Chapter 39.2

She already had filled four writing slates and she still wasn't done. But she needed to get this right before copying the list onto the scrolls of parchment laying next to her. For the past hours, she had people enter to help her fill the list with names and their accomplishments. At last she just had one person left.

Fang entered with her defining toothy grin on her face. "Greetings, miss Snow. How fares the war?"

She smiled at the mountain guide. Red really had picked a good one to assist her. Even though none of them had expected things to escalate like this, Fang had done her work admirably. Eirwen felt she wasn't paying her enough. "Lots of administration right now, mostly. Can you confirm what I wrote down for you?"

"Sure, sure. Let's see... Wait, that's... Oh, you're including the one giant Red killed but pretended I helped with? That feels a bit strange to be honest. I'd rather you put that on him alone." Eirwen nodded and corrected that for both of them, smoothing and rewriting the wax. It had been a lie they needed to tell back then, to hide his ability to solo a giant, but such deceit no longer was needed.

"So, miss Snow, I have a question for you." She could tell from the tone that Fang was planning mischief. "You've been smiling so much, it might get stuck on your face. Spent some good quality time with Red, then?"

Eirwen immediately noticed everyone's attention shifting over to her. The downside of being able to hear well, everyone felt like eavesdropping. All the better now. She smiled broadly. "My betrothed requires bed rest, so no, that's not an option right now."

It took a few counts for people to realise what she had just said. Fang didn't understand, the rest absolutely did. Both Siress Nantgate and Sir Caerbychan rushed over at once. "Congratulations, your Grace!" The other knights, even her doorguards, followed. It was then that Fang understood and joined in on the congratulations.

But Bethan frowned. Not out of disagreement, but she was thinking. "I'm glad he finally got over himself. But Eirwen. Betrothed? So you asked him to marry you? With all that entails?" Others looked at the healer, then at Eirwen, eyes beginning to open wide as they began to figure out what that meant.

Fang looked at them all with confusion. "Okay, I'm missing some form of etiquette here, I take it? Oath, can you explain it to me as if I'm a child, please?"

Bethan nodded, a grave look on her face. "An official engagement can only come from Eirwen's authority. Effectively, she has declared she will make him Duke Verglas, an equal by her side. And that also means she has released him of his oath to her, because only then could he freely answer her. That is all official etiquette, with circumstances that defy it. A social declaration of war to all that oppose her, basically."

Eirwen nodded in agreement. "Correct. Which is where the list of merits comes in. With this many people having taken part, and this many giants slain, even the crown will have a hard time denying me. Or rather, I'd like to see them try. Short of denouncing me, they will not be able to oppose my decision. And if they do declare me a liar, then they're worse fools than I thought."

Bethan nodded. "Well said. But that is a battlefield for nobles, so you'll have to forgive me for staying out of it. The only thing I could contribute are choice words, which I'll leave into the hands of people like Duchess Ashwood. She knows how to coat her curses in etiquette." The roughness slipped out of the healer's voice and eyes. "Congratulations, Eirwen. I am happy that the two of you are finally able to move on, together. We still have a long road ahead, but we'll support you all the way."

She walked up to Eirwen. "Since we're still up here in the mountains and left courtly etiquette behind below, miss Snow, how does a hug sound?" Wordlessly, Eirwen rose to her feet and embraced the healer. Her loyal confidante, who had helped fill the hole in her heart that her parents' demise had left. How could either of them not shed tears of joy? The others followed Bethan's example, addressing Eirwen by her alias, allowing the distance between them to shrink for but a moment as they once more expressed their congratulations. Fang joined in with a hug as well. Only afterwards did Eirwen switch back to her work mode. Duchess once more. Everyone got back to work, but now they all had smiles of joy on their face.

More hours passed by and night already had fallen when a messenger rushed in. One of Blacktree's knights. "Your Grace! There is a group coming our way from the east!" Eirwen immediately shot her senses that way, a thin thread that only offered her limited insight. Still she found what she was looking for, smiling brightly as she recognised who it was. "Get ready to escort Comtesse Carraig here. And tell the kitchen to fill the tables."

Once Aoife reached the town's gates, Eirwen pushed herself to send a message. She was still far from Red's ability, but this once she could afford it.

