In Which Severin Finds an Exception

July 12, 1158

"...and so then he got mad because she thinks I'm cute, but he likes her. I told him I didn't want her to think I'm cute, because I don't want to be cute, but he wouldn't listen and punched me, so I punched him back, and that's the truth, Uncle Severin," Searle hurriedly concluded his anecdote. "Anyway, Falidor saw and sent me to Father Sextus, so I confessed and then he sent me to you, and now you know everything. Can I go now?"

"Why the rush?" laughed Severin. "Want to go pick some flowers for your sweetheart before it gets too dark?"

Indignant, Searle bounced up and down in his seat. "No, no, no! She's not my sweetheart! Were you even listening?"

"She thinks you're cute, doesn't she?"

"So does Nora," grumbled Searle, "but you don't think she's my sweetheart."

"Why? Would you rather she was?"

"No!"

Perfectly on cue, Falidor barged through the door, announcing himself by firmly stepping forward and sending a cool glance Searle's way. "What's this I hear about my sister?"

"My page wants her for his sweetheart," Severin answered gleefully.

Falidor's eyes narrowed. "Is that so?"

"No!" Searle protested stubbornly. "I don't want a sweetheart. Girls are stupid."

Chuckling to himself, Severin shook his head. "Oh, you say that now."

"I say that forever!"

"Forever's due to end in about six or seven years, then," he deduced. "Anyway, Falidor, is there someone here for me?"

Falidor nodded. "Florian, my lord--and he doesn't seem his usual caustic self today."

Frowning, Severin closed his eyes and sighed. It must have been Medea; perhaps she had done something to seriously harm Octavius, or one of the children. But then why would Octavius send Florian to him? Shouldn't he have sent Florian immediately to Roderick in that case?

Oh well, there was no use speculating at this point. "Send him in. Searle, you're dismissed."

Falidor bowed and left, Searle following quickly at his heels. The door closed behind them, but barely a minute had elapsed before it opened once again.

"My lord," Florian greeted him in an uncharacteristically meek voice. "Falidor said you weren't busy?"

If Florian had asked if he was busy, then that meant it wasn't too pressing--Octavius and the twins were fine.

"No, not at all," Severin assured him with a smile. "I was just scolding my nephew for hitting the cook's son--some scuffle over the captain's little girl, apparently."

Ordinarily, Florian would've made some snide comment, he knew; however, he merely breathed the word "Women."

Shaking his head, Severin pulled himself to his feet and made his way around the desk. "Since you asked if I was busy, I imagine it isn't something Octavius sent you for, is it?"

"No," confirmed Florian. "It's a personal matter. The baron knows nothing about it. He doesn't even know I'm here--it's my day off."

"Oh. I had no idea we were so close."

Florian cocked his head slightly. "Don't get too comfortable--you're my only choice. I need to talk to someone in a position of influence, so that rules out almost everyone I know. This would hit some nerves for both the king and the duke, and I imagine it might--oddly enough--make the baron feel somewhat jealous. Therefore, you're the only one I can tell."

"You aren't going to make me guess what it this is about, are you?"

The baron's steward met his eyes. "No, I'm going to be as brief as possible. You see... it was about two months ago now..."

Severin nodded. "Yes...?"

"Well, Byrn had just died, and you know how Norwan wanted a son to inherit the farm, so... well, you can imagine what he did to Thetis that night," Florian finished flatly as Severin scowled. "Anyway, she left after that and broke into my house. I woke up and found her on the bench in my bedroom, crying. I figured Norwan had raped her, but please remember that at that point, I didn't know that Byrn was dead."

"All right. Continue."

Florian inhaled softly, then released. "So I comforted her, and she kissed me, and... well, we had sex."

So that was why Florian had come to him. Roderick would have been furious, as he had recently had an experience with an unfaithful wife; Dalston would have been sensitive, as he was still feeling guilty over his own sexual misadventure. Octavius, he saw now, might have been envious at the chance to throw away his marriage vows for a night--Severin doubted Medea had visited his bed since she'd learned she was pregnant with the twins.

Florian, of course, had no idea of what Severin might have thought about all things adultery. How would he know, really? All of Severin's ideas on the subject related directly to his father, whom he preferred not to discuss often. No, the man could not have possibly had any clue about what Severin might think of all this.

But then again, he supposed it didn't really matter. The other three did have it worse he was sure. Besides, this was Thetis--if anyone was justified in being unfaithful to her spouse, surely it was Thetis. In fact, with the way the scumbag treated the poor girl, Severin barely considered Norwan to be Thetis's husband at all; he respected the church and its views, but felt no obligation to agree with them where he saw unfit, and the matter of Thetis and Norwan's marriage was one such issue.

Sighing, Florian began to aimlessly pace about, his footsteps neither even nor sure. "She says there will be a baby in February. He's raped her since that night, so it's probably his, but..."

"There's still a chance it's yours," Severin finished for him.

"Exactly."

"Well, it would probably be in her best interests to keep her away from Norwan for as long as possible," he mused, turning around to face Florian once more. "If he gets angry about anything--which he will--he'll probably beat her, and then she'll likely miscarry, and then he'll act as though she'd planned for that to happen and... well, I think you can figure out the rest."

Florian nodded grimly. "Bastard. Someone should tie his cock to a horse and poke it in the ass with a lance."

"Indeed. Now, does Norwan know where you live? Or even who you are?"

"No," Florian answered. "Thetis makes a point of not mentioning me around him, as knowledge of me could lead him to Evera."

Uneasy, Severin placed one hand on the desk and leaned slightly toward it. As reluctant as he was to place Thetis and Evera in the same place, at least he could rest assured that it was unlikely that Norwan would find them in the first place. "Perhaps you should take her to live with you then, at least until the baby comes, if we can't get away with keeping her any longer than that. I'd take her myself, but obviously I'd be the first person he suspects."

"Fair enough," agreed Florian. "God, I hope Norwan rots in hell some day soon. I doubt he even appreciated the son he had--he just wants a boy who can be bullied into doing all the work around there when he's older. If I didn't think he would harm either of them, I'd hope the baby's a girl."

"I hope this isn't too bold of me, Florian," muttered Severin sullenly, "but if I didn't think he would harm either of them, I'd hope the baby is yours."

NEXT CHAPTER: