The de Lohr Dynasty

by Le Veque, Kathryn

  “I hear your new son is doing well.” Christopher changed the subject, talking about John was painful for him. “Emilie was near to bursting to tell us of him.”

  David swelled with pride and Christopher smiled broadly at his brother. After three girls, this little boy was his pride and joy. “He’s incredible, Chris. Biggest damn baby I ever saw, and smart. He’s trying to sit up already.”

  “Wait, little brother, you forget how large Curtis was when he was born,” Christopher reminded him, just to pop his bubble a bit. “He was so big we almost lost him and his mother.”

  Easily the most painful and frightening time of Christopher’s life, but he could speak of it now without shuddering. David remembered well the panic and the grief. “Aye, he was as fat as a pig. But Daniel is bigger, see him and tell me if you do not agree.”

  Christopher looked at him dubiously. “I will judge for myself,” he said as they mounted the steps to the keep. The winter sun overhead was bright but offered no heat, only illuminating the countryside brilliantly. Remarkably, there was no snow.

  “By the way, Marcus and Gabrielle are joining us for Christmas feast,” Christopher said. “They are bringing Peter and should be here by tomorrow.”

  “Excellent,” David said. “I haven’t seen Marcus in a year. How are he and his wife faring?”

  “Well, he says,” Christopher replied. What happened eleven years ago was a faded memory in his mind, another chapter in life, and he had forgiven Marcus a long time ago. They were still, as always, the best of friends, and David went on as if nothing had ever happened. The human character was forgiving that way. “He and Gabrielle are bringing the twins and their young son.”

  David grinned, scratching at his head as he surveyed the dismantling of his caravan. Christopher crossed his arms, passing a gaze over the workings, as well.

  “And Peter; Jesus, he’s going to outshine us all, isn’t he?” David said. “Marcus swears he has never seen the likes of him.”

  Christopher nodded faintly. “ ’Tis only right that he be greater than his father. Curtis, Richard, and Myles will be just like him. They will all outshine the sun.”

  “And Daniel,” David reminded him. “Between us we have five sons. A grand enough dynasty for the de Lohr name.”

  “Indeed,” Christopher agreed.

  “Who knew, Chris,” David murmured after a moment.

  Christopher glanced at him. “What?”

  David was still smiling. “Who knew we would end up like this? Married, with children, and lord of our own keeps. Who in the hell knew?”

  Christopher shrugged. The very same idea constantly amazed him. “Sometimes I wonder if I shall awaken from this dream, cold and tired and old and alone. I never thought to achieve this heaven.”

  “Nor did I,” David admitted fully. “Richard only lived to see our eldest children. I wonder what he would say to all of this.”

  Christopher gazed at brother, his friend. “He would say that we have reached paradise.”

  Dustin appeared in the doorway, her beautiful face with nary a line in it in spite of her thirty-four years and her body still voluptuous and supple even after birthing six children.

  “Are you going to stand out here all day?” she wanted to know. “I have got a house full of children and dogs, and I demand you come in here and control them.” Then she eyed David with mock anger. “As for you, baron; you have turned my sweet sons into miniature soldiers.”

  David made a helpless gesture. Christopher smiled at his wife and she blew a kiss in his general direction before retreating into the castle. “And that, dear brother, is my very private paradise,” he said softly.

  David watched his massive brother lumber into the keep, pausing a moment before following him. He never thought he would see the day when Christopher de Lohr would be content with his life.

  The greatest warrior who ever lived was an earl for nine years, and was, mayhap the mightiest earl in the realm. Certainly he was the most feared. People still called him the Defender, although the title was empty. Men still referred to him as the Lion’s Claw, even though they had passed into a new century and onto a new king. But the man’s reputation stayed with him, drawing respect from every corner of the civilized world. They knew this man, this Defender.

