Medieval Ever After (137 page)

As he relished the thin slices of spiced beef, seasoned to perfection, he hummed his appreciation.  “Ah, thank ye, Lady Isolde.”

“Hello?” an unknown person called, and Demetrius’s horse whinnied.  “Thither is someone to offer a measure of respite for the less fortunate?”

“Hither am I.”  Retrieving his sword, he untied the flaps of his temporary accommodation, and snow battered his face, as he spied a diminutive shadowy figure amid the gale.  “Who art thou, and wherefore art thou on foot?”

“Oh, good sirrah, I am most grateful for thy company, as I lost my mount and know not whither I have ventured.”  To his surprise, his unexpected visitor was a woman, and her velvety voice was soft and appealing to his ear.  “Might I take refuge with ye, until the morrow?  I promise, I will not disturb ye.”

“Of course.”  Yet she already disturbed him.  As would a chivalrous knight, he stowed his weapon, led her to his pallet, and tucked the blanket about her legs.  When she drew back the hood of her cloak, rhyme and reason fled his brain, and he gawked at her beauteous visage.

With thick blonde hair, a heart-shaped face, and vivid green eyes, the lady was a vision, and the matrimonial state struck him as far more engaging, if he could ensure a maiden like her was part of the bargain.  Alas, it was not to be, and he sighed, as he feared his bride-to-be had more in common with the whore Morgan recommended to school Demetrius in connubial activities, and he shuddered at the mere thought.

“My, but that smells delicious.”  His fascinating guest admired the brewets, and he reconsidered his assessment.  “Did ye cook them?”

“I do not perform such toils, as that drudgery is women’s work.”  After fetching another cloak, he huddled near the brazier, as the gale lashed the canvas, and offered her some food.  “So what is a young maiden doing, alone, in this uninhabited area?”

“Can I trust ye?”  She glanced at his sheath.  “As it is a very great secret.”

“I give ye my word, as a Nautionnier knight, I will guard thy confidence.”  How charming she was, as she blushed.  “Thou art no criminal, are ye?”

“Oh, no.”  With a nervous laugh, she averted her gaze.  “But I am running away.”

“From what?”  Ah, they were a pair, but he enjoyed no sanctuary.

“An arranged marriage.”  His gut clenched, given her declaration, and a mighty frown marred her lovely countenance.  “I have spent the better part of my years at the convent in Coventry, and I want naught more than to serve Our Lord, for the remains of my days.  But my father died, and my brother, bent on attaining political prestige, negotiated a contract, which I rebuke.”

“Thine is a noble endeavor.”  And how he approved of her uncommon sense, which mirrored his own.  “I applaud thy fortitude and courage, to remain true to thy dreams, and I share thy partiality for a modest fate.”

In that instant, she smiled, and he would have swore the sun shone in his tiny abode.  “Pray, sir, what is thy name?”

“I am Demetrius.”  Now a union with her did not strike him as so bad, as he could do worse.  An image of the snaggle-toothed Matild flashed before him, and he winced.  “And thine?”

“Thou mayest call me Lily, as do my friends.”  She untied her cloak, revealing a swan-like neck and an ample bosom, not that he took much note, sampled the brewet, and moaned.  “I should be honored to count ye as such, and this is delicious.”

“What is thy destination?”  For some reason he could not fathom, he wished to know her plans, even though he it improbable they would ever meet again.  “Given thou hast no means of travel, how wilt ye make the trip?”

“I know not, but I will not go back to London, and no one can force me.”  Lily studied him, and he shifted beneath the weight of her perusal.  “I intend to join the abbey at Rochester and, if they permit it, make my final profession of vows.  Then I shall have what I have always desired, an austere life spent in service to the poor and hapless.”

“I am humbled by thy virtue, fair Lily.”  In that he did not lie, as he might have found a rare equal to Lady Isolde, and yet his incomparable charge belonged to another.  “Mayest I inquire after thy age, as thou dost seem quite young, despite thy wisdom?”

“I am seven and ten, sir.”  She sniffed, and he spied tears, which she tried but failed to hide.  “Far too old to be a new bride.”

“Wherefore canst thy brother not see that?”  Demetrius snickered.  “As thou art almost middle aged.”  No doubt that falsehood would haunt him.

“Thank ye, and thou art truly the most intelligent man of my acquaintance.”  And then Lily sagged, as a flower thirsting for water, and she yawned.  “My, but I am tired.”

