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  “Hello. I am Lady Avera, and I must apologize. My brother Verin has been a dreadful host, leaving you at the docks by yourselves then having you thrown into a castle room without even a proper introduction. I’m afraid today’s events have been trying for everyone.”

  “Oh, we have been treated well. Bravin was very kind to bring us to this beautiful room.” Ava paused to consider her words, then continued. “We saw the fires from the dock. Is everything okay?”

  “Yes dear, everyone in the city is okay. There is an attack, but my brothers are dealing with it as we speak, so I’m sure everything is fine. Now, without being too forward or rude, might I ask your names? I’m afraid my brother did not inform anyone of who his guests are.”

  “Oh, I am sorry Lady Avera. That was rude of me. I should have introduced myself when you first came in. I am Ava.” Ava turned and pointed out the girls in turn, “This little one is my sister Rose, and this is Sharon. We are friends of Nathan’s.”

  “Nathan?” questioned Lady Avera.

  “Nathan Stoneblood, Verin’s nephew… actually your nephew too, I guess. He is with Verin right now.”

  Lady Avera, obviously taken aback by this news, lifted her hand to her chest and took a deep breath. She stood there for a moment before finally speaking. “I will have my brother hung for this. Bringing my nephew home and then not even telling me about it. I swear the minute he became a ranger he lost all civility. We did not know he was even alive.” Lady Avera paused, absorbing the news that her nephew was alive and well, and now in Balta. “Please, if you don’t mind, could you tell me about him? Tell me about my lost nephew.”

  “Okay, where should I start?” asked Ava.

  “The beginning of course, I know nothing, beyond the fact my sister and Soron left so many years ago. I didn’t even know where they chose to live. It was a secret kept even from me, her sister.” A bitter cord could be heard in Lady Avera’s voice for the first time. She resented the circumstances that forced her sister to flee north.

  “Elderwood, we are from Elderwood. It is a small village outside Salma. Nathan grew up there with us. We lived there with our families until the village was attacked. Nathan’s parents, Sharon’s parents and our father were all killed in that first attack. Nathan took Rose and I into the swamps, saving us from the attack. After we returned from the swamps, Nathan was heartbroken. He left the village to roam the swamps. We tried to rebuild Elderwood, but so many died, and the traders who were our livelihood stopped coming to the village. That is when Verin came to Elderwood.”

  “I am so sorry for you loss. That must have been a devastating time for you girls,” said Lady Avera.

  Ava nodded, it truly had been a terrible time. “When Nathan came back to the village he started teaching us about potions. He wanted us to make salves and perfumes to sell to the traders, just like his mother had.”

  Avera smiled, Velaina had been a wonder when it came to making such things. She had loved wondering the woods looking for ingredients. “Go on,” urged Avera, wanting to hear more.

  The girls continued to filled her in on Nathan. How he went off with Verin to kill the bandit chief, and then came to Mithbea to rescue them. Ava even told her about the wolf and his trials with Thomas, while Rose told her about all learning to make perfume and medicines.

  Sharon added a few details, embarrassing Ava about describing them as a couple. Ava blushed, ignoring the comments and finished telling the Lady Avera about the rescue and traveling by ship to Balta.

  Lady Avera was fascinated by their stories and would interject occasionally, asking them more about themselves, and how they lived in Elderwood before the attacks. By the time the whole story was done, all four of them had shed tears at one point or another. Lady Avera cried throughout the story.

  “Well first, there will be no more of this Lady Avera stuff. From now all you all address me as Avera. Second, and there will be no arguments on this, you are coming to live with me.” Avera glared at the girls, daring them to argue the point.

  When Rose jumped up and hugged her, the argument appeared to have been settled. Ava smiled, “I think we would like that very much.” Already Ava was starting to love Balta. If the rest of its citizens were half as nice as Avera then this was a wonderful place.

  “Now that we have introductions and living arrangements taken care of, let’s get you girls hot baths and clean clothes. You are having dinner with the king tonight, and I have a nephew to meet, so we all need to wipe away these tears and get ready for a lovely evening. “

  When Avera left the room, the girls all hugged each other. Avera was so warm and friendly; living with her would be great they all agreed. Finally, they had something to look forward to. Balta was looking better by the moment.

