Alice knew that taking the children of nobles and foreign royalty was a common practice, they were used as assurances that their parents behaved and kept the king's interest at heart. Her problem wasn't with the practice, it was a normal and even customary thing. Her problem was that she had been chosen. Her parents had four sons and she was the only girl. It was normal to take the oldest boys, not the daughters. Daughters were only taken when there were no sons. She still could not understand why the Captain had come for her.
She glanced at him again across from her in the carriage and his fearsome scowl. He was older, older even than her father, but still young enough to be dangerous. A lifetime soldier. She had seen the type, her father's own Captain was the same way, but he smiled more than this man. Maybe he wasn't so fearsome as he seemed?
"Captain, do you have a name?" she asked softly.
He turned from the window to look at her, looking her over once, then turning to look out the window again. "Captain Avery."
"Captain Avery, do you know why I was chosen over my brothers?"
"I do."
"Can you tell me?"
"I could if I wanted to."
"Will you?"
"It is well known your father dotes on you, adores you more than all of his sons combined. His highness would have sent for the youngest boy if your father hadn't overreached so far, trying to gain controlling interest in Miovia and Peretnon. Where he well knows Lucana has a controlling interest and wishes to keep it that way. He tried to be deceitful, use proxies. Taking you was a slap on the wrist for your father.
Many of the wards at the castle are allowed freedom to move about, they know their place and do not balk in their duties. Some few have to be contained. Will you be one of those?"
"No Captain, of course not. I know what happens if a ward tries to flee. We have been traveling for three days, how much further is it?"
"Not much. We will make port before nightfall and then sail to Lucana. It will take a day on the sea with fair weather."
"Thank you for answering my questions Captain."
He nodded graciously and turned back to the window. After a moment, he spoke again. "You don't speak like a Lady. No demands, no haughty demeanor. I have noticed it about you, how polite you are. Even to the servants when we stop at inns. There aren't many ward's like that in Lucana, you might have a rough time with them if you let them roll you over."
"I can deal with nobles, Captain," she said tiredly. "I give what I get, no matter who it is. Are there truly so many ward's?"
"There are. So many that there is a sort of school set up for the wards alone. Again, you may find trouble with them, they are clannish and most of them... their blood is not so blue as your own. They may see you, a princess in your own right, as someone to hold a grudge against."
"As I said Captain, I can deal with other nobles well enough. Though... you do realize I am no longer being tutored? I will not be attending classes with them?"
"Aren't you?" he asked, surprised.
"No Captain, I am almost nineteen."
"And not married?"
"No, as your King noted, I am my father's favorite. He wasn't willing to give me up to just anyone."
"Did he have lofty plans for you?"
"No," she smiled. "He said I would never have to marry for power. My brothers all would, but I would know happiness. I would marry for love."
"A lovely sentiment, but after a year in Lucana, he may change his mind. A married child cannot be a ward. He may have someone lined out for you when your year is up, just to keep you from having to come back."
"Is it so terrible a place that he might think he has to save me in such a way?"
"Lucana is at war, Lady. Your father is a foreigner, he doesn't know where the warfront is, how far from the capitol the front line is, he only knows we are at war. With Paratuse, no less."
"It is said that the Prince's are known to stay on the front lines and fight in the larger battles, and even leading some skirmishes. Is that the truth, or an embellishment?"
"There is some truth to it, Lady. Prince Havilan stays close to battle. He is a born fighter, and wild as they come. A true berserker in battle."
"He is the oldest?"
"Yes. He was quite the child, it was said his mother tried to refuse to have more children after him. Malcolm was a bit better, a bit more mild. He also stays close to the battle, but unlike his brother, he has more of a strategic mind. He stays back with the Generals and plans the battles."
"And the youngest?"
"He is the mildest of the three, but still a bit wild. He stays closer to home. I hear your own brother was conscripted to go fight with Malcolm?"
"He was. Jude is a good fighter, I suppose. Of all my brothers, he is the only one to show an interest in warfare. He also likes the strategy of it. Liam loves his music, Blaine loves his art and Lowry loves his girls."
"And you?"
"I love... many things. My books. Animals. Art. Dancing. Sitting in the garden with my ladies and gossiping while we do needlepoint."
"You may be too gentle a soul for Lucana," he said, almost sadly.
The weather did not hold for their sea voyage and it took three long days instead of one. Alice did not do well at all in the cabin of the ship, with the constant rising and falling and rolling of the large boat. She kept nothing down and was miserable the entire time. By the time they reached port, she was weak from not having eaten or drinking anything for days.
There was no reception at the castle, she was quietly carried into a room on the 'ward' wing and left there alone. Late evening came and finally a girl came in with a tray. She was young and sweet looking with rosy cheeks and a bright smile.
