Chapter Nineteen #2
“She is to be my wife, Dacian,” Val said, trying to decide how he felt about Vesper’s sudden and violent appearance. Truthfully, he was still shocked because he never would have imagined such a thing from her. “We were hoping to marry this morning but your arrival thwarted those plans.”
Dacian understood a little more now. “Ah,” he said. “So she is upset that her wedding was moved aside. That is understandable.”
Vesper scowled. “That is not why I am upset,” she said. “I am upset because an innocent man is being treated like a criminal. Remove those shackles from him immediately.”
Dacian looked to Val, who shook his head faintly at the man.
His shock was starting to wear off and he realized that he was very touched by her desire to protect him.
The woman had a vast wealth of courage he couldn’t even begin to comprehend, bravery she’d proven at every turn since their introduction.
But this… this was beyond even what he believed she was capable of and his admiration for her grew.
So did his love.
“Vesper, sweet,” he said. “Look at me.”
Vesper shook her head. “I will not take my eyes from him,” she said, referring to Dacian. “He means to harm you. They all mean to harm you.”
Val was trying to calmly defuse the situation when one of Dacian’s men, who was relatively close to Vesper, reached out to disarm her.
She caught the movement and slashed at the man, who came away with a nasty gash to his wrist. Then she used her horse to push Val away from Henry’s men, all the while keeping herself between them.
“I will do the same to any man who tries to harm Val,” she said loudly to the group. “If you would all like your flesh carved into, then by all means, try that again.”
Val’s astonishment returned as he watched her threaten an entire army with a dagger, but he felt enormous pride as well.
This reasonable and wise woman had what men had – valor, he thought.
She has great valor. But in this case, it was misplaced.
It was also dangerous. She fully intended to use that weapon on his behalf and he simply couldn’t allow it.
Reaching out, he managed to get hold of her sleeve.
“Come here,” he said quietly, tugging on her arm. “Give me that dagger before you kill someone.”
Surprisingly, Vesper pulled away. “I will not,” she said.
“I am sorry if it displeases you, but I cannot let these men harm you. The only way I know to prevent that is to go with you to Winchester. Do not tell me to remain here at Selborne because I will not. I am going. I discussed it with your mother and she is in support.”
Val’s heart broke, just a little. He could see how frightened she was, which had spurred her bravery.
“It is not necessary, I promise,” he said calmly.
“The man you pulled your dagger on is Dacian d’Vant.
He is Henry’s Captain of the Guard. He will ensure I have very fair treatment so you needn’t worry, I swear it.
And look – Lord du Reims will also ensure my protection.
You trust him, do you not? Now, please, give me that dagger. ”
Vesper’s gaze moved to Tevin, who was several feet away from Val and watching the entire scene with a good deal of sorrow. She could see it in his face. But her focus returned to Val and she shook her head, her eyes welling with tears, tears she tried very hard to chase away.
“Nay,” she said tightly. “I will not. I will protect you until we reach Winchester. If you tell me to stay behind, know that I will simply follow you so you may as well accept my presence. I will be your guard.”
Val thought it was about the sweetest thing he’d ever heard. He’d never had anyone in his life willing to protect him so, but he also knew that she had no idea what she was really getting herself in to.
“Sweetheart, listen to me,” he said quietly.
“I promise you that Dacian and Lord du Reims will protect me. I will not be mistreated. But every one of those men has a sword much bigger than that dagger you hold and if they really wanted to get at me, they would carve right through you. I do not wish to see you in such danger, not when I am fighting for my very life. I would sacrifice all to protect you and, in the end, mayhap one of those swords would carve through me instead. Do you understand what I am telling you? I love and admire you for your fierce support, but it would be much better if you gave me the dagger and returned to my mother. She will be in need of your comfort right now.”
“I have never heard anything so ridiculous.”
The voice came from behind and Val turned to see his mother riding up on one of her small gray palfreys.
Swathed in gray wool from head to toe, she blended with the cloudy morning and gray sunrise.
At the sight of her, Val’s men instantly parted and permitted her to pass between them, for no one wanted to get in Lady de Nerra’s way.
