A KNIGHT'S TALE:
FOREVER LOVE
By Wendy
Part three
Seamere was not a patient man. Life always seemed to come easier for others, while he continued to bow and scrape out a meager existence as Duke Recene's valet. One particular other, was the lower born Thatcher's son, William, who not only had gone from squire to wealthy landowner and knight, but also had the audacity to believe he was worthy of the Duke's daughter's hand in marriage.
Sent to fetch Lady Jocelyn to her father's side, the valet went unseen by the lady and her maid, walking quietly up behind them as they sat in the estate's garden. The conversation was intimate and soft, spoken by two women who believed they were alone in their confidences. But lucky for Seamere their hushed tones were loud enough for him to perceive a word two of interest. The conversation was way too tantalizing for the valet not to comprehend their importance to his own destiny. Could he have heard correctly? Was Lady Jocelyn with child: with William Thatcher's child?
Still pondering how he could put this news to his best advantage, Seamere cleared his throat, bringing his presence to the ladies attention.
"Uhem!"
Both Lady Jocelyn and her maid Christiana, thinking they were alone, were startled at the voice and jumping to their feet, they spun on their heels to find Seamere standing behind them.
"Oh, Seamere, you startled us!" Lady Jocelyn said as she held a hand to her thumping chest. "How long have you been there?" She was a little concerned at how much her father's valet might have overheard.
"Barely a breath of time, M'lady," he lied, bowing his head in respect for the young woman's station. "I am here at you're father's bidding. He wishes me to summon you to his chambers at once."
Jocelyn took a deep breath, as she turned hopefully to Christiana, "Do you think?"
"I pray so, M'lady," Christiana smiled as she reached out and gave Jocelyn's hand a reassuring squeeze.
AKTAKTAKTAKTAKTAKTAKTAKTAKTAKT
Duke Recene pulled his fox-lined coat closer around himself, as a cold draught bit at his sixty-nine year old bones. Though sun was shining through the residence's windows, the rooms themselves seemed darker and indifferent than usual. Or was it his guilt that chilled his bones and his heart?
He had come to fatherhood late in life and what should have been the most joyous day of his life had become his curse as his beautiful wife wilted under the strain of birth. As he paced the hallways, apprehensive and excited in the same breath, he had been devastated when told that not only had he lost his wife in childbirth, but that she had been delivered of a healthy female child.
To lose the woman you love was bad enough, but to have no male heir to carry on your name was too much to bear. Without a word, or a look at the newborn, he had stormed to his chambers and drank himself into an ale stupor for two months.
Through the years his heart had softened for the beautiful child that looked so much like her mother, but it did not change the fact, that all his problem would have been solved less painfully, if she had been the boy child he had so desperately needed.
"Father?" Jocelyn called from the doorway. "Seamere told me you needed to see me?"
The Duke gestured for his daughter to enter, as he gathered his coat around him and sat down in his favorite chair, "Come sit with me, Jocelyn. We have a lot to discuss you and I."
With her heart thundering in her chest, Jocelyn took a seat beside her father, desperate for him to put her out of her misery and tell her that he had accepted William's proposal.
Duke Recene paused, letting out a deep sigh as he pondered how to begin. "I am getting old, Jocelyn..."
"Not that old father," Jocelyn smiled.
"Let me finish," The duke lightly admonished. "I am getting old, and I will one day be dead, and this world, this time, is no place for a young girl to be alone and without advantages. You are of that age now, where marriage is expected, so I have made my decision, but before I tell you what it is, I will give you my reasons. Reasons that you as a woman are not usually privy too."
Jocelyn's heart threatened to explode with the anticipation, but she clasped her hands into lap, entwining her fingers nervously as she waited.
"The House of Recene has been losing money for years."
Astounded, Jocelyn's mouth fell open as she tried to comprehend her father's news.
"My farmers having been losing crops, their taxes hardly managing to pay for the house's upkeep. The House of Recene is dying and though only way to save it....is for you to marry Count Adhemar."
"What?" Jocelyn choked as she leapt to her feet. "No, father please. I won't do it."
