Strongman 3
Chapter 3
"Wait, Wait," said Danielle, as Asa opened the door, "I must confess seeing the prince's head twisted off is an attractive thought at this point, but I don't want you to get into trouble because of me."
Gustave and the others came back into the room just in time to hear what Danielle was saying.
"Here now," said the Duke, "what's all this about?"
"Asa was on his way to thrash the prince for me." Danielle said
"Humph," said the Duke, "From what I heard a good thrashing is just what that young fool needs."
"Giving the prince a beating won't undo what happened," said Danielle, "Now, Asa, please calm down."
"All right," said Asa sighing, "For you, Danielle, anything."
The next few days past uneventfully, Danielle recovered fast. As Asa said she was feisty and a fighter. The Duke and the Duchess made sure to tell Danielle that she could stay with them as long as she liked.
As for Danielle and Asa, they picked up their friendship as if no time at all had passed. Asa was still fond of exploring the countryside and very often, when she wasn't reading in the Chateau library Danielle was right by his side as they roamed. Asa was careful not to mention the Prince anymore than was absolutely necessary, because, he knew that it was still a bitter subject to her. There were times when it was unavoidable, like when word came that the Prince's engagement to the Princess of Spain had been called off. Danielle seemed indifferent to the whole thing.
"She's probably just trying to move on," said Amelia
Danielle had been stunned, and for once in her life at a loss for words when she was told that she was in fact a full blown Duchess herself and had been pretty much her whole life. As Asa suspected he Baroness had done her level best to cover up the truth about Danielle's grandfather. Danielle true to her nature, swore right then and there to use her new title and station for the betterment of all those around her.
Today they had stopped, on their way to the Chateau Du Lancret, for a picnic down by a beautiful little lake on the south side of Hauteford. While Danielle set up the picnic blanket and the food, Asa was over taking the saddles off their horses. The Duke and Duchess had given Danielle a beautiful Silver White Gray named Beau. Asa finished his task and the horses seemed grateful. And why not, after all, the horses deserved to relax too.
The two old friends settled down on the blanket and began to chat between bites of food. They were right in the middle of a spirited discussion of Thomas Moore's Utopia, and just getting ready for the main course of their lunch when the sound off hoofbeats and the rattle of a Carriage announced the arrival of someone.
Asa swallowed his last bite of Chicken, sat up, and peered through the trees. There was no mistaking that fancy rig, it was the royal coach. A split second later the footman opened the door and out stepped Prince Henry. He turned and helped the young lady he was with to alight.
"This way, Lady Joanna," he said, "There is a beautiful little lake on the other side of these trees; I thought it a perfect spot for a picnic."
Asa looked at Danielle, she had visibly tensed.
"Do you want to leave?" Asa whispered to Danielle. She shook her head.
"No," she said, "I've got to face him some time; it might as well be now." Asa nodded and braced himself, this would be the first time since the Masque that they had laid eyes on each other, there could be an explosion.
A moment later the Prince and his companion stepped through the trees. Less than a heartbeat after that, the prince caught sight of Danielle and Asa. Everybody stopped and a few tense and awkward seconds passed. Asa decided to try and be as casual as possible. He broke the spell of the moment when he leaned back and started eating another drumstick.
"Well, Duchess Danielle," said Asa, "Looks like we weren't the only ones with the idea of a picnic."
The Prince, momentarily stunned at seeing Danielle Again, some recovered. Anger flashed in his eyes.
"Well you don't waste any time, do you," he snapped.
"And just what is that supposed to mean," retorted Danielle
"You couldn't get me playing a Comtesse, so you go after Asa the boy Duke playing a Duchess." Snapped the Prince, "You really are a piece of work, Mademoiselle!"
"Oh yeah," Danielle Retorted, "Well what do you care, you made yourself pretty clear at the Masque!"
"I suppose then there is a perfectly innocent explanation as to why you're out here alone with a man." Cried the Prince
"Since when do you care about explanations," snapped Danielle, "you've already made up your mind so why should I confuse you with the truth?!"
"Oh so you admit you're a brazen hussy," he retorted.
That did it. Asa lost his temper.
"All right, that's it," Asa snapped jumping to his feet. Before anyone could stop him, Asa grabbed the prince and in one move flung him end over end to land in a very unceremonious belly flop right in the middle of the lake.
The Prince coughed, sputtered and wheezed as he clambered back to the shore.
"Just for the record, Henry," snapped Asa, as the Prince approached the shore, "Danielle is not pretending to be a Duchess, she is a Duchess. You and King Francis should take the time to become acquainted with your own records!"
Asa turned and stalked back to the picnic blanket. Danielle was standing there a little stunned by what just happened.
