Ethbert scanned their dour faces and he thought of what the Normans had put them through.
What the Normans had robbed them of.
Safety. Home. Peace.
Loved ones.
Suddenly, an image of his sister’s sweet, innocent face swept before his eyes. His stomach tightened in grief and rage. She’d died because ofthem.
Norman dogs had taken her home, killed her husband, then their leader had forced her to live as his concubine. Raped and degraded by her position, she’d severed the veins in her wrists.
Fucking bastards!
They’d taken everything from him.
Ethbert tightened his grip on his reins. He hadn’t been able to rescue his sister, but he vowed to save Ariel.
He refused to see her meet his sister’s fate.
Come the morrow, he’d take the Norman’s head and use it to decorate his home just as his ancestors had done!
CHAPTER26
Valteri watched his men training. He’d tried for a time to exercise himself, but his back was still too stiff. Too sore for him to do more than a few strokes of the sword.
A flutter of red caught in the corner of his eye. He turned his head and watched Ariel cross the yard.
She looked just as she had on the day they’d met. Like an angel. A group of children surrounded her and she laughed with them, her face more beauteous than any creature ever born.
Heat rushed through his body, inflaming his loins.
Without thinking, he took a step toward her, intending to seize her in his arms and carry her back to their chambers.
But before he could cross the distance, an unfamiliar rider came through the gate. Frowning, he stared at the serf astride a mule. He remembered seeing the boy tilling a field with his father, who lived not far from the castle site.
He paused as the boy stopped before one of his servants and leaned down to talk. The servant gestured toward him and the boy followed the line of his arm and nodded.
What the hell?
Valteri waited for his approach.
The boy rushed forward. “Lord Valteri?”
“Aye.”
“My father bade me fetch you. There are men destroying the castle wall on the hill, and setting fire to our fields. My father begs you come quick, milord!”
His sight dimming in rage, Valteri called to his men to assemble.
He ran toward the stable, but before he could enter, Ariel caught up to him. “What is it?”
Valteri opened his mouth to speak, then paused.
Masking his emotions, he realized she’d only worry if she knew the truth. So he chose to keep her from needless stress. After all, he’d never been harmed in battle.
Weapons couldn’t harm him.
He had more to fear walking across the hall than riding into battle.
