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Rule was eager to be on the road again Gavin was not

In fact, he was in a iven hi

The solitude-at the least, as roup of un the journey riding at the rear of the party, keeping Rule to a handy trot as they left Mal Verne and started on the road to Whitehall It would take four days to reach the king, even traveling as quickly as he planned, since the roads were mired with ht

The carts carrying the bulk of their luggage would have a slower time of it, but there was no help for it Nor could he have allowed the wo&039;sMadelyne de Belgrume to his presence

He remembered the fear that turned her face ashen when she learned de Belgrume knew of her presence, and of his desire to see her It had not been an insignificant expression-it had been true horror and panic Gavin brooded, wondering what it was that she feared and if it was anything he could protect her from Then, frustrated he shoved a hank of hair out of his eyes

He was not the perru&039;s side, after which he would be free to never see her again

His attention wandered over the backs of hisJube and Lady Madelyne Gavin tightened his hands on Rule&039;s reins and forced hiht blue wrap She rode behind Jube, and he could see the wrist-thick braid that disappeared into the neckline of the cape where her hood had fallen back

He clearly re on the saddle in front of hi just in front of his chin as they rode along That memory was precisely the reason he&039;d refused to share a ly the reason he&039;d made certain she sat behind Jube, rather than in front of him

And, verily, it was also the reason for his nasty mood

Annoyed at the distraction, he jabbed his ed forith a sudden leap They clipped quickly along, weaving expertly aroup where Gavin&039;s three scouts cantered along Glad to put Madelyne de Belgrume behind him, he manipulated the stallion so that he could talk with Leo, the leader of his scouts

Fantin gripped the reins of his dancing mount and ja the bush to shake and would alert Mal Verne and hisbefore the a with Rufus for two days, Fantin understood: God wished him to return Madelyne to Tricourten immediately

It had become clear there was some purpose she n he&039;d been awaiting Not only hter, his flesh and blood, and he owned herbut because she must play a part in this purpose hich God had burdened hienerously

Whatever Madelyne&039;s task, it would be revealed to him in God&039;s Time

With a hiss, for he did not kno er &039;twould be before Mal Verne&039;s party approached this curve in the road, he captured the attention of his thirteen men-at-arms who stood ready to swar the eye of Tavis, and ordered, "Go you back on the road and look for signs of their approach"

He had no need to wait for the king to rant hihter, and he would have her if he pleased

The e he&039;d sent to Henry served only to cause hiht harbor against him and his Work And thus when he appeared in the royal court, dehter, Henry would only be able to tell hiain And no one would fault Fantin for his anger against the king for allowing Mal Verne to lose his daughter again so soon after she&039;d been found He licked his lips, feeling their pleasing pluoose fat he s was no better friend to him than Mal Verne was-and his whore of a wife as well They would be a the first to feel his wrath when he corasp

Eagerness rising within, he sed the sroup ofa post further up the road Mal Verne would die today, and Madelyne would be back in the care of her loving fatheras she should have been for the last ten years

He grinned there, silent in his glee, and thought of the destiny that awaited hiave a solemn prayer of thanks

&039;Twas a capriciousness very unlike hiht as he bent toward Rule&039;s head, justslapped in the face by a heavy branch He patted the sers into the thick mane An exhilaration filled hi at full speed through the thick forest

They&039;d left the traveling party in favor of chasing a stag in hopes of having venison for supper-and to give Rule a fewthe feel of the wind buffeting his face It had been overlong since he&039;d enjoyed hiain-as if he&039;d shed the weight of his past, his mistakes, and that of those he&039;d loved

The white tail of the deer was just visible as it bounded over a fallen tree, and Gavin leaned forward, urging Rule to go faster as they drew closer He reached back for the spear he carried, readying it for the fatal thrust, crouching low as Rule sprang over the fallen trunk

Suddenly, a screa to his ears Gavin jerked his head toward the sound, hearing its echo even over the thrashing of Rule&039;s hooves through the brush Madelyne

Gavin yanked back on the reins, kicking his s with the practiced grace of a warhorse They reversed direction instantly, and he pressed forward, hugging Rule with his powerful thighs and urging him on with commands in the stallion&039;s ears

They burst from the forest onto the roadthe path of the travel party Hooves thudding, Rule did not hesitate as he galloped furiously toward the sound of swords clashing in the distance

Gavin sed back the dryness of fear at the unhts of self-rebuke from his mind He would curse himself later Now he must keep his wits clear in order to subdue their attackers

Bellowing a clear battle cry, Gavin drew his sword as they rushed into the ed one of the attackers, ore a helm to cover his face and had been about to strike Clelance away fron of Madelyne, and Gavin suh the chest of his adversary He wheeled Rule about and cantered around the peri do that he&039;d reached it In fact, those that remained were men from Mal Verne, with the exception of three bloody bodies that lay unround

"Madelyne!" he shouted, rising on his heels in the saddle

"She is taken!" cried Cleasps of air He clutched his side even as he held Tricky in place on his lap Gavin took in the sight of red staining his friend&039;s arm and fury escalated within "They caht froe to rush pell-mell in the direction Cle with heavy breaths "Jube!" he shouted, then looked where another man pointed