50

OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES

Henry and Raven lay in their beds for almost a week and came to. Only then did Henry manage to get up and continue. Raven needed a few more days. Henry dismissed that with an ironic shrug. Presumably Henry was just used to it and Raven wasn't.

The day Henry was able to recover, less than ten horses made him let Elizabeth off him. He wanted her every free minute because he was unlikely to be bored before he could move again.

After Henry was able to get his breakfast himself for the first time, he sat cooing and flirting with Elizabeth on the two stools in the tent. "Henry...I have something to tell you."

Grinning, he put his mug on the floor between his legs and grimaced painfully, the wounds hadn't gone away. "Is it something bad?"

"I... I'm not sure. I mean... what do you think of that..."

"What's happening?" Henry shoved a spoonful of bland porridge into his mouth while she struggled with herself.

"I saw Felicitas last night." she then growled.

Henry stopped moving. "Did she say something to you?"

"Only that she wishes to marry you tonight." Then he choked. So much so that he was coughing for breath. "And after I visited Raven this morning, he once again made it clear to me that I have to go back to England. It was an order. And if we don't obey before he can get up, he will personally escort me back..."

Now he finally lost his appetite and in pain he put the plate on the mug. "I won't let that happen..." Though he still had no plan of what to do. He couldn't win against Raven, he knew that without ever trying.

"I can't walk, Henry." She sounded so anxious and desperate that it made him miserable.

"I know baby."

"Especially since Felicitas wasn't joking. She's planning your wedding for tonight." Suddenly she grabbed his clenched fist. "Raven is not our enemy, Henry."

"Yes..."

"We need an idea quickly..."

"Nothing will help us there..." he stood up uneasily and ran his hands through his hair.

She stood up uncertainly. Almost scared. "Maybe we can talk to Raven again..."

"It's useless."

"But circumstances have changed, Henry."

"What do you think?"

She swallowed and walked towards Henry. When she opened her mouth to speak, Norbert sailed into the tent. "Morning..."

"Morning..." Henry murmured dismissively. But Elizabeth gave him a friendly wink.

"I'd rather be later anyway, sir. I'll get you the water. Anything else, sir?"

He shook his head and watched Nash disappear. Norbert threw away his sword belt and lay down on his bed, growling.

"Are you from the station?"

"Night watch. Pointless. The whole war! Not a pig in England has a penny left. We can't attack, they have no reason to attack. I don't see what we're supposed to do here."

"Be careful what you say, otherwise you'll be a desateur and you'll be whipped. I can tell you, it's not worth it."

Norbert growled in agreement. "What did Nash up to?"

"How so?"

"Whenever it comes from your cousin, Raven scowls just like you do."

Henry waved it off and headed for the exit. "I am not sure yet."

Outside he saw himself with a bucket. He gave her a sign and disappeared into the crooked stable. She followed him silently and stayed there until they left the camp with Henry's horse. They rode to their little village and crept into their hiding place.

There she shook out her hair and clicked her tongue. "I thought we'd talk later."

"It looked important. And I'm not sure when Raven will get up and take you away..."

When she flipped her hair back, she looked like a goddess. The morning senses shimmered through the holes in the roof, she had loosened the bandage around her chest and was in her typical stance, one hip slightly raised. He saw that she was arming herself and did the same.

"Talk to me Elizabeth."

"There's no way you can marry Felicitas." She swallowed, her beautiful throat moving. "Henry I... I'm pregnant."

Now time stood still. Henry stood before me like a tree. His face was expressionless, his muscles relaxed, but his eyes were wide. He was shocked.

"I'm sure I am. I thought about it for the first time two weeks ago, but I've only been sure for a few days." When he still didn't say anything, I shrugged nervously. "I'll definitely get it..."

Suddenly Henry started moving. With two long strides he was in front of me, slowly fell to his knees and encircled my middle with his strong arms. He pressed his forehead against my stomach and said nothing for a moment.

It wasn't until I buried my fingers in his thick hair that he lifted his head and looked up, touched. "No one will take you away from me."

I smiled uncertainly. "Are you happy?"

Immediately he was on his feet and hugged me again. He kissed me so deeply and intensely that I almost got pregnant again. I started to grin at the thought.

