Angie Arms - Flames series 04 (33 page)

“While you were getting your beauty rest
, because Lord knows you needed it, and much more,” Damien said.  “Our new king sent a messenger to us.  I am officially Lord again and Lord Garrick can retain his titles and lands, if we swear allegiance to King John.”

Damien apparently did not know Roland held his breath
, for he placed a mouthful of food in his mouth and slowly chewed.  “Of course we swore our oath, he is the King after all.”

“What does this mean?” Roland asked.  His stomach was churning
, and the food was suddenly making him feel as if he was going to vomit.  What new things was John going to find for them to do?

“It means
, if we are content to live quietly, John will be happy to allow us to do so,” Damien said.  “The time to take a stand was when we had three armies at our disposal.  I dismissed them with my thanks and sent them home.”

“Are we happy to live quietly?” Roland finally asked.

“Of course we are Roland.  John is the King.  If he has no use for us, I am not going to argue against him.”  Damien’s gray-green eyes settled on him and Roland did not see the commanding look of his lord there, but the sympathy of a friend.  They fought a long time to be allowed a chance at a place to call home, and the peace such brought.  Damien and Cyrille were closer to him than anyone else, and Damien knew Roland switched roles with them, and he lived for the fight and not the peace.  This windfall to Damien could mean his friend would leave.

Roland watched Damien’s eyes flick toward Emma
, before turning to smile at Keri.  Suddenly Roland had no appetite.  He cast his eyes around the table.  For a group of people who were supposed to be enjoying a peaceful life, he felt animosity residing beneath the surface.  By looking at his friend’s faces, he could see who gathered in discomfort.  Marcus refused to acknowledge Alena, who cast more glances Garrick’s way than to the man beside her.  When Garrick looked to their place at the table, he scowled at both of them, his dark eyes unwavering.  Halvor’s gray-brown eyes snapped with irritation that the two men he answered to were falling apart before his eyes, while he apparently was holding it together for his sisters sitting next to him.  His wife Jillian, who he had not officially met, sat silently beside him, and instinctively Roland knew, she would be the big man’s rock that would not allow him to waver. 

“Where’s Cyrille?” Roland asked
, his voice sounded shaky to his own ears.

“Cyrille has not left his room for two days,” Damien replied
, and in the man’s voice he heard his concerned desperation.

“We know Cyrille does not sleep
, so we are yet to figure out what a man does in his room alone for this amount of time,” Keri said, casting a nervous look Damien’s way.

“Has he killed him…?”

“No!” Damien said quickly and loudly.  He cast his eyes back to his food, everyone at the table knew the man feared his brother would kill himself eventually.  “He tells everyone to leave him alone,” Damien mumbled.

“He’s not alone,” Emma said
, in a quiet voice.

All eyes turned to her and Roland saw her visibly grow uncomfortable under the scrutiny.  “Grace is with him.”

“Who’s Grace?” Roland asked. 

“What if he has hurt her?” Alena asked.

“He wouldn’t hurt her,” Keri defended him.

“I know he wouldn’t mean to
, but if he did, that would explain why he has not come out of his room in all this time,” this from Ryann.

“Who’s Grace?” Roland asked again.

“She grew up with us,” Damien said.

“She’s my friend,” Emma replied at the same time. 

Roland quickly stood.  “I’ll be back,” he assured Emma, who stood with him.  He quickly left the room and hurried down the hallway to Cyrille’s chamber.

One nock brought no noise.  A louder one did, “Go away.”

“Let me in Cyrille.  We’re all concerned about you.”

“Go away!”  Cyrille's voice cracked
, and Roland heard him cough.

“Let me in!” Roland demanded
, banging his fist loudly on the door.

“Leave!” Cyrille demanded.

