A/N: Thank you SweetAK for reviewing and to all who've taken time to read this fic.
---
PERFECT FLAWSTiberias stabbed a dagger into the table, pinning the map beneath its point. "Swine!" He cursed. "They'll have us surrounded by day break."
Godfrey peered hard at the map noting how the land dipped into a bowl; most disadvantageous from a battle strategist's point of view. The enemy need only circle the hills and they would be trapped. "Are the servants sure that this is what they saw? One hundred or more men, kin of the savages marching towards this very valley?" A band of men the Crusaders could easily overcome, but six against one hundred was impossible even for the bravest and strongest.
"As sure as the Devil's horns!"
"Were they spotted?" Godfrey asked urgently hoping that the servants had escaped notice. The men may be marching but that did not mean that they knew of what passed in the village; not knowing that their kin were captured meant that they might be on their merry way to enjoy the spoils, which gave the Crusaders the element of surprise.
"Marietta swears upon her life that the savages were oblivious to their presence."
"Hmm…" The name struck familiar with Hospitaler. "The cook?"
"Aye, that's the woman. Though I do not understand why we men of war have a cook but not a decent archer." Tiberias growled. A well-seasoned fighter such as he believed in living with only what was needed, Guy's extravagant attitude and lifestyle even when going to war clashed against his nerves more than once.
"I have a decent arm but good eye on that cook or we would have all been gutted in our sleep!" Hospitaler noted. "See to it that she gets rewarded accordingly when we get back." A guard who also stood at hand as a scribe nodded and scribbled furiously with a bit of charcoal on crude paper.
"If, we get back! We will be outnumbered by far of at least one hundred! What joke is this? Knights underestimating a bunch of savages!" Tiberias raged.
"A funny one indeed because it is the truth." Hospitaler replied whom fully believed in having a good laugh even if it was at the expense of himself. "But do watch my pride my dear friend; there is at least one hundred of them, and that is much more than a mere 'bunch'. It would sound better in tavern tales anyhow." This was the way, a man such as Hospitaler always saw ways to make fun of the serious such as Tiberias which left Godfrey to act as the peace maker.
He waved a placating hand. "Now, now. Peace be. The odds are against us but it is more important to ponder over what we should do."
Tiberias, ever the Marshal began to assess their status straight away. "We are six Knights, we have a dozen servants that can wield nothing other than field tools and cooking utensils. Had this village any able bodied warriors we need not have intervened today."
"There are a bunch of young lads." Hospitaler reminded. "But a few youths who have trouble growing beards can hardly constitute as a formidable army. The savages would be quaking in their boots-with laughter."
Godfrey thought a while. "Then this leaves us no choice but to evacuate."
"We're leaving!" Tiberias could not believe his own ears yet this words he heard! From the very mouth of Godfrey of Ibelin! The Baron of the King's Court! "Surely we cannot run away like dogs with their tails tucked between our legs!"
Godfrey was known as The Brave among his comrades, and true to his name he never stepped down from challenges but neither was his foolhardy or stupid. "There is no shame in using strategy my friend, remember that our disadvantages are great and we have the King. What is more important? Our pride or our King?"
Tiberias slumped visibly but he could not deny the logic that Godfrey presented. He would die for the King. "But what chance have we of escaping before they arrive. We'll have the villagers to take. If we leave them then we leave them to their deaths."
"Now that is when our prisoners become useful."
"We're taking them too?"
"By Heavens! Of course we do, if need be we'll use them to barter!" Hospitaler explained. "Dear Godfrey, where would we be without your quick thinking?"
"At least we wouldn't be haggling with the savages like old women in a market." Tiberias grumbled. The other two laughed good naturedly knowing well that he did not mean any harm. Tiberias was a fighter first and foremost, they used to joke that he was born with a sword in his hand and a scar beneath his eye.
"We must alert the others at once, but we must not let the villagers know. They are unaccustomed to such matters and fear does no one any favors." Godfrey said, setting things to action.
