Queen of Lost Stars (Dragonblade Series/House of St. Hever) (20 page)

He was right. She hadn’t let him finish. She was so sure of what he was going to say that she had reacted prematurely. Aghast, she looked at Kaspian, a thousand silent apologies filling her eyes, but he wasn’t listening. He knew Nicholas far too well and the man was a master at manipulating the truth.

“Be that as it may, I would prefer that any such requests for Lady Madelayne come through me directly,” he said. “Is this in any way unclear, Nicholas?”

Nicholas shook his head, very unruffled, very much unoffended by the entire conversation. “Of course, my lord. I apologize for any misunderstanding I might have caused.” He looked at Madelayne. “And to you, my lady, I apologize. I understand now why you saw fit to manhandle me.”

He was far too collected, making Madelayne look like a fool. But she knew without a doubt that the tone of their conversation in the yard had been suggestive and leading. It couldn’t have been as innocent as he said; she simply wasn’t that naïve. Now that the entire castle thought she was causing trouble between Kaspian and Nicholas with her assumptions, she was embarrassed and turned away without acknowledging his apology.

She should have stayed in the great hall to show that she wasn’t the least bit concerned about public opinion, but she couldn’t. Slipping out through a small door that led into the kitchens outside, she needed a moment to clear her head.

She could see, ominously, that Sir Nicholas De Dalyn had the potential for a great deal of trouble.

CHAPTER TEN

M
adelayne made her
way out into the ward where the soldiers were clustered around a scattering of bonfires that littered the yard. The sky above was black as pitch, littered with stars that gleamed brightly. It wasn’t particularly cold this night, surprisingly, and she was comfortable in her light woolen gown. Her feet seemed to have a mind of their own, taking her to the wall as she distractedly pondered Nicholas.

She also found herself thinking of Cairn and how her life had changed since his death. Mounting the narrow spiral stairs that led to the battlements of the eastern wall, she realized her heart still ached somewhat from missing her husband but she wasn’t regretful of the direction her life had taken. She was very lucky that Kaspian had decided to marry her. She felt as if she were embarking on an entirely new life.

The stars were brighter upon the wall where the wind blew softly and the trees in the distance rattled their dead leaves. She leaned against the stones, gazing at the countryside below, her thoughts turning from Cairn to Nicholas once again. Perhaps she should apologize for acting so abruptly, but she would not apologize for misunderstanding him. She knew she hadn’t, no matter how logical he made it all sound. And she, too, had noticed how Mavia had stared at him all evening and she was at a loss to understand why.

The world was growing more complicated by the moment.

“It’s a beautiful evening,” came a soft voice.

Madelayne started, whirling to Kaspian as he stood behind her. She patted her chest to calm her racing heart. “You startled me.”

He smiled and moved up beside her, leaning on the wall as she had been. “This was Cairn’s favorite spot. The man could stand here for hours, gazing out into the distance as if he could see things none of us could. How did you know to come here?”

“I didn’t. It’s simply a beautiful view.”

“Cairn thought it was the best view in all of Lavister.”

Madelayne studied his strong features in the moonlight. “You miss him.”

“Of course I do. He was my friend and a fine knight. Were he alive, de Dalyn would not be here and things would be considerably calmer.”

“But you and I would not be betrothed.”

“True enough,” he said. “But I cannot be glad for a man’s death, no matter how badly I want his wife.”

She shrugged, attempting levity. “You could have fought him for me, you know.”

“As a chivalrous knight, I would do no such thing.”

“I suppose I’m not worth it, then.”

“You are worth that and more. But honor is important and must be placed in each situation accordingly. ’Twould not have been honorable to battle my friend for your favor.”

“I would have thought less of you if you had.”

He looked at her and they smiled at one another. “I am pleased to hear you say that,” he said. “You are also, as I knew, a woman of honor.”

She leaned back against the wall, brushing against his massive arm and feeling bolts of excitement race through her. The sounds of the night were all around them, soothing the anxiety left by the dinner conversation. But Madelayne felt the need to clear the air.

