England's Greatest Knights: A Medieval Romance Collection

by Kathryn Le Veque

  The serious mood instantly lightened and the entire table erupted into laughter, but Chad simply lifted his shoulders. “I am sure it was too many times,” he said somewhat sheepishly. “I lost count.”

  Across the table, Maximus poured himself more wine. “I have never in my life seen someone more apt to take his clothing off when drunk,” he said. “You have done that on other occasions, too, have you not?”

  Chad cocked an eyebrow at Maximus. “Is this truly appropriate conversation in front of a lady?” he asked. “One does not usually discuss naked men in front of a lady.”

  Maximus pointed down the table. “De Moray started it.”

  “And I shall end it,” Gallus said, eyeing the lady in the hopes that they had not offended her too much. “My apologies, my lady. My wife will soon be here to take you away so you will not have to suffer through this crude behavior much longer.”

  Alessandria smiled at him. “I am not offended, my lord,” she said. Then, she cast Chad a sidelong glance. “He did the same thing at Lady du Bexley’s home about a week ago. He jumped up on the table and unfastened his breeches. Lady du Bexley said that Chad’s backside looked like two unbaked loaves of bread that she wanted to sink her teeth into.”

  Tiberius and Maximus roared with laughter while Gallus simply shook his head. “It is unseemly for you to speak of such things, my lady,” he admonished as he struggled not to laugh. He looked at Chad. “Did you really do that in front of my cousin?”

  Chad was surprised she had brought that up, now struggling not to appear embarrassed. “I cannot recall,” he said honestly. “She says that I did but she could be lying.”

  “Now you call her a liar?”

  Chad broke down into snorts. “I do,” he insisted, although he was jesting. Everyone could see it. “She is making up stories about me. I would never drop my breeches in front of ladies.”

  Alessandria pretended to be outraged. “I would never lie about such things, my lord,” she insisted. “You jumped on the table and sang a song called Tilly Nodden as you showed your buttocks to everyone. It is true!”

  Chad put his hands over his face as everyone at the table now laughed at him, including de Moray. “I am ashamed,” he said, mumbling through his fingers. “I can never show my face again.”

  Alessandria, giggling, reached out to pat him on the shoulder. “It was quite entertaining,” she said. “I enjoyed the song very much.”

  Chad kept his hands over his face. “I am humiliated!”

  Gallus was grinning. “I rather like this lady,” he said. “She is not afraid to humiliate you in every possible way.”

  Everyone continued to chuckle as Chad continued to pretend he was deeply ashamed. But his hands came away from his face when servants appeared with boiled beef and carrots, and he and Alessandria were served first. Very hungry, they plowed into the food as Gallus and the others spoke of trivial things.

  Alessandria stuffed herself on the beef and more strawberries, observing her cousins as they idly chatted. She remembered them from her childhood as brash young men, men she was afraid of even, but now as adults, there was nothing frightening about them. They all seemed quite congenial and pleasant.

  Especially Gallus, the head of the family. Alessandria remained quiet, eating as Gallus and Chad spoke of various things. They spoke mostly about the big battle at Evesham but, even then, their conversation was fairly tame and Alessandria knew it was because of her. With the lady present, they weren’t going to get in to anything serious or distasteful. So the conversation flowed, with much variation, until a woman appeared in the entry to the chamber.

  A very lovely woman with hair the color of a raven’s wing and pale brown eyes came into the room, her gaze riveted to Alessandria. Gallus reached out to the woman, drawing her to him, and grasping her hand when she came near. Gallus kissed the woman’s hand.

  “This is my wife, the Lady Jeniver,” he said to Alessandria. “If you are finished eating, please go with her and she will make you comfortable.”

  The Lady Jeniver ferch Gaerwen de Shera smiled at Alessandria. “Welcome to Isenhall,” she said in a heavy Welsh accent. “It is a pleasure to meet you. You must be exhausted from your journey.”

  Alessandria returned the woman’s smile. “It was very long, my lady.”

