On the Day We First Met

On the Day We First Met

An EA Alternative

Prologue

Horse and rider were one in the wind.  The boy could feel it in his face as he spurred the stallion on.  This was the first time he ever disobeyed his parents and took the horse out at night.   

He was still considered a boy, even if he had watched eighteen summers come and go. His father always referred to him as that boy who had been too independent, the boy who had so much and was giving it all up. These were the slowest years of his life.  He was bored living in that big, drafty castle where everything was rigid, everything was controlled.  He was tired of it.  He wanted to be like any other boy his age.  He wanted to have fun.  The last thing in the world he wanted was to be a prince. 

He hadn’t thought about where he would go at two thirty in the morning.  He shook his head and smiled.  He shouldn’t even be out at night like this, but he couldn’t wait until the morning.  All he thought about was that he had to get out.

He hadn’t even realized where he was or how far he had gone. The night charades were over. Maybe he should turn around.  He could probably make it back to the castle by the first light of dawn.  He turned the horse around and made his way back.

He caught sight of a chipmunk that ran quickly across road.  Suddenly the horse reared and he was thrown backwards, hitting his head on the rock, knocking him out.  The horse, freed of its burden, stood on his hind legs, whinnied and galloped off in the opposite direction toward its freedom.

The boy lay on the ground unconscious, not moving a muscle. 

 

Chapter 1

“That boy has disappeared again, Marie,” King Francis said to his wife. “This is getting ridiculous.  I can’t keep up with him anymore.”

“No one has asked you to, Francis,” Marie said.  “As I recall you did the same the thing at his age.”

Francis blushed.  “Some of them, yes, but I have never stayed out all evening. This is absurd, Marie, and be assured that when that boy shows up I will…”

“Will what, milord,” Marie said, “What do you intend to do with him when he does finally show up, which he will, Francis.  You know that it is unlike Henry to behave this way.”

“What do you mean, unlike him?” Francis spat at her.  He began to pace back and forth. “Marie, he has been climbing down the castle walls almost every night.  He takes that same horse and he rides all over Creation…” Francis threw up his hands in disgust. 

Marie was smiled at him. “And he always returns sometime in the morning.” She walked over and touched him on the shoulder. “Tell me that isn’t true.”

Francis smiled.  She knew what she was doing.   She always knew how to calm him down. 

“You are right, madam,” he said, smiling at her.  “I shall wait.  In the meanwhile, we await the arrival of the Royal Guard and their captain, Laurent de Richaud. Perhaps he has learned something.”

“Perhaps we might have some breakfast while we wait, milord?” Marie smiled. “Come,” she said, taking his hand.  

Chapter 2

The boy sat up suddenly and looked around the room.  He was unfamiliar with his surroundings.  He had no idea where he was as he tried to sit up.

He looked around the room he was in and tried to remember what had brought him to this particular place and where he had come from, but there was nothing in his head. 

“Well, well, well,” a voice called into the darkness.  “You have finally opened your eyes.  The woman sat down next to his bedside.  She was holding a bowl filled with cold water.    “You gave us quite a scare for a while.”

The boy sat up, but it was with much difficulty.

“Where am I?” he asked.

“Take it easy, monsieur,” the woman said, wringing out the rag.  “Lie down, you have had a bad thump on the head.  You almost hit a rock.  You were very lucky you didn’t break your neck.”

She placed the rag on his head.

“In answer to your question, monsieur, you are at the Manor de Barbarac,” she said, patting the damp rag along his forehead.  My name is Danielle.”  She took the rag and dipped it in the water.  She squeezed it out and placed it back on his forehead. 

“And perhaps I shall learn your name as well?  You look very familiar to me.”

The boy looked at her and thought hard about the question she posed. 

She smiled.  “Cat got your tongue?” she asked.

The boy smiled and shrugged.

“I was hoping you might tell me,” he answered looking into her eyes. 

      

The smile left Danielle’s face.  “You mean you do not even know your own name?”

The boy shook his head.  “No, Danielle,” he answered, remembering her name, “I do not.” He smiled at her.  “You said that I looked familiar.  Might I inquire as to the man you think I might be?”

Danielle was about to answer when she saw him flinch.  He picked his hands up and put his hands up toward the back of his head.

“Yes, I know,” she said.  “You were thrown from your horse.  You banged your head pretty hard, milord.  You narrowly missed a sharp rock that would have easily cracked your skull.  My cousin, Gustave and I found you outside in our apple orchard.  We thought you were dead at first until Gustave felt for a pulse.  So we brought you here.  Mother and I have been caring for you.”

“How long have I been asleep?” he asked.

Danielle smiled.  “Since this morning, milord.” She placed the rag back into the bowl and wrung it out again.  “Someone might be worried just where you have gotten off to? You know, the clock has just struck ten in the morning.”

She placed the rag back on his head again.  “Now lie down.”

The boy smiled.  “Not until you answer my question, Danielle?  Who is that you think I look like?”

Chapter 3

“Any luck, Captain Laurent?” Queen Marie asked. 

It was now early evening and there was still no sign of her son. 

Laurent shook his head.  “There is nothing, Your Majesty.  All I found was his horse running wild in the woods. 

He turned toward the King. “I have to tell you that I know Henry and he would never worry you in this fashion.  I have never known him to remain out this long.”

Laurent tried to keep a straight face and crossed his finger.  Who did he think he was kidding? Certainly not the royal couple for they knew their son as well as he did. 

No, he probably did know him better.  There were secrets that they had shared since they were boys growing up.  Laurent knew that Henry hated it at the castle and longed to escape.  Henry didn’t know it yet, but his father, tired of waiting for Henry to grow up, had made arrangements for a marriage.  It was to be kept secret and would be told to Henry at the proper time.  Or what his father thought was the proper time. Laurent had promised the King he wouldn’t say anything until it was absolutely necessary.  

Meanwhile, Henry had to be found and quickly.

“You don’t think that he had some kind of accident or that he might be dead, do you? After all his horse was out in the woods alone, no Henry with him?”

“I am afraid not, Your Majesty.  The horse was quite alone when I found him.”

The King nodded.  “Well, then, we must set up a search party and try to find him.  I will not declare him dead until I have positive proof.”

He looked at Marie who nodded her head in agreement.

“Very well then,” Francis said, turning to Laurent.  “Set up a small party.  Every house must be thoroughly searched from top to bottom.  I don’t care how far from the province it is, Laurent. However, do not force your way in. Ask questions if you must, but I want answers.  I want to know where that boy is and I want to make sure that he is alive and well.  Do you understand me?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Laurent said.  “Everything is quite clear.  I will set up my party and begin my search at once.”

He bowed, turned on his heel and walked out of the room.

Chapter 4

“Well,” Danielle answered, “the servants have spread the rumor that you look like Prince Henry.” 

The boy looked at her.  “A Prince?”  He smiled.  And what do you think? Do you agree with them?”

“I am not sure, milord, but we shall soon find out.  Someone will come looking for you sooner or later.  But right now you will lie here and rest.  And when you are feeling a little better and your memory has returned, we will send you on your merry way back to where ever it is you have come from.”

“Danielle?” another voice called from the hallway.  “Danielle, who are you talking to?”

The door opened to reveal an older woman who Danielle bore a strong resemblance to.

“So our little Prince is finally awake?”

“Is this true, then?” the boy asked, trying to sit up.  The pain came again and he was forced to lie back on the bed. 

“You must rest, Your…” Nicole began, but Danielle shook her head.   She turned back toward the boy.  “I must leave you, milord, but we shall return soon.  Meanwhile, you must rest.  I will soon return.”

Danielle ushered her mother out of the room.

“He does not remember who he is, Mama.”

Nicole looked at her and frowned.  “What do you mean, he does not remember?”

“Just what I am saying. “

“Danielle de Barbarac,” her mother said angrily, “you must tell him who he is.  You must tell him who he is and send him packing as quickly as you can.  The entire kingdom will be here very soon searching for him and who knows what will happen.”

“Then we shall wait, Mama,” Danielle said.  “You said so yourself.  He is not well enough to be moved.  We cannot send him home just yet.  That boy has had a nasty fall and should be well rested.  If the entire kingdom comes then so be it.”

Nicole smiled and shook her head.  “Well, you are right.  How do we know it is actually the Prince?  We must take our days one at time.  What will be will be.”  She put her arm around her daughter’s shoulder and walked down the hallway.

Meanwhile, a shadowy figure stood outside her bedroom door.  He had heard everything that the two of them said.  He watched as they walked down the hallway, then turned and disappeared back into the bedroom.  They were right, he still needed some rest.

Chapter 5

A few houses away lived the Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent and her two daughters, Marguerite and Jacqueline. Newly widowed, she moved into her husband’s summer home five years ago.  It was a small chateau compared to the others, but nothing as small as the de Barbarac manor.  That was an insult to the rest of the noble houses surrounding it.  How did it survive all these years, she wondered.  How was it that that poor excuse for a manor was accepted?  Why weren’t the mother daughter and her cousin ridden out as blight on the land? Instead they were accepted and treated as royalty by everyone in the province just as Rodmilla and her daughters were despised.

Well, one thing was for certain.  She knew that Prince Henry had his eye on Marguerite from the second they moved in to the province. He had come to the chateau a few times to visit and Marguerite always reported that things had gone extremely well and that he was getting closer to asking him to marry her.  This was a wonderful development.  Everything she ever dreamed about was going to come true.

But her other daughter, Jacqueline.  Rodmilla could never accept that girl as her youngest. She was fat and ugly and extremely lazy.  She was slow and stupid and hardly opened her mouth except when she was either spoken to or to stick some sort of food into it.   

Rodmilla knew that Marguerite was meant for bigger things and she was preparing her for that.  She spent most of her days thinking up ways to get Marguerite and Prince Henry together and it was working.  Well, it was working for a little while.  Sometimes, it seemed to her, that Henry was preoccupied and had his mind elsewhere.  Yes, he still came to the house every so often for his nightly walks, but his eyes and thoughts were elsewhere. No one knew what had gotten in to the Prince in the last few weeks and no one noticed this except for Rodmilla who promptly ignored it, hoping that things would turn around.

You could say Rodmilla was in a state of denial.   

