Royal Feud

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

A small leather hood completely covered Gaenor's eyes, leaving her hook-tipped,

slate-blue beak exposed. After untying the strings knotted behind the falcon's head and

pulling the hood from her using the tassel on top, he carried her to the fresh water bath

the falconer had prepared. He watched Gaenor bathe and drink as he conferred with

Denners about the other birds in the mews. When the peregrine signaled she was

finished with her bath by shaking the water from her feathers, he motioned for her to

return to his hand.

The bells tied to the bird's yellow legs jangled as Delvin carried Gaenor back to her perch, out of carshot of Denners. The bird's sweet "ee-chup" call as he stroked her head with his finger delighted him. She turned one of her brown eyes, framed with yellow rings, toward him as if needing to scrutinize him before being blinded again.

"Ah, Gaenor," he said, "you wish to be soaring free, ready to swoop down and

capture your prey, do you not, my girl? Ah, I wish it too. But duty calls today, I am

afraid. Tomorrow we will go hunting. I promise."

He refastened her hood and set her back on her perch. Gaenor wailed. Her long, repetitive waaa, waaa, waaa" cry sparked an echoing chord within him. "Tomorrow, my girl." Delvin turned away from her and left the mews.

ady Hermione.

"L The affable voice stopped her as she threaded her way through the crowded hall. Turning, she found Renwold at her elbow. The steward, to whom Lucy had introduced her yesterday, was slim and of average height. His thin lips were spread in a convivial smile, and his close-set brown eyes were cordial.

"Lord Ishton and Lady Lucy have not yet arrived, but dinner will be served shortly. Is there anything I can get for you, milady?"

"Ah, nay. I am fine." "Please let me know if there is ever anything I can do for you, milady."

"I shall."

With a minimum of movement, Renwold bowed to her, deftly turned, and strolled away toward the servants gathered at the entrance to the kitchen. Avoiding the eyes of the two ladies standing together by one of the trestle tables, Hermione kept her head down and proceeded toward the dais. As she passed a group of men on her way to the lords' table, one of them grabbed her arm and pulled her to his chest. She stared into his wild black eyes. The rage contorting his face stunned her.

"You ugly wench," he growled, shaking her hard. "You are the reason Alan is dead. Leave." He shook her forcefully again. "No one wants you here. Even the lord has kicked you out of his bed."

Paralyzed with fear, Hermione could only gape at him. As he raised his hand to strike her, she cringed back from him, her free arm coming up instinctively to ward off the impending blow. "Wulfric!"

The shout reverberated loudly in the sudden quiet of the cavernous hall. Hermione turned to watch Delvin storm toward them, her stark panic held at bay by the realization that he was coming to save her. Two knights, who had entered the hall with Delvin, followed close behind him.

"Get your hands off Lady Hermione now!" Delvin shouted. Wulfric dropped her arm and stepped away from her. Hermione hugged herself, trying

to still the tremors of terror racking her body. Delvin reached them, grabbed Wulfric's tunic around his throat, and slammed his fist into Wulfric's face. Wulfric went down and remained prostrate on the floor, clutching his bleeding nose with both hands as Delvin stood over him.

"Pack your gear and get out," Delvin said, his eyes narrowed to slits. "If you are on the castle grounds five minutes from now, you will be tied to a post and whipped." Wulfric scrambled from his position on the floor, ran to the door, and disappeared. "Bernard, follow him and make sure he leaves."

"Aye, milord." One of the knights bowed and hurried from the hall. Delvin swiveled toward the two men who had been standing next to Wulfric during the assault. "You miserable, rotten maggots. How dare you stand around while Wulfric assaults a lady?" Intense fury was evident in Delvin's voice. "Get out. You are no longer in my service."

Delvin waited as the two soldiers rushed to get away, then raked his gaze over everyone present, soldier and servant alike. "If it had not been for Lady Hermione's courageous actions, all of us would have been slaughtered in our sleep. Anyone who does not treat Lady Hermione with the utmost courtesy will be flogged. Do I make myself

clear?" His severe voice resonated loudly in the still hall. "Aye, milord." The other knight who had entered with Delvin spoke clearly. Renwold suddenly appeared next to the knight and voiced the same affirmation.

Following the knight and steward's example, the other soldiers present, as well as the servants, then echoed their words. "Get back to work," Delvin ordered when the hall fell silent again. As the hushed buzz of voices and the rustling of movement sounded again, he turned to Hermione. "Are

you all right?"

"Aye." Hermione dropped her eyes from his and bowed her head. Crossing her arms over her chest, she clutched her hands around her forearms. Violent shudders racked her body, but she was powerless to stop them.

"I am sorry you were subjected to such horrendous treatment at Ishton." Delvin's voice was soft and gentle. "I...I want to go ba...back to my room." Hermione could not keep her voice from shaking.

"I will escort you."

When he reached out to take her arm, Hermione flinched away from him. Delvin pulled his hand back from her and swept his arm away, gesturing toward the stairs. She concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other as she walked across the hall. conscious of the eyes of everyone on her, the rising and falling of her chest due to her own rapid breathing, and the clatter of Delvin's boots on the stone floor as he walked

beside her. Hermione climbed the stairs with leaden legs as her heart pounded, pounded, pounded in her chest. When they reached her chamber, Delvin opened the door and stood back

for her to enter.

"I will send my mother to you." "Nay." She took a deep breath. "I just want to be alone."

"As you wish."

Hermione closed and barred the door. Huddling on the bed, she raised her knees and held them with both arms against her chest. Cold. She was so cold. She could not get warm. She willed herself to shrink, to contract, to cave in upon herself. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she bit her bottom lip to stifle her sobs. She had to be quiet. The metallic taste of her own blood, of her fear, filled her mouth.

Lucy rushed up the stairs and met Delvin halfway down the gallery. "Delvin, Elizabeth told me what happened to Hermione. How is she?" "I do not know. She said she wanted to be alone, but I have never seen anyone react quite like that before."

"I will go to her now. We will discuss this incident later."

Lucy pushed past Delvin. She knocked softly on Hermione's door, then leaned her ear close to the wood to listen to any sounds inside the chamber. Not hearing anything, she tried to lift the latch but found it barred. Attempting to keep her voice gentle and unthreatening, Lucy called through the door, "Hermione, 'tis Lucy. Please let me in. No one is going to hurt you again."

Silence greeted her words. "My dear, please let me in. I only want to hold you and comfort you as your mother would do. As Lady Dorothea would do." Lucy held her breath and silently prayed as she waited.

Dear God, please prompt Hermione to open the door. Help me show her how much she is loved. She is Your child, and You love her as You love all of us, with total, overwhelming, undeserved love. You love each of us with an everlasting love. You draw us to You with loving-kindness. Precious Lord, I pray that Hermione may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height of Your love for her.

Lucy continued to pray for Hermione until the door opened. Hermione kept her head bowed and turned away, but Lucy still saw the younger woman's ravaged, tear-streaked face. Lucy stepped through the door, closed it, then led the girl over to the bed. After Hermione lay down on the mattress, Lucy gathered the distraught woman to her breast and cradled her in her arms.

Feeling the shudders racking Hermione's thin body and seeing the silent way she cried tore at Lucy's heart as she cuddled with Hermione on the bed. "Tis all right, my dear. Go ahead and cry. Let it all out. I will not let anyone hurt you, ever again."