by Fiona Neal
For the moment, though, though, Alice had to lie down. She felt more tired than usual. She had heard it was good to take a nap when a woman was expecting, so she went to her bed and reclined. She must have slept a while, but the sound of loud bells woke her. She realized that they were alarm bells when Edmund suddenly came to wake her.
“It has happened, Alice,” Edmund announced, and he looked chagrined.
“What is wrong?” she asked. “I hear alarm bells.”
“Lord Camden’s forces are moving towards the castle. The town folk are running into the castle.”
She gasped and abruptly sat up. “Oh, Edmund, he has arrived early.”
“Not really. It will be May in a few days.”
“Did your informant warn you of this?” she inquired.
“Yes, he did say that Camden was very close to making a move.”
“Oh, Edmund, I am afraid.” She leaned forward and put her arms around him.
Edmund pulled her close, giving her the physical nearness she needed. He then said, “Listen to me, Alice. I and your grandfather have prepared for this siege. We have food stored. We have nuts, cheese, flour for bread. We have a lot of spices and honey. We have salted meat and fish. We have chickens for eggs. You and everyone else in the castle and village will have enough to eat for at least a year.”
“But Camden may attack the wells. We can’t live without water.”
“No, we can’t, but we have a hidden a well after you said our wells could be poisoned. I saw to that, and we have a very deep and very wide moat. Camden’s ladders to scale the walls will prove useless. And your grandfather built many arrow loops years ago. We will use them. ”
That was true. Her ancestors had directed the natural stream around the castle, and then the water came together again and flowed out to the coast. The arrow loops were also a most valuable defense.
Still, what Edmund was not saying was that Camden probably had the dreaded trebuchet. The machine was likely huge and could hurl anything into the castle. It could also toss diseased, dead animals, and corpses. And as she had mentioned before, the dreaded thing could smash walls down.
Laying siege to a castle was difficult work, but castles did surrender and fall. Soldiers died of horrible wounds, people starved to death. Edmund could die, so could her grandfather.
And so could my child and I die, which is what Camden wants.
Terrified, Alice just clung to her husband. She loved him so much. Her feelings were so profound, so strong that she didn’t have the right words to tell him how she felt.
I must be strong and brave.
She took a deep breath. “Please tell me what I can do, Edmund.”
“You’ve done so much already, dear girl. You have alerted me to dangers we would be facing when I wanted to leave. We also have a place to treat the wounded. Are the women trained to treat fallen soldiers?”
“I did my best with them. As I said, some do not have the aptitude.”
“But they may help,” he said.
“Yes,” she said. “But has Camden sent any message yet?” she inquired.
“No, but I know what to expect. Every soldier knows that. Thousands of arrows will fly. Many soldiers will be wounded. The enemy can’t scale the walls because our moat is too wide and deep, but he will use the trebuchet. I have not seen it Alice, but I heard it is immense. It will be able to throw filth and smash our walls to powder.”
Alice swallowed hard. Their lives were all in great, horrific danger.
A manservant stopped at the door that Edmund had left open. “Sir Edmund, Camden is outside the barbican. He has asked for Lord De Winter. His lordship has gone to meet him, but he asks that you rendezvous with him there.”
“I shall be there presently,” Edmund answered.
The servant hurried away.
Edmund held Alice closer. “I am counting on you, my dearest. I need you and your ladies to tend to the injured who can be treated.”
“I am not a physician or a barber surgeon, but I shall do what I can, and so will the ladies I have trained.” Alice did not tell him about the possibility of illness. Still, Edmund knew about that. He had been in battle many times. Furthermore, a great many people crowded together in the castle would be at risk for epidemic illness. She did not know the exact reason why, but she suspected that miasma would be a greater risk in crowded conditions.
Edmund then took her in his arms and kissed her passionately, and she returned his ardor.
“Stay safe, darling wife. Take good care of our child.”
“I shall, but I need you to be careful also, Edmund. I shall worry about you.”
“Thank you, Alice. I shall be very careful. I promise.”
* * * *
Edmund made his way to the battlements. Of course, he knew Lord Camden would take his revenge. The evil man would feel Edmund betrayed him. Perhaps he did, but it was the lesser evil if you consider that the man ordered him to kill Lady Alice.
Edmund had killed in battle, but that was in defense of his lord. Murder was a crime against God and humanity. He would have none of it—ever.
Although Lord De Winter and Edmund had carefully prepared for a long and bitter siege, danger, privation, and illness still presented major threats, to say nothing about an invading army, which consisted of hundreds of men with killing as their intention..
Yes, they had a good store of food and water, but if someone within the castle was a spy, like old Martha had been, that person would secretly let in the enemy. Or a spy could poison the food and kill many people.
After all, Camden had spies in this castle before, and an assault was made on Lord De Winter and Lady Alice. She had been knocked unconscious and would have likely been killed if he had not intervened. Edmund could never forget those ghastly things.
Furthermore, the thought that really troubled Edmund was that his wife and unborn child could be killed. His hands clenched into fists, and he drew in a deep breath as he considered that possibility.
