54

FIRST THE ONE THEN THE OTHER

Henry drank from his wine goblets. His hair was a little messy, his face was relaxed but actually he was excited. He was relieved because he finally had his revenge.

I leaned my head on his arm. "Commander then? Theo's descendant? Are you proud of that?"

"And how. I disempowered him."

Now I raised my head. The two candles around us flickered with the breeze I caused. "You're just more tense and therefore never at home. And I'm sitting alone with eight babies..."

He smiled sadly. "I know, sorry. But I've thought it through. Even as a simple soldier, I probably wouldn't come home more often for the next three years. At least as a commander I get a higher salary and damn it, my revenge."

Not quite reconciled, I sat cross-legged next to him and was all ears. Briefly his gaze slid over my bare skin.

"Tell me everything."

"My plan was to overthrow Theo. Actually, I was trying to persuade Raven to take the job."

Raven was a great warrior. He would have been perfect.

"But things turned out differently. When Theo lay down, I took my chance. And I swear to you, the look he gave me was... divine!"

Euphoric, he put down his goblet and sparkled with his eyes. "Imagine that, Elizabeth! He no longer has power over me. Special I over him! The man who abused your son!"

I took his hand and squeezed it. "Don't let the power... go to your head."

"I won't let that happen." He kissed the back of my hand. "For the first time in my life, Theo can't hurt me. No soldier penalties, no afflictions... I took everything he was and what he was proud of !"

I put a hand on his cheek. "And yet it doesn't make you happy..."

In fact, the twinkle in his eyes left him. "No... And I don't understand why."

Commander, father of eight sons and yet sometimes simply lost. "Because you're not like him. The sorrow and suffering of others does not make you happy."

Henry nodded and forced a smile. "But our salary has been increased."

I nodded wearily, looked over my shoulder at the cradle and curled up in my blanket. "See you tomorrow, commander."

The next morning at breakfast, the children swarmed around Henry and their older brothers. Henry, a little wearily, enjoyed the commotion and took them all on his lap.

Of course, he was immediately fished away by the steward. I made sure the boys had something to do and went into my garden. It was a tiny little part of the castle, but it had a very modern fountain and lots of sun. So I started growing flowers there.

With my youngest, Kora, I knelt on the cool earth and tended to my plants. "Isn't that heaven?"

The accent made my blood run cold... I had long forgotten that voice. Without haste, I got up and turned to her. "Felicitas."

With her own arrogance she let her eyes wander over me and my child. "They say it's the tenth?"

"What do I care what people tell each other?"

She clicked her tongue and put a hand on her stomach. "Henry hasn't been home for a long time, am I right?"

I looked at her in bewilderment. You couldn't tell she was pregnant. "Just war."

"In France. Calais. My home."

I narrowed my eyes. "Say what you want to say and go where you came from."

Then Ben came running to, as so often, examine his little Kora. But when he saw the strange woman, he stopped at the Celtic gate. Felicitas eyed him appraisingly. "Doesn't look like you at all. A bastard of Henry's?"

Ben looked at me uncertainly. "Go get your father, Ben." When he was gone, I approached her. "Is there anything you want in particular?"

She smiled and pushed her nonexistent baby bump towards me. "Only the father of my child."

"What's a bastard?" Ben looked at Avan who just shook his head.

"Who are you saying that to? That is not allowed..."

"I didn't say that to anyone. But the pretty woman at Father's said that to me. I am father's bastard. And mom looked so angry, I guess it's not a compliment."

Eric shrugged and tossed his line back into the pond. "It means father has a baby with another woman. Unmarried."

Ben was shocked. "Never... right?"

Avan glared at him. "Think about it! Would father do that?"

"No."

"Even."

Michel passed them yelling and chased Sam around. Eric jumped in shock. "You idiot! The fish! The fish!"

Michel cheekily stuck his tongue out at him and kept going. Eric jumped up in anger and threw the line to the devil. "Just wait until I catch you!"

Aven shook his head. "We don't get a single fish today..."

"The woman said she will have a child from father."

Suddenly Avan stopped and stared at him. "Have you been listening?"

"Only briefly."

"And you're not mistaken either?"

"I don't think so." The brothers fell silent... "You were with me in France. Was he with a woman?"

"Never." Avan pulled in his line, tied a loop, and tucked it away. "She's lying."

Ben was relieved that Avan said that. "What will our parents do?"

