Defiant Surrender

by Tamara Gill

  “Where are we going?”

  “I’ve never shown you Kingston from this standpoint before, ma chère. I wished for you to see it. Once we are through the trees beyond, we will come out on the western side of the castle. The views are best from there.”

  She smiled up at him. “I’d love to see it, my lord.”

  They continued in silence for some minutes before the shadows of the darkened canopy of forest enclosed around them. Maddie’s stomach knotted with an unknown fear. The forest seemed to have eyes, watching and tracking their direction. Maddie froze when William stiffened behind her. His clasp on her was painfully tight. Concerned.

  “William?”

  “Shush, we’re not alone. No matter what happens, stay close to me, Madeline, and do as I say.”

  “Okay,” she said, her heart thumping hard in her chest, the hairs at the base of her neck rising.

  “Halt and dismount, my lord, or you both die.”

  Maddie frowned at the unfamiliar voice. Were the rumors of Scots true? Did they stalk the woods around Norman strongholds to kill the people like sport?

  No.

  Understanding dawned in a blinding light. This was a planned attack. One she should have known was coming. William halted his steed as fifty armed men emerged from the undergrowth, surrounding them and blocking their way. Crossbows were aimed with deadly precision at their person. The horse whinnied and stomped in protest beneath them. Maddie felt like doing the same.

  Shit!

  “What do you want, Lord Ribald?” William asked, his voice bored.

  Maddie’s eyes sought the man who emerged from the trees. He was beautiful, like a golden god, but one out to do harm. The menace and madness that sat behind his scowl made him a man no one would trust. Her body coiled in fear when Lady Veronica, too, stepped forward. Maddie clutched at William’s hand sick with fear.

  “William, perhaps if we tried to make a run for—”

  Lord Ribald laughed the sound mocking. “Do not bother, my lady,” he said, halting her quiet words. “Nothing can save you now.”

  Maddie swallowed. What the hell did that mean?

  “You’ll never get away with this.” William’s voice was strong, sure, but tension throbbed through his body. Their situation was not good. Even a warrior of William’s ability could not fight off a small army of men on his own.

  “Oh, I think we will. You see, no one knows we are here. These men have sworn to secrecy on pain of death. They will not cross me. ’Twill be my word, Lord William against your own. And I’m inclined to think the king would believe me in this instance.”

  William’s foot connected with a knight Maddie had not seen move. The man’s hands slid from her dress when he fell to the ground unconscious. Maddie gasped and clutched at William’s arm as the horse shied from the blow.

  “William?” she said, the quiver in her voice clear for all to hear.

  “All is well, ma chère. I will not let them harm you.”

  “Brave words from a man in a situation that makes him powerless, wouldn’t you say?” Lord Ribald said, laughing with his men.

  “You will hang if you touch her. King’s decree or not, you will die if Lady Madeline is injured in any way,” William stated, his voice menacing.

  Lord Ribald’s face hardened, his eyes glittered with danger. “Get off the horse…now. I will not ask again.”

  William cursed behind her then helped her to dismount. No sooner had her feet touched the ground a man from the garrison twisted her hands behind her back and pulled her against him. His putrid breath assailed her senses along with his unwashed scent. She gagged as William roared in fury, his steps toward her captor deadly, his sword swinging free.

  The prick of a blade, cold and deadly, met the skin on her neck. She stilled and met William’s eyes. He halted. His attention focused on the soldier.

  They were in trouble. Maddie tried to stop her shaking lest the blade cut her skin. She blinked the tears away and watched William be disarmed, he, too, powerless to defend himself. Maddie fought the urge to panic. To lose control now would help neither of them.

  She watched a sword poke at William’s back. William glared at the knight but walked to the other side of the clearing. The distance seemed miles away from her.

  “I’ll allow you to remain unbound, my lord. But move from where your feet now rest and the Lady Madeline dies,” Lord Ribald said, smiling, his eyes vacant of warmth.

  “Well, well, well. If it isn’t the pathetic Lady Madeline, all vulnerable and scared.”

