«With all my heart, my lord!» Jovett whispered. «And I promise you that I would do my utmost to make for her a worthy and loving husband».

«Then it’s settled», Kenneth replied. «What more could a father ask, than that his children should be happy? Besides that», he added, «such a marriage would bring practical advantages that probably will not have occurred to you». He went on at Jovett’s look of question. «I am now Earl of Lendour, Jovett, but I am also in the king’s direct service. That means that I needs will be spending much of my time at court with him and Prince Brion. Accordingly, I will need men in Lendour whom I can trust. Who better than the husband of my own beloved daughter?»

Jovett looked dumbfounded for a moment, then shyly averted his gaze. «My lord, I am honored by your confidence in me», he replied, «but I am also young. Surely there are others better qualif…»

«More experienced, perhaps, but few with more promise», Kenneth said firmly. «And inexperience can be remedied. I know you, Jovett. And I know that your father has been serving as one of Lendour’s regents for many years — perhaps most of his career. I should like you to serve alongside him, as his deputy and eventual successor. And in my absence, it will be entirely fitting that my son-in-law should begin to speak in my behalf. A strong bond of loyalty already exists between our two families. Joining them by marriage can only strengthen that bond».

«Then — we have your consent, sir?» Jovett managed to murmur.

«Of course you do, with all my blessings!» Kenneth replied. «Now, go to my daughter and tell her your news — though this will set her and my wife all atwitter for the rest of the journey, and then for weeks thereafter. Go, go! ’Tis a woman’s prerogative».

With a whoop of sheer delight, Jovett set heels to his mount and galloped up to the head of the column, where Zoë was riding with Alyce and the two maids. Kenneth himself followed at a more sedate pace, finally falling in beside a young knight with little Alaric up on the saddle before him.

«Papa!» said the boy, reaching out one arm toward his sire.

«Hello, son. Trevor, I’ll take him with me now», he said to the younger man, reaching across to swing Alaric onto his own mount.

Delighted, the boy settled happily against his father’s chest and sat a little prouder. He had even managed to stay clean since setting out that morning. As Kenneth slowly worked them toward the head of the column, the two chatted happily.

The party approached Cynfyn just before dusk, with a glorious scarlet sunset in their wake. Perhaps half an hour before, they had stopped briefly for Alyce to wash her face and hands and tidy her hair before she and Kenneth donned coronets for their entry into the town. Jovett had moved to the head of the column with Sir Xander and Sir Yves, unfurling the Lendour banner before them.

Jovett’s father, Sir Pedur Chandos, met them just outside the town gates, along with the seneschal, Sir Deinol Hartmann, half a dozen other mounted knights, and a contingent of the town elders afoot.

«Welcome back to Castle Cynfyn, Lady Alyce», Sir Deinol said, bowing in his saddle. «And welcome to the new Lord of Lendour and his heir». With a nod, he sent forth a page standing at his stirrup, who bore a large ring of keys upon a scarlet cushion. «Sir Kenneth, it is my honor to offer you the keys to His Majesty’s castle of Cynfyn».

The page cast a curious look at young Alaric as he came forward and bowed, offering up his charge, and Alaric gazed down with similar interest. But as Kenneth laid a gloved hand on the keys in acceptance, Alaric reached out as one with his sire and firmly grasped the ring, lifting it slightly and looking up at his father in question.

«Thank you, Alaric. And thank you, my lord seneschal», Kenneth replied with a smile, nodding for Alaric to put the keys back. «And my son and I are most pleased to return the keys of Cynfyn into your good keeping. I am even more pleased to present to you your future lord, Alaric Anthony Morgan», he went on, as Alaric dutifully replaced the keys.

The waiting knights saluted with bowed heads and fists to hearts, eyeing both father and son with obvious approval, before Sir Deinol wheeled around to fall in beside Kenneth.

«Cynfyn is ready to receive you, my lord — and my lady. Long have we awaited the return of Lendour’s heir».

Their reception into Cynfyn town and then through the gate to the lower ward was enthusiastic, with cheering townsfolk lining the street and casting flowers before them as they rode. Several of the women thrust bunches of posies into Alyce’s hands as she and Kenneth passed, and others looped flower garlands around the necks of their horses. One small boy darted out to offer Alaric a crudely carved figure of a horse, which gift elicited a delighted grin and an unprompted thank you.

That night, at the banquet prepared for their welcome, Kenneth and Alyce made more formal presentation of their son to the assembled nobles, then received the renewed fealty of all the Lendour knights who had not sworn before. A little later, Kenneth announced the betrothal of his daughter Zoë to Sir Jovett Chandos, to a roar of approval that fairly shook the rafters of the hall.

«My wife and I thank you for this evidence of your welcome of this match», Kenneth said, when the cheering had died down. «As the father of three daughters, only one of whom is wed, I must confess my delight that a second — and the eldest! — is now to be wed as well. I shall miss her, of course — as shall my wife, for the two are dearest friends as well as being related in…complicated ways». He drew both women closer and laid an arm around each one’s shoulders, signing for Jovett to join them on Zoë’s other side.

«This brings us to a somewhat delicate matter, one that I know will have occurred to at least a few of you. Most of you will be aware that, but for cruel fortune, Zoë would have been your countess, by marriage to my dear wife’s late brother Ahern — and in fact, the two exchanged vows as Ahern lay on his deathbed». He paused to draw his daughter closer and gently kiss the top of her head.

«Ahern’s untimely death was a tragedy for all of us, but life goes on. I am now your earl; and very happily, my daughter has come to care for your Jovett Chandos, whom she had known for some years as Alyce’s childhood friend as well as a young knight of rising prominence here in Lendour — and Jovett, likewise, has given his heart to her. So I count myself fortunate that I shall be acquiring a son known and respected by you all, and who can help to look after Lendour’s interests when I must be in Rhemuth with the king.

«Meanwhile, I congratulate Sir Deinol and Sir Pedur and the rest of Lendour’s regents here in Cynfyn for training up such a fine cadre of young knights to carry Lendour’s interests forward. I am confident that Jovett will continue to be an asset to their numbers — and would, even if he were not to become my son-in-law, for he is a good and honorable man. And when my son is of an age to come into his inheritance — by which time I hope to retire to a quiet life in the country! — I know that he, too, will follow in the footsteps of his illustrious ancestors, and in the traditions that all of you have helped to uphold while you waited for him».

The response of Lendour’s nobility, both then and in the days to come, only underlined their approval, both of their new lord and his heir and also of this new alliance with one of Lendour’s premier families. Though tradition would have had Zoë marry from her father’s manor at Morganhall, among her Morgan kin, it was agreed that the wedding should take place in Cynfyn, among Jovett’s people, where Kenneth also was lord, since the pair would make their home there. The date was set for Michaelmas, to be Alaric’s third birthday, following the family’s visit to Coroth, for Kenneth and Alyce must first present their son to his future Corwyn subjects.