The Silken Cord (22 page)

Ariana’s mouth dropped open and her breath
froze in her throat.

At least four hundred men stood before them,
dressed in full battle gear, sitting astride large warhorses.
Another five hundred archers stood on foot behind the mounted
knights. Their colored banners flapped in the breeze, their weapons
gleaming brightly in the morning sunlight, their faces hard and
fierce.

Who were they?

As Edwin drew in rein, Ariana couldn’t
contain a cry of fear. Never had she seen such a terrorizing
sight.

Riders closed in on them from behind. Armed
knights rode on either side, closing them in.

Edwin wisely let the knights reach
gauntleted hands out to grasp the reins at their horse’s muzzles,
securing control over their mounts.

The coward. Wulfgar would have fought a
thousand men rather than submit.

Their horse slowed and came to a walk,
blowing hard. Ariana caught a glimpse of Markus sitting his horse,
just to the side of them, his face pale.

Ariana pulled at the tight bindings on her
wrists. She would try to break away if she could, but Edwin sat
behind her and held her securely. Instead, she clutched the pommel
of the saddle with whitened knuckles and began to pray. All seemed
hopeless, but she must not forget her faith in God. Surely He had
their fate in the hollow of his hand. Her faith was all she could
depend upon now.

Sitting at the fore on a gray charger, a
giant man of notable distinction rested one hand against the cantle
of his saddle. His war horse was the largest she’d ever seen,
pawing the earth with its powerful hooves. Power radiated from the
man and the other warriors trained their attention on him, waiting
for his command.

No doubt another Norman earl, come to war
against Cynan.

Ariana could only guess his identity. Fine
woolen clothing peeked out from beneath his chain mail. The
embellished trappings on his horse spoke of great wealth. She
didn’t need to be told that he was their leader.

Ariana sat silent and waited, careful not to
let her fear show. She was a princess of Wales and would show
courage to the end. Dafydd and Wulfgar were safe, nothing else
mattered.

“Ah, Lord Carlinham. So nice of you to join
us. What word do you bring me from Cynan?” the giant asked in a
gruff, bass voice.

The giant man knew Edwin. He spoke in French
and Ariana thought this logical. He was Norman, after all.

The horse shifted restlessly beneath her and
she could feel the stares of numerous men upon her. Warriors,
prepared for battle.

She resisted a shudder. Sweat trickled
between her shoulder blades and she wished to remove the still-damp
and scratchy woolen tunic. Tendrils of hair tickled her cheeks and
she brushed them back with her bound hands.

Edwin bowed his head with respect. “Your
Majesty. It is with regret that I must report Wulfgar de Conteville
and his band of outlawed knights have snuck inside Cynan during the
night and taken control. I’ve just fled the keep so I might come
and bring you word.”

Ariana stiffened and her gaze flew to the
giant’s ruddy cheeks and narrowed eyes. She felt the blood drain
from her face. His Majesty?

“King William,” she whispered, widening her
eyes with shock.

How had he come to be here so soon? Wulfgar
needed time to gather supplies and prepare the castle for siege. He
needed time to prove his innocence. If the king were here now, she
could only imagine what might happen next.

“Who are you, woman? And why are you dressed
as a boy?” the king asked, his eyes crinkled with intelligence.

A multitude of thoughts burst through
Ariana’s head. Would William listen if she pleaded for Wulfgar’s
cause?

Raising her chin higher, Ariana regarded the
long line of savage warriors.

“I am Ariana, Princess of Powys, daughter of
King Rhys of Wales. I wish to flee the tyranny of Edwin of
Carlinham.”

Praise the heavens, her voice didn’t
falter.

Edwin tightened his grip on her shoulders
and she jerked against him.

The king’s gaze narrowed, catching every
movement. “I can understand your animosity toward Carlinham. He’s
an enemy to the Welsh.”

“Enemy?” She gave a caustic laugh. “I would
choose a different word to describe Edwin of Carlinham. Evil is a
better choice.”

King William chuckled. “I see she holds no
love for you, Carlinham.”

“I need no love to get an heir from her. I
will take her as my wife,” Edwin growled.

Ariana shuddered as his grip tightened on
her arm. If her hands weren’t bound and she had her dagger, she’d
teach him a painful lesson. And then pray that God would forgive
her hateful heart.

