Mary Fitzroy didn't fall asleep last night after going to bed. After tossing and turning, sit up and lean against the head of the four-poster Gothic bed with a canopy. Two piercing eyes gazed around the room at the chairs, chests, cabinets, hanging rails, and clothes poles, as well as the ornate ornaments, cushions, carpets, frescoes, and painted furniture. Although the furnishings and furnishings were improvised, they still added a lot of comfort and color to her room.

At this moment, she glanced towards a clearing near the door on the right. There were two low beds with castors side by side, on which her two valets were sleeping peacefully.

Mary had no intention of waking them up, but walked out of bed gently, lightly. Dressed in a silk nightgown, barefoot, and with long, waterfall-like light brown hair draped over his body, he walked alone to the stained glass window on the left side of the room. Pushing open the window and looking up at the sky before sunset, "What time is it and why is it still so bright?" ”

"I almost forgot that it's May, the sunniest month of the year."

"But why is it so cold here? Maybe it's because of the night? ”

Mary, who was blown by a gust of cold wind, hurriedly wrapped her arms around her chest and looked at the sky outside the window, "Nottingham Castle?!" Now, I'm the lord's wife of this castle. ”

"How can this castle be called Nottingham Castle? Can't it be called Richmond Castle? ”

Mary thought for a moment and nodded secretly, "Remember to ask Isabel tomorrow." If you can, change the name of the castle to Richmond Castle. ”

"Isabel, Isabel?! I remember that one of my cousin Catherine's eldest sisters was also named Isabel. However, one is the daughter of a knight of the north, and the daughter of the second son of the Norfolk family. ”

"I wonder how Catherine is doing in the queen's court at this time, and will the queen from the small principality of Germany, whom His Majesty hates, scold her for some small mistake?"

"Madame, what's wrong with you?" A valet rubbed her eyes and came up behind Mary. Mary turned her head to look at the maid and shook her head, "I'm fine." ”

"Madam, it's getting late, you better rest early."

At this moment, Mary, who was not sleepy at all, glanced at the other maid who was still sleeping on the small bed, and just beckoned to the maid standing behind her: "Amy, come here, don't wake up Kelly." ”

Amy, the young maid who was walking barefoot on the ground as usual, quietly came to Mary's side and looked at her curiously: "Madame, do you have any orders?" ”

"Everyone else is sleeping, what will I command? Amy, I just can't sleep, so I wanted to talk to you. ”

"Yes, ma'am, what do you want to say?"

Mary, who was standing in front of the window, looked out at the houses, churches and county magistrates that lined the road north of the castle, "Amy, do you believe it?" We are now standing on the land of the North! ”

"Yes, ma'am. I've heard people say before that the North is chaotic and very poor. The people here are savage and fond of using violence to settle disputes, and many of the poor also steal to make ends meet. ”

"yes, that's what I've always thought. However, the carriage in which we followed the duke had not been invaded by mobs or thieves since it had entered the area north of the Trent River. ”

"Giggle...... "Amy looked at her, covering her mouth with the back of her hand and chuckling softly. Mary hurriedly turned her head to look at Kelly, who was still sleeping, "Quiet, do you want to wake up Your Highness?" His Highness slept in the next room. ”

"I'm sorry, ma'am, because of what you just said."

Before Mary could react, "Did I say something wrong?" ”

The maid Amy whispered, "We will follow the duke's party, and of course we will not encounter those mobs and thieves." Even if a mob were to loot our team, at least they would look at the Duke's heraldic banner in front of them. ”

"How can these mobs know the coat of arms of His Highness! In their eyes, the coat of arms of His Royal Highness is only a coat of arms representing nobility. ”

"Yes, ma'am. So, we can reach His Highness's territory very smoothly. ”

Mary looked out the window again, "Amy, how beautiful the sky is here, the kingdom under His Majesty's reign is like this sky covering the ancient earth. It's a pity that the northern sky is still the aristocracy of the north. ”

How could Amy, who had no education, understand what she said, and looked at her with a wink, "Madam, you better rest early, the weather here is colder than in the south, be careful of your body." ”

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In a daze, Mary, who was lying on the bed, seemed to hear a soft knock on the door. When he turned over and was about to wake up his maid to answer the door, Amy, who had already been awakened by the knock on the door, quietly got up from the cot and walked gently to the door, "Who is it?" ”

"Madam, I am Your Highness's valet. Your Highness has asked me to inform you that at this moment Your Highness has set out for the Council of Durham Castle. ”

Amy didn't respond, just looked at Mary who was lying on the bed. Mary nodded, and Amy hurriedly said to Eugene outside the door, "Madame knows." ”

When the silence inside and outside the room returned to its usual past, Mary lay on her side on the bed, facing the window, "Your Highness went to the committee so early?!" ”

"So, shouldn't I get up too?!"

Mary rolled over and sat up, "Amy, wake up Kelly, I'm getting up." ”

"Yes, ma'am." Amy agreed and gently nudged Kelly beside her, "Kelly, wake up, Madame is getting up." ”

Nearly two hours later, Mary, dressed up, dressed in the dress she usually wore at home, led the two maids out of the room. As she passed by a valet in the living room who was standing in the hallway, the valet bowed respectfully to her.

"Well, is the housekeeper up?" Mary stood in the hallway and spoke.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Where's Miss Isabel?"

"Madam, do you mean Your Excellency?"

Mary looked at the manservant curiously, "Do you and the others usually call her that?" ”

The manservant replied, "Yes, ma'am." ”

While Mary was getting up and freshening up, Isabel ran into some trouble on the way back to the castle. As she and several heavily armed guards passed through Caldwell, a village near the county border, they spotted several strange men armed with torches and weapons trying to lead the cattle from the pen.

"Your Excellency, those men who are holding the cow may be thieves." A guard on a horse pointed in the direction of the village.