Strongman 9
Chapter 9
It was almost midnight, when Danielle together with Asa and his Godparents arrived at the Chateau LeValle. After Asa changed out of his costume, he decided to go down to the kitchen for a snack. He hadn't eaten anything at the Masque.
As soon as he emerged into the hallway, he met Danielle coming out of her room. a loud growl came from both of their stomachs revealing that they both had the same idea.
They both chuckled and headed for the Kitchen. When they got there, they discovered they weren't alone either. They met Francesca, one of the servants, preparing a tray of food for the Duke and Duchess. After she left to take the food Asa's godparents' private chambers, he and Danielle began foraging for food so to speak. Asa pulled out a baguette and a small wheel of cheese. Danielle grabbed a couple of apples out of the fruit basket as Asa made two cheese sandwiches.
Danielle handed Asa one of the apples as she sat down. Danielle looked at Asa. His hair was a little messy because he hadn't bothered to comb it after taking his costume off. But Danielle knew that his hair was naturally unruly anyway, so, she found it endearing that he still felt comfortable enough to let his hair go natural around her, instead of keeping stiffly combed and being afraid of having a single hair out of place.
Danielle also knew that a lot of aristocratic men shaved their heads and wore powdered wigs, but she was glad Asa hadn't. she always thought he had nice hair and was glad he had kept it.
She was brought out of her musing when Asa handed her one of the sandwiches.
He sat down across the small kitchen table from her giving her a warm smile as he did.
As Danielle, began to eat, she realized that she liked this, and not just the sandwiches, it was this cozy little moment with someone that she cared about and who accepted her the way she was. She found herself questioning whether or not she could have this with the prince
Suddenly she was once again jarred out of her thoughts by the thump of Asa's apple hitting the table. Danielle looked up and knew something was wrong.
Asa was holding on to the edge of the table with both hands. He had gone a little pale.
"Asa," she cried, "What's wrong?"
"I-I'm not sure," he said shakily, "everything's spinning!"
Danielle jumped up to go around the table to him, but then she herself was hit with a powerful wave of dizziness. She was barely able to grab Asa before they were both began to get very drowsy.
Her eyes met his and they both breathed,
"The Food." then everything went black.
Six figures dressed in dark clothes and wearing black hoods came climbing in through the window. They chained up both of them and hauled them out the door.
Asa was taken and chained up down in the hold of a cargo ship heading south from Calais toward the Mediterranean.
Danielle was put on a second ship that was heading toward England.
La Croix stood on the shore watching as the two ships disappeared from sight in opposite directions. He was practically giddy that his plan had worked so well.
He turned to a servant that was standing next to him.
"Go tell the Baroness that operation divide and conquer has been a complete success." The Servant nodded and hurried off.
La Croix smiled to himself.
"Without Asa and Danielle, to testify against the Baroness the King won't have enough evidence to do anything to her, he'll have no choice but to let her go," La Croix mused aloud, "It will be very useful to have such a cold-blooded conniving woman in my debt."
With that he hurried off to retake control of the Du Lancret fortune.
Meanwhile, the ship headed south had just gotten out of sight of Calais, when, down in the hold, Asa stirred and opened his eyes. He sat up almost violently and looked at the heavy chains that bound his wrists and ankles.
"Don't bother struggling," said another voice, Asa turned and looked and realized he wasn't alone. In hold with him were at least seven other people both men and women. All of them were chained up like him.
"Where am I?" he asked
"You're on a ship bound for the Greek Isles." Said one man who looked to be about Asa's age.
"Who are you?" asked Asa
"My name is Jean," he replied. He motioned to the girl next to him
"This is my sister Chloe." Asa nodded politely to the young girl. Before her brother continued.
"I'm Asa," he said
"We are all people who like you have, one way or the other, made an enemy of La Croix." He said, "We're being shipped off into who knows what. I'm just praying that my sister and I won't be separated."
Asa stood up.
"You won't be," he said, with one move he snapped the chains holding him like thread. As the other prisoners looked on astonished, he ripped the shackles off his wrists and feet and the chains rattled to the floor.
He stepped over to Jean and broke the chains holding him. Just then the guards came running in.
"What's going on?" one of them said, but then he saw that Asa was free. He went for his sword but before he even cleared his scabbard Asa ran over grabbed him and bounced him off the wall, then he flattened the other two guards at the same time with the same punch.
He grabbed the key ring off the belt of the first guard and tossed it to Jean.