  But the Defender cared naught for the admiration. His life as a warrior was past, the life a husband and father more demanding than he ever imagined, and far more satisfying. This man, this Defender, who had struggled with war and deception and betrayal to persevere and overcome, this man who would pass into legend for his skill, when it was his generosity and forgiveness that was indeed legendary.

  The beating heart of the de Lohr dynasty.

  * THE END *

  AFTERWORD

  2013:

  The following “afterword” was the original epilogue.

  I hope you were entertained by Dustin and Christopher – they were certainly entertaining to write about.

  I made Christopher an unmovable icon, a man groomed for war his entire life until it was his entire existence. He was so devoted to Richard and his profession because it was all he had ever known. Being virtually abandoned at a young age, he had nothing else but his career. He had no idea that he had a human side until he married a little spitfire of a woman named Dustin Barringdon. I do not believe he consciously ignored his human emotions and feelings, but he was merely uncomfortable with them until he understood what his heart was telling him. By the time all was said and done, no one more than he realized what a miraculous change he had gone through, and no one more than he was as pleased.

  And then there was Dustin, a young, spoiled, immature girl who grew into a strong-willed, responsible woman. I truly liked Dustin because she was pure of heart, even if she was stubborn as a mule. She did not want a husband, and Christopher did not want a wife, yet somehow, they quickly realized they could not live without one another. They were both searching for something in life; and with each other, they found it.

  Marcus and David were interesting characters; one brave and controlled, one reckless and passionate. It was Marcus’ misfortune to have allowed himself to rein out of control where Dustin was concerned. But he believed that nothing could ever come between him and Christopher; not even Christopher’s wife, and he was proven very wrong. Wiser for it, he was able to move on with his life. As far as David was concerned, seeing how well his brother had responded to marriage quelled his own fears of the union. He too, succumbed to the inevitable.

  King Richard died in 1199 A.D. and his brother John inherited the throne; Richard having left no legitimate heirs. There was a rumor that he had fathered a son at one point, but the boy had no claim to the throne. And, as you know, Lord Robin of the Hood continued to make John’s life miserable for a time. It would be interesting to know if Robin and Christopher ever met again under different circumstances.

  Yet, most importantly, I liked these people. They were strong, moralistic (mostly), and fun to create. I hope you think so, too.

  Thank you for allowing me to entertain you.

  STEELHEART

  A Medieval Romance

  By Kathryn Le Veque

  Author’s Note

  Finally, David’s story!

  Well, this is quite a yarn, I must say. This has taken a very long time to come to fruition because David’s story is a complex one. Much of it weaves around his older brother’s story (RISE OF THE DEFENDER), and David plays a very large part in that novel, so it was a matter of constructing a story that is completely from David’s perspective. That’s a tough job when the last time you wrote about the guy, in this particular period of his life, was twenty years ago!

  A few things to note before we start – Windsor Castle plays a part in this novel, as it did in RISE OF THE DEFENDER. At this point in time, Windsor was a royal residence but not the favored one. It was big, of course, but a good deal of it was still made of wood. It wasn’t until later in thirteenth century that the entire struc
ture was built in stone. The motte was apparently poorly constructed and had a lot of ‘sinking’ issues until it was reinforced in later years. For the purposes of the story, however, I have advanced the architecture slightly and made it more like the castle we know today.

  Also, there is no Earl of Canterbury – only an Archbishop of Canterbury, but Canterbury itself was never an earldom, so that too is a fictitious title.

  A tournament figures in this tale. Something interesting to note about tournaments in general – the term ‘melee’, used to describe the mass, mock fighting that was a staple of tournaments, wasn’t widely used until the 16th century. Before that, it was known as the ‘mass competition’ or ‘the mass’. Don’t be confused when you see that term in the story.

  Something very important to note in this story – you will see sections of text in italics, adding an additional point of view to this story. Since David’s story intertwines so much with his brother’s story in RISE OF THE DEFENDER, I have included sections from ROTD to help explain what is happening in David’s world from Christopher de Lohr’s perspective. David is in much of Christopher’s story so it is only right that Christopher is in much of David’s, so the italic sections are meant to help the reader understand what more David was dealing with outside of his story with Emilie.

