Free The Lord's Right by Carolyn Faulkner Page A

interesting
occupation it is.” He smiled broadly. “Please introduce
me.”
    When Piers drew her towards the king,
his hand strong and steady on hers, his strength infused her, and
she became more of herself and less the frightened maid, despite
the ignominious circumstances.
    She met King William with a deep
curtsey, but squarely, not shrinking from him, proudly, as she
should. Piers was very proud of her, knowing it was hard for her,
especially considering the scene he’d stumbled upon.
    He drew her up with one hand, kissing
the back of hers. “I had concern that there was a maid in distress,
but I had no idea just how distressed. Tell me, Miss Amber, were
you deserving of the punishment Sir Piers was
administering?”
    Amber colored beautifully, and both
men found themselves heartily admiring it.
    Piers’ heart was in his throat at her
possible answer, but she surprised him, as he should have known she
would. “By the letter of his law, yes, Your Majesty.”
    The king was pleased at her answer,
nudging Piers in the ribs. “Ho, this one has a bit of the devil in
her, does she not, Sir Piers? I’ll leave you to the beating then.
It seems she’s in the need of one.”
    He left them laughing, which Amber
thought, with a king, was probably a good thing.
    She had hoped, against hope, it
seemed, that that would have been the end of her spanking, but
Piers was too strict for that. After they heard His Majesty’s men
all laugh—on her account, she was sure—and gallop away, he finished
her off, quickly and quite viciously, sure that the sounds of the
horses’ hooves would drown out the sounds of her screams and his
sword gracing her bottom.
    “ When I tell you not to go
into the woods, my flower, then you are not to go into the woods,
until I lift that ban.” He rained down several last swats, but kept
her in position, quite liking the natural bond her hair made when
under his foot. “What did I just say?”
    How did he know how much she hated to
repeat things back to anyone, like a child forced to recite
lessons? She hesitated just a second too long, and got more for her
trouble—more swats, more pain, and a much hoarser
throat.
    “ Amber?” he asked, when he
stopped again.
    “ Wh–when you say I’m n–not
to go into the woods, I’m not t–to go into them un–until you lift
the b–ban, Sir.”
    He let her up, but didn’t free her;
instead he swooped her up in his arms and threw her up onto Tygan,
kicking the horse into a gallop. “Tell me if you know a way to get
us back to the castle before the king.”
    She wasn’t sure, but they just made it
a few minutes before His Majesty, long enough for Piers to change
into his best, and Amber to do her best to fade into the woodwork
of the servants, keeping herself busy enough to forget what had
just transpired between herself, the king, and Sir
Piers.
    The king was met with all manner of
ceremony. The villagers showered him with flowers and clapped and
sang his praises, which fairly astounded him. They were the cause
of his lateness to the castle. He could speak of little else when
he first arrived, having been much less warmly received everywhere
else he traveled. Piers knew he had Amber to thank for this, but he
could hardly tell King William that, so he accepted the king’s
accolades for himself.
    They closeted themselves away for the
afternoon, going over the plans for the new castle and its
fortifications. The king would travel to the site himself and
inspect the construction while he was here, once he’d recovered
from his trip. Tonight, there would be a great feast that would
last for several days; the castle smelled of the meats and pies and
breads that were baking for the occasion, as well as the sweet
smelling rushes and herbs that graced the floor.
    The feast began at dusk, with
entertainments, jesters and musicians, and Sir Piers and the king
sat at the high board, along with Bruce, and
Fitzwilliam.
    King William leaned over to Piers