Choose the Sky: A Medieval Romance (Swordcross Knights Book 2) (21 page)

“He doesn’t have your heart.”

“He doesn’t want it. He only wanted my hand.”

“Luc does not want only part of
anything
. For him, it’s all…or he walks away.”

Mina thought about it—she presumed Eva would know. “It’s complicated.”

“So you both say. Why must it be so?”

“Neither of us chose this marriage.”

“But it happened. Can you not be allies?”

“Allies are equals,” Mina said. “We’re not allies. We’re husband and wife…which means I am expected to agree with him, give in to him, appease him all the time. Besides, I disappoint him.”

“I’m sure that’s not true.”

“How could you possibly know?” she asked, growing tired of Eva’s prying. “You have not seen us together for more than a day.”

“No, but I’ve known him my whole life. He would never have consented to the idea of a marriage to you if he didn’t truly want to marry you. He’s clever at politics—but he’s never been one for compromise, not when it comes to his own life. Our father was always a little worried about Luc’s streak of idealism.”

Mina couldn’t get Eva’s words out of her head, and she spent a more restless night than usual. Luc lay beside her, close yet worlds away. He didn’t have trouble sleeping. He seemed to be perfectly content with one half of the bed, one half of a marriage. The romantic Eva had to be wrong about her brother’s priorities.

* * * *

Eva made herself very much at home, just as Luc had when he arrived. She put her pert little nose into every corner of the castle. She inspired the garrison’s soldiers to new heights in their training, for she promised that the solider who was declared the fittest and the most ready for combat by the end of a sennight would receive a pencel from Eva herself—a token he could wear for all the world to see, as the visible esteem of a lady. Octavian said he’d never seen such devotion to drills before.

She also pried her way into more private matters, such as when she appeared on the threshold of Godfrey’s room while Domina was singing to him.

Mina felt the presence of a person, and turned, breaking off her song.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“I heard the music.” Eva took a step into the room.

Mina watched in dismay as Luc appeared behind her. “You brought her here,” she accused.

“It’s no longer a secret, Domina,” he answered in a low voice.

“So this is Godfrey de Warewic,” Eva said, approaching the bed in some awe. “How like a saint he looks, so peaceful. How blessed he is to be in your care.”

“My care can’t restore him to full health,” Mina said bitterly.

Eva’s hand closed around hers. “How do you know what your care will accomplish? If I were an angel, I’d listen to your prayers, especially if you say them in as pretty a voice as you sing your lullabies.”

“You’re not an angel,” Mina said. She deeply resented that Luc revealed her secret to Eva and brought her into Godfrey’s presence without warning. He wouldn’t ask for leave, naturally. He was lord here now. But he could have given Mina a hint!

Eva’s face was full of wonder and worry. She had no idea of the tangle she’d wandered into. Domina tried hard not to include the girl in her fury. “Luc, please take your sister back to the keep. I’ll join you shortly. I’m sure Eva of Braecon will have questions.”

She left no room for protest, and Luc seemed to realize exactly how angry Domina was. “We’ll wait for you there,” he said, taking Eva by the hand.

Domina kept her eyes on her father while the two left. She overheard Eva whisper, “Have you not revealed it yet? You ought to soon, for she seems in want of such a thing.”

Luc hushed her, and they hurried out.

Mina took a few deep breaths. What did Luc have left to reveal? Everything he’d revealed so far meant more trouble for Mina.

Domina did explain the story of her father’s ailment to Eva, who showed far more sympathy than Luc. However, she also was of the opinion that Luc’s presence represented a solution to Domina’s woes, rather than a compounding of them. Mina didn’t try to correct her. Let the girl keep her innocence a while longer. Mina hoped that when Eva married, it would be to a man who would want her for herself.

* * * *

So the world spun on. The hard frosts of deep winter receded, and the days started to lengthen infinitesimally.

Most mornings, Domina was at work as usual. Despite Eva’s presence, despite everything, she was still needed as the lady of the house. In the middle of the day, a servant came up to her, telling her Luc wanted to see her.

“He’s in the great hall, my lady.”

Mina entered the room. “You asked for me?”

“I did.” Luc stood near a large box covered with a heavy cloth. “I have something for you to see.”

“What is it?” Mina asked suspiciously.

“That is for you to find out,” he said, gesturing for her to uncover the object.

She took hold of one corner of the cloth. It was even heavier than it looked, a rich brocade that blocked both light and sound. She lifted the cloth a bit and peered behind it.

A squawk greeted her, and she gasped. With a little tug, she slowly pulled the whole covering aside, revealing what was underneath.

In a large wooden cage, a magnificent peregrine falcon stood on a perch. It stretched blue-tinged wings as wide as it could, showing a feathered breast as it gave a squawk of warning.

“Oh, how beautiful!” Mina gasped.

“Eva brought her along when she came. But I waited for the weather to improve a bit, and also, I wanted the bird to rest after the journey.”

“You must be so pleased to have her here,” Mina said. “Do you intend to go hunting with her soon?”

“I don’t.”

“What?” she asked, confused.

Luc smiled. “She’s yours. My wedding present to you.”

“Oh.” Mina put a hand to her mouth. “You don’t have to give me anything.”

“I know that,” he said. “Is it so difficult to believe that I’m giving you something just because you’ll like it?”

“It’s far too grand, Luc. This is a falcon for princes.”

“It is a falcon for the lady Domina.”

“I can’t accept such a gift,” she said, though she couldn’t take her eyes off the bird, which was perfect in every way. “I never thought I’d get to hunt with a peregrine!”

“Now you can.” He handed her a brand new glove, the leather tooled into a dense floral pattern. “Try it on, Mina. You ought to get to know your new hunter.”

She slid the glove onto her wrist, and then opened the cage door very carefully.