  There is also a good deal of politics happening which I choose to explain from Christopher’s perspective, not from David’s. RISE OF THE DEFENDER was politics-driven. STEELHEART is not. David is involved in the politics, of course, but his story is more about his relationship with Emilie rather than the political dealings of his brother. There are also times when Emilie makes an appearance in ROTD, which I have tried to include as well. You will see her in some of the Italics also. Because David was in and out of ROTD so much, there are times when I must include paragraphs from ROTD simply to explain what is going on in David’s life at that point in time so there aren’t big gaps in David’s story as a whole. This really gives a lot of dimension to David’s story, showing us that there was so much more to him at this point in his life than his relationship with Emilie. But, since this novel is about his relationship with her, that is where the focus is.

  You will, however, see many peripheral characters that were in RISE OF THE DEFENDER that make appearances in this book – Christopher de Lohr (David’s brother), Edward de Wolfe (father of William de Wolfe of THE WOLFE), Leeton de Shera, and Marcus Burton. Marcus, Christopher’s best friend, had a very complex relationship with Christopher and essentially lusted after his wife, Dustin, who is also marginally in this novel. See the list of characters following this note to get a sense of who everyone is. I don’t normally do a list of characters, but in this case, it was necessary.

  David story parallel’s ROTD most of the way so some of the angst from ROTD is here as well in certain scenes. Just to explain this situation a little – David had a very hard time with Marcus from that perspective. There is a good deal of animosity there, which you will see as you read. All I can tell you is this – if you haven’t read RISE OF THE DEFENDER yet, then I think you can figure out by now that you really, really should! It’s not essential to understanding this storyline, but it will open up a whole new world of understanding for David’s novel.

  Also, as we know these days, the Richard I’s crusade to The Levant (or the Holy Land) was kind of a lesson in vanity from the standpoint of the Christian armies. There is the mention of the massacre of Ayyadieh in this novel, which really happened. You can read about it here:

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massacre_at_Ayyadieh

  So those are things worthy of note for STEELHEART. This book has been such a long time in coming that I really hope you enjoy the complexity of it and the detail of it. It was a difficult book to write but a rewarding one. I’m so glad to see David come to life again. He’s a personal favorite of mine.

  Hugs,

  Kathryn

  List of Characters

  Sir David de Lohr – The hero, second son of Myles de Lohr (WHILE ANGELS SLEPT)

  Lady Emilie Hampton – The heroine, eldest daughter of the Earl of Canterbury

  Lord Lyle Hampton – Earl of Canterbury

  Sir Brickley de Dere – Captain of Lord Hampton’s troops, sworn to the House of Hampton

  Lady Nathalie Hampton – Emilie’s sixteen-year-old sister

  Lady Elise Hampton – Emilie’s fourteen-year-old sister

  Lillibet – The nurse to the Hampton girls; she is known as “Mother”

  Sir Christopher de Lohr – Richard I’s champion, known as Defender of the Realm (hero of RISE OF THE DEFENDER)

  Sir Edward de Wolfe – knight sworn to Christopher; father of William de Wolfe (THE WOLFE)

  Sir Leeton de Shera – knight sworn to Christopher; once married to a daughter of the Earl of Derby

  Sir Brentford le Bec – knight sworn to the Earl of Derby

  Ralph Fitz Walter, Sheriff of Nottingham – ally of John Lackland

  John Lackland, Prince of England – Richard I’s brother

  Sir Marcus Burton – knight sworn to Christopher originally; formerly best friends with Christopher and David

  William de Ferrers, the Younger – heir to the Earldom of Derby

  William Marshal – part of Richard I’s council of regency, also custodian of England for Richard I.

