Chapter Sixteen

A nnora pulled on Shadow’s reins and briefly closed her eyes. The saltiness of the ocean breeze was at last upon her lips. The faint sound of the distant waves crashing into the shore gave her a calming sense of peace. She opened her eyes to stare ahead. ’Twas the castle now within her eyesight that caused her breath to hitch. Home ! Meregate Castle rose tall on the motte and bailey bluff, the keep towering six stories high over the battlement walls. ’Twas a sight that had been absent from her eyes for well over a year and she did everything within her power not to rush forward knowing her son was within these very walls. He was so close!

“We cannot tarry long,” Merek reminded her quietly.

“That Stephen allowed me this one concession is enough. At least for now…”

“Then let us proceed so you might see your son,” Merek answered as he flicked the reins of his horse.

Annora gave Shadow’s neck a pat before she pressed her knee into the horse’s side to urge him forward. Brief images rose to the forefront of her mind as she at last drew near. She tried to calm her racing nerves by taking in deep gulps of air. But no matter how she might attempt to keep herself in check when they began to cross the drawbridge, she could in no way forget the memory of the terrible day when the castle had fallen into Stephen’s hands. The memory of those who had lost their heads would always stay with her.

’Twas difficult to forget how they had looked when they had been placed upon pikes outside her very gates. Those same knights who had been faithful to her household and had fought with valor to protect Meregate’s people, defeated and vilely disgraced. She had trained with them. Celebrated their marriages and the birth of their children. Her husband had been one of those knights and the ghastly sight when she had left Meregate unto a year ago still haunted her every hour, when she slept and when she was awake. ’Twas not a vision that could easily be forgotten.

She shook her head to clear her memories as they were hailed from above the barbican gatehouse. The portcullis lifted so they could enter. The dozen knights she could see standing guard above were unknown to her and she and Merek shared a silent look between them. That the gate was kept closed in the middle of the day told her much. Those who controlled her home until Stephen deemed her worthy enough to return would not take the chance of another invasion. With Stephen’s men on their guard and putting every precaution in place, Annora would need an entire army to see Meregate free from Stephen’s rule and clearly that was not a possibility under her current circumstances.

Annora rode her horse forward as they had entered the outer bailey. She took in the scene before her and witnessed large numbers of Stephen’s men who were training to remain fit in the open area where she herself had spent many an hour. There were far more here than she had expected. That chances of taking back the castle narrowed even further, and Annora shook off any thoughts of regaining control without a large force behind her.

Leaving the area finally brought her into the inner bailey. Whilst she came closer to the keep, she took a closer look at the condition of her home. Apparently, whoever was overseeing Meregate had no notion to repair the damage to the buildings from Stephen’s initial attack, for she noted that they continued to be falling around her. The people appeared half starved and weary, though when she jumped down from the saddle, several who were familiar to her began to bow and give her the respect they felt they still owed her. Their loyalty filled her heart with a brief moment of joy.

More knights unfamiliar to her came rushing forward to surround her whilst two others went to stand guard at the keep door. Whoever was the steward here clearly expected another battle to incur. They must be weak if they thought Annora and her captain could overtake Meregate with just the two of them. The fools.

One weeping woman came rushing from the stone structure of the keep and dropped to her knees at Annora’s feet. “Lady de Maris… you are home! We have prayed daily for your safety.”

Annora took hold of the woman’s hands helping her to stand. “Edme… thank goodness you are safe,” she proclaimed before she embraced the woman who had long attended her. “But there is no need to stand on ceremony for my benefit. I am but passing by and was given leave to see my son.”

“There have been many changes since you were forced to leave your home, milady,” Edme confessed softly, “and not for the better.”

Annora took the woman’s arm as she began to walk toward the steps of the keep. “’Tis clear to me that my people are not being taken care of in my absence. Are they not feeding you?”

The woman turned worried eyes downward. “I had best not complain, milady. Others are far worse off than I.”

“Who has been running the place? I will take the matter up with him,” Annora fumed, hating that she would clearly need to beg someone’s favor to see that her people were properly fed. Fear flashed across Edme’s visage and Annora patted her arm. “Never mind. I shall not put you in a position where you might bear the brunt of my actions.”

“You will not be… pleased, milady.”

“Nay, that is certain. But first things first. Find Leif and bring him to me in the great hall,” Annora asked watching the woman leave.

Not even in my own home and already I will need to plead for my people. What condition is my son in if the inhabitants of Meregate are half starved ? she thought before calling over her shoulder. “Merek! Come with me.”

Her ever-faithful knight fell into step but not before he voiced his thoughts aloud. “I like not what is going on here. You had best prepare yourself for the worst.”

“Aye. Whoever is holding Meregate in Stephen’s name does not appear to care much for those who keep the place running efficiently. Clearly, he is only concerned for his own needs.”

They came to the entrance to the keep and the two guards continued to bar their way inside.

“Stand aside and allow Lady de Maris entrance,” Merek ordered placing his hand on the hilt of his sword.

“You have been expected,” one of the guardsmen answered looking her up and down as if assessing her worth. “And you are late.”

Annora raised one of her brows. “I am on time according to my own schedule. Now, let me pass.”

The other knight pounded on the door and Annora could detect the sound of the iron bar being raised on the other side. When the portal finally opened, she stepped forward until she was finally standing in the entryway to her home. Yet nothing endearing about the foyer gave her comfort. Gone were her vases and gold trinkets that once stood on a table near the turret. In fact, the wooden table had been reduced to rubble and no one had bothered to clean up the mess. Breathe … she told herself before her feet took her toward the right where the great hall was located. She came to a sudden halt.

