Valor by Victoria Vane

Author:Victoria Vane
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: 0
Published: 2018-02-28T16:00:00+00:00

PART THREE

Chapter Sixteen

Haddington Priory, Scottish Borderlands

June 1152

DAVINA FOUND HERSELF humming as she carefully extracted the invading weeds from the herb garden. She didn’t know what had brought the tune to mind. It had been ages since she’d heard anything but the monophonic chants taught by the church. She missed the livelier music she’d known as a child. As she continued to hum, she realized it was the same Highland melody that her mother used to sing to her—and the same tune that Domnall had been whistling the very first day they’d met.

The realization jarred her. She wished she could just put him out of her mind, but thoughts of him still came unbidden at random times. Though she’d tried to bury her old memories with her old life, the ghosts of the past still had a tendency to haunt her.

It had been more than three years since the king had sent her to the nunnery. She’d been reluctant to take her vows, stalling for the first two years. She’d held faith then in Domnall’s promises but, over time, she’d given up hope.

The uncertainty was the worst part of it—not knowing if Domnall lived or died. The reports of his escape from hanging had enraged the king but after a few months, he had seemingly forgotten Domnall with the escalating crisis in Cumberland.

Davina was glad of that. She hoped Domnall was somewhere safe, although she feared otherwise. Surely if he lived, she would have heard something from him in all this time. Or were all his promises and professions of love just empty words?

Davina looked down at her little plot of earth with a feeling of satisfaction. She did meaningful work at the priory, and the gardens had become her primary responsibility. She still missed her old life at Haddington Palace, but she had learned to be content at the priory—at least that’s what she told herself. Davina of Crailing was dead. She was now sister Mary Malachy. Her new name was supposed to have signified the beginning of a new life. But deep down, she still longed for something more.

“Sister Mary Malachy!” The abbess of Haddington Priory entered the gardens with a worried expression that signified something was very wrong. The abbess was rarely ruffled. “There are ill tidings from the palace,” the abbess said. “The prince and princess are both gravely ill.”

“Both of them?” Davina jumped to her feet and hastily wiped her dirty hands on the apron she wore to protect her habit. Although she was no longer directly connected to the family, the prince and princess had always dealt kindly with her. They attended worship services and the older girls came twice a sennight for lessons. Moreover, they provided the lion’s share of the convent’s support.

“Aye. ’Tis grave enough that the king sent his personal physician,” the abbess said.

The news was greatly troubling. Illness in itself was always a bad thing, but the princess was breeding again and very near her confinement period.

“Does he ken what ails them?” Davina asked.

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