Chapter Nineteen
Days passed, and Ariel found Lisette to be a true friend. She made her life more bearable. Having the excuse of teaching Lisette how to handle a sword, a familiar routine had been established once more. Even though six months gone, what little Ariel could do gave her a sense of normalcy.
Lisette turned out to be an apt pupil. She would not be able to progress as far as Ariel, but she would be able to defend herself. As for Ariel becoming a healer, she had already learned enough to be considered passable.
Each day started the same. Ariel would wake up, dress, and go to Lisette’s solar. There, she would help Lisette dress and then they would head to the hall to break their fast. Once Geoffrey finished his meal and left the donjon, Lisette and Ariel would return to the solar and collect the swords. Shortly after that they would walk to the clearing to practice. Today was no exception to that routine.
The day was warm and bright. With each stroke of their swords, the sun flashed reflectively off the blades. The jewels in the pommels sparkled, colored lights mixing with the myriad collection of flowers that were scattered throughout the clearing. The sounds of their clashing swords mingled with the songs the birds in the surrounding trees made.
Once the sun shone directly above them, Ariel held up a hand, bringing a halt to their exercise. Lisette lowered her sword so the tip of the blade rested on the ground. She stood puffing while giving Ariel a stare.
“How is it that at the end of our lessons you are hardly winded? Whereas I huff and puff like a bellows. You are six months pregnant and you still can outlast me.”
Ariel smiled reassuringly. “It takes time. You have only been at this for a month. Six months from now you will be able to keep up with me.”
“Something to look forward to. At least my muscles do not ache at the end of each day as they did in the beginning. I thought the pain alone would kill me.”
Smiling, Ariel shook her head. “Hardly. You have grown stronger. I am surprised Geoffrey has not noticed the difference. Your body has become stronger.”
Lisette giggled. “Geoffrey is more interested in another part of my body, one that I do not use for sword practice.”
Their laughter echoed among the trees. Before the sound of their mirth fell to nothingness, four men stepped out of the trees and into the clearing. Slowly, they surrounded Ariel and Lisette.
After settling her gaze on each man, Ariel realized they were Saxon. They had to be some of the men who had taken to living in the woods after the Normans had come to England. Their long hair hung in scraggly, greasy sections. Their clothes were rough homespun, dirty and torn. From the expressions on their faces, they appeared not be too friendly. Each man carried either a battle axe or a sword. The latter probably coming from the Norman victims they had robbed.
Ariel edged closer to Lisette and looked at her briefly. She hoped Lisette would not try anything that could get her hurt. She had raised her sword, making Ariel afraid that Lisette intended to use it against their attackers. She was not ready to confront an enemy with killing on his mind.
The men moved in closer, drawing the circle tighter around them. The one closest to Ariel smiled wickedly at her. His teeth were black, and the stench of his breath wafted over her.
“What do we have here?”
“Looks like a couple of lovelies. They would make good sport, even that one with the child in her belly.”
The man who stood closest to Lisette was the one who had spoken last. He and his companion had spoken in English. Ariel was glad Lisette only spoke French. It was better she remained oblivious to what was being said.
The man who had spoken last poked Lisette with the tip of his sword. Ariel knocked the blade away with her own.
The one with the foul breath chuckled. “It looks as if this one will give us a fight. She holds a sword well enough, but will she be able to wield it with any kind of skill is the question.”
That made the three other men laugh. They obviously were overconfident, taking their success for granted. They really did not expect any kind of resistance from two lone women. They would be in for a big surprise.
As the sword poked Lisette once more, Ariel’s reaction was automatic. She pushed Lisette out of the way and moved to match her sword against the man. She put her full strength behind the blow, and her opponent’s sword flew out of his hands. A look of utter surprise crossed his features before he turned to retrieve his weapon. The others’ mood of light banter changed to aggression.
With a growl of rage, the first man who had spoken lunged at Ariel. Making sure Lisette stayed behind her, she let her training take over.
The man with the bad teeth raised his battle axe above his head. Ariel blocked the blow and made one of her own, catching the man across the ribs. Her slice cut through his clothes, causing blood to well. He bellowed in pain. After that everything became a blur.