"YOU WILL DO IT!" The Duke roared as he joined his daughter and jumped to his feet to face her. "You are dressed in the finest clothes, you have 'wanted' for nothing and yet, you stand there and refuse the only thing your father has ever asked of you. Do you 'not' understand? I have 'no' dowry to offer a man of title for you. I have nothing to give! The house of Recene would be shamed forever if this were to become public knowledge. The Count has graciously offered to marry you, with added codicil of the House of Recene as belated dowry on my death. I can ask nothing more of such a great man. He has even agreed that on the birth of your first male heir, he will add more land to our own."
At the mention of a child, Jocelyn's hand went to the child that had already started to grow inside her, and she paled even more. "Please Father, William will marry me, dowry or not. He loves me for me, not what I am, or what I can bring to his estates."
At the mention of the young man's name, Recene snarled and turned away, "Title or not, that would-be-knight is just that. I will 'never' allow a child of mine to marry a Thatcher's son!"
"But father, please you don't understand, I am..."
"You are what?" The Duke demanded as he turned his daughter with impatience.
"I am already carrying William's child. I cannot marry Count Adhemar under those circumstances."
The stinging blow to her cheek as the palm of her father's hand connected with her skin, made Jocelyn's head ring, but she remained steadfast in front of her father's fury.
"Tell me he attacked you! Let that at least be an excuse for your shame!"
"I went to William's bed willingly," Jocelyn admitted, her lip trembling under the irate glare of her father.
"Then my girl, in penance for the shame you have brought upon me, you will go unwillingly to Count Adhemar's."
"Father, we can't, surely he will know" Jocelyn begged her father to listen.
"The wedding will be quick. Babies are born before time often enough. No one will question," The Duke schemed out-loud, before turning his gaze back to his daughter. "You 'will' do this, Jocelyn. You will not bring shame on me. Do I make myself clear?"
Seeing no choice, Jocelyn nodded her reluctant agreement, as a tear slid down her cheek. "Yes, father, I understand."
TBC
FOREVER LOVE
By Wendy
Part three
Seamere was not a patient man. Life always seemed to come easier for others, while he continued to bow and scrape out a meager existence as Duke Recene's valet. One particular other, was the lower born Thatcher's son, William, who not only had gone from squire to wealthy landowner and knight, but also had the audacity to believe he was worthy of the Duke's daughter's hand in marriage.
Sent to fetch Lady Jocelyn to her father's side, the valet went unseen by the lady and her maid, walking quietly up behind them as they sat in the estate's garden. The conversation was intimate and soft, spoken by two women who believed they were alone in their confidences. But lucky for Seamere their hushed tones were loud enough for him to perceive a word two of interest. The conversation was way too tantalizing for the valet not to comprehend their importance to his own destiny. Could he have heard correctly? Was Lady Jocelyn with child: with William Thatcher's child?
Still pondering how he could put this news to his best advantage, Seamere cleared his throat, bringing his presence to the ladies attention.
"Uhem!"
Both Lady Jocelyn and her maid Christiana, thinking they were alone, were startled at the voice and jumping to their feet, they spun on their heels to find Seamere standing behind them.
"Oh, Seamere, you startled us!" Lady Jocelyn said as she held a hand to her thumping chest. "How long have you been there?" She was a little concerned at how much her father's valet might have overheard.
"Barely a breath of time, M'lady," he lied, bowing his head in respect for the young woman's station. "I am here at you're father's bidding. He wishes me to summon you to his chambers at once."
Jocelyn took a deep breath, as she turned hopefully to Christiana, "Do you think?"
"I pray so, M'lady," Christiana smiled as she reached out and gave Jocelyn's hand a reassuring squeeze.
AKTAKTAKTAKTAKTAKTAKTAKTAKTAKT
Duke Recene pulled his fox-lined coat closer around himself, as a cold draught bit at his sixty-nine year old bones. Though sun was shining through the residence's windows, the rooms themselves seemed darker and indifferent than usual. Or was it his guilt that chilled his bones and his heart?