The falcon shied away at first, but Domina spoke to it in a low, steady voice and it soon calmed.

“There you go,” she said. “Come step up.” The bird obeyed, stepping from the perch to her arm, flexing its sharp talons into the heavy leather that protected Mina’s skin.

“I’ll get some meat from the kitchens, my beauty, to feed you.”

“Our falconer councils against that,” Luc told her. “Birds hunt better when they’re hungry.”

“Nonsense,” Domina said. “I feed my hawks the choicest meat I can. They need to know I care for them. Then they will fly their best, to please me.”

“Is that your method?” he asked.

“So I was taught. If you treat a creature ill, it will not trust you, and there is no bond between you. With a falcon, you risk losing her, for she’ll choose the sky and fly away forever. She has no reason to want to come back.”

“No one ever explained it to me quite so simply.”

Domina was still looking at the peregrine with delight. “Oh, you’re so gorgeous,” she breathed.

“Are you speaking to me or the bird?” Luc asked.

Domina blushed, looking over at him. “The bird!”

“Too bad,” Luc said with an exaggerated frown. “But I’m glad you like her. I bought her this past summer, when she was very young.”

“What’s her name?” Mina asked

“She has none yet. Our falconer trained her, but I had no chance to use her myself, for I’ve had no leisure.”

“Are you certain?”

“You’ll be a better mistress than I was master.”

“Oh, who could not love her? She’s wonderful. I can hardly wait to see how she flies.”

“You’ll have no trouble, I’m sure,” Luc noted, now more openly surveying her. “I’ve already seen you hunt with your hawks. You can master any creature if you choose to.”

Mina quickly returned her attention to the bird. “You must have a name,” she mused. “Guinevere would suit you—it’s a queenly name.” She put the falcon back in the cage, knowing it would take some time for the bird to get used to her.

After she closed the cage door, she realized something else. “Now I’m ashamed, for you’ve given me Guinevere, and I have given you nothing to match.”

“It’s a gift, Mina,” Luc said. He stepped up to her, reaching for the glove. He removed it, taking his time. Mina was terribly aware of how close he was, and how much he was enjoying stripping the glove from her, even though it revealed only her wrist. “It doesn’t need to be reciprocated, for then it wouldn’t be a gift, would it?”

“I must give you something,” she protested.

“Then give me a kiss.”

“That’s hardly on the same level.”

“Let me decide that.” Luc dropped the glove to the floor, and slipped his hand around her waist, drawing her closer.

She tipped her head up, and kissed him, just a light touch of her lips to his.

It didn’t stay light. Luc pulled her right next to his body, and when she gasped, he ran his tongue over her parted lips.

Mina reacted instantly, and she heard herself give a little moan before she even knew she was doing it.

Luc heard it and slipped one hand up into her curls, keeping her from pulling away.

Not that she was pulling away. Instead, she found herself leaning into him, tasting him, curious about every new sensation. Whatever reserve kept her silent in bed did nothing for her now. Why was she behaving like this? Had he just bought her affection? Was she so easily swayed? No matter how expensive the gift, she didn’t like to think it inspired her kiss.

She broke off with a ragged breath.

“I asked for a kiss and you gave me all that?” He smiled at her.

“Was it too much?” she asked, already deciding that her behavior was wretched.

“More than I asked for, but not nearly enough.” He kept her body close to his, and there was no mistaking his reaction.

She felt how hard he’d grown, and bit her lip. “This is not seemly…here in the hall.”

Mina pushed herself away, and took a deep breath. She felt so shaky, so on edge. Blood seemed to sing through her body. “I must ask you not to do this again.”

“Not here,” he said. “But you’re a fool if you think I won’t ask for that again.”

“Please don’t talk like that,” Mina said staring at the floor.

“You’re my wife. I’ll talk to you like that because it’s the truth,” he said in a low voice. “You might be made of stone, but I’m not.”

“I’m not made of stone!” she snapped.

“Ice, then. You freeze up every time I try to please you.”

“I…I’m sorry.”

He sighed. “No. Ignore me. I should not have said that.”

“Then why did you? You must believe it. You know about women. If you say I’m made of ice, it’s true.”

“Mina, that’s not what I meant.” He reached for her in appeal, and she let him put his arms around her, as if that could make a difference.

“I know I’m not the woman you want me to be,” she said miserably.

Before Luc could respond, one of the members of the castle’s garrison burst into the room. Mina instinctively took a step back, as though there was something improper about her being in the arms of her own husband.

“What the hell are you doing in here?” Luc growled at the man.

“My lord, we just got word,” he said, too flustered to bow or apologize for the interruption. “There’s something wrong down at the village. We think it’s being attacked!”

Luc wished he could say
a sense of foreboding warned him of the attack, but the truth was that he was unpleasantly surprised. No, that was putting it mildly. Some idiot thought to take advantage of a presumably weak castle during the winter lull, raiding the village under the assumption that they’d face no resistance. However, now it was Luc’s castle, and both his wife and his sister were in it.

He’d kill whoever was stupid enough to have instigated this.

Luc had every confidence that Mina would take care of Eva, so he could put his mind entirely toward the fight. After exchanging a few words with Mina, he ran to the courtyard, where the garrison was already preparing to march out. The men-at-arms seemed remarkably calm—perhaps they thought it another drill.

Octavian stood near the stables, along with their squires, who knew how to ready each of their war horses. Another pair of squires rushed out of a building, each carrying chain mail.

Luc nodded gratefully to Ban as he helped put the heavy layer on. “My sword,” he said urgently.

“Right away, sir.”

Octavian barked orders at various people, and despite his apparent displeasure, Luc could see that the garrison was responding well and quickly to the orders.

At last both knights were mounted, ready to lead the group out.