I'm back with Chapter 13. Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long. It didn't help that my brother got a floppy disk jammed into our computer and I couldn't access my unfinished Chapter 13 for close to a week. Finally I had him take the disk to his girlfriend's house and email the word document to me. Despite all of those problems I prevailed! I hope you like this chapter. I also would like to thank all of you who have been reviewing. I love reading them! Thanks! Well, I'll let you get on with reading. Enjoy!
Sweet Revenge
By Tatiana
Chapter 13: Pretty Please With Sugar On Top
The morning dawned pale and lovely. Despite her near-drowning the day before, Kate felt rested. The muddy roads were nearly dried out and the sun was casting a pleasant glow over the dewy, green landscape. It did not bother Kate as much to be on horseback on such a nice day. The birds were chirping cheerfully, lifting her spirits.
Adhemar's company was traveling at a much faster pace than the day before. Around midmorning a half-dozen riders went into a trot, leaving several men and the wagons behind to catch up. Kate was included in the group that was moving ahead. The sun was directly overhead by the time they slowed. They halted at the top of a green rise. Below in the valley was a small village along the outer wall of a manor house. Adhemar sent Germaine and another page galloping ahead to announce his arrival to the lord of the keep and to see if was welcome. The herald kicked his horse into stride and rode towards the nobleman's home.
Adhemar and the rest of his retinue began their descent down into the vale at a more leisurely pace. They rode through the town and reached the stone outer wall of the estate. Passing through the open portcullis of the outer wall they entered into the courtyard. The horses' hooves clopped on the cobbles and several young grooms rushed forward to hold them so the riders could dismount. Adhemar got down from his horse. Once his feet were on the ground he turned around to look for Germaine. His eyes squinted against the sunlight as he peered around the cobbled bailey.
Kate took the opportunity to look around. The courtyard was large with massive stables. Horses were being led everywhere by stable boys and grooms. The familiar pings of a hammer upon an anvil reached Kate's ears. The sound was even more comforting to her than the morning bird's song had been earlier that morning.
" My lord!" Germaine called, entering the courtyard from a door coming off the small castle. He walked towards them. " Lord Wesmark receives you gladly and with warm welcome."
" Excellent," Adhemar declared in a flat voice, mainly to himself. Motioning to his men to dismount he turned to his herald to have a few words.
Kate waited atop her mare until one of Adhemar's men helped her down. As her feet touched the ground, Adhemar turned to look at her for the first time that day. As he regarded her, his eyes fell to her hands, which were bound.
" Untie her," he ordered. " Do not allow her from your sides." Adhemar told his men. His mocking eyes met Kate's. "We cannot have her running away. We cannot have her looking as though she is our prisoner either."
" Why not?" Kate demanded; her tone was bitterly amused. " That is precisely what I am."
" No," he smirked. " You are my guest. A guest who has nearly worn out her welcome."
" Then let me say Count Adhemar, as a guest, that your hospitality leaves much to be desired." Kate drawled dryly.
Adhemar's expression turned serious. " Keep your mouth shut in there," He pointed to the nobleman's residence. " Or my hospitality will become nonexistent. One word and your welcome will be officially worn out and you'll have to fall back on the mercy of the authorities. I think you'll find their obliging accommodations more lacking than my own."
Kate did not reply, content to merely glare at him darkly. Adhemar, taking her silence as an acceptance of defeat, sneered in satisfaction. He turned and entered the home of Lord Wesmark. Germaine and the rest of Adhemar's men followed along with Kate in their midst. They came into a large hall with tall ceilings and a stone floor. Servants were hurrying about, decorating the great chamber with garlands of flowers and fabric. Tables were being hauled in and placed along the walls of the hall, leaving the center of the room open. It looked as though a celebration was to be held.
Germaine stepped forward and led Adhemar to a smaller room off of the great hall. It was furnished in dark wood with a desk and several chairs. Behind the desk sat a richly dressed older man. A few other men were around the table and were talking to him in turns. As soon as they entered, the older man waved his hand to silence them and put a friendly smile on to greet Adhemar.
