WolfeSword: de Wolfe Pack Generations

by Kathryn Le Veque

  “That is very kind of your father,” she said. “He did not have to do it.”

  Claudia looked between Dacia and Cassius. “I know,” she said. “But he says it is the right thing to do. I… I hope that I can see more of you, too, my lady.”

  Dacia smiled brightly, reaching out to clutch Claudia’s fingers. Claudia squeezed them tightly and then hurried back down the steps where Eloise was waiting for her. They both waved at Dacia before following the crowds out of Edenthorpe’s bailey.

  “What did Lockwood give you?” the duke wanted to know.

  Dacia grinned at Cassius before reaching into the pouch and pulling forth two rings. The first one was the magnificent diamond ring with Cassius engraved in very small letters on the inside of the band. The second ring was the big gold ring Cassius had requested. It was smooth and lovely, and on the inside of the band, the inscription of Dacia could be seen.

  “Put it on me,” Cassius said softly.

  But Dacia shook her head and put both rings back in the pouch. “We shall not wear them until our wedding day,” she said. “But you know I would have married you without them. I would have married you in any case, Cassius de Wolfe.”

  He leaned in to kiss her, but the duke interrupted. “And when are we to expect the nuptials?” he demanded. “Half of England shall be invited and we shall feast for an entire week.”

  “Not until I am feeling better, Grandfather,” Dacia said, looking at Cassius. “Besides… we shall be married at Castle Questing, in front of Cassius’ grandmother, the most important woman in Northumberland.”

  The duke shrugged. “I look forward to a trip to Northumberland, then,” he said. “But I am still inviting half of England. I will discuss this with your father, Cassius. The earl and I will do what needs to be done with the joining of two great houses.”

  With that, he headed down the steps to look at all of the tributes that had been brought to Dacia. Rhori and Bose, standing behind Cassius and Dacia, simply grinned as they pushed past the pair, following the duke.

  “I’m going to hunt down any bottles of wine,” Bose mumbled. “Surely some have been brought. I am telling you right now that I shall claim all I can carry.”

  As Cassius and Dacia laughed, Rhori followed Bose. “And I am going to stop him,” he said. “He’ll steal it all and your lady shall get nothing.”

  As they watched the knights descend the stairs, another one was coming in their direction. Darian had waited until the crowds mostly departed before making his way to the keep and Cassius was about to turn and take Dacia back inside when she stopped him. Together, they waited for Darian to come up the steps, but not before he picked up a big bunch of the spring wild flowers that had been left behind and brought it up to Dacia.

  As he handed it to her, he smiled.

  “I am very glad to see that you are feeling better, my lady,” he said. “I suspected that Cassius would have that effect on you.”

  Dacia remembered what Cassius had said about Darian hunting him down and bringing him back. The man who had been her true friend for years, sometimes her only friend, and a man who had taken defeat in the quest for her hand more graciously than most men would have. She took the flowers from him, her expression soft.

  “Thank you, Darian,” she said sincerely. “For everything… you have my eternal gratitude.”

  There was something more to her simple words, something poignant and heartfelt, and Darian knew she meant it. He wasn’t a sore loser by nature, but a man who had been truly selfless. Reaching out, he took her hand and kissed it gently.

  “And you are welcome… for everything,” he said. Then, he let go of her hand and gestured towards the keep. “You’d better let Cassius take you back to bed. Go, now. I will make sure all of this is cleaned up.”

  But Dacia stopped him. “Nay,” she said. “Please… I want to look at every single gift when I am feeling stronger, right where they left it. Please do not clean it up just yet.”

  Darian nodded. “Very well,” he said. “I suppose you’ve earned that right. I’ll make sure de Shera doesn’t steal anything, either.”

  He headed down the steps after Bose and Rhori, and some of the servants had wandered over to get a look at the tributes paid to their sweet, young lady. A lady who, Father Lazarus said, had never lost her dignity, no matter what.

  Cassius took Dacia back into the keep where he remained with her for the next week, sleeping on the floor next to her bed, feeding her broth and stew, and retelling her all of the stories he’d told her when she had been lying unconscious. He was as devoted as any man could have been to his lady. She had never left him when he had been injured, and he wasn’t going to leave her, either.

