I scowled. “No.”
“She was imprisoned,” David grunted. “For three months. That takes something out of the body, sir.”
“Weren’t you her jailer?” Allan asked.
David met his stare. “Yes. And I took the best care of her that I could.”
I patted his arm. “I’m very well, David.”
“So what does that entail?” Allan pressed on. “He let you eat occasionally? Didn’t beat you quite as badly as he was meant to? You must tell me more so I have new fodder for a grand song about your brave and valiant acts, Sir Knight.”
David stood.
“He killed another man to save my life,” I said, looking at Allan. “And I won’t let you mock him for that.”
Allan sighed, lying down in the grass. “Fine. I’m too pretty for all this serious business.”
“I can make you a little uglier, if you wish,” David said.
Allan lifted his head. “So you agree—I’m pretty,” he said, smiling.
“Christ,” David muttered, putting his head in his hands.
It took a while for the guard to return with a letter in his hand. I opened it.
My lady M—
This guard will take you to my private hunting lodge outside the city. You will not be safe within the walls. I will join you as soon as I’m able.
—W
I handed it to David as the guard tapped two others and came back over to us. He bowed. “We are fetching horses, my lady. My lord instructed us to take you to his lodge. Forgive our earlier mistake.”
“Hasten your efforts so the lady might forget the slight,” David snapped. I frowned at him, and David gave me a tiny hint of a smile.
The horses appeared in short order, and we mounted ours as the guards readied themselves. They led us down the road and into the forest near the walled city, to a guarded but modest manor house.
We’d bare set foot within the manor wall when the doors opened again and Winchester appeared, the same tall, handsome young lord I remembered. He saw me and stopped, drawing a deep breath.
Shaking his head, he came to me and bowed. “My lady Princess,” he said quiet. He kissed my good hand. “I never thought to see you alive again.”
I squeezed his hand on mine. “It’s good to see you, Winchester. My lord, this is Sir David, and you may remember Allan a Dale.”
Winchester nodded to both of them. “Welcome. Forgive the location, but we are currently entertaining Prince John’s knights in the castle, and I assumed by your subterfuge regarding your name that you did not wish to be known. You must come inside, rest, and tell me how it is you came to be here.”
“Yes,” I told him. “But first, I want you to know that I asked Eleanor to meet me here. There is important information she needs to hear—not the least of which is that I’m still alive.”
His eyebrows lifted. “Eleanor? And her ladies?”
I frowned. “Yes.”
He near smiled. “Oh. That’s excellent. Fine. Of course, I would love to receive the queen. I’ll make sure she is diverted here so the city is not aware of her presence.” He dropped his head in a bow. “Come. Let’s go inside. I’m sure you and your men are hungry.”
“Yes,” Allan said, grinning.
“Shameless,” I heard David grunt.
“There’s no glory in shame,” Allan said back.
“So,” Winchester said, sitting at a rather intimidating table after bringing us food and drink and seating me beside him. “Please tell me how you came to be here, my lady.”
“Prince John tried to kill me,” I told him.
Winchester’s eyes flicked to Allan. “I had heard he had accomplished that deed long ago.”
“He held me in prisons. Away from Eleanor, I believe.”
Winchester tapped the table. “I was helping her,” he told me. “Eleanor. She didn’t believe John had killed you, and she tasked me with finding you. I think I came rather close too. Were you ever at Arundel or Brackley castles?” he asked.
“Yes,” David said. “Both.”
Winchester frowned. “And how would you know that?”
“Eleanor put a knight in Prince John’s employ to protect me,” I told him. “David were—David was one of my captors, but he saved my life.” I stumbled over the right words.
Winchester nodded at him. “Your service, sir, is most deeply appreciated.”
David looked down.
“I saved her life too,” Allan said. “From a horde in London! She would have been trampled to death if it weren’t for me.”
“Yes,” I said, nodding. “Thank you, Allan.”
He smiled, satisfied.
Winchester looked at me. “Does Locksley know yet?”
I shook my head. “No. I can’t get word to him, not if Prince John still thinks I’m dead.” Maybe I would be able to find my way to Nottingham after I told Eleanor; maybe Rob could hide me in the castle until my father returned, and I wouldn’t endanger the people with my presence.
Maybe.