Fic: Lines in the Sand (3/3)

[angelqueen04]

Part I (with meta info)
Part II



Lady Juliana had invited John to dine with her and her husband, so Cameron found himself adrift for the evening. John had asked Cameron if he should ask the countess to extend the invitation to him, but Cameron had declined. After the previous night, he rather wished to eat in as much privacy and peace as was manageable. As he made his way to one of the dining halls, he saw Jolan coming down the corridor in the opposite direction. He nodded in greeting and would have continued on his way, but Jolan stopped him. "Mitchell," he said, "are you engaged for supper this evening?"

"No, why?"

"Come with me. We have an extra seat."

All the way to supper, Cameron kept marveling to himself at the way this had transpired. After the battle at the Otero River he had, like most of the men in the army, been busy burying the dead. At some point, he had wandered over to the Sodan and begun digging with them. They had been grateful for the help, and it was there that Cameron had befriended Jolan. His curiosity about the Sodan had saved his life, probably. Otherwise he didn't know if Jolan would have been there to pluck him from the battlefield and take him away to be cared for.

Now, while the whole palace was seemingly obsessed with the Sodan, for good or ill, it was Cameron who was singled out by them.

He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Meals among soldiers tended to be lively and loud whether in camp or at home, Cameron had noticed, and this one was no exception. The presence of their families after a long separation possibly explained some of the mood in the room. Before long, even he was laughing at jokes and telling his own stories. Eventually, though, the food was consumed, the table was cleared, and he found himself seated at a smaller table with Jolan and a small group of Sodan warriors, including Lord Haikon. He suspected this was not an accident.

Cameron glanced nervously at Jolan, who nodded to him surreptitiously. He looked to the head of the table. "Lord Haikon," he said, "thank you for permitting me to join your people tonight."

Haikon nodded once. "We are pleased to have you join us, Lord Mitchell, to celebrate the reunion with our families. Of course, it is our hope not to be pensioners on the court's will for much longer," he added, his meaning clear in the serious expression on his face.

Cameron rubbed his palms down his thighs to keep them from getting clammy. He had the strong feeling his invitation had not been by chance. Aloud, he only said, "Sir, I would gladly support your claim, but I have no vote in the assembly."

"I know," Haikon said, in the tone of a man being overly patient. "But you have a cousin, whom Jolan tells me is as close to you as a brother. He has been away from this country for some time, and I imagine he must be dependent upon you for advice."

Cameron glanced at Jolan, wondering what else the young man had said, and then turned his eyes back to Haikon. Wary, he asked, perhaps too bluntly, "What do you want?"

Supper with Lord John was pleasant enough, but David Dixon could see the relief on John's face when Juliana herded their children off to bed. The man was clearly not accustomed to the chaos attendant on dealing with small children, and David could admit that his offspring were sometimes a handful. He was looking forward to getting them home, if for no other reason than being able to let them loose out of doors again. They had spent far too much time inside here in Redwater.

With the children gone and Juliana not likely to return for some time, David reached for a bottle of rum and two glasses. John held his hand up. "None for me. The last time I had that stuff I had a horrible headache the next morning."

"What drove you to the bottle?" David asked.

"Stephen Caldwell."

David chuckled. "He has that effect on people." He set the bottle and glasses aside. "Was there anything particular, or just his winning personality?"

"It was the same argument it always is," John replied, drumming his fingers on the arm of his chair. "My loyalty to Henry of Landry."

David said nothing at first, watching John's face and body language. Whether John liked it or not, there were whispers all around the court about him and his agenda in Caldora. It was well known that John had not sworn an oath to the king even though he had had every opportunity. David could not begin to imagine what the Queen of Atalan must have done to inspire such unswerving allegiance in him.

He was thinking about other topics to bring up when there was an urgent knock on the door. David jumped up to answer it, and to his surprise Cameron Mitchell was in the corridor, his hand poised to knock again. "Lord Mitchell, what is the matter?" he asked.

"I need to speak to my cousin," Cameron said, pushing through even though he had not been asked in. "John."

"Cameron?" John got to his feet.

"The Sodan came to me," he said bluntly. "They want to make a deal with you."

"Preposterous," David said immediately. "Has Sheppard not lost enough already?"

John, surprisingly, took a more measured approach. "What kind of deal?"

"Land for manpower," Cameron replied. "In exchange for land, they will provide laborers in the reconstruction of Cheyenne."

