by Anne Herries
‘As you will yours,’ Alayne told her. ‘And, if I am not mistaken, you are already carrying Stefan’s child—does he know?’
Elona shook her head. ‘I could not tell him, knowing that he must push himself to this meeting with the King. If I had, he might not have found the strength to do it.’
‘Let us go to the chapel and give thanks,’ Alayne said, taking her hand. ‘For my son must win this challenge or Stefan’s guilt is proven and it will all be in vain. We shall lose them both at a stroke.’
Elona had not seen her husband all night, for he had kept a vigil in the chapel with Alain, praying for right and justice to prevail. She had hardly slept, for her fear that something would go wrong lay like a shadow over her.
Alain was young and untried in battle, though he had been the victor in more than one tourney. Supposing he should fail? His failure would be taken as a sign that Stefan was guilty and he would be executed for treason against the King.
But now the long night was over and she and Alayne sat together with their sewing in the house close by the palace gates, which Sir Ralph had secured for them. Neither of them had any interest in the work, but they made a pretence of it to calm their nerves. Yet as the hour crept on and nothing was heard, they both began to pace the room, their nerves stretched almost beyond bearing.
What was happening? Had Alain won his fight—or would he fail and thus prove Stefan guilty of treason? Neither woman could speak of what she feared, but both were in agony.
And then, when they felt they could bear it no more, they heard the sound of heavy footsteps and in a moment Sir Ralph entered the chamber where they sat.
‘All is well,’ Alayne said after one glance at her husband’s face, and then burst into tears. ‘Forgive me…I am foolish to weep now that all is well.’
‘My beloved,’ Ralph said and took her in his arms. ‘I came as soon as I could, for I knew you would be in agony.’
‘Alain won?’ Elona’s heart leaped. ‘Is he hurt or injured?’
‘He will no doubt have a few bruises. But he is well enough,’ the proud father said with a huge smile. ‘Danewold’s champion was a huge bear of a man, strong and fearsome, but he had no intelligence. Alain gave him a lesson in swordplay and then disarmed him. I have seldom seen a man fight with more skill or determination and yet show mercy. I was so proud of him—so very proud.’
‘He has proved himself,’ Elona said. ‘For to save your brother’s life is surely enough to gain any man his knighthood?’
‘The King insisted upon it,’ Ralph said. ‘I do not think Alain truly wanted it, for he believes he must earn his spurs in battle—but from this day forth he will be known as Sir Alain de Banewulf.’
‘He did not come back with you?’
‘They would not let him,’ Ralph said. ‘There is to be feasting and I was at last released to bring you both to the great hall. Both Alain and Stefan are being made much of by their friends, and I fear that they are being forced to drink more wine than is their wont.’
‘Then we must go to them and join in the festivities,’ Alayne said. ‘I would have my son know how proud we are of him this day…’
‘What will happen to Baron Danewold now?’ Elona asked.
‘He will cause trouble for neither you nor Stefan again,’ Ralph said. ‘Had he surrendered to the King and not brought false charges, he might have been banished for a period of years, but now…he will pay the final penalty.’
Elona was silent. The laws were severe and she knew that only good fortune and Alain’s strong right arm had saved Stefan from a similar fate.
Elona smiled as Stefan stirred and groaned. He had slept soundly since his men had carried him to their chamber, laying him in his bed to sleep off the excess of the previous night. Knowing his abstemious habits, she had been surprised to see him drinking freely of the wine the courtiers forced on both him and Alain that night, but supposed that he must have allowed his relief and pleasure in his brother’s victory to go to his head.
‘Are you feeling ill, my lord?’ she asked as he opened his eyes and looked at her. ‘I fear that you indulged in a little too much wine last night.’
‘I took some of Alayne’s medicine before the banquet,’ Stefan told her. ‘And it seemed to act strangely with the wine. I should not otherwise have drunk so much. I must ask you to forgive me for my behaviour, Elona, for I cannot remember what happened after they gave me the first glass of wine.’
‘There was nothing to forgive,’ Elona said. ‘In truth I was glad to see you enjoying yourself with Alain—and you slept well. The best sleep you have had in many weeks, my lord.’
