Epic Knights of Legend and Steel

Chapter Eleven

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Wintercroft Manor

I t was just before sunset when Tiberius, Douglass, Bose, and Garran reached Wintercroft Manor. The manor was set north of the river, back in a massive forest of trees that stretched as far as the eye could see. The four of them traveled for some time down the forested road as the sun lowered in the sky, creating phantoms and shadows in the canopy overhead, until the heavily foliaged trees parted and a gray stoned wall came into view. The wall was inordinately high and there was a massive wood and iron gate cut into the middle of it. As they drew near, Bose called to the sentries and announced himself and the gate began to crank open, allowing them to enter.

As they made their way into the bailey, the structure of Wintercroft loomed before them. Although it was a fortified manor, it looked more like a small castle. It was pale-stoned, bulky and gloomy. The yard was littered with small outbuildings and a fairly large stable block off to the south. The house itself was odd. There was a heavy, iron door on the first floor but no windows anywhere on the floor. All of the windows were on the second floor but there was also a strange addition that projected off the north side of the house, creating a third and fourth floor. It was like an enormous tower had been added to half of the house. All of this oddness made it very peculiar in appearance and as the four of them drew close to the manor, the door opened and a big knight with shaggy, brown hair appeared.

“De Moray!” the man called, followed shortly by an older man emerging from the door behind him. The young knight that was dressed in mail and sloppy, leather breeches lifted a hand to Garran. “You’re an ugly ape of a man, Garran, but I am happy to see you.”

Garran waved off Davyss de Winter, who stood there laughing at Garran as the man balled a fist at him. But that laughter faded when Davyss saw Douglass tucked in behind her brother’s charger. Gallantly, he bowed.

“Ah,” he said. “Lady Douglass de Moray. I would recognize that beautiful hair anywhere. Welcome back to Wintercroft, my lady.”

Davyss was a flatterer of women and, much like Tiberius, had something of a scandalous reputation that followed him around. Douglass could tell just by the man’s manner that the rumors were true. He had a bright smile, was very handsome, and he knew it. She fought off a grin, trying to appear stern.

“I was hoping you would not be here, Davyss,” she said as she reined her palfrey to a halt and he came out to help her from her horse. “I told my father that the last time I saw you, you pinched me.”

Davyss appeared shocked. “I did no such thing.”

“You did.”

He pretended to be very contrite. “It was an accident, I am sure, my lady,” he assured her. “I would never have knowingly done such a thing.”

“And you had better not do it again or you will have to answer to me.”

The threat came from Tiberius, the last rider in their party, as he came up behind Douglass’ palfrey. Davyss had been so fixed on the glorious Douglass that he hadn’t noticed Tiberius riding in with Bose and Garran. Tiberius was not wearing his de Shera tunic and, quite frankly, Tiberius was the last person Davyss would have expected to see with de Moray. He stared at Tiberius as if he were seeing a ghost.

“Ty?” he finally gasped. “What in God’s name are you doing here?”

Tiberius smiled faintly at one of his oldest and dearest friends. “An explanation for another time,” he said, indicating quite clearly that he didn’t wish to discuss his presence in the open for all to hear. “Suffice it to say that I am here and I am not a prisoner of de Moray. I am here of my own free will. Greetings, Uncle Grayson.”

He was speaking to the older man who was standing behind Davyss. Grayson de Winter had graying temples and a muscular, compact body that suggested he’d spent many years being active as a knight. He simply had that look about him. Grayson gazed steadily up at Tiberius with his dark hazel eyes.

“What are you doing here?” Grayson asked.

Tiberius glanced at Douglass, then at Bose, as the man was climbing of his steed. “I told you,” he said, lowering his voice. “I am here of my own free will.”

“That is not what I asked.”

“That is the only answer I will give you at the moment.”

That wasn’t good enough for Grayson, not in the least. After instructing Davyss to escort Bose, Garran, and Douglass into the house, he returned his focus to Tiberius.

“Get off the horse,” he told him in a tone that suggested he dare not be disobeyed. “Come with me.”