"Hopefully not arguing."

"But it's your baby, Henry!"

Henry shook his head resolutely. "I haven't seen you in almost eight years."

But Felicitas was not yielding. She banged her fist on the table angrily. "It's your baby!"

I put the jug on the table with force, so Felicitas glared at me with a venomous look. Her accent got stronger when she got upset. "What is she still doing here, Henry? We should be alone!"

Henry took my hand and pointed to the door. "If you don't like something, go away."

"This is your baby!"

"You can't prove that."

Felicitas rose with a tight-lipped smile and sauntered around the table towards him. "You neither. Who will they believe? The first faithful man there is or a pregnant lover from the battle?"

"Who are you talking about?"

But I knew who she meant. Henry was commander because he had a good reputation. If she were to destroy him, the king might change his mind and give Theo his office back.

Then Henry would have a far worse problem.

She pointed to me. "Ask your farmer's wife. She knows." Then she sat down in my chair. "I suggest you don't upset me."

THUNDERSTORM

There was a storm, lightning struck somewhere and the villagers ran to put it out. I turned to Henry who was comfortably seated in his chair. It was night and we were already in our rooms.

"Shouldn't you go see that?"

"They can do it without me."

I peered into the cradle. Kora didn't care. Well, then... "I didn't have anything to do with Felicitas, Elizabeth."

"I know."

He ran a hand through his hair. "Thank God."

There was a soft knock and the first boys crowded to the door. Avan, of course, at the forefront. "May we come in?"

I was about to allow it when Henry grumbled.

"Go to bed."

Eric didn't give up. "But lightning struck where."

"You were in the war..."

Lightning struck again and Michel broke through the brothers' barricade. "Ma!" He hid his face in my skirts. Shortly afterwards, when thunder shook the floor, the rest of the boys ran in and crawled into my skirt.

Henry laughed heartily. "What kind of men are you!?"

Avan hid his face in embarrassment, Eric smiled charmingly. "A man must know against whom a fight is lost."

Suddenly a maid stood in the open door. "Sir, Campbell! Your father is in the hall!"

Henry fell back in his chair. "God must have been trying to hit the devil..."

Theo was soaking wet and angry. He hobbled and coughed as he approached Henry. He twitched almost imperceptibly at the pathetic sight. Theo used his finger to swear at Henry then tripped over his own foot and fell.

To everyone's surprise, Henry caught him and placed him on the bench by the blackboard. In thanks, Theo roughly pushed him away. "Don't touch me, you traitor!"

"Then just fall on your face!"

Zack, Theo stood, albeit unsteadily. "Better think about how you talk to me, otherwise..." and then it came to him.

Henry raised an eyebrow gallantly. "Otherwise? Sit down old man and say what you want from me."

Completely stunned a lot Theo back on his butt. The maid who fetched us stood next to me. "Be so good and bring warm wine."

"Yes, my lady."

Theo glared at me. "You, a lady!? You're a peasant whore in heat!"

Henry grabbed Theo by the collar and hauled him to his feet. I hoped so badly he could hold back. No matter how bad Theo was. Henry was not like him, for he had manners. And that included not hitting your parents. No matter how they were to one.

"Take it back or you're kicked out."

"That's my opinion." Suddenly the old man seemed to have an idea. He smiled slyly. "If you throw me out, the king will find out. You know how important I am to him... Your office would be gone."

It reminded me of how Michel hid from me crying earlier. Theo easily made the same impression.

Henry grinned slyly too. "You're not the first parasite to latch on to my new honor."

Theo nodded. "I'd like to know who you mean."

"Then I'll play along, father. You don't happen to know where Felicitas is at the moment?"

"In Calais, I suppose?"

"Of course you do, huh?" Henry let go of Theo. "Surprise. She's here."

Theo grinned evilly. "Oh no. How nice!"

The maid brought the wine, which Theo looked at with disapproval. The maid, however, seemed to agree. That's why Henry sent her away immediately. "Fetch the Frenchwoman, Silvia. Stay with your mother in the village."

"Thank you, my lord."

She was visibly relieved and hurried away as fast as she could. Theo spat in our floor straw. "Just look at you! In my father's hall you live! You didn't deserve that!"

"Maybe. And yet I feel very comfortable here."

"She deserves me more than you. If I tell the king..."

"Grandfather would turn in his grave if one of his sons betrayed his own children."

