Love of Lady Liana.

by Alvarez y Losada

  Later, one in the arms of the other, they embraced.

  -- Ahorcamos to your brother or we kissed to him the feet? -- Liana murmured.

  -- we hung It -- Rogan with voice said sign --. If hubie­se an attack...

  Liana rubbed its thigh against the one of Rogan.

  -- If there were an attack, you would be too weak to fight, so that it would not matter.

  -- You are a irrespetuosa female, would have that castigarte.

  -- Who will do it? -- she asked with insolencia --. Se­guramente will not be oldest and exhausted Peregrine.

  -- Already I will demonstrate to you who is exhausted -- Rogan responded to him, lying down on her and listening to the giggles of Liana.

  But a blow in the floor, near two, attracted the attention of Rogan. It immediately covered the body with Lia­na with his, and it watched around looking for the cause of the noise.

  -- To the aim my infernal brother sent to us food.

  One separated from Liana, descended from the bed and one approached the wrapper that Severn had been able to happen through es­trecha small window, and loosen so that it fell to the floor.

  -- it interests to You plus the food that I? -- she asked.

  -- At the moment, yes.

  It took the food to the bed, and there they ate and when some migas of bread fell on the naked chests of Liana, Rogan gathered them with the language.

  They remained laid down all the day and Liana obtained that Rogan spoke to him of its life, of its years of boy, of things whereupon had dreamed and thought about the childhood. She could not know it with certainty, but seemed to him that in fact he never spoke thus with anybody in course of its life.

  To the dusk, Liana mentioned possibility of using part of its dowry to improve the castle of Moray but Ro­gan it was speechless before the idea.

  -- These are not the territories of Peregrinate -- it said --. The Howard seized of...

  -- Yes, yes, already I know it. But Peregrine they already take living two generations here, our children will be third. What it will happen if five generations are needed more to recover territories of Peregrine? All will have to live in a place that has leaks in ceiling? Or in a as small castle as this one? We could construct a wing towards the south... a done affluent thing, with reformed walls. We could add a chapel and...

  -- No, no, not -- Rogan said, putting itself of foot and watching it, hostile --. I will not invest money in this very small place, I will hope to have the earth that the Howard us roba­ron.

  -- and meanwhile, you will spend until last cent that I brought to wage the war? -- the eyes of Liana llamea­ron -- . You married with me to wage the war?

  Rogan began to shout that yes, that stops that had married with her, but the expression of its glance changed.

  -- I married with you because of your beauty, that sobrepa­sa the one of all the women -- it said in low voice --. Including my first wife.

  Liana watched it, the opened mouth to cause of the astonishment; later, it jumped of the bed and it was thrown on him, surrounding to him waist with the legs, the arms around the neck.

  -- My good looking husband, I love so much to you -- he exclaimed.

  Rogan embraced it with force.

  -- Gastare' the money as it seems to me appropriate.

  -- Yes, of course, and like obedient wife never I will be against, but permíteme explicarte some of my ideas stops to improve this place.

  Rogan moaned.

  -- First, you separate to me of my women, later you throw above that gang to me of pelirrojos mocosos and now you set out to say to me how I will spend the money that as much cost to obtain to me.

  — ¡That as much it cost to obtain to you! -- Liana exclaimed --. Not even you attended the wedding celebration that I had prepared so carefully, and you insulted to my madrastra.

  -- Necesitaba that insulted it, is precise that they pon­gan a hand to him in the buttock.

  -- and it would please to you to do it? -- it asked Liana with pi­cardía.

  -- Nor in dreams it wanted to touch it -- it said he in low voice, watching at Liana the more and more tenuous light of the dusk --. Now, we are going to eat, because my condemned brother us en­vió the supper.

  They spent the night embraced and when already they fell asleep, Rogan murmured that it was arranged "to think" about the re­construcción of the castle of Moray and Liana it felt that it had won a great battle.

