Chapter Seventeen #3
Davyss didn’t flinch at the mention of the rumor that had long been about, a rumor that he had known, from his mother’s own lips, to be truth.
But he would not confirm or deny such a thing.
It was, in fact, of little matter. Perhaps he was of de Montfort’s loins but he was a de Winter by name, and that gave him all of the power behind it.
Before he could answer the king, Curtis spoke quietly.
“I was hoping it would not come to this, Your Grace, but it seems as if it has,” he said.
“In your hatred and determination to eliminate the House of de Shera, you are, in fact, attacking a family that is kin to the House of de Lohr. I cannot and will not let you raze Isenhall and destroy the Lords of Thunder, not while there is breath left in my body. Therefore, know this; if you choose to follow this path, to destroy the House of de Shera because you feel they are a threat to you, in doing so you are forcing me to take sides. Since I will not see you destroy my nephews, you should know that I intend to stand with them. I will defend them to the death, as will my cousin, Daniel. Canterbury will also join the fight. Is this in any way unclear, Your Grace? Do you understand the path you are choosing and the warlords you will turn against you?”
Henry still had a grip on Alessandria, his face turning red with rage. “Then you would betray me also?” he said through clenched teeth. “The House of de Lohr has always stood with the crown. Will you throw that allegiance to the wind to protect rebels?”
Curtis shook his head faintly. “Nay,” he said.
“But I would do it to protect family. That is the only thing that matters, Henry. Protecting one’s family from a threat and you are, indeed, a threat.
I am not sure what paranoia and hatred has brought you to this moment in time, but if we all band against you, you will not win.
You will be lucky to survive. I can raise such an army against you that you would be destroyed before you realized what had happened.
It is a very dangerous and very foolish stance you are taking against the House of de Shera.
I would strongly suggest you gather your men and leave and simply forget about them for now.
If you leave them in peace, then I will let you leave without any further action and my loyalty to you will remain intact.
But if you choose to be the aggressor, then know I will act in kind.
And I have a bigger army than you do. You will not walk away from this a free man, I promise you. ”
It was as deadly a threat as any of them had ever heard, coming from a man who, indeed, had the power to make it so.
Chad, Bose, Davyss, Hugh, Chris, William, and, finally, Curtis were ready to make good on that threat – that much was clear.
They were ready, willing, and able to meet Henry in a battle that would constitute one of the greatest battles in the annals of Henry’s rule.
Once-allies of the king were now facing off against him.
The moment of truth was at hand.
The air in the cathedral was as brittle as ice, ready to crack at any moment.
One move, by any of them, and the battle for their lives would begin.
Therefore, no one moved. It was a staring game, and a waiting game, waiting to see what Henry would do next.
It was all up to him now. Would he concede?
Would he fight?
“Please,” Alessandria’s soft voice filtered up through the tension. “Your Grace, you have me now. You do not need to fight them. You may use me for a hostage to ensure my cousins’ good behavior. I am prepared for a life of confinement.”
Henry looked at Alessandria as if suddenly remembering that he had hold of her.
It was clear that a thought was occurring to him, for his brow rippled, but it was a thought that none of them were prepared for.
Swiftly, Henry snatched a dagger from de Serreaux’s belt and immediately put it to Alessandria’s neck. He looked straight at Chad.
“Drop your sword or the woman you want to marry dies,” he said flatly. “All of you, drop your swords or she dies. Is that clear?”
It was a horrific turn of events, one that had the de Lohr allies uncertain and sickened. Certainly, they couldn’t let Henry kill the girl in cold blood but they couldn’t drop their weapons, either. But they weren’t in love with the girl.
Chad was.
His sword clattered to the floor.
“Please, Your Grace,” Chad pleaded. “Do not hurt her. I will stand with you if that is what you wish, but do not hurt her. I beg you.”
Curtis, seeing that his cousin was willingly conceding, put out a hand to try and stop him. “Chad, nay,” he hissed. Then, he looked at Henry. “Is that what you have become, Your Grace? A murderer of weak women? And this is the man I am expected to swear my fealty to? It is a disgusting prospect.”
It was a terrible insult to Henry, who only gripped the dagger tighter. Alessandria yelped when the tip poked her tender skin, sending a bright red stream of blood down her neck.
“I am your king,” Henry hissed. “You de Lohrs have sworn fealty to me in theory but the truth is that you have twisted that fealty to suit your whims over the years. You have all disobeyed me at one time or another, but I will not stand for that any longer. Worcester, if you believe standing against me is what you must do, then I say again that I am your king and for that reason alone, you will support my wishes at all times or I will strip you of everything. I will strip all of you of whatever lands or titles or possessions you have, and that includes de Winter and de Moray as well. Is defending the Lords of Thunder worth losing everything?”
Curtis cocked his head. “Ask yourself that same question,” he said. “Is your quest to destroy the Lords of Thunder worth losing your most powerful warlords? Because that is what will happen, Henry. You will be the loser in this far more than we will and you know it.”
He was correct. Henry knew it; they all knew it, but Henry’s sense of pride had him unable to concede the point.
His sense of vengeance seemed to reign above all else, even in this instance, and it was difficult for him to realize that what Curtis was saying was true.
But with his last wispy shreds of common sense, he began to understand the severity of what was about to happen.
He didn’t want to lose de Winter and de Lohr and de Moray; God help him, he didn’t.
Was having their loyalty worth more than seeing the House of de Shera destroyed?
The choice was his.
“I cannot have open rebellion against me,” Henry finally said. “If you were in my position, you would not have a threat against you, a threat to your rule, and that is what the House of de Shera represents. They are a threat to me and my rule. How can I simply ignore that?”
“If we promise not to participate in any action against you, will you leave us in peace?”
The booming voice was not Curtis’. It came from the doorway and, once again, everyone turned with surprise to see three big men standing in the entry. The day was beginning to dawn outside, shades of purple and blue illuminating the silhouettes of three unarmed knights.
Their appearance was unexpected. Perhaps it was even unwanted. But there was no turning them away, not now.
The Lords of Thunder had arrived.