Read Online The Squire's Quest by Gerald Morris - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Gerald Morris
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Terence sat behind barred door.
"Oh, don't you start, too," Sarah sighed. "I'm getting enough of that from Guinevere, who thinks it's all
so
romantic."
"But why?" Eileen persisted. "You don't dislike him. Of that I'm sure."
Sarah hesitated. "No," she admitted. "I don't. I might even one day learn to love him. But I don't yet."
"So you like him and think you would probably learn to love him. That's a more promising beginning than many marriages start with," Eileen commented.
"I know. But I don't want to settle for
probably.
" She drew a breath. "Remember, as a child I saw everyone I loved murdered. It makes you careful, about loving people. This isn't easy for me."
A gentle rap came from the chamber door. Sarah seemed to sag, but Eileen met Terence's eyes and jerked her head at the entrance. Terence drew the bolt and opened the door to reveal Alexander's younger brother, Cligés. "Please," Cligés said. "I speak for my brother."
"Come in," Terence said.
Cligés entered, his hat in his hand. "I ... I am sorry for disturbing," he stammered, kneeling before Sarah.
"What do you want?" Sarah asked, but her voice was not unkind.
"Alexandros asks please if you ... love another."
"If I ... oh, I see," Sarah said.
"If you love another," Cligés said, "Alexandros willâ" Cligés consulted a scrap of paper on which several words were written in Greek letters. "âhonor your love. He will say no more to you."
Sarah hesitated, then nodded to herself. "It's an honest question. No, Cligés, you may tell your brother that I do not love another."
Cligés's face broke into a dazzling smile. "Then he may hope?"
Sarah gave him a measured gaze. "Tell Alexander that he must wait. But yes, he may hope."
Cligés thanked her profusely, then hurried away with his message. Terence barred the door again.
"Do you know what I need?" Sarah asked plaintively. "I need to take a trip somewhere. Just to get away."
"Where?" asked Eileen.
"The antipodes, maybe. Africa, at least. What's farthest from here?"
The next morning, Mordred and Bedivere returned from their diplomatic mission, with Count Anders riding between them. Arthur received his stubborn vassal in the throne room, where the count knelt before the king and laid a wooden chest at the foot of the throne. "My taxes, sire, along with my rents for the next quarter," he said.
"Your rents, too?" asked Arthur, mildly surprised.
"I have not been as true to my vows as I could have been, Your Highness. But your ambassador has persuaded me to amend my ways."
Arthur looked at Mordred, standing humbly at the rear of the room, and a smile touched the king's lips. "Indeed? And what did Mordred say that accomplished what so many others have failed to do?"
"It was not what he said, sire. It was that he listened."
The king raised his eyebrows. "Listened to what?"
Mordred stepped forward. "Please, Your Highness, if I may explain?" Arthur nodded. "Count Anders has been slow to pay his lawful dues because of his own worry. His lands lie on England's eastern shore, and he had heard rumors that pirates from across the sea were planning to attack. He needed every farthing to fortify the coasts. I simply reminded him that the defense of England was not his job but yours, and that by setting himself against you he was depriving himself of his greatest ally."
Kai, standing behind Arthur, looked skeptical, but Arthur nodded. "Mordred is right. I should be glad to discuss your defenses and determine what is to be done."
The count bowed again, and the general court was dismissed while Arthur and his council of war met with Count Anders. Terence was not a part of that council, but he heard the results when Gawain returned to their rooms later. Arthur had agreed to send a caravan of supplies, horses, and weapons to fortify Count Anders's coastal defenses, and Count Anders had renewed his oath of vassalage to the king. "It seems to have worked out pretty well," Gawain concluded, "in
"Oh, don't you start, too," Sarah sighed. "I'm getting enough of that from Guinevere, who thinks it's all
so
romantic."
"But why?" Eileen persisted. "You don't dislike him. Of that I'm sure."
Sarah hesitated. "No," she admitted. "I don't. I might even one day learn to love him. But I don't yet."
"So you like him and think you would probably learn to love him. That's a more promising beginning than many marriages start with," Eileen commented.
"I know. But I don't want to settle for
probably.
" She drew a breath. "Remember, as a child I saw everyone I loved murdered. It makes you careful, about loving people. This isn't easy for me."
A gentle rap came from the chamber door. Sarah seemed to sag, but Eileen met Terence's eyes and jerked her head at the entrance. Terence drew the bolt and opened the door to reveal Alexander's younger brother, Cligés. "Please," Cligés said. "I speak for my brother."
"Come in," Terence said.
Cligés entered, his hat in his hand. "I ... I am sorry for disturbing," he stammered, kneeling before Sarah.
"What do you want?" Sarah asked, but her voice was not unkind.
"Alexandros asks please if you ... love another."
"If I ... oh, I see," Sarah said.
"If you love another," Cligés said, "Alexandros willâ" Cligés consulted a scrap of paper on which several words were written in Greek letters. "âhonor your love. He will say no more to you."
Sarah hesitated, then nodded to herself. "It's an honest question. No, Cligés, you may tell your brother that I do not love another."
Cligés's face broke into a dazzling smile. "Then he may hope?"
Sarah gave him a measured gaze. "Tell Alexander that he must wait. But yes, he may hope."
Cligés thanked her profusely, then hurried away with his message. Terence barred the door again.
"Do you know what I need?" Sarah asked plaintively. "I need to take a trip somewhere. Just to get away."
"Where?" asked Eileen.
"The antipodes, maybe. Africa, at least. What's farthest from here?"
The next morning, Mordred and Bedivere returned from their diplomatic mission, with Count Anders riding between them. Arthur received his stubborn vassal in the throne room, where the count knelt before the king and laid a wooden chest at the foot of the throne. "My taxes, sire, along with my rents for the next quarter," he said.
"Your rents, too?" asked Arthur, mildly surprised.
"I have not been as true to my vows as I could have been, Your Highness. But your ambassador has persuaded me to amend my ways."
Arthur looked at Mordred, standing humbly at the rear of the room, and a smile touched the king's lips. "Indeed? And what did Mordred say that accomplished what so many others have failed to do?"
"It was not what he said, sire. It was that he listened."
The king raised his eyebrows. "Listened to what?"
Mordred stepped forward. "Please, Your Highness, if I may explain?" Arthur nodded. "Count Anders has been slow to pay his lawful dues because of his own worry. His lands lie on England's eastern shore, and he had heard rumors that pirates from across the sea were planning to attack. He needed every farthing to fortify the coasts. I simply reminded him that the defense of England was not his job but yours, and that by setting himself against you he was depriving himself of his greatest ally."
Kai, standing behind Arthur, looked skeptical, but Arthur nodded. "Mordred is right. I should be glad to discuss your defenses and determine what is to be done."
The count bowed again, and the general court was dismissed while Arthur and his council of war met with Count Anders. Terence was not a part of that council, but he heard the results when Gawain returned to their rooms later. Arthur had agreed to send a caravan of supplies, horses, and weapons to fortify Count Anders's coastal defenses, and Count Anders had renewed his oath of vassalage to the king. "It seems to have worked out pretty well," Gawain concluded, "in
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