Emelisse’s gaze moved over the room, seeing the familiar objects and familiar sights. The same old chair was in front of the hearth, and the same old cowhide rug that had been there for many years. But she looked further, into the shadows of the room, and she could see Caspian’s bed. It took her a moment to realize that she was looking at his feet as his body lay upon the straw mattress.
Quietly, she made her way over to the bed.
Emelisse wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, but what she saw wasn’t horrific. Her brother simply looked as if he were sleeping, a peaceful expression upon his ashen face and lips that were a strange shade of blue. The blond hair was the same, as was the neatly trimmed beard he kept. Everything was the same.
Except he was dead.
The tears returned with a vengeance.
“Oh… Caspian,” she murmured, reaching out to touch the stone-cold flesh. “I am so sorry it came to this. I am so sorry that I could not help you. But know that I am well and I intend to stay well. There is so much I want to tell you, so much to say, but it all seems so futile now. But trust me when I say that I will do what needs to be done. I promise I will. God bless you and keep you, my darling Cas.”
With that, she bent over and kissed him on his cold forehead, standing next to the bed and holding his stiff, cold fingers. There wasn’t anything more she could say to him, or anything more she wanted to. She simply wanted to be with him, to think about a future without her father or brother in a world that was very different from the one she’d always imagined.
Everything, and everyone, she knew was gone.
Behind her, Caius and the others stood in the doorway, watching the tragic scene before them. It would seem that Emelisse was the only member of the de Thorington family left, and there was great irony in that. She had been a prize, and she had also been a prisoner, which should have very well been a death sentence. The woman had no way to fight back, yet she was the last of her family to survive.
Weapons or no weapons, she had managed ably.
Emelisse remained by her brother’s side for quite some time, not speaking, but simply standing. Caius and the others continued to stand by silently until Caius finally herded everyone out into the dark landing and quietly shut the door, allowing Emelisse some privacy to grieve. Once they were out on the landing, he faced the old Hawkstone soldier.
“How many men are in this keep?” he asked.
The old man was thoughtful. “Thirty-one, my lord,” he said. “I have them all down in the storage vault below.”
“What is their condition?”
“Some are wounded, but not badly. Mostly, they are cold. We’ve no fuel for fires unless we want to burn our stores, and no one wants to do that.”
Caius nodded in agreement. “I will see that fuel and more stores are brought for you,” he said. “You may be here a while.”
The old man looked at him curiously. “You’ve not come to send the Winterhold bastards back where they came from?”
Caius shook his head. “My position, at the moment, is neutral,” he said. “I do not have the authority to send Winterhold back, but I do have the power to ensure you have enough food and fuel to last a while. My squire, William, will see to it. It is a very big task, but he is capable.”
At the mention of his name, William perked up. He realized very quickly that Caius was giving him an order and he was eager to prove himself to the man he was coming to respect a great deal. Upon hearing Caius’ directive, he nodded his head smartly and dashed down the stairwell, on his way to secure wood and provisions for the remainder of the Hawkstone army.
That left Caius standing with the old soldier, waiting patiently for Emelisse to conclude grieving for her brother. His thoughts lingering on Emelisse, Caius looked at the old soldier.
“We will take the body with us,” he said quietly. “I will send the man to Whitchurch to be buried with his mother.”
The old soldier nodded. “What of his father? Is he there, too?”
Caius shook his head. “Rupert de Thorington’s death is more complex at that moment,” he said. “For now, let us worry about Caspian.”
As the old man nodded, the door to the chamber creaked open and Emelisse appeared. She wiped at her eyes before looking up and realizing that everyone was looking at her.
She smiled weakly.
“He is at peace,” she said. “I can see that in his face; he looks peaceful. He’s not looked so peaceful in three years, ever since this madness started, so I am grateful that he finally knows peace. I am just sorry that he had to find death to achieve it.”
Caius thought that was a sad statement, but he understood it. He’d known plenty of men who had only known peace after death.
“We will send his body to Whitchurch to be buried with your mother, if that pleases you,” he said. “I will have my men start on a coffin immediately, though it may be difficult to find wood with which to build it. We may have to be creative.”
“If there are any tables or benches left in the great hall, they may use that,” she said. “And thank you for your foresight. I appreciate it.”
“My pleasure, my lady.”
For a moment, they simply stared at one another, Caius wondering what she was really feeling and Emelisse because she found herself in an unexpected position. The half-hour she’d spent with her brother had been an enlightening one because she’d realized a great many things. It was time to let Caius in on them, too.
She looked at the old soldier.
“How many men are left, Harcourt?” she asked.
“Thirty-one, my lady,” he said, telling her the same thing he’d told Caius. “They are all down in the storage vault.”
“Go down and tell them that I have returned, will you?”
“Aye, my lady.”
As the old man shuffled down the stairs, Emelisse turned her attention to Caius. “It would seem this day has brought about something quite unexpected,” she said. “I am now the heiress of Hawkstone. It belongs to me.”
