Rose Victory - Eagle Series (20 page)

But Stefan had seen the speculation in Roydon’s eyes before he had turned away.  Maybe something positive would come out of all this.  Setting the settlement document aside he picked up the last parchment.  “What
’s this last one?”

“I have no idea.  Henry had already put
his seal to it before I arrived this morning.  Apparently it does not require mine.  It’s probably a copy of the treaty.”  The earl didn’t even turn around to answer.  “I don’t particularly care.”

“Well it
has the king’s mark and seal on it.”  Stefan had unfolded the document and checked the signature.  It cannot be the treaty.  It has today’s date on it, so it must have been drawn up early this morning, before you were taken to him. Then he started to read it.  “Good God!”  Stefan stood up, bright red colour suffusing his face.  “Bloody hell!”  Barely a second later a small smile touched his lips and slowly spread across his whole face, to his eyes.  “Devious, devious man,” he murmured.

The earl, who had turned round at Stefan’s first exclamation, now stared at him in concern.  “What is it, Stefan?
”  His eyes darted to the parchment in his friend’s hand. 

The knight sat back down, tryi
ng for a semblance of control.  “You are not interested, Roy, remember?”  Stefan made an effort to keep a straight face.  “You do plan to live a long time, don’t you, Roy?”

“What kind of fooli
sh question is that, Stef?”   Roydon’s concern intensified, “What’s in that document?”  The earl took a step forward, his hand outstretched to take the paper.

“
Bear with me for a moment, please.”  Stefan folded the document but kept a firm hold on it as he tried to order his thoughts, in spite of his growing excitement.  “Who would inherit your earldom, if say, you died just now?”

“Good God, Stefan!
”  Roydon gave his friend a strange look but stopped his advance, although he kept his eye on the paper. “Have you a fixation with my death this morning?”  Then a thought seemed to strike him.  “Of course, I should have thought of it before.  I need to make some kind of provision or settlement for Aguilus.  He would be left destitute if I died; for Ivan, for you.”  Roydon raked his hand through his hair in agitation, as he tended to do when worried or distressed.  “Why didn’t I think of this before?”

“He would not be destitute,
Roy.”  Stefan waved a hand in the air, as if brushing aside the thought.  “Please answer my question.”

“No one would inherit.”  Roydon gave his friend
a puzzled look.  “Both my father and his father before him were only children, as am I. And my son,” he added bitterly, “is barred from the title by the bloody law.  The title and lands would revert to the crown.  My daughters would become wards of the crown; their future at least would be safe-guarded.”

“It’s as I thought.  The
king could then dispose of the earldom however he saw fit,” Stefan mused aloud.

“Yes, damn him.  Why are you doing this, Stef?”  The earl’s shoulders sagged in defeat.  “I am not in the mood for this right now.”

To the earl’s surprise a smile broke out on Stefan’s face.  Getting up he handed Roydon the folded parchment which he held in his hand.  “Our king, my friend, is a devious and cunning man.  Sit down and read this,” he pushed the puzzled earl towards the bench he had just vacated.  “And for the love of God, don’t even think of dying for the next twenty years, at least!”

Roydon sat.  He had given up trying to understand Stefan.  He looked down at the document in his
hand; obviously it had something to do with his friend’s bizarre behaviour.  He started to read.

The earl’s eyes widened
in disbelief.  He read that upon his death his title and his lands would revert to the crown if he had no legitimate male heirs.  He then read who the king had designated as the next earl of Eagle Rock if this indeed came to pass.  Roydon looked up at Stefan, his mind still trying to assimilate what he had just read.  His throat closed, he could not speak.

Stefan
wore a totally satisfied look on his face.  “Never thought to see you speechless, Roy, but I truly know how you feel.”  He gave his friend a hefty clap on the back.  “Now all I have to do is keep you alive until the boy reaches majority.  I am not even going to contemplate what becoming his guardian would entail; administering all your properties, your responsibilities…”  Stefan shuddered and it was not all a sham.  “I don’t know what Henry is thinking of to nominate me as his guardian in case of your death before his twenty-fifth birth day.”

