"I will testify that it is," Viviana said as she entered the guards' hall with Rainer and Farlae. "So will Rainer." She glanced at Nottingham before she faced Michael. "Seigneur, we are the last survivors of Sherwood jardin."
Alex felt better after Viviana and Rainer supported Nottingham's story, even when they diplomatically left out some important details. Although she suspected the details weren't important, she thought Nottingham deserved to have the entire truth known.
"Is there any more to be said before I decide Lord Nottingham's fate?" Cyprien asked after he gave Viviana and Rainer a full pardon.
"I have a question." Alex turned to Locksley. "Why have you been telling everyone for years that Lady Marian came to you for help?"
Locksley glowered. "Because she did."
"She asked you to kidnap her the night before her wedding?" Alex asked. "I'm thinking no here, Robin."
Locksley shoved away from the table and tried to stalk out. Phillipe and Will Scarlet barred the door.
"Master," Will said gently. "They will understand."
Locksley stared at his seneschal. "Lady Alexandra, you are meddling in matters that will only cause pain to those who do not deserve it."
"No pain, no gain," she replied. "Robin, you need to set things straight. For you and the other people here who were involved."
"If that is the sad song you would have me sing, my lady, so be it." Locksley strode to the center of the room and faced Nottingham. "You know the stories that have been told about Lady Marian and me and Guy of Guisbourne. We both loved her, that much is true. But the real Marian never loved either of us. She had been sent away to the convent when she was but ten to be educated, and that gentle, reverent life captivated her. She chose to devote her life to God. She was…" He stopped, and covered his face with his hand.
Byrne picked up the story from there. "Marian's father refused to let her take vows. She was his only child, and a wealthy heiress in her own right. He betrothed her instead to Guy of Guisbourne, that he might find favor with the king. When she pleaded with Guisbourne to release her, he forced her into his bed." He watched Locksley walk over to the window.
"What the boys aren't saying is that the shock of being raped was too much for her," Alexandra said. "Marian went crazy. She had to be locked up."
Everyone looked at Locksley, who stood with his back to the room.
"We played together as children, Marian and I," he said softly, unexpectedly. "I loved her more than my life. When I saw what Guy had done to her, I took her away to Scotland. My old friend Aedan arranged for her to live at a convent in the Highlands, where the sisters could care for her." He turned around. "Alexandra, how did you know that she had gone mad? Only Byrne and I knew the truth."
"Guy knew." She picked up the pad. "He wrote it all down."
Locksley shook his head. "After I became an outlaw, Byrne sent word that Marian had died in childbirth. The baby, a daughter, survived. To protect her from her father, Byrne and I sent the child to be raised in another convent in the south of England. I joined the Templars and did not come back to England until I had become Kyn. I went to find Marian's daughter, to see that she was well, but found that she had run away to Scotland. She had not wished to become a nun, you see. She went looking for her parents."
Jayr turned and stared in horror at Nottingham.
"I did not meet her until the last battle of Bannockburn," Robin said. "I found her in a pit trap with my old friend. She had saved his life by giving him her blood, but the vein continued to bleed after he had fed. I found her dying in his arms." He walked up to Byrne and Jayr. "'Twas I who took you from the pit that day, Jayr. I gave you my blood to change you. I cursed you to become Kyn."
Michael broke the silence that followed. "Lord Nottingham, the testimony offered by others forces me to accept your claims. However, you concealed your identity from us. Your seneschal caused many, unnecessary deaths as he sought his revenge, and there is no way for us to know whether you were privy to his plans. For these reasons, I will not accept your oath or your presence among us. As soon as your men are well enough to travel, you will go. You are banished from this country."
Nottingham rose from the table, bowed to Cyprien, and then faced Jayr. He tore open his tunic, baring the left side of his chest. He then bowed to Alexandra and left the hall.
Jayr held Byrne's hand tightly as she tried to digest all she had heard. That someone as dark and cold as Nottingham could be her father seemed unbelievable to her. So, too, the thought of Lady Marian, the heroine of a thousand tales, being her mother.
"Aedan mac Byrne," Cyprien said. "Do you still wish to step down as suzerain of the Realm?"
Byrne met her gaze for a moment and nodded.
