Ravenburg

Adelia woke to find that the sky was still dark and covered in stars, but after a moment of lying in bed, cozy and warm, she grew too restless and got up. She got herself ready for the day, choosing one of the thicker wool dresses she had bought in preparation for the colder climate.

She almost forgot her wedding ring, but picked it up before she left without it. She turned it over between her fingers for a moment, watching the emeralds glitter in the light of her candle. She hadn't really cared about it before, but now she briefly wondered if it was a family heirloom or if Lord Morrow had bought it from a jeweler.

She slipped it over her finger and quietly padded out of the room to head down into the kitchens. She found Ada hard at work already, along with two other undercooks, who greeted her with cheerful friendliness, though they were yawning heavily a moment later.

This kitchen was nothing like the one back home, where the servants had always been carefully, gently polite, and she found that she preferred this, Ada and the two undercooks visibly comfortable in their space. When she asked if there was something she could do to lend a hand, she was a little surprised at just how gladly they put her to task.

It was refreshing. No one here seemed scared of interacting with her, or of losing their jobs or maybe even getting turned away with a bad reputation that ensured they couldn't work anywhere near the keep if they so much as overstepped just a little. It had been one of her father's favorite punishments, if a servant drew his ire.

It had taken Adelia years to get the staff at home comfortable with her and even then there had remained a bit of careful caution in every interaction. No one had wanted to get caught by her father, after all.

Things here were far calmer and relaxed and as she helped everyone get started on cooking breakfast, she realized that there were things she hadn't known when it came to cooking, and one of the undercooks was quick to give her a few pointers.

"You're a good lass," Ada told her with a toothy little grin. She looked a little more grizzled and wild today and perhaps a little tired, as though she had had a truly fun night out. Her eyepatch today was different than yesterday, as well, a sort of silky one embroidered with blooming nightshade.

When Adelia asked if she had to work late last night, Ada waved her off and said, "It was the last day of the moon celebrations, don't worry, they're worth feeling a little worn out the next day."

Adelia grabbed the opportunity to ask more about the Wilds by the throat. "What other celebrations are there?"

"Right, I forgot you probably don't know much about us and our land," Ada said, not even a hint of disappointment in her voice. If anything, she sounded like she should have remembered that fact sooner. "Alright, let's start with our main celebrations."

As more and more kitchen staff appeared, Adelia was told everything she wanted to know. From the winter solstice to the new year fires, the light festival, the spring marathon, the midsummer dances and the harvest torch, there were a plethora of celebrations. More than she had expected, if she was being honest. It was as if the Wilds had decided to celebrate every milestone possible across the whole year.

"It wasn't always easy living here," Vera explained as she brought in a sack of grain that looked like it should have been far too heavy for her and yet she carried it with ease. "The Wilds were once a very dark place. These days, with the warlords watching over everything, we're able to lead largely happy, often peaceful lives."

So long as they had good warlords, from what Adelia had understood. "The other warlords govern their lands well, then?"

Vera hummed thoughtfully, the sound for a moment vibrating strangely in the air. "They do, mostly. Though the most western warlord is rather unpleasant. From what I heard, he's only begun behaving because Rowan threatened to cut him to size if he acted any more like our previous warlord did."

It took Adelia a moment to realize that Vera had brazenly called her lord by his given name without so much as a title added. No one back home would have ever dared to do such a thing. Not even her father's friends had called him by anything but his title and his family name.

"Lord Morrow can just threaten other warlords?" she asked with a frown, feeling a sharp zip of alarmed worry race up her spine. Did her husband enjoy picking fights? Though, if he did, she had no idea what she might be able to do or if she might be able to temper him.

Adelia had read enough about wars, had heard enough stories from Baron Izna over the years, who had been part of two, to know that it was a horribly, ugly, terrible thing where the ordinary folk suffered most of all.

Ada laughed at that, raspy and amused and there was a sharpness to her grin as she said, "He has friends among the other warlords and the rest generally don't really mess with each other. From what I heard, they don't like the man either, so his demise wouldn't be much of a loss in their eyes. If Morrow decides to cut him to size, they might even congratulate him."

How strange, to think that the warlords had such loose ties with each other. No one would have dared to simply kill another noble in the king's court, at least not so openly.

Even if the king had been in on it in secret, murdering one of their own would have seen the offending nobles beheaded, or striped of their titles and banished at the very least. Unless they successfully managed to pawn the blame off to someone else.

"You should ask our lord if you want to know more about the others," one of the undercooks suggested. "We don't know too much when it comes to the rest of the warlords, since we don't really meet them and most of us don't travel outside our lands much."

She wondered how large the lands her husband governed were. Her husband who had told her to no longer treat him like a spouse. A knock at the door made her look up and she felt her breath catch, her heart jolting a little when she saw none other than Lord Morrow himself.

She couldn't help but immediately think of how her father would have reacted had he found the kitchen staff speaking so openly with her, never mind about himself, or other nobles. If he had seen her standing among them, washing and peeling and chopping potatoes, he would have seen the servants around her swiftly replaced and thrown out in disgrace.

The knee-jerk reaction of trying to draw his ire away from them gripped her and before she knew it, she had stepped forward, only to realize that the hustle and bustle of the kitchen continued on undisturbed.

There were greetings shouted at her husband, jovial and pleasantly surprised and Vera tipped her head to the side as she stared at her lord. "It's getting late, is everything alright?"

