Hero sat down at the horse’s feet and looked up at the great beast, his head cocked to one side. He whimpered softly and lifted one paw up to the horse.
Noble picked up the pup and said, “I’m sorry, my friend. I’m afraid Valiant only has eyes for the girl tonight!” Hero sighed and laid his little head down on Noble’s chest.
Dominique laughed. “Oh, I’m sorry, too, Hero! Here—I’ll give you some attention if you like!” She scratched the small dog behind the ears and Hero sighed once more—this time in contentment. “He’s so cute, Noble! And a spunky little fellow, as well! Did you see the way he went after all those horsemen earlier?”
“Yes, although I am not sure at this point if it is courage or foolishness that makes him act this way!” Noble chuckled.
“He must live up to his name, Sir Noble—just as you have lived up to yours,” Dominique said, suddenly serious. It was just at that moment that her mother called for her, and they turned to rejoin the group around the fire.
“We have been pursuing a man they call the Dark Knight,” Sir Michael was saying to the Duke of Conwy as Noble and Dominique drew near. “He has been terrorizing our people, and doing damage whenever and wherever he can. We were close on his trail yesterday, and thought that surely we would catch up with him, but somehow he managed to keep ahead of us until darkness fell and we were forced to stop.”
“It was a sore thing to give up the hunt just then,” Noble added. “King Stephen wants us to find him and discover what he is up to. We do not want to fail the king.”
“What does he look like?” Dominique asked.
“We do not know for sure. People say he wears black, and keeps his face covered. He has only been seen at night, and then in the shadows. He speaks to no one, but his very presence fills the people with fear,” Sir Michael answered.
“That is not quite true, Sir Michael,” Noble said. “You forget—he spoke once to an old man but the only words the man could understand were “noble the king.”
“What! What is that you say?” the duke exclaimed. “Noble the king? I think I know who this man is!”
It was Noble’s and Sir Michael’s turn to look surprised. “What! Who? Who is it?” they asked eagerly.
“I have a feeling—no, I am sure of it—it must be my cousin Andras, the only son of my uncle, Sir Charleton.”
“Andras!” Dominique exclaimed in shock. “Are you sure, Father? Why would he do such a thing?”
“He is bitter, Dominique. His father tried to make war upon King Stephen and do away with me so that he could take away my dukedom, but Noble defeated his father, and King Stephen put Charleton in prison for the rest of his life. Ever since then, Andras has gone around Conwy speaking hatred and revenge against the king and Sir Noble. They took away any hope that Charleton would ever be duke in my place—or king, for that matter, for that was his loftiest dream—and shattered the dreams of Andras, as well, for he would have ruled someday, too.”
“But my dear,” the duchess spoke up, “surely that was all simply evil talk. Andras would never leave Conwy on his own to seek revenge, would he?”
“Andras has left Conwy! I got word two months ago that he was missing, and it has been a worry to me ever since. I fear he is not in his right mind. I do not know what he will do if he gets the chance. I had planned to send messengers to inform King Stephen, but when my wife and daughter wanted to come for a visit to Caernarfon, I agreed in order that I might tell the king of this turn of events myself.”
Noble and Sir Michael looked at one another in dismay. This was not good news, but at least they now knew who the Dark Knight was, and perhaps what he was up to. That part of their mission was now accomplished, although until they got their hands on the Dark Knight the greatest part of their task still stood before them.
They questioned the duke closely about his cousin for a while longer until finally Richard noticed the weariness on his wife’s face and called the session to an end. “We will discuss this more in the morning, but for now we bid you goodnight. We are grateful for your help once again, Sir Noble and Sir Michael.”
The men moved away, leaving the duke and his family to sleep closest to the fire. Others would take the watch through the night. Noble and Sir Michael settled down in their cloaks with Hero between them. It had been a long day and they were exhausted. In no time, all three were asleep.
No one knew that just a few feet away from the horses the very man they had spoken of, the Dark Knight, lay in the shadows watching and waiting. They had been right—there were too many of them for him to make himself known this night, but he had heard and seen enough to make his plans for another more convenient time. He now knew that the boy-knight was Sir Noble—the Noble he had been searching for. Sir Noble would lead him to the king, he was sure—and then he would take his revenge!
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CHAPTER SEVEN
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The Castle at Caernarfon
Morning brought a change in plans for Noble and Sir Michael. “We will ride with you back to Caernarfon,” Noble told the duke as they ate a quick breakfast. “Now that we know what the Dark Knight’s plans are, it is senseless to chase him around the kingdom. If he is looking to harm the king or me, he will come to Caernarfon after us. We must get back to the castle to warn King Stephen and help to defend him. I no longer fear what he might do to others along the way. He must know now that we have learned who he is and what his plans are, and he will hasten to the castle now to carry out his wicked schemes as quickly as possible.”
The duke agreed. They wasted no time in getting back on the road again. They rode steadily all that day, only stopping for a midday meal at a small village inn. The group traveled more slowly with the coach and wagon. He and Sir Michael could have made better time, Noble knew, if they had gone on ahead, but they could not in good conscience leave the duke’s party behind. If Sir Andras was set on taking his revenge, then who knew what he might do to the Duke of Conwy and his family, as well?
