?If he raised another army, why did he not take it immediately to Tures to rout
yours??
?Do not be stupid, Rowena,? Gilbert snapped impatiently.
?Tures Castle was your father?s stronghold. You know how defensible it is.
Those men Fulkhurst left behind to guard it can hold it for him for weeks. There
is no hurry for him to return to Tures, not when he has learned that I am here
with naught but a handful of men.
Does he capture me, he can make terms that will disperse my army.?
?Or he can kill you.?
He glared at her, but she was pleased to see his color recede even more to an
unnatural paleness.
?Are you sure ?tis him?? she asked.
?Tures is two days north of here.?
?No one can mistake his colors, or that damn fire breathing red dragon rampant
on a black field. Tis him, and he will be without in less than an hour, so I
must leave now.?
?And I??
?He will take this keep whether I am here or not. He knows ?tis mine, and he has
sworn to take all that is mine for our trespass at Dyrwood. Curse him, why could
he not be satisfied with my father?s death??
As that was said not to her, she did not try to answer. She could not understand
vengefulness of that depth anyway. But she was not alarmed that the Lord of
Fulkhurst was coming here, or that Gilbert meant to leave her behind to face him.
Anything that thwarted Gilbert and his hateful plans would be well received by
her.
?You will make terms with him for yourself,? he continued.
?He will not harm you. Last year he captured another of my wards, Lady Avice,
and only insisted she swear fealty to him. Do the same if he demands it, for it
will not matter. I will be back here in three days? time with my army to defeat
him. Aye/tis better done here than at Tures Castle, for Kirkburough can be
easily surrounded. And I now have enough men to do so, three times as many as he.
Do not fear, Rowena, I will have you back in my care shortly.?
So said, he grabbed her and gave her a kiss gfi that could in no wise be
construed as brotherly She was amazed. She was repulsed She had not known he
desired her until that moment.
Chapter 11
Rowena did not realize it until after Gilbert had gone, that she and her mother
had been saved from his fury by his distraction. He was so set on his new course,
with only Fulkhurst and defeating him on his mind, that he had forgotten about
the man supposedly still chained upstairs. Were the man still there, she would
have had a fine time explaining him to the invaders when they took over the keep.
Fortunately, that was not one of her worries. Nor did she give any thought to
Gilbert?s instructions, not at first, since she had had every intention of
leaving the keep herself as soon as he had. But it took no time at all to
discover that the despicable cur had taken every last remaining man at arms with
him, as well as every last horse.
She had then thought briefly of taking herself off to the town to hide there, to
leave the keep open with naught but the servants to greet Fulkhurst?s army. But
this was a man set on vengeance as well as on conquering, and such a man might
well burn the town down in search of Gilbertor the new lady of Kirkburough.
Escaping into the woods as Lyons substitute had done would not serve either. On
foot, without money, she would not be able to rescue her mother before Gilbert
discovered what she had done.
She was forced to follow Gilbert?s instructions this time, because there was
naught else she could do. But she would make no demands. She would wait and see
what terms were offered and go on from there. It could not be known that the
keep was completely defenseless. The portcullis was down, the gate closed. From
without, Kirkburough looked a strong keep. She did not doubt that she could
wrest favorable terms from the warlord for herself and the servants.
him for help. If he was no worse than Gilbert, she would offer her wardship to
him. Of course, he already had three of her properties in hand, and was not like
to give them back. She would not mention them. She had others still in Gilbert?s
controlbut Fulkhurst intended to take all that was in Gilbert?s control anyway,
for himself. God?s mercy, she truly had naught to bargain withnay, she could
assist Fulkhurst. She knew Gilbert?s plans, could warn of his return. But would
the warmonger believe her? Mildred had wanted to go with her to the gatehouse,
but Rowena convinced her to stay in the hall and do what she could to calm the
servants. She took four of the menservants with her, for she had not the
strength to raise the portcullis by herself. But she had waited almost too long.
Fulkhurst?s army had arrived, was just beyond arrow range, and the sight of it,
five hundred strong and armed for war, with nigh fifty mounted knights, sent the
men she had brought with her into a panic.
They wanted only to run and hide, and she could not blame them when she felt the
same. Yet she could not allow that, and her own fear added a coldness to her
tone as she calmly explained that if they did not stay to help her, they would
die; that either the enemy would kill them after crashing the gates openor she
would. The men stayed, though they cowered on the floor of the gatehouse, well
away from the arrow slits.
