Page 11 of Always
“You are Lance. I heard your companion say it. And I am Lady Felicia of Avington.”
I searched my mind for any recognition of the name but could find nothing.
“My father, Lord Avington, is one of the king’s advisors,” she offered.
“Did he evacuate with the others?”
She shook her head. “No.” Her voice dropped so that I could barely hear it above the river. “He stayed because he did not want to leave me behind.”
My thoughts returned to the noblemen who had remained with the king, those who had been in his chamber with him when he’d died.
“What will happen to him?” she asked, the nearness of her breath making my neck tingle. “To all those in the castle?”
“I don’t know.” I closed my eyes for a second, wanting to believe Ethelwulf would allow them to live. The rules of warfare stated the terms of surrender: those of the nobility who bowed their knee to the new lord and pledged their allegiance should be spared their lives. I prayed Ethelwulf would honor that rule, although I suspected he was operating by his own standards. And I had no doubt many would be too loyal to King Francis to submit.
My eyes flew open as my instincts told me the Saracens had found a way out of the cave that didn’t involve jumping from the waterfall. They’d likely climbed down the rocky cliff instead. And now they were close by on both riverbanks.
Pushing out of hiding, I scanned the river’s edges and saw what I’d dreaded. The flicker of torches. Quickly, I floated back into the covering of branches, drawing us into the tangle of debris as far as I could.
Felicia started to speak again, but I bent in and pressed my mouth into her ear. “They’re near.”
She froze.
For long moments, I didn’t move either, relishing the gentle curves, smooth skin, and the warmth against my lips. An inner warning reminded me to distance myself, to keep a wall between us, to remain the detached warrior. Doing anything less could compromise the mission, distract me, dull my keen senses.
Nevertheless, a slow heat began to burn in my gut, a strange sensation I’d never experienced before. The heat spread until every nerve in my body was entirely too aware of her and the fact she was a woman. I couldn’t seem to stop the warmth from seeping outward to my limbs. Nor did I want to. Rather I wanted to press closer and breathe deeply of her. And only with the greatest of willpower did I hold myself back.
Was this what had happened to my few comrades who’d been dismissed from the guard? Had they been unable to resist the pull, the sway, of a beautiful woman?
Don’t let the feelings start, I mentally chided.Keep the door entirely closed. One crack could ruin the self-made control I’d developed into an iron will.
When she finally shifted slightly, I released a tense breath, but just as quickly sucked it in when she moved in closer, letting her forehead brush my jaw, her warm breath even nearer to my neck. She relaxed as if resting in the arms of a man was a perfectly normal, everyday occurrence for her. Perhaps it was. After all, she was a courtier at the royal residence not only to serve the queen but also to find a husband.
And had she? She likely had many men vying for her hand in marriage. No doubt she would be a favorite among the court. How could she not be? I hadn’t known her long, but even in the short time I’d been with her, I’d seen her courage and determination and dedication.
A shout from the bank forced my attention to the danger of the present circumstances. At the reflection of torchlight over the water, I ducked lower in the water, praying the glimmer wouldn’t reach and expose us. If it came near, we would have to completely submerge for a few seconds.
As the light drifted closer, I held my breath. Thankfully, Felicia seemed to do the same, sensing the growing danger.
When the light moved away, I let the tension ease from my shoulders. Even then, I remained silent, knowing the enemy still might be on the shore attempting to deceive us into thinking they were gone.
My mind spun with a dozen strategies for a dozen situations in which we might find ourselves. I had to be prepared for anything. Primarily I needed to decide where to hide the princesses once we were free from the Saracens. I wanted to stay in the river so that the skilled warriors wouldn’t be able to trace our scent or track our trail. But they’d be expecting such a move and would fan out further downriver and wait for our appearance. We’d have to go overland.
I conjured images of the detailed maps I’d had to memorize. I’d had to learn every valley and hill along with every creek and brook in the land. Now I understood why. For long minutes, I plotted our possible escape routes, discarding one for another. I tried to determine how quickly we could go and how far we could get before the babies would awaken and need attention.
If I could keep my thoughts focused on strategy, I could keep them off Felicia. The moment I stopped planning, my mind had a will of its own and came back to her, to her warm breath, which had grown soft and even against my neck.
After a short while, my instincts and the silence on the riverbanks told me the Saracens had moved on. It was time to make our escape.
“My lady,” I whispered.
She didn’t respond.
“We must go now.”
“Hmmm,” came her answer.
Had she fallen asleep? I calculated the passing of the hours since I’d first heard rumors the queen had been in labor. When was the last time this young woman had slept? Two days ago?