She was on her way back to the house when she heard someone call her.  It was a male voice.  She turned to find herself staring into his eyes

“Ah,” she said, smiling.  “Right on time as usual, monsieur.”

The gentlemen bowed.  “What of our plan, my love?” he said.

Rodmilla smiled. She took her hand in his.  She hated Pierre le Pieu. Well, that was at the beginning until they started working together.  She found out that they were closer than what she had ever expected.    “Most of it is taken care of. “

le Pieu smiled.  “Now if we could only locate Prince Henry.”

Rodmilla stared back at him.  “What do you mean, locate?  Is the Prince missing?”

He seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth, madam.  They’ve already organized a search party, Rodmilla. They are searching house to house.   We still have time.” 

“Not much, my love,” Rodmilla whispered, kissing le Pieu on the lips, then pulled back. 

Pierre smiled. This was the first time she responded to him and he didn’t know what to make of it.  He decided to let nature run its course.

Chapter 6

The boy climbed back into Danielle’s bed.  He couldn’t stay here, not if he was who they say he is.  He could endanger all of them, but he had to make sure.

He tried to sit up again, but the pain in his head was so bad that he had to lie down again.  These pains have to stop, he couldn’t go on this way.  He had to…

But he fell asleep in the middle of that thought. 

Outside on the road, a traveler limped his way to the first house he saw.  He had no horse, it had been taken from him. He was beaten badly and left for dead. How he had gotten this far was a miracle.  He tried to stand up but it was no use, in fact he had used all of his strength to reach this house.  He gave one tug on the bell pull before slumping to the ground in a heap.

Nicole was gathering honey from the apiary when Danielle joined her. 

“I believe our prince has fallen asleep,” Danielle said.  She looked at her mother. “You sure he is our Prince?”

Nicole nodded.  “Yes, Danielle, I am sure.”  She took out a part of the honeycomb and handed it to her daughter so that Nicole would be free to cover the apiary. 

Danielle frowned.  “But how can you be?”

Nicole looked up at her daughter and smiled.  She reached into her dress and pulled out a small broach with the royal crest engraved into it.

“Gustave had discovered this not too far from where we found the boy,” she answered, handing it to her, “along with a purple cloak and that is back at the house. They must have fallen off him when he was thrown.”

Danielle turned the broach over in her hand.  Delicate, she thought.  This and the cloak were the only outer garments he had prove that he is indeed our little…

But they were interrupted by woman’s frightened screams.  Danielle dropped the honeycomb and the broach and ran toward the manor.  Nicole followed a few steps behind her daughter.

Chapter 7

The search party began in the farthest end of the province.  The idea was to work their way backward, so that the Manor de Barbarac was the last stopping point before they reached the castle.

Laurent sighed.  This could take a month searching every chateau and manor in the province.  Oh, and the churches also.  No house was to be left untried.

He had stopped trying to give advice to His Majesty.  Queen Marie often listened to him and tried to get Francis to agree, but without any results whatsoever.  The King was a very stubborn man. 

By nightfall of the first day, they had already searched more than ten chateaux before they stopped at a nearby inn to sleep.  They would start again in the morning. 

Laurent was actually hoping that someone would find him and bring him some news of the Prince.  At this point, he hoped that Henry had not been kidnapped or lying dead somewhere.  If something had happened and someone had found him, he would be eternally grateful, even willing to give out a reward. 

Laurent smiled as he climbed into bed.  Tomorrow would be another day, he decided.  He might be lucky tomorrow or the next day or the next.  He would have to wait and see.

  

“Now there is two of them,” Gustave said, looking at Danielle, “the man upstairs, the boy downstairs.”   

“We are not sure who the man upstairs is, Gustave,” Danielle said, “but he looks to be my mother’s age.  She is tending him now.”

They were sitting in the study, playing checkers when a voice came from the doorway.

“May I interrupt?”

“Of course, Henry,” Gustave blurted it out without thinking.  Danielle gave him a stern look. 

“Henry?” he asked, “is that my name?”

Rodmilla looked out the window.  The sun was beginning to rise. It was going to be another beautiful day. She smiled.  She turned and found that le Pieu was still there fast asleep.  She studied him for a minute, then turned back toward the window.  The original plan to get Marguerite and Prince Henry together was temporarily cancelled until the Prince was found. 

Their main objective now was to find the Prince, marry off Marguerite and share the reward, if there was one.  Since Le Pieu was an armorer and was privy at times to the whereabouts of the Royal Guards, he would keep her informed about everything he had heard. 

Or so he had said anyway.

Chapter 8   

    

“Take it easy,” Nicole said, trying to grab the stranger’s flailing arms.  “You are safe here with me, nothing can hurt you anymore.”

The stranger was rolling around the bed, muttering and screaming meaningless words and phrases. He was burning up with a fever and she couldn’t get a hold of him long enough to sponge him down.   Besides, she was running out of fresh water.   When he almost knocked her to the floor, Nicole put the wooden bowl and the wet rag down on the floor.

For a small moment, the stranger seemed to stop his thrashing.  Nicole was finally able to grab his left arm then his right.  That’s when he came to life again, moving from side to side, except this time he held on tight to Nicole.  She managed to loosen one of her hands from his grip, but it wasn’t fast enough.  This time when he rolled to the left, he threw her to the floor, face down.  Her foot struck the wooden bowl spilling all the fresh water. 

Nicole managed to pick herself up, even if she was dizzy. She looked down at the mess on the floor and realized that she would have to get more water.  She looked up at the stranger who, for the moment, lay still. She was actually afraid to leave him alone.      

“What was that?” Gustave asked, looking up at Danielle.   They hadn’t moved at all since they began hearing noises coming from above them.

“I’m not sure,” Danielle said, looking at him, “but I think we should have a look to see how everything is progressing.”

They ran up the stairs as fast as their legs could carry them.  All except the boy who was still moving very slowly, trying to catch up. 

 “Mama,” Danielle called out, “are you alright?” 

“Yes, my daughter, I am,” Nicole said, “but I could use just a little help.”

“Yes, I realized that,” Danielle said, entering the room, “that’s why we ran up here.”  She was about to grab the big wooden bowl when a face peered into the room.   

“Might I be of some assistance?”

Everyone turned toward the entrance to see who was standing there.

Chapter 9

The boy didn’t wait for an answer.  He looked over towards the bed.  The man was couldn’t stay still.  He walked over to the bed and leaned forward, just low enough to reach the stranger’s head.  He whispered something in his ear and stood up. Then he waited.   Within seconds, the man’s thrashing subsided.

Everyone was in shock, not one word was said and no one moved an inch.

It didn’t last too long.

“We have to get more water from the pump,” Danielle said, looking at the spilt water on the floor. 

“Then you must refill the pitcher then,” the boy said, handing it to her.  He looked down at the floor.  “We need something to mop this water up.”

“I will get some rags,” Gustave said. 

The boy walked over to Nicole and helped her up.  As he did so, he felt the pain in his head creep back. 

“You shouldn’t be out of..” Nicole started to say, but he shook his head.

“No,” he told her. “I will not spend the rest of my life in bed.  I am able to manage a little better.”

“You have been here for only two days.” Nicole said, shaking her head. “That is not long enough. You need to rest, not behave in this manner. You should not be up and moving about.”

“I actually feel much better,“ he answered, trying to block out the pain.  “It is you that needs the rest…”

Those were all the words he spoke before he tumbled to the floor.

Chapter 10

It was the afternoon of the third day.  Laurent had found nothing, much less the Prince.  He sighed as he rode up to meet the courier who had been awaiting his arrival. 

“I bring a message from the King,” was all he said.

“How did you ever find me?”

The courier laughed.  “It wasn’t easy, Captain, believe me.” 

“The King has been tracking me, I assume?”

“In a manner of speaking,” the courier said.  He held out the note.  “This is for you and you alone.”

Laurent stared at the courier and reached out to take the note.  He turned it over in his hands before he opened it up to read it.

“What could the King have to say to me?” he wondered aloud. 

“Captain,” the note began.

“I would like to inform you of a note that was just now handed to me by this very courier.  Please with all due speed head to the de Ghent chateau and look for le Pieu and the Baroness de Ghent.  I believe they know where the boy is.  Keep me informed.”

      

Laurent stared at it, frowning. He shook his head.  This was not from the King at all. First of all, the King would never refer to him as Captain.  He always uses some crazy secret code to reach him.

Why would His Majesty request a meeting with le Pieu and his ridiculous mistress the Baroness de Ghent.

Maybe I should follow the lead anyway, he thought.

“Well, what else is there to do?  I will make for the chateau with all due haste.”

“Captain, they are several others here as well.”

“Others?” Laurent asked stupidly.

“Everyone has seen the Prince, or at least thought that they have.”

“Everyone,” Laurent said, “that wants the reward.”
The courier laughed.  “You might be right, de Richaud, you might be right. The Prince has to be in only one place and I can tell you right now, he is not at the de Ghent’s.”

Laurent’s eyes widened.  “Do you know where he is?”

The courier shook his head.  “I will have to check further, Laurent.  I am under the King’s command as you are.  I just need an extension.  I have been called to Avignon to fetch my niece.  Her parents died a few months ago and left her the manor.  Seems she doesn’t want to live there alone anymore.  She wants to stay with us for a few months.”

Laurent smiled.  “Well, de Barbarac, by all means.  How much time do you think you might need?”

“A fortnight should do it, if it takes longer, I will send a courier round as soon as possible.“

Laurent nodded.  He held up the letters.  “I will make my stops to these places.  By that time, I should be in the vicinity of the de Ghent house.  I will send a rider to the manor should any trouble arise.  If you do not hear from me within that time, expect me to arrive at your manor to explain things and pay my respects to your family.  Until then, Auguste, please take care of yourself and watch your back. Highwaymen are all over these roads.  I don’t want their Royal Majesties to lose the best and most faithful courier that they have.”

“Thank you, Laurent,” de Barbarac said smiling.  “And now I must go, I will send word to the King.  Have you anything to say?”

“Yes,” Laurent said, smiling.  “Just tell him that we are no longer in the market for a blacksmith and his mistress.”

