His horse stirred impatiently as the bishop gave Fr. Jacques a handful of coins.
"Take care of Balian. Make sure he recovers from the loss of his wife and child," he said.
"My lord, he is in the grip of demons! He must be...examined."
"He is only grieving, you fool. Now go."
Jacques muttered a string of curses no man of the cloth should dare say to himself before hurrying down to the village. Finally he reached the shed where he kept Balian. He was careful not to let anyone know he was treating him this way. He needed to keep up the act of being a humane man.
Entering the pitch black of the shed, he wrapped his cloak closer around himself. It was freezing outside and, with no sunlight in there, it was even colder.
"Balian," he whispered, hoping he had finally died of the continual beatings and whippings he administered to supposedly beat the demons out of him. In truth, all he wanted was to be rid of him so he could take his lands. When he died, he could always say that the demons killed him.
"How are you today?" he grinned.
There was a rattle of chains as Balian looked up at him with that haunted look which proved to most that he was indeed possessed.
Coughing up blood, he murmured, "Why...won't you just kill me...and be done with it."
"Balian!" Jacques pretended to be shocked. "How could you say that? I am only trying to save your soul."
"You care nothing for me nor my soul. I am not...a fool."
"Nonsense. Now eat! You must keep up your strength to fight them off."
Balian turned away from the slop offered him.
Jacques shoved it in his face. "EAT!"
Balian backed up as far as the iron collar round his neck and the pain that seemed to set his whole back afire would allow.
"Fine," Jacques muttered, secretly glad of his refusal to eat, "See if I care."
Taking off his cloak, he then proceeded to beat Balian with punches to the face and stomach, and anywhere and everywhere. He got caught up with it and only stopped when Balian was left unconscious from the pain he received. Wiping his knuckles from the blood, he donned his cloak and walked away.
As he trudged out of the shed, squinting in the sunlight, he bumped into a horse.
"Sorry" he muttered. Looking up, he almost tripped again, for it was none other than Godfrey de Ibelin. Crap.
Hope you like this! I was going through the fanfiction for Kingdom of Heaven and noticed there wasn't much of anything for it. Too bad, it's an amazing movie!
Also, if you would like to see or know someone who would like to see a story on Percy Jackson and the Olympians where Luke Castellan survives TLO, vote at the poll on my profile, please.
Also, RIP Carrie Fisher!