Her thoughts drifted to Simon, as they often did. She hadn't seen him since the day Burke took control of Lyndon. She feared for his safety and it maddened her not to have any word. Did Burke and his men torture him? Was he already dead? The sting of tears forced her thoughts in another direction. She could not give in to the urge to fall apart.
Shouts from the bailey drew her attention. She peered out of the arrow slit, but saw little. She turned away, halting mid-stride at the sound of the key in the lock. 'Twas too early. Why did Burke come now? Every day, he had been the one to deliver her evening meal, so he could taunt her with the fact that Royce would soon be dead. How she'd managed to contain her rage, she might never know. Fear for her child factored into her decision to ignore him best as she could. Knowing he wanted her to rant and rave, and that she didn't frustrated him, brought her one of the only pleasures she savored.
She held her breath, the sound of the bar sliding free seeming a roar. Her frayed nerves and racing heart left her trembling. She stood behind her chair, hoping her need for the support didn't reveal her weakness. A swift kick from the babe drew a startled gasp. She bit her lip, the door slowly creaking open.
A rush of joy nearly made her swoon. Simon stood in the doorway, his dark eyes hard with anger. His sword raised, she noticed the blood staining the steel. He held outa hand.
"Come."
She hurried to him, grabbing tight to his hand as he pulled her from the room and down the corridor. Screams and sounds of battle rose around her. She tugged, urging Simon to stop.
"Wait! My bow!"
Her brother shook his head. "No time. You're better off with your hawks."
Her eyes widened and she grinned. "You're right! I must get to the mews!"
Again, Simon refused. "We have an advantage; we must take it and flee."
"At least let me set them free." She winced at the sound of a bloodcurdling shriek. Another battle besieged Lyndon.
Simon studied her then gave a curt nod. "We must hurry." He stopped to bend over one of Burke's men, prying the sword from the dead rebel's hand. "Can you use this?"
Gillian took the offered sword. She'd not trained with the weapon, but she could manage the weight. The cries and shouts, wailing and weeping from below added to her determination. Her people needed her, now more than ever. She twisted her wrist, adjusting to the feel of the metal in her hands.
"I will."
"Let's go."
He pulled her behind him, blocking an attempt to stop them. Gillian kept her head down as best she could, the weapon in her hand held before her. Thankfully, few posed a threat, and those who did were easily dispatched by Simon's skill. He led her down the stairs and she gasped.
Chaos reigned in the hall. She recognized many of Lyndon's people fighting against the rebels. What had happened to change the balance of power?
"Burke has ridden out to meet your husband. While he and his men may be... Edward sent more troops on asecondary mission. Come on, we have to go now!"
He dragged her across the hall to the wide-open doors. In the bailey, the melee was even more frenzied. Simon wove through the bedlam, dragging Gillian with him. When one of Burke's men attacked, he released her, to fight his opponent. Gillian stood at his back, waving her sword before her to fend off another attacker. Still another rebel joined the fray and soon she and Simon were surrounded. She feared her escape would be cut short, in the worst possible way. For a moment, she wrapped a protective arm around her belly, then lifted her sword once again, ready to fight to the death if necessary.
A bellow of fury sounded nearby and she turned to see several of Lyndon's men coming to their aid. Her ears crackled with the screeching sounds of metal on metal, the war cries and the swearing as one by one, the rebels were cut down. Simon turned to Edgar.
"Defend Lyndon!" he ordered, once more grabbing Gillian's hand and pulling her behind him.
"Wait!" She broke free of his grip and ran toward the mews. Heart pounding, she could barely breathe as she entered. The sounds of the battle had the birds agitated, their wings fluttering as they pulled against their jesses. One by one, Gillian unhooded the birds, then released their tethers. She waved her arms, urging them to fly. All but one did as she wanted, quickly flying from their nests. She turned to see Ares sitting on his perch, watching her with golden eyes. Memories of Royce flooded her thoughts. He had to be safe.
She held out her arm to her favorite hawk. She'd had little time with him these past months, since her husband had found a falconer to see to their care. She winced as the bird settled on her arm, his sharp talons scratching her. She'd not thought to find her gauntlet, but then, there'd been no time.
"Come you silly bird, we have a home to defend!"
Ares gave her a soft coo, as if he understood. Gillian stepped out of the mews. The battle seemed to havecalmed. Bodies littered the bailey, groans of pain and cries for help lingering in the air. The king's men had joined with Lyndon's loyal soldiers to defeat the rebels. But where was Burke?
She spotted Simon and waved. She raised her arm and Ares took flight. He would return, as would all of her beloved birds, she felt sure of it, but at least they were now away from the danger.
Simon ran over, grabbing her shoulders and studying her. "Are you all right?"
She nodded. "Unhurt. And... ow!"
She clutched her belly. That kick had been ferocious, seeming to jar her ribs loose. She stroked her belly, calming the babe.
"Where are Edward's men?"
