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Garron nodded.
“Actually, the king commanded me to. He is concerned that this Black Demon has taken control of your keeps, or else he’s destroyed them.” Burnell chewed on a bone before tossing it to one of the castle’s three dogs. “The king will miss me but I must see that you are well received. Aye, it is his instruction. He told me if these two keeps were destroyed, then he would see.”
Whatever that meant, Garron thought. “Mayhap the Black Demon is a Scot. Since the king wishes to hammer the Scots into the dirt, that would enrage him enough to send me an army. Aye, he would probably lead it himself, banners flying.”
Burnell raised a brow. “I hope I did not detect a touch of irony in your voice, my lord.”
14
I rony? Lord Garron shook his head, smiled. He saw Merry’s head was now lying in Miggins’s skinny lap. She was once again asleep.
He said, “I do not have a bed for you, sir, none were left whole and I deemed the trestle table and the benches more important to your comfort.”
Even though Burnell expected this, it was still foul news. But he well understood fortitude. “I feared as much. I brought many blankets. Our gracious queen much enjoyed herself, I believe, making lists, all her ladies adding suggestions until she was satisfied you would have everything you needed. She knows how to organize, does our benevolent queen.” He paused, frowned a bit. “She uses a great deal of ink with her interminable lists.”
“It seems lists abound,” Garron said. “I remember I heard the queen insisted all her ladies make lists as well, for greater control, she told them. Since most of her ladies could not write, she had them dictate their lists to a scribe. However, since they also could not read what was written on their lists, I wondered at the usefulness.”
Burnell harrumphed. “A ridiculous thing, a lady learning to read and write, though, naturally, I would never say such a thing to our lovely queen.”
“Indeed not. I hope you do not mind sleeping on blankets, sir, in the lord’s chamber. At least it will be quiet. Merry said there wasn’t any soap. She plans to make some on the morrow.”
“Merry,” Burnell repeated her name slowly. “An interesting name for the priest’s bastard. She acts like a lady, my lord. She speaks like a lady. I find this all very strange.”
“She is, I admit, something of a mystery.”
One of Burnell’s thick brows shot up. “A bastard is a bastard. On the other hand, she does appear to be more winsome than any I have met. I see kindness in her, enthusiasm, and she shows competency. You say she is a mystery. Why do you use that particular word, my lord?”
“Can you imagine her fat?”
“I cannot see her.”
Garron called out, “Merry! Wake up! Attend me, the king’s secretary wishes to thank you for the delicious dinner.”
He watched Miggins shake her shoulder. She jerked, and even from a distance, he saw the brief confusion and a spark of fear in her eyes before she realized she was here and safe.
“Merry!”
Slowly, she got to her feet, straightened her gown, patted her hair, and walked to him.
“What do you think of our new trestle table?” Garron asked her.
“It is a marvel, my lord. However, we have no bed for the king’s generous and kind ambassador. Gilpin said Aleric plans to make two beds on the morrow, one of them for you, sir.”
Burnell’s ears turned red with pleasure. An ambassador. He’d always believed it his calling, wiliness of tongue was but one of his many talents, but to be an ambassador—it was the destiny of his heart. He beamed upon the girl. “Thank you for the excellent meal. Your father, what happened to him?”
“He died in the Retribution.”
“I thought I heard you call it the Devastation before,” Burnell said.
Her face went perfectly blank, and Burnell thought, She was never fat.
“Retribution, devastation—one or the other, what matter?” Garron said, never taking his eyes off her. Burnell, sharp as an arrow tip, that old bastard, was testing her.
Burnell studied her a moment, particularly her hair. “I am sorry for your father’s death, since it leaves you alone. What will you do now, child?”
Garron realized she had no ready answer to this question. “As I told you, sir, she is at present seeing to Wareham. She is good at it. What will happen later? We will see.”
Burnell said, “Do you know who first called it the Retribution? Was it this Black Demon?”
