Rodmilla nodded stiffly, hating the movement with every part of her.
"I am in your debt forever, Monsieur. My daughter and I both are." Rodmilla could hardly spit the words out; they were absolutely vile to her. She gestured toward Marguerite, indicating for her to curtsy. Marguerite shot him a look of pure disgust and reluctantly lowered herself in a strained curtsy.
Monsieur LePieu grinned maliciously and lowered his mouth to Rodmilla's hand, grazing it with his cold, chapped lips. "There's nothing I like better than a desperate woman." he murmured nastily. "Don't worry, baroness. You don't have to pretend that you even have the slightest regard for me. I only married you for your title, and because I-" he paused and added leeringly, "- felt sorry for you."
Rodmilla turned red with rage and stepped back from LePieu. "I think I was better off without you as my husband. I'd rather be poor than have to spend my days with the likes of you."
The corners of his mouth curled up, "Tsk, tsk, Rodmilla. You and I both know that you are lying. You would rather marry a blacksmith if it meant you weren't groveling in dirt on the street. And, you must admit, I am much better than a blacksmith."
Rodmilla narrowed her eyes and folded her arms crossly, "Don't flatter yourself," she retorted, wiping the back of her hand on her dress.
"You were left penniless when the prince found out that every bit of property you own rightfully goes to that de Barbarac girl, and took it upon himself to keep it safe until she returns," he reminded her. "Don't forget, Rodmilla. You are the one cast out of society because Prince Henry refused to marry Marguerite."
Behind her mother, Marguerite's face turned purple and she clenched her hands into fists. "He wouldn't have if-"
"Hush, child!" LePieu glared at Marguerite. "Don't speak unless you're spoken to. Honestly, I would have thought your mother raised you with better manners. But-" his eyes flickered toward Rodmilla, who cringed. "you are just like your mother. As stubborn and opinionated as a mule."
Rodmilla gave LePieu a look that would have the most unflinching of knights shaking in their boots, "You have no right to-" she began.
"I have every right." Monsieur LePieu interrupted. He waved his hand around the room, gesturing toward the mantle, paintings, and other lavish furnishing that decorated his parlour. "Look around you. All of this is mine. The air you are breathing is my own." Marguerite sucked in her breath and sniffed the air in revoltion. Monsieur LePieu continued, "This is my home. You belong to me."
Rodmilla's eyes flashed, but held her tongue. In a rage, she turned on her heel and exited the room. 'If I ever see that girl Danielle again,' she promised herself as she walked through Monsieur LePieu's hall, 'I swear I will have her killed. She will pay for what she's done to me.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Where are you staying?" Albert tugged on Lily's reins lightly slowing her to a stop, and turned toward Danielle.
Danielle reached into the back seat and grabbed her few bags. 'I wish he wouldn't stare at me like that.,' Danielle thought uncomfortably. "At a local inn, I suppose - at least for a few nights." she said aloud.
"Are you looking for work?" Albert grabbed her heaviest bag before she could stop him, and jumped down from the buggy.
Danielle sighed and, with her remaining bags in hand, leaped from the carriage as well. She brushed dirt off of her dress and wiped her face with a clean handkerchief. Seeming to be absorbed in the task of removing an invisible splotch of mud from her apron, Danielle replied calmly. "Yes, as a matter of fact I am."
"I know a place that would be perfect for you." Albert nudged her gently on her arm, causing Danielle's head to shoot up. "I mean," Albert's face flushed as he stepped back a little, "if you don't mind my saying."
She sighed and brushed away a few dark locks out of her face. "What did you have in mind?" She leaned slightly on the buggy, trying to keep herself from collapsing. She was exhausted from traveling so much, and she hadn't dared to sleep while riding with Albert who was still a stranger. Now that her traveling seemed to have ended, the image of a soft, warm bed surfaced to the front of her thoughts and wouldn't leave her alone.
Albert glanced down and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Well, in my ma's letter, she wrote that Polly - that's out maid - was pregnant and she needed to look for new help, since Polly wants to start herself a family." Albert's blush creeped further up his face and ears, "Maybe it's not the type of work you're looking for, but you seem pretty desperate and this is a small town; not many new jobs are open to strangers," he finished and glanced slowly up at Danielle.
Danielle bit her lip and frowned. He was embarrassed. For the life of her she couldn't figure out why. She was the one that should be embarrassed; he had called her 'desperate'. Indignance and pride began to form inside her chest, compressing into a tight knot. "I appreciate you trying to help me," she said slowly, lifting her chin, "but I'm sure I can find my own way, thank you very much."
Albert raised his eyebrows in surprise as Danielle trudged past him carrying her bags. "Hey, why do you have to be-"
Quickly, Danielle interrupted, "I said thank you." Reaching into one of her bags, she loosened a coin from the bundle and shoved it into Albert's hand. "Here. That is for horse feed or whatever you might need it for." She closed the bag and continued at a much faster pace.
