Daughters of the Dagger 03 - Amber (5 page)

“Yes, I suppose that could be a problem.
But I knew you could take care of yourself, Lucifer so I wasn’t worried.”

“
I admire your vote of confidence, but the fact doesn’t change that we made a deal and I’ll not let you renege on it.”

“Of course not. Just finish the pilgrimage and get me my relic from the cathedral of Canterbury and I’ll make good on all I’ve promised.”

“Fine. But since this mission sounds even more dangerous than the last, I want more than just a castle when this is finished. I want lands and a wife too. And more wealth than an earl.”

The priest thought for a moment, and then nodded. “All right,” he said. Canterbury Castle will belong to the church soon, as I’ve heard the lady of the castle’
s husband has died without heir and he has left it to the church as well as his land. I want you to go there after your pilgrimage and court the woman. In the meantime, I’ll make the arrangements needed, and in order not to lose her lands she’ll have to marry you. Then you’ll have not only your castle, but your lands and wife as well.”

“And why would she marry me? I’m not a noble. I have nothing to offer.”

“She doesn’t need to know that. I’ll pay someone to write up the appropriate parchments so it’ll look like you’re a baron or an earl.”

“Nay. I’ll never be able to convince anyone of that. I’ll go to the castle, but as a knight errant
only. And though I’ve taught myself to fight, I’ll live by the rules of chivalry that’s expected. I will earn my title of knight and lord, though the castle will be your gift to me for the hell you’ve put me through.”

“
And as for a wife, – I will take Lady Canterbury but only if she so pleases me. I’ll not have a wife who is old or ugly. I’ve spent my life in a monastery of drab nuns. I want a wife who is alluring and very lively and who will see to my lusty needs. And now that our agreement is settled, I will not have these chains on me another minute, so I demand that you release me.”

“
Fine,” said Father Armand. “But I warn you if you breathe a word of this to anyone, I will not carry out my end of the deal, do you understand?”

“
This is the last time I’ll do your bidding, and believe me, I have no intention of telling anyone anything that could keep me from the lifestyle I truly deserve.”

“H
rmph,” sniffed the priest, getting a reaction out of Lucas.

“You never did tell me anything about my mother. Nor if you know who my father was. For all I know, I could have been sired by the king.”

“There’s no chance of that, Lucifer, take my word on it.” With that, Father Armand stood and pulled a key out from the folds of his robe. “Give me your hands.”

Lucas held them forwa
rd and as he unlocked them, the chains fell to the ground with a loud clang.

“I’m surprised you didn’t hack them off yourself,” said the priest unlocking the neck collar as well.

“I thought about it, but since you were the one to put them on me, I wanted the pleasure of seeing you regretfully take them off as well. Besides, we had a deal and I was upholding my end.”

“There,
” said the priest, dropping the collar to the ground and then placing the key on the bedside table. “Now hand over the coins, and be sure to restock the relics before you go.”

Lucas grabbed the canvas bag with fake relics, dumping them atop the bed. “Pig bones, horse hair, old teeth from the beggars at the gates … why the hell do people believe these are body parts from saints?
’Tis garbage and not worth a rat’s ass.”

“Because they want to beli
eve, Lucifer. It doesn’t take much to convince someone of anything if they are crying out in their mind, wanting to believe in something.”

Lucas knew how that felt. He’d been crying out silently for years to believe in something. He’d thought at first it was the church, but when he’d seen how corrupt
Father Armand was yet he still wore the holy robes, he knew his faith had been misplaced. If there was a god, then why hadn’t he helped him by now instead of making his life so miserable?

“Now the coins,” said Armand, his long fingers jutting out towards him, the greed showing in his eyes. “It looks like that pouch is full.”

“It is. And don’t forget I almost died to keep it.” He picked up the heavy pouch filled with coins collected from the sales of the fake relics for the past four months. He was about to hand it over, then decided against it and clutched it to his chest instead. “I think I’ll keep this for now to make sure you’ll deliver your end of the deal.”