  Chapter three

  DUKE EVOLLAN PULLED the knife out of the scout’s back, wiping his blade clean on the fallen man’s tunic. The previous night they had camped a short distance from Meron, capital of the kingdom of Morthon. This morning, the scout had suggested that he would prefer not to go into Meron, and would like his final payment for bringing the duke safely across the desert. The duke agreed, he just needed the scout to point out exactly where Meron was and how to get there. While the scout stood pointing out the landmarks, the duke slid his knife into the man’s back, giving him his final payment.

  So far, the trip to Morthon had been a complete disaster for the duke. Not only had he lost his prisoners and all of his men, besides the scout now lying cold at his feet, but he had also lost a good percentage of his stolen gold when the horses were taken from the camp during the rescue.

  How the boy had found them so soon was beyond the duke. It should have taken weeks or months for the boy to get his letter and make his way south to Venecia. Nevertheless, without doubt, it had been the boy at the attack at the watering hole. The duke and his scout had hidden behind a sand dune and watched him defeat several of the duke’s men and then finally Bailmont, an accomplished warrior. Frustrated but unwilling to risk dying, the duke had slunk off into the night to make his way to Meron.

  Meron was supposed to be a fresh start, a place where he could start building an empire. Duke Evollan had ambition and while his plans in Solotine had gone awry, he still had plenty of gold and the ability to make things happen. What he could not afford was people talking about his failures. With the death of the scout, there were no longer any ties between himself and the failures of his past. The duke mulled over all this as he walked towards Meron.

  The path to Meron was dusty and difficult, but as he got closer to the city, the land gradually changed from the crusty, dune-filled desert sands into hard dirt and grasslands. The duke was finally through the vast desert that encompassed the middle of the continent of Mithbea.

  Meron, capital of Morthon, was a sprawling city. Once a traveler passed the surrounding area filled with small farms, they reached the houses and shops of the peasantry. Further to the west, the duke could see large estates of the kingdom’s aristocracy but here in the city, the houses ranged from shanties to worse. The stench of human misery assailed the duke’s nose. Garbage, blood, sweat, and sewer mixed with the strong spicy foods cooking in the markets, making for a nauseatingly sweet aroma that made the one long for the acidic, yet clean-smelling air of the desert.

  As the duke got closer to the center of the city, the ground started to slope upward. The shanties and small shops gave way to larger, better-built buildings that housed the businesses catering to the gentry. This was where the duke needed to be, learning the cities dark secrets, finding an angle to exploit. This was where the duke would begin to build his new legacy.

  Chapter four

  “IF YOU THINK RISKING your life saving people from those attackers would spare you from getting an earful for not bringing me my nephew right away, you are surely mistaken,” spoke Lady Avera as she stormed into the room, interrupting Verin as he reported to the king on the successful mission.

  Verin smiled, his sister scolding hi
m for poor manners was nothing new. “Greetings sister, actually I bribed our brother. In exchange for chasing off the horde of marauders, he gave me you to sell off to some foreign prince. Perhaps I should have held out for gold, no prince is going to want a wife with a temper like yours.” Verin stood to hug his sister. He grabbed her and whispered in her ear, “I missed you too, sister.”

  Avera’s scowl broke into a smile of her own. “Scoundrel, you know would miss me too much. Besides, I know all the kings secrets. He cannot afford to let you sell me off.” Avera paused, looking around the room before her eyes fell on Nathan. “Now give me a proper introduction to my nephew before I really do have you hung.” Lady Avera missed her brother dearly and, despite the playful banter, it was plain to all that she missed him.

  Verin released himself from her clutches, cleared his throat and gave her a low formal bow. “Lady Avera Albet of Balta, may I present to you Nathan Stoneblood, late of Elderwood, hero of Balta.”

  Nathan did not know what to do, should he hug his aunt or bow to her? How does one address family when they are part of the royal family? Growing up in a small village had some disadvantages when it came to formal etiquette. Nathan decide best to go with formal so not to offend anyone. He rose from his chair and stood straight before lowering into a bow like Verin had previously done. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Avera.”

  “Ignore your uncle. He is being a pain in the ass. You don’t need to bow to me, and it’s Aunt Avera or simply Avera. Now get over here and give me a hug, while your uncle explains this hero business. If he has already placed you in danger I am going to lose my mind.” Avera spoke as she went to hug Nathan.

  Verin and the king laughed at this exchange. Teasing Avera was a favorite pastime of the brothers. “No sister, I did not put the boy in danger, but he did save my life and many others today.” Verin explained to Avera and the king how Nathan had shot the fire mage from the watchtower, causing the mage to blow himself up, as well as most of the archers around him. Verin went on, filling the king in on the rest of the conflict’s details.

  Avera gave Nathan another hug and glared at her brother. “You may be a hero to the rest of Balta, but I know the truth about you two scoundrels. While you two have been playing hero I have been chatting with this young man’s friends. I know all about you, Nathan Stoneblood.”

  Nathan felt a little sheepish. ”I am no hero. I got lucky today. Verin is crazy for thinking I could make that shot. Besides, even having a magic bow, all I did was miss two shots and barely hit the mage on the third. It really was luck. And I’m afraid to ask what you talked about.”

  The king interrupted. With a smile on his face, he explained the magnitude of Nathan’s effort. “Nathan I have over a hundred bowmen in my army. Not one could hit the mage from the city wall. You fired from farther away and still hit the target. Verin has told me about your magic blood and while that helps explain how you fired a shot such a long distance, it doesn’t lessen the significance of what you did today. Many lives were saved by your actions, and I thank you. Now, would someone please tell me about these girls? “

  Between Avera and Verin, Nathan’s story came out once more. (Besides a few key points where Nathan would interject to down play the events.) Once the story was finished, Avera announced her intentions to have the girls come live with her.

  “Those young women have been through so much, and Nathan here is the only family they have left, even if it’s not by blood. They shall stay with me for as long as they like. Nathan you are welcome to stay with me as well, but you do have choices. There are rooms in the castle for you but my estate has plenty of rooms and my door will always be open to you.”

  Nathan was glad Avera would be looking after the girls, it was good that his family was embracing him and his friends so wholeheartedly. “Thank you lad….Aunt Avera, I’m grateful that the girls will live with you. I think I might like to as well, but if it’s okay I would like to discuss it with Verin first.”

  “Of course dear, whatever you decide is fine. Despite my brother’s horrendous battle tactics, I do trust his judgment. Once you two have talked, you can let me know what your plans are. Now, when we have dinner tonight I don’t want any of your men talking about this duke, or anything that has happened to the girls in the last few months. They are going to have a difficult time with the trauma of been held captive and are going to need a lot of support. Especially from you Nathan, you are the link between our world and them. They need to know you are there for them. Especially Rose and Sharon, they will feel more like outsiders than Ava will.”

  Nathan was not exactly sure what his aunt meant by this but he would do his best to make the girls at home in Balta. “Whatever I can do to help them, I will do it.”

  “I know you will dear, as will the rest of us.” Avera looked at her brothers for confirmation as she spoke. Both of them nodded a silent agreement. The Albet family had grown by four bodies today.

  After Avera excused herself to go check on the girls, Verin took Nathan to find his room. As they walked through the maze of corridors, Verin asked Nathan what his first thoughts on Balta were.

  “Hectic, chaotic, overwhelming, beautiful, intriguing.” Nathan paused, sorting out his thoughts before continuing. “Everyone has been so nice and Avera seems wonderful. I am happy to be here.” Nathan spoke honestly. He had only been in Balta a short time, yet so much had happened already. Balta was so much different from Solotine. Mages being commonplace, no one blinking an eye at discussing magic; it was so different than back home. Nathan welcomed the fact he would not have to hide his talents for fear of discovery.

