Page 271 of Historical Hotties
Thor nodded as if it meant nothing to him. His manner was completely unruffled at such critical news. Truthfully, he wasn’t at all surprised, given that the knights had had the run of Stafford since Robert died. As he feared, they viewed the castle as their own private kingdom. God only knew what they’d stolen from the Stafford coffers. Holding out a hand to tell the young soldier not to move, he casually went over to the carriage and leaned inside.
“Stay here,” he commanded softly. “Do not move until I tell you to. Do you understand?”
Caledonia didn’t know why he was being so mysterious, but she didn’t like it. It made her more nervous than she already was. But she nodded without hesitation.
“Of course, angel,” she said. “We will remain here.”
Thor winked at her and moved to the remaining escort, muttering something to the sergeant, who immediately nodded and then moved to the next man, muttering something to him as well. Whispers began going through the ranks of royal soldiers as Thor reached Darius and Clayne at the end of the escort.
“Do you see the knights who came from the keep?” Thor asked in a casual manner.
Darius and Clayne nodded. “Aye,” Darius said. “Why?”
“Because I am told that the two younger knights will attempt to kill me,” Thor said. “Send someone for True and bring him, and about a hundred men, back here immediately. Meanwhile, you two will disarm the two younger knights. I will take the older one. Show no mercy.”
Darius and Clayne understood their assignment. They began to head up through the escort, aiming for the three knights who were standing about twenty feet away. There were Stafford men on the battlements and in the gatehouse, but there were more royal troops in the bailey. Thor moved up on one side of the carriage while Darius and Clayne moved up on the other. Together, the trio headed toward the three knights who were watching the incoming party through critical eyes.
“Who is Cristano de Lucera?” Thor asked.
Two of the knights looked to the third, an older man with face like leather. He didn’t seem even moderately respectful of Thor as he looked him up and down, like he was inspecting a side of beef.
“I am,” he said, refusing to address him as “my lord.” “Are you de Reyne?”
Thor didn’t answer. He walked right up to the man and punched him squarely in the face with a ham-sized fist. Meanwhile, Darius made short work of Adan. Benedicto, a bigger man, put up more of a fight with Clayne. But it was a short fight.
Clayne was called Bully for a reason.
With the two younger knights subdued, Thor stood over Cristano.
“I am Thor de Reyne, the Earl of Tamworth and Stafford,” he told the half-conscious man. “I understand that you intend to throw me from my property if you are not convinced it is mine. Therefore, let me convince you.”
With that, he reached down and grabbed de Lucera by the front of his tunic. He dragged the bleeding man back across the bailey, straight to the carriage where Caledonia and Nicola had watched the confrontation. They were looking at Thor with big, startled eyes as he pulled his victim up to the cab.
“Sweetheart,” he addressed Caledonia calmly. “There is a satchel under your seat. My satchel. Will you please find it and open it?”
Caledonia quickly did as he asked. She knew he’d kept a leather satchel in the cab, unwilling to put it in the provisions wagon where the knights usually kept their possessions, so she found it under her feet and pulled it forth, untying the straps at the top.
“Thank you,” Thor said, giving de Lucera a brutal shake when the man tried to weakly push him away. “Now, inside you will find several pieces of folded vellum, but I am looking for the one with the royal seal on it. It is rolled. Will you please pull it forth?”
Caledonia rummaged around in it, as quickly as she could, with Nicola helping her. In fact, it was Nicola who found the scroll with the royal seal and handed it out the window to her brother.
Thor took it and dropped de Lucera back into the dirt.
“Here is my proof,” Thor said to the man, who was bleeding from a ruptured nose. He held up the scroll for the knight to see. “A decree by Henry granting me title to the Earldom of Tamworth and Stafford. You also know the former Lady de Tosni—she will tell you that we were wed and that the property is mine. Are you still uncertain about this?”
De Lucera was blowing blood out of his mouth, lying at Thor’s feet. “Nay, my lord,” he said. “I am no longer uncertain.”
“Good,” Thor said. Then he looked to Darius and Clayne. “Put all three of these knights in the vault until I decide what’s to be done with them. Put our men on guard. Once they are in the vault, I want you to gather every Stafford soldier down in the lower bailey.”
“Aye, my lord,” Darius said. “Where is the vault?”
Thor looked straight at de Lucera, who was afraid he’d receive another punch if he didn’t answer. “Gatehouse,” he said, then quickly added, “My lord.”
Darius reached down and yanked de Lucera to his feet. The older knight was still so woozy that he was having difficulty walking, but that didn’t stop Darius and Clayne from shoving him and his two beaten cousins all the way back to the gatehouse with the help of about fifteen royal soldiers. Already, the gathering of the Stafford soldiers was beginning as Truett returned with about a hundred men flooding into the bailey behind him. Darius relayed the commands and Truett went to work. Shouting could be heard all over Stafford Castle as Thor’s orders were in motion. Troops were being separated and de Reyne was taking control. Satisfied that he would have Stafford secured very short, Thor finally returned his attention to Caledonia.
“Well?” he said, smiling at her as if he hadn’t a care in the world. “Would you like to see your children?”
He pulled the door open and she moved to climb out, but she was still looking at him in shock over what had just happened.
