Free Always by Lynsay Sands

the oddest feeling that it was the last time she would see him. Spurred by that sudden fear, she chased after him, hugging him from behind before he mounted his horse.
    â€œI love you, Papa,” she whispered.
    Henry paused and turned in her embrace, hugging her close as well. “I love you, too, child. And so shall your husband, but you must promise me to obey him. Always. Promise?”
    When he pulled back to look at her, Rosamunde nodded solemnly. “I promise, Papa.”
    Nodding, the king set her aside again and mounted his horse. Rosamunde watched as he rode away through the gates with Bishop Shrewsbury. He looked straight ahead as he went, never looking back. Or at least, she didn’t think he did, but her vision was rather blurred with tears as she watched.
    When the two horsemen finally disappeared from view over a rolling hill, she turned back to the convent yard to find only Sister Eustice and the abbess still present. The other nuns had returned to their duties, having alreadysaid their good-byes. As for the two men, she learned where they had gone the moment she paused before the abbess.
    â€œYour husband and Lord Shambley have gone to prepare the horses to leave.”
    â€œLeave?” Rosamunde exclaimed with dismay.
    â€œAye. I extended an invitation to them to spend the night here, but they refused.”
    When Rosamunde merely stared at her with a lost expression, Adela reached out to hand her a small cloth sack. “These are your things. Eustice packed them for you. I had her put some cheese, fruit, and bread in there for the journey as well.” Then she patted her hand gently. “’Twill be all right. You are frightened right now, I know, and that is to be expected, considering this abrupt change in your life, but all will be well.”
    The clip-clop of horses’ hooves drew their attention then as her husband and Lord Robert led three horses out of the stables. Rosamunde blinked in surprise at the sight of the third horse all saddled and ready to go.
    â€œMarigold is yours now,” Sister Eustice murmured, noting her startled expression as she gazed at the horse. “A wedding gift from us. So you will not go off totally alone and friendless.”
    Tears filling her eyes, Rosamunde swung around and hugged first one woman, then the other. “I will miss you,” she said with a gasp, then whirled away and rushed blindly toward the men and waiting horses.
    Her husband quickly helped her to mount, then turned to get onto his own horse. Taking her reins in hand with his own, he nodded at the abbess and Sister Eustice, then urged his horse into a trot that took them quickly through the convent gate.
    Tears rolling down her cheeks, Rosamunde stared staunchly forward, unable to look back. She was leaving the only home she had ever known.
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    The abbess and Sister Eustice watched them leave with tear-filled eyes. It was Adela who finally closed the convent gate on their departing figures and urged Eustice away from the door.
    â€œâ€™Tis frightening sometimes, is it not?” she commented. They moved slowly back up the path.
    â€œWhat?” Sister Eustice asked, brushing her tears unhappily away.
    â€œLife,” she answered solemnly. “This morning she was ours, and to be with us forever. Tonight she is gone.”
    Eustice paused, her expression horrified. “Surely she will visit?”
    The abbess took her arm to get her walking again. “Mayhap, but she will not be our little Rosamunde now. She will be Lady Burkhart of Goodhall.”
    â€œGoodhall.” Eustice tried the name out, then smiled slightly. “’Tis a fitting place for our Rosamunde.”
    â€œAye. ’Tis fitting.”
    â€œMayhap this was God’s plan for her, after all.”
    â€œOf course it was. Everything comes about through God’s plan,” the abbess murmured quietly.
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    â€œYour bride does not appear to be much of a