Chapter 11

“Mother, Mother, where are you?  I think I heard something about the Prince’s whereabouts?  MOTHER, where are…”

She ran through the chateau, she even ran into her mother’s bedroom. She found nothing.  She heard laughter and she walked outside into the garden where she saw Rodmilla and le Pieu standing together.  le Pieu had one arm around her while he was talking in her ear.  Rodmilla started to laugh so loud and so long that even Marguerite was ashamed that she was her daughter.

“MOTHER,” she screamed. 

le Pieu looked up, but did not remove his arm from around her shoulder.  Rodmilla turned to face her daughter. 

“Marguerite, this better be important.  We are in the middle of a very serious discussion. “

Marguerite looked from her mother to le Pieu, then she smiled.

“I know where Prince Henry is,” she said, confidently.

le Pieu looked up. He suddenly became interested.  He removed his arm from Rodmilla’s shoulder and gave Marguerite his full attention.  He grin went from ear to ear as he questioned her with one single word.

“Where?”

Rodmilla looked angrily at her daughter, but it didn’t matter too much.  Marguerite and Pierre only had eyes for one another. 

 

The boy sat up and looked around.  He smiled.  He was in bed again and in Danielle’s room.  He looked to his right and saw Danielle lying asleep in one of the chairs.  She had pushed it next to the bed.

Not to disturb her, the boy slid off the bed from the left side and stood up.  He walked over to the window and looked out.  The landscape of the French countryside was beautiful, especially with the castle in the distance.  As long as he could remember, he had always loved this part of the …

He stopped. How could he remember anything?  He couldn’t even remember his own name.  They referred to him as Henry, but it had no meaning for him whatsoever. 

He turned and looked at Danielle, then turned back to the window.  He couldn’t leave now. No matter who or what he was, he knew that he didn’t belong here.  Yet, these people had been kind to him.  They had saved his life and he was going to make it up to them any way he could. 

He looked at Danielle.  He would wake her up soon.  He shook his head and walked over to her.  He touched her hair and traced her face. She was beautiful and independent and free, and he had never met any woman like that before.  She was smart and funny and intelligent and they had so much in common.  She was different than any one else he ever met and he was falling in love with her very, very quickly. 

She had promised to take him on a tour of the countryside.  Maybe in two or three weeks his memory would return, but even if it didn’t, he wasn’t going anywhere without her.

He had already resolved to marry her, no matter who he really was.

Chapter 12

“Where am I?”

Nicole had been standing by the window in the guestroom when the stranger finally awoke.  She turned to him with a smile.

“Hello, Andre, how nice it is to see you alive and well.  We were a little worried about you for a while.”

The stranger stared at Nicole trying to place her.  When he finally did, he smiled.  “Out of all the places in France, this is where I drop in.  How convenient!” 

He sat up. “How are you, Nicole de Lancret?”

She smiled.  “It’s Nicole de Barbarac now.”  She walked over to the bed and sat down beside him.  She put her hand against his forehead.  “You still have a fever, Monsieur de Pres. You must be patient.  Please, lie back and rest.”

“So you are married,” Andre laughed.  He leaned back, still looking into her eyes.  “A beautiful flower should be grabbed up and taken home to be nurtured.  Have you any children?”

Nicole nodded.  “I have one daughter and her name is Danielle.  She is the light of my life.”  She looked at him. 

“And you?”

Andre shook his head.  “I have never married, Nicole.  I never had the desire after you married Auguste.”

“Andre, Andre,” Nicole said, shaking her head.  She grabbed his hand.  “I never lied to you about my feelings for Auguste.”

Andre smiled.  “You are right, Nicole.  We all knew of your intentions.  I suppose we did not want to acknowledge it.”

Nicole looked at him, a little more concerned.  “Where have you been, Andre? What has become of you?   We didn’t know where you disappeared.  We all thought you were dead.”

Andre looked down, shook his head, then looked up.  His eyes met her.  He placed both his hands into hers.

“What about Pierre le Pieu? Was he concerned as well?”

Nicole nodded her head.  “He was the first to ask.  He seemed more concerned than the rest of us.  He wanted to know where you ended up, as did all of us.  Why did you ask?”

Andre looked into her eyes, then removed his hands from hers.  He put his head down.  “It is a long story, Nicole, one that I haven’t told in a long time and hesitate to relate to you even now.”

“Is it that upsetting to you, Andre?  If it is…”

He shook his head.  “No, Nicole, it might be a good idea to start talking about it.  If you have the time to listen.”

“If you are up to it, Andre.  You have been beaten very badly and you need your rest.”  She stood up.  “I really should go.  If you need anything, all you have to do is…”

“Do not leave me, Nicole, please, not at this time.  Let me tell you a little now and finish tomorrow.”

Nicole sat down again.  “All right, Andre, I will listen.”

Chapter 13

“Danielle,” the boy said, shaking her.  “Wake up, please.  I have something important to share with you.”

Danielle’s eyes fluttered open, not knowing where she was at first.  She was back in her room, but not in her bed.  She had fallen asleep on a chair. She looked up at him. 

“Henry?” she asked. 

“You keep calling me that, Danielle.  Are you sure that is my name?”

Danielle nodded.  “Yes, Henry, that is your name.  You are Crown Prince of all France.  I know that you do not know who you are and I have been very hesitant to explain who you really are.  You must return to the castle at once, Henry.  Everyone is out looking for you, including my father, Auguste de Barbarac.  Does that name mean anything to you?”

Henry shook his head.  “I have no idea of what you speak.  All I know I am not in any hurry to return to castle.” He gestured toward the one in the distance.  “Is that the place?”

Danielle nodded.  “Yes, that is it.  That is where you live in the warmer months.  You go to Paris in the colder ones.  You have never been outside the castle walls in your life and you hate it.  You want to be free of royalty and have a grand and glorious adventure.”

“How do you know all this?”

Danielle smiled.  “My father hears many things. He is not one for spreading gossip, although he hears plenty.  He is the courier for the King and Queen of France.”

Henry smiled back at her.  “I am sure that no one will come looking for right away. We still have a little time to get to know each other.”  He bent down and placed his hands in hers.  “I have been gaining bits of my memory back, but not really all that much.  I still would love a tour of the countryside and…”

Danielle looked at him in surprise.  She sat up.  “You heard that?  I thought that you were unconscious at the time.  Anyway, I have been thinking about that.  It might not be safe with everyone looking for right now.  Maybe eventually, but not now.  You must get well, Your Highness.  That is why…” 

She never finished.  Henry was still bending down as he brought his lips to hers.

Chapter 14

“WHERE IS IT THAT YOU SENT US, MARGUERITE?  WHAT IN HELL WERE YOU THINKING?

Rodmilla was yelling at her favorite daughter while Pierre le Pieu stood there watching the two of them.  They had been to five houses that day and the Prince was in none of them. 

“Where did you say you overheard this information, Marguerite?” le Pieu said, interrupting yet again.  “You must tell us so that the next time we will not listen to you.”

Marguerite looked from one to the other.  Tears were streaming down her face.  She was not used to this kind of behavior.  This was what Jacqueline had to face every day, not her.

“I told you twelve times now, Mother, I overheard it at the marketplace.”

“By whom?” Rodmilla asked, yet again.

“No one important,” Marguerite said, “I just heard names, that’s all.”

“Anyone that we know?”

Marguerite looked at the both of them.  “I don’t understand, Mother.  Isabelle and Celeste, old friends of yours, were at the marketplace, not too far from the de Barbarac’s stand.  They had seen the Prince’s horse that day and assumed that he might be in any of the houses that the horse stood in front of.”

“Assumption?  You have gone on assumptions?” 

“Wait, wait,” le Pieu stopped the conversation for the twentieth time, “you said the de Barbarac’s, didn’t you?  Wasn’t the horse first seen in their apple orchard?”

Rodmilla gave him a sharp look, then shook her head no.  “Don’t be ridiculous, Pierre.  Why would he be there?  There are so many chateaux more gracious than that tiny cottage they call a manor.”  She shook her head.  No, I don’t think that’s where he is, Pierre, my love.”

Pierre le Pieu looked at her strangely. He shook his head.  “Silly woman! He wouldn’t pick and choose what chateau he fell into.  Think about what you have just said.  Use your brain, Rodmilla, before you use your mouth.”

With that, le Pieu turned and walked out of the house.

Chapter 15

Andre took a deep breath. He took Nicole’s hands again and held on tightly. 

“You know that le Pieu and I were rivals, don’t you?”

Nicole nodded.  “Yes, I remember now.  Francis appointed you as his new armorer.”

Andre smiled.  “This was something I dreamed of all my life.   I realize that le Pieu wanted the post as well and that he would say he worked hard all his life to achieve it.  But I do know for a fact that le Pieu is a liar.  He is a vain and selfish man that I would not and cannot trust.”

“All because he lost to you?  He did not seem to be..”

Andre closed his eyes and shook his head.  “He almost had me killed, Nicole.  I did not just disappear.”

Nicole looked at him, puzzled.  “What are you talking about, Andre?  How did you ever come to that conclusion?”

“That night after the party, if you remember, le Pieu congratulated me and got me so drunk that I did not know what I was doing.  I don’t even know why I let him.  Perhaps I thought that he had finally become a friend.”

“Well, you two did learn the trade together, didn’t you?”

“Yes we did, Nicole, but he was always jealous of my success.  I know that he wanted you, he told me so.”

Nicole smiled.  “Well, this is nothing new.  You know that a lot of men over the years have been attracted to me. 

“Yes, Nicole,” Andre said, “I know, but none of them would ever admit it to you.  Pierre would tell me of his thoughts, hopes and dreams often.  I do not know why he told them to me and then to send me off into the night and rob me and beat me, leaving me out in the woods to die.”

“You know that it was him?”

“Yes I do, Nicole.  He didn’t bother to hide it; he would have no reason to.  He would never suspect that I would find out about his little scheme.”

Nicole leaned forward.  “You have to finish this story, Andre.”

Chapter 16

Danielle shoved Henry away.

“Please,” she begged, “we shouldn’t be doing this…”

Henry walked closer, a little tentatively.  “And pray tell why not?”

“Because,” Danielle answered, “you are a Prince and I am a nothing but a commoner.”

