for lying to him, while another part of him wanted to trust her, despite her lies.
What was he supposed to believe?
“Do you understand my language?” The man behind the table spoke to him. “Do you hear what I’m saying?”
Tristan pursed his lips tightly. He refused to yield anything to Rome. Better they kill him before he really lost control of his temper.
The man looked over his shoulder at Valeria. “Does he speak Latin, or not?”
Valeria spared Tristan a quick glance. He almost thought he saw an apology in those bewitching blue eyes, but he’d been a fool for her once, and he’d not make the same mistake twice.
“How should I know?” She gave a flippant shrug of her shoulder.
The man stiffened at her show of disrespect. “Because I’m told you were kept as his prisoner.”
She stared back at the man in defiance. “We didn’t do much talking.”
The man, who Tristan now assumed was the general, looked scoldingly at Rufus. “Can you get any more out of her?”
“She said she knows nothing, and I believe her.” Rufus had no idea why he was lying for Valeria.
He’d seen Tristan speak to her in their language, and he’d also seen the wild, desperate look in her eyes and heard the pleading tone in her voice when she’d begged him not to kill the barbarian. She also swore the man hadn’t harmed her, yet she wore a smart bruise on her soft cheek. For some reason, Valeria was protecting the Pict, and Rufus wanted to figure out why. There would be plenty of time for the Legatus to question him on the journey to Rome.
The general gave Tristan a sharp, appraising look. “Do you have anything to say in your defense?”
A volley of curses came to Tristan’s mind, but he held his tongue.
“Gaius! Maximus!” The general addressed the two soldiers who had whipped him and dragged him through the forest. “Take him outside and give him a lesson in obedience. Then put him with the others.”
Valeria sprang to her feet. “Is that really necessary?”
The general stood and turned a cold look on her. “Do not question my methods, lady. This is a war and I’m in charge here. I admit it’s an unfortunate situation you find yourself in, but I’ll soon have you returned home to the safety of your family and you’ll never be bothered with such awful horrors again.”
The two soldiers dragged Tristan outside and tied his hands to a wooden post surrounded by a puddle of blood on the ground. How many of his men had suffered here before him?
His fur pelt and tunic were ripped away, baring his back to the cold. Just as the rays of the early morning sun peaked over the tops of the trees, the first lash of the whip stung across his back. He was certain they would draw blood from him before they were through, and he would not utter a single sound. Even if it killed him.
Valeria cringed every time she heard the crack of the whip. She didn’t need to look outside to know what they were doing to Tristan. In fact, it would be better if she didn’t, because she was liable to tackle the two soldiers to the ground, tear the whip from their hands and turn it on them herself.
In her mind, she wasn’t sure who the real savages were.
“Is there no information you can give us?” The Legatus continued to question her. “You were this man’s prisoner for days. Was there nothing you learned from him?”
Valeria wanted to laugh, she was so near hysterics. She’d learned a few things she could share with this ugly, hateful man. “Filthy pig, rotten bastard. Son of a dirty whore,” she murmured in Tristan’s language. She meant every curse as the crack of the whip continued outside.
See how the Legatus liked that.
Enraged, the Legatus clenched his jaw, glaring furiously at her. “You’d do well to mind your tongue, lady. I am not above delivering you a good lashing as well.”
“Do not forget who she belongs to.” Rufus came to her defense. “The Emperor will not take any punishment inflicted upon his
What was he supposed to believe?
“Do you understand my language?” The man behind the table spoke to him. “Do you hear what I’m saying?”
Tristan pursed his lips tightly. He refused to yield anything to Rome. Better they kill him before he really lost control of his temper.
The man looked over his shoulder at Valeria. “Does he speak Latin, or not?”
Valeria spared Tristan a quick glance. He almost thought he saw an apology in those bewitching blue eyes, but he’d been a fool for her once, and he’d not make the same mistake twice.
“How should I know?” She gave a flippant shrug of her shoulder.
The man stiffened at her show of disrespect. “Because I’m told you were kept as his prisoner.”
She stared back at the man in defiance. “We didn’t do much talking.”
The man, who Tristan now assumed was the general, looked scoldingly at Rufus. “Can you get any more out of her?”
“She said she knows nothing, and I believe her.” Rufus had no idea why he was lying for Valeria.
He’d seen Tristan speak to her in their language, and he’d also seen the wild, desperate look in her eyes and heard the pleading tone in her voice when she’d begged him not to kill the barbarian. She also swore the man hadn’t harmed her, yet she wore a smart bruise on her soft cheek. For some reason, Valeria was protecting the Pict, and Rufus wanted to figure out why. There would be plenty of time for the Legatus to question him on the journey to Rome.
The general gave Tristan a sharp, appraising look. “Do you have anything to say in your defense?”
A volley of curses came to Tristan’s mind, but he held his tongue.
“Gaius! Maximus!” The general addressed the two soldiers who had whipped him and dragged him through the forest. “Take him outside and give him a lesson in obedience. Then put him with the others.”
Valeria sprang to her feet. “Is that really necessary?”
The general stood and turned a cold look on her. “Do not question my methods, lady. This is a war and I’m in charge here. I admit it’s an unfortunate situation you find yourself in, but I’ll soon have you returned home to the safety of your family and you’ll never be bothered with such awful horrors again.”
The two soldiers dragged Tristan outside and tied his hands to a wooden post surrounded by a puddle of blood on the ground. How many of his men had suffered here before him?
His fur pelt and tunic were ripped away, baring his back to the cold. Just as the rays of the early morning sun peaked over the tops of the trees, the first lash of the whip stung across his back. He was certain they would draw blood from him before they were through, and he would not utter a single sound. Even if it killed him.
Valeria cringed every time she heard the crack of the whip. She didn’t need to look outside to know what they were doing to Tristan. In fact, it would be better if she didn’t, because she was liable to tackle the two soldiers to the ground, tear the whip from their hands and turn it on them herself.
In her mind, she wasn’t sure who the real savages were.
“Is there no information you can give us?” The Legatus continued to question her. “You were this man’s prisoner for days. Was there nothing you learned from him?”
Valeria wanted to laugh, she was so near hysterics. She’d learned a few things she could share with this ugly, hateful man. “Filthy pig, rotten bastard. Son of a dirty whore,” she murmured in Tristan’s language. She meant every curse as the crack of the whip continued outside.
See how the Legatus liked that.
Enraged, the Legatus clenched his jaw, glaring furiously at her. “You’d do well to mind your tongue, lady. I am not above delivering you a good lashing as well.”
“Do not forget who she belongs to.” Rufus came to her defense. “The Emperor will not take any punishment inflicted upon his
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