Much as Tiberius had feared, he was about to face some manner of fatherly interrogation with Grayson. It was inevitable that Grayson involve himself in his business. Obediently, he dismounted his animal, muzzling the beast before handing it off to a hovering stable boy. Like a guilty child, he followed Grayson to the north side of Wintercroft where there was a heavy door that led inside.

It was dark and musty in the structure, with low ceilings and close walls. Tiberius, with his extreme height, had to duck his head as they moved down a corridor so that he would not smack his forehead. He was positive that the de Winter family built this place for midgets. Grayson led him into a small room that faced the north side of the bailey and the heavy copse of trees on the other side of the wall.

“Now,” Grayson came to a halt in the small but comfortable solar and faced Tiberius. “What are you doing with Bose de Moray? Where are your brothers?”

Tiberius drew in a thoughtful breath, collecting his thoughts before he explained. “I want to marry Douglass de Moray,” he said simply. “Her father is not entirely certain I am a desirable husband for his daughter so I have sworn fealty to him in order that I may prove myself.”

Grayson was not pleased by that explanation. It was clear by his expression. “You cannot simply swear fealty to a man because you want his daughter,” he said, verging on anger. “You are a Lord of Thunder. Your heart is with de Montfort and everybody knows it.”

“My heart is with Douglass.”

That seemed to bring on more anger. “Just because you are thinking with your manhood and not your brain, that does not mean you can switch allegiances so easily,” he snapped. “Your father would have your head for this. What in the hell are you thinking, Tiberius? This is a foolish and dishonorable move.”

Tiberius struggled not to feel guilty. “I told you,” he said evenly. “I want to marry Douglass and the only way to prove to Bose that I am worthy is to serve him. Actions speak louder than words, Uncle Grayson.”

Grayson scowled. “That is ridiculous,” he said. “I want you to go back to Isenhall where you belong. God help us if Henry gets wind of this. If he knows de Moray has you, he will demand you be brought to him and do you know what will happen then? You will be lucky if throwing you in the vault is all he has in mind. He knows that you are privy to the inner workings of de Montfort’s rebellion. He may try to torture every last detail out of you!”

Tiberius’ jaw ticked faintly. “I am not going back to Isenhall.”

Grayson nodded his head firmly, quickly. “Aye, you are,” he said. “You are putting everyone who knows you in danger, Tiberius de Shera. Do you think I would stand by and watch Henry take you to sport? Of course I would not. You would ruin everything I work for just so you can fuck another man’s daughter? I am ashamed of you.”

Tiberius felt as if he’d been struck. He suddenly felt very foolish and very weary. He sighed heavily, searching for the nearest chair to plant his body on. Plopping onto the nearest bench, he tried not to feel too confused or devastated.

“I do not want to bed her,” he muttered. “I want to marry her.”

Grayson could see that he had successfully beat Tiberius down and there was a natural guilt with that, being stern to someone he loved. He softened slightly, but not too much. He had a point to make and he could not do it if he crumbled because Tiberius’ feelings were hurt.

“Ty,” he said, putting his hand on the man’s shoulder. “I am not trying to be cruel, but you have put yourself in great danger by doing this. Trust me when I tell you that we cannot always have the women we want. That does not mean there is not another fine woman waiting for you, somewhere.”

Tiberius looked up at him. It had only recently become common knowledge that Grayson had been very fond of Honey de Shera. That had been established during Honey’s very lengthy illness when Grayson had come to Isenhall to pay a visit. That had been back in April. As Honey lay dying, Grayson had said a few things to her that he probably shouldn’t have, intimating that Honey was the woman he had always loved. Strangely enough, it hadn’t mattered much to Honey’s sons, as they had always looked to Grayson as an uncle and as part of their family. Even now, as Tiberius looked at Grayson, he could see the sorrow of a lost love in his eyes.

“You are speaking of my mother,” he murmured quietly. “Don’t you regret not marrying her?”

Grayson hesitated a moment before shaking his head. “I have a fine wife and fine sons,” he said. “I have no regrets and neither will you. Go home, Tiberius. Forget about Douglass de Moray. There will be other women for you.”