"I have made my decision on the one who will take your place." Michael drew his sword. "Jayr, come forward."
Jayr frowned. Why would the seigneur need her assistance in appointing a suzerain? Shrugging, she rose and went to stand beside him.
"No," he said as he guided her around to face him. "Here. Kneel, Jayr of the Realm."
Utterly confused, Jayr went down on one knee.
"For your continual courage and devotion to the men and women of this jardin," Michael said, raising his sword over her head to touch the flat of the blade to the top of one shoulder, then the other, "I name you lady paramount, suzeraina of the Realm." He held out his hand to her. "Rise, Lady Jayr."Jayr took his hand with hers and stood. It had to be a mistake. A jest, that was it. The seigneur was making merry with her. But if he was, then why were the other lords in the room on their feet, applauding? Why would Alexandra be smiling at her so? And Byrne…
Byrne came to stand before her, his eyes glowing. "I fear I must cancel our travel plans, my lady."
"Aedan," she whispered. "This cannot be happening."
"Come." He drew her away and led her to the alcove where he had first kissed her. "I am so proud of you."
"What? Why?" She tried to shrug off the numbness of her shock. "I did nothing to merit this."
He shook his head. "You saved me. You stood up to Nottingham. You showed the Kyn what truth and honor mean."
"But Aedan, no female has ever ruled the Kyn," she argued. "I have no training for this. Who am I? An unwanted bastard child whose black-hearted father raped her mother and drove her insane."
"You are my lady," he said, and kissed her.
When he lifted his head she said, "You will not leave now, will you? I do not want the Realm if I cannot have you with it."
"I know now there is one Kyn who can stop me from killing and bring me back from hell. So before you take oaths of loyalty from your men, I would offer you mine," he said, dropping to one knee in front of her. "I willingly undergo everything for you, my lady, and will serve as your seneschal for all the days of my life. Will you accept my service?"
Jayr covered her mouth with her hand to hold back a semi-hysterical laugh. Her lord, kneeling before her. Pledging himself to her. Never could she have dreamed such a thing. Then his scent drifted over her, and the calm he always brought to her heart made it all so simple and clear.
"I accept you as my seneschal, Aedan mac Byrne," she said softly. "I give you service, honor, and the protection of my house." She bent over to kiss him. "And I give you my heart, and my love, for all the days of our life together. Evermore."
Alexandra began carrying Michael's mobile phone around in her pocket, hoping it would ring before they left the Realm for the airport. As she was tidying up the infirmary, it did.
"Alex Keller. This had better be my brother, the idiot who should have called long before now."
"I'm happy to hear your voice, too," John said. "How are you, little sister? Did you have fun at the tournament?"
She looked at the mound of bloody, used dressings in her hands. "Like you wouldn't believe. Where are you, Johnny?"
"Sacramento. I got a call from one of my ex-Brethren friends in North Carolina." His voice chilled. "Seems the order has set up breeding facilities, using runaways and homeless kids, all over the U.S."
"What are they breeding?"
"Future Brethren."
"That's just peachy." Alex tossed away the bandages. "What are you doing? Why are you involved in this at all? Why not call the police?"
"I'm looking for the central breeding facility, which is out here in California somewhere." Now he sounded tired. "I know how the Brethren work, and I'm human; they're expecting vampires to attack them. The police would never believe any of this; you know that."
It seemed her brother had found another hopeless cause. "So what can you do about it?"
"Find it and gather all the information I can about it to bring back to Cyprien."
"My Cyprien?" she echoed.
"He has enough influence and power to expose this and put a stop to it," John said.
Alex rubbed her forehead. "Big brother, the last time Michael went after the Brethren, they used copper pipes to beat off his face."
"It will be different this time, Alexandra. I don't have time to explain, but"—the sound of a distant car horn came over the line—"I have to go; that's my ride. I'll be in touch."
"Johnny—" Alex heard the line click, and then disconnect. She stared at the phone for several seconds, then swore and began beating it against one of the metal-topped exam tables. "Stupid, stubborn, suicidal son of a bitch."
"You called?" Robin of Locksley said from the doorway.
"Not anymore." Alex dropped what was left of the battered mobile phone into the trash bin before beckoning Locksley inside. "Before you take off for Atlanta I'd like to get a blood sample from you."