Henry moved a little closer.  A smile played on his lips.  “A commoner who saved the Prince, don’t forget.  I don’t think the King and Queen of France could forget that at all. Who knows?  You could get some kind of reward or gold for finding me.  Doesn’t that interest you?”  He waited for an answer.  When he didn’t get one, he continued.” Besides how do you know I really am the Prince.  I could just be commoner like yourself, who looks just like him or…”

Danielle frowned. She was almost going to slap him, but something held her back.  She turned and walked away instead.   “I am not interested in rewards, Your Highness.  If I was, I could have gotten some kind of message to the castle to let you know that you were here.”

She started to walk toward the door when she heard him calling her name. 

“Danielle, please,” he begged, reaching out for her arm to stop her.  “Please do not leave.  I am sorry I hurt you.  I really did not mean to.”

Danielle looked into his eyes.  He was telling the truth, she decided and let herself be pulled back into his arms.

“I am sorry, also, Henry.  I feel as if I provoked you.”

Henry looked at her and smiled.  He took one arm from around her and touched her cheek then played with her hair.

“It was I who provoked you,” he whispered, now looking into her big brown eyes.  “I don’t care if I am really a Prince and you are a commoner.  I want you to know that, Danielle.  I am sure that if I told my parents about you, there would be no question on accepting you for I will tell them that.   No one could stop me from marrying the woman I love.”

Danielle stood there, staring at him in disbelief.  “Love me?  You hardly know me, Henry.”

“I have seen and heard enough, Danielle.  And if your father is who you say he is, then there should be no problem.”

Danielle didn’t know what to do.  She wanted to walk out, but something held her there.  She couldn’t move.  She was under some kind of spell. 

“Henry, I am frightened.” She shook her head.  “There can never be a marriage between the two of us. We are from different backgrounds and classes.”

Henry shook his head.  “You worry too much, Danielle.  Please trust me.  Please, let me try.”

He bent forward again to kiss her.  This time, however, she didn’t push him away.

     

Chapter 17

Andre let go of Nicole’s hand.  He stood up from the bed and walked over to the window. 

“This is not easy for me, Nicole.  It was not easy finding out later who left me out in the woods that night and who kicked and beat me within an inch of my life and left me out there to die.”

Nicole stood up and stood behind him.  “What actually happened, Andre, do you remember?  And what happened to you three days ago?”

Andre turned and looked at her.  He put his hands on her shoulders.  “He was waiting for me, Nicole.  It was le Pieu and his men.  Somehow they knew I was coming back. “

“But why?”  Nicole asked.  “Why would Pierre attack you after all this time?  He’s had the post as the King’s armorer for years now.”

Andre looked at her and shook his head.

“I was never sure what drives le Pieu, Nicole.  His thoughts and his feelings are a mystery to me.”

He looked at her.  “As to what actually happened, I don’t remember too much.  I know that the effects of the wine started to wear off in the carriage.  The funny thing was I hadn’t the slightest idea how I got into the carriage. There wasn’t a soul inside except le Pieu and myself.   As I said, when the effects of the wine wore off, he pushed me out into the woods and left me there.  I wandered around for what seemed like hours until I collapsed. When I woke, I thought I was in heaven. Everything was white and gold.  It was a spacious room and fully appointed with the finest furnishings.  I had no idea where I was until a servant arrived and announced my visitor.  It was your brother and his wife, Nicole.  Somehow I stumbled onto their property.”

Nicole shook her head.  “They never told me about any of this.” 

“I asked them not to, Nicole, but to make a long story short, they kept me in that house until I was able be on my own.  Your niece, Juliette, was just a girl of ten.  She followed me everywhere and talked to me all the time. She was very fond of you and Auguste, Nicole. “

Nicole was listening intently. She was intrigued.  “Tell me what happened next, Andre.  I want to hear it all.”

Chapter 18

Danielle couldn’t sleep.  She had tried a dozen times to relax, but she couldn’t do it.  She tried all these different positions, but they hadn’t worked.  She just lay there in the dark with her eyes wide open. 

She knew the reason.  It was that boy, that Henry, that little arrogant Prince.  She should have slapped him, right across the cheek.  It was what he deserved. 

Danielle sat up.  Who did he think he was anyway, talking to her that way, treating her as if she were nothing but a whore, a loose woman, a commoner, a..

She stopped at that thought and smiled.  Well, that’s the only thing she was, a commoner, even if her father was from a fine middle class family. She actually remembered how her father became courier. 

The Royal Post had been opened to the public in 1489 and had been created in 1464 by Louis XI.  So, even though the King and her father had become good friends, this did not mean that royalty would accept her. Danielle had not even come close to being a member of a noble family.

She couldn’t sit in bed anymore.  She had to get up and move.  She slid off the bed and walked over to the guestroom window and looked out into the darkness.

She had been smitten with the Prince ever since her father had brought her and her mother to court at the Royal Family’s invitation.  Little Henry had been standing next to his mother, making faces at Danielle when his parents’ backs had been turned.  Later on, they played hide and seek in the castle courtyard.  They had never seen each one another after that, even though the Queen had invited the two of them for tea. 

No one had prevented the two from playing with one another.  Well, Danielle smiled, what difference would that have made back then.  Danielle had seen six of her summers come and go while Henry had seen eight. 

But what happened if she was accepted?  Perhaps Henry was right.  After all, she did save the Prince’s life.  They had brought him here after he was thrown from his horse and was found on the edge of their property. 

She shuddered to think about it.  Henry hadn’t even remembered who she was….

But what if he was lying? What if he did remember everything?  How was she to know?  How could she trust him?

She looked down at the royal crest that she was holding in her hand.  She had gotten it from the field she had dropped it in two days ago.  Was this the Prince or wasn’t it?

She would have to wait to find out.  She would take the risk.

Chapter 19

Henry wanted to sleep, but that was impossible.  He couldn’t stop thinking about Danielle.  She had rebuffed him, not once but twice.  Oh sure, she kissed him, but then she had run from him and hadn’t returned. He paced the floor, wondering what to do next.

She had been right.  He had fallen in love so quickly, he wondered if that was the right thing to do.  Was he pushing her too hard too quickly? He didn’t want to rush this relationship. 

But she was a commoner. There was no getting away from that.

He had absolutely nothing to compare this to.  He couldn’t remember anything no matter how hard he tried.  The only thing that brought back any kind of memory at all was a company of Royal Guards he spied passing the manor. 

Danielle had been right then, if that was the case,  everyone was looking for him.

They couldn’t be looking for anyone else or could they? 

He didn’t want to think about what would happen if his parents didn’t accept her.  He knew that they would somehow, especially if her father was who she said he was.

Wait a minute. What was his name?  Wasn’t it Auguste?  Auguste de Barbarac, that’s it. The name was starting to sound familiar.  He was the best courier they had, highly praised for his loyalty and integrity.  His father always said that he was the only one of them who knew what he was doing.

There was something about Auguste being given some sort of accommodation, but he couldn’t be sure. He could only remember so much.

He wanted to find Danielle and apologize to her.  Tell her he loved her and that he wanted to make things right.  They would take it one step at a time.  He wanted to

tell her that he was just as frightened as she was.

He was about to turn around when he heard a voice calling his name from the door.

Chapter 20

Nicole was in the library trying to concentrate on the book she held open on her lap.  Reading usually put her to sleep.  This time it was different.  She couldn’t keep her mind on the book.

She opened it at first to keep from thinking about Andre, but it hadn’t helped.  It was too extraordinary a story.  She kept seeing it over and over in her mind.  She couldn’t believe that le Pieu would be so cruel and calculating.  On second thought, maybe he could.   Andre did not want her saying anything to anyone just yet, so she would keep her mouth shut, even if she wanted to run screaming to the castle. 

But it wasn’t so much what le Pieu put him through as his remarkable recovery.  He had stayed with her brother Edmond and his wife, Martine and their daughter, Juliette, an only child. 

They had money, but never enough.  Nicole had been from the same stock, middle class, but her brother Edmond de Lancret had been a silversmith and opened up shop.  When Andre was well enough, he began working for Monsieur de Lancret. But Andre did something that no one else could.  He made the shop a success.  Andre soon became a partner and eventually the owner.   He moved out of the house against everyone’s wishes and found a small flat for himself.

Martine had passed in the winter of 1509 of a fever, which had never dissipated. When Edmond passed, in the early spring of 1510,  the shop and house was left to Andre and his daughter, but Andre gave it to its rightful owner, Juliette.  He kept the shop for himself and sent half of the money to Juliette, who by this time had turned eighteen. 

Andre had intended to return to the house, but he had never made it as he was called back to the province to claim his uncle’s inheritance.   On the way, he was ambushed and his horse shot.  He was beaten and left for dead in the woods, the only thing that woke him was the rain.  He stumbled blindly though the darkness, until he found a house, the first house he saw.  He grabbed for the bell pull and hoped that he could hold on until someone answered the door.  It was the last thing he remembered until he woke up at the de Barbarac’s in the guestroom.            

He had told Nicole that it had been le Pieu. He had introduced himself before he had beaten Andre to a pulp, telling him that he didn’t have any inheritance.  le Pieu had taken it from him, claming that Andre was dead.  After all, Andre said, he had the right.  le Pieu was his first born son, Andre had only been living there after his father had died of a stroke.  His mother had died in childbirth. 

As soon as he moved in, however,  Andre had quickly become the favorite and Pierre, no matter what he did, could never measure up.  Andre was always better than Pierre at anything he accomplished and now, he had just gotten the appointment as the King’s armorer. Well, le Pieu was going to put a stop to that for good, at least that is what he thought.  When he found out that his father had died and left the chateau to Andre, he had made arrangements to have him killed and make it look like an accident, at least that is what Pierre had told him before his men had beaten him. 

Nicole shuddered when she thought about this and wondered where her own husband might be.  He was supposed to be bringing Juliette back here to live for a while.  Juliette did not want to live in the manor alone anymore.  She was lonely.

She closed the book then stared out into the dark when she heard a knock at the door. 

Chapter 21

“What’s happened?”  Nicole asked, looking at the Royal Guard. He had carried an unconscious Juliette into the library.  In back of him was Andre.  “Put her on the couch over there,” he ordered.   

“They were ambushed on the road, Mistress,” the Guardsman said.  “We looked all over for Master de Barbarac, but he was nowhere in sight.”

Nicole was trying to take this all in.  She and Auguste were supposed to arrive after a fortnight, not sooner.  It had only been four days.   

