Candace C. Bowen - A Knight Series 01 (26 page)

Untying the red silk ribbon, she uncovered a small
metal box inlaid with an array of vibrant colors forming strange, exotic
flowers. Holding the box lightly against her, she turned to him.
“It is beautiful, I shall treasure it always.”

Enchanted by her innocence, he said, “Your present is
inside.”
 
She blushed as he ran a finger
lightly down her nose. “I am very pleased you like the box. It is my hope that
you like the gift even more.”

Lifting the lid, she gasped.
 
Slowly withdrawing a long strand of precious
pearls, so costly and rare, only a select few women at court possessed them.
Holding them carefully beside the fire, she gazed at the beauty of their
luminescence.

He reached out his hands. “May I?”

At her answering smile, he took them from her
outstretched hand. Securing the gold clasp, he smoothed the strand where it
rested over her heart.

She was winding her arms around his neck when a throat
clearing made him scowl over his shoulder.
 
Standing with his arms full of wrapped packages, Albin asked, “Do you
mind if the lady opens the rest of her gifts before sweeping her off to your
chamber?”

“Remind me again why I put up with your insolence,
Albin?”

Placing the packages before Reina, he smirked, “For my
sweet disposition of course.” Genuflecting his way back to his seat, everyone
laughed.

Reina blushed as the men gathered around her. Opening
each gift, she rose to kiss the cheek of the man who had given it to her.

Seeing the men stammer their way through her thanks,
Fulke chuckled.
 

Albin’s gift was a pair of brown doeskin gloves.

Gervase, a set of scented bath oils, to which Fulke
quirked a brow.

Guy gave her a silk scarf that came so close to
matching her eyes, Fulke glanced at him as Reina stood to thank him. Seeing him
flame red at her thank you kiss, he shook his head resignedly.

With a smile, she settled back down beside him to open
Warin’s gift of a bolt of deep green velvet.

Osbert bestowed her with a bar of costly lavender
scented bath soap.
 
Seeing Reina approach,
he thought for sure his squire was going to faint.

Talan’s gift was a small silver hilted dagger in a
soft leather sheath. “You are to carry it at all times, my lady,” he
instructed.

“At all times, Talan?” Fulke chuckled to see Talan
turn the same shade of red as Guy.

Wrapping his arms around Reina, Fulke gazed tenderly
into her eyes. “Shall we tell them the news, my lady?” At her excited nod, he
turned to call the rowdy men to attention. Grabbing a cup, he raised it in
toast as the men scrambled for their own drink of choice. “Here is to a
peaceful new year, while we await the birth of Castell Maen’s heir.”

Albin raised a cup.
 
“God has indeed blessed us this day. To Castell Maen’s heir,” he called.

The rest raised their cups high, shouting, “Castell
Maen’s heir!”

Wrapping his arms around Reina, Fulke found a touch of
sadness in her answering smile.
 
“What is
it, love?”

“It is nothing Fulke.”

“I do not wish anything to come between us,
Reina.
 
What troubles you?” he
mouthed.
 

“Hylda.
 
It is the first Christmastide we have been
apart.”

“And the last,” he replied softly.

Early the next morning, Fulke slid from the bed to
dress. They made love by the fire upon returning to their chamber the previous
eve.
 
Making promises to Reina for the
future, he now prayed he would be able to keep them. Their future hinged on the
whims of a fickle king. Leaning down, he gently kissed her lips.

She blinked tiredly up at him.
“Good morn,
my lord.”

“Go back to sleep,” he whispered, before kissing her
once more.

When he pulled back, she caressed his brow with her
fingertips.
“What is it, Fulke?”

Forgetting for a moment how intuitive she was, he
cursed himself for waking her. Running a finger along her pouting bottom lip,
he said, “Not a thing, my lady. I must meet with the men before the king
arrives and just needed to see you smile.”

She caught his hand.
“Then all
you have to do is look at me.”

Kissing her brow, he wrapped his arms around her. “You
are my life,” he breathed into her hair. Tucking her back in, he whispered, “Go
back to sleep.”

She smothered a yawn.
“Wake me
when you return?”

He bent to kiss her. “Without a doubt.”

* * * *

Late morning found Fulke going over the last details
of the plan. Pulling Albin aside, he gripped his shoulder. “If things go awry,
I ask for your pledge to protect Reina.”

