“You have come all the way from Yorkshire to tell me that I have a bride,” he said, repeating what his brother had just told him so they were both clear on what had been said. “She is the heiress to the Earldom of Sidbury and that includes a hereditary position in the Septem Ports Alliance, a collection of lords whose properties include ports all along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall.”
“Aye, that is what it includes.”
Creston closed his gaping mouth and shook his head in disbelief. “Kent and Sussex have the Cinque ports and those are trouble enough,” he said, waving a hand around in agitation. “The Septem ports are even worse—they are riddled with pirates and the battles there are frequent and brutal.”
“I am aware.”
“How can you be aware?” Creston demanded. “You sit at Tottingham Castle up in the north and have nothing to do with the ports. How are you aware of what trouble they are?”
“Because Lord Sidbury explained everything to me,” Royston said evenly. “I’ve just come from his home, Creston. He told me all about the Septem ports and their battles against the pirates. That is why he needs someone strong to command the earldom when he passes on.”
Creston threw up his hands. “Of all the ridiculous nonsense,” he said, turning his back on his brother as he began to pace. “Royston, youdorealize that I am a Blackchurch trainer.”
“Of course I do.”
“And you further realize that Blackchurch is related—by blood—to Triton’s Hellions, the most fearsome band of pirates in Devon?” Creston stopped pacing and glared at him. “Youdorealize that, don’t you?”
Royston nodded. “I am aware.”
Creston rolled his eyes. “Clearly, you do not, or you would not be asking this of me,” he said. “St. Denis de Bottreaux, the Earl of Exmoor and the Lord of Blackchurch, is a cousin to Abelard de Bottreaux, leader of Triton’s Hellions. They are close. Abelard is at Blackchurch frequently. We all know the man and share a relationship with him to varying degrees.”
“And?”
Creston’s eyes widened with disbelief. “Andwhat am I supposed to do when Triton’s Hellions come to the port at Sidmouth and want to weigh anchor?” he said. “Bulverton probably has a thousand archers aimed at the shoreline to repel any such thing, and if I marry that man’s granddaughter, I cannot supersede any of his commands. If he says launch against Triton’s Hellions, he will launch, and if I am part of his family, I will be expected to repel them also.”
Royston sighed heavily. “You are making too much of this,” he said. “No one ever said you must go into service for Bulverton. You are simply marrying his granddaughter and will someday inherit the earldom from him. At that point, what you decide to do if Triton’s Hellions come knocking at your door is your business.”
That wasn’t the answer Creston was looking for. He shook his head and turned away.
“You are trying to put me in an extremely difficult situation,” he said. “Moreover, what right do you have to do this? You are my brother, not my father, and I am a grown man. I’ve not spoken to you for years, Royston. You like to forget you have a brother at Blackchurch.”
Tempers were cooling because, at that point, they both turned and walked away from one another.
Just like they had when they were children.
The dynamic between them had been both brotherly and combative. Royston was the eldest by fourteen months, but Creston was the shining star. The warrior, the assassin, the brilliant one. Purely by birth order in the family, however, he was forced to follow when he was a natural leader.
That had never sat well with him.
At the moment, the brothers were in Creston’s cottage on the outskirts of the small village within the perimeter walls of Blackchurch, at noon on a bright day. The village was mostly empty at this time of day except for a few wives of the trainers and their children, and those children were usually out in the village square, playing or eating or getting some much-needed sunshine as the mothers went about their chores. But in Creston’s sparsely furnished dwelling, there were no children or wives. Only two men shouting at one another, muffled by the stone walls. Royston wiped his hands wearily over his face and found the nearest chair, sitting heavily as his brother began to lob personal insults.
“That’s not fair,” he finally said, his tone quiet. “You are my only brother. Of course I do not forget that I have one. If I had forgotten, I would not be here. This is a good opportunity for you, Creston. Can you not see that?”
Creston sighed heavily and found another chair to sit on. He was twice the size his brother was, a muscular man with enormous arms and shoulders from the constant training he was involved in, days and days of swinging swords, or other physical activities, that had given him great strength and stamina. As he sat, the chair creaked under his weight and he half expected it to break.
That would have been in line with the luck he’d had this morning.
Sprawling on the floor like an idiot would not help his cause.
“I do see that it is a good opportunity,” he admitted. “And I am grateful that you are looking out for my interests. But my life is here, at Blackchurch. Ihavea life here, and a good one. Did you ever stop to think of that?”
Royston looked at him. “Nay,” he said frankly. “What man does not want to be an earl?”
“Me!” Creston insisted. “Ido not want to be an earl!”
Royston shook his head. “So you want to be a trainer for the rest of your life?” he said. “Training other men to go on and do great things? What aboutyoudoing great things, Creston? Coming here to Blackchurch broke Papa’s heart, you know. He expected you to be the greatest knight England had ever seen, but instead… instead, you came here and wasted your talent. Papa never got over it.”
The old family hurt was surfacing. Creston had wondered how long it would take Royston to bring that up. Early in his career, Creston had served the Crown with distinction. He’d served King John and he’d been proud of it, no matter how badly the king had been viewed by many. He was still the king and Creston had done what he felt was his duty. John had even noticed the serious young knight built like a bull and beg to use him for more dangerous work.
