The Loyal Scott-Chapter 9- Preparation
George POV
His sword flung from upper hand flying down with the speed of a cannon ball destroying my shields defenses, making the him suspect the upper hand which was a simple trick as my left foot swung knocking his thigh stunning him for a brief second, this giving me time swing my sword broadly from the right. Though I had the timing and upper hand we forgot of our other opponent who swung knocking my blade out of hand but luckily bash made his move from him being distracted with me and he knocked the blade from his grasp but with a quick shield bash Alec knocked Bash's sword from his grasp as well, we all pulled out our daggers in swift movements and pick a target to point it at but the problem they thought was it would make a triangle, I however had two daggers and pressed both up to their guts
"Ha I win"
"Only because you cheated"
"In war you can't cheat" Alec defended me What we didn't hear was a set of the Queens boots walking up to us as we were acting like children over who stabbed who.
"I thought I'd find you hear Bash but my bodyguard I didn't expect," I looked down defeated, "Well I hope you enjoyed yourselves"
"Hey hear that Alec, we are supposed to enjoy ourselves"
"No you're supposed to be In the throne room, with the royal audience"
"Lord Hugu can manage," Mary scoffed at this, "Your father is going to Rome to have you legitimized, this is a test Bash" They bickered a bit more and it went to where it always went when they argued, Bash's Bastardness, and Mary feeling bad. I guess no more fun swordplay today time for hell, court once again.
Hour later in Throne room
It was simple enough with Bash drowning in droll as he slept through the hearing of his peoples complaints, the sun was praying down in the courtroom for it was stuffy and hot in the room from the sun and the amount of people cramped in here. Everything was a nice and boring day in court as people whined and moaned to the king but something interesting happened sparking the whole courtroom's interest. They pulled in a pregnant girl who was claimed a thief but what was suppressing was Bash's reaction. His thoughts looked to blur into something else as he stared into the girls eyes as if he knew her.
"Mary does Bash know her" Lola exclaimed after Bash stared for a long time, "If he does I don't know, it seems he knows her but I've never met her before" I piped in the whispers, "That isn't a look of seeing a ghost or a relative I would know from the battle field that, that is a look of fear" Bash dismissed the girl after rendering judgment to throw her in the dungeon. We thought that would be the most suppressing thing of the court today but a women came in right after the pregnant girl and starting walking towards Bash with her hand stretched outright into the light, showing her wrinkly hands but also showing me and Alec something shiny up her sleeve. Alec ran towards the feeble women as she approached Bash after he told her to stop, he slammed into her side crashing her to the ground. I grabbed Bash by the arm and took him to Mary as standard safety procedure to take him out of the room. Alec opened her sleeve and pulled out her dagger she was hiding and joined me as we dragged Bash to his room, I was going to follow him but Mary pulled me away and said we had to go to do something else.
In Queen Catharine's Cell
I thought Mary was going to barge in there and confront Catharine but we found the door open and many servants scrambling in the cell.
"I thought no one was to enter this room other than guards and maidservants, PER THE KINGS ORDERS, hmm and apparently the list has grown to include dressers, footmen, cooks, and decorators"
"Umm yes your grace but the queen…"
"Is terrifying" I chimed in, "You should fear this one more"
Mary gave me a look to shush it, "You also need to remember that the king is also terrifying, and he's coming home soon" Mary said as glairing down the guard giving me the thought of being scared even when she wasn't yelling at me.
"Mary stop harassing the poor man" the Queen coughed, "I'm locked in here am I not"
Finally what I was waiting for Mary confronted her, "Someone tried to kill Bash"
"Is he ok"
"I said tried to kill him didn't I?"
"Well was he injured?" The queen said in what both I and Mary could tell was a fake worried frown, "Oh you're thinking I would let something slip? Some clue to confirm I did this"
"Well you are the one who hates Bash and wants him dead" I uttered
"Try any nobleman, I'd say for starters boy. Anyone who loves France enough to wish it a real king and not some bastard"
Mary and her bickered more about whether she could be executed for this or what she could be executed for. I felt like I was going to die from just watching the Medici Queen and the Queen of Scotts have a royal stare down. It seemed forbidden to watch something like this that could blow up the entire world. Then Mary decided to take no more bickering or staring and became the strict scary queen I always know she has hiding.
"I want everything in this room removed. Every stick of furniture, every rug, every tapestry, and every crumb of food. OUT!" She looked at a guard, "You, from now on, no servant is to enter or exit, except by my leave or by the leave of one of my ladies, Violators will face the headsman. Well, everything out of here! NOW!"
I stood there in awe, yea she really is scary when need be.
Bash's room
"Bash, I just visited Catherine in the tower. I'm sure she's the one who tried to kill you but I have no proof"
"I do, I got this from the blade intended for him. Only one thing will do something like this, poison"
"Alec are you alright" I asked the fellow bodyguard
"I'll manage if this poultice works"
"Mary that must be why Catherine wanted to know if he was injured"
"Yes Bash only need to be scratched for the plan to work"
"Yes you two but that's not why we are here"
Mary went over to the corner and brought out a girl named Isabel. He explained to us that Isabel is his cousin and the guards wanted to verify that to destroy his right to the throne more because Isabel's father was a confessed traitor. He needed to make a way out with her but Mary saw a flaw in the plan.
"You need to leave straight away Bash before the child is born, and take me with you"
"Mary NO!"
"Bash this is my fault, if I didn't pressure you to take the throne you wouldn't have a target on your back"
"Mary I can't let you this is my risk to take" Why is it an argument always insuring with whoever she's with I thought.
