A glimmer came to Maxton’s eyes as he realized what, exactly, she had done, and why. But in truth, he was beside himself with the realization. He simply couldn’t believe it. All of the planning that he and his men had done, and the situation had been resolved by one small woman. Reaching out, he cupped her pale and injured face between his two enormous hands.
“And I had grand ideas of saving you from this place,” he murmured. “It seems that you did not need saving. What you did… I cannot imagine a woman so brave, Andie. Not only did you save yourself, but you saved the king and accomplished what a dozen seasoned knights could not have done so easily. Utterly remarkable, my lady.”
Her tears spilled over then, deeply touched by his words. The sweetness of his touch made her feel as she’d never felt in her life– comforted, appreciated, and adored.
Aye…adored.
“It occurred to me that taking this upon myself might somehow diminish your opinion of me,” she said. “But after yesterday… after they had beaten me… I knew what I had to do. You could not have punished them the way I did. Knights punishing women of the cloth would somehow sully you with the church, no matter how righteous your cause. But this way… there is no damage to you or your men. It is over now, Maxton. Rightness for one and for all.”
He caressed her face gently. “Did they beat you because of Douglas’ death? It did not occur to me until after we left his body at St. Blitha that they might punish you for it. Is that what happened?”
She didn’t want to make him feel badly about protecting her, because it had been the right and noble thing to do, so she simply shrugged. “They knew that the plan for the king’s assassination had been divulged to the king’s men,” she said.“They were certain I was the culprit, but I did not confess to it. Another nun tried to beat me for it, but I fought her and injured her. In fact, Sister Dymphna is in her bed, unable to move. She is part of this plot, Maxton, and should be punished.”
“I will send men to arrest her.”
“It would be a good idea to…”
“Andressa!”
A howling cry echoed off the sanctuary walls, cutting her off, and both Andressa and Maxton turned to see the Mother Abbess, now propped up against the altar, her finger pointing in Andressa’s direction.
Knowing she’d been summoned, Andressa approached the woman with Maxton at her side, noting that the poison was making the Mother Abbess’ limbs convulse uncontrollably. Her breathing was coming in shallow, uneven gasps and when she spoke, her lips and tongue were completely dry.
“The wine,” she breathed. “You confused the wine!”
Andressa looked down at the woman, feeling absolutely nothing by way of pity as she watched the Mother Abbess struggle. She didn’t even feel satisfaction. At most, she felt a sense of finality, as if the horror of her life was finally ending.
Bending over the woman, she spoke softly.
“I did not confuse the wine,” she said. “I gave you the wine you intended for the king. Now, he shall live and you shall die. If you are afraid to die, you should be. All of those women you murdered in The Chaos, and the others you have managed to murder all these years, shall be waiting for you when you face God’s good judgement. You have much to atone for, Gracious Mother.”
The woman was looking at her with something equating to stark fear. “You… youdidthis,” she said, her words slurred. “How… how could you do this to me?”
Andressa thought it was a ludicrous question, one she resisted snapping at. Glancing at the pitchers still in her hand, she carefully set them down next to the dying woman, including the one that had contained the poisoned wine. When she spoke, it was for the Mother Abbess’ ears only.
“Remember what you told me,” she whispered. “Death comes from the most unexpected sources. All those men and women you killed never suspected you… and you never suspected me. I hope you suffer as deeply as you deserve, Gracious Mother.”
They were the most satisfying words Andressa had ever uttered. With them, all ties and all memories with St. Blitha were cut in an instant. Standing up, she turned her back on the woman completely. She could hear moaning and weeping behind her as she faced Maxton.
“If you still wish to marry me, I am ready to go with you,” she said. “I realize that my actions today are most shocking, so I would understand if you would like to reconsider.”
Maxton was looking at her with an expression that could only be described as joy. Pure, prideful joy. A woman so strong, a crusader for what was true and right in the world, took the greatest risk of all in seeking justice for herself as well as others. The evil of Seaxburga needed to be stopped, and she put herself in danger to do just that.
“I am the most fortunate man in the world to have such a woman,” he said softly, reaching out to take her good hand. “Come along, love. You’ve known a life of hopelessness… let me show you what it is like to truly live.”
She smiled, his words filling her as deeply as the oceans filling the earth. It was deep and vast, simply waiting for her to discover it all. That kind of joy was so out of place among dying women, and a dying bishop, but Andressa wasn’t looking at that any longer. She was looking at the future, as bright and magnificent as she could have ever hoped for. As he held herhand tightly, she fell against him, affectionately, knowing that for the rest of her life, she was destined to be by this man’s side, for better or for worse.
It would be just the two of them, for the ages.
“What a kind and generous man you are to those in need,” she murmured, repeating words she’d said to them when they’d first met. “You knew I needed you and I think, somehow, you needed me as well.”
He smiled at her, putting his arm around her as he began to lead her out of the sanctuary. What he felt for her, he couldn’t put into words, but he did know one thing– she was right.
He needed her.
“More than you know, love,” he said. “More than you know.”
*