  Jeniver looked at Chad. “I am sure Gallus has thanked you for what you have done, but I will thank you for bringing the lady to us,” she said. “You are very brave.”

  Chad was about to put a piece of beef in his mouth but stopped so that he could speak. “Your husband told you?” he asked her.

  Jeniver nodded. “He told me what Bose told him, about Henry’s plans for the lady,” she said “Bose said that you had been asked to bring the lady to safety. There is not much my husband does not tell me.”

  Chad wondered if that was really true. He wondered if she knew about Henry’s determination to wipe her husband and his entire family from the earth. Jeniver was the heiress to the kingdom of Anglesey, a very old kingdom, and she was, perhaps, more astute in the ways of politics and warfare than most women. Her father had made sure to school her on such things. Still, there was so much that Chad wanted to know from Gallus, and wanted to tell Gallus, but nothing would be spoken in front of the women. Therefore, he forced a smile to Lady de Shera’s statement.

  “And I am sure you are one of your husband’s most trusted advisors,” he said. “My task is now finished. I deliver Lady Alessandria into your care, my lady.”

  Jeniver went to Alessandria, holding out a hand. “We are very happy to have her,” she said. “If you will come with me, my lady?”

  Alessandria looked at Jeniver’s outstretched fingers, remembering Chad’s words – I may not see you very much after this. So this was the moment when she would be separated from him. She had no idea when she would see him again and the mere thought brought on anxiety. She didn’t want to be separated from the man, not for a day or an hour or a minute. She wanted to remain here, at his side, because that’s what felt natural and right to her. But Lady de Shera was smiling at her encouragingly and she knew she had little choice. Swept with sadness, she brushed her hands off of crumbs and stood up.

  “I am honored, my lady,” she said.

  The sadness was evident in her voice, not missed by Chad. His heart was twisting, just a little, as he watched Alessandria walk out of the chamber with Jeniver, who had her by the hand and was speaking to her on the bath that was being prepared for her. It all sounded quite comfortable and cozy, but Chad was already missing her the moment she left his sight. He wondered if it was evident in his expression as he covered his longing with a long drink of wine.

  “Now,” he said before anyone else could speak, trying not to think of the angst in his heart. “Let me tell you the details of what happened when Henry’s Guard of Six came to Canterbury. My father did not want Lady Alessandria at Canterbury, for obvious reasons. He wanted her out and he directed me to bring her to Isenhall so she could be under your protection. But in order to keep Henry’s Six incapacitated so we could leave, he had my mother drug their wine. They were sleeping well enough until someone awoke and saw me leaving with the lady. Then, they tried to wrest the lady from me but were summarily beat back by my father’s knights and my brothers. That is the only way Lady Alessandria and I were able to escape but I will tell you this; I am more than certain de Serreaux has gone back to Henry to tell him what happened and I am furthermore certain that Henry is most displeased with the fact that the House of de Lohr denied him his wants when it came to holding the lady as a hostage. I fear that makes my father and the entire House of de Lohr a target for Henry’s anger.”

  The four men were listening seriously. “Henry’s Six did not follow you here, did they?” Gallus asked.

  Chad shook his head. “I never saw any hint that they did,” he said. “I do not know how long my father kept them at Canterbury but I am sure it was long enough that they would not be able to track me. That leads
me to assume that when they left Canterbury, they simply headed back to London and to Henry.”

  Gallus and the others seemed to agree with that assessment, especially if Chad saw no hint of a tail. “Even when they do return and tell Henry what has happened, I cannot imagine Henry would strike out at your father,” Gallus said. “Right now, he seems to be saving all of that anger for me. De Moray was sent here to negotiate our surrender to Henry.”

  Chad nodded; he already knew that. “I would assume you will not be complying.”

  Gallus smiled without humor. “We will not,” he said. “Which puts de Moray, and now the House of de Lohr, in Henry’s sights. You are all close to our family and that will not sit well with Henry.”

  Chad looked down the table at de Moray. “It puts de Moray in a worse position than my father,” he said. “De Moray is related by marriage to you.”

