hands. She closed her fingers around his own, grasping him firmly.
“I wish you would, Otho,” she said brightly. “It has been too long since I last saw you, and it would be good to hear how you have been.”
Otho’s jaw worked angrily. “You know I cannot,” he muttered angrily.
“Why?” asked Armand politely, though he knew of only one reason for not breaking bread or eating at another man’s table. It meant, by the old ways that you were forbidden from shedding his blood. “You are fasting, Otho,” he mused aloud. “Perhaps you are on a pilgrimage? Now I come to think of it, I believe there is a shrine near here to some saint or water nymph, I forget which.” The landlord had entered at this point, bearing a platter of fresh bread. “Ah, landlord. Perhaps you can advise us. The shrine near here next to the lake, who is it dedicated to?”
“Why, bless you, my good sir, that shrine is dedicated to Saint Drusis.” He set the bread down and leaned his hip against the table. “That there shrine is the reason for most of our trade these days,” he chuckled, rocking back on his heels.
“A popular saint?” Armand asked, taking a piece of bread from the plate and tearing it. It was barley bread, fresh and warm. He passed a piece to Una, who took it with thanks.
“I should say he is,” the landlord beamed. “Why, newlyweds come from miles around to visit that shrine!”
“Newlyweds?” asked Una, gamely. “Then perhaps we should visit it, husband? For we have not yet been wed three days.”
The landlord looked from one to the other of them. “Is that so? A happy coincidence! You must make for the shrine as soon as you have taken your meal.”
Armand appeared to take this under consideration. “We have been blessed already by a priest,” he prevaricated. “Why should we need this additional benediction?”
The landlord seemed to be enjoying a private joke. “Oh ho! You won’t want to miss this opportunity, good sir, indeed you won’t!” he said, rubbing his hands together. “There is a seat at that shrine, formed naturally in the rock it is. They do say that the saint blessed that seat so whosoever sits in it first, be it husband or wife they will hold sway for the rest of their marriage.”
“Indeed?” said Una with raised brows. “It seems too good an opportunity to miss.”
“Sounds a very risky business from my point of view,” Armand pointed out with a grin. The landlord guffawed and two more maidservants emerged at this point carrying roasted venison, white pea soup, pork pie, and a large flagon of ale.
“This all looks very delicious,” Una said to the landlord, who bowed to them and then poured three cups of ale.
“Do not hesitate to hail me, should you need anything else,” he said, retreating to the kitchens.
“You’re sure we can’t tempt you to join us?” Armand asked Otho cheerfully, but Una’s brother would only glare at the floor and shake his head. “A pity,” sighed Armand. “But you can only lead a horse to water.” Otho looked up quickly at that, but then flung away from them, slamming the door shut behind him so hard that the hinges rattled.
“He means well by me,” Una said unevenly. “Only he does not understand.”
Armand reached for the venison and began to carve. “Try not to worry,” he said to Una as he placed a slice on her plate. “We won’t stop again until nightfall, so you need to eat well now.”
“I think he will be dogging our steps,” Una replied in the manner of one making a confession. “He has a determined character and will not accept defeat on this so easily.”
“Or he will be skulking in the stables waiting for us to finish here,” Armand agreed briskly. “But there’s little to be gained from worrying about that now.”
“Sir Armand,” she said earnestly, placing her hand over his. “You must not underestimate Otho. He is very handy with a sword. Indeed, he came out of that May Day tournament as the rightful winner—”
He felt a prickle of annoyance. “Una,” he said, turning his hand under hers, to capture her fingers. “You must not underestimate me, either. I am perfectly capable of handling brother Otho.” She looked startled and frankly unconvinced, which was his own fault really for shamming that loss in the first round.
“Was May Day the only event you ever saw me fight?” he asked, releasing her hand, and reaching