Callie shifted nervously. “I was told you came to kill him so that one of you could marry me and put down my people.”
“You lie!”
Henry cocked a brow at her words. “How do you know this?”
“Their plot was overheard by someone I trust.”
Sin was stunned by her words. In the whole of his life, no one had ever defended him. He was so used to being cast out and left to his own ends that her actions baffled him.
Now her sudden appearance in the throne room made sense. “Is this why you came here?”
She nodded. “I wanted to forewarn you.”
He stood in complete disbelief.
Henry narrowed his eyes on Roger. “A witness to your plot, Roger. What say you now?”
“There was another conspirator as well,” Callie said.
“Aye,” Sin concurred, “Thomas of Wallingford. He ran off.”
Henry sent his guard in search of the man. His eyes cold, Henry looked to Roger and instructed his other guard. “Send him to the tower. I shall deal with him later.”
Once the three of them were alone, the king approached her with one arched brow. “By your actions, may I assume you will abide by your marriage?”
“Might I speak alone with Lord Sin on the matter, Majesty?”
Henry focused a suspicious stare on her, but ultimately allowed them to leave his presence.
Sin led her from the throne room and down the hall to a set of stairs. They walked along in silence until Lord Sin took her to a small courtyard behind the keep.
The small area was surrounded by gray stone walls that were covered in ivy and honeysuckle. It was a peaceful afternoon with nary a sound to intrude on them.
She watched him stand proudly before her, his dark hair falling becomingly over his face. Lord Sin was a dangerously handsome man. One who could devastate a woman with nothing more than a simple smile. She couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to be held by him. To taste those lips on hers.
She shouldn’t be having such thoughts of him and yet she couldn’t quite seem to stop herself.
He clasped his hands behind his back and eyed her a bit impatiently. “Well?”
Callie sorted through her jumbled emotions as best she could. “May I be honest with you?”
“I certainly prefer it to dishonesty.”
She smiled at that. He was such an odd man.
“I...” She paused as she searched her mind for the best way to broach her concerns.
“You?”
She fidgeted with the sleeve of her gown. She knew so little of this man that she wasn’t sure what to say.
Finally, she lifted her chin and did what she did best. She blurted it out. “You and your king have asked me to bind myself eternally to you. To entrust my life and my people into your hands. I wanted you to know that I take my oaths very seriously. And if we are to do this, then I wish to spend a little time getting to know you.”
Sin opened his mouth to tell her of his plan to find The Raider and leave her in peace, then paused.
She would never agree to his going home with her to hand one of her people over to Henry or worse, kill him. If she had any intention of doing that, the rebel leader would already be on his way to London.
Nay, he would have to let her think he was agreeable to this match. “Very well. How do you suggest we get to know one another before the morrow?”
