THE NEXT DAY, Duke Václav announced his decision to visit the northern districts of Bohemia, where Ana’s father, Žibrid, lived. My master took Žito with him, but he asked me to stay at the castle to watch over Přibislava and Ana. This time, to my surprise, I felt needed rather than left out. After all, I alone knew why he was going and that it would not be long before he returned.
As soon as he and Žito left, Přibislava sent for me.
“What do you know, Poidevin?” she asked as she pulled me into her room. “Is Václav going to ask Ana’s father for her hand in marriage?”
I opened and closed my mouth like a fish out of water. Václav had not said it was a secret, but neither had he given me permission to speak of it, even to Přibislava. “He did not say,” I managed to squeeze out, though again my voice cracked on the final word.
“Poidevin!” Přibislava put her hands on her hips. “You are not speaking plainly with me. Did my brother say anything about Ana? Doesn’t he like her at all?”
“Oh, yes,” I said. “He likes her very well.”
Přibislava grabbed my arms. “Then he is going to talk to her father. I know it!”
“If this were true, am I right in thinking it would please my lady?” I couldn’t help but tease her.
“My dear fellow,” she said, shaking me. “Don’t you know me?”
I put on my most innocent face. “I have heard you say to Lady Ana that you always wanted a sister.”
Přibislava shrieked. She grabbed my hand and pulled me through the castle and outside to the gardens. There we found Ana seated on a bench, staring at her hands. The brightness of her hair contrasted with the melancholy on her face.
“Ana!” Přibislava said breathlessly. “Here is Poidevin.”
Ana stood, wringing her hands. The longing in her eyes made me ashamed that I had selfishly wished to keep her away from my master. I went down on one knee and faced her with a lightness of heart I had not felt before.
“Be of good cheer, Lady Ana,” I said. “I can assure you that you have captured my master’s heart.”
Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed. “Poidevin,” she whispered, “don’t toy with me. Are you telling me the truth?”
I was sure now that Ana would make an excellent wife for my master. She deserved my wholehearted devotion. “There is no doubt, my lady.”
She closed her eyes and clasped her hands, breathing a silent prayer.
“What did I tell you?” Přibislava said. She seemed as pleased as if she had arranged the match herself. I could understand her feeling.
Ana looked at me shyly. “You know, Poidevin, I did not like you at first, because of all the time you spent with Duke Václav. I was jealous of you,” she admitted. “He treats you more like a brother than a servant.”
“And that is what Poidevin is,” Přibislava said, winking at me.
Now it was my turn to be taken by surprise. Ana, jealous of a servant? Then both of us had been ridiculous.
When I thought about it, I realized that my master had room in his heart for many people: his beloved grandmother, Přibislava, Žito, Ana, even his wicked mother and brother. He was genuinely concerned for all the people of Bohemia. What Boleslav and others like him saw as Václav’s weakness, I now understood was his greatest strength. Boleslav thought a duke should rule with an iron fist, crushing and bending others to his will like the bloodthirsty gods of the old religion. My master believed that a good ruler must balance justice with compassion. That came from his deep faith in a God of love.
Duke Václav had awakened a noble purpose within me, a desire to become like him and care for the needs of other people over my own. As I tried to live the way Václav did, I began to understand why he would not give up the hope that even his mother and brother would someday take up that noble purpose for themselves.
The last trace of my resentment for Ana vanished, and I silently pledged to serve her as faithfully as I served my master. I knew I could come to love her. Learning to love Dragomíra and Boleslav as Václav did? I doubted I could ever manage it.
Václav and Zito returned after nearly a fortnight with the good news that Žibrid had gladly granted his daughter’s hand in marriage to my master. After the formal betrothal, Přibislava accompanied Ana back to her father’s castle to prepare for the wedding. It would take place on the midwinter feast of Epiphany.
Since I no longer had my “bodyguard” duties, I pestered Žito about teaching me how to fight.
“Here,” he said unexpectedly one day. “Try this.” And with a smirk, Žito gave me a dagger of my own.
As I held the knife in my hand, I stared at it in awe. It was a plain blade, but sharp, and the hilt lay smooth in my hand. I could hardly wait to put the leather scabbard on my belt when Žito grabbed my other arm.
“What?” I said, startled. The way he looked me over reminded me of my first day at the castle, when the nobleman had examined my teeth.
“Since when has your tunic become so shabby?” he asked.
I shrugged. “I hadn’t noticed.”
“Come,” said Žito, pulling me along. “You will disgrace our duke wearing clothes like these.”
A short while later, I followed Žito to the great hall in order to serve our master. Though Žito walked on his feet, I walked on air, holding my head high. I was proud to be the personal servant of Duke Václav, and now I wore a new moss-green tunic with a shiny dagger in its scabbard on my belt. What more could I want?