Tam sat reading in the castle’s library, tucked away in a shadowed corner that was safe from the growing summer heat that was steadily rising under the intense sun’s rays through the window. He had just managed to get comfortable, and was about to begin the second book that he had ordered and had arrived at his estate in Austice, when he heard the unmistakable scuffling of shoes and giggles of a couple slipping away from prying eyes.

Letting out a silent weary sigh, Tam momentarily regretted leaving his chamber for the day. In truth, he had done so with the hopes of avoiding his sister, even if it meant potentially running into the Troivackian King.

Not wanting to be a spectator in whatever sordid love affair was taking place, Tam began to map out the best route for him to leave the library. That is until the shelf nearest the one and only exit from his spot rustled softly- as though a body had been pressed against the leathery tomes.

‘Gods… could this week get any worse…’ the young Lord thought to himself blithely while closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Mmm, no… not right now! We have meetings and…” the woman whispered, though one could hear the smile in her voice.

Tam froze. ‘Oh Gods. Oh no. Please. Gods no.’

“Not for fifteen minutes, and we are pretty efficient…” came the languid reply from her partner.

The dawning horror of the youngest Ashowan was worsening.

“Fin! We came in here to talk about Tam and Kat! We really should- oh…” Annika’s voice trailed off when a suspicious kissing sound interrupted her.

Unable to take another moment of listening to his parents grow more amorous with one another, the future Viscount stood up abruptly, and walked loudly around the bookshelves. Though he kept his eyes fixed on the floor.

“Tam! Wh- how long have you been here?!” the voice of his mother spluttered with the obvious ruffling of clothes reaching his ears.

“As impressive as it is that I don’t have seventeen younger siblings- this is the fourth time this week!” Tam snapped, finally turning to face his parents knowing they would be back to rights once more.

“We’re sorry! It’s just.. Er…” Fin trailed off, his ears scarlet as he rubbed the back of his neck self consciously. “You and your sister aren’t usually out and about quite so much and so…”

“Da,”

“Fin,”

Both mother and son started at the same time. Both Annika and Tam were pinching the bridge of their noses in an identical fashion.

“Right… well… you get the picture,” the redhead finished while looking anywhere but at his son.

“I really don’t want to picture it. Or hear anything like it. Ever again. Ever,” Tam shuddered then quickly took his leave.

Annika and Fin found themselves unable to make eye contact with one another for a beat of silence as they waited for the sound of the library door to open and close.

“How is it you didn’t know he was in here?!” the Viscountess demanded while turning on her husband with her cheeks still pink from embarrassment.

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe someone trained him how to be inconspicuous and to blend with the shadows,” Fin pointed out dryly.

Annika let out a small chuckle. “Because that was a compliment on my teaching, I’ll let it slide.”

The Viscount let out a long sigh while moving his hands to his hips. “So, we were going to discuss our children?”

Annika folded her arms over her chest and felt her previous good mood fade ever so slightly as the familiar worries of parenthood once again overtook her mind.

“Yes, I think Tam and Kat had a fight. They both are avoiding each other like the plague. Even yesterday after the whole training ring debacle, normally Kat would be following him around swearing revenge for her brother. Instead, she’s off with Hannah saying that there’s a surprise guest coming today that they are preparing for.”

“A surprise guest?” Fin frowned. “Whose surprise is it? Kat’s, or the King’s?”

Annika balked. “... Godsdamnit.”

The couple were off in motion once again, already wondering just what their daughter may or may not have plotted this time…

*

Fin stood with his arms crossed and his expression flat.

Annika wore her usual mask of polite indifference- but even that was telling.

“Come on! It’s a great idea for a birthday gift for the Princess, wouldn’t you say, Da!”

“Kat… who else knows… you summoned… him here?” the Viscount asked pointedly while not taking his eyes off the surprise guest.

“Come now, Viscount, you tall drink of water! Is that anyway to greet an old friend! Viscountess, you’re keeping up with our slow aging Lord of Looks, good job!” the latter half of the man’s compliment was far less enthusiastic.

“Kat… how did you… even know how to find… him?” Annika managed with a beautiful smile that only her family knew to fear.

The younger Lady of the Ashowan household cleared her throat, and did her best to feign confidence under her mother’s obvious irritation.

