Warrior's Deception

Tom stopped wheezing and started to sputter, “What—why, you…I don’t care if’n you are a lord, ye don’t go talkin’ to Sir Edmund like that.”

Sir Edmund silenced his man with an annoyed frown. “’Tis little proof I have, more of a hunch. My illness for one.” He released a long, anguished breath and eased himself back against the pillows. The stress of the recent events shone on his face.

“Aye, ‘tis a strange illness.” Tom’s muscles creaked, his bad knee popped. He used the back of the chair to pull himself up. “My lord grows weak, then grows strong, then weak again.”

“He’s old. It happens,” Roen replied nonchalantly.

“Then why is it when I bring his food myself, not from the kitchen, he gets stronger? Why is it that when I fed his kitchen food to the rats in the stable, they died?” Tom gave Roen a nearly toothless grin. “Someone’s a-tryin’ to poison ‘im.”

“Rats die, they eat spoiled food. You doped the stable with poison, they got hold of it.” Roen scrutinized the ill man, noted the paleness of his face.

“Aye, it could be so, I wish it were so,” Edmund replied wearily. “I do not wish to think someone of my house would poison me. But ‘tis true. Tom smuggles me food through a secret chamber into this room. Yet, I still suffer from bouts of illness. I know not if this is a permanent result of the poisoning, or if the traitor still reaches me, despite our precautions.”

“There’s other things. Before the lord got sick.” Tom held his back as he shuffled over to Roen. “Accidents! The lord ‘ere was nearly trampled to death when the girth broke on his saddie. Then his lance broke during a hunt. The whole castle was a-talkin’ about the lord’s run of bad luck.”

The one-eyed man gave Roen a calculated look. “All the talk scared the coward. Not too much longer, Sir Edmund starts to feelin’ poorly.”

Roen scratched his chin. “All you really have is supposition. No real proof.”

Tom snorted in disgust. “And what about Lady Lenora?”

Roen jumped off the chest. “What’s happened to Lenora?” he demanded. “Sir Edmund, your letter did not mention any harm to her.”

There was silence as Tom and his lord exchanged appraising glances. Edmund’s voice wavered. “No harm—yet. Just things that make one wonder. I never received an answer before—why did Lenora lie for you? I’m surprised she didn’t strip you to the bone with one of her tongue-lashings.”

Roen wandered about the room to collect and organize his thoughts. “Your daughter did not wish to upset you. Believe me, I have heard enough of her bad manners. What do you want from me?” Roen asked tentatively. He suspected the answer would not be to his liking.

Edmund reached out his hand. Tom slipped two brown leather-wrapped missives from under his worn jerkin. He placed them in his lord’s hand. The elder knight opened each, read each briefly.

“I believe this will draw the culprit out.” He held one out to Roen.

“This is a marriage contract!” Roen stared at Sir Edmund as the man’s plan dawned on him. “Nay, I’ll not marry that hellcat daughter of yours.”

“Then don’t. Read the contract, man. All you have to do is announce your engagement,” Sir Edmund replied briskly.

Roen reviewed the document. “This contract is quite generous to me. I become Lord of Woodshadow the day I marry Lenora.”

“Aye, to be passed on to your and Lenora’s children at your death.”

“This cannot be! If Lenora has no children I’m to be given a settlement of three hundred gold coins. You are that rich?” Roen asked, thunderstruck. Not even the king had that much hard coin.

Edmund chuckled slyly. “Nay. The holdings would have to be sold to pay you off. I can’t deed you Woodshadow itself. ‘Tis held through my wife’s family. But I can gift you with enough gold that whoever inherits will have nothing if Lenora dies.”

Roen slung the document onto Edmund’s chest. “You dare propose this plan. If someone is trying to kill you, Lenora’s life will be forfeit. What will prevent the cad from killing her to prevent the marriage?”

“You will.” Edmund’s eyes pinned his with their sharp gaze. “You say I have no proof, this will get it for me.” The older man lifted the contract.

“You risk the life of your daughter so easily?” Roen challenged.

“This is the most difficult thing I have ever done,” Edmund admitted. “I have fought battles with less fear than I feel now. But this is the only way I can guarantee her safety in the future. I cannot rest until this is settled.”

Roen shook his head. He crossed to the window, placed his arm against the cool wall and rested his head on his wrist. Finally, he turned to face the two elderly men.

“What’s to keep me from marrying the girl and killing her myself? That’s a handsome amount of money you offer.”

Tom stepped forward, his one eye glaring at Roen. He gave Roen the remaining leather-wrapped parcel. Edmund explained, “This is the true marriage contract. It gives the property to Lenora and her offspring. If she dies childless, the land reverts to her mother’s family. You will receive a small settlement. This is the document that will be sent to King Henry to be recorded.”

Edmund added reluctantly, “I could be frank with Lenora, tell her what I suspect.”

Roen massaged his temple as he answered, “Then she really would be in danger. She’d stop at nothing to ferret any would-be assassin. We will delay any decision until I am sure there is some danger. If—” Roen stressed the word “—I sense any real danger, I will participate in your deception. But understand this, I have no intention of carrying through with this. How will she react when she discovers the truth?”

“Better a bit of dented pride than death,” Edmund answered bluntly. “There is one more thing.”

Roen spread his mouth into a thin-lipped frown. Edmund ignored his expression and spoke quickly. “I gave Lenora a promise, that she could choose her husband. I even paid the king a fee to keep her unmarried for the remainder of the year. I cannot mandate she marry you. You must persuade her to make this match.”

“God’s blood, man!” Roen’s patience stretched beyond his tolerance. “I will do what I can to discover the culprit and protect you and your family because the king wishes it. But I am a fighting man. I will not go around at her heels like a lap dog. If I decide to marry the girl, by God, she will marry me.”

Roen turned on his heel and marched to the door. As he opened it, he pierced each man with a baleful stare. He exited, allowing the slam of the door to demonstrate his ire.

Tom sat down gingerly in the chair. He let out a long whistle of air. “What do ye think, Lord Edmund? Will your plan work?”

Edmund, the slam of the door still ringing in his ears, remained quiet for a time before he answered his trusted friend and servant. “All we can do is pray Henry sent the right man.”

“And if’n he is?” Tom asked as he returned the clay jug to its hiding place.

“Then we execute our own deception, Tom, and pray ‘tis the right decision. Lenora’s life depends on it.”

Chapter Six (#ulink_4561cdf6-d997-5703-9ff8-aaa23eee9a6f)

“I thought I told you that Beatrice was not for you.” Lenora placed her fists on her hips and glowered at the two knights. For two days the siege commander and his men had taken her hospitality; ‘twas time he left, without her cousin. The hot afternoon sun beat against her back and she purposely moved to let the sun blind the men when they looked up. Roen and Hamlin sat on a crudely fashioned bench. In the cool shade of the sprawling oak, the two men labored on their tack. Soap, oil and parts of their saddles lay about them.

Roen looked up from his task, but his tanned face showed no emotion. He continued to work lubricant into his saddle girth, his strong fingers massaging the leather. A leather thong held back his flaxen hair at the base of his neck. He looked all the more like a barbarian invader. He is an invader, Lenora thought, an invader to my home and peace of mind.

“Galliard, did you hear me?”

With a careless wave of his hand, Roen signaled Hamlin to leave. His friend threw his work rag on the pommel of his saddle and caught sight of Beatrice as she rushed toward the keep. She carried an overloaded basket of vegetables. He quickened his step to intercept the girl.