CHAPTER 21

Father was not pleased. Will was positively livid. In fact, the only one who felt excited about this new assignment was myself. When I revealed it to Charmaine, she was the only one who showed some emotion for me other than frustration.

"It does speak worlds of his trust for you," she told me, attempting to braid a wiggling Elena's hair. "I can't imagine it was easy for him to ask you to do it. Has Will recovered himself at all?"

"No," I said, feeling a pang of sadness. Since the meeting with Sir Guy, Will had gone back to avoiding me and was quite absent from the black market. From what John and others had said, he was now deeply engrossed in Hood's latest scheme against King John. I had cornered him on the street one day and demanded to know why he had deserted me after the meeting with Sir Guy, but his eyes had been cold. "You didn't tell Hood what Guy said, did you?" I had asked. "I promised Sir Guy the utmost confidence on the matter."

"You promised, I did not," Will said, avoiding my eyes. "You have made your choice, and I cannot respect it. You have allied yourself with the enemy, Nyssa, which God help me, I cannot understand."

"I did not expect you to agree with me, but I did not think you would scorn me for it," I had answered. "Will—"

"Goodbye, Nyssa," Will had said, moving off quickly. Angrily I had called after him, "I see your love for me was very deep to be broken up by one disagreement over politics!"

I regretted my words. The next day Will had sent over my completed sword, delivering it through one of his brothers, who had obviously felt awkward about the whole exchange. It was a beautiful piece of metallurgy; Will had crafted it so that it balanced perfectly in my hand and was very light. My heart twisted when I saw that he had carved a tiny lily into the hilt along with his initials. Obviously it had been finished before his resentment of me had taken hold. Now I would never learn the full art of swordplay as I had hoped, I thought bitterly. But I could at least practice what Will had taught me and try to build on it. Damn he and Sir Guy for their bloody politics!

As I sat remembering all of this, Charmaine gently looked at me. "You never can seem to keep yourself out of distress for too long," she said with pained amusement. "I'm so sorry that it has been such a challenging time." Sighing, she finished Elena's braid. "Go give your Aunt Nyssa a kiss," she said, and Elena was immediately in my lap, showering me with her exuberant, childlike love. Simon, ever present, attempted to join in the fun, and Elena began squealing, "Siiiiimon! Stoooooop!" This only invigorated the boxer further, and he attempted to crawl into my lap with Elena. I couldn't help but laugh at what must be a ridiculous sight, as neither of them were small enough to fit. But I was sorely in need of affection and love so I hugged them both to me, and was rewarded by kisses and licks. Charmaine smiled.

"Dear friend, you need a family and right soon," she said. "Otherwise mine may steal you away!"

I laughed, nodding my head. "I agree," I said. "And I hope to take your statement seriously, when I can find a worthy suitor."

Charmaine regarded me with compassion. "You shall," she said firmly. "You had mentioned an errand that you had to run after visiting. What is it?"

"I had just received word from Sir Guy that a letter was left yesterday for me. I would, if you don't mind, like to take Simon with me, in case of trouble." At the sound of his name, the dog's head shot up and his long tongue began licking his lips in excitement.

"Of course," Charmaine said, taking a rope from the nearby chair and looping it around his neck. "Be warned, he's very strong and will pull after the quietest bird." She regarded the dog with affectionate disdain.

"Thank you, Charmaine," I said, hugging her. "I will bring him back safely, but I am most grateful for his presence." Simon nosed my hand with his wet snub, and panted happily. We walked out the front door, and began to take the path up the forest towards the lily grove. I was grateful for Simon's presence, as I had not been to the grove in some time and was quite unsure what my emotional reaction would be when I saw it again. But now I had to go.

I felt more than slightly nervous as we began our trek up the hill, paranoid that I was missing obvious clues of being followed by another thief, or someone more dangerous, given what I was collecting. Simon sensed my nerves and became protectively watchful himself, pulling the rope nearly out of my hands as we started our climb. His muscular body tensed, ears perked, I began to rethink my assessment of him purely as a pet. He was intensely aware of every slight move in the forest, every breath, every smell. Seeing his alertness, I relaxed a little. If there was a thief, he would know immediately.

