I awoke the next morning sleeping in this ridiculous net thing, my mind a complete mess. I didn't remember quite what had led me here, but I had a vague recollection of having taught Iris a lesson. My head was pounding and I stood up in deep frustration. I marched shamefully up to the dining hall and sat down. The servants gave me some lemon water to rid me of my affliction.

"Where is my brother?" I asked a footman.

"He is out to town with his Heir, presenting him formally as the new Heir, now that your father is no longer the Marquis of Hearthgarden."

"Ah... where are the noble daughters?" I asked, chuckling.

"Corrine is by the waterside with her handmaidens, and Iris is still asleep."

I nodded and smirked into my cup. I had knocked her right out. She would fear wearing anything that would show her shoulders. Did Balimund know his daughter was so wanton about her body? She must have wanted men to see her. I didn't blame her. She had a gorgeous, lean, figure and we all had our own deviant ways of dealing with sexual stress.

"Bring me to the waterside," I said, not having anything better to do.

"Will you eat?"

"No."

"But you should eat..."

"I'm still ruminating yesternight's feast." I laughed, softly. "No. I will go to the waterside."

He nodded and turned to leave, when I unsheathed my blade and swiftly placed it under the fat fold of his neck. "And if I hear you disobey me or attempt to thwart my original plans again, I will see that you do not speak another word while in this body."

He gasped as I let him go, and he stumbled away, nodding furiously, like a frightened child. Like Iris. What a coward.

I was arranged to go to the waterside, where I saw Corrine; she was dressed in a white robe. She looked up at me as I marched toward the bank where she was picking daisies, but then looked away again. She did not acknowledge my presence until I started conversation.

"Picking flowers for whom, might I ask?" was my starter.

"Not for you, that's sure."

Wow. First words that had come out of her mouth were rather callous. I almost liked that.

"Then whom for?"

"Why should I tell you?" she asked. She was smart for a ten-year-old, witty. She knew how to manipulate.

"Why should you be so aloof with your own uncle?"

"Because I want to be. Leave me alone. I don't need you to have fun."

"I would beg to differ." I smirked.

"Beg then, dog." She turned to me and crinkled her lightly freckled nose.

"Woof," I said, my voice raucous now. "Or maybe I'm a bad wolf, and you're just a maiden picking daisies by the waterside. Perhaps I'll pick my own daisy."

"I'll scream."

"And then what? Servants listen to me before they listen to you. I could keep your head under water and they'll be nothing but bubbles. I suggest you hold in your breath. Don't worry. I won't drown you."

"I'm not scared of you," she arrogantly replied, turning away from me.

"I'd be scared of me if I were you, little bitch."

She was good. Good enough to seem to know what got my blood coursing. I felt the material at the crotch of my pants tightening. She bent over and I longed to kick her into that pool of water, just to see her wet and dirty like the animal she was acting like.

"Picking flowers is for peasant girls," I told her, adjusting my trusty belt.

"Talking with children is for handmaidens."

"Insult me again, I swear..."

"You swear what? An oath upon a little girl's head that you'll hurt me? You'll hurt me right here, where I'm completely defenceless, because for sure you'll kill my handmaidens, and leave me here, bleeding. You were always a pig and you will always be one. Now leave me to my peasantries."

"You speak awfully well for a 'little girl'."

"I, unlike you, am educated. If only father would choose me as his Heir..."

"That can be arranged."

She looked at me and her eyebrows relaxed from their harsh contraction, and instead rose into her delicate forehead. The corner of her mouth lifted, but she snorted.

"Like Hell you'll kill your niece and nephews. My father will have your head before you get to Henry."

"What if I get Henry first?"

"Oh, I think you've already lost that one. Bishop Mallory has already driven his sword through him. I guess I wasn't supposed to tell you, but who else was I going to tell? My father would think God's abandoned us. Our holy man is holy. Iris is too busy kissing the castle guards and Marcus is towered in father's shadow. What am I left with?"

