The next morning he took a pale Eleonor to the castle chapel, where the priest awaited them. The only witnesses were a few servants and some guards. Stopping in front of the priest, Eleonor closed her eyes, defeated. The loss of her beloved husband had tamed her.
Donovan smiled, nodding to the priest to start the ceremony.
"You can't marry her!" someone shouted from the chapel's door. "Eleonor is already my wife!"
Eleonor swirled around, her face alight with hope. Mark stood at the chapel's door with Sebastian and Randy, bows ready, arrows nocked and aimed.
"You'll die before me," Mark warned somberly. "Your men are slower than Randy."
"You can't win against me, Mark," Donovan replied with contempt. "You're nothing but a commoner."
"I'm a Duke as much as you are, by the king's will," Mark said. "Now I want my wife back."
Eleonor smiled at him, relieved.
"You won't have her, or her lands," Donovan said. "If I can't have her, nobody will."
He took his knife and stabbed Eleonor's belly, ripping it open.
"No!" Mark screamed.
***
"Shit!" Randy muttered. Mark was in her line of fire, covering Donovan. Sebastian shot at the lord, hitting his shoulder.
Mark attacked Donovan with his sword, screaming his sorrow and hatred. The Duke's guards stopped him before he killed his lord.
"Damn! Let's go, Seb, we'll be back," Randy ordered, retreating quickly out of the chapel.
Eleonor was dead. Mark was in the Duke's clutches again.
Randy and Sebastian stopped running under the cover of the trees and looked at each other.
"I think I'm giving up," Sebastian said mournfully. "Mark is as good as dead."
"He's not," Randy retorted. "Do you want to bury another friend? Let's go fetch Jeff, he'll help us!"
Frowning in worry, Sebastian nodded.
***
Mark was chained to the dungeon wall while the physician tended Donovan's wound. The lord and his former captain exchanged stares of pure hatred.
"We're both widowers now," Donovan said gloomily.
"You buried a wife before Eleonor. She was my wife!"
"And you loved her dearly, I know." Donovan smirked. "I'll get her castle and lands in the end. You won't live long enough to claim them."
"You already tried to kill me," Mark said through clenched teeth.
"So did you. The scars still hurt and remind me how much I hate you."
"Not as much as I hate you!"
"I'd have let you live, maimed, if Eleonor was still with us..."
"You killed her!"
Donovan slapped him.
"And I'll kill you and your friends," he said threateningly.
"I don't have many left," Mark said bitterly.
"Handsome Brendan has given up on you?" Donovan asked, sarcastic.
"Handsome Brendan is dead, thanks to your evil witch and her poisoned blade."
"Well done, Clarissa!" Donovan looked at the dungeon's ceiling as if he thought the witch was a heavenly creature. "Brendan was the most dangerous..."
"How about his woman?" Randy's voice startled them. Her arrow almost hit Donovan who jumped back. "I didn't want to hit you with the first arrow," she warned from the dungeon door, a second arrow ready and aimed. She shot again, hitting Donovan's leg.
"You're not so good," Donovan said through gritted teeth, limping to lean against the wall.
"I'd never rob the honor of killing you from Mark." A third arrow was already nocked and aimed at Donovan.
Sebastian and Jeffrey emerged from behind her and rushed to free Mark. The guards in the dungeon seemed frozen in surprise.
"Give me your bow, Seb," Mark ordered.
Sebastian shrugged and handed him his weapon. He also gave him a white and blue arrow.
"Thanks, but we don't need to sign this time," Mark said, a little puzzled.
"Shoot for yourself. And Dave." Sebastian handed him a black and blue arrow as well.
Mark noticed Randy had nocked a green and black arrow – for Brendan. Jeff had aimed his own and waited. Mark nodded at Sebastian and joined the other two.
"Why don't you use your sword, you coward?" Donovan spat.
"You took it from me when you threw me down here," Mark replied. "You said I'm just a commoner and don't deserve a sword."
"Arrows will kill you, my lord Duke," Sebastian added with contempt. "That will teach you to treat your bowmen better in your next life. If you manage to come back that is." His smirk showed he didn't think so.
