A KNIGHT'S TALE: FOREVER LOVE
By Wendy
*Don't own 'em...wish I did :) *
Unedited.... sorry
Part two
A smile again played on the William's face as he looked across the table toward his father. So long, so many years apart as he fulfilled his apprenticeship with Sir Hector. But none of that mattered now. They were together and with the money he had won as tournament champion, and with his knighthood, he could now look after his ailing father. Allowing the Thatcher to live the dream he had given his son.
"I know I am repeating myself, but it is so good to see you father."
William's smile faded slightly, at the reminder that his father couldn't do the same, blindness having struck him many years ago in his son's absence.
Even though John Thatcher was blind, he could still feel his son's sadness over the older man's lack of sight. Reaching across the table, his hands sought contact with his son, "And it is good to 'see' you, my son," he smiled proudly, as he felt William's strong grip in his. "And to 'see' the man you have come to be."
"You did this, father," William clarified, his voice trembled with emotion, as he looked around the room of his very first home. "You gave me the dream that brought me here. Everything I have is because of you."
"Everything you have, William," John Thatcher said as he gripped his son's hands tighter. "Is because you earned it and because it was your destiny."
"Then do you think it would be my destiny to marry a Lady?" William asked softly.
"A lady such as Lady Jocelyn? It is done. She loves you, even a blind man can see that." The Thatcher chuckled.
Releasing his father's hands, William ran his hand through untamed, blonde hair, fear edging into his voice. "I know she loves me, but what I am not so sure of is how her father feels."
"The Duke?"
"Yes, I've attempted to negotiate with him for Jocelyn's hand," the now somber young man lamented as he leant back in his chair.
"He denied you?" William's father asked, obviously distressed at his son's news.
"No," William acknowledged. "But I know that Count Adhemar also seeks her hand and he carries with him the weight of an hereditary title."
"Count Adhemar is not half the man my son is, nor half the Knight." The pride was evident in the father's voice. "And Duke Recene will see that. See you for the man you are, William."
William smiled at his father's faith, but couldn't banish the dark thoughts that burdened his heart. "I hope father. I hope so."
AKTAKTAKTAKTAKTAKTAKTAKTAKTAKT
'Life is good,' Roland smiled to himself as he feed the horses, 'It was more than that, it was a miracle.' When William had first voiced the suggested that they use their only money to make their fortunes, all he could do was laugh at the boy's audacity. Yet, here they were, with more money than he had ever seen in his lifetime. Yes, life was good thanks to William.
Roland felt a sudden presence and turned to see the scribe, Geoffrey Chaucer standing silently behind him and he didn't like what he was seeing. Having seen that stricken look on the writer's face before, Roland frowned as he shook his head, "No, no, no!"
Wat stopped grooming the horse in a nearby stall and looked up at Roland's desperate chant, "What?"
"No! Oh, Hell, I've seen that look before," Roland moaned, remembering that it was Chaucer that had brought the news of Count Adhemar's discovery of William's true lineage.
Still confused as to what had upset his friend, Wat followed Roland's line of sight, joining in the chorus of lament when he saw the cast of Chaucer's face. "So what have I-- have 'we' done this time?" The redhead demanded.
Chaucer was growing tired of being the bearer of bad news, but he knew this news was best coming from a friend, than from someone else, "It is not what we have done." He paused before continuing. "It seems that Duke Recene has reached an agreement for Lady Jocelyn's hand."
Roland let out the breath he had been holding and laughed, "Is that all," he smiled as he looked over and nodded to a relieved Wat. "I thought it was bad news."
"It is," Geoff said morosely. "I have it on good authority that the Duke has reached an agreement-- with Count Adhemar."
"Damn," Roland cursed.
"Adhemar! That bastard!" Wat flustered, throwing the grooming brush on the ground, as he began to flex his hands around an imaginary neck, "Shite that black-hearted.....I will....twist....so much pain...he will...."
"Yes, we know Wat, you will tear his head from his shoulders and spit down his neck and that is if he is lucky." Chaucer had seen that anger before. He himself had even been on the receiving end of a couple uncontrolled beatings by the easily infuriated red head.
"Are you sure?" Roland asked as he ignored the Wat's maniacal ravings.
"I wish I weren't."
Wat ran a hand threw his hand through his hair as he sagged down on a nearby barrel. "Why don't you ever bring us good news?" He complained to the herald.
Chaucer shrugged as he looked down at the ground.
"We should tell him." Roland said somewhat reluctantly.
Geoff shook his head at Roland's suggestion. "We should not. For the moment William is happier than he has ever been in his life. Give him this for as long as it can last. He will find out soon enough."
"You know," Roland said, his face full of concern. "I have known William since he was a child.....even longer than his father has known him in life. In that whole time, I have never, 'never' known William to back down from anything that meant a great deal to him, no matter what the cost."
Chaucer glanced uneasily from one man, to the other, "For William's sake, we had better hope that this time, he doesn't try and change his stars."
