by Bobbi Smith
“What is happening with the Black Hawk?”
“That is the other part of my good news. Hereld should be returning any day with word of the exchange. My father will be very pleased when the ransom is paid, for as soon as we have the gold in our possession, I am going to personally see the Viking and those who come to ransom him slain.”
“Another trap?”
“What fool would think us lackwitted enough to release the very raider who has terrorized our lands? I am surprised my father has let him live this long, but from what understand, Anslak will insist on seeing him alive before the gold will be given over to us. I will have archers hidden nearby with their arrows trained on the Black Hawk’s back. He will be dead along with the others. Then we will reclaim some of the gold they have looted from us in the past.”
“Yours is a brilliant plan, Sir Edmund, and not unlike the one you created after learning from the Viking traitor that the Black Hawk would be attacking. Once this is done, you will have satisfied them all—you will have gained gold for your kingdom and killed the Black Hawk, and that is what the informer wanted from you in the first place, was it not?”
“That was the only thing he wanted for the information he gave—details of the Black Hawk’s raid for the Black Hawk’s death. Once our arrows have found their marks, I will have kept our part of the bargain.”
“You have a talent for deception.”
“I have yet to fail when I plan my rivals’ downfall,” Edmund said, giving a confident laugh. “I do love outwitting the enemy, and I will have done it when I see the Black Hawk fall dead on Saxon soil.”
With that, Edmund and the other man moved out of earshot.
Dynna remained where she was, shocked by all she had heard. Dear God! She had known Sir Edmund was a cold man, but now . . . She thought of Warren’s untimely death and could not help but wonder now if his brother had had something to do with his “accident.” She shuddered at the possibility. It frightened her that she would never know the truth for sure.
Thoughts of her dead husband brought thoughts of Brage. Sir Edmund had already planned his death. Her hands were shaking and her heart was pounding as she considered what she should do. She had to take some action to save Brage. She could not let him be slaughtered.
Opening the chapel door a crack, Dynna checked to make sure the passageway was safe, and then crept from the room. She hurried back to her chamber and began to pace nervously, trying to figure out how to rescue Brage from the certain death that awaited him.
Finally, as Dynna strode back and forth her gaze dropped to her healing basket, and the glimmer of an idea was born. If she was to save Brage’s life, she had to get him out of the tower and back to his own land. If she was to save herself from becoming Edmund’s wife, she had to go to her parents. They would protect her. As she had told Brage earlier, they were both captives. Now, they would have to escape together.
The most difficult part would be getting Brage out of the tower. Picking up her basket, Dynna went to her small table and began to mix some herbs and medicines. She made a large batch, taking extra care to ensure its extra strength. Her hands were still trembling as she worked, but she knew she had no choice. She could not let Brage die. She would do whatever was necessary to rescue him from Edmund’s evil plot.
The knock at her door momentarily shattered her confidence, and she nervously called out. “Who is it?”
“It is Matilda, my lady. I must speak with you right away.” There was an urgency to her voice.
Dynna heard the tone of concern and wondered what was wrong. After covering her mixture with a cloth, she went to unlock the door. She had no time to say a word as the servant rushed in.
“I came to you as quickly as I could. Have you heard the news?” She saw Dynna’s expression and had her answer. “You have heard that the—”
“Priests have returned? Yes. I have heard.”
“What are we going to do? Sir Edmund has publicly announced that the wedding will take place next week!”
“We are going to do nothing,” she stated.
“But, my lady . . .” Matilda was shocked. Lady Dynna just could not marry this man. She just could not! He was nothing like Prince Warren. Sir Edmund was cruel and vicious.
“I, however . . .”
“You have a plan? What can I do to help?” She saw the cloth covering a bowl on the table. “You are making a potion of some kind? How will you use it? To poison Edmund and solve all our problems?” she suggested hopefully.
“No,” she replied. “But there is more to the need of this potion than just the news of the priests’ arrival.”
“What else has happened?”
She revealed to her maid the conversation she had overheard between Edmund and the other man.
Matilda gasped.
Dynna paused to draw a deep, steadying breath, girding herself for what she was about to undertake. “I cannot stand by and let them kill him.”
“I will do whatever I can to help you.”
“No. I do not want you involved this time. I cannot take you with me.”
“But, my lady!”
Dynna would not be swayed. “And you cannot know more than have already told you.”
“But why? I want to stay with you. Who will protect you? Who will keep you from harm?”
“You know how closely Sir Edmund’s men are keeping watch over us. That is why I will need your help. If we were both to disappear again at the same time, they would suspect us right away. This way, I have a better chance of slipping away unnoticed.”
Matilda had no choice but to agree. “I will do whatever you want me to do, but know that I would rather be with you to help you.”
Dynna smiled at her faithful companion. “You are not only my servant, Matilda. You are my friend. There is no one, save my parents, I trust more than I do you. That is why you must stay behind and plead ignorance of my plans. It will be no lie, and they will not hurt you.”
“If that is how I can best help you, then I will do it.”