"She could give birth at any moment, and you'll need George because your bodyguard could collapse from poison just as soon"
They all bickered more until they agreed Mary and I would go with them. We all headed out strait away
On the Road
"Let's let the horses rest for a while, I'll need to go check the roads to see if the castle guard are still behind us" Sebastian claimed to us
"I'll go with you, two eyes are better than one, George, Alec stay here with Isabel"
"Yes your grace" I responded, they both walked off to go check the roads and Alec went off to go fix his wound's bandages. I stood there and looked up into the sky seeing leaves of the fall drift down around us. The sun's rays covered our cart making the French gold sparkle, I could hear the sounds of birds sings in the air making me sit there and remember how enjoyable the outdoors where when I lived outside the castle. As is stared at the hundreds of leaves fall something changed, the leaves drifting down all of a sudden turned into arrows flying down to where I was standing as the sky turned into a black, disdainful sight. I looked to the right of me and the shiny French gold carvings turned into wooden carved prayer symbols being clutched in the right hand of hundreds of dead soldiers. Most missing at least one limb from their body some with half their faces ripped off from blades had the face of death itself. The birds singing turned into men screaming in pain and agony. I looked all around watching everything unfold as across from me I saw him. I saw John Hawkwood standing there covered in blood holding a head in his left hand and a sword in the right. I looked closely to see the head was Mary's. I looked at John in the eyes and I heard him calling my name
"George hahahhah George…. Haghahaghahahahh" he cackled as he spun the head in his arms laughing at me as blood flew everywhere.
"George hahha George what are you staring at" I snapped out of it to see in front of me was Mary laughing as she questioned what in the heaven I was staring at.
"Nothing it was a funny bird nothing to concern"
"Well come on we need to get moving"
It's starting soon and now I know I need to prepare
In the blood wood when Isabel went into Labor
Isabel's water broke when we were in the blood wood forcing our hand to set up the tent. Alec and I waited outside the tent as Mary helped the girl with the birth. As the birthing moved on Mary went on outside to get more water and I followed her as I was not going to let her go out there alone. Once out there she saw a symbol a dear head made of twigs.
"Oh god" She saw torches in the distance and knocked the head down and ran inside. I considered killing the pagans in the wood with my bow but I thought Bash might be able to help. I ran inside with there and saw Mary in massive shock.
"They tried to mark us for death Bash, they put the symbols outside the tent, but I tore them down" All of a sudden the other 3 had a look of fear on their face, I may know nothing of the Pagans but from the look Bash had on his face I could tell what Mary did was not good.
"You did what" Alec turned off the light and drew his sword as I did the same.
"Bash tell them what….." he shushed her by covering her mouth and I knew in fighting well enough we are in serious trouble. We saw cloaked men circle the tent chanting and all of a sudden Isabel, Alec, and Bash joined in. I was fine but Mary was terrified. After the pagans left Mary started arguing with Bash again.
"They spared us because they thought we we're pagans, because you all are pagans, that's what you've been hiding from me. You're a heretic"
"What I am Mary is alive and so are you." Mary stormed out of the tent so me and bash followed her. Me to calm her down, Bash to explain.
"Mary listen"
"No George, Bash you are the one who hung the medallion on the tent, aren't you. You put this symbol up, so they would kill something else, because we looked like one of them!"
"You don't understand" Bash defended
"This is why you didn't want me to help Isabel. This is why your uncle was put to death! He was a pagan, a heretic, wasn't he? YOU LIED TO ME! You hid this horrible shame!"
"What shame is that" he had sounded irritated.
"You're like them, the monsters… who killed this animal. Who sacrifice people and revel in blood."
"Mary don't say things like that when you don't know anything about it"
"Why would you defend them George you are Catholic"
"No I'm a non-believer, and last I checked that was a heretical in the Popes eyes! Do I act as a monster, do I not act like a human being, do I not eat, sleep, feel pain, love, and fight to live day to day"
"Mary he is right, I am catholic but the pagans act just as we do but they see something different when they see god. The blood worshipers we know nothing about they are unknown to us"
Mary stared at me in awe, I don't know for the fact that she considered me a Heretic for being a non-believer or that she was surprised I'd keep this from her. But eventually me and Bash calmed her down and convinced her that the pagans aren't monsters. She forgave me for not telling her but only if later I told her my story, who I am.
"I agree, are you calm"
"I'll- tell you in the morning"
"The babies coming"
Alec called us in there to help the birth and as we entered we let Mary go to work, the child came easily and was a girl.
The morning
When we woke Mary came to me and Bash as we were packing.
"You two I apologize for what happened last night, I said some things…"
"You were scared forget it Mary"
She started talking politics with Bash of his family and what would happen when he becomes king. I left them too it just happy she apologized. I went into the tent to find Alec talking to Isabel
"George go get them there is something wrong"
I ran out of the tent into the cold air and called them into the tent. Mary came in and checked where there was blood seeping through the sheets one part sticky and cold meaning from earlier but Mary noticed some of the blood was warm and more liquefied.
"Bash the bleeding hasn't stopped and it won't stop, I've seen this before it, it can't be helped."
Isabel shared last words with Bash as she slowly drifted to a sleep for a last time. I and Alec carefully put the body back in the carriage as we let Mary and Bash have a talk. As we loaded it in there Alec spoke to me.
"George I didn't want to say it till now but when we first stopped the carriage I noticed something in your eyes when you stared off into space. I've fought before, that's the face of a veteran when they know they are about to go back to a fight. But there is no war, so what are you fearing."
I stood there as he stared at me with a questioning gaze, "you said it yourself, and you're a veteran. So as a veteran you should know that no matter what, war could happen any moment. It is always around the corner it brings death when you least expect it and when you do it still brings death just less. What I fear is what everyone should fear…..not being ready"