Lionheart's Bride

by Michelle Willingham

  Outside, the sky was clear, the sun bright and warm. The deep azure water nestled against white sand, an idyllic place to walk with a lover. He traced the emerald ring that lay upon his smallest finger. She’d given it to him in Sicily, a token that had aroused strong memories of the night he’d first taken it from her. Seeing it now only fuelled his anger. He would find her, no matter how long it took. She belonged to him.

  He gestured for a servant to summon one of the ships’ captains. If no one could find the women or the ships containing the treasures for his Crusade, he would stop on every island en route to Syria.

  But when the captain arrived, he bowed and pleaded, ‘Your Majesty, we have news of the princess.’

  Moments later, the Irish prince, Liam MacEgan, emerged from among the men. The man looked as though he hadn’t slept in days, and bloodstains marred his face.

  ‘They are at Cyprus, Your Majesty.’ MacEgan drew closer, lowering his voice so that only Richard could hear. ‘Soldiers took the women captive.’

  ‘Come.’ Richard wanted no other men to hear what MacEgan had to reveal. He brought the man within his chamber and ordered, ‘Tell me what you know.’

  ‘The Cypriots murdered the Count of Berduria,’ the Irishman explained. ‘Afterwards, Princess Berengaria bade me to seek help, so I swam to one of the ships nearby, and we sailed west. We found your galleys here.’

  Richard’s gaze narrowed. ‘You left the women unguarded.’

  MacEgan met his gaze with no fear. ‘Your bride gave me a direct order to seek help. Would you have me disobey her?’

  ‘If her life is harmed in any way, I’ll take yours.’ Richard used his height to his advantage, staring down at the Irish prince.

  MacEgan didn’t back down, but chose his words carefully. ‘The women will be safe enough. The princess’s lady-in-waiting is as good as any trained guard. I’ve seen it myself.’

  Though Richard didn’t like it, he didn’t doubt that Isaac Ducas Comnenus, the Emperor of Cyprus, would want to use Berengaria to further his own purpose. The man was allied with Saladin, and it was rumoured that they had drunk each other’s blood, as an oath of loyalty.

  The idea of his betrothed wife falling into the hands of the emperor was unthinkable. Richard stared hard at MacEgan.

  ‘Tell no one that Berengaria and the queen were taken captive,’ Richard warned. If anyone learned that his betrothed wife was in the custody of the enemy, they would believe that she’d been violated, whether or not it was true. He wanted nothing to threaten their marriage alliance.

  ‘Let them believe that Berengaria and the queen remained on board one of the other ships. Tell them that the emperor invited them to disembark, but they refused.’

  MacEgan nodded, understanding the implications. ‘No one will know.’

  ‘I will send you with a group of men to attack the coast of Cyprus. Find the women, and bring them back to me alive.’

  Richard returned to his place by the window, dismissing MacEgan. His gaze fixated upon the sea. If Isaac Comnenus had threatened Berengaria in any way…God help the man. For Richard would tear him apart.

  Limassol, Cyprus, May 1191

  Nearly three weeks had passed, and there was no sign of Liam MacEgan or the king. Adriana had seen the princess’s hope fading from her eyes, as they realised that they would remain prisoners of the emperor. Although Isaac Comnenus had not bound them in chains, they were locked in a chamber guarded inside and out. There was no privacy at all, and though she tried to shield the princess from the humiliation, there was little Adriana could do. The guards cast lots for the right to guard the interior of the chamber where they hoped to catch a glimpse of them.

  Queen Joan never stopped complaining. From the moment they’d been taken captive, she’d made outrageous demands, for which the emperor had mocked her. When she’d insisted upon softer beds, he’d sent her a length of silk, removing the only mattress in the room. That night, they’d huddled together on a wooden floor, with nothing but the silk.

  Joan had refused to humble herself, and they’d endured weeks of stale food and uncomfortable living conditions. But it was the princess who concerned Adriana the most. Berengaria had grown so thin over the weeks, her face pale while she stared for hours on end at the sea outside their barred window.

