| published
by Whiskey
Creek Press
CHAPTER ONE
England, 15th
Century
“Black
Knight, pledge thy loyalty and love to me and no other!” Queen
Isabel Trenowyth demanded.
“I cannot,
Your Grace,” the Black Knight replied, ignoring her haughty
tone while holding back his jet black Andalusian from prancing too
close to the Queen and her court. “My heart belongs to another.”
“Another?
Thou wears the colors of this kingdom. My kingdom.” Isabel
snorted as she spoke, her proud face suffused with rage. “Thy
heart can belong to no other in this time or in any other time.”
“Thou
speak the truth. I wear the black and gold colors of Heartsease
and as a knight by my own pledge sworn to protect the castle walls
and its people, nothing more, Your Grace. I cannot give my heart
to one whom on a whim hast so many knights on bended knee.”
The Black Knight backed his snorting stallion a little further from
the anger of Queen Isabel. He’d vowed to protect Heartsease
and its lands for longer then the Queen’s reign; he’d
never promised to be her lover.
“Of course,
there art other willing knights of Heartsease who would give me
the pleasure I request. It is what thou hast refused me all these
years which I seek. I have offered thee everything and now thee
shall have nothing.” Isabel waved him off like an unfinished
piece of meat. “The tournament shall continue.”
A snarl marred
her otherwise beautiful face. “Ruin him, Sir Thomas!”
Queen Isabel commanded of the Black Knight’s opponent.
Sir Thomas backed
his gray mount away from Queen Isabel until he reined in solidly
beside the Black Knight. The line had been drawn and the Black Knight
knew Isabel would not take lightly a refusal from two of her knights.
“My Queen,
I cannot. I hath given my life to protect the people of thy kingdom.
Heartsease is the place of my birth and that of my family before
me. Our alliance to thy father before his death is long and unquestionable.
It will continue as such. On this day, I refuse to take the Black
Knight’s life to ease thy pride and bruised heart,”
Sir Thomas replied, loud enough for half of Heartsease to hear him.
“Thomas,
thy protection of me is admirable, but not needed,” the Black
Knight rebutted under his arnet to his childhood friend, then turned
to the Queen. Her fury over Thomas’ refusal was evident and
so would be her vengeance. He couldn’t allow Thomas to face
her wrath. “I refuse Sir Thomas’ protection and challenge
him to Joust à plaisance.”
Queen Isabel
thought for a moment, then coolly signaled for the Chief Marshall
to approach her. A wicked smile crossed her lips as she whispered
into his ear. A look of dismay soon turned to pleasure as the Chief
Marshall faced the Black Knight and Sir Thomas.
“This
art the Queen’s terms of the challenge set forth. If the Black
Knight loses, he will remove the coat of arms signifying his alliance
with Heartsease and be banished from these lands for all time. If
he should be the victor, then Sir Thomas will be stripped of knighthood
and work the land as his father before him. In addition, the Black
Knight shall do the Queen’s bidding day and night as Queen
Isabel so chooses.”
A hush fell
over the list as all in attendance waited for the Black Knight’s
answer to the cruel request. If he accepted this challenge and lost,
he’d be forced to leave his homeland forever. This was the
place of his birth and the birth of his beloved Catherine. His victory
would bring shame upon Thomas and his family and devastate them;
he’d be at Isabel’s mercy for the rest of his days.
Either way he was doomed. The Queen left him without a true choice.
The Black Knight
backed his black steed, turned, and then trotted around the list
toward William, his young squire. Passing along the rail, he paused
long enough to take up the lace and purple-ribboned offering from
Catherine, the beautiful daughter of Heartsease’s dressmaker.
He leaned in toward the raven-haired, blue-eyed young woman, his
heart already hers. She smiled and tied the token around his lance,
making him her champion.
“How can
I help but not fail, Catherine,” he whispered to the lovely,
but plainly dressed maiden.
“I know
not, but thee will find a way to right this wrong,” she said,
a trusting smile brightening her worried face. Touched by her faith
in him, he then rode off to the east end of the list, doom flittering
down his spine. The only honorable way out would be to lose even
though it went against his nature—and he could possibly lose
Catherine as well.
“Sir Reynold?”
William queried.
He gave his
squire a confident smile, seeing the fear in the boy’s eyes.
“I will not allow the Queen to dictate my life any longer,
my young friend. If I must leave my home and country to save Thomas’
family name, I will.” Reynold dismounted and handed the reins
to William.
“The Queen
would rather see thee dead, Sir,” William commented, leading
the stallion alongside Reynold toward their tent.