“You can’t do that. That money belongs to the church, now hand it over.”

“You mean it belongs to you, don’t you? I have no doubt in the least that neither the church nor the monastery ever sees a penny of this. I’ll hold on to half of it, as after all, I’ll have travelling expenses. Though I’ll be on pilgrimage, this time I’ll be stopping at pubs to eat and sleep along the way instead of begging for food and sleeping on the damp earth. Matter of fact, I think I may even buy a horse, as I tire of walking.”

“Lucas, that wasn’t the deal, now hand it over.”

“It wasn’t part of the deal that I almost got killed either, so I’ll take my share as I feel is fair.” He dumped most the coins on the bed and shook the pouch, looking inside to inspect what was left. “There you go.” He pulled the strings closed and tossed it to Father Armand. “Your thirty pieces of silver, Judas.”

“Don’t call me that!” snapped the priest, shoving the coin pouch under his robe.

“Why not? After all, you have betrayed God. Besides, being called Judas is admirable compared to being called Lucifer, don’t you think?”

Amber rushed to her room and closed the door, then threw herself down at the side of her pallet. On her knees, with her hands folded in prayer, she blessed herself and tried to calm her breathing.

“Forgive me, God,” she prayed. “I never meant to kiss the man. I am devoted and would never do this
of my own accord, but it was he who saw to kiss me. I despised every minute of it.”

She
went into a mantra of Hail Marys, but stopped when she thought once again about the kiss. His piercing blue eyes were dangerous and perusing, and he tasted like power and strength as he thrust his tongue into her mouth.

Her heart beat even faster just thinking about it, and she realized she was lying to God when she said she despised it. She’d felt a flutter in her chest and a tingle against her skin when he’d touched her. She could still remember the softness of his lips and
the way she’d almost melted under his slight embrace.

“Nay!” she cried out and squeezed her eyes shut. She should not be feeling this way about a man. Especially such a dangerous one that they’d referred to as the devil. But a part of her came a
live today that she’d never known existed. She enjoyed the kiss just like he’d said. But she would never beg him to kiss her again as he predicted. She would make certain of that.

She never wanted to see him again. He was just like that fallen angel Lucifer to try to coerce her into sexual pleasures. He was a vile man to even touch a nun
, even if she was only a novice. She still deserved the same respect of any of the other Sisters of St. Ermengild. She needed to focus. Her training was in midstream, and before long she would take her final vows and become married to God for life. She didn’t need this right now, as it was going to spoil everything.

She was here for a purpose. It was up to her to save her family’s souls. Her mother had been dishonest and dishonorable
, and her older sisters both had committed mortal sins. How could anyone who killed a man or committed adultery ever make their way to Heaven? It was up to her now, and she needed to concentrate on her goal. She didn’t need doubt creeping into her thoughts about becoming a nun. She was doing the right thing, she told herself. She would just keep far away from Lucas and she would have nothing to worry about.

Locked inside the
abbey with all the nuns and monks, she knew she would have no trouble keeping her mind on prayer. But she had kissed a man, and now she’d have to confess it. She only hoped when she went to confession in the morning that Father Armand would be forgiving. He was already upset with the way she spoke to him at the church, and she had no doubt her penance was going to be hefty. But no matter what, she would accept her penance with grace, and repent for her sins. She would keep her soul from being blackened, but in order to do that, she knew she needed to stay far away from the King of Temptation himself – Lucifer.

*

It was just after Lauds, the five o’clock in the morning prayer session, and Amber was leaving the church when she saw Lucas standing under a tree watching her from across the cloistered walkway. She was surprised to see him there, and even more surprised that he was even standing after seeing the severity of his wound. But he had been healing nicely, and she had a feeling he was a man who would only stay in bed for one reason. And to heal himself was not the reason.

She slowed down and glanced over, but when their eyes interlocked and she felt that odd fluttering sensation in her stomach, she quickly looked away. She sped up to join the line of nuns making their way across the cloister
ed walkways, returning to their rooms or going about their duties of the day. She glanced back over her shoulder, and thankfully, he seemed to be gone.