“This is so much sooner than what I had expected,” she said, looking up at the Guardsman.  “How did you know that they were out there?”

“It was me, Mistress de Barbarac,” a voice called from the door.  Captain  Laurent de Richaud stepped in.  He looked at her.

“I made arrangements with Auguste to arrive at the manor if I hadn’t heard anything from him.  I know he told me he needed two weeks, but a letter was sent explaining that he had arrived at Avignon earlier than expected and was bringing Mademoiselle de Lancret to the manor.  I answered the letter saying that I would meet him here to make sure everything went according to plan.  When I hadn’t seen him at our meeting place, I made my way up the road a little and found the Mademoiselle crying out for her Uncle Auguste.  I asked her what her name was and she told me before she fainted.”

“She has been beaten, Captain,” Andre said, looking at Laurent, then at Juliette.  “Not as badly as I was, but just enough to make her lose all consciousness.”

“Then you must be Monsieur de Pres,” Laurent said, turning his gaze toward him.  “Auguste had made mention of you to me a few days ago, when we talked.  He told me that you had come back to claim your uncle’s inheritance.”

Andre nodded, a little surprised. “Well, I had, but that no longer is the case. It has all been decided and…”

“Yes,” Laurent smiled, “by Pierre le Pieu.  He has been bragging about it for two days.  He told us that you had perished in the woods, robbed and beaten by highwaymen…”

Andre shook his head.  “This is not true, Captain.  I am not dead and it was not highwaymen who had beaten me.  It was…”

There was a clatter on the stairs as two people rushed down them.  Nicole, Andre and Laurent all looked up to see who was making all the noise.   Danielle came down first, followed by Henry.  As she rounded the wall, she caught sight of the Royal Guardsman.  She put her hand up in the stop position and Henry stood there wondering just what was going on.

“What brings the Royal Guard…” she stopped in mid sentence.  She had caught sight of Juliette on the couch.

She looked at Nicole.  “Is she…”

“No Mademoiselle,” Laurent said, “she was beaten, but not badly. She just needs a few days rest.”

With Danielle occupying Laurent’s time and he was no longer watching the stairs, Henry peaked out over the wall, then he pulled back. 

No, it couldn’t be, Henry thought, that’s Laurent, Captain of the Royal Guards and my best friend in the whole world.  What could they want here?”

Henry shook his head.  He was starting to remember.  He ran up the stairs before anyone could spot him.

But it was too late.

Chapter 22

“Mistress,” Laurent asked Nicole, looking toward the steps, “is there someone else here?”

Nicole smiled.  “Only someone that has had a nasty fall four days ago.  He had forgotten his memory and we are taking care of him until he regains it.  Would you like me to call him down again?”

“No,” Laurent said, still looking up the steps, “that won’t be necessary, not this minute anyway.”   He gaze returned to Nicole.  “I will return tomorrow with a physician for Mademoiselle de Lancret and for Monsieur de Pres as well.” 

“Have you a place to stay?” Nicole asked, “because we have an extra bed that you can…”

Laurent smiled and shook his head.  “No, Mistress de Barbarac.  The Baroness de Ghent has put me up for the evening.  There is someone that I spotted this afternoon that I would really like to get to know better.”

Nicole smiled.  “Well, Captain, we will see you on the morrow and good luck to you and your lady friend.”

Laurent de Richaud made a deep bow.  “On the morrow,” he said.  He looked up and smiled. “Thank you, Mistress, I think I will need it, knowing the Baroness.” 

He turned and left the manor, taking the Royal Guardsman with him.

      

Nicole looked first at Andre and then at Danielle. 

“We will speak later, my daughter, right now I need our little Prince down here to help with my niece.”

“I’m already here, Mistress,” Henry said, smiling.  “If you need any help, I am at your service.”

“We need you to help Andre carry my niece up the stairs and put her into bed.  Danielle and I will be up directly to tend to her.” 

She looked at the two of them. “Well, it is high time that you met one another, Henry, Crown Prince of France, this is Andre de Pres, Silversmith Extraordinaire.”

“Yes,” Henry said, smiling, reaching out his hand to shake it.  “I have heard of you and your know your work well, monsieur.  The Royal Family has obtained many unusual pieces from your shop. You and Monsieur de Lancret’s shop, I believe? 

Andre tried not to smile.  He does remember after all.  “Yes, well, we discuss this at length later. Right now, I would like to ask for your help.”

“And you shall have it, monsieur,” Henry said smiling.  He picked her up and held her in his arms.  “Please show me where.”

Chapter 23

“Well,” Nicole said, looking at her daughter after Henry and Andre had gone upstairs.  “We were lucky this time, Danielle. Now we have tomorrow to worry about.”

Danielle smiled.  “Mama, we have nothing to worry about.  Henry is starting to remember who he is.  Once I am sure about that, we can return him to the castle.  In fact, he promised to go back himself.”

Nicole shook her head.  “Circumstances have changed, Danielle.  We may need the Prince a little longer than I had anticipated.”

“It’s Papa, isn’t it?” Danielle whispered. 

Nicole nodded.  “I can’t imagine what’s become of him.  I don’t remember your papa as having any enemies whatsoever.”

“Neither can I,” Danielle whispered. “But I am sure the Royal Guards will be able to track him down.” She looked up the stairs.  “Come, Mama, we should tend to Juliette.”

“You are right, Danielle. We will not worry just yet.”  She smiled. “You will get the water and the rags and I will look in on her.”

_________

“Hello, Laurent,” someone whispered in the darkness, “it’s nice to see you again.”

Laurent was inside the stable getting the horses.  He asked Maurice not to get them, for some reason, he wanted to. 

“Henry? Is that you?”

“Yes, my old friend, it is.” Henry came out of the shadows of the stables. 

“So this is where you’ve been for a week,”

“I didn’t know who I was, Laurent.  I took a very nasty fall.  Danielle and her mother saved my life and they kept me at the manor until they were sure that I I was well enough to return home.  They didn’t want to send me back without my memory intact, Laurent.   I know that you are not going to believe me, but I wanted you to know that upon seeing you here tonight, almost everything came flooding back, including who you were.”

“Henry, you have to return with me to the…”

“No,” Henry said shaking his head.  “I will not return until Auguste de Barbarac is found, then and only then will I consider accompanying you.”

Laurent looked at Henry and smiled.  “And I suppose you are in love with his daughter?”

“Yes,” Henry said, nodding his head, “hopelessly.”

“Well then, you are in good company because all of the men in this province are as well.”

“I think she loves me, Laurent and I will have her.”

Laurent smiled.  “She’s a commoner, Henry, did you forget that?”

“No, Laurent, I have not.”

“Well, you are determined, I can say that for you.”  He smiled.  “There is one thing I must do, however, and that is to inform your father of your whereabouts.  Another thing, Henry, I will join you on your quest to find Danielle’s father.  I had already committed to finding you and now that that is taken care of, we will undertake this journey together.  And don’t worry about Danielle de Barbarac.  He is regarded highly by your parents.  I do not foresee a problem.”

Henry smiled.  “Thank you, Laurent, I shall look forward to your partnership.”

Laurent smiled.  “I will see you on the morrow, Henry.”

Chapter 24   

Laurent had sent the Guardsman back to castle for replenishment.  Rodmilla’s youngest daughter, Jacqueline, had come out to meet him. 

“So, you are the one I spied in the garden early this morning.”

“Yes, Captain,” Jacqueline answered, looking at him.  “I was picking flowers for the table centerpiece. “ She smiled shyly.  “I saw you also,” she admitted. She grabbed the reins of his horse.  “I’ll return in a few seconds.  I will just go and put the horse in the stables…”

“I will accompany you then, if that is alright with you?”

Jacqueline looked at him.  “Of course, Captain.”

“You don’t have to be formal with me, Mademoiselle de Ghent. You can call me Laurent.”

“And you may call me Jacqueline,” she said smiling back.  She had reached the stables and opened the doors.    “Can you manage to open his stall so I may lead him inside?”

“So tell me Jacqueline, are you the oldest or youngest?”

“I am younger than my sister Marguerite, by three years,” she said, leading Laurent’s horse in.  She turned him around, patted his nose and then closed the stall door.

“Really?” he asked her.  “And where are your servants?  All noble houses have at least two or three.  Some of the middle class as well.”

“You are looking at her, Laurent,” Jacqueline said.  “My mother’s favorite is Marguerite. Spoils her rotten and treats me as if I do not exist, except to cook, clean, sew.”  She stopped petting the horse nose, made sure that the horse was used to his new living quarters for a while.

Laurent watched her, marveling at the way she handled herself with the horses.  He was wondering what she might be like in other places as well.

“Speaking of them,” Laurent asked, changing the subject.  “Where might they be at this time of evening?”

Jacqueline walked toward the stable doors and opened them.  “They are searching each chateaux for Prince Henry.  There are on their fifth house right now.”  She stopped and turned to face him. 

“Have they?” Laurent smiled. 

Jacqueline nodded. “Seems they want the reward.  They have been using every trick in the book to get and keep the Crown for Marguerite.  They have even lied to Queen Marie for…” she stopped.  “I don’t even know why I am telling you all this.” 

Laurent looked at her. He smiled.  “Let us head toward the house.”

Chapter 25

Laurent sighed.  He was lying in bed in the guestroom of the de Ghent chateau.  He couldn’t stop thinking about her.  Jacqueline was wonderful as well as lovely.  She had a little shyness about her, something that he adored in women. She was the first woman he had ever met with that quality.

He knew that he was going to be with her the rest of his life.

He sat up and looked around.  He couldn’t sleep anyway.  He slid off the bed and walked over to the window.  The moon was bright tonight, almost full.  It lit up the entire sky.  He could see the lush gardens surrounding the house. 

He thought about what Jacqueline told him about Rodmilla and Marguerite.  The two of them only wanted power and money and they would do anything to get it, even try to get the Prince to marry Marguerite.    He was going to have to tell the King; however, he had promised Henry that he would help look for Danielle’s father.

He had a funny feeling he knew exactly where he was.

Well, tomorrow was another day.  It was Saturday.  Everyone would be at the market, which would allow the three of them to get off without a lot of people knowing about it.   Laurent smiled.     He could hardly wait.  He could use a good adventure and then afterward, marry Jacqueline. 

