“But you have one.”
Gaetan nodded. “Marquis Aulerci. That is the hereditary title of the heirs of Mateudoi, the last King of the Bretons.”
Antillius was clearly impressed. “You must command a great many men.”
“I command enough.”
“I would believe that. Which is why I would like to know why you are only traveling with nine warriors. Should you not bring more men if you are to extract your comrade from Alary’s clutches?”
They were heading into an area where Gaetan wanted to be particularly careful. He didn’t want to speak on how Kristoph was abducted or how they, and an entire Norman army, had come to the shores of England.
“I have two thousand men with me but Alary discovered that we were coming for our comrade and threatened his life,” he said. “I left my men back in a town called Westerham. I believe my knights and I can rescue our friend. We are skilled and resourceful.”
Antillius cocked his head in a dubious gesture. “I admire your bravery, my friend, but surely Alary carries more than nine men with him,” he said. “Tenebris is a dark and mysterious place to the north. I do not know how many men he has there, but there will be more than just a few.”
“Any Norman knight in battle is worth twenty Saxons.”
“And you are confident as well.”
“You’ve not see us fight.”
Antillius grinned. Then, he laughed, looking around the table to the men who were stuffing themselves on the pork and pies. “You are as big as mountains, all of you,” he said. “It would be a terrifying thing to meet you in battle. I pray that I never will.”
Gaetan gave him a half-grin. “You almost did today when you ambushed us with your arrows.”
Antillius waved him off. “I fear we would have lost too many men in that fight,” he said. “We may have had the advantage, but in the end, I would have had to sacrifice a few. Our numbers are not so great that we can afford to lose men.”
“Why is that?”
Antillius’ good humor faded. “Our numbers are less and less every year,” he replied. “Our people have been here for hundreds of years, de Wolfe, and we do not marry allii unless it is absolutely necessary. That means we marry within our tribe and, over the years, we are less and less. There are fewer babies born every year. I fear that someday we will die out completely unless we find new and worthy men to marry our women.”
That comment caused every Norman but Gaetan to look straight at his food and pretend to be occupied with it, for no one wanted to get roped into a marital commitment with a father looking for worthy men for his daughters. Gaetan saw the heads go down and he laughed to himself.
“Not to worry,” he told Antillius. “I am sure you will find worthy husbands for your women, in time. It would be an honor for any man to become part of your tribe, as you are excellent fighters. I could see that earlier today even though a sword was not drawn nor a weapon thrown. It is clear your men are great warriors themselves. In fact, I shall deem all of them honorary Normans. It will be a bond between your men and mine so that, in the future, we shall remember that bond and hold to it.”
Antillius was greatly flattered. “We do not have allies,” he said. “We have always kept to ourselves. We are quite honored by your declaration.”
Gaetan held up a cup to the man as if to toast him. “And I will christen you and your family the House of de Shera, as you must have a Norman name now. Shericus is the ancient name of old, a name of great honor. De Shera is a name for a house that will evolve into greatness.”
Antillius grinned, looking at his men and seeing expressions of approval. As he turned to some of the men around him to discuss the Norman honor, Gaetan turned to Téo.
“God’s Bones, did I just say that?” he muttered. “Did I just completely change that man’s entire world and tell him that his name was not good enough in this new Norman realm?”
Téo was indulging in a compote of berries with honey and cream; it was most delicious. “You took an ancient Roman line and made it Norman,” he said. “That is what our kind does, Gate. That is the Norman way of thinking. We take the world and change it for the better.”
Gaetan pondered that, toying with his drink cup in one hand and stroking his chin with the other. But in the course of that deliberation, he noticed that de Russe was once again looking at him from across the table. His good mood fled.
“Téo,” he mumbled, his eyes never leaving de Russe. “I must tell you something.”
“What?”
“I have claimed Lady Ghislaine.”
Téo’s head came up and he looked at him curiously. “Claimed her? What do you mean?”
“Bodily.”
That became clear in an instant and Téo’s eyebrows lifted with some shock, but also with realization. Frankly, he wasn’t surprised. He knew Gaetan’s appetites when it came to women so it wasn’t a surprise in the least. But in the same thought, he knew it was about to become quite complicated given Aramis’ feelings for the woman.
Deadly, even.
“I see,” he said. He set his knife down; he suddenly didn’t feel like eating anymore. “Forgive me, but mayhap it was not wise to do that.”
“Why not?”
“Because surely you have known that Aramis is….”
Gaetan cut him off. “Of course I know,” he said. “He is sitting across the table from me, shooting daggers from his eyes as he stares me down. He and I discussed this delicate situation back in Worcester and he was most amiable then, but that has changed. He told me that he would step back and allow me to pursue the lady but his actions have said otherwise.”
Téo sighed heavily. “Gate, you have been my friend for many years so forgive me for what I am about to say, but you did not need another conquest, and certainly not a conquest in the sister of Edwin of Mercia,” he said quietly. “If there was one woman you should have kept your hands from, it should have been Ghislaine of Mercia.”
“I plan to marry the woman.”
Now, surprise was registering across Téo’s face. “Marriage?” he hissed. “What madness is this?”
Gaetan tore his eyes away from Aramis and looked at Téo. “No madness, I assure you,” he said. “I do not know how it happened, but somehow I have fallen in love with the woman. I have asked her to be my wife and she has agreed. Instead of judging me for it, I should think you would be happy for me.”
Téo had to make a conscious effort to close his mouth. He simply couldn’t believe what he was hearing and his first reaction was that it was all a whim on Gaetan’s part; Gaetan was not the marrying kind. Moreover, the man had bedslaves and everybody knew it. What would Ghislaine think about whores in her husband’s house? But Téo wouldn’t think to disagree with his friend in that fashion, so he kept his thoughts to himself. He knew that the right woman could change a man; perhaps that was the case.
But it was a damned surprise to him.