  Ever.

  For the Lord Protector of King Edward, it turned out that his heart was far stronger than the de Wolfe sword he carried. He was a man who had finally found his place, and his purpose, in the arms of a woman who had been made for him.

  Cassius de Wolfe had found his heaven.

  EPILOGUE

  Berwick Castle

  Autumn, 1303 A.D.

  “There once was a lady fair,

  With silver bells in her hair.

  I knew her to have,

  A luscious kiss… it drove me mad!

  But she denied me… and I was so terribly sad.

  Lily, my girl,

  Your flower, I will unfurl

  With my cock and a bit of good luck!

  Your kiss divine,

  I’ll make you mine,

  And keep you a-bed for a fuck!”

  The great hall of Berwick Castle boomed with laughter and cheers as a man with a very fine singing voice, Blayth de Wolfe and the uncle of the groom, serenaded the room with his beautiful voice and naughty song. In fact, within the de Wolfe family, this particular song was literally known as The Naughty Wedding Song.

  Blayth was quite proud of himself. He had stolen a citole from one of the minstrels hired to entertain the guests and he’d stood on a table full of de Wolfe guests to sing his bawdy song. As Cassius had once told Dacia, sometimes one must surrender one’s dignity in order to have a bit of fun. And everyone was having a ball.

  Over at the dais, however, trouble was stirring in the form of his extremely old but still spry grandmother.

  Jordan de Wolfe was on the move.

  And the crowd knew it. The same situation played out at almost every de Wolfe wedding. Blayth would sing, usually accompanied by a loud-mouthed de Norville, and his mother would go after him to box his ears. However, this time, knowing she wasn’t fast enough to catch him, she had made other arrangements. Her daughters, and Blayth’s sisters, had smuggled in a switch. And when she went after Blayth, it was with a big willow switch in her hand.

  The crowd loved it.

  There was much yelling and cheering and laughing going on as Jordan went after Blayth, who wasn’t running away from her as fast as he used to. She was slower, and he was slower, so it was like watching a slow chase. But he was still taunting her.

  “You’ll have to catch me if you want to beat me, old girl,” he called merrily. “I’ll not make an easy target.”

  So, she chased him around the hall, much to the delight of the crowd. At one point, she lost sight of Blayth only to have him come up behind her and kiss her on the cheek. He thought he was moving fast enough to get away from her, but like any good Scots mother, she swung that switch with lightning speed and caught him on the buttocks.

  The crowd roared.

  The bride and groom were part of that cheering. Cassius was yelling encouragement to his uncle while his wife was calling to Jordan, advising her of her wily son’s movements.

  “I think your grandmother is winning,” Dacia said.

  Cassius chuckled at his sly uncle. “Not if Uncle Blayth has anything to say about it,” he said. “He does this at every single wedding and, every time, she takes the bait. It has become a tradition.”

  Dacia shook her head at the exploits going on. �
�I think she must enjoy this as much as he does,” she said. Then, she looked out over the warm, fragrant, and crowded hall. “So many wonderful friends and family are here with us, but I am sorry that Rhori and Bose had to miss this. I feel as if they have been on this journey with us every step of the way. I’m sorry they had to miss the wedding.”

  Cassius sat back in his chair, cup in one hand and caressing her fingers with the other. “As am I, but Edward wanted them returned,” he said. “He wants me returned, too, so when this is finished, I will go to London to formally retire my post.”

  “And you’ll take Magnus with you?”

  Cassius glanced at his younger brothers, down the table, and at one in particular. “My brother will make a wonderful Lord Protector. Not as wonderful as me, but good enough.” He smiled fondly at Magnus and Titus, who lifted their cups to him. “I forgot how much I missed those dolts. And I’m quite sorry that my grandfather, Magnus, was unable to attend. The feast is not the same without him.”

