Chapter 6

The sun was setting as the inner gates to Riddick Keep opened allowing Riddick access to the courtyard. Dismounting, he spoke quietly to his squire who appeared by his side before turning to the litter behind him.

"You're early and you look like hell" said a voice behind him.

Riddick gave a tired grin. "James."

"What have we here?" James asked pointing towards the body that his friend had drug home. Covered by Riddick's bedroll and hooded cloak, James could only guess.

"Help me un-strap her." Riddick ordered quietly as he began to cut through the cloth ties nearest him.

Eyes twinkling, James followed his Lords orders.

Sweeping her into his arms, Riddick headed inside, taking the stairs two at a time, not slowing his pace until he entered the room directly next to his.

Mary, his nurse from the day he was born, was there waiting on him with her assistant Agnes and a legion of maids. "Lay her down on the table, Laddie," Mary said clucking at the sight of him as he followed her instructions.

Grabbing the older woman's hands gently, he bent down kissing her cheek. "Don't worry about me, Mary." He said looking over at the girl. "Do what you can here. Call for me at once if you need anything."

Mary eyed him up and down for a moment before meeting his eye with a knowing look, "Aye," she with a nod before waving her hands in Agnes' direction, issuing orders.

Riddick stood watching, before James, standing by the door, called his name. "Young Teddy has your bath prepared."

Riddick nodded, tearing his eyes away from the table by the fire, leaving the room.

Teddy did in fact have a hot, steaming, bath ready, as well as a fire in the fireplace started. The barber tools that James would need to sew up his back and arm lay nearby. Dismissing the squire, Riddick stripped and tossed his eyepatch on his night table. James stood nearby, pouring them both a drink as Riddick lowered his body into the tub.

He accepted the cup, downing half the contents in one swallow as James moved to the fireplace leaning against the mantel.

"You go to the Senate and return looking like something chewed you up and spit the wee lass out. Would ya like to tell me how that happened?" James asked with a grin.

"It was near dawn when I reached the Black Forest. The dragons were out in force. I had almost passed the crossroads when I heard her."

"And you just had to ride in and save her."

Riddick smirked with a raised eyebrow. "Do we not teach our men that they are the shield of the weak, the champion of right and good? What kind of leader would I be if I didn't lead by example?"

James snorted loudly. "All right. I'll let you keep your secrets for now. Do you even know who she is?"

"Where's my bag?" Riddick asked as he began to clean himself in the cooling bath water. "There was a purse tied around her waist. It's inside."

Looking around, James spotted it by the door. Pulling out the pouch he tossed the bag back on the floor. Opening it, he pulled out multiple papers carrying them to the desk where there was more light. The sounds of Riddick's splashing faded into the background as he continued to read.

Riddick had to call out to him several times to get his attention.

James turned to his friend who was standing in front of the fire with a cloth draped around his waist.

"Well?" Riddick asked.

"Holy mother of Hera, Richard! Do you know who that girl is?"

James' reaction set his teeth on edge and he wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answer as he stood silently waiting.

"She's heiress to the Three Realms. The only daughter of Charles and Elizabeth Raven, Lord and Lady of Ravensheart, Kingsbridge and Enchantment"

"Talk about being a long way from home," Riddick murmured.

"Gods blood," James muttered as he continued looking over the papers. "They were offering her in marriage to William Johns. What kind of father would give his daughter to a sadist like Johns?"

Riddick turned from the fire, a scowl on his face as the bruises covering the girls face began to make sense.

"They're former isolationists, her parents probably have no clue about what kind of man Johns really is." Riddick and James had seen the kind of victims Johns liked to leave behind, both on and off the battlefield.

"But look at this, Richard," James said waving him over to the desk, "there are two set of marriage papers here. One set with Lord Raven's seal, the other without."

Suddenly angry, Riddick went stomping to his door, throwing it open as he bellowed for Teddy.

The young man came running. "Yes, Milord?"

"Teddy, instruct Sir Edwin that he is to make his way to Johns Tower. He is to inform Lord Johns that we have an injured woman here whom we believe is his intended betrothed. He will stay for a reply."

