A VOW TO KEEP (The Vengeance Trilogy)

by Lana Williams

  Royce spoke again, and Nicholas clapped his hands in delight, a huge smile on his face. Hugh joined the pair as Royce produced a small stick.

  Alyna looked closer. It wasn’t a stick, but a skillfully whittled dagger. Touched, Alyna stared at Royce, amazed at his thoughtfulness. Nicholas’s minor injury was forgotten as he held the wooden knife high to show Hugh.

  Hugh took the knife and examined it closely before handing it back to her son with a solemn nod of approval.

  Nicholas turned to look at her. “Mama!” he cried. He walked carefully toward her, holding his new prize before him. “Look,” he said, as he proudly presented it for her inspection, the scrape on his knee long forgotten.

  Alyna made certain the tip of it was dull enough for her young son to play with, then returned it to Nicholas. “Did you thank Sir Royce?”

  Nicholas nodded, gave her a quick peck on her cheek, before going back to the men.

  She smiled at Royce, touched by his consideration. The look he gave her in return set off more butterflies in her stomach. Alyna turned away before she made a fool of herself. Hadn’t she just told herself not let his considerate behavior fool her?

  Stretching to ease her stiff muscles, she grimaced at the thought of riding a horse yet again not to mention wearing the same clothes a third day, but it couldn’t be helped. Her gown had been donned for its serviceable brown material rather than for attractiveness. With a sigh, she thought of the saffron gown she’d packed in her bag to wear when she met her grandfather. The bag that was still at Montvue with Enid. Her hair and everything else on her body felt filthy from the dust of the road, and she longed for some hot, steaming water.

  Her gaze sought the powerful knight across the clearing. What had filled his dreams that disturbed him so? Whatever it was, it had shaken him. No sign of that remained now. He appeared at ease and back to the confident man she was beginning to know.

  “Good day, my lady.” Hugh greeted her. His blue eyes sparkled with an inner mirth that made her smile. “How do you fare this fine day?”

  “I’m well, thank you, Sir Hugh. And you?”

  “Very well. Might I interest you in something to ease your hunger?” He offered her his elbow.

  “Indeed.” She walked with Hugh to where Kenneth stood near the fire. “I’m certain Sir Royce is anxious to be on his way. I’ll eat quickly so we can leave anon.”

  She had just finished her solitary meal when shouts drew her attention. A man galloped into camp and stopped before Royce. The others gathered around, including Hugh and Kenneth, and listened as the soldier spoke. He gestured broadly with his hands and pointed in the distance.

  Royce questioned him, then called out orders as he and Hugh strode toward the horses. They wasted no time mounting. Three other men followed suit. Nicholas ran to Alyna where she stood near the fire. Alyna kept her gaze on Royce, alarmed at the thought of him leaving.

  He glanced her way, looking every inch the fierce knight once again. His huge steed seemed to bear down on her, and it took all her courage to stand her ground as it drew closer. She pushed Nicholas behind her, then released the breath she’d been holding when the horse halted beside her.

  “One of my men found the trail of some troublesome thieves who’ve caused your grandfather much strife. I’m taking a few men to see if we can eliminate this problem.” As though his thoughts were already on his destination, he glanced away. His horse stomped its feet, as ready as its master to be off. Royce’s gaze returned to her. “I regret the timing of this, but they’ve burned cottages and stolen livestock and must be stopped.”

  “I understand. I wouldn’t want to be the reason you missed the opportunity to disband them.”

  “I don’t plan to disband them, my lady. I plan to kill them.”

  Uneasy at the thought of him leaving to face such danger, she put her hand on his leg and looked up at him. “When will you be back? Shouldn’t you take more men?”

  “Nay. There’s a chance this is a trap, and I would take no risk with your safety. As to when I’ll return, I cannot say. We may not catch up with you before you reach Northe Castle.” He leaned over and placed his callused palm along her cheek. “I wish you well, my lady.”

  She caught her breath at his touch, her gaze locked with his. His warm, gray eyes held her with an intensity that promised something more. His thumb moved against her cheek, and it was all she could do not to lean into the warmth of his hand.

