Sooooo Loki finally seems to have allowed my brain to be in both moods at the same time... and I have a little surprise for you, my lovelies ;)
I'll be uploading TWO chapters today. Aren't you glad? :D
So enjoy, darlings, and do toss me a review if you would~ ;)
P.S. I do not own any of the Hollow Crown characters. I only own Odette and any other OC you might encounter along the way :)
Remould
"Keep those, we'll read them at a better time. I'll to the court... we all must to the wars. So good morrow, Ned..."
"Good morrow, good my Lord... my fair Lady..."
oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Early in the morning the Prince was to be found walking along the hallway leading to the throne room, when he was deterred by Elain who latched onto his arm.
"My Lord! I beg of you, my Lord, to tell me what is happened."
"Dear Elain, what are you speaking of?"
"My Lady, my Lord... your father summoned her not past an hour. She looked terribly pale and left the chambers shaking, when the servant came for her."
"In God's name... could he not wait and speak to me before?" Hal spat out angrily.
Tearing himself from the old maid's grasp he rushed along the corridor and dashed into the throne room where Odette was standing before Henry, John and the younger twins standing to the side and a group of noblemen gathered near the entrance. Upon sighting him, the King beckoned him to approach.
"Lords, give us leave." he now said. "The Prince of Wales and I must have some private conference. You, Lady, stay... and you."
Pointing to Odette and then to his other three sons, he fell silent. With Hal coming to a halt before the throne, he glanced to the girl as she stepped aside, clenching his jaw at the sight of her tearstained face. His focus was soon drawn back to his father as the King stepped down from the throne.
"I know not whether God will have it so for some displeasing service I have done, that in his secret doom, out of my blood he'll breed revengement and a scourge for me to punish my mistreadings. Tell me else, could such inordinate and low desires, such poor, such bare, such lewd attempts, such barren pleasures, rude society as you are matched withal and grafted to accompany the greatness of your blood and hold their level with your princely heart?"
"So please, Your Majesty..." Hal began.
"Your place in council you have rudely lost, which by your younger brother is supplied." Henry stated motioning toward John. "And you are almost an alien to the hearts of all the court and princes of my blood. Fair Odette is closer to your brothers' hearts, than you... who share in their blood."
Briefly glancing to his brothers then to Odette whose teary gaze was firmly fixed upon the floor, Hal again felt his jaw clenching.
"The hope of your time is ruined..." Henry now continued. "And the soul of every man prophetically does forethink your fall. Had I so lavish of my presence been, so stale and cheap to vulgar company, opinion... that did help me to the crown, had left me in reputeless banishment, a fellow of no mark nor likelihood. By being seldom seen I could not stir, but like a comet I was wondered at, that men would tell their children, This is he!"
When Hal placed his hands onto his hips and sighed, having already heard that speech a dozen times before, Henry reached out and slapped his hands away to straighten his posture once again.
"And then I stole all courtesy from heaven!" he growled through clenched teeth, smacking his son across the chest and taking off his hat to throw it on the floor. "Dressed myself in such humility, that I did pluck allegiance from men's hearts, loud shouts and salutations from their mouths."
Pausing for a moment to pace before his son, he then continued.
"The skipping king, he ambled up and down with shallow jesters and rash bavin wits, mingled his royalty with capering fools, enfeifed himself to popularity. So when he had occasion to be seen, he was but as the cuckoo is in June. Heard... not regarded. And in that very line, Harry, you stand. For you have lost your princely privilege with vile communication. Not an eye but is a-weary of your common sight, save mine, which has desired to see you more."
It was at the sound of his voice breaking down as though he was about to cry, that Odette finally raised her sorrowful gaze.
"I shall, hereafter, my thrice gracious Lord..." Hal stated hesitantly. "Be more myself..."
His smile was violently wiped off, however, when Henry slapped him forcing him to turn his head aside.
"For all the world as you are to this hour was Richard then, when I from France set foot at Ravenspurgh, and even as I was then is Percy now. He has more worthy interest to the state than you, the shadow of succession. For of no right, nor color like to right, he does fill fields with harness in the realm. And being no more in debt to years than you, leads ancient Lords and reverend bishops on to bloody battles and to bruising arms. Thrice has this Hotspur, Mars in swaddling clothes, this infant warrior in his enterprises discomfited great Douglas, detained him once, enlarged him, made a friend of him, to fill the mouth of deep defiance up and shake the peace and safety of our crown."
Pausing again, he cast a glance to Odette and the girl was startled when he pointed to her.