But Henry had found taste and gently pressed me against the creaking wall, picked me up by the thighs and grumbled something incomprehensible. "What are you saying?"

"I won't let anyone separate us..."

"Oh Henry."

"You're mine." His big paw snuck under my shirt and laid itself light as a feather on my stomach. His thumb unconsciously stroked it. "I protect you..."

When I realized that he was talking to the child, I got pleasant goosebumps. I saw in Henry's dark eyes that he meant what he said. He made a very different impression. Because now it wasn't just about his pride, which he wanted to protect, but about his child. And suddenly, he didn't look like Theo was still a problem for him. But an annoying nuisance on his way. And something like that was quickly done away with.

DONE DEAL

"It costs! It's expensive! Very expensive!" The saleswoman leaned back a little behind her counter with her round figure and glared at the two Englishmen maliciously. "Nobody can afford to dress so expensively like that."

Henry gave a fleeting smile and placed a heavy purse on the counter. We don't speak French so we didn't know what to say. Luckily Henry could do that with his eyes.

The dress, which the French lady didn't begrudge me, was by no means worth the price she wanted to convince us. It used to be white, now it was just light gray, tattered and a hole was hidden under the armpit. We saw her maid or daughter sweeping with it in the shop and wanted to buy it from her. It was no wonder that the young woman was cleaning in a white dress with delicate lace trimmings. For the French were exceedingly vain and had the strangest fashion opinions. They must have been fired up for any bullshit. Some festivals lasted three days and reminded of Sodom and Gomora. And there were rumors in the camp that the women, for example, depilated their legs.

The plump French woman took the bag and weighed it in her hand. Then her eyes widened. She hissed something in her own language in amazement and shooed the girl into the storeroom to change.

Henry immediately snatched the bag from the woman. "First dress, then money."

It became dangerously quiet while waiting. While I kept an eye on the Frenchwoman, Henry kept an eye on the doors. England was still at war with France. It would be dangerous if a man suddenly came in and dragged Henry in front of the store. Then we would both be dead.

So we immediately packed the dress, left the bag behind, and immediately left the small town for our burned-down village. After a bite of bread we stole from a local baker, we rode to the next town.

"You know France well."

Henry grinned mirthlessly and grimaced as a child passed us with a basket of cheese. "The war has been going on long enough."

The city was loud and once again bombastic dressed. One saw both poorer peasant women wearing normal overalls and merchant women wearing fine hats with feathers and dragging impossible clothes through the dusty streets. And men who looked at us angrily. We were already figured out.

Henry took my hand, seemingly ignoring the looks. "Where are we going?"

"To a man who can trust us. It's a captain and takes money no questions asked."

"And captains can trust us so easily?"

"In the port of Calais on his ship."

"Isn't that too dangerous?"

Henry looked at me softly. "Either my father or the captain will kill me. It doesn't matter, does it?"

I placed our hands on my tiny, barely-there bulge. "We both see it differently."

That blissful twinkle came into his eyes as he gazed at my stomach. "I can't understand it yet."

I grinned and tried to suppress my fear at all the hostile humans around me. "Do you have any money left to bribe the guy?"

"I didn't spend any money." I looked at him blankly. "The bag was full of stones."

I was horrified for a moment, then burst out laughing. "Therefore another city."

"Damn right."

The captain was found in, how could it be otherwise, a tavern. He growled darkly, took all of Henry's gold and led us into the harbor to his little ship. He led me into a small closet where I could change and comb my hair. I tried to trap it dreamily, but I wasn't very good at such things.

When I no longer knew what to do, there was a surly knock at the door and I was taken on deck. Henry stood bolt upright in front of the captain and seemed completely relaxed. But I knew that expressionless expression was deceptive.

However, when he saw me, he smiled softly and took my hand. The sun shone behind the set sails and bathed us in warm, soft light.

The captain was of course French and as a matter of principle did not speak English. So we didn't understand a word. Suddenly he waved his hand in Henry's direction angrily. He looked at me blankly.

I knew something like that from our village. "We must recite oaths."