"Then what excuse have we for gathering some thirty odd villagers and taking them with us?"
"Leave that to Guy, he is good with such matters. Speaking of which, where is he?"
"Hiding in some maiden's bed likely." Hospitaler joked. "Nay, I think he was making arrangements for the King."
On the other side of the small village Guy de Lusignan was indeed making arrangements for the King although the nature of it was not to everyone's tastes and least of all, the King's.
"The Lord has a skin condition." Guy said. Alexia bowed her head to her new Master. He had made it clear as soon as possible that he was the new Lord of the land thus she was his subject. "It is a tender situation and we wish that his condition remains unknown to all. Speak of it and you will never speak again." She bowed lower and he left.
Alexia released a breath of air that she had been holding. It was not her place to choose her chore but she was grateful that she now had an expectation of what she will see. Her father was the doctor of the village and with his passing she took up his role although as a woman, she could never be a doctor. With a resigned sigh she knocked and entered the room.
"My Lord." She said announcing her presence. The Lord who had his eyes closed and head leaning against the side of the large wooden bath started. He automatically dipped his body lower into the water so that she would not see the telltale skin on his torso but he had been too late. He could see her eyes slide down and spot the red skin.
Baldwin was steeled against a reaction; revulsion, pity, disgust…he had seen it all and had learned to expect it from those around him even from his Mother. He would turn his back to her but in doing so would reveal his back and he did not want her to see that.
"You may leave. I am not accustomed to have servants present while I bathe." He said evenly. He did not look away nor did he meet her gaze. Her expression was unreadable, plain and neutral. She bowed her head but instead of leaving she approached the bath and picked up a washcloth.
Baldwin frowned. "Did you not hear me? You may leave."
"I have been ordered to tend to your skin, My Lord." She answered.
"And I have ordered you to leave." He said tersely. He had no doubts of who had sent her. Guy was always sending him gifts and women whenever he wasn't busy being petulant. Wary of not exchanging his good will for either Baldwin always declined.
"My Master is Guy de Lusignan." She said as a way of telling him that she did not have to listen to his commands.
Baldwin could not help but laugh, had she known that he was King there would have been no doubt over whose orders held precedence. "I will explain to your Master. You may leave."
"These lesions need tending to." She dipped the cloth into the hot water and held it out. Baldwin flinched back before she could touch him.
"That is none of your concern!" He splashed away to the other side of the deep bath; water swirled and flowed over onto the stone floor. Alexia ignored it and walked around and reached out again.
"Leave!" Baldwin commanded in alarm.
"Why?"
It was not in Baldwin's nature to anger easily and what upset she had caused ebbed away at her simple question. It was undemanding yet it seeked for a reason. "You need not subject yourself to this. I do not need help. Skin irritation is a thing I have gotten used to." He added woodenly.
His remark elicited a response at last and she raised an eyebrow. "Skin irritation?" She asked, not believing that the Lord was so naïve to his condition at all.
"Yes, irritation." He said with a maddening patience.
Ignoring his earlier protest Alexia pressed the moist cloth to his skin. After a moment of indecision Baldwin allowed her; soon she would tire and leave with disgust. "This skin irritation," She started carefully. "There are two types My Lord: in the first type lesions appear as yellow or brown protuberances that affect the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose and throat. There is a general thickening of the skin, especially the face and ears. In the second type skin lesions appear as light red and purplish spots." She brushed her hand across a small section of affected skin that he had not wanted her to see earlier. Scooping some water on to it she rubbed it soothingly. Baldwin's spine stiffened.
"What are you doing?" he demanded.
"This will soothe the irritation My Lord." She answered and continued. Although she did not share the disgust that many others had, she did share the pity. The man in front of her was young, still boyish and brimming with youth. His skin was healthy, smooth apart from a few notable scars and the only signs of leprosy were patches of red spotted skin the size of her palm. Two patches to be exact: one on his back behind his shoulder blade and the other sitting on his stomach muscles. Unnoticed and easily dismissed to the untrained eye. "You suffer from the latter type My Lord. It is still benign as of now."
