Storm Trilogy

by Ria Cantrell

  Through sobs, Rhianna tried to explain about the missive from the king. Drew tried to make sense of what she was saying, but he was only able to discern bits and pieces of the information. One of the crofters appeared and he asked about the lady’s distress. Drew thought the man looked nervous but perhaps he was shaken to see Rhianna charging toward his home and now clearly upset.

  The man asked them both to come inside and he would bring the lady something to drink. Drew did not like the way the man’s gaze did not meet his eyes when he invited them in, but he realized that he was, in many ways, still a stranger to these people. Not usually going against his instincts, Drew thought perhaps he was just reading something into it because of Rhianna’s anguish. The man was probably uncomfortable with the Lady’s unbridled display of raw sorrow. So casting his niggling caution aside, Drew said, “Come, m’lady. You need to compose yourself. Surely things cannot be as bad as you think.”

  Drew wiped her tears from her face but she sobbed, “Erik petitioned the king to not marry me. The---the king has granted his petition.”

  “Nonsense! That cannot be so. You already are married. I am sure that Erik sent the missive before he arrived here. In truth he did not want to marry anyone. It was not because he did not want to marry you.”

  Rhianna looked into Drew’s kind eyes and she said, “He sent the missive to the king after he met me. He did not retract his request and now the king has forbidden him to marry me for he has someone else of greater import for Erik to wed. He has been requested to return to Court immediately.”

  Drew was surprised and horrified by this news. He had not known that Erik had sent a missive to beg the king to retract his decree to marry Rhianna. He had known Erik all of his life and never had he known his friend to be so deeply in love with a woman as he was with Rhianna. Rhianna had to be mistaken.

  “He loves you, Rhianna. There is no doubt of that.”

  Rhianna shook her head. Fat tears pooled in her eyes again and splashed down her cheeks. Her sorrow and despair was deep; as if her heart had been torn from her breast.

  The crofter stood nearby uneasily, and he once again begged them to come inside. Drew took Rhianna’s hand and he said, “Come inside. We will discuss this and I will try to find out how this came about.”

  “It came about because Erik did not want me; there is no denying that now.”

  “There is denying that. He does love you and he does want you. This is a big mistake.”

  “Aye, the mistake is all mine…for giving my heart to him.”

  Drew looked over at the man trying to convince them to come inside and he realized it must have appeared untoward for them to be standing in the lane, with the distraught Mistress of du Montefort. Drew led Rhianna into the cottage and it became instantly clear that doing so was the worst decision of his life.

  As he crossed the threshold, Drew felt a searing pain crash into his skull and before he hit the floor, he saw a hideous specter grab hold of Rhianna. It looked like a very demon from the pits of hell. As blackness swirled behind his eyes, he knew he had failed both Erik and Rhianna.

  ~Chapter Forty-Four~

  When Rhianna saw Drew fall, she immediately tried to help him, but found her arm grasped so hard, it threatened to be pulled from the socket of her shoulder. She looked up at the man who she thought was her loyal vassal, and saw he had clubbed Drew with a piece of pottery.

  “Why,” she muttered in disbelief.

  “It seems your subjects are not so loyal to you after all, are they Mistress du Montefort?”

  Aaron Jasper! Rhianna’s senses cleared and she tried to pull her arm free, but felt the unnatural strength in his grip that could not be deterred. The crofter stammered, “I am sorry, m’lady--I--I had no choice. H--He has threatened to burn my cottage…with my daughter tied to the beam.”

  Rhianna looked across the room and saw the girl trussed up like a yuletide goose, suspended from the rafters; her feet dangling so that just her toes brushed the packed floor of the cottage. The girl’s arms were bound and tied above her head. The young woman’s eyes were wide and stricken with fear and Rhianna knew that she had to be in considerable pain strung up that way.

  “Silence or I will set this place ablaze now. Mistress, you will be escorting me, for you see, it is time you rethink your brother’s rejection of my offer of marriage.”

  Rhianna’s heart twisted in her chest but she said, “I am already married…” even though at the moment, she had felt as if her marriage to Erik was a sham.