  Verin smiled at his young nephew as they walked down the castle corridor, slapping the boy on the back with a laugh. “Bit of a whirlwind introduction to life in Balta that’s for sure. You will do fine here and you will always have family here that loves you. However, there are things you need to know. Balta is a complicated city. Politics and intrigue are a way of life. Not everyone you meet will have your best interests in mind. Some of the people with the biggest smiles are also the ones with knives behind their backs. Not all of our relatives are as friendly and loving as your Aunt Avera. Jealousy will be an issue. You coming to Balta introduces a new dynamic in the royal courts. I try to stay away from the politics as much as possible, being a ranger allows me to do so. You, on the other hand, are going to have to forge your own path in Balta. My recommendation is to trust few and question all. This is no sleepy village like Elderwood, everything you do and say is going to have consequences.”

  Nathan listened carefully to Verin’s warnings. Nathan was not completely sure he understood the warning about other family members, or the politics of the royal courts, but he would keep his eyes open.

  Verin stopped in front of a door. ”Here is your room, you should spend one night like a spoiled prince of Balta before we ship you off to live with your dreadfully bossy aunt,” said Verin with a wink.

  “You think I should go live with her?” Nathan had liked the idea, but had wanted to check with Verin before committing to it.

  “Yes, I think it is for the best. You could stay here in the castle, but if you did that you would be putting yourself right in the middle of a storm you are ill prepared for. Politics is not for the faint hearted, nor is it something you want to learn on the fly. Besides, after tonight’s dinner you are going to have very little access to my brother, the king.”

  Nathan nodded, listening carefully to his uncles words.

  Verin continued, “This is a special occasion and he can justify having a small family gathering to welcome you back, but after that it is going to be rare for him to have time for you. Being king is a very time-consuming business. Also, to be blunt, if the king spent too much time with you, it would be a disservice to you. You’ve made enough enemies for one lifetime, and being the darling of the courts would put a bull’s-eye on your back. Go live with Avera. Tomorrow, you and I will discuss how you will spend your time. I have some people f
or you to meet, but for tonight just enjoy the meal and get to know your uncle, the king, a little better while you can,” said Verin, before he walked away.

  Nathan opened the door to his room, curious as to Verin’s comment about living like a spoiled Baltan prince. One look in the opulent room was all it took to understand this comment. Nathan’s first step into the room was onto the thick furs covering the floor. The entire floor was covered in a quilt work of bear, sheep, wolf, and a few other furs that Nathan did not recognize. The bed was beyond huge. With a laugh, Nathan jumped on the mammoth sleeping area and sprawled out. As tall and long as Nathan was, he came nowhere close to being able to touch the corners from the middle. The comfortable mattress, covered in luxurious maroon and gold satin sheets, was without doubt the most comfortable bed Nathan had ever encountered. Further inspecting the bed Nathan noted the four corner posts had curtains of thin black gold embroidered silk. Nathan looked around the room. Two oversized end tables bookended the bed. Each had several candles in gold holders. Nathan just laughed to himself, he could never live in a room this nice. He would be afraid to touch anything, spoiled prince indeed.

  By Baltan standards, this dinner was a simple affair. To Ava it seemed like a feast beyond compare. Three courses, multiple main dishes, desserts… Rose was in heaven, trying a little bit of everything, especially the desserts, until her belly bloated like an over-filled canvas sack.

  Besides Rose, Sharon, and Nathan were Lady Avera Albet, King Verbon Albet, Verin Albet, and Anya Brisson. Anya was Nathan’s aunt as well, but was married to Brisson Bayson who was not present; he was leading the royal fleet in its pursuit of the pirates who had attacked Balta, their son Quinton accompanied him.

  The conversation around the table was pleasant. Lady Avera, or Avera as she continually insisted on being called, was very good at managing the flow of dinner topics. Anytime the conversation went towards the youth’s journey, and the trials they suffered, she would redirect it to current gossip. Nathan, Ava noted, spent a large percentage of the evening conversing with the king. It didn’t really surprise Ava, after all he had already spent a great deal more time with his uncle Verin and had just met King Verbon. Avera and Anya spent most of the evening chatting with the girls.