“Well I was talking with some of the merchants last time you and Da took me down to the docks, and I heard he was coming to town!”

“Now, now, Viscountess, it almost sounds as though you aren’t happy to see me! Viscount, you must be glad at the very least! I mean, I haven’t seen you two since I finished my contract with the castle here. Your twins were often lulled by my dulcet tones, don’t you recall?”

Reese Flint, the former bard of the court, stood before the Ashowan family in the castle’s solar. He then turned to Katarina and plucked up her hand in his own. He planted a smooth kiss on the back of her knuckles, which caused a guttural growl rumble to echo in Fin’s chest.

The musician was what many noblewomen tended to call ‘a silver fox’. He had aged incredibly gracefully. Gray touched his temples, the edges of his face had become more angular, and his eyes appeared wiser.

To the parents of a young woman, neither Fin nor Annika liked the changes at all.

“So you see, I thought we could gift Alina with singing lessons from a real professional! I asked her, and she only ever got to study with her tutors who liked singing as a hobby! He could teach her even more songs! She especially loves folk music.”

Reese Flint smiled charmingly at Katarina Ashowan as he listened to her chatter innocently about her friend.

“Whose idea was it to bring Katarina down to the docks?” Annika murmured through her gritted teeth to her husband.

“Yours actually,” Fin reminded, his dark stare never leaving the bard.

“Remind me why I did such a thing?”

“To stop her from getting into trouble.”

“How is it that even when keeping her out of trouble she finds it?” Annika asked rhetorically before stepping forward, her hands clasped in front of her purple skirts. “Mr. Flint? It is a pleasure to see you, however, I believe I would like to take my daughter home for her afternoon lessons now. I apologize that she dragged you all the way here for nothing.”

Reese Flint laughed, a very pleasant sound that was certain to make many unsuspecting men and women’s hearts skip a beat or two. “Dear Viscountess, of course it wasn’t for nothing! For one, I got a chance to see the beautiful young woman your daughter has grown into. For another, I will be accepting the job with pay and board graciously.”

The bard bowed, and Annika’s spine stiffened. “Why is it that you believe-”

“-After all, Lord Ashowan here owes me a favor, doesn’t he?” Reese’s eyes glinted, and Fin felt all the color drain from his face.

“Son of a mage,” he muttered.

How could he have forgotten he owed the Bard a favor?

A pretty damn big one at that.

“Viscount? What is… Mr. Flint referring to?” Annika’s voice had raised a pitch and Fin winced.

“My dear, perhaps you and Kat should go home, and I will sort out the details with the bard.”

There was a tense pause, but eventually, the Viscountess acquiesced to her husband’s suggestion. As she and their daughter left the room, though not before Annika shot her husband a murderous stare that communicated a great deal many things she wanted to ask and say.

Once the two men were alone in the solar, Fin’s tentatively polite expression dropped to one of annoyance.

“Are you honestly calling upon your favor for a teaching job?” the redhead demanded.

“The teacher for the Princess of Daxaria? Of course! Your daughter said her singing is already quite lovely, and if I can make her an even more accomplished virtuoso, I will be heavy in the pockets again!” Reese explained while perusing the solar and examining a particularly expensive looking vase.

“I remember you being… moderately well liked, so it doesn’t make sense that financially you’d be strapped. You even were the court musician in Zinfera, you should have the wealth akin to a respectable merchant. How could you lose it all? Is it gambling? Addiction?”

Reese laughed again while turning to face the Viscount and leaning his forearm above his head comfortably against the window.

“Nothing like that. I can see you’ve found some darker corners of the world since I last saw you if that’s where your mind first goes.”

Fin said nothing, only continued studying the man. His tunic was perhaps a little faded, his figure a little leaner…

“If I’m going to vouch for you to the King, I need to know precisely what has drained your funds,” the Viscount began tentatively, and watched as a hopeful spark brightened Reese's smile.

“Nothing… truly terrible. I just… felt like donating it. Only, I was in too much of a giving mood and didn’t save enough for myself. Ah well.”

Fin frown, his eyes glimmering. “Reese, this isn’t something I can just let pass. I’m putting you directly beside the ruling family. A private teacher for the Princess is not something that anyone in a tavern can just waltz in and do. If anything comes out after I’ve recommended you for this position? I’d not only be more or less disgraced from court, but so would my children and wife.”