“It does, my lady.”
“Let us speak privately.”
“If that is your wish.”
Emelisse thought on what she was going to tell him, knowing he would not be pleased with the conclusions she had come to while grieving over her brother. Caius was a reasonable man, and chivalrous, and she appreciated that about him. That, and so many other things.
But she was positive he was not going to like what she had to say.
After a moment, she simply reached out, took him by the hand, and pulled him into what had been her bedchamber since birth. It was a big, well-appointed chamber that was now cold and dark. She shut the door softly before facing him.
“Sir Caius, since Hawkstone now belongs to me, I have decided to remain here, holed up in the keep in my brother’s stead,” she said quietly. “Caspian gave his life to maintain the keep’s integrity. I must take his place and ensure that it does not fall.”
Caius felt as if he’d been duped. He’d followed her into the chamber willingly, perhaps too willingly, but his eagerness had been for naught. Speaking privately had meant she was going to say something outlandish. Emelisse issued an unexpected statement and one Caius was inclined to immediately disagree with.
“Impossible,” he said. “My lady, I understand that you are now the sole heir of Hawkstone, but that does not include closing yourself up with the remnants of your army and starving to death.”
But Emelisse stood her ground. “While I appreciate your concern, the truth is that I must do this,” she said. “I must take up arms in my brother’s stead, my father’s stead. I am the last de Thorington. Hawkstone will not fall while I have breath in my body.”
Caius didn’t want to get into a battle with her. The woman had been through so much that he was genuinely trying to be considerate of her feelings, unusual for a man who had always, and only, considered himself first above all things. He had seen firsthand how emotion and fear and rage had turned her into a wildcat an
d he didn’t want to see that again, something he suspected would happen if he tried to bodily remove her from the keep.
That only left logic.
“My lady, I am not the great negotiator,” he said. “That is what I named my sword, in fact – Negotiator, because my sword does my reasoning for me. I do not wish to use that instrument with you, however, so we are going to have to resort to a battle of reason. I told you that I do not intend to force you to return to Winterhold and I meant it, but that does not mean I will leave you to rot in the keep with the remainder of the Hawkstone men. We must find a happy medium here because I am not leaving until we do.”
Emelisse sighed faintly. “Truly, my lord, there is nothing to negotiate. I have made my decision. I will not change my mind.”
He cocked his head thoughtfully. “Will you do something for me?”
“If I can.”
“Will you please address me as Caius in private?” he asked. “I feel as if we have moved beyond the formalities of the situation. I feel as if we have become… friends. As a friend, I would be honored if you called me by Caius, or even Cai. I will answer to whatever you call me, Emelisse. If I may call you that as well.”
That brought a smile to her lips. “You may,” she murmured. “Then, as your friend, let me say something. I have told you that I am deeply grateful for your assistance, and I am. You have brought me home and I can never repay you for that kindness. But this is my home and I intend to remain, now more than ever. My father and brother died for it. How would it be for me to shame that sacrifice and abandon it?”
“And how do you think your father and brother would feel, knowing you starved to death because of them?”
She faltered. “It is more than that.”
“Is it?”
She took a few steps towards him. “Do you not understand what it is like to love your home as if it were a member of your family?” she said imploringly. “That is how I love Hawkstone – because it is a member of my family. Relinquishing it would be like surrendering my mother or father. Do you not understand how that feels?”
He paused a moment, thinking. “Not really,” he said. “I have not been to the home of my birth for many years. I returned right after I came back from The Levant. I saw my mother and father, but I also saw an older brother who criticized me for having been away so long. Silas was unable to go to The Levant because of an old battle wound that kept him from traveling well. He remained behind to take care of my parents and their property, but he resented me greatly for having gone on to achieve glory. Therefore, in answer to your question, I’ve no particular attachment to Wygate Castle.”
“Where is it?”
“Lincolnshire.”
“Then you have no home?”
“Richmond Castle,” he said firmly. “It belongs to the Crown now, but William Marshal manages it. I have been the garrison commander there for almost fifteen years. Richmond is my home.”
Emelisse could see that Richmond meant something to him. “Then imagine if Richmond had been beaten down and you were the only one left,” she said. “Would you leave it?”
“I would not. But I am a knight. You are not. It is my duty to remain to the last man, but it is not your duty to remain.”
“I must.”
“You cannot hold this castle, Emelisse.”
He tone was soft, deep, yet firm. He was emphasizing the seriousness of the situation, something she, in his opinion, was failing to completely understand. But Emelisse was missing the point, perhaps intentionally – all she heard was her name as it rolled off his lips.
Gentle.
Gazing into the man’s eyes, she began to see him more clearly than she ever had. She had only met him yesterday, but she felt as if she had known him for years. He had been here at the most traumatic time of her life, and he had offered his help and his sympathy. It was true that she thought he was handsome; that was indisputable. But beneath that massive, handsome façade beat the heart of a man with a great capacity to understand.
