Heya! Sorry for the suspense. =P Here is chapter 21 for your delectation =)
***
Alice lifted the goblet and moved towards Guy, her breathing hitching.
At that moment, the tent flap flew open. She turned quickly, the water slopping over the sides and spilling across her hands.
'Rupert!' She said breathlessly.
He took in the scene wordlessly, eyes skimming over the goblet; Alice's shaking hands; and the small vial on the side.
He lifted the goblet carefully from her grasp and splashed it's contents out on the sand, watching as the fatal poison seeped into the desert. He heard her let out a long breath, and glanced across, his eyes dark and serious.
'I was going to-' She bit back a sob, that threatened to escape her and gulped. 'I was-'
'I know.' He said simply. 'But I came in time.'
She laughed shakily, and he worried for a moment that she would become hysteric.
'I need to talk to you.' He laid a hand on her arm comfortingly.
She nodded, and glanced at Guy. He had, mercifully, drifted to sleep and Rupert and Alice slipped from the tent quietly.
'Well?' she asked as soon as they were in the open air.
Rupert took a moment to reply, as if he was wondering how to phrase it, his jaw working. 'I sent a message to a friend of mine- Sir Creod of Lance. He keeps a record of all the noble families in England; I asked him about Guy.'
Rupert clenched his jaw and then looked Alice in the eyes. 'Guy was born into the family of Frensham - not Gisborne.'
Alice's eyes widened.
'His father, is William of Frensham. Not Gisborne.'
'But-'
He nodded. 'His mother was Guinevere of Gisborne, and her brother Ranulf was the Uncle who took Guy in. But his father, is a Frensham; his father is William. The William in this camp.'
Alice was stood stricken for a moment, the enormity of what this information meant gluing her to the spot.
'Alice-' Rupert touched her arm.
'We must tell Sir William-' She stared at him, wide eyed, as if searching for his confirmation.
He inclined his head, but as she turned, he held her back.
'Wait!'
She frowned, looking inquiringly at him.
'There is something else you must know.' He chewed his lip awkwardly. 'Guy is not William's only son.'
'But you said, Guy is an only child- Guinevere's only child.'
Rupert nodded. 'Men often, take their pleasures elsewhere-'
'An illegitimate son?' Alice asked, eyes searching his face.
He gave a curt nod, his gaze dropping and a flash of realisation lit her face.
'You?' She asked, eyes widening.
Rupert raised his eyebrows slightly, and nodded. 'Rupert, bastard son of Sir William of Frensham.'
'You're not a-'
'Thats what they call us Alice.' He spat. 'Children born out of Wedlock-'
'Not D'Lacy then?'
Rupert laughed bitterly. 'No. Not D'Lacy.' He breathed out forcefully. 'That was the only way I could get by- Blood means everything to these people. If you're like me- you're worthless. So they can never know, or I'd be ruined.' He looked suddenly tired, his eyes had lost some of their spark.
Alice didn't know what to say.
They were silent for a while, then Rupert looked at her.
'You should send for Sir William; the King will not wait much longer before Guy's trial.'
'But-'
'It is not the end of the world Alice. The King does not yet know, no-one here does, and if Sir William suspects, he has not said anything.' He looked her squarely in the eye. 'Guy is the one we need to concentrate on at the moment. Don't worry about me.'
He gave her a gentle shove. 'Go on- Find Sir William.'
***
'Sir William?'
He looked up quickly, dropping the book he had been leafing through onto the bed. One of the guards who could usually be seen around the King's tent had pushed the tent flap respectfully open.
'Your son, Sir William,' the guard stood uncomfortably by the door.
'My son?' breathed Sir William.
'Lady Alice says, its about your son.'
William stared, unable for a minute to understand quite what was being said to him.
'Lady Alice-' He said unsteadily.
The guard was starting to worry he had scared the older man senseless. 'Yes, sir.' He said gently.
William ran a hand across his jaw, suddenly unsteady on his feet. This was- impossible!
'Take me there-' He said hoarsely.
'Right this way, sir.'
***
Alice was there when Sir William entered warily, his eyes darting about the tent. He took one look at Alice and another at the man on the bed and stopped in his tracks.
'What is the meaning of this?' He asked, finding his voice after a few silent seconds.
'Its, about your son, Sir William.'
'What about my son?' His eyes burnt into her, and she saw him glance again at Guy.
'Guy. Guy of- Frensham, is it not?' Alice asked, conscious she could be treading on dangerous ground.
William stared.
'Impossible.' He rasped.
'Is it?' Alice turned to Guy. 'Look at him, Sir William. Don't you recognise your son?'
He was silent for a tense minute, staring at Guy's sleeping face.
