Noble Line of de Nerra Complete Set: A Medieval Romance Bundle

by Kathryn Le Veque

  Robert knew that. He wasn’t going to try and talk him out of anything so he looked around, spying Dallas several feet away, using a pumice stone to sharpen the smooth blade side of his sword. With a lingering look at Braxton, he made his way over to Dallas to await the signal to battle. Everything was dependent upon Braxton’s interaction with the inhabitants of Elswick.

  Braxton didn’t waste any time. He mounted his big black charger and spurred the beast forward, thundering towards the gatehouse of Elswick. As he cantered towards the lifted drawbridge, he could hear shouting upon the walls of Elswick as the men inside realized that something was happening. Someone in de Nerra’s army was about to make contact. Everyone who was able ran for the gatehouse, waiting for the first barrage of words that would determine their future.

  Braxton kept calm, focused. He thought about what he was going to say. He wanted to stress upon the commanders of Elswick that they had little choice in surrendering Gray and Brooke but he didn’t want to provoke them to the point where they might actually harm the women. That was his greatest fear, in fact, that Elswick would not surrender his wife and daughter and, instead, punish them because de Nerra was intent on destroying their castle. Time would tell. He braced himself for what was to come.

  He pulled his charger to a halt when he came within range of the mighty gatehouse of Elswick. Dozens of torches lit up the structure and he could see many soldiers upon the gatehouse battlements. Everyone was scattering back and forth, orders being relayed as men showed their fear of what was to come. Braxton could feel their terror and it both pleased and concerned him. Used properly, terror was a good motivator, but men that were overwhelmed with panic could do stupid things. He didn’t want his wife or daughter to fall victim to stupidity.

  “My name is Braxton de Nerra,” he bellowed for all to hear. “I have come to secure the release of my wife and daughter. Failure to give me what I have come for will have deadly consequences for the inhabitants of Elswick. Do I make myself clear?”

  More scuttling and shouting upon the battlements. Torches flickered as men ran about. Braxton’s charger danced around excitedly, sensing a battle, and he sat patiently astride the beast, trying to calm it. After several tense and uneasy moments, a knight suddenly appeared on the wall where it joined with the enormous gatehouse. He held up his gloved hand to Braxton.

  “I am Blakeney de Milne, husband to Lord Roger and Lady Anne’s eldest daughter,” he called down to him. “Your wife and daughter are in my custody. Such is the punishment for the deaths of Lord Roger and his son William.”

  “Lord Roger and his son William’s deaths were unintentional, I assure you,” Braxton shouted steadily. “They attacked me first and were killed whilst we defended ourselves. If anyone was wronged, it was me. Had you not murdered my men and sent them back to me in pieces, perhaps you would have heard the entire story. Instead, you made an uneducated and deadly decision, made worse with the capture of my family. Turn them back over to me now and I will be merciful. Resist my demand and every man, woman, and child at Elswick will die. This I vow.”

  De Milne remained cool; he was a seasoned knight, skilled and calm, but he knew who Braxton de Nerra was and had little doubt he meant what he said.

  “Make a move against us and I will send your daughter and wife out to you in pieces,” he threatened. “If you return your army to Erith this night, I will not harm them.”

  Braxton sighed slowly; he was losing patience. “You do not make demands,” he countered. “I want my family returned to me. As an honorable knight, you will do as I ask. Resist and die.”

  De Milne wasn’t stupid; he knew the only reason Braxton hadn’t let loose on them was because they held his wife and daughter. But he also knew that sooner or later, de Nerra would begin a siege to regain them that would end up destroying everyone at Elswick. He had a wife and children in this castle himself; he didn’t want to see them come to harm. He knew that, at some point, he would be forced to negotiate. He thought carefully on his offer before speaking.

  “I will make you a proposal, de Nerra,” he said. “I will return one of your women to you. You will take her and return to Erith and, when I see that peace has settled between Erith and Elswick, I will return the other woman to you as a reward for your good behavior. Attack me now and the first bodies I throw over the wall at you will be your wife and daughter; this I swear. Agree to my terms and they will live.”

