Believing Your Eyes - A Medieval Romance (The Sword of Glastonbury Series Book 3)

by Lisa Shea

  Her voice was low when she finally spoke. “Is there something I can help with?”

  He gave his head a shake. “I will do my best – but on some things I just cannot bend.”

  * * *

  Lucia put the finishing touches on her oil lamp banner, and smiled in satisfaction. She was quite proud of the result; she could only hope that Stephen would find it worthy. She folded it carefully and put it to the side.

  Anna looked up at Ian with petulance. “Ian, you are enjoying our planning of the celebration, aren’t you?”

  He beamed at her. “Absolutely! Our praise will be sung for years to come.”

  She shook her head sullenly. “Why cannot all men be like you?”

  He chuckled, giving her a nudge. “Then where would my advantage be?” he pointed out. “This way, I have an area in which I shine!”

  * * *

  Stephen’s gaze was serious. “Are you are sure you will be back by mid-May? I would guess the Grays will launch their final assault at the end of May, or early June at the latest.”

  She nodded. “With a full sixty men, if all goes right. We will have plenty of time to integrate the troops and make our plans.”

  He pursed his lips. “Those scouts were barely the tip of what we will face,” he mused. His gaze became distant for a moment, and he quoted the old Roman proverb.

  “He who holds a snake by the tail

  does not have it under control.”

  She glanced down, and there was a beautiful, aquamarine caterpillar ambling its way along her leg. Vibrant tangerine strips traced along its sides. She marveled at its beauty, and found herself saying,

  “Caterpillar one day, butterfly the next.

  Who is to say which is more beautiful?

  Each is a creature of nature,

  perfect in its own way.”

  Stephen looked up and eyed Lucia with consideration. “Is that a saying of your people? That was nicely put. Not many would see the same beauty in a caterpillar.”

  Lucia glanced at him, flushing.

  “I am afraid I must claim credit for that poor offering,” she admitted in a low voice, dropping her eyes. ‘It was a ... game ... I would play as a child, with Marcie. Nothing more. Your saying brought it to mind.”

  Lucia couldn’t help herself; she again brought her eyes up to meet Stephen’s.

  His voice was warm, resonant, and wrapped around her with tenderness. “Well done.”

  * * *

  Anna glanced around her in petulance. “All the other ladies have gone to the hot springs,” she grumped. “We are the only three here working on the plans!”

  Ian patted her gently on the knee. “All is well in hand,” he pointed out. “Let them have their fun. It is us against the world!”

  She smiled at that. “At least you understand me,” she teased.

  * * *

  Stephen smiled at her. “It is a shame you will not get to try those hot springs once before you go,” he mused. “They really are quite wonderful.”

  She shrugged, taking a sip from his ale skin, corking it, and tossing it back to him. “Plenty of time for that after the fight is won,” she pointed out. “For now, there are more important things to do.” She pushed herself back to standing. “Ready for another round with the swinging hay bale?”

  “Absolutely,” he agreed, and in a moment the target was in motion.

  * * *

  Lucia ran a hand idly over the pile of dark blue fabric at her side. Should she make a dress for Ellie? The girl seemed to wear burgundy outfits provided by the keep. She was not sure if giving her something else to wear would be appropriate.

  At last she turned to Anna. “What should I give to Ellie?”

  Anna tapped her fingers in thought. “The girl was interested in bracelets that Lily made,” she mused.

  “Lily?” asked Lucia in surprise.

  “Yes, the sister to James, your stable boy,” explained Anna. “She makes delightful bracelets out of seeds; she hand paints designs on them. I know that Ellie has wanted one.”

  “Oh!” replied Lucia with a smile. “That sounds perfect, then.”

  Anna nodded. “I will have Lily come by tomorrow morning, and we can arrange that.”

  Her gaze moved down Lucia’s dress. “In the meantime, we really should get something better for you to wear. That dress of yours is all stained.”