  When it woke up in the morning, it saw that Rogan cla­vaba the Vista to the front. It was gotten up, leaning in co­do, followed the line of sight of Rogan and saw that the door of the room was opened. Liana did not know why the no­vedad depressed so much.

  -- We could close it again -- it murmured.

  -- Not -- Rogan said --. I must confront ridiculous situation before my men.

  Liana did not think about that: how horsemen of Rogan would watch their master, who because of a dispute with his espo­sa he had been locked up in a room of the tower.

  They did not have time to formulate conjectures because Gaby burst in, speaking with all the speed of which his language was able. Apparently, Severn had spread the ru­mor of which Rogan it ordered that her wife was locked up with him in the room, to punish it. The reputation of Rogan was intact.

  -- and mine? -- Liana asked.

  -- Creen that vos you are a good wife -- Gaby said.

  -- a good wife? -- Liana exclaimed.

  -- you do not say that to him -- Rogan took part --, or never tendre­mos peace. I do not want more set afire beds.

  Gaby maintained closed the mouth and no behavior of Liana like wife formulated opinion about ]. Gaby ­había conquered to his husband by means of generosity and it supposed that all the women they had to do the same.

  Reluctantly, Liana left room with its husband. It had learned something while it was in that quarter: that what was important for a woman, not always it was it for a man. Rogan had not called it ugly and what was still better, it did not think that it was.

  It did not know very well why, but it felt that it had lle­gado to a bridge and had crossed it without encountering. Liana no it reached to see obstacles in his future way.

  17

  During six long and glorious weeks, Liana was the happiest Earth person. She and Rogan feared that the men they ridiculed them, without anticipating that they felt been thankful because again they ate and there were no rats in its rooms well that in fact did not matter to them which it was the cause of the change.

  And the castle of Moray in effect suffered modificacio­nes. The men, instead of ignoring it or attacking it, now saluted with respect the passage of Liana, amiable and warm Severn mostra­ba and Iolanthe it began to accompany them in the supper. But the best thing of everything was the change in Rogan. Their eyes followed Liana wherever it was, went to their room of meditation to only retire something and however spent all the nights in to pave with Liana and its ladies. Se­vern, instead of being against to its brother began to meet with them, since Zared and Io did.

  The morning that followed one of those pleasant vela­das Liana knew that it would have a son. It always had if one would feel bad, like had seen that it was the case of other women during first months, but it was not thus. It was not tired, did not feel anything that was fallen into disuse, ex­cepto that now as soon as it entered its dresses. One took hands to the hard and great belly, and dreamed about a niñito pelirrojo.

  -- My lady? -- Gaby said --. You feel well?

  -- Very well, of wonder, never I felt better. What you are doing?

  Gaby maintained a basket filled with grass.

  -- Lord Rogan and Baudoin fighting fell on a scrub of ortigas and I prepared an infusion of these grass stops to alleviate its pain.

  Liana shook, ortigas could to be painful. Near the house of its father a grass grew that alleviated that irritation far better that those that Gaby was recogi­do. During the first one re­cordaba travels to the castle of Moray Liana it to have seen the flanks of way. To what d
is­tancia they were? Fifteen, twenty kilometers? With a good one horse could arrive until and returning there at dusk. And that night, while it would rub the grass on the sore skin of his husband, would speak to him of his son.

  It dismissed Gaby, would not be far from easy to escape of cas­tillo of Moray. Rogan had issued him rigorous orders in the sense that never it left the land without escort after the attack of the Howard, noticed to him that it could not leave the castle although they accompanied it all the caballe­ros Peregrine.

  Liana contemplated its own dress of brocade and son­rió. Of course, if one moved away like another person and not like lady Liana, nothing had to fear. It looked for in a large chest the foot of the bed and found farmer articles who had dressed the day of the fair. The only thing that it had that to make era cover the hair, incline the face and rob a horse.

