The Robber Knight's Love (The Robber Knight Saga #2)(26)
Women! Whatever possessed God to make them?
~~*~~*
Reuben was lying on his bed with his arms crossed behind his head, trying to burn holes into the opposite wall by the fiery force of his eyes alone, when somebody knocked at the door.
“Go to hell!” he shouted and continued his glowering.
Whoever was outside either had bad hearing or was very, very brave, for in spite of his warning, the door opened. For a moment, his eyes flitted from the wall to the figure in the door. Ah, the timid little brown-haired maid. So it had probably been bad hearing.
“I said,” he intoned, every word like a freshly sharpened knife, “Go. To. Hell!”
“I heard you the first time,” the maid answered and stepped into the room, closing the door behind her.
“Well, then that raises a question: are you courageous or simply suicidal?”
“Neither. I am to bring you your breakfast.” She held up a steaming bowl of soup.
Reuben looked to the window, through which faint morning light was shining. Yes, the next day had come. He had been so busy being angry at Ayla, her horse, her castle, her servants, and everything else in the world that was remotely connected with her that he hadn't noticed. Well, why should he have bothered?
“I don’t want it. Throw it away!” He gave the girl his best hellish scowl. Contrary to his expectations, she quivered under his gaze, but did not flee.
“We are being besieged,” she told him, her voice small but steady. “There is not enough food for us to live two months, and you would have me throw this away?” She advanced towards him and put the bowl in front of him on the bed. “You will eat. It is Milady's wish, and so you will eat.”
“Oh, of course!” Reuben's scowl deepened. “If Milady wishes it, we must all jump and do as she commands. Milady is perfect. Milady is never wrong.”
In spite of his words, he took the spoon and tasted the soup. To his annoyance, it tasted quite good—plus, he was famished. He had left the castle more than a day ago. It had taken him quite a while to find a way through the enemy's defenses, and he hadn't eaten a bite all that time. Pride was all very well, but an empty stomach seemed rather more important at the moment. So he started to spoon the soup at an impressive speed. When he looked up, the maid was still standing there.
“What now?” he growled.
The girl swallowed. “She's really glad to have you back safe, you know,” she said, her voice even smaller than before.
Reuben's spoon halted in mid-air.
There was no need for him to ask who the “she” was. Suddenly, all the anger and frustration went out of him. He looked up at the young maid with a puzzled expression on his face.
“Then why is she so angry with me? I got her horse back. I thought that was what she wanted.”
The maid shook her head, a smile playing around her lips. “Don't you see?”
“No, I'm damned if I do! I've been sitting here, trying to puzzle out the meaning of her antics for hours!”
The maid sighed and shook her head again, as if speaking to a child who had missed something obvious. “There are only a few things in this world more dear to Lady Ayla than that mare. If she’s angry with you for risking your life to save her, there can be only one reason: obviously, you are one of those things.”
She curtsied and turned to go, leaving Reuben behind with his mouth open and his thoughts in disarray.
~~*~~*
Ayla hugged and hugged Eleanor until her arms hurt. Then she led her to the stables and busied herself checking her beloved friend for any injuries, combing her down, and otherwise making sure she was perfectly happy and comfortable. The familiar activity both set her mind at rest and helped keep it off a certain infuriating male person.
“Are you all right, my girl? Really all right?” Tenderly, she stroked Eleanor's glossy coat, and the horse whinnied in appreciation.
“I bet the bad men in that camp treated you horribly and you're glad to be back home, aren't you?” Sliding her hand into her belt bag, Ayla pulled out an apple. “Look what I have here. It was supposed to be my breakfast, but I think you deserve a treat after all you've been through, don't you?”
Horses, the happy creatures, luckily do not suffer from afflictions such as a guilty conscience. Eleanor snapped up her mistress’s breakfast and devoured it with relish. Ayla laughed and hugged her friend again, tears coming to her eyes.
“Oh, I'm so glad to have you back.”
In answer, Eleanor, who was by now finished with chewing the apple, started to chew on Ayla's sleeve, a great sign of affection. It also happened to be a rather expensive one, considering the number of chewed-up dresses Ayla had already had to get rid of in the past, but she was so overjoyed to have Eleanor back that she let her chew all she wanted.
Suddenly, Ayla felt a soft nose touch her back. She turned, expecting to see one of the stable horses that had somehow gotten out of its bay—but instead, she saw the huge, black stallion Reuben had ridden up to the castle. The beast seemed to want to get past her for some reason.
“Just as annoying as its master,” she grumbled and stepped out of the way. The black stallion trotted past her and straight to Eleanor’s side. Without waiting for any sign, he licked her ears and then rested his neck on hers possessively.
“You…” Ayla was prepared to save her dear friend from this indecent harassment when Eleanor started rubbing her neck against the stallion's head and nickering softly. Ayla clapped her hand in front of her mouth, then poked Eleanor in the ribs. “Behave yourself!” she hissed through her fingers.