“Probably that you are the best person to l
ook after him and his interests; don’t sell yourself short, Stefan.”  The earl had recovered his powers of speech and now his triumphantly pleased expression challenged his friend’s.

“Yes, well but, I am only a knight and
…”

“You would be my first choice too, Stefan.  I would trust no other to care for my
children.”  The earl spoke quietly.  “You must have impressed the king too.”

“You mean by jumping to my death in front of his guards?”  Stefan tried to lighten the mood.

“Something like that.”  The earl suddenly grabbed Stefan in an exuberant bear hug.  “We have done it Stefan.  Aguilus will be the next earl of Eagle Rock!”

Stefan returned the embrace, pounding his frie
nd on the back with his good hand, a deep gladness in his eyes.  Then he stepped back.  “But there must be no legitimate male heirs, Roy, or the document becomes void and you
are
getting married tomorrow,” he warned.

Roydon’s eyes darkened.  “There
will be no children.  We marry for political reasons.  They will get the earldom for their princess, which is what they wanted.  That is what they will be getting, nothing else.”

“Feel sorry for the lady though.  It is very probable that she has had nothing to do with all this.”

“Lady Roslyn will be the countess of Eagle Rock and will
receive the respect due her as my wife.”  Roydon paused thoughtfully.  “If I find that she is innocent in the machinations of her people then I will not neglect her, but there will be no children,” the finality in his voice was unequivocal.

“But enough of this
, I must go and thank Henry.  He is really going to enjoy this,” Roydon added ruefully.

“You do realise that if he already had the document drawn up by the time you gave him your answer this morning, then he never intended to take your title, whatever your decision.”

Stefan had translated his own thoughts into words.  “As I said, the king is really going to enjoy my next visit.”  The earl raised an eyebrow, “Coming with me, commander?”

“I wouldn’t miss this even if I had to swim across a stagnant moat.”  Stefan
waved his hand towards the entrance to the building, “Lead on, my lord.”

D
ozens of people filled the room by the time the two men arrived back in the ante-chamber.  The earl paused in the doorway, obviously taken aback by the crowd.  He had somehow expected the room to be empty, as it had been on his way out a little while ago.  Now on seeing him, the people stopped talking to stare.  Last they had heard the earl of Eagle Rock had been under arrest.

Roydon stared them down.
From his great height, he challenged them to inquire as to the reason for his detention.  One by one they turned away to mutter, to speculate among themselves.  Only then did the earl continue on across the room to the guarded door.  Apparently one supplicant had just exited and another stood with the king’s aide, on the point of entering.

Roydon stopped before the aide.  “Please ask his Majesty if he ca
n spare me a moment of his time.”

“I am sorry, my lord
, but the king’s time is limited.  There are a lot of audiences this morning and they cannot be interrupted.”  The aide shook his head pompously at the earl, obviously thinking that he still remained persona non grata.  He waved the man standing beside him forward.  “You may go in now Sir Gerald.”

Roydon blocked the knight’s path.  “Sir Gerald will not mind waiting a few minutes longer. 
Announced me to the king,” the earl’s voice had deteriorated into a low growl of impatience.  “Now!”

“I cannot allow
…  Put me down!”

Stefan laughed as Roydon physically lifted the aide out of his way and then eyed the armed guards in front of the doorway
.  The earl lifted a sardonic eyebrow at them.  “Am I going to have trouble with you too?”  His black gaze challenged the soldiers to try and stop him from gaining admittance to the audience chamber.

“Certainly not, my lord,” the guard in charge stepped forward.  “His Majesty
gave me specific instructions that you and Sir Stefan were to be admitted as soon as you arrived.”

“But
…but I know nothing of this.  Why was I not informed?” The aide tried to push his way back to the door.