“You know me better than to think otherwise,” Albin
scoffed.

Nodding, he turned back to address the men. “If for
any reason, suspicion falls my way, you are to deny all knowledge.” He held up a
hand to forestall their angry outburst. “It is not your honor that you will be
risking. As your liege, I command this of you.”

In various defiant stances, they stood silent.

“Your loyalty is not at question here. But know you
this, I shall not go forth with the plan, if I do not have your vow.”

Seeing nothing would sway him, Talan stepped
forward.
 
“I vow it, my liege.”

“Aye, I vow it,” said Gervase.

“And I,” Guy said softly.

Fulke stared hard at Albin, forcing him to mumble, “I
bloody well vow it.”

He addressed Warin and Osbert. “You will both be
relieved of your allegiance to me, should trouble befall us. Castell Maen is
mine by deed.
 
Albin will hold it in
trust until my heir comes of age. If it is your wish to stay on, he will
complete your training.” He placed a hand on Warin’s shoulder. “I know I do not
have to say it.
 
Reina and the child will
need you, lad.”

“Should it come to that, I shall protect them with my
life,” Warin replied low.

Loud horn blasts announced the king’s impending
arrival.
 
They stood silent as a servant
raised the flag on the round turret to proclaim Henry’s residence.

Fulke turned to face his men, feigning a confidence he
did not feel.
 
“So it begins.”

One by one, they raised their fists to cover their
hearts.
 

Excusing himself, he raced back through the passages
to be with Reina.

Charging into the chamber, he startled her. The look
on his face answered any question she may have had as she dropped her hands
from the act of braiding her hair. She rushed to fling her arms around him
afraid this would be the last chance they had to be together.

Fulke lifted her into his arms, finding her lips as he
carried her to the bed. Briefly stepping back to undress, he returned to hike
her gown up to enter her in one quick thrust.
 

Reina hiked her legs high up around his back to grab
the back of his thighs needing to be as close to him as possible.

With a searing kiss, Fulke leaned back to hold her
shoulders, branding her with the heat of his possession as she gazed up at him
with desire.
 

Near to climax, he kissed her again, driving his
tongue into the sweet warmth of her mouth in time to his driving thrusts.

They climaxed together, Reina scoring her nails along
his thrusting buttocks, arching her back against him.

He throwing his head back, roaring his release as his
hot seed filled her.
 

Collapsing winded beside her, he gathered her in his
arms to hold her against his heaving chest while they caught their breath.

Returning more to normal, Reina glanced up at him with
a wry smile.
“I take it the king has arrived?”

The men were standing on the ramparts staring off into
the distance when Fulke assisted Reina up the steep stone steps to join them.
Together they watched as Henry’s extended entourage approached the castle with
a score of bloodhounds racing ahead.

Coming to stand beside him, Albin said, “I overheard
King David of Scotland is to arrive on the morrow.”

He nodded. “I was expecting as much.” The wind gusted,
sending icy currents of air swirling around them.
 
Pulling Reina closer into his side, he asked,
“Any word on the bishops and abbots?”

“They are expected at any time.
 
Rumor has it the Archbishop of Rouen will be
stirring things up before the meeting.”

“I have no doubt,” Fulke sighed. “The clergy believe
the king to be ordained by the will of God.
 
They would never acknowledge a queen when they still debate whether or
not women possess souls.”

Albin looked surprised. “You do not believe the king
to be ordained by God?”

“No more than I believe women lack souls, my friend.”
A note of bitterness entered his voice.
 
“The things I have heard and done in the name of the king, does not
speak to me of being Godly.”

“Yet, you still side with him?” Albin asked softly.

“Regardless of my opinion in religious matters, my
loyalty still lies with the crown. Henry counted on that very fact when he
titled me. In this, I shall not fail him.”

“You have never failed him, Fulke.
 
The Henry we fought with years ago never
would have used your lady so.”
 

“What are a few to Henry, when compared to the many?”
Fulke replied softly.

Bristling in anger, Albin stared hard at him. “I
spared you how often Talan and I bore witness to malicious slurs spoken not two
feet from your lady. Do you now seek to justify what Henry has forced her to
endure?”

“There is no justifying Henry’s treatment of my wife,
Albin,” Fulke scoffed.

“I am glad to hear you say it.
 
