Fearsome Brides

by Kathryn Le Veque

  Chad reached out to grasp her, politely, for the purpose of escorting her back outside but he ended up taking her hand rather than her elbow, a much more personal gesture and not one missed by his gleeful mother.

  “Then we must leave,” he said. “Henry’s men are contained, at least for the moment, so let us be gone.”

  Alessandria went with him, willingly, leaving Liselotte and Veronica still in the common room, watching them head out into the bailey where the skirmish was essentially over. The Six were contained, at least for the moment, and de Garr was brought into the knight quarters, unconscious and badly beaten, as Chad and Alessandria mounted their horses and headed out of Canterbury.

  But the last vision of them had a lingering effect, at least to Liselotte. Even as she tended de Garr, who was beaten so badly she wasn’t sure he would ever recover, her thoughts were of her son as he had spoken to the woman he was trying very hard to save from Henry’s clutches. She thought, perhaps, that it was only duty he was feeling but she hoped it was more than that.

  Chad was a virtuous man of great character and she wanted very much for him to find love, to know the joy and triumph that she had known with his father. Every mother wanted what was best for her son and Liselotte was no exception. She truly hoped he could find love with the beautiful Lady Alessandria and even as she prayed for the recovery of the knight her son had badly beaten, she also said a prayer for Chad’s heart. She prayed that love found its way into it. It was a big and giving heart.

  From what she had seen of the interaction between Chad and the lady, perhaps love already had found its way inside.

  Call it Mother’s Intuition, but she suspected as much.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Isenhall Castle

  Coventry

  “It is my sense, at this point, that Henry is not beyond anything distasteful. Holding Alessandria as a hostage simply proves that.”

  Gallus de Shera, the Earl of Coventry, sat in a small room on the entry level of Isenhall’s big, squat keep. It was a low-ceilinged room, vaulted, with heavy beams supporting the ceiling and smoke that gathered up at the apex.

  The room was usually used for family meals, much smaller and cozier than the massive hall in Isenhall Castle’s compact complex, but it was also used for conferences. Men could sit more closely to one another around the heavy oak table that could seat fifteen to twenty people at a time and conversations could be heard. On this day, Gallus and his brothers, Maximus and Tiberius, sat around the table, unmistakably hearing what Bose de Moray was telling them.

  It was sobering news, indeed.

  “Chad de Lohr and his men have gone to take Aurelius’ sister from Newington Priory before Henry’s men can get to her,” Bose said. “I trust Chad and I know you do also. If it is at all possible for him to take the lady to safety, he will.”

  “And Henry has one less bargaining chip,” Maximus, the big, gruff middle brother spoke. Green-eyed and dark-haired, much like his older and younger brothers, his voice was ominous. “For Christ’s sake, why would he seek out Aurelius’ sister as a hostage? Doesn’t he know we cannot stand the man?”

  Tiberius, the youngest brother, grinned even though the situation as quite serious. He was grinning because Maximus was the brother who never had any tact.

  “I have only met the sister once,” Tiberius said. “Honestly, I do not even remember her, but she is a de Shera. Henry is as wise as he is devious in using her against us.”

  Gallus shook his head. “It will not work,” he said. “Although I am saddened to know she is his target, surely he knows that I must look at the bigger picture. I cannot surrender the entire House of de Shera for a cousin I hardly know. Her single life is not worth all of ours, as harsh as that sounds.”

  Bose, seated across the well-used table from Gallus, sighed faintly. He was exhausted from his ride to Isenhall to deliver Henry’s ultimatum to three men the king very badly wanted. Henry was desperate for the support of the Earl of Coventry and his brothers but, as the conversation over the past hour had proven, the earl and his brothers, men known as the Lords of Thunder, were not eager or even remotely inclined to support the king at this point. Not after what Henry and his supporters had done to Simon de Montfort. That, in truth, was abundantly clear.

  “As I said, Henry wanted me to make it clear to you that you could retain your lands and titles and fortune if you were to recant your support for de Montfort and give Henry your fealty,” Bose said. “If you do not, Henry has also made it clear that he intends to destroy you. Gallus, the man is bent on vengeance and you are at the top of his list. How can I make this any plainer to you?”

