「Two years later.」
In the corridor outside the Baron's bedroom, five-year-old Aurora stood on her tiptoes, pressing her small ear against the heavy oak door.
Sunlight glinted off her golden curls as it streamed through the stained-glass window.
Behind her, the Maid, Martha, had a face pale with anxiety, but she didn't dare step forward to stop the doted-on young lady.
From inside, the Former Lady Baron's voice, thick with suppressed anger, could be heard. "A tax cut? Do you have any idea what that means? Just maintaining our tithes to the Church Court costs a fortune in Gold Coins! If we cut taxes further, what will we use to maintain the dignity of our house?"
"Dignity?" Murphy's voice was calm. "Mother, are you aware that exorbitant taxes are like planting flags all over our territory, telling everyone that we're ripe for the picking? Viscount Hans to the east, Black Rock Territory to the west—they're like a pack of wolves that have scented blood."
