Page 23 of King’s Knight

In response, his friends grinned widely. “You’ll hear no complaints from this quarter,” Rory said with a smirk. “Leaves more women for me.”

“And me,” put in Guy.

Alex no longer wanted to be a part of his friends’ search for comely wenches to bed. Their pleasure excursions now seemed shallow and his former behavior dishonorable. Being in Merewyn’s company was somehow more satisfying even if he could not touch her.

After they returned from the hunt with the animals they had taken, Alex and his companions left for the river to wash and then change for the feast that would follow. When the time for supper drew near, the enticing smell of boar, spiced with sage and roasting in its own juices, filled the hall, making his mouth water.

As the men and women gathered for the meal, the roast boar was carried into the hall on a huge wooden plank and set on a special table where it was carved. Wine flowed freely as he and his companions ate with Merewyn, Lora, Bea and Alice at the end of one of the trestle tables nearest the dais.

Jamie joined them, commending Alex on his kill. He was glad to see Merewyn appeared to have recovered from her encounter and was exchanging pleasantries with Guy.

They were still eating when Alex looked up to see a man dressed in the king’s livery step into the hall and stride toward the dais.

“From the king,” the messenger said, bowing before the Earl of Talisand and thrusting the scroll toward him. His father accepted the parchment, broke the seal and quickly read the missive. Then he asked the man to hand it to Alex.

The message contained only one line:

You are summoned to Westminster for a meeting of the barons in a fortnight.

A scribe had no doubt written the message, for the king was unlettered, but it was signed with William’s mark. A date was scrawled below which, according to Alex’s figuring, left them ten days to reach London.

The messenger handed his father another scroll. “This, too, my lord.”

His father took it and read the second message but did not pass it to Alex. Instead, he proclaimed, “The king’s summons has come.” Turning to Alex’s mother, he asked, “Do you still wish to go, my love?”

“I do. ’Tis time I called upon your king.” Then glancing toward Merewyn, she said, “My student of the bow has never been to court. She will attend as well, as we have discussed.”

His father nodded, seemingly content with his wife’s plans. Mayhap he was pleased she would go. Alex knew his mother would never claim a Norman as her king but his father told him she had once entertained the Conqueror at Talisand for the sake of her husband’s honor and her brother’s life. Her willingness to go to court now and bow before William Rufus suggested age had softened her.

Alex looked across the table at Merewyn, studying her expression. What it would be like to be with her on the road for many days? There would be two other women on the journey, his mother and her maidservant, Nelda, and for that, he was glad. ’Twas best he and Merewyn would not be alone.

“Can you be ready to depart at dawn tomorrow?” Alex’s father asked his lady.

“Since I expected the summons, Maggie and Nelda have been readying the chests that will go with us. We need only one cart and it can be loaded this evening.”

Before Alex left the hall, Maugris came to speak to him. “Might I have a word?”

Alex drew the old one aside, wondering what vision he had seen now, hoping it was not a harbinger of doom. “Aye.”

“Honor is revealed in the face of temptation, my son, and courage in the face of fear. You have passed one trial but still face another. It is near, even at your door.”

With that, Maugris wished him a safe journey and abruptly turned and walked through the door to the bailey.

Alex stared after him, mystified.

* * *

Merewyn stifled a yawn and accepted the groom’s help mounting Ceinder. Unused to rising before dawn, she was still tired from the restless night before. Then, too, as she dressed, she and her bow had exchanged words about her decision to accompany Lady Serena to London. But in light of Maugris’ counsel, she ignored her bow’s scolding. London would be an adventure, one she eagerly anticipated.

Since they would be stopping in a village and then going on to Earl Hugh’s castle in Chester, Lady Serena had wanted her to wear a gown for the travel. Merewyn was so pleased to be included she did not complain of having to struggle with skirts and Nelda had been there to help with the laces.

The linen gown she chose, the color of rust, would bear up well under the dust of the road. On her head she wore a straw hat like many of the villeins did when working in the fields. Her dark green cloak was tied behind her, secured to her saddle with her bow and quiver full of arrows.

Alex dipped his head to her and his mother as he rode to the head of the column where he joined his father. The knights wore no mail and, because they did not ride to war, their destriers, even their squires, remained behind. Still, every man had his sword and a long knife at his belt.

The sun was rising on her left as Merewyn and Lady Serena fell in behind Alex and his father. Following the two women were Sir Geoffroi, Guy and Rory with several men-at-arms behind them. A male servant brought up the rear, driving the cart in which Nelda, Lady Serena’s maidservant, rode with the chests, tents and food stores.

Lady Emma, Sir Geoffroi’s wife, had not come with them. All knew the reason. After the Norman Conqueror’s devastation of her home in York, she would have nothing to do with the Conqueror’s son. Merewyn, too, had reservations. At Talisand, she had known Norman knights of noble character like Earl Renaud and Sir Geoffroi, but her own mother’s terrible fate had taught her many were not like them. She hoped never to meet a knight like the one who had sired her.