Chapter Six
It’s a glorious night.
That was what Addax was thinking as he drew in a breath of the cold night air.
Compared to the stale warmth of the hall, the bailey of Berwick was quite refreshing.
Addax felt as if he could finally breathe.
As he stood there, inhaling deeply and wondering if he should search for Maximilian in the tournament encampment or one of the taverns in town, Essien came up behind him.
“Well?” Essien said. “I saw you talking to Bretherdale. What did he have to say for himself?”
Addax looked at him. “About what?” he said with a hint of sarcasm. “A son who is treating marriage like a disease, or the fact that Bretherdale is in bed with the Scots?”
Essien grinned, gazing up at the full moon as he spoke. “Both,” he said. “Honestly, I’ve known Max as long as you have, and although he has an irreverent streak, I’ve never seen him behave so callously.”
Addax nodded. “I’ve been thinking the same thing,” he said. “I adore Max, but today I’ve seen a side of him I’ve never seen before, and I do not like it.”
“Did Bretherdale ask you to do something about it? He knows you and Max are close.”
Addax shook his head. “He did not say a word about it,” he said. “But he did speak of something coming from this marriage that would not belong to Max.”
Essien looked at him. “Like what?”
Addax shook his head. “I couldn’t help but remember what Cole told us,” he said. “Bretherdale is planning on supplying the Scots in their assault on Berwick, and that will make Bretherdale a wealthy man. Mayhap that is what he meant.”
Essien cocked his head thoughtfully. “It is possible,” he said. “He said no more?”
“Nay,” Addax said. “But one thing is certain—if he is to be stopped, then I must go to Raisbeck Castle, Bretherdale’s seat. And I must keep abreast of any communication between him and the Scots.”
“How are you going to do that?” Essien asked.
Addax looked at him. “If life has taught you and I one thing, it is how to be adaptable,” he said.
“Bretherdale does not have a close advisor or knight from what I know. I met the man two years ago and spent a few days with him, along with Max, and it is clear he never saw the need for a man to carry out his commands or handle his men. I am not certain why he feels that way, but I am going to find out.”
“And maneuver your way into the position?”
Addax half shrugged, half nodded. It was what the agents of William Marshal, as they were still known, did best. The most talented spies in the world, and that included Addax and Essien. What Addax was intending for Bretherdale was something he’d done before—making himself indispensable to someone.
Now, he had a target.
As he pondered that very thing, he heard Essien mutter.
“Christ,” the man mumbled. “Here comes trouble.”
Addax looked to his brother, who was looking at the inner gatehouse of Berwick.
There were actually two—the main gatehouse was reached by a bridge across a natural gully, and it sat on the edge of town.
The inner gatehouse was built into the wall of Berwick, and as Addax watched, he could see three knights coming through the gatehouse as men with torches went to greet them.
He’d know that trio anywhere.
“Trouble, indeed.” He grinned. “Welcome trouble.”
Essien shook his head, pretending to be unhappy when the truth was that he was glad to see perhaps the greatest young knights—and the greatest troublemakers—in the north. De Wolfe was in the company of his closest friends, Paris de Norville and Kieran Hage, as Addax and Essien went to greet them.
“I told those gate guards to bar the gate if they saw you coming,” Addax said loudly as he approached. “I shall have to punish them severely for disobeying.”
William caught sight of them, smiling, as Paris scowled from atop his steed. “Did you truly think you could keep me out, al-Kort?” he demanded. “Go off and ride your little horsey to victory in these childish games. That seems to be what you’re best at.”
Addax laughed. He genuinely liked Paris—an arrogant man if there ever was one, but honorable to the bone and as loyal as a dog.
He dismounted his horse and grabbed Addax by the shoulder as the man came near, and they grinned at each other in greeting.
As they were good-naturedly insulting one another, Essien went to the third man in their group, Kieran Hage, and gave him a hug.
“So you think to come and win the combat competitions, do you?” Essien said. “It is not fair when you do that, Kieran. You’re bigger and stronger and meaner than the rest of us. It’s simply not right.”
He was snorting even as he said it, because although Kieran was enormous and powerful, probably more than just about anyone else on the border, he wasn’t mean by nature.
For a big man bred and born to battle, he was actually quite calm of temperament.
