The Comte and the Peasant: Chapter Four
I felt inspired so it didn't take me long to get this next chapter out J. Hope you guys enjoy it!
HYD does not belong to me. It belongs to other more talented people. But I can still use the characters ^_^ hehehehehehe.
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The crowd began to disperse soon after Tiernan Doumet's carriage left the Cour de la Recontre. Thadea stood with Mirielle next to the empty platform, the shock of what she had just experienced still present in her system. She hardly even noticed as the guards carried the bloody corpse of the man who had been whipped earlier away to be disposed of. The only thing that she could focus on, the only thing that mattered to her was Ruiz Hainault. She couldn't take her eyes off of him. He was standing a few feet away from her, his back turned so that all she could see was the red bronze of his shining hair. He was staring absently at the spot where Lord Doumet's carriage had been, an unreadable expression on his smooth face.
As she stared at his back, Thadea felt the urge to reach out and touch him. She carefully studied the ripples of the fabric on his green tunic, and her fingers suddenly itched to feel the soft green silk. She imagined running her fingers along the smooth fabric and feeling its coolness on her flesh. She wanted to know that this angel standing before her with his fair hair and marble eyes was real blood and flesh, and not just some figment of her imagination.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" Ruiz Hainault's clear, deep voice cut through her thoughts. Thadea snapped out of her daze, and her eyes locked immediately onto the beautiful face of the future Comte of Troyes. His expression remained passive and unreadable, but she thought she saw a flicker of amusement flash through his eyes.
"I…I…I'm sorry milord," she stuttered awkwardly. She mentally kicked herself for being so stupid, but she couldn't help herself. She was becoming increasingly nervous under his gaze, and her heart was beating a mile a minute in her chest. In fact, she wouldn't be surprised if it beat itself right out of her ribcage.
Thadea looked away from him, and licking her lips nervously, focused her attention on the ground and her feet. She noticed with slight embarrassment the poor condition of her shoes, and became painfully aware of her humble appearance. She felt a blush creep up into her cheeks as she realized what she must look like to the future comte. A poor, skinny, peasant girl with disheveled hair and a dirty dress.
"I…I'm sorry if I was rude milord," Thadea apologized, still staring at her feet, "I didn't mean to stare. I…I just…I…I can't tell you how grateful I am to you for sparing my friend and I. We are forever in your debt. I don't know how to repay you for your kindness and…"
"I did what I thought was right," Ruiz replied curtly, "There's no need to thank me."
Surprised by his discourteous interruption, Thadea raised her head in confusion. She had not expected Ruiz Hainault to be so cold towards her, especially since he had just rescued her from the angry Tiernan Doumet. Thrown off by the young lord's detached demeanor, Thadea was left unsure of what to do next.
"You and your friend may leave now. I will send guards to escort you back to your homes." With that, Ruiz Hainault turned and walked away. A young attendant had appeared with a cream colored stallion in tow, and the young lord swung himself easily up onto the horse. Tapping the reins, he sent the horse into a gallop and quickly disappeared from sight.
Thadea stood still, a dull ache in her heart. She had not expected him to leave so suddenly and with so few words for her. She had hoped to thank him properly for what he had done. Disappointment washed over her as she realized that she would never have another chance to speak to him again. Despite his cold attitude towards her, Thadea felt no resentment towards the future comte of Troyes. His passiveness only served to enhance the mysterious aura that surrounded him, and Thadea could not imagine Ruiz Hainault behaving in any other way.
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Tiernan Doumet slouched against the plush, cushioned seat of his carriage and stared sulkily out the window. He was still angry at Ruiz for going against his wishes, but those feelings were quickly dissipating into relief. Though he would never admit it to anyone, Tiernan was glad that his best friend had been able to stop his rash demands before it was too late. More often than not, he found himself regretting his actions after they had been committed. Tiernan knew he too often let his foul temper get the better of him, but unfortunately, it was not something that he could readily control.