A glance to the windows showed that it was still dark outside and Adelia briefly wondered when the sun was meant to rise here in the north. And why this early hour was considered late for Lord Morrow. She also wondered where he had gone to last night and if he'd tell her if she asked.

"I'm fine, but I'll be out for most of the day," Lord Morrow said, but the tone of his voice was a little strange, as though he was conveying something beyond his words to the staff. When Vera nodded in solemn understanding, Adelia knew she was missing some kind of context.

He turned to her, then, with one of his mild smiles. "I wanted to ask if you slept well? I hope we were able to supply you with everything you might need."

"I slept quite well," she answered and meant it. The moment she had fallen asleep she hadn't woken once, nor had she had any strange dreams. Those might come later, but for her first night all alone in a new, strange place, her rest had been downright refreshing. "I hope you had a good night as well?"

"It was certainly interesting," he reassured her and for a moment it looked like his mild smile might turn into something else, maybe something bigger or a grimace perhaps, before he caught himself. Was he self-conscious about what his smiles looked like? Maybe he didn't like his teeth. "If you are still interested in aiding me, may I seek you out towards the evening?"

"Certainly," she answered and he bowed his head politely and she quickly bobbed a curtsey before he stepped away, the staff waving him off with friendly smiles.

"Just a moment," she called out and he paused by the door, those dark eyes turning towards her with a curiously raised brow.

She stepped up to his side and he silently let her pass into the hallway, closing the door behind him as he followed her, cutting off the hubbub of the kitchen.

"I saw you leave last night," she said, hoping that questioning him on his whereabouts wouldn't upset him. Father certainly had never explained where he had gone to Mother. "Was everything alright?"

He paused before an expression of seriousness took over his expression. "There was a tragedy at one of the sun temples," he said softly and Adelia felt worry grip her. Had people gotten hurt? "We're still trying to find out if it was an accident or intentional."

"Are the people alright?" she asked and he shook his head, making her heart sink a little.

"Those who were present at the temple died." He glanced at a nearby window, his lips thinning and a brief flash of unhappiness flitted over his head. "But I fear I'll have to go. Please feel free to speak with Lambrecht if you have any further questions, he'll answer them as best he can." He offered her a mild smile. "As will I, later, if you'd like."

"Then we will speak more on this tonight," she said and he tipped his head in polite agreement, gifting her another mild smile, before he left with brisk steps.

Adelia glanced at the window herself and noted the faintest hint of the approaching dawn along the horizon, the stars starting to fade ever so slowly. It was still dark out, but she would not be surprised to see the sun rise soon. Finally.

Adelia glanced back towards Lord Morrow, who turned around a corner and all at once she was unsure what she was meant to do today, aside from speaking with Steward Lambrecht.

A wife had duties, but she wasn't supposed to be his wife, no matter what it said on their marriage contract. Even those papers might as well not exist, considering the divorce documents she had in her room, his signature already on them.

She was, what, therefore, a guest? A part of his household? Some nobles took in the children of other houses to teach them, but that largely happened between loyal allies or old friends and rarely between those that didn't care for each other. Besides, she was far too old for such a thing.

She hoped things would become clearer when they met later. For now, she briefly poked her head back into the kitchen.

"Where might I find Steward Lambrecht at this hour?" she asked and Ada looked up, though she kept chopping carrots with admirable speed.

"He should be up and about already, I believe, he's always been an early riser. He should be in his office while it's still dark out, though if he isn't, just ask one of the other servants and they'll take you to him."

"Thank you," Adelia answered and stepped back, closing the door quietly once more.

Steward Lambrecht was indeed in his office and when she knocked, he called out for her to enter. He worked in the shine of some kind of mage lantern, for it illuminated everything more than a candle would have and there seemed to be no actual flame involved. If anything, it looked like a lantern with an iron claw at the bottom that contained a floating, glowing stone.

"Good morning, My Lady," Steward Lambrecht greeted her, bowing his head as he paused in his writing. "How may I be of service?"

"Lord Morrow mentioned that something happened to a sun temple?" she asked and his usually solemn expression turned serious. Serious and a little sad.

"We have yet to find out what exactly took place, but as far as I could gather, some sort of device exploded into massive shards of crystal. Any people nearby got turned into crystals as well."

Adelia bit back the urge to inhale sharply in surprise. She had never heard of such a thing and it sounded truly awful. "Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked and Steward Lambrecht offered her a small, warm smile that made his entire countenance lighten a little.

"At the moment none of us can, not until we receive further information. I can keep you updated along with Master Rowan if you'd like, and it's best you speak with him about what his next steps are once we receive further information."

"I would appreciate being informed," Adelia agreed. Steward Lambrecht nodded and appeared as though he was going to return to his work, likely thinking that was all she had come for, when she lingered and he glanced at her again, waiting patiently for her to speak again.

"Are there other ways I might be of aid?" she asked after a moment of carefully choosing her words. "I fear I have precious few duties at the moment, at least until Lord Morrow and I speak tonight."

He looked ever so briefly surprised and then briefly regretful, as though he hadn't intended to disregard the possibility that she might want to keep busy.

Adelia genuinely had no idea how other noble women handled integrating into their husband's households, especially when they had never expected to be there, or if she was the only one who felt terribly lost and downright awkward at times.

