A lighter atmosphere prevailed today as Crescence conducted her and Kenneth to a pair of high-backed chairs set before the round council table. Zoë and Jovett followed with Alaric in tow, shushing him as he tried to swing from their arms. A watchful Trevor Udaut brought up the rear of the little procession.

The council members were already assembled — eight of them — and had risen as Kenneth and Alyce entered. Most of the faces looked vaguely familiar to Alyce, from the brief introductions of the night before, but she could assign names to only a few. At least the bishop was easy to identify by his purple cassock. And Sir Laurenz Udaut nodded and smiled faintly at her look of recognition.

«My lord, my lady…» Crescence murmured, inviting the two of them to sit.

Kenneth waited until Alyce had settled into her chair before himself taking his seat to her right, nodding to the council to also be seated. While they did so, Kenneth took Alaric onto his lap, and Zoë, Jovett, and Trevor Udaut grouped themselves behind them.

«My lords», Crescence said again, this time addressing the council as he settled at Kenneth’s right, «I present to you Alyce Lady de Corwyn, mother of our future duke, and her husband, Sir Kenneth Morgan, whom the king has created Earl of Lendour for life. Sir Kenneth — or, more properly, Lord Kenneth — is now, by these letters patent, premier regent of Corwyn, in right of his son».

Crescence laid a document on the table before them, with the pendant seal of scarlet wax affixed to its bottom, and inclined his head. As it was passed along to the grey-haired man sitting at the opposite side of the table, Crescence said to Kenneth, «My lord, my lady, these are your regents for Corwyn. May I present them to you?»

Kenneth quirked a wry grin that swept the table.

«Thank you, Sir Crescence. And gentlemen, please allow me to point out that I may be the father of your future duke, and one of his regents, but I am only newly become an earl. Until a few weeks ago, I was a simple knight like many of you. Perhaps we would all be more comfortable if you each introduce yourselves, and tell me briefly of your responsibilities. I regret that I cannot yet attach names to all of your faces. We need to remedy that».

A brief murmur of agreement whispered among them, and then the dark-clad man seated to the left of Kenneth and Alyce slightly raised one hand.

«I’ll begin, then, my lord. Sir Miles Chopard, secretary to this council».

«Thank you, Sir Miles». Kenneth nodded in acknowledgment, then flicked his gaze expectantly to the man beyond.

«Michael O’Flynn, Earl Derry», the next man said. «Counsel to the duchy. And this is my son Seamus». He indicated a somewhat younger man than Kenneth, seated slightly behind and to his left, with curly brown hair and bright blue eyes.

«My lords», Kenneth replied, inclining his head.

«Síoda Kushannan, Earl of Airnis», said the next man, grey-haired and distinguished looking in the robes of a scholar of Grecotha. «I served Duke Stíofan, your lady wife’s grandfather. That was a very long time ago», he added, smiling.

«Then, I shall welcome your experience», Kenneth replied. «And you, my lord?»

The slender, dark-haired man seated beyond Earl Síoda folded his hands with fastidious care, pursing his lips appraisingly.

«Lord Rathold, my lord, counsel to the duchy. And my colleague is the Bishop of Coroth», he added, opening a hand toward the silver-haired cleric at his left elbow.

«Esmé Harris, my lord», the bishop said, inclining his head. «I shall pray that God grants you wisdom in your new estate».

«The bishop speaks for all of us, my lord», said James of Tendal, seated directly across from Kenneth and Alyce. «I am, as you know, the hereditary chancellor. In the absence of a duke, I suppose you might say that I stand in the king’s stead in Corwyn. My son Robert serves as my aide, and will eventually succeed me». He nodded toward the younger man at his left elbow, who smiled and inclined his head.

«My lord».

To Sir Robert’s left, Trevor’s father smiled and shifted in his chair.

«Sir Laurenz Udaut, my lord. Special counsel».

Kenneth nodded and shifted his gaze to the priest seated at Udaut’s left. «And you, Father?»

The priest inclined his head. «Tivadan, my lord. Chancellor of the Exchequer».

«A vital function», Kenneth said with a smile. «And you must be…?» he said to the man between Tivadan and Sir Crescence.

«Hamilton, my lord. Seneschal of Coroth Castle. I bid you welcome».

«Well met, Lord Hamilton», Kenneth said. «I look forward to working with all of you».

«And we with you, my lord», said the chancellor. «And we are honored to meet our future duke at last», he added, jutting his chin toward Alaric, who had listened gravely from his seat on his father’s lap. «He looks a sturdy lad».

Kenneth smiled faintly. «It is certainly my intention that he should become the man you would wish, eventually to govern Corwyn. I trust that Lord Kushannan will ensure that he learns of his illustrious great-grandsire and other things pertaining to his illustrious ancestry». He glanced at Alyce. «Did you know Duke Stíofan?» he said tentatively.

Alyce smiled and shook her head. «Alas, he died before I was born, my lord. But on many a winter’s night my mother told tales of him to me and Ahern and Marie, when we were very small. And Alaric bears his second name, Anthony». She brushed a fond hand against her son’s cheek. «Speaking of whom, perhaps Zoë and I should take this young man elsewhere, now that proper introductions have been made, so that you gentlemen can accomplish something useful in what remains of the morning».

As she made to rise, Trevor Udaut pulled back her chair and the other men came to their feet. Kenneth eased Alaric to the floor to put the boy’s hand in his mother’s.

«Mama!» Alaric whispered, loud enough for all of them to hear. «Do we have to go now?»

«I think it’s best, darling», she replied, crouching down to his level to look him in the eyes. «Papa and these good gentlemen have work to do. Besides that, I wanted to show you where your Grandmama Stevana played when she was a girl».

The boy’s lower lip started to quiver in a pout, but at Zoë’s additional cajoling, he let himself be led from the room.

Later that evening, as they lay abed, Kenneth acquainted Alyce with the progress of the day’s meeting, and pronounced himself well satisfied.

«The king has chosen his Corwyn regents well», he said. «Having met them now, I feel far less daunted than I did before, about having the duchy run from a distance. If you had been allowed to rule in your own right, of course, we’d be here most of the year, which would make things much easier. But given the realities of the situation, I’m quite confident that we can manage».

«Well, there have been regents since my grandfather died, after all», Alyce pointed out, «and that was eight years ago. My father was never Duke of Corwyn; only Earl of Lendour. And sadly, Ahern only ever got to govern Lendour, and then only for a few months». She sighed wistfully. «He would have made a wonderful duke».

«And you would have made a wonderful duchess», Kenneth said, kissing her on the nose. «And you are the duchess, in all but name».

She smiled and snuggled closer to his side, taking up the invitation his lips had begun.

Beginning the next morning, they settled into what was to become their regular routine for the next few weeks. After breaking their fast in the castle’s great hall, where they made a point of chatting with whichever courtiers were present for business later in the morning, Kenneth, his aides, and his future son-in-law adjourned to the council chamber, where they would spend the day hammering out the business of the duchy with its regents. Often Alyce would accompany him, sitting at his side as advisor and sounding board, but on that first day, she and Zoë rode down to the cathedral with Alaric in tow, attended by a maid, Sir Trevor, and Sir Xander of Torrylin, who had accompanied them from Lendour. It was market day, and the cathedral square was crowded with the stalls and goods wagons of local farmers and craftsmen.