  Lucia blushed, looking down at the residual bloodstains still visible on the front of her dress. She knew Ellie had tried scrubbing them, but they would not fully come out.

  She gave a soft shrug. “If you wish; I don’t mind wearing this.”

  “Oh, I insist you have something new,” replied Anna, shaking herself out of her shadows. “It will be the crowning glory to our celebration.”

  * * *

  Stephen’s eyes held hers. “So I hear Anna is helping you with a new dress for the grand celebration.”

  Lucia glanced down. “Well, this one is stained, after all,” she murmured, a blush tinting her cheeks.

  Stephen’s eyes flicked down to the blood spatters, and after a moment he nodded. His voice was low and steady. “I do trust you completely, you know.”

  Her throat went tight, and her voice came out rough. “I know.” She drew in a breath, holding his gaze. “And I trust you with my life.”

  He gave a wry smile, and she was lost.

  * * *

  Ian glanced up across the gardens, then drew to his feet. “I see you have guests,” he murmured, turning. “I will leave you to it.”

  He passed Lily on his way out, and she moved aside, letting him go, before nervously coming to stand before the women. Her eyes went to Anna’s. “You wanted to see me, M’Lady?”

  Anna tilted her head toward Lucia. “My friend here would like to buy one of your bracelets. She is planning to give it to her maid, Ellie, as a thank-you present.”

  Lily’s eyes swept to Lucia, and she blushed. Her hand immediately went to her wrist, and she swept off an intricately designed bracelet in white and yellow, with delicate daffodils painted along each bead. “Take this, with my blessings,” she offered. “It is my best one, and I know Ellie likes these colors.”

  Lucia put her hand to the leather pouch at her side, but Lily shook her head immediately. “I insist, it is a gift. I will not accept a coin.”

  Lucia wanted to argue, but she also did not want to press the girl in front of Anna. Clearly the girl was nervous enough as it was. “As you wish,” she agreed. “Thank you very much.”

  Lily nodded, her eyes full on Lucia for a moment, and Lucia saw the thanks within them. Then the girl was curtsying, turning, and hurrying back toward the keep.

  Anna’s mouth quirked into a smile. “My, you do have the touch with the servants,” she grinned. “I am sure half of them will want to be by your side as you head south, to lend you a hand.”

  Lucia knew the only person she would want by her side, but she pressed her lips shut, holding back the longing.

  * * *

  Stephen’s voice came out low and gruff. “I am sending Marcus and Shawn with you for your trip south.”

  She glanced up at that. “Those are your two best men,” she pointed out. “Surely you will need them here for training and patrols.”

  He shook his head, his eyes serious. “Ian and Hector can handle what training remains. The other keep guards need to put their time in on patrols, to build up their abilities in the woods.” His voice became hoarse. “It is far more important that you return safely.”

  She saw the worry in his eyes, and she nodded to him gently. “It is several weeks each way, but the roads are well traveled. I am sure, especially as I near London, that there will be little chance of trouble.”

  He shook his head. “Quite the contrary – a woman like you, traveling with only a small escort, would attract all sorts of attention from wolves’ heads.”

  She chuckled at that. “Like me? What? Scarred and barely healing from my battle?”

&
nbsp; He shook his head again, and passion smoldered within his gaze. “A woman who is filled with courage, who echoes with honor, and who is the most beautiful I have ever seen,” he murmured hoarsely.

  She flushed, her breath drawing to a stop, her gaze becoming lost in his.

  * * *

  Lucia slid down the pew to sit alongside him, and every part of her body tingled with awareness, drew in his scent, felt the heat radiating from him. It was all she could do to stop from laying her hand to her left and drawing him in to clasp it as he had done all those long nights while she fought the fever.

  Three more nights.

  Wednesday would be the Spring Solstice celebration, and then she would be gone, finally free of this torment.

  * * *

  Anna gazed at the burgundy banners fluttering in the breeze along the length of the keep’s outer wall. She ran a hand idly along the rose at her side, its velvety petals bending beneath her fingers.

