Erec sighed as Drew rubbed down his muscles with the liniment.

"No sleeping." Drew scolded. "Else I should stop now and make you spar with me."

"I could not spar even should I wish it for I have not the strength at the moment to sit up on my own. But I shall make every effort to stay awake and trust to you and Gil should I fail in this."

An hour later, Erec sat in a nightshirt sipping willow bark tea. It was a foul potion, but it did help ease the aches. Dermot and Gil were with him. Drew and Thomas had gone below stairs to join the feast and keep an eye on things there. They would trade places in a few hours. John, he was told, was watching over the children. It eased Erec's mind to know they were safe.

"What will become of Sir Oliver? He should be made to pay for what he did to Gwyndolyn."

Erec heard the rancor in Gil's words and nodded his agreement.

"He will be caught, if he ever sets foot near Kingstown again. But I doubt that even one so simple as he would try it. He has likely made for a port to find a boat for other shores."

"What of Neron's title, and all of his holdings?" Dermot asked. "The lands should be given to the former royal guard as a reward for their years of faithful service. It would go a long way toward restoring his majesty's favor with the people."

"The holdings revert to the king, and I hope he is wise enough to bestow them upon worthier men than Neron. You make an excellent point, Dermot. I shall mention it when I speak to the king upon the morrow."

"And what of Lord Garrett?" Gil asked. "We pushed his armies back at great cost. We left them to suffer the ravages of overpopulation, a lack of basic supplies, and a long harsh winter. But Lord Garrett has been fortified. He will rise up and this time he will be prepared. It will be an easy thing for him with his majesty and much of the garrison here at Brecken."

"I have not forgotten our enemy. You suffered great injury in that last battle. I was afraid that you would lose his leg, or the use of it."

"I did lose it, after a fashion. I will always have a slight limp. When I am fatigued, or if the weather is poor, it pains me greatly. It is not enough to prevent my living out my days with a measure of normalcy, but it is enough that I should not be able to return to my place in the king's army. Nor any army for that matter. My days as a soldier are finished."

"You might try your hand at the tourney trials." Erec yawned.

"No sleeping." Gil reminded. "I think not. But if I can find a lord willing to take me on, I shall happily serve him the remainder of my days. I can train up his squires and serve as advisor. But I grow bored with conversation. Are you feeling better? Do you want to walk a little?"

"I could walk in the hall where I may lean upon the wall, but I do not think I am up to trying the stairs. I would ask that you stay near in case the dizziness returns. I am not certain I wish to learn which would hurt more, a hard fall, or the wrath of my lady wife." Erec chuckled softly.

Gil smiled, knowing full well how the lady could manage to handle men half again her size.

"Sooth, if I do not move, I shall fall asleep sitting up." Erec yawned again. "As you see, I am truly fatigued."

"That is quite understandable and I regret that we must keep you from sleep for so many hours together."

"I know what Drew meant when he said that I would fall into the sleep from which I cannot wake. I would become little more than a breathing corpse and that would leave my gentle wife the burden of care for me. I do not desire such an end, but especially for her sake. So, come. Let us walk! But take care that you do not find me sleep-walking." Erec chuckled.

---

"Your majesty." Erec gave a shallow bow. It was more than he managed the night before, but far less than a courtly bow.

"You look better today than you did last eve."

"I thank you, your majesty. Sooth, I feel better this morn than I felt last eve. But I fear that it shall be quite some time before I am altogether myself again."

"Then you shall remain here at Brecken until you are mended. How long do you think you shall need?"

"From experience I would guess no more than a fortnight." Erec paused. "Your majesty, why do you ask?"

"Do you question your king?"

"My apologies, your majesty."

"Lord Erec," Hugh sighed and shook his head. "I make no secret of the fact that I dislike you. It is not something I can explain, for you have never done anything to wrong me. I simply do not like you. In fact, some may go so far to say that I hate you. But I find that I tire of this game. I no longer wish to expend the energy that it would take to hate you properly."

Erec did not know how to reply, so he remained silent.

"I have surprised you by my frank speech. Come, it is no secret that you have little affection for me either."

"That is not entirely true, your majesty." Erec countered and hurried on before Hugh could stop him. "You wear the crown. I would die to protect you, even as my father died protecting your father."

"Ah, but my crown and I are not the same. I know what I am and I do not pretend to care what you or anyone else thinks. I am of royal blood. You are not. It is that simple. Now, as to why I asked about your recovery." Hugh yawned and truly appeared bored. "You are needed in Kingstown. Neron and his men have stirred the people to the point of rioting."

"I have heard the reports, though I have not seen it for myself. Sir Cameron can handle the situation with efficiency. He is a good knight and a good man. He will serve your majesty well and he will help to restore their faith in their king."

"You speak as though you are leaving. You have struck your head harder than you think if you assume you are free to leave my service. You have sworn an oath of fealty."

"I have." Erec nodded. "And I shall serve as I have sworn. I was merely suggesting a means for you to regain some of the lost faith from your subjects. It is part of my duty to offer such suggestions. Is it not, your majesty?"

"Sooth." Hugh frowned.

"I do not have to like you, Lord Erec, to make use of you. I cannot fathom why, but the people adore you. Keeping you on my council will go far to restore their lost faith. I care not for their affection, but I must maintain their respect to keep my crown. And that I do care about. So, if you have other ideas, I would hear them. I may dismiss them...but I would hear them. Speak."

"I believe that Lord Neron's lands, most of which were illegally seized anyway, should be divided among the men of your former royal guard. Cameron can appoint a man that he trusts to aid him and thus you would not be bothered with it. However, giving this pension to those men who served you so well would also go far to restore their lost faith."

