Outremer III

by D. N. Carter

  “Oh how fucking sweet and lovely. Okay Gonfanier…you can join them all in hell,” Reynald shouted and waved his hand at Stewart.

  Nicholas and Upside moved to stand on either side of Gerard, blocking the doorway. Paul started to usher Ishmael to follow him closely as Theodoric knelt to lift Taqi up. Abi quickly slung him over her shoulder again as Paul made it clear he was heading for the doorway. Princess Stephanie could hardly breathe as she watched helplessly as Reynald’s knights formed up behind Nicholas, Gerard and Upside. Nicholas gulped hard whilst Gerard rapidly weighed up the unfolding scene before him. Reynald started to laugh. Paul looked at Nicholas.

  “Nicholas…Upside…this is a crime committed here upon Taqi…a crime pure and simple. No man is above the law of our God. When exposing a crime is treated as a crime, then we know we are being ruled by criminals…,” he stated and quickly looked back at Reynald, who just laughed out loud again at his words. Gerard raised his eyebrows and shook his head. “Look at how this so-called lord uses you and your Order for his insane bloodlust…what changed in him?”

  All in the room looked at Reynald as he stood alone.

  “Do not preach in my castle to me, boy!” he shouted angrily. “And who cares what you think. When you have lost the respect of all your peers and people you looked up to, then you no longer care…I lost all of that a very long time ago…didn’t I, Theo?”

  “’Tis never too late, My Lord, to step back onto your true path of destiny,” Theodoric answered.

  “Horseshit!” Reynald shouted and raised his arms, exasperated and animated. “Absolute fucking horseshit,” he shouted again and louder, his face turning red. “If I am like this, ’tis your doing with all that so-called sacred and esoteric rubbish you fed me in Aleppo…do you remember, about so-called fucking destiny and my bloodline. If I had never listened to you we would not now be in this position…and you…you,” he shouted pointing his finger at Paul. “I bet he has filled your head with the same horseshit… go on! Tell me I am wrong.”

  “Yes, go on tell us he is wrong for I too have seen your parchments with Elohim written beside your name,” Gerard interjected and folded his arms.

  “What?” Paul asked, surprised. Then he recalled how his father had written Elohim upon his parchments back in La Rochelle to explain the makeup and meaning of the words, not that he was implying he was Elohim himself. “How wrong can you be? ’Twas just my father’s writing to explain its meaning…I am no Elohim.”

  “Then explain the sword,” Gerard remarked.

  “You know all about this sword as do you, Reynald…,” Paul replied and looked at Reynald, who was now pacing up and down rubbing his fingers across his forehead.

  “Oh I know all about that damned sword and all it brings with it…crossing destiny does not work in your favour believe you me, boy.”

  “We are leaving,” Paul stated and started to move toward the door. Nicholas took a deep breath and stood before him and looked at him hard but confused too. Gerard simply raised his eyebrows waiting to see what he would do. Paul raised his sword as Stewart readied his. “You are either on my side, by my side…or in my fucking way…now choose wisely,” Paul stated, his voice becoming deep as the energy from the sword surged through his body.

  Princess Stephanie started to cry seeing that a fight was now unstoppable. She looked at Reynald as he roared with laughter. Nicholas looked behind him at all the other Templars now formed up and Reynald’s knights. Slowly he turned to face Upside, their eyes locking. Upside feigned a smile and slight nod. Both drew their swords as Gerard stepped back a pace. Paul braced himself ready for the onslaught disappointed in Nicholas as he pointed his sword at Paul and their eyes met. Reynald laughed even louder.

  “Paul,” Nicholas said, his sword shaking, his eyes widening. “See this sword…” He paused and looked at Gerard. “’Tis yours for as long as I draw breath,” he stated clearly and loudly, immediately stepping forward and took up position beside Paul. “Always have and always will be by your side.”

  Upside raised his eyebrows and rolled his eyes in an exaggerated fashion and quickly moved to stand the other side of Paul, shaking his head at Nicholas. Paul gulped hard with emotion, took a deep breath and looked at Gerard.

  “You always get me in balls deep every time,” Upside muttered at Nicholas then winked at Paul.

