The Angry Boy Chapter 42
A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still – English Proverb
Count Wyeth stayed only a day in Bransat Manor before returning to Poldara City with Countess Lora and the rest of the family. Kensie remained alone in Bransat.
Within a sennight, Spod and Taim brought word to Kensie of an alarming rumor: Kensie had supposedly seduced (or raped) Peony Mittel, who was now pregnant. Spod had heard the rumor in the Boarshead while Taim had heard it when the stablemaster sent him to Enro Kase's saddlery with a saddle needing repair.
Kensie cursed, alarming Spod and Taim. He quickly reassured them they had done the right thing, rewarding each a halfpenny for their information.
From the past year and a half, Kensie well knew the difficulty of fighting a malicious rumor. Merely contradicting it would serve no purpose. He summoned Alphonse Dane and told him about the rumor. The major-domo had already heard it, though he said he did not believe it. Alphonse gave Kensie worse news: The source of the rumor appeared to be Peony herself.
Kensie gave the major-domo an order that Peony Mittel was not to enter Bransat Manor under any circumstances unless escorted by her husband or her mother-in-law.
He asked Faro Mittel and Magistrate Rains to meet him privately. Baron Mittel refused the invitation, so Kensie met the Magistrate with Reeve Dane as his witness. After getting through the awkwardness of broaching the rumors, Kensie swore to Gustav Rains that the rumors were false and offered to be examined under the truth spell if the magistrate could arrange it.
"I do not know why this rumor has spread. I cannot think of anything I have done to cause it. I will deny it, of course, but you know that fools will still believe it. I promise I will do nothing that might encourage it and everything I can to make it seen to be impossible." Kensie promised.
Gustav Rains did not believe the rumors, both because he had not found a single fact to support them and he wanted to protect his daughter's reputation. He told Kensie that he would help counter them by working with Kensie in his court as he had all summer. "If we look as if all is well between us, people won't assume there is something wrong."
Kensie took one more step. Even though he detested their sycophancy, he asked Ludo Dirks and Evar Rider to go with him every time he went into Bransat. "Never, ever leave me alone with Peony Mittel or any other woman." He asked.
Ludo smirked. "I wouldn't mind spreading her legs myself. Why not, seeing her husband is more interested in her brother?"
Kensie gasped. "I do not need a feud with the Mittels, thank you. They despise me already, making it personal would make things worse."
"She just needs a real man to make her happy." Ludo said.
"Don't touch her, please! Faro Mittel will rip your balls off and stuff them down your throat. And I won't be able to do a thing to protect you because they'd figure I had something to do with it."
"Promise me you will have nothing to do with her." Kensie pleaded.
After a moment, Ludo nodded. "Ok, Milord, you have my word."
Kensie turned to Evar, who promised the same.
Chase Tanner and Hwyl Fian had gone to Poldara with Count Wyeth and the rest of the family. Kensie rode Blood early each morning before spending time with Alphonse Dane. On Court days, he worked with Gustav Rains; both he and the magistrate were carefully casual.
Without Hwyl Fian to teach him, Kensie begged permission from Father Luca to train with the monks in the Temple of the Iron God. Though Father Luca had doubts about Kensie fitting in, all of the Temples accepted non-vocational students as a way of earning income. When his duties permitted, Kensie trained diligently in the afternoon weapons classes and even began learning some unarmed combat. After a year with Alberich, Kensie accepted the rigors of the Temple instruction without complaint.
A moon after Kensie began practicing with the monks, Wallis Mittel brought chaos to the Temple.
The afternoon was warm, so Brother Wosam conducted the quarterstaff drill in the Temple yard. Kensie stood in the middle of the rows of monks. His plain brown shirt and trousers, though unadorned, clearly distinguished him from the grey-clad monks.
Wallis charged into the Temple yard on horseback with his sabre drawn. "You raped my wife! I will kill you, you son-of-a-bitch." Wallis screamed as his horse knocked the monks between them aside.
Kensie whirled at the clatter of hooves on the pavement. Wallis was nearly upon him, slashing down. Kensie jumped to the left, putting himself on Wallis' right. Kensie swung his quarterstaff hard, aiming for Wallis' wrist. He connected with the sable, just at the hilt. The impact broke the blade and sent the hilt and blade spinning in opposite directions.
The horse's momentum carried Wallis past Kensie. Wallis yanked hard on the reins to turn the horse. Its hooves scrabbled and slid on the flat stones, nearly going down before Wallis got it turned. Wallis aimed the horse at Kensie, trying to run him down.
