Champion of the Heart

by Laurel O'Donnell

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  The dagger flew straight and hard, zeroing in on its target, the blade heading directly for the exposed flesh on Evan’s neck. But at the last moment, Evan’s horse made a small leap onto the lowered drawbridge, and the metal blade struck Evan in the shoulder, clanging loudly as it struck his armor. The dagger careened off his chain mail and hit the castle wall in front of them, smashing into a torch burning on the wall, sending sparks and flames flying into the air.

  Spooked by the sudden burst of fire, Evan’s horse whinnied in fear and reared back, then bucked wildly. Evan tugged at the reins, trying to get the frightened animal under control, but his horse kept snorting in terror and bucking so frantically that Evan lost his grip on the reins and fell out of the saddle. Evan hit the edge of the drawbridge hard with a tremendous thud.

  Then he tumbled over the side and fell into the brackish moat below.

  Jordan and Fox reached the drawbridge, moving to the spot where Evan had entered the water. Jordan waited for Evan to resurface. Fox reined in his horse to gaze down at the moat. Bubbles emerged from the brown water, but Evan did not surface.

  A cry of alarm echoed from the walkways of the castle.

  Fox cursed silently from behind Jordan and dismounted. He moved quickly to the edge of the drawbridge.

  “No, Fox,” Jordan whispered, unable to move from the saddle for a long moment, fearful of what he meant to do.

  Fox launched forward, diving into the moat waters. His body pierced the muddy waters like a knife.

  Frantic, fearful, Jordan dismounted. She stared at the waters below. Jordan felt bodies press close around her, and without looking knew they were all staring as raptly into the water as she was.

  The dirt and mud churned up from the moat’s bottom made it impossible to see what was happening beneath its dark surface. Jordan’s mind and heart screamed as the minutes passed. Where was Fox? She silently begged him to resurface.

  But the water remained still.

  Someone beside her jumped into the moat water. And then another.

  Suddenly, the water erupted and Fox emerged, gasping for air. He had an arm around Evan’s neck, straining to keep his head out of the water. Evan was slumped over, unmoving.

  The two men who jumped into the water moved quickly to Fox’s side. They took Evan from his arms and swam to the drawbridge, pulling Evan along with them. Several farmers and knights helped to lift Evan out of the moat and onto the drawbridge.

  Jordan watched as Fox swam to the drawbridge. She leaned over, reaching down for him. Fox grabbed her outstretched hand. The soldier beside her reached down to help Fox up, and together they helped him onto the drawbridge. Jordan wrapped her arms around him, relief coursing through her body. They sat for a long moment, entwined in each other’s embrace.

  Jordan pulled back to look into his eyes. She couldn’t understand why he would dive in after Evan. Why, after everything Evan had done to keep them apart?

  Fox smiled wearily at her and cupped her cheek.

  Silence settled around them. Fox glanced over his shoulder.

  Evan lay very still in the middle of a group of soldiers and villagers.

  Fox glanced at Jordan. Anxiety lit his eyes. She knew he wanted to leave, to flee before Evan could charge them with trying to kill him. He stood, drawing Jordan up with him, his arm tight about her shoulders.

  One of the villagers turned to look at him. Jordan thought for a moment there would be a cry of alarm. The villager opened his mouth. “You’re very noble and honorable to rescue m’lord.”

  Fox shared a startled gaze with Jordan.

  “You dived in to save Lord Vaughn.”

  Fox’s surprise faded and a darkness settled over his face.

  “Yes,” Jordan supplied quickly before Fox could respond. “He is very noble.”

  Fox turned a startled gaze on Jordan, and she realized for the first time he was as much a noble in deed as she was in name.

  As they approached Evan, the villagers and soldiers parted, making a path for them. Jordan’s arm tightened around Fox’s waist. When Evan saw them, would he shout orders for their imprisonment? Would he threaten Fox’s life again?

  Jordan faltered just as the last man standing near Evan stepped aside. Evan lay on the drawbridge, unmoving. His eyes did not open. His chest did not rise and fall.

  “It was the weight of his armor,” one of the soldiers whispered. “He drowned.”

  Evan was dead.

  Jordan almost collapsed at the realization, but Fox held her up. Evan was dead. The children were safe, and Fox was the true victor. Tears filled Jordan’s eyes. Tears of happiness, tears of joy. She threw her arms around Fox, sobbing against his shoulder.

  Fox embraced her tightly.

  Relief swept through her, and she knew the future was bright. She looked up at Fox, but there was something sad in his eyes. He took her hand and led her away from the crowd of people, off the drawbridge. The soldiers let them pass. They seemed disoriented and lost, bewildered at what to do next after the loss of their lord and leader.

  Fox stopped just at the base of the drawbridge and turned to Jordan. He looked down at his feet.

  He was leaving her. The realization hit like lightning. “No,” she whispered.

  Fox looked over her shoulder at the crowd of villagers and soldiers that were now lifting Evan’s body to carry him into the castle. “I don’t belong here,” he said.

  Jordan stared at him in disbelief. She didn’t know what to say to him.