  Reynald stopped laughing immediately and looked at Gerard and outstretched his hands toward him, shaking his head.

  “Gerard!” Reynald snapped. “Do something!”

  Gerard raised his hand to his mouth, more to hide his smile from Reynald. He then rubbed his chin several times as he looked at Paul intently. He had a grudging respect for him and even admired him. Yes he knew he had superior numbers still, but in the confines of the ante-room, he also knew any fighting would be costly in men and, even then, there was no guarantee who would come out victorious.

  “My Lord…it would seem we have a dilemma on our hands.”

  “There is no dilemma here,” Princess Stephanie interrupted and started to walk across the room toward Paul’s group. When she stopped, she looked first at Gerard, then Paul and finally to Reynald. “You all forget one simple fact here,” she stated and took a deep breath clearly shaking with fear and emotion. “This is my castle…my lands and my men!”

  “Pah!” Reynald rasped and clapped his hands by his sides mockingly.

  Gerard rested back slightly and looked on intrigued but saying nothing.

  “What happened to you?” Princess Stephanie asked and slowly walked toward Reynald staring him in the eyes. “Where is that courageous, honourable, charismatic and noble man I fell in love with all those years ago?… For look at you now,” she asked so all could hear.

  “I am a noble lord and pray you never forget that or your place, woman,” Reynald snarled back. Gerard shook his head and placed his hands upon his hips. “You would side with these traitors…these Muslim loving devious conniving and scheming peasants!”

  “Peasants you say,” Princess Stephanie repeated and looked back at Paul, his eyes searching hers and seeing the fear in them. “That man there, the very same man who saved your life twice….TWICE!” she shouted, “has more nobility in his little finger than you now possess.”

  “What!” Reynald fumed and pulled out his arming dagger, grabbed Princess Stephanie by her throat and half bent her backwards placing the dagger’s blade against her chest.

  Paul immediately moved to help her but Abi grabbed the back of his robe, stopping him.

  “Reynald…enough of this,” Gerard said calmly and began to walk toward him.

  “Stop where you are for I see you are all against me,” Reynald snarled as spit ran from his mouth, his teeth gritted in anger, his eyes darting from one man to the next. Taqi started to open his eyes and tried to move as he came round. “Him…I want his head on a pole now! Do you hear me…do it,” he commanded.

  Several of his own knights moved to step forward nervously when Gerard raised his hand for them to stop, his Templar knights moving to block them.

  “Stay where you are!” Princess Stephanie called out despite the dagger being pushed up against her chest nicking her skin and forming a rivulet of blood. Pain was running through her back as Reynald forced her backward. “I repeat, Reynald…this is my castle and my men. Check our wedding contract…and let us see what the Haute Cour has to say of this matter shall we.”

  “You cheap whore!” Reynald yelled and pushed her to the floor aggressively. She went to crawl on her side but Reynald kicked her hard in the ribs. She let out a moan but held her pain refusing to show how bad she was hurting. She looked up at him defiantly, her eyes blazing with anger and pain.

  “Too far my friend, too far,” Gerard said and shook his head disapprovingly.

  Paul tried to move but Abi pulled him back again.

  “My castle…my men,” Princess Stephanie said and stood herself up slowly. She pulled her dress straight and looked at the men before her.
“You are under my roof, in my castle and you follow my orders. I am ordering you to let these people leave without harm or malice upon them.”

  “Oh no you don’t,” Reynald yelled and pulled her hair, forcing her to fall backward upon her shoulders hard. “You stay down, woman, or by Heaven I swear I shall put you down like an unwanted dog for good!” Reynald snarled, pointing his dagger at her.

  Princess Stephanie rolled onto her side, jumped to her feet and in one swift move punched Reynald as hard as she could using the palm of her hand up into his nose as she had seen Tenno teach Alisha, the crack of his nose breaking echoing in the room. He staggered backwards stunned, his eyes wide until he hit the whitewashed walls, his legs striking a wooden bench that ran the length of the wall. He raised the dagger toward her but before he could stand up properly again, she kicked him squarely in the groin and several men groaned and winced in sympathy as she did so. He recoiled in pain but looked up at her, his face full of rage.

