My Lord's Desire
Wiltshire, 1204
"Keep your eyes open, Bert," the burly foot soldier ordered his younger comrade-in-arms at the gate of Ludgershall Castle. "I don't like the looks o'this fellow."
Bert, skinny and with spots on his youthful face, stopped watching the approaching rider to regard Godwin with surprise. "He's all by himself, ain't he? He can't be thinking o' attacking this castle singlehanded. He'd have to be mad when we're up to our arses in soldiers with the king stayin' here."
"Fools and madmen have caused trouble before this," Godwin warned, "and this knight looks like he could finish off a dozen men before he fell."
"How d'you know he's a knight?" Bert asked.
"Where's his men? His squire? His page? He's got no servants or baggage. He's probably another one of them routiers the king's hired."
Bert spat in disgust. Like most soldiers bound to his lord by land and loyalty, he detested mercenaries, and those King John employed were the worst of the lot.
Godwin shook his head. "Not him. Look at the way he's sittin' that horse. The nag ain't much, but only a well-trained knight rides like that, as if he's as comfor ... read full excerpt from My Lord's Desire ebook
