A King's Betrayal (6 page)

             
‘We must return to the castle.  Come quickly, child,’ Nessa begged.  She saw that Eleanor was beckoning to her urgently.  The charging horsemen were nearly upon them, the thud of the heavy horses’ hooves loud and terrifying, and she sensed they did not come in friendship.  ‘Come, Elspeth!’

             
One of the riders had noticed her.  He rode straight at her.  She had succeeded in catching the child by the arm and dragging her up the bank, but as she tried to run towards Eleanor, who was the only one of her companions that had not fled to the castle, man and beast were towering above her.  The man bent down and grabbed her by the arm, hauling her up and throwing her face down over his saddle.

             
Nessa screamed because she had lost her hold on the child as he scooped her off her feet.  She lifted her head and saw that Eleanor had reached the girl.  A fervent prayer was on her lips as she struggled and kicked in a desperate attempt to escape her captor.

             
‘Let the child be safe.  God keep you, Elspeth.  Forgive me, my lady.’

             
The rider had turned his horse and was riding hard, away from the meadow and the castle towards the woods. Nessa could no longer see either the child or Eleanor, but she heard terrible screaming as the charging horse carried her with her captor and thought perhaps Eleanor had lost her life in defence of the child.

             
‘Forgive me,’ she whispered, tears on her cheeks.  ‘I have failed you, my lady.  My life is forfeit.’

             
The screaming had stopped but now she could hear a child’s terrified sobbing.  Had they taken Elspeth captive too?   Why?  Who were they?  Who had sent them?  Did they know what they had done?

             
‘Mama!  Mama, please help me!’

             
Elspeth’s terrified cries added to Nessa’s grief.  God forgive her, there was nothing she could do to help the child.

             
‘I am here,’ she cried but the man shoved at her, the metal armour on his knee bruising her side, and her words were lost.

             
Trapped between the man’s knees and the horse’s neck, Nessa knew she had no hope of escape nor would she try now that she understood they had taken the child.  At some point the men must stop to rest and then she must somehow rescue the lady’s daughter.  If she failed her life was forfeit.  She would be punished for her carelessness. The lady lived in fear of something happening to her beloved daughter and her nurse had strict instructions to guard her well.  Had Nessa been more observant and seen the riders sooner she might have reached safety before they were upon her.  They were too few to have attacked the castle and must be a band of marauders who terrorised villagers, killing and plundering in swift raids before fleeing. 

             
Had those devils killed Eleanor?  She was old and worthless as a hostage.  They must have been taken as hostages?  Surely they would be held for ransom.  What good were a nursemaid and a child unless they would fetch a good price? Her lips moved in silent prayer.  Pray God they had been taken as hostages.

             
Nessa knew the lady would pay anything to recover her child.  Elspeth was precious to her parents, protected and cherished, sometimes too much, because the lady feared to lose her.

             
Nessa’s thoughts chased round and round in her head.  She was becoming dizzy as the blood drained to her head and bitter vomit was in her throat.  Tossed and bruised by the jolting of the horse, she became aware that she was whimpering and crying.

             
‘Be quiet, wench,’ the man grunted and Nessa was silenced.  She must do nothing to anger these men, but bide her time and wait for her chance to snatch the child and escape.

             
Lord  Tomas would come looking for his daughter and his nursemaid.  These evil men could not hope to escape  without being pursued and challenged.  Nessa had only to watch and wait.  If she could snatch the child and find her way back to Craigmere she would be forgiven.  Please, please let her be forgiven.

             
She thought of her life at the castle and her plans to wed one of the lord’s men-at-arms.  Alun would know she had been taken and he would search for her.  He would not let her be lost for long.  The thought comforted her and she felt the release of silent tears.

             
They had been riding for what seemed like hours.  Her body ached as if she had been beaten and her mind was confused, no longer able to think at all.  She drifted in and out of consciousness.  Surely this must end soon.  They must stop to rest the horses.

             
Yes, yes, the horse was definitely slowing.  She opened her eyes but her head was spinning as the horse finally stopped and then a stream of vomit rose up her throat and spewed out to the ground, splashing the animal’s flanks.  Her captor swore.  He dismounted and now his hands were on her.  He pulled her roughly from the horse, letting her fall to the ground.  The fall knocked the breath from her body and she was barely conscious.  When she managed to open her eyes four grinning faces were peering down at her.

             
‘Look at those tits,’ one of the man said and she realised that her tunic was torn.  ‘I dare swear she’s as sweet as honey.  I want to suck her.’

             
‘No!’ she screamed.  ‘My lady will pay good money for the child and for me…’

             
The men laughed as she clawed at her tunic, trying to cover herself and sit up.  One of them shoved her back with his foot, holding her down.

             
‘Wait your turn, pig,’  Nessa’s captor muttered and opened his breeches.  Nessa could see that he was fully aroused, his organ large and long, and fear swept through her.  ‘I caught her.  She’s mine first.  When I’ve done you can have her.’

             
‘He’ll be at it for hours,’ one of the men groaned.  ‘Leave some for me, Boris.  You killed the last one, let someone else have a go. Turn and turn about, that’s fair.’

             
‘I want a piece of that sweet meat,’ the fourth man said.

             
Nessa screamed wildly as she realised what was happening.  She tried to get up but the man holding her down with his foot was grinning, amused by her struggles.  They were evil.  Devils!  She’d thought they would hold her for ransom but now she understood that she’d been taken for their sport.  They were going to rape her, one after the other.

             
‘Where is Elspeth?’ she tried to say but the first man was on her, pawing at her breasts, forcing her legs apart as he jabbed at her thighs and then, lifting himself, thrust up into her dry opening.

