A Tournament Knight

by A Tournament Knight (lit)

  As dawn broke over the horizon, it heralded the end of her freedom. For after the short ceremony that would be performed in the chapel, she would no longer be her own woman. She would be classed as chattel, a possession Forwin owned and could use as he saw fit. The thought sickened her.

  A soft tapping on the chamber door forced Jacqueline to come to grips with what would happen to her this day. Sitting up in the bed, she bade the person on the other side of the door to enter.

  Alice walked into her chamber with the gown her mother had made for her marriage to Terric. The servant girl had taken it away the evening before. She obviously had cleaned it.

  "Time to get up, my lady. Your father will come for you soon. He bade me to tell you to wear this gown again."

  Jacqueline easily guessed the motive behind his request. What better way to remind her of all she had lost? He hoped to hurt her, make it a punishment, for choosing to live her life as she wanted. He failed though. It would not hurt her to wear the gown. It would be her cross to bear, her penance for writing all those hurtful words to Terric.

  During the long night she had done a lot of thinking. She knew it was her words that had pushed Terric from her. He had not seen past them, had not trusted her enough to call them false. Now she had to pay the price by being locked in a loveless marriage to a man she detested.

  Accepting the inevitable, Jacqueline arose and let Alice help her prepare for her wedding. There was no feeling of joy as there had been when she was to have wed Terric. If it had been possible, she would have worn mourning clothes.

  After her father came to fetch her, the rest of the day's happenings seemed to blur and run together.

  During the ceremony she stood beside Forwin and dutifully repeated her vows, not really paying close attention to the words. The feel of Forwin sliding his ring upon her finger caused her a moment of clarity before she receded back into herself.

  The wedding feast was a very small affair. The people present were the newly wedded couple and the earl. Forwin had no living family and was the last of his line. If, at his death, he had produced no heir, his title and lands would revert back to the crown. Therefore, his need for a new wife after the death of each of the previous ones.

  The meal complete, Forwin summoned Alice to escort his new bride to her chamber. Jacqueline knew what was to come. With leaden feet, she followed the younger girl up the stairs, feeling much as if she were walking to her execution.

  After helping Jacqueline in the removing of her gown, Alice put her into the bed and then left, leaving Jacqueline alone to sit and await her fate. She prayed it would be over with swiftly.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The roar of the crowd echoed in his ears. He let the sound wash over him. With a kick of his heels, he set his steed into motion. Barreling down the list, he heard the satisfying crack of his lance hitting his opponent's shield.

  Hearing a loud clang behind him, Terric peered over his shoulder to find the knight he rode against lying in the dust on his back. That would be another ransom he would collect this day. Having faced his last challenger, Terric headed back to his pavilion. Edwin had run ahead and now awaited him there.

  Stepping into his pavilion, Terric gratefully unlaced his helm and pulled it free. Reaching up he wiped the sweat from his brow. It was then he noticed the cloaked figure of a woman who stood watching him. The hood of her cloak was pulled up over her head, shielding her face from view. He felt an instant of excitement, thinking it was Jacqueline who stood there, but he soon realized this woman was not tall enough for it to be her.

  "Whoever you are, leave." Turning his back on the woman, he started to unbuckle his armor.

  "I have no intention of leaving until you have listened to what I have to say."

  Jerking back around, he watched as the woman pulled back the hood she wore and revealed her face. He shook his head in amazement. "Why am I not surprised?"

  Beth closed the short distance between them. "You never gave me a chance to speak before you left Carisbrooke. I do not give up so easily."

  "Obviously. What do you want from me, Beth?"

  "For you to listen to me. That is all."

  Terric threw back his head and groaned, then he stared back at her. "There is nothing you can say to me which will change how I now feel about Jacqueline. She made her choice."

  "In that assumption, I think you are wrong. Jacqueline loves you. She told me so herself."

  Terric's violet eyes searched Beth's face intently. He could see she meant every word she spoke. "I once thought she did, but I am not so sure of that anymore."

