Alana’s knees threatened to buckle as she nervously made her way towards where Fallon and the ominous frame of William sat at the head of the long, trestle table.
When the King’s dark, brooding stare turned her way, her stomach turned in fear.
Her eyes shifted warily to Fallon whose face remained inexpressive.
She came to where they sat and curtsied, dipping her head in an attempt to avoid the intense, dark eyes regarding her coolly. “My liege.” She said softly.
“Stand.” The King’s strong, commanding voice brought her to her feet.
“Join us.” he motioned to an empty seat.
Hesitating, her eyes wavered to Fallon before settling down.
She shifted uneasily as the King studied her with profound interest. “You are quite right, Fallon-“ William said, “-she is a beauty.”
She glanced from beneath her lashes at Fallon, he sat rigid, the muscles of his face drawn tight and his mouth pulled into a grim line, clearly unnerved by the King’s intrigue of her.
William shifted, leaning casually back into his seat, a gesture she hadn’t expected from the King, “Tell me-“ William started, “-what do you think of your Norman King, my Saxon beauty?”
Did she detect sudden stiffening in Fallon?
Remembering her village destroyed and the innocent massacred, Alana straightened, raised her chin and met the dark gleam that turned in surprise at her unmasked defiance, “I have no real opinion of you milord, merely assumptions.”
A dark brow rose curiously, “Pray tell, what are your assumptions, milady?”
She could see a warning glint in Fallon’s eye, but Alana was undaunted. This man was responsible for the deaths of innocent people. “You seized our lands with brutality; you killed those innocent of inhabiting it-I find my opinion of you quite bleak.”
She could almost feel Fallon’s anger from across the table-or was it William’s? She wasn’t sure.
Silence stretched a fragment but Alana remained firm, refusing to squirm beneath William’s piercing glare. She would not be deterred in anger; she thought of those fallen-Rowan, the village men who had defended their families-all the innocent who done naught to deserve such a fate.
And than, the King did the most unexpected thing, surprising not only Fallon, but those in listening range-he laughed!
He tossed back his dark head and chuckled deeply, slamming a hand to the table and rattling a canter.
“I dare say, Fallon, she is by far the most enchanting creature I’ve encountered-no wonder you’ve taken an interest in her.” Dark, humored eyes slid her way. “What is your name, girl?”
Alana was truly confounded- he found her enchanting, a Saxon? She hadn’t expected such a reaction from the infamous, dreaded William the Conqueror.
She lifted her chin, “Alana McKenna.”
William’s dark eyes glimmered with intrigue. “McKenna? I have heard that name ‘afore.”
Alana stiffened and particularly noticed a frown creasing Fallon’s brow.
YOU ARE READING
A Love Unveiled
Historical FictionTo many he is known as Fallon 'The Fury' for he is relentless and formidable, known for his prowess in battle and golden appearance, he is feared as well as admired by those around him but during the rise of William the Conqueror, he is ambushed and...
