Her Norman Lord: Norman Lords: Book One

by Hannah West

  She quickly dropped to her knees besides him and starting looking for blood. He batted her hands away and growled at her.

  "Let me be, boy!" he hissed.

  "Be you silent," she hissed back. "I am checking for blood!"

  Pushing her away he sat up and she ended up in the dirt on her rump. Good thing her hair was tucked under her head mail, it would have become a mess!

  "There is no need to worry, boy," he growled as he gained his feet.

  Adrian looked at the small boy sitting on the ground. He looked no older than ten and two with wide green eyes looking up at him with hurt. Adrian felt his chest tighten; the boy looked a lot like Lady Sarina. Adrian knew she had no legal brother; mayhap her father had the boy with a mistress and kept him on out of pity. Adrian felt pity well up for the boy; surely it was a hard life to be the bastard of the last earl. Mayhap the sister knew of the boy and had begged her father to keep him. That he could believe of Lady Sarina. She had taken care of him while he was ill and she hadn't known who he was at first.

  She could have understood somewhat after he had attacked her.

  Gruffly cursing he held out a hand to the boy. The boy looked at him as if it were a snake poised to strike.

  "Get up!" Adrian growled.

  The boy jumped and grabbed for his hand. Roughly pulling the boy up, he dusted off his trows. He shouted for the other men who had crowded around to begone and they quickly disbursed.

  "Why are you in the lists?" he asked the boy, eyeing him. "You're too small to fight."

  The lad's chest puffed out. "No one is ever too small to learn how to fight and protect what is important to them."

  That raised a brow. "Who handles your training?"

  A sad glint caught the lad's eye and he sniffed. "The last earl did before he was killed."

  "So you train yourself now?" Adrian asked in surprise. The boy had pluck!

  The lad nodded and stared at him with those damned green eyes.

  Sighing he rubbed his hand over his beard. The lad had no one to see to his training. Mayhap if he took care of the boy, took over his training then that would be a way to win over Lady Sarina. If she cared for the boy then he had a way in.

  "Well, if you were agreeing to it, I could take over your training. Tis true that protecting what you hold important is one of the greatest things a warrior could do." He eyed the boy who had gone still with shock. "What do you say? Will you agree to me being your new lord and master?"

  Chapter Eight

  Sarina stilled with shock. Had he really just offered to train her? Then a thought crossed her mind, he was calling her 'lad'! He thought she was a boy!

  She wanted to chortle with glee. It was funny of him to think so, but then again ladies of her rank didn't fight with swords, no lady did for that matter. But she didn't want to give up her swordplay. As her father's only child at home he had spoiled her with anything she had wanted growing up. At the bright age of ten she had wanted to learn how to fight! So her father had started to teach her, but it was a secret kept to the people of the castle.

  The only question was not if she could get away with it, but for how long before he found out. She justified it by thinking this way she could get to know her future husband instead of being ignored by him. She wanted a real family, like she had before her mother died when she was eleven. She wanted her husband to come home and sweep her up in his arms and kiss her gently as her father had her mother.

  Looking at the giant of a man, it gave her pause. He didn't look as if he could give her what she wanted. He had a hard face, even if it was a handsome one, and he looked angry no matter what happened. He looked angry even now as he waited for her answer. His eyes however gave away a hint of something else, but it was gone before she could decide what that something was.

  "I would be honored," she said trying to make her voice go a little lower to sound like a boy. Her voice cracked and she winced.

  Puberty, he thought. He nodded his head in understanding now about the lad's strange voice.

  "Good," he boomed and gave the boy a firm swat on the backside to get him moving. "Let’s get to work!"

  Sarina rubbed her backside and flushed red. She tried to stammer a reply but nothing came out.

  It was three very long hours later that Sarina could no longer hold up her sword or have her legs hold her up. She sat in the dust as Lord Adrian taunted her, trying to provoke her into coming at him again.

