The Thunder Lord: The de Shera Brotherhood Book One (Lords of Thunder: The de Shera Brotherhood 1) by Kathryn Le Veque
Authors: Kathryn Le Veque
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“Tada,” she scolded, struggling not to be harsh with a dying man. “You... you cannot ask such a thing of the lord. I am not his burden to bear.”
“Hush,” Honey hissed gently, cutting off any attempt at a reply from either Gallus or Gaerwen. She looked pointedly at Jeniver. “You will not be a burden. You are a princess of Wales, soon to be the wife of the Earl of Coventry. It is an excellent match, my lady, and one that will ease your father’s mind.”
Both Jeniver and Gallus were looking at Honey in varied degrees of horror. Then, their eyes fell upon each other. It was a moment filled with astonishment, resistance, even anger, but surprisingly, also a spark of interest. Gallus’ expression seemed to display it before Jeniver’s did. She was still wrestling with her grief over her father. This pledge, this impending marriage, was a concept that was overwhelming her brittle mind no matter how handsome she thought the earl.
“Tada,” she tore her attention away from Gallus and leaned over her father, looking him in the eye. “Please... you must not ask this of them. They are strangers. They are not Cymraeg . Your request is not fair to any of us.”
Gaerwen was fading quickly. He tried to look at his daughter but his eyes kept rolling back in his head. The hands that had been gripping Gallus moved back to Jeniver, grasping at her. His hands, his dirty fingers, dug into her tender flesh, indicative of the level of emotion he was feeling. He struggled to focus on the lovely face that had been his entire world for many years. Even as his sight began to dim, all he could feel was love and adoration, from father to daughter. She was his angel, his annwyl . Knowing that she would be taken care of upon his death made it easier in his passing. His body began to relax as his life drained away.
“Let me look at you,” he whispered haltingly. “Let your beautiful face be the last thing I see in this world. What would you have me tell your mother? I will be seeing her very soon. How proud she would have been of you. You are a worthy daughter of Tacey ferch Bhrodi.”
His comments brought Jeniver’s tears back with a vengeance. “Tada,” she whispered as her eyes overflowed. “Please... please do not leave me.”
Gaerwen tried to speak but he was too weak. Everything was gone and his vision dimmed, permanently. As he had hoped, however, Jeniver’s face was the last one he saw. Then the veil of blackness came over him and his body went limp.
Jeniver saw her father’s eyes close and she called to him once, twice, before shaking him, hoping to bring him back. The dog in her arms slithered to the floor and wandered away as Jeniver cried out her father’s name and erupted in loud sobs. Collapsing onto the man’s chest, she wept painfully as Gallus felt for a pulse. After a moment, he turned to his mother.
“His pulse is weak but he is not gone,” he hissed. “Remove him to a chamber and have the surgeon tend him. Do it now while there is still time.”
Honey already had the servants in motion, moving in for Gaerwen, tearing him away from his hysterical daughter. She clung to him as they tried to take him away and Honey spoke swiftly to her son.
“Do not let her go with him, Gallus,” she said. “In her state, she will be more of a hindrance than help.”
As Jeniver tried to hold on to her father, being taken away by strangers, Gallus reluctantly intervened.
“Let him go, my lady,” he said, trying to be gentle. “He will be in good hands. Let the surgeon do what he must.”
Jeniver didn’t like that suggestion at all. The entire journey had come to a sorrowful and unexpected end. Heaven and hell had reigned in the early morning hours of this day and now horror and evil had tried to take her father away. For all she knew, he was dead already. Now, she was all alone.
Gallus watched the woman as she collapsed in grief. After a moment or two of observation, of remembering well the sorrow
“Tada,” she scolded, struggling not to be harsh with a dying man. “You... you cannot ask such a thing of the lord. I am not his burden to bear.”
“Hush,” Honey hissed gently, cutting off any attempt at a reply from either Gallus or Gaerwen. She looked pointedly at Jeniver. “You will not be a burden. You are a princess of Wales, soon to be the wife of the Earl of Coventry. It is an excellent match, my lady, and one that will ease your father’s mind.”
Both Jeniver and Gallus were looking at Honey in varied degrees of horror. Then, their eyes fell upon each other. It was a moment filled with astonishment, resistance, even anger, but surprisingly, also a spark of interest. Gallus’ expression seemed to display it before Jeniver’s did. She was still wrestling with her grief over her father. This pledge, this impending marriage, was a concept that was overwhelming her brittle mind no matter how handsome she thought the earl.
“Tada,” she tore her attention away from Gallus and leaned over her father, looking him in the eye. “Please... you must not ask this of them. They are strangers. They are not Cymraeg . Your request is not fair to any of us.”
Gaerwen was fading quickly. He tried to look at his daughter but his eyes kept rolling back in his head. The hands that had been gripping Gallus moved back to Jeniver, grasping at her. His hands, his dirty fingers, dug into her tender flesh, indicative of the level of emotion he was feeling. He struggled to focus on the lovely face that had been his entire world for many years. Even as his sight began to dim, all he could feel was love and adoration, from father to daughter. She was his angel, his annwyl . Knowing that she would be taken care of upon his death made it easier in his passing. His body began to relax as his life drained away.
“Let me look at you,” he whispered haltingly. “Let your beautiful face be the last thing I see in this world. What would you have me tell your mother? I will be seeing her very soon. How proud she would have been of you. You are a worthy daughter of Tacey ferch Bhrodi.”
His comments brought Jeniver’s tears back with a vengeance. “Tada,” she whispered as her eyes overflowed. “Please... please do not leave me.”
Gaerwen tried to speak but he was too weak. Everything was gone and his vision dimmed, permanently. As he had hoped, however, Jeniver’s face was the last one he saw. Then the veil of blackness came over him and his body went limp.
Jeniver saw her father’s eyes close and she called to him once, twice, before shaking him, hoping to bring him back. The dog in her arms slithered to the floor and wandered away as Jeniver cried out her father’s name and erupted in loud sobs. Collapsing onto the man’s chest, she wept painfully as Gallus felt for a pulse. After a moment, he turned to his mother.
“His pulse is weak but he is not gone,” he hissed. “Remove him to a chamber and have the surgeon tend him. Do it now while there is still time.”
Honey already had the servants in motion, moving in for Gaerwen, tearing him away from his hysterical daughter. She clung to him as they tried to take him away and Honey spoke swiftly to her son.
“Do not let her go with him, Gallus,” she said. “In her state, she will be more of a hindrance than help.”
As Jeniver tried to hold on to her father, being taken away by strangers, Gallus reluctantly intervened.
“Let him go, my lady,” he said, trying to be gentle. “He will be in good hands. Let the surgeon do what he must.”
Jeniver didn’t like that suggestion at all. The entire journey had come to a sorrowful and unexpected end. Heaven and hell had reigned in the early morning hours of this day and now horror and evil had tried to take her father away. For all she knew, he was dead already. Now, she was all alone.
Gallus watched the woman as she collapsed in grief. After a moment or two of observation, of remembering well the sorrow
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