Page 31 of The Champion

Bridget patted her comfortingly on her back. “Have no fear, Joanne. We will not go back to Sussex, nor will Lord Stryder perish. We shall find the one responsible and hang him ourselves.”

“What is this?” Rowena asked.

Her ladies-in-waiting immediately broke apart. They looked about as if they were guilty of some crime.

“What is what, milady?” Joanne feigned innocence.

Rowena looked at each one of them in turn. “What have you planned?”

“We’re going to find Cyril’s killer,” Bridget announced proudly.

Marian nodded. “We’ll have to be dubious. Ply men with...drinks and our wiles. But, I think we are up to the challenge.”

The others nodded in ready agreement.

It was all Rowena could do to not roll her eyes as visions of her companions in trouble flashed through her mind. No wonder her uncle kept them secluded in Sussex. The whole lot of them, while tender-hearted, were ever ready to seduce any man who came near them. “You would do all this for Lord Stryder?”

Marian nodded. “Well, aye. He must be proven innocent.”

“And why is that?”

“So that you can marry him,” Joanne said simply.

Rowena cocked her head at that. “I thought you wanted to marry him.”

“Well, aye, I do, or did, but now that the king has chosen you for his bride, we’ve been-“

Bridget cut her words off with a sharp elbow to her side.

“Ow!” Joanne rubbed her stomach.

Rowena folded her arms over her chest as a bad feeling went through her. “You’ve been what?”

“You might as well tell her,” Elizabeth spoke up from Joanne’s right. “It’s not like she won’t figure it out.”

Marian sighed. “Well, we’ve been talking. You and your uncle keep us sequestered in Sussex with your minstrel friends visiting, and while we’ve been here, it has come to our attention that there is many a fine man to be had.”

“Aye,” Bridget agreed. “Have you seen Stephen of Nottingham? A finer man I’ve never beheld.”

Rowena shivered in revulsion. “He’s a barbarian.” All too well, she remembered the way the man had belched at dinner the night before. He had then slammed his goblet down and ordered more wine, which he had consumed faster than she could blink. It was followed by another belch.

“He’s a man,” Marian snapped. “No offense, my lady, but we’ve all had it up to here,” she held her hand to her chin, “with those mewling knaves you have visiting Sussex. We’re tired of having them sing odes to our eyes and juices, while our juices are drying up. We want a real man.”

“Aye!” they agreed in unison.

Bridget patted Rowena gently on the arm. “We understand and respect the fact that you’re not inclined for a knightly sort, my lady. But we are and Lord Stryder has many knights in his company.”

Joanne nodded. “Knights from good families.”

“Knights with strong muscles,” Marian added.

“Aye.” Bridget stood firmly. “And to our way of thinking, you marry Lord Stryder and we can have our pick of them.”

Rowena was aghast. “I can’t believe this. You would sacrifice me to Stryder so that you can⁠—”

“It’s not a sacrifice,” Joanne said, interrupting her. “Lord Stryder is the catch of all Christendom. You should be flattered.”

If she heard that one more time...