Chapter Fifteen

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Totterdown Castle

Demesne of Lord Cirencester

"T ell me what he said again."

"The time is now, my lord."

Riggs Fairford clearly knew what Mathis meant, but Mathis had no idea. He was exhausted from a long ride that had started at Lioncross Abbey, escorting Robin and Ananda and Iris back to Cicadia Castle, but it ended at Totterdown when Robin demanded that he take a message to Cirencester. It wasn't even a written message, but a verbal one. Four very simple words— the time is now.

He'd had to repeat those words three times to Cirencester until the man seemed to understand them. In fact, his face appeared to light up with glee as he turned away from Mathis and paced the floor of a chamber in the keep of Totterdown that was barely habitable. There were holes in the wall, a floor that had some weak spots, and about a dozen dogs lounged over the place. For a family who was so legendary in their wealth, they certainly didn't show it.

"The time is now," Cirencester repeated succinctly. "That is very good news. You can return to tell him that I shall comply. Did he confirm that I should move my army to Colesborne?"

"Colesborne, my lord?" Mathis said, puzzled. "He said nothing about it."

Cirencester stroked his chin thoughtfully. "We already discussed that village, so I will assume that is what he means," he said. "It is the most logical place because it is in disputed land between Cheltenham and myself, so if I move my army in to claim the village, that will start the conflict. And then you will summon de Lohr, will you not?"

Mathis genuinely had no idea what the man was speaking of. Conflict? De Lohr? Something told him to play along and he'd get far more information out of Cirencester than he would out of his own liege because, clearly, Riggs thought that Robin had let his knight in on his plans. Mathis didn't even know there were plans until this very moment. Now, something told him to listen.

And learn.

Maybe he could figure out what in the hell was going on.

"If the conflict is big enough, de Lohr will come, my lord," Mathis said carefully, watching Cirencester as the man practically twitched with excitement. "He is obligated to."

"I know. That is why we have planned this conflict."

"When can we expect this… conflict?"

Cirencester looked at him. "You have heard it for yourself," he said. "Your lord says that now is the time. I will take my army, harass Colesborne, and Robin will be forced to summon Roi to defend his property. But I will need your help for the ambush."

Mathis was trying to make sense out of what the man was saying, but it was only growing more confusing. "Ambush, my lord?"

Cirencester nodded. Then he quickly moved over to a small table that was piled with clutter, throwing things aside as he searched for something. When he found it, he ripped it out from the bottom of a pile and went to Mathis, holding it out for the man to see. It was a map of Cirencester holdings.

"Look at the top of the map," he said. "That is where my lands join with Cheltenham, but only a sliver. Further to the west and it is Gloucester, so I do not want anything to happen on Gloucester lands or it will involve him. And he is not someone I wish to deal with."

Mathis was looking at the faded and stained map. "But an ambush, my lord?" he said. "Who are we ambushing?"

Cirencester tried to point to the upper-right portion of the map, made difficult because he was holding it open. "This is a heavily forested area," he said, avoiding a direct answer. "The king has used it for hunting before, so it is rich with foliage and streams and places where a man can be cut down and left, and it would take weeks to find his body. There is a place here, to the east of Colesborne, called the Withington Turn. I know this area. This is a road that goes deep into a vale with a stream. If we can lure Roi into that area, I will have men waiting to ambush him. It will appear as if he has been killed in the skirmish and no one will be the wiser, least of all his father. My only hesitation in this entire scheme is incurring Hereford's wrath, but in battle, anything can happen."

Mathis' mind was spinning with what he was hearing. Cirencester just explained the entire thing, evidently some scheme that had been brewing between him and Cheltenham. All of it to eliminate Roi de Lohr. But the question in Mathis' mind was— why?

Then it occurred to him.

The visit by Cheltenham last week. Robin's sudden change in mood. His aversion to Roi at the wedding and the festivities afterward.

All of it was pointing to a plot.

A plot he now had to pretend he was in on, or God only knew what would happen to him. Knowing Cirencester's history as a scoundrel and outlaw, he'd probably never make it out of Totterdown Castle alive. His heart began to race as a real sense of fear clutched at him. Steadying himself, he forced himself to be part of Cirencester's sickening conversation.

"There are a thousand ways to die in battle, my lord, and no one is to blame," he said evenly. "Hereford could not point the finger at you if his son were found facedown in a creek. And there are a thousand ways to direct Roi into that vale if, indeed, he answers the call."

Cirencester rolled up the map. "Of course he will answer the call," he said. "Cheltenham is his wife's father. He must answer the call, fortunately for us."

"And with Roi gone—"

Cirencester interrupted him, almost impatiently. "With Roi removed, Flavian becomes Cheltenham's heir and we shall all be one big, happy family," he said. "How long have you served Cheltenham, de Geld?"

"Nine years, my lord."

"Then you know how important it is for us to be allied by marriage," he said. "I have been stressing this to my good friend Robin for many years, but he chose to seek a de Lohr husband instead. But he has realized his mistake. A mistake we intend to rectify."

Now, it was clear. Everything. Mathis could see the big picture, and it shook him. To his bones, it shook him. His liege was in on a murder plot, and now he was in on it too. He was an honorable knight, a man of character, and this went beyond anything he was capable of engaging in. But he knew he had to play the game, to convince Cirencester he was part of the plan, or his life was forfeit.

It was more important than ever for him to get out of there alive.

"Then I look forward to being of service on that day your son becomes Lord Cheltenham," he said. "If he has half the instincts his father has, then he will make a good earl, indeed."

Oh, but he was laying on the compliments. He had to. Men like Cirencester were led by their pride more than their heart or their minds. True to form, Cirencester fell for the flattery.

"I am simply grateful for the opportunity," he said, feigning humility. "You will return to Robin and tell him that I will move my army to Colesborne in two days."

"Aye, my lord," Mathis said. "Is there anything else?"

"Not now, but there will be when my son marries Robin's daughter. I'm sure there will be much to do then."

That statement made Mathis want to throw up. But he held himself in check, bowing swiftly to Cirencester and turning on his heel. As he headed for the chamber door, he realized that he was shaking. With fear, with anger, with a lot of things. He kept his focus straight ahead and tried not to run to the stables where his horse was being cooled off from his ride there. Cheltenham and Cirencester were about fifteen miles apart, less than a half-day's ride, but Mathis wasn't going home.

He was going to the Welsh marches.

He was headed for Lioncross Abbey Castle.

The last he saw Roi, the man was at Lioncross. That had only been two days ago, so Mathis hoped—and prayed—that Roi was still there. Still enjoying his family, still enjoying his guests from the recent wedding. Nasty dealings were afoot, and Roi had to be informed that he had a viper in his family in the form of his wife's father. But strangely enough, Mathis wasn't doing this for Roi. He wasn't doing it for the man who had married the woman he wanted because, frankly, they'd never been close friends, so this wasn't a matter of friendship. He was doing it for one reason and one reason alone.

He'd seen the way Diara had looked at her new husband.

He knew there was love there. Because he wanted to see Diara happy, and keep her happy, he was going to help foil the plot to murder her husband.

For her .

Mounting his semi-rested steed, Mathis fled Totterdown Castle as if the devil himself was after him.