"Picking daisies by the waterside."

"Indeed, uncle."

"I didn't know Bali forced you into religion."

"Poured the oil on my head himself, since the Bishop at the time had been anointing some sick in the village. It was almost a crisis ceremony. I was dying."

"Of what? Ugliness?"

"For having seen your dastardly face, actually," she came back.

"Not funny. You didn't try for that one."

"I didn't. Now, leave me be! And don't speak to me! I'll have the guards never tell you where I am again and I'll tolerate you at the table only."

"And I'll be pleased to see you there. Little cunt," I added, as I swerved around and started to walk away. I heard quick grass-padded footsteps and felt her jump on my back, screaming:

"Dare you repeat that? Dare you?"

She placed her small hands around my neck and started to squeeze me, and this only led to hilarity on my part.

"Careful, I don't want your cunt-blood spilling all over me as I drive my knife into your collar."

"Sadistic, cruel, pompous..."

"Tell me more. I love hearing you compliment me." I ended up letting myself fall onto the grass. She thumped on top of me and I held her to me.

She was pretty, I had to admit it. She looked like me when I was her age, only obviously more feminine, with rosy, flushed cheeks and puckered icy pink lips. Her hair was short, a bit below her shoulders and curled lightly at the edges. Her eyes were grey, unlike mine, unlike Bali's. They were not her mother's either, they were my mother's. Sweet.

"Let me go," she said, between closed teeth.

"You jumped onto me. I'm your prisoner."

"You're funny, and stupid."

I reached for her dress and with a mighty tug, I ripped it clean through the middle. She gasped and struck my face, a small backhand.

"Harder," I told her, reaching up and caressing her child's chest with my calloused hands. My thumbs found her nipples and I pressed on them and circled them slowly.

"Stop!" she shrieked. "Guards!"

She struck me again and I groaned in pleasure.

"Let me go!"

"You girls like saying that here. Seems like you don't know how to keep your mouth shut and your hands to yourselves, like good girls. You seek trouble. You want trouble. Cunt."

She groused in despair and went limp. "Fine," she said.

"Giving up so easily? You're pathetic."

"You're pathetic!" she returned, her arms stiffening. I undid my belt and she attempted to rise, but I held her to me and I purposely pushed my erection onto her sex, my thin riding pants and her knickers the only thing between us.

The guards actually arrived and I smiled at them.

"Fine day, gentleman. I'm just playing a bit. Nothing serious. Carry on."

"No! Get him away from me!"

"My Lord," one of them said. "My Lady would appreciate it if..."

"I would appreciate it if you would quiet your oral cavity and walk the fuck away from us. I'll give you the count of-"

"Yes, My Lord," he said, bowing to me and walking away. I smirked at Corrine, who was fuming.

"Told you, little cunt."

"I'll lie. I'll tell my father you raped me."

"It won't be a lie," I growled.

She looked at me seriously, with not only a glimmer of fear, but an ocean of terror in her eyes. I laughed. I laughed, so hard that I dropped her and she scurried away, toward her handmaidens.

"You took all this so seriously, Corrine!" I hooted, holding my splitting sides together. Ah, sweet pain...!

"You... you..."

"I was playing. I'll see you at dinner." Without another word, I left the scene, very satisfied that I had seen her after all these years. Seen her for what she had become, truly, a little cunt, just like her mother.

I left her be, however, I did take one of her handmaidens to follow me. I walked with her until we reached another jetty, where I stripped of my clothing and went swimming. There was nothing to do here, unless my brother had some good crossbows; I could have gone hunting.

I took my sweet time and felt the grass between my bare feet as I marched back up to the castle, my pants rolled up, my shirt loose. I strut through the arches and heard a giggle. Footsteps echoed and I looked up on the pass. Girls. Probably the handmaiden's daughters. With every inch of my assassin skills, I crept up the stairs and saw them looking over the empty window frames, whispering:

"Where is he?"