  “You know, unicorns do not exist,” she pointed out to Ian sadly. “It is just a fantasy, a dream that could never be true.”

  He laughed at that, smiling at Anna, while putting an arm around Lucia and pulling her close for a moment. “Ah, but reality is far better than any fantasy,” he chided Anna. “When you open your eyes, and believe fully what is right before you, that is when you truly begin to live.”

  She turned to look at him. “You think so?” she asked with hope.

  He nodded, his eyes drawing up to Lucia.

  “I absolutely know so.”

  * * *

  Stephen gazed at Lucia. “What is it you dream of?”

  She smiled at the question. “Peace.”

  His voice became hoarse. “And what do you dream of in a man?”

  She held his gaze, basking in the warmth it held. “Someone to stand loyally by my side, to ensure that the peace has space to blossom and grow.”

  Chapter 14

  Lucia looked over her assembled supplies with satisfaction. She had spent the day gathering, packing, and checking her gear. The sun had already slipped below the horizon, but she was at last pleased with the results. There would be the celebration tomorrow, and then at long last she would head south to meet her brother.

  Lucia knew she should get to sleep early, to strengthen herself for the big day ahead, but she was far too full of energy. What she really needed was a bath – but Ellie was off getting some well-deserved supper. The lass had been at it all day with her, helping organize and arrange the travel gear.

  It struck her suddenly – the hot springs south of the wall. Ellie had said they were only a short distance from the walls, and were in a well-patrolled area. Many of the sewing women had been going to them each day as spring came on. It would be the perfect way to ease her tension and end her day.

  She made her way down to the stables. James was undoubtedly at his meal as well, but she waved away the lad on duty and saddled Troy herself, running a hand fondly along his neck. In just two days the two of them would be on the road again, enjoying the fresh air, heading down to reunite with Michael. The thought filled her with joy.

  There was little motion on the streets as she moved through town, and at the gates the guard smiled in welcome as she approached.

  “Not going far, I imagine?”

  “Just a last ride,” she offered with a smile. “I will stay south, and close to the wall.”

  “Patrols report our entire borders are completely clear,” he agreed. “Still, stay close.”

  She nodded, the gates were pulled open for her, and she was walking Troy beneath the streaming moonlight.

  The woods folded around her, quiet, peaceful, and her heart was soothed. Tomorrow would be a cacophony of noise and people. And then, the day after, she would be gone. She would like to remember Penrith like this, quiet and serene.

  There was an opening before her, and she smiled in appreciation. It was all that Ellie had said, and more. A ring of willows circled the hot spring, and gentle spirals of steam drifted from its surface. The moon shone full and luminous; the stars floating in the blackness of night seemed to twinkle as brightly as small candle flames in the sky. Every object stood out in sharp relief.

  Lucia dismounted from Troy; in a moment he was munching contentedly alongside a curved sapling. She walked down to the bank and took off her boots and socks. She sat at the edge, splaying her feet in the pond. The water’s warmth eased her aching toes. She sat for a while on the bank, splashing in the moonlight. The sensation was delicious.

  She glanced around. There was not a sound, not a trace of movement. The water’s surface was mirrored by the moon – even if a patrol came by, she would have her privacy beneath its surface. She stripped all of her clothes off and was soon drifting through the warm pool.

  Homesickness swept through her. It seemed ages since she had last splashed, carefree, through the pond of her youth. So much had happened since then.

  She dove under the surface and twisted, spiraling, moving through the shimmering liquid. Her troubles streamed away, her muscles easing in the warmth.

  Suddenly, with great composure and calm, Lucia knew someone else was in the clearing with her.

  Lucia wasn’t sure how she knew this presence was not a threat, but it seemed to her the most natural thing in the world. She sensed that he was in the trees near her horse, and on her next leisurely glide around the pond she glanced in that direction. Yes - she could see a silhouette next to an elm. His hand ran down Troy’s neck, and Troy gave a contented nicker before going back to eating the clover.

  Stephen.

