September 3rd, 1616
Summer in Pasai was a brutal sort of season, with heat that came on fast and was slow to fade. Even after two years in her new home, the Duchess of Elan, Adelina, still wilted with the coming of the unrelenting heat. Her grasp of the language was as close to perfect as it would ever be now, and her place secure in the affections of the people who looked to her and the duke she had married. Yet that duke had other duties that took him away from their home and their people, and this year, those duties had included war. Lotharingia had failed in their attempt to even enter Carib following the death of old King Peter, and had instead turned its attention to probing the border with Pasai instead. In response, the Pasan army had been mustered, marching to defend their land with their nobles at their head, and with them had gone Duke Leandro. Yet only a few days ago, word had come that the border was once again secure, and the duke was returning, already just a few days' ride from Elana, and his own castle.
He had only been away a few months, and yet, it had seemed so much longer. Though they'd been successful in defeating the invaders, blood had been shed and lives had been lost. Thankfully, word had reached the Castile Elan that their duke had not been one of the casualties, but that same could not be said for all those who'd joined him.
Still, the castle was prepared, and the town below it, to receive their lord and the men that had gone away with him. Though there was an air of celebration, there were no cheers this time, out of respect for those who had not made it home.
Carlos, the steward of the castle, had ridden down to meet Leandro in the town, his missing foot unnoticeable when he sat astride a horse. "Welcome home, my lord," he greeted Leandro, seeing the marks of battle on the man he had helped to raise over the years. "You've been missed."
"Thank you, Carlos," Leandro replied, in their native tongue. "It's good to be home." He would have clapped his old friend on the back, but he sat astride his own horse, and there would be time for that later. He looked weary both from battle and the journey, but at least, he was all in one piece. If he bore any wounds, there were either healed by now or hidden beneath his clothing. "Tell me, how does my lady wife fare since I have been away?" he asked, his first concern for Adelina.
"Hating the summer, as always, my lord," Carlos told him in amusement as they made their way up the winding road toward the castle itself. "She refused to go to Castile Adelina, though. Mamita is beside herself thinking of ways to keep your lady wife cool, but thankfully autumn is almost here. It will be a merry winter, we think." Away from the curious eyes of those men that had stopped in the town, the steward frowned as he looked over at Leandro. "What of you?" he asked pertinently. "Is there anything we need to know before you greet your wife?"
"I am well, Carlos. Hungry, tired, and in need of a bath, but otherwise well," he assured the man with a warm smile, knowing how fond Carlos was of the duke. After all, he had helped raise him; hence, they were practically family. Of course, Leandro had not come out of battle unscathed, but with only minor wounds to show for it.
"Well, Mamita will have that bath ready for you, no doubt, and the duchess will be eager to see you once again," Carlos grinned. He knew something his duke did not, but no one had sworn him to secrecy; it was his own decision, wanting no one to share that secret but the person to whom it meant the most. "We completed the fountains in the garden while you were gone," he added. "It should be cooler now we have water flowing through the gardens, and the place seems fresher for it. Your duchess has a good eye for beauty."
"She is a beauty herself," Leandro remarked with a fond smile at the thought of the young woman he had wed some two years past. It had been an arranged marriage made for political reasons, but the couple had been fortunate enough to have first found friendship and then love. It was no great secret how fond he was of his bride, nor of how much he'd missed her while he'd been away. When he could, he'd written her letter after letter, in hopes her love for him would not cool while he was away.
Carlos chuckled, glancing up as they passed into the shadow of Castile Elan, close to the gate that would allow them entry. "You're still as lovestruck as you were when you brought her home," he accused his duke fondly. "Still need advice to work out if you're in love with her, do you?"
Leandro chuckled at the other man's question. "No, I think I have worked that one out," he replied, sobering a moment as he thought of those who would not be coming home. Thankfully, the dead were small in number, but that would be little comfort to those who had lost fathers and brothers and husbands and sons. "We must honor our dead, Carlos, and make sure their families are provided for," he said, changing the subject to more serious matters.
