by Alexa Aston
“Get up, Cousin,” ordered the king, a bit of exasperation in his voice. “You, too, Lady Cassiana.”
Edward warmly embraced Landon. “It’s been too long since we’ve seen one another.”
The queen’s eyes lit up as she looked at Landon. “We have missed your company, Landon.”
He took Philippa’s hand and brushed his lips across her knuckles. “I need to meet your new children, as well as introduce you to my wife.”
He took Cassiana’s elbow and brought her closer. “My king, my queen, this is the love of my life, Lady Cassiana de Blays.”
The king smiled benignly. “I knew your father well, my lady. You favor Lord Darwin. I’ve been told you also kept Briarwood running smoothly during his last few years and are a true asset to Landon.”
“Thank you, your majesty.”
The queen took Cassiana’s hand, surprising her. “I am delighted to meet Landon’s wife.” Her eyes grew mischievous as she said, “I’d hoped he might wait until one of our girls grew older so they could wed. Lord Landon is my favorite of the king’s many cousins. You are a fortunate woman to have him by your side.”
Cassiana laughed. “I couldn’t agree more, your grace.”
“I hope you won’t be telling my sister that I’m the favorite cousin,” Landon teased the queen. “I know you go to Northmere to visit Katelyn and Nicholas once you leave here.”
“Show me your son,” the king commanded.
Cassiana motioned to Messina and she brought Gavin forward. She started to hand the child to Landon but the king swept Gavin from her hands. Startled, the servant froze a moment and then slipped away.
“He’s a handsome one, Landon. Even-tempered?”
“Gavin is, your majesty,” Landon shared. He looked around. “Where are your children?”
A young lad the very image of the king stepped forward. “Do you remember me, Sir Landon?” he asked eagerly.
“Lord Landon,” the queen gently corrected. “Remember, your father rewarded Landon with a title and this lovely estate, Edward.”
“Lord Landon,” the boy corrected.
Landon bowed and then thrust out his hand. “How could I forget you, your grace? You have grown taller than weeds since I last saw you. Are you ten and three now?”
“I was last week,” the prince said proudly. He looked to Cassiana and swept up her hand in an elegant motion, kissing it. “Your husband was my first friend, my lady. He taught me to ride and how to swing a sword and mace.”
“I hope he was a good tutor, your grace,” Cassiana said, impressed with the prince’s poise.
“He was. I would like to return the favor to him someday.” Prince Edward held out his hand to Gavin, who seemed perfectly at ease in the arms of the King of England.
Gavin took the younger Edward’s hand and pulled on it, forcing the prince closer. Gavin patted Edward’s cheek. “I like you,” he proclaimed.
“And I you, Master Gavin,” the prince said. His gaze returned to Cassiana. “If it pleases you, my lady, I wish for your son to come to court to foster.”
“While no mother looks forward to the day her young son must leave home, ’twould be an honor if my Gavin fostered at the royal court, your grace,” she replied.
Gavin held his arms out to the prince and Edward lifted the boy from the king and held him close. “Don’t worry,” he told Cassiana. “I’ve had plenty of practice entertaining all my brothers and sisters.”
“Enough talk. My belly is rumbling,” the king complained good-naturedly. “Show us to your solar so we can rest a bit and have something to eat before the festivities begin.”
“This way, sire,” said Landon, leading the king into the keep, followed by Prince Edward and Gavin. A small boy ran from the crowd and scampered after them.
“That’s Lionel, our five-year-old son,” the queen commented before she spouted a few orders.
Immediately, two girls came forward, each holding the hand of a young boy.
“This is Isabella on the left, who has John, and Joan, who carries Edmund,” the queen informed Cassiana. “Let’s go to your solar. Come along, girls.”
She accompanied the queen and the four children as the bailey behind them buzzed with activity. Messina hurried to her side.
“Refreshments in the solar at once.”
“Aye, my lady.”
The two families gathered and enjoyed something to eat and drink with all of their children. When Landon suggested they leave so the royal family might rest, the king waved the notion away.
