“Listen to me and listen well,” Maximus growled. “I will marry your daughter with or without your blessing, so you may as well consent. This is not over, not in the least. I will give you until tomorrow morning to come to your senses or I will marry your daughter at first light and there will be nothing you can do about it.”
Kellen tried to kick at Maximus. He was just that angry and frustrated and drunk not to fully realize what he was doing. Infuriated, Maximus stepped on the man’s kicking leg, so hard that Kellen bellowed with pain. At that point, Gallus pulled Maximus off of the man and away from the confrontation. He began pulling his brother towards the door that led out to the kitchen yard.
“Rally the knights!” Gallus shouted.
It was the call that would bring all of his knights to him. Scott and Troy, leaving Kellen on the ground, were heading in his direction but Stefan was at the great hall entry, fighting off any de Lara soldiers who were trying to come inside. He was having a marvelous time with it but Scott whistled loudly between his teeth, catching Stefan’s attention.
“Du Bois!” he called. “Come now!”
Giving one last de Lara soldier a poke, Stefan broke off and ran after the de Wolfe and de Shera brothers, following them out into the kitchen yard. There were no soldiers here, yet, but it was only a matter of time. There was a gate the connected the kitchen yard to the bailey and Gallus made his way towards it. Before he could reach it, however, a woman emerged from the shadows of the yard.
“Sir Maximus!” she hissed.
All five knights came to a halt as Ellice emerged from the darkness. She knew Maximus on sight, as she had seen him earlier in the day when he had come to Kennington along with Lady de Shera. Maximus peered at the woman he recalled seeing that morning.
“You are Lady Ellice,” he said. “Your niece told me who you are.”
Ellice nodded quickly, nervous as she heard sounds of fighting. “I am,” she said. “Where is Courtly?”
Maximus wasn’t entirely sure if the woman was foe or ally so he answered carefully. “She is safe,” he replied.
It was a generic answer, one that Ellice didn’t have much to say to. It was clear that Maximus didn’t want her to know.
“What is the fighting about?” she asked. “Did my brother attack you?”
Maximus shook his head. “He is not happy because I offered for Lady Courtly’s hand,” he said. “I shall have to ask another day when he is calmer and not so drunk.”
Ellice sighed heavily. “It will not matter if you ask another day,” she replied. “His answer will still be the same.”
Maximus frowned as the sounds of fighting began to draw closer. The de Shera knights were keeping watch but it was clear that they would soon need to flee.
“What do you mean?” Maximus asked. “Why is he so opposed to me marrying his daughter?”
Ellice shook her head. “It is not you in particular,” she said. “Kellen has done it to every suitor. He even did it to my suitors when our father died at an early age. Kellen feels that he is protecting the women of the family when, in fact, he is ruining us. Did he tell you how his wife died?”
Maximus peered at her curiously as men spilled out from the hall, fighting, and the de Shera knights went into battle mode.
“He did not,” Maximus said even as Gallus unsheathed his broadsword to fend off the deadly tide that was creeping towards them. “What happened?”
Ellice swallowed hard. “A knight who came to court me,” she said, struggling through it. “He made advances to Kellen’s wife when Kellen was elsewhere. She rejected him and he killed her. Kellen has blamed me ever since and he has chased away every suitor that has ever come for me to punish me. He is repeating the pattern with Courtly. He will chase you away, too.”
Maximus’ jaw flexed with sorrow, with determination. Sorrow for what had happened to Courtly’s mother and determination that he would marry Courtly regardless.
“I am sorry that happened,” he said, unsheathing his broadsword because he could hear the fighting close behind him. Even though he was facing Ellice, he could still hear it. He knew the sounds of Gallus’ sword. “Courtly does not know this, does she?”
Ellice shook her head. “She must never know,” Ellice said. “She was away fostering at the time. Kellen told her that her mother died of a fever.”
The fighting was nearly upon him. Ellice was starting to back up, fearful of the men with swords, but Maximus followed her. He had to know something more. Answers were coming forth from an unexpected source and he needed them.