  “I’m an outlaw,” he told her quietly, his eyes finally coming to rest on her.

  Tears filled her eyes. “After all this, you’re still going?”

  “Don’t make this harder than it is,” Fox said softly. He took her face into his hands. “If there’s anything you need, anything you want, I’ll always be here.”

  Anguish ripped Jordan’s heart. He pressed his lips to hers in a tender, warm kiss. A promise. Then he turned, took the reins of his horse, and began to lead it away, walking into the grassy field.

  Jordan watched him, the proud gait of his steps, the straight back. He was a powerful, proud man. No longer the boy she had left. Now a man, a man who was leaving her, a man she loved more than anything in the world.

  He was moving away from her, moving out of her life again. “No,” she whispered and stepped forward. Not again. This can’t be happening. She was sobbing now, tears streaking her face, blurring her vision. He’s just giving up. Just walking away.

  Jordan ran after him, calling his name. “Fox!”

  He paused and turned to her.

  Jordan slowed as she approached him. “I need something.”

  “What?” he asked, confused.

  “You,” she told him. “You can’t just walk away from me. I left you ten years ago, and I won’t let you make the same mistake now.”

  “What would you have me do, Jordan?”

  “Carry through on your threat.”

  Fox lifted startled eyes to her.

  “Marry me,” she dared.

  He studied her face for a long moment. “Do you know what you ask?”

  Jordan stared at him in disbelief. “Yes!” She took a step toward him. “To be with you for the rest of my life.”

  “In a run-down castle. Titleless, denounced by your father, always scrabbling for food.”

  Jordan moved forward, her hands reaching out to him. She clenched them in his tunic. “We can find a way to change this. We can do it together, Fox. I can talk to my father with you by my side. We can petition the king. It’s not impossible. Not if we do it together.”

  Fox gazed down at Jordan. His eyes were hard and unrelenting. But the longer he stared, the softer his gaze and his features became. “I cannot fight against you. I just don’t want to.” He clenched her hands in his, holding them against his chest. “With you, I believe anything is possible.” He brushed a strand of hair from her cheek. “My love,” he whispered and cupped her face, dra
wing her closer to him. “I will fight for you.”

  He kissed her, tenderly caressing her soft lips. Jordan’s body tingled with his kiss, igniting an inferno of possibilities.

  Epilogue

  “And that was how I won Jordan’s mother.”

  Fox watched Lord James of Ruvane speak to the assemblage of gathered dukes and barons and earls and their ladies. The room was silent now. Even the boisterous, blubbering soldier who’d had much too much to drink was sitting quietly listening to Lord Ruvane. The guests had come from all across the lands at the bequest of Jordan’s father. They had been invited to join in the celebration and now had all gathered in the Great Hall of Castle Ruvane to listen to Lord Ruvane speak of carrying on the Ruvane tradition.

  Lord Ruvane turned his attention to Fox, who sat beside him. “I was wrong to question the outcome.”

  Fox glanced at Jordan. Her elaborate blue velvet dress was fringed with expensive gold. Her hair had been combed until it shone like polished mahogany. She had pulled her hair back behind her head and curled it into a circular braid. A crown befitting a royal lady. She was the most beautiful woman Fox had ever laid eyes on.

  She turned to him as if sensing his stare and cast him the most beguiling smile.

  Fox set his hand on top of hers as it lay on the table. An immediate jolt shot through his body to the very bottom of his toes. Did the mere touch of her hand have to send that kind of arousal through him every time? He smiled back at her, already knowing the answer to his own silent question.

  “The true winner of the tournament shall wed my daughter!” Lord Ruvane heartily proclaimed as he raised his goblet in salute. “Fox Mercer has proven himself to be a man of impeccable character. I welcome him into my family with open arms.”

  The hall erupted in wild shouts of approval and agreement. Fox thought he heard Pick’s big voice leading the group. Of course, Fox mused, his cheerful shout could have been because Lord Ruvane’s speech was over and the drinking and revelry could commence once again.

  Jordan turned to Fox as the talking resumed throughout the Great Hall, happiness shining in her eyes. “Betrothed,” she said, the word rolling sensually from her lips. “What do you think of that?”

  Fox chuckled low in his throat. “I think I can’t wait until the wedding night.”

  Jordan smiled in agreement giving Fox a half-lidded look that promised pleasures beyond his imaginings.

  God help him, but Fox wanted her alone with him now, to touch her and caress her in ways only lovers understood.

  Suddenly, a loud gasp of awe filled the room. Fox glanced up to see a man lowering a sword down his throat. Another man was juggling hot pokers. A third was cuffing a large bear, mock wrestling with the animal. The room was suddenly, almost magically, full of exotic performers. Jugglers tossed bags of beans in the air and caught them with their teeth. Soft harp music filtered over the entire assembly.

  Fox’s gaze moved past the entertainment and over the crowd. Farmers and their families feasted on mutton and veal. Merchants sipped ale and gorged themselves on spiced potatoes. He spotted Beau and Pick seated in the middle of a dozen men. Pick swept his arm before him in a grand gesture and Fox knew he was retelling some tale, exaggerating his skill and prowess, no doubt. Beau shook his head, smiling slightly.

