Surrender

Chapter Three: The Flight

The lady and knight came to a towering oak. Under its large boughs an old palfrey grazed, secured and saddled. Swinging his leg over Manfred lowered onto the dirt. Afterward helping Isabel down from his destrier. When again footed she frowned up at him. His expression unknown beneath the helmet.

"You were rather the snail," said she. "and that race did jostle me."

"I apologize for the discomfort my lady," muffled Manfred.

"Doff that helm if you wish to talk!"

The knight removed his black painted great helm. With it underarm he than unfastened his mail coif, revealing the rest of his flushed face. His dark eyes tenderly stared into Isabel's as he repeated. Than he loosened his belt to strip the black surcoat beneath. His sword fell on the forest floor, followed by his surcoat.

"My lady I hath procured for you an outfit." He pointed toward the tied horse. "Tis in the saddle sack."

"Disrobe here? Absent aid with you in view?!"

"I would not disgrace my lady by spying," swore Manfred, bending over to wiggle out of his hauberk. The mail shirt too cluttered with a clang on the ground.

"Why do you cast your armor?!"

"My lady you were stolen by a dark knight. I must too divorce my trappings and take on new identity."

"I know the meaning of a disguise Manny!"

The knight sat behind on a rock. With crossed arms she belittled on, "I fret to see the garments you hath for me!"

Manfred gave no answer, unlacing his mail chausses. "I mistrust your choice of fashion. Doubtless you'll don me in direful drapes!"

He rose and went to his saddle, fetching from his luggage a blue cloak and boots. Redressing sword over his aketon, Manfred gathered up any remaining armaments and stored them in the saddlebag. His shield's guige slung over the horn, its heraldic canvas concealed by a sable linen sheet.

"Where did you come on woman's clothes?"

"They are borrowed from Tybolt's sister," he confessed, sipping from a wineskin beside his horse's bridle.

"I will not wear the handouts of my handmaid! And there is no coverage to permit me to do without my dignity!!"

"My lady shall be found if baring the beauty of a bride, than a bride you'll be restored to the nearest alter."

Isabel's white face reddened. "Blind yourself!"

"Pardon my lady?"

"Shelter your sight with cloth. Then stand with your hands over face yet toward me, so I may ensure you seen naught!"

The knight knew nary gainsay his lady's bade. Taking a cut of fabric he hoodwinked himself and swayed in place with palms over eyes. Hearing the swish and swears of Isabel as she changed in the overgrowth.

"You may peer," she said, sounding as if she stood before him. Manfred undid his blindfold. Isabel was scowling up at him, sans headdress in a brown kirtle. Her jewels and other fineries stowed in the palfrey's saddle. She looked a serf if not for her elegant braid weaved with silk. Which was now exposed to him bare modest coverage. In Isabel's fist a wimple.

"If I am witnessed wayfaring with wimple, passersby will think me your wife!" she whined.

"If my lady is seen without, they might think her worse."

Isabel than wrapped herself in the linen scarf with scarlet cheeks. Her long blonde lock bulbous beneath.

In there time, only whores went a road with men absent proper relations and chaperons. The wimple was wore by married women of often lesser station than countess. It was not always expected for maidens and damsels to wear headcovers, though commonly they did to not appear enticing. Manfred's bringing of the covering was to mask Isabel as his wife and prevent onlookers from demeaning her.