  "Nay," she begged, "no more, my lord."

  Adrian sighed to himself, he was just working up a good sweat, but the lad was done for if his bum in the dirt was any sign. The lad begged for a break and Adrian decided he had done well enough for today, for being a small pint. Truly the boy showed some promise if he could grow into his mail that was a few sizes too big for him.

  Sheathing his sword he went to offer the boy a hand up, something his father used to do for him.

  "You need to work on your thrusts, they are too slow and weak," he offered as the boy got onto his lamb legs.

  A small smile crossed the boy's face and gave him a girlish beauty. The poor boy would have a hard life as he got older.

  "Let us go seek food," Adrian said as he walked away.

  The lad hurried up behind him. "The nooning meal will be in an hour, my lord."

  Adrian grunted.

  "Is there anything else I can do for you, my lord?"

  "Go find my friend named Alrek and tell him to meet me in my chambers. After that you are free for the rest of the day. Tomorrow we begin training after breaking our fast." Adrian ran a hand through his hair, and then rubbed his wounded side.

  "Are you in pain?" the boy piped up as he saw him rubbing to wound.

  "Nay, now get you gone!" Adrian growled and the lad took off for the keep.

  As Sarina passed Alrek on the stairs into the hall she turned to him in passing. "My lord Adrian requests you to his side. He is out by the lists!" After she was done she skipped inside.

  Sarina made it to her rooms and undressed as fast as she ever had. She knew he would expect Lady Sarina to be at the meal waiting to sit at his side. Lucky for her, her maid Sally, knew to leave a pitcher of warm water and rags for her to clean up with. Feeling fresh she dried off and dressed in her favored dark green gown that used to be her mother's.

  Tummy grumbling, she was ready for the noon meal with her lord. She was excited at the same time nervous. She frowned for a moment. What if he didn't wish to join the meal and ate elsewhere?

  Shaking her head she dismissed the idea. He was going to be the new earl, was the new earl in fact, and made so by the king. He would want to view his new people and have people see him in his rightful place or as rightful as it could be.

  Sarina was saddened that her father had been killed for not agreeing to swear an oath of loyalty to the king and she would miss him dearly, but if he had taught her one thing about life it was adjust to your surroundings and survive. To survive in these times meant to bow to the will of the new king. There was truly no love lost between her and her great uncle the king, she was twice removed from the royal line so they had never been close. But she felt bad for her cousin the last king's daughter. She had been executed on a crime of treason.

  Politics had never interested her, and she doubt they ever would. All it did was breed trouble.

  Upon walking into the great hall she eyed the head table and saw her future husband sitting in her father’s chair; a chair that had been left empty for a year now. She smiled as wide as she could and made a graceful attempt to get to her seat without accident. She felt his eyes on her the moment she stepped into the light. It was as if hot coals touched her skin.

  A shiver ran down her spine and she felt the need to cover herself with a cloak. She was embarrassed to be stared at in so boldly a fashion.

  "My lady," he said gruffly standing and pulling out her chair next to his for her.

  "My lord," Sarina said shyly glancing at him from the corner of her eye.

&nbs
p; She sat and he quickly scooted in her chair for her. As the servants bought around food they sat a trencher in front of her, but not Lord Adrian and moved on quickly. Seeing that he was about to bellow she used one finger to scoot it towards him. He paused then looked at her.

  "What are you doing?" he asked incredulous.

  "The lord and lady always share a trencher if they be seated together. They meant no disrespect, I swear to you. Tis how it’s done here, always had," she said quietly.

  A dull flush spread across his cheeks. He flawed even at the simplest things! She would know him as an uncultured brute, which had no manners. He may not have been born of noble stock or raised to it, but by God he would not be made a fool of!

  "My mother's mother started the tradition of this," she offered with a smile. "Most others believe it an old boorish practice, but my mother insisted that a good marriage came of sharing all things."

  He blinked at her last statement.