“A wife and children who wouldn’t exist if not for me?” Reese pointed out with a flirtatious waggle of his eyebrows.

Fin was not amused. “I need the whole truth.”

Letting out a long sigh, the bard’s jovial expression faded, and suddenly he appeared his true age… and he looked tired.

“Everything was going splendidly until about… a year and a half ago. I had just picked up with a new travelling troupe, and we were going to try to sweet talk our way into the kingdom of Lobahl. Everyone in the past five years has heard about it, but unless you are from there, no one has seen it. It was to be my next great adventure… only I stumbled across… something, on my way.”

The bard cleared his throat as a swell of emotions passed through his handsome features.

“I stumbled across a mother and daughter… and I… knew them. Or, her, rather. Lorelai. It’d been fifteen years, but I remember her well. Only, her daughter was fourteen.”

The realization of where the story was going washed over Fin, making him close his eyes and let out a long breath while shaking his head silently in understanding.

“Except things were a little more… complicated. You see, my Lorelai with her beautiful auburn hair and big brown eyes, happened to find a few other of my paramours through the years and erm… well… it turns out I… have a small horde with my spectacular looks and vocal range.”

Fin’s eyes shot open as he looked at the bard with great alarm.

Reese rightfully looked a bit sheepish.

“How many children?” the redhead heard himself ask, though he already knew he feared the answer.

“Was it… twelve? Twenty-six?”

“How do you not know exactly?! Those numbers are not close to each other!” Fin exploded exasperatedly.

The bard held up his hands defensively. “Alright, alright, you noble stud, easy. You’re really making me say it?”

Fin waited wordlessly while folding his arms across his chest.

“Thirty-two.”

“Godsdamnit.” Fin dropped his forehead to his hand.

“Who knew so many women had a propensity for multiple babes… I have two sets of triplets Finlay! That’s six children from two women alone!”

“This is why you shouldn’t sleep around with everything that settles for you!” Fin threw his hands in the air, feeling as though he were taking part in some strange outrageous play.

“Hey now! No need to fling more dung my way! I did the right thing when I found out!”

Fin’s expression morphed into one of horror. “Gods man, even you must know you cannot marry multiple women!”

Reese waved him off. “I’m a whore not an idiot. No, I divided my wealth amongst them all so that each child would have the funds for schooling and for dowries.”

“So, all of these women found each other, and are now all living in the same town?” Fin asked while already mentally planning to drink heavily that evening.

“Not exactly, they all convened within an hour of each other for… support. Help each other out, which goes to show the quality caring type of women I find myself drawn to-”

“Reese, finish the damn story before I decide to castrate you right here and now.”

The bard somehow remained unflappable as he leaned against the castle wall and folded his arms casually. “Well, not all of them are unwed. Many found good husbands, some found husbands but not good ones unfortunately, but I can’t do much aside from ensuring that they can’t access the funds I’ve left to my beautiful brats. Only, one of the men isn’t exactly fond of this new arrangement. Lorelai’s husband. He was saying I owe him money for raising my bastard daughter, but my covering her dowry and current expenses more than covers what meager coins he's thrown their way.”

Reese’s eyes grew dark then, a very different look for the annoyingly peppy man.

“He’s been trying to find me ever since I stole Lorelai and my daughter from him one night and hid them with a dear friend of mine who I can trust to keep them safe. I can’t perform without drawing him to me, or the people around me. Teaching though… he wouldn’t dare approach nobles. I can live off my trade, and everyone remains safe. So, imagine the divine Goddess’ timing when I received your daughter’s missive!”

The man turned on his foppish smile to the Viscount once more. “So, what do you say Lord Ashowan?”

Dropping his chin to his chest, Fin thought about the bard’s story.

It was absolutely insane, but… knowing Reese… it made sense.

Not only that, but Reese had never been a liar. In fact, he had been grossly honest the entire time Fin had known him. Even during the present interaction, the witch didn’t detect any hint of a lie while he had told his tale…

“Alright, Reese, here’s the deal. You get ten lessons with the Princess to last until the end of the summer. That’s it, and I will do this with fair pay and board in the servants quarters, but on one condition,” Fin held up a single finger and fixed his electrifying blue eyes on the bard.

Reese’s delighted expression faltered.

“You will tell me the name of the man who is chasing you down, and everything you know about him.”