  “I heard every word you spoke to Alisha in her chambers when you tried to bargain a night with her in exchange for Taqi,” Princess Stephanie stated calmly, pointing her finger at him as Reynald tried to catch his breath whilst covering his groin with both hands. “I was in the very same room and I heard all you said…about your whoring and killing…you will never ever lay a finger upon me again that I do swear, you animal…and may I remind you that you only have position here because of me and I have barons who will stand by my side, not yours, so do not test my resolve.”

  “Whore!” Reynald screamed and grabbed her by her long hair again and pulled her close to him. Panting and trying to catch her breath she stared into his glaring eyes as he put the dagger up against her throat. “So I have nothing left to lose by opening your pretty little neck now do I?”

  Princess Stephanie gulped hard, her eyes wide with terror but she was not going to change her mind now.

  “Go ahead then…do it! The man I loved is no longer anywhere within you. You are but a shell of the man I once knew…when he died inside, I too died…bit by little bit daily. Not any more…so go ahead…finish what you have started and put me out of this living hell I endure with you,” she said, a tear running down her face. “All the killing you have done…it has only served to all but kill you inside instead. Have you forgotten the words you once boasted to me, when first we met…that Eastern teaching?” she asked, trying to reach the man she once knew. He shook his head no, his pupils beginning to shrink. “A man who conquers himself is greater than one who conquers a thousand men in battle…do you remember?”

  All looked on hesitantly, Abi checking out the number of men in the doorway still. She bent down and picked up Taqi under her left arm, Theodoric grabbing his other side in support.

  Reynald looked down at Princess Stephanie as she just stared back at him, her arms hanging limp and submissively down. Her eyes glistened beautifully but filled with terror. He looked down her soft white skinned neck as she breathed in short sharp intakes, his blade across her throat. He looked closer at the blade as the sun reflected off of it and he saw his own filthy reflection. He blinked, shocked at the sight of himself. As if seeing through a clearing mist he looked into her eyes, his rage fading from his features. He looked up in time to see his young daughter Alix push past the men and into the room. Her eyes widened in alarm when she saw her mother bent backwards, her father holding a knife to her throat.

  “Papa!” she called out and immediately ran toward them.

  Reynald lowered Princess Stephanie to the floor, pulled the dagger away and fell down upon the bench shaking his head bewildered at his own actions. He dropped the dagger just as Alix flung her arms around Princess Stephanie and looked at Reynald, confused.

  “Let them go…all of them…just let them go,” he said quietly and waved his hand.

  Gerard immediately nodded at the men for the door to be cleared. Abi and Theodoric quickly dragged Taqi out of the room as Ishmael and Paul covered them. Princess Stephanie sobbed, her eyes closed as she hugged Alix, both now sat on the floor. After a minute, she coughed, wiped her eyes and quickly stood up. She held Alix’s hand tightly and faced Reynald.

  “We shall be leaving with them. You value this castle so much…then I hereby freely pass it to you with glee. I shall travel to Jerusalem with Alix and arrange for the appropriate papers to be drawn up.”

  “Are you divorcing or annulling out marriage?” Reynald asked, his voice almost broken. “But I love you,” he said shaking his head and a tear welled in his eyes.

  For an instant Princess Stephanie recognised the man she had once fallen in love with. There was just a spark of him still inside, she told herself, but she quickly shook her head no.

  “I will not seek a divorce or annulment. But for my sanity and the safety of our daughter, we shall remain in Jerusalem until the man I once knew finds a way back to us,” she said emotionally. “Kiss your father goodbye, Alix.”

  Alix nervously stepped toward him, when he grabbed her and pulled her close to his chest and wrapped both his arms around her. For a minute Princess Stephanie feared he would try and harm her and gasped hardly able to breathe.

  “I…I love you both…I do,” he said quietly, closed his eyes and kissed Alix on the cheek and held her. “’Tis a madness the Lord has cursed me with,” he whispered and kissed her again.

