A Knight To Remember

Chapter 45

Chapter 45

The light burnt through my eyelids searing its way into the back of my eyeballs.

My head throbbed.

Why did my head hurt?

I thought that there would be no pain in heaven.   Ohh, maybe I wasn’t in heaven.  After all I did commit adultery.  Maybe this was hell.

Well, that would explain why I ached all over.

“She’s coming too,” the excited voice was just the right pitch to heighten the pain.

Groaning I tried to move.

“Maeb,” that was a voice I knew very well.   The breath, which accompanied the soft exhale of my name, caressed my skin.  A warm hand rested on me gently holding me down.

“Am I dead?  Is this hell?”

A soft laugh forced me to crack my eyes partly open.  The glaring light punished me.  I closed them again.

“No, my love, not hell and as for heaven, well that depends on your point of view.  You hit your head and you lost a lot of blood.”

“So much blood,” I remembered that.

“Yes, I thought it was all yours.  I thought you were dying in front of me.  But some of what covered you belonged to Douglas.”

“Douglas?  Is he...?”

“Yes, my friend is dead.  I saw what he did.  He saved my life and the life of my love.  I hope he has found his love now.  I hope he is with Aine.”

“And you?  What about you?  Are you injured?”

“Nothing serious, a cut here and there,” I heard the shrug in his tone.

I forced my eyes open again, disregarding the pain.  I had to see him.  I had to be sure.  I pushed myself up as I turned.

“Careful  Queen Maeb, Lover boy has promised me a painful death if any harm comes to you while in my care.”

“Eve?”

“Yes,” Jonathan laughed, “She had me, Thomas, my father and your father all leaning over her as she worked to patch your head.  From what was said, it seems that Eve, Robert and Torcall had quite a sordid history even before her husband’s death.”

“You can speak to me nicer Lover Boy!  Was I not the one who brought this day to you?  If not for me you would still be chasing squirrels with that lusty sword of yours!”

I grabbed Jonathan’s hand, “Leave her be Jonathan.  She means nothing.  Help me up.”

Eve started to splutter something in the background about all of us being ungrateful.  I ignored her as I reached for Jonathan.

“You should be resting,” he frowned as I used him to pull myself up to the side of the bed.  My head hurt but I wasn’t going to lie around at a time like this. 

“I must do my duty,” I muttered more to myself than anyone else.  “Where is he?  Where is my husband?  I must do what is necessary.”

Jonathan nodded and helped me.  With my arm in his he partly carried me to the tent where Edward was laid out.  The King was cleaned and dressed in his full armour like some sort of hero.

“Who did this?” I asked.

“We did,” the deep low voice surprised me.

“But...?  After all he did to you Torcall...?”