Keeper of the Stone

by Lynn Wood

  CHAPTER SIX

  Rhiann didn’t see her future husband again until she was walking down the long aisle of the new abbey on the arm of the king. Armed knights dressed in deep blue livery stood respectfully at attention as they walked slowly passed. The pews were filled with noble lords and their ladies dressed in their colorful finery.

  Rhiann’s hand shook noticeably on the king’s arm, and she was grateful for his support as she walked down the aisle for she was convinced she could not have traversed the distance on her own. The abbey felt cold even with the hundreds of candles burning overhead to provide light for the ceremony. Her gown was a soft gold. The shade provided a rich backdrop to the lighter strands of her long hair which shone in the shadows cast by the flickering candlelight. The gown was made of a heavy, warm material that brought a subtle glow to her skin. Her mother’s necklace was replaced for the evening by a strand of magnificently matched pearls, the gown and pearls a gift of the new monarchs to mark the occasion.

  She held her head high and kept her glance centered on the altar, unable to bring herself to look at the man who would soon be her husband. She was afraid if she did and she remembered later this evening he would likely demand his intimate rights as her husband she thought she might turn and run in the other direction. Perhaps this was all some hideous nightmare. The hopeful possibility tantalized her with the chance of escaping the bond, stronger than any steel chain that would close around her as soon as she repeated her vows to the priest. If this was a nightmare, she needed to figure out how to rouse herself from it and soon. Maybe she was ill and hallucinating in a fevered state. She would wake up any moment now to find her mother’s concerned face bending over her, with her father and sister by her side.

  Nathan watched his bride sway slightly as she approached the altar. Her complexion was so pale he thought she was in danger of fainting. There was a glazed look to her eyes he found nerve wracking. He willed her to look at him. If the maid chose to faint after they exchanged their vows he would not in all honestly blame her.

  Never in her wildest imagination could she have envisioned finding herself bound for life to an enemy knight. In the past months she lived through the deaths of her entire family who were killed by his comrades, was forced from her home and dragged to London without even the benefit of her maid for company, and was now being constrained to marry a man who could very well have been the one responsible for the loss of her family.

  He would treat her kindly. She only had to speak her vows and get through the ceremony. Then the land would be his. Nothing else mattered. His lips curved in an involuntary smile as she approached the altar. Even in her obviously anxious state she was easily the most beautiful woman in the room. Her golden hair glowed in the firelight and lay in thick curls down her back where it fell to her hips. Her eyes were deep green pools of the mysteries that fill a woman’s thoughts. Her lips trembled slightly as did the elegant hand resting on the king’s arm.

  Still she carried herself as befitting the daughter of a duke. She was like some ancient pagan princess, young, proud, almost too beautiful to be real. They came to a stop next to him and William nodded his approval and lifted Lady Rhiann’s hand from his arm and presented it to Nathan as the maid seemed incapable of performing the act herself. Nathan took his intended bride’s icy hand in his own sweating one. They both feared what the imminent future would bring. She no doubt feared the consummation of the ceremony, while he feared the opposite outcome. His heart was pounding with panic at the thought something would happen before the priest announced the final blessing, making the lady his in the eyes of the church and under the law. He was so close to realizing the dream he sacrificed everything to achieve his mind was filled with a relentless fear something would snatch it away from his eager grasp at the final moment.

  He tightened his grip on the maid’s hand until he knew it must be painful. She tried to pull her hand away but he refused to release her. Finally, she raised her glance to his. He immediately loosened his grip. The glazed expression in her eyes was replaced by a hesitant wariness. He held her glance, willing her to trust him, lending her some of his strength. The priest demanded their attention and they turned towards him and together took the final steps to the altar where they knelt side by side before him. Rhiann was unable to still the trembling of her hand where it rested in the grasp of the stranger who was about to become her husband. He squeezed it reassuringly. Panic welled up inside her until she feared she might choke on it. What was she doing? How could this be happening to her?

