“Did you promise le Kerque your daughter’s hand?” he asked the man. “Did you give him any indication that you would grant his petition?”
That only seemed to make Harald angrier. “That is none of your affair,” he said. “Who are you?”
“Essien al-Kort.”
Very quickly, Harald calmed. Too quickly. He struggled with his anger, looking Essien over in the dim light of the nearby torches.
“The prince,” he said, almost to himself. “You are the one Hereford chose.”
“I am, my lord,” Essien said. “But if this man had a claim before me, that must be discussed.”
“There was no claim,” Harald said. “Only a wish. He wished it.”
“Irequestedit.” Lance had heard him. He had his broadsword, in its scabbard, in his hand because he’d been in the midst of securing it when he heard Harald’s claim. “Over and over again, I requested it. I begged him to consider it. He never gave me a direct answer, only smiled and walked away. He has toyed with me for the past month about it and now I find he has betrothed his daughter to you.”
Essien was calm as he faced him. “I did not know any of this,” he said. “I doubt Hereford did, either.”
Lance was livid, red in the face with emotion. “Then you understand why I feel cheated,” he said. “I may not be a prince of Kitara, but my birth is not entirely unremarkable.”
Essien shook his head. “I never said it wasn’t,” he said. “I’ve never said anything at all because I hardly know you. But I must tell Hereford of this situation. He may wish to speak to you.”
“Why?” Catalina wanted to know. She’d been listening silently, confident that Lance’s suit was ended for good, but Essien’s words had her concerned. “Why would you tell Hereford about this?”
Essien looked at her with regret. “Because le Kerque may have a claim if your father never clearly denied his request,” he said. “A magistrate might see it that way.”
Her eyes widened. “Nay,” she gasped. “I told you… I do not wish to marry him. I do not even like him. It would be another miserable marriage, and I will throw myself in the river before I marry him.”
Essien could see how distressed she was. Truthfully, he was also, but he had a point. If le Kerque took his grievance to the local magistrate, which happened to be Christopher, there might be a problem because Christopher would recuse himself and pass it to another magistrate who might rule against Harald. If the man had been ambiguous enough in his response to le Kerque’s suit, enough to imply he would consider it, there might be something in the law that gave Lance the right to compete for Catalina’s hand. At this point, there was no written contract, only verbal, and a verbal one was easily dissolved if both parties agreed to it.
But Catalina wasn’t having any of it.
“Be at ease,” Essien said softly, reaching out to grasp her gently by the hand. “I am not saying that he will win, but he could cause… trouble.”
“There will be no trouble,” Harald shouted, shaking his club at Lance. “You are a knight with no name, no money, no title, and no prospects. My daughter is a valuable heiress. You are not good enough, le Kerque. Not in the least.”
Lance’s jaw was twitching with emotion. “I was good enough for you to take me on as your knight,” he growled. “I may bear the name le Kerque, but I am not a le Kerque. I am my father’s bastard and a man of great and noble birth. I am more than a match for your daughter.”
“You are the dirt beneath my feet!”
Essien put his hand up in front of Lance before the man could respond, a silent request to keep his composure.
“You must do as he tells you to do,” he said quietly. “If you maintain this argument, it will only get worse and Hereford will get involved, so do yourself a kindness and walk away. Get your things and walk away. Go into the great hall and stay there. Let the situation calm, and if you feel you have enough of a grievance, see Hereford on the morrow.”
Lance eyed him in the darkness. “Why should you encourage me to do that?” he said. “You do realize that I am protesting your betrothal, don’t you?”
“I do,” Essien said. “Mayhap you have been treated unfairly. I don’t really know. I was only told today of this contract, so I do not know what de Barenton may, or may not, have implied to you. But if you feel strongly about this, I suggest you see Hereford.”
Oddly, those words seem to calm Lance. Essien was being understanding, if not neutral, and considering he had a stake in this situation, it was surprising. He seemed to want to be fair about it.
That was most shocking.
Without another word, Lance collected his saddlebags, traveling bags, and a lad who had been squiring for him. Everything was packed up and the warhorse gathered. As Harald went back into his tent, for he didn’t care what became of Lance at this point, Essien watched the man head toward the bailey of Lioncross Abbey. When he disappeared through the gatehouse, Essien turned to Catalina.
“I know this is distressing,” he said quietly, “but I can only imagine how I would feel if I wanted to marry you and my suit had been toyed with. To be truthful, I do not think he has a claim of any kind, but I do not want the man feeling that he’s been cheated and disrespected, most of all by me. If he tells others,that kind of thing will get around and put me in a bad light. So, I have to make him feel that he has recourse. Even if he does not pursue it. Do you understand?”
Catalina nodded. “I do,” she said. “You show wisdom and kindness.”
He shrugged. “Mayhap,” he said, his gaze drifting over her in the dim light of the distant torches. “All I know is that if I had asked for your hand and was denied, I might have been quite upset myself.”
