The Wandering Harlot (The Marie Series Book 1)

by Iny Lorentz

  Directly next to him sat Count Palatine Ludwig and the bishop of Constance, who was cradling his head in his right hand as he looked at the new arrivals with a strangely detached but not unhappy smile. Alongside the count palatine, Marie caught sight of Eberhard von Württemberg, who winked at her, then gave her a guileless smile. “We did it,” he seemed to say, nodding toward the defendant’s bench where Rupert sat alongside his accomplices, Utz, Hunold, Melcher, Linhard, and three other men Marie didn’t know. All had been dressed in penitent’s robes and bound in chains, except for Linhard, who was clad in his monastic robe and seemed to be meditating, hands folded in prayer.

  Marie turned away from Rupert’s look of hatred, instead staring straight ahead at the judge’s bench. For a minute she thought her heart would stop, for there sat Honorius von Rottlingen, the judge who had condemned and sentenced her before. His assistants were also the same, and she even recognized the court clerk, though he had aged visibly. Father Honorius did not look as arrogant and repulsed this time, but instead seemed grim and determined, as if standing in judgment on himself.

  The judge motioned to a bailiff, and Marie was led to a seat alongside the judge’s bench. Now she could see the spectators sitting farther back in the room, where she caught sight of Sir Dietmar, his wife, and Abbot Adalwig of Saint Ottilien. Michel was also there, standing near the door, in his dress uniform, appearing oddly lost in thought.

  After the four nuns had stepped back from Marie, Honorius von Rottlingen raised his hand to call for order. He gave Rupert a furious look, as if blaming him for all the problems he’d ever had or would have, then bowed to the kaiser and briefly to the bishop of Constance, with whom he seemed to be on unfriendly terms.

  “We are gathered here today in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, to render justice.” His tone suggested he was almost choking on the words. “The accused, Rupert Splendidus and Utz Käffli, are found guilty of many crimes and will be executed at Brüel Field tomorrow. Rupert Splendidus will be put to the stake, and his ashes shall then be strewn into the Rhine so that on the Day of Resurrection there will be nothing left of him. Utz Käffli will be tortured on the wheel.”

  Emotionless, Utz accepted the judgment without comment, but Rupert jumped up and cursed the judge. Within moments, he was seized and gagged by two bailiffs. Melcher, Hunold, and the three others looked up as if hoping for more lenient punishment, but collapsed again on hearing what followed.

  “Hunold, the bailiff, is condemned to death by strangulation for rape of a virgin, perjury, and other crimes that will be revealed in the course of the proceedings. The cooper’s apprentice, Melcher, will be given the same punishment for complicity in murder, as will the ferryman, Hein, for theft and complicity in murder. So too will the same punishment be given to the merchant’s assistant, Adalbert, and the former monk, Festus, for document forgery, accessory to fraud, and theft.

  “The last defendant, Linhard Merk, who now goes by Brother Josephus, has confessed and shown remorse for his sins. He will therefore be kept under guard in a monastery until the end of his days. All these men were accomplices of the principal defendant, Rupert Splendidus, and have assisted him in his monstrous crimes.”

  Honorius von Rottlingen was silent for a moment and then looked at Marie uncomfortably, as if about to swallow a poisonous toad. “It is the will of His Majesty, the kaiser, as well as that of all the assembled nobles of the Reich, that you, Marie Schärer, daughter of Matthis Schärer, citizen of the city of Constance, shall receive justice. Sister Theodosia, do your duty.”

  One of the nuns who had accompanied Marie to the courtroom handed a pair of scissors to the mother superior while the two others brought in a brazier of burning coals. Walking over to Marie, the mother superior gingerly took hold of one of the yellow ribbons, cut it off the dress, and with an expression of revulsion threw it into the brazier to be consumed by the fire. Though she continued to grimace as if picking disgusting caterpillars off a grapevine, she didn’t stop until she had thrown the last yellow ribbon into the fire. Then, with an audible sigh of relief, she motioned to the other nuns to continue. They unfolded a white robe, slipped it over Marie’s old dress, and led her to the judge. Father Honorius made the sign of the cross, scooped up some holy water, and let it trickle down onto Marie’s head.

