Choose the Sky: A Medieval Romance (Swordcross Knights Book 2) by Elizabeth Cole Page B

he was granted an immediate audience. Bertram greeted the idea of a hunt with enthusiasm and, once the idea had been mentioned, he handled the rest of the details himself.
    All Luc and Octavian had to do was be there on the morning of the hunt, which would begin in the forest of Lord Bertram’s lands.
    Bertram was a garrulous, rotund man with a perpetual sneeze. What remained of his hair was all white, and he refused to wear a hat, announcing that his head was already perfectly camouflaged for a winter day. Luc liked him right off, and wished that his sole reason for being here was simply to enjoy a day with good companions and good hunting. Unfortunately, he had to hunt for more than deer today.
    Bertram gave the order to release the hounds, who soon surged among the trees, baying wildly. The riders followed, and it didn’t take long for Luc to secure a place alongside his host.
    “Does Godfrey often join you?” Luc asked after a decent interval of casual talk. “Domina said he loves to hunt.”
    “Oh, he adores it,” the baron confirmed. “Though of late, he’s been consumed with other matters.”
    “How so?”
    “Well, I know not the details, but he seems to be traveling much. I’ve not seen him in many months. Can’t say when exactly. Of late, whenever I extend an invitation, he’s gone from the castle.”
    Interesting. If Godfrey was gone so much, where did he go? Plotting a conspiracy might well take him to other estates, or even abroad.
    “Who in the area supports the empress?” Luc asked in a lower voice.
    “I could give you names,” Bertram said. “But first tell me why you ask.”
    “Perhaps Godfrey de Warewic hunts with them now,” Luc said.
    Bertram sneezed, and gave one firm shake of his head. “You’re wrong, sir! Godfrey is a good neighbor, and Heaven knows that many of us are saddened to see friends take opposite sides in this conflict. But if you’re suggesting that Godfrey has changed his mind, you don’t know Godfrey! He keeps his oaths.”
    “You’re quite certain.”
    “I knew Godfrey before you were born, young man.” Bertram gave him a long look. “You’d be hard pressed to find a better man when it comes to such matters.”
    “I’ll pass your words on to the king.”
    “See that you do! I know King Stephen suffered those months in prison—he surely questioned the loyalty of everyone but his own dear queen while he was in chains there. But he must not confuse inaction with dishonor. We all must protect ourselves and our lands, or what is left for us to offer the king? These are trying times. God grant that peace comes soon.”
    At that moment, a cry from the hounds signaled the hunters to get ready for the kill. In the ensuing chaos and excitement, Luc put aside his mission for the more immediate task. He enjoyed hunting, and this particular instance made him grateful that he could use his martial skills with no doubts about whether the outcome would be a political benefit. This time, it was just him against an animal.
    The deer lost. It had been a clever creature, and a strong one, giving the hounds and hunters an exhausting run through the frozen woods. Luc was given credit for the killing shot, and Bertram’s hearty congratulations on the feat.
    “What a magnificent specimen!” the lord cried, surveying the buck on the ground.
    “My hostess should be pleased,” Luc noted. “I do owe her for the feasts she’s been providing.”
    Bertram laughed. “A kind thought, though the de Warewics have never lacked for wealth. Still, the lady will appreciate the gesture. I remember her as a child, so solemn even then. Of course, with her mother sick and dying, she took on more responsibility than a girl child should have to, and at a far younger age. Godfrey was grateful for her—perhaps that’s why he never married her off!”
    “He wanted to keep her as chatelaine?” Or was that Domina’s choice, to remain at home, operating as lady and housekeeper? The position