Dear God, if it is Your will, please protect my wife and unborn child.
Edmund had never revealed the true depth of his love to Alice. He had told her he wanted her. But love her he did—with all his heart and soul. He had been extremely attracted to her from the moment he saw her. She was a great beauty with flaming red hair, gorgeous green eyes, a lovely nose and lush lips.
But it was her quiet dignity and kindness that really won him. Furthermore, she never argued with him. He would die for her, and maybe he would forfeit his life before this siege was over.
“I must tell her how I feel,” he whispered.
Camden wants me dead. He likely feels that I betrayed him because I lied and said I killed Alice to save Edith. But I am a warrior, not a murderer. Nor could I break my sacred knightly vows to God to protect women.
Just the thought of hurting an innocent person shook Edmund to his core.
Edmund finally reached the battlements were Lord De Winter was waiting for him.
“You were right in all your assumptions about Lord Camden,” Lord De Winter said.
“I knew this moment had to come, my lord. I did lie to him to save Alice and Edith, but that is just his excuse. He admitted to me that he wanted this castle. He has a burning ambition that may be his downfall.”
“I hope you are right about his downfall, and you did the right thing, Edmund.” Lord De Winter squinted, looking at the knights riding toward them way. The caparisoned horses looked majestic covered in their long, colorful patterned cloths of red and yellow, white and blue, and green and white.
“Camden is coming,” Lord De Winter remarked.
“Yes.” Edmund nodded, and viewed the other soldiers on the battlements. Sir Crispin and Sir Nigel had returned from their winter stays at their homes and were commanding details of men.
Nigel had made a complete recovery. For that, Edmund would always remain immensely and eternally grateful.
Camden with his messenger, who was holding a great
white flag, reached the front wall of the castle and the warriors, wearing full armor, reined back their warhorses.
The sun was now hidden behind dark clouds. The weather had also become cooler. Rain would soon come.
The mounts of the riders became restive and seemed to want to run.
“I demand that you surrender this castle, Lord De Winter,” Lord Camden shouted.
“And why should I do that?” Lord De Winter yelled back
“If you do not, I shall lay siege to this castle and kill all within it,” Camden answered.
“If that is your pleasure, Lord Camden, you are welcome to try your best. Know that I shall never abandon this castle. It has been in my family since before King William conquered this island. We kept this estate because we didn’t fight against that invading monarch,” Lord De Winter informed him.
“So be it,” Lord Camden said. “I shall take great pleasure in killing you and Sir Edmund Moreton, for you are both weaklings and cowards. And I shall take the greatest pleasure killing the Lady Alice and slicing open her belly that now houses a child.”
So, Camden knew of the child. Well, word would have traveled to him. They did not keep the pregnancy a secret.
Still, Camden’s words enraged Edmund. He wanted to kill the evil man with his bare hands, but he controlled himself when Lord De Winter put his hand on Edmund’s shoulder. “Pay no heed to the braggart, Sir Edmund.”
“I cannot help wanting to kill him,” Edmund confessed.
“I know, but God will deal with him. Anger causes us to forget our strategy and lash our in bling anger. That is not what I taught you.”
“Yes, you are right, my lord,” Edmund replied and nodded. “I must keep a cool head.”
Lord Camden and his entourage turned their horses and rode away to the troops that were beyond the field.
“God, please help us,” Edmund whispered. This would be a long and bitter fight, and he wondered if they would survive.
The rain suddenly pelted down from dark clouds with a vengeance, giving Edmund the shivers and a feeling foreboding.
At least the fields had been planted, but Camden’s army could put the new crops to the torch…unless they wanted the crop for food.
Just the thought of the enemy marauding Lord De Winter's fields upset Edmund.
* * * *
Later that night, Edmund met with Lord De Winter. “I think we need to send a messenger to King Stephen, my lord. A castle doesn't need a lot of men to defend it, but we are not dealing with a man of honor. Camden will use all manner of trickery to get what he wants. And if he finds Lady Alice, he will kill her and our child.“
“But you cannot go, Sir Edmund. I need you to help me direct the men,” Lord De Winter related and frowned.
“I have given this matter a great deal of thought, my lord. We must send a messenger to the king. I believe Godwin is the person. He is a fine young man, and he has grown and matured in the last months. We can let him leave the castle by the secret passageway. He will reach the king in a few days. I think we should dress him as a woodsman, but we shall give him a decent outfit to wear when he meets King Stephen.”
“So...you believe that the young man can perform this mission?” Lord De Winter asked.
“I do, my lord. He is very intelligent, dedicated, and resourceful. You were wise to foster him. He will make a very fine knight.”
“Then we shall send him,” Lord De Winter said with a nod. “But before we do, we should tell Lady Alice. After all, she chose him to come here, and she was right.”
“Indeed, she was,” Edmund agreed.
* * * *
Alice watched with her grandfather and Edmund as they said their farewells to Godwin.
“Remember,” Edmund said, “you are selling your wood.”
Godwin nodded. “Yes, Sir Edmund.”
He would ride an ambler, but he had two small pack animals with loads of wood on their backs. Godwin was also dressed in the plain brown clothes of a woodman, but he wore a red cap, which Alice had selected.