“No!” Roland insisted.  When nothing further came from the room, Roland pounded again.  The room on the other side of the door remained quiet.  All the doors within the Manor were built the same way.  The doors had no keys, but each of the doors could be barred from the inside by a strip of leather, to afford privacy.  Some keeps had doors barred by a large piece of wood that made it impossible to breach without a battering ram.  Luckily this was not such a place.  Roland lifted his foot, and with all his weight behind it, slammed it into the door in the vicinity the leather was fastened.  It gave a little, but did not open entirely.  With all his strength, he slammed his shoulder into it, using his entire body to force the door open.  This time the leather gave, and he nearly fell into the room. 

The f
irst thing he noticed was there was more light in the room than Cyrille usually allowed.  The second was the bed held two figures.  One of those figures threw the covers back and charged from the bed.  Roland had not expected to be attacked by a nude Cyrille when he exploded into the room, but that was what he was suddenly faced with.  Fury marked his scarred face as he came at Roland.  Roland wanted to retreat, but the door slammed open then banged closed behind him, when he fell into the room.

A low growl escaped from Cyrille
.  Roland felt he was cornered by a wild animal as the big man kept coming.  Roland cast a quick look to the bed and saw a woman sitting up with her mouth open in shock.  Confusion clamored within his brain.  “Grace?”  The name escaped in a squeak, as Cyrille grabbed Roland by the throat, and slammed him against the wall.  Cyrille’s strength surprised him, but not as much as the woman in his bed.

Roland wanted to speak
, because he realized it was probably the only way to save his life, but he looked into the face of an enraged Cyrille.  Roland was as close to Cyrille as Damien, they were brothers, just not by blood, but this Cyrille was different.  Despite the growing panic within Roland, unable to breath, he still did not fight the stockier man.

“Cyrille.”

The hand released and Roland wasn’t sure if he heard the quiet name spoken from the woman in the scarred man’s bed.  Cyrille turned away, as if he did not just try to kill Roland, and went back to his bed, climbing into it and pulling the covers over him and the woman.  “Leave,” was the only thing he said, as he leaned over the woman.

“Do you wish to leave?” Rola
nd asked of the woman.  So much happened to Cyrille, Roland would not be surprised if he snapped, raped the woman, and was keeping her prisoner.

“She stays,” Cyrille ground out
, in his gravelly voice.

“I’m…,” the girl began to speak.

“Leave,” Cyrille growled.  “She stays.”  When Roland’s feet did not immediately carry him from the room, Cyrille turned, his eye menacing.  “Now or I will kill you.”

The challenge being issued from any o
ther man would not send Roland fleeing, but Cyrille was a different matter all together.  Roland quickly left, allowing the door to bang behind him.  Back to the others he went.  Suddenly, there was something to occupy his mind rather than his own future.

“He has her in his bed,” Roland said
, as soon as he stepped across the threshold.  “He will not let her leave.”

Damien began to rise
, but Keri laid a hand on his arm.  When Roland cast a glance at Emma he saw her face was alight with joy.  He sent her a questioning look.

“She wants to be there.”

“How do you know?” Ryann asked, concern written across her face.

“She asked me how to get him to take her,” Emma’s voice began strong
, but trailed off under everyone’s gaze.

“What did you say?” Roland demanded.

Emma looked down at her hands in her lap before mumbling, “I told her to just take her clothes off.”

Halvor choked on his laugh.

“What?” Roland thundered. 

Emma looked up at him, her face infusing with anger.  “That’s all it took for you,” she declared.

Roland was speechless, and felt frozen to the spot as every eye turned to him.

“Cyrille is different,” he declared
, but lowered his voice.

“She loves him,” Emma explained.

“What?” exploded from him again.

“I’m surprised you even had to take your clothes off for Roland,” Ryann said
, and as Roland swung her way he saw the mischief in her brilliant blue eyes.

Roland quickly glanced to Garrick
, hoping the man would silence his wife, but saw there would be no help for him there. 

“Roland does like his women,” Alena responded
, and Roland wanted to smack her.

“Insatiable,” Damien declared
, holding his mug up, offering him a salute.

“Now’s not…,” Roland tried to get out.

“He is always trying to raise some poor woman’s skirts,” Halvor chimed in, but quickly remembered the company, and cast scowls toward his sisters.  “He didn’t touch any of you did he?”

