Page 52 of The Robber Knight's Love
Reuben remembered the soldiers in the forest.He remembered their hard eyes and their sharp swords. The girllooked so vulnerable, standing there in front of him, tearsstreaming down her face. How could she hope to win against suchforces? He would have liked to be able to comfort her, to shelterher. Instead, he felt only anger. Anger at her, because apparentlyshe was crazy enough to try and place herself in the soldiers' way.Anger at himself, because now that he knew of an approachingdanger, there was no longer an excuse for him to stay.
A derisive snort escaped him. “Stop it? How?With your measly little barricade? That won't hold an enemy for aday!”
“What would you know of such matters?” shesnapped. “You're nothing but a merchant! A commoner with lessexperience than a woman on the field of battle!”
If it had been anyone else speaking, Reubenwould have killed them for this insult on the spot. As it was, healmost laughed! If she only knew... It made him want to tell her,to throw the truth in her face. Just in time, he remembered that hecould not. She could never know the truth; she would have his headfor it. And why waste one second standing here arguing with thiswench, anyway? He had to leave, the quicker the better! He didn'twant to get mixed up in this mess, did he...?
Clenching his teeth, he said: “You're right.I'm nothing but a commoner. A commoner who wants to stay alive. I'mleaving. Now!”
“Fine!” Ayla spat. “I don't need youanyway!”
She stormed out, slamming the door behind herand leaving Reuben behind, feeling guilty for some reason hecouldn't fathom.
*~*~**~*~*
Immediately after leaving Reuben's chamber,Ayla ran into a broom cupboard and locked herself in to indulge forabout a quarter of an hour in a fit of angry tears. Then, havingfinished with that, she had another fit, because she realized shehad had the first one not because of the approaching army butbecause Reuben was leaving.
How could she even think of something likethat at a time like this? She was supposed to be responsible andcare for her people with sense and foresight, not lie sniffling ina corner because of some arrogant, self-centered, incrediblyhandsome rogue! Silliness like that definitely justified anotherfit of hysteria. Nobody, not even Dilli, would find her here.
Drawing her knees up to her face and buryingher face in the muddy folds of her dress, she recalled what it feltlike to touch his skin, to look into his gray eyes on one of thoserare occasions when he was smiling. Never before had she feltsomething like the feeling that flooded her in moments like those.But she had heard it described many times. When minstrels came toLuntberg Castle, they always sang at least one song about it, oftenmany. They sang of two people meeting, of fate, of a bond thatcould not be broken. They sang of love.
Yet they never sang of unrequited love.
This isreality, she thought, sadly. Getting to her feet, sheopened the door and stepped over to the nearest window. Through aveil of tears, she watched her approaching black and silverdoom.
The Margrave's banners fluttered high overthe treetops. Relieved, she saw that the enemy wasn't approachingvery fast. There seemed to be many foot soldiers and heavily loadedwagons among them. At their current rate of progress, Isenbardwould be able to finish the barricade before the enemy was even outof the forest.
Then the foot soldiers moved aside and Aylasaw a detachment of riders gallop past. They advanced swiftly downthe forest path, towards the bridge. The sharp points of theirspears glinted in the midday sunlight.
“No!” Ayla moaned. “Please no!”
But like the pitiless blade of theexecutioner's ax, the riders continued on their way towards thebridge, towards the workers, towards her people. And from wherethey stood, they couldn't see it! The forest blocked the ridersfrom the sight of everyone who was standing down in the valley bythe bridge. Someone had to warn them!
Someone?
No, not someone. She.
Ayla looked around at the stone corridor.What was she doing here? Her place was down there, with her people.If she was going to run from every threat that advanced towardsher, she might as well give up the castle right away and let theMargrave have it, the village, the fields, the woods—everything,even herself.
Wiping the remaining tears from her face, sheturned and almost ran out of the castle.
“A horse,” she shouted to one of the stablelads. “Get me a horse, now!”
*~*~**~*~*
Reuben waited long enough for Ayla'sfootsteps to no longer be audible, then he sprang up, wobblingslightly as he did so. Damn uneven floor! The shoddy workmanship ofwhoever had built this sorry excuse for a castle made it moredifficult than usual for him to stay on his feet. In addition,beads of sweat kept running down his face. Must be the climate.Even that was going haywire around the little minx. Nothing wasnormal where she was involved, he thought angrily—all the whileknowing it was not her he was really angry with, but himself.
Not for the not inconsiderable number ofmistakes he had made since entering this accursed castle. Not forhis slowness in recognizing the real situation, the danger he wasin. Not even for letting himself be knocked out and getting intothis mess in the first place.
No, he was angry at himself because the firstthought that flashed through his mind when he heard her explanationof the goings on in the valley and the building of the barricadewas:So, she's not going to marry that oldcreep after all—thank God!
He was in mortal danger and the thing he mostcared about was some silly girl's matrimonial arrangements, or lackthereof? Was he losing his marbles? The girl was his enemy. Heshould wish her all manner of evil, including a warty old troll fora husband. And yet he just couldn't help feeling relieved. He hadto get out of this place and away from her before she robbed him ofwhat little sense he still had left.
Remember lasttime, he told himself.Rememberwhat happened when you thought there was a woman you could trust!They're all the same. Think of what the maid told you—the lady ofthe castle is feasting! Feasting when troops are marching to ravageher lands and plunge her people into misery and starvation. Whatperson with a shred of honor would do something like that? Theseso-called “ladies” are all the same.
Hot emotions boiling within him, Reubenstormed to the garderobe and was about to grab all the clothes inthere and stuff his pockets with everything of value he could findin the room, when he hesitated.
Whatever else might be said of Ayla, she hadin fact saved his life. This was how he was going to repay her? Hehad robbed many people in his life—more than he could count. Butnever had he laid hands on the possessions of someone he wasbeholden to.
