Making his way toward the table near the fire, Gordon obediently sat down on the bench. He let out an involuntary sigh, glad to finally sit on something solid and that wasn’t in motion.
“I thank you, sire. I haven’t had a drop to drink since leaving the Healer’s cave.”
“You won’t find wine here,” Sir Gareth said, giving a small shrug. He went to a side table, and brought over a tankard of ale. “I wasn’t exactly expecting visitors.”
“Nay,” Gordon said, shaking his head and gladly accepting the drink. “Ale is good.” Placing the tankard to his lips, he allowed the cool liquid to slide down his parched throat.
The door opened behind him and the servant boy entered the house.
Sir Gareth looked up, his face unsmiling. “Bring Lord Stanbury some of that pottage you made,” he said, nodding to the small iron pot hanging over the hearth.
“Aye, sire,” the boy said, and immediately veered off to the simmering pot. Grabbing a ladle, he began dipping thin vegetable stew into a bowl.
“Sir Gareth,” Gordon said as the boy brought the steaming bowl over and set it in front of him. “For some reason Sir Derrik thinks that you can help me.” He blew on the spoon to help cool the broth. Pottage was not his most favorite food, but the smell wafting from the bowl filled his senses, and caused his mouth to water.
“’Tis not I who can help you,” he replied. Tipping the jug of ale, he filled the tankard near the hooded man, and went around to top up Gordon’s cup. Then setting the pitcher down on the wooden table with a thud, he added, “I suspect the help you need will arrive at any moment now.”
Gordon looked at him quizzically. “I do not know what you mean, sire.”
“I see that Derrik hasn’t filled you in on the plan,” he said, staring at Gordon, the expression in his eyes unreadable.
“I was not told of any plan, sire. All Sir Derrik said was that I would be safe here until —” his voice cut off as he heard a movement out in the yard.
The hooded man looked up from his bowl.
“They’re here,” Sir Gareth said.
Taking pity on Gordon’s desperate confusion, Sir Gareth filled him in on the scheme. But even as the knight spoke about the plan in detail, Gordon couldn’t shut out the distinctive sound of horse hooves just on the other side of the door…
Chapter 33
“I will be going with you,” Amelie said. She sat upright on her palfrey, her head held high.
The morning sun was just starting to light up the sky, chasing away the last of the obsidian night. She had barely slept for fear that Derrik and her uncle would leave without her. And as soon as she heard the cries of the roosters in the courtyard, she was up and hurriedly making her way down to the stables. She didn’t know what she would do when she got to the farmhouse. However some instinct told her that she needed to be there.
“I have every right to go on this expedition,” Amelie continued defiantly, knowing that Roldan would be less than pleased to find her blocking their path. Her brown palfrey pulled back nervously, and she settled a reassuring hand on the horse’s mane.
“Move aside, my dear, or I will have these horses trample you.”
His icy tone caused her heart rate to quicken, but she stared at his face, displaying no emotions. She sensed that he had every intention to run the horses through her. Common sense told her that it was prudent to move aside, but she refused to budge.
Calmness settled over her as she realized that she would stand tall even if Roldan followed through with his order. “You would dare trample me with my people present?” she said as she shifted in her saddle, her gaze unwavering. “You forget that you are in Stanbury Castle now and not at the Royal Court, Uncle. My people are loyal to me and my father,” Her eyes narrowed slightly and she indicated to the guards behind her. “I will assure you that if you harm me, my men will not hesitate to retaliate on my behalf.”
John and the rest of the garrison waited on their mounts, facing the small group with open hostility.
Roldan hesitated and looked at the menacing warriors, aware that she told the truth. Watching him, Amelie felt a small sense of triumph, suddenly feeling as defiant and fearless as Morgan le Fey. If only she had the sorceress’ magical powers, she wouldn’t hesitate to rain retribution upon Derrik and her uncle.
“I can have every one of you killed,” he said, gritting his teeth. He looked around at the Stanbury garrison and raised his voice. “Every last one of you, I can have dangling from a noose.”