Tiberius shook his head. “I do not want another woman,” he said. “I want Douglass. I intend to have her and I am sorry if that causes you to be ashamed of me. I would think that you of all people would understand my heart.”

Grayson could feel his ire rise again. “I understand completely,” he said. “But I also understand that you have had many women in your young life and you probably believed yourself in love with half of them. Douglass, too, shall pass.”

Tiberius stood up, facing the considerably shorter Grayson. “This is different,” he said. “And I am not leaving. You cannot force me to go home.”

Grayson was unhappy that Tiberius was not doing as he was told. “Then there is this to consider,” he said, trying another angle. “Henry has chosen a husband for her already. That was why de Moray went to Derbyshire to collect his daughter and bring her to London. I do not know how you became involved in this or how you met her, but Bose has brought her to London to meet her betrothed. Did you know that?”

Tiberius looked at him suspiciously. “I did,” he said. “How did you know that?”

Grayson didn’t falter. “Because it was arranged that de Moray should bring her to Wintercroft to meet her intended,” he said. “Do you think it was by pure coincidence that he brought her here? Of course not. He left his army here and he intended to return here. It was logical, then, for her intended to meet her here when de Moray returned. In fact, her intended has been here for about a week, waiting for her to arrive.”

A bolt of shock coursed through Tiberius as the realization hit. “D’Vant?” he asked, stunned. “Tallis d’Vant is here?”

Grayson nodded. “He is indeed.”

Tiberius ran from the room before Grayson could stop him.

*

Douglass had no idea where Tiberius was going, following Sir Grayson around the side of the keep, but having him out of her sight made her edgy and anxious. As her brother practically shoved her into the gaping entry door of Wintercroft, she lost sight of the bailey, which distressed her. Onward Garran gently pushed her into a small and dark entry, with an enormous, stone, spiral staircase to the right and a large, windowless hall to the left.

As she entered the enormous hall, she could see that there were slits at the top of the room for ventilation. In all, Wintercroft was a very oddly designed building but the hall itself was more comfortable than most. There was a colossal table in the center of the room with smaller tables around it. There were cushions on the benches and beautiful tapestries on the walls, indicative of the de Winter fortune. There were even fine works of art against the wall, paintings on thin, wood panels, and the panels drew Douglass’ attention.

Propped against the wall in regular intervals, the scenes were quite detailed– they depicted scenes from the Bible and Douglass called her father over to take a look at them. Bose grunted when he saw what she was looking at.

“I have seen these,” he said. “There is the scene from the Garden of Eden as Adam and Eve are banished, and there is the scene of Daniel in the lion’s den. There are eight of them in total. Lady de Winter had them brought all the way from Italy on the backs of donkeys.”

Douglass was impressed. “They are beautiful,” she said. “Is Lady de Winter here at Wintercroft?”

Bose shook his head. “Lady Katherine de Winter prefers her own castle of Thetford,” he replied. “She lives there and if Grayson is a very good lad, he is permitted to visit her once in a while.”

Douglass glanced at her father, grinning. “Is she so strict with him?”

Bose laughed softly. “If your mother was as strict with me, then you children should have never been born,” he said, turning his attention to the entry of the hall when he heard a noise. Abruptly, his features grew serious. “Oh… God’s Bones….”

Douglass heard the softly-uttered words. It sounded as if her father was hissing out a curse. She turned to see a tall, blond, very broad and very handsome man standing in the entry. Garran was already speaking with the man and Douglass looked at him curiously.

“Who is that?” she asked her father.

Bose didn’t sound entirely pleased. “That,” he said, “is Tallis d’Vant. I did not know he was already here.”

Startled, Douglass grasped her father by the elbow, almost fearfully, as she eyed the knight who was speaking to her brother.

“What will we do?” she whispered. “Tiberius is here, also. Mayhap that is why Sir Grayson took him away, so that he would not see Sir Tallis.”

Bose shook his head. “Grayson does not know why Tiberius is with us,” he muttered. “He would have no reason to separate him from Tallis.”