If this had been Tirn, she would have known what to do. They had discussed things a number of times growing up, after all, and he had said he looked forward to leaving at least half the tedious paperwork in her capable hands, if not most of it. He had looked forward to organizing events instead and socializing with their fellow nobles.

"Forgive my oversight," Steward Lambrecht said. "If you are amenable, you can help me handle the household tasks for the day. I'm expecting a delivery at sunrise and I would head into town for some purchases afterwards."

"I would gladly accompany you," she answered, relieved that she wasn't being pushed off to the side and told to keep busy on her own.

Sure, there were things she could take care of among her personal tasks, such as embroidery and mending, but she'd rather get a feeling for how the keep and these lands were run and what her place here was going to be.

There was just one more thing she had to know, "When can I expect sunrise to be?"

Lambrecht once again looked like he had missed a detail and that it didn't sit right with him. "In about half an hour, My Lady," he answered. "As we approach winter, we will have less and less daylight. During the winter months we have around five hours of daylight at most, I would recommend spending them outside as often as possible."

Oh, that was...that was kind of startling, if she was being honest. Winters had always been darker months back home, with thick grey clouds and all the windows staying closed to keep the warmth in as much as possible. However, the sun had also shone every so often, the clouds gone, and that had brightened everything immeasurably.

"I'll be certain to prepare," Adelia answered, even if she had no idea how to prepare properly. She'd take Steward Lambrecht's advice to heart, however. Perhaps Ada or her husband had further advice.

Surely there was something to be done outside while there was light, or mayhaps some winter activities that the people of the Wilds liked to partake in that she could join as well.

People back home had played in the snow quite a bit, building little huts and round snowmen and other things. The young lads, the squires and stablehands and servants, had started a snowball fight at least once a year, which had drawn a number of other people into it, until Father or the captain of the guard had put a stop to it.

"Don't hesitate to approach me for anything you might require," Steward Lambrecht said and quickly finished jotting something down before he rose. "Now, allow me to show you how I run this keep."

She dipped into a small, grateful curtsy and answered, "If it is no trouble."

Steward Lambrecht gave her a brief little smile that seemed to be genuine and not just polite. True to his word, he explained how the keep was managed, at which days supplies were brought in, the overall expenses and plans for the gardens come spring and how much their sorceress was helping them with things.

"The lady sorceress is getting paid by Lord Morrow?" Adelia couldn't help but ask and Steward Lambrecht looked like he was biting back a smile.

"She is," he answered. " She is also being compensated for any additional aid she provides outside of her duties with ingredients for her potions, as well as components for her spells and materials for her experiments."

Spellwork as well as potionology were part of the reason why a mage's services were so expensive. Little spells needed very little, but nobility wasn't interested in those things anyway, seeking to instead show off as much as possible. To outdo each other at every turn.

Lord Morrow must be able to supply Iva with either enough items or rare enough ingredients that she considered it worth missing out on additional coin.

"She also tends to to accept commisions at her leisure, visits the local townsfolk or at times other warlords," Steward Lambrecht continued. At Adelia's badly hidden surprise, he smiled reassuringly. "We never have to question her loyalty. She cares about these lands as much as Master Rowan does."

No one back home would have allowed such a thing. Mages were feverishly sought after and coveted by those who could afford them and the nobles who hired them were jealously guarding their mages and sorcerers like greedy drakes sitting upon a mountain of gold. Magic was a rare enough thing, after all, that the rich and powerful had no desire to share it, at least not without promising enough profit.

They moved on and before she knew it, the sun had risen and the thick, unsettling fog started to recede enough that people could approach the keep and deliver goods. The four men that arrived with two big wagons, filled with sacks of flour, mead and wine and bags of freshly harvested food, were cheerful and excited to meet her when they arrived.

The towns people had a rough charm about them, smiling warmly and welcoming her to their lands and promising her that their nearby town was nicer than this, "Foggy ol' keep, m'lady!"

They recommended her places to visit at this time of year, along with others that would be particularly beautiful in spring and summer, and they left with clumsy but earnest bows.

Steward Lambrecht showed her to their storage rooms afterwards, while the rest of the servants got the delivered goods neatly packed away. He had two horses made ready afterwards and for the first time since her sweet gelding had been sentenced to death, Adelia found herself getting into the saddle.

She had missed this, she had to admit, but the ache of loss still hurt terribly and she had to swallow down a stab of grief. She was glad that Steward Lambrecht was busy telling her about the land, that they had very good soil and tough farmers and hard working townsfolk. He didn't seem to notice her emotional moment and by the time he glanced at her, she had herself under control again.

The horse she rode was a sweet mare who plodded along swiftly, ears perked as sunshine fell through trees and gave the lingering fog a ghostly presence. It was less unsettling now, with golden light illuminating everything, and Adelia could already tell that this place would be beautiful in spring, once the barren trees grew in their leaves again.

The town, which was called Ravenburg, was quite a bit larger than she had expected and already bustling with life. People were busily going about their day, though many paused and bowed to her, rugged and friendly faces smiling up at her and Adelia found herself waving when a couple of them shouted a greeting.

It was a lot less formal than back home and she couldn't help but think that this was a good thing. Neither her father nor her mother would have allowed their townspeople to address them this way and everyone had always been a bit nervous around them as a result.

Steward Lambrecht showed her around Ravenburg while they went shopping, buying candles and picking up a previous order from the blacksmith, while he dropped off another one for a set of mounted candleholders.