  Dacia looked at him, giggling. “But he sent the name we are to use for our first-born son,” she said. Then, she gestured to her grandfather, in a serious conversation with Cassius’ Uncle Scott, head of the de Wolfe family. “My grandfather seems to be having a wonderful time. I am so glad he was able to make the journey. But I am also sad that Darian did not.”

  Cassius shrugged. “I think it would be too much to expect for Darian to attend the wedding of the woman he wanted to marry,” he said, noticing that Blayth and his grandmother were all the way across the hall at that point. He tugged on her arm. “Come. Let us hurry and get away from the crowd while they are distracted with my uncle and grandmother. Shall we?”

  Dacia nodded quickly, gathering her beautiful pink skirts and following her husband from the hall in their quest to finally be alone and away from the hundreds of guests that had attended their wedding mass and the dozens of de Wolfe family members who were so overbearingly happy for them.

  It was their break for freedom.

  Unfortunately, they were seen by none other than Blayth himself as he darted away from his mother. He captured Cassius’ father’s attention and pointed frantically to the stairwell where the couple had disappeared. Patrick de Wolfe, or Atty as he was known to the family, was quite drunk from the fine wine his son’s grandfather-in-law had supplied, but he wasn’t so drunk that he didn’t understand his brother’s gestures.

  With that in mind, he called forth the de Wolfe Pack.

  They went on the hunt.

  Scott de Wolfe, Earl of Warenton, was still speaking to Doncaster when he was tapped by Patrick. The eldest de Wolfe brother, he was a gregarious man when the mood struck him, and he casually excused himself from the duke. Down the table, he thumped on his twin, Troy de Wolfe, who lurched to his feet. With the twins on the move, Patrick continued down the table to brothers Edward de Wolfe and Thomas de Wolfe. Edward was the diplomat of the family and the only one who wasn’t terribly drunk, and he tried to talk some sense into his older brothers to at least give the couple an hour or two alone.

  But his pleas fell on deaf ears.

  Thomas de Wolfe, the Earl of Northumbria and a man who liked a good party, pushed Edward aside as he followed Patrick and Blayth. Not wanting to be left behind and also thinking there needed to be one sober man in that group, Edward pursued.

  So did various sons of the de Wolfe brothers, including Cassius’ older brother, Markus, and younger brothers, Titus and Magnus. All of them moved after the couple, carrying pitchers of wine with them. They were prepared to take the party wherever it was necessary, even if that meant invading the marital bedchamber.

  But Cassius and Dacia didn’t know that. They thought they’d gotten out of the hall without being seen and only found out too late that they had a herd of stampeding cattle behind them. Cassius saw them coming and grabbed his wife, who shrieked and giggled as they ran all the way to their chamber. Cassius managed to shove her inside, but he was caught up when his father and uncles grabbed him.

  “Cass!” Uncle Troy said as he threw an arm around the man’s neck and pulled him close. “Cass, listen. You are a boy now, but you shall emerge from that chamber a man. A husband. It is very important that you…”

  Patrick yanked his son from Troy’s grasp. “My son,” he said, putting his enormous hands on Cassius’ face. “I knew this moment would come. I thought that your grandfather would be here, but alas, he is only here in spirit. He was very proud of you, Cass. We are all very proud of you. If your grandfather was here, he would tell you to…”

  “Give her what she wants!” Blayth and Thomas finished for him, shoving Patrick out of the way. Blayth grabbed his nephew by the arm. “Papa would say to treat her like a lady, but make sure she enjoys tonight.”

  “And if she doesn’t weep with pleasure when you take her, you’re not doing it right!” Thomas elaborated loudly. “And no spanking. Women do not appreciate that!”

  They were laughing, having a great time at Cassius’ expense, when all the man wanted to do was get to his wife. He was pushing his uncles away, trying to get to the door.

  “I will not have the chance to do anything if you lot don’t leave me alone,” he said. “Go back into the hall and find your wives and leave me to mine.”

  He was genuinely trying to move away so Patrick decided to stop tormenting his son and help him. He pushed his brothers back, helped by Markus, as Cassius finally made it to the door. He no sooner put his hand on the latch when he heard a distinct whack sound.

  Blayth hissed.