Bose didn’t say what he was truly thinking at the moment. At some point, Tiberius would join them in the hall. Tiberius would know who Tallis was but Tallis would have no idea who Tiberius was or what he wanted, and Bose had no doubt that Tiberius would make his wishes known. Bose didn’t want the two young knights in the same room because, like two dogs circling around the same bone, the situation could get quite violent quite quickly. He hadn’t expected d’Vant to be here already. He thought he’d have some time.

“My lord,” Tallis called from across the room when he noticed Bose standing there. “’Tis good to see you again.”

Jolted from his thoughts, Bose lifted a hand to him as he muttered to his daughter. “We may as well introduce you,” he said. “It is not as if I can hide you now because he has seen you. Come along, daughter.”

Douglass didn’t want to move. But Bose pulled her with him, practically dragging her across the floor as they headed for the young knight. As Douglass drew close, she could see Tallis more clearly. He had a neatly trimmed blond beard, neatly trimmed blond hair, and pale blue eyes. When he smiled, he had big, white teeth and prominent canines. He was, in truth, a very handsome man and when Bose came close, he looked the man straight in the eye.

“Greetings, young d’Vant,” Bose said steadily. “We were not expecting you so soon.”

Tallis smiled politely. “The king sent me to greet you, my lord,” he said. “He also sent me with information for both you and Sir Grayson, which we shall discuss in private.”

Bose nodded. Since there wasn’t much more to say to that, he turned to indicate Douglass. She was, in fact, the entire purpose of Tallis being at Wintercroft so it was best to make introductions and get on with it.

“You have not yet met my daughter,” Bose said. “Sir Tallis d’Vant, this is my daughter, Lady Douglass de Moray. Douglass, Sir Tallis is one of the king’s premier knights, an impressive accomplishment at such a young age.”

Tallis’ blue eyes glimmered at Douglass as he bowed politely. “It is an honor to meet you, my lady,” he said. “I trust your journey from Codnor Castle was pleasant?”

Douglass thought about the adventure they’d had since leaving Codnor. “It has been exciting to say the least, my lord,” she said, sounding not entirely pleased to meet him. “But we have made it to Wintercroft safely.”

Tallis appeared properly concerned. “I hope that you did not meet with any misfortune,” he said, looking between her and Bose. “Is there anything I can do to assist?”

Bose shook his head. “Nothing, although I thank you for your offer,” he said. “We had a bit of a run-in with de Montfort’s men in Coventry, but it was minimal.”

Tallis was obviously concerned now. He looked at Douglass with great sympathy. “I am very sorry to know that, my lady,” he said. Then, he indicated the big, scrubbed feasting table. “Will you sit, then? I will order refreshments immediately.”

He had a very genteel way about him, polite to a fault. Douglass looked at her father, absolutely not wanting to sit with the young knight. She didn’t want anything to do with him. But Bose simply took her by the elbow and escorted her over to the table with Tallis following, seating her on a cushioned bench. Douglass refused to let her father go, however, afraid the man would walk off and leave her alone with Tallis. But the young knight could see how she was clinging to her father and he hastened to reassure her.

“Everything is fine, my lady,” he said sincerely. “You need not fear. You are safe now.”

Douglass was having a difficult time even looking at him. “I am not afraid, my lord,” she said. “Why would you think so?”

She was denying her apprehension even as she clung to her father. Tallis, fearing he had insulted her somehow, politely backed off the subject. “I do apologize, my lady,” he said. “I thought… mayhap you are simply weary from your journey.”

Douglass looked at him, irritated by a man who would be so polite to her when she didn’t even want to speak with him. He seemed to be going out of his way to be kind when she was only being brittle and snappish. Mayhap… mayhap if she was brittle and snappish enough, he would not agree to the betrothal. An idea occurred to her and, abruptly, she could see her way through the situation. Be a terrible shrew and he will not want to marry you! she thought. Let him see the devil inside!

“What makes you think I am weary?” she demanded. “Do I look weary?”

Tallis was deeply apologetic. “Nay, my lady,” he said sincerely. “You are fresh and lovely. ’Tis only that you have traveled a very long way today and that would be taxing on anyone.”

Douglass turned her back on him. “You will not assume anything about me, sir.”

