Chapter 9: Of Power and Provenance

Lady Seraphina nodded in agreement with her husband. "Of course, it is wise for Mother to have them here now. It would look very bad if we sent them away immediately after all this."

"Elara can stay for a time," Lord Cassian agreed. "But Kael must not remain here. The Swordfall Marches cannot be left leaderless. With Anson gone, Kael is his only son. He must take command of what is his."

The thought of a ten-year-old boy taking command of a major military territory was absurd. Lady Seraphina lowered her voice. "Are you sure the soldiers will only follow Kael? Are they not loyal to the King?"

"Lord Yun says they are," Lord Cassian said. "And after a month there, I could feel it myself."

Lord Anson had died suddenly, and his brothers had not been able to see him before his passing. But Lord Cassian had stayed in the Marches for a month, and though he had visited before, he had never stayed so long. This time, as Lord Anson's kin, he had been granted an unprecedented look into his late brother's domain, and it had shaken him to his core. "The Swordfall Marches were Anson's domain," he said, his voice a low whisper.

Lady Seraphina's heart pounded in her chest. The words were treasonous. Even though they were alone, she still glanced around nervously. Lord Cassian cleared his throat, realizing his error. "The Southwest is unstable. The barbarian rebellion has only just been put down. The Marches are too vital to be left without a Lord. Kael's presence will reassure the people, especially the merchants and financiers who must have a Lord-Warden they recognize."

Lady Seraphina sat up straight, her mind racing. Lord Anson had rarely come home. Each year he would send a generous amount of money for his mother's upkeep, but none of the family had ever known the true extent of his wealth. They could only guess at the immense sums by the way the Grand Matron lived and by the sprawling expansion of Riverbend Hold. They had always assumed Lord Anson, being a high-ranking official, had a certain amount of wealth, but had never guessed the true scale of his operation. He had never brought his brothers into his business dealings in the Marches.

This time, however, the Thorne brothers had seen it for themselves. Lord Anson had not just held the title of Lord-Warden. He had controlled entire gold and salt mines and commanded a massive fleet of trade caravans. The money he had sent to the Grand Matron had been a mere fraction of his wealth. With Anson gone, all that wealth now belonged to his son, and by extension, to House Thorne. This was far too important to leave to chance.

Lady Seraphina nodded. "I will speak with Mother."

Lord Cassian was not worried. Kael could not remain in Riverbend. Stabilizing the territory and the family's fortunes was critical, as was a certain proposal that Lord Yun had made. If it succeeded, House Thorne would remain strong. A jolt of tingling excitement ran down his spine. It was a new era, for the family, and for him.

"We should rest," he said to his wife.

With his older brother gone, the burden of House Thorne fell to him. It was a heavy weight, but Lady Seraphina eagerly helped him prepare for bed.

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Kael's return brought a sense of peace to the entire Thorne family. He spent the entire day by the Grand Matron’s side, basking in her affection. That night, he returned to Lady Elara's courtyard carrying a basket of food she had personally prepared for him.

"Eat well and rest well," she had told Kael. "Do not worry about anything else. This is your home now, and you have your grandmother and uncles. Stay as long as you wish." The Grand Matron had stayed in her courtyard all day, waiting for Elara to visit, but when she hadn't, she had to leave disappointed. The Grand Matron doted on all her grandchildren, and they all returned her affection—all except Elara.

When Elara had lived in Riverbend Hold before, she had not been disrespectful. She attended all the family ceremonies, but she rarely spoke or played with her cousins. She never spoke with the Grand Matron affectionately, and so she always seemed like a guest, an outsider. But no one dared to chastise her. It would have been pointless. Lady Elara was a different sort of young lady. A girl from a wealthy family would find it difficult to leave on a whim, but Elara was different. She had money and loyal people. If she had been displeased, she would have packed her bags and left, and Lord Anson would never have blamed her.

The Grand Matron knew her son’s temperament. His daughter was the same.

In Elara's quarters, Glynnis set up the food and then stood guard outside the door. Inside, the two siblings sat across from each other. Elara’s face was still wrapped in black silk, with only a small opening for her mouth, giving her a ghastly appearance in the lamplight. Kael, however, did not flinch. He saw his sister just as he always had.

"Sister, do I have to listen to Grandmother and the uncles now?" Kael asked.

Elara had told him to act affectionately toward them, but she shook her head. "Be affectionate with them. Do not obey them." Affection and obedience were two different things. At ten years old, Kael understood the distinction. "I see. I will continue to listen to Valerius," he said.

This had been Lord Anson's last arrangement. He had entrusted his children to Valerius and told his children to obey Valerius. Elara, from her past life, knew that her father had trusted Valerius more than he had trusted his own blood. It was a strange truth. She had trusted her father, but he had arranged her marriage to House Blackwood, and they had died at House Blackwood's hands.

Her father had been wrong about Lord Kaelan. But what about Valerius? She couldn't judge him completely. He had died too early in her past life. Perhaps that was why he had died? His death had been too sudden.

Elara sat up straight. "Glynnis!"

The maid immediately opened the door.

"Go and fetch Valerius."

Though the courtyard was considered a woman's domain, Glynnis was not challenged, and Valerius was quickly brought to the door. Glynnis stopped him on the steps and turned to go inside, but Elara’s voice came from the chamber. "Let him in."

Valerius was the first person other than Kael that she had seen since her arrival. He was her own person. The Thornes were the outsiders. Glynnis stepped aside, and Valerius entered. He looked at Elara, still wrapped in her shrouds. He showed no sign of alarm or sadness, and waited calmly for his orders.

"Kael will return to the Swordfall Marches immediately," Elara said.

Kael looked up, surprised. He had thought that after his performance today, his sister would allow him to stay. Valerius's expression remained perfectly calm. Just as he had thought, his young mistress was perfectly composed. The rumors of her being a frightened child were false. Even the Grand Matron's anger at her sons, and the ensuing chaos in the house, was all for show.

"He can leave tomorrow," Valerius said.

Elara looked at him directly. "Do you have someone in the Swordfall Marches who can take command?"

Valerius looked up, a hint of surprise on his face.

"If you do not go back, can the Marches be held without you?" she asked.