  Gallus, the handsome eldest brother, eyed his youngest brother’s father-in-law. “You have made it very plain, Bose,” he said. “You know that we adore and respect you. But our path was set from the beginning of de Montfort’s rebellion. We have always, and only, supported him and his ideals of a government that should be run by the people and for the people. Henry may be the rightful king but he has no business administering this country. He has proven himself incompetent time and time again. I know you are friends with him and that you admire him, but I must differ with you on that opinion. There is nothing of the man to admire or support as far as we are concerned.”

  Bose didn’t like where the conversation was heading. “Is that stance worth the life of your wife and children?” he asked, hitting Gallus where it would hurt him the most – his family. “For that is what it will come to, my friend. Henry can raise a bigger army than you can and he will come to Isenhall and he will destroy her. He will then take you and your wife and children to London where he will more than likely send you to the ax and keep your family locked up for the remainder of his reign. You will not see your children grow up; you will not see your son attain his rightful title of Earl of Coventry. Is that what you wish, Gallus? Is your stubborn stance worth everything you have?”

  Gallus was listening to Bose carefully. After a moment, he scratched his chin in a pensive gesture. “Do you truly believe it will come to that?”

  “Unfortunately, I do.”

  Gallus glanced at Maximus and Tiberius, who met his gaze without emotion. Gallus held his brothers’ gazes for a moment longer before looking away. “Then we will send the women and children away,” he said. “I will send them to Lioncross Abbey where they will be safe until this blows over. Bose, I know you mean well and I appreciate that you have come to Isenhall to discuss this, but I cannot and will not surrender to Henry. I do not like the man and I do not like his politics. I must continue to stand for what I believe in, in what Simon believed in.”

  Bose sighed faintly, fearful that he truly wasn’t getting through to Gallus. “What purpose will your stance serve when you are dead?” he asked quietly. “Henry has that power and I do not want to see you or your brothers die, Gallus. I know that Ty’s death would destroy my daughter. England needs the three of you and your patriotic, progressive ideals. Please do not let that end now. Swear fealty to Henry yet keep your ideals. There is a time and place for every fight and, for now, you have lost this fight with Simon’s death. Do not lose your life, too.”

  Gallus could see that Bose was distressed. He felt badly for the old man, put in such a position as he was. Bose was loyal to Henry and always had been, ever since his days as captain of the guard for the young king. Rumor had it that Henry even saved Bose’s life once, so there was a very strong bond there that Gallus would never diminish. He admired such loyalty. But the fact remained that Bose was in a precarious, and emotional, position trying to negotiate for the king with the Lords of Thunder.

  The immovable object had met the mountain. No one was budging.

  Slowly, Gallus stood up, making his way around the table to where Bose was sitting. He didn’t want the table between them for what he had to say. Sitting beside the old knight, he looked into the man’s black eyes.

  “Simon de Montfort the Younger has asked us to continue his father’s rebellion at
his side,” he said quietly. “At Evesham, when we saw the turn the battle was taking, the young Simon came to me and begged me not to let his father’s ideals die with him. He is mounting a counterattack to Henry and has asked me to lead it.”

  Bose stared at him for a moment before closing his eyes and shaking his head in a painful gesture of disbelief. “Nay, Gallus,” he hissed, opening his eyes to look at the man. “You must not do this. Simon the Younger doesn’t have the command capability that his father had. He is not the leader his father was.”

  Gallus grasped the old man on the arm. “Nay, he is not,” he said quietly. “But I am. It is my intention to assume Simon’s mantle now that he is gone. Bose, I do not want my children growing up, commanded by a king who is inept at best. I want them to have a say in their country and in their world, in the things that affect them, and I want their voices heard when it comes to the governing good of England. It is every man’s right to have a say in the world that he lives in. We do not follow the king blindly, like sheep. It is my intention to provide my children with the opportunity to help the king rule his kingdom in a fair and just manner.”

