One True Knight (The Knights of Honor Trilogy) (31 page)

“The winner gets the land, the title and the wealth that comes with it. I like that,” Raulf said, his lips twisting in a horrid smile. “But he dies,” he said, pointing the dagger at Gareth. “Roland, get him.”

“I — I cannot kill Sir Gareth or anyone else!” Roland stammered. “This wasn’t part of our agreement!”

Gareth stared menacingly at Roland, his sword held steady in his hand. “That’s right. Even if you try it, you won’t succeed. And my vengeance upon you will not be pleasant I assure you.”

Roland blanched as if he knew the truth in Gareth’s words. He swallowed and took an involuntary step back. He looked from Jonathan to Gareth. “I — I am sorry, sire. I told you I had no choice!”

“Fool!” Raulf shouted at the guard. “Do as I command!”

But Roland paid no regard to Raulf. He spun around and fled in the other direction. His followers watched him disappear, confusion and alarm written on their faces as they realized they had to face the Hawk and his men on their own. They dispersed like scared rabbits and fled the scene. Gareth shouted for six guards to follow him, and then letting out loud war cries, they gave chase.

At Jonathan’s signal, the rest of his men moved forward.

A panicked look crossed Raulf’s face as he realized that he was alone.

“Give up now. There is no way you can escape from here alive,” Jonathan said. “My men outnumber you.”

Raulf paled. “I still have your woman,” he said. He pointed the dagger at Jonathan. “You kill me and she dies as well. I don’t think you want to see her dead.” He saw the truth in Jonathan’s eyes, and then he curled his lips into a sneer, as if suddenly aware of the power he wielded. “All I need to do is slit her slender —”

He made a motion as if to cut Rowena’s throat, and just as he was about to draw the dagger back to her neck, she bent her head, and bit down on Raulf’s hand as hard as she could, drawing blood.

He howled in pain, and dropped the dagger. Spinning her around, with demonic fury in his eyes, he raised his fist to strike her.

But Raulf never had a chance. Jonathan leaped at him, blocking Raulf’s arm from hitting Rowena before ramming his iron fists into the other man’s ribs. Raulf screamed.

He dropped to the ground, crumpling into a ball. He cradled his broken ribs, sobbing and gasping in pain.

Jonathan flipped him over with his foot. “You hide behind a cloak of anonymity,” he said in disgust, “but you are nothing but a sniveling coward.” He looked down at the trembling man who caused him so much pain and suffering. He expected to fully unleash his fury and vengeance on his old enemy, but he lowered his sword, surprised to discover that he felt nothing but pity.

Raulf blinked when he saw the lowered weapon. “You’re not going to kill me?” he asked in a faint voice.

“‘Twould be just so easy, so tempting to drive this sword through your cowardly heart and end your miserable life, he said. “But when I became a knight, I became bound by honor. If we are of the same blood as you claim, I would taint my hands by killing you.” He paused and looked dispassionately at the cowering man. “I will take you to King Edward and let him determine your fate.”

He motioned for a guard to tie up Raulf and for another to free Rowena’s father from the tree. He then turned to help Rowena off the ground.

She stared at the sobbing man on the ground, her eyes wide with disbelief, as if she couldn’t believe that it was all over.

“Are you hurt, my lady?” Jonathan asked, concern in his voice.

At first Rowena couldn’t answer and all she could do was shake her head. Jonathan placed an arm around her shoulders, drawing her gently to his muscular chest. She closed her eyes, and took in a shuddering breath. She could feel the strong, steady thud of his heart. And the fear and tension that had gripped her throughout the entire ordeal began to fade. “I am unhurt,” she said.

A noise sounded behind them, and Gareth appeared, dragging Roland in his wake. His eyes narrowed dangerously at the man on the ground. “Allow me to kill him, sire.”

Jonathan shook his head. “There is no satisfaction in killing cowards. We will let King Edward deal with him.”

Gareth took in a deep breath, understanding the truth in his words. “Aye, the knight’s code,” he said, unable to keep the disappointment from his voice. He tossed the guard next to Raulf, allowing the man to fall to the ground like a sack of wheat. “An honorable knight cannot kill a defenseless coward.” He stared at Raulf and spat on the ground. “Then allow me to escort this worthless bastard to the King. I need to witness the justice served so in my heart I’ll know that my brother can rest in peace.”

Derrik supported her father over to the small crowd just as Gareth finished speaking. His face was set with determination “If you can use a good man, take me with you, sire,” he said.

Gareth glanced at the young knight and nodded his assent. “I could use an extra man,” he said.

“Sir Derrik will be of great help,” her father said in a gruff voice. “King Edward will mete out his punishment, and this criminal,” he stared hard at Raulf. And then he looked over at her, his voice softening before continuing, “will no longer be able to harm my only daughter.”

Rowena stared back at her father in surprise. Did she actually hear the concern
and
love in his voice? Was she mistaken all these years, thinking that her father never cared for her, that he blamed her for her mother’s death?

“Take these prisoners to the dungeon,” Jonathan said, nodding to Gareth. “We will make arrangements for their escort within the hour.”

The guards dispersed, and the prisoners were led away.

Rowena made a move to follow her father and Derrik back to the hall, but Jonathan stopped her.

“That was a brave and foolish thing you did,” he said, turning her around to face him.

“You needed for him to be distracted,” she said lightly, “to get his guard down so you could attack…”

“Still, I don’t know what I would have done if that whoreson actually harmed my wife…” He trailed calloused fingers along her face.

