Bound By Honor: An Erotic Novel of Maid Marian by Colette Gale

Author:Colette Gale
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2009-04-04T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 11

Will watched Marian ride away, then turned back to the crowd.

The horde was angry, but of course it was a fury that simmered beneath the surface. Someday it might rise to the top and spill over into a force to be reckoned with. He didn’t wish to be there when that time came, for ’twould be bloody and violent.

He already sensed a sort of independence growing among the barons, which had begun to churn mightily after Richard’s appalling choice of Longchamp for justiciar and chancellor. John’s love for England and lust for power had resulted in some good when he and the barons united to run the despicable man out of the country.

Having seen how easily the barons allied themselves when faced with such a vast problem, Will knew that the day they required their king and liege to give them more authority and equality was not so far off—mayhap even closer than Richard and his current heir, John, realized. ’Twas possible that one of them would need to negotiate with their vassals, and relinquish some of their absolute control, before the reign of the Plantagenets was over.

But here in Ludlow Village, the villeins and freemen had even less power and influence than their overlords, and had no choice but to accept the decisions inflicted upon them. Including this one, in which Will had chosen to obey the law down to the letters in which it was written.

Ella Weaver was a favorite in the village, and although their world was already one of simplicity and violence, the bruises on her face and the deep cuts on her body had horrified men and women alike. In truth, the sight of her battered face and what little he’d seen of her other wounds had moved him more than he would have liked to admit.

Yet, she had killed a man. And as per the law, a woman was beholden to any man who owned her—from her husband to her father, to her liege lord. This man had been her intended husband, and therefore had claim on her thus. She could be beaten, raped, or otherwise punished if necessary to keep her in line. Even if she was killed in the course of such discipline, the law hardly noticed.

And if she retaliated, she must be punished. It was the law.

And Will, above all, was beholden to the law.

He glanced up and noted how far across the sky the sun had moved, and gritted his teeth. He’d delayed as long as he could. If Robin Hood did not act soon, Ella Weaver would hang by her slender, bruised neck.

Taking his time, Will stood, clasping his hands behind his back. He walked to the edge of the balcony and looked down over the crowd. Anger shone in the faces he saw there, overt in some, subtle in others. Once again, he had made an unpopular decision that blackened his character further in the eyes of the village and his peers.

And it mattered not. None of them had any choice in the matter.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.