“If I had gone after yonnobleman with evil intent,” Lara spat toward Ranulf, “he would notbe here spewing lies.And you and he both know it.”
Nithard smiled as smug as a cat aboutto spring on a mouse, and Lara bit her lower lip.She’d meant tostay calm and keep her temper, as Sophie had warned her to do.Notto let herself be goaded into a display of anger such as she’d justshown.She glanced at the captain, who stood rigid, the muscle onthe side of his clamped jaw ticking triple time.
Nithard cleared his throat and held ahand up.The assembly went quiet.“Though the accused claims shedid but defend herself in the case of her attack on Fulrad Demonte,she has failed to prove it to this court.Therefore, we pronounceher guilty.Guilty of excessive force against a king’s soldier andkinsman, which caused him grievous, and possibly lifelong,injury.”
Lara went numb, the count’s wordsbuzzing in her ears as if from a distance.She could neither moveor speak and barely remembered to breathe as Sophie stepped up tostand beside her on the opposite side of the captain, Wolf in hand.The count held Sophie’s gaze for a long moment, then coughed andtugged on his robes.
“Therefore,” he announced,“this court declares herlidito the king’s garrison and its captain until suchtime as the soldier Fulrad can once again take the field for hisking, or the full wergeld of three hundred gold solidi ispaid.”
The assembly sucked itscollective breath in as Lara released hers.The count could haveordered her to be hung by the neck until she was dead, and wouldhave, she was certain, were it not for Sophie the Sixth standingbeside her.As it was, he’d made herlidi, an indentured servant to thecaptain and his company.
Nithard held his hand up and theassemblage went quiet.“As for the dog, Wolf, we declare himvicious and a danger to all men and sentence him to immediatedeath.”
“Wolf vicious?”Laragrasped the captain’s arm with both hands.“Please.He did nothingbut protect me.You know this.You know Wolf.”
Steel-gray eyes held hers, eyes shefound impossible to read.The captain pulled his arm from her graspand addressed the count, his voice as tight as his jaw.“Sir Count,I will take responsibility for the dog and see to its punishmentpersonally.”
It was a request in wording only; evenin her frantic state, Lara could tell that much.As, apparently,could the count.
“So be it,” Nithard said.With a wave of his hand, Mallus concluded.
CHAPTER 6
Protection
Lara
“Three hundred goldsolidi,” Lara cried as soon as she was inside the captain’s tentstaked out in the courtyard of Oloron Manor.“It will take alifetime to earn that amount.”
“As Nithard well knows.”Sophie closed the tent flap behind her.“As he knows that Fulradwill never take the field for Charles again.He has done what hecould and made a slave of you.”
“He has tried.”Laraslipped into Latin as she heard the captain speaking to one of hismen outside the tent.
“What do you intend todo?”Sophie spoke in Latin as well.
“I intend to make my wayto the Hollow.To stay there until this garrison has leftOloron.”
“Then what?You’ll neverbe able to return to Oloron as long as Nithard is count and Ranulfhis successor.”
Lara gnashed her teeth.Sophie was right about Nithard and Ranulf.They’d been given theirshot at her and taken it.They’d made herlidiand would never willingly giveher back her free status.“What do you suggest I do?”she askedSophie, who could see farther ahead than most.
Sophie laid her hand onLara’s shoulder and looked her straight in the eyes.“I suggest youstay and belidito the captain.Serve out your sentence, for now.”
Lara shook Sophie’s hand off.“What?No.”
“Just hear me out,” Sophieinsisted.“Captain Guiscard has proven himself an honorable man,has he not?”Sophie arched her brows at Lara, who stood untouchedand intact despite her time living in the captain’s quarters,surrounded by a troop of soldiers.Sophie indicated Wolf, stillalive and standing at Lara’s side despite Nithard’s ruling that hebe put to death.“Has he not?”
“Aye,” Lara admittedgrudgingly.“He has.”
“Alidihas her master’sprotection.”
“Alidihas a master.”
“True enough.Yet I seecertain advantages for you with the captain’sprotection.”
“Protection?If I stay here, he willbe the one I need protecting from.”
Sophie’s wizened gaze narrowed onLara’s.“How so, child?”