Knowing Yourself - A Medieval Romance (The Sword of Glastonbury Series Book 1)

by Lisa Shea

  Eric’s face flared crimson, and a thick vein in his neck began pulsating. Kay felt as if her fingers would be crushed by Em’s grip. She prayed with every ounce of her being that the men would not give into this blatant goading. Galeron was trolling for information. It was the reason he had allowed her father to bring the men with him.

  Already it was working.

  She leant forward. “What are your demands,” she interjected with a snap, attempting to move the discussion onto more concrete grounds. “You said this was a business transaction. Let us get to it.”

  “My, my,” grinned Galeron, turning his eyes from Eric’s face to hers. “No appreciation for the niceties of negotiation, I see. Well, then, I will accede to your wishes, my dear.”

  He pulled the codex from a leather bag on the floor and flipped it open a few pages. “Ah, yes, here we go.”

  He looked up at Lord Weston. “First, I am, of course, technically the winner of your little game. Keren-happuch convinced both Uther and Alistair that they should move on to new opportunities. Both men went willingly away. We have witnesses to that.”

  He turned to nod toward Jack. “Our third contestant has an issue with how he was treated, but for now he is willing to state that he was put out of the running by your daughter.”

  Kay glanced down the table at Jack. His face held a deep frown, but he said nothing to contradict the statement.

  Galeron’s smile grew. “Which only left us with Reese here. Just two days ago, Reese voluntarily, and quite deliberately, removed himself from the game.”

  Kay’s heart dropped. Everything had moved so quickly – the enormity of what he had done still had not registered with her. He had chosen to leave. He had been actively abandoning her when the fighting had begun. Why?

  Her eyes seeked to his, and his face was a mask of control, covering – what emotions? Was there pain in there? Regret? The frustration of the situation almost overwhelmed her. If only she had five minutes to talk with him alone …

  Galeron looked up from his codex. “So that just leaves me as the winner,” he continued, apparently oblivious to the sea of emotions roiling around him. “I should therefore get the prize.”

  Kay could almost see the force of effort holding Eric in his chair; the tight press of his lips holding in any words. It was her father who, after a long moment, spoke in a wheeze.

  “So your intent is to force my daughter into marriage, even seeing her state?”

  Galeron let the silence drag on for a long moment, then he sat back, rolling his shoulders, his twinkling eyes moving down each man’s face in turn. “Ah, Lord Weston, I find that there is often no need to resort to force to get what you want. If you plan things out properly, what you desire in life comes willingly to your doorstep.”

  Kay was stretched taut with this game of cat and mouse. “Spit it out,” she snapped. “What is on that damned list of yours?”

  Galeron turned to gaze at her, grinning, slowly shaking his head. “I could watch you all day,” he responded with a contented sigh. “You wear your emotions on your sleeve, my dear. Again, I will acquiesce to your wishes.” He glanced down at the parchment.

  “Hmmmm. Item one. With my dowry, I was promised a payment of … let us see … eight thousand pounds. I believe that money is in the cart outside?”

  Lord Weston nodded, his wrinkled face somber. “The money is here,” he confirmed.

  “Check,” noted Galeron. “Second, with Keren-happuch’s hand I was promised the Keep of Serenor, with all the property, servants, and associated materials. I already have possession of it, as you can well see, and I do not intend to relinquish it.”

  “A master of a keep is one who can hold it against attack,” growled Lord Weston, his eyes sharp.

  “Right you are,” agreed Galeron without malice. “When we settle our negotiations here, I will give you and your men time to get out of my courtyard and out of range of my walls.” He spread his arms wide. “Then, by all means, give it your best shot to take Serenor back. I think you will find that I am quite capable of defending what is mine.”

  Lord Weston’s eyes moved to Em’s face. “And my daughter?” he asked, his brows coming together.

  “Do you mean the pregnant lady here?” replied Galeron in innocence, looking across Kay toward Em. “Clearly she is already tainted, and I would have no use for her here. You can have the wench back.”