The sun was low in the sky when they finally reached Caernarfon. They were not expected, so there was no great welcome in the castle courtyard for them this time. Sir Michael sent a servant running to announce the arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Conwy to the king, and it wasn’t long before the king and queen themselves hurried out of the castle to greet their old friends.
The two women cried out in joy at the sight of one another. “Bronwen!” Queen Gwyneth exclaimed. “I am so happy to see you! How long has it been since last we met? Too long! And here is little Dominique—though not so little anymore! My dear, how you have grown! You are quite the young lady now!” She hugged the duchess and her daughter and added, “I cannot wait for you to see our little William. You will not believe how much he has grown, too! He is with Anwen and her puppies at the moment. He spends every free moment with them—trying to train them to be mighty hunting dogs, I fear, rather than the gentle little lapdogs they are meant to be.”
The ladies laughed. “I look forward to seeing him,” the duchess said. “I remember him as such a dear little boy.” They left so that the queen could show her guests to their rooms.
The king and duke were equally pleased to meet. They shook hands warmly and thumped each other on the back, but it was not until they had returned to the royal family’s chambers that they sat down to talk. “My friend!” King Stephen exclaimed. “To what do we owe this pleasure?”
“Your Majesty! It is the debt we owe to you that brings us here—that and simply the desire to renew the friendship between our families. Bronwen and Dominique were eager to come for a visit.”
“You owe me no debt, Richard. The evil deeds of your uncle were no fault of yours. I know that. He shall pay for his wicked ways in the dungeon for the rest of his life. The matter is settled.”
“I beg your pardon, Sire, but I fear it is not. That is one of the reasons I have come personally to speak with you. Sir Noble tells me that he and Sir Michael have been pursuing a man th
ey call the Dark Knight.”
“Yes, that is true, Richard. Tell me, men, how goes the hunt for this villain?” King Stephen turned to his two knights who stood in the background.
They stepped forward and Noble spoke, “We were close upon his trail, very close, Your Majesty, when we ran into the Duke of Conwy and his party. The duke was able to shed some light for us upon the mystery of the Dark Knight, and after hearing what he had to say, we decided it was more important to return to Caernarfon immediately than to continue the chase. I am sorry we came home empty-handed, Sire.”
“Well, tell me then—what was this information that caused you to give up the hunt? Richard, what do you know about the Dark Knight?”
“I believe this man is my cousin Andras, the son of Sir Charleton. Actually, Sire, I am sure of it. Andras is out for revenge upon you and Sir Noble for what has happened to his father. He is quite out of his mind, I fear, and I do not know what terrible thing he might try to do if he is not caught first. That is why I wanted to come and speak to you in person, Your Majesty. Though Charleton is now safely put away, the danger is not past, I am afraid.”
“We think Sir Andras may be headed here to the castle, Your Majesty,” Sir Michael added. “We returned to arrive before him and warn you of the danger.”
“He is one man. He leads no army,” King Stephen said. “He may be able to frighten poor peasants, and even do them some harm, but it will be a difficult task for him to enter within the castle and seek his vengeance here.”
“Do not make light of what damage he could do, Sire. Andras is a clever man. He will find a way,” the duke warned.
“We will be ready,” Noble replied. “Your Majesty, with your permission, we will report this matter to the captains of the Guard. I am sure Sir Edward and Sir Robert will want to make preparations as soon as possible.”
“Go then, and do so, Sir Noble and Sir Michael. Tell them I have given orders for it. Tell the captains, also, that I would like them, as well as the two of you, to join us for dinner tonight. We will discuss this afterwards.”
The knights bowed and left the room. The captains of the Guard listened carefully to all that Noble and Sir Michael had to say and immediately began to make plans to set a stronger watch upon the castle walls and to increase the guard around the royal family.
“My apologies to you, Sir Noble,” Sir Edward said with a bow when at last they were done. “Forgive me for doubting you when your heart told you there was more to this Dark Knight than just a scary children’s tale. You were right to be concerned.”
“It is of no matter, Sir Edward,” Noble said. “What is important is that we protect the king and catch the Dark Knight.”
They did not speak of the Dark Knight that evening at dinner. It was a happy reunion of friends in the great dining hall. There was music and entertainment while they feasted on the best Cook could come up with on short notice.
Prince William was his usual lively self, especially when he saw that Noble was joining them for the meal. “Noble, have you shown Hero to Dominique yet?”
“Oh yes, Your Highness,” Dominique laughed as she answered for Noble. “Hero was the one who brought us back together again. He gave us a grand welcome—well, at least a noisy one!”
“After dinner I will take you to see Anwen and the rest of her pups,” the young prince promised.
“We must thank you once again for the gift of Anwen,” Queen Gwyneth said to the duchess. “She is a sweet thing, and her puppies have brought much happiness to our William.”
“I am going to teach them to hunt,” William said proudly. “Father laughs, for he says they are meant to be simply pets and will never make good hunting dogs, but look at all Noble has done with Hero already! Of course, I will have to learn to hunt first myself. Noble has taken me out with him when he hunts with Fly sometimes, and Father promised that someday I shall have a falcon of my own, but I need to learn to ride with the hounds, also. If I had a horse like Noble’s Valiant…” the little boy chattered on.