"Are you not afraid?" He asked with a quiet wonder at her disregard. Few servants dared to speak against him and fewer people yet dared to touch him once they knew that he had signs of leprosy.
"No." She said and no more words were exchanged between them. Alexia tended to him as she would a patient and soon his head began to loll to the side and she gently woke him up. With a start he realized that he'd been in water for a long while and it was beginning to get cold. He took the towel that Alexia offered to him and she turned her back to offer him privacy.
"Thank you. That is all now." With a brief curtsy she left, untucking her rolled sleeves as she did. "One more thing." He added as soon as she reached the door.
"Yes, My Lord?"
"Do not pity me."
She blinked. "I don't, My Lord."
His brow rose. "I find that hard to believe." From experience he knew that a perfectly healthy person could never help but pity someone less fortunate than himself or herself.
"We are each designated a role in life and what is given we accept. Why should I pity you or indeed anyone else if we are given what we are supposed to receive?" With that she curtseyed again and left him to dress.
Baldwin wiped hair away from his eyes with a dripping hand. He didn't quite know what to think of what he'd just heard. She had either just mocked him; openly told him that she thought he got what he deserved or she'd just exemplified a great faith and acceptance that was beyond his measure. He shivered and sneezed, thinking too deeply or standing there getting cold wasn't about to help him so he quickly dried off.
By the time he was dressed he could hear voices in the main cabin. As he approached he recognized the lilting voice of the peasant girl and Guy among others.
"The men of this village have long left to war. It is to be expected with the proximity our home lies to the front. We have nothing more too offer." She was saying. "How can you now ask to take more people yet?"
Hospitaler dropped his head into his hands. Trust Guy to take matters into his own hands and make it worse, he'd bet his horse that this was not what Godfrey had intended when proposing Guy to make the necessary arrangements.
Guy was not used to being spoken to in such a manner and he was ready to draw his sword. "Hold your tongue slave!"
To everyone's surprise, Marietta the cook stepped in and went as far as waving a finger under the girl's nose. "Oh hush!" She directed to her before bowing deeply to Guy. "My apologies, My Lord. She is just a village girl and knows not her place. Let me have my word with her." And without further ado she whisked her out leaving the Lord narrowed eyed.
"Have to love that cook." Hospitaler said with admiration and blissfully unaware of his fellow Knight bristling. "Were I few years older I would have thought that I was in love with her courage."
Baldwin watched as Guy sent one last venomous look at the door before straightening his tunic and spoke as if nothing had passed. "This land is mine as are the people. I take whatever and whoever I please." Guy announced before facing Reynald. "Hand pick whom you will."
"The village is pitiful, there are not many to choose from." Reynald commented with distaste. "Nothing but the old, young and weak left."
"Then take whatever you can."
"But there are not many left."
"Enough for us."
"That is plundering." Hospitaler could not help but point out. "Godfrey meant for us to take them all."
"Plundering? How so when everything on this stretch of land belongs to me?"
"Still plundering, unless we take them all." He insisted. "We cannot take the one you deem are best and leave the rest."
"What use have we for them all? They will do nothing but slow us down."
"What is this? What are we taking exactly?" Baldwin asked stepping in and surveyed the remaining trio.
"Ah, your Highness." Hospitaler greeted. "You see, we have a bit of a problem." Animated, Hospitaler quickly recalled all that Marietta had seen and the decision Godfrey, Tiberias and himself had come to.
Baldwin listened intently but before Hospitaler could finish he was already strapping his sword to his side. "Gather everyone, I want every last person in this village to be out hours before daybreak. Move!"
Outside, Alexia pulled away from the middle aged woman. "I appreciate what you are trying to do but you don't understand! They cannot take any more! Who would they take? The boys or the aged men? They are not suited for war!"
Marietta offered a silent pray for her own husband had left for war many years ago. "Few people are." She said placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Don't be worrying yourself. Leave it to the King, he will know what is best."