“I haven’t seen you in ages, Landon. Stay, so we can talk. We have much to catch up on.”
The men remained at the table, while Prince Edward pulled out several wooden soldiers and distributed them to John, Edmund, and Gavin. The boys gathered before the fire and began playing as the two princesses took out needlework. Cassiana and the queen retired to chairs on the far side of the room.
“You’ve made the solar so welcoming, Lady Cassiana. I’m very fond of fresh flowers. I’m sure Landon told you that.”
“He did, your grace. We have many varieties throughout the estate. I thought you would enjoy these.”
The two women soon chatted as old friends. Finally, the queen asked, “When will your babe come?”
Cassiana sensed her cheeks heating. “How did you know? I only realized it this morning.”
Philippa smiled. “After having eight children, I know the signs. You have a radiance about you. I assume you haven’t told Landon yet?”
“Nay. I’m still getting used to the idea myself. I’ve only missed my courses once. I suppose the babe will come early next year.”
The queen glanced to Landon. He and the king had joined the boys on the floor and now acted out some battle, with shouts of warning and glee.
“I meant what I said earlier. Landon is a true gentleman and a favorite of ours. He looks very comfortable as a father.”
“He is,” Cassiana assured the queen. “And he’s also a wonderful husband.”
“You love him?” the queen asked pointedly.
“With all my heart.”
“I love the king,” Philippa confided. “As all royal marriages are, ours was arranged. It took some time but love blossomed between us.”
“I can see how much he loves his children, too. Landon told me he wanted me to get to know his cousin as a man during this visit—and not as a monarch.”
“Edward thinks the world of Landon. He feels as if they are true brothers.” Philippa smiled graciously. “He will be most happy to know that Landon has found love with you.”
“My love?” the king called out. “The boys are becoming cranky. They need a nap. As do I,” he added.
Landon scooped Gavin up. “This one is irritable, too. Let us leave you to get some rest.”
Cassiana accompanied her husband and son from the solar and found Messina lingering in the corridor.
“Do they need anything else?” she asked anxiously.
“Only a little peace and quiet,” Landon said. “Would you take Gavin and put him down for a nap?”
The servant took the boy. “Come along, my lord. It’s to bed for you. You can play with the little princes later.”
Cassiana led Landon across the hall to the bedchamber they were using and closed the door.
“Are we also due a nap?” he asked, his eyes twinkling.
She laced her fingers with his. “I like your cousin quite a bit. And the queen is lovely.”
Landon smiled. “I’m glad we were able to spend some time alone with them. In truth, they are just people, like you and me. They both mean a great deal to me.”
He kissed her softly. “You mean a great deal to me, too. You and Gavin. My heart is filled with love for the two of you. For our family.”
Cassiana gazed up at him. “Do you believe you have more room in your heart?”
She watched his confusion turn to understanding and his fingers tightened about hers.
“Are you .
. . with child again?”
“I am. Come the New Year, we should have another little de Blays in our lives.”
Landon’s eyes filled with tears as he smiled at her. “I found myself when I found you, my love. You are my life, Cassiana.” He bent and pressed a kiss to her belly and then rose, his mouth covering hers.
In his kiss, she knew the promise of all the good days to come.
THE END
Please enjoy an excerpt from The Bastard.
Prologue
Blackstone Castle, Sussex—1325
Quill Cardon slipped from his bed and past his snoring father. Leaving the blacksmith’s shed, he headed toward the stables. The horse Lord Adelard let him ride today had tossed a shoe as it ran across the pasture. The earl had Quill dismount and walk the animal slowly back to Blackstone Castle, where his father had reshod the mount. Quill had then taken the horse to the stables. He wanted to check and see if the animal was all right. The earl had said it was important to learn as much as you could about your horse and care for it. The mount would never belong to Quill but he still wanted to visit it just the same and see for himself that the beast was fine.
