Free The Name Of The Sword (Book 4) by J.L. Doty Page A

the castle.
    “Thank you, child. Thank you. It must bore you to have to keep an old woman company this way.”
    “Not at all, Your Ladyship.”
    “Oh come now, child. Certainly you’d rather be in the stable loft under that stable boy, letting him ride you like a brood mare.”
    Chrisainne froze and her heart went cold. “What do you mean, my lady? I don’t understand.” She tried to release the older woman’s hand, but Theandrin wrapped her fingers about Chrisainne’s wrist in a painful grip.
    “Don’t play games with me, girl. I know everything that goes on beneath my roof.”
    Chrisainne focused on the courtyard below. She dare not meet the older woman’s eyes, and prayed she only knew about the stable boy.
    “You bedded the boy, and you bedded his master to keep him quiet. Well . . . I don’t think there were any beds involved, were there? Let me see, the stable boy had you on your back in the straw. And his master . . . what did he do, just stand you up against a wall?”
    Trembling, but thankful that there’d been no mention of BlakeDown, Chrisainne said, “It was a foolish dalliance. I don’t know what came over me.”
    “Oh, I know what came over you,” Theandrin said. “And I want you to do me a favor. The next time you fuck my husband, I want you to learn all his thoughts on the Elhiyne border situation. It’s deteriorating rapidly, and I want to know everything. So come to me afterwards and tell me what you’ve learned.”
    “I . . .” Chrisainne said as her gut clenched with fear. “I—”
    “Don’t speak, girl. Just listen.”
    Chrisainne clamped her mouth shut.
    “That’s better. Now you have to be careful here, if you want to survive. If my husband hears you’ve been soiling him by mixing his seed with that of stable hands, he’ll have all three of you murdered in rather short order.”
    Chrisainne continued to stare out the window, though in the corner of her eye she saw enough to know that Theandrin turned her head to look her way. “And be careful not to find yourself with child. You’re what . . . the tenth of his playthings to have come along. I don’t really know; I long ago lost count. And I’m not counting the whores and barmaids. There was one girl, some years back, quite a pretty thing as I recall. She lasted all of three years, but she grew careless. Or perhaps she thought she might garner favor by bearing him a child. It doesn’t matter. Neither my husband nor I will allow such a complication to muddy the waters of the Penda inheritance. The poor girl, and her unborn babe, died of a horrible accident. Such a shame!”
    Theandrin slackened her grip and released Chrisainne’s wrist. “Let me be clear about this, girl. You will do as I say, or I will tell my husband of your dalliance with the stable hands, and we’ll be rid of you in rather short order.”
    Theandrin turned, though Chrisainne did not turn with her and remained standing at the window looking out at the courtyard. The older woman stepped out of sight, and Chrisainne heard the patter of Theandrin’s feet as she crossed the room. But the patter stopped before she opened the door.
    “Oh,” Theandrin added. “And be sure you fuck my husband again sometime before tomorrow afternoon. I do so want that information . . . and sooner rather than later.”
    ••••
    Your Majesty, you must awaken.
    Morgin opened his eyes, and in the darkness that enveloped him he considered lighting a candle. He’d get dressed, clean up his room, get a quick bite to eat, then join France for some sword practice in the castle yard.
    Your Majesty.
    The voice of the shadowwraith brought him back to the moment. France! Poor France, haunted and possessed by Salula. When Morgin did awake from this dream, he had to save France as well as Rhianne. But he couldn’t just kill Salula. He’d learned from experience that all he’d accomplished the first time was to slay Salula’s host. So simply killing Salula would