  "She does. I know it. Jacqueline looked at you the way I looked at William. And I loved him with all my heart. Do not turn away from her. You could come to regret this decision later."

  "Then how do you explain the words she wrote?"

  Pleadingly, Beth said, "You have to see past them, as I did. She wrote them to protect you. To keep you away from something."

  "To protect me from what?"

  "Not a what, but a who. I believe the earl will be found at the bottom of all this. It bears his stench."

  "I thought the earl had no idea that it was Jacqueline in London."

  "As far as we knew, he did not. But that does not mean we were right. He is quite capable of letting us go on with our plans, all the while knowing the truth. Then at an opportune moment, he used it against us."

  It was true, Terric realized. What he had seen and heard of the earl was not very awe inspiring. The man was a snake, using all within his power to further his own gains. What Beth was suggesting could quite possibly have happened to Jacqueline. It was not too hard to believe.

  If that was what really happened to her, then he had already made a grave mistake. He had abandoned the woman he loved to the clutches of a man who could make her life unbearable.

  Beth easily saw when Terric accepted what she had said. His features became grim. She could tell he was silently cursing himself for not trusting Jacqueline. "Will you help us look for her then?"

  Terric nodded. "Aye, you have convinced me. I can only hope when we find Jacqueline she forgives me my stupidity."

  * * * *

  This trip back to Carisbrooke Castle, Terric faced with mixed emotions. Besides being the place where he last had seen Jacqueline and what had happened on what was to have been their wedding day, he felt some misgivings about seeing Lady Elizabeth. She had believed in him and he had let her down.

  Peering over at Lady Beth, who rode next to him, he found her watching him while a slight smiled played upon her lips.

  "What?"

  Beth shook her head. "I can practically hear you berating yourself. Stop it. You were hurting. You did what you felt was the correct course of action for you to take."

  Terric grunted. "You mean I let my pride get the better of me and I then ran away."

  "That is not what I meant."

  "I only wish I had listened to you that day. Jacqueline would be back at Carisbrooke now."

  "There is no point beating yourself up about it, Terric. So you made a mistake, but now you can redeem yourself."

  Edwin, who rode slightly behind them, broke into the conversation. "You tell him, Lady Beth. I am sick and tired of his moping about."

  Turning in his saddle, Terric shot Edwin a quelling look. "That will be enough out of you."

  Choosing to ignore the warning, Edwin edged his horse between Terric and Beth. "I told him we should return to Carisbrooke, but he would not listen to me."

  Having heard enough of his squire's criticisms, Terric let his horse slowly fall back from the other two. Then, with Edwin still off on his ranting, Terric gathered up his reins and slapped his squire's horse on the rump. It caused the much desired affect.

  The horse shot off, as if all the demons from hell were nipping at its heels. The look on Edwin's face was quite comical. He had been in mid-sentence when his horse took off at a gallop. One moment he was conversing with Beth, then the next he was holle
ring as his horse shot down the road.

  Moving his horse back up along side Beth, Terric smiled at her smugly. She wagged a finger at him. "Naughty, naughty, Terric."

  "He had it coming to him. I did give him fair warning."

  Beth laughed, then looked up the road. Edwin's horse was still in mad flight. "Should you not go and help him?"

  "Nay." Terric said. "Trying to bring his mount back under control will keep him from wagging his tongue. Plus it also gives me a chance to speak to you alone."

  "Well you have me all to yourself. For the moment at least."

  "I just thought I would ask you whether Lady Elizabeth is upset with me. She has every right to be perturbed."

  Beth reached over and reassuringly patted Terric's hand. "That is not the case at all. She will be most pleased at your return."

  Terric breathed a sigh of relief. "I have much respect for that lady. I would not like to displease her."

  They broke off their conversation as Edwin came pounding back down the road toward them. He seemed completely flustered and out of sorts. When he pulled up in front of them, he shot Terric a disgusted look.

  "What is wrong, Edwin? All not well with your mount?" Terric asked nonchalantly.

