But the end result was spectacular. Emelisse was better groomed than she had ever been in her life, with a silk net in her hair and fine clothing on her body. She even smelled good, as the maids had put perfume on her neck, behind her ears, in her hair, and on her wrists. She smelled like flowers and she kept lifting her arms, smelling her skin.
The final piece came once she was finally scrubbed, dressed, and brushed. Lady de Wrenville, who had been supervising the entire event, approached her with a necklace. It was a golden chain that had purple stones upon it, as part of the chain, and there was an elaborate pendant on the very end with dark purple and dark blue stones set within a cross that also had pearls as part of the design.
It was magnificent.
“My lady,” Emelisse gasped, grasping the woman’s arm. “I cannot wear this. I do not know when I will be able to return it to you.”
Lady de Wrenville smiled faintly. “You need not return it,” she said. “It is a gift.”
Emelisse stared at it, astonished that Lady de Wrenville should gift her with something so expensive.
“But…” she protested. “Surely this cost you a great deal of money and I…”
Lady de Wrenville shushed her quietly and as Emelisse shut her lips, Lady de Wrenville ordered her maids from the chamber, instructing them to pack a small satchel for Emelisse to take along. As the maids rushed off, shutting the chamber door, Lady de Wrenville took a step towards Emelisse and reached out to lift the pendant of the necklace between them.
“Can you read what this says?” she asked.
Emelisse peered at the back of the pendant. It was solid gold, but there was something etched into the back of it. She turned it so the light from the hearth fell upon it and she could see the words clearly.
“It says ‘Quia Oportet’,” she said. Then, she looked at Lady de Wrenville in surprise. “Because I must?”
Lady de Wrenville nodded, putting the pendant back where it belonged and making sure it was hanging straight around Emelisse’s neck.
“I received that from my husband on the eve of our wedding,” she said. “It is an exquisite piece of jewelry, and very costly, but instead of inscribing something pleasant on the back of it, he inscribed ‘because I must’. He meant that he gave it to me because it was required of him. Not because he wanted to.”
Emelisse looked at the woman with some sympathy before returning her focus to the bauble.
“That was not very kind of him,” she said quietly.
Lady de Wrenville shook her head. “Nay, it was not,” she said. “Therefore, I am giving it to you. I have a feeling you will not be returning here, Emelisse. May I call you Emelisse? My name is Alice and you may call me by my name. I would consider it an honor. Now, I want you to sell this necklace at some point, take the money, and use it to help rebuild Hawkstone. Will you do that?”
Emelisse looked at Alice, a smile spreading across her lips. “I will, Alice,” she said. “Thank you for giving this to me. I wish I could say that I will treasure it always, but I will not. I shall be glad to sell it and take the money to repair what your husband has damaged.”
Alice started to chuckle. “Good girl,” she said. “But I do hope our paths will cross again someday. I feel as if we could be friends.”
Reaching out, Emelisse took her hand. “As do I,” she said. “I wish we could be friends and neighbors instead of… instead of whatever this is. I am sorry if I was unpleasant or difficult. You have been so very kind to me. I hope to repay you someday.”
“You will,” Alice said, “when you sell that necklace. Little does my husband know that his money shall help rebuild that which he has destroyed.”
Emelisse nodded. Then, she embraced the woman, her gratitude so great. Alice hugged her tightly before releasing her.
“Now,” she said. “Sit down and eat the remainder of the food on the table. There is no knowing when you will eat next, so feed yourself well.”
Emelisse did as she was told. She picked up a piece of bread with butter and was about to take a bite when there was a soft knock at the door. Alice went to open it, revealing Caius standing in the opening.
He was dressed as if he were going into battle, a mode of dress that made him look even more imposing than he already did. His black hair was slicked back and the beard he had been wearing since Emelisse had known him was gone. The man had shaved it off, which was odd considering it was wintertime. Most men kept beards so their faces wouldn’t be cold.
But Caius was clean-shaven.
And extraordinarily handsome with his pale, pink complexion.
He didn’t even look at Emelisse, at first. His focus was on Alice, who greeted him pleasantly and informed him that Emelisse was prepared for travel. Caius thanked her and that was when he happened to look at Emelisse.
The moment their eyes met, it was as if everything stopped.
Time stopped.
Emelisse could feel it.
Confused, and perhaps even embarrassed, she lowered her gaze as Caius and Alice exchanged a few more pleasantries. Then, Alice departed, leaving Caius standing just inside the door. Emelisse could hear his footfalls as he came into the chamber and shut the door. She dared look up at him again.
“I… I hope I did not keep you up last night, my lord,” she said. “You were the last thing I remember when I went to sleep, but you were gone this morning. I fear I have put you to a great deal of trouble.”
He shook his head. “No trouble,” he said. “But we are departing for Hawkstone today, as you have been told, and I wanted to speak with you before we go. There are a few things you should know.”
Emelisse nodded, sitting down at the table and looking to him expectantly. Caius scratched his dark head in a thoughtful gesture before speaking.
“I will be honest,” he finally said. “I am afraid to tell you the truth because the last time I did, you tried to jump from the window.”