"Hey!" Albert sprinted up beside her, grabbed her hand, and pressed the coin back in. "You don't have to pay me." Danielle glanced at the coin and put it back in her pocket, not really caring at this point. The torturous images of a bed still haunted her; she was afraid she would fall asleep standing up if she didn't find a place to lie down quickly enough. She brushed past him again but stopped abruptly,
"Wait, there is something you could help me with." Danielle mumbled, tugging impatiently on her apron.
Albert nodded eagerly and smiled, "What is it?"
"Could you tell me where the closest inn is?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I want to travel, signore." Henry curiously tapped a prototype the inventor had made and, picking it up gently in his hand, flew it across the room. "I need to be free, just like this invention of yours." He sighed as the prototype fell back into his hand and set it on the table again.
Da Vinci grunted while lifting an impossiblly heavy object. Henry rushed to help him and was also surprised by its weight. "Signore, what is this?"
Da Vinci's red face rose over the other side, "I'm not sure yet. But when it tells me, I'll let you know."
Henry shook his head, surprised that the artist still had the power to puzzle him; he had thought he was used to his mysterious ways by now. Obviously, he was wrong. "Do you think that there is any chance of my father relenting?" he asked, setting his side of the enormous object on the floor and leaning against the table to catch his breath.
Leonardo frowned thoughtfully and wiped a small collection of sweat from his forehead. "I'll talk to him," he said finally.
~~~*~~*~~*~~~
King Francis gazed thoughtfully at the artist and a small, involuntary smile crossed his face. "You are a genius, signore."
Embarrassed, Leonardo waved his hand away and took one step further toward the king. "I'm sure you would have thought of it soon." Leonardo repressed a sigh. He hated kissing up to people, but for his friend he would do it.
"It's absolutely perfect," the king murmered to himself, his eyes glistening in interest. "Sending my son, with very few men, to travel France and explore its every nook and cranny will serve two purposes that I want for Henry. First, it will give him the punishment he deserves. A few months without the luxuries of the palace to pamper him and tend to his every need will shock that boy back into reality and hopefully knock some real sense into him. Secondly, it will give him the experience, sympathies, and understanding a prince should learn to establish with his people in order for him to be an excellent king." Francis's forehead cleared and he shook Da Vinci's hand heartily. "I don't know what I would do without you, da Vinci. You are a master at compromises."
Da Vinci bowed his head slightly, but before he exited the room Francis cleared his throat and gestured for him to stop. "Please don't tell Henry about this yet. I want to be the first to let him know and I want a genuine reaction."
And, hiding a small smile, Da Vinci bowed again, "As you wish, sire," and he left.
"I am in your debt forever, Monsieur. My daughter and I both are." Rodmilla could hardly spit the words out; they were absolutely vile to her. She gestured toward Marguerite, indicating for her to curtsy. Marguerite shot him a look of pure disgust and reluctantly lowered herself in a strained curtsy.
Monsieur LePieu grinned maliciously and lowered his mouth to Rodmilla's hand, grazing it with his cold, chapped lips. "There's nothing I like better than a desperate woman." he murmured nastily. "Don't worry, baroness. You don't have to pretend that you even have the slightest regard for me. I only married you for your title, and because I-" he paused and added leeringly, "- felt sorry for you."
Rodmilla turned red with rage and stepped back from LePieu. "I think I was better off without you as my husband. I'd rather be poor than have to spend my days with the likes of you."
The corners of his mouth curled up, "Tsk, tsk, Rodmilla. You and I both know that you are lying. You would rather marry a blacksmith if it meant you weren't groveling in dirt on the street. And, you must admit, I am much better than a blacksmith."
Rodmilla narrowed her eyes and folded her arms crossly, "Don't flatter yourself," she retorted, wiping the back of her hand on her dress.
"You were left penniless when the prince found out that every bit of property you own rightfully goes to that de Barbarac girl, and took it upon himself to keep it safe until she returns," he reminded her. "Don't forget, Rodmilla. You are the one cast out of society because Prince Henry refused to marry Marguerite."
Behind her mother, Marguerite's face turned purple and she clenched her hands into fists. "He wouldn't have if-"
"Hush, child!" LePieu glared at Marguerite. "Don't speak unless you're spoken to. Honestly, I would have thought your mother raised you with better manners. But-" his eyes flickered toward Rodmilla, who cringed. "you are just like your mother. As stubborn and opinionated as a mule."
Rodmilla gave LePieu a look that would have the most unflinching of knights shaking in their boots, "You have no right to-" she began.
"I have every right." Monsieur LePieu interrupted. He waved his hand around the room, gesturing toward the mantle, paintings, and other lavish furnishing that decorated his parlour. "Look around you. All of this is mine. The air you are breathing is my own." Marguerite sucked in her breath and sniffed the air in revoltion. Monsieur LePieu continued, "This is my home. You belong to me."
Rodmilla's eyes flashed, but held her tongue. In a rage, she turned on her heel and exited the room. 'If I ever see that girl Danielle again,' she promised herself as she walked through Monsieur LePieu's hall, 'I swear I will have her killed. She will pay for what she's done to me.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Where are you staying?" Albert tugged on Lily's reins lightly slowing her to a stop, and turned toward Danielle.
