Conquered

  Conquered

  Book One in the Thrice Blessed Trilogy

  By Kirsten Osbourne

  Copyright 2015 Kirsten Osbourne

  Kindle Edition, License Notes

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  This book was previously published under the pen name Morganna Mayfair.

  Christiana and her two sisters, women of power in medieval Europe, are left alone to defend their family's home when Duke William of Normandy invades England in 1066. When they are unable to fend off the invading army, the leader of their enemies claims Christiana was promised to him as his wife, along with her home and her family's lands. Betrothed to another, she fights him, but finds herself married quickly.

  Roland joined William of Normandy for the potential to become a land owner. A second son, he knows the only way he will ever own anything is by joining forces with the powerful ruler. He's told there are three sister witches defending their home and the oldest is his promised bride. Both Christiana and Roland are used to being in charge. Will the sisters be able to fight off the coming evil to fulfill their destiny? Is it possible for two headstrong people from different cultures to find a way to live as husband and wife?

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  1033

  Prologue

  “Lay back on your pillows, Eadwynn, and I’ll tell you a story.” The woman sat in a chair beside her young daughter’s bed, her eyes intense. She’d been much older than most of the women she knew when she’d been blessed with her only daughter. Now her days were rapidly coming to an end, but she must prepare her baby girl for what was to come. Death always came early to the women in their family, and she and her daughter would not be exceptions to that rule.

  Eadwynn, a tiny child at six with blond hair and green eyes, laid back and nodded that she was ready for the story her mother was about to tell her. She was a sweet, obedient child and the old woman, who some referred to as a witch, was thrilled to have her. She had been past child-bearing age when the girl was born, but she'd always known the child would come. It was destined.

  “Long ago, before the Romans came, we druids were the only people who lived here in the country we now call England. It was not a peaceful place, but the people here knew what to expect. They worshipped the ancient gods and goddess in the way we only worship the one true God now.” She stroked her daughter’s hair away from her face, her voice weak as she spoke the words. She knew she was dying, and her daughter must learn about her role in the things to come.

  Eadwynn nodded. “And we go to mass now, instead of sacrificing animals.”

  “That’s right.” The woman swallowed hard, trying to keep the girl interested in her story by making it relate to things she knew. “There were many gods and goddesses. One of the gods, Thunor, the god of thunder, had a child with a human woman, Rowena. The human knew she was having the child of a god, and was sorely disappointed when the child, Turstan, was born human. He had some slight powers that set him apart from other humans, but he was nowhere near as powerful as his father.”

  “Was the child good or evil?” The little girl’s eyes were wide as she asked the question.

  “Well, that’s hard to answer. Most people aren’t born good or evil, they tend to become good or evil depending on who is around them and how they're influenced. Turstan was not evil, but he was told from the day of his birth that he would be the man to rule the world.” She studied her child making sure she was paying close attention to her story. “When Turstan grew up and had children of his own, he realized he wasn’t in a position to rule the world, so he taught his son that it was his job to rule the world, and he taught his son, and his son taught his son, and on and on. To this day, there are descendants of Turstan who believe it is their destiny to rule the world by any means fair or foul.”

  Eadwynn made a face. “But no man is supposed to rule the world. That’s God’s job.”

  The woman nodded, a slight smile crossing her face. “Yes, it is God’s job.” She held the little girl’s hand while she continued. “Woden and Frig saw the problems that would be caused by the descendants of Turstan if nothing was done, so they appeared to a young woman. She was only fifteen and was going to be married. They told her that after her marriage she would become pregnant with a girl. She would only have one girl child. And her daughter would have one daughter. And so on. There would come a time after many generations, when the daughter would have three daughters all at once. Each of those daughters would have powers. The powers would be needed to stop the descendants of Turstan from taking over the world. With each generation, the descendants become more and more evil. By the time the three sisters are born, Turstan’s descendant will have nothing but evil coursing through his veins.”

  “But, Mama, you said people aren’t born evil.” Eadwynn scrunched up her face in confusion, trying to understand what her mother was telling her.

  The woman nodded. “And most people aren’t, but these men are born evil, and that evil is fostered in childhood. And then they have children who are evil, and foster that evil even more.” She swallowed. “The three girls must each face a trial, and the trial will make her powers much stronger. The woman who will give birth to the three daughters at once has been born, and her destiny awaits her.”

  Eadwynn stared at her mother with wide eyes. “She has? Does she have special powers?” She knew her mother had the power to “see” and she had always wished she was born with a special power.

  “No, she doesn’t, but her daughters will.”

  “Who is she, Mama? Do we know her?”

  The woman smiled stroking her young daughter’s cheek. “Why, yes, we do. You will bear three daughters at once, and they will have special powers. One will have the ability to send her thoughts to other people’s heads. One will be able to make illusions appear right before your eyes. And the youngest, she will have the most important power of all, though she won’t think so until she has grown to adulthood.”

