Knight's Prize Read Free Page A

I'd rather not say."
    Rauve
crossed his beefy arms over his chest. "And I'd rather not let you
pass."
    "I
see." Rand took a deep breath and let it
out in a bracing rush.
    In
that instant, Miriel saw his hand drift subtly yet purposefully toward the hilt
of his sword. By the wink of danger in his eyes, she suddenly feared he was
about to do something
rash, like single-handedly challenge Rauve and Kenneth to battle.
    But
at the last moment, he hooked his thumb harmlessly into his leather sword belt
and flashed them a sheepish grin. "If you must know then, sir...I've
come... courting."
    Miriel
raised a brow. Courting? Then why had he been foraging through the leaves as if
he were tracking prey?
    "Courting?"
Young Kenneth made a moue of displeasure, as if he'd said he'd come to swallow
live eels.
    Rauve
only grunted.
    "Aye."
Sir Rand let out a long, lovesick sigh that would curdle honey. "You see, I
fear one of Rivenloch's bright angels has stolen my heart."
    Miriel
scowled. If there was one thing she despised, 'twas sappy proclamations of
love. Especially when they were full of deceit. As this one was. Rand might have said the words, but she could tell by the
amused glimmer in his eyes that he meant none of them.
    But,
of course, the guards didn't know the difference. Men could never smell
deception the way a woman could.
    "One
of Rivenloch's angels?" Rauve growled, jutting out his bearded chin.
"Well, it had better not be Lucy."
    Both
Miriel's brows shot up. Lucy? This was a surprise. Was the bearish Sir Rauve
admitting a fondness for saucy Lucy Campbell?
    Kenneth
issued his own warning. "And if you've come for Lady Helena, 'tis too
late. She's to wed in two days."
    "Fear
not," Rand said with a lighthearted
chuckle. " 'Tis neither, good sirs."
    When
the varlet pressed a hand to his chest as if to still the beating of his
beguiled heart, Miriel couldn't resist rolling her eyes. Who was this alleged
ladylove then? The widow Margaret Duncan? Joan Atwater? Young Katie Simms?
    "I
fear my hapless heart has been claimed," he gushed, "by none other
than the youngest daughter of Rivenloch..."
    Miriel
almost choked on her surprise. Her?
    He'd
come for her?
    How
could that be? God's blood, she didn't even know the man.
    Apparently,
he didn't know her either.
He finished on a dramatic sigh of pure adoration. "Lady Mirabel."
     
    Chapter 2
    A s soon as
he breathed the name , Rand sensed something was wrong. The long silence was telling.
    "You
mean Miriel?" the younger knight asked.
    Rand blinked, his composure
thrown. Satan's ballocks! How could he have gotten the wench's name wrong?
"Aye, Miriel." He furrowed his brows in confusion. "Is that not
what I said?" He smiled in chagrin. "I fear I'm a bit nervous."
    "As
you should be," Rauve said. "You have heard
of the Warrior Maids of Rivenloch?"
    "Warrior
Maids?" Disquiet tingled at the base of his skull. Who the hell were the
Warrior Maids? He was beginning to suspect there were details about this
mission that Morbroch had omitted, details that were going to make his generous
reward seem like a pittance by the time he was done. "Oh,
aye, certainly," he bluffed. "Who has not?"
    The
younger knight's eyes twinkled. "I'll give him two hours," he said to
Rauve.
    "With Helena 's warm
welcome?" Rauve shook his head. "One hour."
    Rand glanced from one man to the
other. What the Devil were they talking about?
    "Come
along then," Rauve said. "If you hurry, you can be on the road back
to Morbroch before noon."
    "Back?
But I've only..."
    The
guards exchanged knowing smirks before they turned to go, and Rand fought the urge to knock their insolent heads together. He supposed 'twas his
own fault. He'd chosen to play the lovesick lad. Now he'd become the butt of
their jest.
    "I
hope you're good with a blade," the young knight called over his shoulder,
grinning.
    Rand smiled back grimly. Good
with a blade? He could have drawn his sword and run the lad through before that
mocking grin left his face. But