He heard the sound of hooves before he saw the rider dart across the moonlit bailey at breakneck speed. The man vaulted from his steed and raced into the keep, a rolled up parchment swinging in his hand. Quill wondered what missive Lord Adelard would receive. He knew his liege lord was a very important man—and yet he still took time for a young boy like Quill.
That was something he hadn’t quite figured out.
Though he was only seven, Quill enjoyed observing others and learning all he could. As far as he could tell, the earl didn’t seek out other children at Blackwell and teach them as he did Quill. And Landon. Of course, Landon was the earl’s son and heir, as well as Quill’s closest friend. Mayhap, that was why Lord Adelard had Quill accompany him when he showed Landon how to do things. Together, Landon and Quill had learned to ride and hunt. Swim and fish. Lately, the earl had provided both boys with wooden swords and the two dueled in the bailey every chance they got. It made him feel special, getting to spend time with the earl, who was the kindest, most decent man of Quill’s acquaintance.
He entered the stables and lit the lantern hanging on the wall, using it to light his way until he reached the next to last stall. Greeting the horse, Quill hung the lantern on a hook and slipped inside the enclosed space. He stroked the sleek flank with both hands. Checking the shoe and seeing it held firm, he decided to brush the horse. Humming softly, he lost himself in the long brushstrokes and sweet smell of hay permeating the air around him.
“Quill?”
He turned and saw the earl standing there, a searching look on his face. Lord Adelard looked younger and more vulnerable than Quill had ever seen. He didn’t appear to be the larger than life giant but, instead, a mere man.
In that moment, Quill knew. Something buried deep inside him that had struggled for years to surface finally did. He realized the man before him was his father. Though Quill called another man by that name, he had never felt any kind of connection with the blacksmith as he did here, now, in this moment with the Earl of Blackwell.
Yet, he knew without words being said that he could never call this man Father in private, much less acknowledge him in public. A wave of sadness swept through him.
“Quill, put down the brush. Come here,” his father said urgently.
He did and Lord Adelard enfolded him in an embrace that Quill wished could go on and on. For the first time in his life, he felt safe. Wanted.
Loved.
Then the earl’s arms fell away and Quill saw tears swimming in the nobleman’s eyes. The security that had blanketed him vanished in an instant. Why would a grown man, much less a powerful nobleman, cry? Fear swept through Quill.
“I’ve come to say goodbye to you, Quill. We will never see each other again.”
Tears stung his eyes. “Why? Did I do something wrong? Please . . . don’t send me away from Blackstone. From you.”
The earl ruffled Quill’s hair with affection. “It’s nothing you’ve done. I am the one who has done something that I regret. I won’t share with you what but know that part of why I did it was for you. To give you a place in the world.”
He balled his fists. “My place is by your side, my lord. If you go, I’ll go with you.”
“You can’t,” the nobleman said, regret lacing his words. Then he clutched Quill to him. “My son. Oh, my dear, sweet boy.”
Finally, Lord Adelard had acknowledged the relationship between them. If Quill couldn’t remain by his father’s side, a thought struck him. “Can I go to my mother instead?” he asked.
“Nay.” His father knelt and placed his hands on Quill’s shoulders. “I loved your mother, Quill. She brought a lightness to me. A joy that knew no bounds. We wed in secret and I planted the seed in her belly that became you. You are my true heir. Blackstone Castle should be yours.”
His words confused Quill. Lord Adelard was wed to Lady Sybil. The countess hated Quill as much as she loved Landon and Katelyn.
“I don’t understand.”
Lord Adelard drew a deep breath and expelled it slowly. “I married your mother, Quill. I loved her beyond space and time. She died giving birth to you. I had to honor a commitment my father made in my stead and so I wed Lady Sybil even while your mother still lived and carried you in her belly. That’s why everyone assumes Landon is my heir. In truth, he’s the bastard and you are my legitimate son.” His father paused. “I wanted so much more for you but I doubt it will come to pass. I must go.”
“I’ll go, too,” he said eagerly. “I’ll never leave you, Father.”