“Fly!” Dominique said when William finally stopped to take a breath. “I would like to meet her sometime, Noble. I know Valiant, and now Hero—and if Fly is as wonderful as your other animals are, I am sure she must be something special!”
“Oh, she is, Dominique!” William burst in before Noble could say a word. “You ought to see her when she is hunting! She streaks like a comet across the sky and—why, I have an idea! Noble, why don’t we take Dominique out hunting with us and Fly? Don’t you think that is a wonderful idea?” Dominique’s face lit up at the suggestion and she turned eagerly to Noble.
“Your Highness, I—” Noble began.
“Now, now, William—you must not bother Noble,” his mother interrupted. “I am sure he is very busy.”
King Stephen had seen the look on Dominique’s face, however, and he lifted his hand. “If Sir Noble would like to take some time to show off the skills of Fly to our guests, I am sure it can be arranged. Noble? What say you?”
Noble bowed his head. “I would be happy to take Dominique and William with me—and all of you, if that is what you would like.”
The duchess smiled. “We look forward to it, Sir Noble. I am eager to spend more time getting to know the young man who saved my husband and daughter.”
Dominique clapped her hands in delight. “How exciting! I can’t wait to meet Fly! Oh, and Noble—I hope also to meet your grandmother! You told me about Granny and your grandfather, and the little cottage she lives in, do you remember? Do you suppose we could meet her, as well?”
“We cannot impose ourselves upon Sir Noble’s grandmother like that, Daughter!” the duke protested.
“Your Excellency, my grandmother would be honored to welcome you—all of you—to her humble home. And there is no better hunting I have found than in the fields and forest surrounding her cottage. It is the perfect place to allow Fly to show her skills. My only concern, Sire,” Noble said as he turned to the king, “is the danger in leaving the safety of the castle. If the Dark Knight—”
“If the Dark Knight comes here looking for us he will not find us at home, will he? Perfect! He will never think to look for us at your grandmother’s cottage! We will take some extra guards with us, if that will make you feel better, Sir Noble.” King Stephen said calmly. Noble nodded and the king said, “We will go in the morning then. It is settled!”
“Let us take a picnic lunch, and make it a holiday,” the queen suggested. “We do not want your grandmother to worry about feeding us all, Noble. Come, Bronwen. We will go to the kitchen and speak to Cook about it right now.”
The ladies left the room and William and Dominique began talking excitedly about the upcoming trip to the country. Noble looked at the other knights. Sir Edward and Sir Robert looked grave. Sir Michael was biting his lip. Noble knew they were as concerned as he was for the safety of the royal party. The Dark Knight was still out there somewhere, looking for his chance to take revenge for his father’s imprisonment. He might not find them at the castle when he showed up, but it would not take much for him to discover where they had gone. The king and duke, their families, and the knights protecting them could hardly pass through the countryside in secret.
Noble looked at William’s and Dominique’s smiling faces and listened to their happy chatter. He, too, was glad to be going to Granny’s again. He missed her, and he knew she missed him, also. And it would be good to go hunting with Fly. Time spent with the royal family was always special, as well. Any other time he would have been as excited as Dominique and William about the outing tomorrow. But tonight he could not help but wonder—would it be worth it in the end? He hoped and prayed it would be.
The question was, though—where was the Dark Knight? And what would he do if he found them?
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CHAPTER EIGHT
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The Cottage in the Country
Noble was waiting at the Royal Mews with Fly when King Stephen and the others j
oined him there in the morning. Dominique and the ladies had expressed a desire to see the Mews and the other birds of prey that were housed there with Fly.
The Master of the Mews was happy to show the members of the royal party around. Besides Fly and two or three other peregrine falcons, there were merlins, hawks, kestrels, and the king’s own gyrfalcons. They watched as he fed them raw meat and watered them.
Noble reached into Fly’s pen with a leather glove and brought her out so that Dominique and William could stroke her feathers once he had hooded her. Finally he said, “Your Majesty, if we want to reach my grandmother’s cottage in time to take Fly hunting, we ought to leave now.” The king agreed so Noble put Fly on her cadge, or perch, holding her firmly by the jesses, and they left the mews.
Noble was surprised to see Jamie in the courtyard with the knights who were to guard them along the way. He was on horseback, holding the reins of Valiant and a couple of other horses. “Jamie!” Noble exclaimed. “Are you coming with us?”
“The stable master is sending me to look after you all,” his friend said with a grin.
“Oh, yes! I am sure of that!” Noble laughed. “Well, whatever the reason, I am glad to have you along!”
Dominique and William paused to stroke Valiant’s long black mane until finally their mothers called for them to get into the carriage. “I wish I were riding with you again, Noble,” Dominique said as she reluctantly turned to climb into the coach. “You see! Valiant wishes it, also!” The great warhorse had whinnied his disappointment when the pretty girl walked away.
Shadow of the Dark Knight (Noble Heart Book 3) Page 4
