Masters of Medieval Romance: Series Starters Volume II

by Kathryn Le Veque

  “What more?” Vesper asked, worried again as her gaze moving between Val and his mother. “What do they want?”

  “To arrest him,” Margaretha answered for her son. “That would be the only purpose of sending an army here. If Val refuses to surrender himself, then they will lay siege. Val thinks that I do not know this, but I do. They want my son and they want him badly.”

  Vesper looked at Val with increasing horror. “Is that true?” she asked. “Are they here to arrest you?”

  Val cast his mother a long look, exasperated that she should be so blunt about the situation. “I am not certain,” he stressed to them both. “But I must go to them. Mother, will you please entertain Lady Vesper until I return? She will be your daughter soon so I would like for you to get to know her.”

  Margaretha looked at Vesper again, who was looking up at Val with an expression that suggested she was verging on tears. Perhaps Margaretha wasn’t thrilled with the swiftness of the marriage but, ultimately, she had to trust her son. If he thought the lady was worth his affections, then Margaretha would give him that benefit. Already, she liked the woman. Moreover, if she was to lose her son, then Vesper would be her last connection to him.

  God, please do not let this be the last time I see my son….

  “She will be my guest,” Margaretha finally said. “I look forward to her company.”

  Val knew it was hard for his mother to say that. She wasn’t happy with any part of the situation so he appreciated the fact that she didn’t try to argue with him about it. When the situation was serious, as it was now, Margaretha knew how to behave. She didn’t push. She simply accepted.

  “Thank you,” he said to his mother. “Now, I must go down to the bailey. Lord du Reims is waiting for me so we may ride out to meet the incoming army. Know that I will send word when I can, but I imagine I will be at Henry’s mercy for the foreseeable future. You must not worry about that.”

  It was a futile statement considering both women were already worried. “You are Henry’s cousin,” Margaretha reminded him. “Do not let him forget that. He must treat you more fairly than most.”

  “I will not let him forget, Mother.”

  Margaretha had nothing more to say to him. Everything was in the hands of Fate now and there was nothing left to do but for Val to face what was coming. Lifting her hand, she put her warm palm on his cheek.

  “Then God be with you, Valor,” she said. “I shall pray for you.”

  Val smiled at his mother, bending down to kiss her cheek. He looked at Vesper and hesitated a moment before bending down to kiss her cheek, too. Perhaps, he shouldn’t have done it in front of his mother, but that couldn’t be helped. He wanted to make this a parting well-made, and that included a proper farewell to the woman he was in love with. He made his way to the stairs, leaving the stricken women behind him. He took the first step and then paused.

  “Mother,” he said, not looking at her. “I love Vesper. You will treat her as you would treat me. That would make me happy.”

  Vesper’s eyes widened and she dared to look at Margaretha, who was looking at her son. “If you love her, then I shall, too,” she said. “Go, now. Do not keep Henry waiting.”

  Val continued down the stairs without another word, leaving Vesper and Margaretha standing in tense silence. Margaretha finally turned to Vesper, who was looking at the dark stairwell where Val had disappeared. She could see the utter devastation in the young woman’s features, the fear for the man she loved heading off into an uncertain future. Margaretha understood her fears very well, for she had them many a time when Gavin would head off to battle.

  “Would you join me for the morning meal, my lady?” she asked. “If we are to know one another, we may as well start now.”

  Vesper knew she should accept. She should be gracious and polite and impress Val’s mother. But she couldn’t seem to manage it.

  “Nay,” she said after a moment, looking at Margaretha. “Forgive me, my lady, but I… I am going to Winchester with Val. I cannot let him go alone.”

  With that, she abruptly turned into her chamber and rushed to her satchel, hauling it up onto the bed as she began yanking clothing out of it. Margaretha, surprised by her declaration, followed her into her chamber but stopped just inside the doorway.

  “My lady, that may not be wise,” she said, struggling not to show her anxiety. “Valor would have asked if he had wanted your company.”

