Page 23 of Knight of Havoc
“Aye… of course, my Empress,” Elysande said even as she swore her knees were about to buckle.
“Norwood,” the empress said summoning her knight to come stand before her.
Reynard bowed. “My Empress,” he declared, holding his position until he was ordered to rise.
“See that Lady Elysande is escorted to her chambers. I fear the surprise has been too much for her and that she must needs compose herself before the evening meal.”
“’Twould be my pleasure,” he answered holding out to Elysande. “My lady… shall we?”
Elysande took hold of the support Reynard offered after she curtsied to their monarch. The moment the door closed behind them, her knees gave way and she found herself once again in Reynard’s arms.
“What am I to do?” she asked as despair washed over her like the darkest cloud.
“Obey, as we all must,” Reynard suggested as he began to help her down the dimly lit passageway. Once they arrived at her bedchamber, he opened the door. She expected him to leave but instead he, too, entered the room and slid the bolt.
Elysande went over to a table that held a pitcher of wine and poured herself a chalice. Once she took a drink to calm her nerves, she offered the cup to Reynard. He stepped forward, taking hold of the goblet and then turned the cup so he could place his lips where hers had just touched the rim. A lover’s gesture that was clearly deliberate and one she could not overlook.
“You asked to wed me,” she said as the thought of becoming his wife filled her heart.
“Aye.” He did not give any further explanation and she waited for him to continue. Instead, he gave a heavy sigh and returned the chalice to her without another word.
“You said you would speak to the empress, and you kept your word to me, Reynard. I appreciate that you made an attempt to ask for my hand,” Elysande said, placing the cup back down on the table. The bedchamber seemingly grew small with this warrior towering over her in the room.
“As you saw for yourself, there were others who had already spoken to our empress,” he finally declared. His words were not necessarily what she wished to hear and yet she appreciated that he spoke the truth all the same.
“I honestly do not understand why I am of such interest to those men. My holdings are small in comparison to others andare in need of extensive repairs. I can hardly be considered an eligible match when there are others who are far wealthier than I,” she murmured whilst a frown formed on her brow. “Why me?”
Reynard stepped forward taking hold of a lock of her black hair. He twirled the tresses around in his fingers and Elysande held her breath pondering what he would do next. They were alone in her bedchamber and she knew she never should have allowed him to bolt the door, but she was not about to ask him to leave. His hand dropped off of her hair and he then took hold of her about her waist bringing them close. She swore she could feel the heat of his body and hers trembled knowing he was near.
“You are a rare beauty, Elysande Thorburn of Blackmore. Any man in his right mind would be happy to take you as his bride,” he said whilst one of his long warm fingers traced its way down her cheek causing her to shiver in delight. Those steel grey eyes pulled her into his web, and she swore she was lost all over again.
“Including you, Reynard Norwood?” she dared to ask.
“Most assuredly, my lady,” he said with a slight chuckle.
Her hands came to rest on his chest and she could feel his muscular build beneath the fabric of his tunic. “And what of Johanna?” she inquired softly knowing how much the woman of his past had meant to him.
“What about her?” He brought them closer, the feeling of his nearness so overwhelming that Elysande was barely able to hold on to her thoughts about another woman. But no, this was important. She needed an answer.
“You must know I have to ask. Will I only be a replacement for her?”
“Nay. You are the only woman in my life and Johanna is where she belongs. A distant memory and nothing more.”
The right words, but did he mean them? Only time would prove the worth of them. For now, she could only move forward and live each day as it came. After all, Reynard would not be the only knight who wanted to wed her. But when his hands came up to cup her cheeks and he began bending forward, Elysande could only think of the kiss that was just waiting for her. Their breaths mingled on a heartbeat and as they stared into one another’s eyes, she saw the future that awaited her with this man.
A heavy-handed knock on her door broke them apart and they heard Richard’s voice on the other side of the portal, demanding Reynard return to their empress. He quickly placed a hasty kiss upon her lips before he headed toward the door.
“Reynard,” she called out as his hand was about to slide open the bolt.
“Aye?”
“About the tournament…”
“What about the tourney?”
“What do you plan to do about it?” she finally asked, voicing her concerns that she would be married to some other stranger.
“Do about it?”