Tallis was mortified, terrified that she had misconstrued his words. He looked at Bose with great remorse in his eyes but Bose was looking at his daughter. It wasn’t like Douglass to be so disagreeable. In fact, it was very out of character for her. If he didn’t know better, he would think she was pretending to be angry. Her rudeness was forced simply because it wasn’t in her nature. He eyed her suspiciously, curious of her behavior.

“He was not assuming anything, Douglass,” he said patiently. “I believe he was simply being kind. If you are not feeling well, then mayhap you should retire until the evening meal. You will be in a better humor then.”

Douglass kept her back to Tallis. “I do not want to retire,” she said petulantly, praying her father didn’t become too angry with her. “I want to remain here.”

“Mayhap it would be better if you did not.”

“I said I am staying . You cannot force me to go!”

Bose wasn’t sure where this bad behavior was coming from but he knew he didn’t like it. She was making a bad impression on Tallis but, as he thought about it, perhaps that was her plan. If she discouraged Tallis, then the path would be clear for Tiberius. Aye, he could see through her scheme quite clearly. Frustrated, he resisted the urge to swat her on her arse. Grabbing her arm to get her attention, he leaned down into her ear.

“You will cease this behavior or you will not like my reaction,” he whispered. “You are embarrassing me. Be kind or not only will Tallis not want you, but I can assure you Tiberius will never have you, either. Is that clear?”

Douglass knew he meant it and she had never been very good at taking a stand against her father. So much for her clever plan for discouraging Tallis. With a heavy sigh, she begrudgingly turned to Tallis.

“My apologies for being snappish, my lord,” she said. “I… I suppose the trip was more exhausting than I thought. Will you please sit? I understand your family is from Cornwall. Tell me of it.”

She said it simply to make her father happy but the relief on Tallis’ face was obvious. The man literally breathed a sigh of relief as he took a seat across the table from her, not too close but enough so that he could look her in the eye. Everything Tallis had done so far had been polite, thoughtful, and considerate. He had been well-schooled with his manners.

“Thank you, my lady,” he said sincerely. “I was born at St. Austell Castle in Cornwall. It has been my family’s home for several generations. The castle guards the bay of St. Austell and when I was a very young lad, my father used to take me with him to inspect the ships that docked in the bay. As a result, I have a great love for the sea but, unfortunately, I do not have the opportunity to see it much. Have you ever been to sea, my lady?”

He was animated as he spoke, describing the bay with big, sweeping motions of his hands. Douglass shook her head at his question.

“I have not,” she admitted. “My father’s castle of Ravendark is far from the sea but my mother’s family’s castle, Chaldon, is very close to the sea. I have walked along the rocky shore, many times.”

Tallis smiled. “Then we shall have to remedy that,” he said. “I have my own cog. I have sailed to France and Spain many times. I would like to invite you and your father to sail with me sometime.”

Douglass smiled weakly, looking to Bose, who was shaking his head. “I do not sail for pleasure,” he said frankly. “The rocking of ships makes me ill. I only travel on boats out of necessity.”

Tallis laughed softly, prevented from answering when heavy and swift bootfalls sounded in the entry. He turned, unconcerned, as did Bose and Douglass, to see Tiberius entering the hall. It was clear by his expression that he did not look pleased and Bose, who was closer to him, realized that Grayson must have told him about Tallis’ appearance. It was clear as if Tiberius had shouted it. As Tiberius stormed towards the table, Bose had to do some very fast thinking or the situation was about to turn bloody very quickly. He stood up to intercept him.

“My lord,” Bose said, putting his hand on Tiberius’ chest to stop him from charging d’Vant. “Have you met Sir Tallis d’Vant yet? He is one of Henry’s great ones. Surely he has heard of you, as… well, as young King Alexander’s personal guard. Sir Tallis, this is Sir Eric du Bonne, a man appointed by Henry to protect the young Scots king. Will you greet him?”

Tiberius looked at Bose as if the man had lost his mind but the ruse momentarily worked. Tiberius was so off-guard by Bose’s words that he paused in confusion long enough for Tallis to rise from his seat and approach him. Now, Tallis was on the offensive as Tiberius stood in bewilderment.