“Your wife?” she repeated in surprise. “I thought we are going to annul —”

He put a finger to her lips, shushing her. “Nay, I have never agreed to such a thing. We are married and shall remain so,” he said. He titled her face up. “I wanted you from the moment I saw you in the alley way.” He kissed her softly on the lips. “I fought it. Aye, I fought hard against it, but in the end my heart knew what my eyes refused to see. Do you realize how much I love you, Rowena?” he asked, looking searchingly into her eyes.

She slowly shook her head. He smiled at her loss for words and continued. “‘Tis an immeasurable amount, I assure you. I love you, Rowena, and I will continue to love you until I take my dying breath.”

The warmth reflecting in his eyes made her heart melt, and she let out a breath that she didn’t realize she was holding. The knight that she dreamed about, indeed searched for all her life, really did exist. And he was right here, standing in front of her. “I love you too, Jonathan,” she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes.

Jonathan bent his head, and kissed her deeply. And Rowena kissed him back, allowing the soft glow of love to surround them, to wrap around their hearts and minds, and bind them together for all eternity.

Bonus:

Many people have asked about what happened to Jonathan and Rowena. So in answer, I have created an expanded ending for “One True Knight.”

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Other Books By Dana D’Angelo

A Knight’s Duty

The Knights of Honor Trilogy — Book 2

Excerpt:

His eyes dropped to her mouth, watching her soft tongue dart across her lips.

The corners of his mouth curved upward as if he knew which direction her thoughts had gone, and that she wanted nothing more but to feel his lips brush erotically against hers.

She had seen the servants kiss one another before, but she had never been kissed herself, even though suitors had tried. Indeed, she had never been interested. Until now.

This has to stop, she thought fiercely. Yet even as she considered this, she was helpless to do so. The heat was becoming almost unbearable now, the fluttering in her heart, wild with excitement and aye, she will admit it to herself, fear — a fear that her control of the situation was slipping away fast. It was madness, she knew. She had tight control of her actions. In fact she had spent a lifetime successfully controlling every aspect of her life. Yet this man, with only one melting look, could strip away her barrier, her one protection, and leave her feeling stripped naked, vulnerable, and wanting something that only he could deliver.

Derrik’s hand slipped around her nape, gently cupping the back of her head. His other hand trailed down and lightly clasped her jaw. He then tilted her head ever so slightly to the side.

“What are you doing?” she asked, watching him breathlessly, the blood humming through her veins.

Her gaze settled on his mouth as she became mesmerized by his lips which were inching, closer and closer.

With his lips just above hers, his eyes locked onto her brown ones, and he murmured, “You entice me too much, my lady.”

And she was very enticing. He had kissed a number of women; he had even stolen a kiss from the object of his affection when he was young, but he had never felt this all consuming desire to savor the sweetness from one woman’s lips. His brain told him to stop. He knew that one kiss wouldn’t satisfy the raw hunger that ignited the moment he saw Amelie standing at the foot of the castle steps. But even as his mind told him this, his body continued to act on its own accord.

His eyes followed his long fingers as they traced her jaw line, caressing her smooth, silky skin. They trailed along her throat, feeling the fluttering pulse there. His mouth stretched into a smile to discover that she was not wholly unaffected by his touch. Her breathing was erratic, coming out in short, rapid spurts, as if she was underwater, struggling for air.

But the smile that touched upon his lips faded as his own breath quickened. And as his lips hovered over hers, as their breaths intermingled, the roar of his racing heart drowned out all other sounds. His eyes fastened to her mouth once again and all his thoughts, all his desires zeroed in on her plump, luscious lips.

Like a loaded cart set in motion along a hill, there was no way to turn back; he could only move forward, could only go where temptation beckoned.

And when their lips finally touched, the electricity as powerful as a lighting bolt ripped through his body, awakening, charging it, causing that part of him, which had been asleep, to become fully aroused, fully alert …

“A Knight‘s Duty” at Amazon.com

The Promise

Excerpt:

Estella looked past the first knight, and when she saw an even larger one, her eyes widened in alarm. In the full light, this second knight looked even more frightening and dangerous than his companion. Every step he took seemed deliberate and commanding, as if he was a lion surveying his domain. The air surrounding him crackled and even from this distance, Estella could sense the power that emanated from him.

Like his friend, he wore a thick woolen cloak that accentuated his warrior’s physique. The material stretched across his broad shoulders and draped over his massive chest.

He glanced her way as if he was aware of her intense perusal of him. His unwavering gaze made Estella flush.

He searched her face, his eyes lingering on her countenance for what felt like an eternity. It was as if he could see through to the center of her being, could hear her thoughts. But how could that be? She had never met this man in her life. And as far as she knew, no one could read minds, could they? Her fingers dug into the trestle table, needing somehow to feel something solid, something to steady her trembling limbs.

His eyes scanned over the rest of her body, his gaze settling on her breasts and then her hips. Estella felt an inexplicable urge to cover herself as a wave of heat coursed through her body. He raised his eyes to hers and time stood still.

When he broke away from the electrifying contact, Estella felt the warmth being withdrawn as if a servant had opened the shutters, and let the cold air inside. Estella let out her breath in a rush, suddenly aware that she had been holding it.

This man was dangerous. That much she could tell, and she suppressed an urge to shudder.

“The Promise” at Amazon.com

To My Readers…

Thank you for taking a chance on me and purchasing this book. I hoped you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

When you turn the page, Kindle will allow you an opportunity to rate the book, and share your thoughts on Facebook and Twitter. If you enjoyed this book and believe that it’s a book worth sharing, would you take a few seconds, and let your friends know about it? If it turns out that they receive hours of enjoyment, and experience love all over again simply by reading this fictional tale, they’ll be forever grateful to you. As will I.

Dana D’Angelo