She cocked her head at him, wiping the last of her tears away. “You are not old,” she said. “You are ageless.”
“I have bits of silver hair about my face.”
“Those are merely bits of steel from your sword,” she said. “When you fight in battle, the slivers fly off your blade and into your hair. They become part of you.”
He laughed softly. “I like that,” he said. “I shall tell everyone that from now on.”
They smiled at each other for a few moments, joy and warmth filling the air between them. The past two days had seen such happiness overtake them, such giddy happiness, thatit was difficult for others not to see it. If there was any question lingering that this betrothal was not agreeable to both of them, that had been summarily dashed.
It was more than agreeable.
“My lord!”
A shout came from the gatehouse, and they turned to see Eddard heading in their direction. He was moving at a swift pace, jogging intermittently, and Roi let go of Diara’s hand for propriety’s sake. They were betrothed, but he didn’t need to be seen pawing her in public.
“What is it?” he called.
Eddard held up something in his hand, and as he drew closer, they could see it was a vellum envelope. He handed it to Roi, who looked at the seal.
“From my father,” he said, casting Diara a quick glance as he broke the seal and unfolded it. After reading the message quickly, he folded it back up. “I must speak with your father.”
He took Diara’s hand, and they headed back to the keep.
*
“You will bemarried here, before you leave, if you want to take her with you.”
Roi wasn’t pleased with that response. “My son is not even in the ground yet,” he said. “I do not intend to marry the woman he was betrothed to until he is properly buried. That is where I am going—back to Lioncross on the morrow to bury my son, and I would like to take Diara with me.”
“Marry her first.”
“Nay.”
It was a standoff in Robin’s solar. Roi had just received word from his father that Beckett had arrived at Lioncross and the family was preparing for his funeral. It would take Roi twodays to return to Lioncross, and he didn’t want to delay. He also didn’t want to leave Diara behind, but he didn’t want to marry her before he went. He didn’t feel that was particularly appropriate when his son wasn’t even properly buried yet. Everything had its order, and the order was to honor Beckett before he could take the woman who had been intended to be his wife.
But Robin didn’t see his perspective. In fact, he was being quite mulish about the entire situation. He sat at the expensive table in his solar, wine in hand and a stubborn expression on his face.
“I will not permit my unwed daughter to travel with you to Lioncross Abbey,” he said frankly. “What if you get there and decide not to marry her? How could you even think to compromise her like that when she is already… Well, it would be unthinkable.”
Roi cocked an eyebrow. “When she is alreadywhat?”
“What do you mean?”
“You were about to tell me that your daughter is already talked about in such ways, weren’t you?”
Robin bolted out of his chair, instantly furious. “In what ways?” he demanded. “What are you saying?”
Roi didn’t rise to the man’s anger. “I am saying that you were not honest with me in the least when you were not forthcoming with the rumors regarding your daughter’s reputation,” he said. “Do not deny it, for it would be a lie. You never told me that the House of de Redvers spoke unkindly of her. I had to hear about it from someone else.”
Robin was taken aback. “So that is why you feel it is appropriate for you to escort my unwed daughter to Lioncross?” he hissed. “Because her reputation is already compromised? It is a two-day trip. What were thinking of doing with her when nightfell, de Lohr? Did you think it would be a simple thing to damage her because she is already spoken of in such a way?”
That unfounded accusation had Roi’s dander up. “You have said many things over the past several weeks that have been slanderous and ugly,” he said. “You have bullied and annoyed my father, you have bullied and annoyed me, and now you are accusing me of immoral intention. I am telling you now—one more word from you that even hints at insult or petulance and you’ll not like my reaction.”
Robin wasn’t used to being challenged. He didn’t like it when anyone fought back against his tirades, so he stiffened with rage. “You threaten me in my own home?”
Roi jabbed a finger at him. “I make you a promise,” he said. “Any more of this bad behavior from you and I will tell my father to dissolve whatever alliance you may think you have with the entire de Lohr empire. We will no longer tolerate your childish tantrums, Robin. I am warning you.”
Robin was angry, but not angry enough to fire back at him. He didn’t want the de Lohr alliance removed, but he was coming to see that he couldn’t control Roi. More and more, he was coming to realize that. The man would do as he pleased no matter what Robin wished for him to do, and that awareness made Robin’s blood boil.