I began to breathe easily, enjoying the sensation walking Simon and his own curiosity about the world. He had no preconceptions about where we were going, and merely enjoyed the walk, which helped me to do the same. I noticed the beautiful greenery in the woods, and began to vaguely hear the tinkle of the waterfall as we neared the grove. My heart sped up, but I watched Simon's carefree happy smile and that chased my gloomy thoughts away.

We rounded the bend, and beautiful lily grove came into full view. The lilies were had begun to bloom again, as it was now May, and the whole grove again smelled of paradise to me. It seemed impossible that it had been months since I had come here. Simon sat obediently as I stopped and stared at the pond and waterfall, remembering my moments of passion with Sir Guy in both places. The pain came, but it was duller than I had expected, and other parts of that conversation came to my mind s well…

You're very lovely, but your heart is the most beautiful part of you…

I will be an honest, respected woman with a fair trade, and no one will take those things from me.

What if they did? What would you be then?

I would still be Nyssa. And I would still have, as you put it, my beautiful heart.

And if someone took that too?

I won't let it be taken. They'd have to kill me to me make me an ugly person.

Was all of that still true? I hoped so, as I had meant every word. I wondered if the last few months made me an ugly person, from the spectacle I had encountered. But I mused if that were entirely true, I would not be here today.

I walked towards the old mill. So Guy had known all along why I was there; I had fooled him not a bit. Unsurprised, I picked through the opening and looked in to see all of our goods still neatly piled up and dry. I breathed a sigh of relief, leaning over to unwrap the batch of them. As I did so, I saw a sealed letter neatly perched on top of the pile on a sky blue cloak. I immediately grasped the letter, and Simon moved forward to sniff the pile of clothing. I quickly went through it to make sure that nothing had been eaten by pests, then tucked the letter into my bodice, looking around hastily, hearing no one and nothing. Hurriedly, I pulled the sky blue cloak and one dress out of the pile to bring back with me, and pulled Simon out of the mill, as he had begun to eat the grass near the door. I glanced up at my mother's signed crest, sent a kiss heavenward, and left the grove.

Back in the secret room at our house, my hands trembling, I opened the letter. It was very intimidating to realize that I was literally looking at sealed, royal communication that could break a king's rule. I was so terribly afraid that I would not be able to understand what was there, and that Guy would be furious, but I would be more furious at myself. I gingerly unfolded the thick paper and began to read.

"These Vex me greatly,

if I may say so,

laNguage when it is base servility,

anD a man who wIshes

too high a place (at table)

aNd a charger whIch

is pUt to Drawing cars.

And, by My hope of salvation,

I am vexeD by a young man

who bars too openly a shIEld

sUch as never receiveD a blOw,

by a chaplaiN and moNk wEaring bEards

and by the shaRp beak Of the baCKbiterS."

At first glance it seemed to be a simple complaint that was directed at Arthur, but upon close inspection I saw that it was code, the same as the kind that Guy had sent to me in his letter, though far more complex. I could see easily that any capital letter had to be considered, whether it began a sentence or not. Using a small needle that I sewed with I began to scratch out write out all of the capital letters in a row onto the paper:

VINDINIUMDIEUDONNEEROCKS

The words, if they were words, made no sense to me, except the very last which appears to be in English, that of "rocks." If there was a code here, I now felt moronic for being unable to break it. Regardless, I forced myself to commit the string of letters to memory as well as the entire letter, before I consigned it to the flames of our hearth. I then wove my red curls into a crown on my head and dressed myself in the fine garment and cloak that I had borrowed from our storage. The dress was a deep purple, decorated with shimmering beads at the bodice, its sleeves long and flowing. It had been made for a noble lady and was beautifully offset by the sky blue cloak that I now pulled over my shoulders, fastened by a topaz brooch at the throat. I knew that Guy would want this information immediately, and my dressing as a lady was mean to assist in my disguise as I left my house and headed to his Manor.

Though I doubted many ladies of the court strapped their swords underneath their cloaks as they traveled.

I arrived in fifteen minutes time at Gisborne Manor, rapping politely at the door to be greeted once again by Thornton, who appeared to only vaguely recognize me.

"My lady?" he asked politely.

"I am here to see Sir Guy. I have important business with him," I replied, trying to make my voice sound richer and more arrogant than usual.

Thornton responded to my tone immediately. "Of course, my lady. I regret to say that Sir Guy is not here at this time. He will arrive within the hour. May I offer you some refreshment, my lady, while you wait?"