Val didn’t think he could be any more astonished but he was wrong. As he watched, his mother pulled out his father’s broadsword, something she’d slept with since his death. It was fairly heavy but she laid it across her lap as she rode up between Val and Vesper.
“God’s Bones, Mother,” Val said, shaking his head. “You must have the hearing of a dog to hear what I just said to Vesper. What on earth are you doing here?”
Margaretha eyed her son. “Your voice carries and, believe it or not, I am very familiar with it,” she said. “I have heard many things you thought I could not.”
“I would believe that.”
Margaretha’s gaze lingered on her son for a moment before turning to Tevin. “And you allowed them to put shackles on my son?” she asked the earl. “I thought you were going to protect him.”
Tevin sighed heavily, not wanting to agitate the women who had rushed forth to save Val.
He understood that they were frightened and, in truth, he could see his own wife doing the very same thing, which was why he was so patient with the interruption.
“It is necessary for now, Lady de Nerra,” he said.
“No one means to harm him, I swear it. And I will protect him with my life if that is the case. You have my word.”
Margaretha was mildly comforted by his declaration but not entirely.
Her focus moved to d’Vant. “Dacian, I am displeased,” she said in a tone that all men feared.
“You have shared my table many times. I know your mother. Why have you come to arrest my son? He is innocent of the murder of Canterbury. If no one has told you that, then I will.”
Dacian would rather face all the armies in France than the formidable Lady de Nerra. “I have been told, my lady,” he said. “And I am under orders from Henry. I must return Val to him so that Henry, too, may know of his innocence.”
Margaretha glanced up at the sky, now considerably brighter with the sun just peeking over the horizon. “Then let us waste no more time,” she said. “Lead on, Dacian. We will follow.”
“Wait,” Val said, his tone bordering on frustrated. He looked at Dacian. “Please, move the army out. I will join you shortly. It seems that my womenfolk are bordering on rebellion and if I do not stop it, they will threaten everyone.”
Dacian was glad it wasn’t him having to do the duty, especially not against Lady de Nerra. Quickly, he reined his horse around and motioned to the men. “Gladly,” he told Val. “You will hurry, please.”
Val didn’t respond; his gaze was on Vesper and his mother. Margaretha was looking at him quite stubbornly while Vesper was looking at Margaretha, seemingly surprised by her appearance. Val was coming to think that Vesper didn’t know of Margaretha’s plans simply by the expression on her face.
But no matter; he had to end this before it got out of hand. As Tevin, Calum, and finally Kenan were the last men to follow Dacian and the soldiers several feet down the road to wait, Val endeavored to convince his mother and Vesper to return to Selborne.
It wasn’t going to be easy.
“Ladies,” Val said, trying to be very understanding and patient with them because he knew that anything else wouldn’t work.
“I admire your bravery more than I can say. I am deeply touched that you are trying to protect me. But I do not require your assistance at this time. I would appreciate it if you would please return to Selborne. That is my wish.”
Margaretha, who was unimpressed by his words, turned to Vesper.
“Coming from a man with shackles on his wrists, I take no stock in his assurance,” she said.
“Shall we go, my lady? If you will ride on his other side, we shall make an excellent escort, you and I. No one will dare cross us to get to him.”
Vesper nodded eagerly, reining her horse to Val’s other side.
When he looked at her, baffled, she slapped the butt of his war horse and the animal bolted forward.
“Your mother and I intend to escort you and there is nothing you can do about it so you may as well accept it,” she said as she trotted alongside him.
“I am not trying to be disrespectful, Val, but surely you cannot expect us to simply wait for you and pray that Henry forgives you. It would drive me mad to wait and I am sure it would not do your mother any good, either. Do you not understand that we do not want anything to happen to you?”
Val was reining his horse back, slowing it down as Vesper’s slap on the rump had jolted it.
“And do you not understand what a fool I will look like with two women as my escort?” he shot back softly.
Seeing her face fall, he hastened to apologize.
“I am sorry, sweet, I do not mean to be cruel, but you are not helping me. You are making me the laughing stock.”
His words cut her but she would not surrender. “Better a laughing stock than the admired dead,” she said, wounded. “As long as your mother and I ride with you, those men will not dare harm you.”