'He looks like- Like Guinevere.' The words were like sandpaper in his mouth, and he spoke them as though they hurt his throat.
'Yes.' Alice said quietly. 'Like Guinevere.'
'How do you know?' He rounded on her. 'How do you know so much about my family!' He was suddenly angry, and Alice realised with a jolt that this was where Guy got his temper from.
'Because knowing about you was the only way to save Guy.' She said quickly, as if the words scalded her tongue.
Sir William's breathing slowed as he calmed himself. 'How?'
Alice swallowed. 'Guy thought you were dead. He thought he would be avenging you if he killed King Richard. Now I can prove that he was misled, and that he was only trying to take the revenge on his father's killer, when in truth, you were never dead.'
'Alice?'
They both whipped around, Alice moving swiftly to Guy's side and hovering anxiously by the bed. He was trying to prop himself up against the pillows, face strained with effort.
Sir William's outburst startled them both.
'You killed her!' He glared at Guy, eyes wild with a hatred Alice had never witnessed before.
'What-' Guy was staring at Sir William, the shock on his face obvious.
'You killed my Guinevere! You-'
Guy was struggling to sit up and his face was slowly darkening as Sir William raged at him. Alice stood nervously between them.
'I don't know what you're talking about-' Guy scowled at William.
'He's-' Alice began quickly, but William cut her off.
'Be quiet!'
'Don't speak to her like that.' Guy growled defensively.
'How dare you!' Sir William was beside himself with fury. 'You don't tell me what to do young man.'
Guy glared back. 'And who are you to presume to order me around?'
Alice touched his arm lightly. 'Guy-' She said softly, scared of what he might do once he knew the truth. '...Guy he's your father.'
Guy's eyes turned from William to Alice in an instant, his eyes searching her face for some falsehood or jest.
'That's right! Let him hear it.' William shouted. 'He killed his mother, he took her away from me!' He said furiously, giving Guy a murderous glare.
But Guy was still staring at Alice.
'You mean it?' He croaked, his gaze holding hers steady.
She found she had lost the ability to speak as she stared at his white, stricken face. So she simply nodded.
Guy looked like he was going to retch. But he took two deep breaths before turning back to Sir William.
'You deserted me. Why?' His voice was so cold and steely that Sir William momentarily stopped his raging.
'Because you killed Guinevere.'
'I did not kill my mother. Why did you not want me?' He held William's eye with an icy stare.
'You killed her when you were born and I could not bear to look at you.'
'You had no right to desert me!' Guy yelled, slamming his hand against the wooden frame of the bunk.
'I left you to Ranulf, I made sure you would be provided for.' William was quickly sobering, his anger ebbing away in the face of his son's distress.
'You didn't give a damn what happened to me! You couldn't have cared less if I lived or died. Could you?' He asked accusingly, his hands balled into fists.
William had to look away.
'You disgust me.' Guy spat.
But William didn't bite back.
Alice didn't know what to do. She was torn between her compassion for Guy and her pity for Sir William. But she knew she somehow had to make Sir William see he was the only way of securing his son's release.
'Sir William, without your word, King Richard probably hang your son!' She said it pleadingly, not letting her eyes stray from the older man's face. But he turned quickly, his sword snapping against his side, and swept from the tent without a backwards glance.
'I'd rather be hung than be helped by that bastard!' Said Guy viciously.
'Guy!'Alice pleaded, but he turned his body away from her, rolling over onto his side. She noticed his wound had bled through the bandage and red was seeping into the back of his shirt. But she didn't say anything.
'I was trying to help.' She said finally, knowing his scorn would sting.
'You should never have got involved.' He said bitterly, his words piercing her.
She shut her eyes. It had all gone horribly wrong.
'He loved your mother Guy- that was why he couldn't bear to have you.'
'If you can't bear loss, then you cannot love.' Guy said angrily, his back still stubbornly to her.
Alice sighed, and looked heavenwards, letting the tears drain back into her eyes.
'I'm sorry Guy.' She said finally.
He grunted. But whether it was an acceptance of her apology or merely a signal for her to leave; she wasn't sure.
'I'll be back in the morning-'
'Don't bother.'
'Listen Guy.' She said, a spark of anger lighting inside her. 'I didn't find out about your father because I wanted to bring discourse and anger. I did it because I didn't want to loose you!'
'Well you've done a bloody good job.' He said, his voice mocking.
She felt like hitting him.
'Goodnight Guy.' Alice glared at his back.
'Sleep well.' He said, voice dripping with sarcasm and tugged the sheet around himself.
***
The next chapter will be up as soon as I can manage. The Review Button calls!
V
xxx