Chapter Sixteen #2
He lifted hands, kissing them. “Because I do not trust what your father will do at this point,” he said.
“He already surprised us with a betrothal to Alex and I do not want to return from my discussion with him to find out you have been stolen off to Lioncross Abbey. Technically, you belong to the House of de Lohr now and I do not want to find that they have taken you away. Therefore, go to your chamber, lock yourself in, and do not open it for anyone but me. Is that clear?”
She nodded seriously. “Not even Alexander?”
“Especially not him.”
Kathalin nodded in understanding, feeling incredibly devastated and disoriented by the situation.
“Very well,” she said, depressed and struggling not to tear up.
“Then I will go and await word from you. Do you really think you can convince my father to change his mind, Gates? You said once before that he might not consider it given your reputation, but now that he has approached de Lohr with a marriage contract…?”
She trailed off and Gates endeavored not to let his doubt show. Confidence! He told himself. He had to appear confident, if only for Kathalin’s sake.
“Your father is rash at times but he is not daft,” he said. “He will listen to reason.”
“And if he does not, we will leave together and ride north, won’t we?” she insisted, seeking an affirmative answer. “Ultimately, it does not matter what my father says. We will still run away and be married.”
Gates heard his words reflected in her statement and, as she said them, he suddenly felt sick in the pit of his stomach.
He had made that declaration assuming she would not be betrothed to anyone and most definitely not to Alexander.
But the situation had changed, decidedly; were he to run off with the legal bride of Alexander de Lohr, the consequences could be devastating for them all.
First and foremost, Alexander would be shamed.
It would be slander against him for another man, and especially a friend, to abscond with his bride whether or not Alexander wanted to marry the woman.
The fact remained that she belonged to him.
The House of de Lohr as well as the House of de Lara would have every reason to come after them, to wage war on the House of de Wolfe, and they’d have every right to take back what belonged to them.
Gates could end up in the vault at Lioncross, or worse, and Kathalin would be returned to the House of de Lara in shame.
The House of de Lohr would not want her after that, assuming she was compromised.
She would be returned to her father and there was no telling what Jasper would do with her after all of that.
A quick marriage could avoid some of that because not even the church would intervene to dissolve a marriage, but that would not prevent the House of de Lohr and the House of de Lara from forever being at odds with the House of de Wolfe.
De Wolfe and de Lohr had been allies for over one hundred and sixty years, very close allies in fact.
If Gates were to run off with a de Lohr bride, all of that would be ruined.
Ruined….
Gates’ mind was swimming with the consequences of his actions.
Would he shame a man who would willingly sacrifice a good deal for him simply to marry the woman that he loved?
Would he destroy one hundred and sixty years of allegiance over a marriage?
Torn, and increasingly distressed over the situation, he pulled Kathalin to her feet.
“I intend to make sure that we do not have to take drastic action if your father denies us,” he said, evading her question because he really didn’t have an answer.
“For now, please do as I say. Return to your chamber and remain there until I return for you. In fact, I will walk you to the keep and watch you go inside. Come along, now.”
Kathalin stood up as he gently pulled on her. “Will you speak with him now?”
“I will.”
“And if he denies you?”
“I will not surrender, not in the least.”
Kathalin didn’t press him after that. He seemed resolute but he also seemed lost to his own thoughts.
She held on to him tightly as they made their way through the dead garden, ignoring the chill breeze and the dark clouds that were now starting to gather overhead.
The sun was disappearing behind the clouds as if to signify that all was not sunny or well in their world.
Now, the situation had markedly changed and there was a massive problem to overcome. Depression, and heartache, lingered between them even though Gates struggled to fight it off. He had a battle to fight, more powerful than any battle he had ever waged, and he was determined to come out the victor.
The stakes were high in this battle, much more than he’d ever faced. There was a prize to be had here, a prize held close to his heart, and he labored not to let his emotions get the better of him. Emotions, in battle, could be deadly, and this was a battle he fully intended to win.
God help him, there was no alternative.
