Joan Wolf - The Poisoned Serpent

“I believe she is, Your Grace.”

“Go and get her.”

The boy didn’t move, but gave Stephen a long, wary look.

The king met his eyes steadily. “Go,” he said again.

Hugh went.

As soon as he was out of the room, Guy broke out in passionate fury.

“You cannot mean to give in to him, Your Grace! I have told Hugh that if he marries Lady Cristen, I will disown him as my heir.”

“If you do that,” the justiciar said practically, “you will drive him right into Gloucester’s arms.”

“Then arrest him,” Guy said grimly. “He can’t go over to Gloucester if he is in chains.”

Stephen looked at the pale, worried-looking man who sat beside Guy. “Sir Nigel,” he said. “How say you?”

“Your Grace,” Nigel Haslin replied, “If Hugh de Leon pledges you his faith, he will keep his word. And Hugh de Leon would be an enormous asset to Your Grace’s cause. He is a brilliant young man whose sword and counsel you could rely upon utterly. He is a man of honor, Your Grace. Do not let him get away.”

Guy turned to Nigel in fury. “ You have plotted this! For all this time, this is what you have been maneuvering for-to marry your daughter to the next earl!”

“That is not true, my lord,” Nigel said.

“Do you mean that you knew nothing of this?” the king asked.

“I knew what Hugh wanted,” Nigel replied. “But I told him that he could not marry my daughter without the consent of her overlord.”

“Well, she does not have my consent!” Guy shouted.

“Contain yourself, Lord Guy,” the king said. He was beginning to enjoy himself. “It seems to me that this is a matter of true love.”

“Love has nothing to do with marriage, Your Grace,” Guy returned in a voice that was only slightly less than full volume.

“I find it rather touching,” said William of Roumare.

Guy glared at his rival with loathing. The Earl of Cambridge, a broad, powerfully built man with auburn hair and brown eyes, looked back imperturbably. He undoubtedly would be delighted to see Hugh marry one of his own vassals and not the heiress to a quarter of Lincolnshire.

Stephen understood this very well. He also understood that Hugh’s offer of allegiance might be a boon. Nigel Haslin had said that the boy was brilliant. Something about Hugh made the king think that Nigel might very well be right. And Stephen could hold the threat of recognizing Hugh as earl over Guy as a weapon to keep Guy in line.

I can’t lose , Stephen thought with satisfaction. If Guy betrays me, I will recognize Hugh. At the very least, Wiltshire’s forces will be divided against themselves. Internal dissension will render them useless .

The king gestured for more wine.

I will also keep Elizabeth de Beauté and all her lands in my hands, a gift to smooth my way with some other wavering baron , he thought as he took a pleasurable drink of the newly poured wine.

As Stephen was putting down his cup, Hugh came in the door with a girl at his side. The two young people walked solemnly forward and went down on their knees before Stephen.

“Your Grace,” Hugh said. “May I present the Lady Cristen Haslin.”

Stephen looked with approval into the delicately lovely face of the young woman who was going to save him so much trouble. Large, luminous brown eyes looked gravely back, and Stephen suddenly remembered that he had met Lady Cristen before.

“Rise, my lady,” he said genially, and gestured for Hugh to do the same. “We remember well your generous hospitality to us during the siege of Malmesbury.”

She smiled. “I am honored, Your Grace.”

“So,” he said. “Lord Hugh de Leon has informed us of his desire to wed with you. Are you in agreement with his wish?”

“Aye, Your Grace,” she said.

As Hugh and Cristen stood and looked at him, Stephen was struck by the intense feeling he had of their oneness. They were not looking at each other, nor were they touching, but the feeling they gave off was very powerful. Stephen felt it, and he imagined everyone in the room must feel it, too.

It was touching, and it was convenient.

“I will welcome your pledge of loyalty, Lord Hugh,” the king said. “And I will be happy to dance at your wedding.”

Stephen came around the table and accepted Hugh’s oath right there, in the presence of a livid Lord Guy. Then he invited Hugh to attend him in his bedchamber, and the two went off together alone.

As soon as the king had left the room, Guy stalked out as well, walking by Cristen as if she did not exist. Nigel hurried to the side of his daughter and she gave him a sympathetic smile.

“Come with me back to Hugh’s house, Father. He will return there once he has finished with the king.”

Bernard joined them, and she invited him to accompany them.

They were met at home by the children, Thomas, Mabel, and Alan. Cristen told them her good news and then they all settled down to wait for Hugh.

He did not come for another hour.

“Can he be talking to the king all this time?” Thomas was wondering aloud for the fourth time when the front door opened and Hugh came in.

His eyes went immediately to Cristen and he grinned.

She smiled back.

“So it seems I am to have you for a son-in-law after all,” Nigel said, coming forward to embrace Hugh.

Hugh laughed. “You found me, sir. Now you’re stuck with me, I’m afraid.”

Bernard was next, enveloping Hugh in a bear hug and saying over and over, “Masterly, lad. You were masterly.”

Hugh’s eyes were brilliant as he returned a joking reply to the compliment. Bernard’s heart swelled with joy at the sight of that look on Hugh’s face.

He’s going to be just fine, Ralf , he thought. Your boy is going to be just fine .

“Were you talking to the king for all this time?” Thomas asked.

Hugh shook his head. “I spent about half an hour with the king. It took me another half hour to get away from the barrage of questions I was hit with from the castle knights.”

“You were with Stephen for half an hour?” Nigel said. “What did you talk about?”

“We talked about a number of things,” Hugh said.

“Are you going to tell us, or are you going to be mysterious?” Cristen inquired pleasantly.

He looked at her. “I am going to tell you.”

“How nice. Why don’t we sit down and have some wine?”

“I’ll get it, my lady,” Alan said, and as the rest of the household took up positions on chairs and benches in the solar, Alan went around handing out wine cups and filling them.

Hugh waited for Alan himself to take a seat before he began.

“I talked to the king about the situation of Nicholas and Iseult,” he said.

The two children, who were sitting on a stool in front of Cristen’s chair, went stiff with nervousness.

Hugh regarded the two young faces. “I asked the king if Lady Cristen and I could become your guardians, and he agreed.”

Two pairs of blue eyes widened.

“Wh-what does that mean?” Nicholas asked.

“It means that you and Iseult will live with Lady Cristen and me,” Hugh replied matter-of-factly. “It means that we will be your foster parents.”

Iseult screamed and ran to throw herself at Hugh. He winced a little as she cannoned into his bandaged arm.

Nicholas remained where he was, but his eyes were very bright. “Thank you, Hugh,” he said. “We will be good, I promise.”

Iseult, who had established herself in a proprietary position on Hugh’s lap, said generously, “ I was going to marry Hugh, Lady Cristen, but I don’t mind if you marry him instead.”

“Thank you, Iseult,” Cristen said solemnly. “You do me great honor.”