The Runaway Royals - Part Ten
"Is this ever going to end?" Hélène said. She and Steven had been riding in the rain for over half an hour. It wasn't even rain, it was drizzle, miserable and half hearted. If there was one thing that Hélène could not stand it was for things to be half measures. Either something was done properly or not at all.
"Perhaps we should have stayed with Monsieur Dupont when he offered," Steven said. "We would have avoided all of this."
"Absolutely not," Hélène exclaimed. "We left there hours ago, we would have lost more time than we could possibly catch up. If I know Henry he would never stop for a little thing like rain. If we were to stop now, we would never get to them. No we need to press on." Just as she said that lightening streaked across the sky followed quickly by a terrifying clap of thunder. "Well maybe it wouldn't hurt if we took shelter just until the storm passes."
"I believe you are right, we could not have Your Ladyship catching a chill now could we." There was a mocking glimmer in his eye, something which Hélène had noted had been missing since their visit to Monsieur.
"If I am right there is a small stone building just on the other side of these trees. We should be all right in there for a while." The two of them dismounted their horses and tethered them to some trees well out of sight from the road. Then Hélène led Steven to the small structure.
Inside was damp and cold, much the same as it had been last time Hélène had been in there. "How long do you think until the rain stops?" Hélène asked. Steven looked out
of the door up at the sky.
"I'd say at least an hour. It's difficult to tell."
"They're going to be well ahead of us by now. We'll never catch them. His Highness would not stop for anything. The Princess will freeze."
"My Lady is a sensible woman, she will not do what she knows to be bad for her." Steven replied, trying to reassure Hélène. Hélène looked at him sardonically.
"She left the Palace in the first place." She began to rustle around in a corner, looking for some wood and flints that she had left there the last time she had accompanied Henry. If they were going to be there for any amount of time they may as well be warm.
"When she left the Palace though she was following a romantic dream. I doubt that there are many people who would pass up that opportunity." Hélène stopped what she was doing and looked at Lord Grey. "Running away in the heat of a passionate moment is something that most people would be happy to be guilty of, but sense invariably takes over. She would not put herself in any real danger."
"You know one minute I think that I know you, your character, but you always manage to surprise me with something new. I had never put you down as a romantic. A man seasoned in battle, living a life of solitude in a hidden chateau I would have thought you were a man of more sense and learning."
"Every man has hidden depths your ladyship."
"As every woman has her secrets your grace." For a moment their gazes were locked on each other's eyes, wondering what the other had meant by those comments. Hélène quickly looked down and continued to light the fire. She knew that she could trust Steven with anything she chose to tell him and this was a burden on her mind. She would give anything just to be able to let it all out, but how does one embark on such a task and what would he think of her once he knew? She could bear a lot of things, she had to, but to lose his friendship now, when she needed it the most would be too much for her.
They sat opposite each other in silence as the storm raged outside and the flames grew between them. Suddenly Hélène shivered. The room was still icy cold despite the flames. Instinctively Steven moved round to her and draped his cloak around her shoulders, before resuming his seat. Why had he moved back to that place? Was it to avoid the awkwardness of being so near her? Or was it so that he could see her better? For a while he just watched her as a whole host of different expression crossed her face. One moment she was smiling broadly and the next she looked pained. What was she thinking? All he could think was how beautiful she looked with the orange light flickering over her features, revealing those private moments on her face.
"Steven," she said, suddenly coming out of the trance she had been in. "What did you mean when you said every man has hidden depths? What secrets aren't you telling me?"
"I suppose the same things that you aren't telling me. We all have our secrets milady."
"But we shouldn't, not when there is somebody who we trust with our secrets, somebody whom we can be honest with and can help us with our guilt."
"What happened in your past Hélène? I know that there's something painful lurking in there. You know you can tell me anything you want to."
"I know. I just don't want you to think badly of me which you invariably will if you were to know the truth about my past. I don't want you to think anything bad of me. You're the closest thing I've had to a best friend since...for a long time." He moved around to sit next to her.
"Nothing you have done could ever make me think less of you."
"Have you ever known somebody who made you feel so wonderful that you didn't think you could ever live with out them? Well I have. For four years I thought that I would die without him. I spent as much time as I could with him because I needed to be close to him. It shames me to think of how I threw myself at him."
"But you were in love. Love can drive a person to all sorts of irrational things." A tear rolled down Hélène's cheek.
