Hi there! I'm back! Remember me? I hope so!!! I present to you Chapter 16. I hope you like it. I haven't done a disclaimer in a while so I think I'll do one now. I don't own any of the characters from A Knights Tale. Please don't sue! Thankies!!! Enjoy!!!
Sweet Revenge
By Tatiana
Chapter 16: Amen to That
Adhemar entered the camp with a hurried, abrupt stride. As he passed his men, they all turned their heads, their eyes following him. Seated around cook fires, they had been conversing until Adhemar had appeared. Now they were all watching warily as their commander stalked around the camp. He was obviously searching for something as he glanced in, under and around the wagons. His men, baffled and speechless, watched him in heavy silence.
As he walked across the camp for the second time he suddenly stopped in the center with his back to them. Adhemar turned slowly around to peer at his men. A ripple of uneasiness passed through the group as their master's angry gaze passed over them.
" Where is she?" Adhemar growled.
No one spoke. A few men glanced uneasily at one another. Not even one of the nearly two dozen men was willing to answer for fear of their master's hostility. Adhemar's scowl deepened.
" You!" Adhemar declared pointing at a young man to his left. " Where is she?" he demanded in a dark tone.
The young man rose, glancing down at his comrades with uncertainty. He moved his eyes to his master.
" She…uh…she," he stuttered.
" Out with it boy!" Adhemar ordered in a shout.
" She is with Germaine," the young man complied hurriedly.
A menacing glower rewarded the attendant's reply.
" I know that you idiot!" Adhemar scowled. " Where?"
The man gazed up at Adhemar with wide eyes.
" Where?" The Count barked.
He moved his eyes from the young man to scan the faces of the rest of his crew. A few pairs of eyes darted away, glancing at something behind him. Soon all of the men's gazes were directed at an object beyond where their master was standing.
Adhemar's ears perked up when the sound of soft feminine laughter drifted past with the breeze. He turned slowly around to find Germaine and Kate walking towards the camp, side by side, from the same direction he himself had come from minutes ago. They were both smiling. Kate was laughing.
Adhemar's eyes narrowed as he watched them approach. Germaine glanced up from his amusing conversation with Kate. The herald's face spread into warm smile when he saw his master. He and Kate approached Adhemar. Kate grinned at Germaine's excitement.
" My lord!" the herald greeted enthusiastically. He was beaming. "What a marvelous evening! Everything was superb! Such a wonderful night for all!"
" Indeed?" Adhemar commented skeptically, raising an eyebrow.
" Of course my lord! The dancing was magnificent!" Germaine replied cheerfully.
" Indeed?" Count Adhemar said again, his tone had become one of cynical amusement.
Germaine's smile faded from his face as he realized his master did not share his sense of triumph. He glanced over to Kate. She was watching Adhemar inquisitively, her brow was furrowed and her smile was gone. The herald turned his attention back to Adhemar.
" My lord?" Germaine questioned, his voice was filled with uncertainty
" Was it indeed?" Adhemar repeated. " Marvelous for whom?" he asked.
Germaine's forehead wrinkled. " Why, for you of course." he replied.
" For me? Not for you?" Adhemar asked the herald, arching his eyebrows. Germaine regarded him with a blank stare. Adhemar turned his piercing gaze to Kate. " Or you?"
" What's wrong?" Kate asked slowly, eyeing him with cautious curiosity. " I thought you would be pleased. You danced beautifully."
" Oh I am pleased," Adhemar confirmed with a humorless laugh. " But dancing isn't the only cause of my satisfaction. There is another reason. You see, I have discovered what you are." His eyes glittered with secret knowledge, his voice containing a spiteful edge.
Kate frowned in confusion. " And what is that?"
" You," Adhemar replied, his accusation was laced with disdain. " are nothing but a little Irish whore. It's no wonder Thatcher and his boys keep you around." His lip curled up over his lips to form a cynical sneer.
Kate was stunned speechless. She'd certainly not been expecting that. She moved her lips to reply but Adhemar was not finished.
" Nothing but a harlot," Adhemar jeered. " Cozying up with anything in breeches."