Rowena watched, willing herself to calmness. So many knights. She had not
expected that. And the red dragon breathing fire, aye, it flew on several
pennants clearly seen, and many of the knights had it emblazoned on the
trappings of their war horses. It was indeed Fulkhurst, though she could not
guess which of the mounted knights was him.
It did not take long before one man separated from the mass and rode up to the
gate. He was not heavily mailed, not a knight, then. At least forty of the men
at arms were also mounted, though not on the large destriers, and this was one
of them.
He had a carrying voice. Rowena heard every word clearly, she just did not
believe them. No terms, no assurances. Complete surrender or complete
annihilation. She had ten minutes to decide.
There was naught to decide. Even if it were a bluff, which she doubted, she
could not call it, for the men she had brought with her did not wait to hear her
decision. They rushed to open the portcullis without her order to do so, and she
could not stop them. All she could do now was go down to the bailey and wait for
the army to enter.
The knights came in with swords drawn, but there was not a soul left in the
bailey other than Rowena, who stood on the lower step of the keep. They did not
seem surprised to find it so. And those sent to secure the walls did so quickly,
without much caution or wariness that they would find aught to oppose them.
The remainder of the army approached Rowena, with three knights in the lead who
dismounted first. Two had trappings so fine, they were likely both lords, though
only one could be Fulkhurst, the other mayhap his vassal. Yet it was the third
knight who walked slowly toward her, taller than the othe
r two, sheathing his
sword as he came. He did not take his eyes off her as he did this, eyes too
shadowed for her to see clearly beneath his helmet.
She had chosen the wrong place to wait, with the sun behind them but shining
directly on her. It lit her flaxen braids with golden sparkles, her alabaster
skin to glowing whiteness, and made it difficult for her to tell anything about
the man almost upon her, except that he was huge and fully armored. Even his
mail coif was buckled over his lower chin, the helmet with wide nasal guard
sitting low, both obscuring his features except for the cruel slash that was his
mouth.
She opened her mouth to give greeting, but only a gasp came out as his hands
gripped her upper arms, so hard she thought the bones might crush. She closed
her eyes against the pain, only to be shook once, sharply, to bring them open
again.
?Your name??
His voice was as cold as his mouth was cruel. Rowena did not know what to make
of him. He must know she was lady here by her very dress, yet he was treating
her like a field serf, and that terrified her.
?La-lady Rowena Bel Lyons,? she got out in a mere squeak.
?No longer lady. Henceforth you are my prisoner.?
Rowena nearly sagged in relief. At least he did not mean to cut her down right
there on the steps. And a prisoner was not so bad and was only temporary. Most
of noble birth were given fine quarters for their confinement, and allowed all
courtesies due their status. But what did he mean, no longer lady?
He still held her in that painful grip, waiting. For what? For her to argue
against his making her a prisoner? Not with him, she would not. From what she
had seen and heard thus far, he was worse than Gilbert. But what should she have
expected of a man who reached for a league if you took a scant inch from him?
She was becoming unnerved, knowing that he stared at her, but she was too afraid
to look up to confirm it. Finally he turned with her still in his grip, only it
was to literally throw her into the mailed chest of one of the men who had come
up behind him.
?Take the prisoner to Fulkhurst and install her in my dungeon. If she is not
there when I arrive, there will be more than hell to pay.?
The man behind her paled. Rowena did not see it. She was ashen herself, verily,
near to fainting from those ominous words.
?Why?!? she cried, but Fulkhurst had already turned away to enter the keep.
Chapter 12
Mildred found him in the chamber she had come to dread entering these past few
days. The tall candles had burned out from Rowena?s last visit to this room just
before dawn, but he had found a new one and stuck it on the metal spike of the
candlestand. His men were plundering the keep, taking all of value that they
wanted. She could not imagine what he was doing here when a glance should have
told him there was naught in this room save that bed.
She hesitated to speak. He merely stood there, staring down at the bed. He had
removed his helmet, but his coif still covered his head. He was a very tall man.
And those wide shoulders reminded her of?
?What do you want??
