“I agree with Keats,” Denedor said in a low, calm voice. “They are planning their siege against Alnwick as we speak. De Velt always attacks at sunset, which means we have six hours left at the most. We must attack them now while they are off guard and take the offensive. If we do not, de Velt will destroy this place and we will all be dead by morning.”
“But de Velt has what he came for,” de Vesci insisted; he had been existing in the realm of fear and denial since de Velt’s army had retreated. “He already took Lady Kellington. Why would he attack Alnwick now? He has no cause.”
Denedor shook his head. “My lord, mark my words; de Velt will attack, if not for vengeance, then for spite. Why do you think they are still camped out there? Our spies tell us that they are cutting down trees and constructing something, which I can only imagine to be either ladders or a siege tower. He already has two siege engines; we have seen them. I tell you, the man is planning to attack no matter what the lady has promised us.”
Keats was standing by the lancet window of the solar, his arms folded protectively across his body. “I lived through Pelinom’s siege but I was virtually the only one. I do not believe de Velt’s mercy will hold out a second time.” He turned to look at the men in the room. “He will attack us, of that I have no doubt. We must take the offensive immediately and hit his army while they are out in the open if we have any hope of surviving.”
Denedor and Keats were of the same mindset. Young, tall and slender Piers would side with his captain. Only de Vesci was the last holdout. He had far more to lose than any of them and was understandably reluctant. He scratched his balding head, thinking of his wife, his two sons and daughter that he must protect.
“Speaking of spite,” he said, looking pointedly at Denedor. “Your advice to attack could not have anything to do with Lady Kellington, could it?”
Denedor shrugged. “I intend to reclaim her. I will make it no secret.”
Keat’s cast a long glance at Denedor before shaking his head. “He’s probably already taken her,” he muttered. “She is the spoils of a murderer.”
Denedor looked at him. “Nothing that cannot be erased given time.”
“You are too forgiving.”
Denedor’s gaze lingered on him, seeing how disgusted and sickened he was by his daughter’s behavior. He leaned into the man and lowered his voice. “You will not touch her, is that clear? Whatever anger or hatred you feel, you will not harm her or I will kill you.”
Keat’s met his gaze, digesting his statement, before looking away. “I could not harm her,” he said. “She is still my flesh. But what she has done… it is reprehensible.”
Denedor did not reply; instead, he faced de Vesci. “I would like permission to outfit the men and prepare them for battle. If we are going to move, then we need to do it right away. We cannot delay. I would further suggest you move your family into town and away from the castle until this madness is settled.”
De Vesci was torn, still trying to deny the obvious but wanting to remove his family to safety at the same time. He knew what Jax de Velt did to prisoners.
“But you are speaking of attacking de Velt,” he insisted weakly. “You know the man, Denedor. ’Tis lunacy to move against him.”
“If we do not, then we sit here and wait to die.”
“But you speak of suicide.”
“It would be suicide not to act, for the man is coming whether or not we move first. Is that your wish, my lord? That we sit and wait for our deaths?”
It wasn’t. De Vesci scratched his head, shifted in his seat, all of the signs of an agitated man. He finally looked to Denedor. “If you are very sure about all of this?”
The knight nodded. “As sure as I can be. May I again ask for permission to mobilize the army?”
De Vesci sighed heavily, looking to Keats and Piers, before finally nodding his head in defeat. “Very well,” he mumbled, wiping at his forehead as he did so. “But give me a contingent of men to protect my family. Twenty soldiers, I should think.”
“Ten will be sufficient,” Denedor snapped his fingers to Piers, who immediately quit the solar in his quest to form an escort for the baron. With the young knight clearing the room, Denedor turned back to the baron. “Our spies say that de Velt is spread out in the field that belongs to Edward Rest, a farmer who holds a great deal of land to the west of Alnwick. The field is bordered on the west and north by a forest. If we can create two fronts, one from the east and one from the west, we should be able to catch de Velt by surprise. It is our only hope.”
De Vesci was resigned to the battle, though clearly still not happy about it. “How many men would you say he has?”
“At least seven to eight hundred,” Denedor replied. “A sizable force.”
De Vesci nodded. “And how many do we have at Alnwick?”
“Nine hundred and forty six.”
“Then we outnumber him?”
“Aye, we do, but we are speaking of de Velt mercenaries. They are not ordinary fighting men.”
“Can we send for reinforcements, then?”
Denedor cocked a thoughtful eyebrow. “The nearest castle is Edlingham, but she is a small castle and would not hold near the number of reinforcements that we would require. Warkworth is to the south and would carry sufficient numbers, but I suspect we would not see them until tomorrow morning.”
“What of Bamburgh?”
“’Tis the same as Warkworth. We would not see any help until the morrow.”
De Vesci sighed heavily. “How many men could we get from Edlingham?”
“One hundred at the most.”
“Then send for them immediately. And also send for reinforcements from Warkworth and Bamburgh. Even if they do not arrive until morning, perhaps we can hold out with what we have until they come.”
