Coming out of the garderobe, Rhona closed the door behind her and looked around. The winding staircase led further up into the castle tower. She peered up into the relative darkness, wondering what was up there. Did it lead straight out onto the battlements? Were there other rooms up there? Rooms that could hold items of value? Taking a deep breath, she decided the only way to find out was to go up there.

They had been told they had the freedom of the castle, but even so, she stepped forward with caution. There was no telling what could happen if she encountered any one of these Norman bastards.

She trod the steps carefully, as they were quite steep, holding onto the rope handrail for security. She reached the next level and found two wooden doors in front of her. She opened one and found that it led out onto the battlements as she had thought. She closed it and looked at the other door with interest, deciding it had to be a room. And being a room might mean it would contain something of value.

Darting a glance over her shoulder, she reached for the latch and lifted it slowly. She had already prepared a speech in her head. If there was someone within, she would simply say she thought it was the garderobe.

Thankfully, the room was deserted. Quickly, she slipped inside and closed it behind her, laying her back against the solid wood she looked around, her eyes scanning everything in her quest to find something they could sell or, if she was really lucky, some actual coins.

The layout was much the same as her own chamber, except this one had no fire burning in the hearth and seemed vacant. She snorted under her breath. No doubt kept for other people the king thought to imprison.

Although it seemed as though no one inhabited the room, she decided to take a look in the drawers and wardrobe, anyway. Something may have been left behind or, even now, it could be used for storage. On light feet, she ran over to a tall cupboard and opened the door. It was empty. Quickly, she tried the drawers in the commode. Again, empty.

She stood in the middle of the room and pulled a face. There must be something in there, somewhere. Anything? She tapped her fingers on the wooden commode and glanced around the room but found nothing.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps approaching—heavy booted footsteps ascending the stairs. Her eyes shot to the door. Silently, she rushed over to the door and placed her ear against the wood. The footsteps had stopped. Hardly daring to breathe, she watched as the latch began to rise.

God's bones! They were coming in! Should she brazen this out or hide? Panicked, she didn't have time to decide, for the door was already opening. Flattening herself against the wall behind the door, she just prayed that whoever it was would go away.

* * *

Leon stood just inside the room and frowned. He was sure he had heard movement, but after a quick scan, he could see no one.

Puzzled, he turned to go and then, out of the corner of his eye, saw the tips of a pair of boots just beneath the wooden door.

Nodding knowingly to himself, he grabbed the door and pulled it away from the wall, his eyes immediately settling on Rhona.

"Good morrow, fair Rhona." He leaned one hand on the top of the door and looked down at her, a shrewd look in his eyes. "You seem to have lost your way."

He watched as her cheeks flushed becomingly, having been caught out. Straightening her back and trying to give off an air of superiority, she responded with, "Aye, indeed. I was looking for the garderobe."

"Which you walked straight past on the lower level." He raised an eyebrow meaningfully.

"Oh, did I?" She went to walk past him but he barred her way.

"You know you did. What I want to know is wherefore you are in here?"

She raised her chin indignantly. "What do you imply?"

"If you are looking for an escape route, you will find none." He looked over to the window. "Even if you did somehow manage to slip through a window, and I doubt it, for 'tis far too narrow and too high up, you will find every outside exit blocked. The king's guards will never allow you to pass."

Her lids lowered and her bottom lip pouted sulkily before she bit out, "I can assure that I was simply looking for the garderobe. I do not give a hoot if you disbelieve me. Now, if you will excuse me, I wish to join my cousins."

"You no longer wish to make use of the garderobe?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Nay…I mean…"

He interrupted her. "Don't bother telling another falsehood, Rhona. You and I both know it was merely a ruse to snoop around. Come, I will accompany you to your chamber."

Her eyes flashed angrily. "Wherefore?"

"To make certain you return there and do not lose your way, of course." He couldn't help mock her. It was so obvious she was lying yet she still tried to pretend otherwise. He stepped back and allowed her to walk past him, keeping a steady pace close behind as she descended the stairwell.

* * *

Rhona was fed up to the eye teeth with Leon's bossy behaviour. Wherever she turned—there he was.

She stomped back down the staircase and sent the guard one of her most withering looks before opening the door and stepping inside.

Heather and Alana had been whispering together by the fireplace and quickly turned around when she entered. "Rhona! We wondered what was taking you so long."

"She lost her way," Leon answered just as she went to speak. "But all is well, as I made certain to return her safely."

"I can speak for myself, thank you," Rhona objected, raising her head to look at his towering form. "Now, if you will leave us. We wish to talk in private."

"Of course." He bowed low, his eyes full or mirth. "But not before I have delivered a message from the king. He has bid you join him for the meal, this evening."

"And what if we do not wish to?" questioned Rhona.

"When the king requests your presence, I suggest you obey him. It will make life easier in the long run."

His dark eyes bore into hers and she reasoned that he spoke the truth. "Very well." Even though she had no wish to sit before the king and all his sycophants, she did want to see more of the castle. Mayhap they would be able to seek further information on how to escape or even arouse the sympathy of someone who could aid them.