"You are not worthy of such a woman, as you are not worthy of the throne. For I have, under pain of death, forced from her mouth all that which you had her lock away. I blame it not on her, for she did it out of love... I blame it unto you, who so wantonly made use of the heart she gave you, to twist her to your vile ways. If I did not order her sent away, it is for her sake and not yours... and for my dying hope that she may yet regain some grasp on you."
Whilst the King again fell silent and began pacing around, Hal seized the moment to turn his eyes to Odette whose tears seemed utterly unable to hold back from overflowing.
"But wherefore do I tell these news to you?" Henry finally stated with a heavy sigh. "Why, Harry, do I tell you of my foes... which are my nearest and dearest enemy?"
When he turned to walk back to the throne, Hal finally seemed to regain his voice and moved to follow whilst Odette herself set her widened eyes upon the King.
"Do not think so!" he shouted. "You shall not find it so! I will redeem all this on Percy's head and, in the closing of some glorious day, be bold to tell you that I am your son. And that shall be the day, whenever it lights, that this same child of honor and renown, this gallant Hotspur, this all-praised knight, and your unthought-of Harry chance to meet. Then will I make this northern youth exchange his glorious deeds for my indignities."
Stepping back he glanced upwards and crossed himself.
"This, in the name of God, I promise here. And I will die a hundred thousand deaths if I should break the smallest parcel of this vow."
Looking from the Prince to his father, Odette found herself praying that the King would turn his heart back to his son. His valiant speech still gave her hope that he would be a good heir yet. Henry himself now hesitated before finally speaking out.
"A hundred thousand rebels die in this."
Standing and once more descending the steps from his throne, he approached Hal.
"You shall have charge and sovereign trust herein." he finally said.
When he again turned to the throne, Hal finally beckoned Odette to him set on not leaving that hall without her. With Henry sighting his gesture as he seated himself onto the throne, he merely nodded to the girl and found that he could not hold back a shade of smile when she tore herself from that spot and ran into the Prince's arms. With all said and done, he could think of no greater satisfaction than seeing his son happy with the woman he loved.
"Away with you both..." Henry finally said gently, motioning them away with his hands.
Only upon arriving to her chambers did Hal finally give in to the urge of letting off a relieved breath, whilst he held Odette in his arms.
"I pray to you, my Lord, to tell me what has happened." Elain pleaded. "My Lady's cheek is pale as though death itself had left his breath upon her."
"All is settled, dear Elain..." he replied. "You needn't worry any longer. Do leave us for a moment, will you?"
Bowing to him the maid now left the chambers; before she had even fully closed the door the prince leaned down to claim his lover's lips in a warm, loving but needy kiss.
"Under pain of death?" he breathed out upon leaning away to sight her face.
His painful expression had her place her hands to his cheeks whilst she mustered as much of a smile as she could.
"Had the threat been for my own life, I would not have revealed all I knew. The pain of death was for you... and though I knew he would not do it, for you are his son and heir and he loves you, I still feared what madness could overtake him in his rage, driving him to heed his own warning."
Heaving a sigh the Prince stepped away from her allowing himself to drop onto her bed. This time she followed him of her own accord, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.
"I would have postponed this, but I see now that I cannot have it..."
Looking up into her eyes after that statement, he set his arms about her waist.
"I will give up my rowdy ways, and be the Prince and King you hoped for with such unflinching loyalty. And you shall be my wife and Queen for I will have no other. And I shall prove a worthy son and heir and husband. All this I swear to you here and now, and may God erase me from the book of life if I should break my word!"
Unable to fight back a smile, Odette wrapped her arms around his head and brought him to rest against her chest.
"You will be a good King, my Lord..." she whispered in his hair, having kissed the top of his head.
When he leaned back to look up at her again, his gaze betraying that he had not expected such words from her, she clasped his face in her hands and pressed a kiss to his lips.
"You have such greatness in you... you hide it well that others cannot see it. But I have... sometimes you let it slip past its cage lock and I have seen it. Make use of it, my Lord; be the King your father hopes for you to be. Be such a King that even my uncle, Charles, may respect you and stand in awe at the shining glory of your rule."
Her words did finally bring a smile unto his lips before he buried his face in her breasts and heaved a content sigh.
"There are no words, my fair Odette, to say how I thank God for sending you to me... and how I thank my father for his decision to make you my wife."
Setting her cheek onto his head the girl now smiled whilst her fingers combed his hair.
"Alas, today I need go back into that deep, all-eating hole, rife with the unholy stench of vanity."
"Must you, my Lord?"
"I am to war, for I will not forsake my father... I need Falstaff to make use of himself – for once – and of my purse as always and bring us more soldiers."
Leaning back whilst deeply inhaling the scent of flowers lingering upon her from her earlier bath, he smiled lightly.