Emelisse lowered her gaze, ashamed. “I am very sorry for that, my lord,” she said. “It will not happen again, I promise.”
The delay in his reply was so long that Emelisse finally looked up at him to see what the trouble was. The man was simply looking at her in a way that made her heart leap strangely. Those black eyes, so intense, could have been the most soulless eyes on earth, but as Emelisse looked at him, she didn’t sense coldness.
Quite the opposite.
Finally, he smiled weakly.
“Forgive me,” he said. “I cannot get over… well, you look quite different than you did last night. And I can smell you from here.”
Her eyes widened and she began smelling her arms in a panic. “I smell?”
He snorted. “I meant you smell sweet,” he said. “You did not smell like that last night.”
“I smelled terrible last night?”
Caius was digging himself into a hole and he put up his hands in surrender as he started laughing.
“I fear I have not explained myself at all well,” he said. “I meant that you smell sweet today and you are in clothing that fits you. You look quite beautiful and last night… God’s Bones, this isn’t any better of an explanation. Forget I said anything.”
Because he was grinning, and his newly-shaven cheeks were flushing, she grinned at him as she sensed his discomfort.
“Let me see if I understand you correctly,” she said. “Last night, I stank, so this morning, I smell sweetly and you are greatly surprised because I am also clean and in clothing that fits, while last night, I looked like a horror. Is that right?”
He put his hand over his mouth because she was both embarrassing him and charming him with her pointed jest. It was an extreme change in behavior since last night, but given the fact that she knew she was returning home today, that kind of hope was enough to change anyone’s demeanor. Caius understood that.
But God’s Bones, he’d never seen anything so beautiful in his entire life.
In fact, his first look of her that morning had made him a bit speechl
ess.
“That is not right,” he insisted weakly. “But you must admit – in fact, we should all admit – that yesterday was trying for all of us. Today is a better day.”
She was grinning at him openly, her smile fading as he spoke. When he finished, she nodded firmly.
“It is a better day,” she said. “I am told that I am returning to Hawkstone. You said there were people willing to stand with me, and it must be true. Can I assume you are to thank for de Wrenville’s change of heart?”
His smile vanished completely as he shook his head. “Not entirely,” he said. “That is what I have come to speak to you about. You are returning to Hawkstone, but it is with a purpose.”
“What purpose?”
“The only way de Wrenville would let you leave is if you promise to relay a message to your brother,” he said. “You are to return to Hawkstone and tell your brother that if he surrenders the keep, de Wrenville will give you both your freedom. He will not imprison either one of you. You will be free to go.”
The warmth on Emelisse’s face vanished unnaturally fast. “Go?” she repeated, appalled. “Go where? Hawkstone is our home. Nay, my lord, my brother will not leave. I can promise you that. And I will not return to Winterhold, ever, so if it is your plan to bring me back after he refuses, know I will not come willingly. Surely you would not be so cruel as to force me.”
Caius shook his head. “I will not make you,” he said quietly. “But Covington does not know that and neither does anyone else, so you must stay silent on the matter. Do you understand me? Present the appearance of a model prisoner, do as you are told, and say nothing. But know that I will not return you to Winterhold when the time comes.”
She stared at him, swallowing hard as she realized the seriousness of the situation. “What will you do, then?”
He lifted his big shoulders. “We shall address that problem when we come to it. But for now, this entire situation depends on you pretending to be obedient to whatever de Wrenville wants. Can you do that?”
“And you swear to me that I shall not have to come back here?”
“I swear.”
“Then I will do whatever you tell me to do.”
“You are a brave lass.”
Her smile was back, however weak. “Not really,” she said. “I only know that I do what needs to be done. My mother died when I was young, leaving me with her responsibilities. I simply did what needed to be done, because if I did not do her tasks, then they would not get done. I had a father and brother to take care of. I had a castle to take care of. When this battle with Winterhold started, I did what I must to ensure our home and our men were taken care of. I was in the hall tending the wounded yesterday when Winterhold finally broke through. I was trying to stitch up the gut of a man who had been hit by an arrow. It was unpleasant, but it had to be done. I would not call it bravery, simply duty.”
Caius realized he liked listening to her speak. She had a soft, sultry voice that did something to his senses. Like the rest of her, it was mesmerizing.
“There are women who do not have that strength or that focus, and it is admirable,” he said. “I am going to ask you to be brave just a little while longer, at least until we get to Hawkstone. I must speak with your brother and I will need your help for that, I am certain.”
Emelisse nodded, taking a deep breath before rising to her feet. “I will do what I can,” she said. Then, she paused, putting a hand on his arm. “But whatever happens, my lord, I want you to know how much I appreciate your help. Truly, when I was brought here yesterday, I thought there was no one to help me in my hour of need. But you came… you have done so very much for a woman you do not even know. If I am brave, you are compassionate. Quite compassionate, and you have my gratitude.”
He gave her a quirky smile. “Do not let my enemies here that,” he said. “And you are welcome. Shall we go? I have men waiting in the bailey.”
