Black Lion's Bride

Chapter One Three weeks later "You know, my friend, you might have saved the king and everyone else a great deal of effort and worry had you simply said you were determined to kill yourself one way or another." Outfitted in chain mail armor from a morning spent in training, James Logan strode up to where Sebastian stood at the top of a wooden ladder, his bare back baking in the midday desert sun as he set a large brick into place on the partially reconstructed city wall. "A thousand able men employed to rebuild Ascalon's defenses, yet here you are, the king's right arm, half-dead but a fortnight past and out here working as hard as any man. You must have been drained of all good sense along with the blood you lost in camp last month." With an exhaled curse that brought a twinge of pain from the healing wound at his side, Sebastian pivoted his head to look down at Logan. "I didn't come to Palestine to die," he said as he spread some mortar onto the wall with his trowel and reached for another brick. "No more than I came here to sit idle in a sultan's confiscated palace, supervising repairs to a city that will likely be razed by Saladin before we lay the last brick." Logan chuckled as he positioned himself near the base of the ladder, leaning his shoulder against the stone wall and grinning up at Sebastian from under arched chestnut-colored brows. "The king had to know the Black Lion of England would bristle at the notion of being caged--even behind gilded bars. Like it or nay, my friend, those were his orders when he left to march on Darum." "I don't like it," Sebastian confirmed in a growl. "I came here to fight. As it seems I am unable to do that at present, I will at least make myself useful. Why don't you do likewise and pass me another bucket of mortar while you're down there?" He scooped out the last of the thick clay muck, then dropped the empty vessel into the Scot's waiting hands. "In any event, I mean to return to campaign as soon as the king is back from Darum. After nearly a month of inactivity here in Ascalon, I expect I can tolerate another couple of days." "Then you haven't heard?" At Sebastian's answering frown, Logan blew out a sigh. "Richard has decided to delay his return. He goes to the Valley of the Wells, to seize a castle held by one of Saladin's emirs. I learned of it myself just this morning. Seems one of the men got the news from a supply ship that met the king down the coast a few days ago." Sebastian cursed roundly. "Has he gone mad?" Ignoring the stares of several workers who turned their heads in his direction, he threw his muddy trowel to the ground, then came down off his ladder to confer with his lieutenant. "We should be saving our energies for Jerusalem, not squandering our few remaining troops on more petty raids and caravan robberies." Logan shrugged. "You'll get no argument out of me. But with so much wealth to be gained from plunder, mayhap Richard has forgotten that his reason for coming to Palestine was to liberate Jerusalem from the infidels." "He also forgets that his arrogance is winning him no esteem," Sebastian said, retrieving his tunic from the ladder rung he had draped it over earlier that morning. He shrugged into the airy white linen shirt, too fast, for in his haste, a jolt of renewed pain sliced through him. If he ever caught the devil who sliced him open that night, he would take great pleasure in returning the favor. Slowly. "The king is making powerful enemies on both sides of this war," he continued, slanting Logan a confidential glance. "At least one of those enemies means to see him dead." "'Twas Richard's opinion the attack that night was an isolated incident--a crazed Muslim acting on his own volition, was his guess. He doesn'a believe hSt. John, Tina is the author of 'Black Lion's Bride' with ISBN 9780804119634 and ISBN 0804119635.