Once Ariel finally lowered her sword, there were three bodies on the ground before her and one man ran into the woods. She breathed heavily from her exertion, and realized Lisette was no longer behind her. Quickly turning around, Ariel looked for her only to come face-to-face with Geoffrey. Lisette stood a few feet away.
The utter silence that had fallen in the clearing became ominous. At least to Ariel it had. She held a bloody sword, facing the man who owned her. She had no idea what Geoffrey would do to her. Before he could act against her, she let the sword fall out of her grasp so it landed on the ground at her feet. She could do nothing about the blood splattered on her hands and clothes. She pulled herself up straighter as Geoffrey bent and picked up the discarded sword.
“Who are you, Ariel?”
Before she could answer, Lisette spoke to her husband. “She is a knight.”
Geoffrey roughly ran his fingers through his hair, making it stick out in places. “How can you be a knight?”
Ariel held up her hand to silence Lisette before she could answer for her. Her friend closed her mouth and nodded. “Easy. I passed myself off as a boy, and a Norman finished my training. In the end, he knighted me.”
“Your training could not have lasted very long. We have only been here since this past October.”
Ariel shrugged. “I know that. I fought at Hastings. I was part of King Harold’s house carls.”
Geoffrey sucked in a breath through his clenched teeth. “That scar on your shoulder, did you get it at Hastings?”
“Aye.”
“The knight, the one who knighted you, who was he?”
Ariel was not ready to divulge that information just yet. “His name is of no importance to you. If you do not mind, I am going to the castle to clean up.”
After brushing past Geoffrey, Ariel started to walk out of the clearing. She had only taken a few steps before he brought her to stop.
“Is he the father of your child?”
Without slowing, Ariel answered. “Aye, he is.”
* * * *
Slipping through the castle gates without drawing attention to herself proved easy enough. Nobody ever noticed a serf. Ariel gained the donjon entrance and then quickly climbed the stairs. She literally ran into a peddler who had been waiting in the hall.
Ariel kept her head down while making excuses for herself. She tried to step around the man, but he did not allow it. He kept his hands around her upper arms.
“Are you all right? You have blood all over you.”
Still not looking at him, Ariel shook her head. “Aye. It is somebody else’s, not mine.”
Geoffrey bounded up the stairs. The peddler quickly released her.
Geoffrey halted her once more. “Ariel, please stop.”
Knowing Geoffrey would follow her, Ariel made no move to walk away from the peddler. She steeled herself for a confrontation. She took a deep breath and turned to face him.
“I need to change.”
“Give me a moment. I want you to keep this.”
He carried a sword, the one she had used during Lisette’s training. He stepped forward and held it out to her with the pommel pointed in her direction. Ariel could not bring herself to take it.
“I am a serf. Weapons are forbidden to me.”
Geoffrey shook his head and offered her the sword again. “Take it. You kept Lisette from coming to any harm when those men attacked. You handle a sword better than I. Ariel, you are a knight. A knight needs a sword.”
With a shaking hand, Ariel accepted it. She clasped the cold metal to her chest and then made a hasty retreat to her chamber. She did not want Geoffrey to see the tears that could no longer be held back.
* * * *
The peddler stayed at Kilsmere only long enough for Lady Lisette to make a purchase. He managed to get one more look at Geoffrey de la Roche’s serf and then slipped out the castle gates. He could not tarry. London was his destination, and he had many days of travel before he reached that great city.
He rode well into the night, only stopping long enough to rest his horse and eat. He continued the grueling pace until London could be seen in the distance. He stopped at the side of the road, pausing only long enough to change his travel-stained tunic and pull on his chain mail. His sword followed. Once it hung at his hip, he hopped into his saddle and rode the final distance to London.
* * * *
London was a hot and foul-smelling place during the high summer months. Broc felt as if he had been in the city for an eternity, but he could not bring himself to go to Elmstead. Too many memories of Ariel were there. They were too much to bear.
William’s tower neared completion, and like every other day, the king was there, watching over the construction. Broc headed there, hoping William could provide some distraction, anything to keep his mind off Ariel. All these months and nothing could be found of her. The not knowing constantly ate at him.
