“Are you famished, then?”
“I am.”
It gave Maximus something to do other than hang around a bath house, so he agreed, but not before he explained to the proprietress that Lady Courtly must never be unattended and must be given the best of everything. The woman agreed, especially when Maximus paid her handsomely for her troubles. With a wink to Courtly, he quit the bath house in search of a feast fit for a queen.
Hisqueen. And he would dare her father to deny him.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Garran de Morayhad accompanied Lady de Shera on her shopping trip into Oxford but she had quickly become exhausted, and ill, so he’d quickly returned her to the inn where they had been staying. He hoped Gallus was already returned from his meeting with de Montfort but the man was not yet back by the time they returned, so Lady de Shera went up to her rented bedchamber to lay down for a while as the knights settled down in the main room to eat the nooning meal.
No one seemed to find it odd that Tiberius wasn’t there. He’d been banned from accompanying either of his brothers on their various plans that morning, so the last anyone saw of him, he had been in his bedchamber on the second floor, mending a piece of armor that had pulled loose. Garran, who was close to Tiberius, as well as to Maximus, didn’t give his absence much thought as he delved into a meal of boiled mutton, carrots, beans, and vast quantities of bread. They were halfway through their meal when Tiberius made an appearance.
Entering the inn from the main door, Tiberius kicked the roving dogs out of the way as he made his way deeper into the room that smelled of smoke, dirt, and unwashed bodies. When he saw the de Shera knights hunched over a table, sharing a meal, he headed in their direction. More specifically, he headed for Garran.
“De Moray,” he said, sounding surprisingly serious. “How long have you been here?”
Garran had a mouth full of carrots. “Not long,” he said. “Lady de Shera was not feeling well so she wanted to rest. Maximus is still on the Street of the Merchant’s with de Lara’s daughter and we plan to collect them shortly and then return the lady to her father so it looks as if they have not been alone all afternoon. Quite a plan, is it not?”
He was grinning, as was Stefan. Only the two of them had gone with Maximus and Jeniver, as the de Wolfe brothers had gone with Gallus. But Tiberius wasn’t interested in what Maximus was or was not doing. He was preoccupied with something else. He leaned down to Garran.
“I must speak with you,” he said, his voice low. “Come with me.”
Garran swallowed the carrots in his mouth as he stood up, pausing only to down a swallow of wine to wash the vegetables down. He proceeded to follow Tiberius until they were near the entrance to the inn. There was no one around there. Only then did Tiberius stop and turn to him.
“After you left this morning, you received a visitor,” he said quietly. “Your father is in town. Did you know this?”
Garran’s eyes widened. “I did not,” he said, immediately fearing the worst. “What is wrong? Where is he?”
Tiberius held up a hand to quiet him. “He came specifically to find you,” he said. “Evidently, he arrived in town yesterday and began asking for the de Shera party. He was able to find someone who had seen us and he was directed to this inn. Garran, I know your father is a supporter of the king. We have never truly discussed it with you because your father’s loyalty is his own business and your loyalty is to us and, consequently, de Montfort. But your father needs to speak with you now and I will take you to him.”
Garran was trying not to panic. “Is he well?”
“He is well.”
“And my mother– is she well?”
“He did not speak of her so I can only assume so.”
Garran felt some relief at that but not much. There was a sense of urgency in the air, something he did not understand. In fact, the entire situation was puzzling and Tiberius’ words were only making it worse. Still, he was on the move, as he’d been asked. Already, he was returning to the table to collect his possessions before riding out with Tiberius. As he moved, Tiberius followed.
“Have you just come from him?” Garran asked Tiberius. “Where is he staying?”
Tiberius shoved another dog out of the way when it came too close. Dogs tended to flock to him for some reason. “He is towards the south side of town at an inn called The Bruised Thistle,” he replied. “When he first came to The One-Eyed Raven, we spoke here for some time before moving to his hostel. We have actually been speaking quite a bit.”
Garran eyed Tiberius curiously as he collected his sword. “What about?”
Tiberius simply shook his head, unwilling to elaborate with the other knights and a few soldiers eating around the table. He waited until he and Garran were outside in the bright sunshine and heading for the livery before speaking.
“Your father mostly spoke of the old days,” he finally said. “He knew my mother as a young woman, you know. He never courted Honey but he knew her. He also knows Davyss and Grayson de Winter, which I’m sure you already know. The de Winters are close friends of the de Sheras and have always championed the king, much as your father does.”
Garran already knew all of this. “None of this tells me why he has come to Oxford to seek me,” he said. “He has traveled all the way from Dorset, which took him weeks at the very least. Did he come alone?”
Tiberius nodded. “He had four men-at-arms with him,” he replied. They entered the livery, sending a pair of servant boys running for their horses. As they paused to wait for the animals to be brought out, Tiberius spoke again. “Garran, from the conversation your father and I had, it seems to me as if he has come to Oxford before heading on to London. You know that the king has summoned the council he intends to represent his interests in de Montfort’s parliament. Although your father did not tell me directly, it is my suspicion that your father intends to sit upon the king’s council.”
Garran’s brow furrowed as he looked at Tiberius. “What makes you think so?”
Tiberius shrugged. “Simply the way he was speaking about the king and his advisors,” he said. “He mentioned bringing balance to London. Mayhap that is what he intends to tell you, that he is sitting on the king’s council. That means he will be sitting opposite Gallus and Maximus and me. We will be on opposite sides.”
