“Why not have some sport, Sir Gilbert, while you’re here?” asked the king in a loud voice.
Rufus held his breath, wondering if he’d recognize her. “Nay,” Gilbert replied without looking at Kezia. “I have the grippe.” He grimaced. “Give her to someone else to defile.” Rufus breathed more easily.
Suddenly the king’s temper had improved. The idea of defiling a maid and playing a game around it cheered him. He rose and gripped the cat-eyed wench by the throat so she could not move—even breathing seemed difficult as far as Rufus could see. Rufus stood without thinking, his hand where his sword should be.
King John saw him immediately, and his sly smile broadened. “Someone?” He repeated Gilbert’s word. “Ah, I have the perfect someone.” He beckoned to Rufus, at the same time Savari tried to step between the king and Rufus’s line of sight. “Away, Savari, you cannot hide your brother now!”
Savari glared at Rufus as Rufus stepped up to the dais, unable to back down. “Sire, you wanted me?”
“Aye, Rufus. I’ve been having all the pleasure lately with Lady Maud, and I would that you enjoy yourself too.” He let go of the wench’s throat, and she gasped for breath. He pushed her to Rufus. “Here, a little recompense for my enjoyment with your lady. Take her. She’s yours.”
“I cannot—”
“If you refuse my generous gift, Rufus, you will not live to see the cock crow.” His voice was chilling, his eyes like ice.
For one long moment, Rufus and the king held each other’s gaze. In the end, it was broken by Sir Gilbert rising and exclaiming.
“What the devil!” exclaimed Sir Gilbert, his eyes fixed on Kezia. “Why, this is the wench who attacked me in the yard. God’s teeth! Give her to me, your Majesty, and I’ll defile her alright!”
The king looked from Gilbert to Rufus. “Nay, you declined her, Gilbert. She’s Rufus’s now.”
“I do not want her, my lord,” said Rufus between gritted teeth.
“I did not ask if you wanted her. I said, she is yours. Do you reject a gift from your beneficent king?” King John’s voice was edged with menace.
“Nay, sire, my brother would never do such a thing.” Savari gripped Rufus’s arm to stop him from speaking further. But Rufus shook it off with an angry glance.
The king laughed, sat back with a sly grin on his face, and steepled his fingers. “So, we have an unwilling girl, and an unwilling man. And I command them to turn belly-to-belly. I see nothing more entertaining than that!”
Everyone clapped and cheered, everyone except Rufus and Savari, and the girl whose face was now exposed to everyone, revealing a look of absolute terror.
Chapter 4
The great hall was in an uproar. The minstrels struck up a merry dance, and men grabbed women to dance and mime what the king had commanded. The flames in the fires darted wildly as the doors opened to allow servants to refill the mazers and cups as the king commanded. Dogs barked in the commotion and servants darted back and forth, clearing away the remains of the dinner, replacing it with steaming fruit pies and syllabub and yet more wine.
Rufus felt sick at the sight of it all. He exchanged a glance with Savari who gave a slight shake to his head. Rufus suspected that this was beyond even Savari’s expertise. He was on his own.
The king held out his hand and slowly the noise subsided. “Well, Rufus, what are you waiting for?”
Rufus bowed his head slightly. “I thank you, sire, but I have no wish for her.”
“No wish?” The king roared and rose from his chair. “No wish! By God, sir, you will do as I command in this court. You will rut this wench and accept my generous gift. Or you will pay the price!”
Rufus gritted his teeth in an effort to stop himself from saying the words which would add further fuel to the fire that was his king’s temper.
“You stand dumb, sir.” King John grunted derisively. He shifted in his seat and gestured for his guards to hold the wench who was trying to slip away. “I’d thought to do you a favor, Rufus. A little entertainment to pass the time, but your ill response has soured my temper.” He glanced at Maud and took her hand and kissed it. “I’d hoped to give you some of the fun which I am having with your betrothed.”
Rufus decided if he couldn’t fight, retreat was the best option. “I will leave you to your festivities, sire.” He turned but had made no more than two steps before the king bellowed out to him.