Henry let out a breath and didn't quite know what to do next. Then he thought of something. "Of course I swear the usual swearing that is always sworn at this point. With the addition that from now on I will no longer allow my father to have any power over my life and will do everything to protect you from him and get rid of him."

The captain looked at me. I repeated his first words with a smile and earned a grimace from Henry. Annoyed, Captain growled something, the sailors around us yelled Aye and then they all turned away.

"I assume that was kissing." Henry purred.

"Aye." I let myself be drawn into his arms and unabashedly kissed in public.

With a bang, we rushed back from enemy territory to our village, where Henry immediately led me to our crooked, holey hideout and spread his coat on the ground. It was getting dark and we had to go back soon.

"Come here darling." Henry growled and pulled me onto his coat with a grin.

"Yes, Consort." I purred and sat on him.

Raven stepped behind his tent and greeted Henry with a curt nod. Henry immediately hung his head. "What's happening?"

"I married her."

Raven's heart stopped. He didn't care about betraying the king, but betraying Raven himself was immensely painful. He swung back and slapped Henry. Just because he felt like it.

Henry took it easy and aah contrite. "I know you're disappointed in me, but-"

"I don't want to hear it, man. You rebel against anyone stronger than you. You're a stupid dog who gives me cold..." Raven trailed off, as Henry's least concern would be his offended cousin's feelings.

Though Henry just seemed to care. "Please, Raven, don't be mad at me. You know I could never have forgotten her. I would have been miserable all my life."

Raven grabbed his collar. "If they stake your head on London Bridge, it will be she who will live unhappily."

Henry wasn't intimidated. "She's expecting a child from me, Raven. If I die, it won't be a bastard and will do just fine with my titles. She'll make sure Theo has no control over it."

The older one felt his arms fall asleep. "You are going to be a father..."

"Yes, my lord. I am having a child and I am protecting it. That is why I am here."

"Oh man..."

"You're the only one who can and I trust." Henry looked him straight in the eyes. "You must take Elizabeth back to England to Nashville."

THE CONSEQUENCES OF ANGRY

"He said that?" Dejectedly, I poked around in our campfire with a stick. The fire danced through it.

Raven grunted in agreement and looked at the harbor where I had married Henry. Tomorrow we should arrive in England. without my husband "After I made him a promise, two of Theo's men took him to his wedding, which will not take place now."

"Will you believe he got married?"

"However."

"What are you going to do with him?"

"I don't know that."

"Liar..." we both knew what they would do with him, a traitor. "Why are you immediately considered a traitor just because you don't do everything the king wants? He's fighting for him. Why..." my throat tightened, so I fell silent.

Raven shrugged his shoulders in surrender. "So it is as the king's Versall."

I let that stand, after all it was a fact that could not be changed. No matter how unfair it just seemed to me. Then my thoughts took a new turn. "What happens to his child without him? I mean, a boy needs his own education as a noble, doesn't he?"

"You don't have to teach him everything yourself, but set an example. There are men who will squire him and make him a knight. When he comes of age, he'll take over Nashville."

I stopped. "How am I supposed to set an example for him, Raven? I'm a farmer's daughter. What do I know?"

"You're not." For the first time, Raven smiled, albeit unhappily. "You are My Lady of Nashville."

My stomach heaved alarmingly. "That sounds too big... I'll never live up to it."

"You will. Running a household isn't as hard as it seems."

I let that stand as well. "What if it's a girl?"

"Then you show her what a woman has to be able to do and marry her well. But someone who adores her, otherwise Henry will haunt us both."

"Stop acting like Henry's dead soon..."

Raven left that uncommented. I put my hand on my bulge and felt a deep emptiness. Henry was gone for who knows how long...

Henry's chains jingled as he came to. Both the king and Theo were so upset that they ordered the guards to put him through the wringer and lock him up. Now he sat here, his head pounding, bleeding and in pitch black surroundings. And suffered. The longing for Elizabeth was so superhuman that it hurt physically.

The longing wasn't the only thing that wore him down. The thought of never being able to touch his new wife again, never hearing his child call Father, and never being able to dance on Theo's grave encased him in such despair that he wished he could faint again...

"Campbell?" A soldier lifted the tarpaulin and let the moonlight in a crack. "The king wants to tell you his decision."

