"We are traveling to visit another lord of the countryside and had hoped to stop in for a rest and replenish our horses before we're on our way," the short man was saying. Lord Huntington was staring at the symbol on the man's chest. He knew what it meant. The fact that they would wear it so boldly on their chest in such a proud display made him nearly boil over with rage. But he only clenched his fist at his side and forced a smile for the traitors.

"I don't think-" Lord Huntington began but he was interrupted.

"Of course you may find rest here," Lady Cora said from his side as she exited the ladies tea room alone, having undoubtedly heard the arrival of their visitors from her place within. Lord Huntington turned to her. There was a warning in her eyes. "My brother never turns away those in need and I am sure he does not wish to offend the lord you serve. Who was that again?"

Clever.

"Oh, we don't serve him," the man said. "We serve another. We only have business with him is all."

The man shifted his stance so that his sword was visible at his side. The threat was clear and made upon him in his own house. He felt the rage again but his sister remained calm at his side.

"Lucy!" she called and a moment later the girl was scrambling up the stairs from the servant's quarters. "Take these men to the guest suites. Get them whatever they need."

Lucy nodded and ushered the men out of the foyer toward the stairs to the guest suites. When they had gone, Sterling turned on his sister.

"I don't want them in my home," he snapped.

"You know you cannot turn them away," she responded, her voice low.

He shook his head and pushed past her, up the stairs and toward his office. He knew she was right. No matter what he thought of the rebels, one thing was certain. The King's protection was in the capital, far away from here, but these rebels were in the country, at his doorstep now. Other noble houses had fallen prey to the fear that they inspired. They were a collection of armed men dedicated to the cause of treason and they roamed the countryside under the heavy implication that anyone who would side with the King would be met with force. As much as Lord Huntington hated himself for it, he knew his sister was right. Angering the rebels would only mean risking the lives of the good people of Northbrook, people who were his responsibility. He had reached his office. He punched the top of his desk in frustration.

"My Lord?" someone asked from behind him. He turned to see Arthur, the dedicated boy who was always at his service, watching him, concerned, from the doorway.

"Fetch me Edwin and Douglas," he told the boy. "I have need of their council."

Arthur nodded and ran off to do as he was told. Lord Huntington waited, jaw clenched, fists tightened. This was a test. That, he knew. He had never publicly declared which side of this issue he fell on. He had done so intentionally. He knew that if he declared for the King, for what was right, he would have an army of rebels outside his gates by morning but he could not bear to bring himself to declare for the rebels, even to avoid such bloodshed. They were tyrants, traitors, and he could not abide by it. But he had remained neutral for too long and so now they were here to discover where his loyalties lie.

"You called for us, my Lord?" Edwin asked from the doorway. Douglas stood behind him. Sterling waved them in and they entered, stopping to stand in front of him on the other side of his desk.

"The rebels are here," he told them and Douglas looked alarmed.

"Within the walls?" he asked, reaching for his dagger.

"Within the guest suites," Sterling answered and Douglas froze, confused. "They are demanding hospitality. Cora invited them in, wanting to avoid conflict. She believes they would have taken arms against us if we had refused them. She's right, of course, I think that they would have too. But I cannot bear the thought of them under my roof.  Douglas, alert the men, have them keeping careful watch over the estate. If something should happen, I'll need you to get the women and children out safely."

Douglas nodded and left to do as commanded. Sterling turned to Edwin.

"Edwin, you were my father's advisor. You counselled him through many difficult times. I need you to do the same for me now."

"I am honored," Edwin answered.

Sterling sighed and sat down, leaning forward onto his desk. Edwin sat in the seat across from him. Neither of them spoke for a while. Sterling was lost in thought. Edwin was waiting for his lord to speak first.

"I don't like them here," Sterling said finally.

"That's good," Edwin told him. "It means you're not a traitor."

"I worry what will happen if the King hears that I offered rebels hospitality."

"If that is what you are worried about, there are ways to assure him of your loyalty."

"How?"

"The King is far away, ill, and busy with the business of the capital. He hears little of what happens out here in the country. These rebels could have information, valuable information that the King would be grateful to be made aware of."

Sterling leaned back in his seat, considering the course of action that Edwin was suggesting. It was a wise one.

"How do I get them to tell me?" he asked.