  “Come, Alix…we must go.” Alix pushed herself away from Reynald and clasped Princess Stephanie’s hand. She turned and walked toward the door not looking back once as Reynald just sat bewildered. She looked at Gerard as they walked past him. “Try and get back the man he once was… for all our sakes.”

  “What do you think I have been trying to do these past months?” Gerard shot back and grabbed her arm. “Perhaps you should have done this a long time ago,” he continued in a whisper. She stared at him for a moment shocked by his remark. “He swears he does all of what he does to protect those he loves.”

  Princess Stephanie looked back at Reynald sat on the bench, his head lowered. She rubbed her hand across the cut upon her chest.

  “The only thing he loves is killing and power,” she sighed and looked back at Gerard. “And you know that is the truth for he has forgotten who and what he was.”

  Gerard went to speak but hesitated. He let go of her arm.

  “I am sorry, My Lady…and if you are also now travelling to Jerusalem, you will need more of an escort than Paul and his few men…so please take some of my men…as several of them are already going,” he half joked, looking at Nicholas and Upside.

  “’Tis a kind gesture, Master Gerard. One that will not go unrecognised,” she replied. “You have changed also…for the better I might add.”

  “We have all changed,” he answered and clicked his fingers at one of his sergeants. “Fetch me my scribe set. I have orders to write, and make it quick,” Gerard said and looked back at Reynald, who was sitting forwards resting his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands shaking from side to side. Gerard sighed heavily at the state of his friend.

  Paul walked toward the stables, checking behind him in case Reynald changed his mind. Thomas was stood by the main entrance and looked on surprised to see an injured Taqi being carried by Abi and Theodoric protected by Stewart, Nicholas and Upside. He ran toward them.

  “No Thomas, back quickly for we needs must leave now,” Paul called out.

  “What have I missed?” he asked.

  “Everything…and Reynald seeing sense…but I am not sure for how long so we must leave now,” Paul answered just as Princess Stephanie rushed toward then with Alix running by her side to keep up.

  “Paul…we are coming with you,” she called out. Paul frowned. “Just try stopping us.”

  Within minutes Thomas had all the horses brought out already saddled and ready to go along with the rest of his men. Stewart, Nicholas and Upside were changing their Templar robes when Gerard walked across the courtyard accompanied by the rest of his Templars.

  “Stand by!” Abi sa
id aloud drawing their attention, Ishmael wielding both his swords.

  Theodoric led two horses pulling Princess Stephanie’s caravan into view. He stood still as Gerard walked directly for him. Gerard stopped just feet away, his men all forming up behind him.

  “Fear not we are not here to stop you. You will need more men to escort the Princess Stephanie…and I would be remiss in my duties if I did not furnish you with appropriate forces and support,” he explained and proffered a sealed warrant for Paul to take. “Take it, man…’tis my sealed orders giving you temporary investiture of our Order and authority over my Templars, whom I charge to your command…here are the volunteers,” he explained as twelve of the Templars behind him stepped forward. “’Tis long overdue for you naturally command men…I told you one day you would be part of our Order,” Gerard smiled as Paul took the sealed warrant, more than a little surprised. “And you three,” he called out looking over toward Stewart, Nicholas and Upside. “You are all in breach of marching fighting order protocol. You are incorrectly dressed…now put your mantels back on… unless of course you have all resigned?”

  Nicholas looked at Upside, puzzled, then to Stewart.

  “But Master…we directly disobeyed you,” Stewart remarked.

  “I do not recall any such thing. I do recall someone questioning the reasoning and validity of an order made in error as per our Order’s rule… correct me if I am wrong?” Gerard explained. Nicholas smiled as Upside raised his eyebrows again and started to put his mantle back on. “’Tis a great honour to be chosen as the Order’s Gonfanier and I know not of any better candidate capable of that responsibility…so please do not make me have to go through all the process of choosing another.”

  Paul did not know how to take Gerard’s gesture but he was in no position to question why. He could see the pride in Stewart. He looked back at the caravan as Thomas nodded indicating Taqi was safely inside along with Princess Stephanie and Alix.

  “Never thought I would be saying thank you to you…but thank you,” Paul said to Gerard and offered his hand.