Chapter 4
The three men sat silently in the trees surrounding the camp Anese was being held at. She was tied to a pole in the center of the four tents there. Eric had been enraged when he saw how the men treated her. They did not spit at her feet or slap her, but fondled with her breasts and pulled her mouth to theirs. Even Jack, the somewhat shy man Anese had once loved, harassed her incessantly. He would then whisper something in her ear that would make the proud Anese painfully straighten herself and lift her chin. Darkness fell, and Eric could barely stay in the tree he hid in. As the ale poured more freely, Anese's humiliation showed more blatantly. She tried to hold her head high and fight them, but after trying it once she gave up the struggle, receiving a hard slap that earned her a hand mark upon her tan cheek. When the sun had completely disappeared from the sky and all that was left of the fires were the glowing embers, Audrey came out of his tent and sent the five drunken men to their tents. He then walked lazily over to Anese. They exchanged barbs and Anese spat on his tunic. Eric took this opportunity to motion for Michael and Jesse to silently raid the camp. The two men unsheathed their knives and crept down the tree, silently slipping in and out of tents and slitting the sleeping men's throats. When they returned, all were dead except Audrey and Anese, and their plan progressed to the next level. Jesse and Michael signaled for Eric to come down, and they escorted him to where Audrey stood. "We've brought an exchange for the prisoner Anese, Lady of Carrleigh. Sir Eric, Lord of Carrleigh and Arlington Hall, will willingly trade himself in," Michael said in a regal voice. Anese bowed her head, down casting her eyes and avoiding Eric's gaze. "Ah, but it is the Lady that I want in my bed, not the Lord," Audrey replied mockingly, his eyes full of sick laughter. Haughtily he untied the bonds tying Anese to the wooden rod and drew her to him once released. She trembled with fear, looking at Eric pleadingly. Unexpectedly, a blinding light struck Eric's eyes, yet he did not flinch. He could see the two men holding him away from his Jennie. She was laid upon the bed, trembling as Anese was. Audrey had control of her, as he had of Anese. The images of their pleading eyes joined together, and reality restored. Audrey was saying, ".yes, and I'll do the same thing to this one as I did the last. History repeats itself, eh, Eric?" All Eric could think about was the look on Anese's face. Now she knew how he'd received the scars upon his back. She'd believed the ones on his chest were all the result of battle with no armor, but now she knew. Yet the horrified look on her face made him believe with every fiber of his being that she would never feel anything but love and frustration towards him, but it also made him feel the same helplessness he'd felt the night Jennie had died. No, Anese was not Jennie, and he could do something. "After all these years you still don't know." Audrey had been speaking to him this entire time. "After all the months here at Arlington Hall, you still don't know. Well, since I've agreed to the trade, I might as well tell you before it takes place. I had great plans for your two boys. Oh yes! They were to be my best warriors; they were to fight against their own father! Ha! But one of my men made a disaster out of the entire thing and abandoned them in the forest." Audrey then smiled and said, "But, alas, your wife's kind nature wouldn't let her leave them, and they ended up in her own home. If you hadn't come along I would've put father against sons in a few years. Little did Anese know, that Jack was in on my plans, and taught them swordplay as well as carpentry." He laughed proudly. "The prospect is invigorating, don't you think so, Anese?" Audrey tugged at her rounded waist, and then stopped abruptly. His face was blank for a moment, but shortly it broke into a wide grin. "Keeping this one busy, too. Huh, Eric?" Eric's eyes filled with hatred, no, loathing. Anese had kept quiet until now, but she could take it no longer. "You bastard!" she screamed, as she abruptly broke free of Audrey's hold on her waist. "Watch your tongue, woman!" Audrey turned to her and slapped her hard across the cheek. Eric drew his sword and strode to cut Audrey down, but Audrey turned and unsheathed his sword just in time to block the blow. The fighting began with just the two at ends, countering attacks and fervently defending, but not long after the two enemies had begun, did