The Love of a Wielder (Book Two of The Wielders Trilogy)

Chapter Four

Their arrival at Worthingham was chaotic. Soldiers and speeders littered the drive. The Captain and the rest of the men came all the way with them as an escort. One of the soldiers was also driving the speeder that Maren and Alec had taken from the palace. Maren was glad to see it since it had nearly everything she owned inside. She hadn't even given it a single thought since they left the checkpoint.

In addition to the soldiers, there were also several servants who met them and began unloading Maren's luggage. Maren stood outside the speeder, slightly stunned and unsure what to do or where to go.

"You must be starved, why don't we go to the kitchen?" The Duke had suddenly appeared beside her.

"Oh...surely you have business to attend to, I'm all right." She felt like she had already imposed a great deal on him and didn't want to be more trouble.

"None more important than you," he said with a kind smile. "Please," he added, gesturing to the house.

"Ah...thank you," she said and took his offered arm.

She found his words somewhat shocking. Who said that to someone they just met? Was he just trying to flatter her? Did he really think she was that significant just for agreeing to marry him?

She hardly paid attention to anything in the house as he walked her through it. It was large and luxurious, but Maren was in too much of a daze to notice anything else.

Fortunately, it was a short walk from the drive to the kitchen, which was a lot larger than Maren expected. There seemed to be more than enough room to prepare a banquet for several dozen guests. But it was also an inviting and homey space, with lots of dark wood and low lights, somewhat at odds with the grand interior of the manor.

There was a small woman with tidy grey hair in an apron sitting at a wooden table. She rose and bobbed a curtsy when Maren and the Duke entered.

"Your Grace, my lady," she said, and then bustled off into the cooking area.

"You didn't need to stay up, Rosemary, it's very late," the Duke said.

"Well, sir, I know you don't eat at the fort and I assumed Lady Maren and Lord Alec would be hungry."

"Well, I'm grateful to you," the Duke said.

The Duke pulled out a chair at the table for Maren. She sat down and he joined her.

"Rosemary is our head cook and, I think, the best cook in the area," the Duke said.

Rosemary came back to the table carrying two plates of cold meat and cheese. She didn't respond to the Duke, but Maren could tell she was pleased by his complement.

"Welcome to Worthingham, my lady. We're all thrilled you've come."

"Thank you," Maren whispered. She hadn't really considered that there would be a whole staff with whom she'd need to be acquainted. That would have to be a problem for another day.

Rosemary left and returned with several golden-brown loaves of bread. Maren thought she might be able to eat some of that.

"Oh, good, I was hoping I'd find both you and food"

Alec had arrived. Maren was genuinely grateful he joined them. She was completely incapable of carrying on anything like a conversation with anyone, but especially with the Duke. She had been given entirely too many things to deal with and was completely out of capacity to deal with them.

"Rosemary!" Alec cried when he saw the cook.

He went to her and kissed her on both cheeks. Then she scolded him for being too thin, before handing him another plate of meat and cheese.