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“I know,” Payne said quietly. “And I’ll apologize again for any insults or pain he might have inflicted on ye during yer captivity. I wish I could have prevented it.”

Astria went to him, putting a gentle hand on his arm. “You need not apologize for your brother’s actions,” she said. “He is a grown man. He has made his own choices.”

She was right, but Payne still felt guilty for his brother’s behavior. “And those choices have historically been bad,” he said. “And because we dunna know where he is, ye are tae be careful. Be alert of yer surroundings.”

“But what about going into the village to see your mother?” she said. “I will have to travel the road between Blackchurch and the Black Cock.”

“True,” he grunted. “’Tis too bad Lord Exmoor willna allow her tae come tae Blackchurch, still. I think he is afraid that she’ll try tae take the keep and then hoist her flag in victory.”

“Would she?”

Payne shrugged. Then he chuckled, which made Astria laugh. He finished tying off his leather tunic and put his arms around her, kissing her sweetly as the woman practically collapsed into him. Whenever he embraced her, she turned to putty.

And he liked it that way.

“I’ll be with Sin again today,” he murmured, gently nibbling on her neck.

“We lost a recruit yesterday when he nearly severed a hand, so we need tae pay attention tae those who are left. If ye decide tae answer my mother’s invitation, then take a soldier with ye from the gatehouse. Have him escort ye tae the Black Cock.”

Her eyes were closed as his lips gently kissed her shoulder. “I was thinking of taking Athdara,” she said. “She’s very much a warrior and she wants to meet Bloody Maude.”

That was true. Athdara had come from a war-torn country and done her share of fighting over the years. She’d even trained at Blackchurch, which was how her husband had met her. Payne gave Astria one last kiss on the neck and let her go.

“Athdara makes an acceptable escort,” he said. “But I’ll see ye back here at supper.”

“Indeed, you will.”

With a wink, he quit the chamber, heading out to accomplish his duties for the day.

Astria stood there with a silly smile on her face, already missing him now that he was out of her sight.

She was mostly smiling at the question he’d asked her earlier because her instant longing for him when he was gone made her think of it.

Do ye think ye could love me?

She was fairly certain that she already did.

*

“There is a man in town who sells thread,” Elisiana said. “I asked him to get me a certain color a few weeks ago, so I must see if he has it now.”

Astria didn’t have one escort into the village, but two.

After Payne departed and Astria donned a simple blue surcoat over the shift she wore, she’d brushed and braided her hair and set out for Athdara’s cottage.

What she walked into was a pack of young children running and playing as Athdara tried to feed them something before the day began.

Her two older boys were fostering at Okehampton Castle nearby, but the younger three made it sound as if she had an entire pack of youngsters taking over her home.

The truth, however, was that this was a day of learning.

St. Denis tutored the younger children of his trainers and had since Tay’s children, the first to be born, was old enough to learn.

He adored the duty. While the older children went to Exmoor’s keep to begin their daily lesson with the earl, Astria told Athdara about her invitation from Maude and that Payne had requested an escort.

Because Athdara did, indeed, want to meet the infamous Bloody Maude out of curiosity more than anything, she eagerly offered to escort Lady Lismore to town.

With one-year-old Lisabeth on her mother’s hip, Athdara and Astria began their journey to the gatehouse.

They were met halfway by Elisiana, who also had her infant son with her.

When she heard about the trek into the village, she invited herself to go along, so the three ladies set out to make a morning of it in the village.

The morning was soft and bright, and rabbits dashed across the road as they walked.

Literally, the road from Blackchurch led straight into the village, so those at the gatehouse could watch the women almost until they got into town.

It was a pleasant morning, with pleasant conversation, and Elisiana brought up the thread issue because she was sewing something new to wear.

Lovely, normal conversation.

Worlds away from being a captive of Bloody Maude.

Truthfully, Astria found that she had to keep reminding herself that her horrible captivity was all over.

These days, she was on the verge of convincing herself that Maude had been a guardian angel and delivered her to the most perfect man imaginable.

When Maude had first told her about the planned marriage, Astria well remembered her reaction.

The fighting, the kicking. Maude had finally brained her with the butt end of a dagger.

Everything had been chaotic up until the day she’d met Payne.