She realised Leon was studying her and she lifted her chin. "Is there a problem?"

He placed a large finger under her chin and made her look at him properly. "Remember our conversation from earlier and heed it well."

She wrenched her chin away angrily and stomped over to the fireplace, choosing to ignore him. She thought she heard a low chuckle but when she turned around, the door was already closing behind him.

In a rage, she picked up a goblet and threw it against the door. Alana gasped. "Rhona!"

"That man! Ooooh!" she fumed, her face screwing up with anger. "I like it not when he mocks me so."

Heather laid a placating hand on her sleeve. "Worry not, Rhona. It will not be for long. Alana and I have thought of a plan."

Rhona immediately pushed all thoughts of Leon from her mind and her face lit up. "Tell me."

Heather drew her over to the table and all three of them sat down, where Heather began to relate their formulated plan. "We need to cause a distraction—something that will give us time to escape."

"Aye," agreed Rhona. "But what?"

"A fire!" Alana said enthusiastically.

"A fire?" Rhona thought hard. "Aye, that could work. It would have to be a big one. If it was big enough and scary enough, then it would create the necessary panic we need."

"Our thoughts entirely. Once everyone is rushing to and fro trying to put it out then we could simply mingle amongst them and escape," Heather said.

Rhona grinned with excitement. "Oh my goodness, 'tis a wondrous idea."

"What burns well?" Alana asked.

"Cloth, straw, hay…anything like that, really. There must be a room with linens in it or bolts of cloth," Rhona surmised. "We need to explore further. Mayhap at dinner, we can ask someone questions covertly. We will have to be careful, especially you, Alana."

"What do you mean?" she objected.

"You know very well," Rhona declared. "You have a tendency to let your mouth run away with you. Just be careful. Very careful."

Alana huffed loudly but kept quiet whilst the other two discussed their strategy.

* * *

Later that evening, sat at one of the tables in the great hall, the girls were informed that no word had been received from King Malcolm since their capture.

King William had sent a messenger to Scotland, telling him he had the girls held hostage and he would only release them when Malcolm acknowledged William's lordship over him.

But Malcolm had failed to respond.

Rhona whispered to Heather, "You see. He cares little for us. Mayhap if we were men, he would act differently!"

"Fie, Rhona," She spat back. "Have patience. I wonder that he is not already plotting to retaliate. He will never abandon us. Never!"

"I hope you are right," Alana remarked forlornly. "I do so want to go home."

Rhona placed a hand over hers. "Have courage, cousin. Heather is oft right. We shall pray together tonight and hope that all will be well." She smiled reassuringly and Alana sighed softly in response.

The food began to arrive and the king demanded music. Soon, the hall was alive with the sounds of the lute and the cornet, plus laughter and banter coming from the large number of people present.

Rhona looked around and wished for the peace and quiet of her family meal at home in Penrith. Aye, there was banter, but on the whole, it was a lot more peaceful than the present meal she was experiencing.

As the drink began to flow and the hall became even noisier; Rhona decided it would be an ideal time to snoop around.

Leaning towards Heather, she whispered, "I am going to explore. See if I can steal anything. If anyone notices I am missing, tell them I have gone to use the privy."

Heather nodded affirmation. Nonchalantly, Rhona stood up, and as inconspicuously as she could, she slipped out of the great hall. Walking past several guards, she made her way up the narrow staircase, but instead of going up further, she sidled off along a corridor and, after making sure she was alone, slipped into one of the bedchambers.

Closing the door behind her, she began to poke around. The room was quite luxurious; there were thick drapes around the bed and plush fur rugs on the floor. Far removed from their own bedchamber and, to Rhona's mind, the perfect place to find valuables.

Rhona quickly scoured the room, opening every drawer she came across, picking up and examining anything that looked potentially valuable and throwing it back down in disgust if it wasn't. Suddenly, her luck was in. A small leather purse, hidden at the back of a drawer, concealed in a woollen sock, came into her possession. She pulled it out and felt its weight, her eyes lighting up with excitement. There had to be at least fifty coins inside.

All of a sudden, the door came crashing open. She looked up, her mouth dropping open with shock, when she saw Leon staring at her. His face was like thunder.

She looked down at the purse and then back to Leon and immediately threw her newly acquired wealth down onto the bed, as though it was a hot coal, before making a dash for the other side of the room. She knew he would catch her but it didn't stop her from trying.

Leon was on her in seconds. He caught her by the arm and brought her to a complete standstill. Her auburn locks swished around her shoulders as she came to an abrupt halt.

She half turned to look up at him and, seeing his intent, immediately tried to break free. She had seen that look before and she knew what it meant: a spanking. "Let me go!" she shrieked, kicking out.

But Leon simply scooped her up in his arms and carried her writhing, protesting form over to the bed. He sat down and drew her straight over his lap.

Oh, no! He was definitely going to spank her. Not again? His hands were like iron. She struggled to stand back up but his strong hands kept her in place.

