rising anger. “It was still the right thing to do, my lady,” he said. “Henry does not want you as a hostage but he has another purpose for you. He wants you as a wife for one of his knights.”
Her outrage turned to confusion. “A wife for – ?” she couldn’t even finish the sentence, so great was her bewilderment. “Why would he want me as a wife for one of his knights? I am of no political value to anyone. It makes no sense.”
Chad wondered just how much to tell her, thinking to spare her fear, but he opted for all of it. It was her life and she had a right to know what was happening.
“With your cousin, Tiberius, married to the daughter of one of Henry’s greatest supporters, marrying you to another of Henry’s knights would only strengthen his ties to the House of de Shera,” he said quietly. “It is a political move, my lady. Nothing more, nothing less.”
Alessandria had to digest that. It was shocking to say the least. “But… but I am a ward of the church,” she said, baffled. “I have spent the past six years at Newington, living a simple life. I am not a fine lady with fine skills. I know how to sew and weave and harvest vegetables and mix herbs for healing, hardly the skills the wife of a fine knight needs. Does Henry even realize this? Does he even know anything about me or does he see the name and assume I am a fine and cultured lady?”
Chad folded his big arms across his chest, leaning back against the doorjamb. “I am sure that he sees only the name,” he said honestly. “That name means something to him. The knights that were chasing us… one of them is the man slated to be your husband. He was coming to the priory to marry you, so he says.”
She cocked her head curiously. “You sound as if you do not believe him.”
Chad shrugged, averting his gaze. “I do not,” he said frankly. “I do not really believe that Henry wants a marriage. I believe that the knight told me that to lead me astray from Henry’s true goal with you.”
Alessandria wasn’t a fool. She was, in fact, rather astute. She could see where he was leading. “You mean as a hostage?”
Chad simply nodded. “I have been discussing your situation with my father and he believes it would be safer for you if I took you to Isenhall Castle to be with your family,” he said. “I must agree with him. Better to take you to your cousins and let them protect you. My mission was to remove you from the priory and I have done that. Now, I must take you to Isenhall so that your family may protect you.”
Alessandria deliberated on what she’d been told. It was unpleasant to say the least. Even if Henry didn’t want her as a hostage but rather a bartered bride, she wanted no part of a marriage contract. She wanted no part of politics or intrigue or whatever else her cousins were involved in. It was a big and frightening world.
“When you found me at the priory, your first words to me were that the men who had killed my father were now coming for me,” she said quietly. “Do you remember the words you spoke to me?”
Chad nodded faintly. “I do.”
“Is Henry one of those men?”
Chad sighed faintly. “I do not know if he truly wants you dead,” he said. “In fact, I do not know what he really wants of you. All I know is that men who want you for Henry’s purposes, whatever they may be, are here and I cannot give you over to them. I will take you to Isenhall where you will be safe.”
“And I am not safe here?”
Chad reflected on the conversation he’d had with his father about putting his mother and sister at risk should Henry decide to ride on Canterbury. “My father believes you will be safer with your kin,” he said, avoiding telling her that she was creating danger for his entire family. He didn’t want to hurt her for something that wasn’t really her fault. “They are the Lords of Thunder, after all. They will make the right decisions for you and they will protect you from
Her outrage turned to confusion. “A wife for – ?” she couldn’t even finish the sentence, so great was her bewilderment. “Why would he want me as a wife for one of his knights? I am of no political value to anyone. It makes no sense.”
Chad wondered just how much to tell her, thinking to spare her fear, but he opted for all of it. It was her life and she had a right to know what was happening.
“With your cousin, Tiberius, married to the daughter of one of Henry’s greatest supporters, marrying you to another of Henry’s knights would only strengthen his ties to the House of de Shera,” he said quietly. “It is a political move, my lady. Nothing more, nothing less.”
Alessandria had to digest that. It was shocking to say the least. “But… but I am a ward of the church,” she said, baffled. “I have spent the past six years at Newington, living a simple life. I am not a fine lady with fine skills. I know how to sew and weave and harvest vegetables and mix herbs for healing, hardly the skills the wife of a fine knight needs. Does Henry even realize this? Does he even know anything about me or does he see the name and assume I am a fine and cultured lady?”
Chad folded his big arms across his chest, leaning back against the doorjamb. “I am sure that he sees only the name,” he said honestly. “That name means something to him. The knights that were chasing us… one of them is the man slated to be your husband. He was coming to the priory to marry you, so he says.”
She cocked her head curiously. “You sound as if you do not believe him.”
Chad shrugged, averting his gaze. “I do not,” he said frankly. “I do not really believe that Henry wants a marriage. I believe that the knight told me that to lead me astray from Henry’s true goal with you.”
Alessandria wasn’t a fool. She was, in fact, rather astute. She could see where he was leading. “You mean as a hostage?”
Chad simply nodded. “I have been discussing your situation with my father and he believes it would be safer for you if I took you to Isenhall Castle to be with your family,” he said. “I must agree with him. Better to take you to your cousins and let them protect you. My mission was to remove you from the priory and I have done that. Now, I must take you to Isenhall so that your family may protect you.”
Alessandria deliberated on what she’d been told. It was unpleasant to say the least. Even if Henry didn’t want her as a hostage but rather a bartered bride, she wanted no part of a marriage contract. She wanted no part of politics or intrigue or whatever else her cousins were involved in. It was a big and frightening world.
“When you found me at the priory, your first words to me were that the men who had killed my father were now coming for me,” she said quietly. “Do you remember the words you spoke to me?”
Chad nodded faintly. “I do.”
“Is Henry one of those men?”
Chad sighed faintly. “I do not know if he truly wants you dead,” he said. “In fact, I do not know what he really wants of you. All I know is that men who want you for Henry’s purposes, whatever they may be, are here and I cannot give you over to them. I will take you to Isenhall where you will be safe.”
“And I am not safe here?”
Chad reflected on the conversation he’d had with his father about putting his mother and sister at risk should Henry decide to ride on Canterbury. “My father believes you will be safer with your kin,” he said, avoiding telling her that she was creating danger for his entire family. He didn’t want to hurt her for something that wasn’t really her fault. “They are the Lords of Thunder, after all. They will make the right decisions for you and they will protect you from
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