The first cook stall was more of a baker with a vast variety of bread. He had sweet and dense flat cakes which, Alessandria discovered, were heavenly. Made from flour, honey, cloves and saffron, they were delicious and decadent, and Chad ended up purchasing a half-dozen of them. As Alessandria pushed them eagerly into her mouth, one after the other, the next cook stall lured them in with a cake made of honey and ginger and cinnamon that was actually more bread than cake. Alessandria loved the smell and Chad ended up buying some of that as well.
On and on it went, down the avenue, stopping at each stall to see what wares or delicacies were offered. A man had a trained black bird, a raven he said, that would pick almonds up from a bowl and walk them over to drop them in Alessandria’s palm, which thrilled her. Further down the lane they came across a woman who used a loom to knit colorful woolen shawls, and Chad bought Alessandria one. It was warm, and lovely, and she draped it around her shoulders as they continued on their way.
In fact, the journey on the Street of the Cooks and Merchants turned into less of a hunt for fabric and more of a general inspection of the street and its vendors in general. There was a man who imported scented oils and incense, and Chad bought her several items simply because she had liked the smells. They stopped to watch a silversmith work a small piece of silver against his metal anvil, watching as he formed it into the shape of an earbob and then added a yellow stone to it. It was all quite fascinating.
The sights and sounds and smells of everything had them enchanted, transported far away from a world of battles and wicked kings. As they lost themselves in a carefree world, Chad held Alessandria by the elbow or the arm, sometimes even the hand, stealing kisses from her when he thought no one was looking.
At first, she pretended to reject his advances, perhaps embarrassed that he was trying to kiss her in public, but soon enough she gave in to his flirtation and allowed him a kiss or two. Perhaps even more than that. All Chad knew was that he was swept up in something he couldn’t control, something that made him as giddy as a young squire. Everything about Alessandria had him enraptured and happily so. He couldn’t focus on anything else. In fact, they were near the Cook’s Gate, playing another round of kiss-stealing, when he happened to glance up at a group of men coming through the gate.
Then, the games stopped.
Chad recognized the men, unfortunately, and he recognized one in particular – Luc Summerlin, the very man he had slashed whilst freeing Henry from de Montfort’s captivity. Summerlin had been Henry’s primary jailor, a powerful knight from a fine Norfolk family. Chad had hardly given the man any thought since that day but here Summerlin was, as big as life, and heading in to Coventry with a host of other seasoned knights with him.
And Chad was quite alone.
He flew into self-protection mode. Grasping Alessandria by the arm, he quickly pulled her out of the avenue and back behind a heavily-laden merchant stall. When she looked at him, alarmed at his actions, he simply held a finger to his lips to indicate silence. Frightened, she obeyed, allowing him to push her back against the wall of the merchant stall and into the shadows while he kept out of sight, watching Summerlin and his group move down the avenue.
Chad kept his eye on the big, red-haired knight astride the battle-scarred roan steed. He wouldn’t have minded running in to the man had he not been with Alessandria, but the fact was that he was far more concerned for her than he was for himself. He didn’t want to find himself overwhelmed by Summerlin and his men, leaving Alessandria alone and vulnerable. There was no knowing what they would do to her.
Now was not the time to face Luc Summerlin. Being that the man had served de Montfort, Chad seriously wondered if he was heading to Isenhall to visit the Lords of Thunder and it seemed to Chad that departing from Coventry immediately would be the better part of valor for both him and Alessandria. He didn’t want to chance running in to Summerlin again. He had to return to Isenhall to take the lady to safety, and also to relay to Gallus and his brothers what he had seen. They would want to know if Summerlin was around. The man had an aura about him, fiercer and more powerful than most.
Chad knew the Lords of Thunder would want to know.
Therefore, he kept Alessandria close at hand as he watched Summerlin move down the Street of the Cooks and Merchants, disappearing off to the northwest. When the man was gone, Chad took that as his opportunity to race back to the livery for his horse. He had packages in one arm and Alessandria in the other as they moved very swiftly back to the livery where his fat horse was, once again, pulled away from a meal of grains.