"I wonder what you promised the witch to help you," Mark said, taking aim.
He shot the arrows for himself and Dave. Jeff shot his, then passed the bow to Sebastian while Randy sent Brendan's arrow to pierce the Duke's heart.
Donovan collapsed with a groan of hatred. Sebastian checked that he was dead.
"We're done," he said, looking up. "Let's go. I hope Gwen is fine!"
The guards hadn't moved a finger during Donovan's execution. One of them stepped forward as Mark gave Sebastian his bow.
"Will you be our captain again, Mark?" he asked, hopeful.
"The king will decide. He has two lordless castles on his hands now," Mark answered mournfully.
"You're still the lord of Logris," Randy said.
"I don't want Eleonor's castle," Mark replied. "Not without her."
He climbed the stairs out of the dungeon feeling exhausted and empty.
***
The king decreed Lovenback and Logris were now both royal land and he'd find some noble to take care of the fiefs. He didn't lock Mark into a dungeon because he remembered Lady Eleonor's plea, and he knew she wouldn't want her husband to be punished for avenging her death.
Mark went back to the village where he was born, in the shadows of Lovenback Castle towers. Sebastian also brought Gwen there and they had a house near Jeffrey and Debby. Randy had moved to Brendan's hut while Mark tried to take back control of his life.
The new lord wasn't related to Donovan or Eleonor, and he heard a lot of good things about Mark as captain of the castle guard, so he offered him the post. Mark accepted it, if only to keep his mind busy.
Marion stared at him with wide eyes, as if frightened by what he had accomplished in less than two years – from rebelling outlaw to marrying a noble woman to killing his lord. But she had lost all power over him. He had loved her once, but didn't love her anymore.
His heart still bled for the loss of Eleonor. The young women of the village smiled at him, but he ignored them. He was a very quiet captain, but his men obeyed him, including sneaky Theodore who had always been a coward working for the strongest.
Summer marched on, hot in the courtyard and the villages' squares, cooler under the trees where he didn't go anymore except on quick rides patrolling the woods. Mark trudged on, watching Gwen's belly grow and thinking he'd never see his child come to life.
One fine morning, as the cool breeze brought forest smells throughout the castle, he sat in the captain's office, preparing shifts for the coming month when Randy knocked on his door.
"Oh, hello, Randy, are you leaving?" he asked her, surprised. He knew she was supposed to go before the weather got nasty.
"No, I decided to stay." She sauntered towards him, and only when she reached his desk did he realize she looked different because she was wearing a gown. "That's what Brendan would have done."
"So you decided this is home?"
"My heart is here, in spite of all the bad stuff that happened." She sat on his desk, staring at him with her sky-blue eyes. "Do you mind calling me Miranda from now on?"
"Oh, sure, why not..." Puzzled, he looked back at her. She had braided her brown hair much like Gwen and Debby did. "So you're not applying for a guard's post?"
"No, I'm kind of tired of that."
"So you remembered you're a woman?"
"Yes, that's what I am." She stared into space, dreamy. "Your best friend taught it to me." She snapped back to reality
and focused on him again. "Sebastian says you should marry again."
"I'll never fall in love again," he replied bluntly.
"That's what I used to say." She smiled and leaned forward. "And then Brendan came along."
His eyes met her cleavage and he found himself trapped between his seat and her.
"Randy, are you trying to seduce me?" he blurted out, realizing what that was all about.
"Miranda," she corrected in a whisper.
"Miranda, whatever. What do you want?"
"I want to see you smile again."
"How can you ask me..."
"Mark, I loved Brendan as much as you loved Eleonor." She sighed and straightened her back. "We're both grieving, but we're still alive. We lost friends and lovers, but we're still here."
Mark exhaled, trying to calm his heart. "Give me more time... Miranda."
She smiled. "Whatever you say, love," she said cheerfully.
He smiled too, despite himself. "You're crazy."
"And not very patient," she warned him playfully. "And remember I'm quite good with a sword too."
"Are you threatening me?" Mark was beginning to enjoy the game.