  Relief washed through Kay’s body, and she saw the relaxing of tension in the four men across from her. It seemed almost too good to be true. Yes, Galeron would get the money – but her father’s forces sat right outside the keep. The drawbridge was still broken and both sets of doors were caved in. Galeron’s forces had caught them off guard, but their small numbers should be no match for the combination of the keep’s own units and her father’s. They could retake Serenor. She knew it.

  By the look in her father’s eyes, she sensed he felt the same way. His voice was firm. “Agreed.”

  Galeron put his hand across the table. “You will shake on it, on your honor?”

  Weston did not hesitate. He put his hand into Galeron’s, and gripped it tightly. “I agree to your terms.”

  Galeron smiled with bright approval. “Well then, send up the money and let us get this process on the way,” he encouraged the men before him. “When I have the money, you can have the lady.”

  Weston nodded to Leland, and in a minute the captain was jogging down the spiral stairs. Kay wondered if they had planned for this condition, because he was barely gone from the room before a group of Galeron’s men were lumbering back into the area burdened by heavy sacks of coins. The men lined the side wall with the burlap bags before moving back out of the room.

  Galeron nodded to the guard at the far edge of the table. The heavyset man moved over to the sacks, untying each one in turn. He dug into each one with thick fingers, stirring the coins around, peering within. When he was done with the last bag, he turned back to Galeron and nodded.

  “Good, good,” agreed Galeron, turning to the four men with a grin. “This should do quite nicely to pay for the Grey Wolves’ services.”

  Reese and Eric both snapped into focus, staring at Galeron with dawning awareness. Lord Weston was slower, shaking his head in confusion. “What is this?”

  Galeron smiled, turning his head to look at Kay. “I am sure Kay can tell you the hold this place can have on a person. I am master now of Serenor, and I intend to keep it. The Grey Wolves will be arriving first thing tomorrow morning with a force of two hundred men. They have agreed – for a small fee, of course – to help ensure that what is mine stays mine.”

  Kay sagged as life drained out of her. This would not be a small rag-tag group of men that they could easily overcome. The Grey Wolves were famous throughout the land for their fighting skills. If Galeron truly had them on his side, her father’s forces might never wrest control away from him.

  The soldier by the window made a hand motion to Galeron, and his smile deepened. “Ah good, apparently my supplies have just arrived as well.”

  Lord Weston’s brow furrowed. “Supplies?”

  “Yes, for the repairs,” explained Galeron. “We should have that drawbridge and both doors fixed up in a few hours. I had of course planned for both to be damaged in the attack. The replacement boards are all precut and shaped. So, rest assured, my keep will be snug and secure, in case of any unwarranted attack.”

  Kay’s sense of hopelessness grew. He had planned for every contingency, every last detail. The moment the soldiers left the keep, the doors would seal behind them and it would be lost forever. Everything she had dreamed of her entire life would be gone. And the people within – what would happen to them?

  If was as if Galeron had read her mind. He turned to smile at her. “Jack and I will be able to run this keep in any way we choose, for years to come.”

  Kay looked away from him and gazed toward the solar door in hopeless frustration. Anne, Jessica, all of them would be trapped at the
keep, held without anyone to speak up for them, and subjected to a life of voiceless isolation. There was nobody to keep them safe.

  She gave herself a shake. She had to think. Nothing Galeron was saying was unplanned for. He was laying out a path, just as he had deliberately toyed with the men earlier. What was his purpose now?

  Lord Weston’s voice growled out from across the table, stirring her from her thoughts. “You have your cash. Give me my daughter.”

  Galeron spread his hands wide. “Of course!” He looked over to Em. “My dear, feel free to go around the table now.”

  Em stood up onto shaking legs, pushing her chair back, and the guard moved aside to let her make her way around the table’s edge. The four men stood as she approached, and Kay saw her hesitate a second, almost moving toward Eric before taking another step and gently embracing her father.