Accompanied by two guards, he hobbled to the campfire where the young king was standing. He'd just had a son of his own, though rumor had it he'd rather lie with men than with his queen. And they probably preferred to stick with the Earl of March. Well, the fine court nobility.

The king stood before him, broad-shouldered, eyeing Henry coolly. "Do you have anything to add to your previous statement?"

"No, Sire." The king wanted an apology. But Henry couldn't do that. He had nothing to regret. Theo stood behind the king glaring at his son unabashedly hatefully.

"It pains me, for you are a fine warrior and a waste at death. You are very like your father in many ways." My God, like a sword in the heart... "Well, I'll let you live. But you won't get away with me unpunished. From today on, you're my man for everything. Messenger, errand boy, soldier... whatever I wish. Round the clock."

Henry nodded, though not relieved.

"You will stay by my side, even after the war. Indefinitely."

When we got to Nashville, Raven took a nap and had to turn back immediately before realizing he was missing from camp. He just introduced me as the Lady of Nashville and was gone four hours later.

Now it was shortly before noon and I was sitting alone with my little squirrel friend Chipi at the blackboard going through the steward's numbers. My ability as a bookworm was still modest, but arithmetic wasn't that difficult. I had to sign off on everything and give him permission to get everything needed for the castle.

The steward came for his parchments and politely left me alone again. Alone.

A condition I would probably become familiar with. Because even if the people here were nice to me, they still had work to do and no time. So I went through the rooms of my new home thoroughly and made a list of things I had noticed at the time. Things like flowers, which were missing everywhere here. New window coverings. Dusty carpets and Henry's wardrobe. He pretty much wore his two favorite shirts, his favorite pants, and despised the other things.

When I arrived in his, no ours, room and opened the chest with his clothes, I was greeted by his typical smell. So I knelt in front of the chest and actually started to reach for one of his shirts... Probably it was my hormones, but I started to cry terribly.

He couldn't leave me alone...

"Milady?" A maid knocked tentatively at the door. She was probably as old as the castle itself, holding fresh sheets in her hand and looking at me expectantly.

"Just come in." I immediately struggled to keep my composure, because I felt terribly embarrassed when I cried.

The maid pulled off the bedclothes and threw them on the floor, then stretched the fresh ones. "When will the lord come back?"

"I am not sure." Will he come back...

"Forgive my curiosity, my lady. Are you pregnant?"

"Yes. Still at the beginning."

The maid gathered the sheets and stood next to me. "Is that why you're crying?"

"No." I left it at that, slammed the chest shut and got up.

But instead of being offended, the maid smiled motherly. "Shall I send you a bath and food?"

I silently agreed and was left alone again. So I was alone. Until Henry came back I would probably stay alone too.

EIGHT MONTHS LATER

"There you are, my lady. The most beautiful callas we could find." The little girl, Susan, to whom I had left Chipi at the time, exchanged a look with her friend.

"Look, Madame. How beautifully red they are!"

I ran my fingertips very gently over the beautiful blooms and brought them to the large expensive vase, matching the burgundy callas to the white. "You did very well girls. Get honey from the kitchen."

"Thank you, my lady!" They shouted excitedly and started running.

Zimmercallas were beautiful curving flowers that I personally adored. Flowers were in themselves one of the most beautiful things the world had to offer. So I put a few flowers in buckets myself in the rooms where I spent most of the day.

The men laughed at me, the women wondered. I didn't care. Because I had learned that as a lord of the castle you should never ignore your own principles. But to maintain etiquette, I allowed a maid, Linda. The only thing I didn't let her do was bathe me and comb my hair.

I took a step back and contemplated my beautiful vase in the May sun streaming through the windows of our little hall. As so often, I casually screeched my proper curves. My belly was almost twice the size of other women's in the same month.

Only when I felt the child move, the little foot brushing against my hand, did I come back to the here and now. "Let's see if we don't get something to eat, huh?"

"Milady?" The steward held me back. "Lord Campbell is here."

My heart stopped. "Henry..?"

The young man bit his lip. "Forgive me. It is My Lord Raven. From the white knight."

I felt my throat tighten, but I followed him outside anyway, again putting my hand on my stomach. My little child had become my closest friend. Even if it was definitely just a coincidence, the small hand laid on mine as intended.

