Page 74 of The Red Wolf’s Prize

The king smiled. “We think you look every bit our royalsubject today, and not the wolf we know you to be, Lord Talisand.”

Renaud chuckled. “Ah Sire, ’tis merely a disguise for yourbenefit. Beneath the surface is the same snarling wolf you know well.”

“We are counting upon it!” The king gestured to the richlydressed man who stood at his side. “You know Fitz, of course.”

“Aye, I do. Welcome to Talisand, Lord Hereford. How goes itin Herefordshire?”

“’Twould be better if I did not have that madman Eadric tocontend with. Thank God he has retreated into Wales.”

“The one called ‘the Wild’?” Renaud inquired.

“Just so,” replied Lord Hereford.

Serena’s ears perked up at the name of the Saxon who stillharassed the Normans in the south. She could not be sad about that unless itdrew her husband to another battle.

The king turned his eyes upon her, and Renaud’s hand slippedaround her shoulders, mayhap to remind her of her promise to show the king nodishonor. She was surprised at the king’s height, nearly as great as herhusband’s, though he was burly where her husband was lean, like the wolf forwhich he was named. The Norman who was now a king held himself with an air ofconfidence she could hardly miss—a man who, as the bastard Duke of Normandy,thought naught of conquering an entire country. His piercing blue eyes wereframed by short, sun-lightened brown hair beneath his golden crown. A not unattractiveman except that she loathed him for what he had done to her family and herpeople.

“Sire,” said Renaud, “I would present to you my lady wife,Serena, Countess of Talisand.”

Because she had steeled herself to the encounter, Serena wasable to curtsey before the king and Lord Hereford. But she did not utter asound.

The king seemed not to notice. “Ah, we have given you abride fair of face and form, Lord Talisand. And from the way you are looking ather, your bed must be ever warm.”

Lord Hereford chuckled.

Serena’s cheeks burned at the bold statement. Was that allshe was to this king? A bed warmer for one of his knights? Anger rose withinher at the Norman usurper, but she held her tongue and managed a slight smilefor her husband’s benefit.

“Yea, Sire, you gave me a great boon,” Renaud agreed.

She knew her husband feared she would say something thatwould embarrass him, and she was sorely tempted to fling the king a bitterretort. But she had too much respect for Renaud to do so. Still, he must have sensedher anger in the tension flowing through her body for he was quick to move onto another subject.

Turning to one side, he gestured to the donjon behindthem. “What think you of your castle, Sire?”

“We like its position with the river to its back, its watersfilling the moat. And the keep looks from here to be large enough to house themen we will give you. We have with us a part of our army as well as Fitz’ men.The main group rode on to York.”

York? His men rode to York? It was as she feared.There would be a battle in the north.

Shooting her a glance that told her he’d seen her risingpanic, Renaud turned toward the king. “Shall we go inside, Sire? I expect somerefreshment is in order after your long journey.”

“Aye, we covet some of your country mead. The road was longand dust ridden.”

Renaud snapped his fingers and the waiting servants hurriedto comply with their new lord’s unspoken command. The king’s party ascended thestairs to the keep at the top of the motte. The doors stood open, and the kingand Renaud entered the hall, she and Lord Hereford following.

Within the hall, torches blazed and tables were set with arepast for the king and his retinue.

Renaud gestured to the stairs. “Your chambers are ready,Sire. And your baths will be ready shortly. I assume you will want to restbefore the evening meal but we have some food ready now for your pleasure.”

Serena knew well it was her place to offer the king hiscomforts, but she was doing well just to be civil.

Gracious was a step too far.

* * *

The king and his men filled every available chamber in thecastle and manor, the rest spilling into tents they erected for their comfort.Serena was relieved when her husband told her his men would hunt to add toTalisand’s stores of food. Yet, even with that, there was bread to bake andfood to cook that was far above what they would ordinarily have had to provideso that the kitchens were filled with torchlight from before dawn to late atnight.

The Norman army, or the part of it the king brought with him,was a constant source of worry. Renaud had to remind them that the femaleservants were not there for the taking. Sir Maurin nearly got into a fight withone of Lord Hereford’s men who thought Cassie fair game. Sir Alain protectivelyguarded Aethel, too, but no Norman would come near her with the bear-likeknight in attendance. And Sir Geoffroi would not even allow Eawyn to leave thewest manor. The Red Wolf’s knights were taking no chances with the women theyhad claimed as theirs.

The new hall was a splendid display of the Red Wolf’saccomplishments at Talisand. Tapestries, some of which were taken from the oldhall and some her father had kept in storage, graced the now white washedwalls. New benches, nearly the length of the room, were filled with bothNormans and English. At the high table, the king in all his finery took thelord’s seat with Renaud on his right and Lord Hereford on his left. SirGeoffroi seated himself on Lord Hereford’s other side. Serena was between herhusband and Maugris, who the king reminded all, he had known as long as the RedWolf.