As expected, Woodpecker had it all.
Along with his name, which meant power, he inherited lands and fortune at a young age. Exquisite food, excellent education, loyal vassals and loneliness. As a child, he lost his parents to the venom of a viper, but there were many who cared for him, and he grew up maintaining his wealth.
No, I didn't just grow up.
Woodpecker was cursed at age thirteen, the same age his parents were killed.
They say the witch's curse runs in the blood of the royal family. And so people wondered why the curse affected the Duke House of Woodpecker, and not the current king or crown prince. Although he is also a member of the royal family, didn't he have his own position?
However, the council of elders, on this basis, argued that the true royal blood flowed precisely in Woodpecker, and wanted to elevate him to the throne. A pointless idea.
In fact, Julius Woodpecker did not believe in the "witch's curse."
But he believed in the “curse” itself.
“Is this the one there are rumors about?” - asked Jules.
- Yes, Your Grace.
At the words of the servant, Yuls remembered the young man whom he had seen a little earlier - his gaze was slightly higher than that of Yuls himself. A man with a face more like a woman's looked down at him with a strange look.
Adi Grimaldi. The man who received a knighthood from the Crown Prince in absentia was the legitimate heir of Count Grimaldi, enjoying the greatest confidence at court and at the same time being discriminated against.
Initially there was supposed to be another one, but he died long ago. If they were twins, then the woman would probably be very pretty. Since they don’t look like Count Grimaldi, that means they went after the countess, but whether she was such a beauty, Jules didn’t know. However, it doesn't matter.
- Bold.
Juls could not forget that surprised look. As if he had no idea about the rumors. If it weren't for that expression, Jules would have thought of firing him immediately, but...
- If you don’t like him, I will petition for a replacement.
“Leave it,” said Jules.
- They are all the same anyway.
Jules did not trust the guards of the Palace of Pales. They are all loyal to the king. They may be inferior to the knights of the royal order from the palace of Jonad, but the fact remained that they were the king’s dogs.
And among them is Adi Grimaldi...
“With such and such an appearance, he is the dog of Palesa’s palace.”
Usually the word “dog” had a negative connotation, but he didn’t look like a dog at all. Was he really called that because he wags his tail in front of just anyone? Jules thought about it.
* * *Securing Duke Woodpecker was not difficult.
As the servant said, the Duke almost never left the palace. There was no one in Palesa's palace who could threaten the Duke, and the Duke himself did not demand anything from the guards.
Sometimes a puzzled look fell on her, but compared to the Third Order of Knights, there was much less work here. On the contrary, contrary to rumors, Duke Woodpecker lived a very measured life.
Protecting those who are unpredictable and capricious - they wake up during the day, then in the middle of the night, today they lie down in a field, tomorrow they lower a boat onto the lake - it was much more difficult than protecting the Duke.
Adi checked the time. The morning shift was Bert's time.
She did not know the exact time the Duke woke up, but Bert guarded him until nine in the morning. One day, arriving early, she saw him conferring with the servants. They probably discussed the affairs of the estates. Adi was not interested in this, and did not want to know, so she waited at the door until her time came.
Since there was time left before the morning shift, Adi had time to train at dawn, eat and wash. Much more free time than in the Third Order of Knights.
When Adi came, the Duke always read the newspaper. Sometimes his gaze would turn to her. What it meant is unclear.
At eleven in the morning the nobles came. The schedule for the Duke's stay in the Palais was drawn up last year.
Every day different nobles came - so many that Adi wondered if there were really so many of them in Pales. Sometimes the same thing was taken several times. They almost always had lunch together.
During the meal they were served by castle servants, tasters and knights.
Afterwards the Duke went to the library. When the capital was moved to Jonad, a new library was built there, but all the books were left in the palace of Palesa, with the exception of the rarest ones, which could not be replaced. Thanks to this, the library of the Palace of Palesa had enough volumes worthy of attention.