David looked sharply at John, who looked as though he dared not hope this thing was true. "They must be joking."

Cameron shook his head vehemently. "No, cousin. They will rebuild the city if we give them the southern tip of the province."

"How much land are they talking about?" David asked.

The young man swallowed quickly. "They might be talked down, but they proposed the entire basin, south of Cheyenne."

David's eyes widened, and John turned away, walking to the window and standing there with his back to the room. It was a daunting amount of land to be given up, and it was rich, fertile farmland. Even with the prospect of an army to help John rebuild his capital, this was not a decision to be made lightly, and David wondered that he was even considering it at all.

"John," Cameron said quietly, "there's hardly anyone left in the basin now. Our people traded crops for herds many generations ago, and after the Ori took so many... John, it's worth it."

John looked back at them then, a thoughtful expression on his face. "I will hear them," he said. "I may not agree to this, but I will hear them."

Cameron nodded. "They are waiting."

The two men left with little ceremony, and Dixon, still slightly amazed at the conversation he had just witnessed, poured himself a drink after all.

Juliana came back a few minutes later. "Was Lord John unwell?" she asked without preamble.

"No," David replied, sitting down. "Something arose which needed his attention."

"I hope it is nothing serious."

"We will see."

Juliana stood there looking at him in concern, so he beckoned her closer. When she was in reach, he tugged her down to his lap. She looked a little annoyed at him but set her arm about his shoulders anyway. "What happened, David?" she asked pointedly.

He looked at her and sighed. "I am not sure I should disclose it."

"If it has to do with the Sodan, I imagine I shall know soon enough," she said. "Do you know what has me most curious in all of this?"

"No, but I believe you are about to tell me."

"The province of Makepeace," she said, ignoring his teasing. "The king has yet to name someone viscount there. Would it not be easier to give that land to the Sodan?"

"There would be many displaced people," David said, even as he realized that Makepeace was along the southern border of Sheppard and the parcel of land which the Sodan were asking Lord John for. "I also doubt the land would be enough for the Sodan." However, if joined with land from Sheppard, he had to admit the Sodan would be able to carve their own nation out of Caldora without doing much more than bending the country's border around them. It would also put the Sodan between Redwater and the Goa'uld.

Juliana tilted her head as in acquiescence. "It would be a start."

"A start that is not adjacent to Dixon, I would point out."

His wife smiled, a little sheepishly. "I am only human, David."

"Something I have observed in you several times," he replied, leaning in to kiss her.

There was a cry then from the children's chamber and with an impatient sigh, Juliana went to investigate. As she left, David thought about the sacrifice John seemed poised to make and wondered if he, in the same position, would be anywhere near as willing to give up ancestral lands to near-strangers.

He doubted it, but as the evening went on, he began to wonder if there was something he could do to make that burden easier to bear.

A long conversation with Lord Haikon left John in dire need of open air and privacy. The castle was sweltering even in the night, and it would be a few months yet before Redwater cooled off. John found himself somewhat amazed that he actually missed Atlantis for its weather, especially given how often he had been teased over the subject. Even though the winter had seemed unending, the crisp air of autumn had been a delight.

He wandered to the north end of the palace, to one of the smaller towers which no longer harbored watchmen. Once alone on the roof, he let out an exhausted sigh. He was satisfied with his arrangement with Haikon. Others in Caldora might look askance on the Sodan, but John had been without any earth to call his own. He knew what being so unsettled meant, and the chance to offer a permanent home to these people was not one he could turn away from. Also, it offered a solution to his problems here. Hopefully he could soon return to Cheyenne, where he could do something and not see constant reminders of the court he had sworn loyalty to in how it contrasted to this one.

It was not until now, however, that he realized why he had been feeling distracted and worn all day. This was Elizabeth's birthday, the first anniversary of her coronation. He could imagine the celebration her friends had planned for her. He did not think she would want a lavish affair like the celebration of her coronation, but he could see a gathering not unlike her dinner at Solstice. Small, intimate, and full of love.

She might even look wistfully at the place he had occupied then.

John scrubbed his face with one hand. There was a hollowness in his chest as he thought about what she must be doing now. He loved her still, and if his heart could not waver, then neither could his loyalties. Even though his people's lives were dependent upon his leadership, he could not give up his ties to Atalan yet.

