Unending Love (25 page)

“He had no choice.”

“He
does
love her.”

David nodded faintly, acknowledging what they
all knew, as he sipped at his wine again. “I am not surprised this battle has
lasted this long,” he said after a moment. “They are both very strong men.”

Emilie could see them in the growing light,
slicing at each other wearily. “Can you not stop them?” she begged softly.
“Surely they will listen to you.”

David nodded. “I can try,” he said. “But they
will only start up again once they have rested.  This is a fight of passion and
possession, Em.  One cannot simply stop what has already started. They have to
fight it out until….”

“Until one of them is killed,” she finished for
him.  When he nodded reluctantly, she shook her head. “It could be Maddoc. 
What then? Do you have any idea how it will affect Adalind?  Is she truly going
to want to marry the man who killed the only man she has ever loved?”

“I will not allow her to marry de Royans,” he
said. “I have already denied the man.   If he thinks he is fighting to win her,
then he is wrong.”

“Have you told him that?”

David shook his head, hard. “And risk injury?”
he said as if she was daft. “Perhaps there is something you do not know,
sweetheart; I do not move as quickly as I once did. Those men down there are
big, young, and strong, and I am not about to get close enough to the point
where they might run me down.  Moreover, I might distract Maddoc if I did and
give de Royans the opportunity to kill him.  Nay, my lady, I am not going
anywhere near that battle.”

Emilie cocked an eyebrow. “Then stand here and
yell at them, for Pity’s sake.  Let them hear you.”

“Again, a distraction. Maddoc would hear me and
perhaps de Royans would. I do not know. But I do know this; if Maddoc hears me,
he will stop if I tell him to because I am his liege.  It is de Royans I do not
trust.  I do not want to help the man kill Maddoc; therefore, it is best not to
interfere.”

Emilie sighed heavily even though she did not
agree with him.   She pulled her fur cloak more tightly around her slender body
in the chill temperature.  She glanced up to the sky, to the
mist that was
[J41]
 
swirling overhead.

“Adalind has not slept,” she said quietly. “Her
bower window faces this side of the castle. She has been watching this all
night.”

David didn’t like the sound of that. “Did you
try to stop her?”

“Of course we did. She will not move.  If it
were you doing battle in the bailey, I would have to watch also.  I could not
bury my head in the sand and hope for the best.”

David started to say something but was
distracted when Brighton, being driven back by Maddoc, bumped into the well and
was nearly pushed into it as Maddoc saw an opportunity.  Brighton lost his
balance momentarily but slugged Maddoc in the face with his right hand, shoving
the man back, before regaining his balance and moving away from the well.  David
watched with a calculated eye.

“Maddoc is finally gaining the upper hand,” he
muttered with some satisfaction. “De Royans, as good as he is, is tiring.  We
should see an end to this soon.”

Emilie watched the knights as the broadswords
began to swing again. “Will Maddoc kill him?”

David nodded slowly, his eyes riveted to the
battle. “He will have to.”  He watched a moment longer before turning to his
wife.  “Is Adalind still in her chamber watching all of this?”

Emilie nodded. “She was the last time I saw
her.”

David thought a moment. “Bring her down here,”
he finally said. “If she is going to watch this, let it be with me. That way,
if something happens....”

Emilie understood.  Kissing her husband’s cold
cheek, she disappeared inside, intent on collecting her granddaughter.

***

Adalind was not in her room. 

Under the guise of going to the privy, she had
slipped from the keep and even now stood against the southeast corner of the
big, squat keep, watching Maddoc and Brighton battle in the distance.  She had
been watching the swordplay all night, knots in her belly as Maddoc fought for
his life.  This was supposed to be her wedding day, the happiest day of her
life as she married the man she loved.  She had prayed constantly since the
contest started that it would not be the day she buried Maddoc.  She would want
to be buried right along with him.

