Kevin sighed heavily. “And I could see, the moment I spoke with the woman, that my opportunity had come to find out what I needed to know about the lands I rule over,” he said. “She has lived here her entire life. She knows everyone, including the local warlords. I saw an opportunity and I took it. I told her that I would release her father if she remained here at Wybren, as my guest, and helped me acclimate to the local politics. You mustunderstand that I have spent the past few months, ever since I arrived here, with very little information on anyone or anything. No one will speak with me because I am English in a land of Welsh. I saw in the lady the opportunity to know everything I needed to know, but she thinks her father is still alive and that is why she is here, doing everything I ask of her.”
Now, Sean and Alexander were starting to see the issue, but to the seasoned veterans, it didn’t seem like the dire issue Kevin thought it was. But theirs had always been a world of shadows, spying, and deceit. Especially Sean; he had spent nine years as the shadow of King John, pretending to be his bodyguard and greatest advisor when he was really spying on the man. Sean had lived a lie for nine solid years.
But Kevin hadn’t.
His younger brother was the pious, virtuous one. The man grieved over every little event he considered a flaw or a failure of character, so this situation was indeed dire to him. Sean understood that.
Finding the nearest chair to sit in, he lowered his bulk down into a thoughtful heap.
“And you are concerned of what will happen when she discovers you have lied to her,” he finally said, summing up the situation.
Kevin appeared genuinely miserable. “Her father, by all accounts, was well-liked,” he said. “When she discovers I have lied, it will ruin whatever chance I had of building trust with my vassals. She will tell them that not only did I kill her father, but I lied to her about it. Every day that passes, the more guilt I feel, and I do not know what to do about it.”
Sean considered the situation, impartially, he hoped. He had that gift. “You have nothing to feel guilty over,” he said. “You did what you had to do, Kevin. Sometimes situations are not always so clearly defined as good or evil, or right or wrong. I tried totell you that for years and I understand that deceiving does not come naturally to you. But in this case, you did what you needed to do. You need information she can supply to keep you and your men safe, so that you know what it is you are dealing with here in Wales. I wholly support what you have done. You must consider her a tool and nothing more.”
Kevin looked at him. “Sean,” he said softly, “it is not that. It’s… well, her name is Juliandra ferch Gethin and she is… God, I cannot believe I am saying this, but I think I feel something for her. She is bright and beautiful and witty, and she has been great company. I do not want to lose that. I do not want to loseher.”
That had Sean and Alexander looking at him with varied degrees of surprise. “You feel something for her?” Sean repeated. “As in… affection? Romance?”
Kevin nodded, embarrassed and despondent. “As in affection and romance,” he said quietly. “I always knew I would marry someday and I want to marry someone that I like. I see what you and Dani have, Sean, and I want that, too. But I had no idea I would see that in a Welsh lass who is at Wybren under a false pretext, a pretext thatIcreated. When I said I was in trouble… that is what I meant.”
Both Sean and Alexander had wives that they loved dearly, so they understood what it was to feel emotions for a special woman. Given that they understood, they felt a great deal of sympathy for Kevin. It was difficult to surrender to unfamiliar emotions under any circumstances, but Kevin was surrendering to something built on a lie.
That made it a problematic situation.
“Does she know you feel something for her?” Sean asked.
Kevin shook his head “Nay,” he said. “We have been friendly and cordial towards each other but nothing more.”
“How long has she been here?”
“About two weeks.”
“How long did you tell her she had to remain?”
“I was not specific, but I told her until I was satisfied with whatever knowledge she imparted to me.”
“So it could be weeks or months.”
“Aye.”
Sean cleared his throat softly as he leaned back in his chair. “Then you need to consider that the longer she remains here, the more you are going to feel for her,” he said. “That will make it harder to tell her the truth.”
“I know. But there’s something more you should know about her.”
“What’s that?”
“Aeron ap Gruffudd has offered for her hand, numerous times, and her father has always turned him down,” Kevin said. “In spite of that, Aeron feels that the lady is his property. I am expecting a visit from him any day now to that regard, to be perfectly truthful.”
Sean cocked an eyebrow. “That might prompt a response from ap Bedo,” he said. “If ap Gruffudd feels that you have stolen his woman…”
Kevin held up a hand, silencing him. “I know,” he said. “That was the first thing I thought of when you told me that ap Bedo had been discussing Wybren and his cousin’s request for help to purge the English dog. Until you told me that, I was unconcerned with Aeron’s response. But now… now, there is reason for concern because when Aeron demands I release Juliandra and I refuse, I am certain it will prompt some kind of military response.”
Sean didn’t like the sound of that. “And you are willing to risk that?”
“I am.”
“I told you that ap Bedo can summon thousands.”