“I could see an army beyond the walls this morning. Is that our escort?”
He shook his head. “Nay,” he said. “Wolverhampton is taking his army home and de Lohr’s army is also returning home.”
She looked at him curiously. “I thought you said they had come to support Winterhold?”
“Those plans have since changed.”
They were nearly to the door when she paused. “May I ask what you mean by plans having changed?”
Caius debated how much to tell her. But looking into that sweet face, it was as if he had no restraint on his words when it came to her.
“It is what I told you last night,” he said. “We know de Wrenville has concocted this story of your family’s loyalty to France. The armies came here in good faith, certain that an ally needed assistance, but it was not the truth. We will not help de Wrenville steal another family’s lands. At least, de Wolfe and de Lohr will not. Until I receive further instructions from The Marshal, the army I brought with me will remain neutral.”
Emelisse looked as if she were about to cry, so great her relief. “I see,” she said hoarsely. “I… I do not know what to say. To thank you does not seem enough.”
He could see that she was emotional and, for some odd reason, that made him emotional, too. “It is more than enough,” he said. “But do not become too grateful. I still have an army here. The Marshal could very well tell me to use it.”
“Will you?”
That was a difficult question for him, especially since he could not envision himself commanding an attack on Hawkstone. Not with everything he’d been told. But the unfortunate fact was that he was simply one piece of a larger puzzle.
He did what he was told.
“I am a knight,” he said. “I do not disobey orders unless I want to destroy everything I have worked for, reputation included.”
Emelisse didn’t argue with him. She didn’t recoil or curse him. She simply looked at him as if accepting his perspective, yet sad for it. Her expression squeezed his heart, something he’d once thought to be made of stone.
“I understand,” she said quietly. “Please know that I would never expect you to go against your oath or your beliefs. You have been more than kind already and, for that, you will always have my respect and gratitude. But I would like to ask one more question, if I may.”
“Of course.”
“My father… were you able to discover what has become of him?”
Caius really didn’t want to answer her, especially not after what Covington had said, but he knew he couldn’t keep it from her. She had a right to know.
“Not yet,” he said. “But de Wrenville wants both you and your brother to know that if you surrender Hawkstone, you shall have your father’s body returned to you.”
Her eyes widened in horror. “That is a condition of surrender?”
Caius reached out and took her by the arm, pulling her towards the door. “Call it a reward,” he said. “He is trying to make this difficult, my lady. Do not let him know how much this upsets you. He likes to see that, so do not give him the pleasure. Understood?”
Emelisse was prepared to get worked up about it, but Caius’ words had her calming. Or, at the very least, reconsidering an emotional display.
She didn’t want to give de Wrenville the satisfaction.
“Understood,” she said glumly.
“Good,” Caius said, opening the door. “We have a long ride ahead of us, and a great deal to do when we reach Hawkstone, so I need you to remain calm and reasonable. Do this and we shall get through this, my lady. I promise.”
Emelisse nodded, squaring her shoulders and preparing to meet the situation head-on. She was leaving Winterhold and that was all she cared about at the moment. It was true that she wasn’t leaving with her father’s body, but that couldn’t be helped at the moment. She was coming to think that if it was at all possible, Caius would have made it so.
He seemed to have worked a few miracles on her behalf.
She was coming to think that he was a very special man, indeed.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
In the light of day, Hawkstone looked like a great beast with all of its innards scraped out.
The late afternoon sun shone brightly upon the beaten structure, a shell of its former self, with the gatehouse still smoldering, the drawbridge badly damaged, and great clouds of smoke rising up out of the bailey. Everything was covered with white from the snow dumped the night before, but there had been a great deal of activity in and around the castle because all the footpaths had turned to mud. A glorious white landscape was marred by dark, dirty pathways.
And there were men everywhere – Winterhold men. There was an encampment about a quarter of a mile from the castle itself, heavy with smoke on this cold day but smelling like the latrines that had been dug downstream. There was also an encampment in the bailey itself. The army had partially set up in the bailey to better stake their claim on the castle itself.
And then, there were the bodies.
It was worse than Caius had anticipated and he was coming to regret having brought Emelisse along. She tried to be brave; she tried to be very brave. But as the party drew closer, she calmly pointed out that some of the dead lining the road and partially covered by snow were men she had been tending in the hall. She even saw the man whose gut wound she’d been trying to sew when she’d been pulled from her duty. So many of Hawkstone’s dead simply lying out in the elements.
It was an appalling sight.
Hallam thought so, too. He was riding with them this morning as Covington’s representative to see that his lord’s commands and wishes were followed. He rode at the head of the column of fifty Pembroke soldiers, meant to be an escort for Lady Emelisse and nothing more. Riding along with the Hallam and Caius and Emelisse were Maxton, Morgan, William, and Kevin. Gareth had ended up riding back with Peter to take the de Lohr army home because Kevin wanted to stay at Winterhold to see how de Wrenville’s madness was going to progress. If his father was going to need to be put on alert, Kevin wanted to be close enough to his father’s seat to ride home in a relatively short amount of time.
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