Chapter Thirty-Two

A nnora stood with Manfred and Percival as she paced the area. She finally halted her progress and lifted her chin as she contemplated the rounded tower. ’Twas a slim possibility for someone to scale the uneven stones, but she believed that it could be done if such a person was sure footed enough and had no fear of heights. She only needed to find someone with enough courage to undertake the task.

As much as she wished she could perform the deed herself, she was not foolish enough to believe that Richard would ever allow her to risk her life in such a manner. He had been overly protective of late, even though the sword at her side continued to prove she could take care of herself. Still, she would not try his patience by insisting on taking such a risk. He just worried for her and rightly so. Such was your fate when you found yourself in love, she supposed.

“’Tis a mad plan, Lady Annora,” Manfred declared interrupting her thoughts.

“Aye,” Percival interjected. “Who would be foolish enough to make such an attempt? Why, they could get halfway up, miss their footing, and easily fall to their death.”

A heavy sigh left her. “There has to be a way to gain entrance to the castle. This may be the only one. We will have to ask for someone to volunteer.”

Percival had a snort of disdain leave his lips. “No one would be stupid enough to volunteer for such a task, my lady. Even if you offered enough coins to line their coffers for the rest of their life, ’twould never be enough to risk falling to their peril.”

Annora threw up her hands. “Well, someone has to be brave enough to give it a try,” she cried out in frustration.

Manfred shook his head. “I do not think you could ply such a person with enough drink for them to agree to such an endeavor.”

Annora contemplated the tower again as she mentally scaled the wall of uneven stones. “I know I could do it. I would only need to reach the second story window. Once inside, I know the layout of the castle and could easily find my way to opening the portcullis thus allowing our men entrance to take the castle.”

Percival scowled. “I may not know Richard Grancourt well, but I know enough of him to be certain that he would never allow the woman he plans to take to wife to risk her life on such a doomed endeavor.”

She bit her lower lip in uncertainty, thinking through how it might play out. Even once she was inside, there would still be risks aplenty. She would need help to turn the huge wheels to lift the gate which meant she would need to free her men who she was certain resided once more in the dungeon. With their aid…it could be done. It all could be done, and the castle could be taken at last. But how would she convince Richard this was their only choice in order to see her son and people set free? When the two men began arguing between them, she knew she would have to work hard at the task when she had speech with Richard.

She at last came out of her musings. “Richard will see reason with this plan,” Annora declared hoping rather than believing that her words were the truth.

“Ha! You best learn more about your future husband, my lady, if you think he would allow you to scale such an obstacle,” Manfred scoffed crossing his arms over his chest.

“Aye,” Percival agreed mimicking Manfred’s stance. “He will never permit it, my lady. Even if he did give his consent, I would rather undertake the task myself before allowing you to put one foot in your own attempt… and I do not care for heights.”

“I appreciate your offer to go in my place, Percival, but I have to try,” she said struggling to sound as though this task would not be all that difficult to achieve.

Manfred shook his head. “You can try all you wish, Lady Annora, but you will fail.”

Annora was about to make a sharp retort when Kingsley came rushing to their group.

“There you are, Lady Annora. I have been looking everywhere for you,” he said out of breath.

“As you can see you have found me, Sir Goodee,” Annora answered tearing her eyes from contemplating the tower.

“What are you doing this close to the perimeters of Meregate? Do you not know you could easily be pierced by an arrow at this range?” Kingsley inquired with a frown.

She pushed back a lock of her hair that had become loose from her braid. She had not thought of arrows raining down upon them but the fact that she saw no movement along the battlement wall implied that there was little to fear, and that no archers had been put into place there. An oversight of Tashe’s that she would like to put to her own advantage.

“What is happening that you have need of me? Has something occurred at the front gates?” she asked hopeful that this might be over soon, and that Tashe had finally come to realize that they could not survive much longer under the current state of siege.

“Nay, nothing of such import. Richard has sent me to find you,” Kingsley replied offering her his arm. “I swear I’m reduced to an errand boy.

“I am certain you will be able to raise your sword soon in the name of the Empress so lead on, Sir Goodee,” she said with a wave toward the direction he had come from. She had no need for his assistance and was perfectly capable of managing the distance to Richard’s tent, but the knight seemed to take it as a point of honor to lead her there himself, and she saw no reason to quarrel with him.

When they drew close, Annora was surprised to hear raucous laughter coming from within. The murmur of male voices proclaimed there were several men inside and she hesitated to step inside her dwelling.

“Who is—”

“The Norwood brothers have arrived, upon summons from the earl, to give us aid, my lady. Richard asked that you join them,” Kingsley answered before holding back the flap of the tent for her to enter.

The Norwood brothers! She gulped, thinking of their reputations, famed throughout the land. The elder brother—Wymar, if she recalled correctly—was called the Knight of Darkness for a reason. She had heard of his skill at the battle of Lincoln. Theobald, the middle one, was hailed as the Knight of Chaos, and he, too, had been known to have saved the Empress when Winchester fell, and they fled. Even the youngest named Reynard was reputed to be called the Knight of Havoc. She had seen him briefly when she was captured at Oxford on that cold winter night. Richard had teased her one eve that even he had learned he was reputed to be called the Knight of Mayhem. Their skill with their blades and fighting techniques were the stuff that legends were made of.

“Lady Annora?” Kingsley murmuring her name pulled her out of her thoughts of the men she was about to encounter.

“Aye… of course,” she finally answered as she stepped forward into the tent and Kingsley fell in behind her.

Five men lounged inside at a table—Richard, Blake, and three men with whom she was largely unfamiliar. With cups in hand, they appeared as though this was no more than a social gathering of friends despite the siege taking place outside. Kingsley went to the table, poured himself a chalice of wine, and took a vacant seat.

