Will helped Elizabeth down from the wagon. She was dressed in a brown peasant garb, but she looked bewitching as usual. He almost felt jealous for bringing her out to where others could see her. And on their first wedding anniversary too.
They stood in front of an inn. Bright and happy music spilled into the night. A peasant dance would surely be better than a courtly one. Especially since this one was missing the Bishop.
His wife looked excited and clung to his arm happily as they went inside.
Couples skipped and twirled around the main hall in time to the music. A few large barrels of wine stood along one wall. Elizabeth moved there immediately. They got their drinks and he drank his quickly. It was rather strong. She smirked and handed him hers, rubbing her thumb across his hand. He smiled and shook his head, pushing it back towards her.
"Please Will?" she asked, "you won't be able to feel that one cup. I'd like you to have a good time."
"Are you saying I can't have a good time sober?" he asked with a smirk.
"Oh? Then let's dance and talk to strangers right now," she gave him an impish grin. He narrowed his eyes at her. That lovable, cheeky minx! He accepted the cup from her and downed it. He was determined to be relaxed for her, regardless of how distasteful he found it.
"Just one more," she said with a grin, offering another cup. Devilish woman, he thought with a chuckle. She kept him near the wall, speaking calmly and making observations around them. He started to feel light after about fifteen minutes of speaking with Elizabeth.
When he was tapping his foot in time with the music she asked him to dance.
"It's supposed to be me asking you, my lady," Will bloomed into a smile he usually reserved for private use.
"But you know I like to be shocking," she raised her eyebrows at him.
She held out her hand and drew him into an energetic dance. He had enough of his faculties to lead, but not enough to care beyond the joy of his lady's face. She twirled and danced, laughing with him. He skipped and moved through the dance. Admittedly, he was better at fighting than dancing, but he did well enough no one called him out. He stepped on no toes, and bumped into only one man.
After about seven or eight dances, he started to feel more self conscious. Elizabeth must have seen because as the song came to a close she expressed a desire to walk around outside the inn.
They moved out of the back door and into the shadows. They walked around the inn a few times while Elizabeth spoke quickly and animatedly. He struggled to keep up with what she said, but the manner in which she spoke rang clear to his soul. She was happy, and that was all he wanted. He put an arm around her waist and drew her closer as she spoke of the dance.
"Do you want to continue? I can drink some more wine," he said. She laughed gaily at his offer.
"That's very sweet, Will, but I think I would like to go home now. I've had too wonderful a time to spoil it by overstaying," she smiled at him.
"By pushing me too hard, that's what you meant," he chuckled, kissing her temple in relief. He would have stayed for her, but he was glad to be going home.
"Wha?" she said in mock surprise, "and say that my dear knight can't handle everything? How terrible." He laughed as he led her into the stables.
No one was in the stables. So, he bolted the door. She spun to look at him, but recognized the look in his eye. She dashed to lock the side doors and then leapt into his arms. He fell back into a clean pile of hay.
Sometime later he was driving them home and thinking of how lovely inns were. They should go to every inn.
"If I die," Elizabeth said, "you should try to get remarried."
What the deuce? Why would she say something like that after they did something like that?
"What brings this up?" Will asked, looking over at her. She laughed softly, and leaned on his shoulder. He laid a hand on her thigh.
"I just get so worried for you!" She said, "you really ought not to be alone ever again. You need companionship."
"I thought that was your job?" he asked.
"It is," she agreed, "and only death would stop me from performing it. But death may come nonetheless." He laughed at that. As if God would level such a curse on him by taking her away!
"Alright, but you must not be afraid of remarriage either," he said. "Though, I hope to have you in such a position that you won't be forced to."
"What a conundrum! I suppose we'll have to go together then!" She smiled.
"As long as you convince God to let me be your husband in heaven–regardless of if you get remarried on earth. I plan on staying with you through the eternities."
"I don't know if they do that," Elizabeth laughed, but snuggled closer to him and kissed his ear.
"Then they'll have to make an exception for you and I," Will said, absolutely serious. She blushed and kissed him again.
Oxoxoxox
Will slept snuggly around his wife a month later. They had attempted again for a baby, hopefully this time would be fruitful. He was happy to just have her. His fathers sword could be buried with him if it meant he could be buried with her.
He opened his eyes to a blindly white light. Somehow he was aware he was dreaming as he shaded his dream face with his dream hand. Eventually the light faded enough for him to see his Bishop.
Not the current one, but the old one. The one who smiled at him and took an interest in the lonely squire. The one who instilled a love of reading and learning.
He grinned at the old man and rushed over.
"Your Grace," Will said happily. The Bishop opened his arms, walked over and embraced him tightly. Will clung to him just as warmly.
