Page 94 of Raven's Rise
“You stayed at Cleobury?” Angelet asked. “Even after…”
“At that point, Alric didn’t know I meant to kill. He has a better heart than I do. Everyone does.”
Just then, a servant hurried in. “Pardon! My lady Cecily, your father returns. Octavian de Levant rides with him. An advance rider has just come. The main party will be here well before dark.”
“Ah, how wonderful!” Cecily said, with a huge smile. Then she turned toward Rafe. “A little early, though. Your story isn’t done.”
“It doesn’t get better,” he said. “I did a host of despicable things after that. I even fought Alric again.”
“Your heart wasn’t in it that last time,” Alric said. “And you knew it.”
“The rest of the tale shall have to wait.” Cecily looked at Angelet apologetically. “Come with me and we’ll make ourselves presentable. I can’t wait for you to meet my father.”
“I’ll stay with Rafe until Lord Rainald arrives,” said Alric. “Just to make sure he doesn’t slip away.”
Angelet’s gaze caught Rafe’s, and she read the defeat in his face. Rafe looked as if slipping away was exactly what he had in mind.
Chapter 27
Rafe steeled himself for thearrival of the lord who’d been hunting him for years. Whatever his plans to slip out of Cleobury and evade the reckoning, now he had no choice. Part of him actually welcomed what was to come. Running was exhausting. The unknown was exhausting. At least now the worst would come out.
At Cecily’s instruction, everyone gathered in the courtyard to greet the party so Rainald would have a proper welcome…and also to make Rafe’s appearance known as quickly as possible.
When the party entered the courtyard, Rainald rode alongside someone else Rafe knew well. The young, dark-skinned knight scanned the group, and when he saw Rafe, his eyebrows lifted in surprise. He leaned over to say something to Lord Rainald, who nodded slowly. Then the knight leapt down from his horse and went directly to where Rafe stood near Angelet.
Cecily stepped forward. “Octavian! What a pleasant surprise.”
“Surprise is a good word for it,” the knight replied, with a glance at Rafe.
“Angelet,” Cecily said, taking her by the elbow. “This knight is our friend, Octavian de Levant. He has fought beside my Alric—as well as Rafe—during battle. I think he has saved all our lives once or twice.”
Angelet, not yet fully healed, gave a wobbly curtsey. “Then I am most pleased to meet you, Sir Octavian. For Lady Cecily saved my life. She could not have done that if you hadn’t saved hers earlier! I am Angelet d’Hiver.”
The knight bowed. Rafe had forgot how intensely formal Octavian could be. “Lady Angelet.”
Cecily said, “And you noticed that Rafe has returned.”
“Indeed.” Octavian looked Rafe directly in the eyes, and Rafe saw the suspicion there. Octavian was younger than him and Alric, and they hadn’t met him until about five years ago. Of all of them, Octavian had the least reason to trust Rafe, since he’d only seen Rafe at his worst.
Still, he took his tone from his hosts, and Cecily obviously allowed Rafe to be there. “We’ll have to talk soon,” the knight said. “I’m curious as to where you’ve been.”
“First,” Alric said, “we all need to hear what happened at the meeting. It took long enough!”
Now Octavian smiled. “Our visit was useful, I think. The lull in fighting has meant an increase in discussions.”
“Will Stephen and Maud finally agree to a peace?” Angelet asked. Rafe knew why. If they did, it would make it easier for her to reunite with her family.
“That I don’t know, my lady. There are still many obstacles, not least of which is that both cousins still desire the crown.”
Cecily frowned. “There won’t be anything left to rule, the way they keep bickering. This country will revert to wilderness.”
Octavian had been looking around the courtyard. “Speaking of the wild, where’s your ward? Any luck housebreaking Lady Robin yet?”
Cecily sighed. “We’re making progress…of a sort.”
Octavian gave a knowing laugh. “Sounds like anoto me. You’re better off opening the cage door and releasing her back into the forest.”
“She’ll make a fine lady,” Cecily insisted. “She just needs time.”
