Robin was fast and she never caught up to him, though he did not completely out pace her either. She followed him up the stairs and leaned against the wall to catch her breath. Robin laughed.

"Not bad for a gir—not bad at all." Robin corrected himself and Gwyn was glad to see that Erec's little lesson had taken root in the boy. Fairness was a good virtue to possess...

"It has been a long time since we ran among the wheat fields has it not?"

"I miss it sometimes." Robin agreed, "But not cleaning the barn. I do not miss the blisters, either." He said displaying his hands, palms out and fingers splayed.

Gwyn smiled.

"I suppose you think that exchanging your farm chores for book learning was a fair trade, then?"

Robin wrinkled his nose.

"I do not mind when you and the Lady Alexandi teach me, but I do not like the tutor very much. Still, even HE is better than cleaning out the barn!"

Gwyn laughed, though she barely had enough breath for it. Straightening, she took a deep breath and walked toward where the guards watched the approaching visitors. Erec was easy to see. Zeus was enormous and black against the browns and greens of the surrounding area. His sanguine surcoat stood in stark contrast.

Drew rode a little behind on Hades. The gray war horse did indeed look like he was made from ash. It was little wonder to her that he did not call the beast Phoenix. But then, Hades was very spirited and seemed to enjoy bloodletting.

Her eyes travelled again to her husband and she had to admire the sight. He was intimidating enough on foot, as he stood nearly a head taller and was much broader than most men. But astride Zeus...in daylight it was a most impressive sight. In the dim light of early dawn with the sun behind him and the mist swirling all around...

She shook her head. She could see how they would say he rode a black horse and carried a flaming sword...

"Mama!" Robin tugged at her sleeve. "Look!"

Pulling out of her reverie, she looked—really looked—at her husband and friend and saw they were waving.

"May I run down to meet them?"

"Thank you for asking. Yes, you—" Gwyn laughed as she saw only the back of Robin bounding down the stairs in order to run out of the gate.

She watched his progress and smiled as one of the guards rode by and scooped the boy up. She heard his laughter carrying over the courtyard and they rode off to meet Erec.

It was not long before they arrived at the gates and Erec made his way to her side.

"I am returned, wife."

"So, I see. Was King Axel terribly disappointed by the news that Gil was sent anonymously to get word to the king of the treaty rather than Brecken going himself with a formal procession?"

"Only that you did not bring the news yourself, Lady Wife. You have made quite an impression upon the king. If I did not know your heart so well as I do, I might fear that he would be able to woo you away. It is not every day that a woman is offered a crown."

"Nonsense." Gwyn waved her hand in the air as she took her husband's arm and they walked toward the castle, ignoring all the activity around them as the castle fairly swarmed with workers making ready for the signing. "Kings have had their mistresses as long as...well," she smiled, "as long as there have been kings."

"Sooth." Erec agreed with a jovial nod, "But Axel did not ask you to be his mistress. He said you would make an admirable QUEEN. He was offering the crown, my dear lady. You turned him down without a second thought and I do not know what was more precious to me. The fact that you did it so swiftly and with such unwavering certainty..."

"Or?" she prompted when it seemed he would not continue.

"Or what?" Erec asked surprised, as if she were interrupting an entirely different conversation.

"You said that...oh, never mind." She laughed.

---

"One day of celebration was a good idea. The people have been so very busy preparing the castle for Treaty Day and they deserve a chance to rest before the kings arrive and things become very formal around here"

"Treaty Day?"

"The day that King Hugh and King Axel sign the treaty and bring a peaceful end to the hostilities between our peoples."

"Well, I could not say that it will end the hostility, as that is something the people have held in their hearts for many generations. It will take time to unlearn such a thing. But at least it will end the border raids, and it will avert the war we were perilously close to beginning."

"I am so grateful that he was reasonable."

"He is, as you say, an opportunist. He saw an opportunity and took it."

"Whatever his reasons, I am grateful. I was so frightened for you...and the others. I knew that when you marched out that many would not return and many more would return in desperate need of my care." Gwyn shuddered "I have no fondness for severing limbs."

Erec raised a brow but when he saw the look of displeasure and remorse on her face, he decided to save his questions for another day and redirected her attention to another matter.

"Aye. It was a blessing to avert such a war. But our kingdom is not safe. Not yet."

"Do you suppose Gil will get through in time? It took us nearly a fortnight to get here."

"Aye, but you travelled in a wagon with a mule."

"And we travelled with haste and for long hours. The king will not do be so inspired as I to reach Brecken."

"It is true that he will not want to give up his comforts, but there will be a King waiting here to meet him. Perhaps he will make some haste." Erec chuckled, opening their bedchamber door and let Gwyn precede him.

The banquet was still in full swing below stairs but she was desirous of retiring and he had no objections to doing so. He had seen very little of her since his appearance on the moor over ten days ago.

He acted as her lady's maid and helped her out of the gown. She acted as his squire and helped him out of his half-armor and mail.

"I am really not so fatigued, but I did wish to be away from..." she waved her hand in the air and finished lamely, "all of that."

In shirt and stockings, he crossed to the wash stand and poured water from the Ewer. Washing his hands and face refreshed him a little. Drying his hands, he crossed over to the little table and threw the towel back toward the washstand.

"You missed." Gwyn said wryly as she stooped to pick it up and drape it out so it would dry.

Erec chuckled and poured them each a glass of wine.

"Sit with me?"

