Rose

by Traci E Hall

  Dominus pushed himself back from the rail. “There is no cause for concern. I know my duty.”

  “You are a brave soldier, Dominus.” He hesitated, then said, “A few of the other knights say we are cursed because the king refused to take control of Constantinople.”

  Dominus squeezed Everard’s shoulder. “We are men of God and do not listen to idle gossip. This caravan is gathered at the bequest of the king, who has shown himself to be a man of integrity. He has followed the rules of conduct, though his advisors urged him otherwise.”

  Everard shrugged off Dominus’s grip, his eyes flashing. “Message received, Brother Dominus.” He adjusted his cloak, slipping his hood up to thwart an oncoming drizzle. “I will keep my own counsel. Does talking to you constitute gossip?”

  Dominus exhaled. “I am here to listen, whenever you need a friend.” Or not. His mission was to listen. To everything. For what purpose, only the bishop knew.

  “Praise be to God, and he shall see us through.” Everard bowed his head.

  “Praise be to God,” Dominus answered. He watched the young knight cross the deck, pausing now and again to offer comfort or prayers to some of the soldiers who’d had coin enough to buy passage. The poor souls who had no silver were forced to make the land journey through the mountains, fighting hunger and Turks to, God willing, meet with them in Antioch.

  Was this pilgrimage cursed?

  He searched the horizon for land. Dominus did not believe in omens or portents of fortune. He believed in muscle and the strength of man. He believed in God, though he wasn’t completely sold on the Templar doctrine. It had been his life experience that too strict a diet caused a man to gorge.

  Dominus, committing a sacrilegious thought, wondered if God gave a shit. He turned toward the queen’s small tent at the front of the ship. What was Odo doing there? He did not care for the king’s watchdog.

  “I don’t know why I teased Dominus,” Mamie told Fay. She didn’t share that he thought she was going to jump into the ocean. He’d shown true concern, which was not something to poke fun at. His compassion confused her.

  Larissa and Eleanor sat upright on the narrow bed, as if it were a couch. Fay sat on a stack of pillows on the floor, while Mamie perched, cross-legged, on a trunk. “But I could not stop myself once he’d given me that challenge.”

  “He reminded you he was chaste!” Eleanor laughed. “That is not a challenge, my dearest Rose. Be kind. There are plenty of men on board this ship. Do not cause a crisis of faith in a man we need to help us win against the Turks. I have seen him fight, and he is competent at wielding a sword.”

  “I would like to find out,” Mamie admitted with a shrug. Stripped down to leggings and a loose tunic so that she could dry without the added layer of drenched clothes, Mamie stretched out a leg, pointing bare toes toward Fay.

  Fay took a pillow and smacked the foot down. “Your feet smell.”

  Larissa chuckled. “We all smell.”

  “We must find enough fresh water to bathe before we meet my uncle. I will not go to him as salted as a herring.” Eleanor waved her hand beneath her nose. “I look like the Queen of Nothing—and you know how important appearances are when greeting the public.”

  “I wish we had our crimson-and-white uniforms. I loved the laces on the knee boots.” Mamie wiggled her toes.

  Larissa clicked her tongue against her teeth. “You wish for clothes; the queen wants to smell nice. None of that can happen unless it starts to rain soap and vinegar. Everything needs a good washing, and so I suggest the royal accoutrement be chosen according to what is cleanest. The blue velvet, my queen, is in the best condition.”

  “Blue,” Eleanor said. “Louis will think I chose it to support him.”

  “Is that such a bad thing?” Fay asked. “It is not my place”—she paused until the queen gave her a nod—“but considering how strained your relationship has become, thanks to awful Odo and Thierry, keeping you apart as if they were nursemaids and the king a child! Oh . . .” Fay shook her head.

  Mamie finished her friend’s thought. “It might be a point of concession that your husband would appreciate. At no cost to you.”

  Eleanor’s eyes brightened, with tears or a new plan, Mamie was not quite certain.

  “The blue velvet it is. Add the gold trim, Larissa. If I am going to do it, I will do it right.”

  “Of course,” Larissa said. “We have a sliver of perfumed soap and a small bottle of oil for your hair.”

