The Dark Lady

by Dawn Chandler

  “I have been asked to stay by the castle and away from the men training for today—”

  Amy shook her head with a smile. “For today, milady?”

  “—and as that is the case—” Van didn’t even look at her insolent little maid, but could feel the corners of her lips twitch as she fought a smile. “I am in need of a couple of guides to show me around. I want to see some interesting places. Lord Grayweist showed me all the ordinary places. I would like to see something special.”

  Anna was the first one to speak. “I can show you. I have secret place.” She bit her bottom lip and looked pleadingly up at Van.

  Van smiled and nodded her head in encouragement.

  Anna took a deep breath and nodded in return. “You cannot tell anyone. I go there to be alone. Gary does not like me to spend much time around people, but I hate to just stay in my chambers all day.” She stared shyly at her feet. “You will not tell anyone will you?”

  “Certainly not. I would never betray a friend.” Van’s heart lurched. The concern was stronger now. She was risking a lot by allowing herself to care for these children, but looking down at their anxious and excited faces she could not bring herself to push them away. She took a deep breath and smiled. “If you trust me, you can take me to your special place.” Van grinned as Anna bounced up and down in excitement.

  A half an hour later Van, Amy, Joseph, and Anna stood in a small, hidden glen. Wild flowers wove a carpet of vivid colors that was surrounded by a tall wall of hedges and bush. From the inside you could see nothing of the world and from the outside you could not see the small sanctuary unless you knew where to look. It was just large enough for the four of them.

  They sat in comfortable silence for several minutes. Van turned to Anna. “Anna?” She kept her voice light.

  Anna looked over to her with a smile. “Yes, my lady?”

  “Would you mind telling me about what happened to your parents?” Van cringed as the beaming smile disappeared from Anna’s face and her eyes clouded over. Curiosity about Anna and her brother Gary had pushed at the back of Van’s mind since she had met the young girl, but she forced a smile and patted her on the arm. “If you don’t want to tell me, you do not have to.”

  Anne shook her head, looked at the hands on her lap, and was silent. Van thought that meant that she did not want to talk about it, but the girl began to speak in a soft, trembling voice. “Our village was raided eight years ago. I was seven. Gary was fourteen.”

  Van turned her attention to the loudly chirping birds that flitted from branch to branch above them as she listened to Anna’s sad voice. “He saved me from the Knight of Fear.”

  Van’s head spun back to her fast enough to pop her neck with a loud crack. “Eolian,” she hissed almost silently.

  Anger slithered into her like worms through the dead and rotting corpses of all the men, women, and children Eolian, the Knight of Fear, had slaughtered. Her hands tightened into fists and Anna sucked in a deep breath. Joseph moved away and Van struggled to get control of her hatred.

  “My lady?” Amy’s trembling voice inquired.

  “Nothing,” Van tried to smile but could not manage anything more than a sneer. “Tell me the rest.”

  This time there was no hesitation, but Anna continued with a look of fear on her face that stabbed deeply into Van’s heart and conscience. She enjoyed the look of fear, but not from someone she was beginning to care about.

  “Gary pulled me out of bed and dragged me into the woods.” Anna’s voice cracked. “We did not stop running until Peter found us and brought us here.”

  Amy put her arm around the girl. “I understand. I have lost both of my parents as well.” She then told of her father dying the same way her mother had, of a lung infection. “I loved them both very much.”

  Van turned to Joseph and asked if he wanted to talk about his parents, but all he said was the fire was too much to talk about.”

  His eyes welled up and Van quickly changed the subject. They spoke of the woods, flowers and the animals around the castle.

  Soon they fell into a companionable silence, listening to the chirping birds squabbling. The birds soon faded from Van’s conscious thought as she allowed her hatred and rage against Eolian to boil silently within her.

  ***

  When Peter returned to the lists, Devon approached him. Stopping nervously before Peter, he stuttered that he needed to go back to the castle. “I have to see to Rebeka. I should have stayed, but with all the excitement...”

  “By all means, I would hope you get to her before Lady Vanessa does.” Peter watched him and three of the men, all men Richard had brought, leave to take charge of his former mistress. Unease itched at his thoughts. “Richard, I need to speak to you.” He gestured for Grant to join them. Peter steered them to a private spot out of earshot of the men. “Richard, I have noticed the men are still separated into groups. Yours and mine. I think it would be best to come up with some way of drawing them together.”

  “I do not think the two groups quite know what to do. My men, are not my men, my lord. They are the Dark Knight’s men.” Richard shrugged and looked apologetically at him, but Peter just waved it off. He understood.

  Damn nuisance boy had always been a problem. Now he had just up and disappeared, leaving his men and heading off to God only knows where, Peter thought irritably, still in shock over his disappearance.

  Richard nodded and continued. “Almost all of them have ridden with him for three years. He left us so quickly. It is a hard adjustment for us. They are loyal to him, but are still trying to find a way to be loyal to you without breaking that trust.” Richard’s gaze darted across the men and Peter thought he saw guilt on the man’s face.