  Longing spread through her, coursed down her limbs, sending tingling sparks into her fingers and toes. She craved him with every part of her being, with the depths of her soul. Thank all that was holy that she was leaving in two days. Any longer, and the torture would become unbearable.

  She submerged fully, swimming underwater for several lengths, hiding from the world. If only things had been different – but they were not. She would head south, reunite with her brother, and immerse herself in the preparations for battle. It would have to be enough.

  Stephen took a step into the moonlight, his gaze on her, and then he was striding down to the mossy bank. His shadowed eyes held a hesitance she had not seen before. She felt like a forest nymph, a mystical creature, and if he blinked she would vanish and be forever lost from sight.

  She took a deep breath, moving toward him, keeping just her head above the mirrored surface. She drew to a halt when she was ten feet distant.

  Her voice was hoarse when she spoke. “Hello, Stephen.”

  It seemed that Stephen’s emotions rested on a knife’s edge. His eyes watched her intently, and when he spoke, his voice resonated with raw emotion.

  “Anna had a serious talk with me this afternoon.” He paused for a long moment, letting out a shuddering breath. “We are no longer engaged.”

  Lucia’s eyes widened in surprise; time staggered to a stop. She had steeled herself so strongly against becoming attached to Stephen, worked so hard to drive those emotions out of her mind. And now, in an instant, her fantasy was becoming a reality.

  Pain and regret echoed in Stephen’s voice. “I tried to do what I was supposed to do. I tried to be who she wanted me to be. I have failed. I vowed that I could change - but her decision was final.”

  Stephen looked down for a moment, then he blew out his breath. He looked back up at Lucia and once again she was caught in the depth of his gaze.

  “I can finally say now what I have felt for so long. What I have known with every part of my being.” His eyes held hers.

  “I love you, Lucia.”

  Lucia’s heart blossomed with joy, with relief, with answering emotion. Still, she stayed motionless in the water, her elation tempered by the serious look in his eyes.

  What was bothering him so much, to cause him to speak in such a tense manner?

  Stephen’s face creased; he had the look of a man riding a thin line between joy and despai
r. “Lucia, I will not lie to you. I am a soldier, not a diplomat. I am a loner, not a socialite. I will not draw you into a relationship that brings you sadness, as I did with Anna. The war is upon us, and life is too short to base choice on fantasies and dreams. I need to know if, as I am, you will take me. Would you be my wife?”

  Lucia exhaled a deep breath, never more sure of anything in her life. She stood and walked slowly toward him, her body glistening naked in the moonlight.

  “Rather I should ask you that,” she countered slowly. “I am not a woman of elegant clothing; I prefer my outfits simple and functional. I am an awful cook. My skill with a bow is not of much use in a wife. I strive for controlled emotions, but I often speak my mind when I should be silent. I race at a foe when I should wait for a better moment.”

  She glanced down at her body. The scars on her stomach, on her leg, glistened clearly in the moonlight. She ran a hand absently along the one made by the poisoned arrow, thinking back to that long night.

  “Rather I should ask you, are you sure you will be happy with both what I can offer, and my many flaws?” She stopped when she stood before him. “This is what I am,” she stated simply, feeling as if every corner of herself was open to full scrutiny. “You see me with all my injuries exposed. I am far from perfect. I am far from being the material one would require to make a proper wife.” She hesitated, then forced herself to lay her heart on the line. “Even so, if you truly want me, I cannot imagine anyone but you standing beside me through troubled woes and joyous celebrations.”

  Stephen stared at her as if he could barely believe her meaning. “Is that truly a yes?”

  Her smile grew to encompass her whole being. “Yes. Yes, yes, yes. I will absolutely be yours, now and forever.”

  Stephen groaned with emotion and crossed the space between them in one long stride, gathering her strongly in his arms. Lucia’s wet skin molded to his clothing, so tightly were they pressed together. She eagerly ran her hands over his body, wanting to touch every part of him, feeling like they were already cohesive parts of a greater whole.