  “Ahh, yes, I heard what you said before your guard brought you inside. It would seem that your marriage will be forfeit after all. For you see, Erik Ragnorsen works for me. He petitioned the king to nullify your marriage after your lands had been secured. Unfortunately with the return of your brother,” he spat. “He really has no need of you now. I am afraid; he never loved you but only wanted your lands. Now that there is no chance of him garnering such a prize, you are really quite worthless to him.”

  Aaron had used his good fortune of what he had heard outside of the crofter’s cottage to learn of the lady’s distress and he would now use it against her. Already the seeds of doubt had been planted; else she would not have ridden so blindly and carelessly to this remote place. It was just a stroke of luck that she arrived when she did. He had fully intended to use the crofter to trap Rhianna, but had not thought she would just drop in on the doorstep and fall so easily into his clutches. It was all he could do not to laugh out loud at his wonderful windfall.

  Rhianna could not believe what she had heard. It had all been a ploy to land her into her most hated enemy’s hands? It could not be.

  “You are lying,” she countered, though her heart did not quite seem behind her words.

  “Oh, am I? How is that your beloved Erik did not come after you, but sent his man in his stead? If it was not so, do you not think he would have tried to save you, instead of letting you, hmmm shall we say, come right to me? He planned it all along.”

  Rhianna shook her head in disbelief. No, it could not be true. As if reading her mind, Aaron Jasper said, “Oh but it is true, my lady. Now, you belong to me.”

  “But he….”

  “Loved you? Nay. He did not. He used you and loosened you for me. I have no use for virgins. As you can see, I am a very big man.”

  Rhianna’s eyes widened in horror. She felt bile rising in her throat at the thought of what he had said. She again tried to struggle out of his hold and she was prepared to do whatever it took to get away from this monster. She kicked him as hard as she could in his solid shin and while it caused him pain, it did nothing to aid in her release. Twisting his fist in her hair, he yanked hard. Her scalp burned and she yelped from the shock of it. He growled into her face; his stinking breath filling her nostrils, “Do not do that again, Mistress. You will learn I have many ways to inflict pain and I enjoy doing them as much as I will enjoy having you squirm beneath me.”

  As the gorge rose in her throat, Rhianna could not contain the nausea as it overcame her. She heaved and vomited right there on Aaron Jasper’s boots. “Stupid bitch,” he cursed and he cuffed her. The blow sent Rhianna sprawling and she could feel a welt rising on her cheek where he had struck her. Pulling her back up by her hair, he wiped his boot by kicking the fallen Drew in the side. Rhianna had always been brave, but her world had just come apart. She knew what this man was capable of. She mustered her strength and she said, “My brother will have his revenge.”

  “Oh, that brother that I kept in my dungeons until he lost his wits? That very same?”

  “He has not lost his wits. He is hale and he will not let you do this. The king sent reinforcements…my brother is not without means to destroy you.”

  “Those same reinforcements that warmed your bed, Mistress? That king’s man? Or this one,” he emphasized with another kick. He laughed evilly and said, “There are no reinforcements, Mistress, and your brother’s means cannot destroy me. Come, I grow weary of this discuss
ion.”

  Aaron had wanted to set the crofter’s cottage ablaze regardless of his aid, but his plans had changed. He needed to hold onto this wiry woman. She was as slippery as an eel and he had to have use of both hands in order to restrain her. He could not release her for even a second to light a torch. She was not as weak as he thought and his shin still throbbed where her heel had landed. Instead he took some of the jute roping he had used to tie the man’s daughter to the rafter and he bound Rhianna’s wrists tightly behind her back. The rough rope bit into her flesh and though she tried to break the bonds, she could not. She could feel it chafing her wrist with each movement.

  Aaron cast an ominous warning to the crofter, saying, “Do not doubt that I will not come back to kill you and your daughter should you run to Lord du Montefort. My good fortune is yours because you live…for the moment.”

