Rod showed due respect to Christopher but the truth was that he couldn’t keep his focus off the big man and the unfamiliar knight at the table. The man had oddly colored eyes and was rather intimidating. At least, Rod thought so. Something about those eyes unnerved him.
“My lord,” he greeted Christopher. “I have come with more news about the mercenary. I hope my appearance is not inopportune.”
Christopher waved him off. “Of course not,” he said. “In fact, it is most welcome. Allow me to introduce you to Sir Ajax de Velt and his son, Sir Coleby de Velt. They, too, have come to Lioncross because of the mercenary. My lords, this is one of my finest vassals, Sir Rod de Titouan.”
It was a polite mutual introduction and Rod nodded respectfully to Jax, less respectfully to his arrogant son. Coleby seemed to have an arrogant attitude and Rod had visions of punching the young knight in the face should he continue his mental chest-beating. But his focus soon returned to Christopher.
“I have much to tell, my lord,” he said. “Things that will, coincidentally, interest Lord de Velt. May I sit? It has been a long ride.”
Christopher indicated for him to sit on his left hand, pouring the weary knight a measure of wine as Rod sat heavily. As Rod downed the entire cup of wine, Christopher eyed him with growing concern. He appeared exhausted, that was true, but there was something more, something he didn’t like.
“Tell us, Rod,” he quietly encouraged the man. “What more do you know?”
As Rod gazed at the two great knights, he almost didn’t know where to start. In truth, he was still a bit rattled to be sittingacross the table from the infamous Jax de Velt, so he struggled to overcome that issue. So much had happened in his conversation with Bretton and, worse yet, with a captive who seemed less like a captive and more like a companion, a woman who also happened to be de Velt’s daughter. As Rod had told Bretton, strange forces were at work around the man. Pouring himself another cup of wine, Rod sighed heavily.
“I suppose it is best to start from the beginning,” he said, looking at Christopher. “Did you tell Lord de Velt about the de Llion connection?”
Christopher nodded his head. “I did,” he said quietly. “He knows that you are connected to the de Llion name but he also knows we do not have confirmation that the mercenary is, in fact, your cousin.”
Rod wriggled his eyebrows ironically as he took a long swallow of wine. “We have confirmation now,” he said, looking between Christopher and Jax. He finally settled on Jax. “My lord, the name the mercenary commander gave was Bretton de Llion. Lord de Lohr came into this information and knew that my family has connections with the de Llion family. In fact, my grandfather, whom I serve at Bronllys Castle, is a de Llion. When you conquered Four Crosses Castle twenty-five years ago, my grandfather’s son, my mother’s brother, was the garrison commander. He was killed in the siege along with his wife and two children, or so we thought. But then this mercenary commander surfaced, emulating your exact path of destruction along the Marches, and gave his name as Bretton de Llion. Bretton de Llion was the son of the garrison commander, whom we believed to be dead. He is my cousin.”
Jax bobbed his head in understanding. “De Lohr told me all of this,” he said. “You say you have confirmation that it is, in fact, your cousin?”
Rod nodded, facing the two lords. “After Lord de Lohr told me of the alleged identity of the mercenary commander, I returned to Bronllys to tell my grandfather of our conversation,” he said. Then, he shook his head sadly. “My grandfather refused to accept that Bretton had somehow survived Lord de Velt’s siege and would not speak of the possibility, but for my part, my curiosity grew. I was determined to know if Bretton, in fact, was alive and tearing up the Marches, so I sent a missive to Cloryn Castle and asked Bretton to meet me in Newtown if he was, indeed, Bretton de Llion, son of Morgan. I wanted to know if my cousin was still alive. I can confirm that he is.”
Christopher’s eyebrows lifted. “Then itisyour cousin?” he said, somewhat stunned. “And you met with him?”
Rod nodded and drained the rest of his wine. “I met with him,” he confirmed. “There is no mistaking he is a de Llion. He looks just like the rest of the family. But it is much worse than we could have ever expected, for the man is nothing as I had hoped. He was not glad to see me. He is very bitter towards my grandfather for not trying to find him after Four Crosses was taken. But that bitterness aside, he holds a massive sense of vengeance against Lord de Velt and blames the man for ruining his life, so much so that the burned Alberbury Priory to abducted Lady Allaston de Velt. He plans to use her to lure Lord de Velt to his death, but you already know that. Here is where it becomes complicated– Lady Allaston de Velt was with him when he came to Newtown. I gave her the opportunity to escape and she would not take it. She says that she cannot leave Bretton because if she does, he will stop at nothing to kill her father, and she is quite convinced she can talk him out of it if she stays by his side. Lord de Velt, she stays with him willingly to protect you.”
Jax just stared at him, those dual-colored eyes wracked with emotion. After an eternal moment of staring at Rod, digesting what he had been told, Jax let out a hissing sigh and rolled hishead back. He ended up staring at the ceiling with the expression of a man who could hardly believe what he’d just been told.
“Allie,” he whispered. “God’s Bones, is it true? Is she really doing such a thing?”
Rod cast a long glance at Christopher, who seemed equally concerned. As Jax reflected on the state of his foolish, brave daughter, Christopher addressed Rod.
“Did she seem in good health?” he asked. “Good spirits?”
Rod nodded. “She was healthy and whole,” he said. “But when I challenged Bretton to a fight to allow her to escape, she refused to flee.”
Jax was still staring up at the ceiling, now shaking his head in disbelief. “She was always a head-strong, foolish girl,” he muttered, eventually looking at Christopher and Rod. “But she is much like her mother in that she is extraordinarily brave and stubborn. If she thinks she can talk de Llion out of his vengeance, then she will not give up. She will be like a dog with a bone in her persistence.”
Christopher understood a woman like that, as did Jax. The older knights could comprehend the strength of women but Rod was still puzzled by it. With no wife, and no lady love, he wasn’t seasoned in the ways of woman like Christopher and Jax were. In fact, Rod came across as being rather insulted that the lady didn’t take him up on his offer to release her.
“I tried to help her escape,” he said, “but she flatly refused. But rest assured that she seemed quite healthy and sound.”
Jax did take comfort in that. “Then my mind is eased as far as her health is concerned,” he said, disgruntled. “But the fact remains that she has been abducted by a man who shows no fear as he murders and burns. She is at the mercy of a madman.”
Christopher couldn’t disagree. He looked at Rod. “Did de Llion seem unstable to you?” he asked. “How was the man’s demeanor?”
Rod shrugged. “As I said, he is very bitter against my grandfather and full of hatred against de Velt,” he replied. “He did not seem unstable, only resentful and determined.”
“How did he behave towards Lady Allaston?”
Rod thought back to his meeting with Bretton and the lady. “He was not unkind to her,” he said. “He was not cruel to her and, frankly, did not treat her like a prisoner. When I first came into contact with them, I thought she was his wife.”
Jax’s brow furrowed. “Wife?” he repeated, terrified and disgusted. “Wife?Was he… God’s Blood, he wasn’t affectionate towards her, was he?”
Rod shook his head. “Nay,” he assured him. “I mean that they coexisted relatively peacefully. She was not resisting him and he was not being dominant over her.”
