Warriors in Winter

by Michelle Willingham

  With his other arm, he pulled Rhiannon close. ‘Thank you for bringing her to me.’

  ‘She’ll be fostered with us during the winter, and she’ll return to England in the spring,’ Rhiannon admitted. ‘Sir Ademar and Lady Katherine agreed to share the fostering, though they didn’t want to give her up.’

  ‘I can understand that.’ He lowered Emla down and kept her hand in his while he bent in to Rhiannon. ‘But she can stay with them this night.’

  ‘Were you wanting to wager with stones again?’ she teased. ‘Rough side or smooth?’

  He brought his bristled cheek against hers and whispered, ‘Rough upon smooth, kjære. Or both ways, if you’d rather.’

  Her face burned at his wickedness, but she accepted his kiss and the promise of a night filled with love.

  And when she walked at his side to celebrate their wedding day, she caught sight of Alanna. The young girl was smiling and nodding with pride.

  For the love charm had worked.

  * * * * *

  A SEASON TO FORGIVE

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Epilogue

  Excerpt

  Chapter One

  Ireland—1192

  ‘Liam MacEgan disobeyed my orders. And he deserves to die.’

  King Richard spoke the words in a cold voice that revealed no mercy. He had ordered the deaths of over a thousand women and children hostages, and Liam’s refusal to lift his sword against them had resulted in his captivity and torture.

  ‘Please,’ Adriana whispered. ‘Spare him.’ She couldn’t bear to think of what her betrothed husband was suffering at this moment.

  But the king’s smile held the promise of death. He reached out and cupped her cheek, and his touch made her stomach twist with fear. Richard had been faithful to his queen for a time, but his attentions had already wandered. When the king’s hand drifted down her throat in a caress, Adriana suppressed the shudder of revulsion.

  ‘Then what would you do to save him?’

  * * *

  Adriana de Manzano awakened in the darkness, her body shaking with remembered fear. God help her, the horrifying vision never ceased to plague her. She closed her eyes, trying hard to silence it.

  She slid out from her bed, the stones freezing against her feet as she tiptoed to the hallway outside. It was still the middle of the night, but she needed a moment to collect her thoughts and calm herself. The other women in her chamber continued to sleep, undisturbed by her departure.

  The door to Liam’s chamber swung open, and in the dim light, she saw him approach. His handsome face was stoic, his grey eyes furrowed with concern. ‘The same dream?’

  She nodded, feeling guilty that she’d awakened him. Or perhaps it was his own dreams that had bothered him. Ever since they’d fled the Holy Land, they’d made an unspoken vow not to speak of that time. His scars were visible upon his skin, the physical manifestation of the tortures he’d suffered.

  Hers lay within, buried so deep, she didn’t want him to ever know them.

  Liam reached out to take her in his arms. ‘You’ve been having these dreams more and more often.’

  ‘They’re just dreams.’ But she held him so tightly, she wanted him to silence the nightmares, to help her forget them. Her hands moved up to touch his dark gold hair, that had been cut short to better fit within an iron helm on the battlefield.

  ‘I wish your parents would arrive soon,’ he said, leading her down the hallway toward the stairs. ‘Then you’d be my bride and I’d sleep beside you. If the dreams returned, I would give you comfort.’

  She managed a half-smile, and when Liam reached the stone steps, he sat and pulled her on to his lap. With his hands, he massaged the coldness from her feet.

  While he touched her, she buried her face against his chest. He was alive and strong, and never would she reveal to him what had happened in the Holy Land. It was best forgotten, and she would find a way to leave the past where it belonged.

  Liam need never know the terrible price she’d paid for his life.

  * * *

  Ever since he’d returned to Laochre, Liam couldn’t dismiss the feeling of being out of place. Though he ought to be relieved to be back in Éireann, it was impossible to release the tension he’d carried over the past year. He’d grown accustomed to sleeping with a weapon in his hands, slaughtering the enemy, and fighting to take command of Acre. There’d been so much blood and death, it seemed impossible to return to a peaceful life.