  ‘We’re not going to be rescued, are we?’ she whispered. ‘The crusaders who came on those ships…they’re dead, aren’t they?’

  The remaining two ships had arrived only hours after their imprisonment, but the emperor had seized control of them, taking the king’s treasure and murdering the men. From their window, they’d seen the bodies of the crusaders, displayed like bloody prizes of war.

  Adriana tried to reassure the princess. ‘The emperor knows Richard will come. He wouldn’t bother with guarding the shore otherwise.’ She crossed the small room and pointed to the hills where the Cypriots were bringing down carts filled with wood and stone. Over the next few hours, the men set out large stones, chests, doors of wood and all manner of building materials to fortify the beach.

  One of their guards stepped in front of the window, barring their view. Though he could not speak their language, his message was clear. Adriana hesitated before moving back, sending him a slight smile as she withdrew.

  The distraction was enough, and she stole his curved knife, hiding it behind her back. If the Cypriots were preparing for battle, it meant that an invasion was imminent.

  The door to their chamber swung open, and a young maiden appeared, trailed by two of her ladies. She gave a sharp order to the guards, and they obeyed the command, leaving the room. In heavily accented French, she said, ‘I have been ordered to bring the princess and the queen to my father.’ Adriana remained against the wall for a moment, slipping the guard’s curved blade beneath the girdle at her waist, just behind her back. Neither Joan nor Berengaria moved forward, but while the guard was focused upon the noblewomen, Adriana donned the princess’s cloak to hide the knife.

  ‘Why does he want to see us?’ Berengaria asked, her voice calm. But Adriana knew that the soft voice hid the young woman’s fears. All of them knew that they had been kept alive only to be used as hostages…or worse.

  The young girl shook her head. ‘I do not know.’ She wrinkled her nose when they drew closer and added, ‘I will arrange for you to bathe and refresh yourselves before you are presented to him.’

  Berengaria cast a worried look back at her, but Adriana nodded. The girl’s offer was made in good faith. To the princess, she said, ‘If they intended to kill us, they would not bother with the way we look now.’

  ‘That’s what I am afraid of,’ Berengaria said.

  She closed her eyes, and Adriana went to her side. ‘He probably wants to prove to Richard that we are well, despite the captivity.’

  Berengaria reached for her hand and Adriana took it. As they followed the girl down the winding stairs, she took them into a walled garden. The warmth of the sun and the lush fragrance of jasmine flowers lifted her spirits, though she was more reassured by the weapon she’d hidden.

  As the girl brought them up another set of stone stairs, Adriana drew Berengaria to a stop and pointed towards the sea. There, she spied the sails of nearly a hundred ships.

  ‘They’ve found us,’ Berengaria breathed with thankfulness.

  Adriana wondered if Liam MacEgan had alerted the king. Or whether he was still alive. She remembered the light kiss he’d stolen for luck, and the memory darkened her heart with regret. The handsome Irishman had been like no other man she’d met. Brave and strong, he was one she’d wanted to know better.

  When the young girl took them within her own chambers, she arranged for them to bathe in privacy and offered them clothing in the Cyprian style. Though Berengaria refused to wear the foreign garments, Adriana agreed to try them. The soft diaphanous fabric was like nothing she’d ever felt against her skin. She wore a cream-coloured anteri tunic and soft salvar trousers. Though it was strange, not to be weari
ng skirts, she liked the clothing.

  ‘You must feel like a concubine,’ Berengaria teased. ‘I can’t imagine wearing clothes like that.’

  Queen Joan stiffened, smoothing her own silk gown. ‘I prefer not to look like a savage.’

  The princess’s mood dimmed at Joan’s words. Adriana adjusted a fold of her clothing and admitted, ‘It’s more comfortable than what we were wearing earlier.’ But she had other reasons for wearing the new clothes. If she needed to defend the princess against an attack, the lighter trousers gave her more freedom of movement.