This time Sir Stefan turned on the man.  “Because you are a pompous fool and directly responsible for my injury
by not granting me access to the king.”  Stefan pushed his stiffened finger hard at the man’s chest.  “Now stay there and be quiet.”

The guard
nodded at Sir Stefan, the slight tilting of his lips betrayed his complete agreement with the knight’s opinion of the aide.  Then he stepped back smartly and opened the door.  “The earl of Eagle Rock and Sir Stefan, Your Majesty,” he announced loudly and waved them into the audience chamber.

The
king had apparently also given instructions to the people in the chamber.  The moment the earl appeared they started filing from the room.  Roydon, standing by the door, ignored the curious glances from the courtiers.  The respectful nods from the king’s bodyguard, he acknowledged.

Henry waited until the last man had left, then he beckoned the two men forward from where he sat on the dais.  On reaching the
king, both men bowed deeply but Roydon then gracefully went down on one knee and waited his liege’s pleasure.

“You have returned very soon, my lord
, especially after your precipitous departure.”  The king’s gaze bore into his vassal.  “Is there something you wish to say?”

Roydon had known that Henry would want his pound of flesh and from his knees, no less.  But he would give the
king whatever he wanted, the gift he had received merited eating all the humble pie required.  At least his liege lord had ensured that it would be eaten in private.  “I failed in my loyalty to you, Sire, and there is no excuse for my defiance,” the earl kept his gaze fixed on the king’s face.  “I am humbled by your patience, your leniency and your generosity.  Please accept my deepest gratitude.  On my honour, I’ll not fail you again, Sire.”

“You have not failed me, Eagle.  You are an incredibly obstinate man though.”  The
king motioned for Roydon to rise.  “Your honour and loyalty would not have allowed you to defy me in the end and that is what matters.  That is why I detained you instead of arresting you; just to give you time to think in comfort.  The dungeons, I assure you, are not conducive to thinking.”

“Nevertheless I threw the honour you offered me back in your face
, and that was unpardonable.”  For a moment the face of his Eagle Lady crystallized in his mind and he faltered, then Roydon ruthlessly pushed it back.  Stefan was right, it had been an impossible dream he harboured, but he had his son, his heir. That would have to be enough.

“Yet Your Majesty has given me that for which I asked.  You have made Aguilus my heir and for that alone you have my undying loyalty.”

“I already had your undying loyalty, Eagle,” the king stated with complete confidence.  Then he shook his head as he stood up.  “Make no mistake about this.  I have not made the boy your heir.  That is something I cannot do given the circumstances of the boy’s birth.”  Henry emphasized his next words.  “What I have done is bestow a title that had reverted to the crown, through lack of male heirs, on a deserving candidate of my choice.  Do you understand me?”

“Perfectly,
Sire.  There will be no children from this marriage.”

“Henry descended the steps until he stood face to face with the earl.  “One final warning, Eagle.  I want no question as to the validity of this marriage because of lack of consummation.”  The
king’s voice conveyed heavy consequences if this happened.  “Also keep the existence of the document to yourselves,” his eyes flickered over Sir Stefan, who stood silently behind the earl, “until the Gibel delegation has left.  I want no misunderstandings.”

“That will not be a problem,
Sire.”  Roydon asserted quickly, glancing back to catch Stefan’s nod of agreement.

“Good, excellent,” Henry rubbed his hands together and dropped his serious demeanour.  “Why don’t you pour us some wine, Sir Stefan.  We will drink a toast to your lord’s courageous son.”

“My pleasure, Sire,” Stefan walked to the table, where he could see goblets and a flagon of wine.

“You like my strategy, Eagle?”  Henry asked, amusement in his voice, as they followed Stefan to the table.

“Devious, Sire.  Very, very devious,” Roydon complimented his sovereign.

The
king gloated unashamedly.  “One of my better ideas, I think.  It is the only time you ask me for something, after you have always served me so well, I had to find a way to obliged you, convoluted as it is.”