Chapter 17
C astle Blackwood.
It rose before them, every bit as foreboding and magnificent as Darien had described. Given to the Guardians of the Sacred Oak—the secret knightly order whose recruits made it their mission to overthrow King Stephen and install the rightful ruler of England, Empress Matilda, to the throne—it was now home to an assortment of the greatest knights in the kingdom.
She’d heard of Darien’s friends and their wives, of the instructors that helped the recruits hone their skills and learn new ones unique to the task of fighting in the shadows, but now that they’d arrived, Liana wished she could turn around and retreat home.
They did not know she was coming. Would Liana be welcomed here? What would the other women think of her? Traveling alone with Darien had compromised her, and though it was not high on Liana’s list of worries, she also did not welcome the embarrassment that would come with judgments about their arrangement.
“They will adore you.”
As they rode into the gatehouse, the guards waving Darien past, she could not help but look at him differently today. After last eve and the first kiss they shared, which had not been their last, as Darien predicted, she’d woken up in his arms. They had not spoken since, about their kisses or her vision, but would need to.
How is it possible?
She’d had the thought so many times that day, but still Liana had not come to a conclusion. The feeling she’d had when Darien touched her Seer’s mark, taken with the runes she’d read in Serena’s cottage and the tapestry’s symbology...
“Are you still worried?”
She’d confessed that to him earlier, but Liana had not been thinking of her reception just then. Instead of admitting where her thoughts lay, she said, “Aye,” just as they arrived in the courtyard. It was dark and had been for some time. It wasn’t until they’d taken their horses to the stable, Darien now carrying both of their saddlebags, that she noticed the men coming toward them.
They strode through the nearly empty courtyard with purpose, one larger than the next. There were three of them, which meant...“Your friends?”
“Aye.” Darien smiled at them so warmly that Liana was certain it was an expression she’d never become accustomed to. And also wished to be the recipient of.
Hands clapping backs, hugs and greetings made it difficult for Liana to decipher faces. She assumed the man with tree trunks for arms was Alden, former blacksmith and now a knight. Sure enough, it was he who addressed her first.
“You most assuredly did not leave here with a companion,” he said affably to Darien while looking at her.
Liana liked him immediately.
“Liana, this is Alden.” He nodded to the dark-haired man whose devilish grin marked him as the Earl of deVere’s son. “And Roland.”
As she expected. So the one with a kind smile, then, was...
“And this is Gareth.”
Liana realized he used their given names. The men obviously did as well, their expressions intently curious, as one would expect given such an introduction.
“I would like you to meet Liana. She has traveled with me from Crimson Hollow.”
That did not satisfy their curiosity. Given that Castle Blackwood was forbidden visitors, Liana understood the men’s uncertainty.
“I’m pleased to make your acquaintance,” she said.
“I will explain,” Darien said. “But not here.”
They’d already discussed the plan for her arrival. Darien would tell his friends everything. They and their wives, he assured Liana, could be trusted, along with one of the instructors, Sir Eamon Thorne.
“Welcome to Castle Blackwood,” Roland said to her. “Luckily, the evening meal is over,” he added, addressing Darien. “Or you’d make quite a spectacle waltzing into the keep with your new companion.”
“How did you know we’d arrived?” she asked.
“There are few secrets here.” Gareth, unlike Roland or Darien, did not smile readily. Despite it, she sensed a warmth in him. The new horsemanship instructor, Gareth had come to Castle Blackwood as a recruit but had taken the place of their fallen instructor, Sir Adrian Fitzwilliam. He was renowned even to those in the remote Isle of Ely. All had heard of his feats as a tourney knight, and the recruits here were lucky to have learned from such a skilled rider.
“Are there not?” Alden asked as they walked toward the keep.
“Perhaps a few,” Gareth admitted. Likely they spoke of Gareth’s wife, Lady Evelina, whose father was one of the Guardians’ financiers. Except, according to Darien, the baron was not her actual father. That honor went to Sir Eamon, though few knew the truth of the matter, even now that Gareth and Evelina were married.