  “In the name of the Holy Trinity, I absolve you, Marie Schärer, of all your sins and declare you as pure and innocent as if you had just come out of your mother’s womb.”

  “So be it,” the bishop added with a smile.

  Friedrich von Zollern had personally insisted that Honorius von Rottlingen should grant absolution to Marie. The arrogant abbots and monks of the island monastery had all too often harassed both him and his predecessors on the bishop’s seat of Constance. Now Friedrich had succeeded in humiliating the most imperious abbot of all, and with him all the monks in the monastery.

  At first Marie didn’t understand what had just happened. Was she innocent? Even the priest’s words couldn’t allow her to believe that, but if the citizens of Constance accepted the verdict and gave her back her citizenship rights, she could use her money to buy a little house and live here as a respected townsperson.

  She was startled out of her thoughts by an evil laugh. “You can go ahead and absolve the whore,” Utz shouted in the chamber, “but she’ll never forget all the men that she’s had, and I was the first!” Utz tried to continue, but a court bailiff pressed a gag between his teeth so all he could do was grunt.

  Utz’s words were like a splash of cold water in Marie’s face. Though she had briefly clung to the hope that the events of the last five years had been erased and she could continue to live in Constance, she now realized her fellow citizens wouldn’t forget her past. Men would look at her as easy prey while women would shut their doors to her. Briefly she thought about how Utz had told yet another lie. He had not attacked her first; that crime belonged to Hunold, who was now whimpering and trembling on the defendant’s bench. She had yearned for the conviction of these men for so many years, and now that it was over, Marie felt no pity but also no particular joy.

  Instead, she had felt as if she were standing before a gaping chasm, desperately searching for a way across the abyss. Her only hope for the future was her money. Yet even her riches couldn’t buy her citizenship rights in some small, faraway city, where she might live modestly for the rest of her days in a house with two goats. Sighing, she thought of the fortune her father had once amassed. If she was given just a third of that amount, she could fashion a decent future for herself and Hiltrud.

  Still pondering her next steps, Marie was again sprinkled with holy water and blessed by Father Honorius. Marie had thought it was all over, but then the four nuns came toward her again and over her white shirt placed a dark blue dress decorated with rich embroidery and fur trimmings. Marie could tell that it was made of the finest Flemish cloth similar to the clothes that the richest and noblest Constance citizens wore to Sunday Mass. She was uncomfortably hot in her three layers of clothing, and the sweat running in streams down her back was making the scars from her whipping itch dreadfully. She saw Mechthild von Arnstein coming toward her and wanted nothing more than to ask her to scratch her back.

  Instead, the lady took her by the hand to Abbot Adalwig and remained standing there, holding her hand. A palatine knight then led Michel forward to stand next to Marie. Abbot Adalwig smiled at them warmly. When he began speaking, Marie didn’t understand what was happening, as he was pronouncing the nuptial blessing without even asking her if she approved. Marie turned toward Michel, but since he raised no objection, she didn’t dare protest.

  “And so I declare you man and wife. Amen.” Abbot Adalwig was visibly satisfied with himself for officiating at the marriage without stuttering or making any other errors.

  During the short ceremony, Michel had watched Marie’s astonished face. She seemed as bewildered as if
he had dragged her off to the pillory, and he couldn’t help feeling annoyed. After all, marriage with him was not the same as being condemned and whipped in the market square. Then he remembered that he had felt equally dazed the previous day.

  Less than twenty-four hours before, he had accompanied his liege lord, the Count Palatine Ludwig, to a meeting with Count Eberhard von Württemberg. In addition to his host, the meeting had included the Constance bishop, Friedrich von Zollern; the councilman Alban Pfefferhart; and the Arnsteins.

  After a brief greeting, the Württemberg count had gotten right to the point. “What’s going to happen to Marie?”