Lifting Alessandria up into the saddle, Chad settled his saddlebags and packages before swinging himself up into the saddle behind. Alessandria held on tightly as he spurred the animal out into the avenue beyond, fleeing Coventry the way they had come.
Fortunately, they never saw Summerlin as they galloped from the town, making their way back to Isenhall in excellent time. Thundering through the gatehouse, Chad was relieved to see Gallus and Maximus and Tiberius in the ward, all three men saddled up and preparing to depart.
Chad had no idea where the men were going until Gallus dismounted his horse, went straight to Chad’s animal, and pulled Alessandria off. He led her back to the keep and Chad could see that he was mildly scolding her. Her head was down and she seemed to be cowering. Leaving Alessandria off at the steps leading into the keep, her head bowed contritely as she made her way inside, Gallus then proceeded back to Chad. And he did not look pleased.
Gallus wasn’t nearly as concerned about the news of Luc Summerlin’s appearance in Coventry as he was about Chad sneaking Alessandria out of Isenhall without an escort. Chad tried to explain himself but the truth was that there was nothing he could say to explain what he’d done. Finally, he simply gave up and let Gallus berate him. Not surprisingly, Alessandria was much more closely watched after that.
And so was Chad.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Isenhall Castle
Two Weeks Later
Chad could hardly believe what he was reading.
The missive had been addressed to him, having been delivered to Isenhall by a messenger bearing Henry’s colors, which made the soldiers at the gatehouse rather edgy that a king’s messenger boy had delivered a missive addressed to Chad de Lohr.
Men whispered, rumors flew, and by the time Chad actually reached the gatehouse where the missive was waiting for him, nearly all of Isenhall knew of the missive, Gallus and Maximus and Tiberius included. Bad news traveled fast.
What did the king have to say to Chad?
No one, of course, wondered that more than Chad did. The edginess from the men was settling heavy, making it a palpable thing, and he accepted the missive from the sergeant in charge of the gatehouse as if he really didn’t want it to begin with. Something about the weight in his hand made him want to drop it and run. The messenger had already retreated, not surprisingly, because no man loyal to Henry wanted to be within the confines of Isenhall, so Chad had no one to ask about the contents.
He would have to open it to find out.
Chad wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to do that and his denial had the better of him. It would have been very easy not to read this missive, to simply pretend he’d never seen it. It couldn’t be good, any of it, but curiosity soon overcame his shock and by the time he walked from the gatehouse, he’d broken the seal on the vellum and he was reading it intently. He had walked to the middle of the bailey when he finally came to a halt, still reading the missive or re-reading it; no one was quite sure. Whatever the contents were had his full attention.
Gallus and Maximus and Tiberius, having been informed of Henry’s messenger by a nervous servant, were already coming to find Chad, emerging from the keep to see him standing in the middle of the dusty bailey, focused on the yellowed piece of vellum. A gentle breeze blew about and chaff brushed by him from the stables, but he didn’t notice. He stood there reading. The de Shera brothers didn’t waste any time in finding out why H
enry should be sending a missive to Isenhall.
“Chad?” Gallus called as he approached. “What is it?”
Chad heard the shout but wasn’t going to shout in return. He remained silent, still fixated on the missive, until the brothers were grouped around him. Tiberius was even looking over his shoulder, but Chad handed the missive over to Gallus before Tiberius could get a good look at the contents.
“It is from de Serreaux,” Chad said, his voice low. “Henry has ordered the de Winter army, led by Davyss, to march on Isenhall. They left London over a week ago.”
Gallus stared at him a moment, startled by the news, before looking to the vellum to read the information for himself. It was clear that he wasn’t sure how to react to the news but as he read, his features screwed up to reflect his astonishment. The carefully-scribed words impacted him.
“Henry is riding with Davyss,” he said, trying not to sound as if the very thought had him reeling. “De Serreaux says that Henry is coming to determine loyalties.”
