by Catherine Thompson

The Lady Madeline pouted at her father. "I don't want a bodyguard, Daddy!"

Reginald, Viscount Elleran, gritted his teeth. "You're getting one, Maddie, dear," he grated. "After this last incident--"

Maddie made a rude noise and turned her back to him, folding her arms. "It wasn't an incident , Daddy," she insisted.

"Really," said Lord Elleran. "And what would you call fighting in the street with the seamstress' daughter?"

"Entertainment?" Maddie responded with the wicked arch of an eyebrow. At seventeen, the Lady Madeline was well beyond her father's attempts at discipline, and they both knew it. Lord Elleran heaved a sigh. "If your mother were alive ..."

"Don't, Daddy." Maddie stiffened.

"Maddie." Lord Elleran's gaze softened. "You've been too long without a mother's guidance. I've tried, but ..."

Madeline stamped one elegantly slippered foot. "Stop it, Daddy!" Tears trembled in her voice. The viscount lifted a calming hand. "All right, my dear one," he soothed. "But you're no longer going out unaccompanied. You're my only child, and my enemies would be only too eager to make use of you, were they able to capture you."

Maddie reverted to the pout. "It's Westendene, Daddy," she said. "Not Ashby. Not even Arcadia."

"Westendene is a port," Lord Elleran reminded her. "And ports attract all sorts of unsavoury characters. If I have to bolt you into your chambers, I will."

"Daddy ... how can you be so ... so cruel?" Now Maddie made her lower lip tremble, letting tears well in her eyes.

"Madeline."

Maddie recognized that tone. Picking up her skirts, she lifted her head in her haughtiest manner and stormed out of the room. She ran up the stairs to her bedchamber, slamming the door behind her, and threw herself onto the bed, jerking the bedcurtains closed.

Someone rapped at the door. "My lady?" called Polly, her maid. Maddie stuck her head out between the curtains and shrieked, "Go away! Leave me alone!" The sound of Polly's retreating footsteps pleased her darkly, and Maddie curled up on her bed.

Lying on her thick, embroidered bedcover, the midnight-blue velvet curtains shutting out nearly all the light, she contented herself with melodramatic imaginings. She'd stay here forever, Maddie decided, refusing food or drink until either her father relented or she died. She pictured herself as a beautiful corpse, pale as ivory, laid out on a bier strewn with flowers, covered by a silk sheet. Everyone from miles around would file past to pay their respects. Her father would weep great tears of remorse for his cruelty; the young men would sob over the loss of such a comely maiden ...

When she woke, it was utterly dark, and her stomach was growling. Maddie sighed and threw back the bedcurtains, then gave the bellpull a tremendous yank. When one of the kitchen maids appeared, rubbing her eyes, Maddie ordered her to fetch a platter of whatever was left from dinner. The maid curtseyed and hurried off. Her stomach rumbled again, and Maddie pouted. So much for starving herself ...

~*~

In the late afternoon, Lord Elleran summoned his daughter into his presence. Madeline hadn't been allowed outside the castle gates all day, and she expressed her displeasure at the situation by throwing herself down on a divan the moment she entered the room. Cream-coloured silk billowed around her, and she made a moue of distaste, slapping at her voluminous skirts. Folding her arms, she gave her father a sullen glare. "What is it now, Daddy?"

Lord Elleran put on his sternest expression. "Madeline," he began. Maddie just glared. The viscount grew flustered. "Maddie," he said, almost pleading. "I've chosen one of my soldiers to be your bodyguard. He's young, but trustworthy and loyal."

Maddie put her nose in the air and turned away.

Lord Elleran sighed. "By all the gods, Madeline! You are--"

"The most stubborn creature to set foot upon earth," finished a deep voice in a lilting accent.

Maddie turned her glare on the speaker, a young man of perhaps twenty summers whom she hadn't noticed earlier. He stood a hand's-breadth taller than her father and was broader through the shoulders. He wore his short dark hair straight back from his face, unlike the current fashion; his black eyes met hers, and she swore she saw a glint of humour. "How dare you speak to me like that!" she demanded. "Who do you think you are?"

The young soldier made her a brief bow. "Gwynfor ap Huw," he replied. "At my lady's service."

