"I don't understand." Even speaking hurt and when Burke landed another kick to his stomach, he coughed and retched.
"My mother was Welsh, but you never knew that. And when my father was executed, we returned to her family. My revenge is at hand."
"That was not my doing, nor Edward's."
Burke let loose a maniacal laugh. "His father destroyed me, and now I destroy the sons as well. And when your bastard is born, I will kill it, and then your wife."
Wait, did Burke just tell him Gillian was pregnant? Carried his child? He should be overjoyed, but helpless and caught, he could find no happiness in this news. He looked toward the king's men. They had been stripped of their weapons, their hands bound.
Royce now knew the reasons the letters had seemed odd to him. Before he could start to put all the pieces of truth together, a kick to his head sent him into darkness.
***
His head throbbed, his mouth was dry and as he opened his eyes, he realized one was swollen shut. He lifted his head and tried to rub his face. He could not move.
His arms were chained above his head, his feet barely brushing the floor. The position left his shoulders and wrists aching from the strain. He tugged against the restraints, but could not free himself. Where was he? As his eyes adjusted to the dim surroundings, he realized he stood in what appeared to be a crumbling building. He searchedthe chamber for more clues, finding none, but more than ever became convinced he was at Apshire. It had been years since he'd visited, but through the arrow slits, he could make out the unmistakable octagonal tower that was a symbol of the ruined keep. He wasn't very far from Lyndon.
Gillian. Was she safe? Hurt or... he didn't dare think the worst. Did she know of Burke's duplicity? Surely she must, for if Burke was truly Godwin, then he was Anne's lover. No doubt that viper proved dangerous, and if she had dared harm Gillian... He tugged against his bonds again, but he succeeded only in making a racket that slammed into his already aching head.
"The chains are quite strong. They will even hold a Panther."
The familiar voice reached him from across the darkened chamber. Burke. Or rather, Godwin. A surge of rage near gave him the strength to pull the chains right from the stone walls, but he remained captive.
The sound of footsteps grew louder, until finally, Burke stood before him, illuminated in the light streaming through the arrow slits. He met Burke's gaze, stunned by the depth of the hatred in the other man's eyes. Burke watched him closely, as if he contemplated carefully his next words.
"This has not been easy, you know, keeping myself above suspicion all this time," Burke said. "Keeping your wife under suspicion was much easier."
Royce closed his functioning eye and leaned his head back against the wall. Burke tapped his face with his glove, forcing Royce to look at him once more.
"I won't tolerate such disrespect. You are now no more than horse dung and I am the lord here. This is my home, though not for long. Soon, Lyndon and eventually the entire border will be mine. After that, the crown."
"Why?"
"Why?" Burke threw his head back and laughed, a high-pitched maniacal sound. Abruptly, he stopped andlooked straight at Royce once more, his lip curled in a sneer. "Because in England, I am nothing. I have nothing and never will."
"Burke, we gave you Apshire. There would have been more eventually."
Burke spat on the ground. "A ruined manor, with few servants to work the land. It was a meager attempt to assuage Edward's guilt over his father's actions. I don't want your leftovers. I should have had as much, perhaps more than you. I fostered with both you and Edward. But no one came to my aid when I was cast from my home, named a criminal."
"Edward and I welcomed you back, restored you as much as we could."
Burke sneered. "He's the king. He could have returned me to my status, instead of leaving me to depend on your charity for a position in your garrison. Tell me why I should be grateful for that."
"I spoke up for you; you were there when I asked Edward to grant you a title and lands."
Royce's thoughts swam, too many to focus on any clearly. The one thing he did want to know was how he didn't see the signs of Burke's hatred ere now?
"And once he said no, you did nothing more, except hire me as your captain. I was no better than your horse."
Before Royce realized what Burke intended, the blow to his stomach left him breathless. Unable to bend over, defend himself, the next strike left him gasping for air. While he choked and tried to breathe, Burke crossed his arms and watched, obvious delight carved into his features.
"Once I've taken hold of the border, I'll take Edward down. The House of Llewellyn will once more hold the throne, not only of Wales, but of England. Edward wanted unity, and he shall have it."
Another punch to his jaw left Royce dazed, though he struggled to remain conscious. Still one more strike to his cheek shattered the light into blackness.
Chapter Twenty-Two
As she had done every day since her captivity began a month earlier, Gillian paced. It was all she could do. But today, her agitation seemed worse than normal. The babe kicked often, making it impossible to sleep away the day. The sense that today brought a change invoked a desperate need to somehow find a way free.