  She laughed softly at his stoned look. "Nobles do set their own traditions. I hope you don't mind we keep this one." Her smile faded as his expression darkened.

  "I'm sorry," she murmured softly as she looked away. Silently she cursed her tongue, now he was sure to be mad.

  A rough finger propped her chin up. He made her look into his dark eyes.

  "Never be sorry," he said quietly and made a great show about preparing his part of the meal. She saw he looked at his fork strangely. He looked over to her.

  Silently she used her fork to spear a steamed potatoes and pop it into her mouth. She smiled when he did the same thing, while she was watching out the corner of her eye.

  It had been her father who had brought the forks back from France. They were a strange thing to behold, but a help when eating, but they were indeed a treat only the nobles could afford.

  "So, my lord," she addressed him turning to look at him. She waited until he looked at her and she swallowed her nerves. "I ask but one thing of you in marriage."

  Curious as to her request he nodded his head to confirm her words.

  "I simply ask you not to beat me," she said quickly and held her breath.

  His face darkened dangerously. "Why would you ask such of me?"

  She cringed. "I have heard tales, my lord. I will not lie. I will be all you ask of me but that. All tales of you whispered behind closed doors says you are a ruthless man not only on the battle field, but off of it."

  He leaned in close. His bearded face getting closer to hers. "And pray tell where these tale have come from?"

  She took in a deep breath and answered quickly. "The maids and servants who have heard your men talking."

  For some mad reason this seemed to entertain the man and he laughed.

  Laughed!

  Sarina sat, completely blindsided that the rough warrior could do anything other than growl.

  "Oh, lass, that be a fine thing. It would have been Alrek trying to scare them away from me," he chuckled.

  "You laughed," she said dumbly and his face turned back into its hard look.

  "Aye, I did. I'm not a complete stone-faced man. But I haven't had much to laugh about in this life. Life is cruel and hard, you have only seen the soft side of things sitting there in your pillowed chair, my lady," he said tonelessly and looked away.

  That made her mad. Fury swept through her quickly and she hissed at him, "So it was the soft side that sent me my father's head in a box?"

  He turned a surprised look at her. As if this was news to him.

  "It was the soft side that saw my father's head lopped off? The soft side that left me alone in this world with no family left?" she scoffed. "You are a cold, heartless man, my lord. You know what I think of this coming marriage?"

  In one big sweep of her arm she knocked the trencher of food, goblets of wine and everything else to the floor. "How is that for the soft side? If life is so cruel then you may eat off its floors!" she shouted then ran from the great hall, tears burning in her eyes.

  What a fool she was! Letting her anger get the better of her, but she had had enough as of late. It had been a long hard year with the death of her father, England under a new rule and keeping her people fed and warm. He had no idea the trouble she went through for these people, the things she had given up.

  She would face him with a new fury in the lists tomorrow. She would give him a piece of the hurt he had given her.

  Chapter Nine

  As the sun settled high in the sky, Adrian frowned as the lad came at him again. The lad was a wee devil this morning, attacking with everything he had as if he had a point to prove. With his back and side still injured it was all he could do to keep up with the lad. Suddenly the boy popped up from nowhere and slapped the flat of his blade against Adrian’s injured side and he went down with a groan of pain.

  Two times, what were the odds?

  The lad after seeing what he done dropped his sword to the dirt and ran to Adrian’s side.

  "Don't," he barked the command. The boy froze in fear.

  Raising slowly to his feet he stood with another groan, his side protesting. "Boy, what has gotten you in a snit?"

  He raised his chin bravely, but his lower lip quavered. "You hurt Lady Sarina last eve. I was getting even."

  Adrian grunted at him. He had though that might be it.

  Waving the lad over to a stone bench he sat with a grunt. He looked at the small lad and then to the cloudy sky. He sat silent for a long time before he said, "I didn't mean too," softly.