Perhaps that is why - not having all the necessary books at hand - the king and members of the royal family regularly visited Palesa, and communication between the royal libraries was maintained very well.
When the Duke went to the library, Adi could have followed him inside, although to be honest...
"Boring."
Adi was not friends with books.
He did not understand Duke Woodpecker, who wandered through the library halls with the air of a treasure hunter.
The Duke, buried in the library and immersed in reading, closed the book only in the evening and returned to the residence. If there were no invitations, he dined there, modestly, and today, it seemed, was just such a day.
On the evenings when the Duke dined alone, the servants set the table. Adi always ate in the knight's dining room, and Bert always joined him for dinner. Accustomed to eating alone both in the family estate and in the Palesa palace, Adi was unusual in dining in the company of Bert.
Bert claimed that the food at the Pales was not tasty. Adi found her quite worthy. Grimaldi's food was much worse.
- Will it always be like this? - Adi asked. Bert, who was chewing the bread, closed his mouth, chewed several times and only then swallowed. - What exactly?
“His Grace the Duke,” he explained. “In my opinion, he simply doesn’t need protection.”
Of course, it was too early to draw conclusions based on one week, but judging by the Duke’s daily routine, no incidents were expected. Bert chuckled.
- You'll see with time.
But even with time, it’s unlikely that anything will become clearer. The Duke's life did not involve any surprises. And if this is called security...
"The Second Order of Knighthood sits on honey."
Everyone would dream of joining the Second Order.
In fact, Adi didn't really count on much from these guards, assuming that serving the high nobility or the royal family was not so easy, but regardless of his fears, the job turned out to be easy. Too easy - compared to patrols, escorting criminals or breaking up fights when he served in the Third Order of Knights.
There was also an allowance for security. Even for Adi, who did not need money, this income was very pleasant.
- Is this really the price for a beautiful face?
Is it easier for handsome people to earn money?
-What are you talking about? What is the face fee?
“Under such conditions, can’t this be a price to pay?”
Bert closed his mouth at Adi’s words. The appearance of the knights of the Second Order of the Palace of Palesa was as famous as the guards of the Palace of Ionades, but rarely did anyone talk about it out loud. Although they may have thought to themselves.
- Okay, we’ll talk about paying for the face later, but security is necessary.
That's what Bert said. In this situation, Bert alone would be enough. Anyway, couldn't the Duke just take two of his knights with him? Why specifically request security from Palesa Palace? When it comes to security, his own vassals would be much more reliable.
Is it really on purpose?
— Can I ask one question?
- At least twelve.
- How many years has His Grace the Duke been coming here?
-...Don't you know?
- Don't know. Actually, I've only been in Pales for three years.
- Even so, I probably heard something.
- I'm not interested in other people's affairs.
Looking at Adi, who spoke in an even tone, Bert thought that this seemed to be true. He ran his hand over the rough stubble.
— He’s been coming every year since he was thirteen.
For half my life, for thirteen years in a row, I came to Palesa every year.
- Why?
Adi asked again.
All that Adi Grimaldi knew about the Duke was this: he was the king's nephew and had the right to the throne, owned the lands south of the Southern Oak Forest - although how extensive these possessions were, Adi did not know - and he was cursed.
- It's a secret.
If he had aimed for the throne, he would have gone to Jonad, and not to Palesa. Or maybe, since this is an ancient capital, there is something left here? Something the Duke desires? But what exactly? What does the current Duke want? If Adi were in his place...
“...Perhaps here is the answer to how to lift the curse?”
But hadn't he been looking for it for thirteen years?
— Are there any other questions?
- No.
- There must be.
- Why?
- We will have to be together for a long time.
- Just one season.
- Where did you get the idea?
— You come every year, but each time you ask for different guards.
That's what Adi said. Bert narrowed his eyes, as if surprised that she had noticed. However, his words contradicted this expression.
— We would also like to work with the same person. Adapting to someone new is exhausting.
Adi easily recognized the lie.