by Rizzo Rosko
"We shall not survive many more nights if we keep on like this." Their leader shook his head.
"Speak for yerself. Ye would have been as fat as me had ye not gambled away the gold we got selling that boy's finery. Now we truly will not survive!" Colin said.
"'Tis not true." Ivan raised a thick finger. "When that celebration comes to an end there'll be plenty o' folks travelling to get back home. Travellers make easy game."
"Our scars say otherwise,” said their leader, who had no scars at all. “There'll be too many on the road at one time. We'd never catch anyone alone."
"What would ye 'ave us do? There ain't no way we can survive otherwise." Colin sneered.
The handsome man's lips turned upward, his eyes brightening at the same time. "Aye, there is plenty we could do now that we got us a secret against a lady." He pulled out the sword he'd taken from the boy, the only thing he saved from chancing with dice.
'Twas a beautiful weapon, sheathed in decorated leather and cloth, and jewels encrusted in the heavy hilt. If used properly, the weapon would not only free himself, his brother, and Ivan, but feed them, clothe them, and provide shelter for the rest of their lives.
The other two men caught on and grinned, showing off yellow teeth with deep spaces.
Chapter Eleven
Eliza awoke to a delicious ache, turned, and snuggled into the hard chest of the man who lay next to her.
Her husband.
She giggled.
"Why do ye laugh, my love?"
She tensed. She did not know he was awake. Quickly she relaxed back into the warmth of his embrace, allowing his arms to slide leisurely around her waist to pull her close.
Why lie about this? "I was thinking of how wonderful it feels to be wed, of how much I love ye, and yer family."
His lips touched her loose hair. "I was thinking something similar."
The night before, after spending a few moments in bed and losing her maiden head, Blaise brought her downstairs to the jeering and cheering of the guests who stayed to witness their marriage. Sir Nicholas was the only one who did not seem entirely pleased, but she did not allow that to trouble her.
"Dance and be merry. 'Twill make the ache ye feel more bearable."
"'Tis perfectly bearable already," she’d said. 'Twas true, his lovemaking, while it caused her some pain at first, was now nothing more than a delicious reminder of what she planned to have him do to her again.
"Then ye have no desire to dance?" He had asked.
Eliza's eyes widened. She turned to look at the guests who held hands and moved in a circular motion before breaking up into pairs, stomping their feet to the rhythm of the drums.
‘Twas too much for her to resist. "Perhaps one dance before we leave again." She took his hand and ran with him to the center of the floor.
One dance with her husband turned into two when Lord Gray asked to dance with her, and then three when Nicholas insisted on cutting in.
She allowed him to lead her, his hands felt like thorns pricking her sides and she squirmed. ‘Twas the only discomfort she felt the entire night.
“Are ye well?” Nicholas had asked, but did not remove or adjust his hands. He had no need. He was neither gripping her too tightly nor placing his fingers anywhere they did not belong.
She forced a smile. “I am. ‘Tis odd dancing with my father as I previously thought my father was dead.”
“And another man entirely.” Nicholas grumbled, the lines on his brow becoming heavy as he scowled.
Eliza bit her lip, guilt and regret over how she’d been angry with her mother for never allowing Eliza to know her possible sire sprung inside her. “I have been told he was not a good man.”
Nicholas nodded. “Ye were fortunate to not have known him,” he said, speaking nearly the same words Blaise had spoken. “But enough of this sad talk, ye are meant to be happy on the day ye wed, yes?”
She looked back up at him, allowed him to gently twirl her, and blushed as she thought of how happy the night had made her. Thinking of her husband now allowed her to sense his eyes on her back, watching over her protectively, and she smiled.
“I am very happy today, Aye.”
He nodded. “Good.”
The remainder or their dance was loud with uncomfortable silence. She sensed him making an effort to please her simply by being there with her, but he had seemingly run out of things to say, and so did she. He made no mention of her mother either.
