Devil's Dominion (54 page)

Allaston and Bretton watched Christopher turn and walk away with Jax, two legends heading towards the bailey, two men who were now allies as well as friends. As they headed towards Keller de Poyer, who now had control of the gatehouse along with a few hundred of his men, Allaston turned to Bretton.

“Thank you,” she murmured, “for giving me my father back.”

Bretton smiled at her. “I got my father back, too,” he said, stroking her dark head. “I cannot say what manner of relationship we will have, but I intend to try and forge one. He is my father, after all. I feel… I feel as if I have been given a second chance with him, even if he doesn’t remember me. I am going to do my best to help him try.”

Allaston agreed, noting that Rod and John Morgan were now leaving the kitchen yard, having tied Teague up to one of the supporting posts that held up the kitchen roof. The man was bound and gagged, ridiculously so, and Rod grinned brightly at Allaston as he walked past her.

“I kicked him a few times for you, my lady,” he said, leaning his head in the direction of Teague. “I even pinched his neck for good measure.”

Allaston giggled at him. “I think I am going to like you, cousin Rod.”

Rod winked at her boldly, his gaze moving to his cousin. His expression softened as he beheld the man and, after a moment, he reached out to lay a hand on Bretton’s broad shoulder.

“Welcome back from the dead, cousin,” he exclaimed. “I am very glad to have you back.”

Bretton softened toward his cousin, a man who had been so happy upon their first meeting to see him alive. Bretton hadn’t been very nice about it. Now, he was feeling the same joy that Rod had felt. Before Rod could get away, he grasped him and pulled him into a tight embrace, reaffirming bonds that had been shattered those years ago. Now, the bonds were being re-forged, stronger than before.

“I am glad to be back,” he said softly as he released the man.

Rod was grinning from ear to ear as he walked away, heading back to the bailey where the rest of the de Lohr and de Velt men were gathering. Behind him trailed John Morgan, a big man with a battered head, and Bretton watched the man as he walked away, feeling a mixture of joy and sorrow in his heart. His father didn’t know him now, but soon he would. Bretton vowed this to be true. He was just about to turn to Allaston when John Morgan came to a sudden halt, paused, and retraced his steps to Bretton. He stood there a moment, looking at the man, as Bretton returned his stare curiously.

“Is something the matter, John Morgan?” he asked.

The man stood there a moment, seemingly confused. When he finally looked up and fixed Bretton in the eye, there was something there, something more than just cursory recognition.

“Bretton,” he finally said in his raspy voice, one that sounded very much like his son’s tone. “Your name is Bretton.”

Bretton nodded encouragingly. “It is.”

John Morgan’s mouth worked as if he was trying very hard to say something, words that he couldn’t quite bring forth. Finally, he spit them out.

“Bee,” he muttered. “Your name… it used to be Bee.”

Bretton’s breath caught in his throat and tears came to his eyes as he gazed back at the man he loved with all his heart. Once, there had only been his father in his world, a man who was bigger to him than a mountain. His life that was and would be again. He swallowed the lump in his throat.

“Aye,” Bretton breathed. “You used to call me Bee when I was small.”

A twinkle came to John Morgan’s brilliant blue eyes. “I… remember.”

Bretton started laughing. They were the sweetest words he had ever heard.

℘

Year of Our Lord 1206 A.D.

Month of May

Pelinom Castle, Northumberland

The wedding dress was pink and Kellington had been extravagant with it. The train was twelve feet long, embroidered by Kellington, Allaston, Effington, and Addington as sort of a group project of the mother and daughters. While Kellington had been very specific on the designs, which were to be hummingbirds, flowers, and angels, Effington, the best embroiderer out of the group, and also the jokester, had stitched two small cherubs with big buttocks that she had tinged red right at the tip of the train. Addington had been in on the joke but she had kept her mouth shut, and the sisters had embroidered beautiful vines and flowers all around, so much so that Kellington hadn’t see the cheeky cherubs until the day of the wedding. Mother exploded, and Addie and Effie ran to their father for protection after that, which he struggled to give. There was no holding off an angry mother.

