Serpent (49 page)

Her face was one big scowl. “Are you going to talk him into leaving?”

“I am going to talk with him, yes. Now, please go. Please go and see to Tacey now.”

Penelope was very unhappy with the request but she didn’t dispute him. Perhaps it was better if she moved away from the old men who were throwing up blocks and frustrating her. She couldn’t understand why they were asking her to run like a coward. These were not the honorable knights she had known all of her life. Angrily, she marched to the door but paused before leaving.

“Even if I agreed to leave, we can’t,” she said. “Bhrodi’s sister is in labor. Her baby is coming and we cannot travel with a woman in labor.”

Before Bhrodi could make a second request that she leave
the room, she moved through the doorway and disappeared up the stairs. Now, it was just Bhrodi, William, Paris, Thomas, and Edward, only Thomas and Edward were standing on the opposite side of the room and seemed to be just as bewildered by their father’s attitude as Penelope was. William wouldn’t even look at them.

As they stood there in a room filled with tension, they began to hear shuffling and grunting coming from the landing outside the chamber. It was a curious sound and by the time they turned to look at the source of the noise, the tiny old man who lived in the wardrobe was making his way into the room, doing batting with his favorite unseen enemy
. Since everyone in the room had seen him before, they didn’t give him more than a passing glance although Thomas moved out of his way because he knew the man could get violent if he came into contact with a living soul. The old warrior had become more bold as of late in venturing from his wardrobe, especially when there seemed to be an over amount of discussion pertaining to Edward. If Bhrodi hadn’t known better, he would have thought the old man was just being nosy.

The
tiny old knight lunged, parried, and sliced his way across the room until he came to a great tapestry that hung near the lancet window. It was actually a Nordic tapestry, having ended up at Rhydilian in the same raid that brought the tiny man’s wardrobe. In fact, the little man danced around it, fought around it, and eventually wrapped himself up in it before coming to a stop. Hiding in the tapestry, he went largely ignored. They were all focused on William and his solution to Edward’s siege.

Especially Bhrodi. He had not time to spare his mad uncle any semblance of attention.
Sensing great dissention between William and his children, he realized there had to be a solution to all of this, something that wouldn’t see de Wolfe stripped of everything and wouldn’t see Bhrodi fleeing his home. In times of darkest need, when the House of ap Gaerwen and de Shera dealt with their most heinous enemies, it had always been the same – The Serpent protected Rhydilian. Only this time, Bhrodi was physically unable to meet the confrontation head-on. He was crippled. That mean that The Serpent was caged for the moment.

… or was he?

“I understand that you want your daughter safe from Edward’s onslaught,” Bhrodi finally said. “I want her safe, too, but I will not leave my home. I also do not want to see you betray your king, de Wolfe, by fighting for me. Once, I thought mayhap that was all I wanted out of this marriage – your alliance. But now I know I cannot ask you to ruin your reputation and put your entire family at risk. But your daughter will not leave me and because of that, I suspect you will not leave me, either. That creates a problem.”

William sighed heavily. “Indeed it does.”

Bhrodi studied the man, so battle scarred yet so ageless somehow. William de Wolfe was immortal in his eyes, a legend that would never die. But the Legend needed help; they
all
needed help. And Bhrodi had an idea.

“Would you be willing to do anything to save your daughter?” Bhrodi asked softly.

William looked at him. “Of course I would.”

“Would you sacrifice your king to make it so?”

Now, William looked puzzled but he nodded. “Indeed I would.”

Bhrodi lifted a dark eyebrow. “
I have an idea that would save Rhydilian, save your daughter, and also save you as well,” he said. “I am confident this will work. Will you hear me?”

William was intrigued; so was everyone else.
But there was something decidedly smug in the question that made him shake his head.

“De Shera,” he said, “I have said this before and I will say it again; you are one of the most arrogant men I have ever met but if you can truly come up with a plan that will save everything that is dear to me, I most certainly will hear you.”

Bhrodi grinned. By the time he was finished relaying his scheme, William didn’t think he was so arrogant anymore.

He thought he was bloody brilliant.

⌘

After having visited Tacey, who was in the throes of heavy labor and screaming every time a contraction rolled over her, Penelope very quickly realized that she did not
want to remain in the room with her. Tacey was so overwhelmed with what was happening that she didn’t even really acknowledge Penelope when she had entered the room. The serving women seemed to have everything well in hand so Penelope retreated, heading down to the feasting hall because no one seemed to want her around, including her husband and father. They were still discussing whatever it was that Bhrodi didn’t want her to hear. Sad and distraught, she ended up down in the quiet and empty feasting hall.

Penelope sat at the feasting table with her head in her hands
, never having felt more desolation in her entire life. Finally, she lay her head down on the table and the tears came, silent tears of an uncertain future. As she lay there and wept, the old wardrobe rattled and the door popped open. Sniffling, she turned around in time to see the tiny old man emerge from the darkness.

He began his standard leaping about, charging an unseen enemy and then being
viciously beaten back. He fell down, rolled over, and writhed around on the ground. Penelope wiped at the tears on her face, watching the nasty battle take place.

“It is too bad you cannot really fight,” she muttered. “We can use all the men we can get. It seems as if you may have been a very good swordsmen once.”

The old man squirmed on the ground before leaping to his feet and continuing the fight. Penelope watched him as he suddenly clutched his belly and fell to his knees.

“Can you even understand me?” she muttered. “We could use yo
ur sword, do you hear? Can you fight real men as well as you seem to fight ghosts? We are in great trouble. Edward is coming and all my father seems to want to do is run.”

