by Alexa Aston
When she started to speak, he placed a finger against her lips to silence her.
“Speak no more of love tonight. If the seed has been planted within you, then let me water it with tender words and strong actions. If a year from now you believe love remains, only tell me then. And I will do the same.”
Landon’s mouth pressed against hers briefly in a chaste kiss, as if they sealed a bargain between them.
“Let me escort you to the keep. You have quite a bit of goods to put away.”
Cassiana tucked her hand through his arm and allowed him to lead her home.
*
Landon left the great hall, eager to reach the training yard and see his men in action for the first time. His new squire fell into step with him.
“How long have you fostered at Briarwood?” he asked Justin.
“Five years,” the boy replied, looking warily at him and then glancing away.
“Is your home in the north?”
“Aye.” The word came out sullenly.
“Do you enjoy going home to visit with your family?”
Justin’s look turned defiant. “I do. My father is a staunch supporter of the king. He expects me to be the same.”
“As we all are,” Landon said.
They continued on without further conversation. Landon found Justin’s attitude a bit odd but then thought of the boy’s age. He remembered that time in his life, when his voice changed and his emotions raged out of control and his limbs seemed to go every which way except where he wanted them to.
Arriving at the training yard, he witnessed the soldiers assembling, weapons in hand as they broke off in pairs to spar with one another. Justin parted company from him and went to the butts, where the archers practiced. Landon joined Sir Adam on the platform. The knight nodded coolly and his gaze returned to the men.
Landon watched various pairs engage in combat, picking out a half-dozen from the many gathered that might benefit from individual instruction. For the most part, his soldiers seemed more than capable with a sword and he took pride in that. After an hour, Sir Adam had them practice with weapons beyond a sword, turning to clubs and maces and then war hammers. Landon moved from the observation platform and studied the soldiers from different angles, intervening a few times to make a suggestion.
An odd feeling seem to hover over the yard. The men continued their training but he sensed everyone present watched him surreptitiously. Returning to Sir Adam’s side, he decided to ask the captain about it.
“Is there something going on with the men that I should know about?”
Sir Adam shrugged. “Not that I know of, my lord.” The captain’s eyes continued to sweep across the yard.
“When we finish for the day, I would like to meet with you in the solar. As I mentioned yesterday, I want to become familiar with the men and the schedules in place.”
The knight finally turned and made eye contact with him. “It isn’t necessary, my lord. Everything is running smoothly. I don’t think you need to make any changes.”
Landon bit back a sharp retort and tamped down the anger that rose in him. “I didn’t say I would make changes, Sir Adam. I merely wish to acquaint myself with how things are run.”
His captain faced him. “Briarwood runs just fine, my lord.”
He saw mistrust in the knight’s eyes and defiance in his stance. “By the Christ, man, what goes on that I’m not privy to?” he shouted.
All activity in the training yard ceased. Every eye focused on the pair standing upon the platform.
“We don’t need some Judas to tell us how to keep Briarwood safe!” countered Sir Adam. “You come strutting in here as the new earl when all along you’ve a betrayer’s blood running through your veins. The north has no need of traitors, Lord Landon. So you can take your fancy new title and wile away your days in the solar. I’ll not be having the likes of a serpent in my training yard.”
The man’s words landed as an unexpected blow to Landon’s gut. Only Cassiana could have revealed this information to Sir Adam. He glanced around the training yard, seeing each soldier’s dark look directed toward him, daring him to contradict their captain’s words. It cut Landon to the quick, knowing his future wife had betrayed him, turning his men against him this way.
He faced the hundreds of soldiers who glared up at him. Landon had never felt more alone in his life, seeing distrust on every face. For a moment, he was that small boy again, afraid and alone, being kicked about by Despenser as he licked the man’s boots clean. Still, he must confront the accusation now, while every man-at-arms was present.
“’Tis true. My father was a traitor.”
A low rumble passed through the yard as the men stirred, pressing closer.
“I barely remember what he was like as a father since I was so young—but I will tell you what I do remember. His head, resting on a pike, for all of London to see. To jeer at. To spit at. To laugh at.”
Murmurs filled the training yard. Landon pressed on.
“From the moment he was taken into custody by the king’s men, I have fought to climb from the black hole that man forced me into. Because my sire committed treason, people have always looked at me as suspect. As the boy whose father thought to topple a king. I tell you, men of Briarwood, that is not who I am. Adelard de Blays’ blood may run through my veins but I have done everything in my power to distance myself from him and his despicable actions.
“I’ve made it my mission in life to prove my trustworthiness to our king. I have fought and bled for the crown and the people of this great nation. I have risked life and limb, over and over again, to demonstrate my fealty. King Edward himself watched me grow up and saw I was willing to do anything for him and England.”
Landon paused, hoping his words might sway the crowd but still seeing doubt linger.
“Do you think our king would appoint a traitorous rebel to serve in his royal guard? To protect him? His wife? His children, day in and day out? Nay, I tell you. Our king saw many times through the years what I am truly made of.” He paused. “I am not the weakling my father was. I will defend Briarwood. The north. The king. All of England. I will guard all of these with my sword and shield to secure our people’s safety and happiness.
