A Beautiful Curse

Chapter 8 - The Journey Before the Turning Point

  The country side was littered with woods, animals, lakes and ponds. Ducks waddled their way through the reeds to the ponds. Tree creatures scuttled along the branches. Fish jumped to catch food flying above the waters. John and Daniel loved fishing and Daniel had been taught by our father a special way to catch pikes. No matter how many times I had begged to join them, I was refused. But only because it required walking into the water in one's undergarments. When this was mentioned in the easy conversation between us siblings, Henry, the younger cousin, grinned dastardly at the mention of being starkers in public.

A day and a half of travel had passed since our departure of the king's castle and I was holding back the complaint of an aching back. It was this bloody side saddle for these two bloody days. It was past midday and the travelling party was nearly half way to my betrothed's estate northward.

Godfrey, my stepmother's stiff-as-a-pole nephew, rode in front, very quiet, saying very little when talked to. I did not like him. I never liked him from the moment we met. He was older than me by a year. He was a sick, twisted boy and he was just a sick, twisted but very quiet man now. He tried to burn my braids once. I managed to save most of my hair by dunking it in the stable water trough but it was not nice when the nurse maid had to cut off the black remnants of burnt hair.

I got my revenge though. And not in a nice way. I glanced at him. In fact I think he still has the scar.

Henry, on the other hand, was always very quiet and sly as a child. But also he followed his brother wherever, whenever. A party to his schemes a lot of the time. Now he was just the kind of man I hated. Polite in front of society but a nasty, ugly soul when in the confines of his bedroom. I had happened upon it by mistake once. The poor woman was naked, bleeding and blindfolded; the sash was visible damp from her silent tears. God forbid that man ever marries a small woman.

I hissed in pain when my horse tripped over yet another rock, sending a very painful twinge from the hip I leaned on and up my back. I regretted refusing the carriage the king had offered but if I had accepted, the journey would have been much longer.

John acknowledged me then and inquired, "How are you faring, sister?"

I grunted in discomfort as a response and then stopped my horse. "I can't take this anymore." With an exasperated huff, I slid down from her horse and proceeded to unlatch the horn from the pommel of the saddle.

"Anne?"

I put away the horn in one of the saddle bags and then re-established my seat in the saddle only now I was astride.

Henry choked as he watched me swing my leg over the saddle and rearrange my skirts. "What in God's name are you doing, Anne?" he shrieked.

As I fixed myself comfortably, throwing my coat trails back over the backside of the horse, I said in a stoic fashion, "Really, Henry, you have more fuss in you than a teapot on the boil."

John and Daniel hid snorts and smirks as Henry's eyes went wider than an owl's. "I must pro-"

I turned my head to glare at him as I cut him off, "I would like to see you try to ride side-saddle for nearly two days. My spine feels like it is about to shift out of position. It needs a more comfortable stance. And that is what I am doing." I smiled at him sourly. "But not in God's name though."

I flicked the reins and pressed into the horse's sides. And the party was moving again.

Despite having a sore back, I felt my mind was truly at ease. I was not worried about meeting this intended of mine. I was simply enjoying the world around me; the quiet, yet noisy world. The wind picking up every once in a while left a rushing noise in my ears. It rustled the leaves in the trees and in the bushes. Flowers and reeds waved at me slowly. The cool breeze bit at my face, blowing into the thick fur hood of my coat and refreshing my skin.