Rising Fire (12 page)

B
rienne walked back from the well and along the path and never noticed the man standing in front of their cottage. But others had. She heard the murmurs growing as she got closer and looked up. But no one would meet her gaze, and everyone appeared to be interested in something else.

The man, the warrior, standing at her door stared only at her. She'd seen him before, at Lord Hugh's side, both as they went about their business in Yester and whenever the lord rode out. Eudes was his name, and he bore a long scar on one cheek and down his neck, which added to his frightening appearance.

“You, girl,” he called out as he pointed at her. “You are to come with me now.”

Her heart pounded in fear. A summons to the castle was never good and usually deadly. Had Lord Hugh discovered she'd been with the strangers? Had someone reported her actions to him? Glancing around, she saw no one willing to help her.

“Why?” she asked, trying to delay in hopes that
someone would scurry off and find her parents. “Where are you taking me?”

The words were not enough to stop him. He walked over to her and grabbed her arm in his meaty hand. His expression showed his surprise that any person here would question his order.

“You will find out when we get there.” Then, with a nod to others she'd not noticed, he pulled her along with him, his long legs covering the ground at a much faster pace than she could keep. Soon she was running, and when she could no longer do that, he dragged her as if he had not realized. Through the village, to the gates, and then over the bridge into the castle yard, they went at a relentless pace.

“Sir. Please.” She tried to pry his fingers loose so she could slow down and catch her breath. “A bit slower, I pray you.”

“My lord does not brook delays when he gives orders,” he barked out at her. “He wants to see you now, and I will not answer to his anger if I take too long getting there.”

She gave up then and found another soldier at her side, clutching her other arm and forcing her to keep up with them. None of the villagers even glanced at her as they passed by. Those living inside the walls of the castle and keep went about their tasks, taking no notice of the young woman being dragged within. As they passed the walls, doors, corridors, and stairs, Brienne knew she would never find her way out if she could escape. Then they reached what she thought was the third story in the farthest of the two sections of the keep and came to a stop.

When they released her, she crumpled to her knees, unable to breathe from both exertion and from the fear that was taking hold of her now. She'd been inside the keep a few times, coming with Gavin to deliver work to the steward in the great hall. But this chamber, on a high floor, was a place to which no one from the village was invited.

A few minutes passed, and no one attempted to help her to her feet or assist her in any way. The soldiers who'd escorted her stood in silence near the doorway, and Eudes stared out a window in the one wall. Pushing herself to her feet, she decided it was better to meet her fate standing than groveling on the floor. Brienne brushed the dirt from her gown and pushed the now-loosened tendrils of hair back out of her sweating face.

The chamber was small, but the rushes on the floor were clean and fresh. A large chair sat at one end of the room, opposite the doorway. No other furniture was present. She glanced around to see if anyone waited outside in the corridor. Now each passing moment added to her fear. What did Lord Hugh want with her? Why bring her to what looked to be the family's section of the keep? Eudes frowned at her when she moved.

Then, without warning, he was there, in the doorway. Larger than she remembered him to be and younger, as well. He entered with the vigor of youth and not the age she knew he must be. How had he changed?

“Girl!” Eudes barked out as he shoved her back down to her knees. “My lord,” he said, as he bowed. “I brought her as you commanded.”

“Eudes, help her to her feet and get out,” Lord Hugh said in a softer voice than she'd imagined he would use.

Barely a second passed before she found herself standing alone in the center of the chamber before her true father. She kept her gaze down, not daring to meet his. He circled her slowly, and she felt his intense stare as though he touched her, gliding over her body and face.

“Come.”

With nothing more than that, he walked from the chamber into the corridor and away. Her hesitation lasted a breath, and she followed him. No one else was present. The chambers they passed were empty, and the silence was interrupted only by the sounds of their feet moving along the stone floor. The chamber they entered was the last one before the stairway. Larger than the first one, this had a long table with many stools and chairs around it. But it was as empty as the first one until he clapped his hands.

All manner of servants came running with trays of food and cups and pitchers. They stood by the table waiting as he took a seat at the center, in the largest seat there.

“Have you broken your fast yet, Brienne?” he asked, pointing to the chair across from his. She shook her head. It mattered not, for he simply pointed and a servant came to her side. “Here. Sit. Join me.”

He nodded to the servants, and she found a cup of ale and a plate in front of her. When they offered him cheese or bread or cold meat, they offered it to her. When he held out his cup for more, they filled hers. It would have been a pleasant meal if her stomach had not threatened to expel every bite she took. And if she could force her heart to slow from the brutal pounding pace it kept up. And if the man sitting with her did not
have the power to destroy her and everyone around them with simply a thought.

She tried to study him since she'd never been this close to him before, but he kept meeting her eyes, causing her to look away in fear. His hair was black now, the gray gone, and his eyes were the same color as hers. He took a breath as though ready to speak, when a commotion began outside the chamber.

Two women entered, and Brienne recognized both of them immediately. Standing quickly and backing away to the wall, she bowed low before the Lady Margaret, Lord Hugh's wife, and Lady Adelaide, their daughter. Brienne dared not look at either one, for she knew not whether they knew her parentage. One did not remind a lady of her husband's bastards.

“Margaret. Adelaide,” he said in a mild tone. “I am pleased you decided to join us to break your fast this morn. We have much to discuss.”

Brienne dared a glance at her father's wife and her half sister and was surprised that they did not object to her presence there. More shocking were Lord Hugh's words.

“Come, Brienne. Take your place, and I will explain why I have sent for you.” She did so in slow, measured steps. Once seated again, she kept her head bowed and eyes lowered.

Who was this man? This was not the same dangerous lord who rode through the village and whom everyone feared. He spoke in a civil manner; he saw to her comfort and invited her to join his family at table. Something was very wrong here.