"I'd never dare, my captain!" She rose. "Let's get out of here, the sun is shining and you still haven't met Sebastian's daughter..."
"Right." He rose too and again noticed Randy's cleavage, and how the gown fitted her curves, making her look like a woman for the first time. "Damn, Miranda, where were you hiding all this?"
"I kept it for a few close friends," she answered with a wink.
She took his arm like a real lady as they walked out of his office and the castle, into the sunlight.
The Twins
"To the bride and groom's happiness!" The Lord of Caer Danae stood and the guests of the wedding banquet quieted down. "To my son, Ivaloo, and his beloved Denisonde!"
Ivaloo looked proudly at his father, holding his bride's hand tight. There was no dais in Caer Danae, and the lord and his guests sat all around the castle great hall flooded by the sunlight that came in through the mullioned windows. Nobles and servants sat side by side as the meal reached its natural end.
Cheers and toasts filled the great hall of the castle as Ivaloo grinned and toasted back. Denisonde was delightful in her wedding dress, trimmed with little sapphires to match the color of her eyes. Her chestnut brown braid was decorated with colorful ribbons and white pearls.
"My friends, this is a joyous occasion for me, for the castle," the lord continued as guests quieted down. "Today my son has taken a most wonderful young woman as his bride and has made me the happiest father possible. I've waited a lifetime for this day and now it's time I retire."
A chorus of protests led by Ivaloo forced the middle-aged lord to smile and request silence once again.
"In this wonderful day of joy and happiness for my son, I want him to know this: in a month's time he'll be the one and only lord of Caer Danae. Till today he's been my right hand and greatest strength, but it's time he starts to make decisions on his own."
A second chorus led by the bride, Denisonde, acclaimed Ivaloo who blushed while she hugged him with pride. He wasn't expecting to receive his father's castle as a wedding present.
"I thank you, Father, for the honor you bestow on me, and hope you will stay by my side with your wisdom for as long as you can," he said, rising and bowing at his elder.
"I will always be by your side, my son." Father and son hugged, then sat back down. "Let's toast to the new lord of Caer Danae!"
An angry voice shouted from the great hall door, "No!"
A puzzled silence fell on the assembly. Everybody turned to see who dared challenge the powerful lord of the castle, and Ivaloo's heart sank meeting a face identical to his – same black hair, brown eyes, facial features, except the young man coming forward with a defiant frown wore white clothes while he wore blue.
The newcomer glared at the newly appointed heir, stopping in front of the lord who looked aghast. Both Ivaloo and his father were now pale and serious.
"What about me?" the white-clothed young man demanded. "I too want to rule Caer Danae!"
"Dafydd, I thought you were dead." The lord sat back, looking older and more tired than ever. For a moment Ivaloo feared the visit would be fatal to his aging father.
"Exile doesn't kill," the young man in white said with scorn. "I'm back and I want my share of these lands."
"I already told you. You will have nothing."
"Why not? I'm your son too! I have the same rights as Ivaloo! We're twins, remember?"
Ivaloo wanted to cry. He certainly did remember. He remembered the bond with his twin brother had been severed long before Dafydd's exile. And he knew his father hadn't forgotten either. Seeing him again hurt more than expected.
"Because of your behavior you forced me to make a choice ten years ago," his father replied.
"A landlord can't have two heirs, that's the only reason you have!" Dafydd spat.
"I would have gladly split my lands between the two of you, but you proved yourself unworthy. I will not let my people be ruled by someone like you. You are heartless and cruel, and I don't want you here!"
"Dafydd." Ivaloo rose from his seat, looking his twin brother in the eyes and trying to push back the painful memories that had just walked back into the great hall. "If you came to rejoice for my wedding, you are welcome, if not, leave in peace."
"My thanks, Ivaloo. How considerate of you." Dafydd's tone was sarcastic. "You have always been the good one!"
"And you share our mother's nature."
"Why, you remember, her, Brother?" Dafydd scoffed. "Remember who killed her?"
Ivaloo pursed his lips with a frown but didn't answer. Dafydd pointed at their father an accusing finger.
"He did!" He was threatening now. "I want half of these lands, Ivaloo, and won't take no for an answer."