"Danielle," he said, touching her shoulder, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," she said, coming to herself again. She looked up and Asa and began to smile, "Sometimes I forget just how strong you are!"
Asa smiled back and began to pack things back in the picnic basket.
"Come on," he said, "Let do all of us a favor and get out of here, if I get within arm's length of that guy again while I'm still hot under the collar. There's no telling what I'll do to him.
A few minutes later they were riding on toward Danielle's Chateau. They had ridden a few minutes in companionable silence when Asa spoke.
"Look, Danielle," he said, "for what it's worth I'm sorry about those things the prince said to you."
"There's no reason for you to apologize, Asa," she said, "I had a feeling that the meeting would not go well anyway. Besides, what he said to me wasn't your fault."
"Well are you sure you'll be okay?" said Asa
"Yes I'll be fine," she said touching his cheek, "Don't worry about me."
A second or two of more silence passed, when Asa looked over and saw Danielle shoulders shaking.
Asa pulled up beside her and leaned over to check on her concerned that the prince's harsh words had finally gotten to her. But inside he found she wasn't crying her shoulders were shaking because she was giggling.
"What's so funny," he said starting to chuckle himself
"I never thought I would live long enough to see a full blown prince flying arse over teakettle into a lake." Giggled Danielle
Asa grinned,
"It was kind of funny wasn't it," he said. And they both started laughing out loud. When the laughter subsided Danielle let out a little sigh.
"That felt good," she said, "it's been a while since I laughed like that."
"Well then maybe Prince Henry is good for something after all." Asa snickered
When they reached the Du Lancret Chateau, Asa and Danielle explored every inch of it. She was graciously welcomed by the old servants as the new Duchess Du Lancret. Danielle made it clear that though she liked her knew chateau very much. She still intended to get back the Manor De Barbarac one day.
After the grounds were thoroughly explored, Danielle and Asa sat down at a table on the Chateau's pavilion to finally enjoy the pastries that Danielle brought along for their dessert. Asa had just bitten into to his when suddenly he stopped short.
"Danielle," he said, "Listen!" Danielle stopped chewing and listened
"I don't hear anything," she said
"Exactly," he said, "No animal sounds, no birds, or anything else! Something has scared them off!" Asa and Danielle looked around carefully, at about the same instant they both saw the glint of sunlight off of something coming from the top of a large oak tree down by the tree line. At the same time there was a faint twang. Instantly Danielle and Asa hit the floor. Less than a heart beat later a crossbow bolt slammed into the back of the seat where Danielle had been sitting.
"Danielle," said Asa, "Are you okay!"
"Yeah," she said, "a miss is as good as a mile."
They jumped to their feet and Asa turned and raced down off the pavilion and across the yard toward the base of the tree where they had seen the glint. Danielle was right on his heels, she had slipped out of her fitted slippers so she could run faster.
By the time they got there, the would-be assassin was already gone. But he had left footprints and hoofprints in the soft earth, and to make him even easier to track his horse required a special shoe with a bar across what was usually the open end of the shoe. Asa turned, put two fingers in his mouth, and whistled for his horse. Danielle did the same thing. The animals came running. They mounted up and took off following the tracks. Half an hour later they were several miles down the road looking at where their search had led, The Bent Bow Tavern.
"I should've known we'd end up here," said Asa
"Yeah, said Danielle, "everybody knows this is a mercenary hang out!"
"The Baroness has a long reach," said Asa shaking his head, "Well no sense putting this off." He stepped down off his horse and Danielle followed suit.
They found the horse with the special shoe. It was a Chesnutt brown with a white blaze on his forehead. They followed the footprints to the front door. when they stepped inside the Tavern the music stopped and everybody stared.
Danielle and Asa calmly and confidently crossed the room to the bar. Just as they got there a Skuzzy, Disheveled, but tough looking mercenary stood up and stalked toward Danielle.
"Hello my beauty," he rasped approaching her and reaching for her arm. Danielle gave a little smile and then in one fluid motion grabbed his wrist and the back of his head and used his own momentum to slam his head into the bar. As he slumped to the floor unconscious, the barkeep grabbed a dagger hidden behind the bar. But as he brought the dagger up Asa caught his wrist, twisted the knife out of his grip and slung the man over the bar to land flat on his back in the middle of the floor.
Several of the mercenaries jumped up.
"Alright," said Asa, holding up one hand, "This doesn't have to get ugly, all we want is the joker with the crossbow that just ran in here."
The other mercenaries didn't answer they just started to draw their weapons.
Asa saw this and looked at Danielle.
"Oh Crap."
TO BE CONTINUED…
Well here is the next chapter. As always I like to hear from my readers I thrive on feedback. Please Review!"