  Vesper didn’t look at the woman as she yanked off the robe she was wearing to reveal a soft shift beneath. “He is trying to protect us,” she said. “Of course he would not ask for our company. But I do not need to be protected. I have been alone my entire life, Lady de Nerra. I have spent eight years at Eynsford, living what Val called a polite existence. That is true. But that does not mean I am complacent. If the situation were reversed, Val would not let me go alone. He would not let you go alone. He would go with us and fight for us, and that is precisely what I mean to do. I have never in my life known anyone worth fighting for, but I do now. Val will not go this alone, I swear it. If anyone tries to separate us, I will kill them.”

  Margaretha watched as Vesper pulled a dark blue woolen gown over her head, struggling to fasten the stays as she pulled a pair of shoes out from beneath the bed. The woman was working furiously, trying to prepare herself to go after Val. Margaretha couldn’t decide if it was a foolish venture or a brave one.

  “But what can you do?” Margaretha asked, trying to be logical even though there was a large part of her that wanted to go with Val, too. “As much as I would also like to attend him, I fear that I would only get in the way. Valor does not need the added complication of an emotional female. And I fear that insisting on going with him might make him feel emasculated, as if he cannot defend himself and need’s a woman’s help.”

  Vesper was trying to fasten her dress and pull a shoe on at the same time. “If that is true, then I must take that chance,” she said. “I cannot simply sit back and pray for the best. I must do all I can to ensure Val has someone to fight for him, to support him in his darkest hour. I cannot explain my feelings on the matter any better than this… I had no one until I met Val. I shall not let him go so easily. As he loves me, I love him, and I will fight for that love.”

  In spite of herself, a smile spread across Margaretha’s lips. She was coming to like this girl a great deal, a lass who would fight for her son so fervently. A lass who loved him, perhaps not as deeply as Margaretha did, but that would come in time. But they needed to have that time. She walked up behind Vesper and pushed her hands away so she could finish fastening the dress.

  “I have a dagger you can bring with you,” she told Vesper. “Keep it on you but do not let anyone know you have it. That will be your secret in case it is needed. Do you have gloves and a cloak?”

  Vesper pulled on her other boot as Margaretha finished her stays, pleased that the woman was helping her and not trying to stop her. Not that she had any doubts, to be truthful. Margaretha struck her as fierce that way. “I have a cloak but no gloves,” she said.

  “I have some you may borrow. It is cold outside. Wait and I shall return.”

  Margaretha darted from the chamber as Vesper quickly found her comb. Running it through her dark tresses, she braided her hair, tying off the end with a ribbon she had in her satchel. She was just swinging her cloak over her shoulders when Margaretha rushed back into the chamber and handed her an exquisite dagger with a bejeweled hilt, tucked into a small leather sheath. When Vesper took it from her, she looked at the woman, seeing an ally in this battle she was about to face.

  “Thank you,” she murmured sincerely. “I will not let Val out of my sight, I promise. I will fight for him until the death if I need to.”

  Margaretha hadn’t really allowed herself to feel the fear of her son’s situation until she realized how far Vesper was willing to go in order to protect him. She fought the tears that were trying to resurface.

  “He is very fortunate to
have someone like you, Vesper,” she whispered tightly. Reaching out, she put her hands on the woman’s shoulders and kissed her on the forehead. “If I were any younger, I would go with you, but I fear I will only be a burden. Go with my blessing and fight for my boy. You have my undying admiration for doing so.”

  Vesper looked into the face of the woman she had only known to be a grim shrew. But now, in this moment, she simply saw a mother who was terrified for her son. On some level, she felt bonded with the woman over their mutual love of Val. She forced a smile.

  “I will do my best, I promise,” she said.

  Margaretha simply nodded her head, standing aside as Vesper rushed from the chamber. She could hear the woman moving swiftly down the stairs but, after that, the sounds faded and there was nothing but that terrible silence. It would kill her, she knew it. She couldn’t simply stand idly by while Val was in such danger. Even if she was old, as she’d told Vesper, it didn’t mean she shouldn’t do the same thing the young woman was doing.