The crux of the missive was revealed to those who hadn’t yet read it; the king is coming to determine loyalties. In disbelief, Maximus snatched the vellum from his brother, reading it intently as Gallus and Chad focused on one another. As Maximus read and Tiberius tried to read over his shoulder, Chad spoke in a low voice.
“So it has come to this,” Chad said, foreboding in his tone. “He is riding to see just how much support you have.”
Gallus was bewildered. “He already knows,” he said. “There has never been any secret about the fact that the House of de Lohr and the House of de Winter are both family and friends. More than that, de Moray’s daughter is married to my brother. Why should Henry come all the way with Davyss’ army to see for himself?”
Chad shook his head as if Gallus were missing the point. “Can you not see what de Serreaux is really saying?”
“Evidently not.”
Chad grunted his displeasure in the situation; he could see it as clear as day. Everything in the days from Evesham leading up to this very moment were coming to make sense to him and de Serreaux’s unexpected missive was the catalyst. He grasped Gallus by the arm.
“I told you that Henry’s mindset has been one of vengeance against anyone who supported de Montfort,” he said. “You know this. Now Henry’s madness has turned into paranoia; he is coming to test all of us, to see who is truly loyal to him. Of course he knows that de Lohr and de Winter are your friends and family, but his sense of vengeance against you is making him suspicious of us all. He knows that I took Alessandria from the convent to keep her from being his hostage and he further knows that my father not only sanctioned my actions, but did all he could to prevent the Six from carrying out Henry’s orders. Now the king believes the House of de Lohr to be against him. I would wager to say that he is expecting to see Canterbury troops here or, at the very least, Lioncross troops. He wants to see if we have all joined you in your rebellion.”
Gallus was shaking his head, still puzzled by the entire circumstance. “Based on the fact that you did not allow the Six to get their hands on Lady Alessandria?”
“That is only part of it, I am sure. Henry’s lust for vengeance started well before that.”
Gallus still wasn’t convinced. “But how can you be so sure of this?” he asked. “And what is puzzling me the most is why de Serreaux should send this missive? How did he know you were here?”
Chad lifted his big shoulders. “De Serreaux and I have known each other for many years,” he said simply. “We have fought side by side in many battles and in spite of what happened at Canterbury with Alessandria, I would hope that camaraderie is still strong between us. It must be. De Serreaux must be as disgusted with Henry’s quest for vengeance as we are, ’else he would not have risked himself to send me a missive on Henry’s intentions. He is one of Henry’s Six, for Christ’s sake – a man that Henry trusts above all else.”
“Yet he sends you a missive informing you of the king’s plans.”
Chad nodded. “He would not have done it had he not believed Henry’s intentions go beyond de Shera submission,” he said, thinking on Torran and feeling guilty for having tricked the man they way they had back at Canterbury. “Think on it, Gallus; Henry is forcing Davyss to march to Isenhall. Clearly, the intention is a threat against you but it also shows a lack in faith towards de Moray. He does not believe the man will be able to convince you to swear fealty to him. So he orders Davyss and his army to march on Isenhall, presumably to destroy you. If Davyss refuses, Henry will see that de Winter’s loyalties are more to you than to the crown. If he sees de Lohr troops here, what will he think? That the House of de Lohr has chosen to side with their family. And de Moray… you know that Henry loves and depends on him. What will happen when Henry forces Bose to choose between his daughter’s husband and the crown? Don’t you see, Gallus? Henry is testing all of us.”
Gallus rubbed at his chin, deep in thought. By this time, Maximus had finished reading the missive and had handed it off to Tiberius.
“Chad is right,” he said grimly. “There is no other reason for Henry to ride with de Winter. This has nothing to do with our swearing fealty to the king, Gallus. Henry is coming to see the situation for himself and to see if blood and friendship is stronger than fealty to the crown. His appearance will be about de Lohr and de Winter and de Moray loyalties and little else. At this point, the House of de Shera is secondary.”