Jack and four other men come upon them all. Michael cut down an amateur that could barely hold up his own rapier, and sparred with another of the coming men. Jesse took one of the remaining two. Eric launched a relentless assault on Audrey, pounding blow after blow against the weapon. With the last of his strength, Audrey raised his weapon high above his head after knocking Eric back a step with a small blow to his shoulder. Eric seized the chance, and ripped his sword through Audrey's abdomen. The man fell with a hard thump, leaving Eric to glance around to look for Anese. He turned around a full two times before he spotted Jack cupping his hand around Anese's mouth and dragging her down the path. He hadn't followed them more than six paces when he heard horses and relaxed a bit. John had come at last. He took caution in creeping up behind Jack and Anese, knowing Jack would be ransoming her to the group of men John was with. Anese saw him, and tried to hide her gaze, but Jack looked in time to see Eric coming toward them. Jack turned around to defend himself, forgetting that John held a crossbow. He and Anese fell to the ground in a heap of limbs. Eric rushed over to Anese and pulled her from the dead man. She stared at the arrow that had sunken into the man's flesh. Eric saw her distress and said with some difficulty, "I know you loved him, and I'm sorry." Anese looked into Eric's eyes. He had sharp features. His eyes were beautifully shaped and set perfectly within his face, and his cheek and jaw bones were chiseled handsomely. Eric also had the most inviting lips Anese had ever seen, and felt. She realized her love for him was much stronger than she had once thought. "I once loved Jack, not this man. Yet now I realize that that love was the love of a child, and ours the love of eternity." Eric drew Anese to him, passionately kissing her. He pulled back and slid his hand onto her round belly. She covered his hand with her own. "Momma!" two boys' voices rang through the air. Anese turned in Eric's arms to see Matthew flailing his arms about as he ran to her and Christian trying desperately to untangle his foot from the stirrup before the horse decided to take a walk. Eric released Anese and swooped up Matthew, swirling him in his arms. Anese walked over to Christian, laughing wildly, and helped him get his foot out of the stirrup. They embraced, Anese almost crying with uncontrollable joy that her children were safe and she was here to be with them. She decided to walk alongside Eric's men, hand in hand with Matthew and Christian, when they began to head back. But when the boys grew tired of walking, gave them a boost up to the backs of their walking horses. Anese walked alongside the horses for a bit, and it was as if Eric sensed she was worn and dropped back to lift her atop his charger, Namune, who had accompanied them on the journey to rescue Anese. She leaned against the warm hardness of Eric's large chest, snuggling against its expanse. She rested her head in the crook of his shoulder and chest, this only being possible because Eric held the reins, for Anese was fairly short and Eric very tall. Anese was soon fast asleep, her breathing easy and slow. Eric gazed at Anese. Her sapphire eyes were closed, and her chest rose evenly, proof of her weariness. He was amazed at the way she protectively laid her hand across her growing belly. So small, she was so small. Petite though she was, she was not as petite as some of the other royalty he had come across. Some women actually starved themselves because they thought themselves fat. Eric smiled as Anese awoke with a start and instantly grinned. She looked up at Eric with approval. "We've really created life, Eric." She seemed overjoyed this time, but she was almost ecstatic when it happened again. "Feel," she whispered as she moved Eric free hand onto her belly, "it's kicking!" Eric smiled at that. Then wondered why she was so small at three months, he'd never seen Jennie this small, but then, Jennie had had twins. Christian and Matthew. He remembered something he'd wanted to talk to Anese about since he first saw the twin boys. "Is it true, what Audrey said back there? Did you find Christian and Matthew?" Anese looked back at the boys and nodded. "Thank you." "For what?" she asked. "For being the woman who cared enough to bring in and even raise my children when they had no one. For carrying my child, and for loving me as I do you," Eric finished passionately. Anese curled herself to Eric then, and that was enough for him.