"Yes, that would be lovely," I replied, attempting to mimic Sabine's way of speaking, but with less haughtiness. Part of me governed an absurd desire to smile, reveling in my new persona.

As he ushered me into the dining room, Thornton asked, "Are you a companion of Lady Sabine, my lady?"

I stiffened. "No, I am not," I said coolly. "In fact I find her quite offensive as an English woman."

Thornton appeared surprised by my frankness, but chuckled. "I could not agree more, my lady," he said, pouring me a cup of wine and putting out a plate of fine cheeses. He stoked the fire and smiled, again seeming perturbed as to my familiarity, then moved off. I sat quietly, sipping at the wine, as I did not wish its influence to play me as it had with Will. The sun began to set in the west and dip below the frames of one of the windows. The Manor was so quiet that I nearly found myself dozing in its warmth, until the sounds of Aomir's gait abruptly startled me back to awareness. I heard Sir Guy dismount and the front door bang open. "THORNTON!" Guy thundered. "I need some ale and supper immediately!" He strode into the dining room in one of his rages, biting and then pulling off his riding gloves, throwing them on the table, with no notice of me. It was almost amusing to watch, until I cleared my throat and stood up, and Guy nearly tripped in his surprise.

"My lady, I beg pardon," said, still alarmed. "I was not expecting company this evening, and Thornton did not tell me—"

"My apologies, Sir Guy," Thornton said, quickly running into the room with a tankard of ale and more fruit and cheese. "The lady—"

"Did not give her name," I finished, putting my hood back to allow Guy to see that it was me. It had been the most luxurious feeling to realize that he had not known who I was for a few moments.

Guy's face was stunned. His eyes travelled up and down my figure in his usual way but more languorously this time, coming back to rest on my face. "Nyssa," he said throatily, "you are stunning."

I felt a twinge in my stomach, but continued on in a business-like way. "I bring news, Sir Guy of a most private matter," I said, my eyes flicking to Thornton. Guy dismissed him with a gesture, his eyes still pinned on me. I smiled briefly and he blinked, appearing to come back to himself. "Yes," he said seriously. "What information do you bring? What was in the letter?"

I recited from memory the poem from the letter. Guy took a long swallow from his tankard, his eyes drinking in my words and appearance. As he considered what I recited to him, his gaze traveled to the ceiling in thought and consideration. Then he abruptly put down his tankard. "That is interesting," he commented. "What you have recited to me is an English translation of a well known troubadour song by the Monk of Montaudon."

"Who is that?" I asked.

Guy chuckled. "He is the president of Puy, though most consider his poems to be of little importance. He is known in noble circles as the Sparrow-Hawk." He turned to me, his eyes lit up by recognition. "There is significance that it is an English translation of a French poem. Our correspondent is obviously fluent in both languages and aware of French culture, if he quoting the Sparrow-Hawk." Guy's expression was one that of a panther that has spotted its quarry, and he looked ready for the kill.

"I wasn't aware that you were so acquainted with French culture," I said.

"My mother was French," Guy said. "I speak and read it. That is why John has given me the task of understanding these correspondences."

"I see," I replied. "At first I thought the poem was merely a complaint about Arthur, but as I looked at it more closely, I found the following letters capitalized." I read them out to Guy, VINDINIUMDIEUDONNEEROCKS as I remembered them. Guy closed his eyes, listening, and I could see his intellect working to pry the puzzle apart. His hands steepled, he eventually grunted.

"Thornton! A quill and paper!" He looked at me sheepishly. "I will have to look at this to understand it properly, but I will burn it as soon as we have figured it out." Thornton entered with the item Guy had requested and left just as quietly. The quill scratched against paper as Guy wrote out the mysterious letters, frowning at them in frustration. "Damn," he mumbled. "What in the hell does this mean?" He squinted at the first part of the string. "Vin…vin is wine in French, but how is that crucial?"

"It could be crucial to the French," I snickered. Guy glanced up at me, a half smile on his face. "Did you make a jest at the expense of the French, Nyssa?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, humor dancing in his blue eyes.

I looked away, blushing. "Perhaps," I answered. "If we can't laugh during this puzzle-solving we may as well bayonet ourselves."