He had come to fatherhood late in life and what should have been the most joyous day of his life had become his curse as his beautiful wife wilted under the strain of birth. As he paced the hallways, apprehensive and excited in the same breath, he had been devastated when told that not only had he lost his wife in childbirth, but that she had been delivered of a healthy female child.
To lose the woman you love was bad enough, but to have no male heir to carry on your name was too much to bear. Without a word, or a look at the newborn, he had stormed to his chambers and drank himself into an ale stupor for two months.
Through the years his heart had softened for the beautiful child that looked so much like her mother, but it did not change the fact, that all his problem would have been solved less painfully, if she had been the boy child he had so desperately needed.
"Father?" Jocelyn called from the doorway. "Seamere told me you needed to see me?"
The Duke gestured for his daughter to enter, as he gathered his coat around him and sat down in his favorite chair, "Come sit with me, Jocelyn. We have a lot to discuss you and I."
With her heart thundering in her chest, Jocelyn took a seat beside her father, desperate for him to put her out of her misery and tell her that he had accepted William's proposal.
Duke Recene paused, letting out a deep sigh as he pondered how to begin. "I am getting old, Jocelyn..."
"Not that old father," Jocelyn smiled.
"Let me finish," The duke lightly admonished. "I am getting old, and I will one day be dead, and this world, this time, is no place for a young girl to be alone and without advantages. You are of that age now, where marriage is expected, so I have made my decision, but before I tell you what it is, I will give you my reasons. Reasons that you as a woman are not usually privy too."
Jocelyn's heart threatened to explode with the anticipation, but she clasped her hands into lap, entwining her fingers nervously as she waited.
"The House of Recene has been losing money for years."
Astounded, Jocelyn's mouth fell open as she tried to comprehend her father's news.
"My farmers having been losing crops, their taxes hardly managing to pay for the house's upkeep. The House of Recene is dying and though only way to save it....is for you to marry Count Adhemar."
"What?" Jocelyn choked as she leapt to her feet. "No, father please. I won't do it."
"YOU WILL DO IT!" The Duke roared as he joined his daughter and jumped to his feet to face her. "You are dressed in the finest clothes, you have 'wanted' for nothing and yet, you stand there and refuse the only thing your father has ever asked of you. Do you 'not' understand? I have 'no' dowry to offer a man of title for you. I have nothing to give! The house of Recene would be shamed forever if this were to become public knowledge. The Count has graciously offered to marry you, with added codicil of the House of Recene as belated dowry on my death. I can ask nothing more of such a great man. He has even agreed that on the birth of your first male heir, he will add more land to our own."
At the mention of a child, Jocelyn's hand went to the child that had already started to grow inside her, and she paled even more. "Please Father, William will marry me, dowry or not. He loves me for me, not what I am, or what I can bring to his estates."
At the mention of the young man's name, Recene snarled and turned away, "Title or not, that would-be-knight is just that. I will 'never' allow a child of mine to marry a Thatcher's son!"
"But father, please you don't understand, I am..."
"You are what?" The Duke demanded as he turned his daughter with impatience.
"I am already carrying William's child. I cannot marry Count Adhemar under those circumstances."
The stinging blow to her cheek as the palm of her father's hand connected with her skin, made Jocelyn's head ring, but she remained steadfast in front of her father's fury.
"Tell me he attacked you! Let that at least be an excuse for your shame!"
"I went to William's bed willingly," Jocelyn admitted, her lip trembling under the irate glare of her father.
"Then my girl, in penance for the shame you have brought upon me, you will go unwillingly to Count Adhemar's."
"Father, we can't, surely he will know" Jocelyn begged her father to listen.
"The wedding will be quick. Babies are born before time often enough. No one will question," The Duke schemed out-loud, before turning his gaze back to his daughter. "You 'will' do this, Jocelyn. You will not bring shame on me. Do I make myself clear?"
Seeing no choice, Jocelyn nodded her reluctant agreement, as a tear slid down her cheek. "Yes, father, I understand."
TBC