Henry hadn't come home yet. Raven and I were afraid that they would actually kill him and, typical of traitors, strip him of his title and possessions. But Theo wrote me after three months that Henry was alive. Not more.

Raven handed the reins to a stable boy and hugged me. "How are you, Elly?"

"Fine. Hungry. Like you, probably, huh?"

Raven nodded and widened his eyes when he saw my stomach. "A real Campbell!"

I nodded proudly and led him to my table and called for lunch. "What brings you here?"

My husband's cousin rubbed his chin exhaustedly. "I wanted to check things out. If you need anything. Any hard chunks that males need hard."

I smiled fleetingly. Wasn't offended though because he was telling the truth. Although it was rare, sometimes severe penalties had to be imposed such as; Chop off hand, hang, whip... but it was necessary, also to maintain his respect as lord. I often asked Raven to make that decision so I just had to sign it.

"It's all quiet. Do you know anything about Henry?"

"He's suffering. But I'm not allowed to talk to him. The king himself forbids Henry contact. As if he had placed an adolescent under house arrest."

"But he's alive." I threw in. When she brought the food, I suddenly didn't feel hungry anymore. "Is he skinny? Sick?"

"No. He's still a figurehead for the king. In that respect he's probably better off than us."

"Stop being so bitter, Lord Raven." I mumbled and smiled. "We're better off than you want to know, because you're angry with the king. You want him to look like he's forgetting his failings."

Caught, he stuffed the roast into his mouth. "So what..?"

"When do you have to go again?"

"Tomorrow. I am riding to Westminster. The king wants to see me."

"That's nothing new. He keeps calling you to dance in front of Henry."

Raven eyed my untouched plate. "Please, Elizabeth. You must eat."

"I know... but I miss him so much." And no matter what happened to me that day, it reminded me of Henry and one of his many idiosyncrasies. Besides, I was scared.

Fear of having the child without having him with me afterwards. Afraid of dying in childbirth without ever seeing him again. The uncertain future scared me.

From one second to the next, my stomach tensed and caused a downward pressure as if the earth wanted to swallow me. I gasped and leaned back in my chair.

"Oh man..." the father of four knew. "There's no way I can leave here."

I brushed the objection aside. "It's not the first time. It will probably pass soon."

Raven sighed indecisively. "If it wasn't for the king, I'd stay in a heartbeat. But-"

"-please go, Raven. I don't want you to hear anything anyway."

He hesitated for a moment, then agreed. "Tomorrow morning. Not sooner."

"It won't come sooner, I guarantee you." And so the pressure was gone and I could breathe deeply.

Not wanting to arouse his displeasure, I stuffed a piece of bread into my mouth and stood up. "I still have work to do. Do you want me to have a bath fixed for you?"

"Are you serious!? You're in labor and... I always knew it, now I'm sure. You're not crazy!"

"Be calm!" I wandered around the board and got significantly less air. "The child is still a long time coming. And as the lady of the castle, I don't work in any fields, but often at my desk or other harmless things!"

Again Raven, who had jumped up, stared at my considerable ball.

"A bath, my lord?"

My core sagged again and I gasped again. "That's enough, where is your maid?"

"Where it's really needed."

"She must fetch the midwife!"

Would Henry have been as exhausting? I would probably never know. "Please send for the midwife. But I'm not a born lady of high status. I won't lie around and wait like the fine ladies."

Raven rolled his eyes sarcastically. "No. You get the brats on the field and give them a sword right away. Very hard and exemplary people, for us wimps."

I gasped and held my cramping stomach. "Don't get excited..."

The spasm and pressure got worse all of a sudden, and I couldn't breathe. How was I supposed to get this huge baby out of me?

When my knees went weak for a moment, Raven grabbed me and forced me upstairs. "Raven... Ah!"

"As many births you've seen, Campbell's babies are different and far more demanding. Plus it's your first child. So be sensible!"

He pushed me onto my bed and yelled orders down the hall. Then he came back to me and looked at me skeptically. "You must leave tomorrow, Raven."

"I can't leave you like this."

"Who else is going to tell Henry his child is on the way?"