  Lord Weston patted his daughter on the head, his voice rough. “There there, dear, we have you now,” he soothed her. “You go stand with my knight, Eric - he will keep you safe.”

  Em did not need a second prodding. She moved to stand behind Eric, almost pressing up against him. To Kay’s eyes it seemed that Eric became a human shield.

  Reese glanced over at Kay, then toward Lord Weston, his face tight. Lord Weston saw the look, then seemed confused.

  “Kay, you too,” he prodded.

  Galeron arched his eyebrows. “Lord Weston, you agreed to the terms of our arrangement. Serenor, and all servants within, belong to me now.”

  Lord Weston’s face flushed beet red. “Kay is no servant!”

  Galeron’s face was a picture of innocence. “Oh? She is not? What could you mean?”

  The room went dead quiet. Kay’s heart thundered against her chest. Would her father reveal her true identity or hold onto the ruse that she was merely a maid? Which would give the advantage at this stage of the negotiations?

  Finally, he wet his lips and spoke. “I mean that Kay is a lady’s maid to my daughter. They have been together since Keren-happuch was a child. They cannot possibly be separated now, not when Keren-happuch is about to bear her first child.”

  Galeron shrugged his shoulders. “I am sure someone else could help the bastard child be born,” he pointed out. “As for Kay, as a servant, she is part of the deal. Besides, she belongs here at Serenor. Her heart is here; her very soul.”

  Suddenly it clicked for Kay. The phrasing of the comments, the sequence of events, even Jack’s presence at the table. Galeron was working to sway her into staying on her own. He wanted to convince her that she must stay, to protect the servants and to look over her beloved keep. And she had responded that lure. She had been caught by the almost overwhelming desire to remain here, to be a buffer for Anne and Jessica and the others. To protect her beloved home.

  Perhaps to find a way to regain control …

  She looked up at Reese, and her chest constricted in agony. She could see the tension in his face; the pleading look in his eyes. He wanted for her to fight for her position at Em’s side, to insist that she should be allowed to leave as well.

  Her gaze moved to her father. His eyes were calculating, considering. She knew what was going through his head. If he admitted that Kay was his daughter, then she would not be bound by the servant clause of their agreement – but it could create an entirely new ransom situation. One which might be much more challenging to negotiate. Could he lose control of his main keep as well?

  And, perhaps, was Galeron right after all? Could she really walk out through those gates? Could she turn her back on the keep she adored, knowing it was being destroyed from within by these two men? Could she sleep at night knowing the people she cared for were trapped within, with no salvation and no escape?

  He had spoken the truth – her soul was deep within this keep. Her heart was at its very base.

  A glimmer of hope sparked within her, and she lowered her eyes, holding herself very still. Her heart. Her carven heart, on the hollow wall. Perhaps a tunnel lay behind it, providing a secret path in – perhaps even a path which could be used in time to retake the keep before the mercenaries arrived.

  She raced through the possibilities. It was only late afternoon now. Her father’s troops would have to wait until nightfall so Galeron did not guess what they were up to. They could then sneak to the ocean cliffs, unseal the tunnels, and make their way into the castle. If they were able to make it to the cellar wall and break it down before morning, they could take the keep from within. And once they had the keep and the money, the mercenaries would have no reason to fight.

  The keep could be saved.

  She trembled with nervousness. There was so much riding on such a short period of time. She knew one thing for certain. She had to remain within the keep to help coordinate the attack. Someone had to ensure the cellar was kept clear of prying eyes during the long night so the soldiers were not alerted until it was too late.

  She almost smiled. Galeron’s plan had worked in her favor. He had constructed everything to lure her into staying in the keep. All she had to do was convince him that his scheme had been successful. She had to trick him into believing that she was staying for the reasons he had laid out, not in order to launch a counter-assault.

  She closed her eyes for a long moment. She could not do or say anything to give even the slightest impression of her plans. Galeron was exceptionally observant. If he sensed the merest whiff of trouble, all of her hopes could come to nothing.

