One True Knight (The Knights of Honor Trilogy) (25 page)

“Do not worry, child,” Ava continued, her voice becoming gentle. “Sir Jonathan seems like a good man. Once he gets to know you, he will realize that he has found a gem.”

Rowena blinked back the tears. “But he thinks that I have deceived him. I cannot forget the look he gave me. All I want is to be loved and cherished. How can I enter into a household knowing that my husband cannot bear to look at me because he thinks I am a liar? The one thing I see in this union is a life filled with misery and contempt.”

Ava reached over and touched her cold hands, squeezing it in reassurance. There was nothing more to say, and they both sat in silence amongst the swirl of activity that surrounded them.

Just as the trumpet blasted to indicate the start of a joust, Rowena caught a slight movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head in time to see a servant dressed in the familiar colors of Ravenhearth heading toward her.

“Forgive me for disturbing you, my lady,” he said, giving a slight bow and handing Rowena a letter. “I have an urgent message for you.”

Ava looked at the letter in his hand, her curiosity evident.

The letter was sealed with a rose colored wax, although there was no insignia stamped on it as was the custom. “Who sent this message?” Rowena said, frowning as she turned the letter in her hand.

“I do not know, my lady. A page handed this to me to deliver to you. He said it was an urgent matter from his master, although he did not say who his master was.”

She dismissed the servant before breaking the seal. Scanning the contents, her frown deepened.

She tapped one finger on her lip as she scanned the letter a second time:

Meet me at the stables at high noon. I need to speak with you. Come alone. Jonathan

Why would Jonathan need to speak with her just hours before his joust? Didn’t he say everything he needed to say yesterday? Perhaps he thought better of their marriage and decided he wanted an annulment.

Now there was an idea. Perhaps he came to the conclusion that he could not be married to someone he hated.

But even as she thought that, she could feel a heavy weight settling inside her chest.

She folded the parchment and tucked it inside the sleeve of her tunic.

“Well?” Ava said, searching her face. “What did the message say?”

Rowena hesitated and then admitted, “Sir Jonathan says he wishes to speak with me at the stables.”

Ava pursed her lips. “I cannot allow you to go alone,” she said. “Look what happened the last time that you wandered on your own.”

She gave Ava a wry smile. “I promise that I will not get married a second time. He asked me to see him alone. Perhaps he wants to beg off from this sham of a marriage, and I will not be subjected to a life of misery after all.”

“Then I will definitely have to come,” Ava said, making a move to get up.

Rowena shrugged. “Do as you will. I do not think this meeting will take very long. We may be back before this jousting match is finished.”

A loud crash sounded, echoing over the green field. A knight smashed his lance into the chest of his opponent, sending the wooden splinters flying ever which way.

The crowd gasped in excited horror and began to cheer enthusiastically.

With one last glance at the lists, Rowena and Ava left the grandstand.

CHAPTER 24

Their mounts’ hooves rang through the deserted courtyard as they made their way to the main stable.

“I do not know why Sir Jonathan did not find a more suitable venue to meet with you,” Ava grumbled. She held her scarf to her nose as if the dainty cloth could block out the stable smells.

But Rowena welcomed the familiar scent of fresh hay that mingled with the smell of horses. It was one of the few places that she felt at ease when her father rejected her as a child.

She dismounted and tied her palfrey to the wooden panel that was attached to one of the empty stalls. “I told you that you did not need to come with me,” she said.

Ava grunted and scrambled off her horse. “Let us find what Sir Jonathan wants and be on our way,” she said. She peered into the darkened corners. “Where is he?”

At the moment, the stables were quiet aside from a handful of palfreys and pack horses resting in their booths. The larger horses, the chargers and destriers were all put to use in the tournaments. When the games were over for the day, the stables brimmed with horses and activity.

Rowena took out the parchment from the sleeve of her tunic. She held it up to the dim light, frowning at the script. “All it says is that he will meet me at the stables at high noon.”

“Well, when we rode back to the castle, the sun was over head. He should be here by now.”

The sound of Rowena’s palfrey pawing at the ground made both women turn to look at the horse. The other palfrey stood in one spot, also looking tense.

