Margaret Moore - [Warrior 13] Read Online Free Page A

no protest about the Delasaines’ accusation, of course, because of their relationship to Eleanor. Everyone else refuses to believe them. There have been several arguments already, and I think Blaidd Morgan’s been in three fist-fights.”
    “Oh, God.”
    “Aye, Reece, it’s not good—but they started it.”
    “I started it,” Reece muttered. “I shouldn’t have followed her.”
    “Harmless, that was.”
    “Obviously, it was not.”
    Gervais studied him closely, as if trying to read his thoughts. “It’s, um, not like you to talk to a woman you haven’t been introduced to, or even one you have, Reece.” He ran his hand through his shoulder-length hair. “God’s wounds, brother, it’s not like you to talk to a woman at all, especially one as beautiful as that. What got into you?”
    “I wish I could say it was the king’s wine,” Reece muttered, feeling the heat of a blush and recalling Blaidd’s teasing comments that made him want to squirm.
    “I don’t know,” he said at last. He shrugged, then winced.
    “You should have at least told us where you were going.”
    Reece quirked an eyebrow. “Oh, and you and theothers would not have joked and teased and made sport of me all the more?”
    Gervais wisely did not even try to disagree.
    “I shouldn’t have gone in the first place.”
    “Aye, but you cannot change it now. Still, Father isn’t going to be happy, and Mother will have a fit when she sees your face and hears you’ve been stabbed.”
    Gervais always was a master of understatement. His father was going to think he had taken leave of his senses and acted like a fool. As for his wounds, his mother would want to examine him and fuss over him and generally make him feel about six years old.
    He gingerly touched his swollen cheek, wondering how he looked. “Is it bad?”
    “It’ll take a while for the swelling to go down, and you’ve bled in your eye, so it’s as red as a demon’s. The infirmerer says you should regain your strength soon enough, since you are—” Gervais assumed a learned, pompous air “—a healthy young man in the prime of life.” He resumed his normal manner. “Mother and Father will both be glad you’re not dead, of course, but I think maybe we should leave Anne Delasaine out of it when we tell them what happened.”
    “How can we?”
    “The important thing is that you were viciously attacked on a poor pretext.”
    Reece shook his head. “I made a mistake, and there’s no point lying about it.”
    “I’m not saying we should lie,” Gervais retorted, mightily affronted. “I’m simply suggesting that we leave the lady out of it.”
    “What reason would you have me give for my beating? And unless you plan to muzzle everyone at court or swear them to secrecy, they will hear the truth eventually. It would be better if they heard it from me.”
    Gervais’s brows lowered as he regarded his brother’s resolute face. “You won’t say you deserved it or some such nonsense?”
    “The Delasaines were wrong to attack me as they did, but I was wrong to follow Lady Anne and speak to her alone. I will say that to anybody who asks or speaks of what happened.”
    “Damn your honorable hide,” Gervais muttered as he plucked at Reece’s blanket. “I should have known better than to suggest anything less than the full and complete truth to you. Well, Father will make them sorry, whatever they say.”
    Reece tensed. “This is for me to deal with, Gervais. My lesson to teach.”
    Gervais’s brown eyes flared with bright understanding and a warrior’s approval. “I should have known you were going to say that, too.”
    “Then you agree to let me deal with this matter as I see fit?”
    Gervais got to his feet and bowed with a flourish. “As you command, my liege, thus it will be.”
    “Good,” Reece mumbled, knowing he could trustGervais to keep his word, no matter how jestingly he spoke. “Make sure Trev understands this, too.”
    “I will, brother, I