by Park, Elsie
Her thoughts were disrupted by a bucket being shoved into her arms by said knight. He let it go, and she was obliged to grab it before it fell to the ground. He stared at her, waiting for her to do something.
“Do you need instructions on how to draw water from the well?” Roland posed.
Audri glared at him again. “I know how to draw water, thank you.”
“Then let’s get to it.”
She stepped to the well, placed the bucket handle on a hook at the end of a chain and, while directing a bored expression at Roland, methodically eased the wooden container into the dark hole.
“You must go faster than that if we’re to get it done by nightfall,” Roland stated.
Audrina blew out a frustrated breath, diverting her eyes to the chain. She moved her hands over it at a quicker pace until she heard the bucket hit and sink below the water’s surface. When the bucket was filled, she heaved it up with a hand-over-hand motion until it appeared above the edge of the well. After unhooking it and setting it on the ground at her feet, another empty bucket was waiting in Roland’s hands. The same steps used to fill the first one were repeated seven more times until the eight buckets that were brought out by the servants were full.
Audri was breathing heavily as the drizzle continued to wet her flushed face. She stood back and gave him a proud look, thinking this was the end of her chore, but Roland took up a bucket in each hand, lifting them with ease by their handles. He motioned for her to do the same. She’d rather throw the water in his face, but tightening her lips, she bent over and lifted two buckets by their handles. She closed her eyes, her face scrunching in pain. Oh, how her arms ached.
Roland turned to the servants waiting under the porch and brandished another winning smile. “What be the destination, good maidens?”
The women giggled and blushed again before one spoke for the group. “To the kitchen, sir.”
“Very good,” Roland said, taking the lead as he entered the castle.
Audri struggled to keep up with Roland’s quick steps as they carried the water down several corridors to the kitchen. The staff, though busy preparing the next meal, paused to stare at the unusual pair.
Roland, not slighted, simply asked where they wanted the water poured.
A young boy standing by a large cauldron sitting over a blazing fire in the center of the room raised his arm and waved them over. “Here, sir, in the pot.”
Roland and Audri walked to the gigantic cooking kettle, already half full of water, and subsequently dumped their water into the cauldron.
“We’ve four more coming, young lad. Will that be enough?” The little servant, around six years of age, nodded, looking in awe at the tall knight. The lad was obviously amazed he’d been spoken to so kindly by a superior.
Roland nodded back and exited the kitchen with his empty buckets. Audri followed. They returned to the well for the remaining four and then transported them to the kitchen, dumping the water into the cauldron. The boy, having gotten over his surprise at seeing a gallant knight and Lady Gibbons helping him, was ready with a wide grin. “Thank you,” he said as Audri dumped her second set of buckets into the pot.
Audri, though pained throughout her body, couldn’t help but smile back at the sweet boy. The little servant soon dropped his gaze, however, no doubt remembering his place as a lowly serf. Audri had never been comfortable with the imbalanced distinction between classes, feeling that servants and nobles should be able to look upon each other’s faces with equal courtesy and respect. At least she was able to hold that enlightened relationship with Gail.
She and Roland returned to the well where the female servants collected the empty buckets and, appropriately keeping their eyes down from their superiors’ faces, dipped curtsies and thanked the duo for their service.
As the women disappeared inside, Roland said, “Well done, squire. Good work.”
Audri nodded and breathed out through puckered lips as her left hand snaked up to her upper right arm and massaged it.
“Sore?” Roland asked.
“As well you know,” Audri retorted.
“Good. You’re on your way to becoming stronger. If you don’t feel pain, you’re not working your muscles enough. Now, a short break, then onto something else.” He extended to her a large chunk of bread and some cheese she hadn’t previously seen in his hands.
“Where did you procure these?” she asked, taking what he handed her and digging into the food with ravenous bites.
“I snatched them from the kitchen on our way out. It will serve as our lunch today.”
As they ate under an awning watching the rain drizzle down from the sky, most of the knights left the training tent to eat their midday meal in the great hall.
“Good,” Roland said, “we can slip into the tent and utilize it while the knights are gone. I don’t particularly relish hearing the jokes about us.”
“Agreed,” Audri said, thankful they’d also be leaving the rain for an overhead cover.
Roland finished his food and motioned for Audri to follow him to the tent. Audri stuffed the last of her bread and cheese into her mouth and trailed after him.
She was relieved to find the tent indeed empty of knights, only a few of their squires left behind to clean the armaments.
“Let’s talk arms,” Roland stated, sitting down on a stool by a rack full of various weapons and grabbing an arming sword at the same time.
Audrina plopped down beside him on another stool, a sigh escaping her lips at being able to sit down and rest her aching muscles. She noticed movement and glanced up to see her faithful handmaid slip into the tent after them, taking up a discrete position near the entrance but out of sight of Sir Roland. Audri smiled to herself.
“As for the use and care of weapons, do you have any knowledge in this regard?” he asked, clearly doubting she had much familiarity with them at all.
