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Chapters (76)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. PROLOGUE
  5. PART I
  6. ONE
  7. TWO
  8. THREE
  9. FOUR
  10. FIVE
  11. SIX
  12. SEVEN
  13. EIGHT
  14. NINE
  15. PART II
  16. TEN
  17. ELEVEN
  18. TWELVE
  19. THIRTEEN
  20. FOURTEEN
  21. FIFTEEN
  22. SIXTEEN
  23. SEVENTEEN
  24. EIGHTEEN
  25. NINETEEN
  26. PART III
  27. TWENTY
  28. TWENTY-ONE
  29. TWENTY-TWO
  30. TWENTY-THREE
  31. TWENTY-FOUR
  32. TWENTY-FIVE
  33. TWENTY-SIX
  34. INTERLUDE
  35. PART IV
  36. TWENTY-SEVEN
  37. TWENTY-EIGHT
  38. TWENTY-NINE
  39. THIRTY
  40. THIRTY-ONE
  41. THIRTY-TWO
  42. THIRTY-THREE
  43. THIRTY-FOUR
  44. INTERLUDE
  45. PART V
  46. THIRTY-FIVE
  47. THIRTY-SIX
  48. THIRTY-SEVEN
  49. THIRTY-EIGHT
  50. PART VI
  51. THIRTY-NINE
  52. FORTY
  53. FORTY-ONE
  54. FORTY-TWO
  55. FORTY-THREE
  56. FORTY-FOUR
  57. FORTY-FIVE
  58. INTERLUDE
  59. PART VII
  60. FORTY-SIX
  61. FORTY-SEVEN
  62. FORTY-EIGHT
  63. FORTY-NINE
  64. FIFTY
  65. FIFTY-ONE
  66. FIFTY-TWO
  67. PART VIII
  68. FIFTY-THREE
  69. FIFTY-FOUR
  70. FIFTY-FIVE
  71. FIFTY-SIX
  72. EPILOGUE
  73. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  74. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  75. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  76. Newsletter Sign-up

Too much stone, this place, if Gilbert had a preference. The inside of the castle was a new where for him. Not a good or a bad where, just a new one. The city of Nottingham, down by the wharfside, that had been a where, too, Red Lion Square. Gilbert knew the men there well once, and they were a different sort of who, too, not better or worse, either, just different. Less stone there, down by the river.

Some would call this place his home, then, those that needed that thing. That, with little doubt, was also not the reason Gilbert had left them. But he had left them, as he’d left a dozen places before, snatching that fluttering bit of thought and turning it to action. Was there a reason to decide that an action deserved a cause? He’d never been base enough to question himself before, but it nagged at him, didn’t it? They might have assumed he disappeared on account of being so close to Much, but that didn’t feel right. It didn’t feel reason enough. Deciding upon reasons left a maddening sense of obligation. But deciding only on actions brings the satisfying sense of movement.

But that, too, didn’t feel reason enough. As it were.

Approaching the castle stables, another nothing man stepped forward to question him. Everyone was new in Nottingham, Gilbert included. Nobody knew nobody. This nothing man didn’t know Gilbert, wanted to stop him with a hand outstretched, which he was just as like to lose. It didn’t matter what words the man would sling. Gilbert had already been given the proper ones to disarm him.

Stand down. Captain’s Black Guard.

And the nothing man saluted and stepped aside, a well-practiced maneuver he would only further perfect during the rest of his nothing life.

GETTING HIS FEET INSIDE the castle had been the hardest part, but all it took was a lie. Seemed the death of the Sheriff had led every earl in five counties to pledge protection to Nottingham. Gilbert simply waited for the correct amount of confusion. That had been the hard part, hadn’t it? Being asked to join the captain’s private company had taken nothing other than being useful.

Frost on the ground, biting into the dirt, his boot biting in the frost, breaking flakes until they were mud again.