Chapter Ten #2
As they moved further into the city, a few children began to follow them.
Tiberius was bringing up the rear and his head was on a swivel, watching all angles for any signs of threat, including a gang of children that was following behind them at a distance.
When one of the children threw a stone that hit his horse in the buttocks and caused it to jump, Tiberius whirled the animal around and roared at the gaggle of children, causing them to scream and scatter.
That brought a smile to Douglass’ lips as she watched Tiberius growl and bellow and the children shriek. It was quite hilarious to watch.
It also made her fond of the man just a little bit more.
He wasn’t afraid to show his humor, unusual when knights were usually so controlled and austere.
He wasn’t afraid to smile, or wink, or speak his mind, even if it was on a subject that he was emotional about.
She appreciated a man who wasn’t afraid to be himself, unhindered by the severe trappings that knighthood sometimes brought about.
He was different, very different from any knight she had known, her father included.
Tiberius was a man who was unafraid to show his passion, in any aspect of his life.
They moved on, sans the flock of children that Tiberius had scattered to the wind.
They were now entering a part of the city where the smells of food were mingled with the smells of human habitation.
It was past the nooning hour and Douglass was hungry, sniffing the air to see where the smells were coming from.
As Bose turned down an avenue that seemed to take them away from the marvelous smells, Douglass stopped him.
“Papa?” she called. “I am hungry. Can we please get something to eat and rest for a few moments? I am exhausted.”
Bose pulled his big steed to a halt, looking at their surroundings. They had been on the road several hours and Douglass had held out admirably considering she had never been the greatest traveler. She had been terrible to take anywhere as a child. He pointed to a street that led off to the south.
“That is the Street of the Bakers,” he said. “We can find you something to eat there.”
Happily, Douglass followed her father into the narrow street that smelled heavily of baking bread and other cooking smells.
They moved the horses over near the end of the avenue and dismounted.
Garran moved to hand his reins over to Tiberius so he could follow his sister and father, but Tiberius turned the tables on him and handed him his reins instead.
Disgruntled, Garran remained behind with the horses and possessions while Bose, Douglass, and Tiberius went to find something to eat.
The street wasn’t particularly busy since most people had done their shopping and eating earlier in the day.
Bose found a Scottish vendor who sold a variety of goods; lamb pies, puffy little cakes made from oats, butter, honey, raisins, and eggs that Douglass fell in love with, and great loaves of bread with cheese and herbs baked into them.
In all, Bose purchased a feast for the four of them and they carried their booty back to where Garran was waiting with the horses.
Starving, Garran and Douglass plowed into the food while Bose pulled a loaf of bread apart and enjoyed it. Tiberius devoured his lamb pie but failed to get any of the sweet little cakes because Douglass had eaten those first. He simply grinned at her while Garran fussed.
“You could not have shared those with me?” Garran demanded of his sister. “I wanted some, too.”
Douglass brushed her brother off. “There were only a few,” she said. Then, her manner turned taunting. “They were delicious.”
Garran made a face at her. “I will permit Davyss to pinch you now,” he said. “That will be your punishment for being such a glutton.”
Douglass giggled as Tiberius shook his head. “Davyss will lose a hand if he touches her,” he muttered. “He may consider the risk too high.”
Garran turned to him, distress on his face. “This is too strange, Ty,” he said, agitated. “You speaking of my sister this way. I cannot adequately deal with it so do not make your comments around me. It makes my head want to explode.”
Tiberius was amused. “Why?”
Garran wasn’t sure how to explain it. “It is not natural,” he said. “You are as a brother to me and when you speak of my sister in a romantic fashion, it reeks of something dark and dirty. It is too strange.”
Tiberius laughed softly and pointed to Bose. “Then go stand over there by your father,” he said. “You are not wanted in this conversation. Go over there like a good lad.”
Garran grunted in frustration and moved away, going to complain to Bose that Douglass had eaten all of the sweet oat cakes.
Tiberius thought it was rather funny to watch Garran when he was around his father and sister.
The usually composed, serious knight seemed to revert back to childhood and become a petulant brother again.
As Garran expressed his disappointment to his father, Tiberius turned to Douglass.
“I am glad you ate all of the cakes,” he said, a twinkle in his eye. “It is quite humorous to watch Garran have a fit over it.”
Douglass grinned. “I did save one,” she admitted. “But it is for you. He cannot have it.”
Tiberius smiled. “You are gracious my lady,” he said. “I am honored.”
Douglass laughed softly as she unwrapped the remnants of her meal, producing the last oat cake.
Offering it to Tiberius, he took it, his eyes riveted to her as he bit into it.
Douglass looked into his eyes as he chewed, her heart doing strange things against her rib cage, feeling overwhelmed and giddy as she’d never felt in her life.
This man she was so enamored with, a gentle knight who had thus far shown none of the lascivious behavior she had been warned about.
He had been kind, sweet, and attentive, and she was falling further and further under the man’s spell.
Interest and attraction had turned to something else.
“How long will you be with us?” she asked softly, watching him chew. “Why did you not return to Isenhall with your brothers?”
Tiberius could see in that instant that Bose hadn’t told her anything of what had transpired.
He pondered why the man would have withheld such information but Tiberius saw no reason to.
He wanted Douglass to know that he was here because of her, because he was trying to prove to her father that he was an honorable man who would be an excellent match for his daughter.
He wanted her to know the lengths he would go to for her, to prove himself to her.
Swallowing the bite in his mouth, he spoke quietly.