Now, down on the floor of the bailey, she could
see the happenings much better.   Clad in a gray surcoat made from lamb’s wool
and a matching cloak lined with rabbit’s fur, she blended in to the dark and
misty dawn as she clung to the wall of the keep, waiting and watching just like
everyone else.  She could see her grandfather at the entrance to the keep,
watching from his post where he had been all night, and she could also see the
soldiers on the walls watching every movement.   Even Gerid was up there.  He
had been watching all night, too.

Adalind had long since dried her tears over the
situation.  She had wept for several hours after the start of the battle, but
those tears had faded in favor of a plan.  She simply couldn’t sit by as Maddoc
fought for his life.  It wasn’t in her nature.  All of this was her fault,
anyway, so it was up to her to put an end to it. 

Watching the fight from her chamber as Willow
snored and her mother sewed, Adalind’s bright mind began to formulate a
scheme.  By dawn, she most definitely had a plan, something that would stop the
fight and make de Royans go away forever.  She had to see it through.

In her hand, she held a small bejeweled dagger
that her grandmother had given her long ago.  She intended to use it on de
Royans while Maddoc had him distracted.  She wasn’t sure how she was ever going
to explain to Glennie how she had killed her brother, but she couldn’t worry
about that now.  All she could think of was Maddoc and saving him from
Brighton.  She hoped she was brave enough, and strong enough, to do it. But for
Maddoc, she was willing to do anything.  Even kill.

As the day lightened around her, she was ready
to enact that plan.  The problem was that her grandfather stood between her and
the combatants, and he would surely stop her before she could get to them. 
Therefore, she circled the keep and ended up on the west side, which was a little
closer to the battle.  More importantly, there was nothing between her and the
knights so she had a clear field to operate in.  

To her right, against the wall of the keep,
stood Brighton’s charger.  Looking at the big cream-colored horse butt gave her
an idea.  As Maddoc knocked Brighton to his knees and nearly cut his head off
with a weary swipe of the broadsword, Adalind picked up a rock, aimed at the
horse’s arse, and threw as hard as she could.

The charger squealed and, startled, took off at
a dead run.  A satchel came loose and crashed to the ground, spilling
possessions. I was enough to distract both Brighton and Maddoc, who
instinctively looked over when the horse brayed.  It was the distraction
Adalind had hoped for and she rushed out from her hiding place, straight at the
knights.  Brighton’s back was to her but Maddoc was facing her, and when he saw
her running toward them with a dagger flashing in her hand,  he could hardly
believe what he  was seeing.  In fact, it took him a long moment to process
it.  Then, he moved in her direction.

“Addie!” he boomed. “Get back! Get….!”

His words were cut off as Brighton used Maddoc’s
distraction to his advantage. Bringing up his broadsword, he took a blind stab
at Maddoc and ended up goring the man in the torso underneath his right arm. 
It was in the seam where the breast and backplate joined, and he had, by sheer
chance, penetrated it.  

The heavy broadsword carved into Maddoc’s big
body but the man didn’t go down.  It slowed him down and he staggered sideways
with the majority of Brighton’s broadsword hanging out of his body.  Brighton,
however, was up and moving, rushing to Adalind and grabbing her before she
realized what had happened.  The dagger in her hand ended up in Brighton’s grip,
and he hauled her up against him with the lovely bejeweled dagger pointed at
her neck.

Maddoc saw what had happened but his legs
wouldn’t move correctly.  He tried to take a step in her direction but ended up
collapsing on his knees.  He couldn’t breathe and his field of vision was
fading.  David was already flying off the stairs, moving far too fast for the
injured old man, heading for Maddoc as Gerid and a host of soldiers also rushed
in Maddoc’s direction.  In fact, the entire castle was in an uproar as Maddoc
pitched forward onto his face.

Adalind screamed Maddoc’s name as Brighton began
dragging her across the bailey.  She was crying loudly, the realization of
Maddoc’s injury driving home every horrible fear she had ever entertained.  The
fact that she had caused it with her foolish plan only made her scream louder. God
help her, she knew she had killed him in her attempt to save him. She was
shattered in so many ways, pieces of herself sparking into the cold gray dawn
like shooting stars burning out in the night sky.

