A few hours later, when he arrived in the garden, Anne was there waiting for him, and her beautiful face was radiant in the moonlight.
"You were magnificent," she said, holding his shoulders and kissing both his cheeks. "Really magnificent, and Tearle, it worked so well. My father no longer speaks of that Peregrine man. Now all he talks of is the Black Knight, who, of course, will never be found."
"And this pleases you, that Severn is no longer considered by your father for marriage?" he asked softly.
"It pleases me very much. He is a dreadful man, and I could not bear to spend five minutes' time with him."
"Have you done so? Have you spent five minutes with him?"
Anne stopped smiling and gave him a hard look. "What is on your mind? Are you not pleased with your victory?"
He turned away from her. Pleased? He had meant to show Zared he was not the weakling she believed him to be, but ins
tead he had made her hate him and had caused a good man like Severn great humiliation.
He looked back at her. "Who put the mud in Severn's helmet?"
Anne looked away, but not before he saw her smile.
He grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face him. "Who, Anne? Who made the people laugh at him?"
She jerked away from him. "I will not marry him. He has humiliated me publicly. Did you see what he did to me at the procession? He picked me off the ground in front of everyone. Twice he has tried to kiss me.
"He wasn't like the fawning men at court, was he?" he asked softly. "Severn wrote no love poems to your beauty. He did not woo you with words."
She glared at him. "I do not like your tone," she said, lifting her skirts and starting to walk away.
Tearle caught her arm. "Severn is a good man. His manners may have little polish, but he is a good man. He cares about his family and his honor. He is a man with a great deal of pride."
At that Anne broke. She put her hands over her face to hide her tears. "And I have no pride?" She looked up at him as she tried to control the tears. "Yes, I humiliated him. Yes, I made people laugh at him. But tell me, what else could I do? What other ways of fighting are open to me? I have told my father I do not want to marry this man. I have told Peregrine I do not want to marry him, but no one listens to me. Don't you understand that I had to do something?"
Tearle had no answer for her. He gave a sigh, and when he spoke it was softly. "Who does your father favor now that Severn has been made to look a fool?"
Anne sniffed. "My father chose my sister's husband based on his connection to the throne. For me he says he wants a strong man."
"A wise father," Tearle mumbled.
"He favors Colbrand or—"
"Colbrand!" Tearle gasped. "The man is an idiot. He has no sense."
"He has lovely manners and is beautiful to look at."
"And easy to manage," Tearle answered. "If you married Colbrand, you'd eat him alive. He is no match for you."
"And who is?" she snapped, recovering herself. "That filthy Peregrine?"
"A better match for you than anyone else I've seen. Severn wouldn't allow you to control him."
"I have no desire to control him or even so much as look at him." She put her hand on Tearle's arm. "This Peregrine may be a friend to you, but to me he is rude. He never speaks to me. At dinner he talks to my father, not me."
"And wisely so—as you have just said, he must court your father and not you."
She gave Tearle a look of exasperation. Could he understand nothing? "Colbrand spoke to me. He—"
"Colbrand!" Tearle said through his teeth. "I have heard enough of the man to last all my life. He is too stupid to tell girls from boys. Within a year of marriage you'd hate Colbrand."
She glared at him. "I do not need a year to hate this Peregrine. If you love them so much, you marry them, but not I. I thank you for helping me rid myself of my father's urging me to marrying one of them, but I do not feel I owe you any reward. You got what you wanted."