The Du Lac Chronicles: Book 1

by Mary Yarde

  “Tonight, you sleep with me.” He moved and threw back the furs.

  Annis eyes widened in shock. “We can’t; what would Old Jen think?”

  He opened one eye to look at her. “That we are married?”

  “She does not think we are married.” Annis said.

  “Do you really care what she thinks?” Alden asked. “It isn’t about her, it is about us and what we want. And besides, if I say we are married, then as far as anyone else is concerned, we are.”

  She did not speak and she did not move, she just stared down at him, chewing on her lip as she battled what her head said and what her heart ordered. She would lose him in the end. If she took up his offer, slept within his arms, allowed herself to love him more than she already did, what then? What would become of her? But if she did not grab this chance, she would be left with a lifetime of regrets. He was looking at her tenderly, patiently waiting for her answer.

  “Do you like sleeping alone, Annis? Or do you prefer to sleep with me?”

  It was a clever question. “You know which one I prefer,” she said, hating the fact that her face became flushed.

  “Good, I am glad we are agreed. Goodnight.” He pulled the covers over him and closed his eyes.

  Annis stood there, pain slicing her heart and tears filling her eyes at his rejection. How easily he had made the decision not to share his bed. She slowly turned around. She wished she could run away, but there was nowhere she could run to.

  “Annis.” He said her name and she heard the covers being drawn back. Slowly she turned back around to face him. He smiled and held out a hand to her. Through her tears, she saw the teasing light in his eyes. “Come to bed, woman.”

  Sniffing back the tears and without stopping to think, she slipped off her shoes and sank down on to the pallet next to him, pulling the covers over them both as she did so.

  Alden moved on to his side, wincing as the movement hurt his wounds, and reached for her. “Better?” His breath whispered across her cheek.

  Of course it was better. Everything was better with him.

  10

  The horse snatched the reins out of Annis’s hand, yet again. It stretched out its long black neck and promptly began to graze. Annis pulled hard at the reins and kicked the beast on as she had been taught to do. She was not an accomplished rider, for her father had not seen the point in teaching his daughter to ride well, but she could sit astride a horse and make it go where she wanted it to; however, she had never ridden a warrior’s horse before. She had never sat astride a stallion with a mind of his own.

  Maybe it was because she was female, or maybe she was lighter than what the animal usually carried, but the horse was not listening to any of the commands she gave him. No one else seemed to have trouble with their horse, like she was having with hers; and she wondered if she had been given this particular animal on purpose. It would not have surprised her in the least, for Octa could not have made his feelings known, regarding her, any clearer.

  She was the “enemy,” as Octa had so elegantly put it when they had been formally introduced. Not the enemy’s daughter, the enemy. Alden had grabbed his arm and they had walked away, out of her hearing.

  Octa had twisted in his saddle and was looking at her. He kept doing that and she wondered what he thought she would do. Maybe he was hoping that this beast of a horse would throw her to the ground and break her neck. She would have glowered back at him, but the blasted horse was dancing on his toes again, spooking at the grass as it blew in the bitter breeze.

  They had spent a long time as the guests of Old Jen. Alden’s recovery was slow. The war, the humiliation, the torture and the frantic escape had finally caught up with him, and it had been several weeks before he had the strength to walk across the room. Many more would pass before he felt well enough to sit outside and watch the stars with Annis. And in all that time, neither of them had spoken about the future. They had shared their meals, spent every waking moment of the day together, and at night had slept in each other’s arms, but neither of them had the courage to think, let alone talk, about what would happen when they left Old Jen’s roundhouse.

  Annis had stood by Alden’s side and watched as Octa and his knights rode into the village. Alden had smiled at her, but his smile was sad. The future was beckoning the man she loved. It was foolish to think they could stay here forever.

  Octa and Alden had spoken for a long time alone. Annis had gone back inside the sick hut and helped Old Jen with the noonday meal, and after Old Jen telling her off more than once for cutting this wrong or stirring that too harshly, Annis had given up and sat down on the pallet she shared with her make-believe husband and pretended not to watch the door.

  When Alden finally entered the roundhouse, he was alone and he would not look at her. She had prepared herself for this moment; she thought she knew how to handle it. She lowered her head and looked at her hands. It was over. She did not need him to tell her that. Whatever they had was at an end. Old Jen noticed Alden’s abrupt change in character towards Annis too, and she gave Annis a knowing look, but Annis did not want to hear any told-you-so gloating. She knew what she had been doing. She had risked her heart, gambled everything and lost. Alden was not hers; he never had been.

  The horse was tossing his head about, trying to snatch the reins out of her hands. By the gods, he was strong. The horse reminded her of her father. No one could rule him either. While she battled the horse, she battled her thoughts and her fears. She wondered what would happen when they reached Oeric’s kingdom. It was no secret the contempt King Oeric held for her father. Her father hated him in equal measure. She was the enemy, she reminded herself. If it were Oeric’s daughter begging for sanctuary at her father’s castle, he would not open the gates. She hoped that Oeric would not bestow on her that same courtesy.