  The girl led them from her chamber to a large, open pavilion. The sun had grown hotter, and though Adriana tried to see if any of the ships had come closer, the walls were too high to view them.

  The emperor awaited them upon a throne inlaid with gold, while servants waved palm branches over his head to provide cooler air.

  With the help of a servant who translated, the emperor announced, ‘The invaders have come for you. My men have seized the treasures that were within your ships, and your king must decide which he wants returned to him. His gold…or his bride.’

  Berengaria’s face changed, and there was anger within it that Adriana had never seen. The princess stood tall, and whispered in the Norman language, ‘Adriana, when they take us back, I want you to make your escape. Tell the king what has happened to us. Make certain he knows where we are.’

  ‘I’m not leaving your side,’ she insisted. She couldn’t rely on Joan to protect Berengaria, not when the queen might say something to offend the emperor.

  ‘They’ll use us for bargaining. But I worry about your life.’ The princess reached out and squeezed her hand. ‘Forgive me, but you have no value to them. They may use you as an example.’

  Though Adriana didn’t like it at all, she understood what the princess meant. No doubt Isaac Comnenus would display the queen and princess, using them as leverage to get what he wanted from Richard.

  ‘I don’t want you to die,’ Berengaria insisted. ‘I’m afraid for you, if you stay.’

  Adriana bowed her head in acquiescence, but inwardly she knew if anyone discovered her, she would be killed. Either way, her life was in danger.

  Isaac looked displeased with their private conversation, and he ordered his men to separate them. Adriana was dragged away from the princess, who gave her a nod of permission.

  As the guard brought her back towards the courtyard, Adriana studied their surroundings, wondering how she could possibly break free. Her gaze settled upon some of the women who had veiled their faces.

  And then she knew exactly what to do.

  Just before dawn, Liam MacEgan rowed alongside the other men, bringing the smaller boats closer to the shore. The beach was covered with obstructions meant to prevent them from using war horses. It wouldn’t stop Richard, however. Already, several of the smaller boats were within distance that the horses could swim to the shore. Liam’s task was to bring the soldiers close enough to clear a path.

  The archers launched a shower of arrows upon the Cypriots, and from the chaos, it was clear that they’d taken them by surprise. When they reached shallow water, Liam unsheathed his sword and charged forward with the others. His blood raced with fear and the thrill of fighting. He’d been trained by his father and uncles since he was old enough to hold a sword, and as he faced his enemy, it soon became clear that these men were not warriors.

  Farmers and merchants, they’d been ordered by their emperor to defend the land…but without weapons, they were dying by the hundreds. Liam stopped attacking and moved into a defensive posture. Only if they made the first move would they taste his sword.

  As they moved past the enemy, they climbed uphill toward the city. The grey morning light was starting to illuminate the ancient Roman ruins dotting the landscape. Nearer to the centre lay the fortress where Liam suspected the princess and queen were held captive. Adriana would be among them.

  The image of her face remained strong within his mind, with her beautiful dark eyes and slim form. She had more courage than any other woman he’d met, for she was a survivor. He’d hated leaving them here, but without Richard knowing their whereabouts, there could be no rescue.

  When they reached the fortress, it appeared to be constructed around the ruins of an old basilica. Liam ordered his men to fall back, and they retreated behind one of the stone buildings. He needed to study the defences, to determine the best approach. Aye, they could likely make it through the front gate, but without knowing how many guardsmen were waiting, it could endanger his men unnecessarily.

  He lifted his gaze to the upper segment of the fortress, for he suspected the princess and queen were being held in a fortified location. He hadn’t told any of the men about the prisoners, only that they were to seek information about the emperor’s defences. Just when he had decided to lead his men along the outer walls, he heard the sound of a confrontation nearby with men shouting orders.

  He gestured for two of the men to follow him while the others retreated along the left side of the fortress. Liam ran lightly, his hand resting upon his sword. Ahead, he spied a veiled woman running through the streets. Two guards pursued her, and it was clear that their speed was overtaking hers. He was torn between helping the woman and remaining focused upon their mission. But when the woman saw them, instead of fleeing, she ran straight towards them.

