Chapter 4

The next issue was a summons by the countess to meet with her. People of his status seldom were even spoken to by such high nobles. He was concerned about what she could want of him. He of course would attend to her request, as not doing so was unthinkable.

So the next day he got himself cleaned up and at midmorning he presented himself to the doorman and said that he had been summoned. The Doorman left him on the front steps and closed the door. Silas wondered what he should do, when the doorman opened the door and bid him enter, “Her ladyship will see you in her sun room”. The door man pointed to an open door.

The room was unlike anything he had ever seen, with shiny wood walls and all sorts of carved inlays, pictures painted of people and other decorative features. He stood and looked out through the windows, clear as a stream of water, as they were real glass. The carpet felt like a thick layer of moss under his feet. He heard a rustle and turned to see the countess, with her wide skirts. He bowed “My Lady, how may I be of service”. He heard her giggle, “I am her lady in waiting, please come with me”. Feeling a bit confused, he followed the lady up some stairs and into a sitting room facing south. There, the lady in front of him curtsied to a younger looking woman “My Lady, the Hedge Mage.” Silas bowed again, My Lady how may I be of Service?”

The lady waved to a chair in a small group of chairs, “My thanks for coming, please have a seat.” She turned to the other lady “that will be all Millicent, keep the maids from the door, and yourself of course as well.” Once the door closed and they were alone, The countess pulled a chair over close to Silas and spoke softly, “Be calm I need your knowledge if you will, for I think I am being given very bad guidance. As I suspect you know, my husband passed away from whatever pestilence those evil men cast upon him. That was nigh a month ago. I was desperate to have a child for him, lest there be no heir and I am forced away. My husband had tried vigorously, but I am not with child.” She blushed deeply and Silas understood that she had her monthlies. “I did ask my mage about ways to get with my husband’s child after his passing, but he said the only way was to walk around the gardens and walls nude and hoped that his spirit would come to me. I am young, but not stupid, I don’t think anyway; I know you are young, but seem knowledgeable and have done much good in the few weeks you have been here, what do you think of his advice?”

Silas looked at her, surely only a little older than Lizel, “If I may speak freely My Lady?”

The countess waved her hands “I did not ask you to come tell me what you think I should hear, I wish the truth please. And my name is Aslaugh, when we are alone in conference, although you may find that uncomfortable.”

Silas nodded ‘I would be most comfortable to keep my words with you formal, lest I ever make a mistake, my Lady. I think his advice poor, true you could get with child from whatever man took advantage of you in the dark, but it would not be your husbands child. I do not know of a way that his fluids could be recovered to do as you ask. There is no way I know of to accomplish that. Would he have a brother or other close relative who might quietly do you that favor?”

The countess obviously did not wish to hear that information, but understood that he was being honest with her. “You prove yourself true and worthy of my trust, Master Silas. His brother is a dolt, kept in a monastery as an embarrassment to the family. The only male of standing is his father, a tottering old man I could not trust and who likely could not perform the desired task. So now we need think of an alternative method to make it appear I am with his child. I am told, that it is impossible to predict exactly when a child was conceived and thus I have one more opportunity to get with child, but I need someone who resembles my husband in coloring and build. May I ask you to come with me, quietly please.” She rose and moved to another door and turned to see if Silas was coming. She opened the door and whispered “be very quiet, as the walls have ears, please stand here and face me. Yes, I am right, look behind you Silas, that painting is my husband as a young man about your age. You could pass for brothers but for the age difference, would you assist me in conceiving?”

Silas looked confused and concerned. “My Lady, I am but a commoner, they would hang me certainly.”

She smiled and motioned him back into the sitting room. “Silas, I am not proposing this be known by any but you and me. Could you take some of your fluids and give them to me, so that I put them where they go and achieve this?”

Silas was definitely feeling on the spot. “Um my Lady, I know such things are done with horses, oxen and goats, but the two animals must be close and it takes several people to do this. We ... um ... could dispense with a few, but there would still be others present, I would be embarrassed beyond words if the truth be told.”

The countess smiled softly “I see, so that would be a poor plan, I wish to keep this secret, obviously, so every person who knows is a great risk. Would you please consider a way to get me with child, Silas.”

Silas started thinking, he began to turn a deep red “Um well I ... would help, but... “ he looked at her almost pleading that she stop the discussion. Instead, she also turned red, “so we would have to do this simply and keep it just between us? It actually makes a lot of sense and likely poses the least risk to either of us. We just do it as God intended.”