“And reality is nothing like a song, Lord Davin,” Java pointed out gently. “Samantha was cold, hungry, frightened, and alone. She was wearing the uniform of the enemy, and came within a hair’s breadth of dying because of it. The year before she would have died, and we never would have known who she was. It was only our orders to capture anyone we could safely grab that kept an arrow out of her back.”
Lord Everdin was looking at Java strangely. “Princess, you paint an entirely different picture of the war than we were told.”
“You were told what you wanted to hear. That’s the trouble with minstrels. They tell you what you want to hear so you’ll pay them to tell you more. Bad news does not sell.” Java’s sour expression left Lord Everdin with a great deal to think about.
* * *
Java and Jah’Moke left Lord Stellin’s Orchard before Arandar had risen. Java and Debran hugged each other hard when they parted, and Java promised her an invitation to their wedding. “But it won’t be for a year, so don’t panic.”
The ride to Devinstand was a long one. Devinstand was closer to Link County, and Java smiled as she thought about her trip to Linkville with Robin. Devinstand, like Equintain, was a horse breeding estate, though they bred more common animals, with only a few racehorses. It was late in the evening, almost dark, when they arrived. A hostile group of men greeted them at the gate.
Lieutenant Norstrand rode forward. “Stand aside for Princess Java,” he snarled at the men, but they held firm.
“How do we know she’s the princess? How do we know you’re really Guards? We can’t tell in this light,” a man was saying, infuriating the lieutenant.
“Where is Berrisan Camlas?” Java shouted, drawing the attention of the men. “She knows me.”
“Why would my wife know you?” a man asked, and Java laughed before she replied.
“Because she’s my sister, Niv. Gods, you know me.” She rode forward past an angry Lieutenant Norstrand to look down at him. “You got fat, Niv.”
“Hey! That isn’t nice. Besides, Berry’s a good cook.” He tried to defend himself, but it was too late. The other men began laughing, then allowed Java to dismount.
“I am Walin Ridkin. Are you really the princess?” one man asked.
“Yes, I am. I’ve been here before, Walin, though I don’t remember you.” Turning on Niv, she frowned and poked a finger at his stomach. “I remember you as a bean-pole, Niv. What happened?”
Niv looked confused. “I haven’t been a bean-pole for five years.” Looking closely, he smiled. “All right, I recognize you now.” He went to one knee and bowed his head, and the other men knelt as well. “Princess Java, welcome to Devinstand.”
“Thank you. Open the gate, please. Where is Lord Alden?”
“Dead, Princess. A bit more than six months ago. Lord Stevin holds Devinstand now,” Niv was saying as he led her toward the manor house.
“Stevin? But, he can’t be much more than seventeen?” she said, drawing nods of agreement from the men.
“Seventeen last spring. But he’s married now, and has a baby on the way,” Walin supplied.
Java’s eyebrows rose, but she didn’t say anything. Walking up to the manor, she saw a young man on the porch, waiting. “Who is it, Walin?”
“Princess Java, Lord Stevin. She’s here to see Berry,” Walin answered.
“Berry?” he asked, then looked about and a figure stepped out of the shadows.
“Java?” she asked
“Hello, Berry,” Java said as she stepped forward to hug her sister. “I didn’t find out about your wedding until I got to Equintain. Congratulations.”
“Thank you, Java. Do you remember Lord Stevin Devin?” Berrisan took Java by the hand and led her to the young man on the porch.
“Hello, Stevin. It’s been a long time. You certainly have grown a lot since I was here last.” Java was smiling at the young man, but his expression was sour.
“Princess, I prefer to be addressed as Lord Devin, if you please,” he said in a stuffy tone of voice that set Java’s teeth on edge.
“As you wish, Lord Devin. I will require quarters for myself and my party tonight.” Java’s friendly tone and light banter were gone. If this little boy wants formality, he’s going to get it. “Please have your men see to our horses, and have a meal prepared. It has been a long day. Berrisan, come with me.” Java looked at her sister and grinned, then led her to the door of the manor.
“Now, just a moment. This is my house!” Lord Stevin said, causing Java to turn toward him.
