The soldier nodded. “Aye, my lord.”
“He has switched allegiances and is now allied with de Montfort?”
“Aye, my lord.”
Gallus was at a loss for words. He hadn’t heard such a thing. He looked around to his brothers and trusted knights – Maximus, Tiberius, Scott, Troy, and Stefan – but everyone seemed to have the same expression – shock. He turned back to de Montfort’s man.
“When did this happen?” he demanded. “I saw de Montfort yesterday and he made no mention of Christon de Russe.”
The soldier wasn’t sure what to tell the Thunder Lord. He was a man to be both respected and feared, and the soldier didn’t particularly like upsetting him. Even worse, the man’s brother, Maximus, was looking less than pleased at the information and the soldier knew that Maximus de Shera was a man to placate in all situations. He’d been known to rip men’s heads from their bodies in battle. Or, at least that was what he had been told. It was, therefore, a struggle not to show any fear.
“Lord de Russe is now allied with his cousin, Lord Hughston de Russe,” the soldier said. “Lord Christon kept Warborough Castle and also has some of the king’s treasury in his possession. The king is sending an army to confiscate the castle and take back the money, but Lord Christon would keep it for de Montfort’s cause. Lord de Montfort has sent me to ask you to join him at Warborough Castle to defend it from Henry’s forces.”
It was all quite puzzling and, if genuinely true, quite astonishing. Gallus couldn’t quite grasp what he was being told. Christon de Russe was thick with the king, or at least he used to be, much to his cousin, Hughston’s, dismay. The de Russe clan had always been the rather democratic type that fell in with de Montfort’s ideals, but Christon had been with the king for many years and enjoyed the status of his job.
Now, evidently, the tides were turning. Had Gallus not known the soldier, or at least had seen him with de Montfort, he might have thought it was a trap because the information was truly surprising. Even so, he was wary. He simply couldn’t help it.
“How soon does de Montfort want us to mobilize?” he asked the soldier.
The man wiped at the sweat on his brow. “Henry’s army has been sighted to the east of Warborough, my lord,” he replied. “De Montfort is coming up from the south. He will meet you in Wallingford.”
Gallus scratched his head, looking at his brothers, who seemed equally astonished by the information. “I know where Wallingford is,” he told the soldier, “but de Montfort was already on the road to London. Now he is turning around to fight this battle? It must be important to him.”
The soldier nodded. “It is, my lord,” he said. “De Montfort wants Warborough and he wants the coinage that de Russe has stolen from Henry.”
Gallus could understand that; money, and property, was power. “How far out is he?”
“He should arrive by tomorrow morning.”
Gallus’ mind began working furiously. He only had fifty men with him. The bulk of his army had been called down from Isenhall to meet him in London, but it would be days before they reached the city. Therefore, he had no choice but to go with only the fifty men he had. Combined with the other armies, they would comprise an acceptable amount of soldiers and archers, but he was less confident than he would have been had his four hundred seasoned troops been at his command. If they were to defend Warborough against a thousand troops, the odds were considerably stacked against them.
“Who else has been summoned to Warborough?” Gallus wanted to know. “There were many barons in Oxford because of de Montfort’s gathering but I do not have the latest information as to who has already left for London and who remains.”
The soldier was thoughtful. “Bigod and Fitzgeoffrey moved out with de Montfort,” he said. “There are several barons still in Oxford according to de Montfort’s intelligence and there are several messengers, much like me, sent to seek them out and summon them – de Ferrers, de Burgh, de Lara, Fitzalan… when they are all gathered, de Montfort expects twice Henry’s numbers. We should easily defeat them.”
Gallus eyed Maximus at the mention of de Lara. “Kellen de Lara?” he clarified with the soldier.
The man nodded. “Aye, my lord,” he replied. “Viscount Trelystan.”