  “You will be ravishing,” Mamie teased. “I look forward to meeting your handsome uncle.”

  “Do not even give him a wink, Mamie.” The queen shook her finger. “Or I will . . . I will come up with a suitable punishment. Raymond is handsome and amusing and strong. He can bend an iron bar in his hands. And, oh, how he captivates with a story. You know my grandfather was a troubadour,” she said, smiling.

  “Which is what gave you the idea to form a garden of refined chivalry, with knights and ladies fair,” Fay added, a dreamy expression on her face. Mamie thought it made her look innocent rather than deadly.

  “I imagine Antioch will have all of the amenities of home, or as close as possible to our southern clime. Raymond’s wife, Constance, writes of a beautiful land on the water—an oasis against the Turkish enemy who would destroy it all rather than honor God.”

  Mamie had visited Aquitaine with Eleanor once. The country was lush and green, bountiful in orchards and fields, more vibrant even than her hometown of Troyes.

  The stark gray misery of Paris had come as an unpleasant surprise to Mamie. She could easily imagine the young queen’s shock when she’d left her home in Aquitaine for the drafty castle and a boy-husband who had been raised for the church.

  Eleanor’s creation of the garden was her way of expressing her views on art, literature, and joie de vivre. Men and women conversed, danced, and spoke poetry, looking for beauty rather than disappointment in life. Mamie had found her place among Eleanor’s court with ease.

  “I have my red gown,” Mamie said, patting the trunk she sat on. “Ivory veils and lace trim, a silver chain. Silver slippers, too, if they haven’t melted or fallen apart. I will not embarrass you.”

  Fay tapped her chin. “The brightest yellow gown has a small stain along the hem, which I can cover with a silk flower or a piece of ribbon. Or I can wear the pale yellow with the dark gold insets.”

  “I like the second one best,” Eleanor decided. “Larissa?”

  The handmaiden held up a hand. “Oh-ho, I have my dry gown, which looks just like this one. Brown, both of them. I am not a flower in your garden, my queen.”

  “You are an integral part. I pray that when we return to France, you decide not to marry your farmer and choose to stay in my service instead.”

  “Do not pray too hard, as it is my heart’s desire to have a family of my own.”

  “Have the final say, then,” the queen said with an exaggerated pout. “Any royal cousin would know they were supposed to swear undying fealty to me and give up a husband in order to ensure my happiness.”

  “I am a peasant lass to the bone,” Larissa said with a heartfelt sigh.

  A knock sounded on the pole outside the tent flap. Mamie quickly reached for her robe, slipping it over her shoulders before answering.

  Odo stood before her, his mouth in a prim line. “The king demands an audience with the queen.”

  Mamie bristled, knowing that Louis would not speak that way to his wife. Odo took liberties in the delivery, which added to the resentment between the married couple.

  “When?”

  He looked down his pointed nose. “Now.”

  “I will let her know.” Mamie dropped the flap in the man’s face and turned to her friends, knowing he could hear every word. “I do not like that man.”

  A stomp sounded outside, and Eleanor brought her fingers to her mouth to stop a laugh. “Mamie.”

  “What? Come on, lazy bones. We must take you to see the king.”
/>   “He can see me like this—I’ll not change.” Eleanor lifted her chin.

  “Why are you being so stubborn?” Mamie asked. “The last I saw of you both he was showing true kindness.”

  Eleanor put her hand to her hair. “I simply said that I was looking forward to a bit of luxury with my uncle.”

  Mamie looked at Fay, not believing the story could be so simple.

  Fay shook her head. “And then you went on about how you hoped that our men would be there waiting for us. Ready for battle. Edessa, specifically. He got angry and went below deck.”

  “You know how he feels about these things!” Mamie stripped off her robe and opened the trunk to find something dry. An impossible task, with the amount of rain they’d had.

  “Perhaps he is willing to listen now,” Fay said. “And you are right. Let him see you the way you are. What does the king know of fashion?”

  Stung, Eleanor tapped her lower lip in thought. “Let me see my cosmetics. At the least, I can add a dab of color to my cheeks.”