  Dustin de Lohr – wife of Christopher de Lohr

  Baron Sedgewick and his wife, Lady Anne – friends of Christopher and Dustin

  Sir Philip de Lohr – Uncle of Christopher and David; older brother of Myles de Lohr. Philip is lord of Lohrham Forest, the de Lohr ancestral home. He also had a son very late in life, which meant the boy would inherit the de Lohr estates – not Christopher or David.

  Knights from Christopher de Lohr’s stable who make brief appearances or are briefly mentioned: Max and Anthony de Velt, Jeffrey Kessler, Nicholas de Burg, Sean de Lara, and Guy de la Rosa

  Kieran Hage – mentioned in passing. He is the hero of KINGDOM COME and THE CRUSADER. He fought with David and Christopher under Richard’s command.

  Zephyr – Christopher de Lohr’s horse.

  PROLOGUE

  ~ THE WARNING ~

  Windsor Castle

  October 1192

  In the great hall with revelers and music in the background, two men faced each other in the recesses of the room. They had come there for privacy, unheard and unseen from the crown, sheltered by a supporting pillar the held up the arched ceiling. An older man, with yellowed eyes and a face line with sorrows, faced a younger man, very big, who possessed a neatly combed crown of blond hair and a neatly trimmed beard. As the minstrels played in the background and the smell of meat and too many unwashed bodies filled the air, the older man spoke.

  “Chris, we have just received word from Palestine,” he said softly. “There is no easy way to tell you this, lad, so I shall come out with it. Richard is missing.”

  Christopher de Lohr, Richard I’s champion and defender, faced William Marshal with a furrowed brow. “Missing? What do you mean?”

  “He sailed from Acre to the coast of Corsica and simply disappeared,” the earl replied. “His general believes him to be traveling across the continent incognito, trying to reach his Duchy of Normandy before crossing to England, but no one is certain.”

  “Damn,” Christopher hissed, relaxing against a massive oaken table. “Why would he do that when he knows Duke Leopold of Austria is out for his blood? Not to mention Emperor Henry, or Philip Augustus. Christ, they are all out for his hide. Why would he chance such a stupid action?”

  “Richard is a wise man, Chris,” William replied, as perplexed as the baron was but trying to remain confident in Richard’s ability. “He must have damn good reasons whatever they might be. The fact remains that John is going to run rampant with this knowledge.”

  Christopher’s handsome face was grave, his eyes dark. “What do you suspect?”

  The earl shrugged, examining a particularly fine chair. “He’s
already amassed quite a mercenary army, you know.”

  “I know, but how large? My sources tell me conflicting stories,” Christopher said. “And how in the hell is he paying these cutthroats?”

  “His loyalists,” William said frankly. “He has some very wealthy backers, Chris, and they are feeding their wealth directly into his coffers. Believe me, he has the means to pay an army. A massive army, nearly ten thousand men as near as we can gather.”

  Christopher nodded. “I’d been told that,” he said. “But I have not been returned from the Holy Land long enough to verify the information myself.”

  “You have had other things to attend to,” William acknowledged, then fixed him with a reluctant gaze. “But that’s not the only problem. ’Tis rumored that John is trying to establish an alliance with Philip Augustus which, if successful, will supply him with almost limitless power and men.”

  Christopher sighed heavily, studying his boots for a moment. “I fought with the French king in Palestine,” he said. “He and Richard were like two roosters, each vying for the dominant position. There is no love lost between them and he will surely find allies in Richard’s enemies. Leopold is out for Richard’s blood for what he did to him at Acre,” he shook his head slowly. “Richard is in danger of losing his throne, isn’t he? With his disappearance, ’twill be easier for John to claim the kingdom.”

  William nodded. “I am afraid that is what it will come down to,” he said quietly, sitting in the chair he had been examining. “Richard has very powerful allies, his largest being the church. But if he is missing and presumed dead, then there is no use defending a kingdom for a dead king. John will rule.”

  Christopher stared thoughtfully at the floor for several long, pregnant minutes. Neither man spoke, the severity of the situation sinking in and a great cloud of doom settling.