"I will not discuss this with you now," Ivaloo replied sternly. "You know the way, Dafydd. Get out of here!"
Dafydd's eyes went quickly from his father to his brother, back and forth. Soldiers were already moving towards him with their weapons ready to strike.
"I'll be back," he hissed.
He turned his back on them and stormed out. Ivaloo had clenched his fists in anger. He wasn't as forgiving as his brother thought, and he'd have loved to smash that face so much like his own.
***
"Sorry, my twin brother ruined our party," Ivaloo apologized entering the bedroom and holding Denisonde's hand. Both were serious and thoughtful, not smiling and looking forward to meeting in the big canopied bed awaiting them.
"Was he really your brother?" Denisonde asked, nestling against him in the middle of the room. "I mean, he looks exactly like you, but... you never told me about him!"
"Yes, I know," he answered sourly. "He is my twin, but even if we look exactly the same, we're different in nature like night and day."
"Why has he been exiled?"
"He has a dark side that scares everybody." Ivaloo couldn't hide his pain from the love of his life. "He never forgave our father and wanted revenge. He hated everybody at the castle."
"Why?" Her eyes were wide in wonder, and he caressed her cheek.
"He thinks we killed my mother for no reason."
"How about your mother? You never talk about her." She frowned and squeezed his chest, trying to understand.
Ivaloo sighed. "My mother was Lady Mylecent of Ker Zenas."
Denisonde gasped. "The witch?"
Of course everybody knew of his beautiful, wicked mother. A noble maiden turned to the dark arts, to the dismay of her father who had lost control over her long before she managed to get married. Some said she had a demonic lover, others that she worshiped long forgotten dark gods. Ivaloo didn't remember much of her.
"Yes... She was teaching us her wicked ways, but she was caught during one of her rites and my father ordered her burned. Dafydd never forgot that day. We were only children, but he swore to avenge her."
"So he's back... to strip you of your castle and your father..."
"I will fight him, Deni. He will not have what is rightfully mine."
She brightened and smiled at him. "The people love you and hate him, right? We will send him back to where he came from!"
He smiled and kissed her. He felt lucky and in love. Soon the shadow of his twin was forgotten as he made love to his bride.
***
"I'm sorry to disturb you, my lord, but Lord Albin is very sick." The Chamberlain – a silver-headed, clean-shaven, round man – had knocked on Ivaloo's door first thing in the morning.
Denisonde and Ivaloo were still in bed, making love and cuddling and talking, when he'd interrupted them.
Ivaloo put on a tunic and breeches quickly and followed him to his father's chambers. Denisonde saw him coming back one hour later with a dark look on his face.
"How is he?" she asked, worried.
"He's dead," he answered sourly. "Gone in his sleep, apparently."
"You don't look convinced."
"The room felt weird. Like... magic." Ivaloo couldn't pinpoint what was wrong with whatever was lingering in his father's room. A fading memory of his mother – as if she'd come back and taken him. It didn't make sense. Lady Mylecent was long dead. But Dafydd wasn't.
"Magic? Can you feel spells?" Denisonde asked, frowning with worry.
"Kind of... I guess." Ivaloo sighed. "I've sent for a magic user, I must be certain."
"But who would kill your father with a spell, and why?" she wondered.
"Dafydd hates him," he replied. "He's crazy and quite capable of such evil."
"But... his own father?" She couldn't believe it.
"His family means nothing to him," he said. "He wants only the lands. He has no heart."
"So he might try to kill you to get Caer Danae now."
"Yes." He smiled weakly and caressed her cheek. "Another reason to send for a magic user..."
***
"My lord, your brother wishes to speak with you," the Chamberlain announced. "He waits in the courtyard."
Ivaloo followed him immediately with Denisonde.
The rider hadn't dismounted. Ivaloo was greeted by a mocking smile very similar to his own. As he expected, Dafydd was back.
"Good morning, my lord," the white-dressed twin greeted. "I came to give you your last chance to divide our father's land with me. What do you say?"
Tales of the Northern Kingdoms volume 2 Page 15