"Free the others," he said. Asa turned and headed out the door and up the ladder to the top deck. the deck hands and the ships captain were stunned when the locked hatch went airborne off the end of a fist. In a flash, Asa was on deck and single-handedly taking on the whole ship.
Two deckhands and a gunner swung a cannon around and aimed it at Asa. Asa saw what was going on and just as the gunner went to fire, Asa crushed the barrel shut and ducked covering his ears. The cannon backfired and blew all three of them over the side.
"Nice try," said Asa jumping to his feet
The other prisoners emerged from the hold and grabbed whatever they could find to fight with.
"We're with you, Asa!" Cried Jean as he busted a sailor across the skull with a belaying pin.
A few minutes later the battle was over and Jean together with the freed former prisoners cheered in victory, they had taken the ship.
A sword in the back made the captain only too happy to turn the ship around and head back to Calais.
As soon as they got back to Calais, Asa said a heartfelt goodbye to his new friends after explaining what he had to do.
"Don't worry about the secret of your strength," said Chloe, finally speaking, "we won't tell." The others nodded.
Asa smiled,
"I believe you. Au Revoir my friends," he said.
With a wave he turned and headed off up the street. It was getting light out and he knew his best bet to find Danielle was to catch La Croix before he left Calais. And knowing La Croix he would be staying the finest room in the finest hotel in Calais
La Croix was more than a little surprised when the door of his room was kicked off it's hinges and Asa came storming in.
Asa yanked him up out of bed, carried him out onto the balcony and hung him over it by his ankles.
"La Croix you have one chance and only one chance to keep from doing a three-story nosedive onto the street." Snapped Asa, "Where is Danielle?!"
"I don't know what you're talking about!" he snapped defiantly
"Okay," said Asa, "It's your funeral."
Asa started to drop him. but he changed his tune fast.
"Wait, Wait, Wait," said La Croix, "She's on a boat headed for England!"
"Now it makes sense," Muttered Asa, "You drugged us both and tried to ship us off in opposite directions."
Asa threw La Croix back into his room, hopped over the railing and dropped the thirty feet to the ground like it was nothing. As soon as he landed he hurried off down the street.
He knew he had to get back to the dock and go after the other ship. Even if he had to sail the ship himself. When he got there, he was surprised to find Prince Henry and his guards on the dock.
"What are you doing here?" he asked when he saw him
"I'm here to rescue Danielle," said Henry
"How did you know she was in trouble?" asked Asa
"Lady Jaqueline overheard her mother bragging to Marguerite about a plan she made with some Merchant named La Croix." Replied Prince Henry, then she relayed a message to me telling me what was going on."
"La Croix is unconscious in his room on the third floor of the inn back up the street that I just came off of." Said Asa, "and according to the information I got out of him first, Danielle is on a ship headed for England."
"We must get a ship and go after her." said Prince Henry urgently
"I have a ship." Said Asa pointing to the boat he had been a prisoner on. "That is once you get rid of La Croix's crew."
Henry nodded and ordered his guards to arrest the crooked crew. He even sent a couple of guards to get La Croix.
They boarded the ship and cast off.
"I hope she's okay." said the prince after several minutes of silence
"This is Danielle we're talking about," replied Asa, "It's La Croix's men you should be worried about! Danielle will probably have the boat scuttled and burning by the time we get there. all she'll need from us is a ride home."
Prince Henry had to laugh and agree with Asa on that.
"You and Danielle go back a long way don't you." said Henry
Asa nodded.
"We've known each other since we were 8 years old." He replied
"And are you thinking that you just might marry her?" asked Henry pointedly
Asa was slightly startled, not at what the prince said, because he figured that's what he had on his mind, but at the fact that someone thought he would be a possible husband for Danielle.
"Look," he said turning to the prince, "Who Danielle picks to spend her life with is ultimately up to her. not you and certainly not me."
"But I love her." said the prince almost whining
"And I have no doubt that she loved you very much too," said Asa, "But that doesn't change the fact that you broke her heart in front of half the kingdom."
"But I apologized for that." Said Henry
"I know," replied Asa, "I was there, but a person doesn't get over a broken heart overnight it takes a while and she can't be expected to pretend what you did didn't happen."
"So, you're saying I've lost her." said Prince Henry, "Probably to you."
"No, I didn't say that." Replied Asa, "I want Danielle to make the choice that will make her happy, and you should too, if you truly love her."
To Be Continued…Please Review