William nodded quickly. “Aye, my lord,” he said. “He will be along the road between Winterhold and Hawkstone?”
Caius looked at Kevin, who nodded. “Aye,” he said. “He will not be difficult to miss.”
William, young and limber, deftly heaved himself onto the back of the horse and took off down the street, spraying mud everywhere. Caius and Kevin watched him go before Kevin finally turned to Caius.
“Do you truly believe that Lady de Wrenville is in such danger from Marius?” he asked.
Caius nodded wearily. “I think any woman is in danger from Marius,” he said. “Now that he is Baron Darliston, he does not have his father’s calming influence, as weak as it was. I think there is going to be trouble. Come into the inn and wait for me. I must gather my things and convince my wife to stay behind and wait for me to return for her. She is better off here than in the middle of a tempest.”
Kevin nodded, tethering his horse next to the trough that had a thin layer of ice over the water. He broke the ice so the horse could drink. He was behind Caius, nearly to the door, when he spoke again.
“Caius?”
Caius paused just short of the entry. “Aye?”
Kevin took a deep breath, clearing his throat. “This may not be the right time to tell you this, but I have been wanting to speak with you and there has not been the time or opportunity. I fear if I do not do it now, I never will.”
Caius came away from the door and faced him. He and Kevin had their differences, mostly regarding Kevin’s brother. They worked well together, but it was pure professionalism on both their parts. There was no real chummy friendship and that was Kevin’s doing. Because of the choice that his brother had made long ago, to spare Caius the horror of serving as the king’sbodyguard as the Lord of the Shadows, Kevin blamed Caius for Sean’s predicament.
He’d never been shy about saying it.
Caius knew this, of course, but out of respect to Sean, and to the professional relationship he and Kevin shared, he was at least willing to listen to the man. He seemed quite serious, whatever it was.
“What is it?” he asked.
Kevin took another deep breath, appearing decidedly uncomfortable. “Do you remember when we first met?”
Caius eyed him curiously at the drastic change in subject. “Of course,” he said. “Seven years ago at Richmond Castle. Why?”
Kevin didn’t answer him directly. “And we have worked together many times since then, in many different missions for The Marshal.”
“We have,” Caius said. “What is this about, Kevin?”
Kevin fixed him in the eyes with some difficulty. “I have wanted to say this to you since my brother and I reconciled a couple of years ago, but it never seemed to be the right time,” he said. “This isn’t the right time, either, but it must be said. When I first met you, I told you that I would never forgive you for dooming Sean to the service of the king. Do you recall that?”
“I do.”
“I have always regretted saying that,” Kevin said quietly. “I have come to admire you a great deal. I know we have not exactly been great friends, but I was hoping that could… change. I do not blame you if you do not want to be friendly, considering how I have treated you in the past, but I know now that it wasn’t your fault that Sean did what he did. I suppose I wanted to believe that because it was easier for me to hate you than my brother. I am truly sorry. You are a man of honor and I respect that. I thought you should know.”
In the midst of their harried situation, Caius paused to acknowledge what must have been a difficult admission for Kevin. It was not exactly an opportune time to say such things, but Caius was glad he had. In fact, he realized that he was quite glad.
Kevin wasn’t like the other Executioner Knights. He didn’t have years of cutthroat missions behind him, tasks that had conditioned the Executioner Knights to behave differently towards death. They had become hardened to things; Kevin had yet to harden. He still felt things, and saw situations as only noble or immoral. There was no gray area for him but, in that sense, he had become the conscience for the group. If there was ever any doubt in a situation being ethical or unethical, Kevin would tell them the truth.
Caius respected the man for that ability.
He was very glad their relationship had evolved.
“Sean has always been like a brother to me,” he said after a moment. “You know I love the man dearly. And you… I never knew what to make of you, but I see that the little brother has grown up. The situation with Sean was no one’s fault, Kevin. We are knights and we do what we are told to do. But if I could have taken the position to spare Sean, I would have.”
“I realize that.”
Caius gave the man a lopsided smile. “I have known you for seven years,” he said. “I think I know you fairly well but, now, I look forward to coming to know you a little better. It took a man of honor to say what you have just said. I respect you for it.”
Kevin smiled timidly, perhaps with some relief. Caius flashed him one of those toothy grins he was famous for and opened up the inn door, ushering them both inside.
They had work to do.
Within a half-hour, they were riding south along the road from Whitchurch, heading straight for Hawkstone, and Emelissewas riding with them because Caius, in a complete change of opinion, had permitted it.
