penetrate the stone walls surrounding them. His words of purpose were unmistakable.
'No mercy!'
The screams of battle tortured Madelyne. Her mind pictured what she couldn't see, trapping her within a purgatory of obscene thoughts. She had never actually witnessed a battle before, only heard exaggerated tales of cunning and prowess from boasting victorious soldiers. But none of those stories included the descriptions of the killings, and when the fighting soldiers spilled out into the courtyard, Madelyne's mental purgatory turned into a living hell, with the blood of the victims transformed into her captor's fire of revenge.
Although the numbers heavily favored Louddon's men, Madelyne soon realized they were ill prepared to fight Duncan 's well-trained soldiers. She watched as one of her brother's soldiers raised his sword against the baron and lost his life because of it, witnessed another eager soldier thrust his lance forward and then stare in stupefaction when both lance and arm were severed from his body. An ear-piercing scream of agony followed the assault as the soldier pitched forward to the ground now soaked with his own blood.
Madelyne's stomach lurched over the atrocities; she closed her eyes to block out the horror, but the images continued to haunt her.
A boy Madelyne thought might have been Duncan 's squire ran over to stand next to Madelyne. He had bright yellow hair and was of medium height, and so thick with muscles as to appear fat. He pulled a dagger and held it in front of him.
He paid her little heed, keeping his gaze directed on Duncan, but Madelyne thought he positioned himself to protect her. She had seen Duncan motion to the boy a short time before.
Madelyne desperately tried to focus on the squire's face. He chewed nervously on his bottom lip. She wasn't certain if the action was caused by fear or excitement. And then he suddenly bolted, leaving her unattended again.
She turned to look at Duncan, noticed that he'd dropped his shield, and then watched the squire race over to retrieve it for his lord. In his haste the squire dropped his own dagger.
Madelyne ran over, took hold of the dagger, and then hurried back to the post in case Duncan came for her. She knelt on the ground, her cloak hiding her action, and began to cut the rope binding her hands together. The acrid smell of smoke reached her. She looked up just in time to see a belch of fire explode through the open doorway of the castle. Servants now mingled with fighting men, trying to gain their freedom as they darted toward the gates. The fire chased after them, scorching the air.
Simon, first son of the Saxon reeve and an old man now, made his way over to Madelyne. Tears streamed down his leathered face, his thick shoulders stooped forward with despair. 'I thought they'd done you in, milady,' he whispered as he helped her to her feet.
The servant took the dagger from her and quickly cut through the rope. Once she was freed, she cupped the sides of his shoulders. 'Save yourself, Simon. This battle isn't yours. Hurry now, away from here. Your family needs you.'
'But you…'
'Go, before it's too late,' Madelyne implored him.
Her voice was harsh with fear. Simon was a good godfearing man who had showed her kindness in the past. He was trapped, as were the other servants, by position and heritage, tied by law to Louddon's land, and that was sentence enough for any man to bear. God couldn't be so cruel as to demand his life as well.
'Come with me, Lady Madelyne,' Simon begged. 'I will hide you.'
Madelyne shook her head, denying him. 'You have a better chance without me, Simon. The baron would come after me. Please, don't argue,' she hurried to add when she saw he was about to protest again. 'Go.' She screamed the order and gave it additional emphasis when she pushed against Simon's shoulders.
'The Lord protect you,' Simon whispered. He handed her the dagger and turned to make his way to the gates. The old man had gotten only a few feet away from his mistress when he was knocked down to the ground by Duncan 's brother. Gilard, in his haste to attack another of Louddon's soldiers, accidentally bumped into the servant. Simon made it back to his knees, when Gilard suddenly turned, as if he'd just realized there was another enemy closer at hand.
Gilard's intent was obvious to Madelyne. She screamed a warning and ran over to stand in front of Simon, using her body to shield the servant from Gilard's blade.
'Stand aside,' Gilard yelled, his sword raised.
'Nay,' Madelyne shouted back. 'You'll have to kill me to get to him.'
Gilard immediately raised his sword higher, suggesting he'd do just that. His face was mottled with fury. She thought Gilard was more than capable of killing her without suffering a moment's remorse.
Duncan saw what was taking place. He immediately started running toward Madelyne. Gilard's temper was known to be fierce, yet Duncan didn't worry that his brother would harm Madelyne. Gilard would die before breaking a command. Brother or not, Duncan was Baron of Wexton holdings and Gilard his vassal. Gilard would honor that bond. And Duncan had been most specific. Madelyne belonged to him. No one was to touch her. No one.
The other servants, nearly thirty in all, also witnessed what was happening. Those not close enough to freedom hastened over to stand as a group behind Simon for protection.
Madelyne met Gilard's furious stare with a composed expression, a tranquility that belied the destruction going on inside her.
Duncan reached his brother's side just in time to observe Madelyne's bizarre action. His captive slowly lifted her hand to her hair and then pushed the thick mass of curls away from the side of her neck. In a voice that sounded quite calm, she suggested that Gilard thrust his blade there, and if he pleased, to be quick about it.
Gilard looked stunned over Madelyne's reaction to his bluff. He slowly lowered his sword until its bloodied point was facing the ground.
Madelyne's expression didn't change. She turned her attention to Duncan.
'Does your hatred for Louddon extend to his servants? Do you kill innocent men and women because they're bound by law to serve my brother?'
Before Duncan could form an answer, Madelyne turned her back on him. She took hold of Simon's hand and helped him to his feet. 'I've heard that Baron Wexton is an honorable man, Simon. Stand beside me. We'll face him together, dear friend.'
Turning back to Duncan, she added, 'And we shall see if this lord is honorable or if he be no different from Louddon.'
Madelyne suddenly realized she held the dagger in her other hand. She hid the evidence behind her back until she felt a tear in the lining of her cloak, and then slipped the knife inside, praying the hem was strong enough to hold it. To cover her action, she shouted, 'Every one of these good people has tried to protect me from my brother, and I'll die before I see you touch them. 'Tis your choice.'
Duncan 's voice was filled with contempt when he answered her challenge. 'Unlike your brother, I don't prey on the weak. Go, old man, leave this place. You may take the others with you.'
The servants were quick to comply. Madelyne watched them run to the gates. His show of compassion surprised her. 'And now, Baron, I've one more request. Please kill me now. I know I am a coward for asking, but the wait is becoming unbearable. Do what you must.'
She believed he meant to kill her. Duncan found himself astonished by her comments once again. He decided that Lady Madelyne was the most puzzling woman he'd ever come across. 'I'm not going to kill you, Madelyne,' he announced before turning away from her.
A wave of relief washed over Madelyne. She believed Duncan had given her the truth. He'd looked so surprised when she'd asked him to get the foul deed over with… aye, he was giving her the truth now.
Madelyne felt victorious for the first time in her life. She'd saved Duncan 's life and would live to tell about it
The battle was finished. The horses had been released from the stables, and chased after the servants through the opened gates seconds before new flames of destruction devoured the brittle wood.
Madelyne couldn't summon up an ounce of outrage over the destruction of her brother's home. It had never belonged to her. There were no happy memories here.
No, there was no feeling outrage. Duncan 's revenge was fitting retribution for her brother's sins. Justice was being served this dark night by a barbarian dressed in knight's clothing, a radical to Madelyne's way of thinking, who dared to ignore Louddon's powerful friendship with the King of England.
