Chapter 30
Setia found them bent over smoking potsherds of clay, from which they were pulling out lumps of slag. They must have heard her coming, but they were so absorbed in their work that they didn't pay attention to her.
"Nice welcoming." She shouted to their backs
"It's good that you're here." Hiron shouted back, " but the iron can't wait, we'll be ready in a moment."
Setia shrugged and landed on the ground in one jump. She drove the cart past the wooden shed and began unharnessing the horse. When she finished, Moros appeared smiling from ear to ear.
"I already know how to smelt ore." He boasted happily . "And how was shopping in Emfer?"
"Surprisingly good." She gestured at the load. "You can take some of it home."
Moros immediately noticed the fresh bread and bottles of wine. There were also vegetables, fruits, round cheeses and delicious-smelling sausages.
"You are a goddess." He said, winking at her, and then eagerly started taking out the supplies.
"Some men are very easy to please." She said behind his back and started unloading the purchased clothes.
Hiron cleared all the leftovers from the table, set out the plates and cups, and opened the wine.
"There will be a feast today." He said happily "Did you manage to get money out of this prince?"
Setia sat down with a very mysterious face, waited a moment for curiosity to appear on the faces of her interlocutors, then raised the filled cup up and said loudly
"Let's drink to the health of Setia, the future wife of Prince Tendred and the lady of Emfer!"
Hirona was stunned, he was left with his cup half-raised, while Moros, who had already taken a large sip of wine, blew a fountain of the red drink through his nose, choking impressively. Satisfied with the impression, Setia drained the cup to the bottom.
"I don't understand." Hiron was shocked, he slapped Moros on the back to make him stop choking on the unfortunate wine. "How? What do you mean? Tendred's wife?"
Setia tore off a piece of sausage and started cutting the bread.
"The prince is penniless, I have money. - she began - I am the commander of a non-existent mercenary unit. I can fight, I've never done anything else my whole life. I don't feel like gathering another unit and renting myself out, because to whom? The next kingdom that will be attacked by the Equerds? Maybe I should buy a piece of land and farm? - she looked pointedly at Hiron - it's not for me."
"Will being the Duchess of Emfer satisfy your desires?" Hiron looked at her with piercing eyes.
"No, Emfer is just the beginning." Setia started eating. She wanted to appear doubtless.
"And what will be at the end of your road?" Hiron did not give up.
"Fenigrid and then maybe all of Hadgard". She looked at the two friends with a defiant look.
Moros laughed, somewhere inside he was still a slave, it never even occurred to him to dream such dreams. Setia looked at him with that one dark eye of hers.
"I'm sorry, it was from nerves." He felt a strong need to justify his laughter
"So when are you going to start conquering all of Hadgard?" Hiron asked ironically.
"In three weeks." Setia replied, not disconcerted, and then poured wine into the cup.
In the morning she woke up to the sound of a hammer hitting an anvil. The damned dwarf, she thought, is doing this on purpose. She got out of bed. Since Hiron realized that they were not a couple with Moros, he prepared a bed for him in the main hall right next to his own. Setia went straight towards where the sound, that was annoying her, was coming from.
"Thanks Hiron for the wake-up call."
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, - Hiron bowed low - some people here have to earn a living."
"If you're worried about your 100 arens"
"134 arens - Hiron corrected
"Precisely - Setia smiled - I'll give them to you after the wedding. Otherwise you probably wouldn't get them. Besides, I want you to do something for me."
Hiron raised an eyebrow and looked at her expectantly.
"Make me a mask."
"A mask?" The blacksmith did not hide his surprise
"Yes, a mask. But not the whole face, only the one covering the left eye with the scar." Setia deliberately avoided Hiron's gaze, desperately searching for the remnants of wine on the table.
"I see - Hiron added charcoal to the fire - what is it supposed to be made of?"
"I know that you once worked as a goldsmith and made jewelry. I want the mask to be a beautiful decoration made of silver."
"So we need to choose silver for the mask and make a cast of your face. Let's go to the vault." He suggested. He took an oil lamp from the shelf and lit the wick.
Without a word, Setia followed Hiron. They walked down the same corridor that led past her room and continued to a padlocked metal gate. Hiron pulled out the key and, tugging hard, moved the stubborn iron. Behind this barrier there was a small room where six chests of gold, silver and valuables were placed. This fortune was the result of her father's work and then herself. Hiron lifted the lid of one of the chests and shined a lamp to make it easier to see. Inside, Setia found thick silver bracelets and one silver chalice. A pendant with a red stone caught her attention. She instinctively touched the amulet hidden under her linen blouse. She hadn't left him since she found him in the swamp. She picked up the pendant and took it with her. Hiron closed the gate and put the key in his pocket. They slowly returned to the room where Moros was already sitting.
"I went to check on the horse. He said, looking at the silent Setia and Hiron.
"Very good. - Hiron scratched his chin reflexively - Could you bring some clay, the lighter one?"
"I can, but how much is a little?" He asked, getting up from the table.
"Wait - the blacksmith looked around the cave - there was a bucket here somewhere, here it is." He triumphantly handed Moros the bucket with a torn handle. The young man looked at him meaningfully and without a word went to get the clay.