“Actually, I’ve studied weapons and their uses from books. Festus forbade my reading of anything that I could use to hurt him, like weaponries.” She sneered. “I went behind his back, of course, and did as I pleased simply because he forbade me. I like to write, and I love to read. I’m fascinated by weapons, though I admit I have not handled most of them.”
Roland looked amazed. “Indeed. Then your training is steps ahead of what I thought it would be. With the basics covered, we can jump right into handling them.”
He handed her the arming sword. She hesitated only a second before gripping the single-handed hilt with both hands.
“It’s much lighter than it looks,” she observed, carefully running her fingers along the double-edged blade.
Roland nodded. “A heavy weapon is impractical; it only hinders a warrior’s movements and causes rapid fatigue. Swords are made to be lightweight but strong enough to stab through bodies or dismember them. But even this sword will make your muscles ache with prolonged use until your arms develop the strength to support it. Something we’ll start soon.” Roland took back the sword and replaced it on the rack, taking up a flail in its stead. The spiked ball swung from the chain attached to the wooden rod he held. Audri took it, and he watched as she inspected the weapon. She was intrigued by the weight, balance, and look of it.
Since the knights’ noon break extended several hours, often including both food and a nap, they had the tent to themselves for some time. Audrina handled the lance, axe, bow, warhammer, dagger, maul, club, and spear as she and Roland discussed each of their uses not only for war but in everyday life, as many weapons had started out as simple agricultural tools. Audri found she enjoyed the education and was disappointed when knights began entering the tent, ending the lesson. They’d be forced outside again, something Audri wasn’t looking forward to. As they stood up, she noticed Gail had already exited so as not to be seen by Sir Roland.
Luckily the rain had ceased, leaving only dark clouds ov
erhead.
“What now?” Audri asked with some trepidation.
“Hmm,” Roland thought, looking around. “Ah . . . rocks.”
“Rocks?” She stared at him, not hiding her confusion.
“Yes, rocks. Yonder lays a pile of them needing to be moved.” He pointed to a corner of the courtyard where a number of serfs were hefting boulders and placing them onto large wooden planks connected to a pulley system. The planks were lifted up to stone masons patching a portion of the inner wall that had deteriorated. A covering had been erected over that particular section to keep it dry during the repair.
“You’re jesting, right? Haven’t we done enough toda—”
“Nope, the day’s only half over. Plenty of time for more.” He gifted her a cheeky grin and, without waiting for a response, took off toward the stone pile. Audri hesitated a moment and then grudgingly followed.
She ignored the peculiar looks becoming so prevalent from the castle staff at seeing her in this position. And as unheard of as it was, they worked alongside the serfs, picking up boulders and placing them on the wooden planks. Audri chose the smallest possible stones, but even those were almost more than she could lift. It was only minutes before she was gasping and sweating profusely—again.
“Pace yourself,” Roland cautioned, looking devilishly handsome with wet red locks plastered to the sides of his chiseled face. “Or you’ll run out of energy before the task is done. Don’t work too fast but keep up a steady rhythm, allowing your body to keep up with the work you’re demanding of it.”
Audri did as he suggested and found she was able to keep going despite her labored breathing and almost unbearably sore muscles. She hoped this task would be the last of the day.
As it turned out, it was, but they continued hauling boulders, with only a few breaks long enough to stretch their backs, until it was time for the evening meal. Audri was almost too exhausted to eat by that time.
In the past, she usually took her meals in her chamber, not wanting to endure the boorish manners of those present in the guest hall. She hoped Roland would allow her to sup there tonight, but he said that as his squire, she was to eat in the great hall. He gave her a half hour to wash up and change into a clean kirtle and surcoat before cena, the evening meal.
Sore and tired, but cleaned up, she entered the great hall from a side door with sluggish movements. Gail trailed right behind her. On rare occasions when she ate in the great hall, she sat to Festus’s left, beside her mother at the head table. But she didn’t see Honora there tonight, and that concerned her. She wended her way past benches full of belching knights well into their second or third goblets of wine and ignored their uncouth comments over her ample breasts and large rear end. As one knight reached over to grab her buttocks, faithful Gail swatted his hand away with a resounding slap. The surrounding knights guffawed and continued shoveling food into their upturned mouths as Audri walked a little faster. Normally, anyone touching a lord’s ward in such a fashion received grave consequences, even death in some cases, but in Guildon, Festus didn’t care as long as her virtue wasn’t disturbed.
With Gail behind her, she brought herself in front of the head table which sat perpendicular to all the others in the hall. Festus didn’t look up at her as he shoved meat into his mouth.
“Where is my mother?” she asked, looking down her nose at him.
Festus continued to eat for a full minute before acknowledging her.
“What’s it to you where she is?” He belched before chugging his wine and motioning to the small serving boy to refill his goblet.
“She’s my mother,” Audri stated the obvious, “and I wish to sit by her.”
Festus leaned back in his large chair with his refilled goblet in hand and took another swig. “She is also my wife,” Festus said, eyeing Audri with a pompous expression that indicated his rightful claim over the woman before her own daughter. “She’s taking her meal in the chamber tonight.”
