baron's command, he'd never even seen him smile. The vassal suddenly realized he'd never witnessed his leader accept defeat, either.
"Don't you understand, Baron?" Ingelram blurted out. "You've suffered a humiliation because of me. I believed her lies. I gave her escort to the abbey."
Ingelram boldly moved forward until he had placed himself within striking distance of his lord, then said in an anguished whisper, "I alone am to blame."
Royce raised an eyebrow over his vassal's dramatic confession. "We will discuss this later," he announced with a meaningful glance toward the Saxon.
When Ingelram bowed his head, Royce turned back to the tax collector. "Tell me what you know about Nicholaa," he ordered.
James lifted his shoulders in a helpless shrug. "I was run out of this area two and one half years ago, milord, when the task of collecting the tax was given to another man. I know that Nicholaa was supposed to marry a giant of a man named Roulf, who had a large holding to the south. She'd been pledged to him since childhood, and if the wedding took place as scheduled, she was married to him almost two full years before he was slain at Hastings. 'Tis all I know about Nicholaa, milord."
Royce made no comment on the information he'd just been given. He dismissed James, waited until he had left the hall, and then turned back to Ingelram. "In future, you will not parade your sins in front of outsiders. Do you understand me?"
Ingelram nodded. He looked properly horrified by the reprimand.
Royce let out a sigh. "When you act in my stead, Ingelram, your mistakes become mine. If you've learned anything from this incident, then the inconvenience you've caused me might all be for the good."
Ingelram was astonished by his lord's remarks. He'd never heard a defeat referred to as an inconvenience before. He didn't know how to respond.
Hugh captured Royce's attention when he interjected, "Lady Nicholaa has proved to be cunning, hasn't she, Royce? She certainly slipped out of your grasp… for the time being," he added with a nod in Ingelram's direction.
"Yes," Royce answered with a grin. "For the time being."
"'Tis the truth, I fell victim to her lies," Ingelram blurted out.
"Nay," Royce contradicted. "You fell prey to her beauty. Recognize the error for what it was so you won't repeat it."
The vassal slowly nodded. He took a deep breath while he removed his sword from his scabbard. His hands shook when he offered his father's bejeweled weapon to Royce. "I've failed you, Baron. Because of me, you've been shamed."
Ingelram closed his eyes in anticipation of the blow. A long agonizing minute passed before he opened them. Why was his leader hesitating? "You don't wish to retaliate, Baron?" he asked, confusion obvious in his gaze.
Royce let him see his exasperation. He turned to Hugh, caught his smile, and almost smiled himself. "What I wish to do and what I will do are two different things, Ingelram," he said. "In time you will understand. Why do you offer me your sword?"
Ingelram was caught off guard by the question. Baron Royce's voice had been so mild. Was it possible his lord wasn't overly displeased by his error in judgment? "I offer you my sword so that you may use it against me, if that is your inclination. Baron, I don't understand why you… I have disgraced you, haven't I?"
Royce ignored that question and asked one of his own. "Under whose command were you before you came into my ranks?"
"I was Baron Guy's squire for two years," Ingelram answered.
"And in all that time did you ever see Guy use a vassal's sword against him?"
Royce was prepared to hear a quick denial. He knew Guy sometimes used intimidating tactics when dealing with younger, inexperienced soldiers, a method that found little favor with Royce. There had even been whispers of true brutality, but he didn't pay any attention to such talk. He believed the stories were simply exaggerations spread by disgruntled men who hadn't been able to meet Baron Guy's
"Don't you understand, Baron?" Ingelram blurted out. "You've suffered a humiliation because of me. I believed her lies. I gave her escort to the abbey."
Ingelram boldly moved forward until he had placed himself within striking distance of his lord, then said in an anguished whisper, "I alone am to blame."
Royce raised an eyebrow over his vassal's dramatic confession. "We will discuss this later," he announced with a meaningful glance toward the Saxon.
When Ingelram bowed his head, Royce turned back to the tax collector. "Tell me what you know about Nicholaa," he ordered.
James lifted his shoulders in a helpless shrug. "I was run out of this area two and one half years ago, milord, when the task of collecting the tax was given to another man. I know that Nicholaa was supposed to marry a giant of a man named Roulf, who had a large holding to the south. She'd been pledged to him since childhood, and if the wedding took place as scheduled, she was married to him almost two full years before he was slain at Hastings. 'Tis all I know about Nicholaa, milord."
Royce made no comment on the information he'd just been given. He dismissed James, waited until he had left the hall, and then turned back to Ingelram. "In future, you will not parade your sins in front of outsiders. Do you understand me?"
Ingelram nodded. He looked properly horrified by the reprimand.
Royce let out a sigh. "When you act in my stead, Ingelram, your mistakes become mine. If you've learned anything from this incident, then the inconvenience you've caused me might all be for the good."
Ingelram was astonished by his lord's remarks. He'd never heard a defeat referred to as an inconvenience before. He didn't know how to respond.
Hugh captured Royce's attention when he interjected, "Lady Nicholaa has proved to be cunning, hasn't she, Royce? She certainly slipped out of your grasp… for the time being," he added with a nod in Ingelram's direction.
"Yes," Royce answered with a grin. "For the time being."
"'Tis the truth, I fell victim to her lies," Ingelram blurted out.
"Nay," Royce contradicted. "You fell prey to her beauty. Recognize the error for what it was so you won't repeat it."
The vassal slowly nodded. He took a deep breath while he removed his sword from his scabbard. His hands shook when he offered his father's bejeweled weapon to Royce. "I've failed you, Baron. Because of me, you've been shamed."
Ingelram closed his eyes in anticipation of the blow. A long agonizing minute passed before he opened them. Why was his leader hesitating? "You don't wish to retaliate, Baron?" he asked, confusion obvious in his gaze.
Royce let him see his exasperation. He turned to Hugh, caught his smile, and almost smiled himself. "What I wish to do and what I will do are two different things, Ingelram," he said. "In time you will understand. Why do you offer me your sword?"
Ingelram was caught off guard by the question. Baron Royce's voice had been so mild. Was it possible his lord wasn't overly displeased by his error in judgment? "I offer you my sword so that you may use it against me, if that is your inclination. Baron, I don't understand why you… I have disgraced you, haven't I?"
Royce ignored that question and asked one of his own. "Under whose command were you before you came into my ranks?"
"I was Baron Guy's squire for two years," Ingelram answered.
"And in all that time did you ever see Guy use a vassal's sword against him?"
Royce was prepared to hear a quick denial. He knew Guy sometimes used intimidating tactics when dealing with younger, inexperienced soldiers, a method that found little favor with Royce. There had even been whispers of true brutality, but he didn't pay any attention to such talk. He believed the stories were simply exaggerations spread by disgruntled men who hadn't been able to meet Baron Guy's
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