“I thought my father would be here, at least,” she said, looking over her shoulder at the great walls of Lioncross. “I wonder if I should return to the castle and escort them over to the field?”
Roi looked over at the castle also. “Did you ask Mathis or Pryce where they are?”
“Nay.”
“Roi!”
They both looked over to see Kyne waving Roi over to the middle of the field, and he obliged. As he headed over to a host of men standing around, Diara was increasingly focused on her missing parents. She mentioned it to Dustin, who offered to retrieve them, but Diara declined. They were her parents, after all, so she felt the duty should be hers. As the group of men decided what game to set up next, she scurried back across the road and in through Lioncross’ enormous gatehouse.
The castle was virtually deserted except for a stalwart crew of soldiers manning the battlements, and one very old knight with a Teutonic accent commanding them. Diara headed for the keep, passing through the entry and realizing that the place seemed strangely empty with all of the de Lohrs out watching the game. In fact, it seemed eerily still because the castle was always full of people. It seemed so lonely without them. She was about to take the mural stairs to the guest wing where her parents were lodged when she heard something coming from Christopher’s solar. Curious, she stuck her head in.
Robin was inside, alone.
He had his back to her, looking through something on a table against the wall. Puzzled, Diara stepped into the chamber.
“Papa?” she said. “What are you doing?”
Robin jumped, startled, and whirled to face her. He had something in his hand that he had yet to release, and to Diara, it looked like a missive. She pointed at it, but before she could speak, Robin interrupted.
“Looking for maps,” he said. “You know I collect many maps. I wanted to see if Lord Hereford had any maps that included Cheltenham.”
Diara wasn’t hard-pressed to admit that she didn’t believe him. Not for one moment. It was simply in the way he’d said itand his nervous body language. Furthermore, he had a strange look in his eye and was smiling far more than necessary.
Something seemed off to her.
“There are games going on to celebrate the wedding,” she said. “Where is Mama? I thought you would both come out to watch the games.”
Robin shook his head. “I am not one for games,” he said. “You know that.”
“But it is a celebration, Papa,” she said as if she had to remind him. “It will be humiliating if the parents of the bride are not celebrating the wedding and isolating themselves from everyone. I realize that we did not marry when you wanted us to, but—”
He cut her off, rather sharply. “There is no humiliation to be had,” he said. “I simply do not like games. Would you force me to watch them when I do not enjoy them?”
Diara was becoming impatient. “For my sake, you could make the effort,” she said. “Papa, I know we’ve not had a chance to speak since your arrival, but you should know that I am very happy with Roi. I realize that I was unsure in the beginning, but I have come to know him, and he is a remarkable man. He’s kind and thoughtful and he makes me laugh. He is a man to be proud of, so for my sake, will you please come outside and watch the games?”
Robin wasn’t fond of the request. That much was clear. He hadn’t been looking for maps, as he’d told his daughter. Simply put, he’d been snooping. With everyone over at the tournament field across the road, and he knew very well that they were over there, he had the run of the keep. He’d been able to read several missives between Henry and Christopher, between Christopher and some of his allies, and he got a general sense that Christopher controlled a world that Robin could only hopefor. It served to underscore what he had feared—in the de Lohr world, he’d be a bug against a swarm of giants.
He wanted his own world to control.
More and more, he knew that only his daughter could bring him that.
But he had to proceed carefully.
“There is plenty of time to watch men chasing after one another,” he said evenly. “I’ve simply been enjoying the hospitality of Lioncross. The castle reminds me of another place I have visited. I believe you have visited it, also. Do you recall Totterdown Castle?”
Diara sighed heavily. “I remember,” she said. “A big place that smelled of the dogs and pigs they kept in the hall. It was a horrible place.”
Robin shrugged. “Horrible but big,” he said. “Big like Lioncross’ keep. It’s also rich like Lioncross.”
“Papa, I have no desire to speak on Totterdown Castle,” she said. “Will youpleasecome to the field with me?”
Robin looked at her with displeasure in his eyes. “Can you not spend just a few moments alone with your father?” he nearly demanded. “Must we only see one another when you are in a crowd of de Lohrs? As you said, I did not have the opportunity to speak to you at all during or after your wedding. During the feast, you only had eyes for your husband. I realize you feel that you can belittle and humiliate me now that you have married Roi, but let me assure you that your control of the situation is only temporary. Soon enough, you’ll understand your place and you will give me the respect I am due.”
Diara was looking at him with concern after that little diatribe. “Control of the situation?” she repeated, puzzled. “What does that mean? I have no control over anything. And if my attention is on Roi, it is because he is my husband. That is where my attention should be.”
Robin realized he’d said too much in his irritation, but it was an effort not to say more. He very much wanted to because it seemed to him that his daughter’s focus on Roi had somehow weakened her respect for him. He could pinpoint it to the moment back at Cicadia when he had wanted them to marry right away and Roi refused.
That had been the beginning of the end, for everything. He was rather hoping that had been an isolated incident and that the marriage was not at all a happy one for her, but he knew he’d been living a false dream with that hope. From what he saw at the wedding ceremony, the two of them were quite enamored with each other.