  Maddie glared at Lady Veronica who stood before her. “I’m not scared of you, Lady Veronica. If you care to free my arms, I’m more than willing to demonstrate how much I dislike you.”

  Lady Veronica chuckled. “You’re such a fool. It is a shame you will die by another’s hand this day. I did what I could, myself, but it wasn’t enough.” Veronica shrugged. “If only my arrow had pierced your heart and not your arm.”

  Maddie felt the blood drain from her face. “So you admit to striking me with the arrow?” Maddie looked to William and noted his eyes fixed on Lady Veronica. She shivered at the menace she recognized there.

  “I did. ’Twas a shame it did not work. I would have loved to bury you in the ground,” Lady Veronica said, walking around her.

  “You’re sick and so is your brother. You will not get away with this,” Maddie said, hoping her words were true.

  Lord Ribald smiled and walked toward her. His eyes feasted on her body like a starving man would eye a roast turkey dinner. He was pure evil and dangerous. “But we will, my lady,” Lord Ribald said, and freed his sword.

  “Get away from her.” William roared.

  Maddie stilled, expected him to impale her with the sharp metal. He did not. Merely held it before her face, twisting the shiny blade before her vision, tormenting her. He ran a finger along the sharpened edge and Maddie cringed when he started to bleed. She refused to succumb to fear, at least outwardly. Lord Ribald licked his cut and smiled.

  “Tsk, tsk, tsk, Lord William. I will not kill the woman you love with the sword.” Lord Ribald’s attempt at a smile ended up resembling a snarl. She gasped as he pulled his weapon away and kissed her. Her knee came up to meet his jewels. Lord Ribald doubled over and clutched at himself in obvious pain. His knights looked at one another, their unease palatable.

  Maddie smirked. “Oh, dear,” she said. “I do apologize, Lord Ribald. But did you not know it was rude to proposition a woman so, when she was already married?”

  He stood and faced her, sweat beading his brow. Maddie had no time to brace herself for the blow. The strike to her face momentarily blocked all conscious. Nothing but blackness assailed her and her knees buckled.

  “I’m going to kill you the first chance I get, Lord Ribald. Let her go. She has nothing to do with your spite. Your argument is with me. Fight me. Or are you too much of a coward to face such a challenge?” William yelled.

  Maddie gasped when the knight behind her pulled her back up to stand. His hands around her wrists stung and pinched. She heard Lord Ribald reply, his voice unaffected and bored.

  “On the contrary, Lord William. However, I cannot be bothered to clash swords with you. You see, I have already won.”

  Maddie willed her wits to return. “Why this revenge, Lady Veronica? What did I ever do to you?” Her head pounded and her voice sounded strange. Maddie tried to wipe her bloodied and swollen lip against her shoulder.

  “Why should I tell you anything?” Lady Veronica said, walking over to her brother and throwing Maddie a dismissive glance over her shoulder.

  Maddie shrugged. “Since I’m to die today anyway, what could it hurt.”

  “Tell her,” a voice said, from the other side of the grove.

  Lady Ribald, Veronica’s mother emerged from the shadows. Her gown of dark green velvet camouflaged her well in the trees. Her ladyship’s face held the same hate and revenge that her children bore. Maddie wondered what was wrong with the
m all.

  “I do not care to, Mother. I’d rather her die not ever knowing,” Veronica said, her mouth set in a pout.

  Lady Ribald came to stand next to her daughter, her eyes void of emotion. “Then I shall tell her.”

  Lady Ribald clasped her hands before her and met Maddie’s gaze. “The reason we have always hated you, Lady Madeline, is not so much for yourself. Although you were a thorn in my side I could have well lived without. ’Tis not the reason. Why today will be your last is merely because of your parentage,” she said.

  “Why,” Maddie asked, baffled. “Why strike against a child who has nothing to do with what their parents have done.”

  Lady Ribald laughed. “Your father mistreated me badly many years ago, threw me out in the middle of the night and without a coin to my name.” Her voice hardened in hate, her eyes looking past Maddie as if seeing the past. “Even when I begged him to help me, the mother of his child, he refused.”

  Maddie gasped and looked at Veronica. No, the woman could not be her half-sister. Lady Ribald cackled, understood Maddie’s train of thought.