‘Yes, and I feel better for it,’ Stefan said. ‘At least, my leg does not pain me as much as it has of late, but my head feels as if a thousand cymbals are crashing inside it.’
‘Alayne gave me this for you…’
‘Nay, I’ll take no more of her cures for the moment,’ Stefan said. ‘The headache will pass and I must begin to live without such cures to help me.’
‘Stay in bed and rest a little longer,’ Elona said as he threw back the covers. ‘There is no need for you to force yourself to work harder than you can now that your innocence is proven.’
‘Thanks to my brother,’ Stefan said and smiled at her. ‘Did my father tell you? Alain fought like a man possessed. I have never seen a display of better skill. I pitied Danewold’s champion, for he was beaten from the beginning and never stood a chance.’
‘You did not know that Alain could fight so skilfully?’
‘He claims it was the sword I gave him. He said that once he was handed his sword by his squire he felt as if he had the strength of ten men and knew that he could not be vanquished.’
‘It was a magnificent sword. I saw it when he held it aloft in the great hall of the palace.’ Elona looked at him curiously. ‘Does it have magical powers, Stefan?’
‘It’s previous owner claimed it was so, but I never found it gave me any special power,’ Stefan said and smiled. ‘It was too light for me. My sword is much heavier.’
‘Then perhaps the magic was in Alain’s mind?’
‘Yes, I think it may have been,’ Stefan said after some consideration. ‘He was determined to win to save my life and to gain glory for himself—and he achieved both. Besides, I do not think he needed a magic sword to win against that oaf. I might have beaten him even as I am.’
‘Just why did you allow Alain to fight for you?’ Elona asked. ‘I was afraid that you would refuse both your father and your brother’s offer to stand as your champion.’
‘I would have refused my father,’ Stefan said. ‘Orlando too, for I know that he has plans to marry if the lady will have him.’ A little smile touched his mouth. ‘Think you Marguerite would entertain his suit?’
‘I believe she might,’ Elona said and smiled in answer to the teasing look he gave her. ‘But what made you accept your brother’s offer when you would have refused the others? Alain was but an untried youth…’
‘I could not refuse Alain, for I knew that he would consider it an insult. He would have thought that I did not trust him to win for me, and that would have wounded him. Besides…’ He looked at her lovingly. ‘I thought of you, Elona. My leg is not yet healed enough to be certain that I would have won. Despite all that I endured I could not make it so, and I knew that it would break your heart if I died—and I wanted to live for you and our child.’
‘Our child?’ She looked into his eyes as he rose from the bed and came to her. ‘You knew that I carried your child?’
‘You would not tell me because you knew it would worry me,’ Stefan told her. ‘But others were not so careful of their tongues. Your women scolded me for upsetting you at such a time. Bethany told me that I did not deserve you. Mary told me that I was a fool to throw away all that I should hold dear—and in truth I did not wish to fight. I left the Duke’s service and came home because I wished to live in peace and raise a family of my own.’
‘Be
cause you had no family life when you were young?’
‘How well you know me,’ Stefan said and bent to touch his lips to hers. ‘I was starved of affection when I was a child. Harald of Wotten was a good man, but he believed that young lads should be treated harshly to make them stronger of mind and body.’
‘And what of our children? Shall you send our sons away for their education?’
‘Not at so tender an age,’ Stefan said. ‘I know that it is the custom and that I was fortunate to receive such a good training at my kinsman’s hands, but our sons shall learn first from me, and then, when they are old enough to understand, they shall go or stay as they choose.’
Elona smiled up at him, her heart overflowing with love. ‘That is exactly as I would want for them,’ she said. ‘For if they learn honour and compassion from their father, they are halfway to becoming worthy men.’
‘And they will learn how to love from you,’ he said, tipping her chin up so that he could kiss her lips. ‘Between us, we shall give our children all that is necessary to make them happy, Elona.’
‘As I am happy with you, my love.’