Instead, she reared her head back, clipping
his nose. He grunted and drew back to strike her, but she sprung
off of the horse, rolling as she fell onto the soft grass. Edwin’s
horse sidestepped her and pranced away. Edwin dismounted and came
after her, drawing back an arm to strike. She stiffened and braced
herself to receive the blow.

“Carlinham.” The king’s brows had lowered in
warning. “The princess is a royal and will bring us great
bargaining power. I don’t want her damaged. Remember that.”

Edwin lowered his fist and Ariana breathed
with relief as she came to her feet. Though he wouldn’t brutalize
her, she knew the king would use her to his advantage just the
same. William would offer her no kindness for her cause. He was The
Conqueror, scorching the earth to win his way. He had earned his
title.

“So, Wulfgar has gained control of Cynan.”
The king’s brows knit together in thought as his horse stamped and
swished its tail at flies. “Do you know how he gained entrance into
the keep?”

He looked at Ariana, his eyes glittering
dangerously. Edwin shifted behind her and she sensed his heavy
glare boring into her back.

She shook her head. Never would she divulge
the location of Wulfgar’s secret passageway. “He scaled the walls,
my lord. If I could, I’d warn him of your presence.”

“Would you, now?” William showed a grim
smile. “No doubt you are smitten with the rogue. But I fear he’s
undeserving of your loyalty.”

“Wulfgar de Conteville has earned my
loyalty, my lord. He has kept his word to me and much more.”

The king frowned, his eyes filled with
sadness and regret. “I wish I could say the same.”

The king waved his hand at his men and
turned his steed toward Cynan. Ariana was given her own horse and
silently thanked William for this small concession. She was all but
forgotten as two knights came to escort her, riding along each side
of her horse, shutting off escape as they fell back in line and
proceeded onward.

Whistles and cheers split the morning air.
Wulfgar’s men waved their weapons high, laughing and clapping one
another on the back.

They had won Cynan! He was home again.

Joy bubbled up in Wulfgar’s chest as he
watched his men celebrate their victory. Standing in the gatehouse,
he smiled with satisfaction. Where was Ariana? He wanted to share
this triumph with her. He’d just been told that the townsfolk would
support his cause. Now, if he could find Carlinham, he’d get at the
truth once and for all.

“Evan! Evan, where are you?” A young boy
raced through the bailey, screaming at the top of his lungs.

Wulfgar glanced at the boy. His thatch of
golden hair and impudent nose appeared identical to Ariana’s. Could
it be? Of course!

“Dafydd!”

The prince skidded to a halt and turned to
look at him, his eyes crinkled in confusion. Wulfgar was not
surprised. The boy didn’t know him.

But where was Ariana? And Jenkin? Why was
Dafydd not with them, safely locked in the chamber above the
guardroom? Now the battle was over and the castle taken, Wulfgar
had been preparing to go and get them.

A niggling doubt filled his mind with
foreboding.

As he trotted over to the boy, Wulfgar
tossed a glance past his shoulder at Raulf. “Herd the prisoners
into the guardroom and hold them there for the time being. Get
Vachel out of the dungeon and see that he’s fed and cared for. Put
no prisoners in his cell.”

“But the cells of the dungeon are the safest
place.”

“No prisoners in that cell,” Wulfgar ordered
firmly. It would be horrible if one of them discovered the secret
passage and escaped.

“Aye, my lord.” Raulf nodded and went to see
to these tasks.

Wulfgar’s men stood guard over the castle,
searching every corner of the keep to root out Edwin and any other
man or woman who might defy the returned Lord of Cynan. Already
Wulfgar had given the order to set up defenses and clear garbage
out of the great hall. He’d clear this vermin from his home and set
things right.

Sunlight glinted off the water in the trough
by the stables as Wulfgar stood before Prince Dafydd. The morning
air bore a distinct chill, the sky clear and blue.

A perfect day for a conquest.

The boy backed up a space and tilted his
head as he stared at Wulfgar, his gaze wary. “Who are you?”

“I am Wulfgar de Conteville, Earl of
Glyndwr. Where is your sister, Princess Ariana?” Wulfgar asked.

Blood pounded against Wulfgar’s temples.
Urgency built within him and he was anxious for the boy to
respond.