This is going to be interesting, Gallus thought. He was sure Maximus had the very same thought, fighting alongside a man whose daughter they had so recently stolen. That is what it would boil down to. Regardless, he wasn’t so sure about having the numbers to overwhelm Henry’s forces but he would never publicly express a negative opinion regarding battle odds. Something like that would get around and demoralize the troops. Therefore, he simply nodded.
“You will ride with me to Wallingford,” he told de Montfort’s man before turning to his men. “Ty, spread the word among the men of our orders. Scott and Troy, make sure the horses are sound and ready for battle. Stefan, you will stock the provisions wagon with items for the wounded and Max, we must discuss the de Shera women. They are going to have to remain here for the time being. I cannot spare the men to return them to Isenhall. All we can do is leave a small contingent here to guard them.”
Maximus didn’t like the thought of leaving Courtly and Jeniver minimally protected, but he understood. They were heading into battle and needed every available man.
“How many men will you leave with them?” he asked.
“Four.”
Maximus winced. “Just four?”
“Do you have any better ideas about it?”
Maximus didn’t. Even leaving four behind out of the fifty they had was not a particularly desirable prospect but there was little choice. He finally shook his head and broke away from the gathering with de Montfort’s soldier and headed up the stairs to see to his wife. He had a good deal of preparations to make before departing and he had little time to do it, but until he bid his wife farewell, he couldn’t think of anything else. He had to see her.
A separation to go to London with a non-military purpose had been bad enough, but now that he knew they were heading for battle… a battle where they were undermanned, no less… filled him with a heavy heart. He didn’t want to even think on the fact that he might not make it out alive. He wanted to see his wife again and watch their children grow. He wanted to live a long, full life with Courtly by his side. He’d never wanted that before.
As he reached the door to the chamber, he could already hear the women behind it, laughing. It made him smile to hear Courtly’s high-pitched giggles. Knocking softly on the door, he snorted with humor when it was swiftly opened and Jeniver stood there, a huge smile on her face.
“Isn’t it true, Max?” she demanded. “Didn’t you light your uncle’s farts on fire?”
Courtly burst out in a fit of laughter and Maximus came into the room, grinning. “She already knows what an incorrigible child I was,” he said. “I told her what we used to do. What I did not tell her was that the gas from his arse had saturated his breeches so the fire spread quickly and burned the hair all up his back. My mother was so angry that she took a switch to us. I think I still have the scars.”
Jeniver and Courtly were beset with laughter as Maximus stood there and smiled at them. “That was the same uncle who would defecate in the bailey and then blame it on the dogs,” he said. “He would make sure to do it when he knew my father would be passing along that particular path so that the man would step in it.”
The women were far gone with laughter at this point. Jeniver finally put up a hand. “That is utterly disgusting, Max,” she pretended to scold, snorting. “And you would say it in front of your new wife? I am shocked.”
Maximus was making his way over to Courtly, who was gazing at him quite adoringly. He couldn’t help but return the expression. “It is too late for her to get away from me,” he said, his eyes devouring the woman. “I can say what I wish now.”
Jeniver shook her head reproachfully but the truth was that she was watching the besotted expressions of both Maximus a
nd Courtly. It was very sweet.
“I will tell you a secret,” Jeniver said. “I do not think she wants to get away from you.”
Maximus glanced at his sister-in-law, grinning, but his attention returned to his wife. In fact, he couldn’t stop staring at her.
“I am glad,” he said. Then, he sobered somewhat. “Speaking of getting away from me, I’ve come to inform you both that you will be staying here for the time being. You will not be going to Isenhall right away.”
The women sobered quickly as well. “Why not?” Courtly asked. “Has something happened?”
Maximus shrugged, reaching out to take her hand. Courtly clung to him, gazing up into his handsome face and noting that he looked rather serious.
“We have received word that Warborough Castle is under attack from Henry’s forces,” he said. “De Montfort has personally asked us to defend her. Therefore, we cannot spare the men to take you two back to Isenhall, so you will remain here with a small guard until we can return from Warborough.”
Courtly’s expression was full of concern. “Where is Warborough?”