“I have been remiss, Brienne,” he said to her. She looked at him and found him watching her with a
smile. “I have known about you for some time now, but have not done my fatherly duties toward you.”

“My lord?” she said, shaking her head. “I do not understand.” Speaking of such things had been forbidden for so long, it hurt her to even listen to him say it openly—and in front of his ladywife and daughter.

“You are my daughter,” he said boldly. “I want you to live here now. Lady Margaret and Adelaide will guide you in the womanly pursuits suitable for a daughter of mine.” A quick, furtive glance at the two women told her nothing, for they wore similar, empty expressions and said nothing.

“But, my lord, I . . .” She lost the words she wanted to say. How could she refuse him?

“I should have stepped in long ago, when you approached the end of your girlhood, but I was attending to other matters. Now, though, I think it time that we learn more about you and help you learn your place in the world.”

For so long, her place had been in the village, as the blacksmith's daughter. Though she'd hoped and prayed for this exact thing for many years, now that he said the words, she found the words of acceptance stuck in her throat.

“I could not,” she stammered out finally. “I cannot . . .”

“I do not understand, Brienne. Surely Gavin and Fia made the truth known to you—I am your father and it is my duty to see to you. They understood that you were never theirs to keep.”

“It is a shock to her, my lord,” Lady Margaret said. “Such a change without warning.” She thought she heard sympathy and compassion in the lady's voice,
but one look at her eyes and Brienne knew neither was possible. “She will learn to accommodate herself to your will, my lord. As is her duty as your . . . daughter.”

“Why, my lord? Why now?” she asked, unnerved by the lady's acquiescence in a matter like this.

A lady would never allow her husband's bastards to be brought into her home, let alone be acknowledged and welcomed. They were a fact, unavoidable when most lords married for lands and titles and sought love and companionship from others. But to allow him to do this in front of her and their unmarried daughter was unthinkable.

From the time her parents admitted the truth to her, Brienne had been warned to stay out of the lady's view. To avoid being identified as Lord Hugh's get. Now he was insisting his wife accept her?

“Forgive my language,” Lord Hugh said. “But even bastards have their uses, Brienne. And I think you have much to offer to me and to our family.”

She cringed at his words, for her mother had warned her of exactly that—the ways of powerful men. He stood then and walked around to her.

“And there is much I can offer to you. A chamber of your own, servants, new garments—whatever you need or want shall be yours. Lessons to teach you to read mayhap?” he offered. “And you and Adelaide are of a marriageable age, so I can even arrange a suitable match for you. Many clamor to relate themselves to a man high in the king's regard. You will not marry the miller's son.”

Brienne glanced at Adelaide and read the disgust in her eyes, disgust that she could not hide as well as Lady Margaret.

Although he made it sound as if she had a choice in this, Brienne understood there was none. If this was what she'd always longed for, why did it ring so hollow now that the option was before her?

“May I have time to consider your offer, my lord?”

The lady gasped at her request and shook her head at Brienne. “Foolish girl! Do you not know what your lord father is giving you? How dare you—”

“Ah, lady,” Lord Hugh interrupted her angry, sputtering words. “As you yourself said, this must come as a shock to her.” He threw a glance at Lady Margaret, who closed her mouth so quickly Brienne almost heard it snap shut. Then he turned back to Brienne and said, “I thought you might want to discuss this with Gavin and Fia, so here they are. Speak to them.” He gestured to the hallway.

Brienne found her parents directly outside the chamber. She stood and bowed to the lord and lady and ran to greet them. Worry darkened their gazes and covered their faces.

“Did you know?” she whispered. They stood before her almost as strangers, not attempting to hold her or draw her close.

“'Tis time for you to return to Lord Hugh. You were never ours to keep,” her father, Gavin, whispered to her. “We had you to ourselves longer than we dared to hope.”

“But you never told me this could happen,” she said. “This has happened in such haste that I know not what to do,” she admitted.

“Ah, lass,” her mother said. “He offers you everything we cannot. How can you say nay to that?”

The words were spoken correctly, but everything in
their manner and expressions said that they did not want her to accept. Nothing about this felt right, and the only thing she thought was true was Lord Hugh's words about bastards having their uses. A strange tingling crept up her spine, a warning that all was not as it seemed to be.

She leaned over and lowered her voice. “I cannot trust him. I do not trust him,” she whispered. “If something is wrong, seek out Sir William. He can help.”

Their eyes widened at her words, and they surprised her as well, but they nodded and smiled and bade her farewell. With a nervous glance at Lord Hugh, they kissed her quickly and left. As they walked down the stairway, she felt as though her heart had been torn from her. Taking a deep breath, she prepared to face her future here.

“There now,” Lord Hugh said from just behind her. “We shall make things right between us.”

He placed his hands on her shoulders and squeezed them in what should have been a reassuring gesture. The feel of it made her even more nervous. Then, releasing her, he called out to his wife and daughter, who remained like statues at the table.

“Margaret, see to it that Alain arranges a suitable chamber and clothing and accoutrements for my daughter. Adelaide, show your sister around the keep so she will find her way.”

Had she flinched at the words or had they? Brienne could feel their hatred even though they controlled their expressions better with each passing moment. As in the village and anywhere on his lands, no one disobeyed Lord Hugh's commands. He may be dressing his words and deeds up in politeness for now, but
Brienne had no doubt that his true nature would show through very quickly.

Brienne did not doubt that she'd been brought here more for her special skill than for this long-ignored claim of fatherhood.

Those under his command worked very efficiently, for by the time they sat at table again for the noon meal, Brienne had been fitted for several new gowns, shifts, stockings, shoes, and any possible clothing needed. They assigned her a large, bright chamber, and Adelaide had led her through the floors of the keep, pointing out the places she would need to find.