  She didn’t make it. One of the guards grasped her by the veil and jerked her backwards. When the man unsheathed a curved blade, Liam didn’t stop to think, but charged forward, a roar tearing from his mouth. The guard’s attention shifted just long enough for Liam to drive his own sword into the man’s gut.

  Shocked eyes met his, but the blade fell from his enemy’s hand and he let go of the woman. When the other guard caught up, he took one look at his fallen companion and fled.

  A curse slipped from Liam’s mouth. Their chances of infiltrating the fortress would be gone as soon as the man alerted the others. He sheathed his weapon, and held out his hand to the woman. He couldn’t have been more surprised when she suddenly threw herself into his arms.

  Berengaria’s heart beat so fast, she could hardly catch her breath. The emperor had ordered her and Queen Joan bound with silken ropes, and neither of them had slept last night while they awaited Richard’s arrival. From the hundreds of ships that lined the coast, Berengaria had no doubt that the men would come soon.

  The question was, what would the emperor do with them, once the king’s men arrived? Though she wanted to believe that Richard cared enough about her to bargain for her life, she didn’t know.

  It seemed like almost a dream when she’d seen him last in Sicily. But his kiss lingered with her still. She stared out into the blinding sun, twisting her fingers around the chain of the jewelled cross that hung hidden beneath her gown.

  Hours passed, and she ignored the food and drink that were offered to her. From deep within, she reached for courage. If Adriana were there, her lady-in-waiting would offer words of encouragement, insisting that they would be rescued. And though she knew that her friend had managed to escape, using the blade she’d stolen from their guard, she was afraid of what would happen if they caught her. They wouldn’t hesitate to take her life, in return for the men Adriana had wounded. Berengaria closed her eyes, hoping to God that the young woman was still alive.

  The noise of battle rose within the air like the rumbling of thunder, and Berengaria’s heart raced as crusaders surrounded the fortress. She lost count of the dozens of armoured men who poured through the gates and tried not to stare at the death and destruction that was happening all around her.

  At last, she spied Richard. He was mounted on horseback, fully armed, and his chain mail glinted with gold and silver. Tall and strong, he rode forward, his sword cutting down the men who dared to oppose him. She understood now why they named him Lionheart, for not once did he flinch in battle. When he finally spied her, she couldn’t stop the smile that broke forth. The look in his eyes was filled w
ith relief, and she wanted nothing more than to race forward and fall into his arms.

  But something reflected against her eyes, forcing her to look up. It was then that she saw the dozens of archers with their bows drawn…aimed directly at her and Joan.

  Chapter Three

  Liam kept Adriana close to his side. It hadn’t taken long to find the princess and queen, given Isaac Comnenus’s desire to display them. Richard had responded by bringing the full force of his army to attack Limassol, and his warships had moved into position, surrounding the Isle of Cyprus.

  Isaac was going to lose this battle, and he knew it. The only question was whether or not they could rescue Princess Berengaria and Queen Joan in time.

  Though Liam didn’t like bringing a woman into battle with him, neither could he leave Adriana behind. She had a blade palmed in her hand, and she remained at his side. Unlike most women, she didn’t cower at the sight of blood or death. Instead her eyes were alert, her body poised to fight if needed.

  He’d never met another woman like her. She fascinated him, and when this was over, he intended to pursue her openly.

  When they reached the centre of the fortress, Isaac Comnenus had grown pale. Liam suspected that the emperor hadn’t known how vast Richard’s forces were. It had taken only a matter of hours to take Limassol, and now the man’s life lay in the king’s hands.

  With the help of a translator, the emperor came forward to speak with Richard. ‘An invasion was not necessary. We could have negotiated a truce between us.’

  Liam saw the king’s mouth twitch, as if Richard were struggling to hold back his temper. ‘And why would I seek to negotiate with a man who seized my betrothed wife and my sister, stealing our treasures and murdering my soldiers?’ He gestured for two dozen of his men to come forward, surrounding the king.