Dynna expressed her gratitude. “When the time comes for our escape, I will need the Black Hawk’s sword and shield hidden outside the tower gate,” she instructed. “I know it will not be an easy task, but I hope you can find a way.”
“I will.”
The two women’s eyes met, and Matilda could see the hard look of determination in Dynna’s regard. She hoped with all her heart that she would succeed.
Dynna bided her time. If she were to return to Brage’s room so soon, questions might be asked, for she had no reason to go there again until the next day.
Dynna was not surprised when Sir Edmund sent a message to her “inviting” her to join him for the evening meal. She had a very good idea of what was to come. Not wanting to give him any reason to doubt or criticize her, she donned a pale-blue undergown with a contrasting darker blue embroidered overgown held at each shoulder by golden brooches. She had Matilda pull her hair back away from her face and braid it.
“Will you be all right, my lady?” Matilda asked worriedly as Dynna prepared to go down to the Great Hall to join Sir Edmund.
Dynna assured her she would be fine. “Now that I know what I am up against and what I am going to do about it, I feel more confident.”
“Be careful.”
“You do not have to worry about that. I will be more than careful. Sir Edmund will have no reason to suspect me tonight.”
Practicing a pleasant smile one last time as she stared at her reflection in the mirror, Dynna knew she was ready to face Lord Alfrick, Sir Edmund, and the priests. She hoped Sir Thomas would be present so she would know there was someone in the room she could count on.
Sir Edmund was drinking a cup of ale with his father when he saw Dynna appear at the top of the steps. He made a great display of setting his cup aside and going to escort her to the table.
“You look lovely, my dear,” he complimented her as he took her hand. His dark eyes glowed with approval as his gaze r
aked over her in a bold caress.
It was all she could do to not show her distaste at the predatory look. She gave him the well-practiced smile.
“Have you heard that we have guests this evening?”
“Matilda brought me word of the good priests’ return. It will be a pleasure to see them again.”
“I am glad that you are as pleased as I am,” he said casually, then lowered his voice for her to hear alone. “I have spoken with Father Corwin and he has agreed to marry us. In one week, we shall be man and wife.”
“That is what I was told.” Dynna kept her gaze fixed on Father Corwin. Across the room, his eyes met hers and for a brief moment, she seemed to see something more in the holy man’s regard than just polite kindness.
“We will make the official announcement tonight.”
She nodded her acquiescence as they reached the table.
“Good evening, Father Corwin. Father Osmar,” Dynna greeted the priests warmly.
“It is good to see you, my lady. Have you been well?” Father Corwin asked. He had married Sir Warren and Lady Dynna and had long been fond of her. He had been greatly saddened by Warren’s untimely death.
“I have been very well,” she replied by rote.
“Congratulations on your coming wedding.”
Her reply of thanks was stiff and formal as she tried to hide the truth of her feelings from him.
They made general conversation, discussing his and Father Osmar’s travels about the countryside ministering to the people. When Edmund interrupted them, drawing Dynna’s attention away to greet someone else, Father Corwin had the time to study the two of them together. When he had first heard of this betrothal, he had been concerned. He had known Edmund all his life and had always disliked him. Where Warren had been good and kind and had made Dynna a loving husband; Edmund would be nothing of the sort.
Observing them now, Father Corwin could tell that this union was not her choice, just as he had suspected from the beginning. He would make sure to speak with Lady Dynna privately this week. He wanted her happiness and would do all he could to help her.
Lord Alfrick announced that the meal was to begin, and Father Corwin was called upon to say the blessing. A veritable feast had been prepared in honor of the announcement that would be made. When everyone had finished eating, Lord Alfrick rose. All those in the hall fell quiet as they awaited his words.
“Let it be known that a wedding will take place in seven days between my son, Sir Edmund, and Lady Dynna,” he said with great pride.
The hall erupted in cheers of good will. Dynna managed to smile graciously through all the toasts, when in reality all she wanted to do was run screaming from the hall. She counted the minutes until she would make her escape. There was only one moment when her composure might have cracked—when she accidentally met Sir Thomas’s gaze. She could see the older man’s concern for her in his expression, and it was almost her undoing. She looked away as quickly as she could, lest he see her carefully camouflaged distress.
It was late when she pleaded the need to retire, and to her amazement, Sir Edmund was most solicitous of her.
“I will escort you to your room,” he told her.
Dynna knew better than to argue the point and simply took his offered arm. When they reached her chamber, he stopped for a moment to stare down at her.
“We will make a handsome pair, we two,” he said thickly. “I will be proud to have you by my side.”
“I only hope that you find me worthy of you.”
He smiled drunkenly. She was less than her usual feisty self tonight, and he was pleased. “It is good that the priests’ arrival has helped you to realize the way of things. Perhaps you will not need as much taming as I thought.”
She gritted her teeth. “A wife’s duty is to please her husband.”
“And I will be your husband very soon, Dynna. Very soon . . .” His face lowered, taking her lips in a passionate kiss as his arms came around her and crushed her to him.
Summoning all of her willpower, Dynna suffered his touch and kiss without trying to break free.