"I also must return what I have taken from his pockets... for I know now I will have use of them no more."
"Then I go with you, my Lord..."
"Fair Odette..." he sighed contently once more. "How I wish that your mother and mine were here, to see what of their children has become. To see us of one mind, one heart and soon one rule..."
"My Lord, what words be these?" she blinked at his last statement.
"Fret not..." he chuckled. "For I have no desire to overthrow our country's ancient laws. But though in the eyes of many you shall be regarded as my shadow, I vow to you that I shall hold you as my equal for you have matched me both in joy and sorrow."
oOoOo
Upon entering the Hog's Head with Hal later that day, Odette was actually startled when Mistress Quickly latched onto the Prince's arm even whilst Falstaff was speaking to him.
"My Lord, I pray you, hear me!" the elderly woman pleaded.
"What say you, Mistress Quickly?" he asked.
"Good my Lord, hear me."
"Let her alone and listen to me..." Falstaff stated grasping Hal's arm and dragging him to the staircase.
"What say you, Jack?" the Prince again asked, clearly confused as to what was all that madness in the tavern.
"The other night I fell asleep here and had my pocket picked."
"What did you lose, Jack?"
"Will you believe me, Hal? Three or four bonds of forty pounds a piece, and a seal-ring of my grandfather's."
"A trifle, some eight-penny matter..." Hal retorted.
Again grasping his arm, Mistress Quickly now caught his attention.
"So I told him, my Lord, and I said I heard your grace say so and, my Lord he speaks most vilely of you, like a foul-mouthed man as he is and said he would cudgel you."
"What? He did not!" Hal replied humorously whilst Odette let loose a chuckle.
"There's neither faith, truth, nor womanhood in me else."
With the matter resolved within the following few minutes as Hal returned Falstaff's worthless possessions, he then sent both the elder man as well as his two accomplices to bear letters to his brother John and to the Earl of Westmoreland.
"Come, Poins, to horse. To horse! For you have 30 miles to ride yet with me and my fair Lady, before supper time."
With the young man standing and following them toward the door, Hal only stopped to say a few last words to Falstaff.
"Jack? Meet me tomorrow in the temple hall at two o'clock in the afternoon. The land is burning. Percy stands on high and either we or they must lower lie."
oOoOo
"That insufferable mountain of sack..."
Turning to her at her growl, Hal followed Odette's gaze until he sighted what seemed to be Falstaff leading a row of death convicts along the road toward King Henry's battle camp.
"I'll gut him with my own hands, so help me God!"
"My Lady..."
With his statement cut short as she urged her stallion into a gallop, Hal had no other choice but to follow her along with the Lord of Westmoreland who had been riding with them.
"Peace, my fair Lady." he called out as the horses caught up to hers. "Gut him not, for the heat of battle will see to that."
"O Hal..." Falstaff said almost breathlessly upon seeing them. "My good Lord of Westmoreland, I cry you mercy. I thought your honor had already been at Shrewsbury."
"Faith, Sir John, it is more than time that I were there and you, too. My powers are there already, with the Duke of Willoughby. The King, I can tell you, looks for us all. We must away all night."
"Tut, never fear me, I'm as vigilant as a cat to steal cream."
"I think to steal cream indeed... for your theft already made you butter." Odette replied, wrinkling her nose down at the elder man.
Her words drew a short chuckle from Hal who now turned in the saddle to glance at the men following Falstaff.
"Tell me, Jack..." he said. "Whose fellows are these that come after?"
"Mine, Hal, mine." the old man lied candidly.
"I did never see such pitiful rascals."
"Food for powder, food for powder... they'll fill a pit as well as better. Tush, man, mortal men, mortal men."
"Aye, but Sir John, methinks they look exceeding poor and bare, they're too beggarly." the elder Lord replied.
"Faith, for their poverty I know not where they had that. For their bareness, I'm sure they never learned that of me."
"Sirrah, make haste." Hal demanded, interrupting Falstaff's rant. "Percy is already in the field."
Looking to Odette and nodding briefly he then urged his stallion into gallop once again toward the hill that separated them from the camp at Shrewsbury. Casting one last icy glance to the fat knight, the girl then silently followed suite along with the Lord of Westmoreland, her chainmail shirt clinking against the sheath of her sword.
It had been after many hours of pleading with the King that she had been allowed the joy of not being parted from Hal. Even with the promise she had to make to stay at the tents during the actual battle, she found an odd sense of joy in being there. Her arm she trusted and her eye, and knew that she would not shame her family name in combat. But to ease the King's mind, and her dearest Hal's as well, she had agreed to stay behind and wait him to return with any wounds he'd likely bear, into her arms, with victory upon his brow.