The abbey
was housed with both nuns and monks, actually being called a double monastery. It was one of the few in all England that housed both, and was headed by the abbess. Of course, Father Armand made his presence there prominent, and though they needed a priest to serve communion, hear confessions and say the masses, the abbess was skilled in all other matters and in charge of how the monastery was run.

The main
building of the church of St. Ermengild’s was cruciform, or shaped like a cross, and was the largest of all the buildings. Just outside it was a small cemetery. Leading from it, and all around the monastery were cloistered, or covered walkways. And in the center was the garth, which were the gardens meant for serenity and contemplation to be used by the nuns and monks.

Along
the cloistered walkways were long buildings made of wood and stone, such as the refectory, or eating hall, with the kitchen in a separate building to guard from fires. The monastery also had a cellarium – or underground storehouse for roots and crops to be used during the winter. There was the tithes barn which housed whatever was collected from the villeins for taxes or one tenth of their income, often taken in livestock or crops. There was a granary and also a brewery, as the monks were skilled in brewing ale.

Opposite these on t
he other side of the gardens were the infirmary for the sick or wounded, the guesthouse for travelers passing through or for nobles to stay on their journeys, and also the chapter house where the nuns and monks met with Father Armand and the abbess for daily meetings. It was right next to the library, and next to that was the scriptorium where she and others copied books and illuminated script.

Across the back of
the cloistered walkways were the stables, the garderobe, and a warming house which was the only place besides the infirmary or kitchen where a fire was allowed. And just beyond the stables were the fields of crops and the orchards, as well as a small pond for water and to catch fish.

Most the dorters, or
dormitories were on the second stories above the main buildings, with a nighttime staircase and passageway leading directly into the church to enable them to get there quickly and safely in the dark for early morning prayers.

On one side were
the small, simple rooms of the nuns, and on the other were those of the monks. There were two larger, more luxurious rooms that had more than just the simple straw pallet, chair, table and hooks on the walls, and those belonged to the abbess and the priest.

Amber’s
room was tiny compared to the large chamber she had at her father’s castle. But it didn’t matter, as she had no possessions other than the clothes she wore with one extra robe to be worn on washdays, a crucifix on the wall, and her bible. Everything else, including her favorite gown, was confiscated upon her arrival and given to those in need. Even her dowry that included an amber ring and necklace - her only remembrance of her deceased mother - was gone now. Her mother was dead, and though she was only three when it happened, she missed her dearly. She also missed her father and sisters, and had no idea becoming a nun would be so challenging or so lonely.

She made her way
up the stairs to her room quickly, clutching her prayer book to her chest. She opened the door and hurried inside, then closed it and placed her head against it with a deep sigh. Her heart still raced from seeing Lucas, and she knew she had to wipe him from her mind completely before she started thinking about that kiss again. It could only lead to devious thoughts and trouble.

She turned to the bed meaning to read from her bible
until it was time for Prime, the second prayer session which started in less than a half hour, but stopped suddenly in her tracks when she saw the devil lounging upon her straw pallet.

“Good morning
, my little dove,” he said, lounging back on her pallet with his arms behind his head. His tunic had rode up, showing the bindings around his side covering his wound, and he still wore his boots.

“Lucifer!” she gasped.

“Now, now, sweetheart, I thought I told you I like to be called Lucas.”

“What are you doing here?” she asked. “
How did you get here? You shouldn’t be in my room.” She backed up until she touched the wood of the door behind her. She felt her body tremble and she didn’t know if it was from fear or just excitement. “These rooms are off limits to any male.”

“
I took the short cut – the nighttime staircase,” he told her. “You know, it really is quite faster. And I have good reason to be here. My wound is aching and I need you to take a look at it.”

“Then you’ll go to the infirmary as is proper. Sister Dulcina should be there right now and she’ll tend to you.”