"These rebels, do you know them? Are they leaders or common soldiers?"

"They seem to be common soldiers. They definitely are not telling me the truth about their purpose here but they are brash and bold and do not seem to be particularly intelligent."

"At dinner, ply them with drink and ask them questions. Bold men only become bolder when they are in their cups. They will want to brag and you can leverage that."

Sterling nodded.

"But be careful, my Lord. If there is one thing that I have learned for certain in all my years of counsel, it is to never underestimate your opponent."

"Arthur!" Sterling called and the boy appeared in the doorway. "Please tell Mrs. Woods to prepare for two more guests at dinner tonight. And tell her to let there be ale."

The boy nodded and hurried off.

"You have chosen the best course available to you," Edwin told him somberly. "I know that it will be difficult to cavort with traitors but you must. For your country."

Sterling nodded. "Thank you, Edwin. You may go."

And he did, leaving Sterling alone in his study. The boy returned with his lunch and confirmation that Mrs. Woods had gotten his request and was having the men bring the casks to the kitchen for uncorking that very moment. He thanked the boy and dismissed him so that he may eat in peace.

Alone in his study, Sterling attempted to make sense of the various correspondences he had received from other nobility throughout the country asking about the harvest and profit, how many crops had been produced and how many were in stores, but he found his mind wandering. He glanced up at the spot on his bookshelf which had housed his copy of Upon The Wings of Spring. It was an empty slot now. Brenna had taken it for reading, a source of entertainment for an intelligent woman stuck in a very menial job. He wondered if she had read it yet or if she had read it before. She had quoted Antionette Cloutier so succinctly the night before and so beautifully. The passage about the sunset had been one of his favorite parts of that work but it was almost universally ignored in favor of her writings on matters of the heart. It was so strange that he had spent an entire night trying to find intelligent conversation in a room full of noble women only to escape and find it with one of his own servants. He smiled at the absurdity.

He shook his head and straightened the parchment in front of him. This one was outlining the amount of rent collected from his so-called tenants, the people who lived on his ancestral land. He squinted at the numbers scribbled in the columns. Edwin truly needed to work on his penmanship. He sighed and stood from his desk, finding it impossible to focus on business, and walked to the window that overlooked the grounds. Across the rolling hills was the edge of the forest. The emerald of the evergreens looked more vibrant in the sunlight and reminded him of the dress from the night before. He balled his fists in embarrassment though no one was around. What was wrong with him? Perhaps he needed some fresh air.

He left his study and began walking down the hall toward the stairs when he saw the Duchess, readying herself for dinner through the open door of her bedchamber. He knocked to get her attention and then entered.

"What time is it?" he asked. She raised an eyebrow.

"Lost track of time have you? It's almost dinner."

"Stay here," he said and then crossed the hall to his sister's room. He knocked on the door and she opened it but, before she could say anything, he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her over into the Duchess' room, closing the door tight behind him so that the three of them could speak privately.

"What's come over you Sterling?" Lady Cora was protesting as he let go of her arm and turned to face them both. "What's wrong?"

"The two of you will not be attending dinner tonight," he said.

"What? But-"

"Your meals will be brought to you here in your room. I will be dining alone with the rebels."

"Sterling," the Duchess gasped. "No. It's dangerous."

"Which is precisely why you will not be present. I need to have my wits about me. I cannot afford the distraction of worrying for your safety. If something should happen, Douglas will come for you. Go only with Douglas, no one else. Stay here in this room together. Do not leave it until I or Douglas come for you. Do you understand me?"

They nodded, wide eyed, in stunned silence. He kissed them each on the cheek and then left the room, shutting the door and waiting to hear the lock click behind him. Then he headed down the stairs and toward the dining room, wondering how he had so easily lost track of time. It was unlike him.

He was not the first to reach the dining room. The rebels were already there when he arrived, standing at the end of the table in low conversation. They smiled when he entered.

"Lord Huntington!" the short one exclaimed. "We were beginning to think we would be dining alone."

"Of course not," he told them, taking his seat which was an indication for them to do the same and so they did as he continued. "My apologies but I am afraid I got wrapped up in a bit of business and lost track of time."

"It is no worry at all. We are familiar with such a concept. Pray, where are the ladies? We had hoped Lady Cora would be dining with us after meeting her earlier. And we heard one of the servants saying the Duchess was visiting."