"If you spot anything that strikes your fancy, please don't hesitate to let me know," Steward Lambrecht said as they briefly stopped by the market to eye the wares of a traveling merchant. The man started to preen at having caught the attention of the steward of the keep. He deflated in much the same manner when they moved on a moment later.

"I haven't thought to bring any money with me," Adelia admitted. "I considered it more prudent to familiarize myself with my new home first."

"Quite the sensible decision," Steward Lambrecht said with a small nod. "Be that as it may, my master told me in no uncertain terms to allocate some of our household funds to you, so if you desire anything, it can be obtained."

Considering the way he said it, he truly did mean anything. Adelia couldn't help but feel uncomfortable about that offer and she wondered if Steward Lambrecht knew about Lord Morrow's plans to divorce her, or at the very least, not treat her like his wife.

"Has Lord Morrow spoken with you?" she asked carefully, voice lowered so no one could overhear them. "About what he discussed with me last night?"

"Certainly, My Lady," Steward Lambrecht answered with a downright regal nod. "There is little that happens within the keep that I don't know about. Still, you are a welcome part of our household for as long as you desire to be one, no matter your ties to our master." He cast her a glance. "If anything, I am certain Master Rowan would prefer to know you are being looked after in all possible regards."

Lord Morrow was easily the strangest man and most certainly the strangest noble Adelia had ever encountered – no matter if he considered himself one or not, the world viewed him as a lord. She couldn't think of a single other aristocrat who would have done as he did.

She was meant to act as though they weren't married, while he still offered her every comfort her position as his wife should hold in theory. There were some nobles who didn't offer the same courtesies to their actual wives, she knew that much.

Adelia still thought to decline when a shop caught her attention and as she hesitated a moment, Steward Lambrecht paused and glanced at her, waiting for her to speak. She took a slightly deeper breath.

She could continue to question everything and worry about any punishments brought by missteps, or she could carefully start to test how much Lord Morrow meant the things he said and how much he would tolerate.

Though, if she was being honest, she was beginning to think that he wasn't a man who lied much. Or, who hadn't lied to her, yet. That he might very well be a man of his word.

His staff was not afraid of him, his townsfolk were happy and everyone she had seen so far had looked well taken care of. No one feared his wrath or that they might upset him and no one danced on eggshells around him, almost on their knees with how desperate they were to please him.

"If it's no trouble, I would like to visit the bookshop," she said and Steward Lambrecht offered her a smile.

"That would have been our next destination, as well, very well then, lead the way, My Lady." He dipped into a small bow and gestured for her to go ahead.

Adelia's hometown hadn't had a bookshop of it's own. Her father had always paid traders for books or had been gifted them by his friends and other allied houses, since he had made no secret out of considering himself well-read and educated.

Aside from him, however, there hadn't been enough clientele in her hometown for a bookshop to establish itself. Or, perhaps, her father hadn't allowed it in fear that someone else might get access to the knowledge he had.

The bookshop here in Ravensburg wasn't as big as other shops she had seen, especially in the capital, but it was filled top to bottom with books. The scent of paper and ink hung in the air, pleasant and downright comforting. The owner, a brown skinned, portly woman with wire-framed glasses, perked up when she spotted them.

"Welcome, welcome!" she greeted cheerfully, a slight accent in her voice. "You must be Lady Adelia Aria, it is an honor to welcome you. I am Aishwarya Chadha, the owner of this humble shop."

She offered a small curtsy and Adelia quickly bobbed one back, which her parents would have viciously scolded her for afterwards. Maybe even punished her for in private, ensuring she went to bed with no supper or knelt in front of the temple statue for an hour in silent prayer for forgiveness.

People of their station were not meant to bow to anyone but fellow nobles and perhaps mages, they had always said. Adelia had always considered that nonsense and if people here in the Wilds treated each other this well, she would not be so unkind as to be rude to them in return.

"The honor is mine, believe me. Would you mind terribly if I look around?" she asked.

"Go right ahead, I have everything from novels to scientific publications," Miss Chadha said with a proud note to her voice. "Call if you need my help with anything."

Adelia dipped into another polite curtsy and stepped away from Steward Lambrecht, who turned towards the shop owner.

"Lam, you have impeccable timing, the latest delivery just arrived this morning," Miss Chadha said. "I managed to obtain everything this elusive warlord of yours wanted. I also have a few other publications here that came in this morning that might be of interest to him."

"Let me see, please," Steward Lambrecht stepped forward while Miss Chadha set down a wrapped parcel that must contain at least six or seven books and then she set down another four books beside it.

Adelia focused on the books in front of her, staring at them in quiet awe. She quickly found herself getting lost in them, the chatter of the shop owner and the steward turning into background noise. There was so much that she wanted to look at, so much she wanted to read.

She only realized how absorbed she had gotten into the task of carefully pulling out books to check the contents, when Steward Lambrecht appeared at her side.

"If I may, we already have a number of those books in our library," he said quietly and Adelia noticed that Miss Chadha was busy advising another customer on what to buy. "Unless you'd prefer to have your own books in your room," he amended.

Adelia was heavily tempted to just keep the books to herself, to hoard what she was never allowed to have, but it was hardly practical and books were expensive enough already. There was no need to have a second copy around when she could just borrow it from the lord's library.