“Wherefore dost thou not rest, while I stand watch?”  At her expression of skepticism, he chuckled.  “Dear Lily, I will not harm ye, as I could have done so, already, if that were my aim.  Wilt thou not trust me, as thou hast availed thyself of my hospitality, and I have asked naught of ye?”

“Well, I suppose I should sleep.”  Her thickly lashed lids drooped, and she dozed almost as soon as she reclined on his pillow.

Captivated by the magnificent creature, he looked his fill while she was unaware, as never had he spent so much time alone with a lady of her estimation, and her mouth held him spellbound.  The hours ticked past, as counted by the moon’s journey across the night sky, and soon a thin sliver of shimmering gold appeared on the horizon.

Demetrius had just relaxed, when the rumble of hoofbeats brought him alert.  Grasping his sword, he checked on Lily, but she did not stir.  After shrugging into his heavy cloak, he untied the flaps, bent, and stepped outside.

The King’s guard approached, and a familiar guise led the patrol.  When Briarus, the Crown’s faithful messenger and sergeant, waved, Demetrius responded in kind.  The men drew rein, and Briarus extended his hand in friendship.

“Good morrow, sirrah.”  Demetrius considered his impromptu guest and realized he needed to divert his comrades, as he would not ruin the unlucky lady.  “It is remarkably pleasing to see ye, but what manner of mischief brings ye beyond the borders of London, proper?”

“I am about the Sire’s business, and it involves ye, Sir Demetrius, and a misplaced mate.”  Briarus untied his leather drinking bag.  “But I have been searching these hills since last night, and I cannot return without my ward.”

“
Sir
Demetrius?”  Rubbing her eyes, Lily appeared in the opening of his tent, and Demetrius cringed.  “Thou art a servant of the realm?”

“Great abyss of suffering, thou hast solved my dilemma, my friend.  Wherefore didst ye not tell me?”  Briarus signaled his soldiers, and they marched on the wayward waif.  “At last, I can go home to a hot bath, a warm bed, and amiable companionship.”

“Prithee, a moment.”  In a fit of insanity, Demetrius gripped the hilt of his sword, and the guards halted.  “Wherefore dost thou accost an innocent?  Of what is the harmless woman guilty, to merit such treatment?”

“Thou dost not know?”  For a second, Briarus just stood there.  Then, without warning, he burst into laughter.  “Oh, this is too adventitious to miss, and it will be the talk of the garrison, if I have anything to do about it.”

“What is so funny?”  Confused, Demetrius scratched his chin.  “And what, pray tell, is adventitious about thy arrest of a virtuous maiden?”

“Let me go.”  Lily bit the wrist of one unfortunate warrior and kicked another in the shins, and he groaned and hopped.  But Demetrius adored her spirit and fit of temper.  “Thou wilt not succeed, as I refuse to assist ye in thy nefarious aims.  Thou cannot force me to take a husband.  I will fight ye to my last breath.”

“Wait.”  With another guffaw, and an upraised palm, Briarus halted his men and said, to Demetrius, “Thou art truly ignorant of her personage, and the lady is similarly afflicted?”

“Aye, in some respects.”  Demetrius nodded and pondered how to liberate her from her predicament.  “But I know she is called Lily.”

“Is that what she told ye?”  Again, Briarus erupted in unrestrained mirth, as he hugged his belly.  “Permit me to make the introductions.”  Waggling his brows, the sergeant clicked his heels and sketched a mock salute.  “Sir Demetrius de Blackbourne, may I present Lady Athelyna Des Moutiers, thy future wife.”

#

Pounding on the locked door to her chamber at court, and yanking on the knob, Lady Athelyna Des Moutiers rained unladylike curses on her captors, to no avail.  No doubt the sisters at the convent would disapprove of such foul language, but Athelyna was desperate.  After a few futile minutes of rebellion, she sank to the floor and hugged herself.

“What am I to do?” she asked no one.  When she spied a window large enough to accommodate her, she stood and ran to the marble ledge.  To her frustration, she peered at the bailey from a fourth floor vantage.  Desperate, she studied the stone surface of the wall, searching for even the smallest foothold, as she would risk a fall in her quest to evade the vicar’s noose.  “Thither is no escape.”

