Great Protector (43 page)

When
his boot falls faded, David turned to Owen with an expression of utter astonishment.
"It's
her
."

Owen
nodded vaguely, his hand over his mouth as he attempted to rein his reeling
thoughts. "I never imagined.... God's Blood, how were we to know? Of all
the knights in England, how is it possible that we should come across
her
husband?"

David's
astonished expression gave way to a pale countenance as he paced the frozen
ground, lost in his own thoughts. "I haven't seen Ellyn since she left for
London. We received word from her only twice since; when she married, and when
she pledged her servitude to Whitby."

Owen
eyed his cousin, the impact of the discovery weighing heavily on his shoulders.
What had begun as a simple fact-finding endeavor had become a monumental discovery
and he was having difficulty grasping the facts. But they indisputable.

He
finally sighed, shrugging off his shock. "You never did discover why your
sister took her vows at Whitby?"

 David
shook his head, raking his fingers through hair the color of a raven's wing.
"Never. I tried sending her several missives, but received no reply until
a simple message came from the abbess herself informing us that Lady Ellyn or,
more correctly, Sister Repentia, had taken an oath of solitude."

Owen
closed his eyes in a gesture of disbelief. The tremors that had seized his body
were gone now, replaced by an odd weakness. "How can I use my own cousin
against my mortal enemy?"

David
looked at him. "The Princess Arissa is my niece, for Christ's sake. How do
you think I feel? Lyle and I were less that kind with her during the abduction.
And when I think of Lyle in mortal combat with Richmond le Bec as Arissa lay
unconscious in the mud...."

He
closed his eyes and looked away, unable to continue. Owen meandered to the
dying vizier, putting his hands against the warm iron.

"Le
Bec never saw you, did he?" he asked.

David
shook his head, fighting off a deeper remorse. "I was too far away, shielded
by the rain and the chaos of the fighting. I did not even see Lyle's final
minutes, for I knew that le Bec would be the victor and I had no desire to face
him. I knew I had to return to you with confirmation of Princess Arissa's
whereabouts," he suddenly slapped at this leather-covered thigh, emitting
an explosive hiss. "She’s my niece. Christ's Sake, Owen, do you realize
what this means? We are related to the King of England!"

Owen
did not say anything for several agonizing moments as both men pondered the
revelation. Owen seemed to be riveted to the dying embers of the vizier as
David continued to pace, remembering the beauty and frailty of his niece. He
could scarcely believe the evidence, but believe he did. Thinking back, he
realized that she looked a good deal like his sister and only now did the
uncanny semblance have a measure of meaning. She was his blood - she was
Owen's
blood.

David
studied the chair de Worth had been planted in before slowly depositing his own
weary body atop the leather sling. "Now what? Do we forget about
her?"

Owen
shook his head faintly, rubbing the sharp stubble on his chin. "Nay,"
he said softly. "We do not forget about our relation." He removed his
hands from the vizier, his jaw ticking as he mulled over the future. Certainly
he would not forget about Henry's daughter, his own cousin. She could still be
a very powerful weapon in his war against the English.

He
turned to his cousin. "Would it be safe to assume she’s still at
Lambourn?"

David
nodded weakly, feeling drained as his shock wore thin. "As long as
Lambourn is still standing in light of de Rydal's attack."

Owen
scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Then I would have you return to Lambourn
again. Mayhap a second abduction attempt would meet with some success."

David
stared at him a moment before shaking his head. "Le Bec is her shadow. He’s
no doubt aware that Henry's enemies have discovered the princess' whereabouts
and I doubt a second attempt to seize her would be productive."

Owen
sat opposite his cousin, his gaze heady. "Then we will keep trying until
we have her. She’s Glendower and I mean to have her."

"She’s
Plantagenet."

Owen
did not reply as his gaze left his cousin, moving to the dying embers in the
vizier. The freezing night was seeping into his bones and somewhere in the
distance, he could hear a wolf cry to its mate. He would not be deterred in his
scheme to obtain Henry's daughter; not even the threat of Richmond le Bec was
enough to dampen his conviction. The fact that the girl was of direct relation
to him changed the overall design little; truthfully, he had never meant to
harm her, merely use her against her father. And he would still use her against
her father. But first, he had to obtain her.

"It
would seem to me that our biggest obstacle is Richmond le Bec," he said
after a moment, returning his gaze to his cousin. "Neutralize le Bec and
the princess is ours."

David
sighed irritably. "Brilliant, Owen. And just who is supposed to neutralize
Henry's greatest knight? There is not a man among us who could best him in a
fight. Who did you intend to act the role of assassin?"

Owen's
brown eyes glittered dully in the weak light. "Not a Welshman. Mayhap one
of le Bec's own countrymen will turn against him."

David's
brow furrowed. "I do not understand."

Owen
leaned into the palm of his hand. "Henry Percy and I have been
communicating, as you are aware. Hotspur is growing weary of Henry's rule; in
fact, his relationship to the king has never been hearty, whereas le Bec is
well known as Henry's greatest supporter. If Henry Percy is to align with me,
mayhap we will be able to annihilate le Bec with a man who has fought with him.
A man who knows his strengths and weaknesses."

"Hotspur?"
David repeated incredulously. "You are mad! He will never agree to such a
thing!"

Owen
shrugged. "Mayhap. But we must not disregard our options. In any case, I
will expect you on the road to Lambourn before sunrise."

David
eyed his cousin in the darkness, pondering the information that had been
revealed this night. In spite of discovering her relationship to them, Owen
still wanted Arissa as a weapon in his struggle against Henry. And with the
possibility of Hotspur's alliance, the Welsh resistance was growing stronger by
the day.

