The Blue Falcon Page 5

  She watched Conan from a safe distance, studying his mannerisms and even taking a close look at those he chose to have around him. His closest companions, Mallory and Thurwell, stayed near to him, though they joked and re­counted details of the tourney with other knights. Tedric seemed to stay much with his own family, keeping a fair distance from Conan and his men. From what Chandra could judge, Thurwell was not terribly far from the amount of ale needed to goad him into a scene. This older, surly knight grew more boisterous and looked more and more distastefully toward Theodoric’s family with every long pull from his cup.

  Chandra marveled at Conan’s strength. He lifted his mug to his mouth with his left hand, his right bound and hanging loosely at his side. She knew he would not grimace with pain any more than he would actually cry over the injury. More probably, she thought with a smile, he would fall headlong into drink and not remember until morning’s light that he had been injured at all.

  The crowd around Conan had thinned. Thurwell was drawing a bit too near to Tedric; there was a danger that a battle of words would soon ensue. It would please the masses well to see yet another battle. Mallory, the one most often plagued with a quick temper, dallied not far away with Edythe, a most unlikely pair in Chandra’s mind. Mallory neared thirty years and Edythe, a bit younger than Chandra, was barely flushed with womanhood.

  Chandra made her move quickly, aware that her chance for a few words with Conan had arrived.

  “How might I ease the pain of your wound, sir knight?” she asked softly.

  Conan smiled. “Let me look on your lovely face, damsel. That will ease the worst pain.”

  “You treat me too kindly, Conan. There are so many here who seek your attention.”

  “None so lovely as you, fair Chandra.”

  “What will you do now, Conan?”

  “Now? Do you mean until the call to ride to the king comes again?”

  “But you have only just returned! Surely you will not have to leave again so soon!”

  “I think not too soon. I ride to Stoddard Keep soon to see how matters fare there. My father expects trouble from the castellan and his family. Now that I am able, I will likely manage that small manor, and house my men within the Stoddard walls. I suppose that will be my home when I do not ride with Henry.”

  “You will be so far away--” she began.

  A hush seemed to fall over the room and Chandra turned to see Lady Udele enter the packed hall. Close behind her was Edwina and serving women whose position was to trail behind the great beauty. Alaric was the first to rise to greet her, placing a kiss on her hand. Udele smiled toward the many appreciative male glances and the crowd seemed to part magically to allow her passage. She finally came to pause before Conan and Chandra.

  “You have made me so proud today, Conan,” Udele said to her son.

  Chandra almost sighed. Many a young maid hoped one day to have the beauty and grace of Lady Udele. Conan took his mother’s hand and brushed a kiss on its back.

  Udele turned her attention to Chandra. “I have a gift for you, and for Edythe. Where is she? Ah, fetch her for me, and you will find your gifts in my chamber. And hurry, for soon we begin the feast.”

  Chandra curtsied and fled to find Edythe. Udele turned to her son. “You’ve carried the day well, Conan. A word with you, I pray. I will not keep you from your friends long.”

  Conan presented his arm to his mother, leading her toward the stair where others would not linger to listen.

  “Do my eyes deceive me, or are you smitten with young Chandra?” Udele asked with a raised brow.

  “Smitten? Madam, I assure you, I would not take advan­tage of--”

  “Conan, do not misunderstand me! Of course you would not hurt the maid. But when you look fondly on any lass our breaths all stop, for we are eager for you to accept your bride. I thought perhaps you had chosen.”

  “I’ve pledged nothing, madam, but--”

  “Good, for there is another I would have you look to. Edwina is lovely and rich. Phalen will be hers and our lands could be joined to form one mighty holding.”

  “Edwina... ” he mused.

  “Edwina, of course. The dear child confessed she holds the hope that you will notice her, and the thought of it made my heart sail! To think of our family joined with Medwin’s! Mon dieu! I should not try to persuade you.”

  Conan laughed and reached for his mother’s hand. “And when, madam, have you fought that temptation?”

  “Do not laugh at me, Conan. I think only of your best interests. And I am concerned for the land Medwin holds.”