The knight with dark wavy hair and green eyes slammed his tankard on the table. “This is her?” he bellowed cheerfully. “I can see why you are so smitten, Richard.”

Another man with shorter light-brown hair and blue-green eyes reached over to slap his brother’s arm. “Be respectful, you dolt,” he declared with a frown before rising to his feet to bow to her. “Forgive my brother’s lose tongue, my lady.”

Him coming to a stand seemed to pull the rest of the gentleman from their stupor as they, too, rose to their feet.

Richard crossed the short distance and took hold of her hand, pulling her forward. “Lady Annora de Maris, may I present to you my friends,” he began pointing to each man as he introduced them, “Wymar, Theobald, and Reynard Norwood.”

The one called Reynard chuckled. “Friends? I would think we are more like brothers than mere friends.”

Richard tossed the younger man a smirk. “I stand corrected. ’Tis been some time since we were all together in one room.”

“Gentlemen,” Annora said with a nod of her head. “Your aid in this cause is most welcome.”

Wymar came forward and bowed before her. “We would do anything in our power to aid Richard… and our Empress.”

Theobald reached out for a pitcher and poured wine into another goblet. He stood before her and offered her the cup. “We are most pleased to finally meet the woman who has captured our brother’s heart. We were unsure if this day would ever come,” he said merrily. He lifted his cup high. “To the Lady Annora!”

Annora raised her cup at his toast before taking a sip. To be so readily accepted among them should bring her a fair amount of pleasure but the dire situation of Meregate continued to weigh on her mind. Richard ushered her to a chair and when she took a seat, she set her goblet down on the table.

“Where have you been?” Richard asked raising her hand to his lips. “I was worried when it took Kingsley so long to find you.”

Annora’s gaze touched on each of the knights at the table before she returned her attention to Richard. Now was as good of a time as any to tell him of her idea.

“I was at far side of Meregate inspecting one of the towers,” Annora began. She hadn’t even touched upon her plan as yet, and already a scowl of worry etched its way across Richard’s brow.

“Are you mad to risk your life by getting so close?” he asked.

“Did I say I was close? For all you know I was a respectable distance away,” she huffed in annoyance even as she secretly admitted that his words rang true. She had become so lost in her plan that she had not even considered arrows from above that might harm her.

A snort left Richard. “After these many months together, you do not think I know of your reckless nature where Meregate and your son are concerned? Of course, you were too close,” Richard replied reaching for his cup and downing the contents.

The men broke out into laughter although Annora did not feel this was anything to jest over.

Wymar leaned his elbow on the table. “You have your hands full with this one, Richard,” he beamed with a roguish grin. “The lady will fit in well with our wives since they are all of a similar nature.”

Reynard banged his tankard on the table. “A lady who can hold her own against the Knight of Mayhem! He is blessed.” The other men began imitating the youngest Norwood knight and Annora could see for the bond between this group did indeed go beyond mere friendship.

Richard held up his hand and the men finally settled down. “I assume you came up with some plan that might bring down Tashe.”

“I have, although you may not like what you hear.” Annora heard the grunt of disapproval before she even uttered anything further. “Please hear me out, Richard, before you decide whether or not ’twill work. I believe ’tis a sound plan, for all that it has its risks.”

Theobald took another long pull of his drink. “Aye… she will fit in perfectly with our wives.”

Richard shot Theobald a warning glare. “Very well, Annora. I will make every attempt to remain open minded.”

“This should prove interesting,” Wymar said chuckling.

Another round of jesting at Richard’s behalf began again with Blake and Kingsley joining in on the group’s merriment. She drummed her fingers upon the wooden table before they at last quieted down enough to listen to her words.

“Since our waiting game has gotten us nowhere near to having Meregate freed from Tashe’s grasp, I propose we arrange an attack at the front gate. With enough force of a battering ram, the portcullis will eventually crack along with the door barring our way into the inner bailey. The most important part is that those at the front will keep Tashe’s men preoccupied,” she began, though she could not keep the worry from her brow as she contemplated where her real plan would take place.

Richard’s own brow arched upward. He did indeed know her well. “And…?”

Reynard leaned forward. “You think there is more to her plan?”

Richard nodded. “Anything and everything is possible with this particular lady,” he said with an appreciative grin. “Please continue, Annora.”

She took a deep breath and held on to what she knew would erupt from the man she loved. “Whilst the men are busy at the front, I will scale the tower at the rear. I have been studying the layout and the stones are uneven enough that I believe I can climb up to at least the second story. I’ll slip inside and make my way to turn the wheel to open the gates.”

Richard’s mouth opened several times before he snapped his lips shut. And then his anger got the better of him and his voice exploded inside the confinement of the tent. “Absolutely not!” he bellowed in outrage. “God’s blood, woman, do you honestly think I would allow you to undertake such a task?”

“I’m light enough to scale the wall without too much difficulty, and once inside, I am the one who is best suited to take advantage of the situation, given how well I know the layout of the castle. Tashe’s men will be distracted by the frontal attack, and none will see me coming. The plan makes sense,” she said crossing her arms over her chest.

Richard threw up his hands. “Aye! If you wish a death sentence. We will find another way,” he howled in frustration.

“There is no other way. Any longer and my son might die of starvation,” she yelled back at him.

Chaos ensued between everyone gathered in Richard’s tent, and voices became raised as each knight attempted to get their point across over the other. Annora sat back and listened as they tried to come up with something that might not be so risky. In the end, they all turned to Annora who began again to outline her idea to scale a tower to free her son.