"Kiss the forehead? Henry, do you think of Mary as your sister? Isabel shook her head, still smiling lightly, "Your Highness, that's a good start, isn't it?" ”

"That's right. Then, I also wished her a good night. ”

Isabel glanced at the waiting guards, still smiling and replied, "I guess the Duchess said to you the same: 'Your Highness, I wish you a good night. ’”

While the Duke of Richmond smiled and nodded, Isabel was still doing her duty, "Your Highness, please get on your horse, I don't want the other members of the committee to complain about you." ”

"What's the complaint?" As the Duke of Richmond and his valet Eugene walked down the stairs, they looked strangely at Isabelle, who was walking on the right.

"Complain about your neglect and negligence in the chairmanship of the committee."

"Negligence, negligence? Isabel, sooner or later I will have Your Majesty cut off the heads of these northern nobles. ”

Isabel could feel a hint of ferocity and arrogance in the Duke's words, and the Duke's demeanor seemed to resemble that of the young Henry VIII. Although she never met the young Henry VIII, she believed that the Duke of Richmond in front of her would become a "king" without a crown.

All that happened in front of him fell into the eyes of William Parr, who was standing last in the first row. He envied Isabel for gaining the trust of the Duke of Richmond, and he hoped that he would one day become a favored retainer like her.

His gaze followed closely the figures of the Duke and the Privy Counsellor. At this time, he saw that the duke was about to mount his horse in front of the stairs, but he stopped moving. Then the advisor seemed to have something to say to the duke.

Just as he was about to turn his gaze elsewhere, he was surprised to find Isabel turn her head and shout at him, "Mr. William Parr, come over here." ”

William hurriedly walked to the ranks of the guards and came to the Duke of Richmond, and saluted again: "Good morning, Your Highness." ”

The Duke of Richmond stared at him for a moment, then nodded slowly, "Mr. William Parr, now I'm going to Durham Castle, and my advisor will take care of your affairs." ”

"Yes, Your Highness."

When the Duke of Richmond turned over and pulled the reins, Isabel hurriedly instructed William: "Go and lead your horse and follow me." ”

William then mounted his horse and quickly left Nottingham Castle with the Duke of Isabelle's party. He had no idea which villages, churches, groves, and cultivated fields he had passed along the way. However, there was one thing he knew very well, that he was to escort the Duke of Richmond in the direction of Durham Castle with the Privy Counsellor. As for which direction Durham Castle is, he still does not know.

I don't know how long I rode, but the team stopped on the side of the road outside a village. William loosely held on to the reins, keeping the riding horse from moving around the ranks and taking a break. He felt a little tired after the ride, because he had never tried to run such a long distance without stopping in his previous time away.

Glancing at Isabel riding in front of him, he quietly moved his butt back and forth, and thought quickly, "Your Highness's team is stopping here, is it going to rest for a while?" ”

"It would be nice to have a break. You can also drink some ale and stretch your legs. ”

When he tried to continue his imagination, he saw Isabel riding alone to the front of the group. Neither ordered to dismount and rest, nor to proceed, he could not figure out the purpose of the duke's procession stopping at this place.

Driven by curiosity, he planned to get some news from his fellow guards beside him, "Good morning, mate, did Your Highness stop at this place to rest?" ”

The young and calm guard glanced at him, took out a water bag and drank the ale before whispering to him: "This is the county border, and Your Highness still has something to say to Your Excellency." ”

"Oh, the county boundary?! Mate, have we crossed the county border to Ringham Castle? ”

"Durham Castle? It's still early, and there's about two hours to go. ”

"My God, two hours away?"

Wei Cong, who had drunk several sips of ale in a row, looked him up and down as he put down the water bag, "Hey, where are you from?" The clothes you wear make people think you're a civilian or a lawyer. ”

William Parr, who was legally a commoner, had no title and no status at this time, so he could only wear some clothes of the second estate. Glancing at the curious Wei Cong, he smiled a little awkwardly, "I'm from Northamptonshire." ”

"Northamptonshire? In what place? ”

"In the middle of the kingdom, a relatively peaceful county."

"Oh, so what are you doing in the North? How can you come with us? ”

At this time, William took out his water bag and drank two sips of ale, put down the water bag and looked at his colleagues, "Your Highness has agreed to my request to serve as a guard in the Duke's Palace. So, that's why I came to the county with you. ”

The guard pulled the reins, controlled the war horse that was constantly scraping the ground with one of its front hooves, and smiled, "It turns out that you are also a son with no inheritance, who recommended you to come to the Duke's Palace?" ”

William didn't think too much, just replied lightly: "No, I am the eldest son, and Your Excellency recommended me here." ”

"What do you say? Are you the firstborn? The guard, who wanted to joke with him, looked at him in surprise.

"That's right, I think the eldest son can also enter the aristocratic family as a guard, right?" William smiled lightly.

"However, you have the right to inherit. Could it be that your father is not willing to let you inherit the property? ”

At this moment, William heard the sound of horses' hooves coming from the right front. With the neighing of the warhorse being stopped, he saw Isabel riding the warhorse back in front of him, "William Parr, stay here." ”

Soon, the Duke's traveling procession of dozens of people, except for him and two guards, set off at a rapid pace again. By this time, the sun had slowly risen from the other side of the horizon, and the two guards quickly extinguished the torches in their hands with the ale in their water bags.

"Let's go back." As Isabel turned her horse's head, she turned her head and commanded the three men present.

On the way back to the castle, it was no longer as urgent as when leaving. Two guards rode in front of the road, and Isabel rode side by side with William Parr in the back. William rode the horse and looked at Isabel whose expression was no longer solemn, "Your Excellency, don't we need to follow His Highness to Durham Castle?" ”