  Nathan, already attuned to his bride’s anxiety, was aware of her quickened breathing and the trembling that now shook her entire slender form. He squeezed harder the hand resting in his until his bride attempted to free herself. He refused to release her. The foolish tug of war that ensued took his nervous bride’s thoughts away from the source of her terror. She was now regarding him with a definitely disgruntled expression as she abandoned her unequal struggle to regain her hand. He grinned at her obvious displeasure with his high-handed tactics. She would soon learn who would be master in this marriage, and which one of them would be the chattel.

  Nathan looked forward to the task of instructing his young bride in her wifely duties. He was especially looking forward to initiating her into the more intimate of her duties tonight. In fact it was the contemplation of just such an initiation that forced him to spend the past twenty four hours in a state of semi-arousal. Even now the feel of her soft skin resting against his was making it difficult to concentrate on the priest’s instructions. He willed the frail, elderly man to get on with the final blessing before his would-be wife fainted at his feet.

  When it was time to speak their vows, Rhiann waited silently as her betrothed proclaimed his promises, her eyes glued to the clear blue ones so intently holding her own. Her soon-to-be husband repeated his vows with an assurance she knew she would be unable to match when she was asked to recite her own. His voice was deep and solemn as he promised to honor and protect her, the look in his eyes letting her know he meant the words he gave her. Rhiann felt his promises settle somewhere deep within her, taking root near her heart. Even if he was marrying her only to gain possession of her father’s lands she thought he intended to honor his vows. This was not a man who would easily break promises he made in front of his king and his God.

  When the time came to declare her own vows she kept her gaze focused on Nathan, hoping to borrow some of his strength. Certainly he was blessed with a surplus of that commodity. She was not able to discern his height the previous evening because he was seated at the table when she first became aware of him. Now she was uncomfortably aware of the way he fairly towered over her, the top of her own head not quite reaching his broad shoulders. His chest spanned two of her own and she suspected he learned at a young age to keep a tight leash on the strength she could feel in the calloused hand hers rested in. She was unable to repeat her own vows in more than a shaky whisper but the priest seemed satisfied. Without further ado he pronounced them husband and wife and gave his permission for the king’s knight to kiss his new bride.

  Rhiann lifted startled eyes to her husband’s and noticed his held a devilish glint of amusement as he bent his head towards her. She held herself stiff in preparation of his assault and was surprised when he merely brushed his lips across hers before lifting his head to accept the congratulations of the king and queen and their guests. He nudged her to face the smiling monarchs. As if in a dream Rhiann accepted their hearty congratulations and best wishes for a happy future.

  Afterwards, the king and queen stepped to one side and William nodded his approval as the knights who lined the aisle when Rhiann and the king walked down it prior to the ceremony came forward and knelt before them, repeating their own vows of loyalty and promising to give their lives to preserve hers. Dazed and confused, Rhiann scooted closer to her husband’s side until she felt his hands settle reassuringly on her shoulders and pull her back against his hard frame.


  Nathan nodded to each of his men, acknowledging their pledges of loyalty. His skittish bride was obviously overwhelmed. She kept edging closer against his side until she was literally standing between his legs. He let his hands rest possessively on her shoulders. She was his. The land was his. Satisfaction filled him at the thought. He drew in a deep breath, filling his senses with her tantalizing scent. Tonight she would give herself to him and he would plant his seed in her young, tender body. God willing it would find fertile soil and she would breed true. His sons’ lineage would be far greater than their father’s. Aye he was well satisfied with this day’s work. All of his years of back breaking work, his sweat, his sacrifices, the hideous trials of blood and death. The stark, anonymous existence of a single soldier in the king’s service. If his life leading up to this moment was the price of what he was awarded this day, he paid it willingly.

