“Let us sit and wait for them,” he said, jaw flexing with emotion. “If they know we are here, then they will come.”
Alexander watched the army come to a halt in the street outside and he could hear men shouting. He peered down theroad, as much as he could see, realizing there were at least a couple of hundred men.
“Why did they bring so many men?” he wondered, turning away from the window himself and following Kress over to a table near the hearth. “I am very curious why the earl brought so many heavily-armed men.”
Kress didn’t reply as he sat down. He simply lowered himself to a bench, staring straight ahead. Alexander and Bric sat opposite him, with Achilles sitting next to him. Alexander really didn’t notice Kress’ lack of response because Bric said something to him and he engaged in conversation with the man.
But Achilles’ noticed; he’d noticed Kress’ ticking jaw when the man had sat down. Now, Achilles sat looking at him as Kress stared straight ahead. Alexander and Bric were still speaking on the number of men de Shera brought, and the need for such a thing, when Bric happened to glance at Achilles. Achilles had a concerned expression on his face, which made Bric look to see what had him so concerned. Alexander was still chatting away when Bric thumped him on the arm. When Alexander looked at him, curious, Bric lifted his chin in Kress’ direction.
Now, they were all looking at a man who was struggling not to fall apart.
“Kress?” Alexander finally asked. “What is the matter?”
Kress acted as if he hadn’t heard him. Then, he seemed to shake himself out of whatever trance he was in and looked to Alexander.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
Alexander sighed faintly. Like the others, he knew that something was going on between Kress and Lady Cadelyn, but he’d hoped whatever it was would go no further than a harmless flirtation. But he also knew that Kress had spent most of the night in the woman’s chamber two nights ago. Still, he’d ignoredit. He really didn’t want to deal with something that everyone knew and no one talked about.
A knight who was about to fall.
He didn’t want to face it.
“Is there a problem?” he asked after a moment.
Kress looked at him. Then, he looked at Bric and at Achilles, realizing they were all staring at him. Embarrassed, he cleared his throat softly.
“No problem,” he said. “Bric, mayhap you should go and tell the lady that her intended has arrived. She will want to make herself presentable.”
Bric started to stand up but Alexander put a hand out, stopping him. “Nay,” he said in a low voice. “Bric is not going anywhere. Kress, we are all friends. We have all been very close and we have all seen life and death together, too many times to count. There is an escort of two or three hundred de Shera soldiers out there and I want to know if we are soon going to find ourselves in a battle against them.”
Kress’ first instinct was to deny everything and feign outrage, but he couldn’t seem to manage it. It would have been stupid to; furthermore, it would have insulted men he had a great deal of respect for. He would not do that to them.
After a moment, he hung his head.
“Is it that obvious?” he muttered.
Achilles, who was by far the closest one to Kress, leaned in to him. “To me, it is,” he said quietly. “I think it took Sherry and Bric a little longer to catch on, but I have known you for a very long time, Kress. How bad is it?”
Kress closed his eyes a moment before answering. “Bad,” he whispered. “Very, very bad.”
“Bad enough that we shall be holding the line while you and the lady escape?”
Kress lifted his head. “Nay,” he said, sounding weak and beaten. “I wish that was the case, but the lady and I have had a long discussion about it. She understands her obligations and I understand mine. I have worked too hard to ruin everything at this point in my life. I could not bring shame upon myself like that.”
“Not even for her?”
“She is the only one worthy of my considering such a thing, but she is far too great for a simple knight like me. Her destiny is far greater than being a lowly Executioner Knight’s wife.”
Achilles could hear the sorrow in his voice and it touched him. He put a hand on Kress’ shoulder in a comforting gesture.
“I am sorry, Kress,” he said sincerely. “This cannot be easy for you.”
“It is worse than that,” he said, looking to Alexander. “When you go with the de Shera army to The Paladin, and you must go with them to ensure the lady has been delivered to her destination, I will not be going with you. I will remain here with the wounded and you can return for me when your objective is through.”
Alexander, who had a little more experience with women, and was a little older and wiser, could see the pain in Kress’ eyes. He had been through enough in his life that he was familiar with such pain. Therefore, he wasn’t unsympathetic.
“As you wish,” he said. “If it is any consolation, I think we have all had that one woman who has gotten away from us. There is no judgement here, Kress. I am just sorry it did not work out for you in the end.”