She pulled herself away from him quickly when the musicians stopped to play another song. She found Blaise and moved towards him.
“Elizabeth,” Nicholas called.
She stopped and half turned to face him. “Aye?” Would he apologise to her? Ask her to dance again?
“I...I am happy for ye.” He turned and made his own escape, and she lost him in the crowd.
Before she could retreat, every inebriated man at the celebration rushed to take her hand and share a dance. Eliza kept her calm, knowing Blaise was keeping his protective watch over her.
She soon realized that dancing was not the sort of distraction she longed for. Dancing was a joy, but only when it was with Blaise, and after a third dance she wished he would save her so that she might be away with him again. Her flesh already ached for his touch. She wanted to reacquaint herself with him.
As though he listened to her thoughts, Blaise rushed forth, grabbed her hand, and dragged her from the great hall before another man could insist upon a new dance with the bride.
She was tired and out of breath, but her exhaustion was put on hold as Blaise took her into his arms and kissed her. He all but dropped her down on the bed, still unkempt from their previous romp in it. Eliza shrieked with laughter.
Blaise went to the foot of the bed and pushed a heavy chest that was there in the way of the door, blocking it.
She cocked her head to the side. “What are ye—?” Her words stopped when the door started to bang with pounding knocks from the other side. The excited guests behind it cheered, knowing they were within.
"What do they want?" Eliza said. Her legs itched for her to rise to the door so that she might tell them to come back later, but she stayed where she was.
"They wish to spy on us," Blaise returned to the bed and kissed the back of her hand, his eyes remained firmly locked onto hers. "But as ye can see from my precautions, I am not willing to share ye anymore tonight."
They spent the remainder of the night making love.
Now ‘twas morning, and Eliza looked towards the windows. The light streamed down on them strongly, suggesting the sun had been up for some time.
Eliza sat up sharply, freeing herself from Blaise’s hold. "What time is it? I should be with Lady Gray!"
Blaise slung his arm over her naked chest and pulled her back into the pillows with him. "'Tis the morning after our wedding. I doubt she expects to see ye today."
Eliza calmed herself. "I suppose, but I have not been a good lady in waiting to her. She does not seem to demand my attention as I thought she would."
"And she shall demand none of it today. From now on, in the mornings and after the sun sets, ye are mine and mine alone." His voice sounded like a mix between a purr and a growl.
She liked the promise she heard in that sound.
***
They did not get out of bed for another hour, and when they entered the Great Hall, Eliza was pleased that only a few guests were inside of it, nursing their aching heads from enjoying too much of the offered ale.
That pleasure left her when her eyes found Sir Nicholas. She froze, still uncertain what to think of the man who blatantly admitted to using her mother like every other peasant desperate to fornicate.
Lord Gray sat with her father, including a few other men. The other two, Eliza did not recognise. At the sight of her their conversation ceased, and each man rose to his feet.
Eliza swallowed, straightened her back, and strode forward to meet them. Blaise took her hand in a reassuring gesture. She
squeezed his fingers.
The taller man of the group, who seemed twice as thick with muscles as every other man at the table, bowed his head and smiled through a beard that resembled a poorly clipped garden shrub. The other, a lighter haired man of about the same height as Lord Gray, also sent her a smile for greeting, though his seemed to be embarrassed as he stood up and approached her.
Blaise took in a breath. "My love, this is Sir Hugh Steele."
Sir Hugh bowed respectfully, much deeper than she was certain was required. "My lady."
She smiled and dipped to curtsy, stopping halfway when the name jarred inside her head. "Steele?" She straightened herself up. "Are ye related to Sir Ian Steele?"
She felt Blaise's hand clasp hers a little tighter while Sir Hugh glanced away in shame. "Aye. He is my nephew, and I have been told of his behaviour towards ye at the celebration two nights ago."
Her eyes searched around the great hall, though her panic did not subside even when she could not find him. "Is he—?"