Yet you were not the one who watched her walk
through a gauntlet of derision each day.” Albin
 
pressed his point. “Do you think Henry gave a thought to her at
all?”
 

“No,” he replied softly. “It was all I could think
of.”

“Then what you do here for your lady as a knight and
her husband is a loyal act. Do not think less of yourself for it.”

Pressing a cheek to the top of Reina’s head, he asked,
“How can I, Albin?
 
I would willingly lay
down my life for her.”

“We all would, Fulke. To the last man.”

They grew silent as the wagon bearing King Henry came
into view.

Fulke felt Reina’s arms instinctively tighten about
him. Glancing down, he caressed her cheek to gain her attention. “Have you no
faith in me, my lady?”

Her answer blazed from her eyes.
 
Reaching up to kiss him, words were not
necessary.

As the entourage began to arrive, the men drifted
towards the steps.
  

Trailing behind, Talan said softly, “God be with you,
my liege.”
  

“God be with us all,” Fulke grimly replied.

With an arm around her waist, Fulke led Reina back
through the winding passages to their chamber.

“I was hoping to find you, Fulke. It has been far too
long since last we met.” Hearing the silky smooth voice behind him, he
stiffened.
 

Drawing to a halt, he guided Reina around to face
Reynold’s wife, Arabella.
 
Nodding
coolly, he greeted her. “Your ladyship.”

She briefly assessed Reina before sweeping him with a
sultry gaze. “I have missed you Fulke. Why did you not seek me out during your
stay at the Hall?”
 

Feeling Reina tense, he gently squeezed her waist. “I
do not find this a fit conversation to have in front of my wife, your
ladyship.”

“You cannot be serious,” Arabella, laughed. “Even if
she were able to hear me, she could hardly refuse to share you. She is warming
the king’s bed after all, is she not?”

 
“She is my
wife,” he snapped. “Whom I share her with is my concern and mine alone. As for
her sharing me with another, I do not have to hear the words to know it is not
something she would look favorably upon.”

“Then we shall be discreet Fulke,” she purred. “I
shall leave my door unlocked this eve. Come to me,” she pleaded.

“You assume too much, your ladyship. I suggest you put
our liaison in the past as I have,” he replied coldly.

“So what we shared meant nothing to you?” She asked in
disbelief. “I pleasured you on my knees in a filthy garderobe.”

Feeling Reina stiffen beside him, he gave a bitter
laugh. “If I recall correctly, it was you who cornered me in the
garderobe.
 
It was also you who willingly
fell to your knees without any encouragement from me.”

“You did not seem to mind at the time,” she said
bitterly. “Besides, from what I hear your wife needs no encouragement either.”

Furious, he stepped forward as Reina tugged on his
sleeve to restrain him. “You go too far, Arabella. You will not speak another
word against my wife.”

She stepped back in surprise. “My God, you love her,”
she whispered.

 
“I do,” he
replied proudly. “I suggest you seek out your husband.”

Escorting Reina into their chamber, he guided her to
the bed.
 
Kneeling, he rested his hands
on her knees.
 
Before he could say
anything, she reached her hands up to cup his face.
“Have you
ever felt for any of them, Fulke?”

“Are you asking me if I felt anything more than
physical pleasure?” He asked brokenly.

“Yes. Have you?”

He shook his head. “Not once, never. This I vow to
you, Reina.”

She nodded thoughtfully.
“It is true
that Lady Arabella pleasured you with her mouth?”

He lowered his eyes, unable to face her. “I am no
longer that man, Reina.”
 

Cupping his cheek, she waited for him to look at
her.
 
“Did you enjoy it?”
 

Unwilling to answer, he averted his eyes.

Gently forcing his head back up, she said,
“Well, if you are not willing to tell me, I shall just have to find out
for myself.”

It took a moment for her words to sink in.
 
Astonished by the depth of her understanding,
he drew her forward for a long kiss.
 
Easing back, he said humbly, “I do not deserve you, Reina.”

Running her fingers through his hair, she pulled him
back.
“Aye, you do.”

* * * *

When the summons came, they were expecting it.

Seeing the unease in Reina’s eyes, he turned to the
footman. “Await me in the passage.”

Reaching for her trembling hands, he said, “Whatever
you become privy to from this day forth I need you to remember things are not
always what they seem.
 
I vowed to you we
would return to Castell Maen.
 
Have faith
to believe that now.”