  One hour later was galopando towards the east, moving away of the castle of Moray and the village, to arrive at grass that would bring lightening to their husband. The wind in the face and muscles of the horse between the legs they seemed to him ma­ravillosos. It laughed gladly to to think about the boy whom lleva­ba in its belly and the happiness that was hers.

  She was so engrossed in its thoughts that it did not see nor heard the riders who left the forest and they surrounded it before it saw them.

  -- What seems to you this? -- one said of five hom­bres --. A farmer mounting a so good animal.

  It did not need that they explained to him who they were those hom­bres. Luxuriously they were dressed and they demonstrated an arrogance that it could solely come from its condition of vasallos of a man powerful. They were people of the Ho­ward and the only hope of Liana was that no they discovered who was.

  -- I have robbed the horse -- it said with voice gimiente --. Oh, please, you do not say it to my lady.

  -- and what you will give us to shut up? -- a good looking young person deceived.

  -- What you want, Sir, which you want -- Liana with tearful voice said.

  Another man came behind the first one group. It had more age, in his sienes were gray hair and had cuer­po muscular solid and; and in addition, which seemed a gesture of permanent irritation in which it could have been an attractive face.

  -- Desmonten to the girl and takes horse -- or­denó --. It is a horse of Peregrine so that me apo­deraré of him.

  In spite of itself, Liana directed one watched it lasts to the man. It could be Oliver Howard, the same one that had ro­bado first wife of Rogan? Liana inclined the head and began to disassemble, but two men held, looking for it to him the chests and the hips. It twisted in order to avoid them... and the hood was come off its head. The lengths blond hair descended on their back.

  -- Either, or -- one exclaimed of horsemen, tocándo­le the hair --. I believe that this ladronzuela of horses me it pleases.

  -- iTraedla here! -- the man ordered of more age.

  With the subject arms to the back, Liana went obliga­da to appear before him. It maintained the eyes low.

  -- Mírame -- him ordenó --. Mírame or you will wish to me to have obeyed.

  Challenging, and avoiding that it guessed its fear, Liana watched it and when he examined it, the permanent gesture of irritation of its face seemed to be diluted, until, threw the head backwards and it sent an outburst of laughter without joy.

  -- Well, lady Liana, I will appear. I am Oliver Howard -- it said to the aim --. And vos, my dear lady, you have given something me that ansío for many years, you have been giving Peregrine to me.

  -- Never -- she said --. Rogan never it will render to vos.

  -- Not even in exchange for yours return?

  -- one did not surrender by Jeanne, and it will not do it by me - Liana said, and sheltered the hope of which its voice was as energetic as its words. At heart, it was shaking. What would think Rogan when those men took it? It would think that she had betrayed it since she had done Jeanne many years back?

  -- Llevadla -- Oliver Howard said to one of its men --. That it mounts your horse, as opposed to vos. If it escapes it will cost to you life.

  Liana felt too much gotten depressed stops to reject the hands of the man on its body. It was the guilty of which was happening; only it was the person in charge of which she happened to him.

  The man who maintained it on his mount murmured to him to the ear.

  -- the Howard knows to seduce the women Peregri­ne. You will marry to one of them? You will divorce of Pe­regrine stops convertiros in a Howard, since it did first?

  Liana was not bothered in responding and that it seemed to di­vertir it.

  -- it does not matter what you do -- said he, laughing --. Lord Oliver will obtain that your husband believes that you have yourselves turned a Howard. Really, we will prevail.

  Liana said that Rogan never would believe that she had betrayed it, but at heart was scared.

  They rode two days whole and when they stopped, at night, maniataban to Liana, sitting with the body, supported against a tree and the men alternated themselves to watch it.

  -- Perhaps you would have to assign two men in order to watch me -- Liana de Oliver Howard made fun of --. I am so strong and powerful that if short the ties, I can overcome them.

  Oliver did not smile.

  -- You are Peregrine, traicionera people. Perhaps dia­blo will help you to flee.

  It gave the back him and it entered one of three small hidden stores between the trees.