" Count Adhemar!" he exclaimed in a booming voice. " So wonderful to see you! This day is indeed a good one!"
" Greetings Lord Wesmark, I hope you and your family are well." Adhemar replied courteously.
" We are well indeed!" Lord Wesmark chuckled. " My eldest daughter was betrothed this morning and tonight we shall have a banquet to celebrate!"
" I congratulate you my lord," Adhemar replied.
" Your timing is perfect Count, for you are just in time for the festivities. This eve you shall see how hospitable a host I can be!" the older man declared.
" Thank-you for the invitation Lord Wesmark but I am afraid I cannot accept it. My men and I shall leave as soon as our business here is done." Adhemar said. Kate was surprised by the regret in his voice. If she hadn't known better she would have thought him sincere. He was a very good pretender.
" What business is this?" Lord Wesmark asked.
" I am in need of a charger to replace my previous one. I wished to check with you to see if you had a quality stallion before I looked elsewhere. It is known that you have the finest steeds in Europe. The business we have done in the past together supports that knowledge. I would have nothing but the best." Adhemar explained, his voice oozing with charm.
" Indeed?" Lord Wesmark mused. " Giles, do we have any stallions ready for sale?"
" We do my lord," the man to his left answered.
" What sort of steed are you in need of Count Adhemar?" Lord Wesmark turned his attention back to the man before him.
" I need a large charger, suitable for both battle and the lists." Adhemar replied.
The older man glanced back to Giles, who nodded. " Yes, I think we might be able to provide such a stallion." he told the count.
" Excellent," Adhemar said with satisfaction. " I wish to see the animal before I make my decision."
" Of course!" Lord Wesmark exclaimed. " We will go to the stables tomorrow and see the stallion."
" You forget my lord that I am not staying the night. I am on a tight schedule that does not allow it." Adhemar protested as politely as he could.
" I insist upon it Count Adhemar!" Lord Wesmark chuckled with joviality. "You must stay and celebrate with me my daughter's engagement. The stallion will keep till tomorrow morn. Pleasure before business, I always say!"
" I fear, Lord Wesmark, that in my profession it is the other way around," Adhemar sighed. His outward appearance did not show his irritation. Behind his lips his teeth were clenched. " Work before pleasure and sometimes no pleasure at all."
" Which is why I admire you so my dear Count Adhemar!" Lord Wesmark said in a friendly voice. " Honor my daughter and I with your presence at the banquet, please. I assure that you will not regret it."
" I suppose I may spare this night on your behalf," Adhemar yielded graciously to Lord Wesmark's urging.
" Marvelous!" Lord Wesmark proclaimed. He turned to his right. " Luther, go and arrange accommodations for Count Adhemar and his men." Lord Wesmark glanced back towards Adhemar and his entourage. " And lady."
" My lord, that is unnecessary. You have a house full of guests. My men, blacksmith, and I need not stay in your home. I have more men and wagons coming. If it is all the same to you, my lord, I shall stay with my men." Adhemar stated cordially but firmly.
" If you insist," the older man sighed.
" I do," Adhemar stated.
" Very well," Lord Wesmark shrugged. " You and your men may set up camp just outside the outer wall." Adhemar nodded in satisfaction. The older man rose from his chair. He made his way around the desk to clap his hand on Adhemar's shoulder. " It is a great honor to have you here Count Adhemar."
" The honor is all mine Lord Wesmark." Adhemar replied with a tight-lipped smile.
" Good! It's all settled then!" Wesmark exclaimed. " I shall see you this evening at the banquet. You will sit at the head table!"
" You are too kind my lord," Adhemar said cordially and bowed as the nobleman exited the room.