  “You are related by blood.”

  Chad shrugged. “That is true,” he said, “but de Moray is closer still.”

  The conversation ebbed as each man pondered the situation. The mood was gloomy but there was also a sense of determination – determination that Henry should not win this battle. Family was thicker than any loyalty to the king and they all knew that. But Gallus felt the need to make something abundantly clear.

  “I want you to listen to me and listen carefully,” he said, addressing himself to Chad and Bose. “My refusal to support Henry is not your fight. It is mine. You have both gone out of your way to assist my family in any way you can, including risking your lives, and you will never know how grateful I am. The bonds of love and family run deep. But I will tell you this – my problems with Henry are my own and when it comes down to the choice of supporting Henry or supporting me, and you know it will come down to that, it is my insistence – nay, my plea – that you support Henry. Do not let my battle become your fall. I could not live with myself if that happened and I know that Max and Ty feel the same way. We will stand, or we will fall, but whatever happens must be our fight and ours alone. I could not stomach the House of de Lohr falling because of me or, worse, de Moray losing his life because of our refusal to support the crown. I love you both more than I can say, but I cannot have your deaths on my hands. I am begging you both in this matter.”

  Chad looked at Bose, who was gazing steadily at Gallus. “While I appreciate your selflessness in this matter, Gallus, I would be a poor father indeed if I allowed my daughter to stand alone with her husband in this matter,” he said. “Therefore, I will tell you this – if you go to war against Henry, by Henry’s choice no less, it will be my unhappy duty to oppose the man. My daughter’s happiness means more to me than the king does. Having daughters of your own, I am sure you understand my position.”

  Gallus sighed heavily. He wasn’t happy with Bose’s response, but he understood. “I do,” he said reluctantly. “But I had to make that statement, Bose. You know I did.”

  “I know.”

  With that matter settled, everyone’s attention turned to Chad. The man was sitting there, one booted foot upon the table, nursing his second cup of wine. He was being very careful not to imbibe too much, for obvious reasons. When he met Gallus’ gaze, he lifted his eyebrows because he knew Gallus wanted an answer from him. He was defiant.

  “What do you want me to say?” he asked. “My opinion is much the same as Bose’s. If Henry forces me to make a choice, then my loyalty is with you and I’m sure my father feels the same way. Besides… I have a stake in all of this.”

  Gallus was puzzled. “What stake is that?”

  Chad took a long, deep breath, to bolster his courage. He had been pondering how, and when, to approach the subject of marriage to Alessandria and it seemed that this was a good time. They were speaking of relation to the House of de Shera by marriage, after all. Therefore, it was as good a time as any.

  “Henry wants to use Lady Alessandria as a hostage,” he finally said. “But I want to marry her, Gallus. That makes me just as involved as any of you in this situation.”

  Across the table, Tiberius snorted with giddy laughter at Chad’s declaration while Gallus looked at Chad with a great deal of surprise. “What’s this you say?” he repeated. “You want to marry her?”

  “I do.”

  “It is not true!”

  “It is.”

  Shocked, Gallus looked at his brothers for support in this surprising situation. Tiberius was still snorting while Maximus, much less giddy than his younger brother, simply shrugged his shoulders.

  “Why so shocked, Gallus?” Maximus asked. “You took a wife. Now Chad wants to take one. Why should that surprise you?”

  Gallus still wasn’t over his amazement. “But… but it’s Chad. Chad. Since when does de Lohr speak of marriage?”

  “I am over here,” Chad pointed out. “I can hear your conversation quite plainly, Gallus. Please direct your shock at me and I will explain.”

  Gallus did. “Tell me, then,” he demanded. “How did this happen?”

  Gallus had gone from shocked to edgy quite quickly. Chad tried not to appear too contrite or embarrassed about the fact that he was admitting that he wanted to marry. Surely, only women showed such sappy emotions and silly dreams, but Chad knew he was on the verge of doing just that. There was no holding back now.

  “I cannot tell you how it happened, only that it has,” he said quietly. “I… I adore the woman, Gallus, and she adores me. I told her that I would ask your permission to marry her.”