  Jordan and her willow switch had made an appearance, mostly on Blayth’s backside.

  “Get back, all of ye,” she said. “I dunna care if ye have grandchildren of yer own. Ye’re not too big for me tae take a switch tae, so leave Cass alone. Get back tae the hall.”

  She swatted Troy because he started to defend Blayth, which was the wrong thing to do. No man, no matter how old he was, was obliged to obey his mother instantly. Jordan didn’t use the switch again, but she held it aloft in her hand for all to see so they would know she meant business.

  “Atty, get them moving,” she told Patrick. “Ye know better than tae harass a man on his wedding night.”

  Patrick came to a pause, along with Edward, and they both started to laugh. “Don’t you remember what happened on Eddie’s wedding night?” Patrick said, pointing at his brother. “Papa and Uncle Paris were so drunk that you could not get them out of Edward and Cassie’s bedchamber. Remember? You had to drag Paris out and even then, he stood at the bedchamber door and cried.”

  Jordan remembered that night very well. Edward had married the daughter of William’s best friend, Paris de Norville. Cassiopeia de Norville had been Paris’ one living daughter and the man had turned into a mess when the time came to consummate the marriage.

  She fought off a smile at the memories.

  “’Tis true,” she said. “But we chased him away, eventually. Just like I’m chasing ye away. Leave the happy couple alone or I’ll never have any great-grandchildren.”

  Laughing softly, Patrick and Edward turned away, heading back down the corridor. When they had faded from view, Jordan turned to Cassius and Dacia, who had opened the door now that it was safe.

  She lowered the switch.

  “They dunna mean any harm, ye know that,” she said, looking between the pair. “They are simply happy for ye. ’Tis how this wild bunch shows their love. And the dirty songs, too.”

  Cassius went to his grandmother, hugging her gently. “I know,” he said. “And I love them for it. But the fact that you’re here, and you were able to witness our marriage, means everything to me, Matha. I just wish that Poppy could have been here, too.”

  Matha was what all of the grandchildren called Jordan, and Poppy was their term of endearment for William. Jordan patted her enormous grandson on the cheek.

  “He is,” she said simply. “In fact, that’s why I’ve come. I want tae give ye something of him.”

 
As Cassius and Dacia watched curiously, Jordan pulled forth a delicate golden chain, dark with age. She held it up to Cassius, who took it carefully.

  “When yer Poppy and I were married, it was a secret ceremony,” she said. “I was supposed tae marry another man, but I married Poppy instead. I couldna wear a ring for all tae see, so he gave me a ring on that chain. Instead of putting the ring on my finger, he put the chain over my head. I’ve cherished it for seventy-two years and I brought it with me tonight because it’s something from Poppy. In spirit, I wanted him tae be present and he is – in that chain he gave me. I want ye tae cherish it, Cassius, and give it tae Dacia. It represents a marriage that not even death can destroy.”

  Cassius had never heard that story about the chain before and there was a lump in his throat as he looked at it. Bringing to his lips, he kissed it. “Thank you, Poppy,” he murmured, looking to his grandmother with tears in his eyes. “You could have given me all of the gold in England and it would not have been as valuable to me as this is. Thank you for this, Matha.”

  Jordan patted her teary-eyed grandson before looking to Dacia. Tossing the switch aside, she took Dacia’s hands in her own and held them firmly. “And for ye, Lady de Wolfe, a good Scots blessing,” she said. “May ye always have a roof for the rain, wood for the fire, and the love and laughter of the man ye hold dear.”

  Kissing Dacia sweetly on the cheek, she turned and headed back down the corridor where her sons and grandsons had gone. Cassius watched her go, his heart fuller than he could have imagined. Turning to Dacia, he carefully put the chain over her head and she took a moment to look at it.

  “I will never remove this,” she said seriously. “This is mayhap the most important piece of jewelry I have ever had.”

  Cassius smiled weakly, still quite emotional, and directed her into the chamber. Shutting the door behind them, he bolted it.

  “I seem to remember my mother telling me once that she occupied this chamber when she first came to Berwick,” he said. “The window overlooks the river.”