Page 132 of The Champion

“Because of Henry’s decree naming you as the prize.”

She stiffened as she reviewed the names. “Half of these men openly despise me. And the rest I know not at all. Wherever did they all come from?”

“All over, Rowena. As you have said yourself, you own one of the best pieces of property in the known world. There are many here who would sell their souls to have it. Marry you and a man goes from landless knight, to a powerful baron. You’ve never been without, so you can’t imagine just what a temptation you are.”

She slammed the papers down and looked horrified. “So, I am the prized goose and nothing more?”

“Rowena, you knew this all along.”

“Aye,” she said angrily, “but I didn’t know men would be crawling out of all corners of Europe just to pummel each other for a piece of property that just happens to be attached to my hand.”

He was baffled by her logic and her indignation.

“And this!” she gestured to one of the names he couldn’t read. “Damien St. Cyr has entered the joust? Damien?”

“Aye, has no one told you?”

“Obviously not. Why would he enter?”

“You amused him this past week as you sought to expose him.”

“Amused him?” She couldn’t believe it. “The man killed my best friend and is a cold-blooded murderer. I could never marry one such as he. I would sooner die.”

Stryder tried to soothe her. “Worry not, my lady. You shan’t have to marry him or any of the others. I will win the tourney for you.”

She cocked her head suspiciously. “Are you sure?”

He stiffened, offended by the question. “There’s not a man on that list that I haven’t thrown to the ground multiple times in joust.”

“Including Damien?”

Stryder hesitated.

“So, you haven’t ever bested him?”

“Nay, not in the joust. But I hold no fear of his winning and neither should you.”

She pressed her hands to her face as if she had an ache in her temples. “Oh Stryder, you cannot imagine how I feel right now knowing all these men are here to fight each other to shed blood over me.” She looked at him. “Will you still marry me? Now. Tonight. Take me far away from this madness.”

How he wished he could. But it wasn’t that easy. “Nay.”

“Nay?”

“Nay, Rowena we can’t. If you wanted to marry me, you should have said, aye, three weeks ago when I asked you.”

“What do you mean we can’t marry now? Why not?”

“You saw the list yourself, Rowena. Those men came here because Henry promised the victor you. If I were to marry you less than one week before it begins, they would attack Henry and dethrone him.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“Believe me, I would never jest over something like this. We have to see this through.”

Her eyes flashing, she faced him with her cheeks darkened by her wrath. Dear heaven, but she was beautiful when she was angry. “I see. I have to sit by like a good goose and cheer on my butcher.”

However, her anger was starting to ignite his own. “I’m not a butcher and you’re not a gander. And why are we arguing over this when you wish to marry me?”

“Because I hate to see men fighting each other over stupidity, and it sickens me that I am the reason grown men are going to try and kill each other.”