"Ah, yes. I am afraid the Duchess is feeling a bit under the weather and has chosen to dine in her rooms with my sister for company."

"That is too bad. I will pray she recovers."

"Thank you."

The door opened behind him then and three servants emerged with the first course. Elsie sat his in front of him. Against the scolding of his internal voice, he found himself looking for Brenna but she was the one servant not present. Lucy and Kitty were the ones descending the stairs back to the kitchen as Elsie took her place behind him.

"So, men, I'm afraid I do not have the pleasure of knowing your names," Sterling began, taking a sip of the ale in front of him in an effort to begin the game. It works. The men took sips of their own. It was clear at that moment that these men had never been educated in courtly manners as the big man gulped the entire mug of ale in one turn and slammed it back onto the table, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as he did so. As repulsive as it was, Sterling did not cringe.

"My name is Jack, this is Ivor," the short man told him as he drank much of his own mug of ale and then tucked into the first course.

While the men were looking at their food, Sterling leaned back to Elsie and covered his mouth as he whispered. "Be sure to keep the ale flowing. If their mugs even threaten to empty, I want them filled, do you understand?"

She nodded and started to rush off for more ale but he stopped her.

"Elsie," he said. "Where is Brenna?"

"Ill, my Lord," she told him. "She took to her bed after ladies tea and hasn't come out since."

He nodded. "Thank you."

The girl ran off to fetch the ale and he turned back to his guests who seemed to have hardly noticed his inattention. They ate like rabid dogs who hadn't seen a meal in weeks.

"I'll have to meet your cook," Jack said as he pushed away the empty plate in front of him. "This is the best meal I've ever had."

"That's only the first course," Sterling said and watched the man's eyes bulge in delight.

Elsie returned then with more ale and Sterling saw that the time he had spent devising ways of convincing the men to drink more ale had been wasted. They didn't need any convincing at all. They were drinking the ale faster than Elsie could bring it to them. By the time the main course arrived, Elsie had elicited the help of Kitty to help carry mugs of ale up to the dining room. By the time Sterling had finished his meal, the men were slurring their words and telling bawdy stories of girls from town. Sterling leaned back in his chair and kicked his feet up onto the table to show that he joined in on the revelry, and kept drinking himself to keep the show up, though at a much slower pace.

"What sort of business brings you two fine gentlemen so far north?" Sterling asked, smiling, after one of the men mentioned again that they should be off in the morning.

"We're... hunting," Jack said and Ivor laughed a booming laugh as he downed the rest of his mug and slammed it down for another.

"The hunting is quite nice in these parts," Sterling told them. "Especially deep in the forest."

"That's where we found our prey. Mind you, it was on the roads."

"The roads? Game usually strays far from the roads."

"Well we caught ours there. But she got away."

He slumped in his chair as he remembered.

"Must have been a fine beast to escape the clutches of you men," Sterling urged, taking another drink. Everything seemed a bit foggy. He set the cup down.

"Aye, she were," Jack said. "Would have been a royal price for her too. We lost Rory in the effort."

"You lost a man?"

"That's the chance you take when you go huntin' princesses."

Sterling felt his mouth drop open. Jack and Ivor roared with laughter, ale sloshing out of their mugs as they swung them around. Sterling blinked a few times. The room spun around him. Princess hunting. He couldn't have heard them correctly. He had heard rumors that the rebels were after her and even a few that she had fled but these men were sitting here claiming they had tried to catch her and failed. Suddenly, he didn't feel so well. He stood from the table.

"You men can hold your ale better than I," he said and the men laughed jovially. "I'm afraid I must retire."

Unfortunately, it became clear soon enough that he would not be able to do so without help, so he recruited the aid of Kitty and Elsie who he leaned upon for support as they left the dining hall to jeering from the rebel men still drinking within. They brought him all the way to his door and he thanked him and said he would handle it from here. They scurried off to return to serving the rebels and Sterling reached for the doorknob but, before he grabbed it, he remembered his sister and the Duchess and turned back down the hallway.

He knocked on the Duchess' door, perhaps a bit louder than he intended to in his state. He had hoped to tell them it was safe enough for the night, that Cora could return to her room, but the moment the Duchess opened the door, Sterling saw nothing but black as he fell forward onto the soft teal carpet.