The thought was almost too much to consider. Her? A part of the royal court in her own right, and not just because she was the daughter of powerful parents?
Her mother wasn’t done speaking. “You will hold that title independently. It was going to be invested on you when you turned sixteen, but in light of recent events, it will happen straightaway. You did great service to the people of Kingfountain. You have earned the king’s trust and demonstrated responsibility belying your youth. We chose Averanche because it is between both of our duchies and closest to Pree. Without the board, we cannot see threats coming. You will be responsible for defending our borders and preparing soldiers to fight with the king when the invasion comes.”
“I will be part of the battle?” Trynne gasped with wonderment.
“Of course not!” Sinia said, wrinkling her brow. “No, Trynne. You will help defend the homeland. The queen has been given command over the home army. She will choose one of the dukes of the realm to be her battle commander. Westmarch will go with your father to fight Gahalatine. Brythonica was chosen to help defend Ceredigion. When it’s time for battle, your army will march under your father’s banner whilst you remain here in Ploemeur. I will away to Kingfountain to advise the queen.”
Trynne felt the wrongness of the plan. It was not her destiny to remain behind. She had to go with the king to protect him when the time came.
“I thought you’d be pleased with this news?” Sinia said, looking concerned at her reaction.
“I am pleased,” Trynne said anxiously. “The Lady of Averanche. I had no idea. I’m just so surprised.”
Sinia seemed to accept her change in tone. “I knew you would be. For too long you have lived under the shadow of the past. And your father and I have perhaps coddled you more than we ought. You are a capable young woman. Captain Staeli will go with you—not as your protector, but as your captain. He served under your father for many years before joining the Espion. You will have your own household, your own herald—your father said that you cannot have Benjamin, but Farnes is willing to come out of retirement to help advise you.” She reached out and brushed some locks of Trynne’s hair away. “My heart is bursting right now, Daughter. Have I taught you enough? I led all of Brythonica when I was younger than you. That was forced on me when my parents died. You need to grow up so fast. It won’t be much longer before . . .” Her voice thickened and tears spilled from her lashes.
Trynne hugged her mother fiercely, burying her mouth against her neck. The vision of her father’s death hung like storm clouds over them. Mother and daughter tried to comfort each other. The grief of the moment was too powerful for words.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Lady of Averanche
The castle of Averanche commanded a stunning view of the sea. It was built atop a hill along the coast, the town nestled inside a sturdy wall that had withstood sieges for generations. The battlements were usually windy, but Trynne loved to scale the stairs leading to them and walk alone, staring out over her domain, wondering at all that had befallen her in recent weeks.
The Lady of Averanche.
Her days were no longer solely devoted to books and the study of swordplay. She had been given a household staff to help her manage her responsibilities and rarely had a moment of peace. But she loved every moment. Trynne was decisive by nature and had good instincts. She often saw smiles and nods of approval from the mayor, who brought many of the city’s disputes before her. She dispensed justice but tempered it with mercy. Her banner bore a castle with a fish over it between two moons. In the game of Wizr, her piece would have been a tower. It was a defensive piece, which felt right. Averanche had always been a border town and had changed sides between Occitania and Ceredigion many times over the centuries. It had been one of her father’s castles since he was about her age.
She leaned forward against the battlement wall, the wind whipping her hair in front of her face. In the distance she could see the island sanctuary of Our Lady of Toussan. Ploemeur was tucked into a cove beyond it. The air carried the tangy smell of the sea and she let herself smile because no one was watching her.
Part of her still wished that she hadn’t let her mother down. Sinia took her responsibility to protect the people of Brythonica very seriously. She needed an heir to maintain the defenses, and Trynne had always been the logical choice because she had shown signs of being Fountain-blessed at a young age. Gannon, on the other hand, had not. But he was still young; there was still a chance.