  "As if you had nothing to do with it." Edwin replied with a sneer.

  Deciding to intervene, Beth spoke up. "Edwin, why do you not ride on my other side? That way you will be safe from Terric. But I suggest you be a little more circumspect with your comments."

  Properly chastised, Edwin nodded and moved to where Beth indicated. The rest of the day, he wisely kept his mouth shut.

  * * * *

  The following day they arrived at Carisbrooke. Terric felt as if he had come home-something he would not have expected. All the time he had spent there really did not add up to much.

  Sir Guy, who had been up on the castle walls, noticed their arrival and met them in the bailey. He hurriedly moved to help Beth dismount. "I see your quest was a successful one, lass." He let his gaze rest pointedly on Terric.

  "Aye, very. It did take some doing to convince him, though. But now he is calling himself three times a fool for not thinking of it on his own." Seeing that Terric and Edwin had both dismounted also, Beth continued, "See to them and I will go inform Lady Elizabeth of Terric's arrival."

  The older knight nodded and then went to the new arrivals. He noticed Terric followed Beth with his eyes. Sir Guy turned to see her disappear into the keep. He answered the younger man's unspoken question. "The lass has gone to seek out Lady Elizabeth."

  Taking up his mount's reins, Terric started to lead it to the stables. "So the time of reckoning has arrived."

  Sir Guy chuckled. "Nay, lad, more like a time for rejoicing. My lady will be most pleased. Now let us get these horses bedded down. We should not keep the ladies waiting."

  * * * *

  Beth found her mother by marriage in the solar. She looked at the younger woman questioningly.

  "Aye, I found him. He is with Sir Guy."

  Lady Elizabeth smiled. "Excellent. Let us return to the hall, then."

  Sir Guy, Terric, and Edwin were already present when the two women descended from the solar above. All three men were sipping on tankards of ale.

  Coming to greet her guests, Lady Elizabeth gave Terric, and the startled Edwin, a kiss of peace on the cheeks. "I am so glad to see the both of you again."

  Terric found himself deeply touched by the warm welcome shown to him. "As I am to see you once more, my lady. I just wish it was for better reasons that I returned."

  "Nonsense." Lady Elizabeth said. "Your being here gives me renewed hope. You will give us the added advantage we need to find out Jacqueline's whereabouts."

  "That is my hope."

  "I know so. You can go where we cannot. Tournaments are always rife with court gossip. Finding out where the earl is should be our first priority. Tournaments will be the perfect place for you to ascertain where to locate him."

  Terric nodded in agreement. "The next tournament is in a few days from now. I can start searching for the earl then."

  While they were speaking, the servants had laid out a light midday repast. Noticing all was ready, Lady Elizabeth brought the conversation to a close. "Then I suggest you take advantage of your few days of respite from the list and rest." She then motioned them toward the trestle table. "Now let us enjoy this meal. There will be time enough later to make all the necessary plans."

  Allowing Lady Elizabeth to link her arm through his, Terric let himself be led to the table.

  * * * *

  Nunney Castle was built in the small Somerset village of Nunney, some three miles south-west from the market town of Frome. The castle was designed in a French style rather than solely for defensive purposes. A tall four story rectangular structure with large corner turrets surrounded by a moat made up the castle form. The moat was known for being one of the deepest ever made. As such, they had deemed it unnecessary to have a portcullis.

  Jacqueline had now been living at Nunney for a month. Surprisingly, she was settling into her new life. She found she had a talent for the running of such a large household. Not all of her mother's lessons had fallen on deaf ears, or so it would seem.

  Since her father's departure the morning after her marriage, she had been virtually left to her own devices. Her husband had nothing to do with her.

  The wedding night she had so dreaded ended up being very uneventful. Forwin had not come to her chamber that night, or any night since. For a man who had only married her so she could provide him with an heir, Forwin was set on avoiding her. He kept to his chamber, even taking all his meals there.