Roldan turned his glare onto her and would have said much more, but Derrik’s quiet voice broke in. “’Tis probably a good idea to bring Lady Amelie along with us, Your Grace. In the event that Lord Stanbury thinks to resist us, you will have his daughter to ensure his surrender.”
Amelie shot Derrik a stunned look. The thought never occurred to her that she could be used as a weapon.
“I don’t think Gordon will put up any resistance,” Roldan said, looking thoughtfully at Derrik. His lips then curled into something that resembled a smile. “But you are right. It will not hurt to bring his daughter along to ensure his compliance.”
“My men and I will accompany Lady Amelie,” John said, his voice ringing in the courtyard, interrupting the royal advisor.
“Amelie is the only one that goes.” Her uncle cast a hard look at the garrison commander. “The garrison remains here.”
“I will not allow —” John began.
Amelie shook her head at the commander. “’Tis all right, Sir John,” she said, trying to make her voice sound brave and strong. She had gotten what she wanted, and it was too late to back down now. Her plan was to take John and a dozen of the garrison along with her, but it was enough that her uncle agreed to take her with them. “I am certain that I will not come to harm, for I have faith that my father will find victory when all this is finished.”
***
The ride was grueling since there was hardly a path for them to follow. Now that Amelie rode among the troop, and they were getting closer to the farmhouse, the heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach increased. Perhaps she shouldn’t have insisted on going with them after all. Again, the knowledge that she could be used as a weapon filled her with a worsening sense of dread. But fortunately or unfortunately there was no way she could turn back and give Roldan the satisfaction of witnessing her defeat. She just hoped that Providence would somehow intervene and help her and her father out of this mess.
A large fallen tree blocked their path, and Derrik directed three guards to come off their chargers and work to remove it. On either side of the passage were large rocky slopes. The prospect of going around the log seemed just as arduous as going through it.
“Are you certain that you know where you are going?” Roldan asked Derrik, his voice filled with doubt and impatience.
“Aye,” Derrik said. “We should be there in approximately two hours. I didn’t anticipate that we would encounter impediments like this.”
Roldan grunted, seemingly mollified with the idea that they were at least on the correct course.
After a while, the three guards discovered that it was too difficult to push aside the fallen tree, so three more men joined them. As everyone else waited for the guards to heave the dead tree aside, Derrik moved his horse to stand beside hers. She sensed him looking at her, but she didn’t bother to turn and acknowledge him.
“I’m sorry for what happened, Amelie,” he started to say. “I can explain —”
His voice grated on her nerves, causing her to grind her teeth. Having him nearby was almost too much for her to bear. She was surrounded by so many people that she couldn’t trust. And because of her naivety, she received multiple dagger wounds in her back. But with Derrik, the dagger cut deep into her being. If he looked into her eyes right now, he would know of her pain. And that was something that she couldn’t allow him to see. She dug her fingernails into her palms, punishing herself. Even despite his betrayal, she still desired him. She didn�
�t even have to close her eyes to recall how it felt to be in his strong arms, to feel his hard body crushed against hers. Shaking her head, she forced herself to stop the dangerous line of thought. It was best that she pretended that nothing happened between them. It was easier to just stay angry, to forget that she ever loved him.
“Do not speak to me, traitor,” she said, her voice low and harsh. She brushed away a strand of hair that fell across her face. Focusing her eyes on a point beyond the tree tops, she allowed the blinding rage to fill her slender body. How had she become such an idiot? She had fallen for his rugged looks, not knowing the wickedness that encircled his heart. Normally, she was a good judge of people, but she was so wrong about Derrik. Closing her eyes, she tried to block his image from her mind. But it was useless. Her body remembered all too well the strong feelings that he awakened in her.
One of the guards approached them, the expression on his face apologetic.
“What is it, Egbert?” Derrik asked.
“The men are unable to move the obstacle, sire.”