"But I cannot just allow them to- The King?" Alexia swallowed hard, one of those men was the King! Ruler of the Kingdom. But who? With a thudding heart she realized that she already knew. The King was a leper… no wonder her life would be forfeit if she let out such a secret!
"Hush! Now listen to me, get running home and get your things. And don't be getting under Lord Guy de Lusignan's feet if you value your life. Hurry!"
Alexia took a few steps but then stopped. "Is something going to happen?" she whispered, fearful all of a sudden. Marietta could not answer because the door swung open without warning and the Crusaders filed out with grim purpose set upon their faces.
"Girl! Gather the villagers, you all leave now." Guy roared. He looked murderous and Alexia eagerly obliged and scampered away. Stealing a torch from someone's front garden she began to call and with scarce numbers the whole village was assembled within minutes.
They huddled together trying to find comfort among themselves.
"What will become for us?"
"Dear Lord, I pray to thee..."
"Mercy on us!"
Alexia stood in the center of it all, eerily calm. Marietta had conveyed a sense of urgency that she did not understand but had enough sense to do as told. She distrusted the Crusaders as all locals did with outsiders but what choice did she have but to believe in them? She could hear the assortment of prayers and scared whispers around her causing her own fear to grow but with steadfast conviction she clung to her hope that all will be fine.
"Whatever happened to not alarming the villagers?" Hospitaler observed as he mounted his horse. "I've never seen a bunch of more terrified people in my life!"
Baldwin rode his horse. "Are they all here?" he shouted over the confused mutter but no one replied. The Crusaders exchanged looks; they did not know for certain how many villagers there were supposed to be.
"Do not fret, Your Highness. I do not think we need worry. Godfrey's plan is perfect." Reynald said, slurring slightly on the word 'perfect'. He smiled nastily and then spat onto the ground. "I wouldn't have thought that the savages would expect Knights to run in fear of them." It disgusted him, dishonored his sword and wounded his pride greatly to be meeting a battle in this fashion.
"Do you fear them?" Baldwin demanded all of a sudden, taking Reynald by surprise.
"By my honor I will slay every one of them. Fear is something I do not have." He said slamming a fist over his heart.
Baldwin's horse whinnied and shuffled impatiently. "I do." He confessed. "In the eyes of these people I can see fear, I can feel it. I have a sword and I can fight but what do they have? I fear for them!"
"As do I." Godfrey unsheathed his sword. "Which is why we must make haste, daybreak is soon and we want to be far from here before the sun rises from the water's edge."
Wordlessly the Knights rounded the people together and at an excruciatingly slow pace they began their escape.
"Hurry." Marietta urged the horse pulling her wagon. The usual clanging of pots and pans hanging from it was missing and the loss of that familiar sound unnerved her but removing had been a necessity, there was no point making a quiet escape if they announced themselves with a band of pots! "Girl, hurry the children along!" she whispered as loud as she dared to Alexia who walked beside the wagon. "Do not let them lag-"
"Look a falling star!" A boy resembling a street urchin called loudly surprising everyone. He pointed. Marietta's mouth dropped.
"That be no falling star!" She yelled and threw herself off the moving wagon as a globe of light slammed down from above and imbedded into the seat she had occupied a second before. The flammable stuffing burst alight immediately.
Chaos broke out while the flames quickly consumed the rough wood in hungry licks. Alexia found herself thrown back and pushed aside as screams erupted. Hundreds of lit arrows plummeted from the skies in an angry rain. The carriage horses went wild, becoming uncontrollable they followed their first instincts…to run. Blindly they reared and then shot forward regardless of the wagon it pulled and the people it crushed. The six wagon horses' stampede was over in seconds but the attack wasn't-
A chilling war cry echoed through the inky night-
"Fall back! Fall back!" Someone was shouting distantly.
An ambush! Baldwin could feel the muscles of his stallion twitch beneath him but the beast was well trained and it did not bolt. With a shield held above his head he drew his sword. Once this fire volley ended the real attack would begin-
---