“You do that,” she muttered and turned back to trying to make sense of the mountain of papers.
♦ ♦ ♦
A while later there was a knock at the door.
“Come in,” Shireen growled. Her head was killing her and her eyes ached from searching for dates on the papers, to try to put things in order.
A man entered, tall and thin, dressed in the gray that denoted House Towering Oaks. His dark hair was cut short, but it had been done quickly so that it was almost ragged. His eyes were shadowed and there was the stubble of a day-old beard on his face.
As he entered, he looked around the room, avoiding her, until he stood in front of the desk. His eyes flickered to hers, then back to the desk, and finally, back around the room again. It wasn’t until Shireen saw the wet shine in those eyes that she realized what was going on.
“You must be Samuel,” she said gently.
The man nodded, bit his lip and still didn’t say anything.
“This is your first time back in this office, since….”
Samuel nodded again, his eyes finding hers.
“I understand. It’s hard for all of us. I’ll tell you what. I need a break from this. I think I’ll go get a cup of tea or something. You stay here, take some time.”
She stood and moved around the desk, placing her hand on his shoulder.
“When I get back, let’s talk. I need help, and I understand you’re the man for the job.”
Again, Samuel nodded, and shot a grateful look at her as she left her office.
“See?” Orlando said, joining her in the hallway. “This is why Solomon wanted you in charge.”
“What are you talking about?”
“What you did in there. You knew what the problem was and how to deal with it. You may not think you’re good at that sort of thing, but you really are.”
Shireen didn’t reply. But she did slip her arm through Orlando’s and allowed him to escort her to the mess hall.
♦ ♦ ♦
Later, when she returned to her office, Samuel had cleaned off her desk, leaving one tidy pile of papers in the middle of it.
“What happened?” she asked.
“I took the liberty of arranging things,” Samuel said. “Those items are the ones that need your personal signature as Head of House. A few promotions and commendations, and a requisition for steel.”
“What about the rest?”
“The rest can be signed by your delegate. For Lord Jediah, that was me. If you wish, I can fill the same function for you.”
Shireen remembered very well how smoothly the House ran under Jediah. It seemed that this man had a lot to do with that.
“Yes! Please, do whatever you would have under him. Why didn’t Solomon have you helping him?”
Samuel shrugged. “I’m not sure. Perhaps he didn’t know I existed either.”
That made Shireen feel a little guilty. In truth, there was no reason for her to know a lot of the administrative people. She was a scout, and her circle had extended to others in those branches. Soldiers, archers, horsemen, and so on.
But still, this man had helped make everyone’s lives a little easier, and she should have been more aware.
“Well,” she said, “when he gets back, I’ll make damn sure he knows who you are.”
Samuel bowed his head. “Thank you. Now, if you don’t need me at the moment, I’ll return to my desk and start catching up. Please yell out if you need me, and I’ll come to you.”
“Where’s your desk?”
Samuel looked at her strangely. “In the room right outside of this one, of course.”
“That what that’s for?!”
To his credit, Samuel didn’t quite smile. “Yes, Lady Shireen. That is the aide’s office. It’s where I will work and will stop any potential visitors who don’t have appointments.”
“Wow,” Shireen shook her head and settled down behind the desk. “Solomon really didn’t know what he was doing.”
Chapter 6
She could see the child from her hiding place. Why the child was out now, with evening coming on, was anyone’s guess, but it couldn’t be for a good reason. Parents gone, dead, taken, who knew? Or maybe she was a runaway, feeling that braving the evening and its terrors was better than what she faced at home. Regardless, she wouldn’t be long for this world, or any other.
The woman sighed and moved deeper back into the shadows cast by the overhanging thatch roof. The rough wood of the alley wall scratched her back, but she held herself still. As much as she didn’t want to see what was going to happen, she couldn’t tear her eyes away. Maybe the girl would move on; then she wouldn’t have to watch.
“Come on!” she whispered to herself. The girl couldn’t have been more than seven or eight, old enough to know that standing in the middle of the street was no way to hide.
As the woman watched, the sun sank a fraction lower in the sky and the shadows lengthened. The girl looked about her, her face miserable and tears running down her cheeks.
“No,” the woman said to herself. “It’s not my problem. I’m not the one to do anything about this.”
She was moving toward the street before she even knew she was going to do it. Slowly, she leaned out from between the rough buildings, looking in both directions. So far, nothing.
The girl hadn’t seen her yet. “Psst! Hey!”
For a moment, the girl still didn’t see her, but she did hear the woman and looked around, her eyes wide and frightened.
“Over here!” The woman kept her voice as quiet as she could, almost hissing at the girl. “Yes, that’s it. Come on! You’re going to get
