The Darkest Knight (Guardians of Camelot #3) - Victoria Sue Page 0,49
It must have meant something else to her because her anger was suddenly changed to a devious smile.
“Oh well, sir, that’s different.” She sidled up closer and looked down at Petey. “If young lads are to your taste, I have better ones than ’im.”
Kay felt sick. “Who are you?”
She smiled again. “Oh, just someone that helps to make the soldiering easier, whatever your needs are.”
Kay nodded and took one step toward her. “Get out. You’re not going to make anything easier in this camp, and if I see you again or I hear about you, I won’t just have you in chains.” Kay paused and looked at the bully. “I’ll make sure you are let go as well.”
The man paled, and when Aggie gaped and stuttered, he shoved her hard away from him. “You heard the master. Get outta here.”
Aggie sent a look that promised murder, but she stalked away. Kay looked at the man. “I’m holding you personally responsible. If she tries to come back, you tell Sir Marcus or one of the knights.”
He nodded instantly, and Kay took Petey with him. “Who is she?” Kay asked as they walked away.
“Mother Aggie,” Petey murmured. Kay’s eyebrow raised, and Petey explained. “She runs the boys, girls, women. Whatever the soldiers will pay for. Some she brings with her. Some she recruits.”
Kay sighed. “And I’m assuming she’s tried to recruit you?”
Petey was quiet for a moment. “I’m always hungry. She promises food. Her and the cooks have got some sort of agreement, and so I said I would tonight.” His eyes were huge in his pale face. “She said all the soldiers would be drunk after a victory, so it would be easy.”
All the soldiers? Kay shuddered in revulsion. He could imagine. “Not now, you don’t. Now you come with me.”
Over the next half hour, Kay learned that Petey was an orphan. He had thought he had landed on his feet when he had been taken on as a stable boy, but Carrick—the bully—had made his life miserable. He confided in Kay he was going to run because begging wouldn’t have gotten him better fed, but he would have been whipped less. Then Aggie had tried to make him join her, and if he ran he might end up having to do it anyway.
Kay watched as Petey dealt with Daisy. He had a natural quiet air with her, and an idea started to form. “Petey, I need you to do something for me.”
The boy smiled eagerly.
“I don’t think this battle is done. I’m not convinced the Saxons won’t send assassins.”
Petey’s eyes grew wide.
“If something happens to me, I need you to take a message to Sir Davidas’s estate in Canterbury.” The boy looked confused, and Kay took another gamble. “Tell Sir Marcus that I requested if something happened to me, you were to fulfill Sir Davidas’s wishes and take his horse home. I will tell him myself, but this is important.”
Petey nodded eagerly. “Of course, I will.”
“When you get there, you are to say you met Sir Davidas briefly, he asked you to take Daisy home, and told you to say to his wife, Madelaine, that she reminds him of Niamh.” Petey nodded, but Kay shook his head. “Repeat it.” Petey did word for word. “And you won’t forget the name?”
Petey shook his head, grinning. “Niamh is a druid goddess, and she rides a white horse. I think Daisy isn’t the only gray Sir Davidas had in his stables.”
Kay’s lips parted in surprise. He hadn’t known that. He looked at Petey in approval. The boy would do well. He gave a last pat to Daisy and left her munching some hay and went to the food tent. He told the cooks that Petey was to be fed well, given food for a journey, and then found some fresh clothes. He had the original idea of Petey being his page, but that wasn’t going to work because he wouldn’t be staying. He told Petey to stay with the horse and left him to eat, his thoughts straying to Charles and wondering where he was. Not that the man was ever truly out of his mind, and he hated that his duty, his task, came before his beloved.
Kay walked to the king’s tent confidently, and the guards nodded as he approached, this time making no attempt to disarm him. There were a lot of people in the tent, but Kay spotted Marcus right away.
“Hungry?” Marcus chuckled when he saw him and pointed to