Chapter Eight #7
He nodded. “I have been appointed as Edward’s Lord Protector,” he said. “It is a prestigious position as the king’s personal guard, which means I will spend all of my time with him. If he is in London, I will be in London. If he goes to battle, I go to battle. His life shall become my life.”
Amabella was properly awed. “What a proud thing,” she said. “Your father must be delighted.”
“He is.”
“And your mother?”
He fought off a smile. “She is happy for me, but she does not want me to leave her,” he said. Then, he shook his head. “I am her oldest child. I have seen thirty years, but still, she does not want me to leave her bosom.”
Amabella giggled. “I understand completely,” she said.
“I did not want Atlas to leave me, either, but when I see him now, I know it was the right thing for him. He has returned to Trastamara as a strong, educated young man. Your mother, too, will understand that going to serve the king will be the right thing for you.”
“I suppose. But she is currently in the denial stage.”
Amabella understood a mother’s pain at being separated from a child, something Markus didn’t seem to appreciate.
“All will work out as it should, I am sure,” she said. “Now, did you require something more from me? You did not have to trouble yourself by leaving your meal to seek me out. I planned on returning to the hall as soon as I put Alfie and Ambra to bed.”
Markus shook his head. “I did not require anything,” he said, realizing she was asking him to explain his appearance.
He didn’t want to tell her the truth, that he simply wanted to see to her.
“I came to tell you that… that my father will be returning to Berwick upon the morrow, but he will be leaving men behind to assist Atlas during this transitional time. He will also be leaving most of the soldiers he brought with him, but he wanted to speak to you about the possibility of you returning to Berwick for a time. He thought it might be better for you and your younger children to be at Berwick where it is safe while Atlas settles Trastamara.”
She looked at him curiously. “Is it so unsafe here that we should leave?”
“Probably not, but my father is concerned about Shand. He wants to make sure that the man does not try to return.”
“Does your father think he might?”
“Not really,” Markus said. “But Shand is an ambitious man and up until today, this was his home, something he was intent on keeping. My father simply doesn’t want you to be part of any trouble he might try to bring if he’s vengeful enough.”
Her eyes widened. “God’s Bones,” she murmured. “I hope he does not try.”
“As do I,” Markus said. “If you do not want to go to Berwick, you do not have to. However, you should give it some thought. For the safety of King Alfie and the Lady of the Fish.”
Amabella was back to grinning as he mentioned her children. He had quite a way about him, a subtle humor that was endearing. “You enjoyed her food and that is all she cares about,” she said. “She will speak of nothing else for months to come.”
He was smiling because she was, feeling a warmth in his chest when he looked at her that he couldn’t begin to describe. It was something heated and liquid, making his palms sweat like a giddy squire.
“She has every reason to be proud,” he said. “It is quite an interesting talent she has. An interesting lass with an interesting name. In fact, I have never heard that name before. Is it a family name?”
Amabella shook her head. “Ambra is not her given name,” she said. “Her given name is Anne Mary Barbara Rose Amalie Abril de Sauque. My husband named her after his mother and grandmothers, and also an aunt. Ambra is simply the first letter of each of those names.”
Markus thought that was fascinating. “How clever,” he said. “Who came up with that?”
“I did. I was not going to call a tiny babe Anne Mary Barbara Rose Amalie. The name was bigger than she was.”
He snorted. “Very wise, Lady de Sauque.”
Her smile faded, her emerald eyes riveted to him.
“I would be pleased if you would call me Amabella,” she said.
“I… I realize we have only just come to know one another, but you and your family have done so much for us that I feel as if there is no need for formalities. We are utterly in your debt. You and your father have saved us, in every way a family can be saved. You have given us hope for the future where before, there had been none at all. Hope that Atlas can restore the good name of Trastamara Castle and undo the damage done by his father.”
Markus could feel her sincerity. She was vulnerable and open in that moment, and he appreciated that. “I am honored to call you Amabella,” he said quietly. “You may call me Markus. Or, Sir Knight, as Alfie seems to think is my name.”
Amabella chuckled. “He is enamored with you.”
“The feeling is mutual.”
Amabella was still smiling and Markus could feel a pull between them, like an invisible embrace that threatened to pull them together.
It was something he’d never before experienced, a feeling that had only become stronger by the hour.
It was strange, and unexpected, perhaps even uncomfortable at times, but he couldn’t deny how marvelous it made him feel.
Surely it was only an infatuation.
It couldn’t be anything else.
“Well,” Amabella finally said, breaking into his thoughts. “I should return to the hall. There are always a thousand tasks to complete on nights like this.”
Markus nodded as they turned towards the stairs.
“Aye, you should get back,” he said. “But not to serve. You will sit with my father and brother and me. You will enjoy a meal with us as we discuss the future of Trastamara. Then, tomorrow, I will send to Berwick for more servants. You cannot do with only a handful of servants in a place like this and you should not be working like a common wench. You are the Lady of the House and should be treated like one.”
She paused at the top of the stairs, looking at him. “You are not returning to Berwick with your father tomorrow?”
His gaze lingered on her in the dim light. “Nay,” he said after a moment. “I am one of the ones remaining here to help settle Trastamara.”
It wasn’t exactly the truth, but by the time Markus got down to the hall and told his father that he intended to remain behind, it would be.
As long as Amabella remained at Trastamara, he wasn’t going anywhere.