

It had been a productive morning, but there were other pressing matters on her mind. “Can you finish up?” she asked Lady Annalei. Lady Annalei smiled and rose to her feet to curtsey as Princess Estina stood. Lord Owen did the same and bowed. Princess Estina nodded her head in recognition and walked out of the main dining hall, the quiet conversation between Lady Annalei and Lord Owen fading as she walked out into the open.

She gazed around the front of the estate with her hands on her hips and spied Clagen and Ladet walking towards her. She smiled, and they bowed respectfully.

“How are the new Tehlea soldier recruits?” she asked.

Clagen chuckled. “They are going to need a lot of work, but they are eager and that is the most important thing.”

Princess Estina nodded. “I’m glad to hear they are at least keen.”

“Do not fear,” Ladet added, “I feel once they become used to the mountain men and have completed some decent training, they will be more than adequate for you. Time is your biggest enemy right now.”

“You are right,” she replied. “Thank you, Ladet, for helping us with this.”

Ladet smiled and nodded his head in acknowledgement. “It is the least I could do since you have let me accompany you.”

“Have you seen Menelt and Weldlan?” Princess Estina asked.

“I saw them disappear into the forest half an hour ago after we finished the recruit training,” Clagen told her.

Princess Estina paused and thought. They were supposed to be meeting for lunch to discuss ideas on defence for the estate if anyone such as her brother, Prince Yernal, decided they were not welcome. Being on the road had felt more secure than being tied down to one spot, surprisingly. Here, until they were completely set up with their defences, she would feel completely open for attack.

Hopefully, Menelt and Weldlan had not disappeared into the forest for privacy. She doubted it as they had more than enough in their own room in the estate, but she would also never put it past them to indulge in the middle of nature either. History had told her that, she thought, smirking to herself as she remembered how she had first met the pair. It seemed like such a long time ago.

She thanked Clagen and Ladet and headed towards the back entrance of the estate, nodding and greeting the mountain men she passed who were working on making new stronger wooden doors for the estate’s entrance.

Her strong legs set off across the field towards the edge of the forest, confident in the sword at her side that she would be able to defend herself if needed. There was a small opening she had spied a few days back that looked like it could be a path leading into the woods, and she had promised herself to go and explore it. Most likely, Menelt and Weldlan had seen it and done the same.

The forest was dark, quiet and damp with a thin mist of fog that had not wanted to lift, hovering in the tops of the trees. The path looked as if it had not been used recently. Dead and damp leaves lay scattered across the trail, and mud squelched out and over the sides of her boots as she treaded along its route. The path wound around large boulders, down a gully and over a small hill. She clambered over a fallen tree trunk and paused as a bird cooed above her.

A break in the trees appeared and Princess Estina increased her pace. She stopped when the trail broke out of the tree line, and a gasp escaped her lips. Before her, a large round lagoon spread out in the middle of the forest. It began at the side of a high rocky overhang where the water appeared to be trickling out from the boulders and filling the lagoon. Off to the left, she believed she could spy the beginnings of quiet stream leading away from the immediate lagoon. The water looked cold, deep and unwelcoming, but at the same time, peaceful and serene.

Off, near the middle, Menelt and Weldlan were swimming together. She was not surprised they had dared to brave its temperatures. They were used to a rustic lifestyle, but after the warmer climate of Talbec, Princess Estina braced herself, the water would surely be a shock.

She judged the pair, determining whether she was going to interrupt their privacy. They were both surely naked, but there was a distance between them as they casually chatted and swam. From her immediate suspicions, they had not sought this place for intimacy.

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Princess Estina found a flat rock on the water’s edge and remained standing.

“Menelt. Weldlan,” she called.

Their heads spun immediately. Neither appeared disgruntled at her interruption, but instead, started to swim in her direction.

Princess Estina lowered herself down onto the rock and smiled as they approached.

“It’s not too cold?” she asked when they were about five meters away.

“Put your hand in,” Menelt told her.

Princess Estina quirked an eyebrow, but she lowered her hand. A gasp escaped her lips and she smiled widely.

“It’s hot!” she exclaimed. “How?”

“Hot springs,” Menelt explained, pointing to where the water was coming out of the rocky overhang a short distance away.

“How lovely!” Princess Estina sighed. She didn’t retrieve her hand and let her fingers swirl around in its warmth. No wonder both Menelt and Weldlan looked so comfortable. Maybe she would enjoy a dip in the water later after all. It had been a while since she had bathed.

“You look tired,” Menelt stated with a frown. “You did not sleep well.” It was not a question.

Princess Estina nodded.

“There is too much to do,” she responded, slipping into the mountain dialogue she had been learning over the past two years. It was still rough, but she tried her best to convey her meaning. “My mind was too busy. I really want to make sure we are ready in case Prince Yernal tries anything,” she explained.

“Of course,” Menelt acknowledged. “It is on the agenda for today, and we have already established a perimeter. Everyone is aware of their roles if something was to occur.”

“I also feel more exposed here,” Weldlan informed her. “We all do until we are completely set up. But you need to rest, Princess.”

Menelt nodded in agreement. “Today’s meeting will include everyone where we can discuss the security that we currently have and need. We are at least a week away from the nearest major city. It would take another a couple of days for Prince Yernal to ready an army to come and attack us. Relax and rest so you have the energy to fight if the time does occur.”

