For a nightthat had been heavy with mist towards the early morning hours, as the sun began to lighten the eastern sky, the mist seemed to dissipate with astonishing speed.
Julian was nearing Felkington as the sun began to rise and the gray morning began to take on color. It was cold and damp from the mist and his nose was pinched red from the chill and his breath hung in the air in puffs of fog. He wasn’t wearing his great helm because it was like a block of ice when it got cold. Instead, he had a padded hauberk on his head and shoulders because it was warmer. It sat on top of his de Velt tunic and had kept him cozy on the ride south. As the sun peeked over the horizon, signaling the dawn of a new day, the imposing walls of Felkington Castle came into view.
Truthfully, Julian didn’t even know what he was going to say to Lista when he saw her. All he could think of was a groveling apology. The word “sorry” would be the first word out of his mouth and whatever came after that… well, her reaction would dictate much of it. He braced himself for words of anger and even hatred and he was fully prepared for her to tell him to leave and never return. If that happened, he had already decided that he would return to Pelinom and send Addington and his motherback to Felkington in his stead. He wasn’t beyond asking his mother and sister for help in this instance because he was so unused to dealing with women, and especially a woman he was fond of, that he was the first to admit he needed help.
Fond.
Aye, he was fond of her but it was more than that. Addington said that Lista had been falling in love with him and Julian knew that he felt very much the same way. He knew because he’d never felt this way in his life and the thought of a future without Lista made him feel hollow inside.
A dark future he didn’t want to face.
She was strong and beautiful and resilient. She had demons of her own, something he understood about her. An aunt and mother who behaved like animals and Lista was in the middle of it, trying to keep body and soul together, ensuring the survival of Felkington. She was ashamed by her situation and that was something Julian understood very well.
Shame.
Perhaps her shame wasn’t the same as his, but they were kindred spirits in that shame was part of their lives. Shame and the fear of humiliation had driven him away from Felkington when he had rushed to judge a situation that he should have investigated before making up his mind. That kind of thing was a habit with him– a bad habit– that may have cost him dearly, but he was hoping Lista was more mature than he was and, in that sense, more forgiving.
He could only hope.
Around him, birds were coming alive, actively searching for their morning meal, as Felkington loomed closer. He took a moment to admire the structure in the early morning light, this massive fortress in the lap of a bucolic area of Northumberland that would be his someday, God willing. As he drew closer, he was already thinking about how he would improve it, makingit more secure without losing the charm it had. Those lovely gardens and the unique vineyard were something he would gleefully show his family. Something he could be proud of.
A wife he could be proud of.
Was it really possible he was going to finally know some joy in life?
Julian could see sentries on the roof of the castle as he drew closer and he was certain they had seen him by now. He was on a narrow road from the northeast, with heavy foliage to his right, a downward sloping meadow to his left, and the sky-reaching bastion of Felkington directly in front of him. From this road, he could see the entry and even at a distance, he could tell that the double-portcullises were down.
But that didn’t hold for long.
As Julian came near enough to be in shouting distance, he could see the portcullises lifting, one after the other, and a horse and rider passing through the entry. It didn’t take him long to recognize Louis as the man came through, heading in his direction because he was coming from the northern road. Last he’d heard, Louis had business in Kelso, so he had to use the same road to make his way north. It wasn’t as if Julian could, or would, hide from the man or head in another direction simply to avoid him. Nay, he wouldn’t do that even if he could. For a man who had grown up avoiding confrontation, he was going to stand his ground on this one.
He owed Louis an apology, too.
The horses came closer.
Julian pulled his to a halt.
“Louis,” he said. “I’ve come to…”
Louis didn’t give him a chance to finish his sentence. Suddenly, a big, gloved fist came flying out at Julian’s face and without his helm, he was vulnerable. Louis hit him squarely inthe nose, sending his head snapping backwards. Unable to keep his balance, Julian went over onto the road and landed in a heap.
Seeing stars dance before his eyes as blood poured from his nose, Julian was up in a flash, or at least as quickly as he could. By the time he landed on his feet, Louis had dismounted and was coming for him with another balled fist. He was moving faster than Julian was, mostly because Julian was rather dazed, and clobbered Julian in the jaw this time. Julian staggered backwards but he didn’t go down.
Shaking the bells from his ears, he went on the offensive.
Louis might have been more agile purely because he hadn’t just been hit in the face, but Julian was far more powerful. Louis got in another blow before Julian let loose on him, pounding him twice in the head so that Louis ended up on his back. Bleeding all over him, Julian reached down and yanked him to his feet only for Louis to ram a knee into Julian’s gut.
After that, the fight continued in earnest.
It was a nasty brawl, with both of them throwing, and landing, heavy blows. Louis wasn’t as strong, and not quite as skilled simply because he hadn’t the battle experience that Julian had, so it was only a matter of time before Julian gained the upper hand.
That’s when the fight became truly nasty.
The soldiers from Felkington came out of the castle to watch. A group of them made their way down the road, watching Julian pummel Louis. He tossed him onto the wooden roof of a small stone shed, only for the roof to collapse. In a spectacular crash, Louis ended up in a heap of wood and rubble, but that didn’t deter Julian. He dragged the half-conscious Louis out by his feet, dragging him out onto the road again and then grabbing him by the neck and pulling him to his knees. The fight had caused quite a stir, enough so that the entire castle was aware of it. More men, and even servants, were pouring from the entry to watch.
A knight fight was truly a brutal sight to behold.
Julian ripped off Louis’ helm, grabbed him by the hair, and was about to land a blow to his face that would surely knock him unconscious when they heard shouting from the direction of the castle. Bloodied and battered, Julian ground to a halt, fist cocked, only to see Lista rushing out of the entry, skirts hiked up to her knees as she ran towards them. It was more like limping very quickly, but she was doing her best to move swiftly.
