Page 90 of The Robber Knight
Reuben looked up at Ayla, who stood in the doorwaysmiling, and was sure that not all his sweating came from thefever. Christ, she had only said his name and “hello”! What was thematter with him? His name was nothing special. Well, in fact, itwasspecial. After all, it was thename of Sir Reuben Rachwild himself, but still—he had heard itoften enough before. Why did it sound so special coming from herlips?
Appreciatively, his gaze swept over the ivoryskin of her face and the maidenly figure concealed by the whitedress she was wearing. Now that he thought about it, that could beenough reason for him to start sweating...
“Greetings, Milady,” he said with a smile sodazzling that it could charm the pants off anybody. And hopefullythe skirts, too.
Ayla didn't lose her skirts, but she didblush and her smile broadened, which gave Reuben immensesatisfaction. Never for a moment had he doubted the efficiency ofhis charms—but the girl, however intriguing she might be, wasprobably also not quite right in the head. Reuben hadn't forgottenthe strange objects in her saddlebags that day he had robbed her inthe forest, and he had been concerned whether his charms wouldaffect a creature such as this. Apparently, they worked just aswell on crazy girls as on normal people. How gratifying.
“You know, you don't always have to call meby my title,” Ayla chided him. “Most of the people I looked afterat the nunnery where I learned the craft of healing never did,either.” But in spite of her words, Reuben could tell she waspleased by his use of the title. Some girls were like that, theyliked respectful and old-fashioned manners. He thought she would beone of those, and he had been absolutely right.
“What if I want to?” he asked. “You are abeautiful young lady and deserve to be honored with the title. Infact, I would rather think 'queen' more appropriate than simply'Milady'.”
This piece of flattery, however, didn't haveits intended effect. Instead of fluttering her eyelashes at himsuggestively, like any lady at the Imperial Court would have done,Ayla didn't even seem to register his compliment on her beauty.Instead, her face fell and she busied herself with the linen andwater she had brought, so as not to have to meet his gaze.
“I'm no queen,” she mumbled. “I don't evendeserve to be the lady of a castle. Now turn over, will you? I haveto change your cataplasms.”
Reuben didn't move. “What's wrong?” he askedwith a softness in his voice that surprised even himself.
Ayla's eyes flitted to the gray-beardedknight on the other bed.
“Oh.” Now Reuben understood. “My newroommate?”
“Yes,” Ayla whispered.
“But surely you don't blame yourself forthat. He went onto the battlefield to protect you, to fulfill hisoath of fealty. That he lies here isn't your fault, but the faultof the man who struck him down.”
“No, I don't blame myself for what happened,Reuben.”
He studied her face closely. “But you doblame yourself forsomething?”
“How is it you know me so well?” Ayla asked,seeming half annoyed, half amused.
“Well, you've had a pretty close look at meover the last few days. I've tried to do my best to return thefavor,” he said, grinning up at her and lifting a suggestiveeyebrow.
She smacked him with a wet cloth. “You becareful what you say or I'll stuff one of these down yourthroat!”
“Yes, Milady. Certainly, Milady.” He waitedfor a few moments, but when she didn't say anything, just continuedher ministrations in silence, he asked: , “So, what is it you blameyourself for?”
“You don't give up, do you?”
“Never.”
The playful mood in the room shifted, andwhen Ayla continued, her voice was soft and somber. “I blame myselffor not knowing what to do, now that he's not there anymore. A realmistress of a castle should know what to do. She would know how todefend her lands and her people.”
Reuben smirked. “Are young girls hereaboutsusually taught swordplay? Did your father forget that in youreducation?”
“Of course not!”
“Neither is that practice very widespreadanywhere else, I think. That's hardly your fault.”
“I wasn't talking about defending my landspersonally, with a sword in my hand. I was talking about knowingwhat to do. What orders to give, how to appear as a confidentleader, what to expect of the enemy. They are planning something, Iknow it. I just have no idea what, and I feel lost and alone.”
You won't be alone muchlonger, Reuben thought.As soon asI get off this sickbed, I will make your enemies quake in theirboots.
But it was too early for that. He couldn'tsay it. Even if he could, she wouldn't believe him.
And if she did, shewould hang you, came the grizzly afterthought.
A fresh cataplasm was wrapped around Reuben'scalf by Ayla's gentle hands. He shuddered under the touch—and notbecause of the coldness of the water. Satan's hairy ass! This girlwas... alluring. Despite the fact that, or maybe even because, shewanted to see him swing from the highest tower.
