In Which Hilla Feels Redemption in the Air

March 20, 1161

Hilla's daughter had told her a few interesting stories over the course of the ten months she had been in Naroni so far, but none had interested her quite so much as the recent plight of the baroness--perhaps because it remained unresolved, especially to Hilla personally.

She did not particularly care for stuffy nobles, but at the same time, she could not let this challenge pass. Goodwife Fedurin had always been regarded as the most talented healer in all of Sarona, if not all of Dovia. Back in her younger days, people had come from settlements several days away, begging her to rid them of their ailments, and she had never let her clients down--save for one.

The Countess of Sarona. The woman had been heavily pregnant with her third child when Hilla had been called, she distinctly remembered. Her sanity had been declining for several years, but it was only as her due date approached that the earl had sought help for his wife. Hilla had come, and she had tried everything she could think of... but nothing could ease the countess's mind. In the end, it had all been for naught, as she had died giving birth to her son anyway.

If Hilla thought hard enough, she could vaguely recall the countess's six-year-old daughter--the current Baroness of Tetran, now suffering from a similar affliction, and most certainly not with child.

Redemption was in the air, she could feel it! After all these years, she would finally know the answer, finally solve the puzzle, finally...

"Uh... who are you?"

An exotic woman had entered the baron's study. She appeared to be about Hilla's age, though considerably taller and rather darker. She was messaging her temple gentle, as though she had a slight headache.

"I'm the healer, of course," Hilla introduced herself. "My name is Hilla Fedurin, and I'm here to see the baroness."

The woman frowned. "Oh really? Well, healer, it just so happens that I am here to see the baroness as well."

"Nonsense!" barked Hilla, leaping to her feet and planting her hands firmly on her hips; who was this woman to deprive her of her one shot at closure? "I'll have you know, I tended to her mother!"

However, the stranger seemed unimpressed. "I also tended to her mother."

Hilla raised an eyebrow. "Liar! No one ever tended to her until I did, just before she gave birth to the current earl--and that birth killed her, you know."

"I assure you, I did!" the woman insisted snappishly. "I went and examined her as a favor to the Duke of Luperia!"

It was Hilla's turn to be unimpressed. "Honey, who hasn't done a favor to the Duke of Luperia?"

The other woman said nothing.

"Oh, I see," Hilla surmised with a sniff. "You're that pagan who actually forced the duke to claim one of his army of bastards. No wonder the earl kept your visit a secret--he didn't want to be associated with the likes of you."

"Perhaps it is to my advantage that he kept my visit a secret," she retorted, "as it seems that of the two of us, I am the one who has managed to stay in business."

Furious, Hilla opened her mouth to fire off an even greater insulted, but she was interrupted by the arrival of the handsome young steward.

"Everything all right in here, ladies?"

Now it was. His silky blond hair... his piercing blue-gray eyes... his straight nose and full bottom lip... there was nothing like a prime specimen of man to put Hilla at ease, that was for sure.

Unfortunately, a small glint of gold of his left hand told her that he was married--as if she hadn't had enough rotten luck today already!

"Has the baron returned?" asked the gypsy on both women's behalf as Hilla instead began to undress the steward with her eyes. As pleasant as it was, there was a certain bittersweetness to the fantasy; to think, if only this other woman wasn't in the room, then perhaps she would undress him with more than just her eyes.

"No. As I told you, Laveria, he went for a ride with his children and Princess Holladrin. I don't imagine he will be back for another few hours."

Laveria rolled her eyes. "Very well. Anyway, it seems that we both came to examine the baroness, but..."

"You're too late!" the steward declared with a laugh. "Both of you! It just so happens that a rather small, rather naked doctor was here this morning."

Suddenly, Hilla found the man fully clothed once more. "What?"

He nodded. "Cured her too, he did, or so it seemed for a few minutes... but then she relapsed. The kid just shook his head and said it was hopeless, and by the time I finished blinking, he'd vanished."

"Relapsed?" Hilla repeated. "So I could still look her over?"

Before the steward replied, Laveria shook her head. "If the kid says it's hopeless, it's hopeless--he's the best physician we have in these parts."

"True," the steward agreed, "but if you truly wish, Goodwife Fedurin, then feel free to try. If you ask me, it wasn't truly hopeless--I think the kid did heal her, then realized he liked the bitch better as a nutcase and undid whatever it was he did in the first place! Not that I would blame him--and in all honesty, I'm not sure the baron would either."

NEXT CHAPTER: