Dream of Me/Believe in Me

may call me pathetic but it is you I feel sorry for. I would not wish to be in your position.”
    “My position? I am the lady of this manor. I say what is to be done. People obey me and they always will!”
    “They don't obey you,” Krysta said. “They serve Lord Hawk. As for you being lady here, you know perfectly well that is soon to change.” She spoke with far greater confidence than she felt, mindful that she was not the lady Hawk wanted, but not for a moment would she let Daria see her doubts.
    Scarcely had the words left Krysta's lips than Daria turned a bright, mottled red. Her eyes glowed with fury.
“Nothing will change! Nothing!
You vile little upstart! If you seriously believe for one moment that you will ever be lady here, you are stupider even than you appear! These are
my
lands,
my
manor.
I will always rule here!”
    Before such fury, Krysta could only stare dumbstruck. She had no idea what to say to Daria, much less how to calm her. Yet that such calming was necessary could not be questioned. The woman appeared about to burst out of her own skin.
    “And not only that,” Daria shrieked. “That is only the smaller part of it. Before this is done, you will see what it means to defy me, to—”
    “My lady.” It was Father Elbert, appearing suddenly from around a corner and hurrying to Daria's side, his black robes swirling around his legs. “My lady,” he said again, “you are troubled. Come with me. We will pray over this and you will be easier in your mind.”
    She started and stared at him, unseeing. He laid a hand on her arm as though to both coax and control her. “Do not distress yourself, my lady. All will be as you wish. But come, let us unburden our hearts before the Lord. He knows the righteous and the just. He will never forsake you.”
    “Yes …” Daria said slowly. She blinked once, twice, as though awakening from slumber. “Unburden … I do carry so very many burdens.”
    “But you need not carry them alone. Trust me, my lady. The Almighty knows of your endeavors. He sanctifies your faithfulness. He will never fail you.”
    “So many have,” Daria murmured, her voice high and weak. “So very many have failed me. There have been so many disappointments.”
    “I know,” Father Elbert said. He spared a quick, knife-sharp glance at Krysta before leading Daria away.
    Shock faded, leaving Krysta wearier than ever. She had known Daria was unpleasant and difficult but she had not expected the depths of the woman's rage or insanity. Krysta couldn't concentrate on that now. It was all she could do to resume her climb up the stairs carrying the buckets of water.
    Once in her tower room, she stripped off her filthy clothes, wondering vaguely if it would be possible to get them really clean again. For the moment, all that mattered was washing away the dirt and sweat still clinging to herself. Never had she enjoyed a bath more, for all that it hadto be taken standing up. She even managed to wash her hair and was toweling it dry when she looked out the window.
    Heeding the Hawk's warning, the ship captains who had vessels in port had sailed them into the bay to ride out the approaching storm. Already, the wind was blowing a thick mist off the water, making the dark hulls barely visible. They appeared and disappeared like ghost ships. The sturdy houses of the town were closed up tight, every shutter fastened, everything movable brought inside. Guards still manned their posts on the walls but she hoped they would seek shelter soon.
    Krysta's hair was still damp but her arms ached too much to continue drying it. She let the towel drop to the floor, something she would normally never have done, and glanced longingly at the huge bed. Slowly, it came to her that she knew no reason why she should not lie down. A low groan of relief broke from her as she eased her weary body beneath the covers. Between one breath and the next, sleep snatched her.
    A SSURED THAT ALL HAD BEEN DEALT WITH PROPERLY , Hawk joined his lieutenants in the sauna. Though he would perish before admitting it, he hurt more than he could ever remember doing after a battle. Working in the fields had been a revelation to him, one he didn't expect to soon forget. He suspected the other men felt the same though none was any more inclined to speak of it than was Hawk himself. They contented themselves with a few grunts and groans as they scraped away the dirt of their labors.
    Before they could fall asleep where they sat,