Dream of Me/Believe in Me

to do so, I stumble over feelings that overwhelm me.”
    Her reward for this befuddled confession was a heart-stopping grin that stole her breath. She had yet to recover it when Hawk swept her into his arms, carried her back to his horse, and set off for Winchester, which he intended to reach with absolutely no further delay.
    They entered the city shortly after nightfall. Every torch was lit and watch fires blazed from the guard towers. Alerted to Udell's treason, crowds were gathered in the streets. They cheered mightily as Hawk and his men rode by. Alfred himself came out to greet them in the courtyard of the royal residence.
    “My dear friends!” the king exclaimed. “You have ever been in our thoughts and prayers. Praise God for restoring you to us.”
    Krysta was received into gentle hands, but the moment Hawk dismounted he reclaimed her. Holding her high against his chest, he said, “I thank you, my lord. Udell is dead. Now if you don't mind, I would like to make arrangements to return to Hawkforte.”
    Looking at the exhausted woman asleep in the Hawk's arms, Alfred said apologetically, “I don't mind at all. However, I'm not the one you have to convince.”
    Even as he spoke, Eahlswith descended the steps to stand at her lord's side. She glanced at Hawk, peered at Krysta, and clucked. “That poor dear child. Bring her inside at once. She needs a bath, rest, good food, and care.”
    “Of course she does,” Hawk agreed. “But quickly, my lady, if you wouldn't mind. We start for Hawkforte at dawn.”
    The gentle queen, loving mother, and mild-mannered helpmate, gazed at the mighty Hawk, who towered above her, unshaven, blood-splattered, and as fearsome a sight as to dwell in the nightmares of any man. She frowned.
“You
may start whenever you wish, my lord. But your lady remains here until I say she is fit to travel.”
    Hawk looked to Alfred in surprise but the king merely shrugged. “I would just give in if I were you,” he said quietly. “It's so much simpler in the end.”
    Thus blessed with new understanding of the inner workings of the royal marriage, Hawk trudged up the steps in Eahlswith's wake. The queen's ladies met them at the top and promptly clustered about, chirping with concern. He was allowed to go as far as Krysta's chamber and even to deposit her on the bed. That done, he was dismissed. Scarcely did he realize what was happening than the door was closed firmly in his face.
    It remained closed through that night and into thenext day, as did the door connecting the two chambers. Whenever Hawk knocked, as he did regularly, he was met by one of any number of sweet-faced, gentle-voiced ladies who told him flatly he could not come in. Krysta was asleep, he was informed. She needed her rest. She would be fine. He would be told when he could see her.
    He appealed to Alfred, who shrugged again and suggested they go hunting. This they did, but upon returning late in the afternoon only to be barred yet again from Krysta's door, Hawk rebelled. He insisted on being admitted, which threw the gentle ladies into a flutter and caused the queen to be summoned. To Eahlswith, he pleaded his case.
    “I only want to see her for a moment,” he said, feeling ridiculous, for when had he ever pleaded with a woman for anything? Yet he was so grateful that Krysta lived and that she was being properly cared for that he could do nothing but entreat.
    Eahlswith took pity. She allowed him to come into the room and stand beside the bed but with a caution to remain quiet. Just as he had been told, Krysta was deeply asleep. She lay on her back, her glorious hair shining clean and neatly braided, the top of a chaste white shift peering from above the covers. A great surge of relief went through him as he finally saw her but it was gone in an instant, replaced by shock.
    A livid purple and blue bruise covered most of her right cheek. On the other side, her forehead was badly scraped and swollen. Her wrists were bandaged. He turned to Eahlswith, who said softly, “She was tied for a time. The ropes cut her wrists and ankles. We must be grateful that was the only harm Udell did to her directly. The rest came in the river. She is bruised from head to toe but no bones are broken and—and no other damage was done. She will recover but she cannot possibly go anywhere for some time yet.”
    Hawk shook his head numbly. “I didn't realize … riding back here, she was asleep most of the time and I was just so glad to