Kensie took the few moments it took Wallis to turn his horse to prepare himself. He could easily jump aside to avoid being trampled but he would be vulnerable if knocked to the ground. The easiest way would be to swing for the horse's legs to bring the horse and its rider down. Kensie could not bring himself to do that. Next easiest would be to strike Wallis in the head. Wallis wore no helmet; a hard blow from the quarterstaff would kill him. Kensie discarded that as well.
Kensie held his position until it was too late to swerve the horse. This time, he leaped right. He jabbed the butt of the quarterstaff into the horse's flank. The outraged animal bucked hard and kicked. As Wallis fought to retain his seat, Kensie spun and drove the staff into Wallis' stomach, knocking the wind out of him.
Wallis tumbled from the horse onto the pavement. The horse careened across the yard and out the gate. Its hoofbeats could be heard as it galloped up the street.
Kensie ran forward. He flipped Wallis onto his back and placed a foot on his chest. He put the ferule of the staff at Wallis' throat.
Kensie snarled at Wallis. "I have not had sex with your wife. I have not even seen her when you were not there. There is nothing between me and her. If you tried to please her instead of chasing her brother's arse, she might not be making eyes at every man in town."
Kensie threw his quarterstaff aside. Turning, he looked at the startled faces around the yard. He spotted Father Luca. He walked over to the Chief Priest and bowed low. "Father, I apologize that I have disturbed the peace of your Temple. I think it would be best if I did not come again."
"Sit down!" Father Luca ordered, pointing at a bench. His tone was so like Alberich's that Kensie obeyed without thinking.
Brother Norford threw a blanket over Kensie's shoulders. Father Luca walked over to where Wallis lay. Brother Carnot was already examining the young man. As Father Luca approached, Wallis sat up.
Brother Carnot looked up at his superior. "Just the wind knocked out of him and a few bruises. Nothing broken and no concussion."
Father Luca folded his arms and looked sternly at Wallis. "You will leave this Temple. Leave and never come back. You are not welcome here." He turned his back on Wallis. "Is anyone else hurt?" He asked.
A couple of the monks were shaken and had scrapes or bruises due to being bumped aside by Wallis' horse, but there were no significant injuries.
With Brother Carnot's help, Wallis got slowly to his feet. After a murderous look back at Kensie, Wallis limped out.
Father Luca returned to Kensie, who stood as he approached.
Kensie opened his mouth to speak, but the priest raised his hand to silence him.
"You came here in good faith. It was none of your doing that brought this disturbance upon us. I will not banish you for another's folly. If you wish to continue coming, you are welcome." Father Luca said.
Kensie placed his hand over his heart and bowed low. "I thank you, Father Luca. I will be most honored."
Brother Wosam rapped his staff and the monks resumed their drill. Father Luca kept Kensie aside and sat down with him on the bench. The priest questioned Kensie about the scuffle with Wallis.
Kensie stared at the monks drilling as he replied. "I could have killed him with a head-strike, but that would have started a blood-feud with the Mittels. I am supposed to keep the peace, not start a war. I couldn't bring myself to break the horse's leg, either. The poor beast had done nothing wrong."
Father Luca patted him on the shoulder. "Very good, but you do realize that you haven't got time to be nice in a real battle?"
Kensie winced. He looked the priest in the eye. "I know Father. But I had the time to work it out. Since the attack last winter, Herald Alberich has been trying to show us when to go for the kill and when to merely disable."
Father Luca smiled. "That is a hard one. And you won't always get it right." He nodded at the gate. "You realize this is not over, don't you?"
Kensie flushed and nodded, but said nothing. For Wallis, the humiliation would be worse than dying. Kensie regretted the taunt about Peony's brother.
The story was all over Bransat before Kensie left the temple. People took sides. To some, Kensie was now a vile seducer in addition to a coward. Others were impressed by Kensie facing a mounted man with only a quarterstaff. Perry Cork felt vindicated and proclaimed the bout was proof that Kensie was no coward; a few people, including Asen, changed their minds.
The next day, Wallis petitioned for divorce on the grounds that Peony had been unfaithful. Wallis named Kensie as her lover. He sent Peony back to her father's home. She adamantly denied everything. Kensie made a formal response denying the allegation within a candlemark.
With both Kensie and the magistrate's family involved, there was no one in Bransat who could hear the case. Kensie sent Spod to Poldara City and a courier to Haven asking for someone to hear the case, preferably a Herald.
Herald Leo arrived in Bransat just after dinner three days later. He took the evening to read through the papers and speak to Reeve Dane. The next morning, Herald Leo took over the Magistrate's court to hear the case. Spectators filled every available seat and people stood outside to hear.