Staring at the houses that passed by, Tiernan wondered briefly if the Marcoux girl lived in one of them. He had wanted to talk to her during their chance encounter, but obvious circumstances had gotten in the way. Now, he kicked himself mentally for not handling the situation better. The image of her dark, smoldering eyes were still vivid in his mind, and he imagined seeing them again…only with a different emotion in their depths. His lips curved into a small smile as he remembered the surprise he felt when she had knocked down that insipid guard. He knew he had to see her again…but how?
Stefan Nicaise stared at Tiernan Doumet and then turned to raise a dark eyebrow at Aleron Mimeaux. Aleron, who was sitting across from them, smiled back knowingly and shook his head in amusement.
"Who would've thought?" he commented as he studied the glazed expression on Tiernan's face.
"What do you think we should do about it?" Stefan asked. He was intrigued by the prospect of getting Tiernan together with the Marcoux girl. The man was already 17 and damn well old enough to get some experience with women.
"What can we do?" Aleron asked, "Troyes is a fairly large town and that's assuming she lives in the city itself. If she's a country girl, there's no telling where she might be. It would be like searching for a needle in a haystack."
Stefan shrugged, unfazed by Aleron's words. "I don't think it should be all that difficult," he mused, "Even if she is a country girl, she'd still have to go into town every now and then. I could send people to patrol the marketplace…"
Aleron laughed at Stefan's idea. "And what will you tell them? To look for a skinny little peasant girl with brown hair? I'm sure there aren't too many of those running around."
Stefan frowned. "Don't get smart Aleron. I have my ways, don't you worry about that." Turning to look again at Tiernan, he let out a small sigh. "He's got it bad. I've never seen him like this before."
"Neither have I," Aleron grinned, "Who'd ever believe Tiernan Doumet would be taken in by a girl like that? I used to think there was something wrong with the boy, after turning down all those beautiful women in court…and this just proves it."
Stefan sniffed, "What a waste. I don't understand what his problem is either. It's shameful for a man in his position to have never experienced a woman." Lowering his voice and smiling slyly, Stefan whispered, "But we'll fix that soon enough. There's no way I'm going to let an opportunity like this pass by. If he likes the girl, then we'll sure as hell find her."
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Thadea and Mirielle walked along the road back to their homes in silence. Two guards walked along in front of them, holding their groceries in their arms. Thadea's mind was working feverently, thinking of ways in which she could repay the comte's kindness. The thought of sending him a gift came to mind, but she quickly dismissed that idea with a laugh. What could she possibly give the comte that he didn't already have or want? She doubted a bushel of potatoes was going to impress him all that much.
Sighing, she kicked a small pebble out of her path and turned to glance over at Mirielle. The girl was still a bit shaken by all that had happened, but her face glowed with joy at being escorted back to her home by the comte's guards. Thadea turned back to stare at the two broad shouldered men in front of her, and suddenly an idea came to her.
"Excuse me sirs," she said.
The two guards looked over their shoulders at her, and Thadea put on a charming smile. "I was wondering, if you could tell me if the comte has need of anymore servants at his home."
The younger guard shrugged at her question, but the older guard smiled.
"Actually, they might be in need of another maid," the old man said kindly. "My wife is the head cook there, and I remember her mentioning that the housekeeper was looking for more girls to do the cleaning."
"Really?" Thadea perked at his words and her mind began to race. There might be a possibility that she could repay Ruiz Hainault afterall!
"Do you think I would be old enough for the job?" she asked.
The old man shrugged, "You look quite capable to me. I would go to the house and ask the housekeeper in person though. Rosalind is a very kind woman, and I'm sure she'll be able to help you."
Her smile widening, Thadea thanked the old guardsman for his help. Mirielle cast her a curious glance, but didn't ask what she was planning. Thadea didn't say anything either, but just continued the rest of the trip in silence. She was too excited to say anything more, her heart fluttering at the idea of seeing Ruiz Hainault again.
End of Chapter Four