Ava watched her with wide eyes when Rowena moved closer to the tied horses. “Are they all right?” she asked in a whisper. “I remember Beauty used to get skittish when she sensed danger…”

“I remember,” Rowena said, trying to sound brave. “But I do not know these palfreys very well. I have ridden mine just a few times. She may just be skittish by nature.” She reached down to a bucket filled with oats that sat along the wall and offered it to the troubled horse. She then walked over to the second horse and offered oats to it.

The palfreys accepted her offering, chewing carefully, although their ears were perked as if they were attuned to the whispered movements that only they could hear.

Ava twisted her hands in her apron, and looked around her with worry. “These horses are making me nervous,” she said. “Perhaps we should get back to the lists.”

Rowena’s palfrey snorted as if to agree with Ava’s fears. Rowena dusted her hands together to shake off the remaining oat flakes.

“We shall leave in a moment,” she said. Then raising her voice, “Sir Jonathan,” she called out. “If this is an urgent matter, you must come speak with me now otherwise I shall return to the lists.”

She heard no sounds aside from the soft munching of hay, and the occasional nickering from the few horses in their compartments. Nothing out of place. But she still couldn’t quell the uneasiness that settled in her stomach.

“He is not here,” Ava said, stating the obvious. “Let us leave.”

Rowena nodded and began to untie the palfreys when suddenly she felt a prickling sensation at the back of her neck, as if someone was with them, watching.

She turned to look at Ava, but her nursemaid was busy trying to get on her palfrey without assistance.

Rowena’s hand went down to the dagger that she carried at her belt. She unsheathed the blade and gripped it in her hand, feeling its cold strength. She took a cautious glance to either side of her.

Ava watched her with alarm from the top of her palfrey. “Did you see something?” she asked, sounding frightened. “I knew that we should not have come here.”

Rowena shook her head. “I am imagining things,” she mumbled to herself. She slid the dagger back into its sheath, feeling foolish. “If Sir Jonathan had something important to say, then he should have the decency to show up and tell me,” she said, irritated. “He really must hate me to humiliate me yet again.”

She was about to climb back on to her palfrey’s back when she heard heavy footsteps behind her. Whirling around, she said, “There you —” But the words died in her throat as she saw two scruffy, unfamiliar men emerging from the shadows.

“Who are you?” she said, her voice filled with suspicion. “I have not seen you here before.”

“Get on your horse, child,” Ava cried anxiously. “We do not want to speak to these vagrants.”

There were two of them, one was short, looking no bigger than a young page, and the other was as tall and large as a tree. They were not dressed as if they came from town. The large man wore clothes that were several sizes too small for him, causing him to look like an overgrown boy. Both wore tattered tunics and they seemed as if they cared little about the many holes and rents in their clothing.

“She called us vagrants, Donald!” the small man sneered. He gave Rowena a vicious, calculating look as if she had something that he wanted. “Nay, we’re not vagrants but the humble servants of the mighty King Edward.” He bared his rotted teeth. “I’m Sir Eban and that is Sir Donald.”

Donald guffawed. “Aye, the king’s servants,” he repeated. He gave a clumsy bow and then let out another laugh. “That’s a good one, Eban.”

Ava let out a terrified moan. “Do not hurt us!”

“No one will be hurt as long as you listen to me,” Eban said in his raspy voice. He gestured to his partner. “You take care of the older one and tie her up. Meanwhile I’ll take this one.” He turned a menacing eye toward Rowena. “Come with me, m’lady,” he continued. “The mighty king awaits.”

“I will not be going anywhere with you,” Rowena said. “I do not even know you.”

“You don’t need to know us,” he said impatiently, all pretenses gone. “I might have to hurt you if you cause us trouble.”

“But the Lord Knight said not to hurt her,” Donald protested.

The small man glared up at his partner, silencing him with a look.

“I demand to know who this
Lord Knight
is that you are speaking of,” Rowena said.

Eban smirked. “‘Tis someone who thinks you’re special, I suspect,” he said. “Although I must admit that you are a fair maiden. I would keep you for myself if the Lord Knight hadn’t offered a small fortune for your capture.”