“Sir Eric,” Tallis greeted politely. “It is an honor, my lord. I apologize that I have not heard of you but I am sure you are very accomplished. Where did you foster?”

Tiberius was still looking at Bose, greatly perplexed. He couldn’t quite figure out why de Moray had said such a thing and his first reaction was to call the man out as a liar. But just as quickly, he realized he could not do that. De Moray’s reputation was beyond question and to declare the man a fabricator would only make Tiberius look foolish and mad. Whatever de Moray was up to, it had been a clever move on his part. Tiberius had no choice but to confirm whatever the man said, especially if he wanted to marry de Moray’s daughter. He was trying to impress the man and calling him a liar would not be the best way to go about doing that.

“I…,” Tiberius stammered, struggling to concoct a story. “I fostered at Nottingham. And you?”

Tallis smiled politely. “Alnwick,” he replied. “I have heard the du Bonne name. Where is your family from?”

“Du Bonne is my wife’s family name,” Bose said, averting that subject. “Come, let us sit and become better acquainted.”

Tallis went to resume his seat but Bose had to shove Tiberius to get him moving. Tiberius was looking at Bose as if the man had lost his mind but Bose shot him an expression that suggested he’d better go along with whatever was said. As the three of them moved to the table where Douglass was now standing, looking anxiously at Tiberius, Grayson came rushing in through the entry door.

“Ty!” he sounded, rounding the corner into the hall. “Tiber…!”

Grayson shut his mouth when Bose whirled around and gave him a cleaving motion with his hand to shut him down. As Tiberius went to take a seat next to Douglass, Bose made his way back to Grayson and muttered a few short words to the man. Grayson’s eyes flickered in understanding but he didn’t react other than that. The mood, however, was set. Something covert was afoot. Bose returned to the table as Grayson called for refreshments.

“How do you like Scotland, Sir Eric?” Tallis asked courteously. “I have personally never been. I hear it is quite cold with big mountains and wild Scots.”

Tiberius had never been to Scotland, either. He eyed Bose as the man took his seat as if to say damn you, man! Clearing his throat softly, he answered.

“All Scots are wild,” he said, joking his way out of it without directly answering the question. “But let’s not speak of me, let us speak of you. You must spend a great deal of time in London with the king. What brings you to Wintercroft?”

Everyone in the room knew why he was at Wintercroft but it was a clever way of turning the conversation around and off of him. Tallis smiled genuinely. “I am here on the king’s business,” he said simply, a proper answer for a knight who was not supposed to go around running his mouth, not even with trusted colleagues. “I have never been here before, actually. I must say that it is a rather strangely-built place. Whoever designed Wintercroft, Lord Grayson?”

Now it was Tallis’ turn to be clever, putting the focus on their host, Grayson. So far, both Tiberius and Tallis had been shrewd enough to take the focus off of themselves and turn it on to others in the room. Grayson, seeing he was now the subject of focus, gave everyone a forced smile.

“My parents,” he replied. “My mother wanted a manor but my father wanted a working fortress. Wintercroft’s odd shape is the result. Odd or not, it is quite impenetrable and quite comfortable. Sir Bose, of course, has quite a mighty fortress in his home of Ravendark. Lady Douglass, were you born there?”

The focus was bouncing all over the place. Douglass, who had been looking at Tiberius, was suddenly very self-conscious with all eyes now on her.

“I was,” she said, not wanting to be the center of this very strange and tense gathering. “Sir Tallis, tell us more about your cog– the one you were speaking of earlier. How far have you sailed it?”

Now it was back on Tallis, who was quite happy to speak with Douglass, so much so that he was oblivious to Tiberius’ dark expression. Grayson noticed it, however, and he kicked Tiberius under the table, right in the man’s shin. Tiberius grunted in pain, covering the noise with a cough and then appearing apologetic when both Douglass and Tallis looked at him curiously. He pointed to his throat.

“Dry,” he said, a lame excuse. “Long ride.”

It was a good enough excuse and Tallis returned his attention back to Douglass just as a pair of servants entered the hall with pitchers and cups.