“Nay, I have done wrong and you cannot be associated with it. They’ll have my head for my actions. I’m only sorry I couldn’t protect you more than I already have. The one good thing is that they don’t know the truth about you. No one does, except Walter. As far as the world knows, you are not of the nobility and your mother wasn’t Lady Cecily Elyot but some commoner. ’Tis what is generally believed here at Blackwell.”
Quill repeated Lady Cecily Elyot in his mind. He did not want to forget his mother’s name, even if she had passed.
“You love horses, don’t you?”
“Aye,” Quill said. “They’re better than most people.”
His father laughed softly. “You’ll need to work hard. Respect Edgar Lacey for he will teach you everything about horses. Treat Edgar as your father. Give your allegiance to Lord Oswin Granville. I’m sorry—about everything.”
Rising, Lord Adelard took Quill’s hand. “Come. We must see you fast away before it’s too late.”
They left the stables. Quill supposed he should feel bitter that Landon was known as the heir when everything at Blackwell actually belonged to him. Yet, he’d grown up with Landon and liked him a great deal. He realized they were half-brothers and that Katelyn was his half-sister. The little sprite loved horses as much as Quill did. He wondered if Landon and Katelyn would ever know they were related and doubted it. When he left and Lord Adelard was gone, they would have no way of knowing all three of them share the same blood.
His father led him to the rear of the castle and paused before the postern gate.
“Sir Walter awaits you on the other side. He will take you far away, my son. You will start a new life, with Edgar Lacey as your father. It’s important that you forget me and everything about Blackstone Castle.” He paused. “Except for this.”
The earl took Quill’s hand and placed a leather pouch in his palm. “Hide this from everyone, my son. It’s the emerald necklace my grandfather, Godwin, gave to my grandmother, Melisent. No one must know you possess it or where it came from. Never sell it, no matter how desperate you might be. Instead, give it to the woman you come to love.”
Quill slipped it inside his gypon as his father opened the gate. Quill walked through it as if in a dream. It seemed like someone else had taken over his body and propelled him forward,
against his will. He took a few steps and paused, glancing over his shoulder, afraid of what was to come.
“Go ahead, Son,” his father encouraged.
Quill couldn’t help himself. He ran back and clung to his father. “I don’t want to go.”
“You must. I told you why. Go,” the earl ordered. “Now. Before it’s too late.” His voice broke as did Quill’s heart.
He studied his father a long moment, committing Adelard de Blays’ face to memory. “I won’t forget you, Father. Ever.”
Quill released his hold and stumbled away. He heard what he thought was goodbye, the word carried away on the breeze.
Every step he took twisted a knife in his heart. Quill didn’t dare look at his newfound father again. It took all the courage he could summon not to do so. He heard the postern gate close behind him and he continued walking.
“Quill,” a voice hissed. “Over here.”
He moved to his right, where a man stood next to his horse. He recognized Sir Walter Taybard, his father’s closest friend. The knight scooped Quill up and set him in the saddle and then mounted behind him.
“Do you know where we go?” Sir Walter asked.
“To . . . Edgar Lacey. My new father,” Quill managed to get out as his throat thickened with emotion.
“Aye. Edgar is the head groomsman at Bondeville, home to the Earl of Bondeville, Lord Oswin Granville. ’Tis far from Sussex, to the west. In Somerset. Lord Adelard and I fostered with Lord Oswin. The earl is a good man and Edgar will provide you with a home.”
“Why must I leave, Sir Walter? Is Father in trouble?”
The knight nodded. “Deep trouble, I’m afraid. The kind that will cost him his head. What he does now, Quill, he does to protect you. To let it be known that you are his son would be to condemn you. As it is, Blackwell will be forfeited to the crown. You, nor Landon, will receive it.”
“Why?”
Sir Walter gave him a long look. “Because traitors lose not only their heads but their lands and titles, my boy. And your father has committed treason. Even being a cousin to the king will not save him now. Anyone of his blood will be subject to harsh punishment.”