Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (part 3)

Gaius closed his eyes, casting his mind back to see if he could recall any of those titles being in his vast collection. The Holy Book was certainly there, as was Beasts of Old.
"We have at least two of those at my Keep," he said finally, opening his eyes. "I wouldn't be surprised if the other two are there as well, though I confess the ledger is most certainly not. I can lend what I find to you, if you wish."

“Yes please!” she said, far too quickly and eagerly. She flushed a bit, embarrassed at the childish reaction, and settled back into her chair, sobering a bit. “I would very much like that, if you don’t mind… and the ledger was very, very boring anyway. I won’t miss it,” she said with a small laugh. “…at least not as a piece of literature.”

But she did miss the memories of learning how to read out of it. And the creative ways she’d mispronounced so many of the big words. And, most of all, she missed that it was chock full of Papa’s handwriting. She didn’t have any of that to remember him by. And she wished she did.

Gaius dipped his head. "I'll send some over to you when I return home, then." Sara's eyebrows had shot up when he said he would lend her books; Gaius never, never let his collection be split unless prompted by a Lord he favored or ordered by the King. Those books were beyond precious to him.

(awww he LIKES her)

“Thank you, s….so much,” she salvaged awkwardly, grinning. “I really appreciate that. It will be wonderful nostalgia.”

(Gaius sees bookworm, Gaius tries to connect with bookworm. He gotta impress his new niece!)

Gaius nodded to her and took up his cane again, working his fingers on the knob. "Yes, well, I know the Loquitur library has a fine selection but it's still recovering from Brogan's reign here. You ought to have more options."

(Aha)

Ky nodded, although she still couldn’t a library bigger than the one here. She’d been impressed with Aleth’s library, and he only had like, maybe 200. The Loquiturs’ one was like paradise; she, still, couldn’t even imagine one so much bigger. “That’s very kind.” She hoped he wouldn’t get mad at her, like he had when she called him decent at the meeting. “I’ve kept myself busy with the wonderful books here. I’ll be doubly so re-reading those.”

Many, many times probably. For old time’s sakes. She could already imagine the page about the Scelinon — page 87. She read that one the most.

"Just don't get lost in there if you do come to Serpent Keep," Sara added with a grin. "I'm not joking when I say Gaius has disappeared for three days straight and we found him poring over some volume from three hundred years ago. The whole library is like a maze."

Ky smiled at that. “I can think of no better way to spend three days.”

"Just bring a snack if you do," Anneke suggested. "And water."

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Ky said with a smile.

"Anything of note to report from the village, Auntie Ana?" Sara asked. Ana shifted in her wheelchair, pursing her lips in thought.
"We had a bad harvest," she mused. "The winter storms damaged most of the crops in the area. The Reeve hasn't offered any help, to my knowledge, so there are murmurings in the town. He's been getting fat off our labors for gods know how long."

Ky cringed slightly. That was certainly familiar enough. No one in town paid much mind to the rulers of her township. The only time they thought of them at all was when they were ruining their lives.

(What sort of government would they have in the South? In cannon Ky was actually kidnapped by soldiers because the king wanted her in his harem and she managed to sneak into becoming a stable boy instead in the Palace. Been trying to think of what path would make sense for her here aha)

(The government is a monarchy run by a man called the Taral. He has various advisors and a set of governors who oversee the various countries for him. The tribes within those territories have a tense peace with the Taral's government. The Taral doesn't have a harem, but one or two of his advisors are for sure pervs that like having a girl or two despite the laws against it)

"Isn't Count Eden going to take care of that for you?" Anneke asked. Ana shook her head.
"Count Eden's taken ill, from what I hear. Very ill."
Gaius's brow furrowed; this was the first he'd heard of it.
"His son is only six years old," he said. "What's to become of the House if the Count dies?"

(Thanks!)

This was, Ky thought again, why passing down leadership hereditarily was a bad idea plan. It’s what had let Michael and Tarr and all the other bad rulers, tule. Her township was small enough they didn’t have an official, but the man they’d chosen to represent him when officials did visit was picked because he was kind and fair and wise. He didn’t get picked just because his father did.

In fact, he was the first in his family to take the role. And his children had gotten snatched at the same time as she did, so she didn’t know what would become of the role once he passed it down. Maybe one of the kids who was tiny when she left would get it?

"You're asking the wrong woman." Ana shook her head. "I'm a baker, not a politician."
"I expect the Countess will carry on, or the Ladies Barraster will appoint someone in the Count's place," Sara mused.
"A sound expectation," Gaius replied.