" What is this?" Kate demanded. Her voice contained a hint of hurt at his insults. " I compliment you and you reply by insulting me?" The tone of her voice became angry. "Did I miss something here? It was only a few hours ago that you were asking me for my help and now you are accusing me of whoring? You have no right and no proof to charge me with such loathsome deeds."
" Oh, cry me a river," he scoffed at her wounded tone and whining protests.
" Why? So you can insult me some more?" Kate demanded haughtily.
" So you can drown in it," Adhemar replied darkly.
Kate's mouth fell open. The unrestricted malice in his tone sent a shiver down her spine. The Count's lips were spread in a cold smirk. He was laughing at her.
" It is a good thing your husband died when he did before he found out what you are." Adhemar declared with a cynical chuckle. He raised his eyebrows. " Or did he know before? Perhaps the forge was not the only business the two of you ran together."
The sharp sound of flesh meeting flesh sounded in the air. Dead silence followed. All eyes were riveted on Kate and Adhemar. Adhemar's head was turned to the side, forced into that position by the power of Kate's slap. The pale outline of a hand print was contrasted against the angry redness of his skin.
" How dare you!" Kate hissed fervently.
" How dare I?" he echoed cynically, his voice was think with rage at the audacity she had by striking him.
" Yes, you." Kate's voice became steady and firm. " You who has never done a noble thing in your life. You who has no virtuous bone in your body."
Adhemar let out another snort of humorless laughter. " Yes, yes. " Adhemar waved his hand in a dismissive manner. " I've heard all of this before. Me who has no heart." he mocked.
Kate met his contemptuous gaze. " You whom even a father could not love." she finished. The contemptuous tone of her voice matched that of his own. Her angry eyes bore into his own.
Adhemar's cynical smirk faded. His eyes, riveted on her, widened and filled with shock. He shifted his gaze to Germaine, the shock turned to accusation of betrayal.
His features became expressionless. The animosity in his eyes faded. His broad shoulders slumped as he stepped backwards, away from Kate and his herald. Without a glance or another word to anyone, he turned and walked slowly and silently from the camp. Kate, Germaine, and Adhemar's men watched silently as he disappeared into the night.
* * * * *
William, Wat, Roland and Chaucer sat around a crackling campfire. The four companions passed a wineskin among them. All were silent, content to merely stare into the fire. Jocelyn and Christina had retired shortly after dark, once Wat, Chaucer, and Gunther, had set up their tent and Roland had fixed dinner.
" This is the life!" William sighed happily, as he stretched his arms above his head and leaned to lay on his back on the ground. " Eh boys?"
Roland, Wat, and Chaucer exchanged glances. None of them replied.
" Boys?" William called out from his back. He propped himself up on his elbows. " Just like old times, eh?" He grinned at them.
The two squires and the herald looked at one another again. William looked from one to the other from across the fire. Wat and Roland stared at Chaucer, nodding at him, urging him to speak up.
" Not exactly," Chaucer answered William's inquiry very slowly. He was eyeing Roland's passive expression and Wat's scowling face.
William's smile faded. His brow wrinkled. " What do you mean?"
" Well, William, it's just that things are a little different this time." Chaucer explained gently, attempting to be delicate with the subject matter.
" Like what?" William asked.
Chaucer's eyes went to Roland, imploring for aid. Roland shrugged and shook his head.
" Like…" Geoff began, dragging out the word as he racked his brains for the right way to put his answer.
" Like having to be at the beck and call of a lady!" Wat burst out fiercely. " I am sorry Will but having to set up that damn tent was enough. Then it's, ' Oh Wat, be a dear and get me some water. Warm it over the fire first won't you?' or ' Wat go and fetch my trunk from the wagon,' or ' Wat could you…'"
" We get the point Wat!" Chaucer cut him of with a firm tone and a glare. The herald made a slicing motion across his neck as a signal for Wat to cut it out.
" Not to mention how much time we are losing!" Wat continued his tirade, ignoring the herald. " We could have traveled twice as far if they weren't tagging along!" Wat took in a deep breath and fell silent, having said his piece.