Theo jumped up again and slapped Henry. "I'm the traitor!?" Henry surprisingly put up with it. "You think you're different from me, Henry?"

Henry looked dumbly into Theo's eyes. As old as Theo was, he was still big and impressive.

"I was like you! I loved my children too, the first one. After that I couldn't use any more! YOU were a whimpering, rebellious burden!"

My stomach heaved menacingly. That was too unfair and certainly hurt Henry. But I wasn't allowed to get involved.

"You'll end up with your sons hating you the same way. And you her."

"Never."

"Oh but! Charles didn't hate me either. How about you, Henry? Do you hate me?"

Henry gritted his teeth. I thought he would just say yes, but he didn't say anything. And that says more than a thousand words...

Theo grinned. "You don't hate me. No, do not do that! Ha! What kind of an idiot are you? I never loved you."

"Do you think that surprises me?" Henry switched back to cold, but his eyes remained black shadowed. "I will never be to my children as you are to us. I have no regrets stealing your office. Because you have abused it. And I won't do that. Enjoy your drab boring life while you still have it."

Then the door opened and Felicitas came in nagging in French. "Ah, Theo! Thank God! Your son is a bad man!"

Theo read the unspoken reproaches and the anger in Henry's eyes and nodded. "That's him, my dear."

He turned to her and went to the door without greeting.

Avan swallowed hard and pushed his brothers back on the stairs. Eric was shaken. "Why did he say that?"

Avan sat down with them on the stairs but said nothing. Ben stared at the base of the stairs. "Why is nobody defending him!? Father would never talk to us like that! He's not like Theo!"

Ava nodded. He couldn't understand why his father hadn't agreed when Theo said he hated him. Did he like him after all? But why? Avan met him and couldn't claim to think much of Theo...

Joe wiped his forehead. "Is that grandfather? He raised father?"

"Yes. So he's a little harsh sometimes, but..." Avan swallowed, feeling so sorry for his father. "But he's trying his best."

HATE HOME

I raised the club and smashed the tapestry. It felt good to vent my anger. Because this bitch slept in the village and fucked her way through the beds, but during the day she was up here in my courtyard and got on my last nerve. The fact that she kept telling everyone the baby was Henry's made me angry. But her telling my sons, who were more Henry than I, that they were bastards almost made me rabid.

Whenever the boys played naughty, really horrible pranks on her about it, both Henry and I deliberately looked the other way. Admittedly, I often made common cause with them.

Now Felicitas stood by our vegetable farmer and his wife, stretched out her almost flat baby bump and pressed the tear duct. The man was fooled by her beauty, his wife did not buy the crocodile tears.

I threw faster. Until I stood in a cloud of dust and Kora started to bleat in surprise. "Sorry, I forgot about you baby."

I threw the stick aside and wanted to take Kora in my arms, but there Theo stood and got ahead of me. Almost surprised, he eyed the infant. I remembered what he had done to Avan and almost lost my head at the sight of my defenseless infant in the hands of that monster.

"He looks like Charles."

"He looks like Henry."

Theo clicked his tongue. "You don't even know Charles, you stupid bitch."

"Give me my son."

He looked up, but made no move to let it go. I'd smack him in the head with a club if he made me do it! "Are the boys all yours?"

"Naturally." I growled. Is there anything worse for a mother than being denied her children? Probably, but at the moment I hardly believed it. "They all belong to me."

Theo grinned at my declaration of war. "Do you think I would want even one of those...useless things?"

Kora felt something in the air and began to whimper softly. Campbell babies rarely cried. Only if no one paid any attention to them. "Then give it back to me."

"You peasant women are really only capable of one thing. Birds and children. You can do that. Like beasts."

"If I don't trade everything, your mother also has several children." As if an ice arrow hit him, Theo twitched. I took a step in front of him and raised my hands. "Give me my child."

With a look like Henry's but far more menacing, he gave me my child and was gone. I rocked Kora and watched him leave. That was too much...

The sound of a hammer striking steel came from the forge, so Henry was there. He stood over the fire in just his pants, turning a piece of iron in it. Eric was with him.

"And then you just hit it, okay?" Excitedly, he brandished a small mallet.

"No." Henry grinned fondly. "You have to know beforehand what you have to do in your head. Then you have to work well. And be careful!" He hit the iron a few times. Then he dunked it in sizzling water.