  The lad's head snapped up. "What do you mean you didn't mean too," he asked suspicious.

  Adrian sighed. "I didn't mean too. I am not good with women; I have spent most of my life at war and around men. I have no idea what to do with the girl."

  Sarina sat stunned. Could it be true?

  "How can you not know what to be? You’re ancient!" Sarina bit her lip quickly.

  The lord gave her a quelling look. "I am only two score. Not ancient like you pointed out."

  She hid her face by looking at her mud crusted boots. "Mayhap not so old," she agreed.

  He growled. "What would you do, lad?"

  Sarina looked at him, but he was facing away from her. "My lord?"

  He gave a frustrated sigh. "What would you do about the lass, lad? There be only a fortnight before the wedding, two more banns to be read and she hates my guts! Why must women be so hard to learn?" He rubbed his face.

  Pleased to hear that he wanted to make amends she nearly smiled, nearly. She pretended to ponder that for a moment and shrugged. "Do what pleases her."

  "What might please her do you think?" he asked quietly, so quiet she almost didn't hear him. "I know the king commanded the match, but when my gaze lands on her it’s as if I can't breathe right. She has bewitched me with those green eyes of hers." He had babbled on to himself. He scowled.

  "Well," she said thinking, "a lady likes a clean man with a clean face. Mayhap shave the beard and take a bath?" she asked, and then added, "But don't smell better than her. Ladies are to smell better."

  Adrian rubbed a hair cheek and sighed, maybe it was his beard. "Anything else, lad?"

  "You hurt her feelings; you don't understand all she has done for her people. Get to know her." Another shrug and an inner smile.

  Adrian frowned. "Got to know her?"

  "Oh aye, it’s important to know the person you marry. What happens if you don't suit? A lady wants a good husband and many babes," she said with a definite nod. Or at least she wanted that.

  "How would I come about doing that? If I tried?"

  As she gazed at his profile she saw the honest expression on his face. He did mean to try.

  "It’s not as if I want to be cruel to her, my tongue runs ahead of my head. You have to think like that in battle," he sighed.

  "This isn't battle, my lord. The things she wants is simple. Get to know her; the rest will follow from there."

  He eyed her. "That sounds too simple, that must be more."

  She grinned at
him. "If there is just ask her. I am off, my lord. I have things to do today. My lady rides out on the weeks end to manage the estate and check on the tenants. Mayhap you can catch her. Good day, my lord."

  Chapter Ten

  Thinking on the boy's words Adrian came to the decision of finding Lady Sarina and following her about this day. If for any other reason than just to be with her, to see what she was like. Mayhap Alrek was right and he needed to give the girl his trust. He wanted to, but his better nature went against him for it. He would have to prove to himself that she could be trusted.

  But to do that she had to be and he was sure that not all was as it seemed at Kildenry Castle. Something was afoot; he had the feeling since Alrek told him it was his betrothed that had run her father's lands and castle this past year.

  Taking the reins of his horse from his squire he kicked the beast into action, giving him his head. Warren had said the lady had left not less than twenty minutes before.

  The lands outside the castle gates was a mix of grey and dying brown, the sky looked pale with its billowy dark grey clouds. It was another predicable English day with a misty dank chill. Far into the distance started the forest that lead toward the mountains in the direction of Scotland. The trees were bare and their sharp braches bared like the teeth of a wild wolf. To his left in the road rolling hills of farmland extended as far as the eye could see, to the right lay the village close the castle's outer wall.

  In truth the place was well kept for the report that had been given, the king himself had admitted the estate had been hit hard. He knew for a fact that half the crops had been burned. The people had little, but they weren't starving. Adrian had also seen villagers come in for the evening meal, he had asked the cook about it and her reply had been short.

  "My lady said to let them eat if they needed a meal. Said she would rather starve herself and give a meal to the children. No one starves here, thanks to Lady Sarina. A saint she is I tell ye!" and that had been that.