“We cannot wait for any of them to arrive,” Denedor pointed out. “We must strike without them and strike now.”
De Vesci could not disagree. Denedor sent one soldier on the run to Edlingham, two others to Warkworth and Bamburgh respectively, before returning to the solar to find de Vesci and Keats well into their third cup of wine. Each man had his different reason for drinking to the point of drunkenness as a way of easing their guilt and fears, but Denedor could not allow himself that luxury. He was about to take on Jax de Velt and he would need every faculty he possessed.
Leaving Keats and the baron to their wine, he went to speak to his men. He seriously wondered how many he would have left alive come the dawn.
*
Kellington awoke to Jax rising from the rug they were lying on. Wrapped in his massive arms, she had been warm and safe and comfortable. His movement left her feeling alone and she blinked the sleep from her eyes, pushing the stray hair from her face.
“Where are you going?” she asked.
He smiled at her. “I was trying not to wake you,” he said, securing his breeches. “As much as I would love to lounge with you all day, there are a few tasks that require my attention. Go back to sleep if it pleases you.”
It took Kellington a moment to realize she was stark naked on the rug and she quickly looked around for her shift. Without Jax’s massive body to shield and cover her, she felt very exposed. She spoke as she grabbed for her undergarments.
“Can I come with you?” she asked. “I do not want to wait here all alone. I will not be a bother, I promise.”
His smile faded as he watched her pull the shift over her head, covering her magnificent body. “Kelli,” he said slowly. “There is something you must understand about my army. They are not men of honor or character; they are mercenaries and murderers, and to have you wandering among them, even if you are with me, will only invite their dark fantasies. I do not want you exposed or paraded to my men. It is best if you stay here, protected by a select few men that I trust, and wait for my return.”
She pulled her gown over her head, turning her back to him and indicating for him to help her fasten the stays on the back. He did so in si
lence, his big fingers nimbly navigating the buttons.
“I suppose when the newness of all of this wears off, there will be a great many things that I must become accustomed to,” she finally said. “I will have to resign myself to the fact that my life has changed.”
He finished the last stay and gently turned her around, his enormous hands on her shoulders. The dual-colored eyes gazed warmly at her.
“It has changed,” he agreed. “But hopefully it is a change you will not regret.”
She smiled. “As long as we are together, I can adjust. But you and I come from such different worlds, Jax. My world was one of peace and trust. Yours is of war and treachery. I wish I could have shown you my world in the days before….”
Her smile faded, unable to finish her sentence. Anything she could think to say sounded too accusing or bitter. And she was not bitter. Jax’s ambition had brought him to her and she was not sorry for it. But she was sorry he had destroyed something very precious that he would never understand.
He knew what she was going to say without benefit of words and he felt a stab of remorse. His hands began to caress her arms. “In just the short time I have known you, I have come to see something of a world that I never knew,” he said quietly. “I told you once that you were a corner of heaven I never knew existed; I should like to learn everything I can about it. But, inevitably, when you mix heaven and hell, there are bound to be some adjustments on both sides. I can never fully change and neither can you; but I would not have you any other way.”
Her smile returned as she studied his face, the square jaw, and two-colored eyes that were so beautiful to her. “My God, I was so frightened of you when you first came to Pelinom,” she murmured, reaching up to touch his face and he pulled her close. “I was certain you were going to kill us.”
He kissed her fingers when the moved across his lips. “I knew the moment I saw you that there was something different about you,” he said, a twinkle in his eyes. “I decided the moment you asked me why you should beg for your life that I would spare the sassy, outspoken wench.”
She pursed her lips threateningly and he laughed. But as they both sobered, her golden-brown eyes were intense on him.
“May I ask you a question?”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Oh, God; here it comes. Well? What is it?”
“I wish for you to be honest with me.”
“Is that your question?”
“Of course not. But if there is to be one thing we can both depend upon in this marriage, I will ask that it be truth. Total truth. Do you disagree?”
“I thought we were to depend upon our love for each other.”
“That goes without saying. All I will ever ask is that you be truthful with me, Jax. I am serious.”
“You have already asked a sight more than that.”
She lowered her gaze and he could see that he had hurt her feelings. He squeezed her gently. “I was jesting, love,” he squeezed her again. “What is your question?”
She toyed with the ties of his tunic. “Where did you go when you left Pelinom?”
His smile, his light mood faded. “Why do you want to know?”
“I just do. No specific reason.”
Jax realized as he gazed down at her that it was going to be difficult for him to tell her. He’d become so accustomed to secrecy within his ranks that it was difficult to divulge critical information. He’d made a life out of not trusting most. But with Kellington, he realized he wanted to trust her. He wanted to tell her everything. He knew that she would never betray him; her integrity and courage was too strong.
“I went to White Crag Castle,” he said quietly.
She kept her surprise in check admirably. In fact, she was very calm as she spoke. “I know Lady Jane and Lady Anne Crandall,” she said, though her voice was trembling. “You… you did not harm them, did you?”
He touched her face. “They are well and whole,” he replied. “So are their father and mother.”