  To fight.

  Henry was about to have a battle on his hands.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  “I thought I asked for at least a day, Dacian,” Tevin said sternly. “Why are you here? And why have you brought so many men with you?”

  Less than a quarter of a mile from the front gates of Selborne, Tevin had met up with the incoming army from Winchester with d’Vant leading the contingent. But they’d come to a halt, with du Reims blocking their path, and Dacian pulled off his helm, propping the thing on his saddle as he faced the immovable force of the Earl of East Anglia. He ran his fingers through his blonde hair in a weary gesture.

  “I had no choice,” he said, reining his horse closer to Tevin and lowering his voice so the soldiers behind him wouldn’t hear. “Over the past day, the news of Canterbury’s death and of Val’s involvement has spread like wild fire. Henry wants answers and he would not be put off, even when he knew you’d come to Selborne. He wants Val at Winchester to answer for what has happened.”

  Tevin sighed heavily. “Val did not do it,” he said. “Do you recall how we were wondering what had happened to de Morville and FitzUrse and le Breton and de Tracy? I discovered that when Henry went hunting after Christmas, they delivered a forged message from Henry to Val demanding the arrest of Canterbury. Since Val had no reason not to trust them, he followed them to Canterbury where those four knights proceeded to murder the archbishop before Val could stop them. Now they are trying to push the blame on to Val when he is the one who has been wronged.”

  D’Vant looked at him in shock. “Are you certain of this?”

  “Val has the forged missive with him. Those four have deflected the blame on to the man in a most atrocious way. Have they returned to Winchester?”

  D’Vant shook his head. “Nay, they have not.”

  “Then they are on the run. They know that Val will prove his innocence to Henry and name the real assassins.”

  D’Vant’s mouth popped open in astonishment as he digested the information. “My God,” he finally hissed. “Those four have always been zealots for Henry, always trying to gain his favor, but I never imagined they would do anything like this.”

  “Nor did I.”

  “But why pull Val into it?”

  “When you read the missive, you shall see. As Henry’s law in Hampshire, he was ordered to arrest Canterbury and bring him to face Henry at Winchester Castle. There is nothing unusual about that request other than it was fabricated. Val went to arrest Canterbury but those four killed the man before he could.”

  D’Vant was beside himself. “Henry must know of this,” he muttered. “Other than the missive, has Val any additional proof? Witnesses, mayhap?”

  Tevin lifted his eyebrows. “Eleven men who witnessed the murder plus Hugh’s brother, Calum, who spoke to Hugh when Hugh delivered the missive. I have never seen a less ambiguous case, Dacian. Val is innocent.”

  D’Vant believed him implicitly. “I must still take him to Winchester, now, to tell Henry the truth,” he said. “It is imperative that Henry know.”

  Tevin nodded. “I know,” he said. “Val will be here shortly with his witnesses. He is completely willing to go to Henry and tell him everything.”

  “What a quagmire this is.”

  “That is an understatement.”

  D’Vant abruptly caught sight of something over by the gatehouse of Selborne and Tevin turned to see men spilling forth on horseback, including Val, Kenan, and Calum. There were several soldiers with them but Val was in the lead, charging towards Tevin and Dacian. The sound of thundering hooves made some of the other horses nervous, made worse when Val finally pulled his horse to a halt and sprayed mud and rocks all over the legs of the other horses. Unhappy animals and frustrated men shuffled about, vying for control.

  “Dacian,” Val greeted the man evenly. “This must be serious if Henry has sent his Captain of the Guard. I would presume you have come for me?”

  Dacian was trying to soothe his excited horse. “You presumed correctly,” he said, trying to ascertain Val’s state of mind – was he angry? Relieved? Fearful? “Lord du Reims just told me what happened with de Morville and the others. Do you have the forged missive with you? Henry will want to see it.”

  Val nodded, reaching over to hand Tevin his possessions. “I have it,” he said. “Did he tell you everything?”