"We will, my lord," Carlos assured him, his own expression somber at the change of tone. At the reminder that one of his own sons would not be coming home. "I'll take an accounting of who has been lost and who they left behind; who was injured too badly to continue supporting their family, too. You will provide for them, Leandro."
As sunlight splashed across them again, he looked up, almost surprised to realize they were in the courtyard of the castle, with grooms hurrying to take charge of the horses. A flash of color drew the eyes to the main doorway, where the duchess stood, her hands twisting together excitedly at her heart.
"Yes, we will," Leandro agreed, though it had not been a question. "I am sorry about Luis, but you should know he died a brave death." He knew it was likely little comfort, but it was the best he could do for the time being. He would tell the man more later about his son's courage in battle. For now, there were other matters to tend to, and one of those was that of his wife. The duke climbed off his horse and handed the reins to a groom, his gaze turning to take in that of the duchess, lovelier a sight than he had remembered, and a smile touched his face.
"He was a good man," Carlos said quietly. "I'd expect no less of him." He glanced between Leandro and Adelina, his momentary sorrow melting into a laughing grin. "A word of advice, my lord? Go gently."
For her own part, Adelina was almost bouncing from one foot to the other, eager to greet her husband, but held back from rushing to him by a gently restraining hand on her shoulder that could only belong to Mamita.
Leandro wasn't quite sure why the warning, other than that the smile on his face probably betrayed how much he'd missed her. War truly was hell, and now that he was home, all he wanted was to seek refuge in his wife's loving arms. "'Lina," he whispered, as he started forward, reaching for her hands to pull her gently toward him. "I've missed you."
Released from the hand restraining her, Adelina moved quickly to embrace her husband, her bright smile more than enough to share with him how pleased she was to see him home again. And in that embrace was a surprise of her own - the gentle swell of her belly betraying that she was finally with child, and had been for some months already. "I have missed you so, Leandro," she murmured against his ear, brushing a kiss to his cheek.
Summer in Pasai was a brutal sort of season, with heat that came on fast and was slow to fade. Even after two years in her new home, the Duchess of Elan, Adelina, still wilted with the coming of the unrelenting heat. Her grasp of the language was as close to perfect as it would ever be now, and her place secure in the affections of the people who looked to her and the duke she had married. Yet that duke had other duties that took him away from their home and their people, and this year, those duties had included war. Lotharingia had failed in their attempt to even enter Carib following the death of old King Peter, and had instead turned its attention to probing the border with Pasai instead. In response, the Pasan army had been mustered, marching to defend their land with their nobles at their head, and with them had gone Duke Leandro. Yet only a few days ago, word had come that the border was once again secure, and the duke was returning, already just a few days' ride from Elana, and his own castle.
He had only been away a few months, and yet, it had seemed so much longer. Though they'd been successful in defeating the invaders, blood had been shed and lives had been lost. Thankfully, word had reached the Castile Elan that their duke had not been one of the casualties, but that same could not be said for all those who'd joined him.
Still, the castle was prepared, and the town below it, to receive their lord and the men that had gone away with him. Though there was an air of celebration, there were no cheers this time, out of respect for those who had not made it home.
Carlos, the steward of the castle, had ridden down to meet Leandro in the town, his missing foot unnoticeable when he sat astride a horse. "Welcome home, my lord," he greeted Leandro, seeing the marks of battle on the man he had helped to raise over the years. "You've been missed."
"Thank you, Carlos," Leandro replied, in their native tongue. "It's good to be home." He would have clapped his old friend on the back, but he sat astride his own horse, and there would be time for that later. He looked weary both from battle and the journey, but at least, he was all in one piece. If he bore any wounds, there were either healed by now or hidden beneath his clothing. "Tell me, how does my lady wife fare since I have been away?" he asked, his first concern for Adelina.
