In The Beginning, Gail Daley [red white royal blue .TXT] 📗

the way he had Selene to teach her a lesson, but not with that damn Merc standing there watching him. At that moment, he hated Rebecca as much as he hated Andre. Rebecca for being the cause of his humiliation and Andre for witnessing it, and laughing. He took the wisest course of action and fled.

Rebecca wheeled around to confront her brother and realized Selene and Tyrel were staring at her, open-mouthed, and Andre was leaning against the doorway, his shoulders shaking with laughter.

"It isn't funny! Do you know what he did?" She demanded.

Andre sobered. "We heard. I'm sorry for her, but if he won't voluntarily do the right thing, there isn't much we can do. It wouldn't be right to force him to marry her, Rebecca. I've never known a forced marriage to turn out well, and many times it's the woman or the child who suffer for it."

Rebecca sighed. "You are right of course, but at the least, he must be made to support her and his baby. I have to tell Grandpa what he's done, and I dread it."

When Lewys walked down to the schoolrooms the next morning after an uncomfortable interview with his eldest granddaughter, he found Mort teaching the younger children. Lewys could see Serle was sullen, and his grandfather troubled. When Mort saw his old friend, he told the children it was time for recess and led them outside to play.

"Do you know where Sarsee Amber is?" he asked Lewys. "She didn't come to teach her class this morning."

"I’m not surprised," Lewys told him gravely. "Are you aware of the relationship that has developed between her and Serle?"

"Mort smiled. "Yes, and I couldn't be happier. They are well suited. Is she ill?"

Lewys looked at him grimly. "Are you sure your grandson feels the same way about it?"

"What do you mean?"

Lewys signed. "Mort, I don't know how to tell you this, but Serle seems to have gotten the girl with child. He told Rebecca he wouldn't marry her because she is of commoner bloodlines. We discovered this morning she ran away in shame. Rebecca is following her to bring her back."

Mort dropped heavily to the ground, burying his face in his hands.

"I don't know what to say. I'm so sorry. I will speak to him. Please tell Sarsee Amber when you find her that I will see she doesn't suffer for this."

His conversation with his grandson concerning Amber was not a pleasant one.

Mort hated conflict of any kind, but when Serle came into their quarters before dinner, he found his grandfather had dismissed the cook and housekeeper for the night.

"We need to talk, grandson," Mort said, gesturing for Serle to join him in the study. "Lewys came to see me today. I need you to tell me honestly, have you taken advantage of Sarsee Amber?"

Serle stared back at him arrogantly. "Taken advantage? What do you mean?"

"Is she carrying your child?"

"What if she is?"

"Then I will arrange for a marriage ceremony for the two of you tomorrow."

"Marriage? You expect me to marry a commoner? What is wrong with you?"

Mort looked at him in shock. "If the girl carries your child, her rank doesn't matter son. Your honor requires you to marry her."

"My honor requires I wed someone equal in rank to myself!" Serle snapped.

Mort stood up. "You shame me, boy. If you will not marry this girl you wronged, I must do so myself to erase the stain on our family honor."

Furious, Serle stormed out of the house. The old man was a stupid fool. How dare he demand Serle marry a commoner. This was Rebecca's fault. That jealous little fool had put her grandfather up to demanding he marry Amber. Well, she needed to learn a lesson. What he wanted to do was to lay his whip across her until she learned her place, but he was too much afraid of Andre to try, and admitting it enraged him even more.

As he sat there, stewing in his is anger, a way to make them both pay for humiliation he was suffering, slipped into his mind. He would write an anonymous letter to the Magi Proctors, telling them about the letter from Drame Wilder. Only he would say Lewys was responsible for spreading it. When the Proctor came here to punish the Mabinogions and Andre, he Serle, would be there to see it. Perhaps he could talk the Proctor into breeding him with Rebecca; that would teach her and Andre as well, if he was still alive, not to meddle with his life. He went back to his room to write the letter before he went down to Land's End. There was a ship in the harbor who would take his letter to the Magi Proctors main headquarters.

Old Friends & New Enemies

EARLIER, ON THE MORNING of Mort's confrontation with his grandson, the family discovered Amber had fled Ironlyn. Lewys called a short family conference.

"Her clothes are gone," Catrin reported.

"One of the scrub unicorns is missing from the stable, as well," Andre said. "It looks as if she's headed up into the hills above the pastures. At least the silly girl didn't go toward the Trade Station. It isn't safe there with the Shahen and the Proctor's expected any day."

"Winter is coming, and there is already snow up in the higher elevations," Lewys' voice was worried.

Rebecca made a disgusted sound. "Well, I guess you and I will have to go find her and bring her back," she told Andre.

"I want to come along," Selene said. "She is my friend too."

Lewys nodded. "Yes, you may go. You and Tyrel be sure you take warm clothes though."

"I'll get the unicorns ready," Andre said.

Despite the gravity of their errand, it was a cheerful group who set out to find Amber. Andre was in the lead, following Amber's trail as it climbed higher up into the hills. The air turned crisp. Fall flowers in their bright foliage decorated the pastures and bushes. As they rode higher up into the