  When the last of his men knelt before them Nathan led his bride down the long aisle to the hearty cheers of those gathered to witness the ceremony, and out into the damp, icy cold of the late autumn evening. Stars glittered overhead as they made their way back to the keep where the king’s guests would gather to celebrate their nuptials.

  The newly wedded couple had yet to exchange a single word. Rhiann was aware of the silence between them but was too nervous and tongue-tied to be the one to break it. She kept trying to put some distance between herself and the huge man who was now her husband by pulling as inconspicuously as she was able away from his side. He seemed aware of her inclination and each time she gained a little space between them as they walked side by side in the chill evening, he would draw her back close to his side with his strong arm wrapped securely around her shoulder.

  He seemed unwilling to acknowledge the obvious hint she was trying to deliver that she was uncomfortable with the close physical contact he was apparently intent on maintaining between them. He had not ceased touching her since the king placed her hand in his much larger one in front of the altar before the priest. She reminded herself of her new husband’s vows to honor and protect her, but they did little to ease her anxiety. Did she not just utter similar vows before a man of God to honor, love and obey this stranger? She doubted her husband meant his promises to her any more than she meant her own. Their pledges were exchanged to satisfy the priest and the customs of the church. How could she swear to love a man she spoke no more than a dozen words to prior to the ceremony that would bind them for life?

  She shivered involuntarily, uncertain if her tremors were caused by the cold or her anxiety about the fate awaiting her later this evening, much less the course of her entire future after tonight.

  “Are you cold?” Nathan asked, surprised by the slight tremor beneath his hand. The night air seemed unseasonably mild to him.

  Rhiann’s voice deserted her when she lifted her glance to meet her new husband’s intent one and she could only nod in response. Nathan immediately removed his cloak and wrapped it around her. The garment hung around her much smaller form like a heavy quilt. She hurried to lift the lower half to keep it from dragging along the ground behind her. His masculine scent lingered on the fine cloth and Rhiann found her senses filled with the evidence of him. His heat clung to the garment and she welcomed its warmth. “Thank you,” she whispered, shyly meeting his glance.

  Nathan smiled at his wife’s evident timidity. He found it amusing the way she kept trying to put some distance between them, how she attempted to pull her hand free from his grasp, and even now how she was unable to bring herself to hold his glance for long. He couldn’t resist the urge to push a stray strand of her long hair, now blowing gently in the breeze, away from her lovely face. The golden curls felt like silk in his hand and he let his knuckles linger on her soft skin. His body was already reacting insistently to her nearness and the thought of the banquet he would feast upon later this night. Her eyes were huge in her pale face but she didn’t recoil from his touch. He smiled tenderly at her wary expression. “You’re welcome.”

  He heard her sigh audibly at the same time she dropped her glance beneath his. The smile playing around his lips turned into a grin.

  His bride was so honest in her reactions, so openly genuine. He reached out and lifted her chin so she would be forced to meet his gaze. It was hardly a revelation to discover he liked touching her. He especially enjoyed the way she pressed herself up against his side at the church when his men offered their pledges of loyalty. He easily captured her startled gaze as she raised her eyes to his. She was as skittish as a young colt, with the same wary fear in her vivid green eyes at his touch. His hand slid along her jaw, underneath her silken tresses and cupped the back of her neck.

  Her eyes widened at his boldness and she drew a quick panicked breath but though he could read the temptation in her eyes, she restrained from drawing away from his hand. He suspected she knew he would not allow her to retreat from his touch and no doubt his young bride had learned the painful lesson over the course of the past few weeks and months that some battles were not worth the price one paid to wage them.

  “You belong to me now. It is my right to touch you.” His voice was harsher than he intended. The softness of her skin, the sight of her gold curls blowing gently in the breeze, the wide-eyed innocence of her gaze all combined to tantalize his masculine passions in a way he had not allowed himself to indulge in since he was a young man.

