An uncomfortable sense of malice seemed to emanate from his very presence. She couldn’t quite place it; was it how he slicked back his blonde hair or his leering stare? His arrogance was daunting, but she could not deny something else about him made her uneasy.
“A gift to win your hand?” he asked with a curl of his lip.
She lifted her chin. “I think it’s fair. Wealth and title will imply nothing. All men will have an equal chance.”
His eyes narrowed slightly. “Yes.Allmen.”
As Kage studied her, she felt her muscles tense. She knew he must have suspected that her plan was for Finn, but she refused to give away how much Finn meant to her. She recalled how Kage had picked on him.
“Would you truly marry a commoner because he gave you a gift you liked?”
She lifted an eyebrow. “In order to give me a gift I enjoy, he would have to know me. He would have to talk to me instead of my father. I believe that is worth the risk.”
“Or are you hoping it is one man in particular?”
She was certain he was referring to Finn. But she knew how to play this game and placed a hand on his arm. “Oh, Kage. It could be you. You certainly know me better than any of the lords here.” She pretended she thought he was speaking about himself. He was just arrogant enough to do something like that.
It seemed to rub his ego the right way. A confident grin slithered across his lips. “Any woman would be lucky to have me.”
“Then I assume you will be searching for the perfect gift. You only have one week.”
He slowly nodded, and the uncertainty in his dark eyes spread across his face.
Just then, the door flew open, and Agatha burst into the room, arms laden with a heavy pitcher of ale. She grunted when she saw them but didn’t stop. “Agnes, the porridge is burning! Whereisthat girl?”
Ari quickly walked to the pot and began stirring the thick liquid inside.
Kage’s eyes followed Ari, and he stood for a moment longer before departing.
A wave of relief washed over Ari. She didn’t like Kage and certainly did not relish being alone with him. She had almost choked when he said any woman would be lucky to have him. Any woman would be luckynotto have him.
“Are you well, girl?” Agatha asked gently, pausing near the hearth to study her.
Ari nodded as she watched the porridge swirl beneath the wooden spoon. “I’m not afraid of him.”
Agatha shook her head, and a gray lock swayed with the movement. “One of the cooks told me that he tortures his squire.”
Ari scowled. “Have you been gossiping?”
“No. This is not gossip. She told me Sir Kage cornered one of the innkeeper’s daughters in Woodland Hills and made the lad hold her down while he raped her. When she got away, he blamed the lad and beat him.”
A chill ran down Ari’s spine as she paused mid-stir, her wooden spoon hovering over the porridge. She inhaled and squared her shoulders, looking into Agatha’s brown eyes. “That’s gossip.”
“It would have been,” Agatha agreed. “But two days later, the monster was back here, and I saw his squire. Two black eyes and a missing tooth. Poor lad could barely see.” She shook her head in sympathy. “It is fact, m’lady. Stay far away from him.” Agatha removed the spoon from Ari’s hand and took over the stirring.
Ari stared at her for a long moment. She couldn’t believe that even with all his flaws, Kage would do something like that. She slowly stepped back and glanced at the door to the Great Hall. Her father and Finn were there, but so were all the lords and knights. She decided against it and walked to the door at the rear of the kitchen.
“It was a grand idea,” Agatha said quietly. “A gift from an unknown man. Everyone is talking about it.”
Ari grinned. “You know how I like to receive gifts.”
“It’s more than that, isn’t it, child?” Agatha’s sharp gaze met hers across the kitchen. “I’ve seen the forge at Finn’s smithy lit late into the night these past years.”
Ari’s eyes drifted to the floor as she wondered what Finn could have been doing. “He must have been working hard.”
“I’m certain he was.”
“It was disappointing that Ari couldn’t eat with us,” Conrad said as he and Finn walked home from the castle.