“He tried to lift mine
, but I wouldn’t take them off for him,” Brenda said, and Halvor smiled because he recognized his sister was teasing.  If any women in all of England were safe from Roland, it was Halvor’s sisters, because he knew the big man would kill him.

Roland’s quick glance at Emma showed she wore a mask over her face.  Was she furious
, or enjoying the accusations at Roland’s expense.  With Emma it could go either way.

“How many children have you sired?” Garrick asked.

“Enough!” Roland declared.

“I’m curious too,” Ryann replied.  “With all the women…”

“This is not appropriate,” Roland argued.

“Emma is bound to know how strong your appetites are.  She admits to climbing into your bed,” Damien said with a smile.

“This stops now!”

“You have two legitimate children, how many will be coming to knock on my door with your dark blue eyes?” Ryann asked.

“Stop!” Roland demanded.

“Tell us how many,” Keri urged.

“Emma is the only woman other than my wife who carries my child,” Roland screamed at them, something inside him snapping.  How little they thought of him.  Never could he imagine planting his seed in any woman other than Lillian and Emma.  He realized his mistake when he saw the color drain from Emma’s face.  Unmindful every eye on the room was on him, he quickly moved to her side, kneeling beside her.

“I’m sorry Emma.  I wanted to tell you,” he said
, taking her hands in his.  He gripped them tightly as she stared at him.  “I have two children, so I know the signs.”

“Wh…wh.”  Emma fell silent, the words not forming.  She looked scared to death.

“It will be all right, I promise you,” Roland tried to reassure her.  “Please say something,” Roland urged, as a deep fear imbedded itself in him.  She was unmarried with a child on the way.  If she had any sense at all, she would go running to John and demand her husband and title.

“We are going to have a child?” she finally aske
d.  The question took him by surprise, but not as much as the wonder in her voice.

“Yes,” he said gripping
, her hands tighter.  How would he ever be able to let her go? 

“Roland,” Garrick said
, drawing his attention.  “Though you have pledged your allegiance to Damien, I feel after all we have been through, you are also one of my men.  I have a manor not far from here.  It is a little too far away for my tastes, but close enough here you could still easily serve Lord Damien.  It is yours.”

“That is wonderful,” Ryann said
, clapping her hands together.

“How is that wonderful?” Marcus demanded.  He stood angrily and advanced on Roland
, who straightened.  “You dishonor your wife by turning your back on her children.  If this is the kind of man you all embrace it sickens me,” he said to the rest of them, before leaving the room. 

Roland continued to grip Emma’s hand
, but all eyes left them and fell on Garrick.  Garrick turned and pinned Alena with his eyes.  The woman looked frightened as she frantically looked around at the people still seated at the table.  Slowly she stood, as if reluctant, and left the room.

   Grace wanted to cry.  After two days of her dreams coming true, Cyrille was dressing.  He did not say a word as he climbed from the bed and began to don his clothes.  They made love again after the man called Roland barged in.  But now it was over.  She should be glad she got that.  It was really more than she expected, but it wasn’t enough.  She had a thousand questions to ask him, but did not know where to begin.  In the end she remained silent as he opened the door, stepped from the room, and closed it quietly behind him. 

Finally
, she climbed from the bed and dressed in the clothes Keri gave her.  The house was empty except a couple of the servants.  After offering them help and being denied, Grace went out into the courtyard.  The turndown did not bode well for her employment here.  It was probably for the best anyway, she thought.  The sun was on its descent in the sky.  She was seeking out Emma, but she stood a distance away with one of the squires, apparently giving him pointers on the proper us of the crossbow in his hands.  She watched them for a moment, the boy looked put out by the woman’s interruption, until she cleanly shot through the strip of cloth she managed to talk his friend into holding up.  Within a moment she had a crowd of boys gathering around her.  It was quite the skilled shot, Grace never saw anything like it, despite all the time she watched Cyrille on the practice field with the others.