“I am sorry about Nicholas,” she finally said. “Although it is true and he never actually spoke the words, I swear to you that the conversation was leading to what I believed would be an inappropriate suggestion. I never meant to make assumptions about it or lie.”

“I know,” he said. “Nicholas is very clever. I have no doubt that he was about to say exactly what you thought. Do not ever think for one moment that I doubted you.”

“I just did not want you to think….”

“I did not.”

She smiled. Impulsively, she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you,” she said softly.

Her lips were an invitation. Unable to control himself, he pulled her to him and kissed her deeply. She was terribly sweet and soft, and he forgot that they were in a public place for all to see. Pulling away, he helped her stand upright for a moment, for her wits seemed to have left her. She giggled uncontrollably, struggling with her balance, and he was compelled to laugh with her. He was coming to enjoy her tremendously in more ways than just one.

He had no intention of leaving the wall at this moment, a private place to spend time with her. But a glint on the dark horizon caught his eye and his warrior’s instincts took over. He tracked the glint until it came into focus, a single rider on a horse that was riding for hell. Concern filled him.

Kaspian bellowed to the sentries, who also began to track the figure and called for the men below to open the gates. The rider began the long trek up the hill leading for Lavister and Kaspian took hold of Madelayne, helping her down from the wall. He intended to meet the rider, but he had no intention of letting her out of his sight in a ward full of soldiers and, undoubtedly, Nicholas when he was summoned.

He did not hold her hand or any other part of her while they stood in the ward, but he made sure she was within arm’s reach. The steed and rider came pounding through the open gates, kicking up clumps of earth. The horse was exhausted to the point of collapse. Several soldiers reached up to halt the frothing animal and the rider slid from the saddle, struggling to stand before Kaspian.

Nicholas was suddenly at his liege’s side, his face taut with concern. He reached out to steady the man, an English messenger, bearing the colors of Edward.

“You are in the presence of Kaspian St. Hèver, commander of Lavister,” Nicholas snapped. “What news do you bring?”

The messenger was close to swooning but he made a valiant effort to maintain his composure. “Hawarden Castle, my lord,” he gasped. “Dafydd ap Gruffydd attacked at dawn.”

“By the Devil’s Beard!” Nicholas cursed softly. He glanced at Kaspian, trying to read the man’s reaction. “Who is in charge of Hawarden?”

“Unless I am mistaken, it is Sir Denys le Bec,” Kaspian replied. He looked at the messenger. “What is Gruffydd’s force?”

“Five hundred perhaps, mostly untrained, but skilled knights,” the man replied. “Sir Denys sent messengers to Lavister Crag Castle, Beeston Castle, and Holt Castle asking for reinforcements. Lavister is the closest. I’ve only been a day’s ride.”

“Were they digging in for a siege when you left or was it simply a melee?”

“Gruffydd was building a siege tower and his men were digging in, my lord.”

Nicholas began shouting orders before Kaspian could react. After sending several men on the run, the blonde knight turned back to Kaspian, his manner laced with excitement. “Dafydd is a fool. Hawarden is well fortified; he’ll never take her. Why in the hell would he even try?”

Kaspian shook his head. “I do not know. I can only think that he believes the castle vulnerable because it has been going through rebuilding phases for the better part of a year and is not up to full strength.” He paused thoughtfully. “However, Hawarden is operational enough to guard the major road from Chester to Bangor and I’m sure Dafydd’s intention is to do as much harm as he can before retreating. Or….”

“Or what?”

“It
could
be a diversion.”

Nicholas cocked an eyebrow, following his train of thought. “To pull the English troops along the Marches into a skirmish while he takes a lesser castle, one he knows he can capture?”

“Exactly. Dafydd has a few thousand rebels at his command. We saw evidence of that at Beeston. So… where are the rest while some are harrying Hawarden?”

Nicholas shook his head. “I do not know. But I must agree with your logic, Kaspian. Do you think Dafydd would be foolish enough to attempt to take an English castle on the Marches?”

Kaspian shrugged. “It would certainly be a thorn in the king’s side if he did.” He suddenly turned on his heel, marching for the keep, but not before he grasped Madelayne by the hand and pulled her with him. “We send four hundred men to Hawarden and leave the rest here. If Dafydd is indeed eyeing a border castle, we could very well be the target. Send men to Beeston and Holt to tell them of our presumptions. Get the army moving now, Nicholas. There is no time to waste for any of this.”

Nicholas cocked an eyebrow. “You will not have the army wait until morning to depart?”

Kaspian shook his head. “I will not,” he replied. “Hawarden is less than ten miles from here. If you leave now, you will be there at dawn. That will be a nasty surprise for the Welsh.”

Nicholas was on the move. It was obvious, even with his injury, that Kaspian was still very much in charge of the fortress in spite of Nicholas’ presence. It brought a sense of comfort to them all in this uncertain time. As Nicholas carried out Kaspian’s orders, bellowing to the men, Kaspian entered the keep with Madelayne trotting after him and mounted the stairs to the upper chambers. Once inside the room that he and Madelayne unofficially shared, he collected his sword from its place against the wall. Madelayne’s eyes widened when she realized what he was up to.

“What do you mean to do?” she demanded suspiciously.

“Defend Lavister, of course,” he said evenly. “I do not trust the Welsh.”

“But you cannot,” she exclaimed softly. “You are healing from a grievous wound. You cannot strain yourself so!”

“I will not strain myself at all. I will simply observe and direct. That is not strain.”

Madelayne’s surprise quickly turned to fury. “You cannot do this, Kaspian. You must listen to me!”

“I am listening to you, dearest. I hear every word you say. But are you listening to
me
?”

She was infuriated and frightened. “I’m listening to a stubborn creature who continues to defy both God and me by doing what he damn well pleases, and to the Devil with what the rest of us think!”

She had quickly reached a tantrum state. Kaspian suspected that he had to calm her; otherwise, she might very well throw herself down in front of him to prevent him from going about his duties. It was an odd situation, for he had never in his life had to deal with anyone opposed to his will or tasks. But in that awareness, he realized that he wanted very much to appease her.

“I swear to you that I will not strain myself in any way,” he said soothingly. “Should anything arise that requires physical exertion, I will have the others take care of it. Is that satisfactory?”

Madelayne eyed him, halfway mollified, half not. “You shouldn’t be doing this at all.”

“I know. But I would feel better if I could observe the situation first hand.” He smiled at her and reached out, gently, to touch her fingers. “Moreover, I must help Nicholas prepare the men to depart for Hawarden. It is the warrior in me, Madelayne. I cannot help it. ’Tis my duty.”

In spite of herself, she responded to his touch and soon their fingers were intertwining. He gently tugged her toward him, kissing her hand when she came within range.

“You are a child, Kaspian St. Hèver,” she scolded softly, watching his lips drift across her fingers. “A spoiled, obstinate child.”

He grinned. “I’ve been called worse.”

She tried to resist his smile but could not. “Observe and direct, that’s all?”

“Observe and direct.”

“Promise?”

“On my oath as a knight.”

There was nothing more she could say. He had the better of her and they both knew it. “Go, then,” she said. “And be mindful that you keep your promise or I’ll let you suffer the consequences without lifting a finger to help you.”

“You are a cruel woman,” he said softly.

He kissed her once, twice, deeply the third time and quit the chamber. Long after he was gone, his taste lingered on Madelayne’s lips. She licked them repeatedly.

From the chamber window nearly two hours later, Madelayne watched Nicholas and four hundred men depart for Hawarden Castle beneath a half-moon. It was a very short time to prepare a departing army but there was a sense of urgency in the air that drove the men to their duties faster. The weather was mild and the sky clear, making for decent traveling conditions even at night. Once Nicholas and the army left, however, she fell asleep after a time, awaking hours later and realizing Kaspian had not returned.