“I do not know,” Remington glanced at her
sisters. “But he said it, and I believe him. I am not sure why I do, but I
do.”
“He cannot protect us from Guy,” Jasmine
went back to the loom, mayhap a bit angrily. “No one short of God can protect
us.”
Remington watched her sisters a moment,
wanting them to feel the same faith she did. “He is the Dark Knight, is he
not? ‘Tis said he is in league with the devil. Mayhap if God will not help
us, the devil will.”
She turned and left the room, leaving her
sisters pondering the future.
The inner bailey was full of men assisting
the stonemasons. Sand and mortar was being distributed from a huge wagon and
great stones for the building were being carefully carved and carted off.
Remington was surprised; she had no idea
that there was so much going on in the double baileys and wondered if it would
even be wise to bother the Dark Knight about something as trivial as her
sister’s imprisonment. Yet, for Rory’s sake, she went to seek the man out
anyway and prayed his mood was forgiving this day.
She had never seen so many soldiers, all
working like the innards of a great beehive. She knew from Oleg that he had
brought nearly 600 men to Mt. Holyoak, but it seemed that every one of them was
working at this very moment. And there was not one man who did not pass her a
suggestive or leering glance, making her most uncomfortable.
Remington swallowed hard, pushing her way
through the men and into the outer bailey in search of Gaston. One soldier
almost dropped a great stone on her and she yelped in surprise, jumping out of
the way just in time to avoid being smashed. Fanning herself furiously over
her fright, she stood a moment and scoped out the bailey for possible signs of
the Dark Knight when her eyes came to rest on the very tall blond knight he
always kept with him.
Bolstering her courage, she picked her way
towards him.
Arik was surprised to find himself looking
down at the entirely delectable and completely angelic Lady Stoneley. Flushed
from the heat, she looked radiant and he gave her a non-committal smile.
“My lady, to what do I owe the honor?” he
asked, pulling her toward him to allow a burdened soldier to pass by.
Remington waited until the soldier had
moved by before stepping back a pace. “I am looking for Sir Gaston. Can you
tell me where he is?”
“In the sublevels, my lady,” Arik
answered. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“Not unless you can release my sister,”
Remington answered.
Arik shook his head regretfully. “I surely
cannot, my lady. Might I inform Gaston of your request to speak with him when
he is finished?”
Remington looked disappointed, but she did
not press. Pressing with Guy only got her slapped. “I would be grateful, my
lord. But do not trouble yourself overly to deliver the message. I can wait.”
“My name is Arik,” he said. “And it would
be no trouble at all.”
She smiled shyly, displaying her delightful
dimples. “My thanks, Sir Arik. You have been most kind.”
“Not at all,” he returned her smile. God,
she was a lovely creature. And he knew that every man that saw her had the
exact same thoughts, men with less self-control than himself. “As a matter of
fact,” he continued. “I was just about to return to the inner bailey. Might I
escort you back to the castle?”
“Thank you, my lord,” Remington said
demurely.
He extended his elbow and with great
reluctance, she accepted. Together, they started back to the inner bailey.
“This weather is unusually hot,” Arik
commented.
“Aye, but not the stickiness,” Remington
replied. “Here in the vale, we are always prone to a great deal of moisture
and
sisters. “But he said it, and I believe him. I am not sure why I do, but I
do.”
“He cannot protect us from Guy,” Jasmine
went back to the loom, mayhap a bit angrily. “No one short of God can protect
us.”
Remington watched her sisters a moment,
wanting them to feel the same faith she did. “He is the Dark Knight, is he
not? ‘Tis said he is in league with the devil. Mayhap if God will not help
us, the devil will.”
She turned and left the room, leaving her
sisters pondering the future.
The inner bailey was full of men assisting
the stonemasons. Sand and mortar was being distributed from a huge wagon and
great stones for the building were being carefully carved and carted off.
Remington was surprised; she had no idea
that there was so much going on in the double baileys and wondered if it would
even be wise to bother the Dark Knight about something as trivial as her
sister’s imprisonment. Yet, for Rory’s sake, she went to seek the man out
anyway and prayed his mood was forgiving this day.
She had never seen so many soldiers, all
working like the innards of a great beehive. She knew from Oleg that he had
brought nearly 600 men to Mt. Holyoak, but it seemed that every one of them was
working at this very moment. And there was not one man who did not pass her a
suggestive or leering glance, making her most uncomfortable.
Remington swallowed hard, pushing her way
through the men and into the outer bailey in search of Gaston. One soldier
almost dropped a great stone on her and she yelped in surprise, jumping out of
the way just in time to avoid being smashed. Fanning herself furiously over
her fright, she stood a moment and scoped out the bailey for possible signs of
the Dark Knight when her eyes came to rest on the very tall blond knight he
always kept with him.
Bolstering her courage, she picked her way
towards him.
Arik was surprised to find himself looking
down at the entirely delectable and completely angelic Lady Stoneley. Flushed
from the heat, she looked radiant and he gave her a non-committal smile.
“My lady, to what do I owe the honor?” he
asked, pulling her toward him to allow a burdened soldier to pass by.
Remington waited until the soldier had
moved by before stepping back a pace. “I am looking for Sir Gaston. Can you
tell me where he is?”
“In the sublevels, my lady,” Arik
answered. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“Not unless you can release my sister,”
Remington answered.
Arik shook his head regretfully. “I surely
cannot, my lady. Might I inform Gaston of your request to speak with him when
he is finished?”
Remington looked disappointed, but she did
not press. Pressing with Guy only got her slapped. “I would be grateful, my
lord. But do not trouble yourself overly to deliver the message. I can wait.”
“My name is Arik,” he said. “And it would
be no trouble at all.”
She smiled shyly, displaying her delightful
dimples. “My thanks, Sir Arik. You have been most kind.”
“Not at all,” he returned her smile. God,
she was a lovely creature. And he knew that every man that saw her had the
exact same thoughts, men with less self-control than himself. “As a matter of
fact,” he continued. “I was just about to return to the inner bailey. Might I
escort you back to the castle?”
“Thank you, my lord,” Remington said
demurely.
He extended his elbow and with great
reluctance, she accepted. Together, they started back to the inner bailey.
“This weather is unusually hot,” Arik
commented.
“Aye, but not the stickiness,” Remington
replied. “Here in the vale, we are always prone to a great deal of moisture
and
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