It was that man she was starting to feel something for.
But she didn’t want to feel something for him. She was afraid that she would start listening to him if emotions were involved. He might change her mind about things. She had never had affection for another man other than her father and brother, so this was new territory for her.
She didn’t want to fail, not now. Not when there was so much at stake.
“Mayhap I cannot hold it,” she said. “But I will try. How can you not understand that? You are a warrior. You know what it means to fight for something you believe in. Why can I not do the same?”
Caius’ jaw flexed faintly as her words had an effect on him. “I do understand,” he said. “But there is never only one solution to a problem. Every problem has more than one choice. You do not need to take the one that will lead to your martyrdom.”
She was about to argue with him, but she stopped herself. Instead, she forced herself to listen to a perspective other than her own. Given that she had some pride, that was difficult.
“Very well,” she said. “Tell me what choices I have.”
Caius didn’t waste the opportunity. At least she was willing to listen. “Let us break down the situation,” he said. “We have a reprieve for one very good reason; de Wrenville does not know your brother is deceased.”
“What do you mean?”
Caius shrugged his big shoulders. “Strategy,” he said simply. “Word has been sent to William Marshal about the situation. The Pembroke men I brought with me are neutralized until I receive word from The Marshal on how to proceed, but my point is this – right now, de Wrenville believes you are trying to convince your brother to surrender the keep. That may take weeks. As long as de Wrenville doesn’t know your brother is gone, we can keep up the illusion that he is willing to negotiate. I am not sure how long we can keep that illusion going, but we can try to keep it going for as long as we can.”
In spite of herself, Emelisse was interested. “For what purpose?”
“To bring in my army from Richmond.”
Her eyes widened. “What?” she gasped. “What are you saying?”
Caius’ black eyes had a twinkle to them. “I told you that I have been the garrison commander there for many years,” he said. “Most of the army is sworn to me, not William Marshal.”
“But how is that possible if the property belongs to him?”
“It does not belong to him,” Caius said. “Remember, I told you that it was a Crown property. The Marshal simply manages it because it is strategic and, long ago, that power was given to him by King Richard. John simply never changed the arrangement. I was put in command of it when I returned from The Levant and while in The Levant, I had accumulated my own army. When I returned, it was that army who came with me to Richmond.”
She frowned. “But I still do not understand,” she said. “You must pay for an army. How do you pay for an army if you do not own property to generate money for you?”
He smiled. “The Marshal pays me very well,” he said. “Moreover, I never said I did not have property. I do; property and money granted to me by many warlords I have sold my services to. I am what some would call a rich man. I am a soldier of fortune, my lady. I simply choose to serve The Marshal at Richmond because I happen to like Richmond and William Marshal pays me extremely well. But the truth is that I am a mercenary known as The Britannia Viper, with a strong mercenary army, and I can serve anyone for the right price.”
She was listening with some fascination. “I did not realize that about you,” she said. “I thought you were simply a knight, sworn to The Marshal.”
He chuckled at her simplistic view. “Nay,” he said. “I am sworn to the man who can pay me the most.”
“Then I like this choice,” she said. “I can pay you. The Roden Twins are yours if you will help me.”
It was an offer Caius hadn’t expected, not in a million years. His eyebrows lifted in shock as he looked at her.
/> She’d hit him where it counted.
Everything he had told her was correct. He was a mercenary and he’d never sworn allegiance to William Marshal. He served the man because he was paid to serve him, but Caius’ allegiance was to himself. Even so, he was a man of his word. If he gave his word of honor, he stuck to it. Fifteen years ago, he had given his word to William Marshal when The Marshal had needed a good man to command Richmond Castle. Caius had been his man of choice and, so far, it had been an excellent arrangement for them both.
But he realized he’d made a mistake.
He shouldn’t have offered to bring his army to defend Hawkstone.
“I did not mean to offer it as a choice,” he said. “Allow me to clarify. What I meant was that I could create a ruse against Winterhold by staffing my army here, making it look as if Hawkstone had reinforcements from some unknown ally in an effort to deter de Wrenville, but in hindsight, that would not be the wisest thing to do. I would risk a great deal in doing it, but more than that, it would only be a temporary measure. I could not use them against Marshal troops if he ended up siding with Winterhold.”
Emelisse’s expression washed with disappointment but along with that, there was also understanding.
“I see,” she said. “I did not mean to suggest anything improper by offering you money. But when you said you served the man who could pay you the most, I thought… I hoped…”
She trailed off and he nodded. “I know,” he said, not unkindly. “It sounded as if I was for hire by anyone at any time, and I am not. I should not have given you that impression. I suppose your desperation makes me want to help in any way I can, but that is not the right way. It is not an option in this situation.”
“Then you are not for hire?”
“Not at the moment. At least, not until my time with The Marshal is finished.”
Winter of Solace (The Executioner Knights Book 5) Page 19