“What on earth is the matter with you, Alex?” Jasper demanded as Alex practically manhandled him across the bailey towards the gatehouse. “What is so important that I must see Gates?”
Alexander was trying not to divulge too much about the purpose of the meeting with Gates.
After he and Gates has gone their separate ways, Gates to the garden to find Kathalin and Alexander to the great hall to find Jasper, Alexander hadn’t particularly wanted to see his parents again, or explain why he had not brought Kathalin with him, so he waited outside of the hall hoping that Jasper would, at some point, emerge.
He stood there long enough to see Gates and Kathalin leave the garden, but still, no Jasper.
He considered sending a soldier inside to bring the man to him.
As Alexander contemplated how to lure Jasper out of the great hall, he watched Kathalin head into the keep while Gates had headed for the gatehouse.
Once Alexander saw Gates enter the gatehouse, he knew that time was growing short and he was seriously considering summoning a soldier to extract Jasper from the great hall.
Fortunately, he didn’t have to follow through on that plan because Jasper abruptly quit the great hall nearly the moment Gates disappeared into the gatehouse.
He was alone, without Henry or Elreda, so Alexander immediately pounced and told him that Gates had an urgent need to speak with him.
Jasper had been somewhat reluctant, at first, to divert from his own plans because he was on his way to see Rosamund and tell her of the betrothal, but Alexander pleaded urgency in the case of Gates, who had something very important to speak with his liege about.
Given that Gates was his commander, and wouldn’t send Alexander with a message of importance if, in fact, it was not critical, Jasper switched direction and headed towards the gatehouse where the knights both slept and conducted business.
It wasn’t until he was near the gatehouse that he realized Alexander was holding on to him, leading him.
He tried to yank his arm out of Alexander’s grip with no success.
“Let go of me,” he demanded. “Answer my question – what does Gates wish to discuss?”
Alexander didn’t want to divulge anything, not until they were in Gates’ chamber and Gates himself broached the subject, so he simply shook his head.
“I am unsure of what, exactly, Gates intends to discuss first,” he said, a lie.
However, he was more concerned with maintaining his grip on his squirrely liege at the moment, fearful that the man would get away.
“But he sent me to find you with the utmost haste.”
Jasper grunted in frustration, giving his arm one last yank and pulling free of Alexander’s grasp just as they reached the gatehouse. The structure had two staircases, one on either side of the entry area, and Jasper headed up the narrow spiral stairs on the north side of the gatehouse.
Passing through the skinny stairwell, he entered the second floor of the gatehouse, which was the portcullis room.
There was a slit in the floor where the portcullis lifted to admit those passing through the gatehouse entry below.
There were four chambers on this level on either side of the portcullis room and Gates occupied one of them.
The door to Gates’ chamber was open when Jasper and Alexander appeared.
Gates was standing near the thin lancet window that overlooked the main entry into Hyssington.
There was a hearth that had just been kindled, kicking out bursts of smoke into the room as the flame caught on.
Gates was in the process of removing his heavy woolen outer tunic when Alexander and Jasper entered.
“Gates!” Jasper boomed. “What is so important that you would have Alexander drag me across the bailey in his haste to bring me to you? Well?”
Gates pulled the tunic over his head. “Did Alex tell you anything at all?”
Alexander answered for Jasper. “I have not,” he said. “I thought it would be best coming from you.”
Jasper frowned at his knights. “What would be best?” he said, looking between the two. “Why are you two being so secretive?”
Gates tossed his tunic onto the bed and indicated the only chair in his chamber, a stool with a back built onto it. It wasn’t comfortable in the least but it was enough to hold Jasper’s weight.
“Sit, my lord,” he said. “There is something of great import we must speak of. Please be comfortable.”
Jasper was still frowning in exasperation. He put his beefy hands on his hips. “I will not sit,” he said. “I have my own business to attend to, Gates, and have no time for foolishness. What is this all about?”
Gates didn’t like that, already, Jasper was impatient. It didn’t bode well for the conversation in general. “This may take more than a few minutes, my lord,” he said. “Please sit for a moment so we may discuss the subject comfortably.”