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Authors: Samantha James
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England?"
He laid his hands on her shoulder. "Aye," he admitted. "Our people hate how England has once again dropped its heavy hand on our shoulder. Many a small landowner is now penniless and destitute because of Edward's quest to line his coffers."
She moaned her distress. "What heroics do you practice? Do you seek fame and glory by making war on England?"
" Tis not fame and glory I seek, but independence for our people, Shana. You, of al people, know how strongly I feel about this! That is why I go to join Llywelyn and offer my services and support."
"And what if he masses an army? Wil you throw in your sword as well?"
"I wil serve in whatever way I can," he said simply.
She caught her breath. "Barris, I fear for you— for us both!" She beseeched him desperately.
"I've already lost my father. I could not stand to lose you, too!"
"Shana, I can no longer stand from afar and watch King Edward crush our country with his fist. But your fear is misplaced, for 'tis your safety that concerns me before al else. I wil do naught but worry if you stay here at Merwen. That is why you must leave—immediately."
"Leave! Barris, if I go anywhere, I go with you!"
"Shana, have you listened to naught that I have said? "Tis not possible!" He gave her an impatient little shake.
Shana was stunned at the blackness of his glare—and at what he asked of her. "You want me to leave Merwen," she whispered. "Nay, I cannot. This is my home."
"You must. Merwen has come under attack once already. I do not want you here if it should happen again."
"Surely that is hardly likely." "We cannot be sure of that." He cut her off abruptly. "The point you made earlier is a valid one. What if King Edward does indeed plot to kil Llywelyn and al his kin? What then?"
Shana fel silent. Though such a plot was surely unlikely, she found she could not completely discount the merits of his argument.
"I want you safely out of harm's way," he went on. "You've an aunt in Ireland, as I recal ."
"Aye," she said slowly. "Alicia, my mother's sister."
"Then promise me you'll make haste to Ireland as soon as possible. If I could, I would see you off myself, but alas, I must depart within the hour." When she said nothing, his grip on her shoulders tightened. "Promise me, Shana. Promise you will leave on the morrow, for I'll not rest easy until I know you are safe."
Her nerves were wound tight as a spool of yarn. Al at once the fatigue and strain were too much. She felt weary to the bone, too tired to argue. "I wil go," she said numbly.
Approval flitted across his handsome features. He lifted her hand and brushed his lips across her knuckles. "Tell me true, fair princess," he murmured. "Am I truly a hero to you?"
Shana's throat was achingly tight. "You know you are," she whispered helplessly. . "Then let this hero depart with a memory sweeter than the promise of spring." This was the old Barris, the Barris she knew so wel , charming and dashing, the rogue irresistible who plied her with soft-spoken words of love and promise. His mouth met hers. Always before when he had kissed her, his kisses had been careful y restrained, never daring to trespass beyond the boundaries of her innocence. But Shana was loathe to see him go; she clung to him shamelessly, her lips a sweetly tremulous offering. Barris made a sound that was half triumph, half despair. The pressure of his mouth on hers deepened to fervent intimacy; pleasure, warm and heady, swept along
her veins. Though Shana yearned for his kiss to go on and on, it ended much too soon.
He rested his forehead against hers. "Very soon this wil al be over," he whispered. "I wil come for you and then we can be wed as planned at summer's end."
Shana buried her face against his shoulder. "I will miss you," she said tearful y.
"And I wil miss you, my love." Fingers beneath her chin, he guided her face to his. "My heart is empty and barren without you, love. Only you can bring springtime to my soul, princess—
He laid his hands on her shoulder. "Aye," he admitted. "Our people hate how England has once again dropped its heavy hand on our shoulder. Many a small landowner is now penniless and destitute because of Edward's quest to line his coffers."
She moaned her distress. "What heroics do you practice? Do you seek fame and glory by making war on England?"
" Tis not fame and glory I seek, but independence for our people, Shana. You, of al people, know how strongly I feel about this! That is why I go to join Llywelyn and offer my services and support."
"And what if he masses an army? Wil you throw in your sword as well?"
"I wil serve in whatever way I can," he said simply.
She caught her breath. "Barris, I fear for you— for us both!" She beseeched him desperately.
"I've already lost my father. I could not stand to lose you, too!"
"Shana, I can no longer stand from afar and watch King Edward crush our country with his fist. But your fear is misplaced, for 'tis your safety that concerns me before al else. I wil do naught but worry if you stay here at Merwen. That is why you must leave—immediately."
"Leave! Barris, if I go anywhere, I go with you!"
"Shana, have you listened to naught that I have said? "Tis not possible!" He gave her an impatient little shake.
Shana was stunned at the blackness of his glare—and at what he asked of her. "You want me to leave Merwen," she whispered. "Nay, I cannot. This is my home."
"You must. Merwen has come under attack once already. I do not want you here if it should happen again."
"Surely that is hardly likely." "We cannot be sure of that." He cut her off abruptly. "The point you made earlier is a valid one. What if King Edward does indeed plot to kil Llywelyn and al his kin? What then?"
Shana fel silent. Though such a plot was surely unlikely, she found she could not completely discount the merits of his argument.
"I want you safely out of harm's way," he went on. "You've an aunt in Ireland, as I recal ."
"Aye," she said slowly. "Alicia, my mother's sister."
"Then promise me you'll make haste to Ireland as soon as possible. If I could, I would see you off myself, but alas, I must depart within the hour." When she said nothing, his grip on her shoulders tightened. "Promise me, Shana. Promise you will leave on the morrow, for I'll not rest easy until I know you are safe."
Her nerves were wound tight as a spool of yarn. Al at once the fatigue and strain were too much. She felt weary to the bone, too tired to argue. "I wil go," she said numbly.
Approval flitted across his handsome features. He lifted her hand and brushed his lips across her knuckles. "Tell me true, fair princess," he murmured. "Am I truly a hero to you?"
Shana's throat was achingly tight. "You know you are," she whispered helplessly. . "Then let this hero depart with a memory sweeter than the promise of spring." This was the old Barris, the Barris she knew so wel , charming and dashing, the rogue irresistible who plied her with soft-spoken words of love and promise. His mouth met hers. Always before when he had kissed her, his kisses had been careful y restrained, never daring to trespass beyond the boundaries of her innocence. But Shana was loathe to see him go; she clung to him shamelessly, her lips a sweetly tremulous offering. Barris made a sound that was half triumph, half despair. The pressure of his mouth on hers deepened to fervent intimacy; pleasure, warm and heady, swept along
her veins. Though Shana yearned for his kiss to go on and on, it ended much too soon.
He rested his forehead against hers. "Very soon this wil al be over," he whispered. "I wil come for you and then we can be wed as planned at summer's end."
Shana buried her face against his shoulder. "I will miss you," she said tearful y.
"And I wil miss you, my love." Fingers beneath her chin, he guided her face to his. "My heart is empty and barren without you, love. Only you can bring springtime to my soul, princess—
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