Theirs was not the only forbidden union that had come about since the men were recruited here. Alden was now wed to the Strategies instructor, a tricky situation for certain. Less shockingly, Roland was wed to Lady Evelina’s former maid, a woman Liana was most anxious to speak with. Apparently, Amalia was a healer who even owned her own herb shop in the village.
When Darien had first told her the story, Liana’s mind had wandered as she considered their own situation. If an earl’s son, Sir Roland, could wed a healer and former maid...but nay, their situation was quite different. Perhaps if Liana was simply a healer, the difference in their stations would not matter. But she was not. In the eyes of the people of Ely, Liana and her mother were dangerous women already, “witches” if rumor was true.
The men’s chatter died as they stepped into the keep and were greeted by an older gentleman who looked to be a servant of some sort.
“Pembroke,” Darien said. “I would like you to meet my guest, Mistress Aeliana Fletcher. Pembroke,” he said to her, “is the steward at Castle Blackwood.”
“Pleased to meet you,” the man said, his tone formal. Before she could respond, the steward said to Darien, “We do not have guests at Blackwood, Sir Darien.”
“I am aware. If you would fetch Sir Eamon, we will be in...” He looked at the men.
“My private quarters,” Gareth finished. “Please send a tray of food for two as well.”
Though not pleased with the order, Pembroke hurried off.
“Quickly.” Gareth led the way as their party of five followed. Liana, feeling as out of place as she’d expected, trailed behind the others. They walked through the dimly lit corridors of Castle Blackwood. Flickering torches cast long shadows across stone walls, the scent of damp stone and aged wood filling the air. As narrow passageways twisted and turned, Darien continued to look back, presumably ensuring she was still behind them.
Liana’s footsteps echoed softly, and though she stayed at the back, she could feel the weight of the castle’s history, and its role in England’s future, pressing down on her with each step.
They were let into Gareth’s chamber, one even larger than at Stanford Manor. A large wooden table dominated the room, covered with maps, scrolls, and a few well-worn books, evidence of his duties as an instructor. A door opened opposite where they’d entered, and a woman appeared, likely from the adjoining bedchamber.
Lady Evelina.
She was as lovely, and regal, as Darien had described. The woman’s gaze rested firmly on Liana. As the door closed behind them, and Darien introduced her, Lady Evelina appeared as confused as the others. They sat around the table, Liana beside Darien, but before they could begin, the door opened once again to an extremely intimidating-looking man.
“I would expect no less,” the newcomer said to Darien, and then looked to Liana. “You must be his guest.”
It was hard to discern beneath his beard, but it seemed to Liana the man smiled slightly as he sat.
“Mistress Aeliana Fletcher,” Darien said. “This is Sir Eamon Thorne.”
“A pleasure,” she said.
The instructor nodded. “Your food is being prepared. Now.” He clasped his hands together, sat back and winked to Lady Evelina, his daughter. “Darien? Explain.”
Darien looked at her.
She wanted to nod. To give him permission, one he had already, to share her story. Instead, Liana froze. So few people knew of her true nature, and even though Darien trusted those around this table, she knew them not. Her ancestors had been persecuted. Even without the knowledge of her skills, some of the villagers in Crimson Hollow avoided Liana. Looked at her, and her mother, as if they had done something very wrong when, in truth, it was their solemn vow and life’s purpose to do the opposite.
Darien looked into her eyes. She willed her cheeks not to sting with the threat of tears.
He trusts them, so I must as well.
Despite all they’d been through to reach Castle Blackwood, Liana was most scared at this moment. They could not take the words back.
Darien leaned forward and whispered, for her alone to hear. “They will accept you. I know ’tis scary, but we are not our parents. Let us forge our own path.”
He had said as much earlier in the day when Liana and Darien discussed the matter, conveniently avoiding all talk of their kisses and of Liana’s visions. She trusted him.
Liana nodded.
“My father, as you know, called me home. The reason was...” He cleared his throat. It was difficult to detect, Darien as confident sounding as ever, but he was as apprehensive as Liana about revealing this information. “Liana comes from a long line of seers who have been advising the earls of Ellsworth for centuries.”
He let that information penetrate.
