queen, but since he was not Sicilian, he wasn’t impressed by her status. “As I have explained, Madame,” he said impatiently, “my orders are very clear. I am to hand you over to the governor, and he will then escort you to the English king’s camp.”
Joanna scowled, not liking the image conjured up by the phrase “hand you over,” as if she were a sack of flour to be delivered to a local baker. “And how long do you expect me to wait? It has already—” When her frown vanished, replaced by a triumphant smile, the master had an unpleasant premonition. She was looking past him, and he turned, already suspecting what he would see. People on the wharves were clearing a path for approaching riders. They were clad in mail, the sun reflecting off the metal links of their hauberks, the man in the lead astride a snorting grey stallion that seemed bred for the battlefield, not the city streets of Messina. Realizing that he was staring defeat in the face, the master brusquely ordered his crew to lower the gangplank.
JOANNA WANTED TO GREET Richard in a dignified fashion; after all, she was no longer the cheeky little sister he remembered, but a wife, mother, widow, and queen. Her resolve lasted until she set foot on the dock. Swinging from the saddle, Richard tossed the reins to one of his men and strode toward her, smiling. Picking up her skirts then, she ran into his arms. They’d attracted a crowd and people were jostling to get closer, having recognized their queen. The arrival of the large English army had not been welcomed by the citizens of Messina, and already there’d been some hostile clashes between the locals and soldiers. But for now, all of those watching were beaming, touched by this dramatic reunion of brother and sister.
When Richard released her, Joanna felt as if the air had been squeezed from her lungs, so tightly had he hugged her, and her eyes were brimming with tears, she who’d cried so rarely during those miserable months of captivity. “Oh, Richard . . . I have never been so happy in all of my born days!”
“Me, too, irlanda,” he said, and that forgotten pet name caused her tears to fall in earnest. Her brothers had delighted in finding teasing and affectionate endearments for their baby sister; Hal had called her “imp” and Geoffrey “kitten,” but Richard had preferred “swallow” and “lark” and “little bird,” always in the lenga romana of their mother’s homeland.
“Joanna . . . you must tell me the truth.” Richard was no longer smiling. “Have you been hurt?”
The tight line of his mouth and the grim tone told her what he was asking, and she hastened to shake her head. “No, Richard, no. My honor is quite intact, I promise you. To give the Devil his due, Tancred saw to it that I was always treated with respect. My confinement was a comfortable one,” she insisted, thinking again of their mother’s captivity, and then she grinned. “Mind you, the wretched man did hold me hostage and steal my dower lands, so I’d not want to praise him too much!”
Richard put his arm around her shoulders again, saying, “Well, you’re safe now, lass.” And in the security of her brother’s embrace, Joanna could finally admit to herself just how frightened she’d been.
RICHARD HAD TAKEN JOANNA to the nunnery of St Mary’s, for he was lodging in a house on the outskirts of the city, the royal palace having been given over to the French king and his entourage. After a celebratory meal in the guest hall, the other women had retired for the evening, while Joanna and Richard sought to fill in the gaps of the past fourteen years. Only Mariam had not gone to bed. Sometime after midnight, she’d dozed off, awakening with a start to find Joanna leaning over her.
“I told you not to wait up for me,” she chided, as Mariam sat up, yawning.
“And when do I ever listen to you? What time is it? Is it dawn yet?”
“Soon,” Joanna said, climbing onto the bed beside her. “There was so much to say, Mariam! I wanted to tell him about William and my life in Sicily, and I wanted to know about the strife that tore our family apart. But Richard had few answers for me, not when it came to our father and brothers.” Joanna pulled off her veil and shifted so Mariam could free her