Maddie gave an un-ladylike growl. She turned on her father, ready to protest. Lord Elleran drew himself up to his full height. "Madeline," he said. His daughter stopped, mouth agape. She'd never heard him speak in such a tone. "Gwynfor is now your bodyguard. Whenever you set foot outside the castle precincts, he will accompany you. If you go into the town to purchase a button, he will be with you. Is that understood, young lady?"

With unaccustomed meekness, Maddie bowed her head and nodded. "Yes, Daddy."

"Good." There was some hesitation in the viscount's voice. Maddie glanced up to see her father wearing a puzzled frown. "Erm, well, then. You may go dress for dinner, my dear."

Maddie rose from the divan and curtseyed to her father, then started out the door. She paused when she heard footsteps; she turned to find the soldier only a few paces behind her. She glared at him; he didn't so much as flinch. "My lady," he murmured in respectful tones.

"I am going to my chambers now, ap Huw," Maddie said, trying not to grit her teeth. One corner of the soldier's mouth lifted. "Of course, my lady," he said. "As your bodyguard, I shall stand by your door until you have need of my services."

Maddie stiffened; her jaw tightened. Somehow, she managed a smile. "Of course," she said. She walked out the door, along the corridor, then up the stairs, her bodyguard dogging her footsteps.

~*~

Over the next several days, Gwynfor ap Huw became a constant presence in Madeline's life. He appeared at her bedchamber door each morning and escorted her back there every night. He ate his meals when and where she did. Even if she took a stroll in the gardens, he followed. She wanted to scream.

Lying in her bed, Maddie plotted to get away from her shadow. There had to be a way, she reasoned. Gwynfor was only human, after all. She could sneak out a window, she considered, then she shook her head. Gwynfor would simply track her down and drag her back, with her father's blessing. Worse, such a desperate act on her part would convince the viscount that he'd done the right thing in assigning her a bodyguard.

Maddie rolled onto her side and pouted thoughtfully at the bedcurtains. She had to make Gwynfor look a fool somehow. Staring into the dark, she smiled as a plan formed in her mind. With the smile still curving her lips, Maddie closed her eyes and let sleep take her.

In the morning, she announced that she would visit the market that day. "I want a new dress, Daddy," she insisted. "I need to buy fabric for it. Besides that, I'm nearly out of needlework supplies." She crossed her fingers under the table; she hadn't touched a needle since she'd sent her last governess off in tears of frustration.

Lord Elleran muttered into his moustache, but consented, casting a glance at Gwynfor, who sat at the far end of the table, tucking into a breakfast of eggs, bacon, fried tomatoes, toast, and kippers. The soldier nodded at the viscount with a smile, glancing at Maddie. She saw nothing but smugness in his face.

After breakfast, once she had undergone Polly's daily ministrations, Maddie collected her purse and her bodyguard and set out from the castle. As they strolled through the market, Maddie pretended to ignore Gwynfor, who remained a deferential two paces behind and to the left of her, close enough to act if need be but not so close as to crowd her.

At a stall selling glass beads, she paused to admire the wares and discuss prices with the vendor, a woman in her middle years. While they talked, Maddie kept an eye on Gwynfor, who had stopped when she had. She edged away a pace, ostensibly to look at something on display. Gwynfor didn't follow for once, his eyes scanning the crowds. Maddie smiled to herself and took another step, chattering away to the stallholder. At last, she judged there was enough space between her and Gwynfor. In a blink, she grabbed up her skirts and sprinted into the crowds.

She heard Gwynfor give a startled shout, but she didn't dare look back. Maddie headed into the thick of the crowds, dodging hands and skipping past startled shoppers. Weaving her way through the press, she felt someone grab at her waist. She swore, thinking that, however improbably, Gwynfor had caught up to her. A hand clamped over her mouth; the other arm snaked about her middle.

She knew Gwynfor would never touch her in such a manner; her heart began to race. "Well, well, if it isn't Lady Madeline," purred a deep voice. "How lucky that I happened to be at the market today." Her captor lifted her off her feet.

Maddie tried to fight him, but he was too strong, and she had no leverage. Her captor carried her to a waiting carriage; she caught a glimpse of a coat-of-arms on the door before she was thrown inside, and she gave a muffled yelp. She scrambled for the far side of the carriage, turning to face her captor. "Lord Cademon," she squeaked.