The three men sat silently in the trees surrounding the camp Anese was being held at. She was tied to a pole in the center of the four tents there. Eric had been enraged when he saw how the men treated her. They did not spit at her feet or slap her, but fondled with her breasts and pulled her mouth to theirs. Even Jack, the somewhat shy man Anese had once loved, harassed her incessantly. He would then whisper something in her ear that would make the proud Anese painfully straighten herself and lift her chin. Darkness fell, and Eric could barely stay in the tree he hid in. As the ale poured more freely, Anese's humiliation showed more blatantly. She tried to hold her head high and fight them, but after trying it once she gave up the struggle, receiving a hard slap that earned her a hand mark upon her tan cheek. When the sun had completely disappeared from the sky and all that was left of the fires were the glowing embers, Audrey came out of his tent and sent the five drunken men to their tents. He then walked lazily over to Anese. They exchanged barbs and Anese spat on his tunic. Eric took this opportunity to motion for Michael and Jesse to silently raid the camp. The two men unsheathed their knives and crept down the tree, silently slipping in and out of tents and slitting the sleeping men's throats. When they returned, all were dead except Audrey and Anese, and their plan progressed to the next level. Jesse and Michael signaled for Eric to come down, and they escorted him to where Audrey stood. "We've brought an exchange for the prisoner Anese, Lady of Carrleigh. Sir Eric, Lord of Carrleigh and Arlington Hall, will willingly trade himself in," Michael said in a regal voice. Anese bowed her head, down casting her eyes and avoiding Eric's gaze. "Ah, but it is the Lady that I want in my bed, not the Lord," Audrey replied mockingly, his eyes full of sick laughter. Haughtily he untied the bonds tying Anese to the wooden rod and drew her to him once released. She trembled with fear, looking at Eric pleadingly. Unexpectedly, a blinding light struck Eric's eyes, yet he did not flinch. He could see the two men holding him away from his Jennie. She was laid upon the bed, trembling as Anese was. Audrey had control of her, as he had of Anese. The images of their pleading eyes joined together, and reality restored. Audrey was saying, ".yes, and I'll do the same thing to this one as I did the last. History repeats itself, eh, Eric?" All Eric could think about was the look on Anese's face. Now she knew how he'd received the scars upon his back. She'd believed the ones on his chest were all the result of battle with no armor, but now she knew. Yet the horrified look on her face made him believe with every fiber of his being that she would never feel anything but love and frustration towards him, but it also made him feel the same helplessness he'd felt the night Jennie had died. No, Anese was not Jennie, and he could do something. "After all these years you still don't know." Audrey had been speaking to him this entire time. "After all the months here at Arlington Hall, you still don't know. Well, since I've agreed to the trade, I might as well tell you before it takes place. I had great plans for your two boys. Oh yes! They were to be my best warriors; they were to fight against their own father! Ha! But one of my men made a disaster out of the entire thing and abandoned them in the forest." Audrey then smiled and said, "But, alas, your wife's kind nature wouldn't let her leave them, and they ended up in her own home. If you hadn't come along I would've put father against sons in a few years. Little did Anese know, that Jack was in on my plans, and taught them swordplay as well as carpentry." He laughed proudly. "The prospect is invigorating, don't you think so, Anese?" Audrey tugged at her rounded waist, and then stopped abruptly. His face was blank for a moment, but shortly it broke into a wide grin. "Keeping this one busy, too. Huh, Eric?" Eric's eyes filled with hatred, no, loathing. Anese had kept quiet until now, but she could take it no longer. "You bastard!" she screamed, as she abruptly broke free of Audrey's hold on her waist. "Watch your tongue, woman!" Audrey turned to her and slapped her hard across the cheek. Eric drew his sword and strode to cut Audrey down, but Audrey turned and unsheathed his sword just in time to block the blow. The fighting began with just the two at ends, countering attacks and fervently defending, but not long after the two enemies had begun, did