Lucia novel · Chapter 24 of 24
Chapter 24: Greywatch
We reached Greywatch on a clear evening with swallows over the wall.
The pass was green.
I had never seen it green.
When I came here the first time, it was a grey fist on a table in the dark, frozen to the stones.
Now there were wildflowers growing in the cracks of the gate, and the east wall had a new row of timbers pale as butter.
Two carpenters were already up on the roof.
They stopped hammering when they saw us, and one of them waved his hat.
"Captain's wife!" he shouted. "Long live the captain's wife!"
Pia, riding at my elbow with a bundle of Vellora spices tied to her saddle, wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.
"Don't you dare," I said.
"I'm not crying. It's pollen."
The gate swung open.
The yard was full.
Eighty men stood in two lines with their caps in their hands, in new boots, black and shining, still stiff from the crate.
The boy who had once tied his soles on with rope stood at the front.
He was grinning so hard I thought his face might crack.
The old cook leaned on the wall with her ladle over her shoulder.
The sergeant came forward, saluted Tobin, and then, after a moment's hesitation, saluted me.
"Captain. Madam." He cleared his throat. "We've done something while you were gone."
"Not another wall," Tobin said.
"Not a wall, sir. Over here."
The rest of this chapter is part of the paid portion of the series. Chapters 1–12 of Lucia are free to read — start from the beginning, then unlock the rest with coins in the app.
Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend