Ria Cantrell - Celtic Storm 03 (24 page)

While the price to keep his informant at du Montefort was steep, Aaron paid it willingly because no one suspected the serf to be carrying tales to their vicious enemy. She had better not get stupid or greedy and let her ruse slip. The bitch was not as bright as she proposed herself to be, but she was useful. She also did not mind the other duties he required of her. He only knew her as Devina, bastard daughter of the town cooper. As the cooper’s daughter, no one gave her much thought. She was no more than someone who brought barrels and casks to the keep for its daily use. They did not give merit to a baseborn serf that just plied her wares. Not one person seemed to find her presence within the walls to be suspect.

She fancied herself to still be a girl of great beauty, but really she was a dried up old whore. Still, she was good for a hard ride when he had need of her. Aaron did not care at times about the face of the whore beneath him, only where he landed his seed. Devina, the cooper’s by-blow, was trained in the tricks that men liked, but she was a hideous creature. She had a foul temper that matched the pure ugliness in her sagging face. Her black eyes did not hold any light, like the eyes of a venomous snake. She was just his sort; soulless, untrustworthy and merciless.

Somehow, she had ingratiated herself into du Montefort with her cunning and lies and she went about, seemingly invisible. Devina was very good at eavesdropping and going undetected. Being a natural gossip, she enjoyed carrying her tales to Aaron for a coin or tumble, or for that matter both. She was as distasteful a being as he was, but that suited his needs perfectly for now. Because she was such a vicious gossip that could not keep her nasty mouth shut, there would, no doubt, come a time when she would have to suffer a most unfortunate accident. That accident would have to wait for now, until the du Montefort chit warmed his bed. For now, the whore, Devina, had her uses, indeed.

Oh, he was not a patient man, by no means and so he would have to carefully plot his next strategy. He had to have Rhianna du Montefort at any cost. He would come up with a plan that was failsafe. This time, Randall du Montefort would not just lose his memory. If all went as planned, he was going to lose his precious sister and then finally his own life would be forfeited. Aaron Jasper was going to see to it that he was never going to be thwarted again. Both Randall and Rhianna were going to pay for humiliating him by rejecting his offer to wed the haughty little bitch. Aaron Jasper could scarcely wait for that very day.

~Chapter Twenty-Eight~

They all had sat and listened to what Randall had to say once he had calmed enough to speak of it. The memories, once returned were hard to suppress. No one would leave until he had talked his throat raw. The things he bore witness to and had to endure were so horrible, it was a wonder that he had not lost his mind. Janelle sat, rapt in disbelief that the man she had grown so easily to love had suffered so before he made his escape from the clutches of one so evil. It was hard to reconcile that one would ever be able to break free from such a terrible fate. He had remembered being ambushed on his return from the king’s campaign. Many of the men who had fought alongside of him had either been killed or had returned home to their own families. The few that had remained with Randall were either still in the dungeons at Morcar or they, too had been slain.

Randall recounted the strife he had seen in the pits of Morcar Keep. Unspeakable things were done to the prisoners that dwelled in those hideous places of human offal. He had been lucky, he supposed, for he was only used to test terrible concoctions that Aaron prided himself of conjuring. Many of those vile draughts rendered Randall helpless and he was quite certain that they were greatly the cause for his memory loss. That and the fact that he had been beaten and starved and suffered a particularly hard blow to his skull when he fought off the one-eyed demon himself.

Rhianna listened to the accounts of her brother’s suffering. She processed the possible potions that he had been forced to swallow in her mind and the healer in her was already thinking of things to counter the lingering effects of the poisons he had no choice but to drink. The woman in her felt such deep sorrow, that she pulled into herself and allowed the sadness to take root in her heart. The warrior in her spirit wanted revenge for the indignities that Randall had suffered and she felt she would not rest until that part of her was satisfied.

Erik watched the girl he had only recently admitted that he had grown to love. Her thoughts were unreadable and he could see she was greatly disturbed by Randall’s telling of his misadventure. He wanted to comfort her, but she was in a place that was not easily reached. She had sat beside her brother, at his feet, next to the fire and once again, she had pulled her knees up and hugged them while she listened. Erik knew that, while she needed his strength, he would not be able to comfort her now. Not yet, anyway, for under her pensive demeanor, there was a simmering fury that could not be missed. He looked over at his guard and Drew nodded, in unspoken understanding. Drew had an uncanny way of reading his thoughts and Erik wondered if he was attuned to Rhianna’s thoughts as well.

He and Drew stood up and excused themselves. Erik wanted the guards doubled. He would guard Rhianna himself, but he wanted to make sure that all available men lined the castle walls this night. Rhianna called, “Wait, I would speak with you both. Give me a moment.”

She unfolded herself from her place at the hearth and stood to follow the two powerful men that she was growing to trust and rely on. Once out in the corridor, Rhianna turned to both men and she said, “I need to tell you something and I want you both to hear it. Aaron Jasper is a very dangerous man. He is known for his cruelty and his practices of dark alchemy. He plied Randall for my hand about six moons ago and I would not agree to it. Nor would Randall, but Randall has had to pay for my decision, I fear. There is nothing I can do to reverse what has befallen him and it is entirely all my fault.”

Drew spoke up and said, “My lady, it was not your fault.”

“It was, Sir Drew and I shall have to live with my guilt of it for all my days, but I would not have anyone else pay for my offenses.”

Erik folded his arms across his chest and he said, “So what would you have us do? Hand you over to the man on a silver platter? Rhianna, do not think to be so foolish. You are going to be my wife. Sacrificing yourself would not buy back Randall’s peace of mind.”

Rhianna faced her betrothed. Her face bore the ire that she culled in her heart and she said, “I have no intention of sacrificing myself, Erik. Nor do I want you or Drew to pay for my mistake, but I vow I want you to aid me to cut that bastard down. I do not care what it takes to do it.”

Erik’s face split into a grin. He might have known his feisty girl was not going to let this matter drop without a fight. Unabashed pride for her welled in his chest. He allowed her to continue and she said, “I am quite certain now, that Aaron Jasper was responsible for the horror inflicted on the neighboring village. He is the most despicable man that you would ever have the displeasure of meeting. But you both are very valuable to me. I have grown to…care for you both very much in this short time that you have been sent to my home. I would not have either of you sacrificed in this fray that is not your own to fight.”

“My lady, my place is ever to guard Erik’s back. As his lady, I vow my protection to you as well.”

Rhianna placed a gentle kiss on Drew’s cheek. Then taking Erik’s hand, she said, “I would beg a promise from you.”

He took her hand up to his lips and after kissing it, he said, “What is it? I will try to grant it if I can, for it seems there is little I can deny you.”

“I would like to be allowed to be part of the plans to both fortify du Montefort as well as to cut Morcar down, for I know it is only a matter of time before he strikes again. This time, he will go for the heart of du Montefort; my people. Will you honor this request?”

“Rhianna, your safety is my main concern. I will not risk you.”

“I am not asking you to risk
me
. I am asking you to let me be part of the plans, whatever they may be. I am used to running this place on my own. I clearly need your help. Erik, you know how hard it is for me to ask for that help. This is not easily requested, but du Montefort will fall if not for your assistance. All I ask is that you permit me to be part of your plans, whatever they may be. If you are going to put your lives on the line for du Montefort, I need to know what you are risking.”

“If I agree, would you trust me and obey me if I need to provide for your safety?”

“Aye,” she said. She was going to have to trust him; she knew that now.

Drew clasped his fist over his heart and he said, “I am at your service, m’lady.” And then Erik did something that would forever change the way Rhianna’s heart had been kept guarded. He knelt before her on one knee and he said, “I give you my vow, my Lady. I am your knight. You have my protection, that is given, but you will be party to that which affects you and all of du Montefort. You have my word.”

