Here's the new chapter! Hope you all are ready for some plot twists!
Disclaimer: I don't own SC...but I DO own Gawen...
Chapter 5: Spilt Blood and Warm Sheets
"Your majesty? You summoned me?" The Archbishop of Canterbury, Reginald Cardinal Pole, kneeled before the throne of the Queen of England.
"Yes. It has come to my attention, that we have not had a calling from the prominent Valentine heiress, like we normally do around this time of the year. Normally, she's on the floor of my courts, begging for my permission to set sail on some drastic voyage to thwart the travels of that dreaded pirate, Cervantes deLeon. Under certain conditions, I would never allow it, but we've never had a problem with him in our waters, due to her."
"Yes, your grace! It has been very fortunate that we have never had to deal with such problems, like the other nations." By this point, the Archbishop was sweating bullets, not knowing why on earth the Queen had called him to her throne room. When she went on rambling about a subject like this, the results for the subject of her tirade werenever good.
"Mmm, very fortunate…however, about the same time the good lady requested our help, some rather disturbing rumors suddenly popped up. Like…how Lady Valentine has Spanish blood in her…how she might even be related to this horrible pirate…or how she is dabbling in the black arts…or the latest rumor…" The Queen, Mary Tudor of England stood up from her throne, her red and gold gown rustling. Her stern face holding an annoyed look, a frown carved on her firmly chiseled lips.
"Have you heard what the rumor is? Have you heard it, Reginald!" she demanded with a huff.
"N-no, your majesty! I haven't been outside the castle for several days!"
"Really? So you haven't heard this new rumor, that's been spreading all around London, that has even my ladies-in-waiting gossiping like never before?" Mary Tudor asked pointedly, walking around the nervously kneeling Archbishop.
"No! Nothing at all!"
Mary Tudor gave a wicked smirk and sat back down in her throne, after making a full circle around her kneeling subject. She adjusted the skirts of her dress, and placed her hands in her lap before she spoke.
"Lady Ivy Valentine…has fallen in love with a barbaric German."
The Archbishop's face turned upwards towards the Queen, his normally beady little eyes widening.
"A German? She's in love with a German?" he asked, completely shocked.
"You heard right. Apparently, he is quite the catch."
"Your majesty, what do you plan on doing about this?"
"Associating with the enemy. That's high treason right there." Mary Tudor commented thoughtfully, before a wicked grin slid its way onto her full lips. "But the enemy is the one really committing the crime here…yes…yes…right. Call the guards, and tell them to proceed to the Valentine mansion. They must arrest the heiress and her lover immediately. Tell them to kill anyone who gets in their way, but they cannot hurt the good lady and her German man."
"Are you sure?" The Archbishop asked cautiously.
"Positive."
Bowing once more to the elegant Queen, perched on her throne, Richard Cardinal Pole, Archbishop of Canterbury, stood up, a cruel smile on his thin lips.
"It shall be done, my queen. It shall be done."
"Knight takes the Queen..." Siegfried murmured, looking up and locking his gaze with Ivy's. His piercing gaze caught the white-haired woman by complete surprise, and she responded by chuckling softly.
"Indeed." She whispered with a genuine smile.
In the early morning hours, when the sun had not even dared to rise, the Valentine manor was still full of life. In the confinements of Ivy's chambers, at a small table, were two seated figures. Ivy Valentine, dressed in a dark red, silk robe with gold trim, sat opposite the Siegfried, who was also dressed in a robe; this one a bright red with dark red flames licking at the bottom of the robe. Their eyes were glued to the white and black chessboard in front of them, and the pieces on the board. Siegfried heaved a sigh, and took a black knight in front of him, and held it above Ivy's chess piece.
"That makes checkmate, Ivy…" Siegfried whispered in return, setting his piece down with a final clack. Slowly, he stood up and pushed his chair in, before offering his hand to Ivy. Curiously, the white-haired woman took his hand, pushing her own chair in with her foot as she stood up. Her breath quickened as Siegfried leaned in and captured her lips with his in a breathless, passionate and dizzying kiss. He pulled away slowly, teasingly, licking Ivy's lips lightly, chuckling.
"Does this lowly knight have permission, my beautiful queen, to take you so early this morning?" he breathed; his breath tickling Ivy's ear.
The white-haired woman's heart began to flutter, and for some unknown reason, she felt her body become rigid and stiff as Siegfried's hand came up and pulled the shoulder of her robe down, baring her silky skin to his lips. For the first time, she was unsure of what to do. Granted, she had bed men in the past before, even Siegfried, one year ago. But this…this was different. Tonight, she acted on her own free will. Nothing induced by alcohol, nothing forced upon her…it was a matter of choice now.
"Yes…" Ivy breathed finally.
She wanted to say more. She wanted to plead for him to take her like a conqueror; to leave her breathless when it was all over…and yet begging for more. But she didn't have to say a word…Siegfried knew…told by the fierceness of his kisses and the gentleness of his touch. His fingers nimbly worked the ties of her robe, unlacing and unknotting them, before the silk robe hung open. Slowly and sensually, he pushed the silken cloth off of his beloved's body, letting it drop to the floor, as he reveled in her alluring form.
"Oh god, Ivy…" He whispered, his pulse quickening. Siegfried had lay with her before, but never…NEVER had he remembered her beauty like this… Ivy, with a sly smile on her face, walked over to the lamp, the only light in the room, and turned it down, so that there was barely any light illuminating the room.
"Siegfried…" Ivy called enticingly, as she slowly walked away from the lamp, becoming enshrouded in darkness, and Siegfried didn't hesitate to follow her.
Ah…Checkmate…
ding dong… … ding dong…
"Good Lord, who could be at the door at this hour? Only five o'clock in the bloody morning, and someone comes calling…well at least they're an early riser and not a night owl like those two upstairs…dear Lord, could they BE any louder?" Gawen muttered, as he tied together his plaid cloth robe and walked to the door.
"What in the bloody hell do you want?" the old man demanded, throwing the door open. There before him stood the Archbishop of Canterbury, with an army of men behind him, his lips curled up into a snarl.
"Is that any way to speak to a man of the Queen's courts?" he demanded.
"I don't give a damn who the bloody hell you are. What do you want?" Gawen asked, wanting to get back to his sleep.
"By order of her majesty, Queen Mary Tudor of England, Countess Ivy Valentine, and Sir Siegfried Schtauffen are under arrest for high treason, and disloyalty to the Queen." Reginald Cardinal Pole stated, holding a scroll up and reading from it.
"Are you bloody mad! High treason? Disloyalty to the Queen? For what? They've done nothing to the all high and mighty Queen, who sits her arse on a throne all day!" Gawen exclaimed, angrily.
"You know it is against the law to be associating with Germans! It's high treason! And besides that, the Countess is Protestant! The Queen absolutely FORBIDS that religion. The punishment…is death…"
"Look. The both of them need each other! They've been denied the happiness that they were seeking in one another for over three years now! Now that they can finally admit their feelings, you're going to kill them? For a forbidden love?" Gawen demanded.
"How…touching…" Reginald muttered sarcastically. "Move man, or you'll die with them."
"I'd rather die, then let you do anything to them."
"You foolish man…Very well."
With those words, Reginald Cardinal Pole took a spear from one of the soldiers, and promptly stabbed the old butler, without a bit of remorse or guilt. Gawen breathed his final breath of air, and then collapsed at the front of the door, in his own pool of blood. He had done his duty to attempt to protect the last of the Valentine's. And all this occurred in less then ten minutes…while the two whom Gawen sought to protect, lay upstairs, asleep in their warm embrace.
Well, let me know what you think! R&R please!