The Knights Dawning (The Crusades Series)

by James Batchelor

  Thomas rolled his eyes. “You know, Richard, next time I think we should pay the Moors your ransom. Then maybe they would send your brain back with you.”

  William tensed up at this, unsure how Richard would take joking about his terrible ordeal. But to William’s relief, he only laughed.

  The church emptied in an orderly fashion with the last rows exiting first out the rear doors. When it came their turn, Thomas said, “Let’s eat!” a bit louder than he should have and feigned to push past his brothers to the doors.

  CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED FOUR

  “This is it,” Anisa said, looking John in the eye. “This is the moment you are going to take back what is rightfully yours. You are going to be a man.”

  John smiled down at her. He still had misgivings about the morality of this course of action, but he loved that Anisa believed in him, and he could not face the wrath of her disappointment if he let her down. Anyway, he was grateful for such a strong woman who would push him into taking back his birthright. He needed her strength to complement his own weakness and crippling lethargy. And Anisa was the perfect person to fill that role, for what possible motive could she have to want him to become baron other than his own welfare and perhaps to be a baroness herself? And what a beautiful baroness she would make.

  He looked around the stable at the Saracens that he and Anisa had been meeting with for months. They seemed a decent bunch, but the fact that they were all Saracens was not lost on him. “And you’re sure no one is going to get hurt?” he asked dubiously.

  “We already went over this,” Anisa snapped, her impatience evident in her tone. She took a deep breath to regain control of herself. They were too close now to risk offending him. “Amir is gathering his men secretly outside the gates of Dawning Court. While everyone is distracted by your proclamation that you are claiming your legal and lawful birthright, we will clear the gate. And before anyone knows it, they will be overpowered and realize that resistance is useless.”

  “You do not understand my family very well if you expect them to just surrender,” John said. Anisa did not respond. This was actually a subject of much concern among her colleagues. If they did not capture and kill every Dawning here and now, they would have a civil war on their hands. Of particular concern was Richard’s rescue and safe return, but it was too late to turn back. This was their best opportunity for success. They had to act today.

  John saw the irritation on Anisa’s face and changed the subject. “Do we really have to do it during my brother’s wedding?” He knew Henry would not soon forget such an indignity.

  “We have already discussed all of this,” she said. “The wedding is the perfect time. There is no other time when we could guarantee the key figures would be present in a single location. Everyone who needs to know you are taking over will have to acknowledge it here and now. Remember, this was your idea, and a brilliant one at that.”

  “But what if they will not submit to it?”

  “They will. You have rightful claim to the seat and an overwhelming force to back you up. They will see the logic and prudence in going along with us.”

  “And if they won't?”

  “They will!” she said in a firm tone intended to end all argument.

  John did not again voice his serious misgivings about that part of the plan. Anisa seemed convinced they would all surrender against overwhelming odds, but she did not seem to realize that his family was stubborn, lionhearted, and fearless. He was very afraid of this turning ugly. He again lamented not gaining Thomas’ confidence. If he had Thomas' support, then Henry likely would have followed, and the three of them together could have secured his seat. As it was, Anisa insisted his family was in no danger, but he knew it would be up to him to intervene to keep order and ensure everyone’s safety.

  John had suggested the idea of a peaceful declaration of his intent to take his inheritance and only escalate if it became necessary. But Anisa had insightfully perceived that such a course of action would merely provide the opportunity for the family to outfit a resistance and make civil war a certainty. This way, she pointed out, it would be over before it began. His brothers would swear an oath of fealty to him, and then they would see what a fine leader he was and have no reason to rebel.

  Richard, however, was always a concern. John had known since they were children that Richard intended to take over. He had made no secret of it. But when Anisa had put these original plans in place, or rather, when Anisa had helped John realize what he wanted and he had formulated this idea, Richard had not been a factor. John had expected Richard to return from his distant crusades years from now to find Baron John firmly in control, dashing any royal aspirations Richard may have had.

  Anisa handed John his sword. “Now is that really necessary?” John scoffed. “I'm not going to be fighting.”

  “Yes!” Anisa almost yelled at him, her eyes flashing as a mother who had lost patience with an unruly child. Her temper was getting the better of her much more frequently of late. “If you are not armed, they will not take you seriously. Do you want to be laughed all the way to France, or do you want to rule?”

  Reluctantly John strapped his sword to his waist. The whole suit of armor was uncomfortably tight around his midsection. The sedentary years of drink and idleness had not been kind to his girth. With some embarrassment he loosened the leather straps on either side. It left a large gap between the plates where he was exposed, but at least he could breathe.

  Anisa held his helmet for him. He took it and gazed at the large red plume sticking out of the top. He had once thought that made him appear so regal, but now it seemed so silly, not unlike a giant peacock. He slid the helmet once more over his head, the familiar scent of the cold, oiled steel filling his nostrils.

  “It’s almost time,” Anisa said, peeking through the stable door at the church across the courtyard. John looked over her shoulder at the many servants that milled around before the church. Some were setting food on tables that had been set up on the lawn while others were simply resting, grateful to be out of their masters' view while they were in the church occupied with the wedding.