TBC
By Wendy
*Don't own 'em...wish I did :) *
Unedited.... sorry
Part two
A smile again played on the William's face as he looked across the table toward his father. So long, so many years apart as he fulfilled his apprenticeship with Sir Hector. But none of that mattered now. They were together and with the money he had won as tournament champion, and with his knighthood, he could now look after his ailing father. Allowing the Thatcher to live the dream he had given his son.
"I know I am repeating myself, but it is so good to see you father."
William's smile faded slightly, at the reminder that his father couldn't do the same, blindness having struck him many years ago in his son's absence.
Even though John Thatcher was blind, he could still feel his son's sadness over the older man's lack of sight. Reaching across the table, his hands sought contact with his son, "And it is good to 'see' you, my son," he smiled proudly, as he felt William's strong grip in his. "And to 'see' the man you have come to be."
"You did this, father," William clarified, his voice trembled with emotion, as he looked around the room of his very first home. "You gave me the dream that brought me here. Everything I have is because of you."
"Everything you have, William," John Thatcher said as he gripped his son's hands tighter. "Is because you earned it and because it was your destiny."
"Then do you think it would be my destiny to marry a Lady?" William asked softly.
"A lady such as Lady Jocelyn? It is done. She loves you, even a blind man can see that." The Thatcher chuckled.
Releasing his father's hands, William ran his hand through untamed, blonde hair, fear edging into his voice. "I know she loves me, but what I am not so sure of is how her father feels."
"The Duke?"
"Yes, I've attempted to negotiate with him for Jocelyn's hand," the now somber young man lamented as he leant back in his chair.
"He denied you?" William's father asked, obviously distressed at his son's news.
"No," William acknowledged. "But I know that Count Adhemar also seeks her hand and he carries with him the weight of an hereditary title."
"Count Adhemar is not half the man my son is, nor half the Knight." The pride was evident in the father's voice. "And Duke Recene will see that. See you for the man you are, William."
William smiled at his father's faith, but couldn't banish the dark thoughts that burdened his heart. "I hope father. I hope so."
AKTAKTAKTAKTAKTAKTAKTAKTAKTAKT
'Life is good,' Roland smiled to himself as he feed the horses, 'It was more than that, it was a miracle.' When William had first voiced the suggested that they use their only money to make their fortunes, all he could do was laugh at the boy's audacity. Yet, here they were, with more money than he had ever seen in his lifetime. Yes, life was good thanks to William.
Roland felt a sudden presence and turned to see the scribe, Geoffrey Chaucer standing silently behind him and he didn't like what he was seeing. Having seen that stricken look on the writer's face before, Roland frowned as he shook his head, "No, no, no!"
Wat stopped grooming the horse in a nearby stall and looked up at Roland's desperate chant, "What?"
"No! Oh, Hell, I've seen that look before," Roland moaned, remembering that it was Chaucer that had brought the news of Count Adhemar's discovery of William's true lineage.
Still confused as to what had upset his friend, Wat followed Roland's line of sight, joining in the chorus of lament when he saw the cast of Chaucer's face. "So what have I-- have 'we' done this time?" The redhead demanded.
Chaucer was growing tired of being the bearer of bad news, but he knew this news was best coming from a friend, than from someone else, "It is not what we have done." He paused before continuing. "It seems that Duke Recene has reached an agreement for Lady Jocelyn's hand."
Roland let out the breath he had been holding and laughed, "Is that all," he smiled as he looked over and nodded to a relieved Wat. "I thought it was bad news."
"It is," Geoff said morosely. "I have it on good authority that the Duke has reached an agreement-- with Count Adhemar."
"Damn," Roland cursed.
"Adhemar! That bastard!" Wat flustered, throwing the grooming brush on the ground, as he began to flex his hands around an imaginary neck, "Shite that black-hearted.....I will....twist....so much pain...he will...."
"Yes, we know Wat, you will tear his head from his shoulders and spit down his neck and that is if he is lucky." Chaucer had seen that anger before. He himself had even been on the receiving end of a couple uncontrolled beatings by the easily infuriated red head.
"Are you sure?" Roland asked as he ignored the Wat's maniacal ravings.
"I wish I weren't."
Wat ran a hand threw his hand through his hair as he sagged down on a nearby barrel. "Why don't you ever bring us good news?" He complained to the herald.
Chaucer shrugged as he looked down at the ground.
"We should tell him." Roland said somewhat reluctantly.
Geoff shook his head at Roland's suggestion. "We should not. For the moment William is happier than he has ever been in his life. Give him this for as long as it can last. He will find out soon enough."
"You know," Roland said, his face full of concern. "I have known William since he was a child.....even longer than his father has known him in life. In that whole time, I have never, 'never' known William to back down from anything that meant a great deal to him, no matter what the cost."
Chaucer glanced uneasily from one man, to the other, "For William's sake, we had better hope that this time, he doesn't try and change his stars."
TBC