Page 33 of A Dark and Stormy Knight (A Knight’s Tale #3)

W allace punched the wall as hard as he could, letting loose a roar of anger.

He paced back and forth in the small space, slammed himself against the iron bars, once, twice, before turning around and sinking against the wall of his cell, feeling like the weight of the world was on his shoulders.

Lord Dinsdale had not lied.

Amelia was now betrothed to Sir Rupert, and by the king’s will, no less, and even if Wallace were free at this moment, there was naught he could do about it.

The thought of mingling Wolfsbane and Dinsdale blood turned his stomach.

Out of jealousy, they’d murdered his father.

There was no forgiveness for that.

The king obviously saw this as a way to end the feud, he probably thought he was acting shrewd, clever.

Wallace clenched and unclenched his bleeding fist tightly, wishing one or both Dinsdales were in front of him now, and he could release his anger against his enemies.

What must his mother and Amelia feel at this moment?

And how weak he must look to Cara. Would she leave if she found a way home? Glad to see the last of him? The relief he felt that she did not have the necklace, did not have a way home, shamed him.

When she’d called down to him, hearing her voice, it had about killed him to be so powerless, unable to go to her.

He shoved at the bars of his cage.

Did the king mean to keep him here until after the wedding? Or until after they’d all left? Mayhap he truly would just hang him and end his misery.

His goal, to come here, to fight Sir Rupert and regain his honor and lands, would not come to pass.

He tilted his head against the wall and felt the anger drain out of him, and an emptiness take its place.

The pressure of the last years, losing his father, their lands, and trying to keep it all together, hit him anew.

It all felt so hopeless.

So pointless.

As if, perhaps, he was born to be punished.

Thoughts of Cara flitted through his head, her smile, her warmth, the way she seemed to have brought him back to life.

Was she yet more punishment? One more joy of his to take away?

Perhaps he’d done something horrible to merit such rough treatment? Left a deed undone, or, perhaps killed a man in battle, someone whom God favored?

He supposed he’d find out in the next life.

He raised a knee, rested an arm on it, and bent his head.

Perhaps he should wish for the next life to come sooner, rather than later.

* * *

An hour later, the wedding supper started to wind down, though the musicians continued to belt out one merry tune after another.

Cara barely touched any food.

She knew she hadn’t been good company for Gillian and Kellen, and was glad the place was crowded, and they had others to talk to, so she didn’t have to pretend she was okay.

Gillian cast her several worried glances, but let her be.

It was loud, people coming and going, inside and out, the wedding celebration obviously the successful party everyone had looked forward to.

The tables, five long rows, squeezed together, didn’t leave a lot of room, and she waited until it cleared out a bit before excusing herself to sit beside Lady Helena and Dori.

Lady Helena stared toward the front of the room where Amelia and Rupert had been invited to sit near the king. Rupert appeared to be flirting with Amelia and, as they couldn’t interfere, she pulled Lady Helena’s attention away.

“What are we going to do?”

Lady Helena’s expression was defeated as she shrugged. “I do not know.”

“Might I ask you for this dance?”

When Lady Helena glanced up, Cara did as well, only then realizing that a man was bowing before her, his hand held out.

She glanced to where the tables on the far side were being taken outside, and a small group was beginning some sort of intricate dance Cara would have no idea how to follow.

The man before her, young, red-haired, confident, waited for her to join him.

Cara shook her head, only wanting to dance with Wallace. “Sorry, I’m sitting this one out.”

With a look that said, your loss, the man continued on to find a more likely partner.

“Cara, how could you?” Dori hissed across the table.

With a shrug, Cara bent her head back toward Lady Helena, wishing at least one of them could come up with a plan, when they were interrupted once more.

“I beg your pardon.”

She shot an irritated glance at the elderly bejeweled gentleman hovering over them, ready to turn down yet another dance partner, when he said, “King Henry wishes to see you.”

Cara glanced at Lady Helena and swallowed.

Lady Helena gave a quick nod as Dori gaped, and Cara slowly rose to her feet.

She followed the man, probably a noble sent to do the king’s bidding. They weaved through the crowd, sidestepping a chatting couple, a laughing pair of ladies, and bumping into a few other people sitting on the benches as they squeezed past.

Eventually, they made their way to the wedding party, and her guide bowed to the royal pair, and moved away as Cara dipped into a low curtsy.

She shot a quick glance at Amelia, who sat straight, stiff, and proved she was her mother’s daughter by giving nothing away in her expression.

“Stand up, stand up, let me get a look at you,” the king insisted.

She stood before the king, who looked majestic with his bejeweled tunic, red cape, and the golden crown atop his head. His hair and beard were dappled with gray.