  “Yes, Veronica shares your blood. But not for long. With your death, the Aimecourt bloodline will cease to exist. The lands to the once great family bequeathed to the Baron of Kingston. Your family forgotten. I have never forgiven your father. He should not have turned against me. I am not inclined to forgiveness. He should have taken heed.”

  Maddie looked to William. “Was that why our fathers fought a war all those years ago? The conflict was never over lands, was it? It was over my father having an affair with a woman who was unmarried and of aristocratic blood.”

  William nodded. “’Tis correct, Madeline.” William turned to Lady Ribald and pointed his finger. “You knew the risks when entering a liaison with a married man. You knew Anthony Vincent was a cold, heartless baron. Father was wrong to have listened to you all those years ago. Your foolish error was never worth the war we started. Nor is your revenge on Madeline,” he said, his hate for them tangible in the air.

  Maddie reeled. She was going to die today and all because of a woman’s scorn. She shook her head at the absurdness of it all.

  Maddie struggled when the knight pulled her arms higher behind her back. She bit back a scream. “I’m surprised, Lady Ribald, that you would go to all this trouble for revenge. Have you spent years planning this? Pathetic way to live a life. Almost makes me feel sorry for you, my lady. I may die today, but you gave your life away many years ago. Wasted it on revenge and hate, when you could have turned your back on such disappointments and moved on. Like any sane person would,” she said, her upper arm muscles burning.

  Maddie looked over at William and ignored Lady Ribald and her hastened steps toward her. A cry tore from her lips as Lady Ribald’s hand slapped her face. William blurred in her vision.

  “So,” Lady Ribald said, rubbing her palm. “Shall we move on with this?”

  “You will never get away with this,” William declared. “Kingston and Aimecourt are favored by the king. He will hear of this treatment, and you will be lucky if it is only hanging that stretches your ugly necks.”

  Maddie’s attention flicked to Lord Ribald when he walked toward her. Her skin crawled as his finger traced down her neck and onto her chest before he lifted the necklace and sat it over her gown.

  “’Tis the beauty of our plan, Lord William. The king will believe us.”

  “Why so sure?” William asked, his eyes wholly focused on Lord Ribald’s back.

  “Because of me.”

  Maddie gasped as Sir Alex stepped from behind the armed knights circling them. He smiled and looked at her, his features no longer declared friendship. He pushed the hood from his head, condescension twisting his lips into an unattractive sneer. Tears welled in Maddie’s eyes. She watched with sickening comprehension Lady Veronica walk toward Sir Alex. Their attraction was clear for all to see. They loved each other? But…how? When?

  “I’m going to kill you,” William said, quiet savagery to his words. A shiver stole down Maddie’s spine at the menace in his tone.

  Sir Alex laughed, pulled Veronica against him and looked down at her with warmth. “You could try, Lord William. But why would you kill a favored knight. One who even now is on his holding in Kent?” He kissed Veronica. “Enjoying some welcomed time with his future wife,” he said, his eyes intent.

  “You’re going to marry…her?” Maddie asked.

  Sir Alex laughed. “Don’t sound so surprised, Lady Madeline. Do you think you are the only person who should find happiness in life?”

  Maddie swallowed. “No. I believe everyone is due such gifts. But I do not believe you will find it with her,” she said, nodding her head in Veronica’s direction.

  “Jealous, my lady,” Lord Ribald said, smirking.

  Maddie looked at him with disdain. “Hardly. I just think your future brother-in-law’s an idiot.” Maddie looked at William and smiled, his answering chuckle warming her chilled blood.

  “Edward!” Lady Ribald yelled, looking at her son.

  Maddie fought her restraints as a sword-wielding knight came to stand before William. Their eyes met as the blade came to sit before his heart.

  “What are you doing,” Maddie asked, looking to Lord Ribald.

  Lord Ribald sniggered then ripped the necklace from her neck. She gasped as the ribbon bit into her flesh. Maddie kicked toward his shins and missed when he stood back, his focus on the ring in his palm.

