I DO NOT OWN REIGN. SHOUTOUT TO EVERYONE WHO CARES. ALSO, SHOUTOUT TO THE FILM THE LAST DUEL. IT WAS BASED ONA. TRIE STORY.
MARGUERITE LE VENEUR- GEORGIE HENLEY
House of Veneur. Carrouges, Kingdom of France. The next day.
If I had been concussed, I seemed to have made it out all right; except for the nasty bruise on my forehead. To my surprise and gratitude, I found that the count of Tilléres had a close of clothes prepared for me. They never would have fit my body, but they fit Francis just right. I picked out a dress shirt that looked a bright shade of blue, along with some dapper trousers before exiting the room.
As I walked through the manor, I had to admit that I was impressed with the decor. It was a rich style, but overly luxurious. It was as though Tanneguy was trying to show off his wealth, while also trying to be subtle about his boasting. I made my way down the stairs where I saw Mary speaking to a very pretty young lady with a long head of brown hair and an auburn colored dress.
"Mary." I said with a smile as the love of my life turned to me with a look of relieved happiness upon her face.
"Francis, you're all right!" Mary exclaimed as she ran over and threw herself into my arms. I held her tightly and inhaled her scent.
"It's going to take a Hell of a lot more than a damn branch to keep me from you." I vowed as she leaned in and kissed me deeply. I kissed her with equal passion.
"You are both blessed to find such happiness, despite your marriage being arranged." The young lady said as she eyed us with glee and perhaps a bit of jealously. We slowly pulled away, not in the mood to put on a show.
"Francis, this is lady Marguerite Le Veneur, the count's sister." Mary introduced as Marguerite curtsied to me.
"Milady, your brother has been most hospitable. We owe him a great deal." I replied as I bowed my head with respect.
"Tanneguy is so pleased at entertaining the future King of France, as well as the rightful Queen of Scotland and England. His friends shall be absolutely sick with envy." Marguerite said with a wicked grin.
"Come, Bash is already in the dining hall with Count Tanneguy." Mary told me as she grabbed by hand and pulled me along to the dining room. Sure enough, my false half brother was pouring himself a glass of wine near the head of the table where Tanneguy was seated.
"Francis, good to see you on your feet." Bash said as he got up, walked over, and embraced me.
"My head is going to be slightly deformed for about a week, but I should be all right." I joked as he cracked a smile at my expense. I sat down next to Mary as the servants brought out an array of Medieval French dishes. They had prepared cabbage chowder for an appetizer, lamb stew for dinner, and for dessert, the cook had prepared cream custard tarts.
"A toast, to the dauphin, the Queen of Scotland, and the son of King Henry II, your presence brings honor to the house Carrouges!" Tanneguy declared as he toasted to us with a very delicious brand of red wine.
"You have been most hospitable Milord, we would love to repay your kindness, if we return to court." Mary replied politely. As we dug into the chowder, I was racking my brain to figure out why the family name was familiar to me and then it hit me: I had seen a film called The Last Duel that was about 2 knights fighting over a rape charge. I cleared my throat while Tanneguy and Bash were discussing what game there was to hunt locally.
"Pardon me Milord, but would you have any relation to Sir Jean de Carrouges?" I inquired as Tanneguy smiled with pride.
"Indeed my Dauphin, he is my ancestor and a truer French patriot could not be found anywhere." The count insisted.
"I remember that story, Carrogues fought a duel against another knight who raped his wife, it was a popular one when I was younger." Bash added.
"It is such a wonderful story, your majesty, you should tell her brother." Marguerite said to Mary and then her brother.
"I'm sure that the Queen of Scots doesn't want to here about such things, sister." Her brother said, trying to sound modest.
"Actually, it sounds like a very chivalrous story, I'd love to hear it; if you don't mind." Mary insisted with a smile, wanting to please our host.
"Oh I don't mind at all, in fact, Sir Jean's duel is a source of pride for our family." Tanneguy insisted as he sipped on his wine. "Well, the story truly begins at the Battle of Limoges on the 19th of September 1370. Jean and Jacques were both fighting the English. The soldiers were ordered to hold the bridge, but when Jean saw that the English were massacring innocent peasants, he charged forward without a second thought."
"That was very brave of him." I said, feeling as though I was watching the truth according to Jean de Carrougues again.
"That was his nature, Jean was a noble man who believed in helping his neighbor." Tanneguy agreed.
"Unfortunately, Limoges was lost and Jean's liege Lord, Count Pierre d'Alençon, blamed him for the defeat." Marguerite added wistfully.
"That sounds unfair." Bash said with a head shake.
"Pierre was a hedonistic man who devolved in all manner of perversion and Le Gris was eager to join him. Jean was a chaste lover, albeit passionate." Tanneguy explained with anger. "A few years later, Jean married Marguerite de Thibouville; my sweet sister's namesake."
"She was a pious, kind, and strong woman. Our father hoped I would be the same." Marguerite explained with pride.
"I'm certain that Lady Marguerite would be very proud of the woman you've become." Mary said with a smile squeezing her hand.
"As part of her dowry, her father promised to Jean, the estate of Aunou-le-Faucon. It was one of the Thibouville's most valuable estates and it held great sentimental value to Marguerite." The count continued. "It had lovely rose gardens, a large tree that she spent many hours swinging in. But then, Robert was forced to give it up to Count Pierre for taxes."
"Even though the land was worth twice what her father owed." The count's sister added angrily.
"So Count Pierre kept Aunou-le-Faucon for himself?" I asked, pretending that this was the first time I'd heard the story.
"No my Dauphin, he gifted it to Jacques Le Gris as a reward for balancing his finances." Tanneguy remarked in anger. "And that was just the beginning; Jean sued Count Pierre for the land on the grounds that it was rightfully his. He lost the suit and in retaliation, upon the passing of Jean's father, who was the captain of Fort Belleme, as his father had been before him, deprived Jean out of his rightful captaincy and guess who he gave it to?"
"Jacques Le Gris." Mary, Bash, and I all said in unison.
"Exactly, our family has never forgotten that injustice!" Marguerite growled. "Le Gris got the captaincy at Belleme, not because of his military prowess, but because he knew how to kiss Pierre's ass."
"My sister's words are unladylike, but the truth falls from her lips." Tanneguy chastised gently as he drank some wine.
"And then...Le Gris took Marguerite by force?" I asked, as if I didn't know.
"He did, he and his friend, Adam Louvel, forced and manipulated their way into her house and he held her down while Le Gris mounted and had his way with her." Tanneguy snarled with disgust. "She protested, but those savages overpowered her."
"I am sorry Milord...she should never have endured such brutality." Mary said as we could all imagine the pain she had gone through.
"Sir Jean went to Count Pierre for justice, as the law demands.
"With how friendly they were, any investigation was probably just a formality." I remarked, knowing how the politics of nepotism work.
"Pierre actually said that Marguerite must have dreamt it!" Her namesake said in anger.
"Dreamt rape, that is absurd." Bash remarked incredulously.
"Sir Jean had no choice but to appeal to the king and demand a duel." The count continued. "He fought with honor and slew the villain Le Gris."
"Did the king return Aunou-Le-Faucon or the captaincy at Belleme?" Mary inquired hopefully.
"No...despite being proven guilty, Count Pierre defended Le Gris after his death and made sure that Sir Jean never got what he was owed." Marguerite replied wistfully.
"I choose to live in hope that one day, what we lost shall be returned." Tanneguy replied as we finished our dinner, the story of the last duel hanging over us like a shadow.
REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED
