by Eagle Lady
The earl, who had turned round at Stefan’s first exclamation, now stared at him in concern. “What is it, Stefan?” His eyes darted to the parchment in his friend’s hand.
The knight sat back down, trying for a semblance of control. “You are not interested, Roy, remember?” Stefan made an effort to keep a straight face. “You do plan to live a long time, don’t you, Roy?”
“What kind of foolish question is that, Stef?” Roydon’s concern intensified, “What’s in that document?” The earl took a step forward, his hand outstretched to take the paper.
“Bear with me for a moment, please.” Stefan folded the document but kept a firm hold on it as he tried to order his thoughts, in spite of his growing excitement. “Who would inherit your earldom, if say, you died just now?”
“Good God, Stefan!” Roydon gave his friend a strange look but stopped his advance, although he kept his eye on the paper. “Have you a fixation with my death this morning?” Then a thought seemed to strike him. “Of course, I should have thought of it before. I need to make some kind of provision or settlement for Aguilus. He would be left destitute if I died; for Ivan, for you.” Roydon raked his hand through his hair in agitation, as he tended to do when worried or distressed. “Why didn’t I think of this before?”
“He would not be destitute, Roy.” Stefan waved a hand in the air, as if brushing aside the thought. “Please answer my question.”
“No one would inherit.” Roydon gave his friend a puzzled look. “Both my father and his father before him were only children, as am I. And my son,” he added bitterly, “is barred from the title by the bloody law. The title and lands would revert to the crown. My daughters would become wards of the crown; their future at least would be safe-guarded.”
“It’s as I thought. The king could then dispose of the earldom however he saw fit,” Stefan mused aloud.
“Yes, damn him. Why are you doing this, Stef?” The earl’s shoulders sagged in defeat. “I am not in the mood for this right now.”
To the earl’s surprise a smile broke out on Stefan’s face. Getting up he handed Roydon the folded parchment which he held in his hand. “Our king, my friend, is a devious and cunning man. Sit down and read this,” he pushed the puzzled earl towards the bench he had just vacated. “And for the love of God, don’t even think of dying for the next twenty years, at least!”
Roydon sat. He had given up trying to understand Stefan. He looked down at the document in his hand; obviously it had something to do with his friend’s bizarre behaviour. He started to read.
The earl’s eyes widened in disbelief. He read that upon his death his title and his lands would revert to the crown if he had no legitimate male heirs. He then read who the king had designated as the next earl of Eagle Rock if this indeed came to pass. Roydon looked up at Stefan, his mind still trying to assimilate what he had just read. His throat closed, he could not speak.
Stefan wore a totally satisfied look on his face. “Never thought to see you speechless, Roy, but I truly know how you feel.” He gave his friend a hefty clap on the back. “Now all I have to do is keep you alive until the boy reaches majority. I am not even going to contemplate what becoming his guardian would entail; administering all your properties, your responsibilities…” Stefan shuddered and it was not all a sham. “I don’t know what Henry is thinking of to nominate me as his guardian in case of your death before his twenty-fifth birth day.”
“Probably that you are the best person to look after him and his interests; don’t sell yourself short, Stefan.” The earl had recovered his powers of speech and now his triumphantly pleased expression challenged his friend’s.
“Yes, well but, I am only a knight and…”
“You would be my first choice too, Stefan. I would trust no other to care for my children.” The earl spoke quietly. “You must have impressed the king too.”
“You mean by jumping to my death in front of his guards?” Stefan tried to lighten the mood.
“Something like that.” The earl suddenly grabbed Stefan in an exuberant bear hug. “We have done it Stefan. Aguilus will be the next earl of Eagle Rock!”
Stefan returned the embrace, pounding his friend on the back with his good hand, a deep gladness in his eyes. Then he stepped back. “But there must be no legitimate male heirs, Roy, or the document becomes void and you are getting married tomorrow,” he warned.