Amelie saw Roldan looking over at them, and seeing the two knights speaking, he made his way over. “What is the delay?” he demanded.
“We are unable to move this fallen tree from the path, Your Grace,” Derrik said. “I’m afraid we’ll have to retrace our steps, and find another route to our destination.”
“I don’t want to backtrack,” Roldan said, frowning and looking up at the cliffs that surrounded them. “Doing that will add at least two hours to our travel.”
“I’ll put more men to work then.” He nodded to his friend. “Egbert?”
“Right away, sire,” the knight said, inclining his head before returning to the obstruction up ahead.
“Use all the men if you have to, but remove that thing from our passage,” Roldan commanded.
Amelie watched as her uncle steered his horse and moved away from them.
“It looks like we may be here for a little while longer, my lady.” Derrik climbed down from his saddle. “You should have a bite to eat while you wait.”
Before she had a chance to respond, he placed his hands to her waist.
“How dare you touch me,” she said, knocking his hands away. “I will come off on my own.” She ungracefully slipped off the palfrey and stood glaring at him.
“Amelie,” he sighed heavily. “I’ll explain everything when —”
“There is no need to explain anything, Derrik. Your actions demonstrate perfectly your deceitful nature. And to think that I trusted you.” She took in a staggering breath. “That I cared for you…” her voice cracked.
Something flickered in his eyes. “I care for you as well, Amelie.”
“If you care for me at all, you will not lead my uncle to my father,” she said, her voice trembling slightly. “You will take my uncle somewhere else.”
“Don’t do this, Amelie. This has nothing to do with us…”
“I am afraid it does.” She swallowed the painful lump in her throat. She waited for him to continue, and when he didn’t, her heart felt heavy. “You betrayed me, Derrik.”
“’Twas my duty to report everything to the Lord High Steward,” he said finally. He took out a chunk of bread from his food pouch and offered it to her.
She stared at his outstretched hand, but made no attempt to take the bread from him. “You and your precious duty,” she said, sniffing loudly. The tightness in her throat all but choked her while her lips quivered. Wiping angrily at a tear that fell on her cheek, she continued, “Even as you tout your badge of honor, your heart is impure. I regret ever making your acquaintance.” Or making love with you.
“As the Lord High Steward acts as the viceroy to the king, I’m under his command,” Derrik said, letting his hand drop.
“You speak freely about duty and honor, yet you allow my father to be falsely accused of treason.” She looked away from him, not wanting to see his handsome face, a face that looked innocent and pure, but hid something darker. “You heard what had happened from my father’s lips. And now you set my uncle after him, cornering him like a helpless rabbit. And all the while, you assured me and my father that he would be safe from my uncle.” Her voice began shaking. “You, Sir Derrik, are not a true knight. You have turned your back on your moral duty. If anything you are a coward, and will never be like the Iron Hawk or his commander. Even now you cannot defend yourself because you know that I speak the truth,” she continued recklessly. “You know what a treacherous heart that you possess —”
He stared at her face waiting for her to finish, the muscle ticking at the side of his jaw.
She snapped her mouth closed, knowing that she overstepped her boundaries. Few people dared to address an elite royal knight like this and not expect punishment. She knew that it wasn’t wise to incite his anger further. But when she looked at him, she was reminded of his deceit. The negative energy swirled throughout her body, causing the barely suppressed feelings of anger and betrayal to bubble to the surface.
“You could at least apologize,” she added, lashing out at him. “Say it. I want you to tell me that you have wronged me. I will not forgive you, but I want to hear it from your lips —”
“That’s enough,” he said, his voice quiet. His face turned as hard as one of the large boulders that lay scattered along the forest floor. “I have my reasons for doing what I did. That is all you need to know.”
With that, he spun on his heels and left her.
She watched his retreating back, suddenly overcome with misery.
A cheer sounded up ahead, and Amelie turned to see that the men had successfully pushed the fallen tree aside.
The men then gathered their belongings and climbed back onto their saddles.