  “I did,” Tevin said as he settled his bags on the back of his horse. “He knows that de Morville delivered it to you. He knows that it was de Morville who killed Canterbury.”

  Val nodded, looking to d’Vant and seeing the man’s bewilderment. “The missive was delivered by men who had delivered such missives to me before, Dacian,” he said simply. “There was no reason not to trust them.”

  Dacian could see what a terrible misunderstanding this had been, a betrayal of Val and of his reputation. “There was no reason you should have,” he said, disgusted. “That they used your trust to betray you… I am having a difficult time accepting that. These were men in my command for many years.”

  “And they were my friends for many years,” Val said with a hint of regret. “But what they did… even if I am declared innocent by Henry, still, rumors are flying that I murdered Canterbury. It will take years to clear my reputation.”

  That was a very true statement and d’Vant felt deeply for him. He shook his head sadly. “I am sorry, Val,” he said, his gaze moving to Calum, who was slightly behind Val. His ire rose. “Your brother did this. What do you have to say for him?”

  Calum knew the anger wasn’t directed at him, personally, but he still took it that way. His brother had made him look like a fool. “Nothing,” he said flatly. “He sat with me in Val’s solar and looked me in the eye when he told me his lies and handed me the missive that ultimately sent Val to Canterbury. Never, at any time, did I see any hint of mistruth as he spoke. I am as disgusted and astonished by his behavior as anyone else.”

  D’Vant didn’t say anything more; this was not the place and now was not the time. They were not going to air all of this now because Henry was waiting for Val and the truth of the matter. D’Vant turned to Val.

  “I have come to arrest you,” he said. “You know this.”

  Val nodded. “I do.”

  “But after what I have been told, I do not feel right doing so. You are an innocent man, Val. I will not treat you like a criminal.”

  Val looked at the army behind d’Vant, at least a hundred men, who were all looking at him as if he was someone of suspect. He nodded his head in the direction of the army.

  “Your men may feel otherwise,” he said quietly. “Until Henry has declared me innocent, in their eyes, I am still a suspect. You had better restrain me until we reach Winchester or it may go badly for you.”

  “But….”

  “Carry out Henry’s orders, Dacian. You are to arrest me. Do it.”

  Dacian sighed heavily and looked to Tevin, who nodded reluctantly. He understood what Val had said, that
it was better to fulfill Henry’s orders for the moment. With great sorrow, Dacian then turned to the men beside him, who had heard everything. They, too, believed in Val’s innocence, but Val had a point – the rest of the army didn’t. They could certainly spread the word but until Henry absolved Val, there would still be those who would consider him a murderer. It was safer for Val if he was, indeed, treated like a criminal, at least until they reached Winchester. Therefore, the man next to Dacian reluctantly handed over a pair of shackles for Val’s wrists.

  Val saw the restraints and held his big arms out, extending them for Dacian. Begrudgingly, Dacian put the shackles on – they were two horseshoe-shaped iron bars for each wrist with a bigger bar that went through the loop ends of them, secured on one end with a big iron lock so the bar couldn’t be pulled through. Everything was proceeding peacefully until another horse emerged from the gatehouse of Selborne, thundering down the road towards them.

  Val and the others turned to see Vesper charging into their midst, kicking aside the men and horses that didn’t move out of her way fast enough. She was smacking rumps of the horses that didn’t move and slapping aside at least two men who tried to grab her. One man got too close to her and she clawed a hand, scratching his face.

  Shocked, Val could hardly believe his eyes. He had no idea why Vesper was here, scratching and kicking men, but he soon found out. She planted herself between him and Dacian, pulling a dagger on Henry’s knight. As Dacian’s eyes widened with surprise, Vesper leveled the weapon most menacingly.

  “Get away from him,” she hissed. “If you touch him, I will kill you!”

  Val was astonished. “Vesper,” he said, reaching out and trying to pull her back. “Sweetheart, what are you doing? Where did you get the dagger?”