Lucy Wickshire

"We will transfer your worries to the lady, if that is the case." Lord of Merve said. He knew that people are usually weary on matters of the lady; apparently, so was the king.

"Well, since this is as good as done, we don"t need to keep watch any more." Walter said then got up. He did not wish to stay any longer. Not only was the king here, it would not do him well for Lady Steinhouse to drag him into something else. He nodded to the king and the two lords.

"If something comes up.." he started to say,

"Of course, we know where to find you." Lord Morge said.

"Are you not telling Lady Steinhouse you are leaving?" Lord of Merve"s eyes held a teasing smile, causing Walter to frown. Did everyone just want to drag him into fire? The king, who just happens to be the lady in question"s uncle, is sitting in the room. He sighed and walked away. He managed to leave the Steinhouse residence without meeting Lady Steinhouse, got a horse from one of the guards and rode off.

Walter"s absence cause the study to descend back into silence. It only lasted a second before the king asked the big question.

"Who is he?"

"The lady chose him... that"s all I know. Apart from that, I"m not sure I know much about him." Lord Morge answered.

"He has met her, then?" The king asked.

"Yes." Lord Morge answered.

"He only receives instructions from her, so forgive his att.i.tude." Lord of Merve said. Lord Morge almost snorted. As if; he had a feeling the lady was planning a big role for Walter. A kind of role the king will be unable to contend with. He thought it good that Walter did not hold the king in his eyes, or else how will he walk behind the lady in the future?

"Well, those the lady keeps beside her, are never normal." The king said, sending the two lords into deep thought. That"s true. They may have never looked down on Walter"s worth because he was picked by the lady; but looking at how things are going with the lady"s plans, there must be something about Walter that made her incorporate him into her plans. They had worked with Walter only few times, but they still felt they did not understand him. Have they been overlooking it? Thinking about it, no matter how good the lady"s matchmaking skills were, she could not force Lady Steinhouse to become smitten with Walter. She may have sped up the process, but Lady Steinhouse fell in love to the point of acting without reason, completely on her own.

The king saw that the two lords were in thought after his carefree comment, and frowned. Was there something special about this person that would cause this kind of reaction? He had not really paid attention to the boy, was there something he missed?

The door opened and Lady Steinhouse and Lady Raine walked in. The two ladies felt as though they had interrupted a deep conversation when they walked in. Lady Steinhouse Looked round the room and noticed Walter was not around. Before she could ask of his where about, Lady Raine had spoken.

"I will thank you again for the help." she said to the two lords and they answered with a smile and she took a seat. She had been discussing with Lady Steinhouse as to security and transport of her mother, in preparation for her wedding; and even requested that she be her maid of honour. Lady Steinhouse seemed nice as she blushed and accepted. The two ladies sat and Lady Steinhouse could not hold in her curiosity any more; she turned to ask the two Lords, "Where is Walter?"

"He left." Lord Morge answered.

"Where?" she asked with a frown. The answer, she already knew, but was too angry to care.

"He had plans." Lord of Merve felt to help Walter out, but noticed he had done more harm than good. Lady Steinhouse"s frown deepened. Plans? With who? The moment she thought those words, she wanted to kill someone. Was he going to see that girl?

"Are you going to see him later?" she glared at the two lords and Lord Morge felt a headache coming. Helen is up to no good again. They knew that look. Why, they wondered, why must they be dragged into this lovers quarrel?

"We are busy with things." Lord Morge had no intention of going, as he looked away from her.

The king frowned. What was going on? Lady Raine looked at Lady Steinhouse"s face and wanted to snicker at the two lords misfortune. She did not know who this Walter was, but she could guess he was the third man from before. Man? No, he was younger than that. As a woman, she understood what was going on. She had heard these two lords grew up with the Lady Steinhouse, and looking at their faces, she knew they were not getting out of this easily. It seems the rumours were true, not that the Lady Steinhouse was in love, but that these two lords had always been led into trouble by Lady Steinhouse as children.

"Oh, you are busy together? Doing what? Did you not say that you would have to stay a day more since things had not calmed down? Now that everything is calm, where are you going?" she asked. Lord of Merve felt wronged. Is it his fault Walter left without seeing her?

"We will stop by for a moment, not long." Lord of Merve said.

"I will go with you." she said without question. Their wronged and trapped expression caused Lady Raine to giggle. She could imagine the two lords as children, getting into trouble from being forced into Lady Steinhouse"s silly schemes.

The king was about leaving with Lady Raine, when he took Lady Steinhouse aside to talk.

"Helen, is that Walter boy the one everyone in town has been talking about; your lover?" the king asked.

"So?" she said with a tint of red on her cheeks. The king frowned. She was not even bothering to deny it any more.

"Who is he?" he asked her.

"His name is Walter Krain. His family owns an estate, that"s all." she said with a frown.

"Do you think such a person is worthy of you? Have you forgotten who you are?" the king scolded in anger.

"Who? A princess? I know my marriage is something that should benefit you, but I"m already a widow. Who I marry, will be up to me." she insisted.

"I"m talking about your ident.i.ty as Jin ke"s daughter." the king said and she frowned.

"I"ve told you I have no intentions about that bloodline. Don"t go around saying such things; you may make Walter refuse to marry me!" she fumed.

"Marry you? You actually wish to marry him!?" the king asked, his anger had already reached it"s limit.

"Why not? Do you actually believe that family will come for me one day? Are you not angry about what they did to me? Why should I care about them? I"m just a woman, I want to get married and that"s all!" she fumed and his anger deflated.

Yes, he understood how they had wronged her. If not for his inability, he would have marched there with an army and finished them. But what could he do? He was too weak.

"I will marry who I please and will live the life I please. When I marry Walter, my t.i.tle will go to him. Then he will be of n.o.ble blood; that"s all I want. My life will be better, I know it!" Lady Steinhouse said, her eyes watering slightly.

"He has intentions of marrying you?" the king asked tiredly and she blushed.

"He will soon." she said and the king frowned.

"He has not even approached you with the idea and you are thinking ahead?" the king asked, all his compa.s.sion for her flying out the window.

"He will; I know it!" she insisted and the king stormed off.