Knight of Her Life

by Marisa Chenery

  “Gladly would I give it.” It was Terric’s turn to smile. A disgusted expression crossed the earl’s face. “Since you love no one but yourself, you cannot possibly understand.”

  The backhanded slap the earl delivered caught Terric on the corner of his mouth. A rush of blood entered it when his lip split. “Your devotion to my daughter might cause you to lose that very thing.”

  * * * *

  A few hours after the earl’s visit, Terric was moved to another pavilion. One that was used for storing the camp’s supplies. Crates and casks haphazardly stacked.

  His guards roughly shoved him through the entrance. He barely managed to keep his balance. If he had fallen, he would not have been able to catch himself. With his hands still bound behind his back, it would have been impossible, and well they knew it.

  After depositing Terric in his new prison, the guards left, securing the pavilion flap. They softly spoke just outside the entrance where they stood guard.

  He stepped to the centre of the pavilion, then sat on the floor. Night was slowly creeping in, and it was sure to be an uncomfortable one for him. Along with having no blanket to keep him warm, he had not been given any food or drink. His stomach rumbled, reminding him of the number of hours that had passed since he had last eaten. There was nothing for it. He would have to do without.

  He dozed off and only came awake once the pavilion flap opened again. It was not the earl, but one of his guards, carrying a cloth-covered tray. Another man followed. Terric did not bother to pay close attention to either of them.

  The tray was placed beside him before the guard roughly took hold of his bound hands and cut them free. Terric hissed as blood rushed into his numb digits. Barely given enough time to have the circulation fully restored, his hands were bound once more, this time in front of him. At least he would be able to use them to eat.

  The guard left, leaving the other man behind. Still ignoring him, Terric lifted the cloth, then ate the bread and cheese he had been given. A pair of feet came into his field of vision, and he finally looked up.

  The man was vaguely familiar. At first, he could not place where he had met him, but then it hit Terric who it was.

  The man smiled. “Ah, I can see you finally remember me.”

  “Aye, I do.”

  “As I remember you. An acquaintance of Jacqueline’s.”

  Terric tapped down his rage toward him, the minstrel, Nicholas. The one who had tried to end his son’s life. The one who had been nothing but a thorn in Jacqueline’s side. “What do you want?”

  Nicholas sneered. “What do I want? Nothing from you. The earl is giving me everything I want. I just came to tell you not to worry what Jacqueline’s fate will be. She will be left unharmed and well taken care of. By me.”

  Terric shook his head and chuckled. “Did the earl promise you Jacqueline?”

  “Aye.”

  “You think he will keep his word?”

  “Aye.”

  “You are a bigger idiot than Jacqueline described.” Terric had the satisfaction of the minstrel’s expression turning from cocky to uneasy. Finally, he became angry.

  Nicholas kicked the tray of food beside Terric. He ground the bread and cheese into the ground with the heel of his boot. “The earl will not double-cross me. I was the one who told him of Forwin’s duplicity. He said he would reward me with Jacqueline as my wife.”

  “If I were you, I would watch my back. I have a feeling you have outlived your usefulness.”

  Nicholas gave Terric one last dark look, then stomped out of the pavilion. Terric shook his head once more. The man was a stupid fool. He had put his trust in the maw of a viper.

  * * * *

  Jacqueline found no rest that night. Not knowing how Terric faired ate away at her. Finally, after fretting half the night through, she gave up. After giving Jordan his night feeding and then settling him back down to sleep, she went and sat at her chamber window. From that vantage point, she was able to look down at her father’s camp. There were so many of them. She was not at all confident they could withstand an attack. Sir Guy was a very good strategist, but with such weak defenses, strategy would not be much of an asset. It could only work to a certain extent.

  As dawn’s light appeared over the horizon, the activity within the camp increased. Something was definitely happening. After quickly pulling on a tunic and hose, she checked to make sure Jordan still slept. She peered into her son’s cradle and found him blissfully sleeping. She gently adjusted his blanket, then quietly left the chamber.