A
certain young lady was about to find herself the central focus of a very long,
very bloody conflict.

***

It
did not take David Glendower an over amount of time to ascertain that the
Princess Arissa was no longer within the walls of Lambourn. He'd spent nearly a
week lingering in the woods, assuming the role of a tradesman from the village
in order to gain access to the keep. Being rebuilt from her recent siege, there
was always work available and he involved himself in the renovations as deeply
as he was able. Being a fine stonemason, he was able to find daily work.

With
one eye on his mortar and stone and the other roving the grounds for any sign
of the princess, he established a moderate rapport with a few of the lesser
men-at-arms supervising the rebuilding of the wall. Through several days of
carefully orchestrated dialogue, he was able to discover that Richmond le Bec
had fled Lambourn with the earl's eldest daughter, escorting her to Whitby in
the hope that the church would be able to protect her from Ovid de Rydal's
wrath.

It
was well known that Tad de Rydal received his severe wound from Richmond's men
as a result of his attentions toward the earl's daughter, and it was the
general opinion that Ovid would disregard his anger towards Lambourn if the
very reason for his fury were extracted from the walls. Even though his son was
on the mend, the father's rage had not abated in the least and with Richmond
and Arissa removed, mayhap the situation would be able to calm somewhat.

It
was the overall consensus that justice had been served, however, considering
Bartholomew de Lohr had also received a near-fatal wound in the attack. Ovid
had nearly lost his son and it was only appropriate that the earl's heir be
compromised as well. Both young men, however, were said to be recovering from
their fierce injuries but the animosity between the House of de Rydal and the
Earl of Berkshire was nasty. 'Twas said the earl had even sent word to Henry
demanding crown retaliation against Ovid de Rydal, a move that could only
extend the hostilities should Henry respond to the earl's request.

A
complicated issue, David was told, but he was not concerned with the complexity
of the feud between Lambourn and Goring Hall. All that mattered was that he had
discovered the Princess Arissa's whereabouts and he set out with a vengeance
for the Welsh border. Owen had to be made aware that the young lady was no
longer in the protective custody of the crown, but something far more powerful.
When the earl had sent his daughter into the shielding confines of Whitby
Abbey, it had been with the intention of protecting her from a vicious act of
revenge.

Little
did he realize how many people sought to gain vengeance against the petite
raven-haired beauty and David realized that the situation was far more complex
than originally believed. There were more people determined to acquire control
of Henry's daughter than could be counted, each for their own reasons, each for
their own aspirations. But through it all, one thing had remained constant -
Richmond le Bec.

Henry's
most powerful knight was always by her side, creating an even more difficult
situation. But more than le Bec, Whitby Abbey would prove to be a most powerful
adversary. Even if David’s own sister was imprisoned within the walls of the
Yorkshire abbey, it was of little comfort. Ellyn would not assist their cause,
he was sure; in fact, David was not particularly surprised that Arissa's
destination was Whitby. Mayhap the earl believed that the princess' mother
would be an extra incentive against the jaws of harm. As if, somehow, the
reclusive nun could protect the child she gave up those years ago.

Upon
returning to Wales, David spilled the news. Owen was not overly surprised to
discover that Arissa had been moved from Lambourn. In fact, he considered it
somewhat of a blessing that she had been taken to Whitby and he immediately
sent word to Henry Percy requesting a meeting. Although Hotspur had not
officially joined the ranks of the rebellion and was still, technically,
considered Henry's premier general in the war against the Welsh insurgents,
Owen was well aware that the man was verging on mutiny against the crown.

He
and Hotspur had already met twice, discussing their mutual roles in Henry's
England, and Owen could sense nothing but bitterness and uncertainty from Henry
Percy. It was apparent that the king was intent on blaming his greatest
military leader for the loss of several fortresses along the Welsh border and
Hotspur’s offense was limitless. If Henry did not trust his general, it was
apparent that Hotspur no longer had reason to maintain his loyalty to the
crown. All it would take was the correct persuasion to lure Hotspur into the
Glendower fold.

Owen
was no fool; an extremely intelligent man, he knew how to play the games of the
Rich and Powerful. He knew that Henry could not survive without
Northumberland's support and set forth with great determination to undermine
the weakening foundation of Hotspur's loyalty. All it would take was the
correct inducement.

He
had a plan.

CHAPTER
FOURTEEN

The
bowl, with the porridge in it, went sailing across the room.  The servants
shrieked and fled the room as it hit the wall and splattered on the fine chair
nearby.

“I
told you that I did not want porridge!” Tad shouted after them. “The next fool
who brings me porridge shall feel my hand to their backside!”

Goring
Hall was in an uproar.  Nine days after the ambush that seriously injured him,
Tad was feeling infinitely better thanks to the finest physics his father could
employ. One man had come from London and the other all the way from York. The
chest wound had been deftly sewed and, most fortunately, no poison had set in. 
It had truly been a miracle.

Tad
had recovered quickly, thanks to his youth and good health, but now the physics
had a more seriously problem on their hands. The young man did not want to stay
still.

“My
lord, you are still recovering,” the first physic, a skinny man with wild red
hair, tried to remain calm. “It is in your best interest to keep your diet
without fatty foods.  Porridge is easily digestible and....”

Tad
was sitting on the edge of his bed, a little paler and thinner than usual, but
certainly looking healthy enough.  He interrupted the physic’s prattle.

“I
want meat,” he stressed angrily. “Breads and sweets. Give me something more
than this... this
rubbish
.”

The
physic sighed heavily, looking to his shorter, rounder associate for support as
he prepared to deny the young man as Ovid entered the room.