Chapter 10

All other thoughts and emotions cleared from Rollo's head as he heard the man's words. How could he have known?

"No, why do you ask?" Rollo lied as he searched for more information.

Abbot Lupus nodded as if he already had his suspicions, "As I thought. I only ask because there have been rumors of you being seen leaving the princess's chambers last night. Have you made no attempts to contact her?"

Rollo shrugged.

"Do you truly not want to make any effort at all?" The abbot asked.

"Maybe I no longer want her." Rollo answered.

"And why would that be?"

"Because she will not have me and hates me," Rollo said his face twitching slightly as he tried to hide any emotion that might appear on it. "I have known this even before I could speak her language."

"Are you certain you wish to give up yet? To lose the marriage is to lose both the lands and the title."

Rollo's mouth twisted as he thought, "How much longer am I to be expected to fight a losing battle? She will not have me. I suppose I will lose these things sooner or later."

The abbot looked at him and Rollo saw a flicker of amusement in his eye, "I never have thought of you as a weak willed man."

"I am not weak!" Rollo yelled, "I simply do not know why it is expected of me to do the impossible. She is stubborn and will not have me."

"Yes she is stubborn. Her mother died when she was very young and her father spoiled her because of it. Still, I always thought your temperaments made the two of you well matched. Together you would have been a force to be reckoned with. But perhaps this is not the Lord's will. He may not want such hard headed and stiff necked children brought into this would, and the two of yours surely would have been that."


Roll spent the rest of the morning in Abbot Lupus' room. He did not like to think of this as hiding, he simply did not want to see Gisla until he understood how he felt towards her. Lupus did not seem to mind his presence and they stayed in silence for most of the time. Around noon the quiet was shattered by someone else entering the room.

Rollo looked up from the loom of beads he was playing with and saw Count Odo standing in the doorway. The count gave Rollo a curt nod, but acted as if he had suddenly stumbled upon a rabid dog in an alley way. He directed his attention towards the abbot.

"Abbot Lupus, might I have a brief word with you?"

The abbot rose and met him in the corner of the room and Rollo began to slide the beads up and down the poles of the wooden loom. Soon Rollo realized he was beginning to pick up odd parts of the conversation. Odo did not know that Rollo knew Frankish now and subsequently was speaking freely to the abbot.

"Is it true then, was he really in her chambers last night?" Odo asked.

"He said it was not him when I asked."

"Yes…but do you think he understands you well enough to answer such a question?"

"Yes I think he understands well enough. He said it was not him."

"Then is he displeased with her? He has made no attempt to consummate the marriage. The Emperor is growing quite nervous, there is word that the Cardinal will return soon."

The abbot nodded, but gave no other response to his concerns.

"Do you think he understands that she is his wife and fully available to him? I must admit out of all the problems I foresaw with the marriage this was not one of them."

The abbot nodded again, "Perhaps he is much different than many of us imagined him."

"That may be true, but may I trust you to relay information to him. Let him know that if he needs any assistance it will be given to him. Tell him that he guards are no longer at her door if he wishes to visit, or that we can have her brought to him. The Emperor wants this matter finished."

"Yes, I will make sure he understands."

"Good." Odo said as he left.


Gisla arrived at breakfast the next morning and was pleased to see it was only her father. She had not slept well after her strange visitor had left and she was in no mood to suffer the smacking, slurping sounds of the heathen.

She sat down at the table and began to eat in silence until her father interrupted her. "Daughter do you notice that anything is missing?"

"Yes, that vile creature is not at the table." She commented, not looking up from her glass of wine.

"Vile creature? It is not fit you should say such things." Charles scolded her.

"And why not if they are true?"

"You are very spoiled," Charles commented, "and I suppose that is my fault. But it is not fitting that you so thwart the will of your father and your God. You should not speak so of your husband."

"He is not my husband." Gisla corrected as she broke a piece of bread.

"Only because of your interference."

Gisla felt the food stick to the back of her throat at his words and refused to speak further. The Emperor waited for some kind of excuse or explanation from her. She gave him none.

Finally, the Emperor spoke, "Gisla I will not mince words when I tell you that strange rumors have surrounded you lately and I am not pleased."

Gisla felt her cheeks color at his words, but she schooled her features determined to reveal nothing. "Surely, father I do not know what you are speaking of."

"Oh, but I think you do." Charles said while giving her a pointed look, "Let me tell you of some news I have heard. We received a two priest who are on a pilgrimage to Rome and they bring much news with them. They have recently traveled through he kingdom of Wessex and the bring such strange stories with them, one of which is about a princess just like you."

Gisla felt her stomach jump and twist in knots at his words.

"The Princess' name was Judith I believe, and as I understand it she was much beloved by her kingdom and her people. But soon strange stories began to circulate about her odd companionship with a priest. Then she was found to be with child even though her husband had been away for some time. Do you know what they did to punish her for this?"

"No." Gisla said unable to make her voice louder than a whisper.

"They cropped off one of her ears so that everyone may know about her defilement and shame."

Gisla felt her own ears burn as she thought of a knife being brought down on them.

"Daughter, I feel you should know that nothing good ever comes of strange stories that surround a lady's bed chamber."


Rollo lay in his bed staring up at the ceiling above him. Gisla was in that room perhaps sleeping. And perhaps she was missing him in this moment, but he would not go to her. He understood now that anything he felt towards her must be from some women's mischief, a love spell perhaps. It had clouded his mind and ruined his judgment.

She did not love him, and he could no longer love her. This would take some strength on his part, but he was a strong man. He could over come. He had played the part of the hated fool once in his life already and he was not willing to play it again for her. He tossed and turned in his bed as he tried to purge any thoughts or affections for her from his heart. They were all lies and all mischief. He was destined to be alone and now it was up to him to make plans about what he would do with his life in Paris, for being a duke was now out of his reach.

Author's Note: The 'wooden loom with beads' is an abacus in case anyone is wondering. Please review, they mean so much to me.