Java looked him in the eye. “Very well, Lord Devin,” she said in a dangerously soft tone. Turning, she led Berrisan toward the stables. Berrisan was looking at her with wide eyes.
“Java, what are you doing?” she asked in a hoarse whisper.
“Teaching that little prig a lesson,” Java whispered back. “Where are your quarters, Berry?”
“In the loft. Oh, Java, you aren’t..?”
“Yes, I am. I’d rather sleep in Sugar’s stall than in his house, and I intend to let him know it.” Java’s jaw was set, and Berry began grinning.
“You haven’t changed, Java.”
“Yes, I have. A year ago, I would have stomped him, then demanded his bed.” Java grinned as Berry covered her mouth, shocked by Java’s words.
Lord Stevin stepped off the porch, intending to catch her, when Lieutenant Norstrand stepped into his way. “The princess prefers privacy, Lord Devin.”
“Stand aside!” Lord Devin said in a tone of voice that said that he was used to being obeyed.
“Lord Stevin, I am the eldest son of Lord High Councilor Kenyan Norstrand,” Emin growled, startling Lord Stevin. “Even I outrank you, your estate or not. You will not disturb the princess, and you will use a more civil tone when addressing me. Is that understood?” Lieutenant Norstrand was staring intently into Lord Devin’s eyes, and saw the boy back down.
“I understand. But this is my home,” he said in a petulant tone.
“We understand that, Lord Stevin, but it is incumbent upon a member of the nobility to be courteous. You need a lesson in humility, and the princess may just give it to you.” He looked the boy in the eye, then turned and watched Java disappear into the stable.
Lord Stevin took a deep breath. “Please tell the princess that suitable quarters will be available for her when she is ready.”
Lieutenant Norstrand nodded, then walked to the stable. Java was nowhere in sight, but the sound of feminine laughter led him to the right door in the loft. Knocking softly, he peeked inside.
Java looked up from where she was sitting on the floor, snuggled into Jah’Moke’s arms. “Princess, Lord Devin will have your quarters ready shortly.”
“I’m staying here tonight, Lieutenant. Berry and Niv have room for Jah’Moke and me,” Java replied, grinning. “You may assure young Lord Devin that I’m not happy with him and his pretensions.”
“As you wish, Princess.” The lieutenant bowed and withdrew, but not before he heard both Java and Jah’Moke burst into laughter.
“Berry, Mother told me that she wouldn’t let you send me a message, so I forgive you for getting married without me. Jah’Moke and I are officially betrothed now, and our wedding will be next year, at about this time. Latté custom dictates a full year of waiting.” Java grinned, happier in the stable with her sister than she would ever be at the high table with the lords and ladies.
Niv cleared his throat, looking embarrassed. “Princess, please forgive me, but what are you doing? Lord Stevin is going to be very angry that you’re refusing his hospitality after demanding it.”
“Don’t call me princess, Niv. I’m still Java, title or no. I remember the last time I was here.” She grinned widely. “Stevin got his butt whipped for trying to look up my skirt. Lord Alden was so mad at him!” She laughed at the memory. “He’s grown up some since then, but he needs a lesson. At least I won’t hold a grudge against him for years and years, not like some of the lords.”
<
br /> “That’s unusual,” Jah’Moke commented, grabbing Java’s elbow before she could hit him. “You usually hold a grudge for as long as it takes to get even.”
Java glared at him, but Berry was laughing so hard that she relented. Java and Jah’Moke spent the night with Berry and Niv, but nobody slept until the wee hours of the morning. Java and Berry kept trading outrageous stories about each other, and Niv and Jah’Moke were both sore-sided from laughter by the time they were finished.
The morning sun found Java and her escort saddling up, with Lord Devin standing on the porch looking miserable. Lieutenant Norstrand had made Java’s displeasure clear, embellishing her words to make the lord feel like a little boy again. She did not look at him the entire time, snubbing him so pointedly that she rode around the barn and jumped the fence rather than riding past him.