Rowena unsheathed her dagger. “Do not come any closer,” she warned, her voice ringing with authority that was bred into her. “As I said, I will not be going anywhere with you. I want you to let my nursemaid go. After that, I might listen to your demands.”

From Ava’s pale face, Rowena knew that her nursemaid would never leave her, no matter how scared she was.

She knew from martial practice long ago that one dagger was useless to defend against two men. She looked around her in panic to find anther weapon to defend herself, and spied a pitch fork lying at the side of the stall. Without taking her eyes off of the men, she picked up the pitch fork with her free hand, and pointed the tip at them. The two men watched her, uncertain as to whether she would attack.

Rowena quickly sheathed her dagger, backing to where Ava was. Then when she felt the Ava’s palfrey behind her, she slapped the horse on the rear, and let out a loud yell.

The noise startled the palfrey into motion, and Ava held onto the reins for dear life as it charged out of the stables.

“Ride, Ava!” Rowena yelled to her back. “Ride and get help!”

Then before the two brutes knew what happened, she ran straight at them with the pitch fork.

At first, her rapid movements stunned them, but they were quick on their feet and avoided her attack.

Eban began laughing. The giant glanced at his friend and began to laugh as well, although he didn’t seem to know what was so funny.

The little man gestured to Donald. “You take that direction,” he said. “And I’ll go this direction.”

They advanced in unison and forced her to retreat until the wooden wall was at her back and she was trapped.

Rowena watched them cautiously and when they were within range, she thrust the fork hard at the shorter man, nicking him in the arm, drawing blood. The man howled in rage and pain, and ran at her, grabbing the pitch fork from her grasp while knocking her to the ground.

Eban looked at her with fury. “‘Tis not wise to anger me,” he said. He turned his head and spoke to his partner, “Help me tie her up.”

Before the giant got a hold of her, Rowena scrambled to her feet. “What do you want from me?” she demanded. Her eyes darted from one man to the other as she reached for the dagger attached to her gold belt.

Eban expected her movement and dove at her. “I told you not to anger me,” he hissed. For a small man, he possessed surprising strength. In one smooth motion, the man’s arm snaked around her waist, locking her own arms at her side while his free hand covered her mouth, cutting off her scream.

This can’t be happening to me, she thought. She ran away and no harm befell her. But in her own castle, she was being kidnapped!

She summoned an energy that she never knew she had, twisting and turning, using the only weapons she had left — her legs and feet. She grounded her heel onto the man’s toes, making him gasp at the pain.

Donald stood watching, an amused look on his face.

“Wipe that smirk off you face, you lazy oaf!” Eban growled at his companion. “Give me a hand or else you forfeit your share.”

With the talk of money, the large man sprung forward. He drew a rag from his tattered sleeve and stuffed it into her mouth. Then untying the rope from around his waist, he used it to bind her hands, and then lastly, he found an empty grain sack on the ground and threw it over her body.

“You carry her,” Eban said in his raspy voice.

Rowena then felt herself being hoisted up and slung over firm shoulders.

Even though she knew she didn’t have a chance, she continued to fight every which way, and her foot came in contact with a body part. The man carrying her dropped her and cursed. Her head hit the hard ground.

Just before her world went black, she heard the rasping voice hiss at his companion. “What did you do that for? She’s not worth much to us if she’s dead.”

CHAPTER 25

Jared was still in his heavy armor, unable and unwilling to move from the spot underneath the tree. He cursed under his breath at the soreness he was experiencing. He was no longer young and it showed.

A great commotion caught his attention and when he looked up, he was surprised to see a crazy woman tearing across the grassy field on a palfrey. Her wimple was skewed and she appeared to be heading straight toward him.

He squinted and with growing concern, he recognized the plump figure of Rowena’s nursemaid.

Ava urged her horse onward as if a fire was lit beneath her mount, not caring about the curious looks and irritated shouts that she received. As she approached, he braced himself against the tree trunk and pushed himself up, ignoring his aching muscles.