She started, for he had not turned to notice her there at the door, nor had she
made a single sound. And he still did not turn. Instead he bent down and dragged
the long chains out from under the bed, and she watched, fascinated, as he
slowly draped the two lengths around his neck like a layered necklace, the ends
left hanging from his shoulders to his waist. She shivered, wondering why he
would take the chains unless he meant to use them on someone.
?Answer!?
She jumped that time, and stammered ?Theythey said you are the Lord of Fulkhurst.?
?Aye.?
?Please, what have you done with my lady?
She has not returned?
?Nor will sheever.?
He turned as he added that last word, and Mildred staggered back.
?In God?s mercy, not you!? One corner of his mouth lifted in a menacing curve.
?Why not me??
Mildred thought about running. She thought about begging. She thought about her
sweet Rowena in this man?s hands, and she wanted to cry.
?Ah, God, do not hurt her!? she cried her horror aloud.
?She had no choice?
?Be quiet!? he roared.
?Think you aught could excuse what she did to me? Her reasons matter not. By my
sworn word, no one does me an ill without paying for it tenfold.?
?But she is a lady!?
?That she is a woman only saves her life! It does not change her fate. Nor will
you. So beseech me not on her behalf, or you may find the same fate for yourself.?
Mildred held her tongue as Warrick passed her to enter the chamber across the
way. But he knew she still hovered about the new doorway, wringing her hands,
tears gathering and spilling from her soft brown eyes. He might be indebted to
her, but if she made another entreaty for that flaxen haired bitch, he would
indeed send her to his dungeons as well. He did not give warnings twice.
The much larger chamber was fit for a lord with its costly, though meager,
comforts, yet it held little of a personal nature to denote whose chamber it was.
But Warrick knew. He flipped open the only chest there and the abundance of rich
apparel within confirmed his thinking.
Still he asked ?Hers??
Mildred found the voice lodged in her throat.
?Aye.?
?My daughters might make use of these.?
He said it with such indifference, Mildred?s fear dissipated and her anger rose,
though she was not stupid enough to let him hear it.
?That is all she has left.?
He swung around to face her, and there was no lack of emotion in those baleful
silver eyes, as there had been in his voice.
?Nay, all she has left is the skin on her back, and what rags I choose to give
her. Though I do not forget that I was allowed even less.?
Indifference? she had thought. Nay, merely another revenge, those clothes, but
likely the least of all he intended. And she could think of no way to aid Rowena
when he did not want to hear that she had been as much a victim as he. Verily,
Rowena?s reasons would not matter to one such as he, who was not a serf, not a
lowly knight, but a highborn lord. You simply did not do to a lord what they had
done to him, and expect to live to tell of it.
Her fear returned, in abundance, but it still was not for herself.
?You mean to kill her??
?That pleasure would be too swift,? he said coldly.
?Nay, I will not kill her. She is my prisoner. She will never be ransomed, she
will never leave Fulkhurst. She will be at my mercy until the day she dies.?
?Do you have any??
?For those who do me harm? Nay, Mistress, I do not.?
He glanced about the chamber again before he asked ?Did Lyons have relatives??
Mildred was too sick at heart over his answer to wonder at his query.
?Aye, a brother, I think.?
?There will be naught but a blackened shell left for him,? he said.
?But then there will be naught left for her brother either.?
Her eyes widened at his meaning.
?You me?? to burn the keep, too??
? ?Twas all done f
or this place, was it not?? She did not understand vengeance
so allencompassing, but it was true that everything Rowena had been forced to do
had been for Kirkburough. Mayhap she could understand after all. She would not
be sorry to see this place burn, and knew that Rowena would not be sorry either,
to have Gilbert thwarted in that way.
?What of the servants you will leave homeless??
He shrugged, as if it were no matter to him, but he said ?I do not burn the
townexcept for the inn,? he added coldly.
?The castlefolk can move to the town, or I will disperse them to my own lands,
which would better their lot from the ragged look of them.?
And then he looked at her more intently, and at her fine woolen bliaut, and
concluded ?You did not make your home here, did you??
?I came here only three days ago, when my lady was brought here.?
?Then you are free to return to your home.?
Back to Gilbert?s keep, which Fulkhurst was like to besiege in the near future?
Or back to her true home at Tures, which he had already taken and Gilbert was
determined to have back? Fine options, both to find her in the midst of war and