"Maybe on the other- ah!"

My hand found her mouth and I got out my knife. I didn't brandish it anywhere, I just threatened them with it simply exposed. "You think I'm funny?" I asked her, smelling her youthful neck from the position I was in. She had probably played in the daisies this morning, and the coriander scent was probably from the kitchens.

Her friend stumbled and ran away, moaning in fear. Was I really that daunting?

"Not a very good friend eh? Should you get raped, she won't do anything about it."

"Sir... we weren't."

"Ha! Sir? Are you kidding me?" I lifted her dress and slapped her right cheek violently. She shrieked.

"Milord! I'm sorry, I didn't..."

"Why should I even listen to your petty excuses? Why should I stand here and take it?"

"We weren't laughing at you, Milord, we were looking at you."

"Why?"

"Because... you are handsome."

I was a bit taken aback, but then I was pleased once more. I let go of her and pressed my forehead upon hers. "You know, that was very nice of you to say. I'll let you go with a warning, but know that I am not a forgiving man, nor do I particularly enjoy being laughed at or mocked. For your friend, I'm sorry she wasn't so loyal. Loyalty is important you know..."

"Aye, milord."

"Your name?"

"Sera."

"I'll remember you. You'd better remember me. I like someone to carry my towel as I bathe."

"I... yes, Milord." She bowed and hurried off after her friend.

A bit of entertainment before lunch felt good. Bali and Marcus had returned and Henry sat next to his brother quietly. Iris came in avoiding my gaze, and so did Corrine. Had I really scared them all that much? I'd been playing them, really. They didn't understand the meaning of 'fun'. I noticed that Corrine had changed dresses, right, I had destroyed the last.

"Father showed me around town, and I spoke to my future people for the first time as Heir."

"I congratulate you, brother," said Iris. "You must be proud."

"Quite. Father, did I honour you well?"

"You did."

Marcus sat proudly in his seat, like the little shit he always was. He knew he was the firstborn ever since he realized that his father only had eyes for him. It was Marcus-this Marcus-that. I understood Corrine for hating this, for wanting to be in his stead. She ate slowly, and once -and I waited for it- she looked at me. I lifted my eyebrow and she grimaced at me, the old ugly-face-with-hanging-tongue. I winked at her in return and she winced and turned to Bali.

"Father?"

"Yes, Corrine."

"Uncle Victor attacked me today, as I was by the waterside."

"Because you're so hurt right now you can walk all the way here without shedding one drop of blood," I told her.

Balimund looked at me, his mouth full of lamb. I rolled my eyes and he turned to his babe.

"What kind of attack?"

"I was merely playing with her. She was bored. I shook her up a bit." I gave her a stare, one that very severely meant: 'Shut up.' She was about to speak, but she ended up giving in.

"He wrestled me a bit."

"There! Ought to roughen you up! However, instead of being picking flowers like a peasant girl, you shirked your responsibilities and played the truant."

"Meister Roe is not amusing. Have him replaced, father."

"No. You go to your lessons." He turned to his second-born. "Iris, you've been in bed all morning."

"I was tired."

"I'm not falling for your lies again. We will speak after, you and I."

Interesting. Perhaps Corrine hadn't lied about Iris sleeping around the castle. Would I have known that she wasn't a virgin, I would have played around a bit more with her frightened self.

I didn't drink any wine. No, I wanted my head now that I knew that the castle was quite the interesting location.

"And where were you, Henry, today?" I asked him.

"In the chapel."

"You going to be a priest?"

He nodded, shyly.

"What do you have to do to become one?"

He did not respond right away and Corrine gave me in return the 'shut up' eyes. I held in a laugh.

"Pray, read psalms. I'm too young to be one right away."

"Is the Bishop nice to you?"

He frowned and looked up at me, confused. Was I helping him out of his situation? He shrugged, and I smiled in my goblet as I drank down my fourth cup of water. It cleared my head quite nicely.