"Rest assured, he is not here. He will be punished for his actions against ye." Sir Hugh growled the last part.
She swallowed and looked away. Though she used to insist that she was a lady, even demanded that those around her acknowledge her as one in an effort to avoid any mistreatment, at the moment she did not feel like one enough to warrant having a man punish his relation for becoming drunk and attempting to be...carnal with her. Aye, that was the most polite way of putting what had nearly happened.
"Sir Hugh, I should tell ye that I was not a lady when yer nephew made his advances upon me, and the fault was partially mine to bear since I was incapable of seeing his intent when he laid it out so plainly for me."
"Makes no difference." Blaise muttered.
"Regardless," Hugh interrupted. "He has been dealt with, and sends his deepest apologies. He will eventually return to give them to ye in person, but he feels his welcome is somewhat thin at the moment and wishes to not upset ye further."
Eliza knew the man standing before he was sincere in his own apologies even though he had done nothing wrong to her, but could she ever bring herself to forgive what Sir Ian had attempted? Even if she was a mere peasant at the time, she had always thought that knights were meant to be noble.
She could not tell this to Sir Hugh, however, or how she came to such a ridiculous conclusion in the first place, even though he too likely knew what profession her mother partook in. She swallowed over the lump in her throat instead. "Thank ye. I shall bear that in mind."
The larger man pushed passed Sir Hugh and joyously went to where Blaise and Eliza both stood. His lips pushed his cheeks to his eyes in a great smile as he surveyed the three people before him. He greeted Eliza with the air of an old friend, happy to see her, and bowed. "Milady."
His voice was nearly as thick as his muscled body, but held a great deal of warmth. Eliza smiled at the man and curtsied.
The large man straightened himself and clapped Blaise on the shoulder. "Never thought I’d see the day when ye would finally take a bride. Ye continue to shock me, boy."
Blaise grinned. "Eliza, this is Bryce of Ironside. I worked to become a knight under him."
She sensed the warmth in Blaise’s voice and it trickled into her, bringing an immediate liking of the man before her.
"I can see why Blaise chose ye for ‘is wife, and I 'eard of what ye did for him. A beautiful woman such as yerself..." He shook his head. "He would have been a fool to allow ye to escape."
The familiar shame flooded her cheeks with color. Blaise brought her hand to his lips and chuckled, as though taking it as a sign of womanly embarrassment.
"I very nearly was a fool."
"I for one, am looking forward to grandchildren." Lord Gray said, his face matching that of his comrades in happiness.
Blaise tensed beside her, though she detected no annoyance in him. "Ye are expecting a child of yer own! Can ye not have some patience?"
Lord Gray shrugged. "I am an old man and would like to see them soon."
A foreign boldness overcame her, and Eliza had to speak. "Ye may be expecting them sooner rather than later," she said, thoughts of the previous night reheating her cheeks.
All heads turned towards her. Her face continued to heat up the air like fire, but she would not be shamed. She loved Blaise, wanted his children, and cared not who knew of it.
She squeezed the hand of her husband. "We spent almost no time at all at the celebration last night—"
"Workin' on yer grandchildren, they were, William!" Bryce boomed.
Eliza smiled coyly, delighting in the splotchy color that tinted her husband's neck and cheeks as his friends spoke of them.
"My lord!" James bounded into the great hall, turning everyone's attention towards the knight who jogged towards their group.
William’s shoulders tensed and eyes hardened. Blaise’s stance mirrored that of his father. “What is it?”
"There are three men outside asking for entrance."
The tension lifted from the room at them mention that ‘twas only three men outside. Blaise’s hand loosened around Eliza’s, and William sighed. "Is that all? Who are they?"
"They claim to be minstrels. They wish to perform in honour of Lord Blaise's marriage." His face crumpled into a scowl. “They demand entrance as though they were nobility.”
"Tell them that we have already celebrated and have no more use for jugglers or jesters." Lord Gray said.