“I have sailed as far as Corsica,” Tallis said as the pitchers and cups were set on the table and wine began to flow. “I would like to sail to the north of Africa someday or mayhap even to The Levant. Do you like to travel, then, my lady? Even if it is not by boat?”

Douglass opened her mouth to reply when both of Grayson’s sons entered the hall. Davyss was followed by his younger brother, Hugh de Winter, a compact and muscular knight just like his father. Unfortunately, neither man knew of the ruse to disguise Tiberius’ identity from Henry’s knight and before Grayson could get to either of them, Hugh spoke up.

“Davyss said you were here,” he said to Tiberius. “It has been a long time since we have seen a de Shera within these old walls. Well? What do you have to say for yourself, Tiberius? Why have you not come to visit us before now?”

Hugh was already upon Tiberius, clapping the man on the shoulders and giving him a manly hug. It was evident that he was quite happy to see him and as Bose and Grayson rolled their eyes, realizing their deception was over, Tallis simply appeared confused.

“De Shera?” he repeated. “There is a de Shera here? At Wintercroft?”

Bose was closest to Hugh. He grabbed the man by the arm and yanked him away from Tiberius.

“Sit down,” he rumbled. “Shut your mouth.”

Hugh, dragged down by the massive de Moray, looked very confused as Davyss, standing over by his father, had no idea what had just happened. He thought it rather odd for de Moray to grab Hugh as he did but he couldn’t help but notice that everyone at the table appeared rather odd, sickened and perhaps even afraid. Grayson stood up, pushing Davyss away from the table.

“Come with me,” he said to his eldest. “We have some business to attend to.”

Davyss was now vastly confused as to why his father was pushing him away from food and drink. “What is it?” he demanded quietly. “Can it not wait? I have not seen Tiberius in months. I want to speak with him for a few minutes.”

By this time, Tallis was starting to put the pieces of the very strange puzzle together. He eyed de Moray and de Winter before turning suspicious eyes to Tiberius. Tiberius could tell from the look on the man’s face that he was starting to realize that the Eric du Bonne introduction had been a cover. Rather than try to continue the deception and insult d’Vant’s intelligence, Tiberius made the decision to tell the truth. It might cause a terrible scene, but that was already where they were heading. Better to get it all out in the open.

“I will apologize on behalf of de Moray and de Winter,” Tiberius said to Tallis. “They were trying to protect me. I am Tiberius de Shera and I am here because it is my intention to marry Lady Douglass. De Moray and de Winter did not want this to be a blood bath between us so they sought to not tell you who I was or what my presence at Wintercroft meant. Their deception was not meant to insult you but rather to protect me and, quite possibly, you. It was my intention to do you great bodily harm.”

To his credit, Tallis didn’t change his expression. He didn’t rage. He simply sat there, looking at Tiberius, digesting the fact that there was a real and true de Shera sitting before him. A Lord of Thunder in the flesh. The fact that Tiberius had essentially threatened him had no meaning to him at all.

“I have heard a great deal about you,” he finally said, his tone rather neutral. “Everyone knows of the Lords of Thunder and their support of de Montfort.”

“That is true.”

Tallis inspected Tiberius, his gaze moving down the man’s arms, looking for weapons or any hint that Tiberius was about to move against him. Tiberius was indeed armed but his hands remained in the open. He appeared relaxed and not ready to do battle. That, in turn, kept Tallis calm.

“You have come to pledge for Lady Douglass?” Tallis asked.

“Aye.”

“Does the king know of your interest?”

Tiberius shook his head. “He does not,” he replied. “There is no way he could.”

Tallis appreciated the straight answers but he was nonetheless a bit insulted that the older knights had tried to deceive him. He looked at de Moray.

“Rather than tell me the truth, you would lie to me about de Shera’s interest in your daughter?” he asked.

Bose sighed faintly. “As Tiberius explained, I was protecting him more than I was attempting to insult you,” he said evenly. “I was not attempting to insult you at all. I was trying to keep the peace since a de Shera in the walls of Wintercroft could be considered treason against Henry. I did not want your opinion of de Winter to be tainted and I take full responsibility for the deception. It was my idea.”