  The horse pulled at the reins again, but she was on to him now. She said a firm “no” and kicked him on hard, then she realised the horse probably did not understand Latin. Why was everything so complicated? The horse broke into a trot for a few paces, its ears going forwards and back as if trying to gauge how much more advantage he could take of his lighter than usual rider.

  “Are you sure about this?” Octa turned back around in his saddle and addressed Alden.

  “Yes,” Alden answered; he too had turned in the saddle and looked at Annis, who was riding at the back of the small escort with Oeric’s warriors on either side of her. He frowned at them, for they were ignoring Annis’s struggles with the horse. He did not miss the amused glances pass between them. The bastards.

  “I do not know what my father will say,” Octa said.

  “I do not seek his permission.”

  “You seek his sanctuary, though.”

  “Only until I can charter a boat to Brittany,” Alden reminded him.

  “Alden, I do not understand you. This path you are choosing — and I cannot believe I am even saying this — the path you are choosing to take, could be the end for you. My father will not support you in this. Your brother will probably laugh you out of court. Do you not want your kingdom back?”

  “I am not going to grace that with an answer.”

  “Then for the love of God, man, leave her. Send her home. There are other women.”

  “I can’t do that.”

  “Why the hell not?”

  Alden watched as the horse suddenly threw its head downwards and snatched the reins out of Annis’s hands again, almost pulling her over his head. He halted his horse.

  “Because.” He took a deep breath and gave a hopeless shrug. “I’m in love with her.” He did not wait to hear Octa’s reaction; instead, he pulled his horse quickly around and cantered back towards her.

  There, it was out. He had said it aloud, admitted his feelings, for all the good it would do him.

  “Trouble?” he asked as he reined his horse alongside her
s. He glowered at the knights by her side, but his glower did nothing to damper their amusement.

  “He’s a brute,” Annis answered, as the horse began to toss his head up in the air. He then snapped at Alden’s horse. Alden’s horse snapped back and both animals flattened their ears.

  Alden soothed his mount and dismounted, holding out his hands for Annis to do likewise.

  Annis placed her hands in his and accepted his help. Once she was safely on the ground, he immediately let her go, as if he could not bear to touch her.

  When would the pain stop? she wondered. Every cold rebuke made her heart bleed a little more and she knew that whatever befell her; she would never get over him.

  “You can ride my horse,” Alden said, not looking at her. “He is of a gentler disposition.”

  “Thank you,” she said quietly. She did not move; she couldn’t. She stood there looking at him, wishing he would lift his face and look at her. “Alden.”

  He looked at her then and his eyes darkened, and she caught her breath at what she could read in them. He did not look at her coldly, like she was a stranger; he looked like he wanted to kiss her senseless.

  Whatever she was going to say flew right out of her mind. All she could do was stare.

  A warrior coughed and he tore his gaze away from her, breaking the moment.

  Without saying a word, he cupped his hands together so she could step into them. She placed one hand gently on his shoulder, the other on the cantle of the saddle, and he lifted her up. He kept hold of her leg until he was sure she had seated herself correctly, and then he let go.

  She took the reins and looked down at him. “How much farther?” It was not the question she really wanted to ask; but in order to keep him near her; she would talk about the weather if she had to.

  “We are almost there,” he answered. “You will not have any problem with him. He is well-behaved.” He patted the horse’s neck.

  “Alden.” She said his name again.

  He looked up at her and he smiled. “It will be all right. I promise.”

  Alden swung himself up in the saddle. The animal shied under his new master and gave a little half rear.

  “Stop that now,” Alden commanded, shortening the reins and using his legs to bring the animal back under control. The horse tossed his head a few times and then broke into a trot. Alden circled him, showing the horse that he was in charge. He caught Annis’s eye and winked, and then he kicked the animal on and cantered to where Octa was waiting.

  They passed through several small villages before they reached the home of the Kent King. Annis had not known what to expect. She had never been out of Wessex before. She supposed that she had imagined that all forts would resemble her father’s castle. She could not have been more wrong.

  Oeric’s home was huge. The outer wall was staggering in length; it was longer by far than her father’s. The battlements were made of long spiked stakes of wood, on top of which patrolled archers. Her father would be impressed with such a military presence. She looked up as they passed through the large and well-fortified gates. The archers, alert and ready, looked out towards the horizon.

  Once through the gates she found herself in a marketplace. Her horse shied as a passing salesman rattled past them, pushing a handcart full of pottery. Unnerved, Annis dismounted and grabbed the animal’s bridle. The market was full of people, and the last thing she wanted was for a child to run out in front of her and be crushed beneath a set of thrashing hooves.

  For a moment she stood still while the horse nuzzled her impatiently in the back. She had never been to a market before and she felt equal parts of fear, and glorious curiosity. The noise, the smell, the people —such a new experience; she didn’t know where to look first or what to do next. People were looking at her as curiously as she was looking at them. There was only one thing she could do in a situation like this, she realised; she looked down at her feet and pretended she wasn’t actually there.