Her hall had not fared any better than the entranceway. What remained of her tapestries hung in shreds as they had been slashed to pieces. Remains of the tables and chairs were in piles, but a glance alone was enough to tell her there would not be much to salvage. In fact, the only thing they could be used for would be fuel for the fires to warm the place. But what shocked her the most was the man sitting in her husband’s chair. The very man who had killed her husband. Clifton Tashe… her sworn enemy.

“Ah… the lady finally returns home. Step forward, Lady de Maris,” Clifton ordered, waving his hand for her to obey his command.

Merek bent to speak directly in her ear. “Do not do anything rash, Annora. Remember you are here to see your son. You cannot do anything more than that if you lose your temper.”

“But he is—”

“He is the man you will one day have the pleasure of killing for his past sins but for now he is the one person who stands in the way of you being permitted to seeing your son,” Merek reminded her.

Annora knew Merek was right but everything inside her refused to back down, reminding her how badly she wanted to punish this man for all he had done. He was a traitor to the Empress, but he was also a neighboring landholder who had been after Meregate’s prime port location for as long as Annora could remember.

Meregate had been her holding prior to her marriage. The management had been bestowed upon Leofric once they had wed, although he had allowed her to voice her input on her home’s interests. She knew every nook and cranny of this estate and she would be damned if she would allow Tashe to tarnish the memories she held dear.

Annora began to advance, and the closer she drew to Clifton Tashe, the more her anger grew to the point where she longed to thrust her sword into his gut. It was almost strong enough to overpower her— almost. Even in the height of her anger, she knew that if she wished to see Leif, then she needed to dig deep to keep her temper in check. Still… he sat at his chair with a banquet of food within his reach that could feed half the people at Meregate for the next several days, and the sight filled her with disgust.

His protruding belly told her much… the people might be starving but he certainly was not. His general appearance was abhorrent, and she could only wonder when the last time was that this man had decided to bathe. His long brown hair hung in oily strands. His tunic was covered in grease where he had wiped his fingers over the fabric. If she looked hard enough, she imagined she’d be able to see particles of his meal within his unkept beard.

But ’twas the unsightly grin that he bestowed upon her that had her reaching for the hilt of her blade. His eyes lit up with what she perceived as desire. Now, in a mere matter of seconds, Annora again wanted nothing more than to run this scoundrel through.

“Easy, Annora,” Merek whispered from behind her. She took a deep breath and then took her fingertips from the blade at her side.

When she at last stood before her enemy, she did not bother to pay him any sort of formal courtesy of respect. He had not earned such an honor so, in her mind’s eye, what was the point of pretending by bestowing something upon him that he did not deserve? But neither did she attack him. She would be restrained—for her son’s sake.

“Tashe…” she managed to voice between clenched teeth. “I see you are up to your usual… appetites.”

“Annora…” he said licking his lips before reaching for a chalice and downing its contents. “Stubborn as always, I see. Do you not think it would benefit you to grovel at my feet?

A snort left her. “’Twill be a cold day in hell before such a miracle as that occurs. I am here—with King Stephen’s blessing—to see my son. Nothing more.”

Clifton leaned forward. “You should still pay me the respect due me as I am now lord here.” He sat back in his chair with the confidence of one who relished being in charge. Another pleased smile slid across his lips.

’Twas Annora’s turn to now be amused and a sarcastic laugh left her mouth. “Is that so?” she said taking a step forward. “Something must have changed in the last hour since I spoke to our King, for he informed me that once my service to him has finished I will return to my home to govern it.”

A crack in Clifton’s gloating expression briefly appeared before he placed a mask of indifference upon his face. “Aye… so I have been informed. ’Tis the reason why I have asked for you and I to wed. I but await the King’s decision on the matter.”

Annora choked back a gasp of shock. Married? To this foul scum? She would rather be forced into a nunnery than be wed to the man who killed her husband. Clifton began laughing, causing Annora to once again struggle to choke back the words she wished to throw in his face. Her patience was fading piece by piece the longer she had to stand in his presence.

Clifton clapped his hands in glee. “Finally! I have at last said something that has forced you to take my words seriously. I shall look forward to the day when we have married and you will have no choice but to obey my every command.”

She would not let this man get the better of her. She forced herself to regain her calm. She folded her arms over her chest and finally found her voice. “As I said… ’twill be a cold day in hell. But if such thoughts make you feel better for the sins you have committed, you may wallow away in them. I have no time to continue holding speech with someone who shall one day be a servant to the devil.”

Clifton pointed at her, his face turning red in outrage. There was a small flit of satisfaction that upturned the corner of her mouth at the thought that she would not bow down and concede to what he thought awaited her fate. “You will be my wife!”

Annora lifted her brow and gave a crooked smile. “Nay. I will not.” She was about to say more when the sound of running feet caused her heart to soar.

“Mama!” her son called.

Leif came running into the hall. ’Twas hard to imagine that her son would soon be eight summers as she watched him lessen the distance between them. None who looked at him could doubt this was her son with his tawny-colored hair and matching green eyes that sparkled in delight that his mother had returned home. She knelt down and opened her arms wide until he threw himself into her embrace. Tears of joy raced down her cheeks and she shed them freely before she looked up into Merek’s face to see him smiling. He held out his hand to her.

“Come, my lady, and let us find a quiet space for you to speak with your son.”

Annora took her captain’s hand and reached for Leif’s with the other. Her time with her son was precious and she would not waste a moment of it wallowing away in self-pity on what the future might hold for her here at Meregate Castle.