He sighed.  Laurent fell asleep by the window, sitting with his head leaning on his hand. 

  _____

Market day was here again.  Every Saturday, Marguerite thought, like clockwork. It was so boring.  Now it was even worse.  There was no Henry to take her Saturday walks with.

And she didn’t have anyone else to take walks, either.

So she had come to the market with her mother.  Unfortunately, Rodmilla was nowhere to be found.  Marguerite had looked all over and …

Wait.  There she was, over by the de Barbarac’s stall. All of their servants were there; Annette, Paulette and Louise were there, but not Danielle or Nicole.  Where were they, she wondered as she walked toward the stall. 

There was someone else with her mother, as she got closer; she could see Celeste and Isabelle. They were talking about something and it looked important.  She started to walk over to see exactly what they were talking about. 

Chapter 26

Andre watched over Juliette most of the night, at least when Nicole or Danielle weren’t there.  He was marveling over how beautiful she had become. The cute little girl of ten didn’t exist anymore. 

He smiled.  All he could remember was the little girl chasing after him, calling his name asking him to wait for her.

She always wanted him to play with her, to be near him and to take her on little trips. 

Andre had been her first real crush.  She had told him as much in a letter once when she was fourteen.  He had never forgotten that letter and had meant to go back a dozen times, but he had never been able. 

Or maybe he was frightened of the way she turned out.      

He reached out and touched her, starting from her lips up to her cheeks to the long lashes of her eyes to her long thick brown hair. 

That’s when her eyes fluttered open. Her green eyes locked onto his blue ones.

“Monsieur de Pres,” Juliette said, after she searched his face.

“You can call me Andre,” he whispered, still looking into her eyes, “you know that.”

Juliette smiled.  “I am a lot older than ten.”

“I can see that,” Andre said, watching her face. 

Juliette smiled and tried to sit up, but became dizzy quickly.  She lay back down. 

“Andre,” she whispered, reaching out her hand.

He took it.  “You just lie there and get well and when I get back..”

“Back?  Where are you going?”

“Andre,” the Prince called from the door, “it’s time.”

“Coming, Henry,”

“Henry?” Juliette asked.

“Yes, the Crown Prince of France.”

Juliette tried to sit up again, but she couldn’t raise herself. 

“Shhh,” Andre said, “I want you to rest and be well when I return.”

He kissed the back of her hand and stood up. 

Chapter 27
  

le Pieu looked at his Captain.  “What is he doing here, Victor?”  He pointed to the prisoner.  “He doesn’t belong here.  He has done nothing, he is a simple courier.”

Victor shook his head.  “We have reason to believe that the Prince is staying at his manor.”

“Staying?” le Pieu asked, “is this true?”

Auguste de Barbarac shook his head.  It was the only appendage that he could move. 

“This is simply not true, monsieur,” Auguste pleaded to le Pieu, “when I left my home or even written there, no mention was made of the Crown Prince of France living under my roof.”

“Well, he is there now,” Victor said, looking at Pierre.  “It is all over the marketplace and spoken from the mouth of one of the de Barbarac servants.”

“And did you get it straight from this servant?” le Pieu asked.

“No, monsieur, our information comes from a neighbor, Marguerite de Ghent.  She was the one who heard it directly from Paulette.  They were discussing the different houses where Henry might be hiding when Marguerite arrived.  That is where they have gone to seek him out.”

Auguste looked at Victor, then at le Pieu, “Once more,” he told Pierre, “I have no knowledge of anyone at my house, other than my wife, our daughter, my sister’s boy and the servants.  This is all I know.”
  

Pierre le Pieu looked at Victor then at Auguste. 

“Free him from his bonds and let him go, Victor.”

“But milord,” Victor protested. 

“You heard me, Captain,” le Pieu said.  “Release him.”

Chapter 28

“Well, Marie, look at this,” Francis said, holding up a letter that had just been delivered by courier. “We know where Henry is, now my own private courier has gone missing.”

“And just where is Henry?” Marie asked, “and who sent you that note?”

“It has come from Laurent, milady.  He informs that Henry is indeed at the de Barbarac manor.”

“Then the gossip at the marketplace this morning was correct.  And the courier you speak of? Do you mean Monsieur Auguste de Barbarac?” 

Francis nodded.  “The very same, milady.  It seem that he was returning to Hautefort from Avignon with his niece, Juliette de Lancret and he was taken by highwaymen.”

“Did he explain why?”

“No, my Queen, but I assume it was to question him on the whereabouts of the Prince. “  He looked at Marie.  “You know that I honor your opinion in times such as these. Please tell me what is on your mind.”

Marie nodded.  “As always, Francis, I will offer my advice again, but will you listen?” 

“Of course, milady,” the King said, a little embarrassed, “as always.”

Marie looked skeptical, but she nodded just the same.  “Of course, milord.  Here it is for what it is worth.”

“I do believe that we should go the manor at once, Francis, and see if our son really is at the de Barbarac manor, but we should be very quiet about it, no announcements, no bodyguards.”

“What about the Royal Guard, milady?” the King asked.

“We will send them out to look for the courier, milord. ”

Francis nodded.  “Then come along, my Queen, we should leave at once.”

Chapter 29

“You love her, don’t you?” Henry smiled.  He looked at Andre, whose face had turned beet red. 

“I am a little more than ten years her senior,” Andre said, looking back at the Prince. 

Henry shrugged.  “Age does not make a difference when you are in love, de Pres.”

“How would you know, Henry,” Laurent said, smiling, although no one saw it.  “I think I have a little more experience at it.” 

He turned to Henry who was smiling back at him. 

“What are you trying to tell me, de Richaud?” he asked.  “Are you in love?”

“I am not saying if I am or I am not,” Laurent said.

“Well, I can tell the two of you that I am in love and she is one year younger than me.“

“There are two women younger than you,” Andre answered, “and I don’t think that it’s Juliette that you love.”

Laurent laughed.  “No, Andre, I am afraid we all know who it is.”  He suddenly became serious.  “Look,” he pointed up ahead.  “There it is.”

“Yes, the ruined church at Amboise.  My favorite place to be alone.” Henry added.

“Well,” Laurent said, “you will not be alone here. Gustave is supposed to be meeting us with some news about your parents.”

“My parents?  What about them?”

“Not sure,” Laurent said, “All I received was a message telling me that Gustave would be waiting at the ruins.”

“I cannot believe all this mud,” Andre said, changing the subject.  “I didn’t think that it rained all that much last night.”

“You know,” Laurent said, “there is a rumor of quicksand around here somewhere.”

Henry laughed.  “Quicksand? I never heard that.”

“I believe I heard that, also, Henry,” Andre said.

“Anyone have any idea where it is?” Henry asked.

“You know that spring that runs underneath the ruins? “ Laurent asked, “The one that supplied the clergy’s drinking water?”

The two shook their heads.

“Well, it supposed to be around there somewhere.”

“I guess I just don’t believe it exists.”  Andre said, reining his horse in.  Laurent and Henry followed.

The three of them jumped down from their horses and walked over to the entrance

Chapter 30

“I have no idea what you are talking about, Baroness,” Nicole said, “there is no Prince Henry staying at my house.”

Rodmilla and Marguerite had just arrived at the manor.  Nicole had just opened the door.

“Well,” Marguerite said, stepping into the foyer, “we’ll just see about that.”

She brushed past Nicole and Danielle ignoring the both of them.  She walked down the hallway until she got to the sitting room when she spotted a familiar face.

“Jacqueline,” she said, a little surprised.  “What are you doing here?”

Jacqueline was sitting with Juliette, playing a game of checkers.  Nicole and Danielle walked into the room followed by Rodmilla.

“Well, well,” Rodmilla said, “if it isn’t the little servant girl disobeying me once more."

“Mother please,” Jacqueline answered, standing up,  “I can explain. You see….”

“She came to return my basket,” Danielle said, holding up the deep basket she always gathered apples in.  “She borrowed some this morning from our orchard.  I put them in this basket and she promised to return it to me tonight.”

Rodmilla looked from Danielle to Jacqueline then back to Danielle.  She didn’t know exactly what to do until Marguerite called to her, “Mother, in here, quickly.”

Rodmilla ran into the study.  Nicole followed. 

With Rodmilla out of the way, Danielle walked over to Jacqueline.

“Don’t you think you should follow them?” Juliette asked.

“My mother can handle whatever it is that Marguerite found,” Danielle said.  She turned to Jacqueline. 

“Thank you for warning me that they were coming,” she said.

“You are most welcome,” Jacqueline said, “but you know that the Queen is supposed to be…”

The bell rang.  “Nicole?” a voice called.  “Danielle?”  There was a pause.  “Is anyone there?”

Danielle ran to the door the same minute that Rodmilla and Nicole walked out of the study arguing with each other.  Marguerite was bringing up the rear and she was holding on to something, she couldn’t quite make it out.  She could see the color and it was purple.  Wait a minute that was…

“Henry’s cape,” the Queen said, watching it disappear down the hallway with Marguerite.  “So my son has been here.”  She stepped inside with no introduction and ran after Marguerite, Rodmilla and Nicole.

Danielle stood at the door watching all this happen.  Jacqueline walked over to join her. 

“You remember what I told you about your father, Danielle.”

Danielle turned toward her and smiled. “Of course I do, Jacqueline.” She embraced her and pulled back.  “Not everyone in your family is cut from the same cloth.  If there is anything I can ever do for you…”

Jacqueline smiled. “Thank you, Danielle, and maybe someday I will take you up on that.  Right now, we have other important things to take care of.”

Danielle nodded.  “Yes, you are right.  Come, let’s get Juliette and go find your mother and your sister before the hour grows late.”

Chapter 31

Gustave was indeed waiting at the ruins, but he was not alone.  King Francis was with him.

“There you are, my son,” he said, grabbing him in his arms and squeezing him.  

Henry thought every bone in his body would break.

Henry pushed away him and studied his face. 

“You are my father, are you not?”

 Francis looked into his son’s eyes.  He couldn’t stop staring at him.

“Henry, do you not know who I am?”

“It might take him a little longer than normal, Your Majesty.” Gustave said, “He just had a bad accident that’s all.  Danielle and I found him at the edge of our property.  He almost hit his head on a rock. It took away his memory for a while.”