Surprisingly, none seemed appalled at Darien’s revelation, simply curious.
“Few know of this. Liana and her mother have reputations in Ely as healers. It is the reason we have often been on the right side of history. Why Ely has avoided conflict and?—”
“The reason for the mystery that has surrounded you,” Alden said.
“Me. My father. My grandfather before him.”
“I often heard whispers back home,” Roland said. “Which spoke of moonlit meetings with mysterious figures and arcane rituals, some saying the Earl of Ely possessed an ancient grimoire, a book of forbidden knowledge, hidden within the walls of Ely Castle. I believe I mentioned this to you once.”
Darien actually laughed. “You did. Though I don’t know of a grimoire?—”
Liana cleared her throat.
Darien paused. “Is there a grimoire?”
“Of sorts. My great-grandmother once brought a book of runes to the market with her, though the reason has been lost. It was spotted and rumor spread, a cautionary tale my mother often reminds me of, that the smallest mistake could have wide-wrought repercussions.”
“I do not understand,” Evelina said. “Why did your father call you home?”
“Liana’s mother had a vision.”
“We read runes,” she said, to clarify. “But we also have senses, sometimes dreams, about the world around us. Ones the runes illuminate or can often clarify.”
“Incredible.” Gareth sat back, crossing his arms. “I always wondered if a seer’s ability was a thing of fable or reality.”
“It is very real,” Darien said. “I could give you many instances throughout my own life when Liana’s mother’s visions proved accurate.”
“Why the secrecy?” Alden asked.
“Even without revealing the truth,” Liana said, “both my mother and I, and our ancestors before us, were labeled as witches.”
She could tell from their expressions there was no question why that might be dangerous. “It has always been so,” Liana continued, her voice quiet but steady. “The knowledge we possess, though it is a gift, has often been feared more than respected. People are quick to label what they do not understand.”
Gareth leaned forward slightly, uncrossing his arms. “And fear can lead to dangerous accusations.”
“Precisely. Our abilities are seen as unnatural, and that is enough for many to turn against us.”
Sir Eamon frowned, glancing at Darien. “And your family has protected them for generations?”
“We have. My father and his before him. Their visions have been invaluable to our survival, but we’ve kept the truth hidden, for their sake as much as ours. Fear and superstition can be far more dangerous than any enemy.”
“We have lived in the shadows,” Liana added softly, “just as our knowledge has.”
“Why do you tell us now?” Lady Evelina asked.
“Go ahead,” Darien offered as Liana gained confidence to share her story.
“My mother had a vision. The runes indicated that Queen Matilda’s cause would not be fruitful. That she would never become queen.”
As expected, that revelation garnered a strong reaction from each person in the chamber. She hurried to finish.
“I do not advise the earl and consider myself an apprentice still. But when I saw something else, not a clear vision, but the possibility of a different interpretation than my mother’s, I told Darien.”
“And so I asked Liana to come back with me. With luck, her vision becomes more clear.”
Liana added, “I had a dream, on the journey here, but the runes are still elusive in this matter. Thus far, I can predict nothing to further guide you, unfortunately.”
“But you still may?” Gareth asked.
“Aye. But there is no pattern to it. Even if I were to read the runes each and every day, I may not receive more visions.”
One by one, each of them asked questions. How accurate were the visions? Were the runes ever wrong? Liana answered each one until Darien stopped them.
“It has been a long day. A long journey here. If we could find quarters for Liana?”
“Of course.” Sir Eamon stood. “I will find Pembroke and inquire about your meal.”
Promising to find their food and have the steward prepare Liana a bedchamber, one by one, the men left until Gareth and Evelina were the only two remaining.
“If you would prefer to dine alone—” Lady Evelina began.
“Will you stay, Lady Evelina?” Liana asked. “I would know more about navigating Castle Blackwood. Darien mentioned most of its inhabitants are men...”
“Evelina,” she said, offering Liana use of her given name. “I am more than glad to help you navigate this dusty old place.”
She was every bit as kind as Darien had said. By the time they’d eaten, Gareth filling Darien in on all he’d missed, it felt as if Liana had a friend in Evelina, which she would need in the coming days.