"Hating the summer, as always, my lord," Carlos told him in amusement as they made their way up the winding road toward the castle itself. "She refused to go to Castile Adelina, though. Mamita is beside herself thinking of ways to keep your lady wife cool, but thankfully autumn is almost here. It will be a merry winter, we think." Away from the curious eyes of those men that had stopped in the town, the steward frowned as he looked over at Leandro. "What of you?" he asked pertinently. "Is there anything we need to know before you greet your wife?"
"I am well, Carlos. Hungry, tired, and in need of a bath, but otherwise well," he assured the man with a warm smile, knowing how fond Carlos was of the duke. After all, he had helped raise him; hence, they were practically family. Of course, Leandro had not come out of battle unscathed, but with only minor wounds to show for it.
"Well, Mamita will have that bath ready for you, no doubt, and the duchess will be eager to see you once again," Carlos grinned. He knew something his duke did not, but no one had sworn him to secrecy; it was his own decision, wanting no one to share that secret but the person to whom it meant the most. "We completed the fountains in the garden while you were gone," he added. "It should be cooler now we have water flowing through the gardens, and the place seems fresher for it. Your duchess has a good eye for beauty."
"She is a beauty herself," Leandro remarked with a fond smile at the thought of the young woman he had wed some two years past. It had been an arranged marriage made for political reasons, but the couple had been fortunate enough to have first found friendship and then love. It was no great secret how fond he was of his bride, nor of how much he'd missed her while he'd been away. When he could, he'd written her letter after letter, in hopes her love for him would not cool while he was away.
Carlos chuckled, glancing up as they passed into the shadow of Castile Elan, close to the gate that would allow them entry. "You're still as lovestruck as you were when you brought her home," he accused his duke fondly. "Still need advice to work out if you're in love with her, do you?"
Leandro chuckled at the other man's question. "No, I think I have worked that one out," he replied, sobering a moment as he thought of those who would not be coming home. Thankfully, the dead were small in number, but that would be little comfort to those who had lost fathers and brothers and husbands and sons. "We must honor our dead, Carlos, and make sure their families are provided for," he said, changing the subject to more serious matters.
"We will, my lord," Carlos assured him, his own expression somber at the change of tone. At the reminder that one of his own sons would not be coming home. "I'll take an accounting of who has been lost and who they left behind; who was injured too badly to continue supporting their family, too. You will provide for them, Leandro."
As sunlight splashed across them again, he looked up, almost surprised to realize they were in the courtyard of the castle, with grooms hurrying to take charge of the horses. A flash of color drew the eyes to the main doorway, where the duchess stood, her hands twisting together excitedly at her heart.
"Yes, we will," Leandro agreed, though it had not been a question. "I am sorry about Luis, but you should know he died a brave death." He knew it was likely little comfort, but it was the best he could do for the time being. He would tell the man more later about his son's courage in battle. For now, there were other matters to tend to, and one of those was that of his wife. The duke climbed off his horse and handed the reins to a groom, his gaze turning to take in that of the duchess, lovelier a sight than he had remembered, and a smile touched his face.
"He was a good man," Carlos said quietly. "I'd expect no less of him." He glanced between Leandro and Adelina, his momentary sorrow melting into a laughing grin. "A word of advice, my lord? Go gently."
For her own part, Adelina was almost bouncing from one foot to the other, eager to greet her husband, but held back from rushing to him by a gently restraining hand on her shoulder that could only belong to Mamita.
Leandro wasn't quite sure why the warning, other than that the smile on his face probably betrayed how much he'd missed her. War truly was hell, and now that he was home, all he wanted was to seek refuge in his wife's loving arms. "'Lina," he whispered, as he started forward, reaching for her hands to pull her gently toward him. "I've missed you."
Released from the hand restraining her, Adelina moved quickly to embrace her husband, her bright smile more than enough to share with him how pleased she was to see him home again. And in that embrace was a surprise of her own - the gentle swell of her belly betraying that she was finally with child, and had been for some months already. "I have missed you so, Leandro," she murmured against his ear, brushing a kiss to his cheek.