  Mamie quickly shrugged into a slightly damp gown, the cloth giving her chills. “Wait but a moment, and I will walk with you. Shall Fay come as well?”

  “I do not require the services of a guard while with my husband,” Eleanor said, her brow quirked.

  “It is for Odo and Thierry’s benefit, that they see you are not without protection.” Mamie shook out her sleeve so the seam was straight, then slipped her feet into cold boots. “I miss the sun.”

  Larissa and Fay got Eleanor dressed and coiffed in no time at all. With a haughty lift of her chin, the queen told Mamie, “Fine. Come along, though if my husband wishes a private word, you will wait outside. And keep Odo from listening with his ear against the door. Thank you, Mamie, for the reminder. I wonder what Louis wants.”

  “Soft words and a kind smile might warrant more information than a stern rebuke.”

  “Fay! Have I not taught you the manners of a lady? I know what I am about!”

  “My queen, there is a difference between being a lady and being a wife.”

  Eleanor speared Fay with a glare. “Sweet it is, then. This business of being a wife is difficult work. I do not recommend it.” Her glance went from Fay to Larissa before turning to Mamie. “Let us leave before any more well-meaning advice is given from the students to the teacher.”

  Mamie kept a somber expression as she led the queen across the deck to a set of narrow stairs leading down to a more spacious chamber. The king had offered it to Eleanor, but she’d preferred her tent.

  She scanned the area, her gaze landing on a cap of dark blond hair and a pair of sea-blue eyes. “Look, there is Dominus, leaning against the ship as if he owns it. God’s mercy, for he is handsome. I promised myself I’d keep my distance and preserve his honor. But what would make a man forsake women?”

  “Louis prefers praying to making love,” Eleanor whispered. “Though once I have him in my bed, he enjoys himself mightily. Keeping him there is a challenge, in thanks to Odo and Thierry preaching about procreation as duty to be borne, without any of the fun. Then poor Louis is racked with guilt, which means more time spent on his knees in prayer.”

  She finished speaking just as they reached the king’s room, where Thierry himself stood guard. Thin to the point of emaciation, the eunuch advisor had deep-set eyes and bloodless lips.

  Mamie watched him follow proper conduct by bowing his head, knowing if he didn’t, Eleanor would have it on a pike. The queen knew his true feelings, but the art of surviving in any court required pretending you felt differently.

  “Queen Eleanor, welcome.” Thierry’s voice rattled in his chest. “Madame de Rou. Will you wait here?”

  King Louis opened the door and gestured for her to come inside as well. “Thierry, I will speak with the ladies in private.”

  Thierry’s nostrils flared, but he gave a single nod and closed the door behind them.

  “Good heavens, Louis, where do you sleep?” Eleanor surveyed the chamber, stuffed with crates and boxes.

  “A blanket and a mattress over the trunks. They are filled with letters of import, what gold we have left. The royal seal.” He waved them toward two crates. “Sit, s’il vous plaît.”

  Eleanor smiled prettily. “After you, sire.”

  Louis seemed flustered by his wife’s mood. “Non, non. I prefer to pace. You remember I do not care for the rolling of the ship? I will kiss the ground in gratitude for God’s grace in seeing us closer to Jerusalem—as soon as we land.”

  Eleanor nodded, then took a seat on a crate. “Moi aussi. Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable?”

  Louis’s cheeks reddened. “I have a favor to ask.”

  Mamie stood. “I can wait outside, if you require privacy.”

  “No,” Louis said, gesturing her back down before returning his attention to Eleanor. “I am in need of a gift for your uncle. As you know, we are short of coin and goods. You are much better at doing things with flare. I would not want to slight him, when I know how much he means to you.”

  Mamie’s heart was touched by his sincerity. The king’s love for his wife was clear in the way he asked her for assistance.

  Eleanor clasped her hands together and beamed her approval. “Raymond would understand if we arrived empty-handed. After all, half our caravan is destroyed. But a sincere gesture of friendship on your part, my king, would make him a happy man and me a proud wife.”