“Stop, sir! I have offered you a woman. Surely you would not disrespect me by declining?”
Rufus half-turned to see Savari’s tense frown. “My brother would never disobey you, sire,” Savari said. “But surely there are other ways to entertain you this day. There are minstrels.” He snapped his fingers, and musicians started their music once more.
The king’s face went white with anger, and he gripped his chair. “I want no minstrels!” The drums petered out, and a stray note on a fiddle hung in the air as all eyes turned to the king, as he strode across to Rufus who towered over him. “Do you hear me, sir?”
Rufus gritted his teeth as his brother, who knew him too well, placed a hand on Rufus’s empty sword hand. Never had he felt so impotent. He could look danger in the eye and deal with it on the battlefield. But here? “Aye, sire,” he ground out.
“Good then. Come.” He clicked his fingers and pointed to a chair at the end of the dais. “Make way for Lord Winterton and his woman.”
Rufus and Savari exchanged looks, and Rufus walked up to the dais and sat on the newly vacated seat. Wine was sloshed into an already used goblet for him.
“Drink, damn you, sir!” ordered the king, his eyes full with fury.
“My lord!” said Savari, desperately trying to distract the king. He smiled a charming smile. “You chose the wrong brother to entertain you, sire.” He then proceeded to tell a bawdy joke. The court held their collective breath as Savari told the punch line with the skill of a jester. The king roared with laughter and the court followed, relieved at the break in the tension.
The king turned to Rufus. “Oh, go, get out of my sight. You are too dull for me.” He groped for Maud’s knee and squeezed it. “Take your girl, or boy, whatever it is under those clothes, and make sure you bed it.”
Knowing resistance was useless, Rufus took the girl’s arm and pulled her out of the hall. There he released her and thrust his fingers through his hair. “By the Holy Mary, I should never have come to this damned place.”
“You and me both, sir. But it is done. And we must pacify the king.”
“Aye, but how?”
“Come,” she said. “I know of a quiet place where we can wait until enough time has passed to satisfy the king.”
He nodded. He had no other idea how to act in this accursed place. He followed her to a little-used chamber and closed the door. He leaned against the door and watched as her cat’s eyes scanned the room, searching the shadows for danger. Finally, they returned to him, evidently satisfied that the danger lay without these walls. He grunted and shook his head. He refused to be caged like an animal, waiting to be destroyed by the monster who ruled their kingdom. He turned and gripped the handle, about to twist it open.
“No, sir, don’t go yet, or else they’ll believe the deed isn’t done.”
“Of course the deed isn’t damn well done. Don’t tell me you want it done?”
“No, my lord.” The girl’s eyes were wide. “But—”
“But what?”
“If we appear to have done the deed, then mayhap the king will be satisfied.”
Rufus looked closer at the girl. Those cat eyes were wide and looked up at him with bright energy, revealing the intelligence which lay beneath, and not a little of their beauty. He tilted her chin up to the light. For a moment, it distracted him from his predicament, capturing his interest. “You are clever, girl. That I understood when you came to me last night. But it seems you are also comely. It is a wonder you’ve managed to hide your beauty from the king.”
The girl reddened and l
ooked away. “I am no beauty, sir, and I know not why you say it.”
It wasn’t often that Rufus was surprised, but he was now. It appeared the girl was unaware of her comeliness. He shrugged. “I speak what I think. However, it is not your beauty which will be of use to us here, but your cunning. And that, I believe you will not gainsay.”
She turned to him. “Indeed.” She smiled, and something inside him melted a little, warmed as if caressed. It surprised him more than anything else had done that day. “If we re-arrange our clothing,” she continued, “we might be believed.” She pulled her robe away from her shoulder, and he caught a glimpse of white skin beneath. He swallowed and felt himself stir. What was he doing, becoming roused by an innocent?