Turning on his heel Adhemar went through the door and made his way outside with his men and Kate following behind. Just as soon as they stepped outside into the courtyard Adhemar picked up a wooden crate from a stack nearby and smashed it down onto the cobbles. The crate shattered on the paved ground. Kate flinched as he let out a torrent of curses. He threw what remained of the crate down violently. Germaine and the men all took a wary step back from their master. Kate glanced around at them in surprise.
" Damn it all to hell!" Adhemar bellowed. His breath was coming fast, his face red and angry. He put his hands on his hips and, with his back to them, gazed out over the bailey in deep thought.
Kate watched him, her eyes wide. His outburst was not what she expected. Out the corner of her eye she saw that Germaine was standing at her elbow. He was watching his master closely.
" What's the matter with him?" she whispered to the herald.
Germaine looked to her in surprise. With a glance back to Adhemar, he swallowed and turned his head towards her. " He shall be expected to dance at the banquet."
" So what's the problem?" she asked.
" He does not know how to dance." Germaine said under his breath. " And it would be rude to refuse if asked."
" He cannot dance?" Kate's eyebrows rose an inch.
" No," Adhemar interjected. " He cannot." Both Kate and Germaine looked up to find Adhemar was facing them. " And that is none of the blacksmith's business." Adhemar declared darkly. He set his eyes on Germaine. " And my herald knows better then to presume it is."
Germaine lowered his head to stare at his toes in shame. Adhemar gave Kate a hard look and then turned to walk back and forth before his men. His entire body was ridged as he attempted to think of a solution. Kate's eyes shifted back and forth between Germaine and Adhemar as he paced. She bit her lower lip as a thought formed in her head.
" I could," she began and then paused. Adhemar turned and looked at her questioningly. Germaine raised his eyes from his feet to her. " I could teach you to dance." she offered hesitantly.
Adhemar stopped in his tracks and stared at her. Germaine's eyebrows shot up in surprise.
" What?" she demanded.
" What on earth would a common blacksmith know about dancing?" Adhemar asked, his voice filled with disdain.
" Apparently more than the noble Count Adhemar, Master of the Free Companies," she retorted.
Germaine cleared his throat, his handing moving to his mouth to hide his near-smile. Adhemar sent him a dark look.
" No," Adhemar declared.
" I can teach you." Kate insisted.
" No," Adhemar said. " What you can do is go into the forge and start making my armor. Germaine, take her to the forge." Germaine grasped Kate's arm.
" No," Kate replied. She crossed her arms over her chest defiantly. " I can't."
" You can and you will," Adhemar told her firmly.
" I won't," Kate shook her head.
Adhemar flexed his jaw in annoyance. Germaine's amusement faded. He knew that Adhemar did not like being disagreed with.
" Then I will presently turn you into the authorities," Adhemar threatened.
" Do that and you'll never get your armor," Kate shot back.
" But Thatcher would not have the advantage of any more of your lightweight armor and I would be rid of your tiresome badgering. Adhemar took a step towards her. Germaine shrank back but Kate raised her chin a notch. " It sounds as though you have no intention of making my armor anyway."
" Well, if you turn me over to the authorities you'll never know for certain," Kate shrugged.
Adhemar was silent. Germaine and the men's eyes passed between their master and Kate, watching to see what he would do. Adhemar glanced over his men. He turned his eyes back to Kate.
" Germaine," he addressed his herald. " Take her to the forge."
" You're afraid!" Kate exclaimed.
" I most certainly am not!" Adhemar protested.
" First no heart, then no conscience, and now no spine!" she sighed, making a ticking noise by clicking her tongue at the back of her teeth. " Is there anything else missing that we should know about?" she asked.
Adhemar's eyes narrowed and he stepped closer. Kate's breath caught in her chest as his fierce gaze bore into her. For a moment she doubted whether it was a good idea to say as much as she had.
" I've got what counts," Adhemar said calmly.
" I only know you to have a mouth that threatens without the will to carry those threats out." Kate challenged.
" Enough woman!" Adhemar shouted. " I have had enough of your sharp tongue." He grabbed her upper arm and shoved her towards Germaine. "Get her to the forge!"