  Bose could only stare at the man, feeling sick to his stomach. “You… you cannot be serious, Gallus,” he finally said. “Henry will do to you what he did to Simon – he will kill you. He is the king, for Christ’s sake… do you not understand that his resources and armies are greater than yours? He will crush you if you rebel.”

  Gallus didn’t seem particularly worried. “I could not live with myself if I did not do what my heart tells me to do,” he said. “It is something I must do.”

  Bose’s gaze lingered on Gallus before turning to Maximus and Tiberius, across the table from him. He could see the brothers were united in this and it scared him to death; especially Tiberius. His daughter’s husband was a great and noble man, and he didn’t want to see his head on the top of a pike, cut off by Henry in his vengeance. The mere thought made him feel ill. He couldn’t even look at them anymore.

  “This is what it will come to,” he muttered. “I will return to Henry and tell him that you refuse his offer and then he will order me to lead an army against you. I will refuse, in such case he will send another commander – Davyss de Winter mayhap – to march on you. If given the choice, you know that de Winter will refuse and, in that case, Henry will order Curtis de Lohr to march on you. Curtis will refuse him as well. That means that me and Davyss and Curtis will all be considered enemies of the crown and we will be forced, by virtue of having refused the king, to side with you in this matter whether or not we believe the rightness of what you are doing. Do you understand what you are creating here? This situation isn’t only about you, Gallus. It is about all of us who love you. Do you understand what you will be doing to all of us?”

  Gallus’ expression was tense and he stood up, moving away from Bose, his manner edgy as well as pensive. “I do not ask you to refuse the king when he orders you to lead an army against me,” he said. “That is your choice, Bose. If you chose to refuse him, it will not be because I asked you to.”

  Bose sighed heavily, feeling his age, his exhaustion. “We would refuse because we love you,” he said simply. “We would refuse because we could not lift a sword to kill you as much as you could not lift a sword to kill me. But it will come to that. God help me, it will come to that if you insist on pursuing Simon’s quest. There is little more I can say about it, I fear.”

  Gallus looked at the lowered head of the old man, his friend for a great may years because Bose’s son, Garran, had served Gallus and was a close friend. Garran had gone on home to Bose’s seat in Dorset, taking the de Moray army with him, whilst Bose rode north to Coventry. Frankly, Gallus was glad that Garran hadn’t come. He wasn’t entirely sure he could have refused both Garran and Bose in their pleas to side with Henry.

  “You understand a man’s conviction, Bose,” Gallus finally said. “You are a true and honorable friend for what you have said, and for what you have done for my brothers and me, and please know that it pains me greatly to say what I must. But in this case my brothers and I intend to continue de Montfort’s dreams, up to and including sacrificing our own lives. It is something I feel very strongly about. I hope you can understand that.”

  Bose was feeling defeated and hollow. “What of your cousin?” he asked, his voice dull with sorrow. “What of Aurelius’ sister? If Henry holds her hostage, what do you intend to do?”

  Gallus seemed uncomfortable with the question. He looked at Maximus and Tiberius. It was Maximus who finally shook his head and averted his gaze. Gallus exhaled a long, slow breath, one of great regret.

  “Nothing,” he said. “I cannot and will not let Henry coerce our loyalty by holding a family member hostage. I will lose all credibility if I agree to any kind of exchange or change of loyalties. As much as I regret saying this, I cannot let the life of one person determine the lives of so many, Bose. I am truly sorry. I pray that Chad has been able to save the woman from Henry’s clutches and we do not have to worry about this scenario, for if, in fact, Henry has her, then the situation will not go well in her favor.”

  Bose understood. God help him, he understood all too well. There was honor at stake here and, as Gallus said, his credibility. What man would allow himself to be manipulated with a hostage? A weak man, indeed. Wearily, Bose stood up from the table.

  “You understand that I had to try,” he said, looking at the three brothers. “I could not live with myself if I did not do everything in my power to prevent your fall, or worse – your death. Ty, let me take Douglass back with me to Ravendark Castle. She will be safe at the home where she was born in case Henry decides to raze Isenhall.”

