Caius looked at him. “I did.”
Hallam’s focus returned to the keep. “It was a gift from Lady de Wrenville,” he said. “Her husband gave it to her on their wedding night. It is an incredibly expensive piece, as de Wrenville purchased it to impress her parents. The inscription on it says ‘because I must’, meaning he gave it to her because it was expected of him, not because he wanted to. Lady de Wrenville has given it to Lady Emelisse and told her to sell it and use the money to repair Hawkstone.”
Caius very nearly cracked a smile. “God’s Bones,” he muttered. “Are you serious?”
“Quite.”
Caius shook his head at the bold, brave, and vengeful Lady de Wrenville. He was coming to think that she was a tribute to her Marshal blood. Knowing her husband had married her for his own nefarious scheme, she wasn’t going to let him get away with it.
“So she makes amends for her husband’s actions by giving away jewelry he paid a good deal for,” he said after a moment. “Bravo, Lady de Wrenville.”
Hallam cast him a long glance before fighting off a smile. “I thought you should know,” he said. “We are not returning Lady Emelisse back to Winterhold.”
Caius hesitated, unsure if the man was asking him or telling him. “I am not sure why you should bring that up, but in any case, you are here to ensure de Wrenville’s wishes are carried out.”
“And I shall,” Hallam said. “The lady will speak with her brother and try to convince him to surrender the keep. That is all I am here to do; to ensure that conversation takes place. But let me be plain– I have orders from Lady de Wrenville not to bring Lady Emelisse back. With Marius due back any day now, she does not want him or his father getting their hands on the lady.”
Given what Caius knew about Lady de Wrenville and Hallam, he could see that the man took his orders from the wife more than her husband, which was going to get him into trouble, eventually. Perhaps even now, with this very situation. As Caius was coming to trust the knight and even like him just a little, he didn’t want to see the man get on Covington’s bad side. As a legacy knight, that would be considered a failure of duty.
He wasn’t sure he should give him any advice or not, but he felt an obligation to.
“You should know that the lady has asked me to help her escape,” he said after a moment. “I have decided to aid her. You do not need to be involved. In fact, it is better if you are not. Let de Wrenville’s anger be directed at me and not you.”
Hallam didn’t seem at all surprised to hear that. “What will you do?”
Caius shook his head. “I do not know yet,” he said. “Let us get through the conversation with her brother first. I am verycurious to speak with the man, so pull your men back and let us begin this.”
Hallam nodded, spurring his horse towards the keep and shouting at the men who were there. Startled, they looked up at him, a few of them heading towards his horse. As Caius watched, he could see that there was a lively conversation going on, with Hallam pointing towards the keep and then waving his hand as if to wave it away.
“What is happening?”
Caius turned to see that Maxton had ridden up next to him. “Chadlington is clearing his men away from the keep so we can speak with the lady’s brother,” he said. “I suspect the man will not so much as open a window if he knows Winterhold troops are still around.”
Maxton nodded. Then, he looked around the place, shaking his head at the destruction. “What a mess,” he said. “If de Wrenville hoped to use Hawkstone as a garrison, he has all but ruined it. It will take a great deal to make this place habitable again. And all those dead? Christ…”
Caius shook his head, echoing Maxton’s revulsion. “That was completely unnecessary,” he said. “That kind of destruction speaks of de Wrenville’s unreasonableness. The man’s quest for destruction is something you’d see in a blood feud.”
Maxton grunted. “I am coming to think that de Wrenville has a touch of madness,” he said. “And I do mean that in all seriousness. He wants what he wants and believes his actions should have no consequences, not to mention the fact that he is truly at a loss when support is refused. Watching him speak with Edward was an experience that brought about those revelations. He truly believes he is beyond all reproach.”
Caius looked at Maxton. The man had seen much in his life, more than most men would see in a few lifetimes. He was wisebeyond measure, but he also had little patience and even less tact when it came to stupidity.
“Then tell me what you think of all of this,” he said quietly. “And you should also know that the lady is not returning to Winterhold. She cannot remain here, clearly, but she is not going back.”
Maxton nodded. “I assumed as much,” he said. “Where will you send her?”
Caius shrugged. “I do not know,” he said. “Would you be willing to send her to your home? De Wrenville would never think to look for her at Chalford Hill.”
Surprisingly, Maxton didn’t deny him right away. “My wife would make her welcome, of course,” he said. “But you know if I send her to my home, Andressa will have something to say about what is to be done with her. My wife gets attached to everyone in her care, a trait that makes her a wonderful mother, but also a trait that can interfere if decisions are made about Lady Emelisse. My wife may hide her fromusif we decide to send Lady Emelisse somewhere that she does not approve of, and she cannot remain at Chalford Hill forever.”
Caius grinned. “I’ve not yet met your wife but I look forward to the day,” he said. “Only a remarkable woman could have tamed the mighty Maxton of Loxbeare. But you do have a point. There needs to be more of a plan with Lady Emelisse than to simply send her away.”
“Have you spoken to her?”
Caius nodded. “A little,” he said. “She wants to hide out at Hawk Mountain until de Wrenville stops looking for her.”
“Hawk Mountain?”
Caius gestured to the big mountain behind the castle. “That is Hawk Mountain,” he said. “A magical and mystical place, I am told.”
