Hearts Across Time (The Knights of Berwyck: A Quest Through Time Novel ~ Books 1 & 2) Read Free Page A

crashed loudly onto the sandy beach below. ’Twas a favorite location of the Lady Amiria, and he would often catch her unaware in this very place. Riorden laughed aloud, thinking of the few times he was actually able to take said lady off guard. ’Twas a rare occasion to be sure, and usually included having a sword or dirk to one’s throat, if one was not too careful.
    The woman was a bit of a spitfire, which seemed somewhat fitting, given the length of her glorious red hair. She was the perfect companion for his lord. However, he was glad he was not tied to a woman of such determination to always have her way or give aid when the need arose. Dristan had told him, on numerous occasions, he would never change a thing about his lovely wife, and he loved her just as she was. Amiria could wield a sword as no other woman of Riorden’s acquaintance. When it became time, he had no issue pledging his life in her service just as fully as he served Dristan as captain of his guard.
    Riorden leaned his gloved hands on the battlement wall and sighed. There was not much of a chance of him finding a lady of his own here at Berwyck, and the village whores only offered satisfaction to his baser needs. Not that he was truly looking for a wife since years afore he had been soured by a lying, deceitful lady. He did not feel love truly existed for him.
    Life was what one made of it although serving another lord with no castle walls of one’s own to call home was not much of a life in which to raise one’s family. It did not hold much merit for most women he had ever encountered. Each had wanted to be the lady of her own hall, with servants aplenty. Love had seemingly passed him by, and good riddance! At the age of a score and thirteen, he decided a solitary life was how the remainder of his days would be spent. Some days, he cared not that he would have no lady by his side, and yet there were times he felt the bitter stab of jealousy. When he heard the childish laughter of Dristan’s son, sadness would overcome him, knowing he would never have a child to follow in his footsteps.
    He heard his name called and stood upright, trying to shake off his sudden melancholy mood. Women! They either drove one mad from wanting them or with their demands for one’s attention. Either was just as bad as the other and a distraction Riorden did not need wreaking havoc with his mind.
    Turning, he saw Fletcher making his way up the stairs to stand beside him on the parapet. Fletcher bore the same uncanny resemblance to all of the other men personally chosen over the years for Dristan’s personal guard. He, too, had black hair as dark as night, but where Riorden’s eyes were a deep blue, Fletcher’s were an amber colored brown with golden flecks residing in their irises. ’Twas a striking combination that only enhanced his good looks and had many a maid beckoning to him over the years. Fletcher felt ’twas his duty in life to never leave a maid saying he did not pleasure her to her fullest potential. So far, he bragged, he had succeeded in his quest.
    “Is there aught amiss?” Riorden questioned, as they both now stared out to the sea’s distant horizon.
    “Depends on how you look at it, I suppose, Riorden,” Fletcher answered. “A messenger has arrived from the king. Dristan requests we join him in his solar, posthaste.”
    They began to carefully make their way off the narrow walkway and down the steps heading to one of the towers housing a set of circular stairways leading to the lower floors, one of which housed the keep’s family. The sound of their armor clanking against the stones echoed and ricocheted off the walls as they made their way below. When they reached the third floor landing, they turned left and continued on down the passageway ’til they reached Dristan’s solar door. Riorden knocked and heard the call to enter.
    Opening the door, Riorden was not surprised to witness the entire family gathered within the chamber. There was