It was no time before the bailey was a swamp of muck. The men-at-arms quickly became soaked through to their woolen undergarments, whereas the armor shielding the knights afforded them slightly better protection against the icy rain. The conditions of battle quickly became even more miserable, if such a thing was possible.
They were so busy in their attempt to gain a glimpse of the courtyard that they were barely aware when the door to Arissa’s chamber squeaked open. Lady Livia stepped into the room, smiling timidly as several pairs of eyes turned to her in rapid sequence. Noting that her daughter had chewed her fingersbloody with apprehension, she reached out to gently still the young, worried hands.
“We are serving the nooning meal in the hall,” she said in a pleasant, entirely forced tone. “It would do you good to be free of this room for a time and enjoy the offered fare.”
Emma had no choice; her mother had her by the hands and was pulling her to stand. When Penelope shook her head miserably, Lady Livia simply took her by the arm firmly and encouraged her toward the door.
“Come along, Arissa, Regine,” she said resolutely. “The battle will not be won or lost if you leave your post by the windows.”
“Who has attacked us?” Arissa asked quietly, her eyes still riveted to the fog beyond her window.
Lady Livia paused a moment, reluctant to answer. After a moment, she sighed faintly. “We cannot be sure, but your father believes it to be de Rydal.”
Arissa’s eyes widened abruptly and she whirled to face her mother’s lady-in-waiting.
“Revenge!” she gasped. “They are seeking revenge against Richmond!”
Lady Livia nodded in resignation. “We have not been able to confirm this information with Sir Richmond. He’s had his hands full since the attack began.”
Arissa’s calm had fled. Ovid de Rydal was intent upon killing her beloved, at the expense of Lambourn no less. Vengeance for the attempted murder of his conceited, pompous, dull-witted son.
Terror flooded her veins. Richmond had said Ovid would not attempt such a bold action as to declare war against his liege. He had been wrong.
“You have not seen Richmond at all?” she asked, her thin voice quaking.
Lady Livia shook her head. “He was on the battlements when the attack occurred. I am told had it not been for his sharp eyes, we would have been caught unaware. Thank God he had been on duty this night, not sleeping in his chamber like the rest of us.”
Arissa nearly winced, her desperate request resounding in the depths of her mind; she had asked him to stay the night with her. Her stomach twisted with the sickening realization that if he had done as she had asked, Lambourn would probably be in a great deal of trouble at this moment because he would not have been up on the battlements to sense the impending attack. Richmond’s own words suddenly came to bear, reminding her of the element of fate.
All things happen for a reason, Riss. Good or bad.
She was grateful that he had not remained with her as she had begged. Not only would Lambourn have been compromised, but Richmond’s men would have come looking for him. And they would have found him where he was not supposed to be– in her bed.
Saying a silent prayer to God for his foresight and wisdom befalling the chain of events, she followed Lady Livia from the room.
*
David and Lylehad been fighting alongside Lambourn soldiers since before dawn. It was a perfect situation for them; the Lambourn soldiers thought they were from a different house, and the soldiers of different standards thought them to be from Lambourn. Each faction believed them to be serving another. It was a perfect cover.
The siege was something they had not anticipated. They had managed to return to Lambourn during the evening, losingthemselves in the crowd and waiting for word to reach Ovid de Rydal that Richmond le Bec had made an attempt on his son.
They had fully expected le Bec to retreat from Lambourn after the ugly confrontation with de Rydal simply to ease tensions, but he had refused to comply with their plans. Instead, he had remained as steadfast as ever before. It was apparent that Richmond le Bec was not a coward, and unwilling to run from anything.
As frustrating as that had been, their annoyance had been fed when he had managed to shadow Lady Arissa as if physically attached. No man, or woman for that matter, was allowed near the girl as Henry’s watchdog stood guard. And they couldn’t help but notice what a lovely, fragile creature she was; white skin and black hair and rosy, full lips. Aye, she was a beauty unworthy of Plantagenet loins in their opinion. Her striking loveliness was better suited to a Welsh lass.
Even now as they toiled in the heat of battle, Richmond le Bec was grossly occupied with holding Lambourn. Wise enough to be aware when advantages presented themselves, David and Lyle realized that if they were going to abduct the lady, there would be no better time. The problem, of course, would lie in removing her from the fortified walls.
There were limited possibilities; the blockaded servants entrance that led to the huge field where yesterday’s games had taken place, the sealed front gate, or literally climbing the walls and lowering themselves down the other side. And not one of those three options looked particularly attractive harboring an unwilling captive. Still, they had to try. Owen was depending on them.
Leaving the battlements had not been difficult. It had been as simple as formulating an excuse to their superior officer that they were going for ammunition supplies and fresh water. Oncein the midst of the ankle-deep mud of the bailey, the guarded fortress lay straight ahead.
Having been at Lambourn since the day before, they had familiarized themselves with all known entrances to the bastion and moved confidently for the servant’s door near the kitchens. David and Lyle were seasoned veterans, thinking soldiers that had been at war for more years than they cared to recall. Their movements were confident, the gestures unhurried, as to not attract attention. As easy as they had anticipated it would be, they moved past the soldiers lingering by the kitchen portal and were engulfed by the warm interior of the fortress.
The servants were in a panic, rushing about in chaos. David and Lyle moved slowly through the crowd, bumping into people as they pretended to have a sense of purpose. In faith, they were attempting to orient themselves to the interior layout of the castle to best determine where the Lady Arissa might be held. Logic dictated that she would be kept to her rooms during a crisis and they set about to determine the best route to the second floor.
Nearing the gallery, their eyes fell on a host of people cluttering the huge room, nibbling nervously on bread and talking between themselves. Their trained eyes scanned the room for the dark head of their intended target as they struggled to maintain their casual manner.
Fate was on their side; the servants and household troops were so concerned with the events occurring outside that they scarcely gave the two unfamiliar soldiers a passing glance.