After that… well, the world just made more sense. All of it made sense.

And here she was, with lovely women on a lovely morning.

She could still hardly believe any of it.

“Astria?”

Hearing her name, Astria looked over at Athdara and Elisiana. “Aye?”

The women burst out laughing. “You did not hear a word I said, did you?” Elisiana said. “I suppose you are not to blame. Payne is quite worth dreaming over.”

Astria flushed to the roots of her hair. “I suppose I was doing that,” she admitted. “I am sorry. I did not mean to be an uninteresting companion.”

“You’re not uninteresting at all,” Athdara said. “In fact, my husband told me something about you.”

“What did he tell you?”

“That you are from the royal house of Portugal.”

Astria nodded. “That is true.”

“He said you are a princess.”

Astria sighed, fighting a smile. “Did Payne tell him that?”

Athdara nodded. “He told everyone that,” she said. “He was not bragging. He was simply telling them of your background, or so my husband said. Please do not be angry.”

Astria shook her head. “I am not,” she assured her. “And I was not trying to hide my identity. I suppose it had not occurred to me to tell you. I’ve been enjoying your companionship so very much and we’ve had so many other things to talk about. To be honest, I’ve never really had any friends.”

“Never?” Athdara frowned. “Why not?”

Astria shrugged. “I am the youngest of many children,” she said. “My life was dictated by duty and tutors and priests. I also married very young. Did you know I was married before Payne?”

Athdara nodded. “My husband told me that, too.”

“It’s true,” Astria said. “He was very old. We had no children. But I went straight from the royal court to his household, and it was very isolating. Being a duchess means I am at the pinnacle, socially. There was never any chance for close friends, not in the San Miguel household.”

“I am sorry,” Athdara said, shifting her daughter to her other hip. “I told you that my father was a duke, a title that now belongs to my younger brother. I know what it is like to grow up in a political household.”

“As do I,” Elisiana said. “My father is the Conte de Pondevedra .”

Astria perked up. “That is Galicia,” she said. “How did I not know that about your father?”

“Much like your royal connections, it never really came up,” Elisiana said, winking at her. “We’ve only known each other a few short days. We cannot know everything all at once.”

“That is true, but I am ashamed I did not ask you more about yourself.”

Elisiana smiled. “Not to worry, my dearest,” she said. “Time will have us knowing everything about each other someday. That is what friends do. But in regards to my father, he has names and titles longer than anything you’ve ever heard. They fill up an entire page.”

She giggled as Astria shook her head. “Not as long as mine.”

“Go ahead,” Elisiana encouraged her. “Tell me your full name. Let us see if it is longer than my father’s.”

Astria laughed softly. “You’ll be sorry you asked,” she said. “My full name is Maria Astria Julia, Princesa Real, Princesa of Beira, Duchess of Braganza, Duchess of Barcelos, Countess of Faria, Countess of Neiva, dowager Duchess of Tarragona, and Countess of Lismore. Now you know. Do I win?”

By the time she finished, both Athdara and Elisiana were laughing. “You have,” Elisiana said. “Your name is longer than anyone’s. Congratulations.”

The three of them laughed all the way into town.

And it was glorious.

Once they reached the village, Elisiana wanted to go to the merchant who carried the thread and other incidentals, and Athdara elected to go with her.

She reasoned that it might be better if she wasn’t there when Astria and Maude first sat down to talk, since the situation was rather delicate, so she thought that perhaps she and Elisiana would come to the tavern later.

Enough time for any tension between Astria and Maude to ease.

So they hoped.

As her friends headed toward the eastern side of town, Astria walked over to the Black Cock.

It was early enough that it wasn’t busy except for the people who had slept in the tavern the night before, so she opened the door to the usual burping and grunts of men who were rising to face the morning.

Hobbes was over by the kitchen, supervising the food preparation, but he saw her enter.

Having seen her when she had first arrived at Blackchurch, and knowing she was Payne’s wife from Margit, he went to greet her.

“Good morn to you, Lady Lismore,” he said, using Payne’s new title, something the entire village knew about now because word got around quickly. “It is early for you today.”

Astria smiled at the man who had been genuinely kind to her. “I’ve come to see my husband’s mother,” she said. “Can you send word to her and tell her that I am here?”