  “You know, I should be in there right now,” John said regretfully.

  “You have to be here. Nobody is going to pay attention to a wedding guest making a claim for the barony. They will just ascribe it to inebriation and laugh at you to your face the way they have been laughing behind your back for all these years. But after your notable absence, you will arrive in glory as The Knight Dawning. They will all notice, and they will all listen.” Anisa’s eyes glowed as she envisioned the moment that was now so close.

  “I suppose,” John sighed. “But that is my brother getting married in there.” Afraid she was on the verge of pouncing on him again, Anisa did not respond. John quickly changed the subject. “So where is the leader?” For months all he had heard about was this great mastermind, Amir. “The leader” was how they usually referred to him, and despite some reservations, John was bursting with curiosity. Ordinarily he would have insisted immediately on meeting the leader of a group with whom he was working so closely, but Anisa had explained that the logistics of it had made it impossible for them to meet until this occasion. He had accepted that, but now Amir was expected to walk through the door at any moment.

  The leader had brought additional men with him, whom John had also not met. He was not comfortable with that either, but more men would be essential if this got out of hand. Oh, how he prayed it would remain peaceful. He took a deep breath and reassured himself that he could handle his side and Anisa could handle hers. Together they could keep control of the situation.

  “I'm sure he is only doing final preparations for the soldiers outside the wall. He will be here shortly,” she assured him. “Speaking of that, all you men have somewhere to be. The time is not long, not long at all.”

  The Moors that John had come to know over the last months all filed out the back of the stable. They were good men; he could trust them.
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br />   John shifted his weight nervously from one foot to the other. His heart was racing now as he contemplated the task that lay ahead.

  Anisa gently commanded him to be at peace. “Remember what you are doing here. For the first time you are taking control of your destiny. It is bound to intimidate you. And you are going to make some enemies, but then and only then will you be a man. You will no longer be a mouse with no enemies and no friends because no one even cares enough to pay attention to you.” She pressed her body up close to him. He was disappointed he could not enjoy it for the iron between them. “You are the heir to a noble birthright. You come from generations of mighty warriors. Today you will prove that you belong among them. Today you will prove that you deserve the name Dawning.” Just then the door opened on the opposite side of the stable from where John and Anisa were. A shadow moved into the dimly-lit stable.

  John was instantly on his guard. He took a protective step in front of Anisa. The shadow played over the dimly lit stalls in eerie, grotesque, oversized shapes. For a brief instant the morbid thought flashed through John's mind that he was watching the approach of the angel of death. “What a way to go,” he thought to himself. Standing in a stable doing something I'm not sure is right for an inheritance I'm not sure I deserve with people I'm not sure are my friends—the perfect end to a perfect life.

  The shadows that leapt and played through the stable coalesced into a gigantic silhouette eight feet from where John stood with his hand on the hilt of his sword. “John,” came the booming, accented voice. “I am Amir. So good to make your acquaintance at last.” Amir stepped forward, and the light fell across his scarred visage.

  Instantly the memory of the peasant revolt from so many years ago came crashing in on John. He remembered William fighting with the giant and the giant knocking him to the ground. He remembered tackling him and the brothers rallying around their youngest brother to protect him. “You?” John said, taking a step back and bumping into Anisa. “You are the leader? How—?” He stepped to the side in order to keep both Amir and Anisa where he could see them.

  Both Nizari began a slow advance toward John. “John, we have come too far to turn back now,” Anisa said calmly as she took another slow step toward him. The church bell began to peel, marking the completion of the ceremony.

  “How long have you had designs on my family?” John demanded, still trying to comprehend what he was seeing. He felt like a fool. All this time he had placated his conscience with thoughts that this group was genuinely interested in his well-being. He told himself that he could control them. In that moment he seemed incomprehensibly naive.

  “I see you remember me,” Amir said mildly. “What a pity we got off on the wrong foot. Let us start again. I am Amir, and I am honored to be in the service of the next baron of Dawning Court.” He bowed slightly to him but continued to advance menacingly.

  John tore off his helmet. “Last time we met, I was united with my brothers against you. We were a family. What a fool I was to think this band of misfits was anything like a family!” he said, casting aside his helmet in a show of defiance. The sight of this giant was like the harsh light of day shining down on his misdeeds. He was filled with shame and shocked at how far he had fallen. Step by step he had let himself be led down this path until he was on the brink of an attack on the only people to whom he had ever really mattered.

  “The bell has sounded,” Anisa said urgently, glancing back and forth between John, Amir, and the stable door. “We have to go now!” She was afraid of what might be happening on the other side of the door if they were not there to control the situation. This was not part of the plan.

  John drew his sword, both Amir and Anisa instantly ceased their advance, and Amir’s hand slowly found its way to his own sword hilt. “Go if you like! But you will do so without me.” John threw his weapon down at their feet. “See how much sympathy for your cause attacking a wedding party engenders among my people.”