He was trying to turn his mind from Elizabeth to the firestorm sure to erupt the next morning in the assembly when the trap door on the tower's roof opened a crack. John hurried over to lift it, and to his surprise, Princess Carolyn was ascending the ladder beneath it. He offered his hand to help her up. "Lord John," she said, "I was told you were up here."

"Is your father looking for me?" he asked as she stepped onto the roof.

"No, I was looking for you."

As John stooped to close the trap again, he looked at her in confusion. "You?"

"There are rumors that you were seen speaking to the Sodan," she said. "I thought I would come to the horse's mouth."

John rolled his eyes, but he felt somewhat reluctant to give the princess the specifics of his conversation with Haikon. "I spoke with them, yes. We are both eager to find a resolution to this situation. The Sodan need a permanent place to settle, and my cousin and I need to return to Cheyenne."

She looked stricken for a moment, and hastily said, "I hope you will not absent yourself entirely from court, my lord, though I know well how badly you are needed at home."

John did not remark on her use of the word "home"; instead he sighed heavily. "There is much work to do if my people are to survive the winter."

They stood there in silence for some time, John staring into the distance. "My lord," she finally said, softly. John turned to her, and she seemed to flush. "I do not think I had a chance to tell you how much I admired the way you comported yourself in Cheyenne, amid such chaos."

"You would not have thought so had you arrived a week earlier," John protested, his ears getting warm. "You did not see the worst of it."

"I saw the aftermath. That was enough," she replied, stepping closer to him. "You seem to have quite the skill at handling crises and caring for your people. It is a trait to be envied in a leader. I was most pleasantly surprised to find it in you."

The tone of her voice, if nothing else, ought to have been a warning to John, but his thoughts had been so scattered and far-flung that he never saw it coming.

She balanced herself with a hand on his shoulder and pressed her lips to his. After a moment of shock, John grabbed her wrist and pushed her back, staring at her with his jaw dropped. In her eyes he saw an odd mixture of hope and worry in her expression, and he feared that he could guess her intentions. Slowly, he released her arm. "Princess?"

"Forgive my boldness, my lord," she said, her words a little rushed. "I thought that might make my point better than any speech could."

Irrationally, at that moment all John could think of was how Elizabeth could have made a speech that would have made that point as well as any kiss. "Princess, this -"

"Have you not thought of this, John?" she interrupted. "You were cast away for something which was not a crime, but now you are restored. Did you know that the reports from the battles painted you as a hero at every turn? The king's right hand, almost. Would this not be the sweetest revenge?"

"That is no reason to marry, Princess," he said sharply, turning around and almost scolding her for the idea. Certainly he knew that her marriage would likely be political rather than personal, but there was no reason for her to pursue such a union on these terms.

"Perhaps not," she conceded. "But I am offering myself to you anyway."

John shook his head. "This is not what I want."

She took a step closer, and John resisted the urge to take a step back. "Do you not see, my lord?" she asked. "I am offering you a kingdom."

He rubbed his hand across his mouth, almost unconsciously. His throat was terribly dry. "It is not what I want," he repeated. "And I doubt it is what you truly want either. I could not inflict this upon either of us."

Without waiting for her to formulate a reply, John left the tower roof. He should have offered to escort her elsewhere, since she was seemingly alone, but he felt even less composed now than when he'd come up to the roof. Decorum was far from the forefront of his mind.

He went through the palace without thinking where he was going, coming to his chambers more by chance than purpose. Cameron was within, probably having been there since they left the conference with the Sodan. His cousin took one look at John's countenance and said, "John, has something happened?"

He sat down on the edge of his bed and started tugging at his boots. Remembering his suspicions about Cameron and Carolyn, he sighed. There was no way he was confiding in his cousin tonight.

"Ask me again in about twenty years, Cameron."

The corridors were practically buzzing with rumors as Henry made his way to the assembly chamber the next morning. Lord Davis said that Lord Mitchell had dined with the Sodan, and he and Lord John were said to have met with Haikon privately. Some servant girl told Aurelia that the princess had been seen speaking with Lord John later in the night, but Carolyn had taken her breakfast alone and neither Henry nor his wife had seen their daughter yet this morning, which was unusual.

Then just as he set off for the meeting, Lord David reported that Lord Mitchell had come to his cousin with a proposal from the Sodan for some sort of trade - labor for land.

It could not be true, Henry thought as he prepared himself to enter the room. Of all the provinces in Caldora, Sheppard had lost the most to the Goa'uld, both in possessions and in men. Her capital lay in ruins and was on the brink of starvation. Though others had lost men, Sheppard had borne the brunt of the invasion. The idea that Lord John would damage his own lands further after such loss was madness.