“If Kellen will not consent to marriage, then I will take her anyway,” he said. “I am telling you this so you will know. I… I am very fond of your niece. I am sure I will grow to love her. I will make her happy and comfortable for the rest of her life, I swear it.”
Ellice’s dark eyes glimmered at him, a moment of peace and joy amidst the turmoil of the battle surrounding them.
“Then you have my approval,” she said. “Let Courtly know happiness where I have not. Do not let her father’s burdens become her own. Take her.”
Maximus could see that the woman meant it. But the fighting drew too close and she ran off, back to the shadows from whence she came, leaving Maximus somewhat reeling from the conversation. Courtly’s mother was killed by a rejected suitor. Now, Kellen’s attitude was starting to make some sense. Maximus was eager to share the information with Gallus but they had to get out of this predicament first.
De Shera and de Lara men were fighting all throughout the kitchen yard, in the hall, and in the bailey. The de Wolfe brothers and Stefan had entered the fight in the kitchen yard and de Lara men were beginning to die. Gallus had even entered the fight and he had already dispatched two soldiers. Maximus, sword in hand, began to move towards the bulk of the fighting and the de Lara men, knowing the Thunder Warrior on sight, began to back off. Sometimes, all Maximus had to do was show himself in order to strike fear into the hearts of men. But Maximus had another purpose. He was looking for someone.
St. Héver. De Lara’s big, blond knight was not in the kitchen yard so Maximus moved through the kitchen gate and out into the bailey beyond in search of the man. He finally spied him over near the doorway leading into the great hall and he shouted the man’s name above the combat. He had to call him three times before St. Héver finally heard him. Then, the blond knight headed directly for Maximus, his sword leveled.
But Maximus didn’t want to fight him. He wanted to speak with him. As St. Héver drew near, Maximus held up a hand.
“Stop,” he commanded. “You know a battle between us cannot end well, so lower your sword and order your men to do the same. Your lord attacked us first. By God’s word, I swear that is the truth. Tell your men to lower their weapons.”
St. Héver didn’t hesitate. He knew Kellen de Lara well enough to know that the man wasn’t shy about striking the first blow or even attacking his own guests. He’d seen it before. Moreover, he’d seen how Kellen had treated the de Sheras when they first arrived. Immediately, he lowered his sword and emitted a piercing whistle, one that the de Lara men evidently recognized because they all seemed to slow their assault. When St. Héver saw that he had his men’s attention, or at least most of them, he held up a big fist.
“Cease,” he roared. “Gather the wounded and dead in the hall!”
It was a simple command but one the de Lara men followed. They simply lowered their weapons and walked away from the de Shera men, who were quite confused by the abrupt cessation of hostilities. Maximus called out to his men.
“Gather at the gates!” he bellowed. “We leave!”
Weapons lowered or sheathed, the de Shera men did as they were told by their commander. They began picking their wounded up from the ground, carrying men back to their horses. The de Shera knights, including Gallus, had heard the command and they began to emerge from the kitchen gate and out into the bailey. Gallus, without a scratch on him, headed for Maximus.
“What h
appened?” he asked his brother as he drew near. “How did you convince them to stop?”
Maximus pointed to St. Héver, who was over near the entrance to the great hall. “See that knight?” he said. “That is Kirk St. Héver, de Lara’s knight. I sought him out and told him what happened. He is the one who gave the cease command to de Lara’s men.”
Gallus sighed heavily, wiping some sweat off his brow as he sheathed his broadsword. He looked over the bailey, seeing that there were several wounded and perhaps just as many dead. It was quite a bit of carnage for so short a fight.
“We had better leave immediately,” he said. “We must return for Lady Courtly and….”
“Nay,” Maximus cut him off, looking at him. “I am not returning her to Kennington, Gal. I am marrying her first thing in the morning.”