  Amir raised his hands palm out to show his intentions were peaceful. “John, we have no time for this. Many people have worked for a long time to get you here. You will go out there, and you are going to take your place as the rightful heir of Dawning Court. And when you do, we will be there as your loyal subjects and advisors.” Amir slowly picked up John's sword and offered it to him. “Take this weapon and seize your destiny,” he whispered intensely.

  “Very well,” John said calmly. With a sudden movement he knocked the sword aside and slammed a furious uppercut into Amir’s chin. Amir was lifted off the ground and sailed back several feet before hitting the ground in a daze.

  John rounded on Anisa. “All this was to manipulate me?” He did not want to believe it but could not escape the overwhelming evidence. “Everything you said, everything you... did?” John felt as though he had been kicked in the stomach.

  Anisa backed up against the door. Fear stood plain in her eyes as she regarded the considerable power of this large, angry knight that was leveled at her. “I, we—” she stammered. For the first time in John's recollection, she was speechless. John drew back one gauntleted fist, determined to send her head through the stable door. All at once the anger flowed out of him. It was his fault. He knew that it was he who wanted to believe her. He had let himself be led down this path. It was his fault as it always was. He stooped and picked up his helmet with the hand he had intended to demolish her face with. Anisa was still backed rigidly against the door, stiff with fear.

  “You are nothing but an ugly mirror into my worst proclivities,” he said. Just then a piercing, searing pain cut into his side. His knees threatened to buckle. He turned to see Amir sliding an antique, leaf-shaped blade between the seams of his ill-fitting armor. John felt the warm liquid flowing down his side, carrying away his strength. His knees finally did buckle, and he found himself looking up at Anisa, who stepped off the wall when she saw what was happening, his anger now replaced with the sickening certainty of death. Though he had never been here before, he had seen it all too often to delude himself into believing it was anything else.

  John reached imploringly out to Anisa as the last vestige of anything good in his life. She stepped up to him, the fear vanishing from her eyes. She grabbed his hair roughly and peeled his head back.

  “You cowardly, miserable worm,” she said from between clenched teeth, her real feelings that had been straining to come out now flowing freely. “You are not a man! It is the ultimate in English arrogance to believe that I could ever love someone like you. You are weak, and your family is weak. We may not get to them through you, but we will get them.”

  “Wh–why my family?” John managed, finding himself out of breath. Amir stepped beside Anisa, and his arm snaked around her as the two of them patiently watched John’s demise.

  “How does that English steel feel, John?” Amir asked conversationally. “This blade was used by one of your own to deceive and murder my people.” He wrenched the blade out of John’s body sharply and held it up in his left hand to inspect the blood still running down its length. “I had always intended that it would gut you; I just did not expect that it would be necessary so soon. You are as big a disappointment in death as you were in life.”

  Anger surged anew in John. He looked for something to lash out with, but his sword was on the ground out of reach. Suddenly he became cognizant of the heavy helmet still in his right hand. Rage surged through him and he swiped the helmet up at Anisa. Surprised, she lurched to avoid the blow but was impeded by the close proximity of Amir’s massive frame and was unable to duck aside. The helmet caught her in the side of the head and sent her crashing back into an empty horse stall, where she collapsed.

  Amir cursed and lunged forward to intercept another blow as John stumbled to his feet, determined to strike at Amir also. Amir put his massive shoulder into John’s unstable figure. The force of the blow sent him crashing through the stable door into the courtyard.

  CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED FIVE

  The wedding guests
exited the chapel to an uncommonly beautiful spring day. The sky was clear with only the occasional white, fluffy cloud lazily drifting by with no particular place to go. It was a perfect day for an outdoor event. William stared at the sky, wondering if perhaps this union was ordained of God after all.

  There were long tables set up with refreshments and food of every sort. There were many servants everywhere standing at attention, carrying trays of drinks and food. Other smaller tables had chairs surrounding them, offering a place for the guests to rest and to dine in comfort. Massive canvas pavilions stretched out to cover most of the heavily used areas.

  There seemed to be an army of servants already in attendance, so William was surprised to see another group entering the main gate pushing two more loaded carts with them. What more could they possibly need that they did not already have, he wondered. Oh well, better to have too much than too little at a wedding. Still, something seemed off about this new group of servants approaching the wedding party. William could see that they were dark skinned. But it was not uncommon to find serfs or laborers who worked in the sun all day moonlighting as servers at big events requiring a larger detachment of servants than was regularly employed in the household. They were often the family members of the regular serving staff, brought on for the extra help when it was required. Still, something nagged William about these newcomers such that he could not seem to take his eyes from them.

  Just then everyone’s attention was gathered to the head of the table as Mary’s father, a great bearded, overweight noble began to speak. “Ladies and gentleman, thank you all for coming to celebrate this blessed union…” he began.

  As the baron began to expound on the mixed blessing of losing his daughter to marriage but gaining a son in Henry, William kept one eye on the servants that were slowly advancing up the hill towards them. “What is it about them that nags at me so?”