Page 35 of The Champion

“Stryder?” she said, stopping him as he headed away from her.

He paused and glanced back.

“Thank you, again, for your courtesy.”

By his frown, she could tell her words confused him. In truth, she didn’t know why she was being so kind to a man she should hate, and yet she didn’t find it within her to hurt him. There was enough pain in his eyes.

“Ever at your service,” he said almost tauntingly before he continued on his way.

A small smile hovered at the edges of her lips.

Rowena watched until he’d vanished. He did have a most masculine walk.

And a handsome backside.

He’s a knight...

All humans had faults.

He kills people.

It was true and yet...

She shook her thoughts away. She wasn’t like her friends who wanted only a man for his looks. Nor did she wish to lose herself to marriage. If she should ever choose a husband, she wanted a partnership. One built of mutual respect and friendship. Love would be a nice bonus, but she didn’t delude herself with that thought.

Only the extremely lucky ladies in her position ever found love and most of them had found it outside of their marriages. Nay, unlike the other troubadours, she didn’t believe in encouraging men and women into illicit affairs.

Rowena, like her parents before her, was an idealist. She imagined a world where everyone, rich and poor, married only for love.

But if she couldn’t have that, then the least she would settle for was friendship.

Lost in thought, Rowena headed toward the orchard in the back of the castle, seeking a place where she could be alone.

She hadn’t gone far into the area before a shadow caught her attention.

It moved quickly, like a phantom.

Frowning, she went toward it without thought.

Something that proved to be most unwise as she drew near enough to see what it was.

A large man.

He swung himself up to the top of the wall, but as he did so, the cowl of his cloak fell back.

Rowena gasped.

His hair was blacker than the midnight sky, his skin tawny and his eyes...

They were an eerie green that stood out from his deep, rich, brown skin tone.

The man was a Saracen.

And he had seen her as plainly as she had seen him.

Six

Part of Rowena wanted to scream and panic. The other, saner part of her made her run for her life.