Roydon’s eyes darkened. “There will be no children. We marry for political reasons. They will get the earldom for their princess, which is what they wanted. That is what they will be getting, nothing else.”
“Feel sorry for the lady though. It is very probable that she has had nothing to do with all this.”
“Lady Roslyn will be the countess of Eagle Rock and will receive the respect due her as my wife.” Roydon paused thoughtfully. “If I find that she is innocent in the machinations of her people then I will not neglect her, but there will be no children,” the finality in his voice was unequivocal.
“But enough of this, I must go and thank Henry. He is really going to enjoy this,” Roydon added ruefully.
“You do realise that if he already had the document drawn up by the time you gave him your answer this morning, then he never intended to take your title, whatever your decision.”
Stefan had translated his own thoughts into words. “As I said, the king is really going to enjoy my next visit.” The earl raised an eyebrow, “Coming with me, commander?”
“I wouldn’t miss this even if I had to swim across a stagnant moat.” Stefan waved his hand towards the entrance to the building, “Lead on, my lord.”
Dozens of people filled the room by the time the two men arrived back in the ante-chamber. The earl paused in the doorway, obviously taken aback by the crowd. He had somehow expected the room to be empty, as it had been on his way out a little while ago. Now on seeing him, the people stopped talking to stare. Last they had heard the earl of Eagle Rock had been under arrest.
Roydon stared them down. From his great height, he challenged them to inquire as to the reason for his detention. One by one they turned away to mutter, to speculate among themselves. Only then did the earl continue on across the room to the guarded door. Apparently one supplicant had just exited and another stood with the king’s aide, on the point of entering.
Roydon stopped before the aide. “Please ask his Majesty if he can spare me a moment of his time.”
“I am sorry, my lord, but the king’s time is limited. There are a lot of audiences this morning and they cannot be interrupted.” The aide shook his head pompously at the earl, obviously thinking that he still remained persona non grata. He waved the man standing beside him forward. “You may go in now Sir Gerald.”
Roydon blocked the knight’s path. “Sir Gerald will not mind waiting a few minutes longer. Announced me to the king,” the earl’s voice had deteriorated into a low growl of impatience. “Now!”
“I cannot allow… Put me down!”
Stefan laughed as Roydon physically lifted the aide out of his way and then eyed the armed guards in front of the doorway. The earl lifted a sardonic eyebrow at them. “Am I going to have trouble with you too?” His black gaze challenged the soldiers to try and stop him from gaining admittance to the audience chamber.
“Certainly not, my lord,” the guard in charge stepped forward. “His Majesty gave me specific instructions that you and Sir Stefan were to be admitted as soon as you arrived.”
“But…but I know nothing of this. Why was I not informed?” The aide tried to push his way back to the door.
This time Sir Stefan turned on the man. “Because you are a pompous fool and directly responsible for my injury by not granting me access to the king.” Stefan pushed his stiffened finger hard at the man’s chest. “Now stay there and be quiet.”
The guard nodded at Sir Stefan, the slight tilting of his lips betrayed his complete agreement with the knight’s opinion of the aide. Then he stepped back smartly and opened the door. “
The earl of Eagle Rock and Sir Stefan, Your Majesty,” he announced loudly and waved them into the audience chamber.
The king had apparently also given instructions to the people in the chamber. The moment the earl appeared they started filing from the room. Roydon, standing by the door, ignored the curious glances from the courtiers. The respectful nods from the king’s bodyguard, he acknowledged.
Henry waited until the last man had left, then he beckoned the two men forward from where he sat on the dais. On reaching the king, both men bowed deeply but Roydon then gracefully went down on one knee and waited his liege’s pleasure.
“You have returned very soon, my lord, especially after your precipitous departure.” The king’s gaze bore into his vassal. “Is there something you wish to say?”