“We are leaving now, my lady,” Egbert said as he stopped by her side. “I will help you to your horse.”
Amelie nodded silently, although she looked over to her right. The knight’s gaze followed hers and landed on his friend.
“Sir Derrik is a good knight, my lady,” he said.
“He does not appear so to me,” she said, turning to Egbert, her expression numb. Walking with the guard, she allowed him to help her mount her horse.
As her palfrey began to move with the small troop, Derrik’s horse slid past hers. She had expected him to at least acknowledge her, but he ignored her and rode up front with Roldan. Even though she tried to push the feeling away, she couldn’t stop the hurt from taking over.
Egbert brought his courser next to hers, and attempted to distract her with stories from the king’s court. But she barely heard what the guard said. And all too soon, she saw the small farmhouse in the clearing. She drew in an apprehensive breath.
Roldan stopped the troop just outside the wooden gate that surrounded the small farmhouse. He nodded to a guard to unlatch the gate, and everyone filed into the farmyard, scattering a handful of chickens. Then at Roldan’s command, the men took their positions.
Chapter 34
“I have surrounded the house,” the Lord High Steward shouted from his horse. “Come out and release the traitor to me!”
A heavy silence met his command.
He made a sound of disgust, and raised his hands to signal his men to go forward. But his hand stopped in mid-air when a large man carrying a long bow appeared at the entrance. Two people followed him: a hooded servant and a teenaged boy.
“I don’t harbor traitors here,” the man said. Although he said the words quietly, it had the effect as if he shouted.
Roldan sat back on his horse, recognition showing in his eyes after a moment. He curved his mouth into a cruel smile. “Ah, Sir Gareth,” he said.
Amelie stared at the giant standing in front of the wooden building. This was the Iron Hawk’s legendary commander? He bore no resemblance to any farmer that she had ever seen. But then again, he didn’t resemble any knight that she had seen either.
“Even I can recognize you under all that grime,” her uncle continued, his voice taking on an
air of boredom. He looked around the farmhouse with distaste. “I see that since you have left the king’s service,” his lips curled into a sneer, “you have moved up in the world.”
Sir Gareth shrugged indifferently, and flicked a bug off his rust-colored tunic, a tunic that had seen better days. He seemed unconcerned that there were a dozen guards stationed all around his house, their weapons raised against him.
“The ranks of this world no longer concern me,” he said, letting out a yawn.
Amelie scanned the building behind him and believed his admission. The farmhouse was by no means a dilapidated hovel as her uncle implied. To be sure, the house looked old, but it was well maintained and seemed sturdy enough to weather the elements. It was actually an oasis of civilization set in the middle of dense wilderness. Any farmer in possession of such a house would likely be proud to own it.
“One of you, bring me a tankard of ale,” Sir Gareth said, turning to the two figures behind him. “I have a need to wash away this rancid taste in my mouth. Hearing such flowery words can do that to a person.”
When neither the servant nor the boy jumped to do his bidding, he let out an exaggerated sigh. “’Tis so difficult to get help these days.”
“I did not come here to waste time with idle chatter,” Roldan said, his brow creasing into a frown. “Nor did I come to visit you. Now bring my cowardly brother to me.” He scanned the farmyard. “I know that he is here.”
“You are looking for me, brother?” Lord Stanbury said, emerging from the building.
“Ah, there you are,” her uncle said, his eyes glinting with contempt.
“You are pathetic, Roldan,” her father said in disgust. “Here you are, calling other people cowardly when you just need to look into a clear stream and see the image reflected back at you.” He stared at his brother, his eyes hardening. “Why are you here?”
“Why, to kill you of course,” Roldan said, letting out a laugh that sounded almost maniacal. “I never realized that I had such a stupid brother. But stupid or not, you know far too much.” He paused and bared his teeth. “Do you think that I can have you alive and spreading rumors about my involvement in the plot against the king? King Edward is ignorant, but he is by no means a fool.”
A Knight's Duty (The Knights of Honor Trilogy, Book 2) Page 23