  Braxton’s patience was evaporating and he could feel his temper rise. The threats against Gray and Brooke infuriated him.

  “Are you truly so bold and foolish?” he wanted to know. “Roger de Clare and his son were killed when they attacked me. It happened so quickly that I had no idea who they were until after it was over. I did not make the first move against them, I assure you. Although I understand your grief at the loss of your lord and his heir, to attack Erith and then steal my wife and daughter in punishment is beneath honorable men. I would not say this if it were not so; I do not lie. On my oath, I tell you that Roger and William’s death were an accident. Now return my wife and daughter to me and I shall forget my vengeance against you. If you kill them, know that there will be nothing stopping me from capturing you and forcing you to watch as I murder your wife and children right before your very eyes. Their deaths will be as painful and horrific as you can imagine. The choice is yours.”

  De Milne fell silent, watching de Nerra down below, just out of the range of the archers. He turned to the man next to him, whispered something, and the man took off running. Braxton waited for a reply; a minute passed, and then another and another. Soon several minutes had passed and Braxton was beginning to get anxious. Just as he opened his mouth to shout up to them again, the drawbridge suddenly lurched.

  Unsure what was happening, Braxton backed up. He lifted his hand to his waiting army and the archers got into position, followed by the infantry. For all they knew, screaming hordes of Gloucester men were about to come leaping out at them and they would not take any chances. Every man in Braxton’s army was poised at the ready. Dallas, having shaken his shadow Robert, came thundering up to Braxton, taking his place beside him. If there was going to be a fight, he was going to fight alongside Braxton.

  The wait was beginning to become excessive but it was clear that something was in the works. Braxton could hear men shouting on the other side of the wall and he prepared to unsheathe his broadsword. He could feel a fight coming.

  The enormous drawbridge suddenly began to move. It jerked on its chains, lowered unsteadily by a host of nervous soldiers deep in the walls of the gatehouse. As the thing slowly lurched downward, Braxton and Dallas could see that the portcullis was slowly lifting as well. They could see a cluster of soldiers on the other side, shadows shifting about in the darkness of the gatehouse passage. Braxton’s grip tightened on his reins, waiting for the charge. But suddenly, something unexpected caught his attention.

  It was a spot of color in a sea of shadows. He could see it, a pale blue flash now and again. But suddenly, the pale blue flash had become solid and steady, approaching the portcullis, which by now had stopped only half-raised. As Braxton watched, curious and apprehensive, it took him a moment to realize that Brooke was being released.

  She skittered beneath the half-raised portcullis and began to run. Dallas, startled, suddenly spurred his charger forward as Braxton screamed at him to stop; the man was heading into the optimal range of the archers and Braxton was terrified that Dallas was about to get himself mowed down. But Dallas must have realized it, too, because he suddenly yanked his charger to a halt and raced back to where Braxton was still positioned.

  Braxton glanced over at the young knight, seeing utter and complete relief and terror on the man’s face. Then he returned his attention to Brooke, racing across the damp, dark earth at top speed. He could hear her sobbing as she approached. Dallas bailed from his charger and held out his arms, softly encouraging her to come to him. Brooke picked up the pace and threw herself into her hus
band’s open arms, so hard that Dallas nearly toppled over with the force of her hit.

  Hysterical sobs filled the air as Braxton dismounted his charger and went to Dallas and Brooke, a mass of hugging warmth in the dark of the night. Braxton could feel the emotion radiating from the pair; in fact, he had quite enough of his own as he reached out and tried to separate them.

  “Brooke, sweetheart,” he got his big hands around her head, forcing her to look at him ever though she was in her husband’s arms. “Where is your mother?”

  Brooke was a sobbing mess. “She is inside,” she sobbed, reaching out to grab his forearm as he gripped her. “Braxton, she is sick. I do not know what has happened to her because they will not let me see her, but I have been told she is very sick. They told me to tell you to return to Erith or you will never see her again.”