He looked her up and down, finally saying, “My Lady Queen has told me the most astounding story, and from the sadness in thy face, I cannot help but wonder if it is true?”

Cara could tell she was meant to respond, but had no idea what to say. “Your Majesty?”

The king, queen, and the entire wedding party laughed like she’d told the greatest of jokes.

The king, still smiling, said, “Lord Wolfsbane strikes me as a large, rather angry man, somewhat like the wolf his family is named for.”

Again, she had no idea how to respond.

“Oh, come, come. My Lady Queen has informed me that there is a love story to be had here, and one that I, myself, played a part in.”

She glanced at the queen who gave her a meaningful look and nodded as if to tell her, well, go on.

She finally grasped that this was her big chance, and she was blowing it!

Of course, you’re blowing it, said a nasty voice inside her head. Wallace’s life was at risk, and if his story continued the way she’d heard it, he’d get hanged for treason or something.

And that would be her fault, as well, if she didn’t get this right. Fear tingled through her, freezing her in place. So far everything she’d done had just made things worse, so ... she had nowhere to go but up.

She took a deep breath, gave the king her best smile, and though she hadn’t acted since high school, prepared for the greatest performance of her life.

She had to go with her strengths. If there was one thing she knew how to do, and do well, it was flatter the talent. In this case, the king.

“Oh, Your Majesty, though you don’t know me, you have no idea the role you’ve played in my life.”

She put a dramatic hand to her heart as she wasn’t against emphasizing her assets, either.

“When I was shoved from the edge of the crowd, and nearly crushed by a huge destrier, only Lord Wolfsbane’s skill with a horse, saved my life.”

She looked left, right, making sure she had everyone’s attention. “Though I do believe it was the fact that he was performing in front of his king, that gave him added strength.”

The queen smiled and took her husband’s hand, as he nodded at Cara in acknowledgment. “Just so.”

“Sire, when you gave Lord Wolfsbane permission to take me with him so that he could question me, I was scared, confused, and uncertain.”

She looked at the king again, and smiled, wobbly. “I should have trusted you. Obviously, you know your men better than anyone, and knew that Lord Wolfsbane would treat me like a lady, even saving me from myself when I ran away.”

“What happened?” The king asked, though she figured he already knew.

“I must admit I ran from Lord Wolfsbane, through the trees, looking behind me, fearing recapture and imprisonment. The bushes and trees became so dense in places, that I had to break through, until I was convinced there was no way I’d ever be found.”

“But you were?”

Cara nodded, determined to make the next part as exciting as possible.

“I was, or rather, I found three men, and thought to beg their mercy, and did just that, only,” she gasped in a breath, and held her hand to her throat.

“Only they were knaves!” King Henry laughed, inviting those around him to do the same, as he told the next part of the story. “They were blackguards and they attacked you, and Lord Wolfsbane saved you from a fate worse than death!”

“Yes, yes, he did,” Cara said, making her voice breathless, as any good damsel in distress would. “He came into the clearing, big, bold, brash, swinging his sword.”

The king’s lips twitched. “They should have known better than to attack a gentle lady.”

“They really should have, because in the next moment, Wolfsbane lopped off one man’s head as if it was the easiest thing in the world to do.”

The king laughed, and so did the others gathered around. “I’d wager that was a sight to see.”

Always give them more of what they want.

“You can’t imagine. The head literally rolled across the clearing, like a ball gone wild. I’ve never seen so much blood in my entire life, spurting from his body, a fountain of red, even as he fell over backward, his decapitated body hitting the ground hard. His head landed upright, eyes staring in horror, as if he’d seen the devil himself dragging him straight down to the depths.”

In all honesty, Cara hadn’t gotten that good of a look, but it made for good cinema, so why not?

After a shocked silence, the men all laughed again, as the women pressed handkerchiefs to their mouths, whispering to each other.

One woman sank into a faint, making the men laugh all the more as one of the other women quickly caught her, and held her on her lap.

“What next? I have to say, my dear, I am left wondering where you were while all of this occurred. One man down, two left. Perhaps you were on the ground with thy skirts about your head?”

The crowd seemed to press closer, chuckles and whispers growing like wildfire in the group.

Blinking, Cara put on her most angelic expression.

She saw no reason to inform this group that she had been on the ground, or else they’d twist her words into nasty gossip.

She pressed her hands in front of her as if in prayer, and said, “Why, no, Your Majesty. Though if Lord Wolfsbane hadn’t shown up at exactly the same time I came out of the brush, I’ve no doubt my virtue, and honor, would have been betrayed in the foulest manner imaginable.”