  “I understand,” Peter said, and he did understand. He understood that Richard himself was still loyal to The Dark Knight. “I understand what they are going through, because you are having difficulties with it and you were once one of my men. I am expecting much from those who were never my men, but we need to come up with something to pull us all together.” He turned and walked back to the men.

  ***

  Van followed behind her three companions on their way back from the woods. She grinned and picked up her pace as she saw Devon leading three men to Rebeka’s door. She smiled widely and told Amy to take Anna and Joseph into the castle.

  “Milady, what are you going to do? Let them take care of it.”

  “I will. I just want to watch her go.” Van could not understand the completely joyous feeling that warmed her at the mere thought of that woman being gone.

  “Promise me...promise me you will not hurt her.”

  Van promised and grinned when she was alone. She could not hold in a small, enthusiastic laugh as Devon banged on the mistress’s door, but she did keep out of sight. She wanted to kick the door down herself, but figured it easier to keep her promise if she didn’t get any closer than necessary.

  “Go away.”

  Van could hear her muffled voice from behind the heavy door.

  Devon gave it another thunderous hit. “I cannot do that, Miss Constance. You must come out now.”

  “Go away.” Her voice was shrill now, scared.

  Van’s grin widened.

  “I have orders to remove you in any way I see fit,” Devon growled.

  Van beamed in pride. Her smile faltered momentarily as a wave of desolate emptiness crashed over her. She missed Devon and all her men.

  She pushed away the self-pity as Devon spoke again. “I have an axe to remove the door, or it has been approved for me to burn this place to the ground, with you in it.”

  That did it, the door opened. “I am not ready yet. You can just go now. Peter would never have agreed to this.”

  Van leaned from her hiding place, but was unable to catch sight of the angry sounding woman.

  “I am here until I get my things together,” Rebeka continued. “I will let you know when I am ready for a carriage.”

  The door b
egan to slam shut, but Devon put out a large hand stopping it and pushing it fully open giving Van a view of Rebeka’s livid features.

  “Nay, Miss Constance. We have our orders. We are to assist you in getting what items belong to you. I would like to be done before the mid-day meal.”

  Her face darkened to a deep red as she strained futilely to shut the door against him. “You cannot do this. Peter would not have told you to do this to me. I will speak to him.” She shrieked the words, but they seemed to lack conviction. “I will show you he did not order this,” she yelled directly in his face before slamming her full weight against the door. It shivered, but did not close.

  “You are right about one thing. Lord Grayweist did not order our assistance, but speak to him all you wish. You will just have to do it from Hillsford.”

  Devon sounded exasperated and his neck was reddening. Van grinned. She knew he was losing patience.

  “Hillsford, that is so far away. I will not go there.” Rebeka was nearly screeching as she lost the battle for the door.

  “Look, my orders are coming from the Dark Lady.”

  Van groaned and shook her head. She needed to put a stop to this Dark Lady name. It was too close to the Dark Knight to be comfortable.

  Devon motioned with his free hand, never taking his eyes off the sputtering leman. His three companions stepped closer to the small house. “She has made your housing arrangements. If you do not want to stay there, don’t, but it is the only one that will be taken care of—” Rebeka stuttered and squealed. Devon kept speaking as if she were silent and acquiescent. “—it is paid up for two months and you will get an allowance for the same amount of time. That is all.”

  Standing in the center of the doorway, Rebeka blocked their entry. “I have been here for two years. I should have your loyalty.”

  Van was quite enjoying the show, staying to the shadows where she was hidden.

  “Aye, you have been here a long time and, though it could cost me my life, if you were the lady and she the whore, between the two of you, she would still get my loyalty.”

  Van’s heart swelled with pride.

  Devon shoved Rebeka from the entryway. It took them less than half an hour to get her into a carriage and on her way. Van watched with elation as the carriage disappeared.

  She glanced up as Devon approached her. The entire way, he looked at her in that scrutinizing way that all her men and Peter seemed to inspect her with. It made nervous gooseflesh break out on her skin. She held her breath as he stopped before her, absolutely sure he was going to say, “I know who you really are.”

  “Is everything all right, my lady?” Devon asked.

  She relaxed and the breath whooshed quietly out of her. “Yes, Devon, thank you for all that you have done. Are you heading back out to the men?” She hoped her voice sounded calm through the boiling emotions coursing through her.

  “Yes, my lady. Is there anything else I can do for you?” At the shake of her head he opened his mouth, just to close it again.

  Van waited nervously. When he didn’t continue, only stared closely into her eyes, she said, “Can I ask you something?”

  He stared at her closely. But even knowing that he was being disrespectful, he could not bring himself to look away. He tried to convince himself that the familiarity was only because she looked like her father. “Of course, you can ask me whatever you wish, my lady.” He knew he recognized her and it was beginning to gnaw at him. He could feel the aggravation to his insides like he could feel the sun on his shoulders at mid-day.

  “When are the king’s men arriving tomorrow? First thing, I assume?”

  Surprise overcame his contemplation of where he had met her before. “Aye, my lady, they should be here at day break. You will not be there, will you?” He hoped not for her sake, but he had a feeling that she would be there bright and early.

  Her thickly powdered brow raised. Her black eyes widened in an expression that did nothing to appear innocent, but it seemed to be the look she was going for. “No one can rightly predict what will occur with the rising of the morning sun.”