It took a great deal to anger him, and no one wanted to be around when that happened. Therefore, Essien was jesting with him.
But Kieran took it in stride.
“The truth is that I need the money,” he said, eyeing de Wolfe. “You know that William still gambles from time to time, even though our liege has chastised him again and again for it, so he has all of my money.”
“I thought you knew better than to play against him in any game.”
“There is always hope that I can win just once.”
Paris heard him. “You do win,” he said, slapping Kieran on a broad shoulder. “You win money for William and me all of the time. In fact, we are going to set up some private wagers while we are here. Kieran will make us a fortune in the sword combat bouts.”
Addax and William had joined Paris and Kieran and Essien, but Addax was shaking his head already. “Kieran, how many times have I told you not to let these two use you like that?” he said, fighting off a grin. “You are better than that, lad.”
Kieran shrugged. “If I did not let them use me for their games, they would both be poor and destitute,” he said. “I do it so they can eat, and I can sleep at night.”
Essien burst out laughing. “You are magnanimous, my friend,” he said. “They do not deserve you.”
Kieran’s dark eyes twinkled at William even though he spoke to Essien. “Nay, they do not,” he said. “But this time, they are splitting their winnings with me, or I told them I will not do it.”
William held up a hand in surrender. “I promised we would,” he said. “Our prized Goliath is about to make his stunning return on the tournament circuit, and we shall take all of the purse money now that he is here. You shall all be paupers by the time we are done with you.”
“Goliath” had been Kieran’s moniker when competing in tournaments in the north, and never was a name more fitting. Addax was about to make a comment to that effect when Paris suddenly spoke up.
“Who is that?” he said.
Everyone looked at him, but he was looking off toward the western portion of the wall.
When he gestured, all attention turned in the direction he was pointing.
Under the full moon, they could see a woman on the battlements.
The skirt of her garment was blowing in the breeze, creating a rather ethereal vision.
Like a wraith. As they watched, she disappeared down the portion of the wall that ran down to the river.
“Why is a woman on the wall?” Kieran asked. “Is that one of de Velt’s sisters?”
Addax shook his head. “His sisters are not here,” he said. “But that looked like Max’s new bride to me.”
Essien looked at him. “I thought she was in the keep.”
Addax met his gaze. “Is she in the keep?” he said, throwing his thumb toward the wall.
In fact, his focus in general moved back to the wall, to the last place he’d seen the lady beneath the moonlight.
“I do not mean to cause concern or stir up gossip, but Max and the lady married today, and from what I heard, Max wasn’t exactly… kind to her.”
“Who married today?” Paris asked, confused. “Max who?”
“Maximilian de Grey,” Addax said. “You know him, Paris.”
The light of recognition filled Paris’ features. “Of course,” he said. “Arrogant little Max who likes to call himself the King of Chaos. He’s the king of something, but it is not chaos.”
Addax started to chuckle. Paris didn’t have a high opinion of a man he’d only met a few times, and probably didn’t like him because their egos were so similar. But he didn’t say so. Not that Paris would agree with him anyway.
He started for the western wall.
“I am going to see if that is indeed Lady de Grey,” he said. “I cannot imagine why she would be on the wall walk.”
“Why?” Kieran asked. “Is she not allowed to walk?”
Addax shrugged. “Of course not,” he said. “But when a lady’s wedding feast is happening and she chooses to be on the battlements instead of her own celebration, I think that is rather strange.”
“Mayhap she couldn’t sleep,” Kieran said.
“Or mayhap she is distraught over her husband’s behavior.”
Kieran looked at him. “What did de Grey do?”
Addax’s dark eyes eerily reflected the moonlight. “Nothing good, so I’m told.”
The way he said it made them all think twice.
Perhaps it was rather strange that the lady was wandering the battlements on her wedding night.
They all started to walk in that direction, following Addax.
All but Paris. He wanted to go into the hall and feast, because he was both hungry and thirsty, but his companions had other ideas.
“Mayhap she simply wanted to take in the night air,” he called after them. “Mayhap she simply wants to be alone. If she wanted company, she would be in the hall.”
The last few words were shouted after them, but they kept walking. No one was agreeing with him. With a sharp sigh, Paris followed.