Wallis made his case first. He claimed that Kensie had seduced a willing Peony and the child she bore was Kensie's. Herald Leo questioned Wallis closely. The young noble could not provide any specific dates or locations where Kensie and Peony were supposed to have met.
Herald Leo summoned Peony next. Under the Truth Spell, she swore she had not had sex with Kensie or any man other than her husband. The baby she carried was Wallis'. Her face twisted in anger and she blurted out "Small pleasure in that. He's thinking about sex with Donal the whole time."
Some of the spectators laughed out loud. Wallis and Faro Mittel flushed and clenched their jaws. Kensie fought to remain impassive.
Herald Leo rapped for order. He asked Peony about the rumors. Peony admitted she had started them as a way of getting even with Wallis.
Wallis shouted "You bitch!" Peony stuck her tongue out at him as Faro waved his son to silence. Leo rapped for order once more.
After a few more questions, Leo dismissed Peony and summoned Kensie. Under the Truth Spell, Kensie stated that he had not had sex with Peony or been alone with her at any time before or after her marriage.
Leo hesitated for a moment. He debated asking Kensie whether he had had sex with anyone in the village. He decided against it. The question would only start new rumors and cause other problems.
::Of course he has. Irian says he bedded his mother's handmaiden. You don't want to open that up.:: Jaracin told her Chosen.
Leo rapped his gavel. "That will be all. Thank you Lord Kensie." He dismissed the Truth Spell.
Kensie looked at Leo. "Herald, would you indulge me for a moment? I would like to say something. Is the Truth Spell still on me?"
Leo nodded and put the Truth Spell on Kensie once more.
Kensie faced the spectators. "Many here despise me as a coward and say that I broke in the Final Battle. I did break for a moment. That was wrong. But I recovered myself and returned to the battle after King Sendar died. I fought that day with the army of Valdemar." He looked back at Herald Leo and nodded.
Leo dismissed the Truth Spell once more. He faced the court. "Wallis Mittel has petitioned for divorce on the grounds that his wife was unfaithful. As that allegation has been shown false, the petition is denied. However, it appears that the marriage of Wallis Mittel and Peony Mittel has broken down and their differences are irreconcilable. I recommend that they agree to a divorce on mutually acceptable terms."
He banged his gavel. "This case is closed."
Leo spoke to Kensie afterwards. "You realize that most people are not going to change their minds, don't you?"
"But I said it under the Truth Spell! They saw it! They have to believe it." Kensie said.
When Leo shook his head. Kensie went on. "You did have the Truth Spell on me when I spoke about the battle, didn't you?"
Leo smiled wanly. "I had it on you alright. It never wavered the whole time you spoke. But people believe what they want to believe and damn the evidence of their eyes." In his years on circuit, Leo had seen people reject reason for prejudice too many times.
Leo's prediction was accurate. Within a sennight, Spod and Taim both reported that people were saying that Kensie had somehow tricked the Herald. A few were convinced, but most continued to damn Kensie.
The only part of the trial that everyone believed was the allegation about Wallis Mittel and Donal Rains. Both boys were shunned and shamed. Before Sovran, Donal entered the Temple of the Iron God as a novice. If he proved to have a vocation, Gustav Rains' second son Jarvis would inherit.
Kensie enjoyed Wallis' shaming at first, but soon saw the image of what Kensie himself had endured in the mockery and crude epithets flung at his one-time friend. In an attempt to reconcile, Kensie sent Wallis an invitation to dine with him at Bransat Manor.
Wallis' reply was abusive and vulgar. Kensie gave up for now.
It took nearly a moon to negotiate the divorce between Wallis and Peony. Peony would stay with the Masran Sisters until her child was born. After that, the baby would go to the Mittels and Peony would return to her parents' home.
Two days before Sovran, Kensie approved the divorce agreement as Baron of Bransat.
With his father in Poldara, Kensie was the only member of the family in Bransat at Sovran. Kensie attended the Remembrance Observance as the highest ranking noble in the town. This year, there were no rumblings or protests as Kensie performed his part in the ritual. Baron Faro acknowledged Kensie, but gave only the minimum courtesies. Though many were still hostile to Kensie, there were also a number of people whose glances were questioning. A tiny minority smiled at him.
Kensie hosted a small Sovran Feast at Bransat Manor. Most declined his invitations, though Baron Faro Mittel's was more courteous than Kensie expected.
Count Wyeth and the rest of his family arrived at Bransat the next evening. Kensie would join them on their way to Haven.
Kensie's last act as Baron of Bransat before leaving to Haven was to send a note to Master Asen and Goodwife Twyla Kase congratulating them on the birth of their son Leif.