“That will work.” His hand reached out to her, and he saw her flush, but not flinch, as he hitched up her clothing a little. “But I think it would be wise not to show too much.” He stepped away again. “Now, there is one more thing to do.” He heard her sharp intake of breath and stepped from her, not wanting her to misunderstand his intent. “And that is to wait,” he added, taking a stance by the window embrasure, looking out into the white, snow-laden woods. He purposely kept his gaze fixed outside, giving the girl time to recover.
“Thank you, my lord,” she said quietly. He looked at her. Close now, he could see the fine texture of her skin, and her unusual almond-shaped eyes, which surely spoke of a foreign heritage.
“There’s no need to thank me.” He smiled and was rewarded with a brief smile in response, before her bewitching eyes turned their gaze to the wintry weather outside the castle walls once more.
“I believe there is. You are most unlike the other men here.”
He considered her words. “Like anything else, it only takes a few bad ones to sour the barrel.”
Her mouth twitched as if she were about to say something but changed her mind.
“What is it, girl?”
“Will you stay in the castle?”
“Nay. I came on a fool’s errand. And I shall return home as soon as I can.”
She nodded. “’Twill be safe to travel on the morrow. I can feel the change in the air.”
“A castle lass who knows the seasons?”
She cast him an astute look and hesitated briefly before answering. “I’m no castle lass. I came here to find someone.”
“Did you succeed?”
A darkness shadowed her face as she looked away. “I found what happened to her, and that is all I can do. Her name was Ethelinda, and she took her own life rather than continue to be abused by the men who took her from us.”
He’d seen too many grieving people not to recognize heartache when he saw it. Except this time it was controlled by this pretty lass, whose ability to hide herself in plain sight had kept her safe, until now.
“And what will you do next?” For the first time in a long time, he was curious about someone, touched by her quiet bravery and firm purpose.
“Leave,” she said, in a hushed tone. If he hadn’t been so close he’d have thought she’d simply exhaled. She turned her face to him. “Leave,” she repeated, with more emphasis this time. “And never return to this hell.”
He nodded, sensing a kindred spirit. “Return to where?”
She pressed her lips together. He’d obviously asked too much. Before he could ask her further, there was a knock at the door and Savari entered the chamber. Music, shouts and raucous laughter drifted up from the great hall.
“Ready?” he asked Rufus. Savari glanced briefly at the girl, noted her re-arranged clothes and nodded in approval. “Then come.” When the girl hesitated, Savari added, “Both of you.” As they returned to the great hall, along the corridors, the girl appeared to shrink into herself again, become anonymous. Rufus marveled at her ability, no doubt born of necessity.
Savari tried to lead them to a place away from the king, but it appeared the king hadn’t done with his sport yet.
“Here!” he commanded. “Come here and let me look at you.” His beady eyes ranged over them both. “Hm, what think you, Gilbert? Do you think he’s had this wench?” The king went to make a grab for her, but Rufus pulled her behind him.
“Only I can answer that, my lord,” said Rufus.
“And have you?” A hush fell over the hall.
Savari shot Rufus a warning look which he ignored. “I have not.” He glanced behind him to where the girl hovered, trying to look inconspicuous. “As I said, I do not take women unwillingly.”
“What’s wrong with you man? Bothered by your morals? Ah, of course, you came here to be married, did you not?” His eyes sparked with humor.
Rufus exchanged glances with Savari. “Aye, my lord.”
“Then, I would hardly be the perfect host if I didn’t grant you your wish.”
“My lord,” interjected Savari. “It is very kind of you to—”
“Enough, Savari. I am addressing your brother. Rufus, I offer you a wife.”
Rufus ground his teeth and glanced at Maud, who looked equally displeased with the prospect. One glance at Savari’s stony mien focused him. If the king had decided to rid himself of Maud, then the marriage could proceed and they could leave this God-forsaken place. And, what did it matter what kind of wife he married? His heart was dead to the world. “Thank you, my lord. I’ll be happy to take Lady Maud’s hand in marriage.”