Danielle reached into the back seat and grabbed her few bags. 'I wish he wouldn't stare at me like that.,' Danielle thought uncomfortably. "At a local inn, I suppose - at least for a few nights." she said aloud.
"Are you looking for work?" Albert grabbed her heaviest bag before she could stop him, and jumped down from the buggy.
Danielle sighed and, with her remaining bags in hand, leaped from the carriage as well. She brushed dirt off of her dress and wiped her face with a clean handkerchief. Seeming to be absorbed in the task of removing an invisible splotch of mud from her apron, Danielle replied calmly. "Yes, as a matter of fact I am."
"I know a place that would be perfect for you." Albert nudged her gently on her arm, causing Danielle's head to shoot up. "I mean," Albert's face flushed as he stepped back a little, "if you don't mind my saying."
She sighed and brushed away a few dark locks out of her face. "What did you have in mind?" She leaned slightly on the buggy, trying to keep herself from collapsing. She was exhausted from traveling so much, and she hadn't dared to sleep while riding with Albert who was still a stranger. Now that her traveling seemed to have ended, the image of a soft, warm bed surfaced to the front of her thoughts and wouldn't leave her alone.
Albert glanced down and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Well, in my ma's letter, she wrote that Polly - that's out maid - was pregnant and she needed to look for new help, since Polly wants to start herself a family." Albert's blush creeped further up his face and ears, "Maybe it's not the type of work you're looking for, but you seem pretty desperate and this is a small town; not many new jobs are open to strangers," he finished and glanced slowly up at Danielle.
Danielle bit her lip and frowned. He was embarrassed. For the life of her she couldn't figure out why. She was the one that should be embarrassed; he had called her 'desperate'. Indignance and pride began to form inside her chest, compressing into a tight knot. "I appreciate you trying to help me," she said slowly, lifting her chin, "but I'm sure I can find my own way, thank you very much."
Albert raised his eyebrows in surprise as Danielle trudged past him carrying her bags. "Hey, why do you have to be-"
Quickly, Danielle interrupted, "I said thank you." Reaching into one of her bags, she loosened a coin from the bundle and shoved it into Albert's hand. "Here. That is for horse feed or whatever you might need it for." She closed the bag and continued at a much faster pace.
"Hey!" Albert sprinted up beside her, grabbed her hand, and pressed the coin back in. "You don't have to pay me." Danielle glanced at the coin and put it back in her pocket, not really caring at this point. The torturous images of a bed still haunted her; she was afraid she would fall asleep standing up if she didn't find a place to lie down quickly enough. She brushed past him again but stopped abruptly,
"Wait, there is something you could help me with." Danielle mumbled, tugging impatiently on her apron.
Albert nodded eagerly and smiled, "What is it?"
"Could you tell me where the closest inn is?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I want to travel, signore." Henry curiously tapped a prototype the inventor had made and, picking it up gently in his hand, flew it across the room. "I need to be free, just like this invention of yours." He sighed as the prototype fell back into his hand and set it on the table again.
Da Vinci grunted while lifting an impossiblly heavy object. Henry rushed to help him and was also surprised by its weight. "Signore, what is this?"
Da Vinci's red face rose over the other side, "I'm not sure yet. But when it tells me, I'll let you know."
Henry shook his head, surprised that the artist still had the power to puzzle him; he had thought he was used to his mysterious ways by now. Obviously, he was wrong. "Do you think that there is any chance of my father relenting?" he asked, setting his side of the enormous object on the floor and leaning against the table to catch his breath.
Leonardo frowned thoughtfully and wiped a small collection of sweat from his forehead. "I'll talk to him," he said finally.
~~~*~~*~~*~~~
King Francis gazed thoughtfully at the artist and a small, involuntary smile crossed his face. "You are a genius, signore."
Embarrassed, Leonardo waved his hand away and took one step further toward the king. "I'm sure you would have thought of it soon." Leonardo repressed a sigh. He hated kissing up to people, but for his friend he would do it.
"It's absolutely perfect," the king murmered to himself, his eyes glistening in interest. "Sending my son, with very few men, to travel France and explore its every nook and cranny will serve two purposes that I want for Henry. First, it will give him the punishment he deserves. A few months without the luxuries of the palace to pamper him and tend to his every need will shock that boy back into reality and hopefully knock some real sense into him. Secondly, it will give him the experience, sympathies, and understanding a prince should learn to establish with his people in order for him to be an excellent king." Francis's forehead cleared and he shook Da Vinci's hand heartily. "I don't know what I would do without you, da Vinci. You are a master at compromises."
Da Vinci bowed his head slightly, but before he exited the room Francis cleared his throat and gestured for him to stop. "Please don't tell Henry about this yet. I want to be the first to let him know and I want a genuine reaction."
And, hiding a small smile, Da Vinci bowed again, "As you wish, sire," and he left.