* * *
Java returned to Equintain late in the day. She went straight to Lord Ahern and thanked him for his hospitality. “...But we will be leaving first thing tomorrow morning. I want to stop in at Linkville before we return to Whitehall.”
“As you wish, Java. It was good seeing you again. Remember, there is always a place for you here, if you need one.” Lord Ahern smiled and hugged Java.
“Thank you, Lord Ahern.”
Java spent the rest of the day and well into the night with her parents. Jah’Moke excused himself, saying that he wanted to talk to Kel, but Java knew that he was just giving her time alone with her mother and father.
“Mama, Daddy, I’m going to send you some gold to buy clothes and such for yourselves and my sisters and their husbands. I want all of you there when Jah’Moke and I get married.” Java looked critically at her mother and father and saw them smile.
“It is usually the parents who pay for the wedding, Java, but we’ll let you break that tradition. You’ve already broken the rest of them, so why not?” Ambros laughed.
“Sweetheart, you have made us so happy. We both like Jah’Moke, and we can tell how he feels about you. Count on us to be there, sisters and brothers-in-law in tow.” Nightingale smiled and hugged her eldest. “I always thought you would go first, not last.”
“I never was proper, Mother.”
CHAPTER 4: LINK COUNTY
Don’t complain about the weather. Even the worst storm brings rain to the fields.
Ancient Wisdom
Java led her escort out of Equintain with the sun barely peeking over the hills. “Lord Ahern, please see to it that Mother doesn’t find an excuse not to come to my wedding. It’s important that she be there a month early. I want her to help Naria deal with Caloo’Ah.”
“You have my word on it, Java. She will be there a month early, whether she wants to or not. And I’ll see that she dresses herself and your sisters in style. The family of the bride must be properly attired,” Philip Ahern said as he held Java’s hand, looking up into her eyes.
“Thank you, Lord Ahern,” she whispered once again, then turned to go. Jah’Moke rode to her side and smiled.
“Lord Ahern wants to crossbreed Joh with one of his mares. He has an idea that the new blood will be good for his stock,” Jah’Moke said, grinning broadly.
“It probably will,” she said, then paused as a familiar black horse raced by. “That’s a horse that I’m going to bet on, Jah’Moke. Every time.”
“You won’t win much after the first few races, Java.”
“I’ll still bet on him. I owe Northstar that much,” she whispered, then fell silent as the young stallion passed them again.
Java’s trip turned into a processional as she announced her status as betrothed at each estate and inn. Lords and ladies gaped at Jah’Moke and Java, while innkeepers fell all over themselves to properly honor the princess and her betrothed. Jah’Moke bore the nonsense well, and the Guards began to make it a game to pick which lady would faint at her announcement. These men had decided that Java was their kind of princess.
Java was familiar with the road to Linkville, and kept Jah’Moke and the Guards laughing with her stories of her first trip. “I slept in that barn, and got chased away by the farmer. He thought I was stealing his chickens,” she explained with a laugh as she guided the party into the farmyard.
An old man came out of the house, hat in hand, and approached the Guards. “How may I be of service to ye, m’Lords?”
Java dismounted and smiled at him. “What is your name, good sir?”
“I be Lam Colinham, Lady. Who be ye, if I ain’t be’n uppity?” Lam replied, remaining cautious. He recognized the Royal Guard uniforms.
“I am Princess Java, Lam,” she said softly, and caught his arm to prevent him from kneeling in the slushy mud of the yard. “No need for that. I passed here seven years ago on my way to Linkville to join the Firewalkers. I slept in your barn, and wanted to repay you.” She slipped a silver royal out of her coat pocket and pressed it into his hand. “Thank you for your hospitality, Farmer Lam.” Then she smiled and mounted Sugar, waving cheerfully at the mystified man.
Lieutenant Norstrand was fighting not to laugh out loud as they rode away. “I’ll bet he never chases another traveler out of his barn, Princess.”
“No, he won’t,” Java laughed back, starting the rest of the men laughing as well. “I have to confess, I did steal an egg while I was there. I felt bad about that for years.”
