Chapter Thirteen

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

S tefan was in one of the small corner tower rooms, scanning the inventory of old and dusty weapons as Aeron gingerly pulled them out, setting them aside and brushing his hands off on his tunic as if he'd just touched something horrible.

"What do you want me to do with these?" he whined. "They're all rusty!"

"I know."

"And there are spiders on them!"

Stefan shrugged. "You wanted to earn money to buy back your shepherd's sling," he said. "This is a good opportunity for you to earn money by cleaning these up."

Aeron wanted money, but he didn't exactly want to earn it. He would rather steal it, or beg it off someone, but earning it? The lad was close to another tantrum as Stefan tried very hard not to laugh at him.

"I do not know how to clean these," he said as a spear fell down next to him and he jumped, startled. "Look at them—they're old and dirty!"

Stefan bent down to pick it up. Because Aeron's voice was high-pitched, he could hear the lad with relative ease, so conversations with him weren't difficult.

Even if they were tiresome.

"And that is why they need tending," he said, handing it back to Aeron. "Clean these and you shall be paid."

Aeron took the spear as if it had leprosy. "How much?"

"A shilling for each spear."

"How many shillings to buy my shepherd's sling?"

"Twenty."

Aeron's mouth popped open in outrage. "Twenty?" he said. "It will take me a long time to clean twenty of these spears!"

"Not if you try hard."

"I do not even know how to clean them!"

"I will give you a pumice stone," Stefan said. "You can use that on the rust. The shafts may need to be replaced, but you won't know that until you scrub them down with something coarse to see what is dirt and what is rot."

Aeron frowned. Then he let the spear fall back to the ground and crossed his arms angrily. "You are being unfair," he said. "These weapons are old and dirty. They will never be used, so why must they be cleaned?"

Stefan cocked an eyebrow. "There is a lesson to be learned here, lad," he said. "Life is full of lessons, each one teaching us something specific, and I suspect your father didn't teach you nearly enough of them."

Aeron wasn't sure, but he thought he might have been insulted. "My father taught me many things."

"Like what?"

Aeron cocked his head in thought. "Like… like how to command men."

"And how do you do that?"

"You yell at them."

Stefan shook his head. "There is a little more to it than that," he said wryly. "If your men respect you, they will do your bidding without your yelling at them."

That seemed to confuse Aeron. He found himself looking at the spears again, kicking the one that was closest to him. "He never told me to clean old weapons," he muttered. "It's useless."

Stefan watched the boy fidget. He'd caught most of that mumbled statement, enough to get the gist. "Cleaning old weapons is not useless," he said. "You wanted to earn money? I am giving you that chance. You can clean these weapons and take pride in a job well done. There are very few truly worthless tasks, lad. A task is as worthless as you make it. It is also as important as you make it. Be proud of everything you do and do it the best way you can, because if you do not, the only worthless thing is you."

Aeron eyed him. He was about to say something more when Torran appeared at the armory door, motioning to Stefan when the man looked at him.

"Stefan," he said. "A word, please."

Leaving Aeron to fume over the amount of weapons he was going to have to clean, Stefan came out of the armory, glancing up at the sky as he did so.

"Eh," he said. "It is not raining yet, but I smell it. It is coming."

Torran looked up at as well. "Probably," he said. Then he looked at the man. "What are you and the young lord doing in the armory?"

Stefan fought off a grin. "He wants to earn money to buy his shepherd's sling back," he said. "I told him he could clean the old weapons and I'll pay him a shilling apiece. He does not think that is a worthy task."

Torran snorted. "He wouldn't," he said. Then he motioned to him again. "Walk with me. I must speak with you and I do not want curious little ears hearing what I say."

Stefan knew what he meant because he had to raise his voice when speaking to him, so he started to walk with Torran, heading toward the main gate.

"I take it that your visit to London had results?" he said. "The fate of the lady and the boy, I would imagine."

Torran nodded. "Aye," he said. "And it was most unexpected."

"What has been decided?"

This was the moment Torran had been waiting for.

