Chapter Fifteen
“I still do not believe it,” David growled.
It was a bright and lovely morning. The knights, all of them, and Christopher were marching purposefully for Prince John’s audience chamber.
They had been summoned by a triumphant steward, requesting their presence by order of the prince.
The purpose of the meeting was to announce that John had finally selected a champion.
They were met in the halls by several other competitors, all summoned for the same purpose.
There was talk of who had been foolish enough to accept John’s offer, but no one was positive as to who it might be.
David and Leeton kept pestering Christopher as to where Marcus was, but Christopher would only shake his head and change the subject.
Edward already guessed what might have happened, and furthermore suspected just who the new champion was. Christopher suspected it too.
As the doors to the audience chamber opened and the knights and men began to file in, Edward made sure he walked in beside his liege.
“It’s Marcus, you know,” he murmured.
Christopher’s face hardened. “If it is, then I pity him. He is a bigger fool than I thought.”
“You two had words last night,” Edward remarked, a statement and not a question.
Christopher didn’t answer, making sure he found a place as close to the door as possible. He didn’t want to be in the very front for John’s scrutiny.
“Marcus no longer serves me, and if he is John’s champion, then he no longer serves Richard, and is considered the enemy,” Christopher finally said, quietly.
Edward shook his head regretfully. “Marcus isn’t the enemy any more than I am,” he said. “If he is John’s champion, then he must have a damn good reason.”
“He does,” Christopher snapped. “We are sworn enemies and he wishes to defeat me.”
“Sworn ene…?” Edward’s brow furrowed. “What in the hell are you talking about?”
Christopher shook his head harshly, not wanting to answer, noticing that the prince and Ralph were entering the room. Edward continued to eye him even as the crier announced the prince, as the man graciously acknowledged his subjects.
“Thank you for coming, loyal vassals,” John said with a sappy overture.
“I know that your day is busy, yet I found this announcement too important to wait until tomorrow, so I will make it short and to the point. A new baron has joined your ranks, a man entirely worthy of the title I have bestowed upon him. A man who served our king and my brother in the Holy Land, and whose reputation for fairness and righteousness is unparalleled.”
David and the other knights eyed each other and Christopher. He refused to look at any of them.
“This new baron will be my champion tomorrow in the games, and I expect to win,” John said, laughing at his jest, though it was not a jest. “I know that you are extremely curious to know just who this man is, so with no further delay, I will introduce you to the realm’s mightiest warrior, Marcus Burton, Baron Somerhill. ”
Christopher’s knights were beyond shocked.
Their eyes bugged out as Marcus took his place beside John, in full armor and draped in John’s colors.
Christopher gave no reaction, but inside, he was sickened.
Was Marcus so angry with him that he would cast Richard aside and carry on with John?
Marcus was like a brother to him and regardless of their falling out, he was disgusted by the treason the man had committed.
But he did not react outwardly in any way. He knew he was being watched.
John looked directly at Christopher as he spoke. “I have granted Marcus the baronetcy of Somerhill,” he said, listening as murmurs of disbelief spread throughout the room. “Be pleased and be warned; the competition tomorrow will be as tight as history has ever recorded.”
He had finished his pretty little speech, his eyes still on Christopher.
Disgusted and depressed, Christopher grew more and more disheartened as his eyes met with Marcus’ cobalt-blue orbs, a silent challenge coming forth from them.
Without a word or another glance, he spun on his heel and quit the room.
His knights caught up to him several doors down the corridor.
“Chris,” David hissed. “What in the hell is going on? Why is Marcus championing John?”
“Ask Marcus,” Christopher replied.
“But…he is sworn to Richard,” Leeton said. “What happened?”
Christopher waved them off, too angry and repulsed to answer them at the moment. Anything he said would come out as too personal, too selfish, so he ignored their questions. Later, when he was calmer, he would speak with them.
David knew they would not receive any answers. Motioning the others away, he continued to walk in silence beside his brother as they continued down the hall.
When they reached the door to Christopher’s apartments, David put a hand on his brother’s arm.
“Truth between us, brother,” he said quietly. “It is her, isn’t it? Did Marcus make advances to her?”