The Guards all had to wipe tears of laughter from their eyes after that admission. The trip continued with Java recounting her adventures and misadventures. The inn where she had worked for a meal. The farm where she had run as hard as she could to escape a bull. The farm where her knowledge of horses let her help a widow treat a lame donkey. She was constantly reminded of the other time she had come this way with Robin, and her sadness clouded her enjoyment of this trip.
On the fifth day, they topped the rise and looked down into Linkville. “There it is. Not much to look at, but it’s a nice little town.”
Lieutenant Norstrand rode forward and took the lead. His duty was to protect Java, and he intended to see that no one threatened her here. Java allowed him to lead, but directed him to the manor, not the town.
Harran Lamb saw them ride in and came out to greet Java. Dropping to one knee, he bowed his head. “Princess Java, welcome back.”
Java laughed. “Thank you, Harran. Where is Lady Freeholm?”
Harran pointed across the valley toward the Firewalker Compound and grinned. “At the fort, Princess. She spends a lot of time there with her old comrades.”
“I can understand that. We need rooms for the twelve of us. Oh, this is my betrothed, Jah’Moke Cawfy. He and I will only need one room,” she said, grinning, as Harran bowed.
“As you wish, Princess. Should I send someone for Lady Freeholm?” he asked, tilting his head to the side. Java hadn’t changed much physically since her first visit, but she seemed much more comfortable with her authority.
“No. Let us get cleaned up first. Have hot baths readied for all of us. The wind had quite a bite to it today,” she said, looking about. When she saw Brandon Carstairs come to take the horses, she said, “Give all of the mounts warm mash. And some dried fruit. They deserve a treat.”
Java turned back to Harran after Brandon nodded. “We’re only staying two nights, Harran. I’ll want to meet with the council tomorrow, but tonight I want to rest.”
Harran bowed deeply. “As you wish, Princess. This way, if you please. We were very surprised by your appointing Lady Freeholm to care for the county. Several lords have been visiting during the past year, looking the place over. Lord Cross has been here a number of times.”
Java stopped in her tracks, staring at Harran as he stopped and turned to face her. “Lord Daveed has been coming over here, looking over my county?” she asked in a dangerously soft voice. Jah’Moke came to her side immediately and turned her so he could look into her eyes.
“He cannot do anything, Java,” he said softly.
“He has no business here!” she snapped. “Was he so
confident that Arten would take the county away from me and give it to him?”
“He was, Princess,” Harran answered, even though he knew she hadn’t been asking him. “Lord Daveed made it clear that he would be returning as Lord of Link County when he returned from Whitehall.”
“Well, he won’t,” Java snarled. “That conceited ass! If he thinks I’m just going to ignore this, he...”
“Java!” Jah’Moke said loudly, grabbing her arm. “He is not going to do anything, and neither are you. Duke Arten will deal with him.”
“No! This is my fight, Jah’Moke. You understand that! It’s my honor.”
“Then it is my honor as well,” Jah’Moke said, looking into her eyes. “And your father’s.”
Java compressed her lips tightly but didn’t say anything else. She didn’t need to. Jah’Moke knew her far too well to think that this was over. Hot baths were soon readied for all of them, and Java spent her time soaking her sore muscles.
When she was clean and warm, she sent for Pel, the groundskeeper’s son. “Please go to the Firewalkers Compound and ask Lady Freeholm to come back here. You may take a horse but keep to a trot. The roads are a bit slippery.” She smiled and wagged a finger at the boy. He was about thirteen and looked like a thrill-seeker to Java.
Java was in the library with Jah’Moke and Lieutenant Norstrand when Marta arrived. Java jumped up and ran to her captain, hugging her without speaking for a moment. “I’m so happy to see you, Captain,” she whispered, and felt Marta laugh.
“Still calling me captain, Java?”
“Always.”
“Thank you,” Marta whispered, then patted Java’s back. “What brings you down this way?”
“Jah’Moke and I have been at Equintain. Father gave his permission, and we’re officially betrothed now.” Java looked up at Marta, and the joy in her eyes made Marta smile even more.
“I’m happy for you, Java.” Marta guided Java over to a sofa, never letting go. “Naria said that you’ve been getting caught up on the duchy.”
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