Jack and four other men come upon them all. Michael cut down an amateur that could barely hold up his own rapier, and sparred with another of the coming men. Jesse took one of the remaining two. Eric launched a relentless assault on Audrey, pounding blow after blow against the weapon. With the last of his strength, Audrey raised his weapon high above his head after knocking Eric back a step with a small blow to his shoulder. Eric seized the chance, and ripped his sword through Audrey's abdomen. The man fell with a hard thump, leaving Eric to glance around to look for Anese. He turned around a full two times before he spotted Jack cupping his hand around Anese's mouth and dragging her down the path. He hadn't followed them more than six paces when he heard horses and relaxed a bit. John had come at last. He took caution in creeping up behind Jack and Anese, knowing Jack would be ransoming her to the group of men John was with. Anese saw him, and tried to hide her gaze, but Jack looked in time to see Eric coming toward them. Jack turned around to defend himself, forgetting that John held a crossbow. He and Anese fell to the ground in a heap of limbs. Eric rushed over to Anese and pulled her from the dead man. She stared at the arrow that had sunken into the man's flesh. Eric saw her distress and said with some difficulty, "I know you loved him, and I'm sorry." Anese looked into Eric's eyes. He had sharp features. His eyes were beautifully shaped and set perfectly within his face, and his cheek and jaw bones were chiseled handsomely. Eric also had the most inviting lips Anese had ever seen, and felt. She realized her love for him was much stronger than she had once thought. "I once loved Jack, not this man. Yet now I realize that that love was the love of a child, and ours the love of eternity." Eric drew Anese to him, passionately kissing her. He pulled back and slid his hand onto her round belly. She covered his hand with her own. "Momma!" two boys' voices rang through the air. Anese turned in Eric's arms to see Matthew flailing his arms about as he ran to her and Christian trying desperately to untangle his foot from the stirrup before the horse decided to take a walk. Eric released Anese and swooped up Matthew, swirling him in his arms. Anese walked over to Christian, laughing wildly, and helped him get his foot out of the stirrup. They embraced, Anese almost crying with uncontrollable joy that her children were safe and she was here to be with them. She decided to walk alongside Eric's men, hand in hand with Matthew and Christian, when they began to head back. But when the boys grew tired of walking, gave them a boost up to the backs of their walking horses. Anese walked alongside the horses for a bit, and it was as if Eric sensed she was worn and dropped back to lift her atop his charger, Namune, who had accompanied them on the journey to rescue Anese. She leaned against the warm hardness of Eric's large chest, snuggling against its expanse. She rested her head in the crook of his shoulder and chest, this only being possible because Eric held the reins, for Anese was fairly short and Eric very tall. Anese was soon fast asleep, her breathing easy and slow. Eric gazed at Anese. Her sapphire eyes were closed, and her chest rose evenly, proof of her weariness. He was amazed at the way she protectively laid her hand across her growing belly. So small, she was so small. Petite though she was, she was not as petite as some of the other royalty he had come across. Some women actually starved themselves because they thought themselves fat. Eric smiled as Anese awoke with a start and instantly grinned. She looked up at Eric with approval. "We've really created life, Eric." She seemed overjoyed this time, but she was almost ecstatic when it happened again. "Feel," she whispered as she moved Eric free hand onto her belly, "it's kicking!" Eric smiled at that. Then wondered why she was so small at three months, he'd never seen Jennie this small, but then, Jennie had had twins. Christian and Matthew. He remembered something he'd wanted to talk to Anese about since he first saw the twin boys. "Is it true, what Audrey said back there? Did you find Christian and Matthew?" Anese looked back at the boys and nodded. "Thank you." "For what?" she asked. "For being the woman who cared enough to bring in and even raise my children when they had no one. For carrying my child, and for loving me as I do you," Eric finished passionately. Anese curled herself to Eric then, and that was enough for him.