Allaston, however, had grinned at her sisters’ naughtiness and she had calmed her mother down about it. It didn’t really matter in the long run and the cherubs
were
beautifully done. Dressing in the pink silk gown with the rounded neckline, long belled sleeves, and snug bodice, Allaston had looked like a goddess in spite of the cherubs with the red buttocks lining her train. When Jax came to get her in her bower to take her to the carriage, the one that would take her into town to St. Peter’s Church where her wedding to Bretton would take place promptly at Vespers, he had to fight off the tears. His first born daughter was all grown up.

Addington and Effington were dressed in blue silk to complement their sister, with a band of small white roses around their heads, in contrast to their dark hair. The older brothers, Coleby and Julian, were dressed in their knightly finest while Cassian, the youngest son, had been brought home from fostering at Alnwick Castle for the event of his sister’s wedding. He was dressed like a proper young master. In all, the entire family was lavishly dressed for the occasion, one that had particularly poignant meaning to Kellington because she and Jax had been married under very simple circumstances – a church, two priests, and no celebration. Kellington very much wanted a celebration for her daughter. After the events of the previous year, there was much to celebrate.

But there was also much to be irritated over. Every time Allaston moved, the train of the dress would move, and Kellington would start fussing over the big-buttocked cherubs and Addington and Effington would try to cower behind their sister, the bride. Jax, riding next to the carriage in his finest, spent the majority of the ride into town trying to soothe his wife.

The wedding for Lady Allaston de Velt and Bretton de Llion had brought allies and friends alike to St. Peter’s Church and the town was full of families in their finery and knights of opposing houses. Christopher de Lohr was there with his brood, as was Keller de Poyer, Berwyn de Llion, Rod and Rod’s entire family including his mother and father, as well as Yves de Vesci, Earl of Northumberland, and John Morgan, who was going by Morgan de Llion these days. It was this group that greeted the de Velt party as they rode into town, and the entire town of Coldstream had turned out for the spectacle. It wasn’t often they saw finery, of great nobility, like this.

Christopher was outside of the church, watching his children play on the stoop, as Jax and his party drew near. He went out to greet Jax personally, and the man climbed off his horse to shake his friend’s hand. Edward and Max had come also, moving forward to greet de Velt, as Bretton and Rod, on the other side of the street, moved forward to help the ladies from the carriage.

Bretton’s heart was thumping loudly against his ribs at the sight of Allaston in her pink silk. She looked like an angel. Rather than helping her down to the road, which was muddy and filthy, he lifted her into his arms, train and all, and carried her into the church. That left Rod with seventeen year old Effington and fifteen year old Addington, who were gazing at the blue-eyed, black-haired knight as if he were Adonis himself.

Rod, usually quite outgoing and flirtatious, found himself swarmed upon by the two ladies as they latched onto his armored arms and vied for his attention. Jax, noting his daughters were going after Rod like two cats on a feeding frenzy, moved to call them off but Berwyn intervened. He liked see his grandson so uncomfortable. The sight brought him great laughter. Such moments with Rod were rare.

Once the bride and groom entered the church, the rest of the guests and family followed because this was to be a truly memorable occasion; the ceremony was actually two-fold. With his father, grandfather, and entire family watching, Bretton was granted what his terrible youth and circumstances had denied him. He was officially knighted by Christopher de Lohr and became Sir Bretton de Llion, much to the delight of his betrothed and everyone else in attendance.

Once the knighting ceremony was over, the priests stepped in, and Lady Allaston de Velt became Lady Allaston de Velt de Llion. After receiving a chaste kiss from her new husband, the entire wedding party was moved back over to Pelinom Castle where the celebration went well into the night.