  “Sir Edward will see you safely delivered to Lord Blackwell. Call upon him should you need anything.” With a brief nod, he withdrew his hand and galloped off, Hugh by his side, his men falling in behind him.

  Nicholas reached for her hand and, together, they watched them depart. She was less than pleased with Royce’s decision to put Sir Edward in charge. Why had he left her with him of all people? She scowled at Royce’s departing back.

  She hadn’t realized how comforting Royce’s presence was until he was gone. Somehow, despite their differences, she trusted him.

  But Sir Edward was another matter entirely. Worst of all, she had no horse of her own, so she’d be riding with him.

  Conscious of Sir Edward’s gaze upon her, she did her best to keep her expression neutral. Nothing would be gained by letting him know of her dislike. “When are we leaving, Sir Edward?” she called out to the handsome knight.

  “We await your command, my lady.” He bowed low as he spoke, but to Alyna, it was nothing more than a courtly gesture with no sincerity behind it. His dark, nearly black eyes remained cold and the smirk on his face offered her no solace.

  She tried to shake off her unease. ’Twould not pay to become dependent upon Royce. His presence or absence should matter not. She thought instead on what the remainder of the day would bring. “Let us leave at once then.”

  Soon the remaining men mounted and their journey resumed. Nicholas rode with Matthew, the youngest of the knights. He’d refused to ride with Edward, much to Alyna’s surprise. It didn’t seem like he’d been around Edward enough to form a dislike of him.

  Alyna insisted on riding behind Edward so as not to have him breathing down her neck. Whatever the knight had eaten to break his fast caused him to have foul breath, and she had no desire to smell it any more than she had to. The other advantage to her position was that she didn’t feel obligated to make conversation with him.

  Unfortunately, he didn’t feel the same way. “Your grandfather is an important man, Lady Alyna. These past years spent in Normandy and Poitou have given him much wealth and prestige. He’s developed a reputation for training knights along with Sir Royce. They now have to turn men away, so many seek to join their ranks. Why, I myself, have spent nearly three seasons with Lord Blackwell.”

  “Were you raised in France?”

  “Nay. My uncle raised me for a time, then sent me off to squire for his overlord. From there, I demanded to be sent to Lord Blackwell.”

  Alyna frowned, unable to bear the thought of sending Nicholas off at eight years to begin training as a knight. Surely most mothers protested this custom, but luckily ’twould be some years yet before she needed to consider it.

  Sir Edward’s arrogant manner seemed to be in keeping with his looks. Cold and sharp. His efforts to impress her were for naught. While she wasn’t able to put her distrust of him aside completely, she did her best to ignore it long enough to find out more of her grandfather.

  “How long have you been in England?”

  “Hardly more than a fortnight. ’Tis good to be home. I don’t know why we couldn’t have returned sooner.”

  Alyna had no reply so didn’t offer one.

  “If I were in charge, many things would be different.” The underlying bitterness to his tone was unmistakable. He glanced over his shoulder at her. “Your grandfather and Royce mean well, I suppose, but good intentions do not produce results.”

  Uncomfortable with his comments, she changed the topic of conversation. “I’m sure you’ve seen many interesting places
in your travels.”

  He needed no further prompting and launched into a story of a place she’d never heard of, involving people she didn’t know. Alyna was grateful he enjoyed speaking of himself and his life, as he required little if any response from her.

  Perhaps sooner than she was prepared for, her grandfather’s castle came into view.

  “Quite an impressive sight, wouldn’t you agree?” asked Sir Edward.

  It was indeed. The castle perched high on a steep incline and could be seen for miles. The gloom of the day seemed not to have reached it, for it alone reflected sunlight.

  The castle was much larger than Alyna had imagined. The gate was flanked by two massive, round towers. The thick walls splayed at the base. Built of wood and stone, the large square keep was a full three stories in height with round turrets at either end. Creneled walls surrounded the battlements. The majority of the village resided within the stone wall, but additional cottages sat just outside as well.

  Northe Castle was obviously thriving, despite its lord’s absence.