She carefully offered the small stack of books she had already selected, along with the question if any had already been obtained and Steward Lambrecht skimmed over the titles, humming mildly.

"We have the last three of those already in our possession," he said and then simply waited for her decision.

Adelia put back the books about monsters, religions in the Wilds and a book filled with local fairytales, with a bit of reluctance. She held onto the other two books she had chosen and Steward Lambrecht gestured for her to follow him.

He paid for everything, including the additional books Miss Chadha had set aside for Lord Morrow. Miss Chadha wished them a good day and said that she got new deliveries every month and that they should come back soon if they didn't wish to miss out on anything.

The moment they stepped outside Adelia's stomach decided to growl viciously and she was startled to realize that she had forgotten to eat anything. Steward Lambrecht seemed briefly surprised as well.

"Forgive me, I hadn't thought to ask if you'd like to take a break," he said. "I tend to skip breakfast most days myself. We can pick up a little snack over there before we head back into the keep."

He led her over to a stand where an old man sold filled, baked buns, his smile happy and warm and he chattered about the good harvest they had had and he only charged Steward Lambrecht for his bun, telling Adelia that her food was on the house.

"As a gift for the newlyweds," he said with a little bow that she returned, though it was something she wouldn't have dared to do with either of her parents around.

But Steward Lambrecht even seemed to approve of her manners, if his quietly pleased expression was anything to go by. She accepting the bun and the food was pleasantly hot and incredibly delicious once she took a careful bite.

As they returned to the horses, Steward Lambrecht ate quite swiftly, as though the heat of the food didn't bother him in the slightest. He packed the books away in the saddlebags, carefully distributing their weight evenly and he handed Adelia her two books to stow away on her own horse.

They had two more stops afterwards, it seemed, at the jeweler's store and, just at the edge of Ravenburg, a hunter's guild. Steward Lambrecht introduced Adelia to all the people they met, even if he spoke with them only briefly.

"This is for Sorceress Iva," he said as he stowed away the last parcel from the hunter's guild. "Unless there is something else you wish to see, we should head back now."

They left Ravenburg behind and just as they crested the hill leading to the keep, she couldn't help but glance back, her horse dutifully plodding after Steward Lambrecht's gelding.

There were large differences between Ravenburg and her father's town, largely because the style of buildings differed.

It took her a moment to realize just what else gave her pause, a niggling in the back of her mind. Ravenburg, for all that it supposedly housed nothing but lawless, godless wildlings, looked a lot more organized and well structured.

There were no muddy dirt roads for even alleys were cobbled, and there was a proper sewage system in place. No discarded leftovers or the contents of emptied chamber pots could be seen and the overall air of the town was one of cleanliness and sturdiness. If a town itself could look healthy, Ravenburg would be the very picture of wellness.

When she asked Steward Lambrecht about that, his smile held a proud edge. "I could tell you everything, but I know Master Rowan would greatly enjoy talking about all the changes he made and the current projects he is invested in. Unless you'd prefer to get your answers now?"

She could be patient. She was meant to speak with Lord Morrow anyhow, and it might be best to feel out his opinion on certain topics, such as the treatment of his subjects, and the care for their health and education.

Tirn hadn't cared much either way when she had poked him for answers during a ball once. He had mentioned that he'd leave such things in her hands if it was too boring to deal with himself. He cared far more about taking care of his family and friends and while that was a good quality, he was just as blind to the possibilities of improving things for his people like many other nobles were.

They soon reached the keep, the large, heavy gate opening for them and Adelia noticed another strange thing. There were no guards. She hadn't seen a single guard since her arrival.

"Are there any soldiers in Lord Morrow's employ?" she asked and Steward Lambrecht smiled in a downright secretive manner.

"There are, worry not. We have a night and day guard, though the day guard is usually helping out in Ravenburg and surrounding villages with any issues that need any extra hands," he answered and Adelia was surprised to hear as much.

Her father had only ever sent his soldiers out to help if it was necessary, like when a bandit group had started to cause too much trouble or the one time a town had refused to hand over their taxes. They had thought they could force her father to listen to their demands that way.

She wondered how the guards could be called back during an emergency, or if they only left the keep once it was clear they likely weren't needed there that day.

"How do you deal with any thieves?" she asked.

It had been a rare occurrence, since the castle had been so well defended, but sometimes people had tried to break in to steal from her father and those thieves had always met ugly punishments to warn away others. Her father had been fond of chopping both their arms off at the elbow and leave them with lashed-open backs.

Steward Lambrecht smiled a little again. "Our staff is well trained, they would notice an intruder and either get myself involved or they deal with those people on their own."

It would have been ludicrous back home to think that every single member the staff would be that loyal. Most of them wouldn't have been, nor did they have any combat training.

Adelia would like to think that the staff back home had liked her well enough to not stab her in the back, but she knew that almost no one was truly loyal to her father. He had, however, been terrifying enough in his punishments and fair enough in his wages that most hadn't dared to go against him. Not unless they thought it was going to be quite worth it.

Two of the servants appeared to swiftly bring all the purchases inside and Adelia split ways with Steward Lambrecht, her two books held close as she headed up to her rooms. Putting the books onto her writing desk, she paused, fingertips tapping against it.

Taking a deep breath, she quietly stepped back out into the hallway and towards the library. No one crossed her path on the way there and she hesitated for just a moment outside, before she straightened her shoulders and stepped inside.