As a mother, it made me sick that Eric's head was level. "Wow! May I too? Please, father!"

Henry laughed and only now noticed me standing in the doorway. I would have liked to know if he dared! "Run to fish, Eric."

"But you said...!"

"Run." He nudged him lightly and freed his hands. "Everything OK?"

"I need a sword."

Henry grinned and for the first time in ages I saw his dimple. "Why then?"

"Have you forgotten Felicitas and Theo?"

He immediately rolled his eyes somberly again. "For that you need a wooden stake blessed with incense."

"Have you got it?"

He sat down on his counter. "I'm looking for a way to get rid of her. But I can't think of it. Just let me chase her away!"

I laid Kora down on a pile of fresh hay and sat next to Henry. "You can't. Both are bad and unscrupulous people. Just because we can't think of a plan, we can't give them the opportunity to harm you."

"When Theo comes back to his post, I don't have a problem, but my boys do if they want to become knights one day."

I leaned against him. "Just let me tinker, I'll figure it out."

"I believe you face to face, Nash."

I lifted my head in surprise and laughed. To be honest, I almost forgot the name. "My God, it's been ages!"

"I still can't believe it. That only happens in fairy tales."

"Or with your stupid peasant woman." I grinned and took his hand in mine.

"I'm glad you believe me. Because of Felicitas, I mean."

"She's not your type."

He grunted in disgust. "Let's go inside..."

"How so?" Grinning, he buried his head in my neck and sucked on my earlobe. "What? We're talking about her and you want to?"

"I compare you and then I feel more like you."

"Wretched slime!" He slid off the table, stood between my knees and pushed up my skirt. "Not, the children..."

"Get a kick in the butt if they stray into the forge during school hours."

He was right about that. So I wrapped my ankles around him and rubbed his sweaty back. "If so. Then do the lady of the castle a service, will you?"

"How may I help, my lady?"

I ruffled his thick black hair. "I want to see operational readiness."

"Hm..." he stroked my breasts, keeping his thumbs on my nipples that were pressing against the fabric. "I think I can do it."

EXCITEMENT

The hall was crowded with people wanting to get rid of complaints. Judgment day was announced again. And although the hall of the white knight was large enough, one could hardly move.

We sat next to each other in our chairs. Normally we donate beer and delicious sweet cakes, but they wouldn't be enough.

"This is a bottomless cheek!" snapped a farmer's wife.

Henry stood and raised his hands reassuringly. "What happened, folks!?"

An old but rather chubby milkmaid came a little closer. "The French tart, my lord. A grove and a small hill separates us from the castle and yet every night she fucks one of our young men."

I saw Henry bit back a laugh. "Let the men have fun, mother."

"By all love for male libido, my lord! It's disgusting! Our young Bertol, where are you boy?" She fished a pale, red-cheeked youth out of the crowd. "She molested him."

Henry grinned and raised an eyebrow. "Did she, Bertol?"

The rogue drove away the blush and made him likeable. "Oh yes, my lord."

Suddenly the mother looked at her boy very differently and gave a shocked expression. Henry took advantage of that immediately. "Don't be mad at me, folks. I could do without your presence, but the lady" ironic giggles were heard. Including mine. "It's not so easy to get rid of."

After the meeting, I was still mulling over getting rid of the bitch. Meanwhile, I watched over my seven little hurricanes that Theo didn't get too close either. I was under a lot of stress and it was starting to make me angry. So I moved here from Nashville to have more peace and then something like that!

Shortly before bedtime, I walked with the boys across the yard again. I liked doing that because I was looking at the moon and stars and the boys were getting tired. On the way back, my ankle buckled.

"Ah..! Damn it!"

Immediately Eric took my hand. "Are you okay, Ma?"

"It's okay... That'll be right back."

"Shall I fetch father?"

"No." I ran my fingers through his blond hair. "Go to sleep."

"What if you can't go in by yourself?"

"Rest assured, your father will look for me if I'm gone too long."

Unsure but well-behaved, he walked over to the rest of his brothers. I took a deep breath and leaned against the stable wall. Only the crickets chirped, the soldiers in the guard room laughed toasting and the horses in the stable panted. The hay smelled wonderful...

The white knight was my home. He was safe and calm and peaceful. If it weren't for these two brutes. invaders in my world.

"Oh, do that again..!"

I jumped up. There was one intruder. A deep groan followed. "Exactly! Oh, you're great!"