  “Why are you concerned?”

  “It lies close to our own, and Medwin is eager to have his oldest daughter married. Edwina is sweet and lovely and I fear he will not choose carefully for her.”

  “Medwin is not a fool. He will--”

  “He considers Tedric even now. If you are tempted by the maid and her dowry, you must speak soon: on this very day.”

  Conan gave little thought to the bride, but the prospect of having Tedric as a landholder so close to Anselm brought a frown to his brow. Phalen was not as rich as Anselm, but in time Tedric could be nearly as powerful in wealth and arms as Conan.

  “I hardly know Edwina,” Conan said, his frown deepening.

  “You’ve known her all your life! And what need a man know of his future wife? Her wealth, family and willingness to give you heirs. Above that, if she is comely, virginal and willing, you have every measure of a man’s desire.”

  As Udele spoke, Conan listened with half an ear. She judged his faraway expression and smiled inwardly. The seed had been planted. Now, if Edwina looked lovely tonight and put forth her best behavior...

  Udele looked past her son to see Edwina with some other maids. She wore a gunna of the softest blue, and her flaxen hair trailed down her back to fall in ringlets to her thighs. As she laughed with the other maids her face seemed to shine. She was a frail, petite beauty, one who would make Conan seem stronger and larger.

  “Should you choose to look further for a suitable mate, Conan, be certain that you will not regret giving her to Tedric,” Udele said softly to her son. Conan looked over his shoulder to where Edwina stood. “And be prepared to live with Tedric as your neighbor.”

  Conan looked back to his mother and frowned. “I had not expected to make this decision so soon,” he said.

  “Ah, love, you will soon find that the world does not wait on your preference.” She laughed softly. “Go, speak with Edwina. You may find that Tedric’s proposal to Medwin is your gift and not your curse. Mayhaps you would not have noticed the maid if Tedric were no threat.”

  Conan smiled at his mother, appreciative of the fact that she had warned him. He squeezed her hand and went off in the direction of Edwina. Udele leaned against the wall, and from a distance she watched Conan react to Edwina’s lovely smile. Udele sighed with contentment. She was confident that she had turned around a prophecy.

  Edythe pulled Chandra’s arm as they rushed back to the hall, each wearing the shining gold bracelet that Lady Udele had set out for them. Many of the delicacies were being brought out for the feasting. Within the hamlet, the com­mon folk dined upon the ground, torches lighting the night while they filled their bellies with meat, bread and mead. But here, in the hall, the food was much more impressive. Chandra had seen feasting before, but nothing to compare to this. Lord Alaric had planned to spare nothing in mak­ing this an incredible feast. Chandra turned full circle more than once as the grand dishes were being carried into the hall.

  She found herself looking toward the head table where Lord Alaric and Lady Udele would be seated. Some of the best knights and most prestigious guests would be joining them there, along with Sir Conan, of course. But she saw something she never expected to witness. On Conan’s arm was Edwina. Chandra’s jaw dropped and her throat felt constricted as she noticed her father raising one graying brow toward Alaric, and saw Alaric return the gesture with a brief nod.

 
Chandra shook herself and began looking for her place, hoping that it would not be terribly far from where Conan was seated. But in this, too, she was to be disappointed. After looking about the hall for a few moments, she found Edythe. There was an empty seat beside her and Chandra knew she was meant to sit there. The two maids were not placed with knights of good reputation but with the more youthful members of the household. Young squires, pages and maid­ens were to be their meal mates.

  “This is not where I had hoped to be this eve,” Chandra said softly, her voice catching slightly.

  Edythe did not respond, but looked across the crowded hall with tears filling her eyes. Chandra followed her gaze and saw where she looked. Sir Mallory was there, near to Conan, and he looked in Edythe’s direction. Then Mallory turned his attention to a knight beside him and Edythe sat down, the disappointment draining her.

  “I see that you had other plans for the feasting too,” Chandra said sympathetically.

  “I had thought to have finally reached a station above child,” she said sadly, turning her eyes to Chandra. “When I could easily do my lady mother’s bidding, I thought I would at least dine with the women.”