William stood among the workmen, pointing out any faults he could find. Broc held back a chuckle. William’s presence had all the workers on their toes. After the king finished speaking to the foreman, Broc went and stood beside him.
“Have you finished harassing the workers?”
William laughed and turned to look at Broc. “What is this? No child attached to you? I rarely see you without your son in your arms.”
“He is sleeping, and Lily is watching him.” Even though William had exaggerated a bit, he was right. Colwyn had become a big part of Broc’s life. With Ariel gone, his son filled some of the gap his mother’s disappearance had made.
William squeezed Broc’s shoulder. “I know. Something will happen soon.”
“It has been too long.”
“Do not give up hope. She will be found.”
The sound of a horse’s hooves pounding into the yard drew their attention. A knight dismounted and then headed to William. Bowing, the man waited for William to acknowledge his presence.
“Sir Thomas, you have returned. Do you have anything to tell us?”
Quickly glancing at Broc, Thomas nodded. “Aye, I do, sire. I think I might have found the girl.”
“Where?” Broc all but shouted that one word, drawing the attention of the workers nearest them.
William squeezed Broc’s shoulder. “Calm down, Broc. Let the poor man tell us what he has found. Continue, Sir Thomas.”
The knight gave a nod and then continued. “Far to the north there is a new castle called Kilsmere. It is owned by a Geoffrey de la Roche.”
“I know of him. He is a second son of one of my barons.”
“He has a serf who matches the girl’s description. After I arrived, she came into the hall with blood on her clothes and hands. Geoffrey de la Roche followed her. He gave her a sword and called her a knight. Apparently, she saved his wife from some Saxons who had attacked her and the serf. He made her take the sword.”
Broc became very still. “Did you hear what name the serf was called by?”
“Aye, I did. He called her Ariel.”
Broc closed his eyes, sending up a silent prayer of thanks. They had found her. He would go to Kilsmere and take back what was his. God help Geoffrey de la Roche if he had harmed Ariel in any way.
* * * *
The lessons continued, only now Geoffrey took an active part in them. They still used the clearing as their practice field, having no fear that their attackers would return. Ariel had dispatched most of them, and the one remaining man would be a fool to return. A week had gone by and no trace of the man could be found.
Word spread quickly throughout Kilsmere of Ariel’s victory over the Saxon men. Since coming to live with Geoffrey, she had been treated with little to no respect. That had changed. The guards went out of their way to talk to her. They no longer leered at her, making her feel like a piece of meat they wished to devour. Even Dame Marguerite had grudgingly accepted Ariel’s part in Lisette’s life.
The practice that took place this day was a bit of a surprise to Ariel. Before she and Lisette could begin, Geoffrey went to stand between them. “It is time I tested my skill against Ariel’s abilities. I have to know if she is really better at handling a sword.”
Ariel chuckled. “If I should be?”
“I will remove the collar from your neck.”
Ariel could tell Geoffrey meant every word he said by his serious tone. She could not stop herself from making sure she had heard him right. “Truly? If I disarm you, I will no longer be a serf.”
“Aye. You should never have been one in the first place. Be prepared, I will not make it easy on you. I really do not wish to see you leave Kilsmere.”
“Just because I would leave Kilsmere does not mean I would never return. I have come to think of you both as friends.”
“Even after the way I treated you?”
Looking at Lisette, Ariel tried to see whether she was bothered by what Geoffrey had asked. Lisette smiled reassuringly. “I consider myself lucky Theodoric sold me to you. Another owner could have treated me much worse. I expect Theodoric thought you would use me terribly.”
“I am glad you can think of me on such friendly terms.”
Smiling, Ariel raised her sword. “Enough talking. Let us get down to business. You also be prepared. I will not make it easy for you, either.”
With Lisette watching on the sidelines, Geoffrey and Ariel crossed swords. The clearing filled with the ringing of their blades meeting. For the first time in months, Ariel allowed herself to be what she truly was—a knight who happened to be a lady.