Guy's rich, warm laugh echoed into the room. "Christ's bones. You are a treasure," he said, smiling at me, before he squinted at the letters again. "Neerocks," he drawled out slowly. "What the devil is that?"

"Let me see," I said, walking around to his side of the table. I leaned over his shoulder and stared at the letters. "Rocks," I said. "Why can it not be rocks?"

"Because the rest is not in English," Guy said testily.

"But you just said the correspondent speaks both English and French," I said, pointing to the ending string. I felt Guy's slight shift toward me as my arm bent over his shoulder. "Why could it not be rocks? Perhaps he used multiple languages."

"Ah yes! That's it!" Guy said, slamming his fist on the table. "Yes, of course, how could I not have seen it?" He excitedly grabbed his quill and began searching for words in the string. I heard him mumble "Rocks. And before that…donnée… no…donne e….Dieudonne! Yes! That's it!" He grabbed the paper and stood, reading aloud.

"Vindinium. Dieudonne e rocks." Understanding and cold fear dawned on him.

"What does it mean?" I said.

"Vindinum is the ancient Roman name for the city of Le Mans, in France. Dieudonne was the nickname given to Philip II by his parents, as he was their firstborn son, 'God's gift'. He and this character that is called Rocks are meeting at Le Mans." Sweat broke out on Guy's brow. "God's bones, they must be planning something truly crippling for John's territories. Le Mans is strategically placed for many battles with Anjou and Tours as allies. I must get word to John immediately. Thornton, have the stable boy saddle my horse!" Guy shouted. He sprang into energetic action, like the large cat that he was, and immediately threw the paper into the fire. He finished off his tankard in one quick draught, pulled on his gloves and then turned to me.

"I could not have done any of this without you," he said ardently. Gently, he took my hands in his. "Nyssa, I cannot ever show enough thanks for your brilliant mind." I gazed up at him and smiled softly, feeling that some broken bond between us had been healed with this shared project. Guy looked back at me with equal ardor, his eyes deep and aroused. Some decision snapped in his mind and he murmured, "Oh, France's bloody politics be fucked!"

His head bent and he captured my face in a deep, passionate kiss. I was slightly startled, but part of me had known it was coming, and wanted it. I had wanted him to kiss me, to love me, to treat me as his lady since he had come back from France six months ago. I felt myself lean into his long, tall frame, my hands on his chest, pulling him closer to me. He held my face in his large hands, stroking my cheeks, gently urging me closer by pressing on the back of my head. Both of us were at a loss for breath as the kiss went on and on, our bodies seeking closer contact. But there was gentleness, a care, an appreciation in Guy's treatment of me now that I had not felt before. We were so lost in one another that neither of us heard Thornton enter the room until his abrupt gasp broke the kiss. Guy looked up from me, glaring at an astonished Thornton.

"I…will tell the stable boy to wait, my lord," he said, disappearing as quickly as he had come.

"Well, that will give the servants something to gossip about," Guy said, smirking a little. "A noble lady in my house at night, the scandal of it. And caught in an illicit embrace!" He grinned at me, but I could not smile back.

"Sir Guy, I have no wish to be the subject of gossip, especially in the face of your upcoming marriage."

Guy's face darkened. "The marriage is a sham to please France. It is a business arrangement, nothing more. In fact I should be glad if Sabine thought I had a mistress."

"Yes, but you plan to go through with it," I said. "I must remind you that when you do, our arrangement will end. It must."

"Yes, you have now reminded me twice," Guy said querulously. "But until then-" He leaned towards me again and I bent back, pressing my finger to his lips.

"Wicked devil," I said, allowing myself a small giggle. Guy grinned.

"All right then, off with you, scandalous woman," he chided, touching my cheek. "I will send payment as soon as I return. And the next time you come, arrive on a horse at least. All noble ladies would."

"I would, if I had a horse to ride. As it is I only have a donkey," I said churlishly, reminding him of Sabine's cruel jest. He laughed out loud then as he opened the door. And as if I had summoned the devil itself, the open door revealed Sabine on her white mare, slowly picking its way towards the Manor. Gasping, I quickly put my hood up and dashed off to the left. I immediately heard her shriek,

"Guy! Where are you going? Qui est cette dame?"

As I continued scurrying away, I heard Guy's tart reply: "I am this moment leaving for Prince John, Sabine. And that woman is the reason I have not bedded you for months."