Liege

8. The masked knight

A few months later, Jeff settles down in Skelbo, a fortress near the border, and less than a year after the wedding, a messenger arrives from the capital to tell him that princess Eleanor, his brother's wife, is pregnant.

"Now the kingdom will have an heir, as you wanted, father" says Jeff to himself.

The king has somewhat soften up his stance. He's happy with the news, and despite his initial doubts, Jannis seems to be handling his new responsibility well. He asks Jeff in his latest letter if there is something he wants. Jeff doesn't know what to say. After some consideration, he realises he doesn't have any requests. This castle is exactly what he wanted, it's right at the border, near the place where Bible went missing.

Jeff goes for walks every day, and sometimes invites a couple of war veterans to tell him about that battle. He thinks he's found the place where Bible fell, deep in the forest. He erected a slab for Bible there. A beautifully carved runestone. He goes to visit the place day in day out.

Sometimes, he brings a little token; flowers, a nice looking stone... And other times he just goes to have "conversations" with him.

***

Two years have passed seamlessly, in the seclusion of the castle. There have been a couple of attacks from the rebels, but otherwise his days have been spent quite peacefully.

His sister in law gave birth to a boy and more recently, to a baby girl, but she sadly died of childbirth. When he learned about it he went to tell Bible at the standing stone, his heart aching.

He sends his condolences to his brother and spares a thought for the lady in waiting he met at the wedding. They now have yet another thing in common.

But tragedies come in pairs, and a few weeks later, he's summoned to the court. His brother Jannis died in a hunting accident. A wild boar charged into him and the wound got badly infected because he rejected treatment. In the end, the crown prince died of sepsis. 

Jeff shed tears for his brother Jannis, even if they weren't very close. He cries for himself and Bible, too.

***

When Jeff arrives at the court, he notices that his father has become white-haired, with deep wrinkles on his face, giving him a permanent ferocious expression. But at the same time he seems to have shrunk, becoming old and frail.

There's an air of vulnerability he never had before.

All the family he has left are Jeff, and the boy and the baby girl who both carry the royal line. His father wants him to come back to the court and be either the crown prince again, or a regent until his nephew is older.

Jeff can't do anything other than accept his duty, but he needs to return to the border briefly to put his things in order and hand the castle out to the next lord.

***

When he arrives at Skelbo, he goes to find Bible's slab in the forest, as usual.

That day, he is restless and sad. He can't just turn back after his walk, and somehow he ends up taking his horse and riding farther away than usual.

Jeff slows down the horse's pace, he's beyond the border, in no man's land.

"Are you here looking for the masked knight?"

A guy he crosses paths with asks him when he gets closer. After seeing Jeff's puzzled expression, he starts telling him about the mysterious knight living nearby.

"He never shows himself, never goes to the village market, but the peasants around here all revere him. He shares the hunt and fishing with them."

"How's that?" says Jeff, genuinely interested.

"If the knight hears about a widow, or someone who is ill, he leaves a salmon outside their house, or some rabbits... He never speaks about it but everyone knows it's him. He lives in the big house that you'll find in that direction."

Jeff nods in thanks and with a short acknowledgement the man continues his path.

Jeff guides his horse towards the house. Maybe just to stop to give the animal a rest and, let's admit it, the guy's story intrigues him.

He rides slowly through the small forest surrounding the house until he crosses paths with a muscular man riding a big black stallion.

The man wears a mask covering the top of his face but there's no way Jeff can mistake him with anyone else.

Bible.

"He didn't die so long ago." Jeff realises, his heart beating wildly.

He subconsciously straightens up on his saddle.

They look at each other, over the horse's ears, for a long time.

First Jeff dismounts, then Bible, and after a few steps they find each other in a tight embrace.

Jeff moves the mask up with trembling fingers. Bible has a deep long scar on the side of his face, traces of how badly injured he once was.

Big silent tears are falling down Jeff's cheeks, and in an impulse he starts kissing Bible's scar.

Bible becomes shy:

"Why are you kissing me there?"

"I love the scar, it tells me you're alive! I thought you were dead for so long... I visited your grave almost every day."

Bible hugs Jeff even tighter.

"Come live with me," says Bible suddenly. But then, almost instantly, he says:

"Oh I forgot. I heard about your wife. I'm sorry." 

Jeff is confused.

"My wife?"

Bible gives Jeff a long look. Jeff's brows are furrowed.

"I never married, Bible. It was my brother who married her in the end."

Bible is speechless.

"The children are at the court in the capital. It's a dangerous place for them. My father asked me to watch after my nephew and niece and sit on the throne until the boy is ready to be crowned."

He watches while the new information sinks in Bible's head. Jeff is thinking fast, and his hand grabs Bible's sleeve.

"Come back to court with me. You could be... The prince's teacher? We can live together. Noone can get in between us anymore."

Bible is still unable to talk... He passes his hand through his hair.

Night is approaching fast. Bible doesn't answer straight away, notices Jeff, with a small pang of pain. But then Bible has never been someone to make impulsive decisions.

Fearing the answer could be "no", Jeff decides to go back, otherwise it's going to be too dark soon.

"Please think about it. I'm staying at  Skelbo castle at the border. I'll leave tomorrow at noon."