Gallus closed his eyes softly, briefly, in a gesture of great regret. “I knew it would be too much to ask you to wait,” he muttered. “If you marry the woman without her father’s consent, this could get ugly. Surely you know that.”
“I know that.”
Gallus eyed his brother in the dim light of the bailey. “You know that I would never deny you your heart’s desire, Max, but are you sure about this?” he asked sincerely. “Do you truly want to travel this path or can you wait until the lady’s father has calmed sufficiently and seek his permission?”
Maximus was serious. “You heard what the aunt said,” he replied, lowering his voice so the de Shera men gathering around them wouldn’t hear. “Kellen will never give his permission. This is a chance I must take, Gal. I am as sure about this as I have ever been, about anything, in my life.”
Gallus wouldn’t argue with him but it was clear that he was disappointed. He was disappointed that de Lara was so resistant, disappointed that Maximus was so determined. It would make the entire situation quite edgy for years to come, and they would forever be at odds with Viscount Trelystan when the man should be their ally. Nay, it wasn’t a good situation at all. But he knew if he denied Maximus that his brother would do it, anyway. He might even do as he had threatened and flee the country. If that happened, Gallus would be devastated.
“Very well, then,” Gallus said, putting a hand on his brother’s shoulder and turning him for the horses gathered near the gate. “Then let us return to the inn and retrieve the women. We must find another place to stay this night, as de Lara knows what inn we are housed in. He could very well regroup his men and come after us.”
Maximus nodded, relieved his brother was not going to fight with him on the matter of Courtly. Gallus may not have agreed with his decision but at least he wasn’t going to argue with him. He would support him, no matter what.
“I will send Stefan out to find us new accommodations,” he replied. “Let us leave this place now before something else happens.”
Gallus didn’t have to be told twice. He and Maximus and their men mounted their horses and fled into the night, leaving Ellice watching from the corner of the kitchen yard.
God’s Bones, how she wished that the man she had loved those years ago had been determined to have her as much as Maximus was determined to have Courtly. She was happy for her niece, at least as much as she could be, but she was also jealous. Jealous that her time for such things had come and gone.
As the de Shera men headed north towards Oxford, Ellice didn’t even bother to go and check on her brother. She was more concerned with Isadora, as the young girl was now quite alone with her sister being taken in marriage. Ellice had never felt very maternal towards her nieces but she found that she rather felt that way now towards Isadora. The child would miss her sister greatly.
Ellice, for the first time in her life, would attempt to give the girl comfort but, more than that, she intended to give her brother counsel. It was time for him to stop feeding on old fears because it was clear that his burden was beginning to affect them all; first Ellice, now Courtly, and soon Isadora. The man had to be made to understand that what happened to his wife had been an isolated incident. The women in the family had to be allowed to have lives and loves of their own. If they didn’t, they would grow to be just as bitter as Ellice was, and Kellen had to be convinced of that fact.
Beating some sense into her brother’s head would be the most difficult task of all.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The room was quiet and dark but for a glowing fire in the hearth. It also smelled heavily of rosemary, that crisp fragrance that assaulted one’s nostrils in a most glorious way. Jeniver was very fond of it, as the scent seemed to help her pregnancy-related illnesses. It soothed her. As Gallus entered the chamber he shared with his wife at The One-Eyed Raven, his gaze eagerly sought the woman out. When he finally found her in the darkness of the chamber, what he saw was not what he had expected.
Jeniver was dead asleep on the bed. He knew this because she was snoring softly and she always snored softly when she was exhausted. Courtly was lying on the bed, too. The woman’s lower half was in a chair next to the bed but the upper half of her was lying down next to Jeniver. She, too, was sleeping soundly, weary from her exhausting day with Maximus.
Maximus was standing behind Gallus as the man lingered with the door half-open, surveying the room. Maximus opened his mouth to speak but was immediately silenced by Gallus when the man put a finger to his lips. Gallus pointed at the bed and Maximus slipped in behind him to see what he was indicating. What Maximus saw brought a smile to his lips. Silently, the pair slipped out and softly shut the door.