“No,” said the king, and indicated to his men at arms to take the wench and bring her forward. “Not Maud. I find I have more use for her than I’d at first imagined. No, she will stay here with me.”
“But you, yourself, my lord,” said Savari smoothly, “have approved the match between my brother, eldest in our family, and the Lady Maud.”
“That was before I met her, and I find I like her too much to part with her. She satisfies me… for now.” He trained his dangerous gaze once more on Rufus. “And, now I have met Rufus, I’ve decided that he is no longer worthy of Lady Maud. She’s proved most… versatile. Unlike you,” he addressed Rufus.
“But it will also be in Lady Maud’s best interests to marry my brother,” said Savari.
Lady Maud appeared terrified at the idea she’d lose her status of mistress to the king and end up in Norfolk with a man she despised.
The king patted her hand. “Nay, lady, do not be afeared,” said the king. “Your family needs not the de Veres. You can rely on your king to support your family’s claims to the Winterton land.” He turned to Savari. “The Winterton usurpers, should I say?”
“I have no wish for her, anyway. You can keep her,” Rufus said stubbornly. Savari closed his eyes briefly in disbelief.
The king’s eyes narrowed to a sapphire glitter under the stuttering candles. “If you truly have no wish for an advantageous marriage, then you will not object to a disadvantageous marriage, will you?”
Rufus narrowed his eyes and shot a look at Savari whose tense expression revealed equal confusion.
“Yes,” said the king, sprawling in his chair with satisfaction. “It is another match I wish you to make. You have displeased me, Rufus. You have failed to entertain me with conversation and deprived me of amusement. I would see you punished for this. And I would have you take this punishment home to your lady mother. Yes, I have quite decided, you must be married, and today.”
Savari was the first to recover. “Another match, my lord, but to whom? There are no other unmarried ladies in the castle.”
“Ah, but there are. You’re just not seeing them.” The king gave a sly grin as if he were treasuring a joke known only to himself.
Savari frowned. “My lord?”
“You shall marry the maid whose morals you cherish so much.” The king paused and looked around but was met by stunned blank faces. “Mayhap I should be plainer in my intentions.” He took the cat-eyed girl’s wrist and pulled her to Rufus. “This is the wench for you.”
She looked around in panic and tried to shrink into her usual obscurity, without success.
“I do not want h
er, sire.”
“You do not want her? I had no mind that Norfolk knights were so choosy.” The king looked the girl up and down; her form was scarcely visible under her drab garb and hunched demeanor. “But I’m not surprised, for I know not for sure if she be a wench under those clothes. That can be something for you to discover later.”
Roars of laughter filled the hall. The king turned to his priest. “Priest. There will be a wedding this afternoon. If I cannot hunt, I must get my pleasures elsewhere.” The musicians struck up a celebratory tune, and the people laughed and cheered, all except three: Rufus, Savari and the girl. They stood frozen in expression and limb.
Savari was the first to recover.
“While your joke is a good one, sire—”
“It is no joke, Sir Savari! True, it is amusing, but that in itself does not make it a joke. A joke is a trick, and this is no trick. I truly intend for this wench to marry Rufus.”
“But your grace—”
“No, I fully intend it. It will happen.”
Savari glowered at Rufus and turned to the king. “Your Majesty, maybe in the morning when we’re able to prepare for such a… ceremony.”
“Ha! What, and give you and your brother time to think of excuses why it should not happen? I think not. No, I insist.” He beckoned to his men and soon Savari and Rufus were surrounded, with a blade pointed at Rufus’s throat.
The king rose and stepped toward them. “You, Lord Winterton, will marry this wench, this afternoon.” His eyes narrowed. “You see, I am granting you your wish. What a generous king you have, eh?” He turned to his men who laughed.
With his weapons left in the armory, Rufus had no choice but to submit to being bundled toward the dais. He was aware of the king’s men doing the same thing to the girl. Savari continued to remonstrate, but there was no gainsaying their king, not when it was the only sport to be had on a cold winter’s day.
Defending His Lady (Norfolk Knights Book 4) Page 4