Eliza wished to see them anyway. "Wait! Milord, do we not usually watch minstrels for our meals, regardless of the occasion?"
He gave her a soft look. "Aye, but after two celebrations in a row, I would very much prefer to have the majority of the guests leave for their own homes before they become too comfortable and wish to stay indefinitely. This will only delay their departure."
She did not hear his reasoning. Her bubbling happiness demanded more. More laughter and smiling to celebrate her marriage to the man she loved.
"Please, could we allow them inside, just for one night? Because of my husband's impatience I missed most of the festivities last night." She sent Blaise a coy look. He did not return her gaze. Indeed, he seemed to not have caught the meaning behind her words, though his face did brighten to the color of his hair.
She returned her attention to Lord William. "Could they come inside? Only for this one night." She begged.
Ever since arriving at the castle, 'twas the only time she had ever seen singers, musicians, or jugglers, and she enjoyed watching every one of them. 'Twould be wonderful if she could see more before Lord Gray decided to dull their dinners to encourage the unwelcome guests to leave.
William made a face of hesitation.
Blaise sighed, though Eliza detected no impatience in it, only a loving indulgence. "One more night of singing and juggling will do no harm, father."
William relented. "Very well, this one night only,” he said, staring at Eliza as he did so. “Then they shall receive their coins and be gone."
Eliza clapped her hands together excitedly before tossing them around his neck. "Thank ye, milord!"
"Aye, yes, well,” William extracted her from his person and addressed James. “Show them inside. I would like to know what talents they possess before I commit to offering them anything."
Eliza could not wait to see them. She had heard that some men were brave enough to jump through hoops of fire, or even had animals they took with them to perform tricks. She hoped these men could do things like that.
James rushed from the great hall. William released a breath as Bryce clapped him on the back. The palm of his hand against Lord Gray's back caused a slapping sound that echoed through the entire hall.
"Ye are too soft hearted. When will ye learn?"
"'Tis the day after my son's marriage. I cannot deny my new daughter something so simple."
Nicholas muttered something Eliza did not catch before the man went back to staring into his goblet. She did not care for his muttering. Lord G
ray had referred to her as a daughter. ‘Twas nearly as joyous as being Blaise’s wife.
James returned moments later, three men, the jesters she presumed, walked with tall backs behind him. Eliza shook with excitement and waited to see them.
Her smile faded as the familiar small, medium, and large shapes halted her heart. She stared into their faces, wishing they would become different, turn into anything other than what she saw.
They smiled at her. They recognised her as she did them, only the sight of them robbed her body of all heat, making her cold, whereas they seemed to glow with every step. They were like men walking towards a long awaited reward.
Eliza's face heated, abruptly changing from cold to hot, but it became too hot. A small sound grew in her ears and her head swam. She saw the three men she hired walk towards Blaise as though they had nothing to fear before bowing.
She did not hear any exchange of words between the men to discuss their fees to perform as her world went black and she fell over.
***
Someone gently slapped her face. Eliza remembered the men and she jumped up. She sat in the bed she now shared with Blaise. He sat with her, watching her, then he placed his palm against her forehead and cheek as though searching for something.
The lines in his brow were creased with worry. "‘Tis the second time ye’ve fainted in two days, and ye look like a frightened animal. Are ye well?"
Was he not angry? In a rage? Perhaps Albin and his men had been recognised and taken away. Could Blaise love her enough to forgive her for her crime and still allow her to be his wife?
"My love? What is the matter?"
She threw her arms around his neck. "I love ye. I love ye."
He laughed, returning her embrace. "'Tis good to know. Ye can be certain that I return those sentiments, but again, I must ask, are ye well?"
She looked into his eyes and touched the skin of his face, delighting in it. "Of course I am. I could never feel any better than I do now."
His lips thinned as he studied her. "Then, what caused ye to feint as ye did?"
"What?"
Blaise stood up. "Father requested that we wait before sending for someone to see to whatever yer condition may be, but I will send for someone now."
