“I hope you are right,” he finally said. “It is a lovely ring. I am sure she will like it very much.”
Tyren could hear the disapproval in his friend’s voice and he shook his head reproachfully. “You worry like an old woman, Etienne,” he said, finally setting the ring aside. “Hurry and help me, now; let us take charge of these coins so that we may ride to Fourstones Castle and enjoy Lady Valeria’s celebration. I shall give her my gift and she will be overwhelmed with the beauty of the ring and the fact that I am so thoughtful. Then, I shall find her father and demand that he permits me to marry her.”
Etienne scratched his head. “You may want to reconsider marrying her right away,” he said quietly. “Her father is Warden of the Tyne Vale, Ty. It is he who has been trying to find you and bring you to justice for three years. Do not make it easy for the man by marrying his daughter. If she comes into our secret, if she comes to know that she has married the Greenhead Ghost, she will tell her father.”
Tyren shook his head. “She will be my wife and she will not tell her father anything,” he said, a twinkle in his eye. “She will be too much in love with me to do that.”
Etienne couldn’t help but chuckle at his friend’s arrogance and confidence. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the same faith. In fact, at the moment, he had a rather ominous sense of foreboding.
“I hope you are right, Ty,” he murmured. “I sincerely hope you are right.”
Chapter Four
The Burden of Truth
Fourstones Castle
Later that Day
In the knight’s quarters of Fourstones Castle, Valeria faced a group of six knights and more than a dozen senior soldiers, all belonging to her father. At least, that was what the public was led to believe but the truth was that Valeria was in command of them and had been ever since her father had taken ill. Mars could no longer speak and he certainly could no longer command. His poor health had become a terrible problem within the shire and the justice he was responsible for administering.
Had his son remained at Fourstones, it would have clearly fallen to him, but Romulus was off in the north, raiding and sacking, leaving his sister to bear the burden of command. It was either that, or the Earl of Northumberland to the north would assume it, and de Vesci was overburdened as it was. Valeria, as well as the knights at Fourstones, agreed on that account. They did not want their justice in the hands of a man who would not have paid any attention to it. So the illusion was created that Mars de Velt was still the warden, still active and in command, when the truth was that it was Valeria who was now Warden of the Tyne Vale. On her slender shoulders, this responsibility rested.
What could have been a less than desirable situation had turned into something of a blessing. Had Valeria been a man, she would have been a perfect warden – she was intelligent, strong, and decisive. She had a keen sense of right and wrong. Whenever monthly court was held in the town of Hexham, the largest town that her father controlled, Valeria always appeared in her father’s stead and explained that he had an illness that prevented him from walking but that his mind remained clear. They brought with them a wagon with wooden sides that would conceal anyone within, and she would retreat to the wagon to “seek” her father’s counsel on the cases presented at court.
Of course, Mars wasn’t in the wagon. It was usually Valeria and her father’s most trusted knight, a man by the name of Worth. Worth Cartingdon was older and very wise. He and Valeria would come up with the verdicts to render. It was a system that had worked so far and no one was the wiser. Between Worth and Valeria, justice in the Vale was swift and fair.
But there was a situation that had gotten the better of them since it began almost three years ago. An outlaw who went by the name of the Greenhead Ghost had been robbing travelers all along the sixty-mile stretch of road between Carlisle and Newcastle. The bandit was well-concealed and very fast. He never left a trace no matter how hard Valeria’s men tried to track him. They had combed towns and villages for any clues of the man, but so far, no one had given them any viable information. Valeria had come to the conclusion that the smaller towns were, somehow, benefitting from the man’s thievery and were, therefore, disinclined to give him up. That made bringing the man to justice a difficult thing, indeed.
Now, with this last ambush, against Aunt Cassia no less, Valeria was angry and rightfully so. Now, the Greenhead Ghost’s attack had hit close to home and she was no longer willing to pursue the man in a defensive posture; when he attacked, she moved. Now, she wanted to be proactive about it.