“No, I don’t think so. She is too rough with me. Actually, I fear the abbess as she is usually grouchy and doesn’t like me much. I rather liked the gentle touch of your hands and would like only you to tend to my wounds.”

“Quit calling me . . . sweetheart and … dove.” She could barely repeat the endearments as she’d never been called that by anyone before
, and actually, she rather liked it. “I have a name and I prefer that you use it.”

“All right, Amber,
I will. And remember, I’m Lucas to you, not Lucifer.”

“It’s
Sister
… Amber,” she told him, watching his eyes devouring her from the bed. She wet her lips as her throat became suddenly parched.

“All right then …
Sister
, are you going to tend to my wound or not? I hope it’s not infected.”

“Infected?” She straightened her stance. “Do you have a fever?”

“I can’t tell,” he said, slapping himself in several spots on his forehead.

“You’re not doing it properly
,” she scolded, and without thinking what she was doing, she rushed to his side. Hurriedly placing her prayer book on the simple wood table, she leaned over him and laid the back of her hand against his forehead. “No, you seem cool.”

“I’m not,” he rallied. “I am burning up inside.”

“You don’t feel hot.” She felt under his chin and then at the base of his neck.

“
I am quite hot, I assure you. You’re just not feeling in the right spot, as it is my loins that are on fire.” He turned his head and placed a small kiss on her arm. She tried to pull away but he grabbed her wrist in his hand. “My fever is not from the wound but from just seeing you. You make a man filled with desire, forgetting the fact that you are almost a nun.”

“Let go of me,” she said, but he didn’t listen.

“Please, check my wound,” he asked with a smile. She found herself worried about his health, and couldn’t deny him.

“All right, but you need to promise not to touch me.”

“That’s like asking me not to breathe, but I will do my best.” He released her arm from his hold.

“Thank you.” She gingerly lifted his tunic a little higher, careful not to touch his skin. She’d cleansed all his w
ounds while he’d been unconscious and knew every scar and scratch on his body. The only part she hadn’t seen, and wouldn’t go near, was what lay beneath his braies. She was only too glad now that he hadn’t been awake at the time, or he might have pulled her down on the bed … and she may have let him.

She eased
back the binding and took a look and when he let out a small moan she dropped it quickly and pulled his tunic down to cover it once again.

“Your wound is fine,” she said.
“’Tis healing incredibly fast. Now please get off my bed and leave at once.”

“Now is that any way for you to talk to a man who only wants to be healed?”

There was a knock at the door and then the voice of one of the nuns.

“Sister Amber, it is time for Prime, are you coming with us?”

Her eyes opened wide and she looked first at the door and then back to Lucas.

“Don’t say anything,” she whispered. Then she called out, “Go
without me, Sister Ursula. I’ll be along in a minute.”

Any moment the door could open and
anyone could walk in. If she was seen with a man in her room, there would be no explaining. She would be finished as a novice and sent on her way back to her father’s castle.

“I’m going to
prayer service and then I am going to the refectory to eat. After that, I will attend confession and then retire for the rest of the morning to the scriptorium to work.”

“Well, thank you for telling me where I’ll be able to find you.”

“Nay! I am telling you so you can be sure not to be anywhere near me again. I am sorry, Lucas but I need to focus on my prayers and you are too distracting.”

“I am distracting? In a good way I hope.” His mouth turned up in a
lopsided grin and his eyes were starting to mesmerize her again with their clarity. She felt her face flush, and she knew she had to get away from him fast.

“Please,” she told him. “I already have enough horrid sins to confess, I don’t need more to add to the list.
”

“I sincerely doubt you have any sins at all. Now, what could you have done that was so horrid?”

“None of your concern. Now as soon as I leave, I want you gone and don’t let anyone see you leaving my room.”

She left then, making sure not to open the door wide, not wanting anyone in the cloisters to see him. Then she hurried
down the steps and across the courtyard toward the church, realizing she’d forgotten her prayer book but not daring to go back to get it. If she did, she may find herself under Lucas’s spell again, and then she’d only have more to confess.