Dawn nodded vigorously.
Torr bolted out of his chair. “Where was she last seen?”
Dawn gestured again.
“At the cottage?”
She nodded.
The Earl of Kellmara was already standing. “We cannot waste a minute. Form a search party.”
Cree raised his hand. “Not yet. I want to hear more.” He nodded to his wife.
Everyone watched as Dawn gestured.
“Wintra grew upset with what happened here and ran out of the cottage?”
Dawn nodded at her husband and gestured again.
“Wintra wanted away from everyone?”
Dawn nodded again and rubbed her hands nervously.
“That’s it,” Kellmara announced, “I am going to take my men and search for her.”
“Go ahead,” Cree agreed. “I will send some of my men as well.”
The Earl of Kellmara gathered his men and hurried out of the keep.
Torr turned to glare at Dawn at the same time Cree crooked his finger at her. “Now come here and tell me the truth.”
Dawn grinned sheepishly and approached her husband, her hands gesturing.
“Wintra wanted the Earl of Kellmara otherwise occupied so that he could not keep Torr from her tonight?” Cree asked and when Dawn nodded, he laughed and looked to Torr. “My sister protects you from Kellmara and the King’s command while getting her way.”
Torr stepped forward. “She is a courageous one for sure, though it was unnecessary. I will allow nothing to keep us apart.”
Dawn gestured to Torr.
“No, I do not fear what the King may do if I disobey his orders. And I do not think he truly cares. He appeases the Earl of Kellmara by sending an emissary when he knows full well that Wintra and I are soundly wed by now.”
“I agree,” Cree said, “but we cannot simply disregard Kellmara. He is a worthy adversary and must be taken seriously.”
“I understand that, but I will not bow to his demands. If Wintra truly is his daughter, then he must learn that her husband will suffer no dictate from him. He treats me respectfully or he suffers the consequences. Now I want to find my wife and make it clear that she has nothing to worry about and does not need to concern herself with Kellmara.”
Dawn smiled and pointed overhead.
“Here in the keep?” Torr and Cree said simultaneously.
Dawn nodded and kept pointing her finger up.
“The room at the top of the keep?” Cree asked and after she nodded, he looked to Torr. “Go to her. I will send some warriors to join Kellmara, but I will tell them not to hurry or worry.”
Torr nodded and turned to leave, but stopped when Cree called out.
“And you better make certain that my sister understands that her actions are not acceptable.”
“I’ll leave that to you,” Torr said with a grin.
“Coward,” Cree said.
“Wise husband,” Torr counted and hurried up the steps.
~~~
Wintra paced the room, thinking how much the small space reminded her of her tiny quarters at the abbey and oddly enough she found it a bit comforting. Of course this room had a fireplace, though small and adequate for the room. Her cell-like room at the abbey had no such comfort, which was why she had snuck out and slept in front of the fireplace in the gathering room during the cold winter months. She had made sure to wake before sunrise and scurry back to her room so as not to be caught or else the abbess would have had someone stand watch over the fireplace.
She looked to the door, wishing for a knock. It would either be Dawn telling her that their plan had failed or Torr.
The knock startled her, though not as much as when the door flew open and her husband strode in. She was never so relieved to see him, though he didn’t look too happy to see her.
“Do you think me incapable of protecting you?” he asked as he approached her.
She had to laugh, which stopped him in his tracks. “After all we have been through together, how could you even ask me that?”
He walked over to her, his arm capturing her waist in a hug. “Then why hide away, up here, where we cannot be found?”
“Simple. I love you and will not be kept from you,” —she pressed her finger to his mouth when he went to speak— “and I know you feel the same and would place yourself in danger to be with me.”
He kissed her softly and briefly. “I would battle hell itself to be with you.”
“And that is exactly what you could face if you disobey the King, and I will not have it. We simply need to be discreet until this matter can be settled and Kellmara leaves.”
Torr shook his head. “No. You are my wife and I will not sneak away to be with you. We are wed good and sound and no one is going to take that away from us, not even the King.”
She poked him in the chest. “You claim that I am stubborn, but you are much more tenacious. I will not have anything happen to you. I love you much too much to lose you.”