“Take him to the cellars and lock him up.”
“Nay!” Glenna cried “You cannot! He is my husband. I am his wife,” her voice caught and she felt her throat tighten.
The baron looked at her, startled, and his eyes cooled and his expression softened. “That decision will be for the earl of Sutherland when he arrives, my lady. Until then, my stepson will remain locked in the cellars.”
“Donnald,” Lady Beitris said quietly, her voice filled with emotion. “His clothes.”
Glenna ran to Lyall and locked her arms about his waist, her cheek to his skin. “You cannot take him.” She clung to him.
“Do not, sweetheart,” Lyall said softly.
“You must take me, too!” Glenna said firmly and she looked up at Lyall.. “I will not leave you.”
Mairi came in the room, frowning. “What is this?” She faced her mother, then looked at the baron and Lyall. “What is happening here?”
“They were together after your stepfather forbade Lyall to touch her,” Beitris stated unemotionally.
“But ‘twas I!” Glenna cried out, looking back and forth between Lyall’s parents. “I came to him! Do not blame him. We are wed.” her voice cracked. “ ‘Tis the law! You cannot deny ‘tis the law. We have a right to share a bed.”
“Beitris, Mairi,” the baron said firmly. “Take the Lady Glenna to her chamber and see to her needs.”
Tears burned her eyes and she looked up at Lyall. To her horror she felt them spill down her hot cheeks.
“Do not cry, love. Go.”
“Nay, Lyall. I beg you. I love you.” She was sobbing now and could not stop, her breath hiccupping in her chest.
“Go,” he said softly and full of emotion, as if watching her was torture.
They gently pulled her away from him, but still she reached out, “Nay.. Nay…” Her crying bordered on hysteria, her breath hardly there, the noises coming from her mouth and throat pitiful, and yet she had no pride when it came to him. She would do anything. “Please do not take him. Do not blame him...”
The baron looked away from Glenna and threw a coverlet over Lyall’s shoulders, and gave Lady Beitris a look of concession, before he said, “Take him away.” And he left the room.
Behind him, the guards led Lyall out, her love, her husband, in chains, and Glenna slipped out of the women’s arms and sank to the floor crying, left with nothing that mattered.
32
‘Twas not long before something mattered to Glenna. Getting to Lyall. She made seven unsuccessful attempts to sneak, lie, and scheme her way past the guards into the cellar, but had only managed to make the baron so red-faced and angry that the entire the castle was talking and its routine was turned upside down.
Failure did not stop Glenna, since she was mere staircases away from him. How difficult could it be? There had to be some way. Another way….
So she merely gave up that course, and instead, went on a new plan: a starvation fast.
Glenna set the third supper tray, untouched, outside the chamber door and with one more starved look at the food on it, she shut her eyes and the door, leaning against it. Her belly rumbled and tried not to think of roasted duckling and root vegetables in a apple and wine sauce, the stewed cabbage with bacon and onions, and the hot crusty bread and butter that she had left on the tray.
The plum tart.
Was not long before she heard the baron bellow, ”This is heruntouched supper again? By God thumbs, I swear she will eat something soon or--”
“Donnald,” Lady Beitris’ voice interrupted him. “Calm down. You cannot make her eat.”
“I could debate that wife,” he grumbled.
“She is the king’s daughter. You cannot force her to do anything.”
“But what if she never eats? I cannot present her to Sutherland, ‘Here my lord, is the king’s daughter…his eldest daughter, the half-starved one.’”
“Come with me, dear,” Lady Beitris said. “Let us retire to our chamber, where I will pour you some wine, and call the lute and flute players. The music will calm you down. You can put your feet up and forget about all.”
