Chapter Twenty #4
But there was more noise coming from her left side.
As she slowly turned her head to see who it was, her gaze fell upon Father Lazarus at the foot of her bed, sitting in a chair but his head was lying on the bed.
He was snoring, too, fast asleep. But she continued turning to her left only to catch sight of an enormous body on the ground next to her bed.
She couldn’t see more than part of a torso and legs, but she noticed that whoever was sitting there was holding her hand.
It was a massive hand.
She recognized it.
“Cassius?” she said weakly.
He was the one snoring loud enough to wake the dead. It was so loud it was practically rattling her teeth. He was holding on to her hand, so she squeezed his big mitt.
“Cassius,” she said, her voice hoarse and faint. “Wake up, Cass.”
One big snore and he felt silent. She squeezed his hand again and, suddenly, he was in her face, his sleepy eyes wide with shock.
“Dacia?” he said in disbelief. “Angel, you’re awake!”
She was so glad to see him that the tears were almost instant. “Of course I’m awake,” she said. “Why would I not be awake? And… and you’re here. But why? How?”
He could see her eyes welling and it set him off. Exhaustion, relief, and genuine joy filled him and he put a big hand on her head, leaning forward to sweetly kiss her lips as tears filled his eyes.
“Aye, I’m here,” he said tightly, kissing her cheeks. “I will always be here, Dacia. I will never leave you again, I swear it.”
Weakly, Dacia lifted her free hand, or at least tried to. Argos was laying on it. When Cassius saw what was happening, he gently shoved the sleeping dog aside to free her trapped arm. Her hand came up to his bearded face and he kissed it reverently.
“Why did you come back?” she whispered. “I was going to write to you and tell you… tell you… God’s Bones, my mind feels like mush. I do not understand why you are here, Cass. What has happened?”
Cassius could see how muddled she was. Meanwhile, their chatter had awoken Father Lazarus, who was standing at the end of the bed, beaming at the sight. Cassius turned to the man.
“Can you please send for the physic, Father?” he asked quietly. “And tell the duke that his granddaughter has awoken.”
Father Lazarus nodded and hustled off, leaving Cassius alone with Dacia. At least, for a few moments until they were invaded by well-meaning people. Knowing this, Cassius put his hand to her face, gazing into her pale, bloodshot eyes.
“What do you remember last, angel?” he asked softly.
Dacia had to think hard. “Amata came,” she said after a moment. “She came to apologize for telling her lies. I told her to… leave. I think I may have slapped her again. Truly, I do not remember much. Why? What is going on, Cass?”
He kissed her cheek gently. “I am here because Edie accidentally gave you a poison and not a sleeping powder,” he said.
“She mixed up the powders, evidently, and gave you something that has put you to sleep for two days. Darian came to find me and brought me back here because no one was sure if you would awaken.”
Dacia’s eyes widened. “A poison?” she gasped. “What poison?”
“Something the physic from Sheffield called purpurea,” he said.
“It slowed your heartbeat, your breathing. But you are awake now and you shall recover fully, thank God. But I want you to know, Dacia… I want you to know how much I love you. Until the end of all things, I will love you and only you. You told me once that your heart was mine and no longer yours to give. The same can be said for me, angel. My heart is no longer my own – it belongs to you now and always will.”
The tears returned to Dacia’s eyes as she cupped his big face between her two hands.
“I am sorry I sent you away,” she wept softly.
“I truly thought it was the best thing for you, but I know now that I should not have done so. You wanted to protect me and I should have let you. But I thought I was protecting you.”
He kissed her as she wept. “I know,” he said. “I understand you thought you were doing what was best, but it is all over now. We are together again and we shall never be apart, ever.”
She returned his kisses with as much strength as she could muster. “Promise me, Cass.”
“I swear it upon my oath as a knight, my sweet angel.”
A knock at the door interrupted them. Cassius turned to see the physic standing there with Father Lazarus.
Behind them stood Doncaster. He charged into the chamber in front of the others, his gaze riveted to Dacia.
When he saw that she was indeed alert and looking at him, he nearly collapsed with relief.
“Dacia,” he said, putting his hand to his heart. “Thank God and the saints that you have awakened. There is something you must see!”