A teasing light came to his eyes. ‘I have not forgot your scolding tongue, Elona, nor that I promised to teach you how to respect your husband. I dared not spend what little energy I had in your arms, or I should not have been here to meet the King’s challenge—but I am feeling much stronger now. There will be nothing to stop me chastising you when we return home.’
‘I am ready to take my punishment, my lord,’ she said and a gurgle of laughter bubbled up inside her; she knew that somehow this last day and night Stefan had turned a corner. He was truly mending and soon would be as strong as ever. ‘For I know that you will treat fairly with me, my lord—my most beloved and honourable knight.’
‘I think that my brother will surpass me,’ Stefan said. ‘I have behaved with chivalry and honour, though there are things I have done that I would prefer to forget. But I believe that Alain will be a true knight, perhaps the truest in Christendom, and I look forward to hearing of his fame.’
‘His fame has already begun,’ Elona said and reached up to touch his cheek with loving fingers. ‘When Alain was so kind to me in my despair I thought him a true knight and I shall always be grateful to him for what he did for you, Stefan.’
‘I am grateful for the love he bears me—and for my father’s love,’ Stefan told her and there was a look almost of humility in his eyes at that moment. ‘It is a most precious gift, Elona, and one I never hoped to have.’
‘You are more than worthy of their love,’ she said, pressing her lips to his in a sweet kiss that promised so much more. ‘And of mine…’
‘You have given me a rare gift,’ Stefan told his wife as he looked down at her and the children she held in her arms. ‘I would have been happy with a daughter—but two healthy boys! Had I known that we should have twin sons, I should have been mad with fear for your life, Elona.’
‘Then it is as well that you did not,’ she said and smiled at him. ‘As you see, I have managed it quite well.’
Stefan knew that the birth of his sons had caused her much pain, but the physician he had brought from court to care for her was certain that, because there were two of them, they were smaller and therefore easier to birth than one large child. Yet his fear for her life had caused Stefan much grief and he was glad to accept the advice of his physician, who had told him ways to avoid having another child too soon.
‘I love you so much, my dearest,’ Stefan said and bent to kiss her. ‘I think I must have died if I had lost you.’
‘You did not lose me, nor shall you,’ Elona told him. ‘Before my good nurse died, she read my fortune and told me that we should have two sons and a daughter, and that we shall both live to a great age in happiness and content.’
‘I wish I might have rewarded her for such a blessing,’ Stefan said. ‘You miss her still, I think?’
‘She was the mother I lost,’ Elona said. ‘But she was old and tired, and now I have you and my children. What shall we call them, Stefan?’
‘I should like to name one of them for my father,’ Stefan said. ‘For I believe that would please him.’
‘And the other shall be named for my father,’ Elona said and gave the babes to their nurse. ‘And now, my love, tell me what you have been doing since I was brought to bed?’
‘I hunted for deer,’ Stefan said. ‘And then I wrestled with one of my men—I fear he beat me, but at least it was a close thing. A month ago I would not have made a match of it. I grow stronger every day.’
‘But you are truly well again?’
‘Yes, my love. I am truly well.’
‘Then I am content,’ Elona told him. ‘Forgive me, but I am a little tired and would sleep, my lord.’
‘Yes, you must sleep,’ he agreed. ‘Now that I have seen you and know that all is well, I shall go and send the news to my father. I am sure that both he and Alayne will want to see you as soon as you are churched.’
Elona’s eyelids were heavy. She felt the lightest of kisses on her forehead and was aware that he had gone out, closing the door behind him. She gave a sigh of content.
Stefan was almost himself again, and she had given him the sons they both desired. She had a loving family and would be glad to see Alayne once more, and to hear news of her son if there was any to hear.
Sir Alain was with Duke Richard and soon now the crusade against Saladin would begin. She would pray that her brother-in-law gained all the glory he desired and returned to them safely, for she would never forget the part that he had played in her happiness.
‘May God bless and keep you,’ she murmured as she drifted into a peaceful sleep. ‘I hope that you too will find content one day…’
ISBN: 978-1-4592-2967-9
A KNIGHT OF HONOR
First North American Publication 2006
Copyright © 2005 by Anne Herries
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* Banewulf Dynasty