“Any man who doubts that, step forth. Challenge me now and I will defend myself as a point of honor. I will show you what I am truly made of.”
Landon leaped from the platform, his eyes searching those gathered before him, daring anyone to come forth.
“I will.” A broad-shouldered soldier with fair hair took a step forward. “Once a traitor, always a traitor. The king may have forgiven you, but blood tells. And bad blood can never be forgiven—nor forgotten.”
Whirling, Landon grabbed a sword from the soldier standing nearest him. His challenger raised his own weapon and advanced toward Landon.
Chapter Thirteen
Cassiana admired the new shed that had been constructed and where all of their autumn harvest now rested. Hundreds of workers now participated in the tying and winnowing. Those sheaves that had already dried were being removed from the barn, where in open air the grain was threshed and then separated from its outer casing. She passed among the people as they used sieves to separate the grain from the chaff, placing the heads of wheat into the sieve and then tossing them in the air. The wind blew away the chaff today. If it died down, women stood by with sheets, which they would waft to mimic a breeze.
This process would take another week before the grain could be milled into flour, which they would use to make bread in their bakehouse. Some grain produced would be sold to those who lived at Stony Eastbridge so that the villagers would also be able to bake bread throughout the winter and into spring and summer.
Even though the winnowing would continue for a week or more, she was pleased at the progress so far and glad that plans for the harvest home had continued. The celebration would begin tomorrow afternoon and last into the night. She looked forward to introducing Landon to the cus
tom.
As she made her way back into the castle grounds, Cassiana thought about how he’d bared his soul to her the previous day, trusting her to know the very worst about him. She’d offered her heart to him but he hadn’t wanted to accept it until she fully knew his background and what he came from. Even then, he told her to hold her tongue and keep her heart intact for a year. Only then would he hear her declaration of love.
She didn’t need a year to know that she loved this man. Still, she would honor his request and not speak of it. For now.
Since their soldiers were training as a group for the first time today with Landon, Cassiana decided to look in and see how the exercises progressed. If she knew their men, they were probably going out of their way to impress their new liege lord with their fighting skills.
“My lady!” Justin came running toward her.
She stopped and waited for the squire to reach her. No doubt he carried a message from Landon, wanting her to join him in the yard to see the men at work.
Justin skidded to a halt. “They’ll kill him!” he got out.
“What?” Her skin prickled with an uneasy feeling. “What are you talking about?”
“Lord Landon,” the boy said. “He’s challenging everyone in the yard. He’s already taken on a dozen men and they still keep coming at him.”
Fear gripped her. “Why?” she asked.
“They know he’s a traitor,” Justin said simply.
“Lord Landon is no traitor,” Cassiana said firmly. “How dare you spread such gossip!”
“But he is. Everyone was talking about it this morning. He finally admitted it to the men but said he wasn’t like his father. That he would protect—”
Cassiana didn’t hear the rest of what Justin said because her feet moved without warning. She lifted her skirts and ran toward the training yard. She entered it and saw a mass of men yelling angrily in a tight circle. The clang of steel reverberated through the air. She fought her way to the front, pushing soldiers aside until she reached a point where she could see the action.
Landon fought with a sword raised high, sweat pouring from him, blood dripping from several wounds along his limbs as Tarquin slammed his own weapon down against Landon’s blade.
“What is the meaning of this?” she demanded, stepping close to the pair.
Tarquin’s eyes glinted with satisfaction. Landon looked at her wearily. Neither man spoke.
“I won’t ask a second time why you all jeer at your liege lord,” Cassiana said, glancing about the group, now silent. “Tell me. What goes on?”
Sir Adam stepped forward. “Word passed among the men last night and this morning that the earl . . . is a traitor. That his father betrayed the crown. That his treachery will infect us all and he’ll lead the Scots against us and England when the time is right. We’ll all die, thanks to this bastard.”
“Are you mad?” she accused the knight. “You, of all people, Sir Adam, believed rumors and lies?”
The knight stood firm. “Lord Landon admitted as much, my lady.”
Her eyes narrowed. “He proclaimed he was an agent of Scotland and would lead Scottish whoresons against Briarwood and England?”
The captain’s face turned red. “Nay, my lady. He told us of his traitorous father. We all know bad blood begets bad blood.”
Anger raced through her veins. Cassiana turned and plucked a sword from the man on her right. Holding the hilt in both hands, she moved menacingly toward Tarquin. Surprise jolted the knight and he stumbled back a few paces.
She turned in a circle, glaring at her soldiers, holding nothing back.
“You’ve all gone mad,” she proclaimed. “Lord Landon is a hero. How many of you saw him fight bravely against the French? You came home with stories of his courage and prowess and bragged to everyone at Briarwood how proud you were to have him as our new earl.”
Soldiers started nodding mutely.
