Chapter Nineteen #3
“Caius, I know you are trying to protect me and I love you for it,” she said softly, “but I feel strongly that this is something we must face together. Let me return to Hawkstone with you, but I will stay locked up in the keep. When it is over, you can retrieve me. Please, Cai… I do not want to stay here, waiting and wondering what is going to happen. It is my right to face this situation with you.”
He was looking at her strangely. “Say it again.”
“Say what?”
“Tell me you love me.”
It was her turn to look at him strangely because she had no idea what he meant until her words came back to her. I know you are trying to protect me and I love you for it.
She’d just told the man she loved him.
Shocked that it had come out of her mouth so easily, she very nearly denied it.
How was that even possible after only knowing him a few days?
But somehow, in her heart, she knew it was true.
There was so much about him to love, a sprout of a love that would grow into something strong and tall someday, like a sycamore tree.
Unbreakable.
A smile spread across her lips.
“Mayhap I do, just a little,” she said softly. “How can I not? You are a fine and true and noble knight, and a kind and considerate husband. Love has sprouted, but I promise you, it will grow. I can feel it in my heart and in my soul. It was only meant for you.”
He stared at her, a thousand words upon his lips and a million emotions rolling through those black eyes. The first thing that came to mind was the first thing he spouted.
“I think I loved you before you were born,” he murmured.
“Mayhap even from the beginning of the world and most certainly until the end of it. People would say that we are mad and impetuous to say such things to each other, having known one another for only a short time, but all I know is that when I first looked at you, I could feel something happen, deep down. And when I look at you now, I feel as if I have been born anew. You have made me feel things I’ve never felt before, Em. ”
It was a sweet thing to say. Emelisse smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck as he embraced her.
“It is true,” she said. “I have felt the same thing. It will always be like this, Cai, I swear it. If there is breath in my body, I will always strive to make you happy and content.”
He leaned down to kiss her, his heart racing, feeling such happiness that he swore he could walk from the window and walk right onto the air. Walking on clouds. He was about to kiss her again, more lustily, when something out on the street caught his attention.
A Pembroke tunic.
It was Kevin.
“Christ,” Caius hissed, releasing Emelisse. “What in the hell is he doing here?”
They would soon find out.
*
“He’s what? He’s dead?”
They were standing out in the middle of the muddy, slushy street.
Caius had run all the way down from his second-floor chamber, out into the street as the village begin to come alive, to intercept Kevin.
The knight had been paused in the intersection, looking at the buildings around him, including The White Bear, when Caius had emerged from it.
Once he saw the man, he headed straight for him.
“Aye,” Kevin said grimly. “As near as we can tell, he was drunk and slipped on a spilled pitcher of wine, breaking his neck when he fell. Servants found him before dawn this morning, purple and stiff. Covington de Wrenville is dead, Cai.”
Caius couldn’t help it; his mouth was hanging open in shock. “What of Marius?”
Kevin’s expression darkened. “That is why I had to come and find you,” he said.
“He’s screaming about the fact that he is now Baron Darliston and he demands the use of William Marshal’s army.
We thought we had convinced him last night to wait until you found the lady, trying to buy you some time, but he is no longer willing to wait.
He wants Hawkstone and he wants it now, using his father’s death as a rally cry.
He has his army greatly worked up about it.
Because of this, Maxton has moved The Marshal’s army away from Winterhold. ”
Caius was listening closely. “Away where?”
“North,” Kevin said softly. “He is moving them to Hawkstone, Cai.”
Caius frowned. “Why?”
“Because he is preparing to defend your property against Marius.”
Caius grunted, extremely unhappy. “That was not his decision to make,” he said. “The Marshal told us directly that we cannot use his army to defend de Thorington.”
Kevin nodded. “I know,” he said. “But that is because he feared for Lady de Wrenville’s life. With Covington gone, the threat has been mostly removed. Marius hasn’t shown any interest in Lady de Wrenville as far as we can tell.”
Caius didn’t like it; any of it. “Damn,” he growled. “What does Hallam have to say about all of this? Surely he is caught up in the middle of everything.”
Kevin snorted unhappily. “He hasn’t left Lady de Wrenville’s side,” he said. “If Marius wants her, he’ll have to go through Hallam. And you know what will happen.”