If she was told she could peruse the library freely, she would gladly do so. If it turned out to be a lie, that there were limitations to this offer after all, she'd learn and adapt. Though, not even her terrible father had used those sort of mind games. He had his rules, firm and unyielding, and anyone who didn't stick to them, or gods forbid, talked back, was punished accordingly.

No one was inside when she entered, but the space was well-lit due to two walls being made out of large windows, and glowing mage-stones floating in metal-claws along the walls and mounted on shelves.

It was still awe-inspiring just how many books there were. A fortune of knowledge, put into ink and paper and glue and leather, from thin booklets to large tomes and carefully rolled and tied scrolls in special shelves.

It didn't take long at all to find the books she was looking for, mostly because the library was incredibly well organized. First by topic of its contents and then, within the genres, alphabetically by the titles.

There was a large collection on books about the Wilds, all the different rituals and festivals, old and new, and the gods they worshipped. She picked one that seemed to be an overall collection of local customs and tales.

There were books on the geography and plants of the Wilds, as well, and after looking at a few of them, she picked an encyclopedia about flowers and herbs and weeds and their many uses.

Knowing what the land offered its people was part of understanding how to govern it after all and she had to start somewhere. Also, Izabel and Katrina loved flowers and would surely be happy about receiving sketches of plants they had never seen before.

Strangely enough, however, when she started to look for monster lore, she found precious little. When Steward Lambrecht had told her they already had books in the library, she had expected to find at least the one she had wanted to buy in the bookshop.

There was almost nothing, the part of the shelf dedicated to monsters lying barren. Only two books were there, one about monstrous beasts like ghouls and wraiths and another about small, friendly creatures.

She still grabbed those books and left again, her arms full and the encyclopedia especially was ridiculously big and heavy. Returning to her rooms, she set everything down on her writing desk and was about to reach for the first book when her stomach growled a little again.

She realized just how hungry she was, though it was a bit late for lunch. She had managed to miss it just like she had forgotten about breakfast. Hopefully, the kitchen wouldn't feel too inconvenienced if she dropped by.

Heading down, Ada greeted her with jovial friendliness when Adelia entered the kitchen and upon her question if they had something to eat for her, the undercooks eagerly waved her over to sit at the servant tables and offered her a gorgeous spread of leftovers from lunch, along with little quiches that had come fresh out of the oven.

It was a very delicious and unexpectedly fun meal, the staff gladly chatting with her as they worked. To her surprise, just as she had handed over the dishes she had used, Sorceress Iva entered the kitchen.

The sorceress wore a sweeping, sunflower yellow dress embroidered with countless red flowers, poppies and tulips growing up the hem, with bees flitting among them and then, in a sweep of color, the flowers turned to beautiful little birds that took flight up her bodice.

Today her gray-streaked, curly hair was put into braids and decorated with pearls and little golden and red cuffs. She wore a beautiful choker of golden lace that dripped with tiny red gem stones and the make-up dusting her cheeks and eyelids was gold and red as well.

It made Adelia wonder if the colors gold and red had a meaning, if they were the colors of this part of the Wilds, or of Lord Morrow's house. The only colors she could remember him ever wearing were, after all, gold and red.

"There you are," Sorceress Iva said, looking pleased to have found her. "Have you been settling in well?"

"Yes, Lady Sorceress," Adelia answered with a respectful curtsy and the sorceress laughed.

"None of that pretentious simpering here, alright? You're one of us now and we have no need for titles that are only respected through threats and bribery. Feel free to call me by my name."

"Then I request that you do the same," Adelia answered and the sorceress smiled at her. For all that she was an elderly woman, there was nothing frail or weak about her. If anything, there was an underlying hum of power to her, as though her magic surrounded her even now as it laid dormant.

"Gladly. Though, I've come to find you for a reason, would you mind following me up to my workshop?"

"Not at all," Adelia answered swiftly. She had to admit that she was quite curious about a mage's workspace, especially since she had never seen one herself.

She had only heard stories about what they did in their quarters and had seen some of the results of a mage's tinkering over the years. While nobles viciously hoarded the use of the accomplishments of their mages to themselves, they still loved to show them off to their peers.

To appear more powerful and to collect jealous looks like tokens of affection. To show their rivals and enemies what they could never have, because those magical inventions would never be shared unless it was for a very good reason.

Sorceress Iva certainly had a point about titles often being respected and upheld through threats and bribery and little less. If she was being honest, she could think of a number of noble houses who'd backstab anyone at the drop of a hat, even some of their own allies, so long as it went unpunished and gave them a leg up. Her father was chief among them.

Adelia said her goodbyes to the kitchen staff, who waved her off warmly and they told her that she was going to love tonight's dinner. Sorceress Iva led the way to her tower, asking Adelia if she had any questions she could answer.

When Adelia asked about the fog, the sorceress smiled wryly. "It takes some getting used to and I've certainly had to pour quite a bit magic into this land to keep it from whithering, but no one here minds it much anymore."

So the fog was indeed here to stay. What a strange phenomenon if not even magic could get rid of it.

They walked up the stairs when Adelia mentioned, "I have to admit that seeing no guards around is strange."

"It probably would be," Sorceress Iva agreed. "However, we are well defended, worry not. We have watchtowers to keep an eye on things and messengers to warn us ahead of time of any approaching dangers." She smiled at Adelia over her shoulder. "The people of the Wilds are quite strong, you won't have to worry about your safety."

