Page 6 of Reign

“I’ll keep him occupied,” Avice said as I shook my head. “He won’t have a spare moment to annoy you.”

I kept shaking as I took my final grind against the stone.

“Done,” I announced, holding up the hand-forged blade.

The metal shone brighter than the moon. Finn’s boots snapped the straw as he walked over, his shadow blocking the firelight and dulling the blade’s brilliance. He squeezed my shoulders, admiring my craftsmanship.

Finn sighed. “It’s such a pity you were born a woman.”

I spun around to face him. “Why?”

“If you were a man, you could apprentice under the King’s blacksmith.”

“I thought that was your dream?” Avice asked.

Finn chuckled. “It’s Niamh’s dream, but my destiny.”

He thumped his fist into his chest like a heroic figure, making Henry laugh. I didn’t find it funny.

I kicked over the stool as I stood. Henry flinched as the wood clattered against the stone tiles. Being the daughter of a blacksmith meant I knew the trade as well as my brother, but I’d never received recognition for my dedication to ironwork.

“What will you do when I no longer reside here?” I asked Finn, holding the freshly sharpened blade toward him. “Tell me, what will you do when you cannot take my work and claim it as your own?”

Finn didn’t flinch. He knew I’d never hurt him. I was only angry at the truth.

Because I was a woman, I’d never be a blacksmith.

I turned the blade, so he was face-to-face with its point. “I should slit your throat and take the life that’s been given to you.”

“Go on,” Finn said tapping the lump in his neck, daring me to slice.

Henry pulled at my elbow. “Stop,” he whined, but I shook him off.

“I’d be better at it,” I said, passing Finn the blade. He snatched it, inspecting what I’d crafted. “If I were a man, I’d be in the Walled City with ten apprentices of my own, all weaving chain mail for the King’s knights.” I took Avice’s hand in mine. “And Avice would be my wife.”

Avice curtsied, then I pecked her knuckles as if I were a man. She giggled at my act of chivalry while Finn rolled his eyes.

The Rightful Heir.

Once Mother called Henry into the main chamber for supper, the three of us set off for the tavern. Thankfully, the rain had stopped, making the short journey pleasant despite the biting cold.

Before we even reached the heavy door, I knew the tavern was teeming with revelers. The hum of drunken voices swelled, and the pungent smell of spilled ale became stronger with every step. Finn thumped his shoulder against the wood, swinging it open.

Inside, the smoke was thicker than the winter fog outside. I couldn’t be certain if the haze was from men chuffing on their pipes or the sooty hearth. Avice brushed her hand through the mist, clearing a path for us. She flicked her head, looking over her shoulder to me. I caught her auburn braid before it became fuel for the torch hanging precariously on a timber beam.

“Busy tonight,” she yelled over the strumming of an untuned gittern.

I nodded, swiftly dodging a belly-laughing man’s headbutt to my thigh as he threw himself back with such force he nearly toppled off the bench. His hearty cackle rivaled the slurred singing for the loudest noise in the chamber. All the faces in the tavern were familiar—some were patrons of the smithy, others were from the neighboring villages. Yet they all shared one common truth: Their bodies held more ale than humors.

Finn elbowed his way toward the front of the bar, while Avice and I claimed one of the only unoccupied tables, tucked in the corner beside the crackling fireplace.

“I’m freezing!” Avice chattered, peeling off her cloak.

I grabbed the poker and gave the coals a prod. “After an ale you’ll be warmer than a sinner in a…” I trailed off mid-sentence, distracted by Avice’s attire.

She adjusted her bodice, lifting her cleavage until it nearly tickled her chin. Since the Dark Days, hunger had become an accepted part of being a villager, but the fullness of Avice’s figure suggested life behind the castle walls was plentiful. She chuckled, catching me staring—my envy of her plumpness all too obvious.

“You can keep your chastity and still show off what makes you a woman,” Avice teased.