“You saw him in action, leading us as one people when our stores of wheat were threatened and we might have starved this winter. You know from his very lips that he served as a member of King Edward’s royal guard, the finest group of knights in all of England. Men who implicitly hold the king’s trust and guard him and the royal family, including his heir. Do you think our king is a fool and would allow a viper in his midst? Would the King of England bestow a fine property such as Briarwood upon a man who would mutiny against him?”
Cassiana raised her sword high. “Nay, I tell you. This man, Landon de Blays, the Earl of Briargate is a fine man. The finest I have ever known—and that includes my beloved father. If anything, he will protect us from our enemies even better than my father did. And look what you’ve done. You’ve gone against the very man and title you swore to protect. How many of you challenged him? Beat him down until he grew weary? And yet look at him. He would fight every man here, until his last breath, all because he loves you.”
She glanced to Landon, breathing heavily, fire still in his eyes. “He is the only man I would trust to lead Briargate. If you fight Lord Landon, you fight me, as well. Come on, then,” she taunted. “Who dares lift a hand against my future husband and me? I call you out, here and now. If you are not for us, you are against us. I will not tolerate any disrespect.”
Cassiana circled around, seeing shame on the faces of those present.
Sir Baldwin stepped away from the group and paused in front of her.
“A man should be judged by his actions and character,” the knight said. “I have seen firsthand how valiantly Lord Landon fought the French. I have spoken with him several times. He is a man of honor, who exudes every portion of the knightly code.”
Baldwin dropped to a knee. “I pledge my life and loyalty to Lord Landon, Lady Cassiana, and the people of Briarwood.”
A ripple occurred as the crowd all began to take a knee. Cassiana noted Tarquin was the last to move. She lowered her sword to her side and reached a hand to Landon. He took it. She squeezed it and through the grime and sweat, she saw he gave her a faint smile.
“To Lord Landon and Lady Cassiana!” cried Sir Baldwin.
“To Lord Landon and Lady Cassiana!” the soldiers echoed.
Landon looked to Sir Adam. “Continue with the exercises. We will meet in the solar after the evening meal as planned.” He dropped the sword in his hand and staggered away.
Cassiana released her weapon and his hand so she could fasten an arm about his waist as Landon draped his arm over her shoulder. They moved slowly from the yard in silence, Justin following. Once they reached the keep, the squire got on Landon’s other side and helped her take him inside, leading him slowly up the steps until they reached the solar.
“Have the kitchen bring hot water for a bath, then find Malkyn and send her to us,” Cassiana ordered.
“Aye, my lady.”
Landon stumbled inside and fell into a chair. She pulled off his boots and placed them under the chair.
“What were you thinking?” she asked.
“That you betrayed me,” he said simply. “That I’d lost the confidence of our men. That I needed to prove to them my worth.” He sighed, tilting his head back and looking to the heavens. “Nothing has changed for me. Nothing ever will. I may have a title now, but people still see me as my father’s son.”
She took his hand in hers, aware of the cuts and bruises on it. “I would never betray you, Landon. Never,” she said vehemently. “I have no idea how anyone found out about your past but it didn’t come from me.”
He gave her a crooked smile. It looked as if it pained him to do so. “I know that now. Look at how you bravely defended me, sword in hand as you faced every man-at-arms in the yard. No one has ever believed in me the way you do, Cassiana.”
“The king does,” she responded. “Else he never would have made you a part of his guard.” She gently kissed his knuckles. “Give them time. Be true to yourself. They will come to know who you are.”
A sob burst from him. “I have tried for so long to be a go
od man. To ignore the gossip. To erase the memory of my father.” Landon wiped away a tear that fell. “He was a good father to me, Cassiana. Gave me a sword and instructed me on how to use it. Taught me to hunt and fish. I’ll never understand why he did what he did. ’Tis hard to reconcile in my mind the man he was with me and the face he showed to the world.”
“You loved him,” she said. “He was your father.” She pressed another kiss upon his hand. “You’ll distance yourself from him. You’ll take your place among the leading noblemen of the north. Our soldiers and people will come to know you, Landon. The man you are and always will be.”
“You are a balm to my soul, woman.” Landon pulled her into his lap and winced. “If I get blood on you and ruin this pretty cotehardie, then I’m sorry.”
He kissed her tenderly. She framed his face with her hands and then pushed her fingers into his thick hair. She was the one who chose to deepen the kiss, wanting to show him that she believed in him.
A knock sounded on the solar’s door. Cassiana broke the kiss and climbed from his lap. “Come!” she called.
Malkyn entered. “I see there are cuts and bruises to be seen to, my lord,” she said brusquely. “Some wounds, too, according to young Justin.”
“I’ve sent for hot water,” Cassiana explained. “Once Lord Landon has bathed, you’ll be better able to tend to his injuries.”
“I’m fine,” Landon complained. “I’ve no need of a healer.”
Malkyn’s brow shot up. “So you don’t need anyone to tend to that slice on your arm? Or how about the blood that drips from your chest or thigh? My lord, I must see to your wounds so they don’t become infected.” She gave him a wise smile. “I wish for you to be my liege lord for many years to come. To father many sons and daughters and die of old age after decades as the Earl of Briargate. Do I make myself clear?”