"Yes, Milord, right away." Bobbing his head the boy turned on his heel and hurried off.

"What's got you all in a twist?" James asked watching his friend.

"She'd been recently beaten. Her face was swollen and bruised."

"Hell's bells," James breathed. "And you sent Edwin to fetch him so he could finish the job? The Gods only know what else he's done to her."

Riddick fumed at the thought. "You're holding a contract in your hand. What choice do I have? We'll see what he has to say when he gets here."

Looking at his friend, James finally nodded. "Alright Brother, let's get those cuts taken care of and I'll leave you to your bed."

Propped up in bed with a cup, Riddick had long since given up any pretense of sleeping.

His mind kept wondering to the girl next door. The comings and goings from her chamber had long since died down and the keep was as quiet as it could be for this time of night.

The thought of Johns beating her and possibly worse, were weighing heavily on his mind. Slamming his cup down upon the table next to him, he slid his feet into the slippers next to the bed.

Not bothering with a shirt, he quietly entered her chambers, surprised to find one of the maids still up and hovering next to the bed. "What is it?" Riddick asked as he approached the bed.

"Milord," the girl responded dipping down into a brief curtsey. "Her fever is on the rise and I need to fetch some water but she keeps thrashing about, knocking her coverings off and I'm afraid to leave her alone."

Riddick looked down at the girl, now clean and bandaged thanks to Mary. "Go." Riddick told the maid. "I'll stay with her until you return."

"Yes, Milord, thank you Milord," the girl barely got out as she headed towards the door.

Riddick reached out, touching a strand of hair. Blondish-brown in color, it was soft between his fingers and seemed to have a tendency to curl. A small smile touched his lips as he let it loose and moved towards the fireplace. He was between it and the bed when she cried out, causing him to turn back towards her.

Mary had left her unclothed to make it easier to care for her and he had seen the bruises upon her arms and shoulders, he had even seen some of the bruises around her midsection when he had bandaged her by the side of the road, but nothing prepared him for the rest of her.

Ripping the sheet the rest of the way off of her, he saw red as he looked at the damage that had been inflicted upon her body. Yes, the yearling had done its fair share of damage, but a dragon didn't leave fingerprints, handprints, or the very clear impression of a seal upon her body. It would be over his dead body before Johns walked out of this keep with her in tow.

He was just tucking the bedding back around her when Agnes reappeared with a basin of cool water. He waited for her to finish before sending her to find her own bed. He had spent years at war and was very capable of tending to a small slip of a girl.

When he wasn't tending to her, trying to keep her fever down, he was staring into the fire pondering over the meaning of two set of marriage papers and the birthmark he had discovered upon her hip. At one point he looked over at her and found her staring at him.

"Carolyn?" he questioned as he rubbed her hand with his thumb. Her eyes were glassy and he doubted she would remember this conversation.

"Has anyone told Father about Geoffrey yet?"

"No, not yet. There hasn't been time."

She grasped his hand in hers. "Tell him, I'm so sorry. He was so afraid and I should have listened to him but I couldn't. I was afraid of what he would do," she whispered.

"It's alright, Lord Raven will understand. All you need to worry about is getting better."

Carolyn nodded and closed her eyes. When her grip on his hand released, he took the damp cloth she had knocked loose, cooling it before running it over her face and arms once again.

Halfway through their conversation, he had realized that being the daughter of a Lord she was no doubt used to being surrounded by her fathers men. She hadn't panicked nor been afraid because she thought he was one of those men come to rescue her.

Not long after, Mary came bustling into the room insisting that he let her check on that wily Sir James' handwork. No one was more capable of taking care of her Laddie than she was.

He kept still as she cleaned the wounds where they had bled a bit during the night before asking the question they had both been waiting for him to ask.

"Will she live, Mary?"

"She's a fighter, Laddie."

Riddick nodded as he got to his feet pulling Mary in for a hug causing her to bluster, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief.

Stopping in the doorway he turned back to his nurse once again. "Mary, be prepared for her to have guests later."

She simply nodded and waved him off as she stripped the bedding from the girl to check her injuries.