None of which precluded the possibility that the Sodan had simply secured themselves a powerful ally in the marquis. Henry suspected the power dynamic over this debate was about to shift. He only hoped it would work in favor of a solution.

Henry had one swift glance to note that Carolyn and her mother were in the observation galley before he took his seat and called the college to order. Briefly, he took in the agitated state of Lord John, the curious looks of many of the other men, and a solemn expression on Lord David's face that made him wonder, but there was no point beating about the bush.

"My lord marquis, we understand that you have news regarding the arrangements with the Sodan?"

John stood. One of his hands rested casually on the hilt of his sword, not an uncommon attitude, but seeing the crest of Atalan in John's hand gave Henry a prickling feeling of foreboding for a moment.

"Majesty," John said with a slight bow. "My lords. I am here to announce that I have come to an understanding with Lord Haikon of the Sodan." The other man was in one of the galleys, accompanied by several of his men. John grew calmer as he spoke, and Henry detected an almost belligerent look in his eyes. "In exchange for labor to rebuild the capital of Cheyenne, Sheppard will yield the southernmost portion of the province to the Sodan as their own, excepting the ancient lands of Cimmeria as they extend west of the city."

For one moment the entire room seemed frozen. The silence was broken by a sudden thunder as many leapt from their seats, shouting, approving, objecting and otherwise simply expressing total shock.

The lord of Grieves stared at John. "My lord, how can this be possible? Has it not been your argument for days that Sheppard should not yield anything further?"

Lord Thomas of Medinah chimed in before the marquis could respond. "And how could you make such a decision alone without the consultation of the assembly?" Medinah would now share part of its border with the Sodan, a fact that was surely making Lord Thomas uncomfortable.

His words were a poor choice, though. John offered the man a steely glare. "When last I checked, my lord, I was the Marquis of Sheppard. My family's lands are mine to dispose of as I see fit. The Sodan have something I need, and I have something they want, and that they were promised by this nation. If I am able to provide an honorable people some earth to call their own and secure an ally and friend on my border, then that is my prerogative."

More men than Lord Thomas flinched at that. John of Sheppard had once been sent into exile by many of the men in this room. For all the wagging tongues disparaging him for not having taken an oath to the crown of Caldora, it was clear the young man had not forgotten the past, nor would he let those responsible for his suffering forget either.

There was a great deal of muttering going on in the room, but Lord David stood and Henry recognized him. David was looking at John with a mix of admiration and sadness. "Majesty, my lords, the settlement of the Sodan in the southern portion of Sheppard leaves Dixon unable to do much towards the payment of our debt to our allies. However, Dixon will offer to cede some portion of the Talas foothills within our borders to Sheppard, to allow her people room to accommodate this alteration."

A new round of shouting rolled through the room. Plans were spinning fast through Henry's mind. John looked at David in surprise and gratitude for a moment before sitting down again. Many eyes then moved to Maybourne.

He stood stiffly and shot a glance at Lord Davis. "I am willing to discuss the redrawing of the border between Maybourne and Dixon, but only if Davis considers the yielding of the Rymer Valley back to its rightful owners."

Paul was obviously struggling to contain his anger. The last few days had not been pleasant ones for the young man and Henry felt a small twinge of guilt. Davis was a good man and did not deserve to go down in defeat to Maybourne on this issue. However, the greater good of the nation might require it.

The concession was no more than a nod of the head, but for the sake of Lord Davis' pride, Henry accepted it and indicated Maybourne should sit. Then he held up a hand for attention.

"My lords, this is both surprising and welcome news from the marquis. It is time Caldora honored her debt to our allies. However, we must insist that Sheppard, which has lost so much to this war already, not bear the entire burden." He drew a short breath and braced himself. What he was about to say would not go over well. "To that end, we order the former lands of Makepeace to be given to the Sodan as a parcel with the portion of Sheppard."

If the earlier noise had been loud, the new outburst was deafening. Through the chaos, Henry saw John lift his chin slightly, and knew the younger man understood the purpose of the gesture. Giving the lands of Lord Makepeace, whose death had caused John's exile, to foreigners to settle was a bold statement indeed.

Lord Thomas was on his feet again, nearly apoplectic with rage. "Majesty, I must protest such a high handed decision being imposed without any discussion!"