  Alden stood for a moment and simply watched her; she looked lost amongst so many people, conspicuous even. A soldier came and took the horse from her and she looked around, panic on her face until she saw him, and then she smiled tentatively in his direction.

  He may have smiled back; he couldn’t remember as he made his way through the throng of people towards her.

  “I thought I had lost you,” Annis said, thankful that she had not.

  “Hardly. Tell me you have been to a market before?” There was disbelief in his question, not quite daring to believe that Cerdic would restrict his daughter’s movements to the castle’s grounds.

  He watched as Annis shrugged, almost apologetically, as if she were responsible for her father’s enforced isolation.

  “He really did keep you a prisoner, didn’t he?” Alden said as an angry haze clouded his mind. How the hell could have Cerdic mistreated her so? He said nothing, though, for what could he say? She had escaped him now and that was all that mattered. He offered her his arm, which she gladly took. He tensed at her touch, feeling the heat of her fingers through his clothes; it was as if she had branded him.

  “He must have had his reasons,” Annis allowed. “How big is this place?” she asked in fascinated awe.

  “Oeric extended his outer wall year before last. He wanted to encompass the nearest villages into the protection of the fort.”

  “Why?”

  “Something to do with a troublesome neighbour.”

  “My father. Of course.”

  “That’s not your fault,” Alden reassured.

  She raised her eyebrows.

  “You are not responsible for your father’s actions.” He paused, knowing on some level that no matter what he said she wouldn’t believe him. She took too much responsibility for things that she never had any control over. She was like him in that. “Have you really never been to a market before?” he said, changing the subject as he began to guide her through the bustling market place.

  “Never.” Annis said, letting go of Alden’s arm briefly as the crowd around them grew larger and it was impossible to walk side by side. He glanced back at her but kept walking. She followed where he led. She did not think to question him when he grabbed her hand and guided her around to the back of the market stalls.

  “We need to talk before we go and see Oeric.” Alden stated. He was frowning and his eyes were serious.

  “He is my father’s enemy. I know I am not going to be welcome.”

  “Are you afraid?” Alden asked, crossing his arms in front of him.

  “Of Oeric?” Annis shook her head, a small lie. “I’m with you; you won’t let anything happen to me.”

  Alden continued to frown. She grew uncomfortable under his gaze and looked away, and then down to the ground that was covered with leaves and the bare stems of discarded plants.

  He gently lifted her chin with his finger, so that she met his eyes. “What faith you have in me.” There was an air of disbelief in his voice.

  “You have kept me from harm so far.”

  Alden scoffed and they both remembered the river.

  “There is one thing that I want to know, though.” She turned her head away from him and he let go of her chin, reverting to his firm stance of arms crossed.

  “You want to know if I am going to leave you here,” Alden guessed, before Annis had a chance to speak.

  “Aren’t you?” Annis asked. She scuffed her toe amongst the leaves. “You have barely spoken to me since Octa arrived.” She glanced up at him and saw his lips twitch as he tried hard not to smile.

  “Miss me, did you?” There was humour in his eyes; gone was the frown.

  “You are intolerable,” Annis said, angry with him. It was all right for him; he wasn’t in her situation. She turned away from him. She couldn’t bear to see him laugh at her. He caught her arm and closed the distance between them. She stil
led instantly and took an unsteady breath. She fancied she could feel the heat of his body against her back and she could definitely feel his breath against her neck.

  “I am not leaving you here,” he whispered against her ear.

  Annis had to stop herself from closing her eyes and leaning back into him. She felt his lips against the curve of her ear and she trembled, not with fear, but with longing.

  “Then where?” Her voice sounded different, even to her. It was lower, huskier. Her heart picked up speed as he kissed her again. She had not known that her neck was so sensitive and that a kiss placed by her ear would travel through her body down to her toes. She hadn’t realised that it would make her skin tingle and her heart pound all the faster.

  “I have no idea, but I know that I am going to keep you with me for as long as I can.”

  Needing to see him, to look him in the face, she turned slowly back around. He raised his hand and gently traced the line of her jaw, feather light, with his fingers.

  “Do you not think it would be better if we separated now? It will be harder later.”

  He seemed to consider this, because the frown was back on his face again. “No,” he finally answered. “Saying goodbye to you is going to be hard for me, whether it is today or next year.” He laughed at himself, at their situation. Her father wanted him dead, he returned the compliment and yet he was a breath away from seducing Cerdic’s daughter, because damn it all, she was just so desirable and he was so in love with her.

  “I don’t understand why you would want me around. I am nothing but a hindrance. I can’t cook. I can’t ride. I can’t do — ”

  He placed his finger against her lips, silencing her. “You are nothing but a hindrance,” he agreed, but he was smiling. “But I kind of like it.”

  The roughness of his finger traced the softness of her lips and she held her breath, parting her mouth. His control was at an end. He had to taste her. He lowered his face and kissed her gently. She tasted of every dream he had ever had, and it was a taste he knew he would never grow tired of.