ELEVEN
The Duke
WINTER 962/963 MC
Gerald sat at the table as servants brought him his meal. He looked around at the empty room, feeling alone, despite the presence of servants standing nearby. As the Duke of Wincaster, he was expected to live in a grand estate, a sprawling manor that filled half a city block.
Anna was the ruling monarch now, her time taken up by the running of the kingdom, with little left over for socializing. He, himself, was a duke as well as the Marshal of Merceria, giving him great responsibility that weighed heavily on his mind.
He looked down at the soup before him and grimaced. The staff treated him well, but the cook's choice of food left him somewhat bewildered. He had tried to protest but was promptly told that it was only proper for a man of his station, a
