Seven

~Brynn~

The port at St. Andrews was nothing like I had expected it to be, much to my surprise. I had expected the worst, as I was told to do by Sir Robert, only to be greeted with a green countryside where the townspeople smiled as they went about their work.

Even upon arriving at the camp sight where I was to check in a receive my orders the men were all in good spirits. It wasn't the mass chaos and hell hole I had expected it to be. And while I was relieved at the serenity of the place, I felt strangely confused by it all.

Dropping my things under a large tree I shuffled up to the large table where a burly man sat surrounded by parchments of all sorts.

"Name," he said without looking up at me.

"Sir Brynn Terris of Lockford," I stated, not at all bemused by his surly attitude. He began to scratch down my name and then stopped short and stared up at me.

"Terris, you say?" the man looked up at me.

"Yes," I answered.

"Got a letter 'ere about you, sir," he said and pulled out a crumpled piece of parchment paper.

"About me?"

"Says 'ere you're to report to the Lieutenant's tent at once." The large man eyed me suspiciously and I had to admit it was rather intimidating considering his size versus mine.

"Does it say why?"

"'At's not my business, sir," he answered and crossed his arms.

"Which way to the tent?" I asked and surveyed my surroundings. He motioned with his chin up the a large hill where a giant tent with flags rested.

"The lieutenant should be in 'is tent righ' about now," he said and I thanked him and retrieved my things.

I silently thanked God for my many years of training. Had I had not been prepared for such a hike up this steep hill, my legs would have certainly failed me.

I looked up at the placement of the sun and wondered what Elizabeth was doing. I hope Aderyn kept good on her promise; God knows she had to really gain more self-control to keep from going insane. But I trusted her enough with Elizabeth. In time she would come to love her as I have. I'm sure of it.

Well... almost sure of it.

The tent was not grand as I would have expected a lieutenant's headquarters to be. But then again he wasn't the Captain, but the second in command after him. The tent was large in size but that was the only difference between it and the dull gray canvassed fabric of the company tents.

I pushed back the flap that served as the door and saw a man standing leaning over a table covered in maps, his back towards me. I cleared my throat and made myself known.

"Lieutenant? Sir Brynn Terris of Lockford," I said and the man straightened and turned around.

"It's about time you got here!" The smile of an old friend greeted me as Prince Edward himself placed his hands on his hips and began laughing. I stood there in complete shock, not knowing what to say.

"Edward?"

"Yes, it would appear so," he said, smirking at me.

"You're the lieutenant?"

"Again, it would appear so." He laughed again and came to hug me. "And look at you!" he said once he backed away and leaned against the table, folding his arms in front of him and looking me up and down. "You haven't changed a bit. Except maybe you're a bit taller."

"I should say the same for you. Your hair is longer."

"The Queen would be horrified," he answered and smiled.

"I think she'd just be glad to have you home," I retorted.

"I heard the news that you were being knighted and told the captain that it would be wise for me to keep an eye on you."

"And I greatly appreciate that. I think I'm probably the most inexperienced person here," I said and felt a small wave of hysteria sweep through me.

"Nonsense. These men haven't had direct training under the crown as you have," he waved his hand and motioned for me to join him by the table, pointing at the maps. "Take a look."

All of the spots marked in red were—presumably—the enemy camps. Red marks littered the maps. As I studied, Edward made light conversation.

"How's everything back home?"

"Nothing's changed a bit," I answered, barely paying attention.

"And my sister?"

I stopped and looked up at him with a smirk.

"Same as always. Although I think she's a bit vexed with me right now."

"For leaving her, no doubt. That's Aderyn for you, as stubborn as ever." Edward laughed and I straightened up.

"Not as much that as the little chore I gave her to do while I'm away," I confessed and Edward looked at me in confusion.

"You gave her a chore." his question came out more like a confused statement. I tried to smile but it felt all wrong.

"Yes, a chore."

"What kind of a chore?" I smiled as Elizabeth's face flashed into my mind. Edward recognized that look at once and shook his head.

"It's a girl, isn't it?" I must have looked utterly guilty as sin itself. "You're crazier than I remembered," he said, shaking his head once again.

"What?"

"You're bloody out of your mind, Brynn," he said and looked serious. His seriousness was a bit unsettling as Prince Edward was usually such a jovial young man; he was only two years my senior, just as he was to Aderyn. Was my leaving Aderyn in charge of Elizabeth truly a bad idea? Apparently so.

"It'll be fine. Aderyn won't do anything," I dismissed his uncertainty.

"If you say so."

Now I was starting to feel both paranoid and annoyed.

"Why are you so against this?"

"If you go back and your dearly beloved is missing a few extremities, don't go blaming me."

"Why would Aderyn-"

"She'd make up some sort of story I'm sure and make the whole thing okay."

I stared at him, completely horrified. He laughed and slapped his palm across my shoulder.

"I'm just kidding. I can understand why she'd be vexed with you but Aderyn won't harm the girl. No, of course not! She loves you far too much. I just hope you were sensitive to my sister's feelings when you asked of this favor, however."

"What do you mean?

He looked at me as if I were an idiot.

"Nothing. Forget I said it. Let's concentrate on this war. The sooner we end it, the sooner we have you back home."

"And what about you? Do you ever plan on coming back to Wales?"

"I'm still debating. I know I'll visit for mother's sake as soon as I possibly can. But as for my duty to the crown... consider it paid in full with this little act." He motioned to his surroundings.

"Who would become king then if the king was to..." I nodded and shrugged my shoulders.

"Ah, now that... that is a story best saved for a different day," Edward said and sniffed, bending back over the tables and insisting he inform me on all the strategies I needed to be up to speed with the progress of this new war raging in the north.

"Tomorrow Captain Hemmingway and the ship arrives to take us to the Shetland Islands."

"Captain Hemmingway?" Edward nodded solemnly.

"Now, he's a man who's as crazy as it gets. You'll see when you meet him."

"What, is he a vampire or something?"

Edward laughed.

"To his enemies, yes. But to be honest, I really haven't been able to come up with a word to properly describe him as of yet. Maybe you'll be of some help once you've met him."

"Maybe," I said and found myself asking a ton of questions in my head.

What is this Captain Hemmingway all about? What will happen if Edward doesn't take the throne? Will they find someone else? Will they expect Aderyn to take it? Aderyn. How is she treating Elizabeth? How is Elizabeth? I'll have to remember to write to her the first chance I get. What if she finds another? Surely, there are others at court who will try to distract her from me. Will Aderyn be quick to spot it? Can I even trust her to try and stop it? Or will she just allow Elizabeth to slip away from me? What about-

"Brynn..." Edward's voice cut through the thoughts screaming in my head. I looked up at him. "Are you alright?"

"Yes... I'm fine," I answered.

But suddenly I wasn't so sure.