be ready for . . . for what? Konrad will not allow himself to think of what. He doesn’t know the girl at all. Perhaps if he talks to her a second time, they will be bored with each other. Still, he cannot agree to Father’s plan. He cannot think of any other girl. “Not in a year, Father. No.”
Father rises from his chair, apoplectic.
“Tell them two years.” His mother sips her wine and speaks with a steady, low voice. “In two years if Konrad has not found a wife of his own and if this young duchess is still unmarried, then Konrad will come with you to meet her.”
Konrad waits, breath abated. Two years, please let Father give two years.
Father sinks to his chair in defeat.
The next day Father rides away, a scowl on his face, muttering about how the celebrations for Konrad’s birthday, which is only on the morrow, will have to be delayed until he returns, and it serves Konrad right.
Konrad mounts Meta at the same time and goes directly back to the smithy. After all, he left the smith with an order to get information—the smith should have completed the task by now. “Where does Zel live?”
The smith blinks. Perhaps he thought Konrad wasn’t coming back. He speaks slowly, like a half-wit. “Outside town.”
“Where outside town?”
The smith shakes his head. “That I don’t know, sire. I just know she’s not a town girl.”
“Anyone could tell she wasn’t a town girl just from looking at her.”
The smith stares at Konrad.
Konrad looks down. He sees he is pulling on one finger after the other. He stills himself. “Does she live on a farm or in a mountain cabin?”
The smith shakes his head again. “I don’t know, sire. I asked around. No one knows anything about her.”
“Think. There must be something you know.” Konrad takes a coin from his pouch. “Anything.”
“She has no oxen or donkeys.”
Konrad is surprised. How can the smith have learned this if no one knows of the girl? “Tell me more.”
“She has goats and chickens.”
Now Konrad doubts the smith. But the man appears to have no spunk. He wouldn’t dare tease a count. “What else?”
“I can’t think of anything else, sire.”
Konrad gives the smith the coin. Optimism stirs gently within him. The smith said they had no cart with oxen, no donkey even. So all their provisions had to be carried on their own backs. Surely that means they walked only a short way.
Konrad looks up at the clear sky. It bodes well. Hewill start the search immediately. And at that determination, energy surges through him. He must begin.
But first Konrad returns to the castle, dismounts, and races to the study. His geography tutor has spread out a map in anticipation of the lesson. Beside the map is a chessboard with pieces at the ready—a treat to follow the lesson, no doubt.
The tutor beams and hugs a sheaf of papers to his barrel chest. “New reports from missionaries.”
Konrad nods at the excitement in his voice. Reports from missionaries, navigators, land travelers—these are filled with amazing discoveries. Normally Konrad would be reaching for the papers eagerly, for he plans to travel himself someday. But this moment is not a normal moment. “I can’t stay. We have to put geography off.”
The tutor looks stunned. “I thought you were fascinated by the New World, which seems to grow every month.”
“I am. Oh, I am.” But right now other fascinations pull, fascinations this studious tutor might not understand, fascinations Konrad would not have believed possible just days ago. “We can discuss it all tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow’s your birthday.”
Konrad laughs. How could he have forgotten? “Well, then, another day.” And Konrad races back outside and mounts Meta.
He rides to the closest slope and stops at the firsthome. A woman sits outdoors in the shade mending clothes. “Excuse me, madam. I seek information on a girl by the name of Zel.”
The woman shakes her head. “I don’t know of any Zel. But you
Father rises from his chair, apoplectic.
“Tell them two years.” His mother sips her wine and speaks with a steady, low voice. “In two years if Konrad has not found a wife of his own and if this young duchess is still unmarried, then Konrad will come with you to meet her.”
Konrad waits, breath abated. Two years, please let Father give two years.
Father sinks to his chair in defeat.
The next day Father rides away, a scowl on his face, muttering about how the celebrations for Konrad’s birthday, which is only on the morrow, will have to be delayed until he returns, and it serves Konrad right.
Konrad mounts Meta at the same time and goes directly back to the smithy. After all, he left the smith with an order to get information—the smith should have completed the task by now. “Where does Zel live?”
The smith blinks. Perhaps he thought Konrad wasn’t coming back. He speaks slowly, like a half-wit. “Outside town.”
“Where outside town?”
The smith shakes his head. “That I don’t know, sire. I just know she’s not a town girl.”
“Anyone could tell she wasn’t a town girl just from looking at her.”
The smith stares at Konrad.
Konrad looks down. He sees he is pulling on one finger after the other. He stills himself. “Does she live on a farm or in a mountain cabin?”
The smith shakes his head again. “I don’t know, sire. I asked around. No one knows anything about her.”
“Think. There must be something you know.” Konrad takes a coin from his pouch. “Anything.”
“She has no oxen or donkeys.”
Konrad is surprised. How can the smith have learned this if no one knows of the girl? “Tell me more.”
“She has goats and chickens.”
Now Konrad doubts the smith. But the man appears to have no spunk. He wouldn’t dare tease a count. “What else?”
“I can’t think of anything else, sire.”
Konrad gives the smith the coin. Optimism stirs gently within him. The smith said they had no cart with oxen, no donkey even. So all their provisions had to be carried on their own backs. Surely that means they walked only a short way.
Konrad looks up at the clear sky. It bodes well. Hewill start the search immediately. And at that determination, energy surges through him. He must begin.
But first Konrad returns to the castle, dismounts, and races to the study. His geography tutor has spread out a map in anticipation of the lesson. Beside the map is a chessboard with pieces at the ready—a treat to follow the lesson, no doubt.
The tutor beams and hugs a sheaf of papers to his barrel chest. “New reports from missionaries.”
Konrad nods at the excitement in his voice. Reports from missionaries, navigators, land travelers—these are filled with amazing discoveries. Normally Konrad would be reaching for the papers eagerly, for he plans to travel himself someday. But this moment is not a normal moment. “I can’t stay. We have to put geography off.”
The tutor looks stunned. “I thought you were fascinated by the New World, which seems to grow every month.”
“I am. Oh, I am.” But right now other fascinations pull, fascinations this studious tutor might not understand, fascinations Konrad would not have believed possible just days ago. “We can discuss it all tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow’s your birthday.”
Konrad laughs. How could he have forgotten? “Well, then, another day.” And Konrad races back outside and mounts Meta.
He rides to the closest slope and stops at the firsthome. A woman sits outdoors in the shade mending clothes. “Excuse me, madam. I seek information on a girl by the name of Zel.”
The woman shakes her head. “I don’t know of any Zel. But you
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