“Beware
what thou say, young William. In this Court even the ground hast
ears,” Reynold cautioned his bold squire, placing a hand on
the young man’s shoulder. “Lest thy take care in those
words, or it could be thee riding Abraxas and carrying a lance against
thy father instead of me.”
“What
of my cousin?” William tethered Abraxas to a post outside
their tent. “What will become of Catherine if thou art no
longer here to protect her?”
“Catherine
knows I’d not bring shame on thy family name. I will find
a home and send for her when the time is right.” Reynold walked
into his tent to prepare for his joust against Thomas, his blood-brother
and childhood friend. “Wherefore Isabel hast chosen to doeth
this now is beyond my knowledge, Will. Her jealousy runs deeper
since her father’s death.”
“Some
say that Isabel hast consulted the stones. They say the stones hath
foreseen thy failure and disappearance from Heartsease, Reynold,”
Will said in a hushed tone, as if afraid to be heard by anyone but
himself. “Father is fearful that Isabel plays with the darkness
of life to rid thee of thine. Her witch is powerful in the black
arts.”
Reynold handed
his arnet to Will, shook his head and took a deep breath. It confirmed
his own thoughts. “I have heard the same words whispered behind
tankards of ale. It is more than my life she yearns to rid me of,
it is my will to refuse her advances and physical pleasures.”
* * * *
Reynold pulled
himself into the saddle and waited for Will to hand him his shield
and cronel-tipped lance. There was much at stake in this event.
At the other
end of the list, his oldest and closest friend waited for their
time at the joust.
They all had
grown up together—Thomas Astley, Catherine, Isabel and himself.
Thomas was the son of a farmer and his cousin, Catherine, the dressmaker’s
middle daughter who was more of a tomboy than a girl. As a child,
Isabel didn’t know the difference in their positions in life.
Her father, King David, allowed her to play with the children of
Heartsease. She’d been a big-hearted girl back then, filled
with passion and love. Reynold had been the King’s eyes and
ears even as a boy, up until the King’s death when Isabel
was but an enthusiastic girl of sixteen. Something inside her changed
that day, something dark and evil.
There had been
a time in Reynold’s life when he thought he loved Isabel.
These past years with her ruling cruelly as Queen made him realize
that Catherine was the one who had his heart—not the selfish
woman Isabel had become.
After years
of fulfilling the promise he’d made to Isabel’s father
as he lay dying, Reynold continuously refused the provocative suggestions
Isabel presented him on a regular basis. He’d promised the
King he’d defend Heartsease and look after Isabel, not become
a bed toy for her to play with like so many others. Isabel proved
to need no looking after; she had plenty of willing knights to defend
her honor and visit her private quarters.
The sound of
trumpets brought him back to the present and the task awaiting him.
His plan was a simple one that he’d have to leave Will out
of. If he didn’t, the young squire would find a way to inform
his father of Reynold’s planned deception.
Reynold spurred
Abraxas ahead and entered the list at the same time as Thomas did
from the west end. They’d been through this many times before
on the practice field. Abraxas stomped in eagerness to charge and
Reynold spurred the stallion forward.
Galloping toward
Thomas on the opposite side of the tilt, Reynold felt the jolt as
his cronel smashed against his opponent’s chest. He’d
hit Thomas, but not enough to knock him off his mount. The two knights
rode out to the ends of the list and turned.
Gathering himself,
he repositioned the lance and charged toward Thomas again. As they
met in the middle of the tilt, Reynold lowered his weapon at the
last moment and felt the jolt of Thomas’ lance hit him squarely
in the chest, teetering him in the saddle. The cheers of the crowd
echoed inside his arnet, vibrating in his ears.
One more pass
and it would be over. Ignoring Will’s questioning look, Reynold
spurred Abraxas around and charged his life-long friend for what
he prayed would be the last time. The two passed and Thomas lifted
his lance, missing Reynold by inches. Knowing in that instant Thomas
was no fool, Reynold fell sideways, allowing Abraxas to drag him
to the west end of the list.
The pain shooting
through his body was nothing compared to the satisfaction of knowing
Thomas would continue his life as a knight. His plan may not have
worked to perfection, but his honor to Thomas was held intact. Reynold
would find a new life, a lonely one, but a life nonetheless.
“Whoa!
Whoa!”
The words came
through the blackness trying to take claim to his mind. Abraxas
suddenly halted and Reynold felt himself lifted off the ground.
Someone took his foot from the stirrup and pulled the arnet from
his head.
Focusing, he
stared into the eyes of his raven-haired love. He had indeed found
his place at last, in Catherine’s arms.
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