He squeezed her hand. “South of Oxford and south of Kennington by several miles,” he said. “The constable of the castle used to be Henry’s ally but it would seem he has switched allegiances and the king is not entirely happy. De Montfort wants us to fend off the king’s attempt to reclaim the castle.”
Across the chamber, Jeniver sighed heavily. “War,” she said simply. “You are going to war.”
Maximus tore his gaze away from Courtly long enough to look over at Jeniver. “Aye.”
Courtly felt as if she had been hit in the gut. All of the wind was sucked out of her as she realized what, exactly, Maximus was telling her. It had taken Jeniver’s softly uttered words to make her understand.
“War,” she breathed. “Oh, Max, is it true? Do you really go to do battle?”
Maximus squeezed her hand again, kissing her fingers. “It is not as bad as all that,” he said quietly. “Usually, all it takes is for Henry to merely see the de Shera banners and the man runs off. I doubt that I shall even unsheathe my sword.”
He said it simply to make her feel better. Perhaps it was a lie, perhaps not. Perhaps his sword would be out and bloodied from the very moment they arrived. In truth, he didn’t know, but he’d been through enough battles to know that anything involving sharp swords and archers was dangerous. There was always a chance of him not returning and, in spite of his comforting words, Courtly must have known that as well. She was looking up at him with fear in her eyes.
“I hope that is the case,” she said fervently. “I shall pray for your safety with every breath.”
He smiled confidently at her. “That would be appreciated,” he said. “I hope that God will hear you.”
Courtly simply nodded, releasing his hand and wrapping her arms around his trim torso, hugging him tightly. Jeniver watched the two of them embrace and her thoughts turned to her husband. He was going, too. She instinctively put a hand on her belly, thinking of the child she carried, a child she very much wanted to know his father.
“Max, where is Gallus?” she asked. “Is he coming to see me before he leaves?”
Maximus, with Courtly pressed against his chest, looked over at her. “Of course he is,” he said. “He is still speaking with de Montfort’s man. He will be up momentarily.”
Jeniver nodded, suddenly not feeling so happy. She was starting to feel nauseated again but this time it was because of her husband’s imminent departure. To war. She sat heavily on her bed, her gaze on her packed possession, thinking on her husband’s future and struggling against the dread in her heart.
“The de Shera brothers have been in a few skirmishes since I have been part of the family,” she said softly. “You have always managed to come through unscathed. I pray that continues.”
Maximus had his big hand on Courtly’s head as she laid it against his chest. “As do I.”
Jeniver glanced up at him, smiling weakly, before continuing. “I think it is the fear of the unknown that worries women so much,” she said. “It is the waiting and the not knowing whether or not your husband is alive or dead. I have nightmares of Gallus dying on the field of battle, alone and in pain. They haunt me.”
Maximus wasn’t so sure he wanted Courtly to hear Jeniver’s anxieties but it didn’t much matter. He couldn’t protect her from her own fears for his safety. It was a tale as old as time – women worry while men fight. He could remember, as a child, having the same fear for his father when the man would charge off to war in the early days of Henry’s reign.
“I do not know if this will help, but I recall something my mother told me once when, as a young lad, I expressed the same fears for my father’s safety,” he said quietly. “She said that we cannot know what will come at the day’s end but that whatever it is, it will indeed come, and then the end will be known. If we saw my father again at the end of that day, then we would smile and embrace him, but if not, then we would not dwell on his ending but on his parting well-made. We always made our partings with our father well-made. We smiled, we spoke of our love for him, so that when he went to battle, he went fortified and loved.”
By this time, Courtly was smiling up at him. “Then I shall do the same thing for you,” she said with gentle determination. “You have given me the greatest gift in life, Maximus. To have been your wife, even for a day, has made my entire life worth living. I could ask for no greater honor and for no greater husband. When you face your coming battle, remember that. My love, and everything else, goes with you.”
Maximus smiled, deeply touched. “Never have I heard such beautiful words,” he whispered. “You honor me.”