Every part of her was dying at the moment, her
soul snuffed out as Maddoc lay on his face. In her grief, Adalind grabbed the
dirk that Brighton was holding against her throat and forced his hand, driving
it into her neck.  The blood poured.

David roared with agony when he saw Adalind and
the blood spilling down her chest.  He was half-way to Maddoc but came to an
unsteady halt as Brighton dragged Adalind to within a few feet of him.   

“Nay!” David threw out his hands to Brighton.
“Do not kill her; please, I beg you.”

Brighton was somewhat horrified himself. “I did
not do this to her, my lord, I assure you,” he said. “She
has
[J42]
 
done it to herself.”

David was begging. “Please let me have her,” he
pleaded. “She needs a physic.”

Brighton could feel her squirming in his arms
and knew she had some strength left. Whatever injury she had given herself must
not have been too terrible if she still had fight in her.   He shook his head.

“I will find a physic for her,” he assured him
in an oddly calm voice.  “Your physic must tend Maddoc.  He is a good man and
an excellent knight. Perhaps it is foolish to say so, but I am sorry for what I
had to do.  I had no choice.”

David was pale with fury, with fear.  It was a
struggle to remain calm. “Damn you, de Royans,” he hissed, trying not to look
at Adalind as she gasped and wept. “I told you Adalind was not meant for you. 
You should have done the honorable thing and accepted my word.  God damn you to
hell; now you see what you have done.”

Brighton’s gaze flickered in Maddoc’s
direction.  A host of soldiers hovered over him as Gerid rolled the man onto
his back and checked him for signs of life.  He refused to feel remorse.

“It is done,” he said simply, hoarsely. “I
cannot take it back. Now, give me my horse or I swear you will lose your
granddaughter in front of your eyes.”

“If you do, I promise you that you will not
leave this place alive.”

“Then give me my horse or she will bleed to
death in front of you.  Let me go with her or she dies.”

“If she dies, you die.”

“The longer we stand here and argue, the more
her life slips away.”

“Papa,” Adalind sobbed. “Maddoc… I am so sorry. 
Please, Papa,
help
him.”

It was so pitifully spoken, the sorrowful pleas
of a young woman about to lose what was most precious to her. David looked at
Adalind and he couldn’t stop the tears filling his eyes.  It was as horrible as
it could possibly be and he was sick with the realization.

“Oh… Addie,” he murmured. “It is not your fault,
sweetheart.”

Adalind was weeping deeply. “Papa, help him,” she
cried. “I cannot live without him. I want to die, too.”

David could feel her grief, a physical pain
reaching out to squeeze his heart. He could hardly breathe with the force of
it.  As he turned to look over his shoulder at Maddoc, who was now being tended
to by Gerid and several soldiers, screams from the keep caught his attention
and he looked up to see Emilie and Christina in the doorway surveying the
carnage. 

Torn between Adalind and Maddoc, David was swept
up with the vision of his grief-stricken wife and daughter.  His first instinct
was to bolt towards the keep, and he did. God help him, he went with his
instinct because he knew he wasn’t strong enough to fight Brighton for
Adalind.  He needed help, and his help was dying on the ground with a broadsword
in his torso.  He knew Brighton served Norfolk so he knew where the man would
take her.  When David showed up to claim his granddaughter, it would be with
his army and his brother’s army, and Norfolk would have no choice but to
surrender.  Then they would burn Arundel to the ground.

With David no longer blocking his path, Brighton
hauled Adalind across the bailey, holding the dagger to her throat so no man
would stop him.  Soldiers followed him a close range but no one made a move to
attack him, fearful that he would kill Adalind.  She was bleeding all down her
neck and chest, wounded in the battle for her hand.  Behind them, her mother
and grandmother screamed their anguish.