Noah was furious. But more than that, he was scared and confused. What was she even doing here?! Right now, this was the most dangerous place to be! What if the Red Hands caught her? He was sure that they wouldn’t just kill her. The sheer thought of what they could do to her made him tremble. He had seen their brutalities one too many times. Memories of Orhana’s blood-drenched body surfaced in his mind and paralyzed him for a second. He knew very well that his tone had scared Lorelei, but didn’t care right now. The most important thing was to get her out of here.

“So then, dear wife, was Yalda not to your taste, that you have decided to come to such a place?”

“My lord, I… some things happened…”

“I am aware. Dear Jessup here sang like a little bird when I caught him coming back from the harbor. He has neglected his duties and will be punished accordingly.”

“But I was the one who ordered him to go!” Lorelei protested.

“And it was I who ordered him to never leave your side.” Noah’s face was stone-cold and his voice was very similar to a rumbling thunder. “Jessup is my squire. His lack of obedience and discipline tarnishes the name of his master.”

Lorelei lowered her head unable to look him in the eye. Although she looked a bit ashamed, there was still clear defiance in her bearing. Noah tried to calm himself. He probably overreacted. Why was she driving him this mad? It was just a chain of coincidences that brought her here. She had no way of knowing the danger she was putting herself in. Still, she had to go back to Illdemar as fast as possible.

“You have played enough for today, my lady. You are going to return to the castle immediately.”

“No, my lord.”

For a moment Noah thought he hadn’t heard correctly. Was she openly defying his order?! He just stood there staring blankly at her.

“What did you say, wife?”

“I can’t go back yet, my lord. There is a little girl here that needs my help.”

“Then take her with you.”

“It would be dangerous. She is very weak.” Lorelei shook her head. “The stress and the emotions from the trip might further worsen her condition.”

“I will order a physician from Yalda here then. You go back with Duncan.”

“No, my lord.” The young woman was unyielding. “The people here won’t trust a limerian physician. And will he even agree to look after some beggar children with mixed blood?”

“That… it shouldn’t be your concern. I will make it work.” Noah lowered his voice so that only she could hear him. Swallowing his pride, he pleaded to her reason. “My duchess, you need to return to the castle. It is not safe here. Your life might be in danger.”

“I will stay, my lord.”

Her stubbornness was close to driving him crazy! Her next reply, however, made his mind go blank.

“Back in Sefis you said that, as long as I am duchess Norden, I can act as I please, if it does not harm your subjects or the honor of your house. Right now, these people need me. Helping them does not violate the conditions of our contract, quite the contrary.”

“Why, in the name of all saints, are you so impossible?! I am trying to protect your life!”

“And what would you do, if your men were under attack from the enemy? Would you run away to save yourself and leave them, or would you risk your life to save them?”

“This is an unfair comparison, duchess!” he hissed angrily. “Me bleeding to death for them is one thing. You losing your life here out of stubbornness is another. They are my people, not yours.”

“As long as I am the duchess Norden, they are my people too, my lord,” she whispered in reply.

Noah was left speechless. Before he could find the words to say anything else, Lorelei caught his hand and pulled him lightly but resolutely. Subduing his bubbling anger, he followed, confused not only because of her unusual determination but also due to the fact that she had dared to touch him on her own accord. Up until now, the only instance she had ever done that willingly was when she had cared for him on the ship. Otherwise, she would stiffen every time he took a hold of her hand. Was she feeling alright today?

The two entered the small hut. Noah could see an old man covering a young boy with his body. On the floor behind them lay a small shivering bundle. He frowned a bit. Had his presence frightened them this much? Next to him Lorelei squeezed his hand gently and turned to the old man with a charming smile.

“Don’t be afraid, elder. This knight is my husband. He won’t harm you or the children.”

Hearing her words, the old binshi relaxed a bit, but his eyes remained vigilant.

“Greetings to the esteemed elder.” Noah nodded lightly.

“T-there is no need for the young knight to be this polite. We are merely humble folk unworthy of such honor,” came the stuttering reply.

Noah threw his wife a questioning look. What now? To his surprise she sat down on the dirty floor, giving him a sign to follow her. It was very awkward and inappropriate for a noble lady of her status to do such a thing, but he still decided to comply. Oddly enough, his wife’s tactic worked and the old man and the boy looked less scared now.

“My lord, I would like you to meet Anuk, the girl I told you about.” Lorelei turned towards the trembling bundle. “Don’t be frightened, little one. My husband might look a bit dark and scary, but he is a good man.”

Her words made Noah feel strange. Was she insulting him or praising him? Either way, the familiarity with which she called him ‘my husband’ brought him unexpected delight. At that moment, he noticed a pair of jewel-like eyes peeking at him from the bundle. His previous anger and frustration melted away. He could definitely understand Lorelei’s insistence now. By the Gods, the girl was even younger than Shana! Their gazes crossed and he could see her eyes widening. This made Noah reflexively touch his scar and avert his face to the other side. Was she going to scream like the people in Sefis? To his surprise, a soft weak voice spoke to him with some strange emotion.

“If he married lady fairy, then he shouldn’t be a bad man. Unless he is a fairy catcher. Then he is bad.”

“A fairy catcher?” Noah asked slightly amused. “And who might that be, little one?”

“They are bad people who kidnap fairies,” the weak voice explained. “That’s what mother said. They imprison them and force them to do magic against their will, and make them sad. They are really, really bad men, like the ones that took us away, but worse. Are you a fairy catcher?”

“No, dear.” Lorelei’s fingers in his palm squeezed him a little tighter and she answered in his stead. “My husband is definitely not one of them. But I’ll tell you a secret. I was indeed imprisoned by bad people in a land far, far away from here. And they did try to harm me. But then this knight came and saved me. He beat them all up and brought me here to Norden. For that, I’ll always be grateful to him.”

There was a little pull in Noah’s stomach when he heard her words. Was she really not hating him, even after everything she was forced to endure? Their eyes met and he could see her sincere feelings deep in them. There was no hate. Instead, it was something he could not completely understand. What was she feeling?

“Then he is a hero,” concluded the little girl and pulled him back to reality. Then she added with a bit of sadness: “I wish the hero could save father too.”

“What do you mean, Anuk?”

Managing to keep his tone gentle, Noah frowned at her words. He had heard her say something about bad people taking her and her brother away. Was it possible...? This time around, the young boy chimed in.

“Does the lord knight serve under duke Norden?” Noah could clearly hear the desperation and hope in his tone. “Will you tell the duke about us? Will he be willing to help free father and the rest?”

“Yes, Kai.” Lorelei nodded. “What my husband hears, the duke hears. You can tell him everything.”

“That’s true,” said Noah and gave the boy a reassuring look. “Tell me your story, lad, and I swear by the Morning Star, the duke will help you.”

“Dear Mother Above! It is you!”

All of a sudden, the old man cried out loudly, frightening everyone. His eyes looked like they were going to pop out. He stuttered.

“T-the rumors… S-skin the color of bark... Hair as d-dark as night… G-gaze as c-cold as winter day… Always d-dressed in pitch b-black… A sca-scar on his l-left…”

Without finishing, the binshi threw himself on the ground, pulling the boy down with him. All his courage from a while ago was gone as he banged his forehead on the dirty floor.

“Mercy, duke Norden! Spare us for not recognizing your lordship earlier!”

As if time stopped. Noah straighten his back and managed somehow to look towering even while sitting on the ground. His demeanor changed in a second and now he truly had the aura of royalty.

“Arise.” Even his words sounded more powerful. “You may speak freely boy. The duke will listen to your request now.”