Morning came gently. Light sparkled off the droplets of rain still dripping from the roof from the night before. Every clung to sleep from the exhaustion from worry.
William stayed in the surgeon's shack with the lady. He originally planned to just stay for a bit after she fell asleep. But he fell away just shortly after she did. Sometime during the night she'd worked her way to him from the cold. He roused slightly and placed an arm around her as she whimpered in her sleep.
William woke before her and looked at her face. She was on her side facing him. Her breath was a little choppy like it hurt when she did so. He raised her shirt and saw the brown stained bandage. Her wound has stopped bleeding, luckily, but her side was covered also by a boot mark.
He growled on the inside and shook his head as he kissed his hand and placed it gently on her side. The gentle touch tickled her side and her eyes fluttered open.
"Hi," she said on a sigh, "You stayed all night?"
"Yes," he said as he rebuttoned his shirt and leaned over and kissed her on the forehead, "I'll be back shortly,"
He ran his fingers through his hair and straightened himself. He knew he'd get an ear full from Jocelyn. He spotted her in the garden, paused for a moment, swallowed hard, and went over.
"Good morning, William. Did you have a nice night," she said as she cut a rose from the bush.
"Reasonably well. I apologize for not meeting with you. But, Aurora was attacked in the forest,"
"From what I hear it was a mutual attack," she turned and walked away.
"Jocelyn, please, I wish to speak with you," he said as he chased after.
"Then speak,"
"Things with you and I have been well, mostly," he began.
"Mostly, yes, mostly. William please make your point if you have one to make," Jocelyn said to him.
The air was thick and awkward A silence echoed off the walls along with the sound of nearby hoof beats.
"Jocelyn, please…"
"You wish to turn your back on me, don't you? Remember what you were before me William; a lowly squire in a knight's guise. I made you who you are. If not for me you'd still be hidden in the shadows. Because of that, you will always be my own. I made you who you are," she sneered.
"You never made me anything more than frustrated and confused. I was a knight when we met," he defended, "You have no right to claim what I am as your own,"
"Yes, you've always been blinded by knighthood and nobility, haven't you? And your blind eyes have sought touch from another noble," she said flatly. She smiled at him without emotion. William balled one of his hands into a tight fist and squeezed his fingernails into his palm.
"I can hardly place the mark of blame upon you. She's a pretty little sword slinger. You tow can romp through the forest and roll through the dirt and muck together. And she being the little whore that she is, you can have a dozen little knight babies. But when you're dying as a poor knight, remember me and how you could have been a great king," Jocelyn barked.
"A great king whose men kill innocents and rape women?"
"Kate?" William questioned her presence.
Kate's feet flowed over to the two and stood between them. She raised her look from the ground and placed it on Jocelyn.
"Tell them, dear, who burned down the gypsy camp," Kate said plainly, "And perhaps, the person who gave the order,"
Jocelyn looked down with her arms crossed and sighed.
"Jocelyn? Please tell me your father did not do that," Will pleaded.
"He didn't do it. I did,"
William moved to slap her but stopped himself. He let out a roar and grabbed her by the shoulders.
"Tell me why!" he screamed.
"It was only met to scare them away. The people in the town were complaining. It wasn't meant to go as far as it did," she said as she started to cry from the guilt.
"Do you realize that if she were to have died, the blood of it would be on your hands?"
"But the little bitch wasn't suppose to be involved," Jocelyn yelled.
"It does not matter. You sent soldiers to maraud among beautiful and innocent people,"
"They were polluting our forest,"
"You are the only pollutant I see around here. Good-bye," William said as he tuned and left her.
He was so enraged. What if she did die? She could still if infection or sickness set in.
"Aurora?" he said as he entered the shack. The bed was empty. He searched all over the place. She was gone.