Reaching the top of the stairs, Sorceress Iva said, "Which brings me to the reason I came looking for you. I know you'll likely have some trouble in the coming months, in the growing dark and cold. I certainly did."

She smiled wryly as she added, "Coming here from the Sun Lands a couple of years ago was quite the adjustment for me. I hope to spare you the same unpleasantness." She opened the door and gestured for Adelia to go ahead.

Sorceress Iva's entrance room was, in one word, magical. Adelia knew awe was openly visible on her face as she stepped forward, craning her head as she tried to look at everything.

A fine layer of shimmer like ground-up, golden starlight covered the ceiling like drifting mist. Glowing, golden stones floated among it, giving the impression of tiny, distant suns illuminating the entire room.

A detailed, bright painting wove along the walls and around four windows like a wave of color, showing off beautiful lands with crystal blue seas and bright, white shores, and people playing and dancing and harvesting. Everything seemed to move the faintest bit, like the painting had been gifted a small breath of life.

A carpet laid beneath her, looking to be woven of something between fur and grass and wool, half alive and half strange, a swirl of dark blues, brighter turquoise, and spring-green. Padded chairs and a large sofa stood by two of the windows, with little tables scattered around, creating a welcoming sitting area. This bottom floor was likely meant to receive guests.

A wooden stairwell wound along the wall to the side, leading to the next level of the tower rooms, and little crystals hung from the banister. A soft melody filled the air, like little silver bells and chimes and Adelia realized after a moment that the sound came from the crystals.

Sorceress Iva walked towards the stairs, waving Adelia with her.

"Usually folk have to wait down here," she said. "But I think you'll appreciate this."

Adelia eagerly followed her up the stairs which creaked gently in a manner she could only describe as unexpectedly comforting. Like a long-missed home welcoming her back, sighing softly in greeting.

The glow along the ceiling covered the entrance to the next floor, as well, and stepping through it felt a little like a tiny, warm shower.

"Welcome to my workspace," Sorceress Iva said and Adelia had to fight to not stare at everything like an awed child.

Big windows illuminated everything, along with more of that golden, shimmering mist along the ceiling that had yet more glowing stones floating among it. There were a number of shelves everywhere, filled with neatly labeled boxes and jars and baskets and containers.

Other shelves held equally neatly sorted books and scrolls and there were three tables beneath the windows, each covered in different runes and symbols and sigils, and each was made of a different material. A potion cauldron stood over by the wall where a fireplace had been built, though it was empty and the fireplace cold.

Another set of stairs led up to yet another floor, though this time there were shelves beneath these stairs with numerous drawers, large and tiny ones, a neat label on each and everyone of them.

The room was a lot bigger than she had expected and she wondered how that could be possible, since the tower had looked utterly normal from the outside.

"There is an illusion enchantment on the tower," Sorceress Iva explained as she headed to one of the tables, picking up a bracelet that seemed to be woven out of some kind of thick, dark-red, metallic thread. "To make it look different to onlookers and to hide where I work. A mage's tower tends to get attacked first during sieges. Here, this will keep out the keep's chill."

She held out the bracelet and as Adelia accepted it, she realized it wasn't made of metallic thread at all. Instead, it seemed to be made of some kind of hair that shimmered like metal, but felt silk-smooth under her fingertips.

"It's made of fire giant hair," Sorceress Iva explained and smiled at Adelia's surprised expression. Giants were considered extinct, just like the huge dragons of old. "They still exist here in the Wilds and we're keeping them safe in exchange for some help and they bring us the hair they cut. And toenails. And on occasion some blood."

Well, some of that sounded a little bit disgusting, but from what Adelia had heard, it wasn't even the weirdest or strangest things mages and sorcerers used when creating things.

Sorceress Iva gestured at the table she had retrieved the bracelet from as she added, "But please be aware that no enchantment is forever, since enchanted items get filled with magic upon their creation and it slowly depletes over time. Kind of like filling a jug with water and drinking from it. You'll likely have to drop by at the end of winter to let me re-enchant it so it keeps working."

That was very interesting to learn. Adelia hadn't known that before and she wondered just how much work Sorceress Iva had with re-enchanting everything she had made, or if it was something that could be done quickly.

"Thank you very much," she said, turning the bracelet over in the light. It shimmered like glowing embers and the moment she fastened it around her wrist, the faint cold that had gripped her toes and fingertips vanished immediately.

"Of course," Sorceress Iva said. "We outsiders got to stick together, don't we? The folk of these lands certainly act as though the months of frost and ice don't bother them one bit." She chuckled. "Then again, they're all stubborn and hardheaded to a fault and would pretend to be fine standing naked in the middle of a blizzard."

"They've all been very kind to me so far," Adelia found herself saying and the sorceress smiled warmly.

"They are good folk. Stubborn and kind in equal measure. I also hope Rowan has been behaving? If not I can talk some sense into him." She smiled wryly. "He knows darkness more than anyone else and he's often of the opinion that he can just brute-force his many ideas into getting realized by sheer willpower alone. Sometimes that needs a bit of tempering."

Everyone kept speaking so freely about their lord and while Adelia felt that she should be getting used to it, she still felt herself tense just the faintest bit. Words like these could be construed into treasonous ones easily enough back home, after all. Everyone chose what they said very deliberately, even the mages who were so sought after were often careful in order to keep their generous employer.