He knew that he had to couch the situation with some tact because if what Andia said was true, this would not be welcome news for Stefan. He genuinely liked the man and didn't want to hurt him needlessly, so he ventured forth as carefully as he could.

"The most important thing that has been decided is that the young Earl of Ashford is being stripped of his title and property," he said. "Now that spoiled lad in the armory is nothing more than a noble-born child with nothing to his name. Your father has decided that Aeron will go to Canterbury and foster there. Both he and Henry believe they can undo the damage that St. Albans did to him by turning him against the king. Your father is certain he can bring him back into Henry's fold because he's young and impressionable."

Stefan came to a halt, his eyebrows lifted. "My father decided that?" he said. Then he shook his head and let out a low whistle. "That is quite a task he has chosen for himself."

Torran cast him a expression that suggested that was a ridiculous statement. "Face the fact that it will be you and your father's knights who will beat the rebellion out of the boy," he said. "Your father wants you to take the child to Canterbury on the morrow."

Stefan nodded. "Very well," he said. "And the lady, too?"

Torran shook his head. "That is where the most unexpected thing happened," he said. "Stefan, I do not know how much you know about my background, but I used to be a priest, long ago."

Stefan folded his big arms across his chest, turning his head to the left because his hearing was better in his right ear. "Nay, I did not know that," he said with interest. "You left the priesthood?"

Torran grunted. "Not exactly," he said. "A noblewoman tried to seduce me, and when I refused her advances, she told her husband that I had seduced her instead. It was enough of an accusation to have me exiled as a priest, and my father asked Henry to take me on as a royal knight. That is how I ended up in royal service. But it is also something I do not speak of, so if you could keep it to yourself, I would be grateful."

Stefan nodded sincerely. "Of course, Torran," he said. "I will not tell anyone. But why tell me?"

"Because I have a point," Torran said. "My father is the Earl of Bexhill. I am his heir, so that path is already laid out for me. But Henry has decided that, as a reward for my service, he is not only stripping the Ashford title from young Aeron, but he is giving it to me. He is giving me all of Ashford's property. He is even giving me Ashford's daughter in marriage, something I had never anticipated. As a former priest, I have lived a celibate life, so I do not mind telling you that Henry's decision caught me off guard. It was… unexpected, as I said."

Stefan stared at him a moment as he digested what he'd heard. Processed it was more likely. The words were rolling around in his head, and clearly he thought he hadn't heard correctly because his brow furrowed and he leaned toward Torran.

"You are betrothed to Lady Andia?" he asked.

Torran nodded. "By Henry's decree."

There it was. There was no mistake now. Stefan averted his gaze, scratched his head, and pondered what he'd just been told. As the moments ticked away, he finally cleared his throat.

"Well," he finally said. "That is disappointing."

"Why?"

He shrugged. "She's a beautiful woman," he said. "I have enjoyed speaking with her. I was hoping… Well, I suppose it's ridiculous to hope for such a thing. Why on earth would the daughter of an earl marry someone like me? I have nothing to offer her. I will not even inherit. And in a few years, I won't even be able to hear her voice, so why should she… Forgive me, Torran. Forget what I said. I am glad for you, my friend. Glad you have been given such great rewards. You have earned them."

Torran could see that he was upset, or at the very least, trying not to seem like he wasn't. "If it is helpful to you, know that I will treat her very well," he said seriously. "I promise I will make certain that she is always warm and happy and safe. I will take good care of her, Stefan."

"I know you will."

Stefan was still looking at the ground, and Torran wasn't unsympathetic. In fact, he thought the man had handled the news very well. Probably better than Torran would have had the situation been reversed.

But he had something more to say to him.

Perhaps something to ease the sting.

"Stefan, I want you to think about something," he said. "This is off the subject, but now seems like a good time. I want you to know that the Six and I feel that you have much to offer. We were honored to serve with you at Kennington. You are talented and we feel that we work well with you. So well, in fact, that I want to know if you would consider joining the Guard of Six."

Stefan hadn't been expecting that offer. "Me?" he said. "Join the Six?"