Roydon had known that Henry would want his pound of flesh and from his knees, no less. But he would give the king whatever he wanted, the gift he had received merited eating all the humble pie required. At least his liege lord had ensured that it would be eaten in private. “I failed in my loyalty to you, Sire, and there is no excuse for my defiance,” the earl kept his gaze fixed on the king’s face. “I am humbled by your patience, your leniency and your generosity. Please accept my deepest gratitude. On my honour, I’ll not fail you again, Sire.”
“You have not failed me, Eagle. You are an incredibly obstinate man though.” The king motioned for Roydon to rise. “Your honour and loyalty would not have allowed you to defy me in the end and that is what matters. That is why I detained you instead of arresting you; just to give you time to think in comfort. The dungeons, I assure you, are not conducive to thinking.”
“Nevertheless I threw the honour you offered me back in your face, and that was unpardonable.” For a moment the face of his Eagle Lady crystallized in his mind and he faltered, then Roydon ruthlessly pushed it back. Stefan was right, it had been an impossible dream he harboured, but he had his son, his heir. That would have to be enough.
“Yet Your Majesty has given me that for which I asked. You have made Aguilus my heir and for that alone you have my undying loyalty.”
“I already had your undying loyalty, Eagle,” the king stated with complete confidence. Then he shook his head as he stood up. “Make no mistake about this. I have not made the boy your heir. That is something I cannot do given the circumstances of the boy’s birth.” Henry emphasized his next words. “What I have done is bestow a title that had reverted to the crown, through lack of male heirs, on a deserving candidate of my choice. Do you understand me?”
“Perfectly, Sire. There will be no children from this marriage.”
“Henry descended the steps until he stood face to face with the earl. “One final warning, Eagle. I want no question as to the validity of this marriage because of lack of consummation.” The king’s voice conveyed heavy consequences if this happened. “Also keep the existence of the document to yourselves,” his eyes flickered over Sir Stefan, who stood silently behind the earl, “until the Gibel delegation has left. I want no misunderstandings.”
“That will not be a problem, Sire.” Roydon asserted quickly, glancing back to catch Stefan’s nod of agreement.
“Good, excellent,” Henry rubbed his hands together and dropped his serious demeanour. “Why don’t you pour us some wine, Sir Stefan. We will drink a toast to your lord’s courageous son.”
“My pleasure, Sire,” Stefan walked to the table, where he could see goblets and a flagon of wine.
“You like my strategy, Eagle?” Henry asked, amusement in his voice, as they followed Stefan to the table.
“Devious, Sire. Very, very devious,” Roydon complimented his sovereign.
The king gloated unashamedly. “One of my better ideas, I think. It is the only time you ask me for something, after you have always served me so well, I had to find a way to obliged you, convoluted as it is.”
“It’s perfect, Sire,” Roydon took the wine cup from Stefan. “Your statesmanship is unrivalled. But promising an earldom to a deserving nine year old boy is a bit unusual. Not that I am complaining.”
The king frowned in displeasure at his vassal, but his grey eyes shone with suppressed glee as if he had been expecting just this comment. “You think my daughter’s life, Princess Elizabeth’s life, is not worth an earldom, my lord?” The arrogant challenge in the king’s voice was perfectly executed.
“There is no doubt about it, Sire. You have really outdone yourself this time.” Roydon returned the smile that had broken across his liege’s face. “It’s perfect. No one could possibly disagree with that statement.”
“I know,” Henry admitted without the least modesty. “What’s more it’s true. Your son’s bravery in saving my daughter was a true act of courage and the story is spreading,” his smile widened. “I have seen to that.”
Roydon lost his smile. Aguilus had been in real danger. He shuddered to think what the horse could have done to him and the girl.
“Which thought, brings me to you, Sir Stefan.”
“Me, Sire!” Wine spilt from the knight’s goblet as he started in surprise. He glanced at the earl in alarm.
“Your loyalty to your lord, to your friend,” the king amended, “was foolish, but brave and highly commendable. Your action in the stables no less courageous. I am indebted to you, sir.” Henry debated a moment. “A small holding, I think.”