  Braxton stared at the girl as she collapsed back into Dallas’ arms. By this time, Thomas, Robert, Davis and Geoff had made their way over to him, glad to see Brooke but wondering where Gray was. Some of them had caught the tail end of her sobbing explanation. After taking a few shocking moments to digest her news, Braxton suddenly reached out and yanked her from Dallas’ grip, so hard that her neck nearly snapped. That set off Dallas and Geoff had to throw a big arm around Dallas to keep the man from charging Braxton.

  “Brooke,” Braxton was as close to losing his composure as he had ever been in his life. “You will tell me what has happened from the beginning. What happened when they took you from Creekmere?”

  Brooke sniffled and wept. “They came on our fourth day there,” she sobbed. “Baron Wenvoe let them in. They tried to take my mother first but she would not let them; she ran and hid from them, and then beat those who found her with a roasting iron. I heard someone say that she put a man’s eye out.”

  Braxton realized he was shaking as he kept his grip on her arms. “And then what happened?”

  Brooke was calming somewhat now that she was in familiar hands, with familiar people. “They took us both back to Elswick,” she said, gazing into Braxton’s blue-green eyes. “But Mama was not feeling well along the way. I think that fighting those men off must have hurt her somehow. By the time we got here, she could barely walk and they took her away from me. I have not seen her since our arrival.”

  Everyone heard the softly-uttered information, but no one more clearly than Braxton. He struggled to remain collected, knowing that if he let himself go, he would surely destroy all in his path. There would be no return.

  “And you do not know what is wrong with her?” he asked.

  Brooke shook her head. “Nay,” she replied, her eyes beginning to well again. “I am afraid she is dying.”

  Braxton let go of her, turning to face the black, shadowed bastion of Elswick. Thomas moved to his son, seeing his distress.

  “They sent the girl out as a good faith measure,” he rumbled. “They are hoping you will do the same.”

  Braxton grunted. “By returning to Erith without my wife?” he growled. “I think not. If they…”

  He was cut off by shouting from the dark, torch-lit wall. It was de Milne again.

  “You have your daughter back, de Nerra,” he hollered. “We have showed a measure of mercy. Now you will do the same.”

  Braxton was losing his mind. His nerve, his gut, and everything else was starting to go. The knowledge that Gray was ill, perhaps dying, swamped him until he could think of nothing else. He heard de Milne’s offer but he couldn’t agree with it, not in the least. He could hear Brooke weeping softly as he faced the darkened walls of Elswick.

  “I appreciate your show of mercy,” he shouted up to de Milne. “But I am told that my wife is very ill. Surely you know that I cannot leave without her.”

  De Milne didn’t reply for several long and tense moments. “It would be better if she is not moved,” he replied. “I have a physic with her. She is well tended.”

  The news should have made Braxton feel better but it only made him feel worse. He lost everything at that moment; his guard went down completely and he was stripped of his vengeance. All he wanted was to see Gray no matter what the cost. If they would not turn her over to him, then he would go to her. It was the only choice.

  “I will send my army home,” he told de Milne,” but you will take me a hostage. I want to be with my wife. If you will not release her, then you will take me also. Please, de Milne; as one husband to another, surely you can understand my desire. I beg of you.”

  Dallas, Thomas, Robert and the rest of the brothers heard him, turning to look at Braxton with varied degrees of astonishment and horror. Dallas even let go of Brooke, rushing to Braxton in denial.

  “Nay, Braxton,” he hissed. “They will kill you.”

  Braxton pretended as if he hadn’t heard him. He yelled up to de Milne again. “I am surrendering to you, de Milne,” he said. “You will accept me as a prisoner and take me to my wife.”

  De Milne was off-balance by the offer, evident in his manner. He was no longer hard as nails; he was edgy in his reply. “Send your army home now and I will consider it.”

  “They will leave before sunrise. You will take me to my wife.”

  De Milne was still hesitant. “If you enter Elswick, I cannot vouch for your safety, de Nerra. There are many here who seek vengeance for Lord Roger’s death. It is possible that you may not live long enough to see your lady should you venture into Elswick.”