  On this morn, Jacqueline made her way down to the ground floor where the kitchen was located. It was what she did every morn. Not wanting to take her meals alone in the hall, she ate in the kitchen.

  At first the servants had been aghast that the countess would lower herself in such a way, but Jacqueline soon won them over. At Carisbrooke, she had never used her station in life to belittle those beneath her. Once the servants at Nunney realized she only wished to have their friendship, they readily welcomed her into their fold.

  Reaching the kitchen, Jacqueline stood at the threshold and watched the bustling activity within. The thirteen foot fireplace was already roaring, heating the wall ovens beside it. Cook would have been awake for hours preparing the bread to be baked for the day.

  Stepping into the warm room, she took a deep breath, smelling the scent of fresh baked bread. The cook, Mabel, was a large woman of middle years. She managed a well run kitchen. Today, she had all those who worked under her moving at a brisk pace-which was not usually the norm.

  "Mabel, why all this flurry of activity?"

  Looking up from the worktable where she was busily chopping vegetables, Mabel smiled warmly at Jacqueline. "Your lord husband sent word down this morn. He is expecting a visitor. So he wants a grand feast made for the evening meal."

  Jacqueline felt a little dismayed hearing that Forwin expected a guest. He would, of course, be leaving his chamber now. "It must be someone important for him to order a feast."

  Mabel snorted disgustedly. "Not likely. It is just a minstrel my lord has here to entertain him. He comes once a month. If you ask me, he is received better than a minstrel should be. But my lord will have it no other way."

  Intrigued, Jacqueline asked, "How long has this minstrel been coming here?"

  "Ever since my lord's last wife passed. So it must be four years now."

  Pulling a stool up to the worktable, Jacqueline accepted the plate of freshly baked bread and cheese Mabel handed her. Lost in thought, she started to eat.

  When a minstrel was to arrive at a castle, it was usually marked as a festive occasion. Visits could be few and far between, but to have the same one come to a castle once a month was considered far from the norm. Jacqueline had to wonder if there was more to this visit than just a minstrel coming to entertain the lord of the castle. This evening could very
well prove interesting indeed.

  * * * *

  Forwin left his chamber shortly before his guest was due to arrive. Finding Jacqueline already present in the hall, he called to her. "Come to me, wife."

  Gritting her teeth, she stepped away from the table where she had been overseeing the setting and walked over to Forwin. He stood a few paces away observing her. "My lord?"

  Before he spoke again he took the time to look at her. He then nodded in approval. "The guest I am expecting, I want you to treat with the utmost respect. I will not tolerate any mistreatment of him by your hand. Do you understand me?"

  "Aye, my lord."

  "Good. The man I am expecting is Nicholas Talbot. He will entertain us after the feast, and then you may retire to your chamber."

  "As you wish."

  Having finished what he wanted to say, Forwin then waved her away. Jacqueline eagerly complied. She had no inclination to be in his company any further than she had to be.

  Seeing to the last minute details before the minstrel arrived, she watched as Forwin paced the hall floor. His anticipation was palpable. She also noticed something else. He had changed in the last couple of weeks, and not for the better.

  His face, usually flushed and pasty, was now sickly white. Each breath he took seemed to rasp in his chest. Occasionally, Forwin would rub his left arm as if it pained him. It was all too apparent to Jacqueline her husband was a very ill man.

  Nicholas Talbot made his grand entrance a short time later. He began fawning over Forwin the instant he clapped eyes on him. Jacqueline found it as sickening a display of currying favor as she ever had seen. He went so far as to take Forwin by the elbow and assist him in sitting at the lord's chair. What surprised her the most, though, was that Forwin allowed this.

  Being ignored by both men, Jacqueline used it to her advantage and took a closer look at their guest.

  The minstrel was exceptionally handsome. She had to give him that. He had blonde shoulder length hair and flashing gray eyes. He stood around six feet and had a well toned body-broad shouldered, and with enough muscles in his legs to show off the hose he wore. A well defined jaw, straight nose, and nicely sculpted lips completed the package.