milady.” Alyce curtsied and left the room quietly.
“You were with him all morning, Walter. Did you see any sign of this illness?”
“He looked tired, milady, that is all.”
She looked at her faithful castellan and then at her husband on the bed. “Did he say anything to alert you to this?”
“We spoke of the estates and the harvests and the strength of our fighting force.” He paused and met her gaze for a moment. “And he asked about your father and about you.”
“And what did you tell him of my father and of me?”
“I refused to answer his questions and told him to speak to you.”
“Walter, that was dangerous. We know him not. He could have had you removed from Greystone for defying him.”
Emalie stood and filled the cup with more wine. Her hands shook now at the thought of the actions her husband could take against a recalcitrant vassal. She needed Walter here, she needed him with his responsibilities intact and she needed him safe.
When the drink was ready, she sat next to her ailing husband and began forcing the brew into him again. “Pray, please tell me how he reacted.”
“He told me all the ways he could punish me for disobeying him and then he walked away.”
She stopped and looked at him. “I do not understand. Why did he allow you to refuse him?”
Footsteps and voices approached the chamber, so he whispered his words.
“I think ’twas a testing, milady. I think he was assessing the loyalty of those here and he got his answer in my refusal.”
Emalie wiped some of the wine off Christian’s chin as it spilled from his mouth. Her efforts to get him to drink were partially successful, but he would needmuch more in order to rid his body of this fever. Laying his head down, she looked at Walter.
“He looks starved. Look how his bones show through his skin here,” she said, pointing to his chest and his shoulders. “It takes some time to lose this much fat and muscle. What could have done this?”
Walter walked over to her side and looked more closely. “How do you know how much he had?”
“The queen talked about his fitness and his success at tourney. A man can not win without strength and size.” She heard Alyce’s voice outside the door and finished her comments. “I suppose we will have to wait until he can speak of it…if he will speak of it.”
Alyce entered with more supplies and Emalie was caught up in the care of her husband. Luckily, it was not as serious a fever as she first thought and it responded quickly to her various treatments. After a long night, the morning arrived and her husband woke, weakened but hungry.
Christian felt as though someone had hit him repeatedly over the head with a hammer. His mouth was dry, but his scalp was sweat dampened. Efforts to lift his head from the pillow seemed futile. His attempts did not go unnoticed.
“My lord, you are awake?”
Emalie fussed over him, adjusting the pillow and the sheet. Glancing around the room, he saw the remnants of a healer’s treatments—bowls, a chest of herbs, mixing accoutrements and a roaring fire in the hearth.
“What happened? I only remember returning here after…” His words drifted off as his thoughts did. He remembered struggling to remain upright in his chair as he heard the complaints and requests of the villagers.He remembered struggling up the stairs with some help from a boy. And everything went dark after he entered his chambers.
“Henry said you gave orders that I was not to disturb you. I ask your pardon for invading your privacy against your orders.” Emalie lowered her gaze and would not meet his.
“My lady, from the look and feel of this, it would seem to be a very good thing that you did so. I will not punish you for this transgression.”
His weak attempt at humor was not successful, for his wife paled at his words. Since her color did not look its best, he felt somewhat ashamed by the results of his jest.
“Peace, my lady,” he said, raising his hand
“You were with him all morning, Walter. Did you see any sign of this illness?”
“He looked tired, milady, that is all.”
She looked at her faithful castellan and then at her husband on the bed. “Did he say anything to alert you to this?”
“We spoke of the estates and the harvests and the strength of our fighting force.” He paused and met her gaze for a moment. “And he asked about your father and about you.”
“And what did you tell him of my father and of me?”
“I refused to answer his questions and told him to speak to you.”
“Walter, that was dangerous. We know him not. He could have had you removed from Greystone for defying him.”
Emalie stood and filled the cup with more wine. Her hands shook now at the thought of the actions her husband could take against a recalcitrant vassal. She needed Walter here, she needed him with his responsibilities intact and she needed him safe.
When the drink was ready, she sat next to her ailing husband and began forcing the brew into him again. “Pray, please tell me how he reacted.”
“He told me all the ways he could punish me for disobeying him and then he walked away.”
She stopped and looked at him. “I do not understand. Why did he allow you to refuse him?”
Footsteps and voices approached the chamber, so he whispered his words.
“I think ’twas a testing, milady. I think he was assessing the loyalty of those here and he got his answer in my refusal.”
Emalie wiped some of the wine off Christian’s chin as it spilled from his mouth. Her efforts to get him to drink were partially successful, but he would needmuch more in order to rid his body of this fever. Laying his head down, she looked at Walter.
“He looks starved. Look how his bones show through his skin here,” she said, pointing to his chest and his shoulders. “It takes some time to lose this much fat and muscle. What could have done this?”
Walter walked over to her side and looked more closely. “How do you know how much he had?”
“The queen talked about his fitness and his success at tourney. A man can not win without strength and size.” She heard Alyce’s voice outside the door and finished her comments. “I suppose we will have to wait until he can speak of it…if he will speak of it.”
Alyce entered with more supplies and Emalie was caught up in the care of her husband. Luckily, it was not as serious a fever as she first thought and it responded quickly to her various treatments. After a long night, the morning arrived and her husband woke, weakened but hungry.
Christian felt as though someone had hit him repeatedly over the head with a hammer. His mouth was dry, but his scalp was sweat dampened. Efforts to lift his head from the pillow seemed futile. His attempts did not go unnoticed.
“My lord, you are awake?”
Emalie fussed over him, adjusting the pillow and the sheet. Glancing around the room, he saw the remnants of a healer’s treatments—bowls, a chest of herbs, mixing accoutrements and a roaring fire in the hearth.
“What happened? I only remember returning here after…” His words drifted off as his thoughts did. He remembered struggling to remain upright in his chair as he heard the complaints and requests of the villagers.He remembered struggling up the stairs with some help from a boy. And everything went dark after he entered his chambers.
“Henry said you gave orders that I was not to disturb you. I ask your pardon for invading your privacy against your orders.” Emalie lowered her gaze and would not meet his.
“My lady, from the look and feel of this, it would seem to be a very good thing that you did so. I will not punish you for this transgression.”
His weak attempt at humor was not successful, for his wife paled at his words. Since her color did not look its best, he felt somewhat ashamed by the results of his jest.
“Peace, my lady,” he said, raising his hand
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