William regarded his redheaded friend with astonishment. Roland's eyes were wide and Gunther was glancing nervously between William and Wat. He was fearful for Wat. It was never good to take such a tone with any master.
" Wat!" Chaucer scolded.
" What?" Wat demanded defensively.
" Have you ever heard of a thing called tact?" Geoff asked with exasperation.
" No, " Wat replied, his expression was one of puzzlement. "What's that?"
A grin split across William's face. Roland chuckled, his shoulders beginning to shake violently. Chaucer's mouth fell slightly open. The herald shook his head it silent disbelief, throwing up his hands. Gunther watched all of their reactions with mixed feelings of relief and wonder. His previous master would have laid him flat with a fist for speaking as Wat had.
" What!" Wat demanded again, staring at them all as though they were crazy.
Roland's shoulders began to shake even harder. William began to laugh. Chaucer cracked a smile, still shaking his head at his redheaded friend. Gunther tittered a bit, still a little nervous about the unfamiliar camaraderie between William and his attendants.
" Oh," William breathed after his laughter had subsided. He clutched his side. " I haven't laughed like that for a long time." he declared with a contented smile.
" Not since Kate was abducted," Roland observed. They all exchanged glances. The mood turned more somber, smiles and laughter fading.
" That is another thing that isn't like old times," Wat sighed. " Kate isn't here." They all nodded. It was silent for a few moments.
" Yes," Chaucer agreed sullenly. " It isn't quite the same without her."
" I never realized how much I would miss her." William remarked to himself. He glanced around the fire at his friends. " For the longest time I didn't want her tagging along and now that she's gone I wouldn't have her anywhere but here with us."
" One thing is for sure," Roland commented. " We certainly took her for granted. Not only as a blacksmith but as a friend." The five companions nodded sadly.
" As soon as we catch up with Adhemar I'll fong him!" Wat shouted suddenly.
" He's got a long lead Wat," William said.
" Then why are we sitting around? Every minute we sit here, the further the distance between us and Adhemar becomes!" Wat growled. " We'll never catch him at this rate!"
" Calm down Wat," Geoff said. " We'll get there soon enough."
" The longer we take, the longer Kate must suffer at the hands of Adhemar!" Wat cried, throwing his hands up in the air.
" Easy there Master Falhurst," Gunther ventured into the conversation for the first time that evening. " Adhemar won't harm her. He needs her."
" You cannot know that for sure!" Wat insisted.
" Think on it Wat," Geoff explained. " Adhemar fired Gunther for hurting her on accident. He would not turn around and harm her on purpose."
" Are you positive?" Wat demanded. " Because it is Count Adhemar we're talking about here."
Chaucer did not answer. He stared into the fire, his forehead creased with worried contemplation.
" Adhemar will wish he never laid eyes on Kate when I get through with him." Wat vowed. " He will know pain."
" Careful Wat," Roland warned. " Adhemar is a nobleman. The only place he can be beaten is in the lists or on the battlefield, unless you fancy the stocks."
" That isn't fair," Wat sighed dejectedly. His shoulders slumped.
" The only way to cause Adhemar pain is to hurt his heart," Chaucer observed.
" That's impossible," William disagreed. He rubbed his hand over his lips and the blonde stubble growing on his unshaven chin. " He has no heart."
" Well, we can hurt his pride!" Chaucer declared. " He has loads of pride."
" How do we do that?" Wat asked.
" That is simple. " Geoff replied. " William will marry Jocelyn and we'll get Kate back. That'll hurt his pride for sure."
" But we don't even know how we're going to accomplish that yet!" Roland exclaimed.
" And we can't accomplish that until we catch up to him," Wat added.
" Trouble me not with details my friends. We will think of something. And then Adhemar will pay for the injustices he has committed!" Chaucer proclaimed valiantly.
" Easier said then done," Gunther muttered, unconvinced.
" Amen to that," William sighed sullenly in agreement.
* * * * *
Well, that's all for now. More coming soon, I promise. If you would like me to email you when I've got Chapter 17 up, just send me your email address and I'll add you to my update list. Thanks so much for reading!!! Thanks for the reviews!!! Love 'em!!!