Fragments of Grace (Prequel to the Dragonblade Trilogy) by Kathryn Le Veque Read Free Book Online Page B

that be possible, my lord?”
    Michael had only wanted to speak
with the blond sister again, as he’d had little opportunity since their flight
from Exelby, but he could see she was in no mood for his company.   Her sister,
however, was tactful and sweet, not to mention outrageously beautiful.  He
found himself focused on the redhead.
    “That will be Sir Keir’s
decision, my lady, but I am sure he would graciously comply,” he told her,
eyeing the blond to see that she was deliberately looking away from him. “I
will take the matter up with him.”
    “If it would not be too much to
ask, my lord,” Chloë said politely.
    Michael shook his head and gave
her a weak smile.  His gaze kept returning to Cassandra but she refused to look
at him. Chloë could see his interest, and her sister’s stubbornness, and she
fought off a smile.  She didn’t feel so moody any longer with the delicious
opportunity to tease her sister.
    “I do not know your name, my
lord,” she said. “You helped rescue us from our compromised chamber at Exelby.”
    Michael nodded. “I am Sir Michael
of Pembury,” he replied. “And you, dear lady, smashed my fingers.”
    Chloë laughed, a beautiful and
captivating gesture. “Only in self-protection, I assure you,” she said. “I do
hope I did not break anything.”
    Michael shook his head. “You did
not.”
    “But it bloody well hurt,” Chloë
put in, repeating his words.
    Michael broke out in a smile.  He
was a very handsome man with his dark hair and bright blue eyes, a rugged and
strong beauty about him.  He was also the tallest man that Chloë had ever seen;
she well remembered the man’s sheer size.
    “It did,” he admitted, “but I
have since recovered. You did worse to Keir.”
    Chloë’s gaze moved to the head of
the column where Keir and another knight rode in strong silence. She realized
that it made her heart flutter simply to look at the man, even though he’d
hardly spoken a word to her since rescuing her from the chamber two days
before.  It seemed that when he came around her, he couldn’t get away fast
enough. It began to occur to her that he must have an aversion to her, more
than likely from the fact that she had nearly broken his fingers and gouged his
eyes out upon their initial acquaintance.  As realization dawned, her good mood
fled. 
    “I did,” she sighed heavily.  “I
am sure he will never forgive me for it, for which I am truly sorry. In any
case, it is nice to make your acquaintance, Sir Michael.”
    “And yours, my lady.”
    With a lingering look at Cassandra,
who still refused to look at him, Michael spurred his charger back to the front
of the column.
    The remainder of the trip was
uneventful.  They arrived at Pendragon, a great square bastion on a fortified
hill surrounded by earthworks, a series of tall walls, causeways and a great
moated ditch.
    It wasn’t a particularly large
castle but it was very tall, well protected and well-fortified.  As they drew
upon it, Chloë gazed up at the dark gray stone, stained wet from the storms,
thinking of the wife and daughter that St. Hèver had lost within these massive
walls.  She couldn’t imagine any army penetrating walls such as these.
    Since the castle was built on a
fortified mound with a series of earthworks and ditches, and they crossed great
elevated causeways between the moats once they were within the enormous
circular wall that surrounded the place.  They had to pass between series of
mounds, all designed to make an incoming enemy vulnerable to those protecting
the castle. 
    Finally passing through the
porcullised entry, they entered a very small bailey. Living quarters and towers
were built into the tall exterior walls, including a very tall box-shaped keep
that was built into the southwest corner of the structure.  There were wooden
stairs everywhere, leading up into the towers as well as leading up into the
keep.  Narrow wooden walkways bordered the top of the walls. 
    As