"The lands that Neron held are of no concern to me in any case. I shall give Lord Neron's title and all of his holdings to Sir Cameron. Let him do what he will with them."

"Lord Neron held a seat on your council. Would you also give that to Sir Cameron?"

"I would give it to him as soon as to another. He has proven that he will serve me faithfully. If he were on the council, I could trust him to keep his eyes and ears open to further threat to my crown."

"As to that, your majesty, there may yet be another threat. One of Neron's men has evaded capture. My men have not been able to find him. His name is Sir Oliver and he was oft seen with Sir Jackson and Lord Neron. He is a bit of a simpleton, but he was devoted to Neron."

"If that is so, it would seem that are more in danger from this simpleton's wrath than I. For you are the one that ran Neron through, not I."

"I shall make Sir Cameron aware so that he can be watchful."

Hugh nodded and regarded Erec thoughtfully. Erec decided that he almost looked...well, not hateful at least.

"Why do you serve so me so faithfully when you dislike me nearly as much as I dislike you?"

"I have sworn an oath, your majesty, and I am duty bound to keep it. It is as you say, however. I do not have to like you to serve you."

Erec was not sure how Hugh would react to the last bit, but it was out of his mouth before he could stop it. He was very surprised to see Hugh smile. The man had never given a sincere smile in Erec's presence.

"Be careful, Lord Erec." Hugh said, and Erec wondered if he were about to die. "I think we may be in danger of calling a truce between us."

Erec could not have been more surprised.

"That would be pleasing to me. I do not imagine I shall ever call myself your friend, but at least let us be enemies no longer...your majesty."

"I shall consider it." Hugh nodded and Erec bit back a smile.

"One more thing."

"How may I serve, your majesty?" Erec dipped his chin.

"Lord Garrett. Before I sent you north, my army drove Garret and his decimated army into Garrett's Keep. They were isolated and ill-prepared for the harsh winter."

"It is as you say."

"But I have heard a rumor that he has managed to obtain men and supplies. It is said that Lord Garrett intends to make another attempt at moving on Kingstown. What do you make of that, Captain?"

"I was discussing that last eve with my men, your majesty. We are not certain how best to handle it without more information. It may be, as rumors tend to be, an exaggerated report. It may also be fact. You have men in your service that are skilled in this sort of information gathering. If you wish it, your majesty, I can investigate the rumors more closely."

"Let it be done." Hugh again regarded Erec thoughtfully. Erec wondered what it meant, this sudden benevolence... tolerance...of the king. "It would seem that you can do much to serve the crown without actually being in Kingstown."

"I have served the crown for many years and I have learned which men to trust with certain tasks. It helps that I have earned their trust as well so that I may count on them in anything that I might ask of them. These men are as I am, your majesty. They have sworn an oath of fealty to the crown and will serve you to their last breath. You can trust them as you trust me."

Erec watched Hugh carefully, testing his reaction to his last words. Hugh leaned back and appeared thoughtful for a moment. The with a sigh, he waved a hand dismissively.

"That is good to hear for I have had quite enough of assassins. Three attempts are quite enough, I should think."

"Alas, your majesty, that is unlikely. If you live, God willing, as long as your father, you will see many more such attempts."

"I am afraid that you speak true." Hugh resumed a demeanor of boredom and waved his hand toward the door. "We are finished here. I have learned what I wanted to know. I do not claim that I shall miss you while you are away from the palace and I cannot promise that I shall not send you away again as soon as you return."

"I understand, your majesty."

"Lord Erec?"

"Yes, your majesty?"

"In all the time we have spoken you have only called me your majesty. It is unlike you to do so. Why have you not called me my king, or my liege?"

"It is proper, is it not, your majesty?"

"Bloody hell." Hugh groused, "Of course it is proper. God's Teeth, I shall not miss this insolence of yours. I really do not like you at all. It is quite a shame that you woke up. I was rather hoping that I had managed to rid myself of the two of you together!"

"As to that, your majesty, if it would please you, I think that I may be able to grant you some measure of relief."

"What are you taking about?"

"I know that you want to be a better king than your father. And if you keep men like Sir Cameron and Lord Brecken on your council and pay heed to their words, you will succeed. They will serve you faithfully, and you will earn the love and respect of your subjects. Your name is already praised for bringing peace. If you would do this thing, you could keep the peace for many years to come."

Hugh nodded. He looked extremely bored and gestured for Erec to get to the point.

"The relief I offer is in regards to me alone. If you will grant me two things, I can promise that I shall never to return to Kingstown except with express invitation from you, your majesty."

"You have my attention, Lord Erec." Hugh sat up straighter, "Speak."

"First, I was granted Bocland by your father, as well as the title: Baron of Greenwood."

Hugh nodded.

"I would ask that you honor this grant. I ask that you allow my son to claim the title and the land, should he wish it."

"Greenwood is of little concern to me. It is little more than a moldering pile of stone. Done. And your second boon?"

"I have recently discovered that I have family in Vilamout, the land over the sea to the east. If you would grant me release from my vow of fealty, I shall leave Kingsland and travel to Vilamout. If my family welcomes me, I shall remain there. If not, I shall return to Kingsland and live out my days in Greenwood."

"If that is all it takes to be rid of you, then consider it done. You are released from your vow of fealty. At least I can be certain that you should never make an attempt to seize my crown." Hugh smiled again and Erec was uncertain of Hugh's intent.

"For my sake, I hope that your family welcomes you with open arms. For then I shall never have to see you again."

"I thank you, your majesty."

Erec gave his best attempt at a bow and left for his own chambers. There was much he needed to discuss with Gwyndolyn.