Torran nodded. "Both Henry and your father are agreeable if you are," he said, stretching the truth a little where Henry was concerned. "In fact, your father was particularly agreeable, so take your time to think about it. I do not need an answer right away."

Stefan was looking at him, his brow creased with distress. "Torran, I am honored," he said sincerely. "Very deeply honored. But you know that I have an… issue."

"I know."

"It is difficult for me to hear commands."

"We told your father that we would be your ears."

Stefan sucked in his breath as if he'd been struck in the belly. "You… you told him that?" he said.

Torran nodded. "Stefan, you must understand something," he said. "The Guard of Six is not comprised of the most perfect knights in England. It is comprised of the most im perfect knights in England. We are all flawed, so if you join us, you will fit right in. You'll be part of our strength, perhaps the most talented swordsman we have, and we'll be your ears. It's as simple as that."

Stefan's eyes grew moist. Torran could see it. The man lowered his head and walked a few feet away, head down as he pondered the proposal. Torran watched him, waiting for some indication as to which way he would lean, but Stefan was stone-faced for the most part.

He was mulling over something that could conceivably change his life.

"My older brother, Chad, was always the center of attention," he finally said. "You are well acquainted with Chad."

Torran smiled faintly. "He is a friend."

Stefan nodded. "A friend, an ally, an annoying bastard when he wants to be," he said. "But one thing Chad has that I do not is the fact that he'll inherit the Canterbury title. My youngest brother, Perry, has married quite well. An heiress from Lincolnshire, you know. He was rich the moment he married her. But me… Honestly, Torran, what do I have? And I said it before—who wants to marry a man who will not even be able to hear them in a few years? And who wants a knight for the same reason? So this offer… I never dared to hope for such a thing."

Torran's smile grew. "Does that mean you will join us?"

Stefan drew in a long, thoughtful breath. "All of you have swords with names," he said, turning to Torran. "Not just any names, however. Names that define you. Your sword is Absolution."

"It is."

"Kent is Insurrection, Jareth is Obliteration, and Aidric is Retribution, I think."

Torran nodded. "He is," he said. "Dirk is Destruction and Britt is Annihilation."

"Did you choose the name for your sword?"

"Nay," Torran said. "That was left up to the group. How we see each other, as it were. Names meant to give us strength and truth. Nothing is more powerful than the truth."

"I do not have a name for my sword."

Torran chuckled softly. "I can remedy that."

"What name would you give it?"

"Given what we saw at Kennington?" Torran said. "That is simple. Domination."

A smile spread across Stefan's face. "I like that," he said. "I can, and do, dominate."

"I know."

That brought a toothy grin from Stefan. "You have had an unexpected offer," he said. "So have I. This is a day for the unexpected. And I think that I should like to join the Six, Torran. I could not be more grateful that you see something in me that is worthy of the brotherhood."

Torran went to him, clapping him on the shoulder. "Thank Jareth," he said. "It was his idea."

"I shall, indeed."

"Good," Torran said. "Now, as the first order of business as a new member of the Guard of Six, which is now the Guard of Seven but we will not change it from its original form, you are to find a priest and bring him to Lockwood."

Stefan's brow furrowed. "A priest?" he said. "Why?"

"To bless my marriage to Lady Andia."

That took some of the joy out of Stefan's face. "Of course," he said. "Where shall I find one?"

Torran gestured toward the west. "St. Mary Magdalene is about a mile in that direction," he said. "Tell the priest it is for the de Serreaux family and they will come. My parents are patrons of that church."

Stefan nodded. "I shall go right away."

Torran watched him turn for the stables, but he stopped him. "Stefan?"

The knight turned to him. "Was there something else?"

Torran couldn't help but feel sorry for the man. They were back on that sensitive subject, and he hoped it was something Stefan wouldn't hold against him.

"I really will take good care of her," he said. "And I am certain there is a lady out there who would be thrilled to marry a big, strapping son of de Lohr. You simply haven't found her yet."

Stefan forced a smile. He didn't seem too eager to hear it, but at least he was polite about it. Torran watched the man head to the stable before turning and following his own path back to the manse.

There was a certain young woman in there that he very much wanted to see.