Page 136 of Settle Down, Princess

“What’s this about?” Bill asked as he stiffened, all the pleasure fading from his face, his eyes flicking from his son to his wife.

“The Raven is calling in his debts,” Desiree admitted.

“Debts? We don’t owe that old bastard anything. Never set foot in any of his damned establishments,” Bill blustered.

“No, but how’d you think I got that job up in the castle?”

He blinked, staring into Desiree’s eyes. “No, Desi, no. You’ve always made me swear… I never go… I’ve told the lads over and over I can’t meet them for a pint…” The breath seemed to go out of Bill. “You didn’t. Tell me you didn’t.”

“When you had your accident I had to do something. It was either this or be sent to the poor house and live apart as indentured servants.” She shook her head sharply. “Little more than slaves and the gods know what would happen to my children.” Roan’s sister gazed into her husband’s eyes. “Our children.”

“So that’s what you want to talk about?” Bill fixed me in his gaze. “How my bloody wife is going to do the Raven’s dirty business?”

“No.” I turned to see Silas standing beside me. “How we can take that burden from Desiree, right, brother?”

That resulted in the kettle being put over the fire to boil and tea things produced from the stout wooden cabinets Bill had built early in their marriage. Bread was sliced and slathered thick with butter. It was simple fare, but in Desiree’s capable hands the food and drink became as fine as a king’s banquet.

“Gods, how do I forget how good your bread is,” Silas groaned after biting down into his slice.

“Don’t know how.” Roan appeared, snatching Silas’ slice from his fingers to the sound of the other man’s frustrated growl. “She was always a dab hand in the kitchen.”

“Dab hand…” Silas snorted. “If you set yourself up a bakery on the high street you’d have half the city at your door every morning, perhaps more.”

“And where’s the coin for that to come from?” Desiree said, returning with more bread, handing Silas a new slice, then one for Benny and Roan, when the warrior started to complain. “Your father? Don’t worry, he already made me an offer he made clear I shouldn’t refuse, but I did.”

“So instead you cook for the king and the Raven will make use of you there?” I said.

“Who’s the raven?” Benny asked, looking up wide eyed, pausing as he went to stuff his mouth with bread.

“Just a nasty bird,” Desi replied. “One that has its beak in everything, peck, peck, pecking away.” She turned her fingers to a beak and used them to poke him in the ribs until the child started to giggle. “Now, rouse that sister of yours out of her book. Genny?”

A rustle from the other room produced an older girl with Bill’s much more muted colouring and nature. She blinked owlishly in the doorway, regarding the lot of us. “I’ve got a couple of coins spare. Take your brother down to the markets and get him some sweets.” But before she could hand over her hard earned money, I’d pulled a gold coin from my belt and flipped it through the air.

Genny was quiet and bookish, but she was still a child of Cheapside. She saw the gold coin and moved forward, catching it neatly before it landed on the ground.

“This would buy enough sweeties to last us a week, maybe more,” Genny said, inspecting the coin, before biting the edge to make sure the gold was pure.

“Hand it back,” Desiree said, frowning at me.

“Consider it an investment,” I replied. I didn’t have coffers of gold like my brother, but I did have my own stash and now was the time to put it to use. “All of this.” I plonked the bag of gold coins I carried on my belt onto the table. “You’ll get that bakery, Desiree, and more besides, if we can work together.”

I was careful with my money, stashing what wages I earned and spoils of war I gathered for emergencies. Well, what was this? Roan frowned as he stared at the gold, then at me, no doubt wondering where the hell it came from. I’d answer his questions later. Bill and Desiree just stared at the pouch and then she turned to Genny.

“I’ll make you a list of things to get.”

“But muuum…” Benny whined. “Sweeties!”

“You’ll get enough sweeties to make you thoroughly sick if the two of you do as you’re bid,” she promised, scribbling down her shopping list on a tattered piece of parchment before handing it over to her daughter. “Everything on the list and don’t let the shopkeeper rob you. Watch the grocer’s thumb. He loves to put it on the scale and charge you for more than you’re actually getting.”

Genny nodded, her keen mind taking in every instruction before she moved to bundle Benny up in his coat. One of Genny’s from when she was a little girl, I remembered it well and shook my head. We should’ve been providing them with new coats, new boots… I swallowed. If this plan went ahead, they’d have everything they needed. We all would.

Desiree waited for the sound of the front gate clattering shut before turning to me.

“Every offer comes at a price. I heard the Raven’s out before I politely declined. I’ll do the same to you, Arik, unless I hear something worth accepting.”

“Do as the Raven asked,” I said. “Add the slow acting poisons to the food, the hallucinogens. The Raven will be satisfied you’ve paid your debt then.”

“Any reason why I should let you sit at my table, proposing my wife commit treason?” Bill’s elbows hit the table top.

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