  “Beautiful. Even more so, since it will send you back to whence you came.” Lord Ribald paused. “You see, Lady Madeline, we know your fears and are willing to test your absurd theory. If it works, William will live without the woman he loves for the rest of his life. Not only because you will cease to exist, but because we will kill the Lady Madeline of old who will remain.” He ran his finger over her lips, his eyes heating with every word. Maddie looked away from the rotting soul that filled Lord Ribald’s eyes. “Perhaps I will kill you with a sword after all.” He laughed. “Revenge is sweet, is it not?”

  “You will face punishment one day, Lord Ribald. It may not be by my hand, or that of my family. But there is a greater judge who all men must bow to. And when you do, I think you’ll find your head will come to sit next to your knees,” Maddie said.

  “Smart words will not save you now, Lady Madeline.”

  Maddie fought as he grabbed her hair and twisted it. “Let me go. Don’t—”

  “Calm yourself, my lady. I will not force the ring on you. You will do it for us.” He shrugged. “For entertainment, you understand,” he answered.

  “You’re a mad, sick, medieval bastard,” Maddie yelled into his face. He laughed, then looked at the knight still holding her. “Release her.”

  Maddie stumbled when the man threw her forward. She righted herself and rubbed her shaking arms, bit the inside of her lip as the blood started to flow back in her veins.

  “Put the ring on, Lady Madeline, or watch Lord William die,” he paused. “Slowly.”

  “Kill us both and you would never get away with it. Not even you are brave enough, Lord Ribald,” William said, his voice cold. Maddie looked at the ring Lord Ribald held out to her then looked to William. She had not missed the trace of desperation in her husband’s tone.

  “Would you like to test my resolve, my dear?” he said, his eyes not moving from hers.

  William shook his head. “Don’t put the ring on, Madeline! Do not listen to a word he says.”

  Maddie frowned. Should she call Lord Ribald’s bluff? Would he kill William and then her? With the unhinged look in his eyes she realized he would do both and enjoy every minute of it. Tears pricked her eyes as her gaze met that of her husband’s. She fought the nausea in her stomach and took the ring. She looked down at the pewter band that was uncomfortably hot to hold.

  “William?” She looked across at him.

  “Madeline, don’t. Please…” he begged.

  “They’re going to kill you. I cannot allo
w that,” she said, hating to see him distraught.

  “He will not. He cannot, unless Lord Ribald wants to die himself. The king is privy to our life and what lay between us. My men will tell the king of the servant spy belonging to Lady Veronica and he will see the falsehood behind Lord Ribald’s tale. He will remember the animosity between our two families and the reason for it,” William said with a pointed look at Lady Ribald. “Our sovereign is no fool,” he continued. “Do not doubt my word.”

  Lord Ribald looked at William in surprise. A blossom of hope rose within Maddie.

  “Not as close to the king as you would have us believe, Lord Ribald,” William said, his words laced with sarcasm. “Foolish man,” he declared.

  “The servant you speak of is already dead. My men are loyal, and we have been careful not to be seen in these parts. Lady Madeline’s death will not be traced to me. Your threats, my lord, are for naught,” Lord Ribald answered.

  William met her gaze. The silence between them, a death-blow in itself. Maddie shook her head not wanting this to be her last moment with him.

  Hunting horns sounded.

  “You are too late, Lord Ribald. My men are upon us.”

  Lord Ribald looked at her, his lifeless eyes dismissing William’s words. “I always follow through on a threat.”

  Maddie screamed as cold, razor sharp steel sliced through her abdomen. She clasped Lord Ribald’s shoulder as he wrenched the blade free from her body. She looked down at the red stain growing large on her dress. She placed her hand there in a feeble attempt to stop the bleeding. She looked up and noted the feral excitement that swirled across his face.

  “Madeline. No!” William roared, more men holding him from her.

  “’Twould be wise to put the ring on, my lady. Before even your future life is lost to you.” Lord Ribald said, sheathing his sword.

  Maddie dropped to her knees. The trees whizzed around her. She clasped at the leaf litter beneath her hands and fought to breathe. She looked to where William stood and tried to smile through the pain. “I love you,” she whispered.