Jeren, Earl of Cademon, grinned at her, his face cadaverous in the shadowy light. Maddie flew at him, fingers outstretched for his eyes. Cademon swung his walking-stick; the heavy silver head caught her a blow in the chest. The air whooshed out of her lungs, and Maddie dropped to the seat like a sack of potatoes. She stared up at him with wide eyes, unable to breathe despite the frantic heaving of her chest. "You'll be my guest for the next little while," Cademon told her, "so you'd best start behaving a bit better, my lady."

Maddie closed her eyes, the better to concentrate on drawing air into her lungs. At last she managed it, and she sucked in great gasps. "My ... father," she panted.

"Your father will do whatever it takes to see you safely home," Cademon said. He smiled so widely, Maddie could see his molars. "Which means whatever I ask of him, he'll grant it."

Maddie felt her lip tremble. "No, not--"

Cademon nodded. "Elleran Castle and all its lands."

Maddie grasped the door-handle. Cademon grabbed her arm. "I think not, my dear," he said. "At this speed, you'd break several bones, at the very least. No, you'll stay right where you are until we reach my keep."

The young woman slumped into her seat. She gave Cademon a baleful glare. He merely smiled in response.

It seemed like hours before they arrived. Despite herself, Maddie had slipped into a doze; the jerk of the carriage halting shook her awake. Cademon was out in a flash, before Maddie was even aware of what had happened. The door next to her opened, and she almost fell out into his arms. She struggled, but Cademon easily carried her into his castle.

Inside, he deposited her on her feet, while servants hurried to re-bar the door. Cademon beckoned a pikeman from his post. "Escort my guest to the chamber opposite my own," he ordered. "Remain there until I send for you." The pikeman nodded once, thumping the flagstones with the butt of his pike, then he took Maddie by the arm and dragged her up the stairs.

She fought him for a few steps, then realized she was no match for him and gave up. She didn't make it easy for him by any means, walking as slowly as she could, dragging at his arm, and going limp when the opportunity presented itself. By the time they reached the appointed room, the pikeman was puffing and growling under his breath. He shoved her through the door. Maddie wheeled as soon as she'd caught her balance, only to hear the clunk of the bar falling into place.

She sank onto the bed, heedless of the room's opulence. Hot, bitter tears filled her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. Curling up on the brocaded bedcover, Maddie began to sob. She imagined her father, forced to give up his home and livelihood, wandering the streets of Westendene like a beggar. Likewise, she imagined Gwynfor, obliged to serve in Cademon's army. She could almost hear his voice.

"My lady."

Maddie sobbed harder, mourning the young soldier. Surely he'd be killed, fighting one of Cademon's myriad enemies.

"My lady!"

Oh, great, she thought, now I'm hearing things.

"Madeline!"

Maddie lifted her head with a jerk. "Ap Huw?" She turned to the window. Her bodyguard was attempting to pull himself through it.

In a moment, she was at the window. Grasping his wrist, she hauled at him until he slithered over the sill. "Gwynfor!" She knelt beside him on the stone floor while he panted for breath. "How did you--where did you--" She couldn't form a coherent question. Fortunately, Gwynfor seemed to understand. "I saw Lord Cademon grab you," he told her between gasps. "When he put you into his carriage, I leapt onto the back. Jumped off before he reached the gates, found a place to scale the wall ..."

"How'd you know where to find me?" Maddie interrupted. Gwynfor managed a smile. "I knew Cademon would want you close by," he said. "So I guessed at where his own chambers would be. Then I heard you weeping, my lady." He sat up, shrugging. "'Twas nothing so hard then."

Maddie wiped the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand, then impulsively hugged her bodyguard. "But how will we escape?"

Gwynfor shook his head. "That I'm not certain of, my lady," he said. "To climb down from here I think unlikely for you, and I am a poor match for Cademon's fighting-men, being one against so many."

A fist pounded on the door, making Maddie jump. "What's going on in there?" demanded a loud voice. Gwynfor grabbed her arm. "He's placed a guard on the door?" His black eyes were suddenly bright. Maddie nodded. "A pikeman," she replied in a whisper. Gwynfor smiled. "Perfect," he said. He leaned close to her and whispered in her ear.

A moment later, Maddie let out a loud cry. "Help! Oh, help! The bedcurtains have caught fire!"

The door rattled, then flew inward. "I don't smell no smoke," said the pikeman in a bemused voice, sniffing loudly inside his beavered helm.