  He was an innocent once. As innocent as the maid he somehow managed to capture for his own. He paid a high price for surrendering to his naive lust for a woman he thought was as pure as he once was. He acknowledged now how foolish his younger self was then. There was no mistaking the purity of Rhiann’s eyes. The way she flinched beneath his every caress was evidence of her unfamiliarity with a man’s touch.

  “I know.” She whispered in response to his claim it was his right to touch her. Tears filled her eyes at his fierce reminder.

  “I’ll never hurt you.” His thumb was gentle as he brushed away the tears that spilled over her lower lids.

  “Truly?” Rhiann wanted to believe him. She wanted to trust him, because if she was unable to rely on his word her future was too terrifying to contemplate.

  “Truly.” His assurance was whispered against her lips as he brushed his own against hers. Rhiann fought conflicting emotions at his gentle touch. One to draw away from this new intimacy, the other to restrain the urge to lean into his arms and let herself be swallowed up in his strength.

  “I don’t wish to hate you.” She whispered. Their lips were still just a breath away as he lifted his face away from hers.

  “Then don’t.” Nathan recognized he was asking a lot of her considering the events leading up to their marriage.

  “I will try to love you.”

  He smiled in surprise at her hesitant declaration. Her adjustment would be much easier if she could eventually grow to have some affection for him, but he would not demand her love. She could save her tender feelings for his sons, but if she needed to love him, neither would he crush her gentle regard. “I will do my best to be worthy of your love.” At her hesitant smile he wrapped one arm around her slender waist and steered her towards the king’s home and the celebration awaiting them.

  A large cheer erupted at their entrance and Nathan grinned when Rhiann immediately edged closer to his side. The king beckoned them forward and Nathan knelt before his liege lord. Rhiann did not need his gentle urging to kneel by his side. He nodded approvingly at her graceful action and squeezed the small hand he held in his.

  The king gave them his blessing and bid them rise. He signaled for silence from his guests. “I am well pleased with this match. I bid you all to welcome Lady Rhiann and join me in offering your best wishes for a happy future.” A loud cheer erupted at his words, and after a few moments the king once more held up his hands for silence. “Tis my privilege to provide a generous dowry fitting for such a worthy bride, though as I have already informed my vassal, even the most generous dowry must take a distant second to the
woman it accompanies.”

  A hushed silence fell over the crowd. All knew who Rhiann’s father was and the rich estates he left behind. They waited anxiously to learn if one of the richest estates acquired in the invasion of Saxony would be awarded to the duke’s daughter’s new husband. “My loyal vassal and good friend, Nathan, has proven his value and loyalty again and again in his years in my service. As you all know I reward service in the measure it is given to me. For this reason I award the lady’s father’s estates to Baron Nathan, the new lord of Heaven’s Crest.”

  Thunderous applause erupted at the king’s announcement. If there were noblemen who were dissatisfied or disgruntled over the king’s proclamation, their disappointment was drowned out by those who were genuinely happy for Nathan. His own men, many of them younger sons with no hope of inheriting lands of their own, saw his huge step up in status as a reflection of their own possibilities.

  Rhiann lifted her glance toward her husband’s face and for a brief moment saw the flare of triumphant satisfaction in his eyes. She knew nothing of his family background but she guessed this moment meant a great deal to him, more than she could possibly understand. He looked down to find her watching him and bent towards her and whispered in her ear. “I will take good care of your father’s lands and his daughter. You need have no fear entrusting either to my care.” He turned to his king and repeated his pledge to guard his lands, his wife, and the king’s interests with his sword, his will and his life’s blood. Even more thunderous applause erupted at the conclusion of Nathan’s fierce vow.

  Large mugs of fresh ale were passed around by harried servants and Rhiann recognized her husband’s commander when he stepped up on the platform and raised his glass. “Hail Baron Nathan and Lady Rhiann! May they know long life. May their lands prosper. May their sons be blessed with their father’s strength and honor, and may their daughters be blessed with their mother’s beauty.”