  Last night, his own nightmares had plagued him, just as Adriana had been unable to sleep. Like him, she had witnessed the bloodshed during this Crusade—though she wouldn’t speak of it. But the shadow of pain was there, and they understood one another.

  She’d comforted him on their long journey from Acre and was always there when he’d needed her. But he had not yet shared her bed. On the few times he’d touched her, she’d shied away from him, and he hadn’t wanted to pressure her. There would be time enough for that, after they wed.

  Liam walked outside in the frigid winter air, his footsteps crunching in the early morning snow. He found Adriana on the training field with her brother and his cousin Brianna. Her long dark hair was bound back from her face, her cheeks flushed from the cold. Her olive skin contrasted against the blue brat she’d lifted to cover her head in the winter chill. Her features were exotic, like a rare blossom amid the paler skin of the women he’d known.

  Any man who saw her would believe her to be innocent and fragile...until she lifted a dagger to his throat. As the queen’s former lady-in-waiting and personal guard, Adriana could defend herself from nearly any threat.

  And she’d just stolen her brother’s blade. When she saw Liam watching her, she smiled and returned the dagger to Arturo, before she came over to join him.

  ‘I thought you might like to walk with me this morn,’ Liam offered. ‘Or we could ride together down to the coast.’

  She nodded and bade them farewell, taking Liam’s hand. They walked toward the gates, and he asked, ‘Were you teaching Brianna how to fight?’

  ‘She wanted to learn how to defend herself. But I suspect my brother was using it as a means of getting to know her better.’ A wry smile came over her face. ‘It wouldn’t surprise me if he found someone to marry while we’re here. He’s been lonely for many years.’ She cast a glance behind her. ‘Once he’s set his sights upon something, he’ll never stop until he’s won it.’

  ‘As long as he treats our women well, no one would mind. But if he hurts anyone, he’ll return to Navarre missing a few limbs.’

  ‘Arturo loves women,’ she countered. ‘It’s more likely they would pursue him.’

  Liam shrugged. ‘Even so, he’d best keep a respectful distance.’ Though he spoke the words in teasing, they were the truth. If Arturo wanted to court Brianna, Liam saw no harm in it. But if he broke her heart, there were many who would rise up to defend the young woman’s honour.

  They had nearly reached the gates, when he saw his father approaching. Liam stopped to wait, and from the grim look on King Patrick’s face, something was amiss.

  ‘What is it?’

  His father pointed outside the gates. ‘Early this morning, my men reported the presence of a ship off the coast. It’s too soon for it to be Adriana’s family, and it wasn’t a fishing vessel. It had the look of a Venetian ship.’

  Liam exchanged a look with Adriana. King Richard had granted them leave to return home, months ago. They had travelled inland for several months until they’d met with Arturo off the coast of Navarre and sailed the remaining distance. There was no reason for a ship to follow them—not all the way to Éireann. Unless he’d somehow offended King Richard. ‘Could it be merchants, come to trade with us?’

  Patrick’s expression held wariness. ‘I doubt it. We haven’t faced invaders in many years, but it’s possible. The
ship was too large to go unnoticed.’

  ‘Adriana and I could ride out to the coast and look,’ he offered.

  ‘Not alone. Take a group of my men with you.’ His father’s expression turned grim. ‘I wasn’t much older than you are now when invaders killed my oldest brother.’

  His implication, that the same fate could happen again, wasn’t lost on Liam. But his father had left out the words that had divided them: And I became king because of it.

  For the past three years, his father had insisted that he attend every gathering of soldiers, every discussion that involved Laochre Castle. Liam had trained among the best fighters, and all eyes looked to him to become the future king when Patrick stepped down.

  It weighed deeply upon his father, for there were no other sons or daughters to assume that role. Though Liam knew it was expected of him, his father had earned the love of the people. During the first invasion, Patrick had united the Norman forces with the Irish, until now the two were blended and intermarried as one people. Taking his father’s place would be an impossible feat.

  ‘One ship is hardly an invasion,’ he said, dismissing his father’s fears. ‘There’s no reason to make that assumption.’