Dafydd wiped his nose with the back of his
hand, his voice thick with tears. “Edwin took her. He let me go but
he took her and Markus. A guard killed Jenkin and Ariana’s gone.
She told me to find Evan. She said he’d know what to do.”

Edwin had Ariana? No!

A blaze of fury tightened Wulfgar’s gut. If
Edwin harmed a hair on her precious head….

Crouching down, Wulfgar took the boy by the
arms and gave him an urgent shake. “Where? Where did Edwin take
her?”

“There.” The boy pointed toward the room
where the sally port was hidden.

Ariana! In the hands of that monster.

Wulfgar hurried toward the door, his fingers
itching to circle Edwin’s throat and squeeze the life from him.

“Evan,” Wulfgar roared.

“Aye.” The Welshman appeared atop the
battlements of the gatehouse where he was organizing the guard in
case of attack.

“Take the prince. See that he’s safe. You
men come with me.” Wulfgar waved his arm at a cluster of Welshmen
who stood sorting the dead and wounded.

The warriors stopped their task and followed
as Wulfgar pulled his sword and raced into the room where wheat was
stored. Inside, he braced one hand against the frame of the door as
he peered out the sally port, his gaze searching the grass
below.

He smacked his hand against the wooden
frame. “Edwin of Carlinham.”

Edwin had knocked the ladder off the wall
and broken it in two. They couldn’t follow this way.

Whirling about, Wulfgar raced back through
the bailey and sprinted over bodies littering the ground. His men
followed him to the stables and, within minutes, they were mounted
on warhorses and clattered over the drawbridge.

Where would Edwin have taken her? Once word
spread that Wulfgar was returned, there was no one that would
harbor Edwin at Glyndwr.

He circled around the moat to the cliffs
obscuring the sally port from view. Sitting in the saddle, he
leaned over and peered at the tall grass, searching for signs of
Edwin’s passing.

“There!” He pointed to where the grass had
been trampled, the early morning dew disturbed.

Near the broken ladder, the glint of a shiny
object caught his eye. Dismounting, Wulfgar picked it up, turning
it over on his palm.

Ariana’s dagger. The jeweled hilt winked at
her in the morning sunshine. She must have dropped it, or Edwin had
taken it from her.

If Carlinham hurt her….

Clenching his jaw, Wulfgar stowed the dagger
in his belt and mounted his horse. Placing his heels against the
steed’s flanks, he set off after them, his blood pounding.

He would get her back. His own goals no
longer mattered. Ariana was more important than all the titles and
lands in the world. If he lost her, he wouldn’t be able to
breathe.

Please, God. If You’re real as Ariana says
You are, help me now.

It was the first time Wulfgar had ever
prayed. Loving Ariana gave him the faith to believe.

Edwin’s trail led to a corral sitting just
outside the palisade wall and then away from the town, toward the
south. They must have stolen a horse.

On Wulfgar rode, until he crested a hill
where he pulled his mount to a halt. The warriors with him did
likewise, staring at the scene before them.

“William,” Wulfgar whispered his king’s
name.

A powerful host of knights and men-at-arms
moved toward the north. The ground trembled with their steps. In
the distance, Wulfgar saw the king’s banners flapping in the
breeze. Edwin of Carlinham and Ariana sat different horses,
conversing with the king. Markus sat his mount beside his
father.

Wulfgar tightened his hold on the reins. How
had the king come to be here so soon?

Wulfgar needed more time to prove his
innocence. The king’s army was large and powerful enough to crush
Cynan. And Wulfgar and Ariana with it.

Wulfgar would never fight his king. Whirling
his charger, he lifted his arm and called to his men. “Return to
Cynan.”

As one body, Wulfgar and his knights raced
back the way they’d come. One thought pounded in Wulfgar’s mind. He
loved Ariana. He couldn’t stand to see her harmed. Whatever he
lost, he must find a way to free her.

And he knew of only one way.

* * *

Lifting her head, Ariana looked at the
ramparts of Cynan castle. Waving in the breeze was a banner bearing
Wulfgar’s crest.

A red snarling wolf.

Her heart plummeted. Wulfgar had regained
his castle but would lose it in siege. And this time, the king
would kill him.