Page 50 of Promises Made at Midnight
“He has proven himself more than worthy to wear your colors, my lord,” Ulrick replied, satisfied with the young knight’s training and how his attitude had turned around for the better. Aye, ’twas as though Godfrey was a completely different man than the one who first showed up at Berwyck’s gates.
“And he will be presented with them before we leave for France. I must send a runner back to Berwyck to give Amiria what small measure of comfort it may be to have news, though she will not be pleased to know I am departing from England’s soil. I will also not leave you without enough guards to watch your back whilst you return to Dunster,” Dristan said, widening his stance.
“I appreciate the reinforcements,” Ulrick replied, “especially since we have the children to protect.”
Bridgette poked her finger into his chest. “What about my protection?” she teased playfully.
Ulrick lifted her finger to his lips. “You are a treasure beyond compare,ma chérie, and I would die to protect you. However, I would not wish to say you could not defend yourself if the need arose. Not after you spent so much time upon the training field with the Lady Amiria.”
“My wife did amazingly well with your training, Lady Bridgette, even though she dismissed my words given her pregnancy. She is most stubborn,” Dristan complained, although Ulrick could see how proud Dristan was of his wife before his gaze turned to those in the hall. “God’s Bones,how I hate court life. Do these people have nothing better to do than wait for the scraps the king might throw at their feet?”
Before Ulrick could comment, he heard what he had been dreading all eve.
“Come before your king, the Earl and Countess of Somerset,” a voice echoed throughout the hall
“Oh my God!” Bridgette moaned.
“Take a deep breath, my lady,” Ulrick said, before ushering his wife to stand before Henry II. They made their bow and awaited the king’s command.
“You have married,” the king exclaimed, more in a statement than a question.
“Aye, Your Majesty,” Ulrick answered, waving his hand to the lady at his side. “May I present my wife, Lady Bridgette of Dunster.”
Bridgette curtsied before their king. He waved her closer. She stood before him as he inspected her from head to toe and Ulrick was proud of Bridgette when she appeared as confident as he knew she could be, despite her apprehension of this meeting.
“She is exquisite, Lord Ulrick,” the king finally replied, before pointing his finger toward the lady. “And will you swear your fealty to your king as you have sworn to obey your husband, Countess?”
Bridgette stepped forward before kneeling down, taking the king’s hand, and kissing the ring upon his finger. “Aye, Your Majesty, with all that I am, I vow you my fealty.”
“Rise, Lady Bridgette,” the king exclaimed. He appeared satisfied with Bridgette’s response, although what other answer did he expect? Of course, she would swear her loyalty to their king. He returned his attention back to Ulrick with a nod. “May I assume you are finally done following at the heels of my Devil’s Dragon and will now take your rightful place at Dunster Castle and begin to manage your estates?”
“’Tis my plan, Your Majesty, with your blessing, of course,” Ulrick said, taking a heavy pouch tied at his belt. “Mayhap this will help with your cause in France to adequately fund your army whilst I continue home instead of joining the campaign.”
A man standing behind the king came to take the pouch, bouncing the leather bag as if to weigh its contents. Opening the strap, he peered inside before he nodded to the king that the offering was substantial and more than sufficient.
“It appears you have given enough coinage to satisfy my steward. Proceed to your estates, Lord Ulrick, and protect the castle in my name,” Henry declared, with a wave of his hand, dismissing them. Their audience with the king had been brief but luckily over.
“Your Majesty,” Ulrick replied, taking Bridgette’s elbow whilst they both bowed, paying homage to their king.
They returned to Dristan and his men who had gathered around him. Bridgette turned toward Ulrick and her hand shook upon his arm.
“Can we now get the heck out of here?” she asked quietly, looking upon him with worried eyes.
“Only after the king has retired. We can then return to our chamber for a good night’s rest. We shall leave come the morn,” Ulrick said giving her hand a gentle squeeze.
“Dawn cannot come soon enough,” she whispered.
It would be hours later before they could at last seek their chamber. With the dawn they would finally travel toward home. Ulrick could only ponder what awaited them upon their arrival.
CHAPTER35
Swirling images of Bamburgh’s past floated across Bridgette’s dreams. One… a young woman in a shimmering pink gown calling out for the boy she loved and who was lost to her; another… four women falling down in a turret as they were swept back in Time; one more… of one of those same women, heavily pregnant, praying upon the identical set of stairs begging to go back to her own place in Time; and lastly… her best friend Megan who appeared out of place around the ancient stones of the castle as she called out to… her.
“Bridgette! Where are you?” her voice rang out in an eerie faraway tone. “Come home!”
A robe wrapped around her, Bridgette’s feet ran down the cold passageway while she became lost in the twist and turns of an unfamiliar castle as she followed the sound of her friend’s voice.
“I’m coming, Megan,” Bridgette called out, as she continued to dart down one corridor after another. She went down one of the turrets with a sensation that this particular one was only a set of stairs and not a connection to modern times. She continued onward.