  “There, do not be hurt,” Chandra said with more cheer than she was feeling. “The feasting cannot last forever. And there is much more to the banquet than eating.”

  Chandra also tried to find the knight of her choice in the packed hall. She had to stand and look over the many heads that blocked her vision to find him, but unlike Mallory, he did not bend his gaze toward her. Instead he spoke to Edwina, leaning close to her and touching her hand as they talked. A rush of fear invaded her heart and she tried to abate it.

  The meal was served with great pageantry. Squires and servants brought trays and trenchers filled with grand dishes, first to the lord and then to the other guests. A buffet of grand birds, cooked and then adorned with their jackets of colorful feathers, was displayed. A swan stuffed with a duck and finally stuffed with a quail was served with great flourish. A huge roast of boar dripping with gravy was yet another, and also stag and hens aplenty to go around.

  Squires with their carving knives in hand stood ready to serve their lords. For these lads it was more than a night of celebrating, for they were again in training. They must not only carve the meat to perfection but have the proper terminology memorized in the event they would be asked. Chandra listened to the words passing between a squire and his master at the next long trestle table. The lad would “disfigure” the peacock, “lift” the swan, “despoil” the hen and “unbrace” the duck. And an error here was a serious offense.

  Edythe touched Chandra’s arm. “Chandra,” she said sol­emnly. “Do you see who sits beside my brother? Does Edwina desire Conan?”

  Chandra felt herself shudder. “Nay, my sister is soon to be betrothed to Sir Tedric. She has discussed it with my father many times.”

  “And Edwina wants Tedric?” Edythe asked.

  “She wishes to please our father,” Chandra replied.

  “When the meal is done you must put yourself in my brother’s company again, if you wish him to notice you.”

  Chandra was taken aback by Edythe’s advice. She had not thought anyone paid much attention to her preference. She thought herself too young to be considered a choice mate for Conan, but she had not thought it too soon to give him something to think about.

  “I suppose I must,” she heard herself reply.

  The best mead and the finest wines and ales were brought to the nobles. Songs were sung by troubadors while all ate and drank for hours. The feasting would continue until early morning and few would feel the comfort of a soft pallet this night. Even when the women had wearied of the noise and left the hall to retire, the men would carry on until the first streaks of dawn could be seen.

  Conversation would not be confined to one’s immediate dinner partners, nor even just one table. Knights and lords broke from their seating to meander about the hall and chat with a damsel or argue with another knight. When this moving about the hall once again crowded the room, Chandra rose and began to find friends and new acquaintances to chat with, hoping eventually to find herself near Conan once again. But as she viewed the table where he had been seated, she found Udele in deep conversation with Edwina, and Conan gone. She searched the room with her eyes but he was nowhere to be found.

  When he returns, Chandra promised herself, I must at least see that he notices me.

  ***

  Conan and his father walked away from the hall and into the courtyard. It was a quiet and clear night, the sounds of celebrating in the hamlet and in the hall becoming more distant with their every step. It was a welcome relief from revelry for both of them.

  “If it would please you, my lord,” Conan started, confident in his every word, “I would ask for the hand of Lady Edwina.”

  “Please me? Nothing could please me more, and Medwin would in like be pleased. I did not know the maid interested you.”

  “I have only lately come to see the good wifely qualities in Edwina. And I have just become aware that if I want her, I must speak quickly or await another as appealing.”

  Alaric’s eyes searched his son’s, and though the night was dark, he focused on them. “Is Edwina whom you truly desire?”

  “Yes, Father. And she would have me, though she is shy and cannot say so easily. It was a trial to coax her to speak her mind.”

  “How will she serve your needs, Conan? Will she gladly breed up a small clan, bearing your children with joy? Will she endure with grace the many months you are away?”

  “Father,” Conan laughed. “How can I know if she is fertile unless I bed her now and wed her when she is ripe with babe? And to endure the months alone--she is Medwin’s daughter and there is no better teacher in the ways of knights and lords. Above that, she has land I want and is pleasant and comely. She has not the substance to be shrewish and”--he shrugged and kicked a pebble on the ground--”it will not pain me to give her a place in my bed.”