  Knowing how Eleanor’s mind worked, Mamie feared that her queen would tell the king then and there to support Raymond’s bid for power, so she sighed with relief when she stood and kissed each of the king’s cheeks. “I will think on this,” she said. “I promise not to disappoint you.”

  “You could never do such a thing.” He took Eleanor’s hands in his.

  Mamie wished she’d stayed outside with Thierry and eavesdropped through the door. It was not often the two royals were alone together—a possible cause of their current unhappiness. A tumble often mended an argument, when no words were spoken but murmurs of love.

  “How long will we stay in Antioch?” Eleanor asked, her voice light. “I would enjoy a lengthy visit.”

  “We are behind schedule,” Louis said in a cautious tone. “I’d hoped to reach Jerusalem in April.”

  “With the troops joining us? Those that took the mountain paths rather than the boats. Because of our own delay, we will get to Antioch a few days ahead of them instead of weeks . . .”

  Mamie wondered how many would survive the journey but kept her question to herself. In fact, she memorized the number of planks in the floor and completely avoided looking up. Since she couldn’t leave, it was the closest she could come to giving them privacy.

  “We can wait no more than two weeks,” Louis said firmly.

  “And what of Edessa?”

  “We shall see what the advisors say once we reach Antioch. I will not make a decision until then.”

  In her periphery, Mamie saw the queen’s littlest finger twitch, something she’d learned she did when angry but thwarted.

  “Hmm.” The queen shuffled her feet.

  King Louis scratched the side of his thin nose. “I know you think we should free Edessa first.”

  “That was the point of the Crusade. If we do nothing to show the Turks it is ours, then what is to stop them from taking the other cities?” Eleanor softened her voice. “We pass it by, my king. You would have us travel back again?”

  “I know my geography. And oui, I would honor a vow I made. A few months, Eleanor, then all will be restored. I ask for patience and support from you, my wife.”

  King Louis’s voice sounded unrelenting. Mamie eyed the door.

  “Of course.” Eleanor’s tone was gruff.

  “I have a council.”

  Uncomfortable silence filled the room.

  Queen Eleanor began again, softer. “I apologize if I spoke out of turn.”

  Mamie dared to peek at the royal couple. Each looked miserable.

&
nbsp; “There was a time you listened to me,” the queen said.

  “I still take your words under consideration, Eleanor,” the king whispered. “This journey has had its difficulties, and the people need a leader. I believe I angered God by the battle of Vitry, and I must be forgiven in Jerusalem. That’s where we will both gain absolution of our sins.”

  “Vitry!” Eleanor said. “It was a mistake. Lives are sometimes the price of victory. Ah, Louis. I love your heart.”

  Mamie snuck another peek. Eleanor put her hand on Louis’s chest. Eye to eye. So close they almost kissed.

  A heavy knock sounded at the door, interrupting what could have been a tender moment. No doubt Thierry timed it thus. Did he have an eye to a crack in the wall?

  Louis called, “Yes?”

  Thierry opened the door. “Odo said the captain is asking for you. You wished to be apprised when land was in sight?”

  Louis gritted his teeth. “Oui.”

  Thierry backed out of the room, the servant having done his job. Mamie didn’t believe the charade at all.

  “I would like to see land. I hardly believe it’s possible after all these weeks of being tossed about,” Eleanor declared with a charming laugh, her hand resting on Louis’s forearm.

  “Oh? Well, then, let us go have a look. It could keep my stomach from churning.” He pressed a hand to his belly. “I am sick and down to daily rations of bread. You, Eleanor, look in the peak of health. Beautiful as always.”

  Mamie hid her surprise at the courteous words. Louis was usually quiet and tongue-tied.

  Eleanor laughed with pure delight. “You flatter me. And I thank you for it.”

  The king spoke the truth. Eleanor had an inner beauty that outshone dry skin or chapped lips. And a trunk of cosmetics that hid any physical flaws.

  “Mamie? Shall we?” she asked.

  Mamie stood, folding her hands at her waist. “I will follow you.” Anywhere.

  Louis grabbed a cloak from a hook on the wall and opened the door. Thierry stepped out of the way with a nod, his expression falling to disappointment as he saw how close the king stood to the queen.