“And you believe that she may?”
“’Tis possible. She is rooted to the rebellion on a much more grounded level.”
“Then what would you have me do, my lord?”
“You have made contact. Perhaps you should maintain it, simply to see if she will provide you with anything useful.”
Sean had planned on doing that regardless. “She has a security force. It will not be a simple thing to communicate with her.”
“You are the Lord of the Shadows. Stealth is your gift.”
Sean was silent a moment as he dropped one hoof in favor of the other. Although there were stable boys to do this work, none of them would go near his charger for fear of being trampled. Bred in Galicia by a man whose family had been breeding big-boned war horses for a hundred years, the animal’s military reputation was beyond compare. Sean was the only one who could get near the beast.
“What else do you know of her?” he asked casually.
The voice hissed, the gesture of an individual with strong opinions. “That she will make some man a very wealthy husband. She is quite lovely as well, but I am sure that escaped your notice.”
Sean knew it was a jab but he chose to ignore it. “Does she have suitors?”
“Nay. Jocelin has told me that she has refused every man her father attempted to contract with. Now it is the bishop’s duty to find her a husband, which will be no easy task. The man actually listens to her opinion. He is a fool.”
Sean didn’t reply. The voice continued. “Has the king seen her?”
“Not yet.”
“It is only a matter of time. He will demand her, you know.”
Sean’s movements slowed. “That is possible.”
“You will have to bring her to him as you have the others.”
Sean remained silent. The voice spoke more loudly. “Sean? Did you hear me?”
“I heard you.”
“Why do you not respond?”
“Because I have nothing to say on the matter.”
The tone of the voice turned to one of disbelief. “You cannot actually be thinking of refusing him?”
“As I said, I have nothing to say on the matter.”
“I have listened to you speak of the St. James woman for the past half hour. I know you, Sean. I have known you for thirteen years. If I did not know better, I would say that you have an interest in her.”
“Think what you will.”
The voice fell still for a moment. “No matter what you feel, you cannot refuse him. You have not refused him for nine years.”
Sean let the hoof fall. He leaned up against the horse, his gaze moving out into the darkness of the stables. His manner, normally steady, suddenly turned bitter.
“Aye,” he muttered. “For nine years I have catered to his every repulsive whim. For nine years, I have kidnapped men’s wives and delivered them to the king like a gift on Christmasmorning. For nine years, I have cleaned up his leavings, disposing of the women who have died as a result of his lust and delivering those who managed to survive back to their homes.” He tossed the iron hook against the wall, so hard that it lodged in the wood. “No matter how much I have convinced myself that the king’s behavior was of no consequence, deep inside, I knew that it was. For the women that died as a result of his lust, I made sure they had a Christian burial. For the women who survived, I made sure they were cleaned and fed and delivered to those who would care for them. For every evil I helped create, I also tried to right it. No one knows that I orchestrated anything other than the evil, of course, other than God. The king’s sins are my sins in the eyes of men.”
The voice in the loft was silent. Long moments ticked by before it spoke again. “Though I have always suspected your feelings on the matter, this is the first I have heard you speak openly of them.”
“I am getting foolish in my old age.”
The voice snorted softly. “Take care, then. You are as we had always hoped for you; the most feared man in the kingdom. Your reputation is without equal. You are finally where you can accomplish the most good. Be strong, de Lara. The day will come when you will be rewarded for your loyalty.”