"Caught red-handed," he growled.

She felt his hands on her ankles as he pulled her dress up and threw it over her back. God's bones, nothing was going to deter him.

"Prithee, my lord, I beg you! I have done naught wrong!" She tried to shift forward, in the hope of wriggling off his lap and running for the door, but he simply wrapped one of his strong thighs over her legs and she was trapped.

"Too late, my lady. I know exactly what you were doing. Think yourself lucky that it was I who caught you and not someone else."

Lucky? thought Rhona. How could he possibly call this lucky?

His muscular arm wrapped around her waist and hugged her against his hips, allowing no escape. Rhona's stomach did somersaults. Unbidden, her recent erotic dreams came to mind. Ever since he had spanked her in the woods, she had had erotic thoughts but, now, over his lap again and about to receive a real punishment spanking, she was thoroughly embarrassed.

"Nay! Aaaaoooowwww!"

She felt a sudden sting where his hand made contact with her soft buttocks, then another and another. Soon, he was raining down swats, one cheek after the other, covering every spot until she was panting for release.

"Nay, my lord! Desist!" Rhona protested, straining to get away. "Aooooow! That hurts! Ooooooh! Noooooo!"

She wailed miserably, tears forming in her eyes but, still, he didn't stop. The full impact of his hand made her body move with each stroke. His hands were huge, like the rest of him, and he made sure to cover every surface of her soft bottom with stinging smacks.

Finally, he stopped. His hand rested against her hot bottom while he scolded her, his deep voice filling the room. "You are allowed certain freedoms within this castle, my lady, but you do not steal. Do you understand?"

Rhona realised he was waiting for an answer and managed a whispered, "Aye." Her lower lip pouting, she closed her eyes, feeling extremely sorry for herself.

This was the second time he had spanked her now and she was thoroughly mortified. He rose up from the bed and pulled her with him, placing her feet back down on the floor.

Her dress fell back down into place and she rubbed her sore bottom gently through the thick material, refusing to meet Leon's eyes. She couldn't.

He, however, had other ideas. Placing his large hand on her jaw, he raised her face to look at him. His vivid blue eyes stared down at her. In their depths, she could see a hint of pity. "As much as I can understand your need to escape, you must resign yourself to the fact that there will be none. You will bide here until the king sees fit to return you to your kinsmen."

His thumb caressed her cheek and her lips parted softly in response. His eyes fastened on them, a hungry look appearing on his face. For a moment, Rhona thought he was going to kiss her, but the moment passed and he dropped his hand to her shoulder.

"Now, you will re-join the others at the table, and if you dare wander off, I shall be right behind you. Do I make myself clear?"

She nodded, and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, she returned to the great hall, Leon's firm hand in the small of her back.

* * *

Later, alone in their bedchamber, her cousins asked her what had happened. They had noticed her discomfort at dinner and the stern looks Leon had been shooting her and wanted to know the details.

"He spanked you!" gasped Alana. "He has no right to do that, Rhona. How dare he?"

"Dare, he did," huffed Rhona.

"He caught you stealing, Rhona. I suppose we can be thankful he did not inform the king. Who knows what punishment could have ensued," Heather reasoned.

Rhona paled at the thought and squirmed uneasily. "Aye, mayhap you speak the truth but, even so, my bottom is not thankful."

Alana sniggered and Rhona glared at her. "Would that you would find it so funny, if you had been on the receiving end of his large hands!"

Alana immediately looked contrite. "My pardon, Rhona, but you seem to have a knack for getting into trouble...especially with Leon."

Rhona pursed her lips. "Aye, it seems he is my shadow." She pulled a face, lamenting the loss of the purse. "That purse was so heavy. If only he had not come upon me when he did!"

Heather sighed. "Well, he did, so we will have to simply try again, but this time, keep a better look out. Better if two of us went, next time."

"Aye, one can snoop whilst the other keeps watch," Rhona agreed.

Heather tapped her fingers on the table impatiently. "Mayhap, we should just set this fire and be done with it," she exclaimed. "Alana and I managed to obtain the information we need on the whereabouts of the castle storerooms during dinner. We now know that the fabrics are kept in a room off the great hall. If we can distract the guards long enough for one of us to set it alight, we can make good our plan."

Rhona thrust her hands out in front of her despondently. "And live off what, along the way? With no coin, we will starve."

Heather shook her head. "Nay. We can steal food from the markets and 'tis only autumn so there are seasonal fruits and berries we can eat. We will not starve."

"It would seem to be our only choice. I just have to make sure Leon does not get wind of our plan, otherwise, it will most definitely fail."

Rhona's thoughts turned to her recent spanking and the stern man who had dealt it. Despite the fiery warmth in her backside, a ripple of desire slipped through her, making her nether regions tingle. She had seen the look of desire in his eyes and had felt the attraction, herself. She couldn't deny it. But he was her gaoler and she his prisoner. Under other circumstances, mayhap they could act on their feelings, but it was not to be.

The man was a disciplinarian and she should hate him—but oddly, she didn't.