"Oh, hello little one!" she said brightly. "I'm Leona. Captain Avery picked me special to be your servant! Oh, you are a lovely little thing, aren't you? So pale though! Here drink all this broth. Avery said you was sick on the voyage. We'll get you fixed right up!"
"Thank you Leona," Alice answered with a forced smile. She was finally hungry and the broth smelled amazing. "Did they say when I should present myself?"
"Captain Avery said he'd be along in the morning. I'll get your clothes put away and cleaned for you and something nice all laid out for you. Seven trunks! My! We may have to get you another wardrobe!" she laughed nervously.
"My father loves to get me dresses," Alice explained, pink cheeked.
"Oh, I understand! When I was still little, my mother loved to make me dresses and make me look like a doll!"
"I'm almost nineteen," Alice answered, trying not to be offended. She was sort of used to it.
"Oh, my Lady! I am so sorry, I beg forgiveness!"
"Don't fret, it's fine. There is a blue silk with silver trim I would like to wear in the morning. It should be on the darkest trunk. The white trunk holds my underthings and nightclothes, and the pine trunk holds my shoes. One trunk holds a few books, my art things, my sewing, and a few other things that I will unpack myself. My jewelry is also in the dark trunk with my nicer dresses. The green trunk holds my everyday dresses. Just set my jewelry box on the vanity. I would like a bath tonight after I am done eating. Is that the bathing chamber there?"
"Yes my Lady," she answered quickly, nervously.
Alice smiled at the girl who looked terrified now. "Truly, Leona, it's fine. Don't give it a second thought. You aren't the first and you won't be the last. Captain Avery chose you because he knew we'd be fast friends. My name is Alice and I would like for you to call me Alice, or even Ally as some of my friends call me."
The girl relaxed some and smiled a bit, but she was still nervous until Aice asked her about all the fun gossip while Leona was washing her hair in the bath. The girl loosened up completely after that, telling her about all the most fun gossip. Alice didn't know any of the people Leona told her about, but she knew gossip always made girls, servants especially, relax.
By morning, Leona was the same smiling, happy girl who had bounced in the night before. Alice wasn't nervous about being presented to the king, or paraded in front of the court. She had grown up at court and she knew better than to show fear or weakness. She also knew that servants made the best and most loyal friends.
When she stepped out of her chambers with Captain Avery and into the large common room at the end of the wing, there were a great many hard stares in her direction. The other wards ranged from preteens to young men and women who had to be in their twenties. The older wards gave her the hardest stares, then some immediately dismissed her. The few who didn't were the ones who actually knew who she was and knew that her size was not indicative of her age at all.
She lifted her chin and gave the barest of nods as she passed the lords and ladies, dukes and duchesses and other more minor nobles. The few who knew who she was gave her larger nods and a few emulated them, sensing that she was due more than a nod. One younger girl gave her a deep curtsy and Alice stopped and smiled at the girl.
"Hello Maisy. I had heard you may still be here."
"I am, Princess, it's my second year!"
"It's just Ally here, Maisy. It's good to see a friendly face, we will have to catch up when I return."
"I have classes," the girl said sulkily. "I won't be free until after dinner."
"After dinner then," Alice said with a smile and hugged the girl close. Maisy was nine, but almost the same size now, Alice noted in surprise. The last time she had seen her, she had been a head shorter.
The walk into the throne room was much less tense and less eventful. The king hardly looked at her, just glanced, then gave Captain Avery a nod. Captain Avery led her right back out. None of the gathered nobles had looked twice at her and she knew why. She was fine with that. She would learn all about them later.
Captain Avery left her at her door, then wished her luck before turning and heading back the way he had come. Alice let Leona help her change into one of her everyday dresses, then told her she was going to have a walk around the grounds.
The grounds were expansive and sprawling. She saw no less than four gardens with ladies walking and talking clusters, sitting and sewing or sitting and having tea and cakes. She passed them all by from a distance, noting them but not approaching any of them. Not yet. She found the kennels and played with the dogs for a few moments before moving on to the stables and looking over the horses.
It became her routine for the next few days. As soon as the others had gone to their classes, she would take a long tour of the grounds. She avoided the older wards who did not attend classes, not wanting to get enmeshed in court politics yet. She wanted a better feel for the place before she allowed herself to get swayed by the wrong group.
She did hear whispers of the war though, and a great many troubling rumors about how close it was getting. That was unsettling, but most of the gossip she heard was from grooms in the stables and servants.
She spent a good deal of time in the stables, brushing horses and staying back out of the way just listening. The older men there knew all the comings and goings of everyone and they talked to each other pretty openly about it. She was good at staying out of sight and invisible to older people. They assumed they saw something they didn't when they saw her and she didn't correct them.
The fifth day, she heard something that made her anxious and she slipped closer to listen better. There was an empty stall just on the other side of the two men talking and she slipped in quietly.
