Capet clenched his fingers together and cracked his knuckles, a slight smile spreading across his face. There was one thing strange about Capet that Ashton and her retainers did not understand. The man seemed almost completely incapable of negative emotion. Almost always with a smile on his face and politeness in his tone, the man could discuss an assassination as if he was happily talking about his family members.<br/><br/>"It shall be so," Capet bowed. "And about the circumstances of your birth..."<br/><br/>Ashton shook her head. "Do we really have to talk about it?"<br/><br/>"I can see why it is a little difficult for you to father a son." He smiled again, this time more clearly amused by his own words.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">A little doesn't cut it.</span><br/><br/>Ashton scowled and flipped the blanket off her feet. "Well, do you have a solution that doesn't involve anything disrespectful to her?"<br/><br/>Agnes Bourbon was the wife of Sir Ashton Cromwell. A beautiful maiden and daughter of Count Karl Bourbon, Ashton had charmed her during a ball celebrating the reign of the King Bohemond XI of Dalmatia 3 years ago. A few months after that, Ashton and Agnes took their wedding vows, though Ashton had to cross her fingers behind her back. Ashton always treated Agnes with respect, politeness and charity, but the knight's wife would always wonder why Ashton avoided romantic relationships with her or any attempts to sire a heir.<br/><br/>Ashton had sent her back to visit her household. That would normally a great privilege granted by nobles to their wives, but Ashton preferred her 'wife' far away enjoying her life rather than here, where she had to lie to Agnes about almost everything. She did not even dare sleep in the same bed as her, for fear of discovery.<br/><br/>"Disrespectful..." Capet frowned for a moment. "That ruins the plan then. But you could get her drunk and get a discreet man to do the task you canno-"<br/><br/>Ashton shot a glare at Capet. "If someone heard you," she said, "I'll string you up. Last thing I want is other people thinking I'm a eunuch."<br/><br/>Standing up from her bed, Ashton patted her chest lightly. "You've had experience doing this before?" she asked Capet, walking in front of a mirror. Dressed in noble male nightwear, it was almost certain that no one would suspect a thing.<br/><br/>"My sister tried to kill the Duke Wesley. I assisted."<br/><br/>Ashton had heard that the duke died in battle.<br/><br/>"Ahh. Anyway, Capet. Inform our guests of a training session tomorrow."<br/><br/>With hardly any risk of injury or death, she could at least see how good Nathaniel was in combat. Perhaps he wasn't as good as demons were feared to be.<br/><br/>------<br/><br/>Capet tapped his fingers lightly on the guest room door, then knocked twice.<br/><br/>"I would like to speak to our guests!" he yelled.