If Not For The Knight, Debbie Boek [electronic reader TXT] 📗

“Is it your wish to marry Calder?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” she said solemnly, moving closer to Calder and reaching for his hand. He clasped hers firmly and she sighed in relief. With him next to her, she could handle anything, even an interrogation by the King of England.

“Why? Will it not make you an outcast from your community if you do so?”

“Lord Calder has been trying his best to create a community for us, Sire. There is still dissent from some of my people. We can be a stubborn lot and sometimes we do not, at first, always see the good that can come from a situation. But I love him and would suffer anything to be at his side. If they cannot accept that yet, I am hopeful that someday they will.”

The King watched the two of them closely. They made a strikingly handsome pair and he could see how this woman would catch Calder's eye. But still he was troubled. For Calder to petition for marriage went completely against the nature of the man he had come to know over the years.

And, although William was not worried about Devona, Roderick had much support from the other nobles and could create some serious problems should he allow this marriage to go forward.

Calder could see that the king was deliberating, but did not feel confident about what his decision would be. Taking a deep breath, regretting the embarrassment that he knew he would cause Regan, he played his last card.

“She carries my child, Sire, and with or without your blessing, it is a child that I intend to help raise, with Regan at my side.”

The King's eyebrows narrowed as he looked angrily at Calder. “Do not get impertinent with me, Calder. You have my utmost respect and I value your friendship and your service. But do not think that you can make my decisions for me. You have done a grave disservice to this young woman, and I must think for a time on what I will do. I will give you my answer after the tournament.” He stared pointedly at Calder, daring him to question what he would say next. “Since you obviously cannot be trusted with her welfare, she will be moved to different quarters and watched over by my guards until my decision is made.”

In actuality, the King's concern was more for Regan's safety from Roderick and some of the other nobles, rather than Calder, but he did not want to voice his thoughts aloud. Strange things tended to happen in the palace when this many powerful people were gathered, and he would take no chance of any ill happenstance occurring to the young woman.

CHAPTER 26

“But, Calder,” Regan said frantically, “where will they take me?”

They were in her room, re-packing her bags, having been escorted there by the King's guards, who waited for them in the hallway.

“If you trust me, Regan, then you must trust King William. He is a good and just man and, once he has a chance to think things through, he will see how right it is to allow this marriage. For now, he has only your safety in mind. He will see that you are properly protected.”

“From what?” she asked, her green eyes glittering.

He sighed heavily and sat down on the bed next to her. “There are many dishonorable people here at Court. In trying to thwart me, they may attempt you harm. The King will not allow that, and neither will I,” he added, seeing the fear in her eyes and hoping to ease her mind.

“But, what will happen after the tournament if the King refuses your petition?”

“King William has been my friend and my leader for many years. I have faith in him, and so must you.”

He would not tell her of the dangers that could await them if the King refused the petition and they chose to defy him. Should it come to pass, he would tell her only what she needed to know.

“Regan,” he said softly, running his hand along her cheek, “no matter what happens, I will have you as my wife, please believe that. It is what you want also, isn't it?”

She smiled warmly at him, her heart beating excitedly at the thought of it. “Oh, yes, Calder, it has been my wish since the first night that we were together. I would wither away and die should I not be able to spend the rest of my days with you.”

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her thoroughly, wishing he could stay and show her the depth of his commitment to her, but he must return to the party and try to prevent the King's ear from being bent by the wrong people. "Have faith in me then, and have a care for your safety. Trust no one but me and my men," he whispered against her lips. “And I will make your wish come true.”

Leaving her a few minutes later, he went in search of Draco and explained the situation. “Even the King's men can be bought, Draco. Have one of our men watching over Regan also, but be sure they know not to be too obvious about it.”

“Yes, Milord,” Draco answered, his face set as he went to locate their men, leaving Calder alone to return to the vipers' pit.

The following day, the tournament began. First would come the Bohort, where the squires fought each other with blunted weapons and padded armor. Then the individual contests, the jousts and commencailles, where a few chosen knights showed off their skills to the guests with various weapons. Calder and his men had all refused to participate in those contests, knowing they needed to preserve every ounce of their strength and energy for the melee against Roderick and his men.

Regan had just finished dressing and was waiting for Bernia to arrive so that they could be escorted to the Ber Frois—the stands where lady spectators and important guests watched the tourney. At the knock on her door, she rushed over to open it, her surprise evident as she looked up into King William's implacable face,

“Your Grace,” she said, with a deep curtsy.

“Forgive me, Lady Regan, for barging in on you like this. I was hoping to have a few words with you before the tourney begins.”

“I am at your service, Sire,” she answered, nervously wringing her hands together.

“This is a very important decision that I have to make regarding your marriage to Calder. Do you realize the repercussions that could occur if I allow you to do so?”

“Sire, I have little knowledge of your court or the people in it. I truly do not know why the marriage of two people who love each other should have any repercussions at all.”

“I believe you are an intelligent woman, Regan, and I think you understand more than you admit.”

Regan flushed and looked down at the floor. “Sire, perhaps it is just wishful thinking on my part that Calder's and my life together should have no effect on others, but I do know, from my own people, that it will.”

“So, your own people have already made you suffer and you are not yet wed. Are you willing now to suffer at the hands of the Normans, as well as the Saxons? And to possibly have Calder suffer, as well?”

“That is a difficult question, Sire. I would never wish harm on Calder and would do anything in my power to prevent it. He has already left himself open to a much more difficult time because of his feelings for me, and so he tries even harder to make amends with my people because of it. He is a kind and generous man and I love him with all my heart. But, which is the greater harm to him, Your Highness, taking away what he believes is necessary in his life for happiness, or allowing him to have that happiness, a happiness which he can then use to help him deal with the difficulties that will follow because of it?”

King William smiled down at her, admiring her logic. “Can you help him to make his lands more prosperous and the people more complaisant to his ideas and plans?”

“In truth, Sire, I am not sure that I can. Already many of my people are coming to know and admire him for his foresight, intelligence and compassion. It will take some time before there will be complete harmony in our village, but I sincerely believe that it will be our children that will make the difference. They will no longer be just Normans, or just Saxons, they will be Englishmen, Your Grace. And they will be able to see both sides of any problem and meet somewhere in the middle for the answer. My hopes rest with them.”

“Well said, Milady. You have given me much to think about, but I must go now. I hope we have a chance to speak again. Enjoy the games.”

“I will, Your Highness, thank you,” Regan said with another deep curtsy as he left, her heart pounding in her chest as she worried that she may have overstepped her bounds and said too much.

“Men, you must put everything from your mind this day and focus on the battle at hand. And it is a battle, make no mistake about that. You can show no mercy, for Roderick's men will not yield and they will not hesitate to kill any one of us.”

Calder and his men were being suited up in full armor for the melee, the squires helping them on with the heavy pieces and tying them into place. The destriers were already prepared, covered from head to tail in heavy armor.

“Be prepared for dirty tricks and questionable tactics, and watch out for your fellow knight. Our backs will be their main target and we will only survive if we protect one another,” Calder admonished, as he checked the cinch on Alerio's saddle one last time, and then lowered his helmet into place.

When the trumpets blared, announcing their event, Draco rode beside Calder onto the field, with the others following four abreast behind them.

They made quite an impressive sight as they rode slowly toward the King's box, their horses stepping high, obviously anxious to enter the foray themselves. The knights raised the lids of their helmets and nodded respectfully to the King.