  Doubts clouded his father’s face. ‘Making assumptions is why we’re still alive instead of driven out by the Normans. I’d rather anticipate the worst than presume it’s not a threat. When you become king, you’ll understand.’

  And there it was. The argument that continued to rise between them, year after year.

  ‘I’ve no wish to become king.’

  ‘All your life you were trained for this,’ Patrick countered. ‘You have the strength and the intelligence for the role.’

  ‘But not the desire.’ Liam met his father’s gaze, standing firm in his resolution. ‘It’s why I left on Crusade. You never listened to what I wanted. Only what you believed was right.’

  ‘That isn’t true.’

  ‘Isn’t it?’ He could tell the conversation was making Adriana uncomfortable, and he threaded his fingers with hers in silent reassurance.

  His father expelled a sigh. ‘One day I won’t be strong enough to lead them any more. I want to pass the throne to you before I die, so that I can advise you when necessary.’

  ‘They will never accept me as king, so long as you’re alive,’ he pointed out. And whether or not his father would admit it, it was true.

  ‘There is time to discuss this later,’ Adriana interrupted. ‘Why don’t we go and see if the ship is still there?’

  Her soft tone was enough to temper his father’s anger. ‘You are right, Lady Adriana. Perhaps you’ll talk some wisdom into my son. If you’ll wait here, I’ll send soldiers to follow.’

  Liam said nothing while the king returned to the inner bailey. There was nothing he could say that would ever convince Patrick of the truth. While he considered himself to be an adequate fighter, he wasn’t among the best. And how could he hope to lead men against their enemies if his skills weren’t the strongest?

  As if sensing his unrest, Adriana suggested, ‘Why don’t we go on ahead and ride slowly until they catch up to us?’

  He agreed, and when their horses were ready, he lifted her on to her mount before he swung up to his own stallion. Frustration and discontent darkened his mood, and he walked the horses down the hillside.

  ‘He loves you, Liam,’ Adriana said, when they were alone, ‘and only wants what is best for you.’

  ‘I’d rather live among the others as an ordinary man,’ he said, drawing his horse alongside hers. ‘It doesn’t matter what my birthright is. And if you were wanting to be a queen—’

  ‘I want to be your wife, not a queen,’ she corrected. Her mouth tightened at his remark, a sudden coolness surrounding her demeanour.

  ‘I wasn’t implying that you agreed to marry me only for my rank.’ He reached up to her cheek and drew his hands down in a soft caress by way of apology. Though Adriana remained motionless, her expression shifted as if she’d wanted to turn away from him. ‘I’m sorry.’

  She took his hand, pulling it away from her face. Though she held it a moment, he could see the apprehension shadowing her.

  Liam studied her more carefully. ‘Were you able to go back to sleep after your bad dreams last night?’

  ‘Not really. I’m sorry for my mood, mi corazon. I’m just tired.’ Her dark eyes held warm affection as she squeezed his fingers.

  Her nightmares had grown more frequent, and she’d refused to talk of them. But then, Adriana wasn’t the sort of woman to weep or reveal her emotions. He admired her strength, but at times, it was difficult to know what she was feeling inside.

  Without letting him press the issue, she urged her horse forward, leaving him to follow. When they reached the open field, she broke free and took the animal into a hard gallop. Her brat broke free and fell to her shoulders, leaving her dark hair to blow in the wind.

  Liam increased the tempo of his own mount, riding hard while the bitter wind cut into his clothes. It wasn’t safe to ride so fast, but Adriana didn’t seem to care. She continued on for several minutes until finally she pulled the mare back to a canter and finally into a walk.

  He caught up to her and drew her mount to stop. ‘That was dangerous. Your horse could have slipped in the snow.’

  Her breathing had quickened, and her cheeks were crimson from the cool air. Running her hands over her horse’s neck, there was a flicker of remorse in her expression. ‘You’re right, I know. I just wanted a moment to escape.’