Princess Estina sighed. She leaned back, retrieving her hand from the water and put her weight on her hands. The rock beneath her was cold and now uninviting in contrast to the water.

As usual, Menelt and Weldlan were right. They had a couple of days to breathe and really assess their situation and come up with some solid defensive plans. She needed to let her body and mind relax.

“I’m sure there are other ways we can get you to rest and relax for sleep,” Weldlan said, swimming towards her.

“Hmm,” she agreed. “I might ask the resident health giver for a dream drink.” Princess Estina caught Weldlan’s mischievous grin. That was not the avenue he had been thinking of. Despite his quiet nature, Princess Estina was very accustomed to his cheekiness that he showed in privacy.

“I’m sure you can find a young village man to take care of your needs,” he continued. “Since you’re not interested in your future betrothed here.”

Princess Estina laughed. “Sharing the bed of my future promised?” she asked, glancing at Menelt and then back to Weldlan. “And have you glaring at me for the rest of my life, Weldlan, no thank you.”

“And there I was, thinking I was going to get something out of your marriage proposal,” Menelt responded dryly.

“Companionship can destroy the loneliest of nights,” Weldlan added.

“Oh, Weldlan, you should become a poet,” she teased.

She lifted her head and tried to find the treetops through the mist. She wasn’t annoyed or uncomfortable by the men’s bantering; she trusted these two men with her life. In fact, she found it endearing that they cared for her enough to note that she was lonely. She was often jealous of those around her who had lovers, and she was certainly not immune to hearing their joyful wishes or hearing the tender giggles coming from lovers who were amongst the sheets.

Princess Estina frowned. “No,” she said firmly. “You saw what happened when we met Lord Owen and the other noblemen. Their initial assumptions were clear enough. Having a lover is not a path for me to take at the moment. My main focus is to put myself into a position where I can protect and really defend my kingdom, and that does not leave room for romance. Everyone believes this to be a strategic arrangement to give you back the mountains. I do not want those close to me to think that I am not focused on anything else.”

“You are choosing a solitary path, Princess,” Menelt said, over his shoulder. He turned to swim back towards the centre of the lagoon leaving Weldlan and herself alone on the bank.

Princess Estina swallowed. Now she was becoming uncomfortable. Their attention had always been one of jest and the topic had never continued for this long. Menelt’s words suddenly sounded serious as if he really was concerned.

“I would not glare too much,” Weldlan said after Menelt had swum back into the middle of the lagoon.

Her mouth dropped open and an unexpected heat filled her cheeks. She cast an uncertain glance between Weldlan and Menelt. “Wwwhat?” she stammered, losing her confidence in this unfamiliar territory.

“Menelt has always enjoyed both women and men.”

“Men would only see it as a weakness if I was attached,” Princess Estina stated. “They would think I was more interested in bearing a child and sitting in my rooms sipping tea. That is not the image I wish to create.”

Menelt turned in the water and faced her squarely, clearly still within earshot. “If you stand behind your man, they will think that. But if you stand beside your man, they won’t. You already stand beside us and you are respected among the mountain men, who I know would follow your instructions now and not just mine. You also stand beside your brother as an equal. Whether you stand alone or with someone by your side, they will still know you are strong and a leader by your actions. For you,” Menelt continued, “let your actions show your intentions.”

“Menelt and Prince Alain have put you in a good position,” Weldlan added, agreeing with Menelt’s words. “They have purposely allowed you to lead when interacting with your own people as well as with individuals in the Talbecan Empire. They have allowed you to develop your confidence. The men around you will not see it as a weakness. Taking a lover will not change who you are Princess Estina, no matter who you take. There are other young men around you who could be a suitable lover.”

Princess Estina remained silent pondering their words. She gazed at Menelt and truly wondered whether intimacy was a path she could take with him. Realizing that he was watching her, watching him, she turned her head away. It was not something she had considered before until now, and she had no doubt Menelt knew that.

It was true. She was afraid to take a lover in case it destroyed the position she had fought to gain, and she didn’t want to show any sign of weakness now she was back in the Keglar Kingdom. But even Prince Alain had enjoyed the company of the occasional women in his sheets and it hadn’t affected his status. But alas, he was a man.

Was Weldlan right? Had she gained enough status already in her power to take control and fight for what she believed in? They had spent so much time in hiding and on their journey through Keglar, people had stopped and stared at her.

Doubt reined in.

Or had they merely been staring at the mountain men and their formidable might?

“Continue to think about it,” Weldlan said. “Everyone deserves to have that connection and feeling of love. So why not you? Aren’t you essentially fighting for love? So, no one has to suffer the consequences of Prince Yernal? What of the young Ladet gentleman?” Weldlan suddenly asked. “I have seen the pair of you talk quite easily on many occasions.”

Princess Estina chuckled, feeling abashed. “He is confident, easy to talk to and I won’t lie, he is handsome…” Princess Estina paused, realising she had said too much.

“I’m sure he would not refuse you,” Menelt stated.

More heat filled Princess Estina’s face. She shook her head. “No, my life is busy enough without adding romance into it as well. Maybe in the future, but not now.”

Weldlan gave her a wink. “Happiness makes a good leader as well.”

Princess Estina laughed at his last comment, and she leaned down to flick water into his face. “Okay, okay!” she cried. “I won’t promise anything, but I will consider further on whether taking a lover is good for my status or not. How about that?”

Weldlan gave her a long hard stare before finally nodding. “Whatever makes you happy, Princess.”