Germaine steadied her as she stumbled from the force of Count Adhemar's push. Adhemar spun on his heel and strode away. The rest of the men followed their master, leaving Kate and Germaine standing in the courtyard.
* * * * *
Kate shoved the tongs back into the fire. She wiped the sweat from her brow with her sleeve and glanced around her. There were about a half dozen forges spaced evenly about. The nearest one was several yards away. The other blacksmiths were watching her closely. They looked away when they saw her noticing their watchful gazes. Kate smiled slightly to herself. She'd encountered many of their kind. They probably had never seen a female blacksmith before. She glanced back at Germaine, who stood behind her. He was watching the other smithies as well. Turning her attention back to the task at hand she pushed the tongs further into the hot coals. A murmur from behind her caught her notice.
" What was that Germaine?" she asked, still focused on her work. There was no answer. Kate frowned and glanced over her shoulder. " Germaine?" There was no one there. Kate shook her head in bafflement. He was just standing right there a minute ago. She shrugged with a sigh. She turned back to the fire.
" How's it going?"
Kate jumped with shock and a gasp escaped her lips.
" Did I frighten you?" Count Adhemar inquired with feigned sympathy from the other side of her. He was standing to her left, leaning back against the stone wall of the fire pit with his arms crossed over his chest and back to the heat of the coals.
Kate breathed in deeply to slow her pulse. She merely shook her head at him. He looked over his shoulder as the iron of her tongs and the coals where the piece of metal she was working on was buried.
" How is it coming?" he asked nodding towards the coals.
" It's almost finished," Kate answered simply.
Adhemar's eyebrows rose a fraction in pleasant surprise. " My armor is done so soon?"
Kate snorted and observed him with an amused gaze. She pulled her tongs from the fire and held them between her and Adhemar. The metal clutched by the tongs was thick and u-shaped. " If you think you can fit into that then be my guest." Adhemar regarded the red, glowing, horseshoe with disapproval. Kate met his gaze and shrugged. " I thought I should familiarize myself with my trade once again. It has been a while since I've been in the forge."
" You can forget your trade in a week?" Adhemar observed. His tone revealed his displeasure.
Kate merely shrugged again and stepped around him to where the anvil and hammer lay a few feet away. Adhemar watched her begin to work the u-shaped piece of metal. He too noted the warily watchful gazes of the other blacksmiths. Pushing himself off of the wall of the fire pit, he strolled leisurely over to stand beside her.
" It seems the other armorers doubt your ability as a blacksmith," he commented casually.
" It's nothing I'm not accustomed to," Kate declared. With each swing of the hammer she made her skill evident. She raised her eyes to meet his. " And you? What is your opinion of my skill as a blacksmith?"
Adhemar held her gaze. He was silent for a few moments. " I have no doubt that you are a proficient metal worker. I do doubt, however, your skill as a dance instructor." Kate's eyes widened with surprise. He took a deep breath and let it out. " Or perhaps it is my ability to learn that I doubt." He watched her for her reaction.
" Anyone can learn to dance," Kate claimed.
" Not I," Adhemar said in a low voice.
" I taught William and Wat to dance. Surely if they could learn, so could you." Kate argued.
" No. I cannot," Adhemar protested.
Kate frowned and turned to face him. " Why?" she demanded, the hand that grasped the hammer went to her hip.
Adhemar pressed his lips together. His jaw flexed as he clenched it and unclenched it. He glanced around the forges. As his eyes traveled over them, several blacksmiths lowered their eyes to their own work. Kate's curiosity grew as she watched Adhemar. He seemed torn.
" That is none of your business," he finally stated.
Kate shook her head and gave a short laugh of distaste. She bit her lip and turned back to the glowing horseshoe. Adhemar remained where he was. He watched her for a few moments. He let out a growl and began to stalk off.
" Count Adhemar!" Kate called to his back. Adhemar turned. " Just say it." she insisted.
" Say what?" Adhemar muttered moodily.