It was well after sunset on the eve of the wedding as Christopher, Jax, Berwyn, and Morgan stood on the battlements of Pelinom, a cup of fine wine in hand, gazing up at the brilliant blanket of stars against the May night and tossing trivial subjects around. The younger children seemed to be more interested in the bailey of Pelinom so the men ended up watching the gaggle of children below as they played and chased each other around.

Christopher’s children were much younger than Jax’s brood, but the de Velt children seemed to have taken a strong liking to the de Lohr children, so Effington and Addington carried around little Christin and Brielle de Lohr while young Cassian tagged along. Christopher’s two youngest children weren’t ready to be out of their mother’s sight yet, so Dustin sat on the stoop of Pelinom’s keep, watching her toddler boys as the older children chased them around and made them laugh.

“I never thought I would see the day when I would be standing with the great Christopher de Lohr, enjoying him as a guest to my home,” Jax muttered over the rim of his cup as he watched the children play. “It all seems very strange still.”

Christopher grinned at him. “Soon I will have you as a guest to my home,” he said. “You have yet to meet my brother, David. When I told him of our adventures with de Llion, he was quite stunned. He does not believe you and I have become allies. He says that no one befriends Lucifer.”

Jax gave him a half-grin. “Your brother sounds like a skeptic.”

“He is.”

“So was I, once.”

They shared a laugh, watching as Rod emerged from the keep and Effington and Addington raced to him like moths to flame. Rod tried to run back into the keep but the girls stopped him, pulling him out into the bailey where the rest of the children were. Berwyn, standing behind Christopher and Jax, grunted.

“That one is going to be trouble,” he muttered. “Rod has seen twenty-nine years and he still has not selected a wife. He is not even close.”

Christopher laughed while Jax grinned. “Give him time,” Christopher said. “I did not marry until I was well into my thirties.”

Berwyn elbowed Morgan, standing next to him. “See how the de Velt girls flutter around him?” he asked. “Mayhap you should approach Lord de Velt about a marriage contract. The elder daughter is quite lovely.”

The smile vanished from Jax’s face as he looked over at Berwyn and Morgan. “I will pretend I did not hear that.”

Berwyn lifted his hands. “Why not?” he asked. “Your middle daughter is at least sixteen or seventeen years of age. That is a perfectly marriageable age. Besides, look at the way she handles Rod. She already has him under her thumb. That is what he needs, a wife with a strong hand to beat some sense into him!”

Jax rolled his eyes. “She does
not
have him under her thumb,” he said. “I am not comfortable with this line of conversation. Speak on something else.”

Christopher grunted as he watched the children play. “I have two young daughters,” he said. “One of them would be perfect for your youngest, Cassian.”

Jax pursed his lips at the lot on the battlements. “Why are you trying so hard to marry into my family?” he asked. “Mayhap I do not want the likes of you… present company excepted, Christopher. I am perfectly happy to have a de Lohr in the family, but another de Llion… I am not entirely sure. One is enough.”

The men were all moderately drunk from a day of celebration and Berwyn gave Christopher an exaggerated wink. He was going to have some fun with Jax.

“Rod is a fine young knight, Lord de Velt,” he insisted. “Well, except for his gambling habits. But other than that, he is quite acceptable. Well… that is, except for the fact that the man has the intelligence of a goat. But other than that, he would make a fine match for Effington. Think of the beautiful children they would have. Stupid if they take after their father, but beautiful nonetheless.”

Jax threw up his hands and turned away as Berwyn scampered after him, extolling the virtues of his grandson in an offhanded manner while Morgan and Christopher watched, laughing when Jax put his hands over his ears and disappeared into a turret with Berwyn behind him, emerging at the bottom with his hands still over his ears. When his children saw him in the bailey, they ran to him, all except for Effington. She was still with Rod, strolling through the bailey beneath the moonlight with her hand on the knight’s arm. But that changed when Rod saw Jax coming and he quickly removed Effington’s hand and fled back into the hall.