“That is not true.”

Penelope whirled around to see William standing in the hall entry. His expression was soft, his manner weary, as he made his way into the room. Penelope watched him warily as he sat down across the table from her. He caught sight of the old man back in the shadows, now evidently suffering a mortal wound from his attacker.

“Is he still around?” he asked, pointing to the tiny man. “I saw him the first day I arrived, you know. It made me
think that Rhydilian was a rather bizarre place.”

Penelope was in no mood for casual conversation or humor. She looked at her hands. “He is harmless if he is not bothered,” she muttered.

William took his eyes off the dramatic old man and focused on his daughter’s lowered head. “How is Lady Tacey?”

Penelope shrugged. “I do not know,” she said. “She is in a good deal of pain. Mama never let me around women who were giving birth so I cannot say how she is doing.”

William nodded as he pondered that, feeling the tension mount between them. There was so much that needed to be said, so much that needed to be clarified. He couldn’t stand the fact that she thought he was turning cowardly. It was like a stab to his heart. After a moment, he sighed.

“Penny, I know that all of this is very confusing to you,” he said. “I know that you think my suggestion to leave Rhydilian is cowardly, but I want to make something very clear to you – there is a difference between defending that which is defensible and utter suicide. Right now, defending Rhydilian with eight knights and three hundred men against an army of a thousand is suicide
. You may as well throw yourself on your sword, sweetheart. It would be wiser to understand your limitations and live to fight another day.”

Penelope lifted her head to look at her father. “
I understand all of that,” she said. “But if Bhrodi will not leave, then I will not, either. He is my husband, Papa. It is my duty to stay with him.”

William nodded, studying her perhaps through new light. After a moment, he smiled. “You are a fiercely loyal and extremely intelligent woman,” he said softly. “I would expect no less from you. You are very much like your mother in that respect. She is fiercely loyal as well. The woman has sacrificed much for me and I would be lost without her
. I will tell you a secret; the older I get, the more terrified I become that she will die before me. I cannot face life without your mother, Penny. She is everything to me, much as you are becoming everything to Bhrodi.”

Her tight expression seemed to relax. “Did he tell you that?”

William nodded. “It would seem the man loves you deeply,” he said. “I cannot tell you how happy this makes me. I have only ever wished happiness for you, sweetheart. It seems that you have found it.”

Penelope nodded
. “I have,” she said, her expression turning wistful. “That is why I cannot leave him, Papa.”

William nodded, reaching out across the table to take her small hand in his
. He looked at her hand a moment, studying the lines of her slender fingers and the callouses of her palms. He smiled.

“I remember this hand the day you were born,” he said. “You were a very late baby, you know. Your mother was well past prime childbearing age when she became pregnant with you and on a cold February night, she delivered you in about two hours. It was very fast
. I was the first person who held you, you know. You took your first breath in my arms and from that moment on, I have been determined to protect you from anything that would see you come to harm. That is why I suggested leaving Rhydilian, Penny. If Edward comes here and you remain, you will die. To lose you… it would destroy me. I would never be the same.”

Penelope looked at him with tears in her eyes. “I know, Papa,” she murmured. “But I cannot leave my husband.”

He kissed her hand. “And you will not have to if everything goes according to plan,” he said. “Did you know that de Shera has a very brilliant and devious mind?”

She cocked her head curiously. “What do you mean?”

William patted her hand and for the first time since his arrival at Rhydilian, she saw a spark of hope there. “He has devised a plan that should work,” he said. “All I ask from you is that you not ask any questions, that you do what we tell you, and that you trust me. Will you do that?”

Penelope didn’t like the sound of all of that but she agreed nonetheless
. “I can,” she said. “But won’t you tell me what the plan is?”

William patted her hand
. “Just… trust me,” he said. “And go see to your husband, for in a few hours, I ride back to Edward and I want you upon the battlements.”

Penelope’s eyes widened. “You are going back to the king?” she gasped. “But… why?”

“I said no questions.”

She nodded quickly as if very forgetful. “I am sorry,” she said
, fear in her eyes. “But… Edward?”

He nodded. “You and the other knights will mount the
walls tonight,” he said. “I will be riding to Edward and I want the rest of you on watch. “

Penelope couldn’t stand it; she had never been very good with cryptic information. “Do you intend to fight with Edward, Papa?” she had to ask. “Is that why you are returning to him?”

He laughed softly. “I told you no questions and you have already asked six.”

Penelope sighed miserably. “I am sorry, but… but I cannot help it. I am concerned.”

“I know,” he said softly “That is why I asked you to trust me. Will you do it?”

“Of course I will.”

“Then everything should work out for the best,” he said. “I must go speak to Scott and Troy and Patrick now. They must know what is to happen.”

He kissed her hands once more before he stood up and left the table. Penelope watched the man go, thinking many different thoughts at that moment. So many unanswered questions. Was he going to fight with Edward? Was he surrendering himself? She just didn’t know
and the not knowing was driving her mad with fear.

Leaving the hall, she ran up to see her husband, who was in the process of having his wound cleansed. Not surprisingly, he wouldn’t
initially tell her what the plan was, either, but eventually, her pleading broke him down and he confessed. It was an astonishing plan that would guarantee, without anyone lifting a finger and wielding a weapon, victory against the English king.

In a move that Edward could not have foretold when he had proposed that fateful marriage contract, his actions would ultimately cause
the Welsh warlord and the English legend to unite against him.

The Serpent was about to strike, this time for good.