  Tiberius looked at his father-in-law. “She will not go and you know it,” he said quietly. “She is heavily pregnant now, too, and will not travel well. Nay, Bose, she remains here. She is my wife and her place is with me.”

  Bose’s expression tightened. “Are you so selfish that you would see her killed because of your foolish ideals?” he snapped in an uncharacteristic burst. As soon as it left his mouth, he put up his hands to beg forgiveness. “I apologize. I did not mean it. I am simply… weary. It has been a very long few weeks since Evesham and I am simply weary.”

  Tiberius stood up and rounded the table, going to put his arm around Bose’s broad shoulders. “No harm done,” he said, the characteristic twinkle in his eyes. “Come with me. Let us go and see my wife and then you can rest. She is anxious to see you, anyway. I told her to stay away from our conference and she was quite unhappy with me.”

  Bose smiled weakly, making sure to reach out and touch Gallus on the arm as Tiberius led him from the room. It was a gesture of affection, not lost on Gallus. He watched the old knight go, hearing his boot falls, slow and heavy, as the man took the stairs. When the sounds faded, Gallus turned to Maximus.

  “Are we being stubborn, Max?” he asked. “Are we simply poor losers that refuse to give up the fight because we did not triumph at Evesham? I am having difficulty separating myself from the reality of the situation and the convictions we have fought so long and hard for.”

  Maximus leaned forward on the table, pondering his brother’s question. “I don’t know,” he said honestly. “All I know is that I feel like vomiting every time I think of serving Henry. But if we did, it would save our lives and the lives of our children. We have a great many children to think of, Gallus. I do not want our sons punished for the sins of the fathers.”

  Gallus looked at his brother, long and hard. “Nor do I,” he agreed. “But neither do I wish to serve an incompetent king.”

  “Then this matter is not settled as far as I am concerned.”

  Gallus nodded; what Maximus said was the truth. It wasn’t settled in the least. “Let de Moray sleep and we will speak with him more when he is rested,” he said. “Mayhap… mayhap I am simply being too stubborn in all of this. Mayhap Bose has been right all along.”

  Maximus lifted his eyebrows. “It is ce
rtainly something to consider,” he said. “But what he said about Aurelius’ sister – do we really allow the girl to come to harm as Henry’s hostage? That is not like you, Gallus. You are concerned for everyone in our family so to consign the girl to her fate as you did sounded cruel.”

  Gallus shrugged. “I will not surrender to Henry because he threatens me with a de Shera hostage,” he said. “But do not fear; we have enough people who side with Henry who could free the girl if it came to that.”

  Maximus was interested. “De Winter?”

  Gallus nodded. “De Winter, de Moray, and even de Lohr,” he said. “The girl will not suffer a terrible fate, of that I am certain. I will rescue her myself if it comes to it. But I will not surrender to Henry based on a bribe. He would never respect me if I did.”

  It was the truth. Perhaps the Lords of Thunder would, indeed, swear fealty to Henry at some point; perhaps they wouldn’t. But if they did, it wouldn’t be because they were forced to.

  It would be of their own doing.

  The de Sheras were stubborn that way.

  “What now, then?” Maximus asked. “Bose said that Henry would send his army after us if we do not agree to swear fealty to him. We lost a good portion of our army at Evesham and if Henry lays siege, I doubt we have enough men and material to fight him off. We need time and reinforcements.”

  Gallus knew that. “I have been thinking of just that fact,” he said. “All thoughts of Aurelius’ sister aside, we do, indeed, need reinforcements and the only person I can think to ask is the same one who covered our rear when we fled Evesham.”

  Maximus lifted his eyebrows. “De Lohr?”

  Gallus nodded. “His father is our grandfather,” he said. “Mayhap if Henry sees the de Lohr army camped around Isenhall, he will think twice before attacking us.”

  Maximus wasn’t so sure. “But Curtis de Lohr is loyal to Henry,” he said. “Covering our retreat from battle is one thing but coming to Isenhall and preparing to fight against Henry is entirely another. Henry will think that the de Lohrs have abandoned him. It is as Bose said; he will think Curtis to be his enemy.”