  Before she could utter another word of protest, Aaron Jasper thrust her up on his horse and holding his reins in one meaty fist and her hair in the other, he spurred his mount to charge forward. Rhianna felt panic rise within her breast. She was being carried away to the dreaded Morcar Keep, the place that her brother had suffered untold tortures; the place where Randall was forced to drink poisons that rendered him senseless and destroyed his memory. She had to force herself to think. She needed her wits about her while she still had the where-with-all to resist. Once she got to Morcar, there was no telling what Aaron would do to her to relieve her of her faculties.

  Rhianna could not allow herself to think about what Aaron Jasper had said about Erik. Even if what he had done hurt her deeply, she could not let herself believe that he had worked for Aaron Jasper all along. No, those thoughts were too horrible and they threatened tears to form behind her eyes if she allowed them to brew in her heart. No, now she had to keep her mind clear so that she could save herself from a fate that was worse than death.

  She remained silent as they rode closer to her doomed destination. She used her silence to glean tools she could use to aid her in her survival. During the ride, Aaron said things that she would store in her memory to use against him if she had a chance. He talked about alchemy and practices of dark magic. Rhianna got the idea that he fancied her some sort of powerful witch that could aid him in his black magic. Even if she was, she would never use any of the Gifts granted to her by the Ancient Guardians for the evil he wanted. Still, she could let him think she would. Yes, she let him talk and she kept her mind clear of damaging thoughts of love and loss. Those thoughts were best held for another time…and she vowed silently for her revenge when she could cull the hurt and deception that had rent her heart…but not now. No, those things were better left for another time, indeed.

  ~Chapter Forty-Five~

  When Drew came to, he was left with a severe pounding in his skull. He felt the spot where he had been struck and when he pulled his hand away, it came back sticky with his own blood. He saw dark floating spots before his eyes and it took him a moment to remember what had happened. His side ached too, and it smelled as if someone had gotten sick near him. He smelled something else. It was thick like a miasma. He smelled fear. He tried to stand and saw the villager trying to cut his daughter from her binds.

  Holding a hand to his temple, he drew on his normal strength as a hardened warrior to help him rise. He had not taken his sword with him on his chase after Rhianna, but he always had a dagger handy in his belt. He was surprised that Aaron Jasper had not stripped him of it, but it seemed he was in a hurry to whisk Rhianna away. With a quick slash, Drew cut the girl free and he spoke not another word to the man who had bludgeoned him. Randall would have to deal with him later. Now, his task was to get back to du Montefort and bring forces to rescue the lady.

  The crofter stammered, “You c--cannot go to the Lord Randall…that monster will come back and kill me and my child.”

  “You are lucky I do not kill you myself. Take yourself to the keep and seek mercy for what you have done. I have sworn to protect the lady and because of you I have failed. I will not let harm come to her.”

  Drew was pretty certain he had never been so angry in his entire life. He understood why the man did what he had done, but that did not mean Drew was alright with the actions that could have possibly cost Lady Rhianna her life. He left the man staring after him.

  Despite the pounding in his head, Drew knew that time was of the essence to get back to du Montefort. He did not have time to think or dwell on his pain now. Instead, he rode with swiftness and efficiency to get to his destination. The bridge was already lowered, and men were milling in the yard, preparing to ride out with Erik. When Drew entered the castle yard, he did not need to explain that something terrible had happened. One look at him told the tale.

  “What happened? You have been gone for hours. We were just going to get a search party together. Where is Rhianna,” thundered Erik.

  Drew did not know how he was going to tell Erik that the most feared person now had his wife. He said, “Erik…I…failed you. Bring Randall in with you…we need to discuss a serious battle tactic.”

  “Battle, what the hell are you talking about? Where is my wife?”

  Glancing at the men already mounted and ready to begin the search, Drew felt defeated. He said, “He took her, Erik. I was led into a trap and he took her.”

  “Who? Who has my wife?”

  Randall looked at Drew and he knew. “Jasper. He has her.”

  Hanging his head, Drew nodded.

  “Did he act alone?”

  “I know not. He had one of your serfs render me unconscious. I only caught a glimpse of him before I succumbed to the blow to my skull. I’m so sorry….”

  Erik could not blame Drew. It was entirely his fault. If anyone had failed Rhianna, it was certainly him. He gathered his men and he instructed them to wait. They needed to change their mission from being a search party to one of strategic battle.