Henry leveled a cold look at the man. "Makepeace died without issue. His lands were ceded back to the crown to be dealt with at the king's discretion, as is tradition when a province finds itself without a ruler. If you desire to change that rule, my lord, we welcome the discussion, but it would not change our decision in this matter."

"Medinah will not take in the refugees of Makepeace who will be uprooted by this act," Thomas spat back. "We have neither the room nor the resources to support them all. Should I send them to Redwater instead?"

"You may send them to Icaria," Stephen's booming voice cut in before Henry could respond in kind. "We would not turn our backs on our brothers and leave them nowhere to go out of spite when the king has made a lawful decision to honor our debts."

Thomas faltered under Stephen's glare and sat down again. Henry knew he would make what arrangements he could to be sure Icaria would not have to support all those from Makepeace who would leave in advance of the Sodan arriving, but a single look between them told him Stephen knew that already and it need not be spoken of now.

Henry gathered himself. "I see no further purpose in debating, my lords, unless any other offers are to be made of land to add to Sheppard's most generous sacrifice for the sake of our nation and our allies." He could hardly believe himself that of all the fractious lords in the realm, it was the man most a stranger and who had lost the most who was so willing to yield more.

John of Sheppard could prove an enormously valuable ally or a terrible enemy, because others so consistently underestimated him. It was not a mistake Henry could afford to make again.

He turned his attention to Lord Haikon, though it was not customary for the assembly to acknowledge the presence of people in the galleries. "My lord, may I have your formal word whether these arrangements will be satisfactory to the Sodan and fulfill our agreement?"

Haikon nodded. "It is given, Majesty."

"Very well." Henry dismissed the meeting, ordering John, David, Stephen, Paul and Maybourne to join him in his rooms to look over maps and discuss the specifics. As he quit the room, he saw a look of shock on Aurelia's face, while Carolyn looked deeply unhappy. Unfortunately, he would have to wait to find the cause of that expression. Now he had a kingdom to redraw.

Once he had announced his intentions to the assembly, John felt as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He'd known that he would face opposition and derision from many of the other lords, but nonetheless, his and his allies' aim had been accomplished. John's selfless offer of land to the Sodan had either encouraged or shamed many of the other men into making offers of assistance of some kind. Thomas of Medinah had been a canker on the entire matter, but John didn't doubt that the king could deal with him.

Cameron joined the group that followed the king down the corridors, coming up to walk beside him, but John turned his attention to David, who was just behind him. He slowed his gait to allow the man to move up to his right. "Thank you, Dixon," he said quietly.

The other man smiled faintly at him. "You're welcome, my lord. Seeing as your offer meant that my offering land to the Sodan was out of the question geographically, I felt the least I could do was offer what I could to help the people of Sheppard in the transition."

John nodded. When the group of men arrived at the king's study, Cameron slowed to a halt at the door while the others entered. John was the last to go in. "I'll inform you of the particulars when I can," he muttered to his cousin just before entering the room and closing the door behind him.

The next hour was not one that passed by quickly. Paul Davis continued to scowl at Maybourne every time the man spoke about the contested valley, and it was growing more and more likely that Maybourne was going to have the tract of land if only for the sake of having the man's help with the coming changes.

John himself did not regret his offer, though he was relieved that he had refused to cede anything of Cimmeria to the Sodan. He didn't feel it just to give Lady Gairwyn's ancestral lands up when she wasn't even present to be consulted on the matter.

The arguments and wrangling over the various maps in the king's study were finally interrupted when there was a knock at the door. The captain of the guard appeared in the doorway and stated, "Majesty, there is a messenger who requests admittance immediately. He states that his business is one of extreme urgency."

Henry nodded. "Send him in," he ordered. The rest of the group also looked up from the table toward the entrance.

When the messenger entered, John felt a flicker of familiarity. The man's face was vaguely recognizable, but what caught his attention was the seal emblazoned upon his tunic and cloak - the winged horse of Atalan.

The messenger bowed to the king and spoke, "Your Majesty, I bring a message from Atlantis."

The king nodded. "I thank you for your pains on such a long journey," he replied, then held out his hand for the message. The messenger, however, did not release his burden.

"Forgive me, Majesty, but the message is for Lord John of Sheppard."

John blinked in shock. A message for him? Elizabeth had not sent him a reply to his hasty message after the summit. What had changed now? He straightened and glanced at the king, but stepped forward. The messenger held out the letter. Once the letter had changed hands, the messenger bowed and left the room.