  Eadwynn looked at her mother, obviously not believing she could be the one who would give birth to the three daughters. “What will her youngest daughter’s power be?”

  “Your youngest daughter will have the power to heal the sick and wounded. It will be hard for her, but with the help of her sisters, she will be able to heal anyone.” The old woman wished her granddaughter was already there, not to heal her, but so she could start teaching her now. It was the fate of the women in their family to die young. All would change with the three daughters if they were successful. And they must be successful.

  “Can she heal the evil that is within Turstan’s sons?”

  The woman sighed, wishing she could give her daughter a better answer. “The only way the scourge of Turstan’s children can be destroyed is through death.”

  “I will have daughters who will kill?” Eadwynn looked horrified. Girls didn’t kill. Men killed. They went to war, and they hunted, and they killed. How could a girl do what her mother insisted her daughters would do? She didn’t want to even think of a girl killing.

  “Yes, my daughter. You will. Many in our family have had special powers, just as I have the gift of seeing the future. I can see your beautiful young daughters in my mind.” She let out a laugh. “They will be a handful, having three at once, but you will see. They will be perfect, and they must be taug
ht to use their powers from the time they are children.”

  Eadwynn shook her head. “No, Mama. I don’t want my daughters to kill.” How could she teach her girls to kill? It wasn’t right!

  “You must promise me, Eadwynn. You must promise that your daughters will be taught to use their powers and train with them every day of their lives. Your husband will be against it, but they must learn and learn well.” Her voice was stern as she spoke, letting her sweet-natured daughter know how important it was that she follow her rules.

  Eadwynn nodded solemnly. “I promise, Mama.”

  The woman wiped away the single tear trickling down her cheek. “I will not live for much longer. You must remember your promise. When you have three little girls all at once, you will train them.” She brushed a kiss against her daughter’s cheek. “It is time for you to sleep.”

  Eadwynn stared up at her mother. “Will you sleep with me? So I won’t be afraid?”

  Her mother shook her head. “No, child. You must learn to fight your fears.” Eadwynn snuggled down under the covers and her mother smiled at her. “I will tell you the story again tomorrow.”

  Eadwynn’s eyes were already drifting closed. “I love you, Mama.”

  “I love you, too, sweet child.”

  The woman left the room, closing the door quietly behind her. The girl’s nurse, Joan, stood in the hall waiting. “Watch over her for me.”

  The nurse nodded. “Yes, my lady.”

  As the woman hurried away to her room, she wondered again if this was the best way. She knew of no other, though. Her granddaughters must be prepared to keep evil from taking over the world.

  November 1066

  Chapter One

  Christiana stood with her bow at the ready, her eyes closed. The enemy was approaching. With only a few female servants and her sisters to help her hold down the manor, she knew it was time for them to put into play, for the first time, the powers they’d toyed with since childhood. And not only the powers. Their mother had insisted they learn to shoot and hunt. She was such a sweet natured woman, and obedient to her husband in every way, that when she’d gone against his wishes and insisted her daughters learn the skills of men, no one had protested much. They knew she had a reason.

  Marina had done some small healing over the years, and Christiana had helped coordinate when it was time for their father to leave to help King Harold defend his throne, but this was the first time they’d really used their powers in a life or death situation: to help others and to do something important. Christiana sent up a quick prayer that their practice had been enough.

  She sent out a telepathic message to the servants who were high on the wall outside the manor with her and her sisters. “We’re about to project an image that is not real. Do not fear. Stay at the ready.” Just to her sister, Eva, she sent the message, “Now!” The sisters stood close together to help Eva. They all knew they were much stronger together than they were apart.

  Christiana opened her eyes and watched with awe as armed knights, five deep and one hundred across, lined up in front of the castle. The knights’ armor shone in the autumn sunlight, and each soldier was armed with a sword.

  After their mother’s death when they were nine, they had been raised by their father and their old nurse. Their father hadn’t been as open in acknowledging their gifts as their mother had been. Father had insisted they hide their gifts from everyone, including the servants. Mother had wanted the powers hidden from everyone who was not part of their household. She trusted the servants in a way Father never had.

  None of them had enjoyed having to hide their powers, because to them, not using them was like someone else not using their arm. If they had it, it was meant for them to use, they’d argued many times. Their father had feared them being accused of witchcraft so much, he’d not let them use them openly since their mother’s death years before.

  When King Harold’s army had come through just months before, their father, his knights, and all the male servants of the household had joined him on his quest to defeat William the Bastard who wanted to usurp the throne of England. Father had needed to leave in a hurry, but he’d been careful to admonish Christiana on his way out, “Do not use your powers lightly. If you must use them to defend yourselves, do so, but make certain you are equipped to win. If your powers are found out, you could be condemned as witches.”

