Page 12 of Pawns of Fate
“I won’t send such a small group of men into that swamp again.”
“That seems prudent,” Marquess Sharp replied. “Octupi can be awful to fight against, especially a consortium of them. The ink they spray is terrible and lingers for ages. It’s been yearssince I fought one.”
“And that’s not even the worst of it!” Hector stabbed a fork into an apple slice. “Lizardmen!”
“Your scouts are truly reporting lizardmen?” The marquess looked incredulous. Rose stole a glance at Nicholas. He shared the same doubtful expression as his father.
“Yes, lizardmen. Probably drawn there by the mana from the crystals!” Hector waved the skewered apple slice around for emphasis.
“I suppose.”
“It’s why we’ll need your men as soon as possible. How many of them are mages?”
“About a dozen,” the marquess replied cautiously.
“We’ll need all of the mages!”
Rose raised her eyebrow at that. Employing mage-soldiers was far more expensive than average foot soldiers or cavalry. The Sharps had all three at their disposal, but her uncle was being a little demanding to ask forallof their mages. Powerful families didn’t usually risk all of their mages in one battle. It was even more foolish to send all of them to a monster-infested swamp.
Marquess Sharp waved away her uncle’s concerns as if it were easier than swatting a fly. “Perhaps. But nothing happens till after the papers are signed and the wedding is done.”
Rose would marry Nicholas a thousand times if she always got to watch the blood vein on her uncle’s forehead pop the way it did while he tried to keep his composure at being rejected by MarquessSharp.
“Tell me, when will your business with the Ojoh be finished?” Hector asked.
Nicholas and his father exchanged concerned glances.
“All in good time,” Marquess Sharp replied casually, unconcerned with Hector’s attempts to pressure him.
“I’ve finished my tea,” Nicholas interrupted, setting down his cup with a small clinking sound. “I would love to see the famous Robson rose garden with a proper guide.” He smiled at Rose. “I didn’t see much of them while I was here last week.”
Her uncle understood what Nicholas was implying. “Rose, why don’t you show Nicholas around the gardens? It will give you two a chance to get to know each other. Marquess Sharp and I need to talk business, anyway.”
So, Nicholas gracefully took her hand, and the pair strolled to the garden. Rose felt immense relief at being allowed out of the tense meeting, but found herself at a loss for words as she led Nicholas out of the castle.
“Are you nervous to be around me? I was rude to you the last time we met,” he asked.
“Ahhh, I’m just…” Rose wanted to answer gracefully, but decided truthfulness was the better option. “I’m a little nervous.”
“Me too,” Nicholas hummed.
“Really? You don’t seem nervous at all to me.”
“That’s good. I want to seem as dependable as possible to my future wife.”
Rose breathed in sharply when Nicholas called her ‘wife.’ It sounded surreal, but she could get used to it.
Nicholas stopped to admire a bed of white snowdrops.
“These are lovely,” he remarked with a wistful expression.
“What is your favorite kind of flower?” Rose asked.
“I like moonflowers best. They grow better in higher elevations, like the mountains of Onanish. I doubt your uncle has any here.”
“No, but if you like rare flowers, the gardener did plant some red marsh lilies by our pond. The color is unique to the swamps east of the castle.”
“That sounds intriguing. What is your favorite flower?”
