his wine in the maple maser he held. "I am not as knowledgeable as you believe, lord, for I was not always privy to their secrets. What I know, I know by the directive of Lady Melisande, who bade me listen at walls."
"Fyren did not trust you," surmised Chrétien. "Then, why should we?"
"You should not, on so little knowledge. You would not expect those of this hall to trust you, yet. Neither do we expect such a thing of you."
Chrétien gave a small and solemn nod. "I suspect his distrust recommends you, if he was the thief of souls that we have heard."
"And you, Gerard?" asked Alain.
The man's brown eyes seemed almost to be burning. Was it jealousy he felt?
"I support you as my Lady Melisande bids me."
"And you have no opinion?"
"Nay."
"Ah. And where might she be, that she commands you so well?"
"I have told you, she is gone. I have naught else to say."
Alain considered Gerard more closely. "You are a man of divided loyalties, then. For how could a knight pledge to the same lord who seeks his lady to wed against her will?"
"I have given my word, as she asked of me."
"But will you not defend the lady against me?"
"Mayhap."
"And if you know her whereabouts, you will not tell me."
"I will not."
"Nor will I," said another knight, Wallis by name. "I hope she is gone forever."
"Do you? How so?"
"I hope she may never be forced to share the bed of a Norman."
Two Normans leapt up to the challenge, reaching for their swords before they realized they had none on them. Wallis shoved back the long bench where he sat with the Saxons, almost as if no others sat upon it. But he too had no sword.
Alain jumped, grabbed both of Hugh's arms before he could leap across the table; Chrétien bound Robert. Thomas and Gerard held Wallis fast.
"Enough! There will be no brawls in my hall!"
"You heard him. You think you can trust such a man at your back?" Hugh struggled against Alain's strong grip, then realized it was his lord who held him, and calmed.
"Better to know a man's heart, Hugh. Now, sit, or leave the hall."
All three combatants sat, sullen frowns across their faces. Alain, sensing the volatile moment had passed, glanced about the hall. Edyt stood with the serving women and pages, her frightened doe-like eyes fixed upon him. He had the perplexing notion that he did not want to displease her.
"The lady's fate is not in your hands, Gerard, nor yours, Wallis. Mayhap those who choose to protect the lady will come to recognize she is meant no harm."
"Nevertheless, you question our loyalty, lord," reminded Gerard.
Alain leaned back in the lord's chair and slowly nodded. "But I spoke wrongly. We confuse fealty with loyalty, and they are not the same. All of you, by virtue of your fiefs, owe to me your knight's service. And if I do not get it, you will not keep your land. It is a time-honored exchange. But that is not loyalty. Your loyalty I must earn, just as it has been earned by your Lady Melisande. I mean to do that. But the task is mine, not yours. In the same way, you may earn my loyalty to you."
The Saxon knights glanced sideways at each other and of a mass swirled their wine in their cups. Alain suspected he was not entirely believed. But he would take his own counsel, and let time prove him right.
Satisfied that peace was restored, Alain also sat and returned to his horn of wine. Normans were only rarely liked in this country, for the brutal memory of the Conqueror's savagery in the North still hung heavily. He had heard over the years that many from Northumberland and Durham had fled into Strathclyde, and some might well be among the population here.
He meant to do well by these people, but some would suffer. That was the nature of conquest. If it placed the lady in jeopardy, would Gerard and his men rise up against their new lord to protect the lady? Likely, they would. In an odd sort of way, he admired that.
Alain sought a less volatile subject. To the Saxons he asked for descriptions of their holdings. He
"Fyren did not trust you," surmised Chrétien. "Then, why should we?"
"You should not, on so little knowledge. You would not expect those of this hall to trust you, yet. Neither do we expect such a thing of you."
Chrétien gave a small and solemn nod. "I suspect his distrust recommends you, if he was the thief of souls that we have heard."
"And you, Gerard?" asked Alain.
The man's brown eyes seemed almost to be burning. Was it jealousy he felt?
"I support you as my Lady Melisande bids me."
"And you have no opinion?"
"Nay."
"Ah. And where might she be, that she commands you so well?"
"I have told you, she is gone. I have naught else to say."
Alain considered Gerard more closely. "You are a man of divided loyalties, then. For how could a knight pledge to the same lord who seeks his lady to wed against her will?"
"I have given my word, as she asked of me."
"But will you not defend the lady against me?"
"Mayhap."
"And if you know her whereabouts, you will not tell me."
"I will not."
"Nor will I," said another knight, Wallis by name. "I hope she is gone forever."
"Do you? How so?"
"I hope she may never be forced to share the bed of a Norman."
Two Normans leapt up to the challenge, reaching for their swords before they realized they had none on them. Wallis shoved back the long bench where he sat with the Saxons, almost as if no others sat upon it. But he too had no sword.
Alain jumped, grabbed both of Hugh's arms before he could leap across the table; Chrétien bound Robert. Thomas and Gerard held Wallis fast.
"Enough! There will be no brawls in my hall!"
"You heard him. You think you can trust such a man at your back?" Hugh struggled against Alain's strong grip, then realized it was his lord who held him, and calmed.
"Better to know a man's heart, Hugh. Now, sit, or leave the hall."
All three combatants sat, sullen frowns across their faces. Alain, sensing the volatile moment had passed, glanced about the hall. Edyt stood with the serving women and pages, her frightened doe-like eyes fixed upon him. He had the perplexing notion that he did not want to displease her.
"The lady's fate is not in your hands, Gerard, nor yours, Wallis. Mayhap those who choose to protect the lady will come to recognize she is meant no harm."
"Nevertheless, you question our loyalty, lord," reminded Gerard.
Alain leaned back in the lord's chair and slowly nodded. "But I spoke wrongly. We confuse fealty with loyalty, and they are not the same. All of you, by virtue of your fiefs, owe to me your knight's service. And if I do not get it, you will not keep your land. It is a time-honored exchange. But that is not loyalty. Your loyalty I must earn, just as it has been earned by your Lady Melisande. I mean to do that. But the task is mine, not yours. In the same way, you may earn my loyalty to you."
The Saxon knights glanced sideways at each other and of a mass swirled their wine in their cups. Alain suspected he was not entirely believed. But he would take his own counsel, and let time prove him right.
Satisfied that peace was restored, Alain also sat and returned to his horn of wine. Normans were only rarely liked in this country, for the brutal memory of the Conqueror's savagery in the North still hung heavily. He had heard over the years that many from Northumberland and Durham had fled into Strathclyde, and some might well be among the population here.
He meant to do well by these people, but some would suffer. That was the nature of conquest. If it placed the lady in jeopardy, would Gerard and his men rise up against their new lord to protect the lady? Likely, they would. In an odd sort of way, he admired that.
Alain sought a less volatile subject. To the Saxons he asked for descriptions of their holdings. He
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