“Good Lord, no!” Stefan looked appealingly at Roydon, but from the amused look on the earl’s face no help would be coming from that quarter. “I am very grateful, Sire, but I am perfectly happy as I am. I mean no offence, Your Majesty,” he added quickly. “But I am already having nightmares thinking that Roy will die before Aguilus reaches his majority and I would have to administer his holdings.” Stefan swept a shaky hand through his hair. “And I haven’t even been to sleep since I heard about it!”
Henry gave the knight a strange look, as if unable to understand why someone would turn down a chance at power, however small. A look he shared with the earl.
“He likes a simple life, Sire.” Roydon shook his head, mimicking the king’s expression of incomprehension.
The king laughed. “So be it then, but you have my gratitude. If there is anything I can do for you, you have but to ask.”
Stefan sighed in relief. “Thank you, Sire.”
“And you, Eagle? Will you too refuse your new holding of Rye?”
“It’s a troublesome holding, Your Majesty, but being the loyal vassal I am, I will gladly take it off your hands. Just to spare you aggravation, you understand.” The earl tried to keep a serious expression on his face.
“I understand perfectly, my lord,” the king turned to stare at Stefan, “unlike some. Now that toast. To your son, Eagle, that he may grow up to fulfil the potential that I saw in him yesterday.”
“In order to serve you, Sire,” added Roydon, raising his cup and glancing at Stefan; sharing the pride he felt for his son, with his friend.
<><><>
“Father!” Aguilus run across the small room and stopped short on reaching the earl, who had just entered the room. Suddenly shy and unsure of how to proceed, he looked up at his sire and controlled the urge to throw his arms around him. “I am glad to see you, my lord.” A lone tear escaped and meandered down his smooth cheek. He lowered his head to hide it. A squire did not cry, even with joy. “I…I…missed you, sir.”
Roydon looked down at the boy, his heart in danger of bursting with love and pride. He felt a hand on his shoulder and smiled at Stefan’s understanding and support.
“Happy to have you back, my lord.” Sir Ivan stepped up to greet the earl. It’s been a long three days, sir.”
“Thank you, Ivan. It seemed much longer to me.” Roydon nodded in unspoken understanding, at his former squire.
“Ivan, I think we will go take a stroll in the courtyard.”
“A stroll, Sir Stefan? Now?” Ivan looked in puzzled surprise at the older knight.
Stefan jerked his head at Aguilus, who still st
ood with bowed head, surreptitiously trying to brush away his tears. “We need to talk.”
“Of course, Sir Stefan.” Ivan made haste to follow his fellow knight out of the room, an indulgent smile on his face.
Roydon used a finger under his chin to lift Aguilus’ head so that he could look him straight in the eye. “I liked your first greeting much better, son,” he whispered and then opened his arms to the boy.
“Father!” Aguilus wrapped his arms round the earl in a fierce hug, while he felt his father’s strong arms holding him securely. He had never felt as safe and happy as he did at that moment. He never wanted to let go.
“Aguilus? I need to breathe, son.”
The boy jumped back self-consciously, but relaxed when he saw the amused look on the earl’s face. “You are not…going away again, sir?”
“No, my…misunderstanding with the king has been sorted out.” Roydon did not go into specifics. “But I do need to talk to you.” The earl drew Aguilus towards a chair, his demeanour totally serious as he sat and stood the boy before him.
Aguilus felt his world cave in. Obviously his father had heard about the incident in the stable. Not only had he disobeyed a direct order from his lord, he had also been discourteous to the king. He hung his head, unwilling to see the condemnation in his father’s eyes. “I am sorry,” he whispered. “I did not mean to disobey you when I went into Black’s stall…but I…and my insolence to the king was…”
“That is not what I wanted to speak to you about,” the earl interrupted. “But since you have brought it up… Tell me, why did you do it Aguilus?”
The boy met his father’s gaze, entreaty in his eyes. “I…I couldn’t let the boy…girl get trampled, sir. She is only a little girl. Black would have hurt her badly.”