A heaviness entered her chest at the thought of him leaving, of never seeing him again. She would certainly never forget him and all that he had done for her. She should think of a gift to give him for his service to her.
“Are you well?”
Sir Gerard’s whisper startled her, causing her to suck in a loud breath.
“Yes,” she whispered back. How long had he been awake? He couldn’t hear her thoughts, certainly, so why was her heart beating so hard against her ribs?
“Warm, then?”
“Yes, thank you. And you?”
“I am. I believe it’s almost dawn.”
The sky was lighter than it had been when she awakened.
“I want to thank you for saving me yesterday,” she said as quietly as she could. “I would have drowned.”
“I’m glad I was able to get you out.”
“Thank you. You are very brave.”
In the predawn light, she could just make out his face, faintly in shadow.
“It is my duty. And . . . I never could have forgiven myself if I’d let you drown.”
Her heart skipped a few beats. His voice was so raspy, but maybe that was because he was whispering. He didn’t mean that he cared for her. He simply would have been embarrassed at his failure to protect a princess. As a knight. And as a man. But his words, she could not deny, made her feel warm inside.
“Time to go,” Bertold said, bolting up off the ground and taking the furs with him.
Sir Gerard gave her a boyish smile—how was it that she could so easily picture him as a young boy when he was so manly?—and jumped up as well, starting to roll up the furs and blankets.
“Are you well?” Ysa asked.
“I am quite well.”
“No ill effects from falling into the water?”
“No, I feel very well. And you? Did you sleep well?”
“Very well.”
Sir Oswalt was just sitting up. He glanced at Ysa and then stood up, moving slowly, his usual pace.
When he went to tend the horses, Elyce leaned over and whispered, “He did not do anything he shouldn’t, did he?”
“Not at all.”
“Are you certain? He did not do anything untoward?”
“No, no.” Ysa shook her head. “He behaved just as a noble knight should. Nothing untoward.”
Elyce was glad. She felt very protective toward Ysa.
“Sir Gerard behaved well also. And now we had better be off before Bertold scolds us again.”
As they gathered the rest of their things, Elyce said a silent prayer of gratitude for God’s protection. She thought of the words her priest had said to her the last time she talked with him: “God is watching over you.”
She knew that was true, for the Holy Writ said as much, but there had been times she couldn’t help but wonder. For instance, why had God allowed her mother to die so young? And why was King Claude allowed to oppress his own people, and was already oppressing Elyce’s people?
Obviously she was a faithless person at heart, or she would not be having such thoughts. She just didn’t like the fact that evil people were allowed to do evil things to good people. But she supposed that was the way life had always been, since Adam and Eve first ate the forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden.
She said a quick, silent prayer of repentance and thankfulness to God for allowing her to survive falling through the ice, as well as gratitude for Sir Gerard and her other companions. God willing, they would succeed in reaching Prague and gaining favor with the king.
Of course, if all did not go well and her plan failed, she was still supposed to believe that God was watching over them, that God was good and faithful. But it would be so much easier to believe if her plan succeeded.
Ten
As they rode through the snowy mountain passes, taking a more northerly route, Gerard’s mind kept going to the brief interaction with Princess Elyce that morning. When she thanked him for saving her life, his heart melted inside him, even more so when she told him he was very brave. Those were her words. “You are very brave.”
It was a knight’s duty to be brave, but no one had ever told him that.
Princess Elyce was a complicated woman.
Gerard had heard all his life that women were impossible to understand, and though he had little experience with women, he found the princess to be especially difficult. She was aloof and strangely quiet at times, cheerful and talkative a few minutes later. She had a temper and raised her voice when she felt threatened by or strongly disagreed with him, but she thanked him sweetly after he rescued her from the frozen lake.
Though somber and serious, even melancholy at times, she had enough faith to trek through the mountains in a snowstorm on a quest that most would consider foolhardy.
Perhaps he himself was foolhardy, but none of Princess Elyce’s characteristics put him off the way other men seemed put off by women’s changeability. There was something about the princess that intrigued him—besides her obvious beauty. She had many admirable character traits.
His sister was kind, motherly, and a little naive. His stepmother had been cold and unfeeling. But the princess was not like either of them. And he found himself wanting to know more about her, to hear more of what she had to say and discover what she was thinking.
He was beginning to sound like a lovesick boy. But he was not in love, as he barely knew the princess, and he did not intend to fall in love with anyone except his future wife, whoever she turned out to be. Hopefully he would gain fame for himself and impress King Richard, who would grant him some land, and he would be able to make a prestigious match with a faithful, noble-hearted woman. He could ask for nothing better than that.
The princess had been talking with Ysabeau as they rode near each other. He glanced her way and caught her staring at him. She immediately looked away. What was she thinking?
Sir Oswalt had gone to the top of the last mountain they’d passed to get a look behind them, and also to try to spy out a town where they could find provisions. He now came galloping up beside Gerard.
“What did you see?”
“Men in the distance. Could be following us.”
“How many?
“Ten at least, maybe a lot more.”
“Not hard to see our trail in this snow.” If they were King Claude’s or King Leandre’s men, they’d no doubt catch up to them.
“I also saw a town ahead. Maybe we can reach it before they get to us.”
The town officials might protect them if they were favorable to Princess Elyce and her cause, but they could also be more loyal to King Claude or the princess’s father. Better not to risk trusting the local officials.
Bertold drew near and demanded to know what they were talking about.
“What is it?” Princess Elyce asked, turning in her saddle.
Sir Oswalt relayed the information about the men following them, and they all quickened their pace.
The trail wound down the mountainside into the valley to the walled town below. They moved as quickly as they dared on the steep, rocky path. Princess Elyce caught up with Gerard.
“What is our plan?”
She obviously considered Gerard the leader. He only hoped he wouldn’t disappoint her.
“We will conceal ourselves in the town and observe these men. If they are looking for us, we will stay in the town until they leave, or fight them, if necessary.”