The man had to be brought to justice.
“I will not tolerate this lawlessness any longer,” Valeria said to the collection of men facing her. “It is time we capture the Greenhead Ghost once and for all. He has gone too far this time. He has robbed my Aunt Cassia, including a very valuable heirloom ring that was to be mine. I do not care how we do this, but he must be found. His attacks are becoming more and more brazen.”
Worth was standing next to her, hearing the emotion in her voice. He knew about the situation with Lady Cassia and had been expecting this very reaction. He was, therefore, prepared.
“I have suggested since this situation began that we roust the villages near Greenhead and Haltwhistle and even Bardon where these attacks first took place,” he said respectfully, “but you were unwilling to upset the villiens. We know that they are hiding his identity, my lady. We have known that for some time. Somehow, someway, he gives them portions of his ill-gotten gains and they are unwilling to betray him. If you will permit me to take a contingent of soldiers and rattle these people a bit, I would wager to say that they may tell us something.”
Valeria looked at him. “Of course, they will tell us anything if we threaten them,” she said. “They may fabricate any answer out of fear.”
Worth lifted his eyebrows. “Then what do you want to do?” he asked. “You have been reluctant to take the offensive against this Greenhead Ghost but now we may have no choice. You have said yourself that his attacks are growing bolder. If you do not give me the freedom to conduct the investigation my own way, then we are powerless. He will continue to rob and get away with it.”
Valeria faced off against him. “I have charged you with investigating the man and tracking him,” she said. “You have, so far, been unable to locate him, so my failures are yours, Worth. Simply because you interrogate the villiens does not mean you will find the answers you seek. It will more than likely turn them against us and they will double their efforts to protect the man.”
Worth sighed heavily. Valeria was an excellent commander but she was also a woman and soft as far as he was concerned. “We will never know because you do not want me to use interrogation tactics,” he said. “And my failure to track the man has nothing to do with my abilities as a knight. Whoever this man is, he is very clever. He covers his tracks. He has made us run around in circles and has made fools out of us, your father included. Our inability to find him is making Lord Mars look bad and if you believe this information will not get back to the king, then you are mistaken. Then, the king will send someone up here from London to see why we have been unable to locate a common outlaw and they will discover the truth about your father. Is that what you want?”
He said it rather forcefully and Valeria tried not to be intimidated by it. Worth was a wise man that she respected very much and perhaps in some sense, he was correct. Self-doubt began to creep upon her. Was it possible that he was correct?
“We do not want the king’s men to come,” she sighed. Then, she shook her head remorsefully. “I suppose you have a valid point, Worth. And it is true that harassing the villiens is something we’ve not tried yet. Being kind to them certainly hasn’t worked. Mayhap intimidating them will.”
Worth felt a good deal of relief that she was coming to agree with him. “Then you give me permission, my lady?”
Reluctantly, Valeria nodded. “Aye,” she said. “Do what you can, but try not to kill anyone in the process.
”
Worth nodded, feeling a good deal of confidence in what needed to be done. “I will not if I can help it,” he told her. “You will not be sorry, my lady. I am sure we will find the answers we seek and bring this bastard to justice.”
Valeria simply waved him off, turning to leave the knight’s quarters. It smelled of men and dogs and urine, typical of a structure where men were permitted to roam freely, like animals. She was fairly eager to leave, eager to return to Aunt Cassia to ensure that the woman was calm now and in better humor.
Truth be told, Valeria felt better giving Worth permission to interrogate the villagers. She had hopes that this might actually help them find the man who had been terrifying travelers for three long years. As she opened the heavy entry door and spilled out into the bailey beyond, she heard Worth’s voice behind her.
“My lady?” he called after her. “A moment, please.”
Valeria came to a halt, waiting for him to catch up to her. The day was cool but bright and a gentle breeze brushed through the bailey. Chaff from the stables blew in their direction, a piece of it catching in Valeria’s dark hair as she waited for Worth to speak. He caught up to her, smiling politely.