Audri thought that odd, for Festus prided himself on having the lovely Honora by his side at mealtimes, all but ordering her to be there. Why would he allow her to sup in private this time? Unless . . .
Audri’s eyes narrowed into slits. Lowering her tone to a menacing timber, she asked, emphasizing each word, “What have you done to her?”
“I don’t have to answer to you,” Festus replied with condescending superiority.
Audri’s vision constricted. Everything but Festus disappeared from her view as her hands balled into fists. She longed to throw them over the table into his smug face, but she knew she’d never get away with it. He’d lock her in her room or perhaps the dungeon.
Her fists loosened. She must check on her mother. She forced her voice to a calm tenor. “Then I’ll be joining Honora in her chamber this eve—”
“You’ll do nothing of the sort, you little snippet,” Festus interrupted. “Your mother is none of your concern. You are a squire now. You must attend to your knight. You may no longer sit at this table or sup with your mother, wherever she may be, unless your knight allows you to do so, which I doubt he will. And speaking of your knight, I see Sir Roland has just entered the hall. You are dismissed from my table.”
Festus returned to his meal and didn’t look up at her again.
Turning to Gail, who returned her look of disdain for Festus, they sauntered over to where Roland had seated himself on the farthest end of the long table of knights, women, and some children. The regular castle sentries sat at another table across the great hall with their significant others. She came to stand in front of Roland, and he looked over from talking to a tall, lightly bearded knight she recognized as being a long-time resident, but who she couldn’t recall by name. Not that she cared to know any of the knights by name.
“Sir Roland, may I have your permission to be excused so I can check—”
“A squire must attend to his knight at mealtimes and eat in the same room,” Roland interrupted her, shaking his head.
“But my moth—”
“Do you want to cause even more scandal with our unique situation?” he almost hissed. She wondered if he was more concerned with her comfort or his own. Probably his.
But the thought made her pause. She didn’t shrink from negative opinions of her, especially from unworthy people, but neither did she enjoy receiving it. Her leaving would bring her even more scorn. But her mother . . . she must see to her welfare.
Gail, realizing the dilemma, placed her hand on Audri’s arm. “I’ll check on Honora,” she whispered into Audri’s ear.
Audri sighed. “Thank you, Gail. Though I’m sure her own maids are there, please stay with her if something is amiss. Give me a report when I see you later.”
Gail nodded and walked around the table, making her way back to the side door leading up to the chambers. Audri noted that Sir Roland’s bearded tablemate had watched her maid’s progress until she’d disappeared from the room.
Audri plopped herself down opposite Roland, and he, along with several nearby knights, looked at her in surprise.
She’d made some kind of an indiscretion but wasn’t sure what. “Why do you look at me?”
Roland leaned forward and spoke so only she could hear. “You are not yet a knight and have not gained the privilege of sitting at the same table with them. Do you see any of the other squires and pages sitting here?”
Audri turned her head and glanced at the little boys running to and fro to fetch washing water, wine, or meat for their knights, but none of them sat to eat at the same table. She took note of other females sitting with some of the knights.
She turned to Sir Roland. “But other women are sitting at this table, and they aren’t knights. How am I any different?”
“Those women are companions of the knights, here at their invitation. You are none of those relations to me but are in fact my squire, so you must take your place yo
nder for your meal.” Roland nodded to an area across the hall where a long table sat apart from all the others. Some of the young boys were already seated, having finished serving their knights, and were digging into their food.
“So, am I to serve you your meal as well?” She raised her chin in a haughty gesture.
Roland’s mouth cracked a small grin. “Tempting, but no. I am quite capable of cutting my own meat, and I’m not sure I’d trust you with a knife right now. I’m sure you’re fit to murder me after everything I’ve put you through today.”
“That idea’s not half bad,” Audri mumbled.
“I can also summon a servant to refill my cup, so you may sit over there and eat. If you continue training hard, I may soon invite you to sit with me at this table, but that right must be earned.”
Audri pursed her lips and glared at him before standing and marching herself over to the “children’s table”. The young pages and squires clearly didn’t know what to make of her sitting by them. They had only ever known her as Lady Gibbons but had surely heard of her new position as squire. However, thanks to her love of children and her witty tongue, her tablemates took an instant liking to her as a fellow squire. She actually passed a most pleasant meal with them . . . until dessert was passed around the hall. Fried dough squares the size of her palm rolled in a delectable mixture of sugar and cinnamon were placed before her. Oh, she certainly deserved this sweet treat after a day like this! Her mouth watered at the mere sight of them. As her hand reached out to grab one off the platter, a larger hand shot down over her shoulder and snatched it up. Startled, she turned around to see Sir Roland looming over her, shaking his head.
“I knew you’d try to take one. From what I’ve seen, too many sweets contribute to a full figure, so these delicacies are off limits to you.”
Her mouth opened in surprise—and embarrassment.
“Though I’ll allow you sufficient food to fill your belly and fuel your activities, desserts will be something you earn.”
“That’s not fair,” Audri protested.