Douglass, knowing that her father’s honor was now in question, stood up and put her hands out as if to stop all conversation. She looked pointedly at Tallis.

“Wait,” she said. “Sir Tallis, this is my fault. My father is in this situation because of me. Sir Tiberius and I wish to be wed but my father, being an honorable man, had already given his word to you about negotiating a marital contract. He is here to see that through but I have allowed Sir Tiberius to come with us and create this terrible situation. If there should be any dishonor had, it should be mine. I do not mean to offend you in the least, Sir Tallis, because you seem like a kind and noble man, but I wish to marry Sir Tiberius. I am sorry that you have been caught up in this situation.”

Tallis listened to her seriously. “Well,” he said, scratching his head, “at least this is starting to make some sense. I was genuinely questioning what du Bonne, or de Shera, was doing here in the first place. At least I am no longer confused.”

Douglass nodded, somewhat regretful. “I am sorry,” she said sincerely. “I hope you do not think too poorly of the de Moray family. We are usually quite honorable people but when there are feelings and strong wills involved, sometimes things become a bit… complicated.”

Tallis was studying Douglass quite closely, seeing a strong and beautiful woman there. He had been imaging what she would look like for a few months and now that he knew, and now that he had met her, he wasn’t so quick to walk away. At least, he wanted to know more about the situation before he did. Women like Douglass were very rare. He didn’t want to give her up if he didn’t have to.

“I do understand that,” Tallis said, his gaze moving between Douglass and Tiberius. “Tell me something, my lady. Are you in love with him?”

Douglass was embarrassed by the question. It was such a personal thing to answer in front of all these men. She glanced at Tiberius.

“I… I am quite fond of him,” she said quietly. “I wish to marry him.”

“But do you love him?”

“I am not entirely sure that is any of your business, Sir Tallis. That is between me and Tiberius.”

Tallis shrugged. “If you expect me to relinquish my suit, then it is my business.”

Douglass shook her head. “Then I will respectfully decline to answer,” she said. “But I ask that you relinquish your suit anyway. You certainly do not want a bride who is fond of another man.”

Tallis simply looked at her as if pondering her reply. Then, he nodded his head and stood up.

“You will forgive me, my lady,” he said, “but I will not relinquish my suit. I can see that there is doubt in your mind and as long as there is doubt, there is hope. Your father and I will still discuss the contract as planned and hopefully come to an agreement. Now, if you will excuse me, I have other business to attend to.”

With that, he moved away from the table and headed from the hall. Tiberius, however, rose to his feet with the full intention of following the man but Bose and Garran stopped him, each man holding him back to a certain extent. Even Douglass put her hands on his chest.

“Nay, Tiberius,” she begged softly. “Let him go. You will not confront him now. Let my father speak with him first.”

Tiberius’ jaw was ticking angrily. “You heard what he said,” he pointed out hotly. “He intends to go through with the contract. I cannot allow this.”

Bose removed his hands from Tiberius’ shoulders and moved away from the table, following Tallis’ path.

“I will speak with him,” he said. “I must make sure he understands the situation for what it is. I must also make sure he does not run back to Henry to tell him that the House of de Moray and the House of de Winter are harboring an enemy de Shera. That would prove difficult for all of us.”

Tiberius watched de Moray as the man headed to the hall entry. “I will not be left out of negotiations for Douglass,” he said. “If you are hearing Tallis’ terms then you will hear mine also. I can offer more than d’Vant can.”

De Moray paused in the entryway, his black eyes intense on Tiberius. “That remains to be seen,” he said. “For now, you will behave yourself and keep a low profile at Wintercroft. Too many of Henry’s loyalists abound and that could be trouble for you as well as for us. I will not tell you again.”

He quit the hall, leaving behind confused and tense occupants. As everyone tried to gather their thoughts and return to the food and wine on the table, Hugh, still seated where de Moray had planted him, looked around at the worried faces and threw up his hands and looked at his father.

“What just happened here?” he demanded. “What is Tiberius talking about? And who is Eric du Bonne?”

Grayson couldn’t even answer. All he could do was drink.