All is well.

She could sense Aoife's relief before pulling back her senses. It wouldn't do to exhaust herself before Aoife arrived. Only when she saw the signs that her knights now could sense Aoife, did she reactivate her own.

Warden Blacktree was accompanying Aoife. He didn't like the position that Eirwen had forced him to take on, but he did his job properly all the same. As they entered, he stayed at a distance that made clear he no longer considered himself a Vicomte. Even now, etiquette mattered greatly to the man.

Aoife only had two knights with her, the rest remained outside. When she laid eyes on Eirwen, the relief on her face was palpable. She knelt, the entire situation quite resembling the first time she had knelt before Eirwen, months ago in the Flameheart estate. But this time it was anything but hatred in her voice. "Comtesse Aoife Carraig greets her Grace, Duchess of Verglas and Iceheart."

Eirwen barely held her own voice under control. "Rise, you fool. Bring your people in and eat with me." She gestured at the various tables that already were full with hearty food, the kind one could use after a forced march of multiple days.

Blacktree left, his role done. He was still independent, so his place was far from Eirwen's side. While Aoife's knights entered and ate, Aoife herself sensed their surroundings. As she found Red, it stirred him from his sleep. She withdrew quickly, but not in time. He responded, though even his thoughts still were blurry from the sleep, going out to all rather than just the two of them.

"Aoife? I'll be there shortly."

Eirwen sighed as Aoife stammered. "I'm sorry, I didn't know he was asleep! Is he well?" The concern in her eyes and voice stung. She needed to know.

"Not entirely. My betrothed pushed himself too far today, so he is supposed to rest, not use mana. But it's okay if he holds back."

Silence fell as Carraig and Iceheart knights looked her way. She studied Aoife's expression. Happy, yet a bit in pain. Worried. She was expecting them to move on without her. Eirwen took one of the writing slates and handed it over. "His recent accomplishments. Take a look, please."

As Aoife went through, Eirwen kept her senses on Red, making sure he wasn't rushing. He clenched the railing a bit more tightly than normal, but made sure to have a normal pace as he came down the stairs. As for Aoife, she cursed under her breath, then showed the slate to her knights.

"As you can see," Eirwen spoke while Red entered the room, "he earned merits that will justify me wedding him. There will be no proper opposition possible. As for me, I will need to earn more myself, so I can wed you too."

She looked Aoife in the eye, ignoring the way her beloved struggled to find words to say. "You told me to be selfish, remember? So I am. Fy Anwylyd, know that I have no intent of letting you go. I will wed Red here and give him my name, and then I will work on making sure I can wed you too."

Eirwen rose to her feet and made her way over to Aoife, while Red did the same, both ignoring their audience. They pulled her in and held her. Aoife returned the gesture, luring out a bit of a groan from Red and an angry shout from Bethan to be careful. The rest of the crowd decided to return to eating, pretending for a moment that their lieges didn't exist.

After a short while, Aoife grumbled at the two of them. "Do I even get a say in this? I mean, not that I..."

Eirwen kissed her temple. "I'd joke no, but you will, just like I gave Red a choice. But we both know what your answer will be."

Red kissed her other temple. "That's what you get for stealing our hearts, Ein Hanwylyd. We're not holding back here."

She frowned playfully at him. "You drop the nameless grey and immediately get an attitude, weapon master. Need I remind you that I'm still your superior until she formally weds you?"

He laughed out loud, then reached for his side with a grimace. Bethan shot up and made her way over. "That's enough! Back to bed, you. Your ladies can catch up without you." He rolled his eyes but obeyed the healer.

Just as he was leaving the room, Aoife raised her voice. "Fy Nghariad Rhudd! Sleep well. And don't worry, I'll take good care of Ein Ngariad Gwyn." The twinkle in her eye lured out another barked laugh from Red, following by a slight smack from Bethan to stop laughing and get to bed.

As he made it up the stairs, Eirwen made room for Aoife sit next to her. "Come, let me tell you about what happened today. Tomorrow, I'll show you the corpse of the ruler of giants. We'll make sure to bring its bones with us, as evidence of our win. I'll call over Dubheasa and Blacktree later, and the mercenary leaders. We need to hunt down all the stragglers while we still can."