At that oath, Rhianna felt the last stones safeguarding her heart crumble away. She looked into Erik’s eyes and she felt fresh tears threatening to surface. With luminous eyes, she whispered in a small choked voice, “Thank you.”

He stood, then, and he pulled her into his arms. He felt her hug him tightly to her chest and he drew her against himself in a comforting embrace. He was starting to understand that the way to win this woman’s heart was to allow her to think for herself. She was not one to be coddled and pampered. No; this woman was one who needed to be useful and to be allowed to use her intelligence and wit to the best of her abilities. While a more docile wife had its merits, Erik was quite certain he was learning that a self-sufficient, resourceful woman who could be his equal was much more to his liking.

Rhianna felt the comfort of Erik’s arms as they held her and her heart nearly burst from the magnitude of emotions that were being unleashed. It was in that instant, when she had looked into his eyes that she knew. She loved him. He may be her undoing in the end, but by God, she loved him. He was willing to take her as she was, plucky and with all her faults. That was no small feat for a man, she was certain. As she pondered this revelation, she felt love filling her heart. She was in love! She knew that never would she love a man as much as she suddenly realized she loved Erik Ragnorsen.

~Chapter Twenty-Nine~

When the keep was secured for the night, most everyone had retired. Rhianna sat with Janelle for a while talking to her. She was intrigued to get to know the woman who had won her brother’s heart. They talked until the wee hours and finally retired when they could barely keep their eyes open. For the first time, Rhianna felt what it was like to have a sister. She absolutely adored Janelle. She was so happy that Randall was home and with a bride, as well. She only regretted that he had suffered so much at the hands of their enemy all because she would not marry the man. Rhianna felt a bit selfish because she was pretty certain she could not marry the evil man, regardless of the cost. She would have rather given her own life up if that were to be the case. But that was not to be the case. She was going to marry Erik and she knew that he was going to protect both her and her brother, at least until he was well enough to act as Lord of the Keep once again.

She walked tiredly up the stairs with Janelle and she showed her to the master chambers. There were two bed chambers there, but since she had been with Erik, Rhianna was pretty certain Janelle would want to share her brother’s bed. It was improper to bed with one’s lover even if one was betrothed before the wedding, but Rhianna certainly was not going to judge the woman for sins she, herself, had committed with Erik. Janelle thanked her and with an understanding look, she said, “Go be with my brother. I am sure he needs you to banish the horrors of his returning memories away.”

The two women hugged and Rhianna let herself into her own chambers.

There was a warm fire burning in the hearth and a snap of wood sent sparks flying, causing a silhouette to be lit against the darkness. Erik was sitting beside the fire with a tankard in his big hand. When Rhianna came in, he said, “I had hoped you would not mind that I lit a fire. I just wanted to see you before you retired, and I will leave…if you want me to.”

She smiled at him in earnest and she said, “What makes you think I want you to leave, Erik? I certainly do not wish such a thing”

“But your brother; he will have my head if he finds me in your bed when morning comes.”

“I suppose he would. We shall just have to be sure that when the first rays streak the morning sky, you return to your own bed. Besides, Randall is not sleeping alone this night. I am sure he will not be looking to my bed to judge me.”

Rhianna went to him and Erik pulled her onto his lap. He put the tankard down on the floor next to him and he held her. He felt her move her arms about his neck and they looked into each other’s eyes. Erik felt himself falling in love with her with every glance or touch they shared. He loved the feel of her in his arms. He loved her courage and her strong will. He loved the way she tasted and the way she moved with him in passion. He loved her beauty and her grace and her wit and her intelligence. He guessed he loved pretty much everything about her, all of a sudden…
even her little sassy mouth that cursed like a sailor
. He almost laughed out loud at those thoughts. When he swallowed the laugh, Rhianna saw the disarming grin on his face and she asked, “What? What is amusing to you?”