She closed her eyes in thanks, sighing heavily with relief. But it wasn’t enough to stave off the tears and they spilled over onto her cheeks as she fell forward against him. His massive hand was on her head, clutching it against his chest as his other arm went around her slender body. Her reaction puzzled him.
“What’s the matter?” he asked softly. “I did as you asked. I showed them mercy.”
She sobbed softly and he pulled her closer, guilt creeping into his veins, knowing instinctively that he was the cause of her tears.
“I… I am grateful,” she whispered. “I can ask no more.”
That only made him feel guiltier. He hugged her tightly, hoping to ease her sorrow, not knowing what else to say. He did not want to be the cause of her tears. After a few moments of rocking her gently, he pulled her back and wiped her cheeks with his fingers.
“No tears,” he kissed her forehead. “There is no need.”
She looked up at him with her watery eyes. “But you still occupy White Crag?”
“I do. It is mine.”
Just as Pelinom was his. She would not argue with him; she has promised him some time ago that she would not try to change his ambitious nature. But at least he was showing some mercy about it. Perhaps with time, he would show even more. She could only hope.
With a final wipe of her eyes, she squared her shoulders. “Well,” she said with more pluck than she felt. “You told me that you have duties to attend to. I will not keep you any longer.”
He looked at her, his long hair hanging down across one eye. “It is difficult for me to leave.”
“I will be here when you return.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “The last time I left you, your father and my knight conspired to take you away from me.”
There was truth to that statement. “But you found me,” she smiled. “I suspect that wherever I go, you will always find me.”
He reached out and stroked her cheek. “Nothing can stop me,” he murmured as he took her hand and kissed it sweetly. With a wink, he quit the tent.
Kellington stood there, watching the tent flap as it waved in the wake of his departure. It had been such a difficult path to get to where they were at this moment. Death, life, treachery, lies, hope and tears. But here they were, together, planning a new life. With as insane as the journey had been at times, she would not have had it any other way. It was making them who they were, molding their relationship into something strong and unbreakable. She felt more warmth and fulfillment than she had ever felt in her life.
Moving out of the tent, she stood at the entry, watching the activity about the camp and noticing a few soldiers lingering nearby. They looked at her but did not acknowledge her; she suspected they were the men Jax had assigned to protect her. With a casual sigh, she clasped her hands behind her back and began to walk the perimeter of the tent just for something to do. She had no way of knowing when he would return and, already, she missed him.
That was her last calm thought before rounding the side of the tent. Suddenly, a flaming arrow struck the side of the shelter and immediately the canvas roared into a wild flame. With a shriek, she dashed away from the tent, watching an entire side of it erupt. Then she heard it; yelling coming from the forest off to the west. Her startled golden brown orbs moved to the heavy cloak of trees, watching men emerge with weapons and horses and crossbows.
Though she’d only seen one siege in her life, she suspected that she was about to witness another. She wondered fleetingly if she would survive.
CHAPTER TWENTY
The first volley of arrows from the surrounding trees took out several soldiers that were standing around Jax, listening to his plans for Alnwick’s siege. As Jax watched the men collapse with arrows in their chest or necks, his first thought was to reach Kellington. He had no doubt of whom attacked from the trees and he knew their goal. He cursed himself for being stupid enough not to anticipate an offensive; he had been distracted with Kellington and his distraction had worked in de Vesci’s favo
r. His warrior instincts took over and he broke into a dead run for the opposite side of his camp.
He was alternately torn with admiration for de Vesci’s bravery in attacking him and furious at the bold assault. Tor and Atreus somehow found him in the chaos as their men raced for their weapons and defensive positions. With swiftly barked commands from Jax, Tor took command of the men to the north and Atreus took command of the men to the west. It was clear there were two fronts as the trees to the north and west provided cover and an ample staging ground from where to launch their assault.
Jax’s helm and broadsword were back in his tent. As he dodged projectiles as he ran through the encampment, he could see smoke in the near distance. Rounding a tree, he saw that it was his tent and his heart leapt into his throat. Running faster than he had ever run in his life, he nearly crashed into Kellington as she barreled around the corner of the burning tent. He grabbed her, pulling her into his protective, relieved embrace.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
She nodded, being shielded by the man’s enormous, mailed body. “I am fine,” she gasped. “But who…?”
He did not wait to hear the end of her question. The tent was engulfed in flames but he left her long enough to risk ducking inside; his broadsword was near the door and he grabbed it. Most of his plate armor, however, was beneath burning tarp and there was no way to get at it. But he had his sword and that was the most important piece of equipment he owned. He was ready to do battle.
His arm went back around Kellington and he pulled her close. “Now,” he said calmly. “We must get you to safety.”
“Safety?” she repeated, shrieking when a flaming arrow embedded itself in the ground a few feet from her. “There is no such place. What is happening?”
Jax looked around his encampment, seeing that his men were forming two fronts as the incoming tide of soldiers moved in from the shielding forest.
“I would suspect that de Vesci and his men have decided to launch an offensive,” he said.