“Is this true?”  Francis asked.

Henry nodded.  “Yes, Father, it is true.  The de Barbarac’s found me and took care of me.  My memory is coming back slowly, but it is returning.”

Francis looked at him and smiled.  “We will have to look into this more closely, but right now we have a job to do.”

He turned to Laurent.  “What time are they due to arrive here?”

“As the chapel bells strike two.”

Francis nodded his head.  “Excellent work, Laurent. We will finally have him within reach.  He will not do any more damage to my family or to yours, de Pres.” He turned to Andre with a smile.  “And you will get to have your chance at him before we take him into custody.”

“You remember me than?”

“Of course, Andre, I gave you the job first.  He told everyone you were dead.  I was actually surprised to learn of your death firsthand.  And now, he you are alive as Henry and I.”  Francis shook his head. “This is not the only offense this man has committed against the Crown, but we will discuss this later on.  Right now, we await le Pieu’s arrival.”

“You must not be in plain sight when he does, Your Majesty,” Gustave said.  “We must remain hidden until the time when we rescue Auguste.”

“Yes, Gustave,” the King answered.  “You are right.  I will wait and watch until the hour of reckoning.”

He turned to Henry. “What about you, my boy, will you not come with me or will you stay with these men and fight.”

“I will stay with these men and fight, Father.  It will make me stronger.”

Francis nodded.  “Very well, then. Excellent. Come along, Gustave and make haste.” 

Chapter 32

“If he isn’t here, then what is this?” Rodmilla demanded.  She had grabbed the royal cape from Marguerite and was waving it in the air. 

“This,” Marie said, grabbing it, “belongs to me and it is mine to do as I see fit.”

“Didn’t you just say that it belonged to Henry?” Marguerite asked.

Marie looked at her and shook her head.  “And so I did, so I did.  Well, even if it does belong to Henry it is still royal property, now isn’t it.  Now I hope you don’t mind if I exit this parlor without delay.  I must discuss something with Nicole de Barbarac privately.  Is this understood?”

Rodmilla curtsied.  “Of course, Your Majesty.”

The Queen smiled.  “Very well, then.  Come Nicole, we mustn’t delay anymore than we have to.”

Marie ushered Nicole out of the room so quickly, Rodmilla and Marguerite hadn’t time to realize that the door had been locked from the outside. 

“There,” Marie said, “that should hold them until the Royal Guards arrive.” 

“Royal Guards?”  Nicole said, “All of them, the whole regiment?  Why, Majesty, why?”

Marie smiled and shook her head.  “Some of them, Nicole, not all.  The rest go to bring the travelers back, Andre, Henry and Laurent.”

Nicole widened.  “You mean you have known where he was all along?”

The Queen smiled and placed an arm around Nicole’s shoulders.

“I will fill you in on every detail, come.”

The two of them began walking.

“You see, Nicole, we just found out Henry was here this morning.  We had no idea what became of him.  Laurent sent us a message by way of Gustave.  No one would suspect him.”

Laurent also informed us that Andre de Pres was here, alive and well.  This angered the King to no extent.  He is sick of Pierre le Pieu and his lying and cheating for personal gain.  He is so disgusted that he was thinking of letting le Pieu go, but there was no one else.  Now that Andre is back…”

“Andre de Pres was beaten pretty badly, Marie,” Nicole said.  “He went against my wishes and left to go with Henry and Laurent to find my husband.”

Marie laughed. 

Nicole looked at her puzzled.  “What is so funny?”

“Then you have not heard, Nicole,” Marie said, “Auguste is not missing at all.  We know where he is. Le Pieu had just released him and it is all going according to plan.”

“You mean that this entire thing is a….”

Marie stopped and nodded her head.  “Yes Nicole, it is a charade, a setup.  Auguste has agreed to get himself kidnapped so that we might get arrest him once and for all.”

Chapter 33

 

 “Mother, what are we waiting for? The mantle clock has struck two.  We have been here since it struck one. “

Rodmilla looked toward the door. “You are right, Marguerite.  How foolish it was for me to believe that the Queen would have anything to do with us.”  She sighed.  “Come, we should leave, I believe that we have overstayed our welcome here.”

She walked toward the doors and tried to open them, but they would not budge. 

“What’s wrong, Mother?” Marguerite asked.

“I don’t know,” Rodmilla answered.  “I am not sure, but I do believe that we are locked in."

_______

The castle chapel bells chimed two.   

The three of them were standing on the hill next to the ruined church.  It was said that the clergy were housed here.

“The spring went through here,” Laurent said, tracing the line with his finger.  “And,” he said, pointing to the puddle of water, “here is the spring.”

“Look at that view,” Henry said, ignoring Laurent.  “It takes your breath away. I’ve heard you can see a spectacular sunset from up here.”

“You really should know, Henry,” Andre looked at him.  “This is the place that you go to be alone.”

Henry looked sharply at him, then shrugged.  “You know very well, Andre, that I am still trying to remember certain things. I must have forgotten it, if I knew it at all.”

“He should be here any minute,” Laurent said.  “Come, we should return to the ruined church.”

 

As they approached the bottom of the hill, Henry noticed two extra horses tied to the tree where their three horses were. 

“I believe,” he said to the other two, “that they have finally arrived.”

Chapter 34

“Someone else is here,” Victor said, getting off the horse and looking around.

“Really?” le Pieu said sarcastically, “You wouldn’t be lying to me, now would you?”

Auguste, who had been riding with Pierre le Pieu, was the next to jump from the horse. 

“Well,” le Pieu said, looking at Auguste, “this is where you asked to go and now you have arrived.”  He gestured toward the three horse tied up to the tree.  “I see someone is waiting is for you?”

“I really don’t think anyone else knew that I would be here, le Pieu,” Auguste said.

“Then why did you ask to come here?” Pierre asked. 

“I can’t imagine why he would, le Pieu,” a voice called out.

Pierre whirled around to find Andre de Pres staring at him, smiling.  In the back of him stood Prince Henry and Captain Laurent of the Royal Guards.   All three had their swords drawn.

“Ah, yes.  If it isn’t Andre de Pres. I can’t seem to kill you. You just seem to be everywhere.”  He pointed toward the sword.  “ Are you really going to use that thing, because as you can see….” He looked by his side, then he looked at him.  He was smiling as he drew something from his hip.

“What a relief, de Pres, I just realized that I had mine all along.  How strange.  And here I thought that I was unarmed. Funny how things have a way of working themselves out.”

“Don’t they, though,” Andre answered, smiling at him.  “Well then, if you will use yours, I intend to use mine.  By the way, did you spend all of my inheritance from my mother’s brother or did you at least save me some?” 

 ________

“Listen to them,” Juliette said, looking at Danielle.  She turned to Jacqueline.  “That is your mother and sister in there.  Can’t you talk to them?”

Jacqueline looked at her. “I am their servant, Juliette.  They won’t look at me, much less listen to me.”

“Listen,” Danielle said, “Come close so those two cannot hear my plan.”

 ________

  

Rodmilla and Marguerite were screaming, ‘Let us out of here, let us go.”

“This is no use,” Rodmilla said.  “They do not or will not hear out cries and pleas…”

“Quiet, Mother.  The three of them are arguing over something.”

Rodmilla leaned closer to the door as Marguerite was doing, but for some reason she couldn’t hear anything.

“What are they arguing about?”

“I can’t make it out,” Marguerite said, pressing her ear closer to the door.  “I think it has to do with…no wait, I think that it sounds like…”

“What, what?” Rodmilla asked, pressing her daughter for answers.  When Marguerite moved away from the door, she looked at her mother and shook her head.  “They are talking so low, I can’t hear anything.”

“Foolish girl,” Rodmilla said, pushing her daughter away from the door.  She bent down to listen, her ear next to the door.

“Well?” Marguerite asked.

“Quiet, child,” she said.  “I am trying to…”

Suddenly, the door burst open, knocking Rodmilla to the ground.  Marguerite was well out of the way.

“Mother?” she asked bending over her. “Are you alright?”

“I am not sure,” Rodmilla answered, but her eyes were not on Marguerite. 

Chapter 35

“Your mother was never a part of the le Pieu line,” Pierre said, looking at Andre. “That’s why she married Jules de Pres, no one in my family would have her.”

Pierre le Pieu smiled at Andre’s flash of anger.  He drew his sword from the scabbard and jabbed him with the point.

Andre smiled back and knocked Pierre’s sword from his hand, forcing him to back up right into the mud.

“GO BACK AND BRING THE REST,” le Pieu yelled to Victor.

Victor looked at him.  “Milord…” he protested.

“GO,” Pierre yelled.  He was the first to slip.

Andre advanced and joined le Pieu on the ground.

Pierre crawled back even further.  The sword wasn’t that far away now.  He finally gained his footing, but slipped again.  He got up again and tried to reach the sword.

Except that the sword looked as if it was starting to sink.

Pierre watched, convinced it was his imagination.  “What the devil is going on?”

Andre got up again, but fell.

“I think you are losing your sword, Pierre,” Andre laughed, getting up.

“You see that?  This is not my imagination?”

Andre shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

The sword was starting to disappear.  Only the hilt was left now.

“NO,” Pierre cried and dove for the sword.

Henry and Laurent saw their chance.

“I think we found your quicksand,” Henry said, looking at Laurent.  Laurent stared at it, fascinated.  “You know, Henry, you might be right.”

“HELP,” Pierre le Pieu cried out, starting to sink.  His hand had been grabbing the sword as it sank with him. 

Henry and Laurent, not missing a beat, went to grab Auguste and walked him over to Gustave who was waiting with the King. 

Henry and Laurent untied him.

Auguste looked at Henry as he climbed on the back of Gustave’s house.

“Were you…” he began, but Henry finished the sentence.

“Yes, I was, but that’s another tale for later. Right now, we have to get you out of here.” 

“Go,” Laurent said to the Gustave and the King.  “We’ll be along shortly. I think the other half of the Royal Guard are about to arrive.”

Chapter 36

“It’s the Royal Guard,” Marguerite said, as they tied her hands behind her back.

“Idiot child,” Rodmilla spat.  “You really think so?”  Her hands were being tied as well.

