Winter's Flame by Elizabeth Rose

Author:Elizabeth Rose [Rose, Elizabeth]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: RoseScribe Media Inc.
Published: 2017-11-08T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

“She said she’ll think about it! Think about it,” repeated Martin, sparring with his squire the next morning. They stood in the practice yard early in the day, hours before the practice was scheduled for the rest of the knights. His father sat on a bench nearby, watching, twirling a piece of straw in his fingers.

“My lord,” said Rock, fighting off each blow as if he were fighting for his life. “I am sorry Lady Winter doesn’t want to marry you, but please don’t take it out on me. Especially not so early in the morning. My eyes are barely open yet.”

“Oh, sorry,” he said, lowering his sword, dragging his free hand through his hair. “I don’t understand what I did wrong. I tried to be romantic. I even gave her the key to my heart.”

“Your heart?” asked Rock, stifling a yawn with his hand.

“Well, mayhap not my heart. It was a key to a chest I own that has a heart shaped lock.”

“Your mother likes hearts,” said Lambert, sitting up straighter, listening to their conversation. “Mayhap, I should give her my heart when she returns.”

“Forget it, Father,” growled Martin, walking over to the trough of water, laying his sword on the bench. “Women don’t want our hearts. They probably just want to take off our heads.” He dunked his head under the water and came up shaking the water from his hair.

“Give her flowers,” said Lambert. “Girls like flowers.”

“Or a horse,” suggested Rock.

“A horse?” asked Martin. “Egads, Squire, you make no sense. How is that romantic?”

“She doesn’t have a horse, does she?” asked Rock.

“Nay,” answered Martin. “Neither does she have a mail tunic. Do you think I should give her one of those, too?”

“Hmm,” said Rock, putting his hand to his chin in thought. “She is a blacksmith, so she might already have made one for herself. If you don’t want to give her a horse, then give her a goat. She might like that.”

“A goat? You are daft! I give up,” said Martin, plopping down on the bench. “I was trying to do her a favor by marrying her, but she acted as if she didn’t want me to.” His falcon flew down and landed on the bench. Martin reached out and ran a finger over its head in thought.

“You fool!” spat Lambert. “Everyone knows a girl wants to be married to a man who loves her. The way I love your mother.”

“I do love her,” said Martin.

“You lust her,” his father corrected him.

“What’s the difference?” asked Martin.

He looked over to Rock who just shrugged his shoulders. Then he looked back to his father.

“I’ll ask your mother about it as soon as she gets home,” said his father. “She’ll know the best way for a man to show his love for a woman.”

“Thanks. Both of you,” Martin said in aggravation, getting up off the bench, taking his bird with him. “But you’ve been no help at all.”

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