With that, he bent down and kissed her, sweetly and lovingly, and Jeniver had to turn away. She suddenly felt as if she were intruding on a private moment so she made her way to the door with the intention of giving Maximus and Courtly some privacy, but the moment she touched the door latch, the panel opened and Gallus was on the other side. Startled, she yelped and jumped back at the unexpected sight.
“Gallus,” she gasped, hand on her chest as if to soothe her racing heart. “You surprised me!”
Gallus grinned at his wife. “So sorry, sweetheart,” he said. Then, he looked at his brother, standing near the window in an embrace with his new wife. “Did Max tell you what has happened?”
Jeniver nodded. “You are going into battle.”
Gallus’ smile faded and he reached out to pull the woman into his arms. Kissing her forehead, he hugged her gently.
“Not to worry,” he said. “It will probably be over before we even arrive, so I do not want you to worry. I want you to remain here with Courtly and eat, drink, and spend my money to your heart’s content. I cannot imagine we will be gone more than a few days at most.”
He made it sound much less serious than it was on purpose, much as Maximus had done, but in Gallus’ case, he simply didn’t want to upset his pregnant wife. She’d had a rough enough time of it without the added burden of a husband at war. His light attitude towards the situation seemed to work because Jeniver’s taut expression eased considerably.
“Are you sure?” she asked.
He nodded, kissing her forehead again. “I am,” he replied. “And as soon as we return, I want to go to Isenhall, so be prepared to depart.”
Jeniver cocked her head curiously. “You are going to Isenhall, too? But I thought de Montfort wanted you in London right away?”
He nodded. “Mayhap he does,” he said, eyeing Maximus. “But I care not. I want to return home and see to my mother’s health. De Montfort can wait.”
Maximus listened to his brother, unsure if he was serious or not. It could simply be that he was trying to comfort his wife by declaring they would all go home after the skirmish at Warborough was over. Whatever the case, it seemed to be working. Jeniver’s mood picked up somewhat.
“Good,” she said firmly. “You should be able to go home and visit Honey if y
ou want to. De Montfort cannot stop you from tending to your mother.”
Gallus nodded once more and kissed her on the forehead one last time. “Now, Maximus and I have much to do before we depart,” he said. “We will come and bid you farewell before we go, but for now, we have things to do. You will stay to our chamber and relax. I do not want you downstairs. There are too many men and horses and you may get hurt.”
Jeniver nodded. “Courtly and I can keep busy.”
Gallus smiled and touched her cheek before letting her go. “Excellent,” he said, motioning to his brother. “Come along, bridegroom. We have much to do.”
Maximus pursed his lips irritably at his brother’s taunt before kissing Courtly and following the man from the chamber. After that, they lost themselves in the familiar preparation for battle, something that was second nature to them. Whether they were mobilizing fifty men or a thousand, the preparation was always the same – logistics, a plan of action, and making sure the men and horses were sound to move out. It was what they were best at and excelled at. It was a procedure that brought about confidence.
They moved as an efficient team and their men were ready to move out, including a provisions wagon, in less than an hour. When they finally returned to the chamber to bid farewell to their wives, that confidence they were building up for the men was something that seemed to take a hit once they beheld their women. Women both of them wanted very much to see again and women who were much braver than they had expected. After sweet and loving farewells, Gallus and Maximus left The One-Eyed Raven with heavy hearts.
Maximus wasn’t ashamed to admit that, already, the separation was killing him.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Wallingford
Arriving the following morning, mist was hovering over the ground just as sunrise began to turn the land shades of blue and pink. The de Shera banners were hanging heavy and wet in the new day but there was no mistaking the de Shera crimson and black, distinctive, with a great eagle in the center of it that reflected upon the House of de Shera’s Roman origins. It was said that the family descended from a lost Roman legion somewhere up near Chester. Therefore, the family crest was an eagle. Gallus, and his forefathers, flew the standard proudly.
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