When at last he ended the embrace, he was frowning. “You are a little cold, but that is all right.” His expression changed to one of hunger as he stared down at her. “It will be a challenge to teach you to respond to me.”
“Good night,” she said quietly.
“Good night, my bride.”
He waited until she was safely inside and the door was closed before he returned to the Great Hall. He was pleased by Dynna’s compliance, and glad she had not mentioned his dead brother all evening. He would wipe all memories of Warren from her mind once she was his. The next few days were going to pass very slowly, but the wait would be worth it.
Dynna was nearly ready to scream, but she could not for fear that someone would hear her. She tore off her clothes and washed herself to remove any trace of Edmund’s touch. After donning her nightdress, she climbed in bed, but she knew she would not sleep. Somehow, she had to come up with a plan to get Brage out of the tower.
Dynna began to explore different ways that she could sneak the Viking out. It would be simple to drug the guard and get past him. But the biggest difficulty in their escape would be crossing the Great Hall unnoticed, just as it had been for her and Matilda when they had tried.
For a moment, Dynna thought of enlisting Sir Thomas’s help, but she quickly dismissed the idea. He was pledged in honor to Lord Alfrick. He could not do anything that would compromise his word. No, she was on her own. Whatever plan she concocted would be hers.
Dynna’s thoughts went to Brage as she lay there trying to devise a plan to save him. The memory of his kiss was emblazoned on her heart. His kiss had been gentle and warm; Edmund’s had been torture.
Dynna wondered how he would react to what she had to say to him the next day. She was not sure if he would believe her or not, but she had to try. Somehow, she had to convince him to escape with her. They needed each other. She needed his strength, and he would need her knowledge of the tower and the surrounding land and people.
Together, they could make a run toward freedom.
Ten
Brage passed an uneasy night. Thoughts of Lady Dynna and the kiss they had shared kept him awake until the early morning hours. He had not meant for the kiss to happen, but even as he told himself all the reasons it had been the wrong thing to do, he could not forget the wonder of it.
Brage tried to put memories of her out of his mind but it was pointless. He had seen her bravery. She had more courage than some warriors he knew. She was a skilled healer and had fought to save him when the rest would have let him die. Dynna was a remarkable woman, and she did not deserve the fate that was being thrust upon her. Marriage to Sir Edmund was a cruelty he would not inflict on his most hated rival. He wondered if there was any way to help her, but realized it was pointless to even consider it. He was a prisoner. He was powerless to help anyone.
Brage turned his musings to the possibility of his own escape. When the time finally came, he believed it would be a simple matter, once the door was open, for him to overpower the guard and take his weapon. Armed with the guard’s sword, he would feel confident about his chance of escaping the tower alive.
Thoughts of Dynna intruded on his planning then, but he immediately dismissed the idea of taking her along. He had no idea what he would do with her, and it would be far too dangerous for her. He wanted to escape alone. If Lady Dynna were with him. . .
Brage gave himself a mental shake. It was impossible. It would not work. Still unable to sleep, he got up from the bed and went to stand at the small window. Staring out at the night-shrouded countryside, he wondered when he should make his move.
Morning could not come soon enough for Dynna. She did not bother with breakfast. She gathered what she needed to shave Brage and went straight to the tower room as early as she could without seeming too eager. She greeted Clive, the man standing guard that day, with a casualness she was not feeling. E
ntering the room, she found Brage sitting on the side of the bed much as she had left him the day before.
Brage looked up at the sound of her voice. As her gaze met his across the room, Dynna was struck again by how handsome he was. The shorter cut of his dark hair emphasized his eyes, and the shadow of growth on his jaw gave him a daring and dangerous look. He seemed to be holding his shoulders more squarely this morning, and she hoped it meant his wound was less painful. For what she had planned, he needed to be in good condition.
“You are early this morning, my lady,” Brage remarked. Thoughts of her had haunted him most of the night, and now seeing her first thing, he thought her even more lovely than he had remembered.
She approached him, wanting to be close to him so Clive could not overhear. “I have to talk with you, but we must do so quietly. We will speak as I shave you.”
Brage could tell she was tense. He wondered what secret information she had to tell him. He gave her a half-smile as he leaned back on the bed on one elbow. “If you would like, we could just talk and forget the shave.”
“I must have a reason to come here. Shaving you is the reason.”
“If I were given a choice, I would prefer we practice walking again.” His gaze held hers.
“Prisoners do not choose. They are told what they are going to do and when they are going to do it,” she said, the bitterness that filled her sounding in her words.
His smile disappeared and his gaze darkened at her blunt reminder of his position. “Of course, Lady Dynna. I had forgotten my place. I am a captive here and at your mercy.” His words were cold. He wondered if the kiss they had shared was imagined.
“That is what I have to talk to you about.”
“What is there to talk about? Nothing has changed. As you said, I am Lord Alfrick’s prisoner.”
“For now, you are his prisoner,” she said.
“What do you mean?”
“I learned late yesterday that very soon you will not be a prisoner anymore; you will be dead.” In case Clive looked in on them, she was trying to act as if they were having a casual conversation as she mixed the lather to soften his beard, but she did not miss the sharp glance he shot her way.