"Of course not, silly," Maddie purred from her vantage atop the armoire, and she flung the velvet bedcurtains over his head. As the pikeman flailed, trying to free himself, Gwynfor leapt out from behind the door and knocked the man to the floor. He slammed the pikeman's helmet into the flagstones; the man groaned and stopped struggling.

Gwynfor whipped off the bedcurtain and removed the man's helmet. The pikeman stared at him with glassy blue eyes. "Stunned," Gwynfor declared. "Help me."

Maddie slid down from the armoire. "Help you do what?"

"Undress him."

Maddie felt the blood drain from her face. "Excuse me?"

Gwynfor looked at her, eyes steady. "I need his clothes." As he spoke, he unbuckled the pikeman's belt. Heat rising into her cheeks, Maddie knelt and went to work on the leather armour.

In moments, Gwynfor was dressed in the pikeman's clothing. He manhandled the now-trussed guard into the armoire. Shutting the door on the pikeman, who'd begun mumbling through the handkerchief stuffed in his mouth, he turned to Maddie. "Now," he said, taking her by the arm, "this is what we'll do." He led her into the corridor.

They took the servants' stairs. Maddie wrinkled her nose at the indignity, but Gwynfor assured her it was the only way. "We won't be likely to meet Cademon," he said as they picked their way down the twilit steps. "If he sees us, 'twill be the end of us both."

The stairway opened out into a back corridor. Maddie saw no one as they stepped through the door. "Which way's the garden?" she whispered. Gwynfor turned her in the proper direction when they heard a voice behind them. "You, there! What are you doing?"

They turned to see a liveried servant. Maddie guessed he was an under-steward by his attitude and bearing. She managed a sweet smile. "Lord Cademon said I could take a turn about the garden," she said, "as long as the guard remained with me. It's such a lovely day ..." She trailed off, fighting the urge to grab Gwynfor's arm.

The under-steward stared at them for a long moment, but clearly he couldn't find anything wrong with Maddie's story, for at last he nodded. "Carry on, then," he said before sweeping off to another part of the castle.

Maddie clutched at Gwynfor's arm, feeling a little faint. Gwynfor squeezed her hand. "Some fresh air is what you need," he murmured.

Soon, they stepped out into the formal garden. For a moment, Maddie almost wished that they had time to spare for a quick tour. Roses bloomed everywhere, and she could smell lavender nearby. Cademon's gardeners appeared to be more skilful than her father's. She yielded to the gentle pressure of Gwynfor's hand on her arm. "This way, my lady." She followed him to a boxwood hedge, part of which had been recently damaged. "This is how I got in," Gwynfor told her, holding the branches apart.

Maddie crouched. Gwynfor coughed. "I'm afraid you'll have to crawl, my lady," he murmured. Maddie turned to shoot him a glare and saw that he'd flushed with embarrassment. Sighing, she dropped to her hands and knees.

Once through the hedge, Gwynfor directed her to the stables. "You do know how to ride, my lady?" he asked as he swiftly saddled a horse. Maddie nodded, not wanting to admit that she could barely manage her palfrey at times. She almost yelped when Gwynfor's strong hands grasped her about the waist and lifted her into the saddle. The Welshman climbed on behind and took the reins. "Hold tight, my lady," he warned an instant before kicking the horse into a run.

Maddie squeezed her eyes shut and wrapped her hands about the pommel of the saddle. She felt Gwynfor hold her around the waist with an arm. The horse seemed to leap under her, a sensation both thrilling and terrifying. She heard shouts and knew they must be nearing the main gates. The horse's hooves clattered over cobblestones. More shouting, then Maddie heard a whistling sound that could only be an arrow. She let out a frightened cry. The horse neighed in alarm. The sound of its hoof-beats changed to a thudding; Maddie knew they now raced down the road that led back to Westendene.

After a time, feeling the horse slow somewhat, she dared to pry open one eye. The shadows had grown in the late afternoon light. Ahead, she could make out the spire of the little church that sat on Westendene's fringes. "Are we--did they--?"

"We're safe, my lady, or nearly so," Gwynfor said into her ear. "Cademon won't be able to follow so quickly--by the time he organizes his men, we'll be safe at Elleran Castle."

Maddie closed her eyes, this time in relief. "Thank you, Gwynfor," she murmured.

"You can best thank me, my lady," he replied, "by not running from me again."

Maddie shook her head. "Never, Gwynfor ap Huw," she said. "Never again."

© Catherine Thompson, 2003. All rights reserved.

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