             
Nessa had refused to lie with Alun, wanting to save herself for marriage.  She was virgin and tight and the man’s huge male organ tore her.  She felt the sharp stinging pain and writhed beneath him, screaming and weeping as she begged him to stop but her pleas fell on deaf ears.  There was a trickle of blood on her inner thigh and the pain was unbearable.  He seemed insatiable, thrusting again and again deep into her, but at last fell on her with a grunt, his body heavy and stinking of sweat. When he had done the next man was at her, and then the next, turn and turn about, again and again, one after the other until she was lost in a haze of pain.  Then as she struggled some inner instinct causing her to fight one last time, there was one terrible sharp pain in her neck and then, mercifully, everything went black and she knew no more.

* * *

‘Is there any sign of them?’  Beatrice caught at her husband’s arm as he entered her chamber.  She had been resting though she had not slept for ten nights, tossing and turning as she lay on her bed and waited for her lord’s return.  Her tears had long since dried, leaving her numb with fear.  ‘Please, you must tell me the truth, Tomas.  Do not lie to me or hide the truth.  Have you found Elspeth?  Have you found my child?’

             
‘We found Nessa,’ Tomas said, his expression bleak.  ‘She was mercifully dead.  We buried her where she lay in a wood.  Best her friends and family do not see her body thus.’

             
‘Did they kill her?’  Beatrice’s throat tightened with pity.  She made the sign of the cross over her breast.  ‘God have mercy on her soul.’

             
‘By the evidence, she was raped several times.  I think she must have struggled and in the struggle one of them broke her neck.’

             
‘God have mercy on her soul!  What of Elspeth?  What of my daughter?’

             
‘We found no sign of her,’ Tomas replied and he looked grey, drained and exhausted.  She saw the grief he was trying to hide and felt icy cold.  ‘I left some of the men to search the woods and villages close to where Nessa lay.  The rest of us followed their trail and in the end we caught them.’

             
‘Elspeth?’  He shook his head and she gave a cry of despair.  ‘Why am I so cursed?  I lost my son at his birth and now my daughter…’

             
‘I cared for her too, because she was lovely and because she was yours,’ he told her.  He sat heavily in the chair by her loom, his gaze passing without seeing over the unfinished tapestry.  ‘We caught them, Beatrice, and they have been punished – but they denied all knowledge of the child until one of them broke under interrogation.’

             
‘Did you torture him?’  Beatrice’s eyes widened.  ‘You can tell me.  I shall not turn from you in disgust.  I am glad he was punished.  Please, tell me now what he said?’

             
‘He said that he had taken the child because he thought she was Nessa’s – and he swore that she was unharmed.  She had stopped crying and seemed to be sleeping; he just lay her down by a tree and told her to be good when they stopped to rest the horses.  In his words she was of little interest and he took no notice of what she did after that.  He swore that she must have wandered off while they were busy with the woman for when they were ready to leave she’d disappeared.’

             
‘Do you believe him?’

             
‘He knew that he was going to die and asked to be allowed to pray.  I believe that he at least had meant only to have some sport with Nessa and regretted her death. Why should he lie when he knew that he was about to meet His Maker?’

             
‘I dare say he would not.’  Beatrice closed her eyes for a moment and again she made the sign of the cross over her breast.  ‘Did you return to the place of Nessa’s grave and search again?’

             
‘We met the men I’d ordered to search the area as we returned.  They swore there was no sign of her, but I left ten men to search again.  If Elspeth wandered off someone may have taken her in.  Whoever it was may have witnessed what happened to Nessa and believe that she has no mother.  We shall continue to search and to spread the word that Elspeth has been  stolen – and we shall offer a reward for her return.  Once it is known that she is your child, I am certain she will be returned to you.’

             
‘I wish I might believe it,’ Beatrice said.  ‘I think Elspeth has been stolen because someone knew she was Richard’s son.’

             
‘Yes, it might be so.  I did try to warn you…’  Tomas reached out for her, but she moved away, unable to accept comfort.  ‘Yet they may just have been raiders out for what they could get.  They have paid the price for what they did to us – and to Nessa.’

             
‘The poor girl was to be wed to Alun soon.  He will be grieving.  You must give him leave to go home to his family, Tomas.’

             
‘Yes, I shall when he returns.  He was one of those who volunteered to stay and search for Elspeth while I returned to give you what news we had. He was grieving and bitter – and I pray that he may find some way to ease his pain.’

             
‘God give him grace.’  Beatrice turned to look at him.  ‘I think we shall not find Elspeth.  I feel it in here.’  She placed her hand over her left breast.  ‘I have lost my child – Richard’s child - and I shall never have another child of his.’  Tears trickled down her cheeks.  ‘I am being punished for my pride.  Pride is a sin.  You warned me but I would not listen.  This is all my fault.  If I had never allowed Richard to touch me she would have been your child and you might have kept her safe.'

             
‘She was as dear to me as if she were my own.’

             
‘Yes, I know you cared for her.’

             
‘I loved her, as I have ever loved you, Beatrice.  I made no demands on you, because I knew your heart was given to Richard – but if you will let me I shall try to help you find happiness again.’

             
‘I can never be happy while Elspeth is lost.’  She sank down to the edge of the bed, her head bowed.  ‘I care nothing that she is a king’s daughter.  All I want is to have her here, to hold her and kiss her sweet face.’  As she looked up at him, he saw the grief and regret in her eyes.  ‘She wanted me to play with her but I sent her away.  If I had been there I should have protected her.’