  Alaric looked up and took a breath. “Do you love her?”

  Conan cleared his throat in embarrassment. “She is shapely and well kept. I have felt a passing fancy for those maids who would play their favors for a knight, and it turned quick to passion. You need not fear that I am ignorant. This I feel for Edwina: I tell you true, I am anxious to have her. But what is love, my lord? Is it something more? I love my horse and my bird and I serve them as faithfully as they serve me. By my oath I would honor and protect her to my death. I know of nothing more to be pledged.”

  Alaric smiled with satisfaction. Conan’s word was his life.

  “Medwin grows impatient with Edwina,” Conan contin­ued. “He would have her married. I dare not tarry any longer over the prospect or I will find her gone. She has told me that Medwin strongly considers Tedric. I will speak to Medwin tonight if you permit it.”

  “Medwin will not stay you, but I fear you will anger Sir Tedric beyond your ken. Be certain, son, that you seek Edwina for herself and not as a means to best Tedric yet again.”

  “It is not in my mind to have another battle with Tedric. I do not think he will challenge me. It is Edwina I want. I will not lose the lady and her lands to Tedric.”

  Alaric placed his hand on his son’s shoulder. “Conan, be sure of what you do. If Tedric had not requested Edwina’s hand in marriage, would you ask for her now?”

  “Yea, Father. Perhaps I would not seek out Medwin this very night--Tedric’s threat to what I want urges me on. Yea, Edwina is a choice mate for a man. She is a timid creature, but I am not an oaf and know the ways to court a maid.”

  “Then see the matter done, Conan,” Alaric said. “And I wish you the very best.”

  When the hour was late and the feasting finished and empty platters laden with bones and scraps either thrown to the dogs or carried away, Lord Alaric rose and called those in the room to his attention. When some order fell over the crowd of men and maidens, Alaric raised his cup high.

  �
�On this night of good cheer, what could be more fitting than to herald more good news. My own son, Sir Conan de Corbney, will pledge himself in marriage to the daughter of my friend and neighbor, Sir Medwin.” Medwin rose and held his cup high, looking with brotherly affection toward Alaric. “Sir Conan will wed the fair lady Edwina some months hence and gives his promise to honor this betrothal. To Sir Conan!” he shouted, drinking deep. The crowd within the hall echoed his salutation. “To the lady Edwina!” he shouted, again raising the horn and drinking deeply of the heady wine. Again the hall echoed its approval.

  With glad tears in her eyes, Udele rose with dignity and made her way to the young couple, embracing and kissing them both. Knights approached to congratulate Conan, and many a maid rushed to Edwina to enfold her in their arms and wish her well.

  Across the hall where Tedric sat with his father and two of his brothers, he grabbed Theodoric’s arm and said between gritted teeth, “I had made my offer of marriage to Medwin for his daughter.”

  Theodoric snatched his arm rudely from his son and looked at him closely. “On this day you will not interfere,” he ground out with threatening slowness. “You will wish Conan well and shame this family no more if you will be called my son!”

  Theodoric rose and held his horn high, drinking to the celebrated couple.

  In the throng of well-wishers came Chandra, making her way gingerly to her sister and Conan. By the time she reached them, tears were staining her cheeks. She embraced Edwina and they held each other close, both shedding tears that were born of emotions alien to the occasion.

  Chandra faced Conan and her glistening eyes struck him oddly. He thought perhaps the torchlight had some strange effect on him, for she looked older and more beautiful.

  “I wish you happiness, Conan,” she said very softly.

  A slight frown creased his brow as he looked at her. A feeling he did not recognize betrayed him then, and to cover his confusion he reached for her and placed a brotherly kiss on her cheek. Her nearness and the sensation of his lips touching her tear-moistened cheek caused his heart to plum­met, and his chest was filled with the pain of doubt. Though he could not quell the feeling, he was careful not to let it show. He smiled at her tenderly. He whispered his response. “Thank you, sister.”