  A memory struck Alyna. When the trouble comes, go north. Answers will be there. Could this be the “north” that Myranda had referred to when she had told Alyna to go north?

  Her gaze caught on a glint at Sir Edward’s hip. As she looked closer, she could see the pommel of Sir Edward’s sword held a pale blue crystal the size of her thumb in its center. A crystal the color of the sky.

  A quiver ran down Alyna’s spine.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “Barberry is excellent for sore throats;

  be certain to administer in small doses.”

  Lady Catherine’s Herbal Journal

  Could fate be so cruel as to thrust a knight she had taken an immediate dislike to as the one chosen to help her?

  She sincerely hoped not.

  Alyna glanced again at the knight’s sword, noting the sparkle of the stone in its pommel and sighed. A crystal the color of the sky, Myranda had said. At the time, that had seemed fairly straightforward. But the sky could be so many different shades, dependent upon the weather, the time of day, the season even. Was that pale blue the color she’d meant?

  Perhaps most knights had such a stone in their sword. As unobtrusively as possible, she studied the swords of the other knights. Only one was close enough for her to see clearly and it carried a swirled metal design, but no crystal.

  She closed her eyes and prayed Sir Edward was not the knight who would be ‘reluctant to help her’. Nor did she want him to be eager to help her, she quickly clarified in case God was listening. After a deep breath, she opened her eyes to see the massive gate of North Castle ahead. The horses’ hooves clattered on the cobblestoned entrance in rhythm with her heart.

  It was hard not to be intimidated by massiveness of the place. Alyna had never visited a castle so large, so impressive. Nicholas stared all around him, his mouth agape, eyes wide. As the portcullis lowered behind them, she bit her lip, wondering what this meeting would bring.

  The guards called greetings to the men who accompanied her, their camaraderie obvious. The village appeared prosperous; cottages stood in an orderly fashion and in good repair. Most villeins went about their business, but some paused to stare at their small party.

  Heat suffused her cheeks. Self-conscious of her disheveled, dusty appearance, it was all she could do not to raise a hand to check her hair and adjust her gown. She knew even on a good day, her features would not impress anyone, but she had always prided herself on being neat and tidy. On this day, she’d been stripped of even that. Frustration and anger filled her. Her grandfather had no idea what he’d done by sending Royce to fetch her with such haste.

  She took a deep breath to cool her ire. Greeting her grandfather with anger would gain her nothing, and she had every intention of getting what she wanted from him: a safe home in which to raise Nicholas.

  They rode to the back of the bailey where she could see the keep. As she watched, a tall, white-haired man came out of the large wooden doors and down the stairs. Her memory had served her well though the last time they’d met had been coated with grief.

  He held himself erect and confident, as befitting his title of lord. He was fit for a man of his age; his broad shoulders filled out his dark blue tunic.

  For a few moments, Alyna had the advantage of being blocked from her grandfather’s view by Sir Edward, but before she could fully prepare, they’d stopped at the foot of the stairs.

  Matthew dismounted and lifted Nicholas down, then came to help her. Sir Edward glared at Matthew, a snarl on his lips. Matthew’s face flushed, but he remained where he was. “Might I offer assistance, my lady?”

  She smiled. “Why, certainly, Sir Matthew.” She put her hands on his shoulders and, to her surprise, he lifted her with ease from the horse. The young man was stronger than he looked.

  He flashed her a shy smile, his face still red. “My pleasure.”

  Sir Edward dismounted, narrowly missing Matthew’s toes when he jumped to the ground. “Lady Alyna?” Edward offered her one elbow while his other landed in Matthew’s stomach.

  The younger knight grunted in response.

  “Step back, you dolt,” Edward commanded.

  Alyna ignored Edward’s elbow and gestured for Nicholas to come to her. Grasping his small hand in hers, she approached her grandfather. She had no need of assistance from a man as boorish as Sir Edward. The rude knight deserved the same treatment he’d given Matthew.

  Before she could utter a greeting, Sir Edward said, “Lord Blackwell, I’m pleased to deliver your granddaughter, Lady Alyna, to you.”

  Annoyed, Alyna glared at the knight. Was she some sort of bundle he’d carted about?