“We cannot allow them to sleep much longer,” Gallus whispered. “As soon as Stefan returns with new accommodations, we must be ready to leave. I fear that de Lara is already amassing men to come here and wrest his daughter from us, so time is of the essence.”
Maximus rubbed his bearded chin, thinking on the situation. “It is,” he grunted. “But it concerns me greatly that there will be no defense from an attack of armed men if we go to another inn. No walls, no moats, no measures of defense – de Lara can simply walk into the common room and from there, we will be left defending doors that any normal man could kick down.”
Gallus was forced to agree. “I am not entirely sure we have much choice,” he said. “But I will admit that I am worried that my wife will be caught up in the maelstrom. She would not be able to take such excitement in her present condition.”
Maximus knew that was true and he was coming to feel the least bit guilty about everything, but only for Jeniver’s sake. “Mayhap it would be best if I take Courtly and go,” he said. “At least take her out of Oxford. We can meet up with you later in London. That way, Kellen will have no cause to go after you and, subsequently, put your wife in danger. I would never wish that upon her, Gal. You know that.”
Gallus nodded. “I know,” he said. “But even if you flee, de Lara will still have cause to move against me. That does not solve the problem.”
Maximus struggled with increasing guilt. “Then I will marry Courtly tonight,” he said. “That way, even if Kellen manages to get to her, he cannot take her. She will be my wife and the Church will side with me in any dispute.”
It was a technicality that Maximus was relying on. Gallus knew it was foolish to assume such a thing and, deep down, Maximus did, too, but he was not going to admit that he had perhaps acted rashly in all of this. He had made his choice, and his decision, and he would stand by it.
“Possibly,” he finally said. Then, he slapped his brother on the shoulder. “In any case, let the women sleep for a little while longer while you and I share a meal. I am famished. De Lara provided absolutely nothing by way of a meal. He was a terrible host.”
Maximus snorted as he allowed his brother to direct him back downstairs to the common room. “That is because he did not have his daughter there to cook for him.”
Gallus grinned, moving with his brother down to the common room where Tiberius and the rest of the knights were already congregated around their usual table. The inn was rather full this night, as a storm was rolli
ng in from the east, and many people were seeking shelter from the coming rains. Gallus knew this would make Stefan’s job more difficult of finding another place for them to stay, but he remained hopeful. Still, they would have to discuss other options in case Stefan was unable to locate something suitable.
As they took their seats at the table below, Jeniver’s chamber door quietly opened. Courtly poked her head out, looking to see if Maximus or even Gallus were anywhere nearby. She had awoken nearly the moment Gallus had opened the chamber door and she had heard what was subsequently said. She heard everything.
As she knew, her father had not been receptive to Maximus’ offer of marriage. That was no surprise. But the attack Gallus and Maximus spoke of was indeed a surprise, at least against the two de Shera brothers. Her father was aggressive, that was true, but he usually was careful with his aggression. He picked fights that he knew he could win. Clearly, the man could not win against the de Shera war machine, but she could imagine how irate he must have become when the question of marriage had been introduced. She had no doubt that he was indeed amassing a raiding party to come and claim her.
Closing the door quietly, she looked at Jeniver, sleeping heavily upon the bed. The woman had been good to her, at least in the short time she had known her. She liked Jeniver a great deal and after Jeniver had fainted in the common room, she was greatly honored that Gallus allowed her to sit with his wife and tend her. Jeniver had come around, briefly, but she had fallen back asleep again and even now, remained sleeping heavily. It was clear that the day in general had been very taxing for the woman.
But a party of armed men would tax her even more, de Lara men that were after one thing – Courtly. They would come for her and even though Courtly was positive that Maximus and Gallus and Tiberius could fight them off, it would not end the situation. Her father would come and come again in his attempts to regain her. It would truly never end until one of them was dead – her father, or Maximus, or even Courtly. Kellen de Lara would never give up. She knew her father well enough to know that.
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