  “But we’re not witches, Father. We’re Christians. We all wear crosses!” Christiana had promptly sent the thoughts to her father before he rode out of range of her powers. Her hand automatically went to the cross at her neck. Witches were said to be caused pain if they touched a cross, and she and her sisters had worn crosses since birth.

  “I know that. The invaders do not. Use your powers if you must, but use them carefully.” The fear was apparent in their father’s voice even over the distance.

  “We love you, Father!” She was never certain if he’d heard her last thought before he rode off down the road toward Hastings.

  They’d received word of the defeat of King Harold and his death in the battle. There was no word on their father or any of the servants or knights who had ridden off with him. The girls waited every day in fear of hearing their father had also died in the battle, but no word had come.

  Instead, they’d received word that a small army of knights were on their way to Howard Manor to take their home and land.

  Christiana watched carefully as she caught the glint of sunlight off a shield off in the distance. It wasn’t just one shield, but many. Christiana knew if the illusion didn’t hold the men would be able to easily take the ten servants and three sisters holding the manor.

  She heard a gasp of breath beside her. She wasn’t certain if it came from one of her sisters or one of the servants. “Stay calm," Christiana told them in their minds. "They see the men in front of the castle. They will not try to fight that many. They will believe it to be a suicide mission. Raise your bows.” They should not need the bows. The men should not believe they could defeat the army of men in front of the manor gates.

  Christiana had been told the army coming toward them was only fifteen men, because they had heard the rumors the manor was only guarded by a few servant women and three ladies. Hopefully the men would believe their eyes over what they’d heard. She notched her arrow and drew back the bowstring.

  Christiana wished, not for the first time, that her sister, Eva, had the ability to add sound to the visions she projected. If she could create sounds, the army of men in front of the gates could be sent chasing the men coming toward them. It would be quite a sight to see how fast the invading army would then turn tail and run. Of course, then they would know the army was an illusion when it suddenly disappeared. Their way was the better way.

  Christiana knew the exact moment the leader of the enemy army spotted the guards. The entire procession stopped and gathered around the man leading the way. They spoke to one another, and no matter how hard Christiana tried, she could not hear their thoughts or words. Her powers had limits just like her sisters’ did.

  The men, after a brief conference, turned back.

  Christiana sent out the message to hold steady. She could feel her sister Eva weakening beside her. The illusion was so large and had been held for over ten minutes already. She couldn’t last much longer. “Just another minute. When they are out of sight, you may let go.”

  The women watched the men go over the hill. Christiana counted aloud. “Break the image at the count of ten.” All the women counted together. Once ten was reached, Christiana dropped her bow and grabbed onto her sister as she dropped to her knees.

  Marina was on Eva’s other side. They each took an elbow and supported their sister. Both knew the dangers of using their powers for too long. Eva would need to be in a quiet room for many hours to sleep off her headache. She’d overextended herself, but none of them had a choice.

  The three sisters made their way into the manor and to Eva’s bedchamber. Marina dropped to her k
nees to remove Eva’s shoes, while Christiana helped her sister take off her cloak. By the time they’d removed enough clothing to make her comfortable, Eva was sound asleep. Christiana and Marina laid their sister down and tucked the blankets around her. “Sleep, my sister.” Christiana pressed a kiss to Eva’s forehead as she and Marina settled in to watch over their sister.

  There was no need to guard her room, but she would need to be fed broth until she awakened. They were all left helpless by intense use of their powers, and must eat as much as they could following the exertion. The other women of the castle would go about their business now. They still had to eat their supper.

  *****

  Roland Nobilis rode between his brother, Charles, and his childhood friend and protector, Hugh. Roland led the small band of men to the manor house, land, and woman he had been promised by Duke William.

  He’d heard many rumors about the lack of men left at the manor and the woman herself. She was said to be the eldest of three sister-witches. He chuckled to himself as they rode up the hill that would afford them a view of the manor. Witches? What type of ignorant fool did they take him for? Witches only existed in the minds of peasants. He was an educated nobleman, and he had no fear of the supernatural.

  He’d been told repeatedly that all men had left the manor with the girls’ father including the male servants of the household. It should be easy to take on a few women with his small band of fifteen soldiers. He’d left the others to rest, promising they would be able to help with the next attack when they’d protested. His men would never willingly back away from a battle, whether they were injured and battle-weary or not.

  Once they were atop the hill, the manor house came into view. He blinked twice to assure himself he wasn’t seeing things. There were at least four-hundred men guarding a manor he’d been promised was only protected by women. Even if he went back to camp to get his other knights, they would be hard-pressed to win the attack. He only had two hundred men with him in his entire army. Of course, his men were Norman, and therefor superior fighters, but they would still be outnumbered by two to one.