THE next morning, the messenger sent to fetch the parish priest the previous night returned alone.
“I see... So his hands are full...” Sonia said, disappointed.
“I’m so swamped with commissions that I’m afraid I won’t be able to go anytime in the foreseeable future,” the priest had claimed.
Upon hearing the messenger relay the priest’s reply, Sonia sadly dropped her gaze. “Does that mean this territory is suffering from the supernatural phenomena plaguing the castle?” she asked.
“I haven’t heard of any incidents...but I shall look into it,” Matthew answered, standing in attendance at Sonia’s side.
Come to think of it...
“Where is Sir Crisford?” she asked.
After having that knight with his boorish beard and overpowering presence stick to her side like glue for the past two or three days, it was puzzling to realize he was gone.
“Sir Crisford rode off before sunrise this morning. He said that he’d return before the sun reached its peak,” the housekeeper replied, causing Sonia to quickly put the cup of tea she had been sipping back down.
“I should have waited for him before eating. Jeez, I wish you mentioned this sooner!” Sonia whined at the housekeeper.
The house steward stepped in and said with a faint smile, “It wasn’t necessary. Sir Crisford instructed us before he left to serve you breakfast when you woke rather than wait for him.”
“When he left, he told me ‘It’s been so long since Her Grace has traveled such a long distance, it seems to have exhausted her in mind and body. I shall go search the land where she was born and raised for good news to lift her spirits,’” Matthew added.
Sonia found herself slip, “Oh my!” at that. Her porcelain cheeks flushed ever so slightly.
“He didn’t need to go to such lengths for me...” Sonia whispered.
The housekeeper offered Sonia a fresh cup of tea as she said, “I’m sure that is simply the type of man he is.”
“He is a kind gentleman, Duchess Sonia.”
“To be sure. Not only is he kind, he’s a strong and renowned knight. I’m certain he will offer you the support you need, Duchess Sonia.”
The housekeeper, head steward, and even Matthew smiled at her as if they trusted Chris with all their hearts, throwing Sonia into inner turmoil.
What should I do? Sonia wasn’t personally excited about this marriage. But she was sure no one would accept her resistance to the whole thing solely because of his “furry face.” Even if she asked Chris to shave, it was unlikely he’d go against his grandfather’s last request. And not even she could explain why she had such a strong aversion to his beard.
Is it because of how dry and itchy it looks? Because it’s growing out a bit...? Simply imagining it sent chills down her spine.
Not to mention... She was concerned about Chris’ attitude toward her. He was most courteous, and came across as mild-mannered and unassuming. With his extremely kind, gentlemanly treatment of women, he exemplified the superb image of a royal knight. But...I don’t think that’s the right way to treat your fiancée.
What if he didn’t see her in a romantic light and was merely obeying the King’s orders? She felt he was too polite. How should I describe it...? I know! He’s like a knight protecting a princess...! Huh?
When she thought back to how Chris had interacted with her this whole time, it fit the “knight and princess” performance perfectly. He always referred to her as “Princess” and never explored any physical contact beyond touching her hands.
For some reason, realizing that made Sonia’s heart throb with a stabbing pain.
✦ ✦ ✦
THE gentle spring sun came to shine upon Clare lands as assuredly as any other. Away from the castle, the leaves were a fresh, soft green. They were full of life as they bathed in the sunlight, absorbing the morning dew.
The serfs who had begun working the land bright and early did not glare suspiciously at Chris for being an outsider, but instead, bowed with hats in hand.
I should have expected no less, since the Clare crest is embroidered on my horse’s caparison, Chris chuckled to himself atop his steed. The sight made the peasants exchange confused looks with one another.
“Hmn!” His head jerked up when he sensed malice from the direction of the gleaming sun. He squinted his eyes, focusing on the object hurtling toward him.
“Nice try!” Chris bellowed, as he unsheathed the blade at his waist and, without ever leaving the saddle, put all his muscle into his swing. In accordance to the Conservation of Momentum, one body acted upon another, and Chris sent the fist-sized stone back from whence it came. The object flew off into the sky at an even higher velocity than when it had come crashing down.
“Gweeeh!”
Using his hand as a visor against the sun, Chris saw the rock strike a bird, which shrieked a human-like cry as it tumbled to the ground. Kicking his horse into a gallop, he raced in the direction the bird had fallen. As he combed the shrubbery it had likely crashed into, he came across a marvelous pigeon.
“Well, I’ll be... This should fix up nicely for supper tonight,” he said, grabbing the lifeless pigeon by its legs. As he was lifting it up, Chris furrowed his brows. “...You’re an awfully sinister-looking fellow—er, bird.”
Chris convinced himself that perhaps pigeons suffer hardships in their own right before looking down at the shrubbery caught in its feathers.
“And I seem to be quite the lucky knight. I guarantee you, I’ve never had to go hungry,” Chris said. He laughed happily at the heavy growth of wild raspberries.
✦ ✦ ✦
“WELCOME back, Sir Crisford,” greeted Matthew. As if on cue, he had appeared as Chris was taking his horse to the stable.
“You can just call me Chris,” the knight offered.
“I would never have the audacity to treat Duchess Sonia’s husband-to-be on such familiar terms.” Matthew waved away the offer with a wry smile. Seeing Chris offer a slight shrug in resignation, the butler dropped his voice to ask, “So how did it go? Were you able to make the priest speak the truth?”
Truth be told, Matthew had asked the priest to perform an exorcism more than once, but each request was rejected for one reason or another. Even though the new head of the Clare family, Sonia, had sent the request this time, it was questionable whether he’d accept it.
That was why Chris had volunteered to secretly follow the messenger and observe the exchange. There was no denying the possibility that an ulterior motive lay behind rejecting their requests. Chris had watched the crestfallen messenger leave upon getting turned away before confronting the priest himself.
“I revealed my purpose, in the name of King Patrice, and it still took some work to loosen the man’s lips! That’s what took me so long... Does Her Grace suspect anything?”
“No, I told her that you said you were searching the land where she was born and raised for good news to lift her spirits,” Matthew answered.
“I see you’re better with women than I,” Chris teased.
“Surely you jest,” Matthew retorted then knit his brows speckled with white hairs into a sour frown over the priest.
“But if what the priest said is true, our foe could be too great for anyone but the Pope himself—no, it could prove a challenge even for His Holiness,” Chris said.
“...Then it truly is...”
“So you know about this?” Chris asked gravely, when the expression painted across Matthew’s face grew grimmer.
“Yes, I do,” he replied, sadly lowering his gaze.
“I need to inform His Majesty and devise a plan... If we’re up against a fallen priest, it will complicate things in more ways than one,” Chris said, untying a basket bound to the horse. The basket was filled with wild spring flowers, ripe raspberries, and the pigeon he had knocked from the sky.
“The people here are nice and friendly. They looked tranquil rather than world weary. It’s the sign of good land under fair administration.”
“It’s an honor to hear you say that.”
“At least this way, the ‘message’ you gave Her Grace won’t be a lie anymore, Matthew,” Chris said with a toothy grin and a mischievous chuckle, before heading to the castle to give Sonia the basket in its entirety.