John stared down at the letter. The wax seal was not the royal seal, the one used by the queen and her councilors on all official documents, but rather a decidedly less grand one. He raised an eyebrow. An official royal messenger - sent into the presence of a foreign king, no less - bearing a personal letter? Unease swept through him as he broke the seal. Unfolding the parchment, he began to read.

My lord,

Elizabeth is gravely ill. I know not what you have heard from the north in recent weeks, but a sickness has spread along the coast. The queen mother in Iolan has already died of this fever.

John felt his blood grow cold. He gripped the letter in suddenly nerveless fingers and read on.

Forgive my impertinence, but if your feelings are what they were when you departed, I beg you, return to Atlantis with all haste.

Come home, John. She needs you.

Kate

"My lord?" Caldwell asked, interrupting John's rereading of the letter. He sounded genuinely concerned.

John held his breath for one long moment before turning to flee the room, heedless of the men calling after him.

Cameron had expected the subsequent meeting after the assembly's gathering to run long. The offers and deals had been struck with the Sodan, but the details would take some time to determine. Even with John's promise to inform him, Cameron did not expect to hear much of anything for some time. He suspected that even Queen Aurelia and Princess Carolyn would have to wait for news. This did not stop him from hovering outside the door, however.

With the arrival of the Atalanian messenger, Cameron became alert, wondering what had happened now. Only moments after the messenger departed from King Henry's study, John came tearing out, his face white.

"Cousin? What is wrong?" Cameron asked, alarmed.

John sped past him, saying, "I have to go. Now."

Cameron hurried after him. His questions went unanswered until they reached their room. "John," he all but shouted, "what has happened?"

"Elizabeth is sick," John said shortly as he grabbed his saddlebag from beneath his bed. "I have to go."

Queen Elizabeth was ill? That was unfortunate, Cameron allowed, but… He stared at his cousin. "You can't be considering leaving now, are you?" he demanded incredulously. "The deal with the Sodan -"

"You will stand in my place," John cut him off. He began shoving a tunic into the saddlebag. "The planning is in its early stages, so there is not much to catch up on. Davis is two shades from ripping Maybourne's throat out, so beware -"

"John!" Cameron interrupted, grabbing his cousin's arm to force him to halt his packing. "You are the Marquis of Sheppard, not I. You cannot just leave, not when so many are counting on you!"

John's frantic movements ceased. He held up an opened letter in his hand. "This is from Lady Katherine. She would not have written me unless the circumstances were dire. Elizabeth needs me in Atalan." His tone was low and almost menacing, brooking no further argument.

Cameron stared as his cousin as he jerked free from Cameron's grasp and returned to his packing. The desperation, the passion in John's manner, it was all unlike anything he could recall seeing … except for the frantic note he had written just before Cameron had accompanied King Henry to the secret summit with Atalan's queen. At the time, Cameron had passed it off as exhaustion, but now the emotions had returned to his cousin in full force.

Suddenly, he cursed himself for being a simpleton. His cousin's fierce loyalty to Queen Elizabeth, his aggressive reaction to any slight against her, the soft glimmer in his eyes on the rare occasion that he spoke of her, all of it made sense. How was it he had not seen what was so plainly in front of him? It was not the nation of Atalan that had inspired John's loyalty, but the queen herself.

"You're in love with her," Cameron blurted out.

For a moment John paused, staring down at the saddlebag. Then he closed the clasp and stood straight. "Yes," he said simply.

Cameron gaped, unable to speak further immediately. John's expression was both defiant and pleading, but all Cameron could focus on was that his cousin was turning his back on his own people for the sake of an outsider.

"She is a foreign queen. Is this the reason why you won't give your oath to King Henry? An infatuation with this… girl?"

John's face darkened dangerously. "Do not stand in my way, Cameron. Not in this matter."

Cameron had become used to John's threats whenever anyone disparaged Atalan or Queen Elizabeth, but he saw John's actions in a new light and it shook him to the core.

John walked deliberately around him but paused when he reached the door. He looked back over his shoulder. "You will do well by our people and our allies. Trust Dixon and the king to help you. I will write as soon as I am able."

John didn't wait for an answer, but instead strode out the door. No doubt his destination was the stables, where Silvanus had been cooped up since their arrival in Redwater. Cameron was left alone in their room, wondering what he was supposed to do now.