Chapter 2
“So when will we be presented to the Queen, Mother?”
By the time they had been shown the suite of rooms which belonged to the Barony of Stonehill, had their belongings unpacked by a platoon of palace servants, and had eaten a light dinner, it was after sunset. Weyland sat in a comfortable armchair and watched his brother walk back and forth across the room, a delicate wineglass held in one thick-fingered hand.
He drank off the contents at a gulp, making his mother wince. “Tomorrow. Or the next day. Be patient, Frederik. We do not want to appear to be desperate for attention.” She plucked a grape from a platter before her, and leaned back, chewing slowly. “Let others scramble for crumbs and scraps. We are Stonehill. Our family can count its loyalty to the crown for generations.
