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spent much of his time with his youngest daughter at his summer estate outside the city, while his son and heir ruled in his place from the family’s castle in the city. The Baron always admired his wife’s family and felt those feelings were reciprocated, and knew they did not blame him for her early demise, particularly since the Baron had never remarried. As father and son rode through the gate house of the summer castle, they saw the old Duke with his daughter and an unidentified beautiful young girl waiting for them on the stairway of the living quarters.
    Jacobus, who suspected the real reason for the trip to Flanders, drew his mount next to Derick’s and after giving his father a wide grin said, “Father, let’s just throw this beautiful maid on the back of my horse and take her home!” The Baron chuckled and told his son, “You might have to do what some of our unruly Viking ancestors would have done, for I have no knowledge of this girl, she is no relative that I remember.” The girl was temporarily forgotten as they exchanged greetings with the Duke and his daughter and saw the old dukes eyes brighten with joy at their arrival. Those eyes sparkled even more when the Baron handed him the reigns of the silver Frisian Stallion. As they were ushered into the castle for lunch, the girl was introduced as the Lady Hester of Goeden, the Duke’s ward. The young woman proved to be as well spoken as she was pretty and it was obvious that Jacobus’ interest in the young lady was rapidly growing. After lunch, the young lord took his aunt and the girl to search through saddlebags for special cheeses, preserves, and herbs they had brought from for the household. Their exit gave the Duke and Baron an opportunity for a private conversation.
    The Grand Duke’s tone became quite serious when he told Derick that he was summoned to Regent’s castle in Brussels immediately after the murder of Albert’s mistress. The Regent, who was gathering forces for his revenge, wanted to know whether the van Weir family had a role in her slaying. His father-in-law told Derick of the immediate offense he took at the suggestion, as he bluntly told the Regent that had any Lord of the Droger Land, from any time in history been involved, he, not his beloved woman, would now be dead. Count Albert immediately agreed, but wanted to know where Lord Derick’s sympathy would lie in the upcoming struggle. Count Albert was assured by the old Duke, though the plotters be distant kinsmen, Lord Derick would never support such brutal fools against his legitimate sovereignty. He stressed that for Derick it would be a matter of honor to remain loyal to his regent and king. The Regent accepted his words and wisely did not aggravate the situation by demanding military support from the Droger Land. Albert already had more than enough military strength to punish the guilty nobles and take his revenge.
    The topic of conversation lightened and turned to Jacobus and the philandering ways of all young noblemen. Both grandfather and father agreed that an exceptionally brilliant and brave young knight such as Jacobus needed an extraordinary lady to keep his interest. The old Duke thought Lady Hester, his ward, might be that special kind of woman. The girl’s family came from what might best be described as minor nobility or landed gentry, one of the hundreds of such noble families that resided throughout Flanders. Her father had been a dreamer of a sort, who before his death had invested the family wealth and all he could obtain from money lenders into a land reclamation project at his estate. Great amounts of new land were reclaimed from a nearby river. Yet her father’s negligence allowed many of his selfish farmers to bring catastrophic results for his family. He allowed his farmers to not work the new land wisely. The yields never justified the expenditures. As the girl’s appointed guardian, the Duke of