"Yes I was. But it's all gone now. I don't know how I live without him. I see him a lot, but I can't be with him. I know I must accept it that he cannot be with me, but I don't know how I can go on without him. I can't even dislike him, I don't think he could do anything which would be too bad for me."
"You don't need to say anymore. I can guess what happened."
"But you can't. You can't even begin to imagine the past few years of my life. If you knew who my lover was you would not be so understanding."
"I know who he was. You don't have to tell me. I've known that something had happened between the two of you that went beyond friendship, I just wasn't sure what. But Hélène if you never listen to anything I say, listen to this. Do not tell the Princess. Ever. She doesn't need to know." Hélène wiped the tears from her face. She let out a small smile. It was a relief that she could share this with somebody else. She now had somebody who could help her get through it. She put her hand on his cheek and pressed her forehead to his.
"Thankyou," she whispered. "I don't know what I would do without you." He put his hand on hers. His breathing deepened. Her scent was intoxicating. A sudden rush of boldness swept over him and he slowly began to move his lips towards hers. The same feeling was brewing inside Hélène too and instead of pulling away from his as she knew she should, she was screaming in her head for him to come closer. Their lips were almost touching when the door flew open and in stepped two men.One of them was carrying a bag and both had swords. "What are you doing here?" one demanded.
"We were just sheltering from the rain, my man," Steven said. "We did not realise that this belonged to anyone." He noticed the quiet one looking intently at Hélène's neck around which was a gold pendant. He suddenly recognised that they were not men who were to be trusted. He jumped up and drew his sword.
"You sort him out and I'll get her stuff." They began to advance towards the two. Hélène jumped to her feet and likewise drew her sword. At this the two men laughed. Hélène was a woman of the court, a lady of fashion, the sight of her wielding a sword was almost hilarious to them. To show then that she meant business she lunged at the largest of them and slashed his face open. This distracted them just long enough for them to run. They literally jumped on the horses and galloped away as fast as the flooded road would let them. Behind them as they left there were more men, obviously part of a gang. Fortunately they did not pursue them.
The road was darker than it should due to the thunder storm and they were having difficulty negotiating there way. Luckily just up ahead there was an entrance to the Chateau de Bordeaux. The duke would surely offer them hospitality for one night. Hélène slowed down her horse, confident that they had not been followed. "Do you think that they meant to rob us?"
"Almost certainly. We were alone and we looked wealthy. They must be camped up and down this road preying on unsuspecting travellers." Just then there was a sudden flash of lightening and Hélène's horse reared up, flinging her off into a patch of grass. Steven jumped down to help her. As he took her hand she winced in pain. Her right wrist was already beginning to swell.
As she put her left hand down to push herself up she felt something small and metal in the grass. She picked it up and felt around it. A ring. She peered closely at the setting. Even in the darkness it was unmistakable. She could never forget the family crest of the Valois. "It was small, made for a lady and there were precious few rings she could think of like it. This was a bad sign.
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Steven pounded on the heavy door to the chateau de Bordeaux. A small weasely looking man peered round. Sir I am Lord Steven Grey and this is Lady Hélène de Lyons, we request an audience with His grace the Duc de Bordeaux."
"We've had enough waifs and strays for one night, be on your way," the man replied.
"Sir my father is a good friend of the Duke's," Hélène said. He would be most displeased to hear that we were treated with such little respect by one of his staff." The little weasel groaned and opened the door for them. He led them up some stairs and into the main body of the castle.
The duke was standing in the main foyer with another man. He took one look at Hélène and recognised her instantly. "My dear, what brings you here?" He said The Duke had always liked her. He took her hand to kiss it. She sharply sucked in her breath because of the pain. "What is it?"
She showed him her grotesquely swollen hand. "A riding accident."
"You are the second injury here tonight," the Duke said. Though I fear the other is much graver than yours. That is why we have brought the physician from town."
"What has happened?" Just then she saw a familiar face behind the Duke. "Henry. What are you doing here?" He had tears in his eyes "Where is my mistress?"
"She was thrown from her horse. She has not woken up." At that moment the hatred she had wanted to feel for Henry but never could all came flooding to her.
"How could you have been so stupid? You say you love her, yet you put her in this danger. If anything happens to her I swear any friendly feelings that I ever had for you will be gone forever. Now where is she. I must attend to my lady." And with that she went up the stairs, ignoring her own pain, to help the woman who she had pledged to serve.