  Randall had been the last person to be inside of Morcar Keep and so they would need to discuss the best possible course of action. It was futile to send even a handful to try to head Aaron Jasper off. They had several hours lead and at this point, they were probably at the fortified keep of Morcar already. Instead it would be best to bring on a full scale siege of the place once the tactical plans were decided upon. They had to assure that upon their attack, the Lady Rhianna would not be harmed, but how? That was the delicate problem.

  Erik took his best men, Drew, and followed Randall into a secluded antechamber. Randall sent for Tristan and his captain of archers as well. In a rush of pounding boots down the corridor, the men closed themselves in to make war plans. Erik paced outside of the door while all the men filed in. He had to think and he had to calm himself enough to call upon his training as a soldier, only his heart was getting in the way of it.

  Andarra saw the flurry of men rushing into private council with Randall. Erik stood outside and wore a visage of worry mixed with simmering rage. Andarra clutched the missive that she had found on the floor and she fixed her eyes on him. She was brewing a rage of her own. Shaking the missive in front of Erik, she said, “What have ye’ done, boy?”

  “I am going to fix it, Andarra. But that is the least of my problems at the moment.”

  “Where is my lass?”

  Her accent was more pronounced when she was upset. It aided in grating on Erik’s already taught nerves. He just had no love for anything or anyone from that cold wasteland from the north of them.

  “We will find her.”

  “Find her?” Andarra’s voice rose in outrage. “Ye’ mean the dark lord has her? Do ye’ nay know what he is capable of?” Andarra was in full temper at his statement and so one would say her Scottish was up.

  “I promise you, we are going to rescue her.”

  “Rescue…this is yer’ fault, Erik Ragnorsen. There is more at stake than just a rescue. Ye’ dinnae’ know what ye’ will lose. I hold ye’ to blame.”

  He nodded sadly and he said, “Aye, it is my fault. I cannot deny that
, Andarra. I am responsible for all of it and I will not rest until she is safely home.”

  “She is with child.”

  The words hung in the air, convicting Erik. He swallowed the ball of lead that had formed in his throat and he said, “I know. She told me of your prophesy. I suspected it last night when she was unusually tired. I will not fail her, Andarra.”

  “Ye’ have already failed her.”

  With that, Erik entered the chambers where his and Randall’s men had assembled and shut the door behind him. The weight of his guilt and shame was heavy on his soul. He did not need Andarra to put it upon him. He wore it like a thick mantle upon his shoulders. He had to save his beloved Rhianna. His life depended on it.

  ~~~~~

  The council had met and planned throughout the night. No one slept, especially not Erik. He was utterly sick inside with worry. He tried not to imagine the horrors that had already befallen his beautiful lady. But try as he might, images of terrible things came to the forefront of his mind and it fairly ate him up alive. Drew had a hard time meeting his eyes. He felt wholly responsible for what had happened. Finally, he went to Erik, not as a friend, but as his faithful servant and he knelt before him.

  Speaking formally, Drew said, “M’lord. I humbly beg for your forgiveness. I have failed you and I have failed her.”

  Erik wanted to blame anyone but himself for what had happened and Drew seemed a good enough scapegoat, but as he looked at his truest friend kneeling before him with his head bowed, he could not have Drew bear the grief and regret that he himself carried. He said, “Stand, Drew. Forgiveness is not mine to give.”

  Drew’s broad shoulders slumped at those words. How could Erik forgive him? He knew there was no way that Erik could. But then Erik said, “This is entirely my fault. I cannot forgive you because there is nothing to forgive on your part. You did your best to stay with her when she was distraught over what I had already done. You were set upon and, in truth; I should have gone after her myself. I just thought…you have such a way with her and I was the last person she wanted to speak to at that moment. You and she can reason and talk and you have proven far better at it than I have. I was jealous of it at first, but I then became glad for it. For she loved me, and that was all that mattered. I was glad she found a friend in you. This mess--this is entirely my fault. If I had not petitioned the king to break the marriage decree, none of this would have happened.”