Fragments of Grace (Prequel to the Dragonblade Trilogy) by Kathryn Le Veque Page B

fear
and resistance do the talking for him. But he simply couldn’t do it. She was
breaking him down and he was letting her.  After a moment, he simply nodded his
head.
    “Promise.”
    As she smiled turned up the
stairs, he would remember her warm, inviting expression as long as he lived.
     
    ***
     
    The hall of Pendragon, like
everything else at the castle, had been built against one of the massive walls
exterior walls.  It was reached by a massive arched stone doorway, well
protected with its own iron grate and bolts that led to a flight of squat stone
stairs leading up into the hall above.  The ground floor held the kitchens and
stores and there were no less than two hidden staircases that led from the
kitchen to the hall above.   It was a big, functional hall that smelled to the
rafters of smoke and wet dogs.
    After warming themselves by the
entry hall fire in the keep as the escort of men and animals disbanded in the
bailey, Chloë and Cassandra were directed to the hall by Michael and Lucan
where food and drink await them. Michael carefully carried Cassandra across the
muddy bailey to the hall entry while Lucan had taken Chloë. 
    Half way across the bailey, they
ran headlong in to Keir, who gruffly ordered Lucan to hand the lady over to
him, which he did.  Safely tucked into Keir’s arms, Chloë smiled at him as they
neared the great hall entry.  He was back to ignoring her after their earlier
conversation, or so she thought until he glanced at her and caught a glimpse of
her smile.  The stone-faced expression cracked and he gave her a weak grin as
he carried her into the hall.
    Once inside the darkened door, he
set her carefully to her feet and took her hand, leading her up the steps and
into the hall beyond.  It was a large room, smelly, as Keir took her over to
the massive oak feasting table and seated her next to her sister.  As he went
to sit across from her, Cassandra initiated the conversation.
    “If my sister has not yet thanked
you for assuming our burden, then please allow me to,” she said. “I realize my
father all but shoved our protection down your throat and for that, we are
sorry. This cannot be an easy thing for you.”
    Keir eyed the woman as he claimed
his seat. “Your sister has indeed thanked me and, as I told her, it is no
burden at all. We will do our best to protect you both.”
    Cassandra smiled at him, a very
pretty girl but not nearly the beauty her sister was. “If it not too much
trouble, we are in need of a few necessities for our stay here at Pendragon,”
she said. “I mentioned the same thing to Sir Michael but I am not sure if he
has told you.”
    The servants set great wooden
cups down on the table along with big clay pitchers of wine.  Keir picked up
one of the pitchers and leaned over the table, pouring a measure into Chloë’s
cup.
    “He did,” he replied.  “I will do
my best to accommodate you.  What exactly do you require?”
    The women looked at each other. 
Cassandra was usually the more assertive but Chloë was more tactful.  She put
her hand on her sister’s arm to let her know that she would provide Keir with
the answers.
    “Since our possessions were taken
as spoils of war by Lord Ingilby, we have nothing more than what you see on our
backs,” Chloë said. “We require… necessities.”
    “What necessities?”
    Cassandra jumped in before Chloë
could speak.  “Clothing, my lord,” she said. “Soap, oils, hairbrushes.  We will
not live like animals here at the ends of the earth.”
    She said it rather harshly but
she had a point. Chloë looked rather fearfully at Keir, hoping he would not
deny their request.  Keir’s patient gaze remained on Cassandra.
    “And I would not expect you to,”
he said after a moment. “Unfortunately, there we are not local to any larger
towns that may hold a great variety of things for you to choose from but there
is a town not far to the north that has several merchants. We can go there to
see if