Warwolfe (de Wolfe Pack Book 0)(131)
But that pain was only going to get worse.
Antillius appeared with a group of his men, heading straight for Gaetan. Ghislaine stood back as Gaetan went to Antillius to extend his hand in thanks. Antillius took the man’s hand and shook it.
“Words cannot express my gratitude,” Gaetan said sincerely. “That you would ride to our aid… without you, it is possible that this battle would have had an entirely different outcome. Allow me to present Kristoph de Lohr, the man you risked your life for.”
He introduced his knight, who nodded his head at Antillius. “I am in your debt, my lord,” Kristoph said.
Antillius looked at the knight they had rescued, dirty and scruffy and beaten. “There is no debt to speak of,” he said. “We have been well compensated for our efforts. Fortunately, we did not lose a man. I have a few injured, but nothing that will not heal.”
Gaetan wasn’t sure what he meant. “Compensated?” he asked, confused. “I do not understand.”
Antillius’ gaze moved to Ghislaine. “You have not told him?”
Ghislaine was back to feeling sick and miserable. When everyone looked at her, expecting an answer, she swallowed hard. She’d hoped to tell Gaetan without an audience but it seemed that was not to be.
“I… I have not,” she said quietly. “There has not been time.”
Gaetan didn’t sense anything amiss, at least not right away. He looked at Ghislaine. “What did you pay him with? I was not aware you had any money.”
Ghislaine took a deep breath, fighting to keep from breaking down. At this point, she didn’t care that others were listening. All she cared about was Gaetan and how he was going to react to everything.
“I do not have money,” she said. “I… I made a bargain with Antillius.”
“What bargain did you make?”
Ghislaine was struggling. She tried to open her mouth but nothing seemed to come forth. Gaetan was waiting; everyone was waiting. Her heart was pounding and her knees were weak. As she opened her mouth and tried again, Antillius spoke.
“The lady was terribly grieved at the thought of your demise, as you and your men faced her brother,” he said steadily. “In discussing the issue with me, she was determined to go alone and help you but I knew her help would be useless. In fact, it might even be a hindrance. I therefore offered my men in place of the army you were forced to leave behind at Westerham, but at a price.”
Gaetan was listening closely but he was starting to get the feeling that there was something wrong in all of this. He was holding on to Ghislaine’s hand and he could feel her trembling.
“What price?” he asked.
Antillius looked him in the eye. “She wanted something from me and I wanted something from her,” he said. “She was willing to pay the price, although I understand that it was only to save you and your men. It was not because her heart was in this decision. She made it because she had to.”
Gaetan was increasingly concerned. “Be plain, Antillius. What bargain was made?”
Antillius continued. “You will recall that I offered my daughters to you and your men this morning,” he said. “You will recall why. My people are a dying race and I explained to you how important it was for my daughters to bear sons, strong sons, to continue our family. I am a desperate man, de Wolfe, but you already know that. When you and your men left this morning, there were no takers to my offer, so the lady agreed that there would be at least one taker.”
Gaetan didn’t like the sound of that at all. “What could she possibly agree to?”
“I agreed that I would allow you to marry Lygia in my stead,” Ghislaine said hoarsely. She was looking at the ground, unable to face him. “I told Antillius that I would insist you marry Lygia so that at least one of his daughters could bear sons from a man of new blood. And your sons will be the strongest and greatest of them all.”
Gaetan was horrified at the mere suggestion. “How could you agree to such a thing?” he demanded. “That you would give up –?”
Ghislaine cut him off as she burst into tears. “I had no choice!” she said. “If I did not agree, then they would not help you, and if they did not help you, you would die. Your men would all die. Do you not understand, Gaetan? I did it because I love you. I would rather have you alive and married to another than a dead memory of my life that could have been. I did it to save your life!”
Gaetan was beside himself. He looked at the top of Ghislaine’s head as she stood there and wept before turning to look at Antillius. For a man that had only gratitude in his expression just moments before, now there was only hatred as he faced off against the man he’d considered an ally.
“How could you make such a bargain with her?” he hissed. “You have put her honor on the line and now mine with your unreasonable demands. How in God’s name could you manipulate her like that? Because she loves me, she agreed to your demands. Only a vile man would take advantage of a woman like that.”
Antillius was faced with a very angry warrior. Not that he expected otherwise. He was torn between defiance and remorse.
“When your family is dying off, see if you would not make a deal with the devil to save them,” he said quietly. “I am sorry, de Wolfe. I truly am. But that was the price of my assistance. If you have any honor in you, you will abide by the lady’s bargain.”