  “Alyna.” Lord Blackwell took her hand before she could offer it, smiling as his gaze took in her face. “I’m pleased you’re here. For so long, I’ve looked forward to seeing you again.”

  Lines etched his mouth and creased his forehead, but his eyes had not changed at all. Their amber depths studied her even as she studied him. Heat rose in her face at his close scrutiny. “I, too, have waited a long time to visit with you.”

  As though he remembered the reason for their last meeting when her mother had died, a shadow crossed his face, then passed as quickly as it had come. “You’ve grown into a lovely young woman.”

  Disbelief and pleasure fought within her at his words. She pushed aside the feelings to concentrate on what was more important. “I’m anxious to hear what you have to tell me. Sir Royce insisted speed was of the essence. We left Montvue rather abruptly.”

  Her grandfather surveyed the group of men. “Where is Royce?”

  “My lord, I would speak to you about Royce’s absence,” Edward said.

  Lord Blackwell raised a brow. “Aye?”

  “In private, if it pleases you.”

  The older man frowned. “It does not please me. I have no intention of leaving my granddaughter when she’s just arrived. What is it?”

  Edward glanced at Alyna as though he wished she’d honor his desire for privacy. She refused to accommodate him. She tilted her head to the side and did her best to act as though she didn’t understand the look he’d given her.

  His mouth tightened with displeasure. He turned again to her grandfather, leaned toward him, and lowered his voice. “I’m sorry to advise you of this, my lord, but Royce left Lady Alyna this morning to chase after some thieves supposedly nearby.”

  Alyna was shocked. His tone suggested he disapproved of Royce’s departure and the reason for it. He was obviously trying to cast a shadow over Royce in her grandfather’s eyes. But why?

  Her grandfather seemed unaffected by Edward’s words. “If they are the ones who have been troubling us, then I would be most pleased if Royce destroyed the lot of them.”

  “But, my lord, leaving Lady Alyna went against your orders. Sir Royce was to personally accompany your granddaughter to Northe Castle, was he not?”

  “Edward, I’m certain Royce’s decision to l
eave Alyna was well planned, just as all his other actions. Should I doubt your ability to watch over my granddaughter in Royce’s absence for so short a journey?”

  “Nay, my lord,” sputtered the knight. “Of course not.”

  Lord Blackwell turned back to Alyna. At last he noticed Nicholas, who peeked at him from behind her. “Whom do we have here?”

  Alyna drew a deep breath, not sure what reaction she would receive at her announcement. “This is my son, Nicholas.”

  “Your son?” He looked with disbelief at Alyna then back at Nicholas. “But how...I mean when?”

  “Nicholas is just past four years.” Alyna held Nicholas’s hand firmly in hers.

  Lord Blackwell shook his head, still bewildered at the news. “It seems I’ve missed more than I thought.” He looked again at Nicholas and squatted down. “How do you do, Nicholas?”

  Nicholas stepped forward and stared for a long moment. He bowed to Lord Blackwell, much to Blackwell’s delight. “Well. Thank you.”

  “We have much to discuss,” her grandfather said, with a pointed look at Alyna.

  She nodded, but held her tongue, not offering any explanation for her son.

  Lord Blackwell rose and tucked Alyna’s hand in the crook of his elbow. “I’ll wager you have your hands full with this lad. Come, let us go inside and see you settled. You must be famished.”

  They walked up the steps to the forebuilding that protected the entrance to the keep. Inside the massive, carved doors, the great hall spread out to the right with a stone staircase rising to an upper level on the left. Trenchers of food had been set on the long, oak tables in the hall, awaiting their pleasure.

  The great hall was enormous, impressive but for the cobwebs and dust coating the entire space. Soot marred the display of weaponry that hung above the huge stone hearth dominating the room. Alyna could easily step inside the large hearth along with most of the other occupants of the room and still have space left to fill.

  Two tapestries graced the wall opposite the hearth, their pattern dinged by soot and grime. The meager furnishings in the hall were in a similar condition as was the floor. It looked as though only the pack of dogs sprawled in one corner had cleaned it in recent memory.