" Whatever it is you don't want to say," Kate said. " Do you have two left feet or something?"
" No!" he spat. He let out a quick breath. Adhemar strode back over to where she stood. " I have never told anyone of it before. Why should I start with you?"
" Tell me," Kate insisted gently. Her eyes softened at his poor attempt to disguise his misgivings about revealing something that he no doubt thought a personal flaw.
Adhemar didn't answer immediately. " I," he began then stopped. Kate nodded slightly, encouraging him to go on. " I cannot learn to dance because I cannot hear the music." He let out a breath as he finished. Kate's brow furrowed in confusion. " I am deaf to the tones," he explained. " To me music sounds like children squabbling. So you see, I cannot learn to dance."
" Yes you can," Kate protested softly.
" Did you hear nothing I just said?" Adhemar demanded, starting to get angry. " I said I am tone deaf."
" Dancing has little to do with the sound of the notes. It is the rhythm and the beat that truly matters when dancing." Kate assured him. " Being tone deaf doesn't matter." The corners of her mouth upturned in a compassionate smile.
" Are you certain?" Adhemar charged. Kate nodded. He became thoughtful for a moment. " So I can learn to dance?"
" Yes," Kate replied, nodding. " You could."
Adhemar nodded. "Then you will."
" What will I do?" Kate asked, her voice had become defensive and her smile had disappeared.
" Teach me." Adhemar replied.
" Me?" Kate asked, with feigned surprise. " Teach you? What on earth could I, a common blacksmith, know about dancing?"
" You will teach me to dance," Adhemar ordered.
" No," Kate snorted. His blunt and commanding manner had offended her.
" You said earlier that you could teach me to dance," he said between gritted teeth.
" That was then and this is now," Kate drawled nonchalantly.
" And?" Adhemar prodded.
" I could teach you if I were to be asked politely," she clarified with a smug smile, laying into the "if".
Adhemar's gaze became hard. He glared at her. Kate raised her eyebrows expectantly. She tilted her head and gazed at him inquiringly.
" Would you teach me to dance?" he mumbled quietly. Kate squinted up her face in consideration. Her eyes went heavenward in a thoughtful expression. " Kate," Adhemar said softly in a deep voice. His earnest eyes sought hers. " Please."
Kate regarded him. He was standing a few paces from her. His expression was honest and sincere. She couldn't help but be surprised. She had never known him to need anything from anyone. His eyes almost pleaded with her. As much as she would have loved to throw his weakness back in his face, something stopped her. He had said please. It was evident that he did not ask kindly every often. She allowed an amiable grin to form on her lips.
" Very well," she submitted to his request. " I'll teach you."
" Excellent!" Adhemar declared. " Come, we'll begin presently. There isn't much time."
Kate shoved the tongs she held into a tub of water. Steam and hissing rose from the water as the metal horseshoe cooled. When she took it out she held it up for Adhemar's inspection.
" May I?" he asked, holding out gloved hand.
Kate nodded. " Be careful," she warned. " It still might hot."
Adhemar took the iron shoe from the grip of the tongs and turned it over in his hands. He looked up to her. " Faultless." he admitted.
" Shall we begin?" Kate asked pulling the tan leather apron over her head and the brown leather gloves from her hands.
" Indeed we shall," Adhemar replied. He grabbed one of her hands in his own and yanked her into step her along behind him as they made their way towards the stables.
The other blacksmiths watched as they walked by. Adhemar tossed the horseshoe to one of the men as they passed. The blacksmith caught it; his face was full of astonishment. A few others nearby gathered around him and they looked the horseshoe over. They all nodded in agreement with Count Adhemar. It was perfect.
* * * * *
Well, that's Chapter 13. I hope you are intrigued. It is my longest chapter so far. I had actually wanted add more to this chapter but it would have been too long and taken me that much longer to finish. So I divided what I wanted to put in this chapter and put it in the next. I'll begin on Chapter 14 immediately. Thanks for reading!