  Escape from what? Liam frowned at that and dismounted from his own horse before helping her down. When Adriana tried to move away from him, he held her trapped for a moment. Her dark brown eyes held an echo of his own haunted feelings. ‘Tell me.’

  She shook her head, staring at the field behind him. This time, he refused to let it go. He held her waist, leaning in. ‘Should I have taken you back to Navarre instead of bringing you here?’

  ‘No. We’re going to live here, so it was the better choice. But I was glad my brother joined us on the journey.’

  He took her lips in a soft kiss, trying to give her comfort. She returned it, pressing herself close to him. But even as she welcomed his embrace, he couldn’t let go of the unease. She refused to trust in him, and he didn’t know what that meant. Or what it boded for their future.

  * * *

  The ship wasn’t there. Although they rode along the coast, there was no longer any sign of the vessel. Though it meant nothing, Adriana breathed a sigh of relief to know that no one had pursued them. She wouldn’t put it past Richard to demand Irish reinforcements to join the Crusade. The thought of returning to Acre made her shudder. Never again.

  When they were certain that there was no threat to Laochre, the soldiers returned, while Liam stayed behind with her. The morning sun gleamed across the snow, glittering like diamonds.

  She lifted a handful of the snow, but it fell from her fingers like grains of sand.

  ‘It wouldn’t be good for balls of snow, if that’s what you were thinking,’ Liam teased. Even so, he picked up a handful and moved in closer. ‘But I know another use for it.’

  She saw the wickedness in his eyes and scooped her own handful as a precaution. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘If I drop it down your back, the warmth of your skin will melt it,’ he murmured. ‘Then you’d have to take off your wet clothes.’

  ‘You’re coming nowhere near me with that,’ she warned, backing away. But Liam paid her no heed, and she was forced to run through the snow, picking up her heavy skirts.

  ‘You’ve been too melancholy, Adriana,’ he said, advancing closer. The predatory gleam in his eyes was that of a man who wanted to play.

  ‘And you think dropping snow down my gown will put me in a friendlier mood?’ she demanded, holding back her smile.

  ‘It would be fun. Or if you get cold, I’ll have a reason to warm you.’

  From the devilish look on his face, she knew he could easily
outrun her. They were too far away from the horses, leaving her with only one strategy.

  Without warning, she ran toward him, throwing her body weight against him. Her surprise attack worked and he lost his balance, tumbling back into the snow.

  ‘And now you’re the one who’s wet,’ she teased.

  The white wetness stuck to his hair and neck, and his expression turned fierce. ‘Not for long, a stór.’ He pinioned her wrists and rolled over until the freezing snow lay beneath her. Adriana gasped against the cold, but Liam held her fast, his warm body atop hers.

  His mouth hovered upon her lips, withholding the kiss she was anticipating. Against the juncture of her thighs, she felt the ridge of his arousal. It was a natural response, but one that frightened her. She tried to force the irrational fears away, for never would he do anything to harm her. He loved her and wanted her as a future husband would.

  The snow dampened the wool of her cloak, but she held herself steady. For so long she’d avoided Liam, terrified of him touching her more intimately. But perhaps...if she let him closer, he might drive away the nightmares. Perhaps she needed to face the fear in order to overcome it.

  She reached up to him, guiding his mouth to hers. His kiss was familiar, and it evoked restlessness within her. She gave in to the heat and longing, opening to him.

  But as his tongue slid against her, the old panicked feelings began to surface, of being held down against her will. Liam lowered his mouth to her chin, kissing a path down her throat. ‘Adriana,’ he whispered, ‘I love you.’ He freed her wrists, guiding them up around his neck. ‘Will you let me show you?’

  She didn’t know what he meant by that, but his hands moved to the laces of her gown. She remained motionless, not saying yes...but not refusing him, either.

  They were alone, far away from the castle, but out in the open, anyone could come and see them. It added an edge of danger, and she saw the intensity in his eyes as he loosened her gown, drawing it over one shoulder. He kissed the bared skin, and she shivered at the cold of the snow contrasting against the warmth of his mouth. ‘What are you doing, Liam?’