Seeds of Time

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

The following morning, Meg was ready to get back to the business of living and so hardening her heart, she headed to her lab and continued her work on a fuse, because the gunpowder she had made was all but useless without it.

She made a few different mixes of gun powder, some more and some less explosive, then added water to it and soaked cotton twine with the paste. Once dried in the sunlight, she would see which mixture burned best, as in continuously, at a steady pace but not too fast, thus allowing the person who lit it time to run.

She wasn’t surprised when Hal came to find her that afternoon, although she was hurt that he hadn’t come sooner.

She kept her back to him, focusing on the task at hand, laying the fuse twine out in consecutive rows to dry in the sun.

“I received thy letter,” he said in that temptingly rich voice of his.

“Good.”

“Do you really wish to leave me, fair Meg?”

“No.”

“Then I beg thee, do not go.”

She didn’t reply

“This is a marriage of convenience, a political tool, nothing more. It does not affect my regard for you.”

“It doesn’t matter why, Hal, I only know that I am no one’s mistress.”

“But I am a king, there is no shame in it.”

“Put yourself in my place. Imagine that you were outnumbered in battle and the only way to ensure you could retreat, was for me to marry the prince of France. It would only be a marriage of convenience though, made to ensure you lived, but could you stand to see me marry him? To know that I shared his bed on the night’s when I didn’t share yours? Or would it break your heart?”

“It’s different for men, men have to know that they fathered any children resulting from a union.”

She turned to him, her anger flaring. “You’re a man and can get away with it? Why? Because you don’t have to face the consequences? Bullshit!” Her voice cracked and she took a moment to compose herself.

“You know that bible you love so much and use to judge me, Well I've read it, we had to study it in school, and I know it doesn’t make exceptions for men or kings, adultery is always wrong and if you do this, then you are a hypocrite and not the pious man you claim to be. You say God brought me to you, yet you intend to break his one of his commandments in regards to me. What excuse do you use to justify that, Hal?”

“This marriage is necessary to reclaim what is ours. Even my father was in talks to bring this about, before he died.”

“So what, you’re honouring his wishes?”

“I suppose.”

“Well my mother and father raised me to believe in and respect myself. I do love you, Hal, but I love myself as well, far too much to let you do this to me.”

Hal didn’t reply, he just looked at her, his eyes pleading.

“You didn’t answer my question, Hal, could you live with it if our situations were reversed?”

Hal looked down but didn’t reply.

“When can I leave for London?” Meg asked, turning back to her work.

“Meg-”

“I won’t be swayed, Hal, and I know you well enough to know that you won’t either. One way or another, I’m going home.”