  Fox grinned warmly at the sight. He was grateful all of his friends had been unharmed in Evan’s schemes.

  “Fox.”

  Fox lifted his gaze to find Lord Ruvane standing before him. “I do hope you can forgive me for everything. I can be a pompous old goat at times.”

  Fox nodded at him. “If you are willing to entrust your most valued treasure to me, then I can do no less.” His eyes again lighted on Jordan, who gave him a vibrant, glowing smile. Fox lifted her hand to his lips and bestowed a kiss to her knuckles.

  “I would entrust her to no one else,” Lord Ruvane whispered and bent to kiss Jordan’s cheek. He looked back over at Fox. “I can see in her eyes that you are the true champion of her heart.”

  Kara suddenly emerged from beneath the wooden table, giggling. She raced past Jordan, followed by Mary Kate, who was screeching with glee. The two children raced off and little Jason poked his head out from beneath the table.

  Jordan waved him out. The boy paused before her, panting. “Did Kara and Mary Kate come this way?” he wondered.

  Jordan nodded and pointed toward the kitchens. Jason scampered away from them. Jordan looked up at Fox.

  “Do you think our children will be as precocious?” Fox wondered.

  “Without a doubt,” Jordan said, watching the children weave through the crowded hall until they disappeared behind a group of soldiers.

  Fox seized Jordan’s hand, pulling her to her feet. Jordan let out a startled cry, but she let Fox lead her out through the crowded kitchens and across the hall. He stopped in a secluded corridor and stepped closer to her, moving her back to the wall, then bent his head, claiming her lips.

  When they separated, Jordan whispered, “My lord, is this the appropriate place?”

  “Now that you will be my wife, there is no inappropriate place,” he responded, bending his head again to hers.

  “I told you we’d find him here!”

  Fox groaned against Jordan’s lips and slowly separated from her to turn toward Beau. Pick, Scout, and Smithy followed. Fox turned to Beau. “Just because you’re now my captain of the guard doesn’t mean you can disturb me at every opportunity.”

  Beau laughed. “Actually, Pick and I were having an argument. Pick thinks we have to call you m’lord Fox now.”

  “It is my title,” Fox replied.

  “Are you serious?” Beau gasped. “After all my years of service?”

  Fox gazed down at Jordan, a smile on his lips.

  A cacophony of giggles echoed through the hallway, announcing the children as they raced down the hall toward them. Kara grabbed Jordan’s skirt, circling her and Fox. “Jason won’t leave me alone!”

  “Is Castle Mercer going to be our home now?” John asked as he reached Jordan, looking a bit nervously at her. “Forever?”

  “Forever,” she assured him. “You can even help us rebuild it.”

  John beamed her a magnificently happy smile. “Can I be Fox’s squire?”

  Fox nodded. “I would have no one else.”

  The corridor erupted in argument.

  Beau complained, “Who will be my squire?”

  “I wanted to be your squire!” Jason groaned, pausing in his tormenting of Kara.

  “Fox promised I could be his squire,” Mary Kate called.

  Fox sighed and lifted his gaze. Through the doorway he saw his father standing proudly amidst a group of nobles, all shaking his hand and congratulating him. Fox smiled. His father would once again enjoy the company of flesh and blood friends. His dignity had been restored. He didn’t have to pretend anymore.

  Michael stood nearby, talking to another monk. A smile split his lips, and Fox thought it odd how he couldn’t remember the last time Michael had smiled.

  His brother, his father, his friends. All happy. And he, the happiest of all!

  And it was all because of Jordan.

  His arms tightened around her. She had been worth waiting for. Ten years of loneliness and a future of joy. It suddenly seemed fair. There would be no more loneliness. There would be no more ghosts.

  There would only be love.

  None of them would ever live in darkness again.

  The End

  Thank You

  Dear Reader –

  Thank you for choosing Champion of the Heart. I hope you enjoyed Fox and Jordan's story of love. Look for my other romance ebooks:

  A KNIGHT OF HONOR (free preview below)

  THE LADY AND THE FALCONER (free preview below)

  MIDNIGHT SHADOW (free preview below)

  THE ANGEL AND THE PRINCE (free preview below)

  And my novella:

  THE BRIDE AND THE BRUTE

  I hope t
o entertain you with new exciting tales in the near future.

  Laurel O’Donnell

  www.laurel-odonnell.com

  About the Author

  Laurel O’Donnell has won numerous awards for her works, including the Holt Medallion for A Knight of Honor, the Happily Ever After contest for The Angel’s Assassin, and the Indiana’s Golden Opportunity contest for Immortal Death. The Angel and the Prince was nominated by the Romance Writers of America for their prestigious Golden Heart award. O’Donnell lives in Illinois with her four cherished children, her beloved husband and her five cats. She finds precious time every day to escape into the medieval world and bring her characters to life in her writing.

  Website: www.laurel-odonnell.com

  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Laurel-ODonnell/150078331715261

  A Knight of Honor Bonus Preview

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