“I think you made a wise decision, my lady,” he said. Even in private, he addressed her formally even though she had given him permission to use her name. “I think you have made it so that this Greenhead Ghost can finally be captured. I know it was difficult for you to give me permission to interrogate the villagers my way, but you will not regret it. I do believe we shall find the answers we seek.”
Valeria wasn’t so convinced. “We shall see,” she said. “When do you plan to go about this task?”
Worth glanced up at the sky, to see the position of the sun and determine the time of day. “More than likely today,” he said. “The Ghost’s tracks are still fresh. I intend to follow what I can, but I am sure it will carry over into the morrow. I will not stop until I have answers.”
Valeria shook her head. “My birthday celebration is tomorrow,” she said. “I do not want to have people terrified and weeping on that day. It is a day of merriment and generosity. You know that I plan to go into the local villages and give gifts of food and coin. How will it look if I come right after you have torn other villages apart, looking for answers to the outlaw question? We will look like hypocrites.”
Worth shrugged. “You may have a point,” he said. “But I would like to move while the trail is fresh. I believe that is essential.”
Valeria was irritated now. She didn’t like rousting people, even in the name of justice. She understood that they suffered from poverty and, truth be told, she understood well that the Greenhead Ghost had kept several villages to the west from starving. His motives were altruistic. But the fact remained that she couldn’t allow an outlaw to continue his reign because it made her father look like a fool. Her reasons were complex. With a sigh of annoyance, she waved off Worth and continued walking.
“Then do what you must,” she said. “I must see to my aunt.”
Worth knew she was torn by everything. She was a woman with a soft heart. He called after her. “My lady?”
She slowed her pace and turned around. “What is it?”
He smiled; Worth wasn’t an unhandsome man. Well-built, he had a receding hairline of dark blonde hair and blue eyes that crinkled when he smiled. But he was at least twenty years older than Valeria. It was a fact that meant a great deal to Valeria but not to him. He’d always had his eye on her and everyone at Fourstones knew it.
“Your festival tomorrow,” he said. “May… may I escort you to it?”
Valeria came to a halt. She had known that question would be coming at some point and she really didn’t have a good reason for refusing him. Of course, she had hoped that Tyren de Dere would have asked to be her escort, but she hadn’t seen the man as of late and, frankly, she was tired of waiting on him. He always seemed to be very busy with the affairs of his castle. With that thought, she began to wonder if a little jealousy might be what Tyren needed to prompt him into action. A little jealously never hurt….
“Aye,” she said. “You may.”
Worth’s features lit up. “Thank you, my lady,” he said happily, turning back for the knight’s quarters where men were awaiting him to go on a hunting expedition for the Greenhead Ghost. “Thank you very much. I am deeply honored.”
Valeria simply turned around and headed for the keep. Aye, a little jealousy might be just what she needed to force Tyren into being more bold towards her. He was such a sweet man, very considerate of her feelings, but she was getting tired of his politeness. On the eve of her eighteenth birthday, she wanted more than gentle regard.
She wanted passion.
A smile flickered across her lips as the keep loomed before her. She was very much looking forward to tomorrow evening when Tyren saw that Worth Cartingdon was her escort for the party.
Let the festivities begin…!
Chapter Five
The Truth Revealed
The next day
Tyren had bittersweet memories of Fourstones Castle. As a child, he and Romulus had been the best of friends, hunting and fishing together, sharing boyhood secrets and dreams. He had very fond memories of Romulus de Velt as a child. But that situation markedly changed as the boys grew older.
It was well known that Mars de Velt beat his son with the slightest provocation while refraining from the same behavior towards his daughter. Valeria was untouchable and Romulus took the brunt of a father who seemed to think that beating the lad made him strong. Perhaps it because there was the absence of Lady de Velt around, the boy’s mother, so there wasn’t anyone to soften Mars’ inclination to beat the boy. Lady Biddy, the children’s nurse, tried to assume that role but Mars gave little credence to the woman. He would beat, Romulus would suffer, and Lady Biddy would pick up the pieces and try to comfort a lad who had no idea why his father seemed so violent towards him.
