Conquests: Hearts Rule Kingdoms by Emily Murdoch Page B

heard about the wilds – huge amounts of land where no people lived and folk told stories about magical creatures and deadly caves in which demons lived. She had been told about mighty rivers, and deep forests. She shivered, not only with fear but with excitement. Finally she was leaving Richard. A tear rolled down her cheek as she surveyed the building that she would be leaving. This place had been her home for almost two decades, and with it she would be leaving scores of memories – not all of them happy.
    Richard evidently was hoping that she would be overcome with fright, but she would not give him that satisfaction.
    “I will await my husband in the Great Hall.” She stated firmly. “He can come to collect me when all is ready.”
    Sweeping away decidedly, Avis walked away, not noticing the horses arriving with great noise in the courtyard behind her. Melville and two of his men were sweating and smiling after their ride – their hunting trip had been successful. A brace of pheasants swung down from a tight leather cord strapped to one of the horses. Melville’s face fell, however, when he saw the back of his new bride in the courtyard. It had been easy when away from this depressing house and miserable inhabitants to forget his concerns, but now he had returned he had a duty to return home and take his men back to their families – and to become accustomed to the new family that had been formed.
    “Avis!” he called across the courtyard, his deep voice resonating over the noise, calling for silence. She stopped, and slowly turned, a smile plastered on her face. Melville could see that she was attempting to be brave and self-confident in front of his men, and he could not help but begrudgingly respect her for it.
    “Yes, my lord?”
    “Make ready a horse.” He spoke curtly. “We ride immediately.”
    Avis bowed her consent, but turned seething. He had clearly decided to humiliate her in every way possible, beginning with not allowing her respite to eat before their long journey to the North. She drew herself up, and concentrated. She was a woman. She was an Anglo-Saxon. She smiled. She could do anything.
     
     
     
    The journey was long and arduous indeed, and it seemed to last a month to Avis who had never travelled such a long distance in her life. Every muscle ached, and her shoulders kept dipping under the strain of remaining on a horse for hours on end. For Melville however, a man from across the sea, it was but a short time until they had arrived at what he resentfully termed ‘home’. Avis drew in a quick breath. The manor had been built near the bank of a deep river and was not only beautiful, but domineering. The manor dominated the landscape in a very powerful way – just as the Normans now own us, she thought angrily, lessening her appreciation for the structure.
    “Where are we?” Avis had lost count of the names and locations of the towns and villages that they had passed, and many of the names had been changed since the Normans had come. Places that she thought she had known were no longer there, and they had passed the remains of many a village that had been destroyed, and whose inhabitants had not returned. Avis had not asked whether this had been out of choice. She was totally at a loss as to where she was.
    “Just south of York. My village is Ulleskelf, under the jurisdiction of Copmanthorpe.”
    “Copmanthorpe,” mused Avis, her nose scrunching as it always did when she tried to understand something. “I know that name.”
    “Indeed you should,” Melville spoke carefully. “I believe that a man of your family once lived here.”
    “Yes!” Memories were slowly dripping through into Avis’ mind, and she could picture her distant cousin now. “Gospatrick. He was the lord of Copmanthorpe – a brave man.”
    Melville was silent. He knew that Gospatrick had died on the same field that he had fought on, but was not sure just how aware his bride was of the battles that had been