In fact, The Marshal had taken to meeting Sean in secret because there had been some rumors in the spy networks that John was becoming suspicious of his Shadow Lord. Sean had power, and he had strength and intelligence, and it was increasingly apparent that the king had been threatened by it.
And that was the reason Sean was strewn over the bed, so badly wounded.
For the moment, Kevin pushed aside the surprise at the fact that his brother had taken a secret wife. He would worry about that at another time. At the moment, he was only concerned with his brother and ensuring the man survived to see another day. He took Sean’s hand.
“You have the best care,” he repeated. “Your wife is safe, according to Gilby, so the only thing you must think of is getting well.”
Sean looked at his brother. He only had one. They had been close and loving until Sean had accepted the assignment that saw him become the king’s premier henchman. Kevin could never understand why such a noble, exceptional knight would agree to such a horrific mission and it had caused friction between them for years. Years of heartache, of longing, of sadness. Kevin didn’t understand and Sean couldn’t explain it to him any better than he, and others including Caius, already had.
But no more.
The bond was as strong as ever.
Sean weakly squeezed Kevin’s hand.
“Thank you,” he said. It was all he could manage. “Where is Cai?”
“Here.” Caius came up next to Kevin, bending over so he could hear Sean’s breathy words. “I am here, Sean. What would you have of me?”
Sean’s gaze was still on Kevin. “I am cold,” he said softly. “Have them bring me heavy blankets and stoke the hearth until it belches fire. Will you see to this?”
Kevin nodded quickly and vacated the spot that Caius filled. Sean lifted a weak hand to Caius, who took it and squeezed strongly. His black eyes gazed steadily into Sean’s dark blue.
“He is gone,” Caius murmured. “What did you wish to tell me?”
Sean looked at him. As Caius watched, tears began to make their way down the man’s temples.
“Do not let Kevin waste his life with regret when I have passed,” he said hoarsely. “He is my little brother and I love him more dearly than anything on this earth. I have always taken care of him. Cai… please take care of him when I am gone. Will you do this for me?”
Caius shook his head firmly. “That will not be for a very long time.”
“Cai,” Sean hissed. “Look at me. I am dying. If these wounds do not kill me, then the poison that follows surely will. Let me die knowing you will look out for Kevin when I am gone. And my wife; she will be at Lansdown Castle. Please look after her as well. I do not wish for either Sheridan or Kevin to waste their lives in grief after I am gone.”
Caius was a seasoned veteran. He had seen twenty-five years of battle, but the one thing he had never grown immune to was a dying comrade. Especially Sean, since they had been close for almost all of those twenty-five years. He felt as if he were losing a piece of himself.
But he knew what Sean meant with regard to Kevin. The powerful, stalwart knight had never been a cold-blooded killer like many of the Executioner Knights were. That was why William Marshal had brought him into the fold – Kevin was very pious, very moral. He saw the world as either good or bad; there was no in-between. In a sense, he was the moral compass for the group, their conscience, to keep them from becoming too muddled down in the dregs of what they did.
That’s what had made his relationship with his brother so tragic. In theory, Kevin knew why Sean did what he did. But in practice, it was much different. There had been no moral ambiguity as far as Kevin was concerned. Sean was a knight who served William Marshal and, in that respect, he was carrying out his duty. A most important duty to the safety of England. In that aspect, he respected his brother greatly.
He also knew that Sean’s position so close to the king had been invaluable. He had saved many lives and had averted many disasters. But in the same respect, he had ruined many lives and had created a few disasters of his own in the line of duty.
Kevin knew all of this. He realized his brother’s mission was critical to the survival of England. He simply didn’t want that mission to be filled by Sean. It would have been fine with him had it been anyone else, but not Sean.
Not his brother.
Kevin had been too young to go on crusade with King Richard those years ago. Sean and Caius and many other men in the service of William Marshal had gone, but Kevin had simply been too young and his father would not hear of it, not even to squire for one of the knights. Therefore, Kevin had remained behind and, quite possibly, been embittered by the fact that he wasn’t allowed to go.
He had continued his training at Kenilworth Castle, the castle were all of the great knights had trained. He had remained steadfast to England while his brother and many other great warriors had gone on to seek glory in the hot sands of the Holy Land. There were several Executioner Knights who knew both Kevin and Sean well, and they always believed that there was perhaps some bitterness on Kevin’s part that he was never allowed to experience what the rest of them had. Perhaps it was something that carried over into his views on Sean’s position with John.
Sean was still obtaining glory, now as the right-hand of the king.
Whatever the case, because Kevin had not been compromised in those nasty battles against the Muslim enemy, his moral values had not been damaged. He was an excellent balance in the group and that is why William Marshal had accepted his fealty.
Even William knew that they needed Kevin.
The negative aspect to that was the fact that Kevin, in a sense, was naive. It was that naive nature that had caused so many problems with Sean. Caius knew that, and he understood Sean’s desire to continue to protect Kevin. Sean was still the big brother, still looking out for his younger brother. Now, he was asking Caius to assume that duty.
Caius knew how much that request meant to Sean.
“As you say, Sean,” he said quietly. “But do not think you can die comfortably because I agree. I could very well beat Kevin to a pulp if you pass on because he was so cruel to you. If you remain, I shall not touch him.”
He was trying to bargain with Sean so the man would have to fight for his life, if only to protect his brother from Caius. Realizing this, Sean smiled faintly.
“Touch him and I shall haunt you,” he muttered. “Men thought I was frightening from the shadows when I was alive. Imagine how frightening I shall be in the darkness when I am dead.”
Caius grinned, flashing his bright, slightly crooked smile. “Terrifying,” he agreed. “But you shall not haunt us for a very long time, Sean. I cannot do without you and neither can those you love. You are the strongest man I know. You must prove it.”
Sean’s smile faded. “I shall try.”
“Swear it?”
“I do.”
After that, Sean drifted off into unconsciousness again. He’d said what he’d needed to say and could now rest peacefully. Caius let him sleep, still holding his hand, even as Kevin returned with blankets and more fuel for the fire. He even had the servants warm the blankets before putting them on his brother, making sure he was comfortable and protected.
Kevin made sure that every detail about his brother was perfect. In fact, there seemed to be a change in his manner, something Caius had seen with men he’d served with in the Holy Land – it was a hardness that was difficult to describe, an attention to duty that had immovable focus. With Sean down, Kevin was in command now, and he was taking those duties very seriously.