  Taking a deep breath, she marshaled every last drop of reserve she possessed. Then she slowly stood. She focused her gaze on her father, on the weary lines in his face. She knew if she looked at Reese that she might falter, might give away her emotions with a look, a movement.

  “I am staying here at Serenor,” she informed her father in a low voice.

  All four men’s eyes turned to her in shock. Reese’s cry ripped out of him. “Kay? Why?”

  She forced herself not to turn, not to look into those eyes she knew so well.

  Lord Weston shook his head in confusion, staring at her. “Kay, what is the meaning of this? Are you under duress?”

  Kay spoke deliberately, tingeing her voice with reluctant resolve. Galeron had to believe in her performance without a shadow of a doubt. It made it easier that she believed in each word she spoke as an absolute truth.

  “All my life I have vowed to look out for Serenor and the people here. I promised to do that to the best of my ability regardless of who the master was. I will not turn back on that vow now simply because it has become difficult.”

  Kay’s mind raced. What else would a woman in this position do? Ah, yes. She turned, adding a nervous hitch to her voice, and looked at Galeron almost meekly. “Galeron, do you swear, if I stay, that I will not be harmed or touched in any manner?”

  Galeron’s eyes lit up with delight, and he gave a sweeping bow. “Of course,” he agreed without hesitation. “I swear that on my life. You will not come to any harm, through any person.” He glanced over at Jack. “That includes my friend here.”

  Jack’s face flared with color, but he nodded with a sharp movement.

  Kay fought to keep even the smallest glimmer of hope from showing on her face. She modeled a portrayal of abject misery and resignation as she turned her gaze back to her father. “Then this is where I must stay. I owe it to the household of Serenor.”

  Reese’s voice was rich with anguish. “Kay …”

  “Ah, yes,” commented Galeron, looking at Reese with a smile. “You remind me that there remains just one minor loose end to tie up on my plan which, so far, has played out quite nicely.” He glanced over to Kay, his eyes twinkling. “My dear, now that you have so graciously volunteered to remain, you are free to go around the table to say your goodbyes.” He nodded with his head for the two soldiers to take a position by the door.

  The men moved to stand blocking the exit.

  A shiver of nervousness ran through Kay. What new scheme was Galeron up to? Every step he had taken had seem
ed to propel her along a specific path. She took a deep breath and moved around the edge of the table, standing before the four men.

  Her sister came around Eric’s protective stance to stare at her, open mouthed. “Kay what are you doing?” she asked incredulously, coming forward to give her a long hug. “Come home with us. The keep is not worth it.”

  Kay gently put a hand on her sister’s face. “Do not worry about me,” she soothed, “I will be fine. You get to safety, and take care of that infant you are carrying.”

  Lord Weston shook his head as he gave her a rough hug. “You were always a stubborn, headstrong girl,” he snapped. “I can understand loyalty, but this time you have gone too far.”

  From behind her, Galeron chuckled. “It did seem as if following orders was a challenge to her,” he commented dryly.

  Kay dropped her eyes. Apparently Galeron had sent her to give her farewells in order to test her purpose. He was certainly watching her every move, her every word. She could not in any way stir up suspicions in his mind. She nodded meekly in agreement, as if chastised.

  The room went silent, and a single thought began drumming in her head. She could not look at Reese. One touch of his hand, one look into those deep eyes, and she might lose herself. She might lose all resolve and leave with him now, abandoning any chance to retake the keep and save those within. She would destroy their only opportunity. She knew she could never live with herself if she made that choice.

  Galeron’s voice came lightly from across the table. “Oh, Kay,” he murmured, “I think it time that you tell Reese the truth.”

  Kay’s eyes snapped up in shock, and she saw the same surprise echoed in Reese’s face.

  Reese looked at her in confusion. “What truth?”

  Kay’s throat went dry. Suddenly everything became crystal clear. Galeron had known all along who she was, and had held back the knowledge for this very moment. He would use the week of lies to drive a wedge between her and Reese, to convince him she was unworthy of being rescued.