| |
Three months earlier:
Wulfric Rosenkranz walked steadfast down the corridor. His steps echoed between the walls, and he felt like he was following the sound and not the other way around. He was wearing sturdy booths and practical clothes fit for riding. He nodded to people he met on the way but did not stop to talk to anyone. The king had summoned him several hours ago, he’d been told, when he returned from inspecting the capital’s outer wall. Thus, he had not taken the time to change but was hastening to the royal chambers.
When Wulfric approached the guards standing outside the king’s chambers, one of them knocked on the door and announced that he was there.
“Send him in,” he heard the kings answer and a moment later, Wulfric was led in. He had expected to find King Jonathan alone or with some of his advisors, but instead he found him with his wife, Queen Maria, and their almost two-year-old daughter Cilla.
He stopped right after the doors had been closed behind him and looked at the family in front of him. The king had his daughter on his lap and was pretending to be a horse. Something the princess seemed to be immensely entertained by.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t want to intrude, but Your Majesty summoned me,” Wulfric said without thinking, normally the king was to speak first. He quickly bowed to show them both the proper respect.
“Nonsense,” the king said and got up. He handed Cilla to Maria and walked over to Wulfric. “Please sit down, I have something important to discuss with you.”
King Jonathan placed his hand on Wulfric’s shoulder and led him towards the group of chairs in front of the unlit fireplace. A fire was not necessary in the beginning of the summer it.
“I have a task for you, and I hope you’ll agree to it,” King Jonathan said and sat down.
Wulfric nodded and sat as well. There was very little that King Jonathan could ask of him that he would not do. After having served him for the past two years, he felt that Jonathan had truly proven himself to be the rightful King and Wulfric would support him for the rest of his life.
“I’ve just received the news today, that Lord Harold has died,” King Jonathan said.
Lord Harold. Anna Harold’s father. Wulfric saw Anna in his inner eye. Honey colored hair, green eyes that seemed to always hold a quirky laugh hidden in them. Cute dimples in her cheeks. He did not know when he had fallen in love with her; he had known her all her life.
Their estates bordered each other, and their parents would bring them together from time to time. Even though he was three years older than her, he had always admired her. She was so outgoing and lively. Spirited.
But the moment he saw her looking at Valdemar, the Duke of Halland and the king’s brother, he had known for certain that he did not stand a chance with her. He had intentionally stayed away from court as much as possible during their engagement and subsequent marriage, and he had told himself that the feelings were gone. But since he had seen her again two years ago, he had known that they would never go away.
“How sad,” Wulfric remembered to say about Lord Harold's passing.
“Yes, truly,” King Jonathan said. Princess Cilla shrieked and both men looked at her.
“Perhaps I should leave,” Queen Maria said and was already getting up.
“No, this will only take a second,” King Jonathan said, and she sat back down again, trying to entertain the child. “As you probably know, Anna lives in a convent at the moment, trying to come to terms with... the situation,” the king explained.
Wulfric nodded. It was clear that it was still difficult for the king to talk about his younger brother Valdemar’s death. Anna and Valdemar had been married for little more than a year when Valdemar was killed. Wulfric still had no idea though why the king was telling him this and what his task was.
“I’d like you to go to the convent and tell Anna of her father’s death,” King Jonathan said.
“Me?” Wulfric said. Of all the things that the king could have tasked him with, this was not one, that he had ever expected. Tell Anna, that her father had died? A little more than two years after her husband, and five years after her only brother. She would loathe the sight of him forever.
“Yes,” King Jonathan said. “I would have liked to have gone myself, but Cilla is still recovering from pneumonia.”
Wulfric could not help but glance at the small child, that was walking around the room, cuddling a wooden horse and a doll. She did not look sick to him at all.
“They can be very deceptive, small children,” Queen Maria said with a smile when she noticed his gaze. “They have to be really sick before it’s possible to keep them in bed.”
Wulfric smiled back slightly and nodded. What did he know of children?
“I would have gone myself if Cilla had not just been sick. Anna should have the news from someone she knows,” Queen Maria went on.
“Then surely you shouldn’t send me,” Wulfric wanted to say, but he did not say anything.
“That’s why we thought of you,” Queen Maria said and smiled as Cilla handed her the wooden horse.
“I’m honored,” Wulfric mumbled and turned back to King Jonathan. “I’ll leave as soon as possible then.”
He moved to get up, but Queen Maria started talking again and he sat back down.
“She will need to go her father’s estate as well. It’s a travel of more than a week and we’d hate to see her have to make the journey alone. We were hoping that you’d also escort her on her travels there.”
“We know that your estate is right next to Lord Harold’s. It would give you the opportunity to check up on everything back home as well,” King Jonathan said with a smile.
Wulfric hesitated. A week to go there and a week to get back, that was a long time.
“Of course I’ll escort Lady Anna, I mean, Lady Harold, back home, but... it’ll delay my work on the city’s defenses. There’s still a lot of improvements that needs to be done to make the defense as strong as possible – and I’d really like to see that it’s finished sooner rather than later,” he said.
“I’m sure, that your men will be able to work on the walls, while you’re away. It’s all about delegating the tasks,” King Jonathan said with a smile.
Wulfric considered arguing with this. He would have to spend a week with Anna. A week where they would be eating at the same table and sleeping in rooms next to each other. It would be the finest sort of torture for him. He would feel completely foolish next to her, not knowing what to say and still pining over her.
He contemplated trying to refuse again, but if the king and queen really were unable to escort her, then she deserved to hear the news from someone who cared about her. Even though it was probably not in a fashion that she would want him to care.
“Then I’ll leave as soon as possible,” Wulfric said and got up. This time neither the king nor the queen stopped him. “If I ride now, I’ll be there before nightfall.”
He bowed his head again to both of them and then exited the room.
“Are you really sure that he’s the right person to send?” Jonathan said as the door had closed behind him. “I mean, he’s an excellent advisor and I consider him a personal friend, but he is rather... I don’t know which word I’m looking for. Shy? Do you think that he’s able to show enough compassion?”
“I know that it would have been better if it was one of us, but since neither of us can go, I think that Wulfric Rosenkranz is ideal. I mean, he’s in love with her!” his wife said with a smile. “If Anna is ever going to get over Valdemar, she’ll need someone new that’s interested in her.”
“But it’s only been two years,” Jonathan objected and looked down.
Maria took his hand that was resting on the arm of the chair.
“Maybe nothing will happen between them, and that’s fine too, but at least Anna will discover that there are other men that might be interested in her,” Maria said. “And should she choose not to marry, then that would be fine to. She’s the lady of a great estate now and can do whatever she wants. It’s practically ideal.”
“Practically? What’s missing then?” Jonathan said with a smile not very well hidden in his green eyes.
“Having a loving husband and a beautiful child never hurts,” Maria said with a smile that showed her perfect, white teeth. Jonathan leaned over and kissed her.
***
Wulfric hurried back to his chambers. He needed to pack the things that he would need for the journey and get his horse ready. All the while he was thinking of what he should say to Anna. He should probably just say it right out.
“Anna, your father is dead,” he said out loud in the room, but felt weird practicing. He skewed at the door, but it was closed, and the hallway had been empty when he entered.
He took the bag with his belongings and hurried down to the stables. It was not until he had left the city gates behind, that he realized that he would need to get a carriage for Anna to travel in. A lady could not travel on horseback halfway across the country.