Caius rolled his eyes. “It will be a bloodbath,” he muttered.
“Marius is greedy and ambitious, and if he seeks to use Alice against her uncle, the situation will go from bad to worse. In fact, I do not see Covington’s death as solving the problem.
If anything, it has only made it worse. Marius wants Hawkstone and he wants William’s army, and he is far less rational than his father was. ”
“That is true.”
“And he wants to marry Emelisse.”
“He does, indeed,” Kevin agreed. “There are rumors that he intends to send his army out to search for her, though we’ve not heard it from him directly. But who knows what has happened since I have been searching for you.”
That was the final nail in the coffin as far as Caius was concerned. Over Kevin’s head, he could see William leading two horses down the sloppy avenue and he motioned to the squire, who came running in his direction.
“De Wolfe,” Caius said, taking his horse from the young man.
“I want you to get on that beast of a steed and ride it as fast as you can south and find Maxton. Kevin says he is taking The Marshal’s army north, to Hawkstone, but I want you to find Maxton and stop him.
Tell him that I command him to stop where he is.
I will follow shortly and explain. Do you understand me? ”
William nodded quickly. “Aye, my lord,” he said. “He will be along the road between Winterhold and Hawkstone?”
Caius looked at Kevin, who nodded. “Aye,” he said. “He will not be difficult to miss.”
William, young and limber, deftly heaved himself onto the back of the horse and took off down the street, spraying mud everywhere. Caius and Kevin watched him go before Kevin finally turned to Caius.
“Do you truly believe that Lady de Wrenville is in such danger from Marius?” he asked.
Caius nodded wearily. “I think any woman is in danger from Marius,” he said.
“Now that he is Baron Darliston, he does not have his father’s calming influence, as weak as it was.
I think there is going to be trouble. Come into the inn and wait for me.
I must gather my things and convince my wife to stay behind and wait for me to return for her.
She is better off here than in the middle of a tempest.”
Kevin nodded, tethering his horse next to the trough that had a thin layer of ice over the water. He broke the ice so the horse could drink. He was behind Caius, nearly to the door, when he spoke again.
“Caius?”
Caius paused just short of the entry. “Aye?”
Kevin took a deep breath, clearing his throat. “This may not be the right time to tell you this, but I have been wanting to speak with you and there has not been the time or opportunity. I fear if I do not do it now, I never will.”
Caius came away from the door and faced him.
He and Kevin had their differences, mostly regarding Kevin’s brother.
They worked well together, but it was pure professionalism on both their parts.
There was no real chummy friendship and that was Kevin’s doing.
Because of the choice that his brother had made long ago, to spare Caius the horror of serving as the king’s bodyguard as the Lord of the Shadows, Kevin blamed Caius for Sean’s predicament.
He’d never been shy about saying it.
Caius knew this, of course, but out of respect to Sean, and to the professional relationship he and Kevin shared, he was at least willing to listen to the man. He seemed quite serious, whatever it was.
“What is it?” he asked.
Kevin took another deep breath, appearing decidedly uncomfortable. “Do you remember when we first met?”
Caius eyed him curiously at the drastic change in subject. “Of course,” he said. “Seven years ago at Richmond Castle. Why?”
Kevin didn’t answer him directly. “And we have worked together many times since then, in many different missions for The Marshal.”
“We have,” Caius said. “What is this about, Kevin?”
Kevin fixed him in the eyes with some difficulty.
“I have wanted to say this to you since my brother and I reconciled a couple of years ago, but it never seemed to be the right time,” he said.
“This isn’t the right time, either, but it must be said.
When I first met you, I told you that I would never forgive you for dooming Sean to the service of the king. Do you recall that?”
“I do.”
“I have always regretted saying that,” Kevin said quietly.
“I have come to admire you a great deal. I know we have not exactly been great friends, but I was hoping that could… change. I do not blame you if you do not want to be friendly, considering how I have treated you in the past, but I know now that it wasn’t your fault that Sean did what he did.
I suppose I wanted to believe that because it was easier for me to hate you than my brother.
I am truly sorry. You are a man of honor and I respect that. I thought you should know.”