  During the night it began to rain, men who watched it alternated and no remained more under llu­via of one hour. Nobody mentioned the possibility of de­satar to Liana and of taking it to lukewarm interior of one tends.

  In the morning Liana was cold, was dunked and exhausted. Vasallo that maintained on its horse not it to it su­jetaba like before and however, he remained immovable. Liana felt that its muscles tired they began to relax. One fell asleep supported in the body of his jailer and did not wake up until the putting of the sun, when they arrived at which Rogan deno­minaba the properties of Peregrine.

  They could see the towers from kilometer and means of distance and when coming near, the lethargy of Liana desapare­ció. It had never seen nothing similar the structures that were raised before her. No there were words that described the magnitude of the place: vast, enormous, huge. All pa­recían unsuitable. There was a series of six "small" to­rres that defended the tunnel and the external wall that it took to the entrance of the inner wall of the castle and each one of es­tas towers she was more pleasing than the only one of the castle of Moray.

  Behind the inner walls it had so great towers that Liana observed them astonished. It could see another wall inside and buildings with ceilings of roofing tiles.

  They arrived first a a wooden bridge on a pit, as wide as a river. In time military, it was easy to destroy the bridge. They rode on a plate of pie­dra, another one of wood, and they were in the tunnel. On her orifices were opened that in the combats they used to derra­mar on the enemy boiling oil.

  When they emerged to the light from to get late, they crossed another wooden bridge on another pit and finally they arrived a the inner door, flanked by two discharges and massive stone towers. Of new it saw orifices on them, as well as the lances of an iron grating.

  They entered a sector covered with turf, with many constructed wood houses against the walls. The place he was clean, and it had certain air of prosperity.

  They continued riding, by another tunnel, this one flanked by two towers that were greater than those of anyone of the castles of the father of Liana. Inside am­plias extensions of beautiful patios. There were stone buildings with glass windows: a chapel, to pave, a great one, hall, warehouses and people who entered and left with food and drink barrels.

  Liana affirmed on the horse and it contemplated the spectacle: neither in its accesses of febrile imagination the more, it had imagined, a place of those proportions and that wealth. It thought: Well, by this they fight Peregrine, this is what it has caused the death of three generati
ons of Peregrinate and reason why they hate so much to the Howard.

  When contemplating the abundance that was around, it began to include/understand better to Rogan. He was not stranger who watched with scorn the small and ruinous castle of Moray, that with its walls including, it was as soon as a third of which there was after the inner walls of this strength.

  Also it thought: To this place it belongs Rogan, don­de their body, their bearing, their power would harmonize well.

  -- Llévenla to the room of the tower the northeast -- Oliver Howard said, and Liana was taken of the horse and means dragged through the long patio in the direction of the high tower of thick walls of the northeast corner. The men forced it to promote stairs of stone in spiral and in front of happened rooms that she as soon as it glimpsed, but all seemed clean and well well-taken care of.

  There was a door with iron bars in the highest place of the tower, one of the men opened it and pushed towards interior to Liana and once she inside, closed withla­ve. He was a fourth small one with a mattress in a wood frame, a small table and a chair in one of corners and a door that took to a toilet of the side the west. It had one window that watched the north; showing itself, it could see the hundreds of meters of outer wall that surrounded all the place. The men took a walk by parapets and vigi­laban.

  -- to defend itself of the very small force of the Pere­grine -- Liana said bitterly.

  The hand took at the top, felt been annoying and can­sada. It had spent the night previous tied a tree, ba­jo rain and that, together with all the emotions that had ex­perimentado, exhausted it. One approached the bed, one lay down, and after covering itself with the wool blanket, it was slept.

  When it woke up, it was entrance well tomorrow si­guiente. One rose with much effort to go to the toilet, vacillated on its feet and when taking the hand to the forehead felt the very warm skin. Somebody had been in the room: on the small table there was water, bread and cheese. Pe­ro sucked the water the food did not attract it.

  One approached the door and it called with strong blows.