The telltale rasp of the lock, followed by the grate of the hinges, announced a visitor, and she squared her shoulders.  When her sibling entered and shut the heavy oak panel behind him, she braced for a confrontation.

“Thou didst deliberately disobey my commands and bring shame upon our family.”  Stretched to full height, Gerwald folded his arms and frowned.  “Owing to thy intemperate behavior, everyone laughs at us, and I ought to beat ye.  Wilt thou make a mockery of father’s memory?”

“Forgive me, brother, but I made no secret of my opposition to the marriage ye didst arrange, without my knowledge or consent.”  Her mind raced, as she struggled to compose the perfect plea to sway him.  “Although I have no wish to defy thy authority, since birth I have always known I was meant for a higher purpose than that of a wife, who functions as little more than an heir maker and decoration for her husband.  When Papa placed me with the Carmelites, as an oblate, I dedicated my life to the Lord.  While I have yet to make my final profession of vows, I have long honored the covenants of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and I cannot reconcile the austere existence with the requirements of the sacrament of holy matrimony.”

“But thou will, because I order ye to do so, and thou hast naught else.”  Despite their years apart, how well Athelyna read his steadfast bearing.  “In light of thy impending nuptials, I have ceased payment of thy dowry to the nunnery, thus thou hast nowhere to go.  And if ye do not abide by the agreement I signed on thy behalf, I shall disown ye and turn thee out to suffer the consequences of thy stubbornness.”

“Thou would do that to me—thy sister?”  Swallowing a sob, she suppressed impending tears, as it was no time to exhibit weakness, even as her dreams yielded to a slow and painful demise.  “Thou would condemn me to a cruel fate because my ambitions conflict with thine?”

“I would ask the same of ye, given our futures are inextricably intertwined, and I shall enjoy political prestige with thy union to His Majesty’s knight.  If thou dost rob me of my chance to advance at court, then I shall repay ye, in kind.”  His once boyish charm ceded to an implacable visage, which portended doom.  “As I inherited the estate and title, and thou art my property, to do with as I deem appropriate, I shall dispose of ye like so much useless rubbish, if ye dost force my hand.  The choice is thine.”  Gerwald shrugged.  “So, what say ye?”

“I submit thee dost offer no real alternative, brother.”  Reality struck her between the eyes, and grim acceptance settled as a bitter pill in her throat.  Uttering a silent entreaty for divine intervention, she waited for a sign.  When no adventitious bolt of lightning struck her on the spot, she sighed.  “As per thy decree, I shall wed Sir Demetrius.”

“Ah, thou hast made me very happy, and we shall put the unpleasant business behind us and never speak of it again.”  All smiles in the face of her downfall, he drew a box from beneath his cloak.  “Now I should present a gift from thy groom.  I understand thee didst meet him.  Notwithstanding the circumstances of thy acquaintance, which I might deem amusing had ye not flouted my prerogative, how didst ye find thy new lord and master?”

For a few minutes, she pondered the query, as she studied the carved wooden box.  With hair as black as a crow’s feather, an olive complexion, chiseled features, and pale, silvery eyes unnerving in their clarity, her one-time ally possessed a quiet and unassuming nature, in startling contrast with his stature.  Indeed, the man manifested a mountain in size, yet he had been thoughtful and gentle when she begged for his assistance, which he offered without request for recompense.

“In truth, I know not what to make of him.”  After untying the blue ribbon, she lifted the lid and revealed a spectacular gold brooch nestled in a bed of red velvet.  “
Oh
—how extraordinary.”

“What unusual markings, and the craftsmanship is masterful.  And look at the size of the gems.  It must be worth a fortune.”  Peering at the jewelry, Gerwald snickered.  “Thou must have made quite an impression upon him, in so little time.  Did he touch ye?”

“How dare ye insult me with such nefarious claims.”  In a fit of pique, she snapped shut the tiny chest.  “I was raised in a convent, and I am chaste, in all things.”

“But ye were alone with Sir Demetrius before the King’s guards arrived.”  Her brother’s expression sobered.  “What happened between ye?”

“Naught beyond simple conversation, as he knew not my identity.”  In vivid detail, she relived the brief exchange and their shared devotion to duty.  When Athelyna stumbled upon Demetrius’s tent, she thought him a much prayed for deliverer.  Instead, he was her downfall.  “Yet he was nice to me, when he could have turned me away.”