Midnight Magic by Shari Anton Page A

children.”
    What manner of noble child played with peasant children?
    “Nicole chases with them?”
    “Oh, heaven forbid, no, milord! That would be undignified!”
    He almost laughed at her horror, but managed restraint.
    “Then what do they play?”
    Wariness replaced her horror. She waved a dismissive hand. “Oh, this and that.”
    Which was no answer at all.
    “We play empress and earls,” Edward blurted out, supplying the information his mother hesitated to reveal.
    Everyone went still, and Alberic wished he’d had the good sense not to pursue the matter. Certes, he didn’t have to ask who assumed the role of empress.
    In Alberic’s opinion, Nicole had chosen her role poorly.
    Though she preferred to be called empress, Maud had lost the title upon the death of her first husband, the emperor of Germany. Her father had then given her in marriage to Geoffrey, the count of Anjou, a hefty step down in her eyes. Nor did she rule over the earls loyal to her, for she possessed no true ruling power in England.
    Several years ago, with King Stephen captured, Maud had been given a chance at obtaining her goal. She’d proved so arrogant and greedy that her support in London quickly vanished, leaving her vulnerable to forces raised by Queen Matilda. So had ended her reign as Lady of the English, with a hasty, undignified retreat.
    Why Nicole would wish to liken herself to such a woman Alberic couldn’t guess.
    “Are you an earl?”
    The boy had caught his mother’s wariness, but he also knew he must answer. In a very small voice he admitted, “Reginald, earl of Cornwall.”
    One of Maud’s half brothers and one of her staunchest allies.
    “I fear you must give up your earldom, Edward. Perhaps on Lady Nicole’s next visit, she can be Queen Matilda and petition the king to grant you the earldom of York.”
    The boy’s nose scrunched in confusion. “But who shall be king?”
    “One of you lads must prove himself worthy of the title.”
    He shook his head. “Nicole will loathe having to ask one of us for permission to name her earls. She likes givin’ orders on her own.”
    Alberic bit back another laugh and ruffled the boy’s hair. “Such are the fortunes of war, lad. King Stephen is now our overlord, and I cannot have Maud and her earls mucking about in the village now, can I?”
    Knowing a retreat was in order, and allowing himself to regroup and the villagers to breathe easier, Alberic turned to go into the church. He had no more than put a foot on the bottom stair when an arrow whizzed past his head and bit deep into the church’s solid oak door.
    “Attack!” one of his guards shouted. “Get down, my lord!”
    Alberic paid the order no heed, spinning around to look in the direction from which the arrow must have come. He saw no one with a bow in hand. Indeed, he saw few people at all.
    Already the villagers had scattered, fleeing to the safety of their homes. ’Struth, he didn’t suspect any of the group of treachery. The arrow had to have come from the edge of the woodland.
    He started for his horse. Sedwick caught him by the sleeve.
    “Nay, my lord. You must not give chase. The risk is too great! Pray return to the safety of the keep.”
    Prudence demanded he heed Sedwick’s advice, no matter that he didn’t like it. He was lord of Camelen now, and lords didn’t go chasing in the brush for rogues when he could send others. Lords didn’t put themselves in danger for less than excellent reasons. He wished he could think of an excellent reason for getting himself shot at a second time. None came to mind.
    He nodded his reluctant consent, and a moment later two men galloped off in pursuit of the archer, who was probably long gone.
    Alberic climbed the church steps and tugged on the arrow. It failed to budge. The damn thing would have to be dug out.
    “My lord, we should be off.”
    He heard the nervousness in Odell’s suggestion, knew the man made as much sense as Sedwick, but couldn’t stop