He seemed quite excited. “What is it, Grandfather?” Dacia asked.
The duke was quite excited, indeed. He waved his arms at Cassius. “Get her up, lad,” he said. “Pick her up and bring her. There is something she must see.”
“Carry her, my lord,” Father Lazarus said, apparently agreeing with the duke. “You must bring her.”
Cassius wasn’t sure he wanted Dacia jostled about or even moved from the bed so soon after she had awakened from two days of unconsciousness. “She has only now become alert,” he pointed out. “I do not want to tax her. Surely she must stay in bed.”
He turned his attention to the physic, who was still standing by the door. The man didn’t seem any too excited about the directives given by the duke and Father Lazarus, but he reluctantly nodded his head.
“For a short time, it will be all right,” he said without any great sense of approval. “Bundle her in a coverlet and pick her up. They want her to see something.”
Cassius stood up, frowning. “This is not a good idea,” he said. “What does she need to see that is so important?”
The duke was still waving his hands, only now, he was moving back to the door. “Pick her up, Cassius,” he commanded. “Bring her!”
The orders of the Duke of Doncaster weren’t meant to be disobeyed, but Cassius would have done it had the physic not given his hesitant approval. He looked at Dacia.
“I do not know what is happening, but they seem to think it is important,” he said. “Do you feel up to it if I carry you? If you do not, I will refuse your grandfather and lock him out of this chamber.”
Dacia laughed softly. “He would be very angry.”
“I do not care.”
“You are my Lord Protector, too,” she murmured. “Ever my champion, Cass, and I love you for it.”
He smiled faintly. “And I love you,” he whispered. “I told you enough while you were sleeping. Didn’t you hear me?”
She grinned. “Even if I had, I would tell you that I hadn’t,” she said. “I want to hear it every day for the rest of my life.”
“You will, I swear it.”
She shifted a little in the bed. “Then help me up and do as Grandfather has asked,” she said. “Old Cuffy is desperate for me to see something important.”
Cassius laughed softly at the mention of the duke’s nickname, but he carefully pulled her into a sitting position as the physic rushed to help.
Dacia was feeling quite weak and a little dizzy, so she sat for a moment to settle her head before the physic put a soft blanket around her and Cassius lifted her into his arms. He cradled her against his broad chest, following Father Lazarus and the physic from the chamber.
The duke was down in the entry of the keep, standing with Fulco.
Cassius noticed that Rhori and Bose were standing in the open doorway.
They were all looking at something outside of the open entry door.
The duke simply motioned Cassius forward, to the door, and once he saw what was outside in the bailey, he came to a halt.
There were people, everywhere.
It looked as if the entire village of Doncaster was crowded into the bailey, all of them looking at the keep entry as Cassius stood there with Dacia in his arms. She saw the people, too, and her head came up from his shoulder, greatly confused as to why the full population of Doncaster should be in the bailey of Edenthorpe, and more besides.
The gatehouse was open and they were spilling out into the road beyond.
“Grandfather?” she said, bewildered. “Why are they all here? What has happened?”
“You have happened,” Father Lazarus said from her other side.
When they turned to look at her, he spoke softly.
“While Sir Cassius and I were sleeping away at your beside, the villagers heard about your illness and began to come to Edenthorpe. They came to say prayers for you, to bring you whatever small gifts they could manage, or they came simply to show you that you are, indeed, the Lady of Doncaster, and they are sorry for their sins against you.”
Dacia was looking at the sea of people. “But… but I do not understand,” she said. “These are the same people who listened to Amata’s lies… aren’t they?”
“Aye,” the duke said, coming to stand next to her.
“But Father Lazarus has worked a miracle, evidently. He has made Amata stand in front of the church and confess her lies, and it seems that the people of Doncaster have a conscience. They realized they were wrong and have come to apologize. That is why I wanted you to come and see this, Dacia. They have been here since last night, ever since I sent word to St. George’s, holding vigil for you.
Hundreds of voices in prayer, lifting to God, and he has listened. You will be well, child, I know it.”
As Dacia looked over the crowd with awe, she recognized Old Timeo as he and his wife made their way towards her. They came to the bottom of the steps of the keep, slowly taking the first few steps so they could get a little closer.