"He's been the soul of courtesy," she answered carefully but also truthfully. "I've been wanting for nothing."

The sorceress seemed pleased at that. "Good. He's been worried that you might not feel welcome here, so I'm glad that he hasn't scared you off."

Adelia hesitated before she carefully asked, "Has he scared off other people in the past?"

Sorceress Iva laughed, unrestrained and truly amused. "Oh, has he. It's one of his favorite past times, if we're being honest. He greatly enjoys sniffing out traitors and liars and bad intentions." Iva turned a little more serious then. "On that note, don't try to do any of these things. He owes you a great debt, but he will defend those under his protection no matter what."

It was reassuring to know just how serious Lord Morrow took the safety of his land, even if it was a little unsettling to hear that he liked scaring people.

Whenever Adelia's father had been in the mood to get rid of someone, he had always found the person who worked the least well and hard, and had ignored all explanations as to why. From recent childbirth to recovering from a long-term illness, he had allowed for none of it and it had forced people to work hard even if they weren't well.

To Adelia he had simply said, "See? They can work after all, don't let their lazy excuses count when you have a household yourself."

A part of her, however, doubted that Lord Morrow would act this way, as well. There seemed to be trust between him and his staff. Genuine trust.

In all honesty, if she pushed aside her expectations of the gentry, her memories of her father, then Lord Morrow had been nothing but kind and accommodating. She didn't doubt that he wouldn't get angry if pushed, because men in her experience always did, but if she knew what to avoid then living with him wouldn't be so bad.

Sorceress Iva glanced at the windows. "Well, sunlit hours are precious, if you don't mind I'm going to gently toss you out of my tower so I can get more work done."

"Of course, thank you very much again for your gift," Adelia answered, dipping into an elegant curtsy and Sorceress Iva gestured for her to straighten before accompanying her down the stairs and to the door of her workspace.

"Be sure to keep Rowan busy and, if you can, spare us his violin practice, our collective ears need a break." With those words and a last wave, the sorceress closed the door.

Adelia found herself briefly touching the bracelet as she walked down the tower stairs, a smile tugging at her lips. It had been made and given to her for no other reason than to make her life here a little easier. Truly, everyone here had been nothing but incredibly kind.

Back in her rooms, she beelined for the books she had retrieved and she set the encyclopedia aside for later to get started on the books on customs and rituals of the Wilds.

It was quite educational and she soaked everything up eagerly. Since the book only gave an overview of the Wilds with just enough details to understand what was going on, and references to which books to read for detailed history on each custom, she finished it before it was time for Lord Morrow to appear.

And while she knew there wasn't much more time left until supper, but she still wanted to get started on the next book. Or, at the very least, skim over it. She reached for the first of the two monster books, the one on the dangerous creatures that could haunt the land.

The bestiary was detailed, giving her all the information she could ever desire about everything from griffins to basilisks and plague rats. The latter, surprisingly enough, when she paused to read the origin part, were man-made creatures and the product of a mad scientist who had tried to make ordinary animals magical.

He had ended up creating something so vile it had thrown half the Wilds into a terrible, dark time for five years. It got so bad that all the warlords had come together to combat the rats that had spread a strange illness in their wake.

That had happened nearly two hundred years ago and, these days, plague rats were almost hunted to extinction. It helped that actual rats hated them and did not tolerate them in the slightest, killing the unnatural intruders whenever they could.

There was just one curious thing about the book. It mentioned that every listed monster was not capable of higher intelligence. The author explained that all the monsters collected in this bestiary were wild beasts who very rarely could be taught or tamed, their intelligence ranging from that of a dog to that of a raven, but nothing more.

There was no word about werewolves or any of the other creatures Adelia had heard about in stories. She had no idea what other beings existed out there, but she knew that werewolves were absolutely real.

Unless, of course, the hunters had thoroughly managed to fool and rip off her father when they had been hired years ago. That the strange pelts they had brought back had belonged to actual wolves and that they had merely sown them together to look bigger.

The second book on small, friendly creatures brought no further clarification, though it did display a few monsters capable of higher thought.

The author wrote about tiny creatures that brought little blessings if they were given a bowl of old milk or who repaired clothing during new moons if one left garments outside when the sky was perfectly clear. It reminded her of the folk tales she had heard back home.

But, once again, nothing more.

It niggled in the back of her mind like a loose tooth and she frowned down at the books. Maybe Steward Lambrecht knew where the other books were? At the very least, the keep should have the book she had looked at in the bookstore, or she wouldn't have put it back. She'd have to ask him.

A knock at the door made her jump in surprise and it was only then that she realized how much time had passed while she had been engrossed in books. Getting to her feet she smoothed down her skirts, and went to open the door, finding Lord Morrow waiting on the other side.

It was almost strange how she had almost forgotten just how... intimidating he could be. This constant edge of subtle danger and power that surrounded him clashed with everything she had seen and learned so far.

Maybe this energy surrounding him was something that came with the warlord title, that he was so used to being in control of his lands, that this knowledge surrounded him like a cloak.

"Good evening, Adelia," he greeted and stepped back, gesturing down the hallway towards the dining room with a small bow. "Shall we? Unless you changed your mind, of course."

"No," Adelia was quick to answer. "Please, lead the way."

It was time to get more answers to her many questions.