Romulus grew older, adored by his sister whom he was kind towards, but the attitude he felt towards his father was quite different. Tyren remembered, before he had been sent to foster, that Romulus often spoke of running away from his father, of striking out on his own to get away from the man who bloodied and bruised him. He spoke of his father with hatred, which was difficult for Tyren to grasp considering he loved his father a great deal. But Tyren, too, came to hate Mars de Velt for what the man had done. Romulus had been an intelligent and sensitive man, but he had seen too much of the evils of his father, so that sensitivity had turned to something darker and more sinister.
It turned into malevolence.
Tyren had been sent to foster when he was around eight years of age, leaving Romulus to suffer his father’s cruelty alone. He didn’t see Romulus again after that because, by the time he returned, Romulus had left his father as he’d often promised to do and no one seemed to know where he was. There was rumor that he’d gone north to serve with a mercenary army but no one could seem to substantiate it. Mars, however, seemed pleased that his son was living the mercenary life and was finally a “man”, as he had put it.
More than once, Mars had stated his job as a father had been successful for a son who was paid to kill. He was tough now, as tough as his father had ever wished him to be. The father with the rather twisted view of childrearing was the same man whom King Stephen had made Warden of the Tyne Vale just before Romulus’ departure, given power to administer justice in the king’s stead. It was a position that held fast to this day even though Stephen and his cousin, Matilda, were battling each other for the throne. This far north, in the Vale of Tyne, it was as if they were their own little world, far removed from the anarchy that had gripped the country. Truly, they had troubles of their own with Mars de Velt as their law and master.
The childbeater was free to administer justice, unchecked.
As Tyren caught sight of Fourstones Castle in the distance, rising like a beacon out of the woodlands and rolling hills surrounding it, he pondere
d the memories of the place just as he always did every time he saw it. He tried to come at least every two weeks, or as often as his schedule would allow, to bask in the presence of the young lady who was the very reason for the celebration on this day. He couldn’t recall ever seeing Mars during that time but that was fine by him; he hadn’t particularly wanted to see him until today. He had to see the man if he was going to offer for his daughter’s hand. His stomach trembled at the very thought.
“Will you seek out Lord Mars, then?” Etienne was reading his mind. “You should not delay, Ty. Think of all of the eligible men he has invited to his daughter’s celebration. Why do you think de Velt is having this big gathering? He wants all of the unmarried men in the shire to get a look at her. You could be faced with serious competition.”
Tyren turned to him, scowling. It was just the two of them traveling to Fourstones on this day, as Tyren had left the rest of his men to mind the castle and see to any needs his mother or brother might have.
“Seal thy lips, fool,” he growled at Etienne. “All will happen as it should. By the end of the evening, the lady will be mine.”
Etienne was struggling not to smile. “I would wager there are ten other men who have said exactly that same thing today.”
He snorted at his humor as Tyren growled. “Not a chance,” he said. “I have a guarantee against that very thing.”
“Oh? What is that?”
Tyren lifted his eyebrows, knowingly. “That very lovely ring I showed you,” he said. “That old bird said it was cursed, but today it will have the opposite effect. It shall be my charm of good fortune with Valeria. You will see.”
Etienne shook his head, greatly humored by Tyren’s confidence. “For your sake, I hope so,” he said. “Considering you will be coming face to face with the man who wants to capture you and hang you, it will be an interesting meeting, indeed.”
Tyren grinned. “He will never know the true identity behind his daughter’s husband,” he said. “That will fade into memory and he will forget.”
Ever My Love: The Lore of the Lucius Ring (The Legend of the Theodosia Sword Book 2) Page 5
