Maxton wasn’t surprised to hear that. In fact, that was what he’d mostly expected to hear. “And did you come to a conclusion?”
Kress shook his head. “There was no conclusion to come to,” he said. “We discussed how you have changed. The man whospent those months in the prisons of Baux and then returned to England is not the same man we have known all these years. We have never known you to be confrontational with a man of higher rank, and most especially not with someone like William Marshal.”
Maxton kept his head down, adjusting the sheath on his belt. “He is a stubborn man,” he said. “And I do not care what his credentials are, in some instances, he is wrong.”
Kress smiled ironically, shaking his head. “We are speaking of William Marshal, Max,” he said. “Mayhap he has been wrong in some instances, but he is still the greatest knight England has ever seen. His accomplishments are without question.”
“De Lohr is better.”
That caught Kress off-guard. “What’s that?”
Maxton looked up at him. “I said that Christopher de Lohr is better,” he said. Then, he waved a gloved hand at him. “Oh, I know that Chris and I have never gotten on well. The man is righteous and pious and so bloody moral that it makes me sick sometimes. But he is also unwaveringly brave, brilliantly intelligent, and unquestionable when it comes to his decisions. William is older and has therefore managed by virtue of time to establish a better reputation, but Chris de Lohr will have his moment. The man will shine in the annals of history like no other.”
Kress stared at him a moment. Then, he started to laugh. “You say this about a man you did nothing but criticize the entire time we were in The Levant?”
Maxton made a face. “Because de Lohr and his brother had their noses so far up Richard’s ass, when the man shit, it was the color of the de Lohr tunics. Richard could not take a piss without Chris there to hold his manhood.”
Kress was far gone with laughter by now. “That is what I am used to,” he said. “You bashing de Lohr at every turn. If youpraise him again, I will accuse you of being possessed by the Devil and be forced to cut your head off.”
Because Kress was amused, Maxton’s lips were flickering with a smile. “I am not possessed,” he said. “And in spite of everything, I have nothing but the greatest respect for de Lohr. He will never be my best friend, but I know he would kill or die for me, and I for him. That is the extent of our brotherhood.”
Kress nodded, a twinkle in his eye. “And a most strange brotherhood it is,” he said. “You two cannot stand the sight of each other, yet you would die for each other. In fact, when we were at The King’s Gout discussing the tension between you and William, neither Chris nor David believed it. They could not grasp that the Maxton they’ve known all these years should be contentious with a superior.”
Maxton’s smile faded and he turned back to his sheath again. “I did not want him to send that beaten, starved woman back to St. Blitha to spy for him,” he said. “But I suppose, deep down, I understand why. She is our best option for a successful mission and she has already provided us with so much information.”
“Did you tell William that?”
Maxton shook his head. “Nay,” he replied. “But, Kress… does everyone know?”
“Know what?”
“That I feel something for Andressa.”
Kress didn’t say anything for a moment. Instead, he came around to the front of Maxton, forcing the man to look up at him. He looked him in the eyes.
“Whatdoyou feel, Max?” he asked softly. “Lust? Pity? Concern?Whatis it? Because this is not like you, not in the least.”
Maxton knew that. He took a deep breath as he sorted through his thoughts. “I know it is not,” he said. “Kress, I shall be honest with you– I know I have changed from the man youknew to be ruthless and heartless in all things, but I will tell you that the man is still there. That part of me has not changed. But after the incident with the Holy Father, when a man who is supposed to be the moral icon for all men and the very reason so many men died in The Levant is, in truth, someone murderous, I swear to you that it was something that threw my entire life into question. I always felt like a sinner– a horrible, dirty sinner– with the vocation I have chosen. I have a talent for killing and I have used that talent, many times. But when I saw what the Holy Father truly was, it made me question…haveI sinned? Or is every man on Earth evil, and I am no different from the rest? Is there any true good in this world?”
Kress knew all of this, at least for the most part, but it was the first time he heard Maxton put it into words. He put a hand on Maxton’s shoulder.
“I knew you were searching for answers,” he said. “But I did not know the exact questions. Have you found true good in this world, Max?”
He nodded. “In a pledge who is as weak and confused and searching as I am,” he said. “You ask me what I feel for her? I am not certain, but when all of this is over, I am going to marry her and we are going to seek our answers, together.”
Kress’ brows lifted in surprise. “Marriage?” he repeated. “I never knew such a thing interested you.”
Maxton shrugged. “Nor did I,” he said. “But with the right woman, all things are possible.”
It was a rather startling revelation as far as Kress was concerned. He knew that Maxton was feeling something for the pledge; he simply didn’t know how much or how deep. Now, he knew.
“Then this is the end of the Unholy Trinity,” he muttered. “The Executioner Knights will now be only two. I do not faultyou for moving on to live your life, Max, and I am truly happy for you. But I am sorry to lose a brother-in-arms.”
Maxton frowned. “Who said anything about losing a brother-in-arms?” he said. “As for the Unholy Trinity, that is something you and me and Achilles will always be. I will always consider myself one of the Trinity, and proudly so. It is not the end of anything. But my life will change, I hope, for the better. I would like to be happy and content for once in my life.”
That was something Kress did, indeed, understand. He, too, had much the same thoughts on life as Maxton did, or at least he had, but unlike the rock-souled Maxton from the past, Kress had, indeed, secretly wondered about life and love and marriage. It was something he’d put out of his mind because he did not hold out any hope that it was attainable.
But Maxton had found it; perhaps there was hope, after all.
