"Well, Lady Lancashire, how are you going to help me?" Isabel didn't move, just asked lightly.

"Uh, uh, help you find a... A knight who satisfies you? Or, with your excellent abilities and my high recommendation, become... A baron... Or... The Viscount's wife? Margaret Wycliffe, Countess of Lancashire, stammered as she thought about it.

"Madam, did you lose confidence in yourself in the end?"

"Well, maybe. After all, you're just a daughter from a knightly family. In the vast majority of cases, male aristocrats usually... Choose to be at least in the same position as yourself... Young women of the same rank or higher are married. ”

"Well, it looks like that's all you can do."

Isabel saluted and walked to the front alone. Margaret looked at her back and hurriedly said loudly, "Isabel Walton, you stop.

When the other party stopped to look at her, Margaret hurriedly stepped forward and looked at her with a serious face, "Isabel Walton, I am the Countess of Lancashire, and I cannot ignore your rudeness. Now, though, I command you to keep me safe. ”

Isabel took two steps back and said calmly, "Madam, I am the Duke of Richmond's bodyguard. In terms of the scope of your duties, you do not have the authority to give me any orders. Unless, after taking an oath of allegiance to your husband, Lord Lancashire, I become a servant of your lord, in order to protect the lord, the lord's wife, and the lord's children. ”

"Oath of allegiance, good. You are not allowed to leave, and I will at once have you invited your Excellency here in order to complete the ceremony of swearing-in allegiance. ”

"Madame, you're not joking, are you? Even if your husband were willing to do so, I'm afraid the Duke of Richmond wouldn't have said yes easily. ”

"How do you know what the Duke is thinking? Isabel, don't refuse someone else's help to you, okay? In fact, when I help you, I'm helping myself. ”

"Oh...? Madam, it seems that your purpose is not so pure, are you worried about something? Isabel probed Lady Lancashire further.

"No, I didn't worry about anything. It's just that... Because you're a young, beautiful, unmarried woman, so... Jacob will give you small gifts from time to time. Margaret hesitated, but said what was in her heart.

"Madame, I am but a girl in the village. For Your Excellency, I am just the spice of your life. ”

"Condiments? Maybe that's what you think. If Jacob wants you to be his... What about mistresses? ”

Isabel shook her head with a sneer, looked at the scenery in the field in the distance and said, "If I love someone, I hope both parties can be loyal to each other." To be precise, I can't accept sleeping with someone I love while his wife is still at home waiting for him to come back and have dinner together. ”

Margaret looked back at the maid and the guard, who were far away from them, and said to her, "Isabel, I see, thank you." ”

After the conflict between the two men had been alleviated, Lady Lancashire was in a good mood and said, "Isabel, do you want to serve at the court?" Not only will you be lucky enough to become the queen's lady, but you will also be able to protect yourself and your relatives from the royal family. ”

Isabel glanced at her, thought about it, and felt that something was wrong, so she said, "Let me enter the court and get a position that is the envy of countless noble women?" Margaret, are you going to want me out of the North? That way, you don't have to worry about anything? ”

"No, Isabel. I just hope you can live a better life. You probably know the conditions under which the king chooses a court lady, and this condition is that the young unmarried woman must be beautiful in appearance, because such a woman can represent the image of the English royal family. ”

"Uh-huh, and then what?"

"Then, you can marry a member of the court who satisfies you, and get more royal protection and favors for you and your family."

"Really? Margaret, I actually think you are a good fit to enter the court as the new queen's female officer. ”

"Me? It's a pity that I can't sing, dance or even play an instrument. What's more, I don't speak French. Isabel, our King Majesty loves French-speaking young aristocratic women. ”

"I know that the king's preference is because of the need for diplomacy.

By this time, Isabel didn't want to talk about herself anymore. After glancing at Lady Lancashire, he said, "Margaret, you have been out for a long time, and I will accompany you back to the castle." ”

Lady Lancashire nodded and said, "Well, though I can't command you as Countess of Lancashire. ”

"On the private side, I will not refuse your help to me. Margaret, I want to tell you that I don't like to depend on any one person, including a man or a woman I would like. ”

"Isabel, you mean you really like to be an independent tomboy?"

"Hell, I am who I am, I never thought of me as a woman who needed to live dependent on men, I loved living independently, freely and adventurously. As it turns out, I did. ”

As the two of them walked to the east side of the castle, Margaret smiled and said, "Isabel, although there are very special children in some knightly or noble families, I really rarely see a girl like you. ”

Isabel, who was walking to one side, said, "So what? ”

"That's why you're so impressed with me and Jacob. What I don't understand is why you haven't developed a good, intimate female relationship with other noble women in the more than a year you've been in the North? ”

"Margaret, I don't have much time to do what I love. Actually, I wanted to gain my social status, my family, and my wealth through my own efforts. ”

"Isabel, patriarchy and primogeniture are still prevalent in this society. Although aristocratic women have a status and role in the family, in terms of legal power, aristocratic women are in a position of subordination to their husbands."

Lady Lancashire then added: "As I have mentioned when you go to the court, by establishing a relationship with the royal family or by serving directly at the court, you will gain political and money, and at the same time have a high prestige and future power and position. It was a great choice for aristocratic women. ”

Isabel smiled softly and said, "Margaret, I know you are for my good. However, when I entered the court, I did not have the opportunity to do what I wanted. ”

"Oh, so what do you like to do?"

"Well, be an explorer, a navigator. To open up new routes, to discover more new continents in this world and countries and people that already exist but we don't know. ”