Chapter Twenty-Nine

E lysande and Reynard stood before their empress in her solar. The only other people in the room were Richard and his sister Beatrix. It worried Elysande. How severe would the set down be for the empress to feel it should not have an audience? Elysande hung her head whilst the empress bellowed her outrage.

"You ruined her, Norwood. I expected better from you," the empress bellowed.

"She is to be my wife," Reynard declared only to snap his lips shut when the empress pounded on the table next to her with her fist.

"The outcome was for me to decide, not for you," she yelled in displeasure.

"You, yourself, declared that the man who rescued Lady Elysande would be allowed to wed her. I was the first to come to her aid. I then announced her publicly to be my wife for her protection when the late hour required us to take shelter in an inn, given that we were unable to reach the castle before the gates closed," Reynard answered, standing tall.

The empress pursed her lips and then inspected Elysande. "Did he take you against your will?"

Elysande jerked her head upright. "Nay!" she proclaimed, taking hold of Reynard's hand. "I willingly gave my consent."

"I will have to take your word for it. You leave me with no other choice than to see that you are properly wed by my priest."

Elysande's smile went wide. "Thank you, my Empress," she beamed. "I love him very much."

The empress's brow rose. "Love? Bah! A useless emotion. Better to have an arranged marriage for land and titles than for love. But I digress from the point I was attempting to make. I will not have it bandied about my court that one of my ladies in waiting is nothing more than a common whore."

Elysande flinched at the curtness of the words flung about her from the empress. At least there were not many to witness her shame at being called a fallen woman. She should have expected such a reaction from the empress but that did not mean her words did not sting.

There was a sound at the door and the empress called out for whoever was on the other side to enter. Lord Constantine came forward, bowing low.

"Ah, Warin," the empress said waving him to rise. "I suppose you are aware that these… two shall be wed this day."

"I assumed as much, Empress," Constantine declared whilst turning his head to gaze at Elysande and Reynard. "There were no further altercations on your return journey?"

A snort left the empress but she remained silent.

Reynard shook his head. "Nay. There was nothing further to worry over. Did you capture Morcant?"

"'Tis the reason I am here. He is below residing in a cell in our empress's dungeon until she deigns to determine his punishment."

"He is the one who took Lady Elysande?" Beatrix spoke up taking a step forward.

"Aye," Reynard and Constantine answered in unison.

Beatrix gave a heavy sigh. "He always appeared so… nice."

A sound much like a growl left Richard. "You say that about all the men you flirt with. 'Twill be your downfall, sister."

The empress held up her hand. "Silence! Lady Beatrix is not the topic of discussion… at least today. Morcant will be dealt with but first, we have a wedding to see to. Lady Elysande, you and Lady Beatrix may leave so that you may prepare yourself. Meet us in my chapel in an hour. Norwood and Warin… you may remain here and inform me all you learned during your search for Elysande."

Elysande squeezed Reynard's hand, offering him a brief smile before she bowed once again to their empress and left the room with Beatrix. She had her wedding to prepare for and in an hour she would be declared Reynard's wife.

*

Reynard listened intently to Constantine's account of capturing Morcant. The empress had a frown upon her brow to prove she was angry at the details as they unfolded.

Constantine nodded toward Reynard. "You were right about Morcant. He was still sitting in the tavern eating and drinking his fill. He proclaimed his innocence on the matter of taking Elysande right before he yelled at his men to take us out."

"The bloody whoreson," Reynard cursed softly. He mumbled his apology to the empress who gave a wave of her hand for Constantine to continue.

"The altercation inside the confines of a small room were as you might expect. Confusing with tables and chairs being damaged. I paid the owner of the inn for the cost of repairs," Constantine said as though the monies mattered little to him.

"My friends were not injured?" Reynard asked.

"Only mildly. Blake suffered a broken nose but I am certain the ladies will only think he is more appealing once it has healed. Other than that, there were no significant injuries," Constantine replied before he continued. "While Morcant's men were being subdued, he made an attempt to flee out the back door during all the havoc of the fight. Kingsley brought the cur to his knees and tied him up to be transported back to Oxford with his men."

The empress reached for a chalice and took a sip. "It appears you all should be rewarded for your part in capturing the cur," she proclaimed, setting her cup back down, "although I suppose Norwood has the biggest prize of them all."

"A lucky man," Constantine drawled.

The empress gave part of a laugh. "You do not appear very disappointed, Warin. I thought you wished the lady for your wife?"

"I did," he said with a look to Reynard, "but the lady did favor Norwood and I would not truly wish to take a wife who pined away for another."

"Some marriages are made with less," the empress stated.

"Aye, but I should not choose to spend my life with a woman who would never come to care for me. Most unpleasant." Constantine reached out for Reynard and the two men clasped forearms. "I wish you a happy marriage with the lovely Lady Elysande."

Reynard was surprised at the good wishes coming from the man who was once his rival. "My thanks, Warin. May you find your own fair lady soon."

The empress rose. "If the two of you are done making friends with one another, we have a wedding to attend."

Reynard bowed. "What about Morcant?"

"He will be dealt with later once I determine exactly what his punishment will be. In the meantime, he can rot in my dungeon and be thankful he is not residing in the pit."

Reynard went to the door and opened it for the empress, who left them. He inspected what he was wearing and realized he best change and quickly. He would hate to be late for his own wedding.