  Gallus’ eyebrows lifted. “Great Gods,” he hissed. Then, he shook his head, trying to come to terms with what he’d been told. “You adore her?”

  “I do.”

  “Are you in love with her?”

  Chad shifted uncomfortably. “I have never been in love before so it is difficult to know, but… but I think so.”

  “Enough to marry her?”

  “More than enough.”

  Gallus scratched his head, his shock fading as he realized that Chad was completely serious. He’d known the man for many years and liked him a great deal, so the more he thought on it, the more pleased he became. Was it really possible that the shining star of Canterbury, the man known as Silversword, was finally ready to settle down and marry, with Aurelius’ sister no less?

  Certainly, some of this made sense. Chad and Alessandria had been abruptly thrown together and Chad had spent the last several days protecting, clothing, and feeding the woman. He was a virile man and she was a beautiful woman. There was no reason why they should not adore one another.

  Find love with one another.

  “Does your father know?” Gallus finally asked.

  Chad shook his head. “All of this came to light after we left Canterbury, but I am sure he will not have any objections.”

  As Gallus digested what he’d been told, a grin came to his lips. “Nor do I,” he said. “Congratulations, Chad. But permission for her hand must really come from her brother. I have no authority to give you my blessing. Aurelius might have other plans for his sister, in fact.”

  Chad’s expression tightened. “It does not matter if he does,” he said. “Aless belongs to me and I will have her with or without her brother’s permission.”

  This was the Chad that Gallus and the others were much more familiar with – determined, stubborn, and deadly. The man always got what he wanted and woe to the man who denied him. Gallus held up a soothing hand.

  “I am sure he will give his consent, but you must seek him and ask,” he said. “With Uncle Julius killed at Evesham, Lady Alessandria is now under her brother’s control. He will have the final say in any marriage contract.”

  Chad rolled his eyes. “Aurelius the Idiot,” he muttered. “Oh, I know what men say of him. I heard of his cowardice at Evesham. The moment his father was killed, he withdrew all of his troops and sat on the outskirts as Simon’s forces were trampled on, including you. That is the kind of man who has a say in my happiness?”

  Gallus shrugged. “It is a formalit
y,” he said. “At least ask him. At least do your diligence. If he denies you, then marry her anyway. Aurelius will not be able to do anything about it once you are wed.”

  “I would rather marry her now and just sent him a wedding announcement.”

  “Then if that is the case, why did you even ask me?”

  Chad frowned. “Because you are her current benefactor,” he said. “She is under your protection, not her brother’s, and that makes her your ward. You make decisions for her.”

  He was correct for the most part and Gallus considered that. He scratched at his chin, eyeing Maximus and Tiberius, who were clearly on Chad’s side. He pursed his lips wryly at his brothers’ willingness to support Chad over him.

  “At least send word to the man, Chad,” Gallus said. “At least ask him. If he denies you, marry her anyway. I suppose I will simply tell Aurelius that I told you to. But I want to hear what he has to say first before you do anything. Is that fair?”

  Chad wasn’t happy about it but he nodded his head. “I suppose,” he said. “Will you give me a messenger to send north to The Paladin, then?”

  Gallus nodded. “I already have one waiting to depart, in fact,” he said. “The man is to carry news to Aurelius of what is happening at Isenhall. I thought my cousin should know because, sooner or later, Henry will turn on him. He needs to know what is happening.”

  Chad had to be satisfied with that. He was frustrated at Gallus’ attitude, frankly, but he had to respect it. But his frustration turned into a lack of self-control.

  So much for limiting his wine consumption; Chad poured himself a third cup and drank it straight down before borrowing Gallus’ solar to write a missive to Aurelius regarding his sister’s hand in marriage. He had another cup or two of wine as he wrote because he couldn’t seem to get the words right, asking permission to marry the sister of a man he had no respect for. When he was finished, Gallus took a look at the message but wouldn’t let him send it because it was an emotional mess. Too much wine had made it that way.