"Your Grace," the bishop laughed, "that is a title I rarely hear." Will was confused and he looked down at the smiling old man. "How are you son?" Something in the way the man spoke was different. Something about the man was different. The man put a hand to Will's cheek.
"Have you figured it out yet?" The old man said.
"God?" Will breathed. The old man nodded with a laugh.
"I remember when I came to your father," the bishop-God- said with a smile. "He called me Georgii, the Slavic woman who raised him. You should've heard how he wept with joy when he thought it was her. I felt bad telling him it was merely I."
"How…?" Will said in confusion.
"Easy," the bishop said with a flick of his hand and they started walking, "it's too frightening to appear as I am, so I appear as whoever you view as a beloved guide."
"I see," Will said speechless. According to the church, this ought to be a formal, kneeling sort of affair. This felt more like meeting a very old friend who might tease if there's too much glorification.
"Yes, these churches sometimes have too much adulation for me," the bishop chuckled, "but I love the people."
"What brings you to me?" Will asked. God laughed.
"Right to the point," He smiled. "I have a request to make of you. Seems I need one of these each generation. I'm just happy you've all been willing to help me."
"Help you? You?" Will said
"Yes, me!" The bishop smiled, "I know you all think I'm all-powerful, but I have very strict rules I have to follow. I can't interfere with human choices."
"What would you have me do?" Will asked. Here, the Bishop grew sad and forlorn. He heaved a heavy sigh.
"I need to bring a specific son back to me as soon as possible. He's about to make a grave sin that would be utterly damning. It's best if I take him back now and maybe he can try again after a century or two." Will processed this.
"Are you asking me to kill a man?" He clarified. God eyebrows came down low in confusion.
"Yes, though sometimes I forget how close you are with your bodies. It seems like forever to you, but I view it as pulling someone from a game."
"Who is it?" Will said.
"The other bishop," God said with a sigh. "He walks on the edge of a knife. Very hard to turn around on that, but we can't let him go farther down this path." Will nodded, still stunned.
"Thou shalt not kill?" Will asked. God laughed.
"Bad translation," he said. "Your father had the same hang up when I asked him to fight for the Hebrews. I said to not murder. Killing has a place. Like if someone tries to kill your Elizabeth, would you commit a sin in slaying the man chasing your wife?" Will shook his head.
"I don't think so,"
"I don't think so either. It's better to avoid the business altogether, but on occasion, there's no more options. The Bishop is at that point."
They sat in silence as Will tried to process this incredible dream– vision he supposed. His life quest was to kill the Bishop? Why call on Will?
"This man, if he continues down this path, will gain certain protections from the evil one. Your family sword has been blessed to cut through those protections. You are in the perfect place, right under his nose. And you are perfectly willing to do whatever I request. If I could come to people in dreams whenever I wanted, don't you think I would?" God said.
"What about Elizabeth?" Will said.
"She is in the greatest danger, unfortunately. And you are as well, because of your marriage," the Bishop said. Will's temper flared at hearing this. He was surprised when God laughed
"Your children have terrible tempers as well," the Bishop said chuckled. "You should see the shouting matches–"
"Children?" Will asked in surprise, stopping their walk and looking at the man's beloved, mirthful face. He and Elizabeth were starting to give up hope in that area.
"Yes, but I've delayed it, because if the Bishop does take these final few steps, and you are unable to send him back to me, children would be a curse." Will rebuffed this idea. His child–His daughter? A curse?
"She's a spitfire!" God laughed, "I almost don't want to send your children to you. They're too delightful."
"I'm getting tired of you reading my mind. That's my space," Will said with a grin, looking into the old Bishop's eyes.
"Isn't it nice not to have to vocalize your thoughts though?" the Bishop smiled. Will was annoyed that He was right, which caused Him to laugh good naturedly.
"Why didn't you call on me earlier?" Will asked out loud.
"You've only had one year of time with your companion. You weren't willing to do anything to endanger that time. Unfortunately, your companion and the Bishop came at the same time. Now, you're still not willing to give up your time with your companion. But you are willing to kill the Bishop."
They sat in silence for some time as Will thought. God did not comment on any of his thoughts.
"So, I kill the Bishop and my quest is finished?" Will said.
"Yes, this is what your grandfathers have referenced. Usually I don't have more than one per generation," God said, watching Will.
Will nodded eventually, and the Bishop opened His arms and embraced Will tight against Him.
"I love you very much, my boy. You're doing so well," the Bishop said. Will's eyes sprung with tears upon hearing the affirmation from his beloved guide… or from God. He clung tight to his old guide as the bright light blinded his vision again.
Will blinked his eyes open, feeling his sleeping wife next to him. She mumbled his name in her sleep, and her lip curled upwards in a smile. He scooted closer to her and put his arm around her, kissing her cheek.
He stayed awake for a couple of hours thinking about his vision.
He had a quest. How would it affect Elizabeth?