The High Road (On Hold)

Chapter Eight

          "You have to get your head out yer arse, Stéaphan! You cannae be staring at any lass that crosses yer path!"

Meriadoc was beginning to become fairly annoyed by his friend's absent mindedness.

"I'm sorry, Meri", Stéaphan told his friend, "But I swear to you I know that woman. I know I've seen her before."

"Seen her or not, you still have a duty to your men and your king. Keep your focus next time, you hear?"

"Right then. Come on, let's be back to the sergeants in the field" said Stéaphan.

The pair of soldiers made their way from the officers' quarters back to the drill ground in the courtyard. The seventy-five soldiers of Stéaphan's unit were divided into five groups of fifteen, each led by a sergeant. Each grouping of men practiced drills within their fifteen-man unit, then altogether to prepare for real combat.

Amidst the troops drilling, Stéaphan noticed the carriage of the woman he saw earlier was still parked near the door to the great hall. Is that lass still in there? What on earth is she doing with the Governor? Not a moment later, Governor O'Connor emerged from the hall and went towards Stéaphan's men, who came to attention as their commanding officer walked past. He walked to Stéaphan who also stood at attention.

"Good day, sir", Stéaphan called.

"At ease, officer. You and your flag sergeant are to report to the great hall as soon as can be managed", ordered O'Connor.

"Aye, sir", said Stéaphan.

The Governor turned about and called "Return to your drills" to the men around him as he strode out of the courtyard gatehouse and into the lower castle. He seemed fairly perturbed about something.

Stéaphan called to his flag sergeant, "Meri! We're to report to the great hall! Governor's orders!"

Even from across the courtyard Stéaphan could see his friend's eyes roll. The pair made their way to the doors of the great hall, which the guards opened upon their approach. Inside, the young officer could spot several figures, though it was too dark in the hall to make out their faces. Upon hearing the loud thud the door made as it shut, every person turned to face the pair that had just arrived.

As soon as their eyes were laid on the imposing man now staring them down, Stéaphan and Meriadoc both dropped to one knee and saluted their right arms over their chests, paying respect to their king. King Malcolm approached them with a smile and said "Rise, soldiers, and come, we have important matters to attend to." Focusing only on the king, Stéaphan and his man sat themselves at the table across from the figure surrounded by armed guards. As soon as he took his place, Stéaphan's eyes rose and met the person he sat across from.

It was as if time had stopped.

With eyes now widened at realizing it was the woman he saw in the woods, the young man now could see who it really was that he had taken such great notice to. Faint candlelight flickered across her face in the darkened hall. Her deep brown eyes poured into Stéaphan's spirit. The gold accents on her red gown shimmered in the light, impossible to ignore. The curves of her frame stood out prominently and her dark brown hair ran down across her shoulders like a waterfall descending to the rocks below. Her lips, pink as ripe pears, parted and she spoke to Stéaphan:

"I am Princess Christelle of England. My maiden and I have traveled from London to speak with your king concerning peace between Scotland and England. Only a short while ago, King Malcolm accepted this offer and peace is to be had in Britain."

Her voice was like sweet music. Even though he had just been told world-shaking news, Stéaphan sat silent, content to let his ears receive another melody. However. He would be disappointed, for the king spoke next.

"Because of this diplomatic action, the Princess must be taken to Edinburgh to marry my son, Prince Edward. Your unit is tasked with escorting her to our capitol city so the marriage can take place. How soon can your men be ready?"

Stéaphan took his eyes off the Princess and realized the gravity of the situation he had just been placed in. He stammered for a moment, then answered. "Two days, my king", he said.

"Good. Then it is settled, your journey will begin in two days. For that time, Princess, a room in the castle will be prepared for your quarters. My servant will show you. And flag sergeant, would you go with them?"

"Of course, my lord", replied Meriadoc.

The king motioned to a man behind him who led the others to the upper part of the castle. Now there stood only two in the hall.

The king took a seat at the table. "Did you know", he asked, "that I knew your father?"

"No, sire, I did not know" Stéaphan responded.

"He served in my army at the Battle of Langholm many years ago. It was a grave defeat that day, but I spoke to Déirdach before the battle, as I did with many of the pike unit leaders. A good man, he was. I lamented at the news of his death and sent men to retrieve his body. Alas, we could not find him, so I sent a small amount of coin back to his home with my deepest condolences."

Stéaphan remembered the day a messenger from the army came to his home with the news. He was only thirteen at the time. His mother wept for days. She cursed and swore and asked God why He took her husband. Stéaphan tried to never cry in front of his mother. He realized then that he would need to provide for the both of them now. The king's money helped them survive for months after Déirdach's death, but the wound the tragedy left on Stéaphan never truly healed.

"I trusted your father and he proved his loyalty at the tip of a sword. For that, I trust you, his son. I know you will not fail me."

After being dismissed, Stéaphan regrouped with Meriadoc.

"This is incredible!" Meriadoc exclaimed. "We're going to Edinburgh! We finally get to do something and quit this place!"

"I'm glad you're not nervous, Meri. I cannae say the same meself."

"Ach, it's a simple task the king's given us. All we need do is babysit some pretty lass for a week. Just like guard duty, only while walking."

"Good thing you're going along for the journey. Your thick legs could use some walking", joked Stéaphan.

The castle was quiet that evening. The moon shone high in the night sky and the autumn winds buffeted against the walls of the fortress. Stéaphan awoke in small hours of the night. From then on, sleep eluded him. He put on trousers and a nightshirt and exited his quarters. His feet met the cold stone of the castle courtyard and he stretched his back and arms. He began to stride through the dark courtyard, admiring the seemingly endless scores of stars. The night was a friend of his; it allowed him utter clarity of mind. This was fortunate as Stéaphan had much to think about at the moment.

The only light in the courtyard came from the moon and a set of torches that blazed at the gatehouse. However, amidst the darkness, Stéaphan noticed a figure slip out of the open gate on the road to the lower castle. Bewildered, Stéaphan briskly approached the gate to pursue.

The person was now at the end of the road near an inn at the intersection that met before the road sloped over the hill into the inner castle. They were clearly trying not to be spotted, but also trying to blend into their surroundings. The windows of the inn were bright and torches stood outside. Stéaphan's eyes squinted in an attempt to make out the figure in the dim light on the ground. The person turned around to ensure they weren't being followed, giving Stéaphan a clear view into the cloaked figure's hood.

It was Christelle, princess of England.