Pug laughed. ‘Such as?’
She punched him in the chest. ‘Younger men! Why are you all so thick-headed?’
Pug grabbed her and pulled her to him. ‘What would you have me say? You are my life, Miranda. You fill up a place I thought would never again know happiness. Stay with me. Marry me.’
Miranda said, ‘One thing.’
‘What?’ he asked, half-playfully, half-concerned.
‘I want a baby.’
Pug’s mouth fell open as he stepped back. ‘A baby?’ He blinked. ‘How? You’re two hundred years old!’
She grimaced. ‘The Lifestone. I’m young again, and I’m ready to be a mother.’ She grabbed the front of his robe and pulled him toward her. Kissing him, she said, ‘Unless you’d rather I find someone else?’
‘No!’ he said. ‘It’s just . . .’
‘I know,’ she said softly. ‘But I regret not having children the first time around, and now I have another chance.’ Her voice dropped and she said, ‘Beloved, I know you are suffering over the death of your children, and you’ve spoken about the pain of outliving them, but this time it will be different, I promise you.’
Looking in her eyes, he said, ‘I have no doubt.’
‘Good,’ she said, leading him down the stairs to the quarters Manfred had set aside for them. ‘Let’s go make a baby.’
Pug laughed.
Roo, Nathan, and the others had accompanied Erik to the keep when Rosalyn, Milo, and Gerd had been summoned. They entered, Roo with his usual bravado, the others more timidly. None but Roo had ever been inside a great lord’s audience hall before, even one somewhat worse for the wear of recent battle.
Mathilda moved slowly to stand before Rosalyn, who held the little boy on her hip. Gerd’s attention was drawn by a necklace the Baroness wore, and he reached for it. Rosalyn gently held his hand and Mathilda said, ‘No, let him play with it.’
‘He’s teething,’ the young woman said softly. Randolph, her husband, put a reassuring hand on Rosalyn’s shoulder.
Mathilda’s eyes began to brim with tears and she said, ‘He looks so much like his father.’
Rosalyn blushed and said, ‘He’s a good baby.’
Mathilda turned to Erik. ‘What do you suggest?’ Her manner was again controlled and commanding.
Erik said, ‘I suggest nothing. Stefan was Baron when he fathered Gerd.’ He saw Rosalyn lower her eyes at the reminder of the rape, and Randolph’s hands tightened ever so slightly, in reassurance. ‘It’s clear to me, Gerd is Baron of Darkmoor.’ Then Erik’s tone became steel. ‘And Patrick will name me Baronial Regent.’ The woman’s eyes widened, as Erik could almost read her thoughts; it was a ploy for Erik to seize control of the barony. But before she could speak, Erik said, ‘But I have duties in the west. So I must delegate someone else to conduct the business of the duchy.’ He crossed to stand before his nemesis. ‘You govern here, milady. Let Rosalyn and her husband live here or in the city as they choose, and see the boy daily. But you make him the next Baron of Darkmoor.’ Then he lowered his voice even more. ‘But do a better job than you did with Stefan, or I will be back.’ The woman’s face was a mask. ‘Manfred was a good enough man. Despite your disagreements with him. He could have been a good teacher for the boy. Treat Gerd as you should have treated your sons, and you and I will have no issue. But should any harm come to him, I will be back. Is that clear?’
Mathilda looked past Erik and saw the baby smile. She stepped toward him, saying, ‘Let me hold him.’
Rosalyn handed Gerd to the old woman. Then she said, ‘Gerd, this is your grandmother.’
Erik left the hall and Roo followed after. Outside, Roo said, ‘Is this going to work?’
Erik said, ‘It better.’ Then he turned to his friend and said, ‘For the next year or so you’re going to be around here like flies on dung, so if anything happens that I should know about, get word to me.’
Roo grinned. ‘And where are you going to be?’
Erik smiled and shook his head. ‘Recapturing a Kingdom, it seems.’
The herald blew a trumpet and Patrick said, ‘Well, let’s go talk.’
Word arrived that morning that a large force of heavy cavalry was moving up from the south, slogging along the roads from the west of Dorgin, as a heavy rain had struck the day before.
Scouts reported that the banner of Kesh flew over the force that made its way toward Darkmoor. Now they stood outside the gate, as the evening sun set, and Patrick was riding with Erik, Owen, Pug, and Arutha to see what a Keshian army was doing this far north.,
‘Maybe they came to help,’ suggested Nakor as he walked alongside Pug’s horse.
‘Somehow I doubt that,’ said Pug.
They reached the Keshians, and one of Darkmoor’s men, acting as herald, said, ‘Who comes before Krondor’s Prince?’