Apparently, I'm the Infamous Earl's Legendary Bride

Book 1: A Girl in Another World - Chapter 7

The stench of blood lingered in the air as Lord Aldric Templeton, Earl of Norsewood, surveyed the area. Scattered on the ground surrounding him were orcs' dead bodies, cut and slashed by his mighty sword. It had only taken a mere ten minutes to annihilate the lot, and despite the intense fight in that short time frame, he did not feel satisfied.

They were too easy, this lot, unlike the ones residing in Blackfield which were more of a challenge for him. It was either that, or he was too strong.

Aldric, however, humble warrior that he was, had never considered himself strong. If he couldn't lay waste to the behemoth and its minions residing in Blackfield Dungeon, he was nowhere near as powerful enough as he'd like to be.

"Looks like we've killed them all."

Aldric turned his attention to Vincent Taylor, his best friend, and nodded. "Mm-hmm."

"This lot is not even worth a warmup," Sir Theo Wakefield said, wiping blood from his sword with a rag. "Shall we clean up and then set up camp for the night?"

Aldric nodded.

Two hours later, the three men sat around an open fire, eating grilled rabbits and hot soup. Though a bit tough, the meat was quite nice when sprinkled with salt, a rare and expensive commodity in Athol. The soup, however, was the usual bland flavor. Even adding salt didn't help, which was not unexpected.

Putting his bowl down, Vincent eyed Aldric and said, "If we're moving at this pace, we'll reach Bedford within the next four to five days. We'll be arriving earlier than expected."

Aldric nodded. "Mm-hmm."

"Are you planning on going straight to Bedford Manor and claiming your bride?" Vincent asked.

Aldric said, "The earlier we get to Bedford, the earlier we can return to Norsewood."

Aldric had no desire to waste time leisurely traveling from one town to another like most nobles. It had been enough, having spent three weeks in St. George, the capital, as he had been summoned by King Henry after a year-long battle at Forddon. He had much that needed to be done back at Norsewood. His people needed him. His land needed him.

Now that he had received a very generous reward—five chests filled with gold coins—from King Henry for his trouble in exterminating the Tasal's army, he'd be moving on to the next phase of his plan—cultivating more land, improving housing for his people, and training and hiring more soldiers to conquer Blackfield Dungeon. He had a score to settle with the dragon that had massacred half of his people during a dungeon break four years ago.

"It still boggles my mind why King Henry offers you a bride," Vincent said, a frown on his face. "Even one from the Bedford bloodline."

Theo snorted. "The Bedfords are a despicable lot. None have served the kingdom for generations. It seems wealth speaks louder than action in the kingdom's court."

"Politics is not my forte and I will be keeping my hands, and mind, out of that," Aldric said. "I personally don't mind receiving a bride. As long as she is a nice girl, that is all that matters to me. Saves me the trouble of finding another."

Indeed, he needed another. He was the lord of his own land, and despite already having an heir in his eldest son, he needed to reproduce one or two more before his five years were up. He wanted them trained as warriors to protect their land and people when he was no longer around, as the Templetons in generations past had done, as he and his brothers were doing.

Vincent chuckled. "I very much doubt any girl from the Bedford bloodline is nice, Aldric. I've heard rumors Lord Bedford's two daughters, Lady Calla and Lady Iris, are very beautiful, but apparently, their beauty is only skin deep. It is also unlikely Lord Bedford would have agreed to this bond between you and one of his daughters. You do know you are known across the nation as the infamous, cold-blooded Earl of Norsewood? I doubt those girls would want to be wed to a man with such an ominous title. I can bet you with my boots they're freaking the hell out right now and working on a plan to get out of presenting you a bride."