gentlest soul when it came to animals. Always tending to them as if they were the most precious thing in the world.
“I need to ask you something, without it getting back to Mother.”
He didn’t seem to pay any care or attention to me as he went to lift the saddle up onto Arthur and started to buckle it up.
“And since when do I speak to our mother, unless I am forced to,” he muttered, adjusting the saddle a bit better, and then
patting Arthur on the neck.
“Well, she seems to know a lot about Lord Cole. She’s told me to stay away from him and refuses to tell me why. So, I am
asking you as he is your friend. Why would Mother insist I stay away from Lord Cole?”
Turning around to face me, he looked as if he was thinking of something. He stayed silent for a moment or two, before
picking up the reins on the wall and then placing the metal bit into Arthur’s mouth.
“Mother just wants you to have a husband that will be loyal to you, and she would have heard rumours of Lord Cole’s
discrepancies,” he paused, turning back to me, “However, he’s from a good bloodline, his family was a part of the great war.
I’m not sure what side of course, as that’s nothing I need to know, not as crowned prince anyway.” Norok sat down on a bench
and began to put on his riding coat. He continued, “He is a ladies man and at the moment, to have his eyes set on a princess
would help his standing in his family. He may come from a good household, but money wise I believe his mother swallowed it
up or something. I am not too sure on the details.”
“Right, well then, that would make some sense. A marriage to a princess would set him up for life.”
I didn’t know what to say. Most lords weren’t loyal to women. I knew Norok wasn’t and would often have many ladies
come in and out of the castle at night. Lady Gelda was very fortunate that she wasn’t sent away and paid off for her silence. But
then again, no one knew for sure that she was with child, it was still too early to tell.
“Ella, if I were you, I’d use Cole for what he’s good for. Treat him like a horse that needs to be ridden. You have no
experience with men, and as your brother, I feel it is my duty to advise you on these matters. No man in his right mind wants a
woman who is a fidget or doesn’t know how to suck cock.”
My eyes widened at his crassness. I may not have known anything about men. I was clearly a virgin, but taking advantage of
another human being for my own personal gain was not something I wanted to do. If Mother did find out, it would be the end of
me.
“Norok! Don’t be so disgusting.”
He laughed as I blushed.
“Or you could promise yourself to the temple and become a priestess if you don’t wish to be married off to someone twice
your age. I know Father would agree to that.”
He mounted his horse then and I wanted to smack him for being so insensitive and disgusting. I wasn’t one of his male