war he would have been long dead and Henry’s secret with him. He graced his king with his best smile.
“Tell me, Renauld, what brings you from your lands in the dead of winter to speak to your king?”
“My concern for my closest neighbor, Edward Chandler of Aubregate,” Renauld replied. “He has fallen quite ill.”
“I am glad to see you bear no animosity toward Edward,” Henry said graciously. “He is, after all, the man who killed your father.”
“My father’s sins are not my own,” Renauld reminded him. “Nor his enemies or his battles.”
“A wise sentiment,” Henry said coolly.
Renauld inclined his head at the compliment. “I am concerned for Edward’s daughter, the Lady Eliane.”
“You know her?” Henry asked, interest written plainly on his face.
Renauld allowed himself a self-satisfied smile. After all, he was the one who’d started the rumors about Eliane’s deformity after he’d seen her ears. It served his purpose for others to think her deformed so they would not seek her out for the riches she would surely possess someday. Someday soon. As he recalled, she was an unattractive wench even without the ears. All skinny arms and legs with bright red hair and spots on her nose and cheeks. He was sure the woman she had become would be much the same.
“We are neighbors, sire,” Renauld said. “We have been at peace all these years. I am concerned about what will become of her when her father is no longer with us.”
“You wish to offer for her?” Henry asked directly.
“I doubt her father would allow it,” Renauld said honestly. “While I bear no animosity toward him, I am afraid he still carries some for me, owing to the nature of my father’s crimes against him.”
“He truly loved his wife,” Henry said. “And he has kept his daughter close at hand.”
“Indeed, sire,” Renauld said. “To protect her. As I would protect her.” His eyes stayed on Henry, to remind him of the secret he knew, while his words were for the courtiers who listened with interest to his request. “It is my greatest desire to keep the peace of the kingdom,” he said. “And what better way to maintain it than by an alliance between two neighbors? We share a border. The Lady Eliane will soon have need of a protector and I have need of a wife. The alliance would benefit both the house of Chandler and of Vannoy, and together we would serve your kingdom well. That is, if you allow us to merge.” He concluded his plea with a bow, yet still kept his eyes upon the king, willing him to see once more the secret he’d carried for so many years.
Renauld heard the expectant inhale of breath of all those who awaited the king’s ruling. Would Henry simply hand over the Lady Eliane into his keeping? Renauld could not help holding his breath too as he awaited the king’s word. He felt as if he were playing chess and had just put his queen at risk to corner the king. He’d put it all on the line, because he was determined to succeed where his father had failed.
The king looked at Renauld with eyes that seemed full of disappointment. Then suddenly he brightened. With a crook of his finger, he called, “Peter.”
Damn …Peter Salisbury. Renauld had been relieved when he’d noticed the other man’s absence. He had hated Peter Salisbury with a passion ever since the day at Anjou when Edward’s squire had had the audacity tolay his fists upon him. Especially since he’d done so in front of young Rhys de Remy, who should have died in the mud that day. Both had been a thorn in his side ever since. And now here was Salisbury walking toward the king.
“Refresh my memory, Peter,” the king said. “Did we not hear a similar plea from Lord de Remy just a few days ago concerning our dear friend Edward’s health?”
Renauld felt his stomach sink when Henry referred to Edward as his friend. That was not something he had counted on. Since Edward was never at court, Renauld had hoped he would be nothing
“Tell me, Renauld, what brings you from your lands in the dead of winter to speak to your king?”
“My concern for my closest neighbor, Edward Chandler of Aubregate,” Renauld replied. “He has fallen quite ill.”
“I am glad to see you bear no animosity toward Edward,” Henry said graciously. “He is, after all, the man who killed your father.”
“My father’s sins are not my own,” Renauld reminded him. “Nor his enemies or his battles.”
“A wise sentiment,” Henry said coolly.
Renauld inclined his head at the compliment. “I am concerned for Edward’s daughter, the Lady Eliane.”
“You know her?” Henry asked, interest written plainly on his face.
Renauld allowed himself a self-satisfied smile. After all, he was the one who’d started the rumors about Eliane’s deformity after he’d seen her ears. It served his purpose for others to think her deformed so they would not seek her out for the riches she would surely possess someday. Someday soon. As he recalled, she was an unattractive wench even without the ears. All skinny arms and legs with bright red hair and spots on her nose and cheeks. He was sure the woman she had become would be much the same.
“We are neighbors, sire,” Renauld said. “We have been at peace all these years. I am concerned about what will become of her when her father is no longer with us.”
“You wish to offer for her?” Henry asked directly.
“I doubt her father would allow it,” Renauld said honestly. “While I bear no animosity toward him, I am afraid he still carries some for me, owing to the nature of my father’s crimes against him.”
“He truly loved his wife,” Henry said. “And he has kept his daughter close at hand.”
“Indeed, sire,” Renauld said. “To protect her. As I would protect her.” His eyes stayed on Henry, to remind him of the secret he knew, while his words were for the courtiers who listened with interest to his request. “It is my greatest desire to keep the peace of the kingdom,” he said. “And what better way to maintain it than by an alliance between two neighbors? We share a border. The Lady Eliane will soon have need of a protector and I have need of a wife. The alliance would benefit both the house of Chandler and of Vannoy, and together we would serve your kingdom well. That is, if you allow us to merge.” He concluded his plea with a bow, yet still kept his eyes upon the king, willing him to see once more the secret he’d carried for so many years.
Renauld heard the expectant inhale of breath of all those who awaited the king’s ruling. Would Henry simply hand over the Lady Eliane into his keeping? Renauld could not help holding his breath too as he awaited the king’s word. He felt as if he were playing chess and had just put his queen at risk to corner the king. He’d put it all on the line, because he was determined to succeed where his father had failed.
The king looked at Renauld with eyes that seemed full of disappointment. Then suddenly he brightened. With a crook of his finger, he called, “Peter.”
Damn …Peter Salisbury. Renauld had been relieved when he’d noticed the other man’s absence. He had hated Peter Salisbury with a passion ever since the day at Anjou when Edward’s squire had had the audacity tolay his fists upon him. Especially since he’d done so in front of young Rhys de Remy, who should have died in the mud that day. Both had been a thorn in his side ever since. And now here was Salisbury walking toward the king.
“Refresh my memory, Peter,” the king said. “Did we not hear a similar plea from Lord de Remy just a few days ago concerning our dear friend Edward’s health?”
Renauld felt his stomach sink when Henry referred to Edward as his friend. That was not something he had counted on. Since Edward was never at court, Renauld had hoped he would be nothing
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