  At the hall, Jacqueline found Alice preparing to light the fireplace. Once she lit it, she turned around. She jumped in surprise. With her hand on her chest, she said, “Oh, my lady, you gave me a scare. I did not see you come down.”

  “Sorry, Alice. I did not mean to give you a fright. What are you doing up so early?”

  Alice brushed her hands on her apron and shrugged. “I could not sleep. All those men out there worry me.”

  “We are safe for the moment.” Jacqueline hoped she sounded convincing, because that was not how she felt. Alice did not need to know that, though. “Now that you have the fire lit, can you sit in my chamber with Jordan? He is still asleep.”

  Alice smiled. “With pleasure, my lady. I will bring him to you once he awakens.”

  After Alice disappeared up the stairs, Jacqueline turned to face the newly-lit fire. Even though spring had arrived and the days were getting increasingly warmer, the castle still was chilly. She extended her hands toward the flames.

  Sir Guy found her that way when he came in search of her. “I am glad to see you are awake, lass. Saves me from having to wake you.”

  Jacqueline dropped her arms to her sides as the older man approached. “Something has happened. Has it not?”

  “Aye. Your father is at the causeway, demanding to speak with you.” Jacqueline moved to leave, but Sir Guy stopped her. “There is one other thing. He has Terric with him.”

  Her steps faltered for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure. With long, steady strides, she quickly left the hall and then climbed up to the top of the castle walls. Sir Guy followed her.

  Just as Sir Guy had said, the earl stood at the end of the causeway. He was accompanied by two of his men, who acted as guards for their prisoner. Terric was between them, bound.

  Anger boiled inside her. The earl looked so self-assured, almost as if he assumed his mere presence would open Nunney. She had no intention of handing the castle over to him. She walked to the parapet wall and stared down at her father.

  “You requested to speak with me. Here I am,” she said in a loud voice.

  The earl looked up. “Ah, daughter. So you have come. Do you not think it would be better if you let me in? That way we could speak more freely.”

  “What do you take me for, Father? A woman without sense? If you want words with me, say them from there.”

  Even from the great distance that separated them, Jacqueline saw the earl’s face turn red with ire. All pretences were gone when he finally found his voice once more. “You stupid girl! You know why I am here. Nunney is mine, and you are going to give it to me.”

  “Nay. I will not. Nunney is my son’s birthright. It never was to be yours. It makes no difference what deal you made with Forwin. I wonder what the king would say if he found out about your underhanded ways.”

  “Enough!” the earl bellowed. He snapped his fingers. His men brought Terric to the end of the causeway. “Either you lower the drawbridge or you forfeit the life of your lover.”

  Jacqueline gripped the edge of the stone parapet wall so tightly her fingers turned white. Her gaze shot to Terric’s face. He gave her a perspicuous shake of his head, telling her not to give in to the earl’s demands.

  The earl yelled, “Well? What have you decided?”

  Sir Guy came to stand next to Jacqueline and spoke with hushed tones into her ear. “Ask for more time before you give him your answer. We need to think of a way to get
Terric from him.”

  Jacqueline nodded, then said to the earl, “I need time before I can make my decision.”

  Below, Terric tried to pull free from the two men who held him. “Jacqueline! I am dead anyway. Do not let him take Nunney. It will make no difference.”

  Annoyed, the earl motioned to his men with a flick of his wrist. “Shut him up.”

  With the butt of his sword, one of the men slammed it onto the back of Terric’s head. He crumpled into a heap on the dusty causeway as Jacqueline cried out.

  “I will give you until dawn on the morrow. If you do not lower the drawbridge then, you can watch your lover die.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Jacqueline felt sick as her father’s men dragged the unconscious Terric away. She also felt helpless, which was exactly how her father wanted her to feel.

  Before returning to his encampment, the earl had one final thing to say. “You might be my daughter, but that will not stop me from taking Nunney down a stone at a time if I must. Or from making you pay the price for trying to take what I want.”

