I retired early and left Silvana with Galahad to discuss the wonderful and intriguing subject of village taxation. Nobody was surprised. After all, I was an injured lordling with no education they know of. Had Silvana not been a witch, or a mage, as she called them, I may have suggested staying behind to guard her. But being who she was, I was quite certain Galahad would be in for a nasty surprise if he tried anything. And he did, just not to the person I thought he would.

I awoke that night to a scream. The manor house was far less impressive than the mansion that Godfather had somehow connected to the wooden door of his. Being the supposed cousin of Silvana I shared a wing with her. Galahad was given the other. I found my knife and went to investigate immediately. It was familiar, that scream, that voice.

My feet creaked on the wooden floor as I brushed past cobwebs and shattered pottery. Past Godfather's quarters, and into Galahad's wing. There was only one other person who would be in the same room with him, I knew. The shouting confirmed my suspicions.

"Help! Milady! Milord!" I heard her cry. The sound of a crunch followed as she screamed.

"Aye, no need to be nasty there." I heard Galahad's voice. "You are a pretty thing. I think I will keep you for a mistress, if you are willing. If you are not, I will make sure to have you fed well. Better than starving here in some backwater village, no?"

I burst into the room. "What is this?" I growled. Alice was sobbing, and Galahad was grasping at her face. She had been given a maid's dress, but it was in tatters. The squire had cupped a hand over her breast, and clasped another over her mouth. Her squirming did no good. Several bruises marred her body. She was strong, no longer starving. Yet, no match for a trained knight.

The squire had the audacity to look embarrassed. "Aye, my lord Leon. I am terribly sorry, my maid is being disobedient. My most sincere apologies for waking you."

"Disobedient, you say? I do not recall Alice agreeing to sleep with you. Unless there have been some misunderstanding, this is a rape." I drew my knife. "And I will kill you here and now unless you give me an explanation."

His smile faded. "Bothersome whore." He grumbled, tossing Alice to the floor. I rushed forward to help her up. She pressed her face against my sleeping robes as she sobbed, not opening her eyes. To my relief, the bastard didn't get his chance to do something to her. Yet.

I had never been so eager to kill someone. It was with very great restraint that I was able to hear what he had to say, which only made me want to kill him even more. He pasted a smile on his face. A fake smile that I now reviled. "This is not rape my lord, I assure you. I have ordered my men to pay her family ten silver falcons. Twice the price for a normal farmgirl. She will be following me back to my home as a mistress, and I will swear on my honor that I shall not mistreat her." He said.

"Nowhere did I hear a mention of her consent."

The squire looked puzzled now. "I have paid for her twice and vowed to treat her well. What more must I do? Must I take every girl I bed for a wife?"

"She is no slave. You may not purchase her like a pig or a dog. She belongs to herself."

"A free woman? I am quite sure you are mistaken my lord. She is the daughter of fair lady Silvana's workman. I may take her for her price in silver by the law of the empire, no?"

It was then I realized how different this world was. Truly disgusting, I tell you, a land where people could be bought and sold like animals!

"What is this?" I heard Silvana asked from behind me. Her voice was ice, and Galahad scrambled into his clothes.

"Aye, fair lady Silvana. The sale of your workman's girl, Alice, was it? We agreed upon the price of ten silvers, did we not? You must have forgotten to tell your cousin." He said.

"You agreed to this?" I demanded.

Silvana had no issue meeting my gaze. She gave an embarrassed smile. "I forgot to say, my apologies. I must admit I had some ill placed doubts on his integrity before meeting him. But master Galahad is soon to be knighted, and the kingdom knows him as an honorable man. Being a knight's mistress is a good life. Her family will be taken care of by the silver." The way she said it made it sound as if she had picked an apple from my garden without permission.

"I see that Alice does not seem to agree." I said, feeling an urge to wring that silver neck of hers.

She waved her hand as if to shoo a fly. "A country peasant. She doesn't understand the fortune she just stumbled upon. Trust me when I say now that she will thank the heavens for this moment later."

Galahad walked forward, dressed now. "Aye, the misunderstanding is resolved. Now, I bade my lord and lady good night. I would like to continue."

"Of course, please forgive our intrusion." Silvana said with a bow.

He walked forward, but my knife sliced across his arm as he reached out to touch Alice. "Touch her again." I said, my voice quiet as death. "Touch her again, and see what happens."

Silvana looked on with wide eyes. "So it's true. You have taken a liking to her. Why did you not tell me?"

Galahad took a step back. "She is yours? I am terribly sorry, my lord. When I had asked for her to be my maid, you did not object. I thought- I did not know." He dropped to a knee. "Forgive me."

I saw that Alice had stopped crying. She stared up with large, hopeful eyes. Seeing them, and being forced to say what I did, tore at my heart. "No."