Besieged and Betrothed

‘I don’t have one. I was living on the streets of Bamberg, a city in Francia, scavenging to survive when the Empress found me.’

‘What happened?’

‘She was visiting Bamberg with her husband, Emperor Heinrich. I was sitting on the roadside when her carriage went by, but she saw and sent a soldier over to fetch me. She was still young herself, but I thought she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.’

‘My father said that, too.’ Her voice sounded wistful. ‘Then what happened?’

‘She asked me a few questions. I told her the truth and she asked if I’d like to come and serve her. I’ve been at her side almost every day since. She saved me. She knows I’d give my life to protect her if necessary.’

‘So you’ve been a soldier since you were seven?’

‘At first

I was more of an errand boy. My talents in that direction became obvious later on.’

He grinned, but she didn’t react, studying him intently as if she were trying to make sense of something.

‘So you serve her because she saved you, not because she was Empress of Austria?’

‘I suppose so.’

‘And now she wants to be Queen of England?’

‘Yes.’ He drew his brows together. What was she implying?

‘So your being here has nothing to do with England itself. What about your home? Did you want to leave? Don’t you care about England at all?’

He stared back at her in surprise. What kind of questions were those? What did caring have to do with anything?

‘I swore an oath to the Empress. My home is with her, just as my duty is to her.’

‘So not to England.’

‘When she becomes Queen of England, they’ll be the same thing.’

‘If she becomes Queen.’ Lady Juliana leaned back in her chair, popping another sweetmeat into her mouth with a cynical expression. ‘My father said she never would be.’

Chapter Eleven

Lothar quirked an eyebrow in surprise. William had been one of the Empress’s most dedicated supporters. That he would ever have said anything quite so disloyal was hard to believe.

‘You think I’m lying, don’t you?’ Lady Juliana’s lips curved tauntingly.

‘Yes. Your father was loyal to the Empress. He chose to meet Stephen on the battlefield rather than surrender. Why would he have done so if he’d thought her cause was hopeless?’

‘Because he believed in her claim. He would have been loyal to the end, just like you.’ A hint of bitterness crept into her voice. ‘But he still thought she’d never be Queen.’

‘Because?’

‘Because she tried it and failed. When Stephen was captured at Lincoln everyone thought she’d won, that the war was over, but the Barons never accepted her.’

‘There were plenty who supported her cause.’

‘Her cause, yes, just as long as she didn’t tell them what to do. When she behaved like a man—a king—they rebelled. The city of London rose against her. Then when the Earl of Gloucester was captured and she had to exchange Stephen for his release, we were right back to where we started.’

Lothar set his jaw uncomfortably. There was enough truth in what she’d said to make him wonder if the words really had come from William.

‘What about you then, my lady?’ He turned the challenge around. ‘Do you think a woman can’t rule?’