Medieval 01 - Untamed

aside, wishing themselves well away from the lady who faced them with such amused certainty of their defeat—and her own death.
    â€œYou are so greedy yourself,” Meg said to Eadith, “yet you don’t allow for greed in others.”
    â€œSpeak plainly,” Eadith snapped.
    â€œThrice my weight in jewels and gold will beggar Blackthorne Keep.”
    â€œAye!”
    â€œWho pays for the knights that protect vassals from the likes of you?” Meg asked gently. “Who pays the taxes that will refill the keep’s coffers to buy knights? Whose lives will be made living hell if their lord is impoverished?”
    A muttering ran through the Reevers as they understood what Meg was saying.
    â€œAye,” she agreed. “The vassals pay. They like me well enough, but they like feeding their children better.”
    â€œDon’t listen to her,” Eadith said quickly. “She’ll enthrall you just as she—”
    Rufus cuffed Eadith into silence with casual brutality. Meg kept talking, knowing she might well receive the same treatment herself at any moment.
    â€œWhile you stand here and count the ransom you will never receive,” Meg said, “I’ll warrant that the lord of Blackthorne is appealing to the archbishop to have our marriage annulled.”
    Frowning, Rufus yanked absently at a lock of his long mustache.
    â€œAn abbey should be inducement enough for the annulment,” Meg continued gently, relentlessly. “But since Dominic is such a clever tactician, he will probably offer a fine stone church as well.”
    â€œWhat of—”
    Meg kept on talking, not allowing Rufus a chance to voice his question.
    â€œBefore my flesh is cold in its grave, Dominic will be wed to a fine, fertile Norman wife who will give him enough heirs to stand hip to thigh across the land.
    â€œYou have outsmarted yourselves, Reevers. Blackthorne Keep is Norman now. Thanks to your foolish greed, it will remain so until the Kingdom of God comes again to earth.”
    Â 
    â€œâ€™T IS shrewd of my wife to demoralize them,” Dominic said when Sven paused in his story. “Did she recognize you?”
    â€œI think not. She made no attempt to speak privately with me.”
    Sven hesitated and looked around the great hall. No one except Simon and Old Gwyn was close enough to overhear.
    â€œI suspect that at least two of the Reevers men spy for Duncan,” Sven added.
    â€œNo surprise in that,” Dominic said. “The Scots Hammer is shrewd when his passions don’t rule him.”
    â€œOne of the spies slipped away from camp well before I did,” Sven said.
    â€œThen we shall likely see Duncan soon,” Dominic said. “What else did Meg say?”
    Sven looked at Dominic and wished himself anywhere at all but Blackthorne Keep. His lord was dressed for battle from helm to chausses. The hilt of his gleaming, well-used sword was never more than inches from his hand.
    With a stifled curse, Sven ran his fingers through his artfully dirty hair and spoke again.
    â€œYour lady asked once more for a priest, saying that if she died unshriven she would surely haunt them as Lady Anna haunts the keep.”
    â€œTurning the knife.” Dominic smiled savagely.“’Tis a foretaste of revenge for what they did to her. My small falcon is quite fierce.”
    Sven looked toward Old Gwyn.
    â€œIs Lady Margaret a good liar?” Sven asked bluntly.
    â€œNay.” The flat denial lay like a stone in the silence. “Meg is like a sacred spring, too clear to hide even the deepest parts of her soul.”
    â€œI thought so,” Sven muttered.
    As Dominic looked from one to the other, the smile on his face faded, leaving the savagery behind.
    â€œWhat are you saying?” he demanded.
    â€œLady Margaret believed every word she spoke,” Sven said simply. “That’s why the Reevers believed her.”
    â€œWhat sane person wouldn’t believe her?” Gwyn asked, watching Dominic intently. “It would be madness to ruin your estates in order to ransom a wife who can’t give you a son.”
    â€œEnough!” Dominic commanded.
    Gwyn kept talking as though she hadn’t heard. Her words were as calm and relentless as a cold rain.
    â€œAfter moonrise tomorrow, the Reevers will defile Meg,” the old woman said. “Even if she survives what they do to her, it will be impossible for you to