"As long as I get my own chair." She chuckled as she took the glass he offered and pulled a chair to face the one he was taking.

"I have seen so little of you since I arrived. I think my long convalescence has spoiled me for your attentions. I find I do not like going so long without your company."

"That is as it should be, husband." She smiled as she sipped her wine, watching with laughing eyes over the cup.

"There is much work to be done to get the castle ready to receive royalty." Erec started. "I need to train the men on proper security and I shall have to call a meeting in the great hall to teach the servants the proper way to behave. We do not want to insult either king."

"And Matilde will have every timber and stone polished and shining as bright as the first day they were set. I know that his lordship was going to put doorways between our room and the children's room so that King Hugh could have more space in case he chooses to stay in the castle."

"I am not certain which way he will decide, to be truthful. He is petty enough to show his superiority by staying in the castle with all of the comforts whilst King Axel lives in tents. But he is also vain enough that he might wish to set up his own encampment in full view of Axel, especially if he can make a greater display of wealth and comfort than King Axel...

"I admit I am anxious about security. With a known assassin, a ruthless power-hungry Lord, and not one but crowns under the same roof...it will be difficult, even for such a short time as the signing and the subsequent dinner"

"Too bad Hugh is an arrogant bas—"

"Wife!" Erec laughed. "What a lady you are."

"I was a farmer's daughter first, husband, and with three older brothers. I probably know more about proper cursing than you do!"

At this he tipped his head back and laughed. It was good to be home again. He missed her and the joy she brought to his life, simply by being in it.

"When you are finished laughing, husband," She said with a cheeky grin, "I will finish telling you what I was trying to say in answer to your Too-Many-Crowns problem."

Erec shook his head and took a steadying breath.

"That felt good. I have not laughed since we were in hiding and Robin tickled Sofi so hard that she passed loud gas."

"That was one of their more colorful escapades, I will admit." Gwyn mused.

"Now tell me, how do you propose to solve the Too-Many-Crowns problem?"

"If it is a matter of too many crowns under one roof, why do you not remove the roof?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"The problem, as I understand it, husband, is security. The castle has too many halls and places for an assassin to hide. The food is prepared by too many hands, and served by too many more. It is a simple thing for a clever man like our assassin to find away to eliminate one or both of the crowns."

"Host Treaty Day out of doors?" Erec started, thinking it incredulous, but before the words left his mouth, he realized the merit in it. "Host Treaty Day out of doors! Of course! King Axel has his encampment secured. So long as he is there, he is safe...

"Clear the courtyard, set elevated dais with canopy for the kings and most honored guests. Set a second dais and canopy slightly less elevated to the right and left for the nobles and other honored guests. Let the rest be seated at normal tables. The area is much larger than the great hall and can accommodate our visiting guests as well."

"And what of the kitchens? Poisoning is easily done with so many in and out of the kitchens and so many serving."

"Then we set guards at the entrances to the kitchens. Let the kitchens be cleared the night before preparations begin. In the morn, only one entrance shall be opened, and Matilde shall admit only those needed for the day. The guards will see that no one exits or enters without Matilde's approval. That should allow for changes in needs, such as baker to butcher, for example."

"And the servers? Poison may also be put in the food after it leaves the kitchens but before it reaches the table."

"Guards shall escort the servers from kitchen to table and they shall only be allowed to leave the kitchens after the food has been tasted. But if poison did make it into the kitchens...Let the tasters be men from the dungeon, those with severe offenses. At the end of the day, if they yet live, we can consider a reduced sentence. It is hardly ideal, but it does answer to both needs."

"Before Treaty Day, I suggest we host entertainment." Gwyn added helpfully. "Let there be sport. Let your best men take on any challengers with prizes. Make it livestock or gold, or whatever you deem fit. Let it not be to the death for this is for sport. Let it be to first blood, mayhap? Or some other such method of determining a winner without death."

"With so many visitors, it would behoove us to give them entertainment, lest they resort to their own and we find our purses light or our women missing..."

"There is that benefit, but also, it shows the great skills of your men. Mayhap you should also arrange dagger throwing or spearing rings or small items while riding at a gallop. We want the people in awe of the champions. We want the people to be impressed so that they talk about it in the coming days. You should also arrange some similar sport for your best archers."

"And then I post these men in conspicuous places during Treaty Day. People will be wary of them and less likely to misbehave. Very clever. But why the archers?"

"Place the best upon the wall. Set the dais close enough to the wall to be in range, but far enough that the archers can see beneath the canopy. Post guards and let none pass behind the dais. Let the archers watch in relaxed stance, but with arrow notched. Their presence and the presence of your champions, will be a deterrent to miscreants and hopeful assassins."

"At the very least, it shall make my problem of securing the area much easier to manage and my men will get some fun out of it as well. What man does not like an excuse to show off his prowess, and what knight would not consider it a boon to have his reputation so bolstered?"

"Now you have only to figure out how to keep our king safe while he is withing the castle."

"You have my gratitude, my lady," Erec bowed elegantly as he was able while sitting, "for you have left the easiest part for me."

Gwyn's good humor gave way to her laughter at his sarcastic remark, and he joined her almost at once.

---

Ten days with only a few hours sleep snatched when he could no longer stay upright. He was exhausted but he managed to safely reach the end of his road. He could eat a proper meal and sleep for several days together when he reached Berk's farm.

"Sir Gil!" Rin called, running out to meet him. "What brings you—you look terrible."