“When you get close to the king's residence, change into the clothes the Lady Alice has packed for you. Please inform the king of Lord Camden's treachery, and ask for soldiers to fight him. Also give him the letter that Lord De Winter has sent. Those words will be most convincing.”
“I shall, Sir Edmund,” Godwin replied. “Please pray that my mission is successful.”
“That we will all do, my boy,” Lord De Winter assured him.
They then traveled through the underground secret passageway where Alice had hid when she arrived after she left the convent. They came to the mouth of the cave, and they exited into the forest, which was far from the fields of battle.
Alice knew it would take three days to arrive at the king's residence. Godwin would need an appointment with the monarch, and then King Stephen would order the troops—if he decided to send reinforcement.
Oh, God, please inspire the sovereign to help us.
“My lord,” Alice said, “please let us offer a prayer for Godwin's success.”
“Yes,” her grandfather agreed.
They knelt on the moist forest floor and offered a prayer, said by Lord De Winter, to let the king give them the help they so desperately needed because they were greatly outnumbered by Camden's forces.
“Go with God” Alice said.
“Thank you, my lady.” Godwin bowed, mounted his horse, and led the pack animals.
They watched him follow the narrow trail until it turned, and he disappeared from sight.
“Come now,” Edmund said, putting his arm around Alice. “You must rest after this long trek.”
“Yes,” she agreed. “I am tired.”
“Shall I carry you?” Edmund offered.
“Not now, but I know I shall need you to do that later,” she said.
They again entered the long, secret passageway, and halfway to the castle, Alice asked for help.
When they reached their suite, Edmund placed her on the bed. “Sleep now, my love. I must check on the men, but I shall be back.”
“Thank you, Edmund. I shall nap a while.”
He made his exit, and Alice closed her eyes. She felt the baby kick, and she placed her hand on her abdomen. If all went well, in four months, she would have a child. She hoped it would be a health babe and offered a prayer that it would be.
She desperately wanted Edmund's child, and she knew he wanted it too, but would they live to enjoy parenthood, or would they be slaughter by Camden?
“Oh, God, protect us,” she said before slumber claimed her.
* * * *
The next morning dawned bright, and not a cloud drifted in the blue celestial dome, for the weather has provided a perfect day in May. The sun also rose earlier, too, for the long, cold nights of winter were but a memory now.
Alice had not heard Edmund leave their bedchamber. They slept in the same bed every night, but Edmund had left her to sleep this morning. Perhaps he would come to share breakfast with her. She would wait for him.
Still dressed in her bedclothes, Alice went to the window. But as she gazed out the window, she could see the soldiers of Camden’s army marching closer, making ready for battle. The most terrifying sight, though, consisted of the huge trebuchet that was rolling closer to them.
Her shaking knees barely supported her as she turned from the window.
Camden really wanted to kill Edmund, too. The sinister man was out for revenge and felt betrayed because her dear husband had refused to kill her to save Edith.
Still, Edmund was no murderer, and murder was the crime Camden demanded. Yes, her husband had tricked the terrible man, but that was not a major crime.
“Edmund was right, and he had managed to save Edith and me,” she whispered.
This was not the life she wanted with Edmund. She craved a peaceful existence, but Camden had proven greedy and rapacious. He would take what he wanted or die pursuing his depraved ends.
“Alice.”
<
br /> She heard Edmund's voice and turned to see him in full battle dress. Her heart contracted, but she kept a brave face and walked to him. “You are all ready for combat, my love. I though we would share some breakfast.”
“No, dear wife. I felt I should eat with the men this morning.” He took her in his arms and held her close. “Your food will be here shortly. I asked a maid to bring it to you.”
“I will pray for your safety,” she said, completely understanding his position and sentiments. It was right that he share a meal with his men. Some of them might not be alive at the end of this day.
“Thank you, I can use every prayer that I can get,” he replied.
They both knew he could be killed but neither of them mention that grim possibility. She wanted him to be around for the birth of their child. She hope they lived long, happy lives after this encounter with Camden ended.
But the corrupt man could win and put them all to death.
“Alice, there is something I want you to know.” He moved back a little, but still held her arms and gazed into her eyes.
“Please say it then, Edmund, my love.”
“I want you to know that you have become most dear to me, Alice. I think I was drawn to you from the moment I first saw you. You are unlike anyone I have ever known.”
“Oh, Edmund, I was drawn to you too. I think I’ve cared for you from the moment we met, but I was so shy and inexperienced in the ways of love.”
“I loved your innocence, Alice.” They kissed fiercely.
When they stopped the kiss, he said, “I want you to know that I wed you because I truly loved and wanted you, Alice…and not because your grandfather urged me to marry you. Your wealth and social position had nothing to do with our marriage. I love you, Alice, more than I’ve ever loved anyone in my life.”
“I’m glad you told me, Edmund. I love you too.”
They kissed again, this time even more passionately.
He moved away from her. “I must go now. I have to lead the men to the battlements.”
“Go with God’s protection, and please be careful, Edmund.”