Nicole, Marie, Danielle, and Jacqueline, who supported Juliette, were standing by the entrance to the parlor watching the goings-on.

“May I ask what we have done to deserve this outrage?” Rodmilla asked as she and her oldest daughter were led away. 

“Nothing short of treason,” the Queen said, “but we will deal with explanations later.  Right now, you will go with us to the castle and you will go quietly.  Do you understand?”

____

The Royal Guard, along with Henry and Laurent, were standing in a small circle around Pierre le Pieu, their swords drawn. 

Andre had managed to pull le Pieu out before he sunk any deeper.

Gustave, Auguste and the King were long gone. Victor and the rest of the gang had not yet arrived.

“Look at me,” Pierre almost cried, “look at my best clothes and my good sword is gone.”

“Let’s go Monsieur le Pieu,” Laurent said, tying his hand behind his back.  “You will come with us now.  Orders of the King.”

“Where are you taking me?”

“Not sure yet.  I believe to the manor, but we must follow Auguste, Gustave and the King.”

Fifteen minutes later, Victor arrived with the rest of bunch.  The place in the woods where so much excitement had gone on before was silent and empty; no one was there.

“We are alone,” Victor exclaimed to no one in particular.  The one extra man that Victor went back for was searching in the bushes after he had heard something.

“Um, Captain,” he exclaimed, “there’s something not…”but he never finished the sentence. 

“Did you really think you were alone?” a voice called out from the bushes.  That was when four of the Royal Guard emerged from the bushes where they had been in hiding.

“You are all under arrest and you will come with us.”

Two Royal Guardsmen easily tied up the extra man, while two more took on the captain. 

“I guess we are not alone after all,” Victor whispered, as they tied his hands behind his back.

 

Chapter 37

Rodmilla and Marguerite stood in the library, the King’s temporary audience chamber at the manor. 

“Please,” Rodmilla begged, “please explain why we stand here at this moment?”

“I did say treason,” Queen Marie said.  “You and your daughter conspiring to steal the crown and use this power and money all for yourselves.  We do have reason to believe that you weren’t even going to marry our son, that you were just going to take the everything and leave France with Pierre le Pieu.”

“Oh, and where could you have gotten all this information in such a short time.  And, what’s more, how do you even know that it’s true.”

“It comes from le Pieu’s own lips, Baroness,” the Queen answered.  “He’s confessed to a number of things including this scheme that you thought up together.”

Rodmilla stared at the Queen.  “You can’t be serious, why this wasn’t his idea at all, he was only trying to spy on the Prince so that I…”

“MOTHER,” Marguerite pouted and frowned.  “What are you saying?  You have just confessed to everything.”

Rodmilla turned toward Marguerite, the expression on her face was one of shock and confusion. 

“What are you referring to, you little ungrateful wretch.  What would I confess? I only mentioned that…”

“You know that it is true, Rodmilla,” le Pieu answered.  He stepped closer.  His hands were still tied behind his back.

“I do not know…”

“Yes you do.  Of course you do,” Marie answered.  “And while we decide what to do with the three of you, you are to be taken to back to the castle and placed under lock and key.”

 

Pierre le Pieu stepped closer.

“Your Majesty, if I may so inquire, pray tell, how could you have discovered this information in such a short time?”

“We have our ways, le Pieu, we have our ways,” King Francis said, smiling. He turned to Laurent.

“Take them to the castle, Captain and place all three in the dungeon until you hear otherwise.”

“Now,” Francis said, turning to Nicole and Danielle, “we have other matters to discuss.”

Chapter 38

“Look at the two of them,” Danielle whispered, watching Auguste and Nicole hugging, kissing and enjoying each other’s company. 

Henry nodded.  “I hope we are that much in love when we’ve been married as long as your parents have.”

Danielle turned to him.  “Is this a proposal, Your Highness?”

Henry smiled and nodded.  “Of course, Princess.  I have been planning to ask you this very question for some time now.”  He put his arms around her.  “Now all I require is your answer.”

“You know that this is impossible, Sire, as I am but a commoner, nothing more, nothing less. And besides,”

Henry shook his head, still smiling.  “My parents have already approved the match, Danielle.  Your father has done a brave thing.  He has saved all of France by discovering the plans of le Pieu and his cohorts, which involve elements of revolution and treason.  They not only planned to gain riches and power, and upon achieving that power, would even dare to move forward and overthrow France’s monarchy and take the Crown for his own.”

“And, there is another matter of utmost importance that must be dealt with.  You and your mother have saved the future King of France from any harm or further injury and protected him until he was well enough to participate again in worldly affairs.  He is most grateful for that.”  Henry smiled.

“And so are his parents,” the King said, who joined his wife. She had been talking with Auguste and Nicole.   They walked over to stand by Henry and Danielle.

“You and your family are to be honored in a special ceremony. But first,” Francis smiled.  “The wedding will not wait.” 

Chapter 39

 
“I now pronounce you man and wife.  What God has joined together, let no man put asunder.”

Father Thomas turned to Henry.  “You may kiss the bride.”

Those were the only words that Henry heard.  He was in a daze through most of the ceremony, the second in two days.  The first one took place at the monastery that same night. It was very small and very private.  The entire ceremony lasted fifteen minutes.

The Queen wanted to keep it a secret so they slept apart. That morning, Marie made all the arrangements for a big church wedding, which was to be held at St. Etienne’s. 

For the ceremony and at the Queen’s insistence, Danielle borrowed her beautiful white gown.  It didn’t even have to be taken in. 

Henry stood in the front of the church, next to Father Thomas, waiting impatiently for Danielle.  He stood for half an hour waiting for Danielle to walk down the aisle.  When she finally did appear, he felt his heart skip a few beats.  He had never seen anything so beautiful in his life. He couldn’t stop looking at her.

Which was why Henry had been in a daze during the entire ceremony.  He couldn’t keep his eyes from Danielle.

The reception was held that night in the ballroom of the castle.  Henry couldn’t take his eyes from his bride’s face

“Henry,” Danielle asked, “are you alright?  You are so quiet.”

“You are beautiful.” Henry said, smiling.  “I did not realize this until I saw you walking down the aisle.”

“I can say the same for you,” Danielle whispered. “You look so handsome tonight in your wedding clothes.”

“This is one of the happiest days of my life,” Henry whispered in his new wife’s ear.  “I never thought I could ever feel this way about anyone.”

Danielle smiled.  She turned to face him.  “And we hardly know one another.” 

Henry smiled and snuggled closer.  “We can remedy that situation.”  He kissed her lips lightly.  He pulled away from her and looked around. 

“Why don’t we leave early, Princess,” he said.  I have been waiting for this night.”  He moved toward her.

“Only if you say please, milord.”  She whispered in his ear. 

“I would be happy to oblige, milady.”

And with smiles on their faces, they ran up the castle stairs and disappeared into one of the closest guestroom. 

Epilogue

“Well,” Henry whispered in Danielle’s ear, “here we are, alone again.”  He pulled his wife close to him.  “Dear Lord, how long has it been, Princess?”

She smiled and shook her head. “We have been King and Queen of France now for at least eight years. Ever since your father passed.”

Henry smiled.  “But you will always be my lovely Princess, as I will always be your Prince Charming?”

Danielle laughed. “Now are you so sure about that or are you just being modest.”

She changed the subject to answer Henry’s question. “Our youngest daughter, Danielle Jacqueline, has married this very night.  She’s eighteen, Henry.”

They were standing outside on one of the castle turrets. It was still a beautiful midsummer’s night with a warm breeze drifting through the air. 

Henry nodded. “The twins, our firstborn, have seen five and twenty summers go by. Our two others are grown up and married as well.  All of them now have children of their own.”

“As do ours, Henry,” a voice called from inside.  Henry turned around and smiled. 

“So you accepted our invitation after all, Monsieur de Pres,” Henry said, throwing his arms around Andre’s neck.  He pulled back to look at him.  “You haven’t changed after all these many years.”

Andre frowned.  “Are you joking, my dear King? We haven’t seen one another since a half an hour ago.”

“But it is the first time we have been up here, husband,” Juliette said, as she reached the top of the stairs.  She turned and looked at Danielle.  “You were right my Queen, it is beautiful up here.”

“You can stop all the formalities, you two,” Danielle said, letting Juliette go after a particularly long embrace.  “We are just Henry and Danielle and never forget that.”

Andre shook his head  “You might be right, Danielle. I know that the two of you would rather forget that you are royalty, but I cannot. You and your mother cared for me when no one else could or would. And if you hadn’t taken me in, I would never have met this beautiful woman who stands by my side.  I would never have recognized her or know her as I know her now. Our son has taken over as the King’s armorer and our oldest daughter has given birth to a third baby boy.”

“Only two?” Henry smiled.  “We managed to have five.”

“Well,” another voice called from the stairs, “we all know that the two of you were like rabbits the first years you were married.  Popping them out one after another.”

“And look who is talking, Captain Laurent,” Henry laughed, “or should I say ex-Captain.”  He changed the subject.  “You and Jacqueline have two more than we do.”

“You know, Jacqueline,” Danielle asked, turning towards her.  “I have always meant to ask.  Have you heard from your mother and sister at all?”

Jacqueline smiled. “Received a letter the other day, Danielle.  My mother’s career as a servant at the British court and marriage to Pierre le Pieu has straightened her out.”

“So,” Henry said, “he has become the court armorer than.  Have you heard from Marguerite?”

“Sadly, Henry,” Jacqueline said, “I have not. After she ran from the servant’s quarters, she seems to have disappeared into the London crowds.  No one seems to know where she had gone. Pierre’s son is apprenticing to become the next one.  He is very good at it, also.”

Just then, the castle chapel bells began to ring out ten.

“Come,” Danielle said to her guests.  “The hour has grown late, but we have some refreshments set up in our apartments.  We invite you now to come and partake with us.  My mother, Nicole will be there along with Henry’s mother, Marie.”

“I understand that both women took the deaths of their husbands very well,” Juliette said.

“Yes,” Henry said, “they took it better than the two of us,”

They all laughed.

“Well,” Henry commented as he took Danielle’s hand and made for the stairs.  “There is still the matter of that refreshment.  Come now, follow us.”

One by one, the three couples left the turret and were headed for Danielle and Henry’s apartments where a warm reception awaited them.

But this is another story for another time.