“Sebastien, you need to know this. They attacked one of their own men and left him for dead, telling him that you were his assailant. They put that cross in his hand, and that is how you were linked to his death. Eachann put a letter inside your tunic when he struck you to provide them with ‘proof’ that you were plotting with my father to hold Dunstaffnage for yourself.”
He leaned in close to her and said softly, “I know that their proof is false, Lara. It changes nothing. The only choice I have is to sacrifice you, and that is not an option.”
“Mayhap the king will hear my words asking for his mercy. Mayhap he will understand the weakness of a woman trying to protect her own siblings and people, as he has had to do. Mayhap he will wait until the babe is born before deciding its mother’s fate.”
“Babe? Babe?” he stuttered. They were to have a bairn of their own?
“Mayhap he has, lady?”
The voice that came from behind Lara was not James’s. She gasped as the king pulled open the cell door and entered.
“Sire,” Sebastien said, bowing to his brother.
“You are wrong about one thing, Sebastien. Not just anyone can have this ring.” Robert held out his father’s—their father’s—ring to him. “He told me he had them made for his sons, both legitimate and natural. He may have known only of your existence when he gave this to your mother, but he would have summoned you to him if he’d had an opportunity to do so. I have only recently lost brothers, and cannot so easily allow another to die in defense of his wife.” Two of Robert’s brothers, and his half brothers, had been executed by Edward in a hideous manner after their capture.
“Sire, she was forced to help them. She was beaten, anyone here can tell you—” he began to explain.
The king held up his hand to stop him. “And everyone has told me. You have the most opinionated group of men serving you, Sebastien. And the women are no better. One, called Margaret I think, has no fear.” He looked at both of them and shook his head. “I knew that you would face challenges in your marriage to her, but this is more that I expected any of my vassals to face. I could intercede on your behalf if you wish for an end to it.”
The king turned to face James and then turned back. “I am willing to forgo any judgments or punishments until we have had a chance to talk about all of these things and about why you have not brought news of our kinship to me before this.” Robert walked to the door. “She has promised to be a good and obedient wife from now forward, Sebastien, and I will take her at her word. With your strong guidance and her remorse, I believe she can be controlled and not repeat her offenses.”
James coughed as though choking, but stepped back to allow the king passage. Shaking his head, he followed Robert out of the cell. Sebastien could hear his words, for he was certain that James made no attempt to hide them. “She has not been yet, sire, why do you think she will be now?”
Sebastien suddenly realized they were alone, alive, and the door was open. He opened his arms to her and she stepped into them. “Obedient? You promised him you would be obedient?”
“Well,” she said, smiling at him, “other than this, I have been obedient.”
“Other than leaving against my orders, coming back against my orders and revealing what I told you not to reveal, when did your obedience begin?”
“You would have sacrificed your life for me,” she said, putting her head on his shoulder.
“I promised you that I would protect you. If you could trust me, we might have avoided much of this.”
“If I had trusted you, so much loss could have been prevented.” She leaned back and looked at him, her eyes bleak with the same thought he had. “Philippe. The other lives shed because of my words. I will regret their deaths forever, Sebastien.”
“Lara, the boy’s death was my fault. I knew that Eachann had my plans by then. You were not the only one of his spies here. I should have protected him by leaving him behind. You did warn me. You begged me not to take him. Although I did not know why, I should have listened to you.”
They were quiet then and he thought of the smiling boy whose life had been lost in his service. The king was no doubt handling matters of treachery and clearing their way above stairs, so they should follow.
“Come, Lara. We should see what the king wants of us. And you should change out of these clothes.”
“I used to wear something like this when I learned to climb the walls of the castle.”
He felt faint. Blinking, he shook his head. “Never tell me that you climbed the walls to get in here today.”
“Oh, nay. I just threatened a pox on James’s essential parts if he would not help me.”
“I do not wonder why he fears you, lady. He needs those if he wants to start his own family.”
“Come now, Sebastien,” she said, as he took her hand and led her out of the cell. “He needs those parts to pleasure a certain kitchen maid named Peggy.”
Sebastien laughed for a moment, knowing that Lara would give James no quarter in the future. “We have much to discuss and many things to do.”
The Lord and Lady of Dunstaffnage were greeted by their people as they entered the hall. The Campbells were gone, and apparently the king’s declaration that Sebastien was still in his esteem had smoothed the way quite nicely for them.
Sebastien was not happy when he discovered that Robert would stay for several more days…and use their chambers, as befitted his station as king. But he knew that the Bruce, having not visited there for some time, would not miss the strange, large chair from the bedroom.
Epilogue
