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am not."
    His eyes grew serious. "Elisabeth, anyone who
knows you knows you are beautiful in ways few women can boast. Your
great heart, your wide smile and delighted laughter, your constancy
and your loving nature. And you have a cute little nose."
    She laughed and slapped at him. "Oh
stop!"
    At the banquet following the ceremony, the
baron presented his new wife with rich gifts. He gave her bolts of
fine soft wool in rich colors he said came from Flanders. He leaned
to clasp a necklace of pale matched pearls around her throat and
paused to look into her eyes as he withdrew. Hesitating, he leaned
in again and gave her a kiss on her lips. She looked up at his
eyes, her own round and disbelieving, while her fingers went to her
lips.
    He chuckled. "There will be many more and
better to come, little wench. We have a dynasty to maintain."
    Their wedding night was a formality. The two
were conducted to a bedchamber where they were toasted. The company
put them to bed together, fully clothed. They were allowed to
remain thus overnight, but with a watchful maid and the candles
burning. Elisabeth noted Reinhardt's resentful glare at Sigismund
before the man left them alone.
    Not long after and in spite of their watcher,
Reinhardt arose and took off all but his shirt and britches. He
gave her a grim look. "I am not going to be miserable all night.
You do as you please."
    She was frozen where she lay on the far side
of the bed. "Suit yourself," her husband shrugged. He slipped under
the covers and rolled onto his side to look at her. His head
propped on his arm, he said, "I hope you will not be this frigid
when we can truly become man and wife." He chuckled at her
horrified look. "It does not matter. You are my wife, not my leman.
You are for bearing children. You do not have to enjoy the act of
begetting them. In fact, better you do not. I may like a wanton in
my bed, but I do not want that wanton to be my wife."
    He reached his other arm and put his hand on
her breast. He stroked her up and down, all the way to her belly.
She tensed and stared at him, afraid that he was going to do what
he wanted in spite of his promise to her parents. The fear gave an
edge to another feeling she was having. She felt tingly wherever he
stroked. He chuckled as she started to fidget and laughed aloud
when she made an incoherent protest and reached out and shoved him
roughly away with the heels of her palms.
    "You swine!" she spat at him. "Marta, get my
father!"
    "If she goes to get your father, that will
leave us alone. Are you sure you want that? Maybe you do." He
started to lean over her again.
    Elisabeth managed an elbow into his solar
plexus. He jumped back with a gasp. "My God, you pack a punch,
girl!"
    Marta was rising, making distressed noises,
and turning to the door.
    "Don't bother, bitch," Reinhardt said. "I'll
leave her alone." He turned over and put his back to the seething
girl. He leaned to say over his shoulder, "For now." He chuckled
again, punched his pillow, and laid down his head.
    Marta, wringing her hands, looked to
Elisabeth. After a few moments, the girl nodded. "It's all right."
She felt under her own pillow for her eating knife. She would not
sleep a wink this night, waiting for Reinhardt to try something
else. She sat up, putting the pillow behind her back, crossed her
arms and glared at the man. Even when he was obviously asleep, she
kept her watch.

    "I am sorry you are not leaving with my party
as I invited," the baron said flatly to Sigismund as he stepped
onto the mounting block and mounted his horse.
    As the baron and his party rode out of the
gates, Elisabeth raised her eyes to watch them disappear. Elias
stepped up to her side and put his arm around her shoulders. He
whispered, "I never thought I would say this, but if one Saracen
gets through our lines with his sword, I hope he makes one
Christian kill."
    Elisabeth let out a most unladylike
snort.
    Adalberta took to her bed that same night.
She protested vainly that