Noble Beginnings Read Online Free PDF

Before he was all the way past
the doorframe she looked over her shoulder. "I see you're
back."
    "Took me a while to get to say the same," he
said jokingly. "Where were you?"
    Edith ignored the question, looking
resolutely down the hallway. "Did you get permission from the
Duchess to come back down here?"
    "Not exactly, but I've been keeping an eye on
her schedule, and I did check in with Nora...so" Dorran said
doggedly.
    "Well, that's good, I think. I'd hate to
think that my activities were keeping you distracted from your
duties." She was straight-faced as ever, and he decided he needed
to be more direct.
    "More like your lack of activities.
Seriously, where were you the past few days?"
    "On business."
    "Business?"
    "Yes, I was sent to negotiate prices for
imports later in the year. With smaller harvests from last fall,
it's going to be hard for taverns to stay supplied through till the
next one."
    "You've never been sent on errands before,"
Dorran pointed out. "And I thought you were supposed to keep me
informed."
    They had arrived at Edith's door, but instead
of going in she finally turned to look at him, raising her eyebrow
and giving him an annoyed expression. "Am I supposed to ask you
permission to go on errands now?"
    He fought the strong urge to physically step
backwards, lifting his hands in defense as he backpedaled. "Come
now, you know I didn't mean it like that. I'm just used to knowing
what you're up to. And I did entrust you with the training."
    She sighed. "That is true, but the old
soldiers have it firmly in hand. They don't need either you or me
around to keep the younger ones and themselves in fighting shape.
And…. things have been...busy lately."
    "Busy, how?" Dorran asked, curious, but Edith
turned away leaving the question unanswered.
    "Speaking of which, I really need to get
home. And don't you…"
    She was interrupted by a figure striding
purposefully up the hallway. "I thought I might find you here, my
lord," Myriel said quietly as she came into their earshot. "Your
mother's got a council at the moment, and she has requested your
presence. You'd best come along with me if you don't want to miss
it entirely. I warn you your mother will be most displeased if that
should occur."
    The look Edith gave him was disapproving.
"You'd best get going, my lord. Good evening." She said harshly and
stepped into her room, shutting the door loudly without giving him
a backward glance.
    Dorran felt like pulling out his hair and
yelling in frustration for everyone to hear, but he knew that
Myriel was the last person to be annoyed with. It was not as if it
was her fault, he was the one who had put her out, after all. "Lead
the way," he said, resigned to his fate. Myriel obeyed as tactful
and efficient as always quietly leading him the way back to the
castle grounds.
    By the time he'd arrived at his mother's
council, he was late and his clothes were marred with dirt and in
an untidy state. He was perfectly aware that the ladies were
dissecting him with their eyes. It was his mother’s eyes he was
worried about, though unruffled, they held a hint of disapproval.
He gritted his teeth as subtly as he was able and tried to pay
attention through the haze of frustration and confusion that Edith,
usually so reliable, had left in her wake.
    His day was not going as planned and to make
matters worse, his mother had to ask his opinion on an issue of
agriculture he'd only half been paying attention to. He stumbled
his way through an answer as best he could, trying to deflect the
question to a more qualified party as a survival tactic, but the
ladies saw right through his attempt, and a few took the
opportunity to make a titter at him, while the few men in the room
looked amused, if vaguely sympathetic. This brought up more brief
whispers of his future marriage, and he thought he caught a few
doubtfully muttered questions" Is he really going to succeed her
Grace?" "Surely she isn't intending..."Before Thea brought the
council's