  Alban Pfefferhart had waved his hands dismissively. “It’s hardly possible for her to remain in Constance. We can give her back her citizenship and a house to live in, but night after night shiftless men would come to her house in hopes that her morals remained loose enough to give them a night of pleasure. The municipal authorities, of which I am one, therefore suggest assisting her in acquiring citizenship in a distant city where she can live in peace.”

  “That would suit you rich Constance merchants just fine,” Count Eberhard von Württemberg had scoffed. “But I question how a single woman might live unmolested in any city of the Reich.”

  At this point Michel had decided it was time for him to speak up. “Marie needs the protection of a man, and I will therefore ask her if she will stay with me.”

  “As a mistress?” The count’s voice had sounded sharp, but then a broad grin appeared on his face. “No, I won’t allow that. You will have to marry her.”

  Lady Mechthild had shaken her head indignantly. “Michel Adler is an officer of the count palatine and one of his ministers. He cannot marry a prostitute.”

  The Constance bishop raised his arms in a conciliatory gesture, as if something amusing had occurred to him. “There is a solution for this, Lady Mechthild. Allow me to do my part in making an amicable arrangement.”

  “Then we’re in agreement,” said the Count Eberhard von Württemberg, indicating he didn’t want to hear any further objections. Walking over to Michel, he patted the man on the shoulder. “This will work out well for you, young fellow. If you marry Marie, I’ll make you a castellan in one of my cities. Then if any fellow says anything bad about your wife, you can throw him in the tower with my blessing.”

  Staring at the count, Michel hadn’t known how to answer. Then he looked at the count palatine who looked like he didn’t know whether to laugh out loud at the whole matter or start a fight. Finally, the man walked over to Michel.

  “You have a reputation for arranging marriages, Count Eberhard, especially when it concerns your cast-off mistresses, but Michel is my liegeman and will remain so.”

  Michel had a hard time shaking off the memory of that scene and tried to accept that Marie now belonged to him before God and the world. Judging by the dismissive look on her face, however, she was now even less accessible to him than in the five years she had been out wandering the roads and he had been rising through the ranks of the palatine guards. Before he could say a word to her, Eberhard von Württemberg and Count Palatine Ludwig stepped up and shook their hands.

  The smile of the Württemberg count made it clear to Marie who was responsible for this last little trick, and she was tempted to give him a piece of her mind. She wasn’t a puppet whose strings he could pull, and Michel deserved a better wife than a wandering whore. But she didn’t have an opportunity to complain to Count Eberhard, since more and more people came up to congratulate them. Sir Dietmar was so embarrassed that he didn’t dare look at Marie, while Alban Pfefferhart seemed delighted that by this marriage a stigma had been removed from him and from the entire city. Even the kaiser deigned to place his hand on her and Michel’s shoulders, wishing them a happy and fruitful marriage.

  That entire time, Marie didn’t dare look at Michel, and she sighed heavily in relief when Lady Mechthild took her by the arm and led her into the hallway. Briefly looking back at the room, Marie saw the count palatine handing Michel a cup of wine for a toast. Then the door closed, and Marie felt as if she’d once again been damned to an uncertain fate.

  She turned to Lady Mechthild. “This is ridiculous. I can’t marry Michel.”

  The lady pointed down the hallway toward the main door. “Come now, someone is waiting for you and we must hurry. As for your marriage, you are now Michel Adler’s wife before God and the world. I understand that you feel manipulated, but it seemed like the best solution. You are no longer a young woman, but you’re not a widow, either, and it is highly unlikely you could ever have married any other man without first telling him about your past. To spare you the embarrassment of such a situation, Count Eberhard suggested that you be married to your childhood friend, who has been your constant shadow these past many weeks. The Constance city council was happy with this solution, and Herr Muntprat as well as Herr Pfefferhart will even present you with a considerable dowry. Michel has not married a poor woman, Marie. If you include the compensation you will receive for your lost fortune, you are actually very rich.”

  Lady Mechthild’s voice sounded a tiny bit envious, but her cheerful smile made up for it as she took Marie by the hand toward a waiting carriage, where they climbed inside and sat next to each other.