That seemed to please the king as he laughed again, and then motioned with his hand for her to continue. “What more, what more?”

“When the dead man’s friends saw what Lord Wolfsbane had done, they screamed, piercing war cries, sounds I’d never heard in my entire life, and never hope to hear again. The second man attacked Wolfsbane, slicing with his knife so fast I thought Lord Wolfsbane would be unable to withstand the attack.”

She paused and drew in a deep breath, pressing both fists against her chest as she glanced around the room. “Lord Wolfsbane backed away, and I thought that perhaps it was because there were two of them against him, but I soon realized it was to draw the fight away from me, to keep me safe.”

A woman in the audience made approving noises.

“And the knaves? What did they do next?”

Satisfaction filled her. The king was caught up in the story, as was everyone else. “At that point, it happened so fast, it was like a blur, like watching children fight against the strongest, most skilled warrior in the world.”

She looked inward at this point, remembering, and this time when she put her hand to her heart, it was to calm the fluttering. “One man,” she gasped for breath. “One was stabbed through the stomach, and when Lord Wolfsbane drew the sword out, it made the most horrible squelching noise.”

Wide-eyed she glanced at the rapt faces surrounding her. “He turned in a circle, and sliced the throat of the other man. Blood was everywhere, flying through the air, landing in the grass, trees, and bushes.”

She focused on the king again. “Just like the first knave, they were dead before they hit the ground.”

With cries of distress, two more women sank to the ground, only to be caught close by the ladies surrounding them.

Now was the time to convince the king to release Wallace.

She gazed into the monarch’s eyes and pulled in another deep breath. She pressed her fingers to her collarbone as she said, “Never, ever, in my entire life,” her voice gave a little tremble, “have I seen anything so heroic. He held out his hand and before I could even think, I was running to him, to safety, and jumping into his arms.”

Tears filled her eyes. “He swept me up as if I weighed nothing, held me while I cried, and somehow mounted his horse without setting me down. His strength was unbelievable.”

Everyone in the room was silent.

“Your Majesty,” she gave a slight curtsy. “Your sending me with Wallace that day, was the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

Even she could hear the truth in her voice. “I had no idea that a man could be so steadfast, honorable, and powerful. As you know, since I’ve been here, I’ve lost my necklace, which was to be my dowry, but I would lose it a hundred times over and still consider myself blessed, if I could keep Wallace.”

The women in the audience were wide-eyed, teary-eyed, and touched.

The king glanced around at his people, then drew in a breath, and held out his hand.

Cara was quick to grasp it, as she knelt on the ground before him.

“My dear, you have swayed my resolve.” He glanced around at the audience, and then to his queen, before stating, “I cannot let such heroism go unrewarded. We have had a beautiful wedding this day, been well entertained with music and dancing, and now by Lady Cara’s story.”

He glanced around. “Think you we could be entertained even more?”

He smiled at the enthusiastic agreement.

Cara, clutching his hand, waited breathlessly for his next words.

“Let us get Wolfsbane out of the dungeon, and reinstate the joust between Wolfsbane and Dinsdale once more.”

The crowd roared its approval, and Cara burst into tears.

The king pulled his hand away and awkwardly patted her on the head, even as the queen reached forward to give her shoulder a squeeze.

“Thank you! Thank you, Your Majesty, you are everything that is good, and kind, and I know with my entire heart, that your men pull their strength from you.”

“Aye, that is truth.”

“But do not forget, that the stakes are the same. If Wolfsbane wins, I will award him his lands and title once again, and you may consider them your dowry. We will let God decide on the battlefield.”

Cara nodded her acknowledgment and as fierce joy raced through her, she caught Amelia’s equally gratified expression.

“This is an outrage,” Lord Dinsdale came forward. “Everything has already been decided, finished, taxed!” He growled in an undertone.

The king shot him an amused look. “I shall decide what has and has not been finished. I am sure many in the court have wondered if perhaps Wolfsbane was cheated. I am sure your family wishes the chance to prove, once and for all, that is not the truth of it. No doubt Lady Amelia would wish to join her new family with the resolve that it is God’s will, as well as her King’s.”

The king waved a hand. “Have Wolfsbane brought forward!”

Cara quickly curtsied, “Thank you, Your Majesty, thank you.” She shot the queen a grateful look, and the queen nodded, seeming pleased.

Cara backed her way out of the crowd and quickly found Lady Helena.

“Make sure Wallace cleans himself up quickly.”

“What?”

“It’s like a scene in a movie. We need him to look like a hero, and not a villain.”

Without a word, Lady Helena rushed after the guards.