  “I will take that chance. My life is in your hands, de Milne. As an honorable knight, I will trust you.”

  He began to pull off his weapons, casting them to the ground as Dallas and the others watched in horror. Thomas tried to plead with his son as he continued to remove his armor, his mail, throwing them into a pile on the cold, dark ground. Robert tried to talk to him, as did Davis. They all begged Braxton not to do it, but Braxton wasn’t listening. By the time he was finished, he was clad only in his breeches, boots and damp, dirty tunic. Everything else was on the ground in a pile.

  The only person who didn’t seem to be begging him not to do it was Brooke. She watched Braxton as he stripped down to his clothing, standing vulnerable before an entire fortress. As Dallas and Thomas suffered through the throes of anxiety and Braxton’s brothers collective tried to dissuade him, Brooke went over to Braxton.

  She was coming to understand his logic where no one else did, this young woman who had grown up so much over the past several weeks. Perhaps it was her love for Dallas that had helped her reach new heights of maturity; perhaps it was because she was coming into her own and developing her own sense of wisdom. Whatever the case, she was the only one who wasn’t fighting Braxton on the matter of his surrender. She understood.

  She stood in front of him, smiling faintly at the warlord, the mercenary, who was now at his most vulnerable. He was such a mighty man, someone she respected most in the world. But he was also the gentle man who had made her mother so very happy. Her voice was soft as she spoke.

  “Once, Dallas came to my rescue and saved my life,” she murmured. “It was a great sacrifice; I understand that now although I did not at the time. I did not see how close he came to losing his life, too, and that he was willing to do it for a woman he did not even know.”

  Braxton gazed at her, suddenly seeing a good deal of Gray in the young woman. The beauty, the gentle wisdom, was the same in both women. Reaching out, he took her hand and brought it to his lips for a gentle, fatherly kiss.

  “Sometimes, one must do as he must without thought to personal safety,” he whispered. “This is something I must do.”

  Her smile broadened. “I know,” she reached out and touched his rough cheek. “But before you go, please know that although I did know my real father, I did not love him half as much as I love you. He did not teach me half as much as you have or show such concern for me. You are the father I always hoped for, Braxton, and I thank you for that. Without you, I would not know such happiness or such love. You have made all things possible for me and for my mother. That
day at the falls of Erith, my life changed forever because of you.”

  Braxton gazed at her with tears in his eyes. “I am very proud of you, Brooke,” he murmured, kissing her on the forehead. “I could not love you more if you were my own flesh and blood. Please know that.”

  She clutched his hand, smiling up at him. “And I love you also,” she whispered. “I will walk you to the gates.”

  He simply nodded, putting a big arm around her shoulders as they began their trek towards the gatehouse of Elswick. Dallas watched them go, tears streaming down his cheeks; a greater self-sacrifice he had never seen, coming from a man who had been like a father to him. Braxton knew full well that he may never make it out of Elswick alive, but that didn’t matter to him. It was more important that he be with Gray, the very center of his world. It was selflessness of the greatest magnitude.

  As Braxton and Brooke faded off towards the torch-lit castle, Dallas turned to Thomas.

  “My lord,” he said hoarsely. “Your son is the finest man who has ever lived.”

  Thomas’ blue-green eyes watched his youngest son in the darkness, drawing closer to the portcullis of Elswick. He understood the depth of the self-sacrifice; they all did. Thomas could barely put his feelings into words but, for Dallas, he tried.

  “He is his own man, lad,” he murmured. “What he is has nothing to do with me. But I will tell you this; a prouder father has never walked this earth.”

  Dallas glanced at Braxton’s brothers, all in varied degrees of anguish. Robert’s cheeks were wet with tears as he turned away and headed off into the darkness. Eventually, they all turned away and headed off into the darkness. Braxton was doing what he felt he must do and they respected that. But Dallas stood there, waiting until his wife returned to him.

  Then they, too, disappeared into the darkness.