  “I think it wise if you were not to arrive, my lady. I can only imagine how angry he would be.” He knew that no matter what anyone may say, he would see her in the morning where she was not supposed to be.

  “Head back.” With that she walked away.

  Devon watched her go, wondering what was in her mind. Shaking his head, he turned to leave, and then thought better of it. He had sent the other three men with Rebeka. They would escort her and return. He could afford to be absent for at least a few more minutes, he thought with a widening grin.

  Devon nearly ran to the servants’ entrance of the castle and made his way to the Amy’s quarters. He pushed open the door.

  Amy turned and let out a squeal. “What do you think you are doing in here?”

  He raised a thick brow and stopped right before her. With a smile, he ran a calloused finger down her smooth cheek.

  She jerked her head away.

  He grasped her arm and pulled her close. “What am I doing here?” he asked rhetorically and then grinned wickedly. “Well, I am trying to decide if I want to be more than just friends with you.”

  “You need to get out,” she said in a low hiss.

  But she did not move away and her eyes shone with desire. He took a chance and leaned forward. She did not fight him when he pressed his lips to hers. Excitement swirled within him.

  “Open your mouth, for me.”

  His voice was thick, his body tight with lust and need. She resisted only slightly before allowing his tongue the entrance it demanded. Devon grasped her tightly, crushing her to him. He kissed her passionately, marveling in her sweet attempts to follow his lead. Her tongue moved slightly forward and then retreated once again as if embarrassed and unsure.

  He frantically pulled open the laces of her blouse and marveled at her beauty. Amy shuddered in his arms, a small groan escaping, and pushed herself deeper into his embrace as he massaged her bared breasts.

  “Stop that now!”

  Devon jerked away as if he was physically torn from Amy’s body when Lady Vanessa’s angry voice cracked across the small room.

  “What do you think you are doing in here?”

  Devon stepped protectively in front of Amy.

  Amy covered herself, shrinking away from her mistress. “Milady, I am sorry—”

  “Nay,” Vanessa interrupted her. “You are not to apologize to me, ever.”

  It took everything Devon had not to back down when Lady Vanessa turned her icy gaze upon him. “You, on the other hand will apologize and explain yourself. What do you intend to do?” she growled angrily at him.

  “My lady?”

  Lady Vanessa voice tickled at the back of his mind, but he could not place it and she was not giving him time to think.

  “You know very well what I am asking, and if you think to stand in between me and her, you are sorely mistaken.”

  His mind whirled as her voice changed and lightened to a higher pitch. She took a tight step toward them, drawing his thoughts away from her voice.

  “Lady Vanessa, please,” Amy pleaded from behind him. Her delicate hand lay on his lower back as she peeked around his shoulders. Even in the volatile situation, the warm weight of her small hand sent shivers through his loins.

  Lady Vanessa didn’t seem to take notice of Amy at all. She took another tight step toward Devon. “What are your intentions? Are you looking to marry her?”

  “My Lady, Lady Vanessa, we just met. H–how am I to know if m–marriage is what I want?” Devon stuttered, still unsure of what he really wanted. He knew he wanted Amy, but for what, he did not know.

  Vanessa glared at him and her gaze never wavered. “Until you know, I expect you to act with some decorum around her.”

  Devon dropped his eyes self-consciously and had to force them back to Lady Vanessa’s face.

  “Until you know if you want it to be something more th
an a toss, you will both keep your hands on the outside of the clothing.” She stepped quickly toward him, closing the gap. Chest to chest and eye to eye, he fought the urge to retreat and lost. She smiled a satisfied grin as he took an involuntary step back. “If she ends up pregnant and you do not marry her...How far can you go to hide?”

  “Vanessa!” Amy squealed.

  “You—” Vanessa glanced over his shoulder at Amy and he felt her hand tighten on his tunic. “I will deal with you later.” Turning her attention back to him, Vanessa smiled an arctic smile that chilled him to the very core. “Do I make myself very clear?” she said softly.

  The soft, calm question scared him more than her angry growls. “Aye, Dark Lady.”

  There would be no argument from him. He would do his best to keep his promise to her. It was more than fear of her. It was an involuntary loyalty that seemed to overtake him, the feeling that he needed to show her respect as well as fealty.

  “Good, then I would suggest you get back to the men, like I already instructed.” Van was relieved that she had arrived in time to stop them. She shook her head as she watched him leave. She trusted Devon and had no objections to his marrying Amy, but she would not allow him to take advantage of her if marriage was not in his heart.

  He had almost reached the door when she spoke his name. He turned back to her with his hand resting on the latch.

  “Do not make me give you an order twice, ever again.”

  He bowed low. “Never again, my lady.”

  Van grinned as he walked out. At least he had stuck with my lady instead of Dark Lady as he had called her when he was so distracted. She turned her attention back to Amy who stood red faced in embarrassment and shame.

  Amy struggled to re-lace her blouse, but her fingers were trembling to the point of uselessness. Her eyes shone with unshed tears and her voice trembled nearly as bad as her fingers. “I do not understand how it got to...well to where we were.”