Laughing, Ariel pushed Geoffrey across the clearing with blows of her sword. True to her word, she gave it her all. Once she figured she had proven herself, she made her move to disarm him, but at the last moment, he dropped his sword. He appeared to be staring at something just over her shoulder. Before she could turn around to see what had caught his attention, a deep voice call to her. One she had thought at one time to never hear again.
“Ariel, is it really you?”
Ariel turned in the direction the voice had come from and found Broc a foot away, and he wasn’t alone. William was there, along with the peddler. From the appearance of the “peddler,” she realized he really was a knight.
Broc stared at her protruding stomach. Ariel placed her hand on it. Her simple movement caused fury to kindle in his golden eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but his gaze had moved to Geoffrey.
“Are you Geoffrey de la Roche?”
“Aye.”
Broc slammed his fist into Geoffrey’s jaw. Not expecting it, Geoffrey lost his balance and fell. Broc stepped closer, ready to hit the downed man again. Ariel went to stand over Geoffrey.
“Stop it, Broc! There is no reason for you to hit Geoffrey.”
Broc’s eyes seemed to burn right through her. “Really? I have every reason. Look at you. The collar is bad enough, but to see you carrying his child makes it even worse.”
Ariel was shocked that Broc would think the baby was not his. “You think the child is Geoffrey’s?”
“Are you telling me he never took you to his bed?”
Ariel hesitated. If she lied to Broc, it could cause further problems down the road. It was best to get it all out and in the open. “Aye, he did.”
“Did he force you?” Broc growled.
“Nay.”
Broc’s face lost all trace of emotion. He turned and started to walk away.
“Broc, wait. I can explain.”
Without stopping, Broc said, “You do not need to. It is very clear that you allowed another man to take you.”
Realizing Broc had no intention of listening to her, Ariel stuck out her sword and tripped him. After he fell, she sat on his chest.
“You will listen to what I have to say. Aye, I did sleep in another man’s bed, but not the way you think. Besides, a serf has no rights. He wanted me there. I had to do what he wanted. I was already pregnant with your child when Geoffrey bought me. This babe was all I had left of you. I would not have done anything to harm it.”
Broc’s expression never changed. “Are you through? I would like to get off the ground.”
A wave of pain washed over Ariel. He would not listen to her. “Did you not hear what I just said to you?”
“Aye, it changes nothing. Get off.”
Devoid of all feeling, Ariel slipped off Broc. As she climbed to her feet, he stood and then retrieved his horse from William. He mounted before he left the clearing.
Once Ariel could no longer see Broc, she allowed herself to look at the king. He had left his horse with the knight and came to her side. Geoffrey and Lisette had also moved closer. Ariel just barely managed to pull herself together.
William looked Ariel up and down, then glared at Geoffrey. “You have not done well by this, Geoffrey de la Roche. Give me the key to this collar. I can no longer stand seeing it around her neck.”
Geoffrey reached into the pouch that hung at his belt, pulled out the key, and handed it to William. “I wish to seek your forgiveness, sire. I knew nothing of Ariel’s past, and Theodoric did not inform me. I only wished to keep her at Kilsmere.”
William removed the collar before he disgustedly threw it to the ground. His eyes narrowed at the mark it had left around Ariel’s neck. “The woman next to you must be your wife. Was she not good enough for you?”
“I bought Ariel before Lisette came to England. I have kept only to my wife. Concern for Ariel made me hesitate in removing the collar. I was afraid if I did, she would try to make it to her home alone. With her this far gone, I planned to release her. She is smart enough not to endanger her child.”
William nodded. “So, Colwyn is to have a brother or a sister, I see.”
“How is my son?” Geoffrey and Lisette turned shocked expressions in Ariel’s direction.
Smiling, William answered. “He is fine, my lady. Broc has kept his son at his side since your disappearance. The boy even sleeps in the same bed as he.”
Ariel closed her eyes on the tears that welled to the surface. “I have missed him so. He probably will not remember me. I have been gone too long.”
William pulled Ariel close and held her. “He will quickly learn you are his mother. In time this will only be a memory. Broc will come around.”
“If he does not?”
“Do not fret. I will handle Broc. Everything will be put to rights. I will personally see it comes about.”