  She stood at the wall long after the earl had gone. Sir Guy stayed by her side. “Time to return to the hall, lass. Standing out here will not be of any help to Terric.”

  Jacqueline pried her stiff fingers from the wall and looked at Sir Guy. “There is no hope for us. I cannot save him.”

  “There is always hope, Jacqueline. Do not give up the fight so easily. You are a fighter, girl. You cannot let him beat you. Now is the time to show that bastard he does not always get whatever he wants.”

  She meekly shook her head. “I am not strong enough. Too much is at stake here. How could I live with myself if I retain Nunney at the cost of Terric’s life? I would look at these walls day in and day out and see his blood upon them. That is too much to ask of me.”

  “Come down to the hall. I am sure Beth and Edwin are now awake. We have a day. The four of us should be able to put our heads together and come up with some way of getting Terric from the earl’s clutches.” Sir Guy took Jacqueline by the arm and led her from the wall. “Remember, you are not alone. We will prevail.”

  * * * *

  Surfacing to awareness, Terric groaned in pain. His head felt as if it were cracked in two. To make sure it really was still in one piece, he gingerly lifted it off the ground. It held together, much to his surprise.

  After carefully rolling to his side, Terric tried to push himself into an upright position. The movement cost him greatly. Sweat poured down his face, and his world spun as dizziness overtook him. Closing his eyes seemed to help somewhat.

  The picture of Jacqueline upon the castle walls rose to play behind his closed eyes. He had felt a moment of triumph, seeing that she was indeed safe, but he had seen the fear and helplessness she felt at facing the earl. Knowing it was he who engendered such feelings in her made Terric wish he could make this all disappear. She should not have to go through a situation like this. She already had been through enough hardship.

  Around midday, one of the earl’s men brought food and water for Terric. He silently placed the tray he carried beside him, then just as quietly left. Terric grasped the jug of water with his bound hands, then greedily drank. Figuring this would be all he could expect in the way of nourishment for the day, he made sure he left half the bread for later. He did the same with the water.

  Once he finished his simple meal, there was only one thing left to him—sit and wait to see what fate would deal him.

  * * * *

  “Can we come up with nothing?” she asked vehemently.

  The hours of frustration wore Jacqueline down. Among the four of them, they had yet to come up with a feasible plan to free Terric. Many of the problems stemmed from the castle’s own defenses. The moat being their only real barrier for safety, it extended all the way to the castle walls, and that made it as much of an obstacle as a defense.

  At first, the only response Jacqueline received to her question was silence. Then Edwin cleared his throat and hesitantly said, “I have…have an idea.”

  Jacqueline immediately perked up. “What do you have in mind?”

  “Well…what if I were to have someone lower me to the moat at the back of the castle. I could swim to the other side and sneak into the earl’s camp to free Terric. I doubt they would expect someone like me to attempt anything like that. I know how to keep myself from being seen. I learned that lesson well before Terric found me in London.” Having lived alone on some of that city’s meanest streets from a very early age and survived, attested to his skill.

  Sir Guy seemed to take what Edwin suggested into serious consideration, but eventually he shook his head. “Nay, sorry, lad, but it is too risky.”

  Edwin, who had been sitting by the hearth, shot to his feet and walked to the trestle table where Jacqueline, Beth, and Sir Guy sat. “It can work. I know it can. The earl does not have any of his men watching the back of the castle. I know, I looked. He thinks he has us where he wants us. He is too sure of himself.”

  Beth, who had silently listened as the others spoke, said, “Sorry to say this, Sir Guy, but I have to agree with Edwin. The earl would never expect what Edwin plans.”

  The older man threw up his hands in consternation. “I really have no right to stop you, Edwin, but I cannot help feel you do not know what kind of danger you will be putting yourself in.”

  Edwin chuckled, but without humor. “No more dangerous than what I lived with every day in London as a child. It makes no difference to me. Terric saved my life. It is my turn to pay back the favor. I have to try. I owe him that much.”

