A Dishonorable Knight(14)

"My lady, what ails you?" Gareth called as he approached her.

The woman turned, startled by the approach of three unknown men. She was about to scream again when Gareth held up his hand. "Fear not, my lady. I am Sir Gareth of King Richard's contingent. You are quite safe from harm."

"Where is the king? I am part of his retinue," she said in what Gareth thought was, despite its quaver, a surprisingly haughty tone of voice.

"We suspect he is in Haddon Hall, my lady."

"Then you must take me to him."

Gareth looked at Cynan and Bryant before turning back to the lady. "I am afraid that is not possible my lady. But we will get you to safety come first light. For now, we are encamped not far from here."

Approaching her horse, he offered her a hand down. She ignored it and asked, "Why can you not escort me to the king now?"

"Because it is too dark to travel and the roads are dangerous this time of night," Gareth said.

The woman considered his reply before allowing him to help her down. She was no doubt bone weary and frightened.

As Gareth lifted her down, he tried to determine if he knew her, but her veil covered most of her face. She hadn't indicated she knew him when he introduced himself, so he could only speculate at which lady-in-waiting the three of them would play nursemaid to until they were able to leave her at an abbey, or perhaps one of the border lord's keeps.

"How came you to be back here, my lady? Did you not escape with the other women?"

The woman hesitated and Gareth wondered if she, too, had been hit on the head. Finally she answered, “I was with the others, but my horse bolted and I became separated from the group." For some reason Gareth had the impression she was not telling the truth, but shrugged. What espionage could one lady-in-waiting engage in?

When they reached the clearing where the men had spread out their blankets, Elena said, "Where is the camp? Where are the others?"

"Others, my lady?" Bryant asked politely.

"Where are the tents? Where are the other ladies?"

"My lady, they are all with King Richard, as Sir Gareth told you."

Seemingly recovered from her earlier shock, she sputtered in fury. “After all I have been through today, you expect me to make do with no inn? No camp? Where, precisely, am I supposed to sleep?"

Bryant hurried over to his bedroll and picked it up. "You may gladly take my blanket, my lady."

"A blanket? Have you no cots, no tents? This is ridiculous! I cannot be expected to sleep rolled up in a blanket with three servants. I am Lady Elena de Vignon!" Gareth's head snapped up and he grimaced at the pain the sudden movement caused his tender skull. "I am part of the king's court. I cannot--"

"You are more than welcome to climb back on your horse and continue down the road if you do not like our accommodations," Gareth snapped. "But should you choose to stay, pray remember that we are not servants and will not be treated as such."

In the bleaching moonlight, Elena stared in mute outrage at him. Before she could respond, the three men silently stretched out on the ground. Elena slowly wrapped the rough blanket around her shoulders and carefully sat down.

"If you have any measure of sense, you'll unsaddle your horse before you sleep."

"Gareth, she's a gentle lady; they're not trained as a stable hand," Cynan argued.

"Then she shouldn't be riding."

"You are the rudest man I have ever had the displeasure to meet," said Elena as she sat up abruptly.

"Just ignore him my lady, I'll see to your horse for you," volunteered Bryant.

With a sigh of relief, Elena laid back down.

"You will at least have the courtesy to thank Bryant for tending your horse, lest I be provoked to call you the rudest woman I have ever had the displeasure to meet," said Gareth.

Though the moon’s light washed her face of color, Gareth could read her indignant thoughts easily for her outrage was laughably evident. She could not believe his gall, would tell the king of his arrogance as soon as she reached him. And yet, she realized—for Gareth saw the dawning realization lift her brows in surprise--she must first reach Richard and he and his friends were her only way there. "My thanks, Bryant, for both your blanket and your assistance," Elena said sweetly before cursing Bryant's companion under her breath.

"Know you this lady that you are so unchivalrous, Sir Knight?" Cynan asked quietly as he and Gareth settled down to sleep.