Page 56 of Historical Hotties
“You have given me a view of myself that I have never seen before,” she said. “All I have ever heard is how unsightly my face is. That has been my whole life. But you… you see something different. You see what no one else sees and I shall always be grateful. You have given me… hope, Cassius. I shall never forget you for it.”
She felt embarrassed even as she said it, so she stopped talking and picked up her cup, drinking deeply of her wine. Cassius watched her, a smile tugging on his lips.
“You’re sweet,” he murmured. “I think I like you, Dacia of Doncaster.”
She just looked at him and giggled, unsure what more to say because she was quite certain she’d said enough.
“And I like you,” she said. “I am glad we are friends.”
“So am I. In fact, I am glad that I will be remaining here for a few more days. Mayhap we can become better friends.”
Dacia didn’t say anything more because she didn’t want to sound too happy that he was remaining. She wasn’t adept in the ways of men and women, and there was a fine line between gentle flirtation and reading too much into the situation. She’d seen that from Amata and she didn’t want to do the same thing. But if Cassius had been this charming with her cousin, she didn’t blame her for thinking there was something more to it.
But something told her Cassius hadn’t been like this with Amata.
Call it a hunch.
Before she could reply, however, there was a commotion at the hall entry. One of Darian’s junior knights had just come through the door, pushing through the crowd as he approachedthe dais. He had a harried look about him, young and excitable as he was, and some of the soldiers in the hall were standing up, curious as to why he seemed so agitated.
Darian stood up as well when he saw him.
The knight headed right to him.
“My lord,” he said. “There is trouble in Doncaster.”
Darian frowned. “What trouble?”
The knight gestured in the direction of the gatehouse. “We have many panicked villagers pouring through the gates,” he said. “Someone is looting and burning the town. We have been asked to help.”
“Looting and burning?” Darian asked, incredulous. “Who?”
“It does not matter who,” Cassius answered for the knight. He and Rhori and Bose were already on their feet, already on the move. “Rouse your garrison, de Lohr. You have a village to defend.”
Rhori and Bose began shouting to the men, ordering them to arms, and Darian’s junior knights began to take up the cry. Darian, caught off guard by the announcement of raiders and Cassius’ subsequent action, caught up to Cassius and grabbed him by the arm.
“This is my command, Cassius,” he said. “I will give the orders.”
Cassius could see that the pleasant relationship between them threatened to deteriorate into a competition. It was something he’d feared when Doncaster has asked him to stay but, at this moment, he could see that very thing reflected in Darian’s eyes. The man was a good knight, but he’d rarely dealt with trouble at Edenthorpe.
He wasn’t moving fast enough.
“Then give them,” Cassius said, not backing down. “While you are asking questions, men are burning down your village. If I were a gambling man, I would say it was probably the samemen who attacked Edenthorpe last night, so it is quite possible that this is a ruse. Keep that in mind when giving orders and do not empty your garrison of men or you might find someone else in possession when you return. Take half with you and put the other half on the walls or you might be very sorry.”
He didn’t even wait for an answer. He pushed past Darian, heading out to the knights’ quarters to don his armor. Doncaster wanted his help even if Darian didn’t.
Doncaster was going to get what he asked for.
CHAPTER TWELVE
It was chaos.
By the time Doncaster’s men arrived, the southern section of the village of Doncaster was burning. Cassius, leading a large contingent of men, charged first into the town, a street that happened to have metal merchants and smithies. The raiders had hit this side of the village first, decimating businesses, but the owners had appeared with swords and clubs and had chased many of them off, so the mercenaries had circled around to the market street.
That’s where Cassius found most of the fighting. The tunics of Clabecq were recognizable in the flames and moonlight, as they were not trying to hide them any longer. He unsheathed his de Wolfe-standard sword and plunged into the fight.
And a nasty fight it was.
Cassius was enormous and made quite a target, but he was also something to run from. Half of the mercenaries were moving away from him while the other half were moving towards him. Rhori joined him and, together, along with several hundred Doncaster men, engaged in a terrible battle that saw men falling, men running, and a few dying.