Christopher looked at his brother and he could feel his walls coming down.
Visibly, he relaxed. “Aye, he did,” he whispered.
“He neglected to tell me the whole truth. Dustin spilled out her soul, which is typical for her, but Marcus danced around it even when I confronted him. I can no longer trust the man, David, and I will not have him under my command.”
“Over Dustin?” David asked incredulously. “I cannot believe that, Chris. That is not the Marcus Burton we fought with for three years.”
Christopher shook his head. “I do not mean it as it sounds. As a knight, he is still the only man, aside from you, that I would have as my right hand. Yet sometimes, where jealousy and emotion are involved, men have been known to do strange things.” He let out an irritated sigh.
“Damn, David, I just do not know anymore. Since I have returned home, nothing is as I had planned. I feel as if the natural order of things are unbalanced; I do not know who to trust or believe anymore.”
“Because of Dustin?” David asked softly. “Jesus, Chris, if you’d only open yourself to her and quit fighting everything you feel, maybe things would be right again. If you would only trust her, you would be at peace. Your insecurity is making you mad.”
Christopher smiled faintly. “You sound entirely wise. But are you right?”
“He is.”
The voice came from down the hall. Both men turned sharply to see Marcus coming toward them, in full regalia, his handsome face calm.
The tension in the air soared; they could all feel it.
David eyed his brother, wondering if he was going to have to somehow hold the man back when he unleashed on Marcus.
But Christopher made no provocative moves as Marcus drew closer.
“Before this goes any further, before irreversible damage is done, I want you to know my reasoning for what I have done,” Marcus said quietly.
“No need, Burton,” Christopher said stiffly.
“Oh, but there is.” Marcus’ eyes glittered.
“You see, I understood your words to me last night, Chris. I see now that you love Dustin desperately else you would not have blown up at me as you did. You perceive me as a threat because you are uncertain of your wife’s feelings towards you.
Mayhap I am a threat; but be that as it may I have no intention of trying to steal your wife from you.
As for my decision to champion John, I did it for several important reasons, namely, because John had granted me a title and lands for which I am deserving, powers that can be used for Richard’s advantage.
It matters not who bestows the authority, for once it is mine it is mine to keep.
” He approached slowly. “Chris, John told me that if I mortally wound you in the tournament that he would award me your wife. Naturally, I refused. Last night, Ralph outright threatened Dustin’s life if I did not reconsider.
So I did, and I accepted, but not before every one of my demands and stipulations were put into writing and signed by the prince and by Ralph, with an additional copy sent to the Archbishop of Canterbury. ”
Christopher and David were stunned. “And what requirements did you make?” Christopher asked softly.
“That in the tournament, no matter how I fared, that my titles and lands could not be revoked,” Marcus replied.
“So you see, I have gained a great deal, but at a great price. My reputation has been severely compromised, yet I believe redeemable in time. I saw immediate advantages to becoming John’s champion. ”
Christopher swallowed, feeling his guilt growing by the moment. “And my anger toward you pushed you into this?”
“In a sense,” Marcus agreed honestly. “You have so much and I have very little. Your distrust and fury cut me, Chris, because it was irrational. ’Tis true I have given you reason to distrust me where Dustin is concerned, but we have been fighting side by side for so long that I would hope that fact alone would weigh heavily in your mind. ”
Christopher looked away, unable to meet Marcus’ eyes anymore.
Marcus watched his former liege, slowly removing the gauntlet on his right hand.
“With everything that happened yesterday, I do not expect an instant apology, nor would I accept one, but mayhap over time we can be friends again,” he said.
“But I will give you one last display of loyalty, baron. I will not fight against you, in battle or in tournament. No one short of God can order me to do that.”
Without warning, he slammed his right fist into the wall as hard as he could, crunching bone and cartilage against stone and mortar.
Something had to give; it was his hand. Bone spurs and shattered metacarpals thrust up through the flesh and blood was streaming everywhere.
Christopher and David flinched, but through it all, Marcus never uttered a sound.
Bitterly shocked, Christopher could only stand there as David rushed to Marcus, passing a critical eye over the destroyed hand.