  Sir Guy nodded. “Fine, lad. We will give your plan a try tonight. Time is running out, and so far, you are our best hope.”

  * * * *

  Jacqueline moved stealthily, keeping to the shadows as she headed to the back of the castle. After reaching the stairs that would take her to the top of the walls, she took them two at a time. She carried a long coil of rope over one shoulder.

  As Sir Guy and Edwin had discussed the squire’s plan to rescue Terric, she had been busily making her own. She decided she would take Edwin’s place. So as darkness began to fall, Jacqueline made her move. She would cross the moat on her own, much earlier than Edwin was to make his attempt.

  Once she gained the top of the stairs, she worked quickly. She tied the rope through one of the notches in the wall, then threw the length of it over. She slipped her dagger free from its sheath that hung at her waist and then placed the blade between her lips. She took hold of the rope and swung her legs over the wall before she slowly moved to the moat below.

  Jacqueline sucked in her breath as she entered the water. The coldness was a shock. Setting off with smooth, even strokes, she clamped her teeth together, preventing them from chattering. Once she reached the other side, she quickly scanned the edge of the moat for any movement. Luck seemed to be on her side. She appeared to be alone. She pulled herself up and onto dry ground, then shook the water from her hair. Stealthily, she began the task of sneaking into her father’s encampment.

  * * * *

  Sir Guy accompanied Edwin up to the wall. The sight of a rope already tied to the wall surprised him. Finding it hanging to the moat below sent a chill running down his spine.

  He scanned the bank on the opposite side and found it deserted. Sir Guy swore under his breath and set off at a run. He took the steps down practically three at a time as he hurried to the hall. Edwin followed.

  After throwing open the hall doors, both of them barreled through. Beth, who had been pacing before the hearth, let out a gasp of surprise as he searched every inch of the hall with his gaze. “What is wrong?”

  “Where is she?” he asked.

  “Who?”

  “Jacqueline. Where is she?”

  “Is she not with you? She is not in her chamber. I just came from there. Alice is the only one there, watching Jordan.”

  He let out a bellow of rage and headed for the chambers above. Mindful of the
sleeping babe, he quietly opened Jacqueline’s chamber door. Alice sat in a chair near the cradle, stitching. She looked up from her work as the door swung open. At Sir Guy’s signal for her to join him outside, she put aside her sewing and came to him.

  “Where is your mistress?”

  Not looking him in the face, Alice said quietly, “I know not. She just bid me to mind the little lord.”

  He took the girl by the shoulders and gave her a little shake. “Do not play dumb with me, girl.” Alice whimpered. “You know where Jacqueline went and you are going to tell me.”

  Alice whimpered once more. “She made me promise not to say. I will tell you, sir. She has gone to rescue her husband.”

  Sir Guy briefly closed his eyes and sent up a silent prayer, one to save him from headstrong women. “How long ago did she leave?”

  “When it grew dark.” Alice cringed.

  He released the servant girl, then returned to the hall to break the news to Beth and Edwin. Both stood near the stairs, waiting expectantly. He shook his head. “The fool of a lass has gone over the wall by herself. From the amount of time that has passed, I would say she is at this moment working her way into the camp.”

  Silently, Beth walked to the trestle table and refilled her goblet of wine. She tossed it back in two large gulps. Sir Guy thought she had the way of it. They would all need some wine to fortify their spirits if they were to get through this night. He just hoped Jacqueline knew what she was doing.

  * * * *

  Nicholas savored the rich wine the earl provided to all who had been invited to his pavilion. They were celebrating the morrow’s victory. The earl planned to walk through Nunney’s gates and claim the castle as his own.

  He had not spoken with the earl since their first meeting, but he expected he would soon. When he had received the invitation to join this impromptu celebration, it had said his attendance was mandatory. It was a command that had not really been necessary. It was not as if he would have turned it down.