what else to do, he gave her a few moments of crying before reaching out and grasping her elbow gently.
“Come along,” he said softly. “You will feel better after you have eaten.”
She pulled her elbow away from him, although it was not cruelly done. “Nay,” she breathed. “I… I am not hungry. If you do not mind, I simply wish to be left in peace.”
Stephen watched as her small body was wracked with sobs. He was about to insist that she come to the hall and eat, but he thought better of it. The woman needed to deal with her grief in her own way.
He left her without a word, his heart heavy with sorrow for her. Somehow, between last night and this morning, he was coming to feel a great deal of compassion for the woman. It was apparent that life had dealt her a bitter blow at a young age, which didn’t seem fair to him. Certainly, most people had their share of hardships, but she seemed to have more than most.
As he crossed the bailey and headed into the great hall where Edward and Tate were sitting near the blazing hearth, he thought to take Joselyn some food so that she would have something to eat if she became hungry. Edward and Tate were discussing some future strategy, acknowledging Stephen when he began gathering hunks of cheese and a few apples.
“How is your wife?” Tate asked.
Stephen was picky with his apple selection; he inspected each one closely before deciding. “She is rested but understandably upset over the death of her mother and the departure of her family.”
“Did you give her the garments you bought?”
“I did. She looks marvelous.”
Edward elbowed Tate, grinning. “I told you she was a lovely girl, Stephen,” the king said. “So now you agree with me?”
Stephen looked at the young king. “I never disagreed in the first place,” he replied, tucking the cheese and apples into one hand and hunting for a nice piece of soft bread with the other. “Wait until you see her this morning. She looks like a goddess.”
Tate just grinned and shook his head. “It sounds as if you are not entirely displeased with your marriage, then.”
Stephen shrugged. “Time will tell once we’ve both had a chance to settle into it.”
“Why did she not come down to join us for the meal?” Edward wanted to know. “Is she too worn out from your wedding night?”
Stephen fought off a grin at the crass question. “I never touched her,” he said honestly. “When did I have time? From the moment we were married until this very second, I have been mostly away from her seeing to my duties as both husband and garrison commander. If this pace keeps up, we’ll both be old and gray before I have enough time to properly consummate the marriage.”
Tate wriggled his eyebrows and stroked his chin in a weary gesture. “If I were you, I would make time. You cannot leave her untouched.”
“I know,” Stephen nodded patiently. “I will do my duty as soon as I am able and not a moment sooner. Besides, last night was not the right time. She was… well, understandably distraught.”
Tate thought on the burning woman he had gored, his good humor fading. “Indeed,” was all he could say. The trio fell silent a moment before Tate spoke again. “Speaking of wives, I must return soon to mine. I am anxious to see my children. The baby turned four months old yesterday and I have not seen him since he was born.”
Edward shook his head. “How many does that make now? Six children?”
Tate nodded his head; his smile was returning. “Roman is due to be sent to foster at Kenilworth in September, something that my wife is not particularly thrilled with, but at seven years of age, I have told her that it is time for my oldest son to begin his training,” he scratched his chin again, wearily. “Cate is almost six and beautiful like her mother, while the Alexander and Dylan are nearly five and have the entire castle living in fear of them.”
Edward laughed. “They are hooligans. I can hardly wait to
“Come along,” he said softly. “You will feel better after you have eaten.”
She pulled her elbow away from him, although it was not cruelly done. “Nay,” she breathed. “I… I am not hungry. If you do not mind, I simply wish to be left in peace.”
Stephen watched as her small body was wracked with sobs. He was about to insist that she come to the hall and eat, but he thought better of it. The woman needed to deal with her grief in her own way.
He left her without a word, his heart heavy with sorrow for her. Somehow, between last night and this morning, he was coming to feel a great deal of compassion for the woman. It was apparent that life had dealt her a bitter blow at a young age, which didn’t seem fair to him. Certainly, most people had their share of hardships, but she seemed to have more than most.
As he crossed the bailey and headed into the great hall where Edward and Tate were sitting near the blazing hearth, he thought to take Joselyn some food so that she would have something to eat if she became hungry. Edward and Tate were discussing some future strategy, acknowledging Stephen when he began gathering hunks of cheese and a few apples.
“How is your wife?” Tate asked.
Stephen was picky with his apple selection; he inspected each one closely before deciding. “She is rested but understandably upset over the death of her mother and the departure of her family.”
“Did you give her the garments you bought?”
“I did. She looks marvelous.”
Edward elbowed Tate, grinning. “I told you she was a lovely girl, Stephen,” the king said. “So now you agree with me?”
Stephen looked at the young king. “I never disagreed in the first place,” he replied, tucking the cheese and apples into one hand and hunting for a nice piece of soft bread with the other. “Wait until you see her this morning. She looks like a goddess.”
Tate just grinned and shook his head. “It sounds as if you are not entirely displeased with your marriage, then.”
Stephen shrugged. “Time will tell once we’ve both had a chance to settle into it.”
“Why did she not come down to join us for the meal?” Edward wanted to know. “Is she too worn out from your wedding night?”
Stephen fought off a grin at the crass question. “I never touched her,” he said honestly. “When did I have time? From the moment we were married until this very second, I have been mostly away from her seeing to my duties as both husband and garrison commander. If this pace keeps up, we’ll both be old and gray before I have enough time to properly consummate the marriage.”
Tate wriggled his eyebrows and stroked his chin in a weary gesture. “If I were you, I would make time. You cannot leave her untouched.”
“I know,” Stephen nodded patiently. “I will do my duty as soon as I am able and not a moment sooner. Besides, last night was not the right time. She was… well, understandably distraught.”
Tate thought on the burning woman he had gored, his good humor fading. “Indeed,” was all he could say. The trio fell silent a moment before Tate spoke again. “Speaking of wives, I must return soon to mine. I am anxious to see my children. The baby turned four months old yesterday and I have not seen him since he was born.”
Edward shook his head. “How many does that make now? Six children?”
Tate nodded his head; his smile was returning. “Roman is due to be sent to foster at Kenilworth in September, something that my wife is not particularly thrilled with, but at seven years of age, I have told her that it is time for my oldest son to begin his training,” he scratched his chin again, wearily. “Cate is almost six and beautiful like her mother, while the Alexander and Dylan are nearly five and have the entire castle living in fear of them.”
Edward laughed. “They are hooligans. I can hardly wait to
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