Agatha Nobilis was still the heiress to a vast fortune that was not unknown in the Roxbard Empire and beyond.
Vast estates and tops, seven mines, five islands, fifteen ships, tax receipts and harbour rights outside the realm, tax exemptions, the right of succession to three titles, and a private army to defend them.
But is she lacking in pedigree?
She had an empress as her maternal grandmother and, after the accidental deaths of the Duke of Nobilis and his two sons, the emperor as her godfather and the crown prince as her childhood friend.
This led to an eventful life of six marriages and six divorces, but no one could deny that she was a continent-shaking powerhouse and the ultimate bride-to-be.
From the age of five, through an arranged marriage, to the age of twenty-three.
Having shaken the continent with yet another divorce, Agatha Nobilis had just finalised her sixth and was hosting her first salon as a single woman in her home.
Agatha’s eyes widened as she snapped out of her chipper.
“Enoch Aratus?”
“Yes. You’ve heard of him, haven’t you, Agatha?”
“He’s the younger Gazurah of Aratus, who’s just been reformed.”
The ladies seated around Agatha, including her friend, the Marquise de Iris Domunia, looked delighted.
Enoch Aratus. Now twenty years old.
Supposedly forced out at the age of ten under pressure from his kin.
This young householder was known for his good looks and ability.
What made him famous, however, was the wave of hatred he unleashed upon his return.
“You drove out all your kin, didn’t you?”
“You knew it,” he replied, “and it’s causing a stir in social circles.”
This was not the only family to be ousted.
Relatives who had taken advantage of the prestige and wealth of the prestigious Aratus family while the patriarch was away had all been banished to the provinces, and engagements had been cancelled as a result.
With all the uproar in the space of a month, it was inevitable that the news of Agatha’s sixth divorce would be the topic of conversation.
Agatha smiled and passed the joke on.
“Well, the Marquis of Aratus has come in handy, hasn’t he? He’s helped me with my third husband’s lost war, and now he’s distracted me from my sixth divorce?”
“Oh, dear.”
“You’re being ridiculous, my dear.”
The ladies burst out laughing. It was said lightly, but Agatha was quite sincere.
It must have been seven years ago. The expanded borders from Agatha’s first marriage hadn’t satisfied the emperor’s greed.
This time, the Emperor, coveting a new harbour, was determined to go to war with another country, and he pushed for Agatha’s third marriage.
This time, the emperor gave her a knight, George Portis, who was ‘called’ the best in the empire.
Not only was he ugly enough to be hard to look at, but his character was as problematic as his skill at arms.
As a result, the wars George waged were lost, and he married and divorced like a lightning bolt, though he didn’t suffer too badly from it.
‘Thank goodness.’
The name of the commander who had somehow managed to salvage George’s lost war stuck in my mind.
‘Enoch Aratus.
He was only thirteen years old.
It was somehow special news to Agatha that seven years later, he would be hailed as a war hero for pacifying all the wars.
Though she hadn’t intended it, he had cleaned up after her, which had made the divorce easier.
“Anyway, I hear things are very difficult for the Aratus family right now.”
“So I’ve heard. Not exactly living off the war bounty.”
“They must have spent a lot of money over the years. I’ve heard they’ve scraped the bottom of the barrel in money and in kind, even if they haven’t touched the manor.”
“Well, ten years is enough to shake up a family like the Aratus, of course, though the Nobilis of Agatha’s family will never be the same, ho-ho-ho.”
Agatha said nothing, just smiled and listened to the ladies’ conversation, until her friend, the Marquise of Iris Domunia, bowed slightly towards her.
“My dear Agatha. You have not yet arranged for an escort, have you?”
“Yes.”
“Or how about House Aratus? The only direct descendants are the Marquis and his sister, and the remaining vassals are mostly knights who fought in the wars, so I think there’s room for acceptance.”
“Hmm.”
Is that so?
Certainly Lady Iris had a point. The Marquis is young and the house has no elders, so he won’t be as picky as some of the more venerable houses.
Families as old and pedigreed as the Aratus lived and died by their honour.
‘Special circumstances.
Aratus’s current financial situation was dire. Most of the war bounty was in the form of estates, and the 10,000 kars of gold from the prize was barely enough to keep the great house afloat until it recovered.
A month at the most?
“What do you think, my dear Agatha?”
The ladies and young ladies, who had all been listening, pricked up their ears at Agatha’s answer. Agatha smiled.
“I think it’s a good idea. What do you think?”
“I think it’s fine, Aratus, they’ve been at the forefront of the war, so I’m sure the knights will be up to the task.”
“Sure. And what’s good about the venerable Knights Templar? Isn’t it loyalty?”
“Well, with Gazoo just returned, I’m sure there’s more than one place they could use the money, so put your money where your mouth is, young man.”
A flurry of comments followed. They were in line with Agatha’s thoughts.
She was beginning to see the limits of borrowing help from familiar families and the magistracy.
Now that her husband’s protection was gone, Agatha needed to find a knight to protect her from kidnapping and assassination until she was married.
The ladies stopped talking, their eyes shining with excitement. Finished, Agatha flicked her fan.
“Very well, let’s see what we can find out.”
“Be wise, my dear.”
The words were enough. Agatha’s words began to float through the social circles as the ladies around her spoke.
-It was said that Agatha Nobilis had the Marquis of Aratus in mind for this escort!
The rumours exploded upon their return to the capital, with one major twist: the behaviour of a certain Improvement General.
The weight of gold Agatha had laid down for her escort was circulated, and the names of all the knights who had ever escorted her were summoned, as well as a list of suitors.
It was an uproar that no nobleman could fail to notice.
Not surprisingly, Agatha’s intentions were secretly fuelled by rumour.
The news naturally trickled down to the Aratus family, who were barely dipping their toes into society.
* * *
Early morning.
A man hurried across the streets of the outwardly quaint capital city of Aratus.
He was Konrad Ranchel, a knight who had proved himself so adept at managing supplies on the battlefield that he had been appointed administrator of House Aratus upon his return.
Luckily for him, his target had just ordered his knights to rest in the rehearsal hall.
“My lord!”
The man called out stopped and looked up.
Beneath his still wild blue hair.
The man had a very handsome face.
A flat forehead. Deep grey eyes beneath thick lashes, a straight nose and full, red lips.
Even his manly jawline is perfect. His battle-hardened body is perfectly muscled to the point of admiration.
The only blemish was a sword scar that ran from his right cheekbone to his left cheek.
Of course, even that didn’t detract from his manliness.
In a way, the scar added to his manliness. Enoch Aratus, the man who had bitten him, turned to Konrad.
“What’s going on, Konrad?”
“Now is not the time, my lord. Do you know what I’ve just heard?”
Conrad, who had jumped to his feet, was now practically clutching at his eyes.
“‘That’ Agatha Nobilis has said that she wishes to be escorted from our house!”
The shout, almost a scream, was loud enough to be heard by the other knights resting in the distance. Lead-black Enoch let out a short breath.
“You rode all this way for that.”
“No, what could be more important than this, now that we’ve only got enough gold to last us a fortnight? With what they eat, it might only last a week…….”
Konrad, glancing at the knights in the distance, who were pricking up their ears, lowered his voice and whispered eagerly.
“Listen, my lord. I’ve heard it said that all of the Knights Templar’s operating funds have come from the hands of Nobilis. If operating funds include escort payments, doesn’t that mean that this is a golden opportunity to roll the Templars for free and stretch your finances at the same time?”
Blah, blah, blah.
The explanation went on for a while, but it came down to this.
“I want you to go to Nobilis Manor right now and tell them you’ll do it, my lord!”