Gallus listened seriously to his middle brother. Maximus was usually the doom-and-gloom member of the group but he was also, more often than not, correct in assessing a situation. He had that grasp. The more Gallus thought on the situation, the more he was coming to dislike it.
“Have we pulled these houses down with us already?” he asked softly. “Is that what this amounts to? We destroy our friends and family because of our loyalties?”
Chad shook his head. “Nay,” he replied. “I believe it is Henry’s paranoia more than anything. He sees everyone as suspect these days, regardless of who they are or how long they have served him.”
“Mayhap,” Gallus said. Then, he cocked his head thoughtfully. “But it is also possible that de Serreaux is misleading us with this missive. It would not be like one of Henry’s personal guards to betray him like that.”
Chad shook his head. “For what purpose?” he asked. “It would serve no purpose for Torran to mislead us. Moreover, he is a man of honor. He knows right from wrong. If he senses that Henry is about to do something underhanded or immoral, I feel confident that he would warn us as he is doing now. I do not see trickery in this.”
“But it still does not explain how he knew you were at Isenhall.”
Chad threw up his hands. “It would not take a genius to determine where I had taken a member of the House of de Shera,” he said. “He knew that I had taken Alessandria somewhere, and Isenhall is the logical choice. She would find protection here.”
“You do not believe your father told him?”
“Never.”
That was good enough for Gallus. “If you believe it, then I believe it,” he said. Then, his manner sobered further. “You know that I have sent word to Curtis de Lohr, asking for reinforcements against any aggression from Henry. When I asked for the assistance, however, it never occurred to me that Henry would be sending de Winter troops to attack us. I assumed it would be crown troops only.”
Maximus grunted, unhappy. “That means allies will be squaring off against each other,” he said. “If de Lohr even sends troops, that is. Gallus sent the missive some time ago but we’ve not heard back.”
“He will respond,” Gallus said steadily. “Even if it is to decline our request, Curtis will respond.”
Chad was thinking on the situation. He believed implicitly that what Maximus said was true; this had ceased to be about the House of de Shera and was more about the loyalty of Henry’s supporters. Would they support their family in the House of de Shera? Or would they support the crown, to whom they were all sworn? I
t was a difficult situation, confusing at best.
But one thing was for certain; Chad’s loyalty was to his friends and family. If he had to make a choice, that was what it would be. He was certain his father would feel the same way.
“Should I send word to my father?” he asked Gallus. “He cannot arrive before Henry and Davyss do, but I can at least send him word.”
Gallus nodded. “He should know,” he said. “Especially if you intend to lift a sword against Henry.”
He stated the fact like there was no question to it, which there wasn’t. Chad may have saved Henry’s life at Evesham but that didn’t mean he would support the man in every circumstance, and especially in a circumstance involving his aggression against family. Thinking on the situation they would soon be facing, Chad shook his head in disbelief.
“Against Henry,” he muttered as if he had to hear it with his own voice to believe it. “Against Davyss. I cannot believe Davyss would lift a sword against you, Gallus. You are his best friend.”
Gallus’ features took on a serious cast as he thought of a man who was as close to him as a brother. “And he is mine,” he said quietly. “He will not fight against me. He will turn on Henry if he has not already and if Henry is coming to Isenhall without any troops of his own, we could find ourselves in an interesting position. Henry could become our hostage again, for clearly, if Davyss turns against him, Henry will have no military support behind him.”
The thought never occurred to Chad. It could be a curious as well as potentially devastating situation for the monarchy, as Henry had spent a year in captivity with de Montfort. For the king to end up a prisoner again was definitely a potential but not one that Chad would be inclined to support.
“Prince Edward would take up Henry’s cause again,” Chad said. “We do not want that situation. Edward is as competent a military commander as any of us. More so, in fact. He would bring crown troops to raze Isenhall if you take his father hostage again and we are trying to avoid the destruction of your home and the displacement of your wives and children.”
England's Greatest Knights: A Medieval Romance Collection Page 85