  “I would like to apologize to you, Marie, for I have wronged you. When you came to us a few weeks ago, I was convinced you wanted to take my place again in my husband’s bed, and I was jealous. I also thought you were making up a fanciful story to somehow use us to suit your purposes. We have learned from Count Eberhard that you did in fact bring the real testament back for us, and we now have sovereignty not just over Mühringen but also over some of the land formerly belonging to Felde Castle, which nicely rounds off our territory. My husband and I are very grateful and would like to reward you. If there is anything you wish, whether it be farms, forest lands, or vineyards, just tell us.”

  The carriage began to move, but this time Marie was not interested in where it was taking them. She was thinking of Hiltrud, who had saved Marie’s life years ago and reluctantly supported her in her plans for vengeance. She owed it to Hiltrud to help her also find a better life and a bit of happiness. Though it might not be possible to revive the winter romance between her friend and the goatherd in Arnstein, it was certainly worth a try.

  “If you really wish to show your gratitude, Lady Mechthild, give my loyal companion Hiltrud a farm and let her marry Thomas, the goatherd.”

  Lady Mechthild seemed pleased with the idea. “Gladly. Shall the farm be in the Arnstein realm, or would you rather have your friend closer by?”

  Marie laughed. “I’d love to have Hiltrud close by, but I really don’t know where life is taking me.”

  Lady Mechthild put her hand in her lap and gave her a conspiratorial smile. “Your husband has just been appointed castellan of Rheinsobern by Count Palatine Ludwig. That is one of the best properties the count will receive from the Keilburg estate.”

  “Very nice for him.” Marie shrugged off this news but was curious enough to pose a question. “Was there no heir to lay claim to Rheinsobern?”

  “The Keilburg counts forcefully seized many lands and made sure there were no heirs to contest their ownership. We were lucky, but without the protection of Count Eberhard von Württemberg, we would also have been their victims. Count Eberhard acquired ownership of Keilburg Castle with all its land, and others were given back property.”

  Giggling, Lady Mechthild continued. “The only one to come away empty-handed was Friedrich von Habsburg as punishment for his angry outburst at the kaiser.” Lady Mechthild also told Marie that Konrad von Keilburg had been sentenced and put to death by the sword, as had Hugo von Waldkron.

  As the lady recounted who had benefited from the breakup of Konrad’s holdings and Abbot Hugo’s lands, Marie soon lost interest in who acquired what and instead looked out the carriage window, wondering what lif
e at Michel’s side might be like. Before she had thought it all through, however, the carriage passed through the market square and turned into the narrow lane beneath the columns leading to the upper market.

  “Where are you taking me, Lady Mechthild?”

  Lady Mechthild gave her a friendly smile. “I think you’ll be happy to see your relatives again.”

  Only now did Marie realize that she had been so caught up in her plans and the trial that she hadn’t thought of her uncle once. The lady told her that her accusation against Rupert had saved Mombert and his wife from being condemned for murder. Tears of relief welled up in her eyes, and she could hardly wait for the carriage to stop at the entrance to the Hundsgasse. Lady Mechthild smiled as she watched Marie jump from the carriage, run down the lane, and open the front gate to Mombert’s yard.

  Delightedly, Marie burst into the parlor where her relatives had gathered. Mombert and his wife must have only just been released, as they didn’t seem to able to comprehend the surprising turn of events. Both appeared pale and emaciated. Wina, who was standing beneath the painting of the Virgin Mary, held Hedwig tightly in her arms while Wilmar, shifting his feet anxiously and staring at his master, watched as Marie entered. When she smiled and nodded at him, he gave a big sigh of relief.

  Mombert stood up and walked toward his niece. Trying to speak, he started sobbing instead—not for the first time that day, judging by his reddened eyes. He finally embraced her, burying his face on her shoulder like a child.

  “What a joy to see you.” He was so choked up, he could hardly speak. “God sent you to us, Marie. Without you, my poor wife and I would have been tortured to death, and Hedwig would be enslaved by a perverse scoundrel. You saved us all.”